On this week's show, we take a look at invasive species in our region and meet some people who live by the motto: if you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em.
Read MoreDarkness falls across the land, and Halloween is close at hand. This week, we're getting into the spooky spirit by touring some of Louisiana’s most paranormal locales.
We’ll begin at the center of New Orleans’ supernatural history, the French Quarter. Lisa Blount of Antoine’s Restaurant gives us a tour of their ghostliest sites.
Read MoreOn 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
Read MoreWhether 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!
Read MoreGet out your corkscrews! On this week’s show, we’re talking with vintners and wine stewards to better understand the world of fermented grapes.
Read MoreBehind 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.
Read MoreOn 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.
Read MoreOn this week's show, we're embarking on a virtual trip around the world — from Louisiana to China to Israel and beyond!
Read MoreOn this week's show, we meet some individuals who are doing their part to make the world a better place through food.
Read MoreTo 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."
Read MoreLouisiana 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.
Read MoreThe South has a rich and varied food history, but too often it's reduced to stereotype. On this week's show, we explore the influence of the South on America’s culinary identity, and the central role African-American and immigrant cooks played in its formation.
Read MoreOn 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.
Read MoreIt'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.
Read MoreOn 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.
Read MoreOn 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.
Read MoreOn 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.
Read MoreOn 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.
Read MoreOn 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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