Louisiana Eats

Flour, butter, yeast, and sugar are all simple ingredients, but together they can produce extraordinary things. This week, we look at baking from the neighborhood bakery to the home kitchen. First, we catch up with Kelly Jacques and Samantha Weiss, whose Ayu Bakehouse in New Orleans continues to earn both local and national accolades. The duo has come a long way since we first met them in 2022. We...

Food can tell us a lot about where we come from – and sometimes, about how we misunderstand one another. On this week's show, we look at what happens when food crosses borders, cultures, and identities. We begin with Anna Sulan Masing, a writer, poet, and academic whose work explores food, culture, and identity. Based in London, Anna comes from a family whose story crosses continents and cultures....

New Orleans is one of the oldest cities in America, but its acclaimed cuisine is hardly stuck in the past. Today, the local food scene is bolder, more diverse, and more inventive than ever. That’s what food writer Beth D'Addono discovered when researching her latest publication, "City Eats: New Orleans." Offering an extensive overview of the local restaurant landscape, the book also provides over...

Food has a way of carrying a place with it. A recipe can preserve a memory. A bottle of wine can carry a taste of home across an ocean. This week, we explore the food of the eastern Mediterranean – from Cyprus and Greece to Lebanon – and the stories that come with it. First, we speak with Anissa Helou, author of Lebanon: Cooking the Foods of My Homeland. Anissa tells us about the cuisine she grew...

The more you learn how to perceive something, the more there is to experience. Just ask any sommelier. For them, what was once simply "wine" became acidity, tannin, texture, aroma, balance, and finish. The wine hasn’t changed – they just learned to better appreciate what was there all along. This week, we explore how we can improve our enjoyment of food and drink by learning to taste with intentio...

The Slow Food movement sprang to life in 1986, when the first McDonald's in Italy was set to open at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome. Founder Carlo Petrini was so horrified by this fast food invasion that he began Slow Food to combat the effects of homogenization and to preserve and celebrate the flavors of regional cuisine. Now 40 years later, the grassroots movement has spread to over 160...

Every Labor Day weekend, tens of thousands of members of the LGBTQ community from around the world gather in New Orleans for the five-day party known as Southern Decadence. To celebrate, this week, we bring you stories of culinarians expressing queerness through food. First, we hear from John Birdsall, author of "What Is Queer Food? How We Served a Revolution." He tells us about the often-unknown...

From north to south, Louisiana's Latin food scene has been reaching new heights over the past decade. On this week's show, we explore the rich and dynamic flavors of Latin cuisine in our state. We begin in the Crescent City, where Ana and Lydia Castro are turning heads with their Mexican seafood restaurant, Acamaya. Chef Ana returns to our studio – this time, with her sister Lydia – to discuss the...

In 2023, Chef Edgar "Dook" Chase IV made his public television debut in the WYES cooking series, "The Dooky Chase Kitchen: Leah's Legacy." Dook, the grandson of Louisiana legend Leah Chase, is now back with a brand-new PBS series called "Dook Chase: A Chef's Journey." Each episode takes viewers on a food tour of New Orleans, as Dook meets with chefs, restaurateurs, and local culinary talent. On th...

New Orleans has long been seen as a place where alcohol flows freely and drunkenness is a natural state of being. Over the last few years, that may be changing. Don't worry, nobody's getting sober. They've just found an alternative in the form of hemp-derived THC drinks! The Big Easy is now the fourth-largest hemp beverage market in the country and four of the top 25 brands are headquartered right...

On this week's show, we explore international food icons with humble roots that began right here in the Crescent City. We begin with writer and philanthropist Randy Fertel, who shares stories of his mother, Ruth U. Fertel. She founded Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, now a worldwide establishment, in New Orleans. Both of Randy's larger-than-life parents are the titular subjects of his 2011 memoir, The Gor...

Here in Louisiana, intergenerational cooking is a way of life. Who doesn't treasure their great grandmother's gumbo recipe or still use their mom's roasting pan? This week, we talk with two women of East Asian heritage whose families and cultures share that motherly love expressed through food. Local-girl-made-good, Chef Nini Nguyen, grew up among the large Vietnamese population in New Orleans and...

French culture has always influenced our Louisiana traditions, especially when it comes to food. This week, Louisiana Eats explores that culture – from Parisians' love of chocolate to French porcelain used by princes, dukes, and kings at Versailles. We begin with author Aleksandra Crapanzano. Following the success of her book, Gâteau, she's back to talk about her newest volume, Chocolat: Parisian...

