This week, Louisiana Eats revisits more cheerful times, with a lighthearted episode from our archives—our April Fool’s Day show from 2017. It’s irreverent. It’s playful. It’s a month
late—and it’s one of our favorites. One of the stories is a joke, but the rest are so wild, you may not be able to separate the fact from the fiction!
On this week's show, we learn how the restaurant sector is coping with COVID-19 around the state and beyond. We begin with the story of business partners Emery Whalen and Chef Brian Landry. After the coronavirus shuttered their company, QED Hospitality, the duo were able to change gears to keep employees on the payroll and meet a growing need in healthcare.
Read MoreSince the coronavirus shutdown, Louisiana Eats has been presenting voices from the hospitality community. This week, we hear from New Orleans restaurant owners and chefs who were interviewed as part of a documentary by filmmakers Jonathan Evans and Marian Gay.
Read MoreThis week, Louisiana Eats continues its examination of the food industry as it deals with the affects of the coronavirus shutdown. Now that the initial shock is starting to wear off, people are asking: how do we do business when doing business as usual is out of the question? How can we adapt to this constantly changing landscape?
Read MoreOne of the most charming things about Louisiana are the people you find along the way. On this special podcast, you’ll meet a true treasure of the Northshore, Miss Emma Giron, of Emma’s Famous Pralines in Slidell, Louisiana. Miss Emma is a true food hero, who has devoted much of her life to our most emblematic candy creations, the praline.
Read MoreWe begin with Mark Schettler, manager of Bar Tonique and vocal advocate for New Orleans' service workers. When all bars were ordered closed at midnight on Monday, March 16th, Mark switched into activist mode. We hear how hospitality industry workers are dealing with the crisis following the shuttering of businesses and learn how you can help.
Read MoreOn this week’s episode, we take a deep dive into the cuisine and culture of Asia, with an emphasis on China. We begin with Karen Christensen, founder of Berkshire Publishing who has pursued her interest in Asia through the amazing books she’s compiled. Karen shares her thoughts and experiences on all things culinary from East Asia to Afghanistan.
Read MoreAnother Carnival season is behind us, and for many, it's a time for fasting and abstinence. In 2016, registered dietitian Molly Kimball wrote an article challenging New Orleanians to give up all alcohol from Ash Wednesday until Easter as a way to reboot and learn how alcohol affects our bodies. In the years since, the #AlcoholFreeFor40 Challenge has grown, with Ochsner Eat Fit programs across the state hosting this community initiative. Molly visits our studio to talk about how the challenge has evolved and the impact it has had on the lives of some participants.
Read MoreIt's Mardi Gras time in Louisiana, so on this week’s show, we're bringing Carnival to you.
We begin with author and songwriter Johnette Downing, who’s also known as “the pied piper of Louisiana music traditions.” Johnette shares her latest album, Swamp Romp, which, among other things, seeks to answer the eternal question, Who put the baby in the king cake?
Read MoreIt’s king cake season, and on this week’s Louisiana Eats, we look at how this Carnival indulgence has become the phenomenon it is today. We begin in at longtime family-run king cake purveyor, Randazzo’s Camellia City Bakery in Slidell.
Read MoreThis week, we shine a spotlight the humble yet mighty bean. We begin with its role as cultural icon–celebrated each Lundi Gras at the Red Beans Parade. When Devin De Wulf founded the Krewe of Red Beans over a decade ago, he had no idea he was creating a Lundi Gras tradition that would develop a cult following. The annual parade has gotten so popular that three bean parades will be marching this year. Devin joins us to discuss the krewe’s expansion from a Lundi Gras marching parade to a year-round institution.
Read MoreSince 1965, the Randazzo family name has been closely tied to New Orleans’ king cake tradition. It all began back in 1952 when the Randazzo family owned and operated a bar and restaurant in St. Bernard Parish known as the Camellia Club.
Read MoreOn this week's show, we gather together some of the best of the cookbook world for some vicarious travel.
We begin with culinary superstar Sean Brock. In his bestselling cookbook, “South,” the award-winning chef breaks down the essential elements of Southern cuisine, from corn bread to shrimp and grits, highlighting regional differences in certain dishes. Sean sits down with us to discuss his book and explain what he’s doing to explore the possibilities of Southern food.
Read MoreChickens and their eggs play essential roles in our global cuisine. A part of human life since before recorded history, the chicken has also left its mark on our civilization as a cultural icon. On this week’s show, we explore the world of our fine, feathered, fowl-est friends—and learn why their eggs are everything they're cracked up to be.
Read MoreOn this week’s show, we learn the ins and outs of building a culinary empire from restaurant vanguards in Louisiana and beyond.
Read MoreOn this week’s show, we look at family businesses that have been finding success through five generations. We begin with Swiss Confectionery, a New Orleans bakeshop that’s been in operation for almost a century. Their custom-made delicacies are fixtures at New Orleans weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations.
Read MoreOn this week’s show, we visit the Historic New Orleans Collection’s new expansion at 520 Royal Street, the first to house the city’s only continuing exhibit about our most famous neighborhood, the French Quarter.
Read MoreWe begin by remembering our favorite New Orleans cookbook nook, Kitchen Witch, which sadly closed earlier this year after 20 years in business. Like so many independent bookstores, this local gem was squeezed from multiple directions, including online retail and technology.
Read MoreIt’s the holiday season, which means that spirits are high – high proof that is! On this week’s show, we’re throwing a holiday party with some cocktail professionals!
Read MoreOn this week's show, we look back on bygone New Orleans businesses that "ain't dere no more," but continue to hold a place in the city’s collective heart. We begin with Bryan Batt and Katy Danos, authors of Pontchartrain Beach: A Family Affair. Founded by Bryan’s grandfather Harry Batt in 1928, the amusement park was a summer destination for 55 years.
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