Louisiana Eats

Louisiana Eats hit a major milestone last week – 15 years on the air. That's well over 500 episodes featuring somewhere around a thousand different voices! This week, we bring you three interviews from our archives that celebrate some late, great Louisiana legends.We begin with a tribute to Chef Paul Prudhomme, his wife Kay, and their lost French Quarter restaurant, K-Paul's. We revisit an unforgettable conversation we had with Sandy Hanson and her brother-in-law, Chef Frank Brigtsen, after Paul died in 2015. Both Sandy and Frank were K-Paul veterans from the restaurant's earliest days. They share memories of their time there and the profound impact both Kay and Paul had on their lives.Then, we bring you the voices of two late New Orleans TV icons. The first is broadcast pioneer Terry Flettrich Rohe. Those who grew up in the Crescent City in the 1950s may remember Terry as "Mrs. Muffin" on a WDSU-TV daily children's program that she hosted for almost a decade. She was also the producer and host of Midday, one of the network's most popular programs.The second is seafood magnate Al Scramuzza, who passed away in May at the age of 97. Al's comical and campy TV ads dominated the airwaves for decades – and each of them he wrote, produced, and starred in. But even before his commercials made him a household name, Al was combining his acumen for business and marketing to turn a profit. All the while, he played a major role in the mudbug's rise to culinary fame.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

We've dug through our archives to bring you some of our favorite moments over the past decade and a half, with an emphasis on Louisiana culture and cuisine. The very first episode of Louisiana Eats broadcast on June 9, 2010. That year also marked the 125th anniversary of New Orleans' streetcar line. We look back at our very first field piece, when we took a streetcar ride with the late, great historian Michael Mizell-Nelson.Then, we revisit our conversation with Priestess Miriam Chamani, who presides over North Rampart Street's Voodoo Spiritual Temple.Next, we return to Pascal's Manale's oyster bar for a once-in-a-lifetime shucking experience with celebrity oyster shucker "Uptown T" Thomas Stewart, before wild man Joey Fonseca takes us on a virtual alligator hunt.Finally, we rediscover our 2014 field trip to Great Raft Brewing in Shreveport, where we learn all about what makes the flavor profile of craft beer in the Shreveport-Bossier area distinctive.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

This week, Louisiana Eats takes you to the Williams Research Center for the Historic New Orleans Collection's 2024 Food Forum, where host Poppy Tooker moderated a panel discussion that delved into the fascinating stories of three of the city's most enduring restaurants – all family-owned and -operated for generations.On the panel was Lisa Blount, representing Antoine's, the longest continuously operating family-owned restaurant in the nation. Lisa is marketing and menu development director of the 185-year-old eatery, as well as the wife of fifth-generation proprietor, Rick Blount. She tells us about the women and men who kept the business in operation through several generations and what she is doing now to preserve their legacy.Also part of the discussion was Ralph Brennan, third-generation owner of the French Quarter institution, Brennan's, as well as four other restaurants. Ralph explains what inspired him to keep Brennan's in business when it was on the verge of closing. He also describes the circumstances that led him to take over The Napoleon House, an even older restaurant institution in the Vieux Carré. While he made some necessary updates to the building, they were designed not to be seen by a customer base who would have balked at the idea of the restaurant changing in the slightest.Rounding out the panel was Executive Chef Edgar "Dook" Chase, IV, who carries on the legacy of his grandmother Chef Leah Chase, as the fourth-generation proprietor of the over 80-year-old Dooky Chase Restaurant. He tells us about how he's keeping his family's legacy alive while giving newer generations an opportunity to move forward.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Whether it's through television, books, or blogs – Louisiana's food culture is reaching audiences far beyond our borders. On this week's show, we meet three unofficial ambassadors who represent our state and cuisine on the world stage.We begin with Chef Isaac Toups of Toups' Meatery in New Orleans' Mid City neighborhood. In 2016, we discovered just how much the camera loved Isaac when he was voted fan favorite on Bravo Network's "Top Chef." In the years since, Isaac has successfully promoted Cajun cuisine and culture thanks to his popular cookbook, "Chasing the Gator."George Graham has called Acadiana home his entire life and has made it his mission to preserve and promote Cajun and Creole culture through stories and recipes. George shares his obsession through his nationally recognized blog and book, "Acadiana Table: Cajun and Creole Home Cooking from the Heart of Louisiana."Finally, Chef Kevin Belton tells of his journey from a child growing up in New Orleans to PBS cooking show host – a job that has him introducing the cuisine of the Bayou State to countless foodies.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

St. John the Baptist Parish doesn’t allow construction of medical marijuana pharmacies.

