Mason Hereford

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.

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 today's fast-paced world, where virtually every recipe can be conjured up by doing a quick search online, do cookbooks really matter? After hearing this week's show, we think you'll join us in a resounding yes. Cookbooks teach us techniques and introduce us to new ingredients and cultures. They expand our palates and remind us of old-fashioned ways of doing things – ways that can evoke memories of our long lost loved ones.On this week's show, we meet Mason Hereford of Turkey and the Wolf and Molly's Rise and Shine. This relative newcomer has caused quite a stir here in New Orleans, serving formerly mundane items like a fried bologna sandwich, and transforming them into works of art. That's just one of the reasons Bon Appétit named Turkey and the Wolf America’s best new restaurant in 2017.Mason has become a fixture in national culinary headlines, but his most recent story had nothing to do with his kitchen. He tells us the story of how the first print run of his debut cookbook ended up at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.Then, we hear from fifth-generation chicken keeper, Lisa Steele, whose blog "Fresh Eggs Daily" inspired her new book of the same name. Lisa shares her story as well as some egg-centric tips and tricks.Finally, we speak with David B. Hazelwood, who, along with David G. Smith, authored Cooking Southern: Recipes and Their History. At 586 pages thick, the new tome compiles over 1,800 historic recipes going back generations.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.