On this week's show, we're traveling through Acadiana to explore traditional and contemporary Cajun foodways. We begin with George Graham, who shares his obsession through stories of cooking in the region through his nationally
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Whether it “ain’t der no more” or it’s a holiday tradition, iconic brands have a particular staying power over New Orleanians. We love the foods and flavors of nostalgia. On this week’s show, we look back at some favorite brands of the past, and celebrate others that are still thriving!
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Get out your corkscrews! On this week’s show, we’re talking with vintners and wine stewards to better understand the world of fermented grapes.
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Behind every great restaurant is a great chef. But that chef would be nothing without the scores of people in the front and the back of the house who turn a meal into a memorable experience. On this week's show, we get to know two unsung heroes of hospitality in New Orleans.
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On this week’s show, we're going back to school for no ordinary education.
We begin with Chef Jeremiah Tower, whose book, Table Manners, offers a 21st century guide to being a better host and guest. Jeremiah’s lessons on etiquette — and “techiquette” — come from a decades-long career owning and operating restaurants from California to Hong Kong.
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On this week's show, we're embarking on a virtual trip around the world — from Louisiana to China to Israel and beyond!
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To tell a truly engaging story, you have to dig deep beneath the surface. When it comes to radio storytelling, Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva, also known as the Kitchen Sisters, are masters. Through projects like Lost and Found Sound and Hidden World of Girls, the independent producers tell stories for NPR and online "from the flip side of history."
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Louisiana Eats is on the road again, this time to Evangeline Parish, where residents show pride for their French, Cajun, and Creole heritage through their food, music, and traditions. On this week's show, we participate in the annual Le Grand Hoorah celebration, while hitting many iconic spots along the Cajun Prairie.
We begin in downtown Mamou, where our gracious host Valerie Cahill gives us a grand welcome at the historic Hotel Cazan. Then, we grab breakfast down the road at the charming Krazy Cajun's Cafe. Don and Judy Secia serve up stories of Mamou's annual Mardi Gras celebration with a side of calas.
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On this week’s show, we take a sonic journey through Appalachia to explore the history and legacy of its unique foodways.
We begin with Troy Ball, whose hobby as a moonshiner became a means of helping her family survive financial ruin. Troy’s memoir, Pure Heart, tells a very personal story of raising two special needs sons while becoming the first legal female moonshiner in Southern history.
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It's July in New Orleans, which means two things: scorching temperatures and the hottest event in the spirits world -- Tales of the Cocktail! On this week's show, we look at the annual summertime conference that brings the international cocktail scene to the Crescent City.
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On this week's show, just in time for the Fourth of July, we're celebrating the good old-fashioned American barbecue and the even older tradition of curing meat for preservation and eating.
We begin with Rien Fertel, author of The One True Barbecue, who demystifies the role of the pit master in the tradition of whole hog barbecue in Tennessee and the Eastern Carolinas. Rien’s exhaustive research led him to some of the smokiest and most storied barbecue shacks in America. But you may want to keep your distance, if those pigs catch on fire, it won't just be the fireworks exploding!
On this week’s show, we take an in-depth look at the unlikely conservationists who work along the Mississippi River watershed.
We begin with author Miriam Horn, whose book Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman profiles five people who sustain production while preserving their environment. Miriam joins us to talk about her discovery — that there’s much more that unites Americans than divides us.
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On this week’s show, we travel to Greenville, Mississippi for their annual Delta Hot Tamale Festival.
We begin by speaking with author Julia Reed, who participates as the festival’s official Pizzazz Consultant. Julia’s writing has graced the pages of Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Magazine and Garden and Gun. She shares memories of the very first Hot Tamale Festival and the significance of the hot tamale in the Mississippi Delta.
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On this week’s show, we take an in-depth look the evolution of restaurant dining in the America and speak with the co-owner of one the nation's top restaurants.We begin by exploring two centuries of historical and cultural changes with acclaimed Yale historian Paul Freedman. His book Ten Restaurants That Changed America weaves together culinary and social history, from the innovators of roadside dining to the vanguards of haute cuisine.
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On this week's show, we hit the road to tour a variety of farms that do everything from growing fresh produce to raising colonies of honeybees. We begin with a tour of Mahaffey Farms in Princeton, Louisiana, where Evan McCommon has been converting his family's timber ranch into a biodiverse farm. The changes have been slow, but his resolve steady as the 1,100 acres change from a dense forest to an open savannah.
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On this week’s show, we’re traveling from Lafitte bayous to French Quarter kitchens for a look at Louisiana’s Catch and Cook Program. Under Catch and Cook, charter fishing groups can bring their catch to a participating restaurant, where the chef will prepare their fresh-caught fish to order.
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On this week's show, we look at the role food television plays in the lives of several chefs here in New Orleans.
We begin with one of the youngest stars of food TV, Kaj Hecht, the recent winner of Chopped Junior. To get an understanding of how the 10-year-old New Orleans local came to be a contestant on the program, we invited Kaj and his father Michael into our studio.
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On this week’s show, we’re taking you behind the scenes of the Jazz & Heritage Festival!
The amazing array of food is one of the many things that sets Jazz Fest apart from all other festivals. We start off by visiting with our own house band, Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes. They’ve just wrapped up a recording session for their newest album, Sketch. The band shares some of their Jazz Fest gig memories with us, along with the meals they enjoy off the stage.
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Every year, households across Louisiana celebrate the eight-day festival of Passover. On this week's show, we’re bringing in the experts to help us explore Jewish food traditions old and new.
We speak with Joyce Goldstein, author of The New Mediterranean Jewish Table, about sephardic recipes of the Jewish diaspora. In compiling her book, Joyce set out to demystify the diverse traditions of Jewish cooking in the Mediterranean region.
On this week’s show, we’re looking at the role economics plays in running a flourishing food and beverage operation.
We begin with hospitality tech entrepreneur Damian Mogavero, who explains the importance of raw data in managing a restaurant. Damian has been able to use his dual passions for dining and data to create a system for “new garde restaurateurs,” a story now chronicled in his book, The Underground Culinary Tour.
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