Louisiana Eats

On this week's Louisiana Eats, we're traveling down south to Argentina! In November 2023, host Poppy Tooker made the long trek to Buenos Aires, where she discovered a cosmopolitan city that sometimes felt like Paris and sometimes seemed like Manhattan. We begin with a tour of the city's San Telmo neighborhood with American expat and food writer Allie Lazar. She takes us for empanadas served up by...

From "Cardoons" to "Misbeliefs," "Huckabucks" to "Second Lines" – the Big Easy has a lingo all its own, built on generations of immigrants finding their way to the port of New Orleans, the French Quarter, and finally a life in this city. For centuries, Africans, Southeast Asians, Europeans, and Caribbean Islanders have worked to make a home here, resulting in the hodgepodge of culture New Orleans...

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...

Whether it's through television, books, or blogs – Louisiana's food culture is reaching audiences far beyond our borders. On this week's show, we meet three unofficial ambassadors who represent our state and cuisine on the world stage. We begin with Chef Isaac Toups of Toups' Meatery in New Orleans' Mid City neighborhood. In 2016, we discovered just how much the camera loved Isaac when he was vote...

While most of the country makes New Year's resolutions that kick in right after January 1st, in Louisiana, there tends to be a slight postponement. That's because Carnival Season, a time of indulgence, kicks off on January 6th with the astounding king cake eating and cocktail drinking that comes with it. So, our resolutions about healthy living and sobriety tend to wait until Ash Wednesday – the d...

In many cultures across the globe, food is closely intertwined with spirituality and religion. The Passover seder celebrates the exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. The Muslim feast of Eid al-Fitr marks the end of a month-long fast, with families gathering for a large celebratory meal. And the Christian gospels contain stories of Jesus breaking bread, multiplying loaves and fishes,...

Chinese cooking has been a part of the American dining scene since the mid-1800s and remains an integral aspect of the industry today. This week, we take an in-depth look at the Chinese restaurant tradition from a variety of perspectives. For decades, the parking lot was always full at the little red building just across the parish line from New Orleans. Inside, a packed house of diners could be f...

Mardi Gras is just around the corner. That means king cake lovers only have a matter of days remaining to enjoy a slice of the beloved Carnival treat before Lent begins. But how do you pick the right king cake for you? With hundreds of varieties to choose from, it can be a daunting task. For this week's show, we've reached out to some king cake experts for help. We begin with Sami Messerle, also k...

No matter where you live in Louisiana, it's Mardi Gras time! Carnival is when we all get to suspend our disbelief, don a mask, do or be something outrageous. This week, we explore the many ways people celebrate the season. First, we hear from Abby Roniger, author of the colorful new children's book, Carnival Time in My Mind, which depicts the joy and excitement of being a kid at Mardi Gras. The bo...

Since reopening with much fanfare in 2015, New Orleans' St. Roch Market has experienced ups and downs, but the city's second oldest city market is still standing. Since 2015, St. Roch has functioned as a culinary incubator for food professional wannabes – and what a bunch of delicious incubation is happening there now! On this week's show, we speak with the market's new director, longtime vendor K...

On Sunday, February 9th, over 100,000 people are expected to pack into New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. This will mark the 11th Super Bowl in the city, tying Miami for most in NFL history. And there's a good reason the big game keeps coming back to the Big Easy: our food and hospitality are second to none. On this week's show, we celebrate iconic Louisiana foods that those swarms of sports fans wil...

Folks are familiar with New Orleans' home-grown Creole and Cajun cuisines. But the Crescent City is also the place to taste delicious flavors from many cultures. This week, we pay tribute to a trio of chefs bringing Latin American fare to local tables. First, we talk to Ana Castro. Down in New Orleans' Bywater neighborhood, this much-lauded young chef is drawing crowds to her modern Mexican restau...

Many of us toy with the idea of committing our life stories to pen and paper. If you're a regular listener to Louisiana Eats, or simply another food obsessed Louisianan, odds are your biography may well take the form of food memoir. This week, we hear from a trio of writers who have been there and done that. First, we catch up with Sara Roahen. Her award-winning memoir, Gumbo Tales: Finding My Pla...

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. Nathanial Zimet, the ambitious chef behind Boucherie and Bourrée in New Orleans, falls directly into that category. Drawn to the restaurant business at the age of 15, the North Carolina native soon l...

Another year has come and gone. As we look forward to a new one, Louisiana Eats is taking a moment to reflect on the year that was 2024. First, we remember educator, activist, and former First Lady of New Orleans – Sybil Haydel Morial – with an extended version of our 2016 conversation with her. She shares stories of growing up in the Jim Crow South and her husband's successful campaign to become...

When it comes to supporting the community, chefs – New Orleans chefs in particular – are an extremely generous, giving bunch. And when it comes to helping their own in the service industry, they’ll gladly give the shirt off their back – literally! To raise funds for a local mental health services program for hospitality workers, 21 Crescent City chefs have recently peeled off a bit more than just...

No one needs to explain the spiritual aspect of cooking to Louisianans. For generations, the thoughtful preparation and service of food has been our way of loving people and building community. This week, we take a look at folks all around the world who also take a spiritual and community-based approach to food. First, we hear from author Jody Eddy, who spent two years visiting monasteries, temple...

The 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 homegrown Louisiana elves for delicious inspiration. First, we hear from Jady Regard, CNO (Chief Nut Officer) and second-generation proprietor of Cane River Pecan Company in New Iberia. He tells us how the past half-century has seen his family's ente...

What is "real" Louisiana cooking? There's Creole, there's Cajun, and what’s the difference anyway? However you define it, for many of us, it's simply what your mama used to make that made you feel loved. On this week's show, we meet three Louisiana authors whose cookbooks help tell the authentic story of our state's distinctive cuisine. First, we hear from Eric Cook, the executive chef and owner o...

In 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. We begin with Sarah Lohman, author of Enda...

The fascinating food business is so multifaceted that it's always changing and evolving. On this week’s show, we look at how delicious new products make it from concept to dinner table and how one simple product turned ordinary folks into food celebrities. We begin with actor Harry Hamlin and his niece, veteran food-industry leader Renee Guilbault. They tell us how serving lunch to some famous TV...

From the height of its popularity in the 19th century to its modern revival, absinthe has a long and storied history. A favorite pastime of artists, writers, and bohemians, the spirit known as "the green fairy" was subject to a near global ban for nearly a century due to myths about its hallucinogenic effects. Even after those bans were lifted around the turn of the millennium, its wild and myster...

When customers walk into the quaint dining room of Tournesol Cafe & Bakery, they are immediately greeted by the aroma of fresh-baked breads and pastries. And whether they choose a raspberry croissant, chocolate éclair, or tres leches, the decision is bound to be a happy one. Carlos Sanchez is the owner, baker, and chef behind the charming Covington, Louisiana establishment – but he didn't start ou...

Many chefs spend their entire careers content to run a single restaurant. But others have a different vision – one that encompasses multiple locations or even various kinds of eateries. This week, we take a look at three such New Orleans restaurateurs and find out how they've gone about building their culinary empires. We begin with Chef Aaron Burgau, who opened his first restaurant, Patois, in 20...

Halloween season has arrived – that magical time when revelers across the country take to the streets disguised as ghosts, vampires, and witches. Here in Louisiana, of course, you'll find those kinds of spooky sightings all year round! On this week's Louisiana Eats, we've got all treats for you – and no tricks! Witchcraft has cast a spell on society for a long time, and with it, many literary and...