Louisiana Eats

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.

Halloween season has arrived – that magical time when revelers across the country take to the streets disguised as ghosts, vampires, and witches. Here in Louisiana, of course, you'll find those kinds of spooky sightings all year round! On this week's Louisiana Eats, we've got all treats for you – and no tricks!Witchcraft has cast a spell on society for a long time, and with it, many literary and film references to good witches and bad witches. But it's not always so cut and dried. To begin our show, we speak with Orenda Fink, author of the memoir, The Witch's Daughter. Orenda, who's perhaps best known as half of the dream pop duo Azure Ray, tells us the story of being raised by a mother who claims to be a witch, and the madness that bound her family together.Orenda Fink will be presenting and signing her new book when she appears at Octavia Books in conversation with host Poppy Tooker on Friday, November 1 at 6pm.Next, we sit down with Cristina Quackenbush, the witchy chef behind Tatlo, a restaurant and absinthe bar in the French Quarter. From the menu to the décor, everything at Tatlo springs from Cristina's practice of benevolent witchcraft.Then, we hunt for specters in the home of Leslie Castay and Bryan Burkey, before raising a toast to our ghostly friends – with cocktails to die for! Sharon Keating and Christi Keating Sumich, authors of Hauntingly Good Spirits, take us on a historical romp through the supernatural by way of New Orleans' bar scene.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

From crumbly cornbread that perfectly compliments a home-cooked meal, to warm cookies that can make you forget any problem, baked treats are key to happy eaters everywhere. This week, we celebrate the delicious half-science, half-art that is baking!First, we hear from our old friend, food writer Anne Byrn. Her latest cookbook, Baking in the American South, is a beautifully photographed tome, featuring hundreds of mouth-watering recipes along with the history behind each one of them.Next, baker Jim Lahey talks about the 15th anniversary edition of his ground-breaking cookbook My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method. Jim began a bread-making revolution decades ago with a Le Creuset pot, just a handful of ingredients, and, most importantly, no need for kneading!Finally, we chat with Renato Poliafito, owner of Brooklyn bakery and café Ciao, Gloria, and author of Dolci! American Baking with an Italian Accent. In his newest book, the two-time James Beard Award nominee set out to capture the flavors of Italy stretching from the Old World to the New.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Brennan's Restaurant on Royal Street is grander than ever – all thanks to the loving care of founder Owen Brennan's nephew, Ralph Brennan. Named one of the 20 most influential restaurant people in the country by Restaurant Business Magazine, Ralph runs some of the city's finest dining destinations. On this week's show, we sit down with Ralph Brennan himself to discuss his life in food.

When the 2018 Federal Farm Bill was signed into law, repealing the nation's 82-year prohibition on hemp, Louisiana's legislature rapidly opened the door for a booming new industry here in our state. In just a few years, the hemp industry has grown to represent over $33 million in state commerce annually. On this week's show, we explore this fibrous cannabis plant and meet the people who are extracting it, infusing it, and serving it up at your favorite local bar.We begin with Paige Melancon, president of Louisiana Hemp Extractors. Since 2020, his facility in Arnaudville, Louisiana has processed over 2000 pounds of industrial hemp for local farmers, turning it into oils, lotions, gummies, and drinks for wholesale and retail markets. In 2022, Paige branched into manufacturing his own products under the BakPak label. He tells us about the hemp business today and looks at its future in the current political climate.Then, we meet Eric Becker and Ken Jackson – two founders of the cannabis-infused seltzer brand, Louie Louie. With each can including five milligrams of both the cannabinoids CBD and THC, the company offers what they call a "sessionable" product designed as an alcohol alternative.And Louisianans are drinking it up – even in old-line restaurants like the Napoleon House! Braithe Tidwell, corporate beverage director for the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group stops by to tell us how THC cocktails have made their way onto their restaurant menus.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

What do a group of Buddhist monks, a New Orleans-based Chinese bakery, and a non-profit that educates young girls in Nepal all have in common? Why, dumplings, of course! This week, we explore three groups of people who are doing their best to make their mark on the world and the role that dumplings play in each of their stories.First, local chef Angela Wilson tells us about Empower Nepali Girls, a group dedicated to providing education to young women, whose opportunities are otherwise as landlocked as their South Asian country.Next, we hear from Aisha Chen of Wishing Town Bakery, who, along with Vivi and Kevin Zhen, is helping expand New Orleanians' palates with a creative take on traditional Chinese desserts and dim sum.Finally, we take part in an extraordinary evening, when a lucky gathering of locals eats a traditional Tibetan meal, prepared by visiting Buddhist monks.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

In the culinary world, there are many different roads to success. Some are longer and more winding than others. On this week's show, we speak with chefs who have traveled far – literally and figuratively – to find career fulfillment in New Orleans.We begin with Nina Compton of Compére Lapin and Bywater American Bistro, the first Black female chef to receive the coveted James Beard "Best Chef" nod. Nina tells us about her path from the Caribbean and England to New York and Miami, and why she chooses to call New Orleans home.Then, we hear from Merritt Cosha and Tyler Stuart – two Americans who traveled across India to educate themselves on the culture and flavors of the subcontinent. The couple's passion for regional Indian cuisine is on display at their restaurant, Plume Algiers on New Orleans' Westbank.Finally, we sit down with Mason Hereford who talks about his culinary journey from working in barroom kitchens and fancy restaurants to running four acclaimed local eateries, including his flagship sandwich shop, Turkey and the Wolf.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.