Beaucoup Beignets

The beignet. That simple square of fried dough is undeniably one of the Crescent City’s most famous foods. Few visitors leave town without a ceremonial dusting of powdered sugar that occurs with every beignet bite. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the ubiquitous donut has been sold from French Market stands accompanied by steaming hot cups of café au lait. Twenty-first century chefs and restaurateurs have taken that simple fried dough to new heights, filling them with ingredients both savory and sweet and featuring them on menus far from home.

Food, Drink, DiningPoppy TookerApril 2, 2022Morning call, Bob Hennessey, Jaclyn Robinson, Gulf Coast Blenders, The VIntageComment

Backyard To Table

On this week's show, we explore backyards, balconies, and rooftops where folks are cultivating their own food. We begin with Big Okra. That’s the name that gardener Jack Sweeney has given to his over 15-foot okra plant towering over his New Orleans backyard. We visit Jack and the Okra Stalk on site – but what made it grow so tall? Was it the seeds that spawned this Guinness World Records-worthy plant? We hear from the man who gave him those seeds: Jack's dad Neil, a Baton Rouge attorney who keeps his own garden behind his office.

Cookbooks: A Deep Sea Dive

In today's fast-paced world, where virtually every recipe can be conjured up by doing a quick search online, do cookbooks really matter? After hearing this week's show, we think you'll join us in a resounding yes. Cookbooks teach us techniques and introduce us to new ingredients and cultures. They expand our palates and remind us of old-fashioned ways of doing things – ways that can evoke memories of our long lost loved ones.

Festive Feast Days

Down here in Louisiana we love any excuse for a party. Our very Catholic culture dictates that Ash Wednesday is supposed to usher in 40 days of fasting and abstaining, but thanks to a few saints whose feast days fall during that Lenten period, our party just continues.

Food, Drink, DiningPoppy TookerMarch 12, 2022St. Patrick's Day, St. Joseph's Day, Laura Kelley, Purim, Berney Bernstein, Laura GuccioneComment

Powerful Women in the Restaurant Biz

The old adage is that a woman's place is in the kitchen. Despite that well-worn saying, it wasn't until the second half of the 20th century that women began finding their place in the restaurant kitchen. For this week's show, we gather together a powerful group of females who are breaking barriers and setting new standards for excellence in their fields.

To Ignatius with Love: A Culinary Tribute to a Confederacy of Dunces

John Kennedy Toole's novel A Confederacy of Dunces is internationally revered for having captured the essence and eccentricity of New Orleans — and for introducing readers to its larger-than-life protagonist, Ignatius J. Reilly. On this week's show, we take a culinary look between the pages of the book that was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1981.

King Cake Part Deux: Second Helpings

Mardi Gras 2022 may just be the year of the king cake – at least on Louisiana Eats it is! A few weeks back, we devoted an entire episode to the topic. This week, we're back for seconds!

Hospitality's Black History Toasts The Future

Racism in many forms has played an outsized and unfortunate role in Louisiana history. But throughout that history there have been strong, brave leaders who have worked to right the wrongs of the past. On this week's show we introduce you to pioneers past and present who have made a difference.

Food, Dining, DrinkPoppy TookerFebruary 12, 2022Louisiana Eats, Poppy Tooker, Toure Folks, Todd Price, Vance VaucressonComment

Beverage Pioneers

There’s a lot brewing in Louisiana today. On this week’s show, meet the innovators, the brewers, and the mixologists who are making that magic happen.

Long Live The King Cake!

Down here in Louisiana, we're currently enjoying one of the longest king cake seasons possible. On this week’s show, we explore our favorite Carnival treat with Matt Haines, author of the "The Big Book of King Cake." Matt uncovered amazing historical facts and chronicled the lives and cakes of 75 bakers while writing his new coffee table tome.

Food, Drink, DiningPoppy TookerJanuary 29, 2022Louisiana Eats, Poppy Tooker, Matt Haines, Martha Gilreath, King Cake Hub, Jennifer SamuelsComment

A Family Affair

Southeast Louisiana is home to an unusually wide range of family owned and operated restaurants, shops, and companies. Some have just started, while a surprising number of them are generations old. On this week's show, we look at three different flavors of family businesses in the greater New Orleans area.

Indomitable Spirits

The life of a chef is often regarded as glamorous and exciting, but in reality, it’s a hard life – exemplified by long hours and frequent financial challenges. For many, it’s the only life imaginable.

Food, Drink, DiningPoppy TookerJanuary 15, 2022Louisiana Eats, Poppy Tooker, Nathanial Zimet, Boucherie, Bouree, Troy Ball, Pure HeartComment

An Acadiana Road Show

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 recognized blog and book, Acadiana Table: Cajun and Creole Home Cooking from the heart of Louisiana.

Louisiana Eats! 2021 Year In Review

This edition of Louisiana Eats! takes a look back at the year that was 2021 – its challenges and its losses. Many restaurants and bars have closed their doors in the last two years, but when JoAnn Clevenger announced that New Orleans' beloved Upperline Restaurant would not reopen after initially closing due to the pandemic in March 2020, the entire city reeled with the news. We revisit our conversation with JoAnn from 2016.

Spirited Celebrations

It's the time of year for gathering together family and friends to celebrate all that has been and all that will be. An important element to all those spirited celebrations are the spirits themselves. On this week's show, we look at cocktail culture and mixed drinks perfect for any type of get together.

Rooted In Agriculture

Food just tastes better when you know the farmer who grew it, the beekeeper who spun the honey from the hive, or the cottage producer of some delicious new fermentation purchased from your farmer’s market. On this week's show, we meet them all.

Coping With Disaster

There's no denying the last two years have been a major challenge for everyone. Between the pandemic and the surge of natural disasters across the nation, we've seen it all. On this week's show, we learn how people are coping from coast to coast.

St. Tammany Taste Quick Bites: Pyre Restaurant's Chef Jeff Mattia

Though he’s been on the local restaurant scene since 2010, Chef Jeff Mattia didn’t move to Louisiana until well into his culinary career. At that point, the Marine vet had already worked with some serious luminaries like celebrity chefs Tom Collichio and Todd English. While his career was centered in New Orleans for the first four years, Jeff and his family felt decidedly more at home across the lake in St. Tammany Parish.

The Ice Cream Underground

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.

Meet The Mandinas

New 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.

Food, Drink, DiningPoppy TookerNovember 20, 2021Louisiana Eats, Poppy Tooker, Tony Mandina, Grace Mandina, Mandinas, Kolette Mandina-Ditta, Lindsey MarcelComment

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