Poppy Tooker
Host of Louisiana Eats!Poppy is the host and executive producer of the weekly show, Louisiana Eats! Food personality, culinary teacher and author, Poppy Tooker is passionate about food and the people who bring it to the table.
Poppy provides weekly restaurant commentary on, “Steppin’ Out” (WYES TV). Her book, The Crescent City Farmers Market Cookbook received a Tabasco cookbook award and was named “Cookbook of the Year” by New Orleans Magazine.She was recognized by the Times-Picayune as a “Hero of the Storm” for her work reviving New Orleans restaurants and food providers following Hurricane Katrina. The International Association of Cooking Professionals recognized Poppy’s rebuilding efforts at their annual conference in April 2008, with their first ever, Community Service Award.
For over 25 years, Poppy’s cooking classes have centered on history and tradition as well as the food science behind her preparation.
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Every year, thousands of tourists touch down at New Orleans' Louis Armstrong airport expecting to partake in an unforgettable culinary experience. With no shortage of places to drink and dine, the first question visitors often ask is: "Where do locals go?" On this week's show, we explore neighborhood spots that have a strong local following in the Crescent City. We begin with Morning Call, a coffee and beignet shop with over 150 years of local history. We also visit Juan's Flying Burrito and Pizza Delicious, before sitting down for a cupping — coffee's equivalent to a wine tasting — at French Truck Coffee. -
The restaurant landscape in America is rapidly changing. The pandemic gave a lot of people time to rethink, retool, and redo the way the industry works. On this week's show, we speak with young chefs and restaurateurs who are changing the rules and reshaping culinary culture. We learn how chefs Mason Hereford and Serigne Mbaye run their restaurants and meet the trio behind the award-winning Saint Germain in New Orleans. -
Each July, Tales of the Cocktail draws tipplers from across the globe to New Orleans for a week-long celebration of cocktails and mixology. On this week's show, we get into the spirit of the event with world-renowned cocktailians who have made a big splash in the cocktail world. We speak with cocktail writers David Wondrich and Robert Simonson about the revival of craft cocktails at the turn of the 21st century and sit down with Bulleit Bourbon founder Tom Bulleit. -
New Orleans is a melting pot of cultures, music, and – of course – food. On this week's show, we explore some international flavors found in our own backyard. We begin with Merritt Coscia and Tyler Stuart, who became captivated by the culture and flavors of India when traveling across the subcontinent. The couple's passion for regional Indian cuisine is on display at their restaurant Plume Algiers on New Orleans' Westbank. Merritt and Tyler join us in the studio to talk about their restaurant and the travels that inspired it.We also speak with Abigayle Rhode-Pausina about her new exhibit "A Syrian-Lebanese American Kitchen" now on display at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, and with Maggie Zhu, author of "Chinese Homestyle." -
On this week's show, we look at agriculture and innovation in our state and beyond. We begin with New Orleans' native son Richard McCarthy, founder of the Crescent City Farmers Market and former executive director of Slow Food USA. The activist recently published a book entitled, Kuni: A Japanese Vision and Practice for Urban-Rural Reconnection. Richard shares the revolutionary ideas and practices his co-author Tsuyoshi Sekihara is using to save rural areas that were abandoned in postwar Japan. -
New Orleanians have always loved to cook and to share what they've made with others. So it makes sense that as soon as there was television, there was a Crescent City chef on the screen spreading the good news of New Orleans food. The first was an African American cooking star named Lena Richard, who made her TV debut on WDSU-TV in 1949. Fast forward to today, and it’s tough to tune in to any cooking show and not see a familiar face. This week, three local chefs walk us through the fun and the frenzy of their television encounters. -
In her book, To Boldly Grow, author Tamar Haspel uses the term "first-hand food" to describe anything you get with your own two hands – meals we grow, fish, hunt, or even forage. According to the Washington Post food columnist, growing and sourcing your own food just makes it taste better. On this week's show, we get our hands dirty and meet some people who have a passion for the great outdoors. -
Since 2021, June 19th – or Juneteenth as it's popularly known – has been a federal holiday commemorating the end of enslavement in the United States. On this week's show, we celebrate the day with a trio of African American chefs who discuss the inspiration they draw from their spiritual ancestors. -
From the front of the house to the back, across Louisiana and the entire country, there is a substance abuse problem in bars and restaurants. On this week's show, we speak with Will Arendell, a renowned substance abuse counselor, who demystifies the psychology and physiology of addiction. We then meet ice cream savant Sam Caruso and baker Martha Gilreath – two New Orleanians who overcame addiction and a host of challenges to find a sweeter life for themselves. -
Whether it's the most elegant wedding reception or a simple family birthday party, no celebration is complete without a cake. On this week's show, we explore this delicious dessert in all its glory.
