On this week's show, we take a journey into the Ice Cream Underground to uncover the magicians taking America's favorite dessert to new heights right here in Louisiana. We begin with Sam Caruso, who has overcome a host of challenges to find a sweet opportunity with Laozi Ice Cream.
Read MoreNew Orleans is well known for its legacy restaurant families. And now, just across the Mississippi River in Gretna, the Mandina clan is poised to claim its own place in our culinary pantheon. On this week's show, we meet three generations of family who have made Tony Mandina’s a Westbank culinary institution.
Read MoreHow does a recipe become a retail offering? On this week's show, we track the path of great dishes and drinks from restaurant to retail. We begin with the Bayou State's spiciest new business, Louisiana Pepper Exchange. Founder and CEO Chris White tells the story of how a particular engineering feat of his led him to launch the new company.
Read MoreLocated less than an hour from the New Orleans' French Quarter, Baton Rouge, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, St. Tammany Parish has long been a favorite vacation spot. The allure of piney woods, fresh air, charming historic towns, and delicious food has beckoned visitors for over a century. On this week's show, we take you along with us as we cross Lake Pontchartrain to meet some chefs and restaurateurs on Louisiana's Northshore.
Read MoreHalloween is upon us and there's something spooky in the air! On this week's show, we have some very special treats (and no tricks – we promise!). We begin with Sally Asher, owner and operator of Red Sash Tours. On Halloweens past, Sally has taken us on special tours of St. Louis Cemetery No. 3. This year, we tour two different New Orleans graveyards in search of our dearly departed restaurateurs, barflies, and forgotten food luminaries.
Read MoreIn 2011, Jessica Harris wrote “High on the Hog,” a book that traces the origins of African American food. Ten years later, it has become the basis of the hit Netflix docuseries of the same name. On this show, Dr. Harris sheds light on the resilience and inventiveness of Black cooks who shaped American cuisine.
Read MoreIf you’ve ever had an encounter with a celebrity, you know you can dine out on that story for a long time. On this week's show, we hear from notable writers and chefs in their own right, whose brushes with fame come with a host of tales.
Read MoreAcross the Bayou State, people are taking their destiny into their own hands and pursuing entrepreneurial dreams of owning their own business. On this week’s show, we encounter a Louisiana-style cornucopia of self-starters who forged their own path to find success in the sphere of food.
Read MoreWhether it's loss due to recent hurricanes or the overwhelming, devastating loss suffered the world over during the pandemic, grief has been an unwelcome guest in many people's lives these days. On this week's show, we take a look at grief, its effects, and the gifts that sometimes accompany it.
Read MoreBetween the levee and the Mississippi River is the batture – a lively slip of wilderness that a tiny community calls home. There's batture land right here in the midst of metropolitan New Orleans – but unless you're lucky enough to know a batture dweller, there's a good chance you weren't aware of one of the city’s most unconventional neighborhoods.
Read MoreOn this week’s show, we explore the intersections between hunting, gathering, fishing, and our changing environment. We begin at the Best of Bycatch event – a lighthearted competition hosted by the Southern Food & Beverage Museum back in 2017 – where a highly invasive fish is on the menu: the Asian Carp. Coastal scientist Alisha Renfro talks about how these newest invaders are wreaking havoc on our state's aquatic ecosystems, and Chef Philippe Parola of the Silverfin Group shares his Can't Beat 'Em, Eat 'Em solution.
Read MoreBack in the early days of television, the Public Broadcasting System blazed the trail in the genre of food TV with the one and only Julia Child, whose series, The French Chef, changed the way Americans cook and eat.
Read MoreThere’s no getting around it – August is HOT down here in Louisiana, so we thought a virtual vacation in Scandinavia just might provide a little chill. We begin with chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson. His Scandinavian connection is that although Ethiopian born – he was raised by adoptive parents in Sweden, giving him an unusual world view. The James Beard Award-winner and Top Chef master is also author of the bestselling memoir, Yes, Chef.
Read MoreAfter a few glorious months where it looked as if the worst of the pandemic was behind us, a new surge of Covid-19 is now bearing down on Louisiana with a vengeance. A new enemy variant called Delta is coming after us - and this time, it’s after our children. With cases projected to peak sometime between September and November, elected officials and business leaders are weighing new measures to stem the outbreak. On this episode of Louisiana Eats! we look back to how life was in the spring of 2020 and then fast forward to the current Covid situation in Louisiana.
Read MoreMichael Gottlieb, of Tchefuncte’s and The Anchor in Madisonville began his culinary journey the day he was born.
Read MoreAfter a year’s delay, the Summer Olympic Games are officially underway. Over 11,000 athletes from 205 countries are gathered in Tokyo, looking to bring home the gold in everything from archery to water polo. On this week's show, we raise a glass to intercontinental camaraderie by tasting five exotic spirits produced across the globe.
Read MoreOn this week’s podcast, we meet Gulf Coast Blenders customer, Jaclyn Robinson. To say divinity played a part in the birth of Mo’ Bay beignet company is an understatement. Mo’Bay’s founder, Jaclyn Robinson’s faith led her to open a beignet café that she’d never considered an option before.
Read MoreFrom cuccidati to olive salad to St. Joseph Day altars, Sicilian foodways and traditions have had an immense influence on our state's cuisine and culture. On this week’s show, we talk with Louisiana natives who share a deep love and respect for their Sicilian heritage.
Read MoreAccording to ancient Chinese legend, the discovery of tea was made in 2737 BC by Emperor Shen Nung while he was sitting under a tree as his servant boiled water. When some leaves of the tree fell into the water and the emperor consumed the accidental infusion, the course of hot beverages changed forever.
Read MoreHow many varieties of bitters are stocked in your bar? Once upon a time, there were only two choices – our beloved, local Peychaud bitters and Angostura – originally crafted in Angostura, Venezuela. Today, there are literally hundreds of varieties – a dizzying selection to say the least.
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