What makes a food distinctly American? This week, Louisiana Eats explores that topic by serving a heaping helping of Americana – in decidedly Southern-sized portions. We sit down with native son, Burke Bischoff, whose paperback Po'Boy, tells the story of the classic New Orleans poor boy sandwich. We also speak with anthropologist Ty Matejowsky, author of Smothered and Covered: Waffle House and the Southern Imaginary.
Read MoreIn New Orleans and across our state, we're surrounded by history. Our architecture, museums, and libraries tell us stories of bygone eras. But arguably the best place to get a taste of Louisiana history is in any of our historic restaurants. On this week's show, we look at culinary landmarks that have been dining destinations for generations.
Read MoreTwelfth Night marks the birth of the late New Orleans icon, Leah Chase. The culinary legend, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 96, was the undisputed Queen of Creole Cooking and a civil rights activist who changed lives over a bowl of gumbo. On this week's show, we spend the hour honoring Leah's talent, achievements, and lasting legacy.
Read MoreFrom New Orleans to Shreveport, Lafayette to Baton Rouge, Louisiana residents know one thing for sure: we have some good Louisiana eats! And we expect our classics – from the red beans in the pot to the hot sauce we douse over it liberally – to be exactly the same as we remember from our grandmother's table growing up. This week, we take a look at three Louisiana companies that each have satisfied local appetites for the last 100 years.
Read MoreFor foodies and food lovers, eating is more than just a daily necessity – it's an all-consuming passion. While this can be mostly a good thing, the long term effects of food obsession can have their drawbacks. Nationally prominent comedian and actor Dan Ahdoot knows these downsides all too well. In his debut memoir, Undercooked: How I Let Food Become My Life Navigator and How Maybe That's a Dumb Way to Live, Dan examines his emotional relationship with food starting from childhood, and provides both an honest and comedic look at where that has gotten him.
Read MoreThe elves are busy in Santa's workshop at this time of year! So as we head into the big holiday gift-giving time, Louisiana Eats is talking with some home-grown, Louisiana elves for delicious inspiration. We speak with Jady Regard of Cane River Pecan Company, visit New Orleans chocolatier Christopher Nobles of Piety and Desire Chocolate, and celebrate 40 years of Orleans Coffee with Bob Arceneaux.
Read MoreIn our increasingly fast-paced world, traditional foods and foodways often have trouble competing with speed and convenience. But never fear. All over the planet there are people working to save the superior flavor, nutrition, and cultural significance of heritage foods. On this week's show, we introduce you to some of our greatest heritage food warriors.
Read MoreWho taught you how to cook? Perhaps it was a favorite family member or Julia Child on public television. Maybe you devour cookbooks on the weekend just for fun. The education of a professional chef can be just varied – be it a formal degree or on-the-job training. On this week's show, we explore culinary learning.
Read MoreA recipe can be more than a guide to making food. On this week's show, we meet culinary detectives who are using recipes to unlock the past. We begin with the inspiring story of humanity preserved through recipes from the time of the Holocaust. Chef Alon Shaya joins us to share the story of a family cookbook he encountered while visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and how it led to a collaboration and friendship with Steven Fenves, a man who survived the horrors of that time. Through their Rescued Recipes project, Alon and Steven have raised over $500,000 to benefit the same museum that brought them together.
Read MoreAs we creep closer to October 31, Louisiana Eats is getting into the spooky spirit with our annual Halloween episode. This year, we've cooked up some pretty delicious and unsettling tales for you! Guests include culinary historian Sarah Lohman, who travels back in time to share the earliest food traditions surrounding death, and bartenders Kelsey Ramage and Erin Hayes, who discuss their Halloween-themed pop-up bar experience called Black Lagoon.
Read MoreThe way we eat and talk about food is linked to our individual and collective identities. On this week's show, we look at the origins of some of our favorite foods and common misconceptions about them. We speak with journalist and food historian Lolis Eric Elie, author Anya von Bremzen, and playwright and stage director Eva Doumbia.
Read MoreLess than an hour's drive from New Orleans' French Quarter, Baton Rouge, and Mississippi's Gulf Coast is Lake Pontchartrain's Northshore. The charming towns of Madisonville, Mandeville, and Abita Springs are filled with hospitality and delicious dining opportunities. On this week's show, we cross the Causeway to visit our Northshore neighbors.
Read MoreFor more than 20 years, Torre and David Solazzo have crafted an idyllic small-town life while bringing big, new flavors to Covington diners – first, at their fine-dining establishment, Del Porto Ristorante, and more recently at their gastropub, The Greyhound. We sat down with both chefs to hear how two of the Northshore's favorite restaurants came to be.
Read MoreTo write a cookbook, a good author will go to great lengths to perfect a recipe or understand a cuisine. On this week's show, we meet four food writers who are driven by a deep culinary curiosity. You may know Melissa Clark from her weekly column in the New York Times food section or from one of her 45-odd published cookbooks. We join Melissa in the studio to discuss the art of recipe-making to find out what led the prolific author to a life in food.
Read MoreThere's a mouthful of memories in every family – especially if your family is in the food biz! On this week's show, we hear from New Orleanians whose parents and grandparents gave them a passion for food and a love for their community.
Read MoreBusinesses open. Businesses close. But some businesses manage to recover from calamities of biblical proportions. On this week's show, we learn what it takes to rebuild a beloved brand after a long hiatus. We speak with Drew Ramsey, whose family has run Hubig's, makers of New Orleans' favorite hand pies for three generations. Then, we hear from both Vance and Julia Vaucresson about the revival of their third-generation sausage company.
Read MoreIn today’s society, meat often gets a bad rap. But this week, we speak with three people who find great beauty in the art of the butcher, the finger-licking taste of barbecue, and even the usefulness of wild hogs.
Read MoreEvery Saturday morning, the Covington Farmers Market delivers a delicious dose of family fun in the heart of the city’s downtown. Founded in the mid-1990s, long before the farm-to-table craze began, the market was hardly an overnight success. On this podcast, we speak with three individuals who were instrumental in getting the Covington Farmers Market off the ground and shaping it into what it is today.
Read MoreNew Orleans chefs Susan Spicer and Frank Brigtsen are both culinary icons. They are also back-to-back recipients of the coveted Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award, presented each year by the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience: Frank was recognized in 2022; Susan received the 2023 award in January at a gala celebration at The Four Seasons Hotel.
Read MoreCommander's Palace has been a New Orleans culinary landmark since it first opened in the city's Garden District in 1893. Once Ella Brennan and her family took It over in the 1970s, it became an international sensation, elevating Louisiana cuisine and launching the careers of chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse. On this week's show, we celebrate 130 years of Commander's Palace by dipping into our archives to bring you Commander's stories past and present.
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