Louisiana Eats

With its proximity to Latin America, Louisiana has long enjoyed a treasure trove of delightful food and spirits from south of the border. This week, we take a long look at that bounty.First, we hear from two-time James Beard Award winner Ted Genoways, author of Tequila Wars: Jose Cuervo and the Bloody Struggle for the Spirit of Mexico. Ted tells the real story behind the rise of Mexico's tequila industry – a tale that involves building railroads, a world's fair, the Mexican Revolution, and even American Prohibition. At the center of the story is Jose Cuervo, who isn't just a brand, but a real person born in Mexico's Tequila Valley in the late 19th century. His investment, innovation, and some clever maneuverings ensured the industry's survival and eventual flourishing success. Surprisingly, Ted's book is the first biography written on the legendary tequila-maker.Then, we hear from Jimena Urrutia and Marcelo Garcia, the talented husband-and-wife team behind one of New Orleans' most innovative eateries: Empanola. Together, they have transformed traditional empanadas into authentic tastes of Louisiana and a myriad of international flavors as well.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Located at the opposite ends of the country, the states of Louisiana and Maine appear to share little in common at first glance. But take a closer look, and you'll see two places that share a passion for their distinct seafood culture – each home to a galaxy of culinary rockstars who elevate their local cuisine. On this week's show, Louisiana Eats takes you with us as we travel to Maine to explore the food scene in the Pine Tree State.

New Orleans has long been known for its Spanish, French, and African influences, so it can be easy to overlook the role the Chinese have played in our culture and cuisine since the mid-1800s. On this week's show, we explore the Chinese in the Crescent City – yesterday and today.

Every Labor Day weekend, tens of thousands of members of the LGBTQ community from around the world gather in New Orleans for the five-day party known as Southern Decadence. To celebrate, this week, we bring you stories of culinarians expressing queerness through food.

The origins of our food and foodways are usually not well known and can sometimes be hard to track down. After all, how do you figure out the origins of something that’s been around for centuries? On this week’s show, we learn the history behind dishes that define our American cuisine and the traditions surrounding them.We begin with Dr. David Shields of the University of South Carolina. His book, "The Culinarians" explores the lives and careers of those who had a hand in creating the first age of American fine dining.Then, we find out whether whiskey is bourbon or bourbon whiskey? We’re joined by author and spirits historian Fred Minnick. He answers that question for us as well as who really taught Jack Daniel to distill.Next, we speak with Gabrielle Langholtz, author of "America: The Cookbook." Gabrielle’s encyclopedic tome explores our nation’s identity through the immigrant stories and recipes that created American food as we know it.Finally, we learn the history of Chinese restaurants in the U.S. with U.C. Irvine professor, Yong Chen. Chen's book, "Chop Suey, USA," follows the history of Chinese cuisine in America – from the first four restaurants in California during the Gold Rush, to the nearly 50 thousand Chinese restaurants found across the country today.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Summers in Louisiana tend to linger longer than elsewhere in the U.S., and for many locals, the heat is a perfect excuse to skip town for more exotic destinations. But for those of us who plan to stick around, there are plenty of ways to take a vacation without needing to pack a bag.On this week's show, we travel virtually to the French Riviera with New Orleans chef Samuel Peery. Finding inspiration from coastal brasseries in French cities like Nice and Marseille, Sam has created a menu at the Kimpton Hotel's King Brasserie that offers a taste of the Côte d'Azur only half a mile from the Mississippi River.Over at The Bell, a British-inspired pub in New Orleans' Mid-City neighborhood, locals can stop in for an ale or lager served in imperial pints – or dine in a room decked in tartan fabrics, dark woods, and Union Jack flags. Owner Andrew Bell tells us how he went from a career in professional soccer to become a British publican in the Pelican State.Finally, we get a behind-the-scenes look at Exhibition Hub's newest immersive exhibit in New Orleans. Titanic: An Immersive Voyage takes visitors back to 1912 to experience the ship as a passenger on its ill-fated maiden voyage. Executive producer John Zaller tells us about the exhibition and the important role food played on the luxury liner.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

French culture holds a special place in Louisiana's heart, whether it's music, language, or food! On this week's show, we travel to France virtually and bring home a taste of their lifestyle and cuisine.We begin with Makenna Held, author of "Mostly French: Recipes from a Kitchen in Provence," which is both a cookbook and a chronicle of life in the French countryside, where she runs an innovative cooking school at Julia Child's former home.Then, James Beard Award-winning author Aleksandra Crapanzano lets us in on the sumptuous secrets of Parisian home bakers found in her book, "Gâteau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes."Next, we revisit our 2015 trip to Paris, when Paris By Mouth's Jennifer Greco introduced us to a charming charcuterie in the Marais called Caractère de Cochon, a play on words that means "pigheaded."Finally, we head back to New Orleans to speak with Dominique Rizzo of Celtica Bakery. The French-born chef moved here decades ago to share his passion for the food of his native country.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

This month, as Louisiana Eats marks our 15th anniversary, we're relishing the opportunity to bring you some favorite moments from our archives. We begin with our 2011 interview with the late civil rights activist, Dr. Rudy Lombard. He talks about his role in the 1960 McCrory's lunch counter sit-in and what motivated him to write his seminal 1978 book, "Creole Feast."Then, we revisit our 2011 tribute to one of the chefs featured in that tome: Clarence "Buster" Holmes. British jazz drummer Barry Martyn and Chef Susan Spicer both share memories of their friend and mentor.Next, we hear again from the late Michael Mizell-Nelson, who spent his career studying the experience of working-class New Orleans. We bring you the second half of our streetcar ride with Michael in 2010, as he shares the history of public transportation during the era of Jim Crow.To end our show, we spotlight our 2011 conversation with local icon Mildred Covert, who taught the world how to cook Creole and Cajun while keeping kosher.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

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.