This week, New Orleans once again welcomes Tales of the Cocktail, an annual gathering of cocktail and spirits industry professionals. In honor of their arrival, we take a look at both a new player in the bar game and an old story about how a traditional favorite made its way into your glass. First, cocktail culture is making a notable splash throughout the African continent. We sit down with Mark...

In the late 1800s, industrialization carried the United States into a new era – one of great wealth and elaborate lifestyles for those at the top. It was frequent New Orleans visitor Mark Twain who coined the term the "Gilded Age," which would later be associated with this time of conspicuous consumption. This week, we take a look at the glorious food at the center of it all. First, we chat with B...

From French colonists who settled here 300 years ago to Vietnamese immigrants arriving in the 1970s, newcomers to the Crescent City have made significant contributions to the evolution of New Orleans cooking. On this week's show, we celebrate the ways immigrants continue to shape the city's culinary identity. We begin with Arvinder Vilkhu and his son Ashwin, who recount the story of their restaura...

In Uptown New Orleans, Freret Street is one of the city's most vibrant corridors – a favorite neighborhood artery for food and nightlife. But this wasn't always the case. Following decades of decline, Freret Street underwent a remarkable revitalization after Hurricane Katrina, becoming a symbol of the city's post-storm rebirth. A leading pioneer this culinary comeback is Chef Adolfo Garcia, whose...

Salvador Dalí once said, "A real connoisseur does not drink wine but tastes of its secrets." On this week's show, we sit down with wine experts and wine vintners to unlock those secrets and better understand the world of fermented grapes. And a bonus – they're all female! We begin with sommelier Kat Kyathfield. Along with her wife and partner Amber Allison, Kat runs Hooligan Juice Club, an undergr...

On this week's show, we trace the rich history and flavors of coffee and tea in Louisiana and beyond. Historian RL Reeves Jr. tells us about the historical origins of Luzianne, a New Orleans purveyor of tea and coffee since 1902. Then, we head to The English Tea Room & Eatery in Covington, where Jan and Tim Lantrip host us for a traditional afternoon tea. Finally, Suzanne Stone and David Feldman s...

Located at the opposite ends of the country, the states of Louisiana and Maine appear to share little in common at first glance. But take a closer look, and you'll see two places that share a passion for their distinct seafood culture – each home to a galaxy of culinary rockstars who elevate their local cuisine. On this week's show, Louisiana Eats takes you with us as we travel to Maine to explore...

In a city known for culinary excellence, Brennan's Restaurant stands out as a cornerstone of New Orleans cuisine. Founded in 1946 by Owen Brennan, the restaurant was elevated to international fame by his sister, the visionary Ella Brennan. Today, it's operated by Ralph Brennan, who continues the family legacy. On this week's show, we celebrate 80 years of Brennan's in the Big Easy. The birthplace...

On this week's show, we meet social media stars who have successfully gone from viral sensations to published authors. We begin with Nashville-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, Hannah Dasher. Hannah hosts a funny, country music-infused cooking series on TikTok called "Stand By Your Pan." It has become so popular that she just published a cookbook of the same name. Hannah joins us with some ti...

In 1941, Emily and Dooky Chase Sr. opened Dooky Chase Restaurant, a barroom and sandwich shop on Orleans Avenue in New Orleans. Five years later, a young girl from Madisonville, Louisiana married Emily and Dooky's son, big band leader Edgar "Dooky" Chase Jr. Under Leah's leadership, that simple shop grew into one of the first African-American fine dining restaurants in the country – the place wher...

On this week's show, we virtually wander the hollers and ridges of Appalachia and beyond, uncovering a wild pantry surrounding us. We begin with chef, musician, and writer Susi Gott Séguret, whose passion for her native Appalachia is only matched by her love of food. Born and raised in western North Carolina, Susi spent 20 years in Europe, spreading Appalachian music and tastes while honing her cu...

Forget the myth! No matter what month it is – whether it's spelled with an "R" or not – there is nothing quite like a Louisiana oyster. On this week's show, we do a deep dive on that beautiful bivalve that has been embedded in our state's culture and economy for centuries. First, we hear from fifth-generation oysterman, Al Sunseri. If you've ever enjoyed an oyster in New Orleans, then odds are goo...