In many cultures across the globe, food is closely intertwined with spirituality and religion. The Passover seder celebrates the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. The Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr marks the end of a month-long fast, with families gathering for a large celebratory meal. And the Christian gospels contain stories of Jesus breaking bread, multiplying loaves and fishes, and turning water into wine. On this week’s show, we meditate on the elemental link between food and faith.We begin with Jody Eddy. The peripatetic author spent two years visiting monasteries, temples, and other spiritual communities – from Minnesota to Morocco, Ireland to Japan – discovering the rich culinary rituals of each group. She compiled her experiences in Elysian Kitchens: Recipes Inspired by the Traditions and Tastes of the World's Sacred Spaces, a fascinating cookbook full of traditional recipes and the stories of their spiritual roots.Then, the monks of the Drepung Gomang Monastery are back in New Orleans as part of their Sacred Arts Tour. The last time the Buddhist monks were in town, Louisiana Eats joined them in the kitchen as they prepared a traditional Tibetan meal. We give you a taste of that extraordinary evening.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Another year has come and gone. As we look forward to a new one, Louisiana Eats is taking a moment to reflect on the year that was 2024. First, we remember educator, activist, and former First Lady of New Orleans – Sybil Haydel Morial – with an extended version of our 2016 conversation with her. We also celebrate two restaurateurs who took on the task of feeding food insecure kids over the summer – Amanda and Isaac Toups of Toups' Meatery.

When it comes to supporting the community, chefs – New Orleans chefs in particular – are an extremely generous, giving bunch. And when it comes to helping their own in the service industry, they'll gladly give the shirt off their back – literally! To raise funds for a local mental health services program for hospitality workers, 21 Crescent City chefs have recently peeled off a bit more than just their shirts, baring it all – or at least most of it – for charity.

What is "real" Louisiana cooking? There's Creole, there's Cajun, and what’s the difference anyway? However you define it, for many of us, it's simply what your mama used to make that made you feel loved. On this week's show, we meet three Louisiana authors whose cookbooks help tell the authentic story of our state's distinctive cuisine.First, we hear from Eric Cook, the executive chef and owner of two distinguished New Orleans restaurants: Gris-Gris and St. John. Eric talks about the evolution of our traditional local fare – many examples of which can be found in his cookbook, Modern Creole: A Taste of New Orleans Culture and Cuisine. Eric shares his secrets to success with dishes such as crab and shrimp stew, wild duck cassoulet, and even his mama's chicken and dumplings.Next, we welcome food writer and culinary historian Marcelle Bienvenu, who has reported on Cajun and Creole cooking for half a century. She shares her expert knowledge and talks about the fifth edition of her classic cookbook, Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux?Finally, for 125 years, Vaucresson Sausage Company has produced its beloved brand in New Orleans' Seventh Ward. In her debut cookbook, Creole Made Easy, co-owner Julie Vaucresson shares recipes and stories both from her illustrious family of origin and the family she married into.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

The fascinating food business is so multifaceted that it's always changing and evolving. On this week’s show, we look at how delicious new products make it from concept to dinner table and how one simple product turned ordinary folks into food celebrities.We begin with actor Harry Hamlin and his niece, veteran food-industry leader Renee Guilbault. They tell us how serving lunch to some famous TV housewives led them to host the AMC cooking show, In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin. We also learn about their innovative new enterprise, Harry's Famous Pasta Sauce.Next, Pepper Baumer of Crystal Hot Sauce and Ti Martin from Commander's Palace recount the Cinderella story of leftover pepper pulp's transformation into a hot new condiment – a smash of a mash called Crystal Pepper Pulp.Remember the chicken sandwich wars that pitted fast-food chains against each other? This year, the Louisiana Fried Chicken Sandwich Challenge set out to show that the best chicken sandwich in America was actually created in a home cook’s kitchen. We learn about the event and meet the national winner, Mindea Pituk.Finally, we chat with Samantha Stein and Dan Trahant of Reily Foods, the company behind Blue Plate Mayonnaise. We learn how they set out to create a new twist on two southern sauces – tartar and cocktail.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.