Louisiana Eats

To 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 fi...

New 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 last week at a gala celebration at The Four Seasons Hotel. On this week's show, we sit down with both honore...

In the last few years, many people have turned to home baking as a distraction, as solace, and for fun. But nothing beats the sweet and inventive creations of a professional pastry chef. On this week's show, we get a peek into the lives and careers of those behind the rolling pin. We begin with internet cake sensation Bronwen Wyatt of Bayou St. Cake. Bronwen's cakes are not only delicious but visu...

Twelfth Night 2023 marks 100 years since 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. We begin with one of our favorite Lo...

This week, we look back at some memorable highlights from 2022 and remember those we've lost. We begin with our 2011 conversation with Tennessee Williams scholar Dr. Kenneth Holditch, who died in December. A professor at the University of New Orleans, Dr. Holditch helped establish festivals honoring Williams' life here and in two other cities. Dr. Holditch shares stories of the Pulitzer-winning pl...

What do Antoine’s in New Orleans, Sylvia’s in Harlem, The Mandarin in San Francisco, and the once powerful chain of Howard Johnson’s restaurants all have in common? According to Yale professor Paul Freedman, they are all part of an influential group of Ten Restaurants That Changed America. On this week’s show, we sit down with Paul to discuss his book by that name, which weaves together culinary a...

It's the time of year for celebrations, and on this week's show, we're bringing the party – but without the booze! Our zero-proof holiday begins with a visit to Dream House Lounge in New Orleans. There, Dr. David Wallace serves up drinks that use adaptogens like kava or reishi mushrooms instead of alcohol. Aside from its delicious drinks and energizing oxygen bar, Dream House is a place where Davi...

Alcohol in almost any form is one of the oldest medicines known to man. On this week's show, we explore the world of high proof healing. We start with Camper English, author of Doctors and Distillers: The Remarkable Medicinal History of Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Cocktails. Camper covers everything from mystic botanicals and their monastic apothecary origins to the unusual relationship between syphi...

On this week's show, we explore the lives of New Orleans tastemaking legends and meet the next generation who are following in their footsteps. We begin with Al Copeland Jr., who recently memorialized his famous Popeyes-founding father in a book entitled Secrets of a Tastemaker. Written by Chris Rose, Kit Wohl, and the Copeland family, the book shares Al's life story – from his humble beginnings a...

On this week's show, we’re trekking across the Causeway once again to explore the culinary scene in St. Tammany Parish. We begin at Backwater Farmstead in the rural town of Bush, Louisiana. There, Ross McKnight and his family make foie gras, a luxury food they hope to make more accessible in our state. After we tour the farm, we head over Olde Town Slidell to meet Jeremy and Alyssa Reilly of Resta...

The story of Abita Beer, Louisiana's first craft brewery, all began in the sleepy little town of Abita Springs. In 1986, the Blossman family ventured into the business at a downtown Abita Springs location — a 100-seat brew pub, which they completely outgrew by 1994. Today, Abita Brew Pub is owned and operated by the second generation of the Essaied family who continue to serve delicious American f...

Do you have a favorite hot spot where your family has gathered for generations? Is it still there? Sadly, when it comes to Black-owned bars and lounges, many have been disappearing from local landscapes – often without fanfare or mention. New Orleans native L. Kasimu Harris has watched with dismay as many of these vital Black establishments have closed their doors in recent years. Since 2018, he h...

Love that chicken from Popeyes! If you love Louisiana food, it’s a safe bet that you’re a Popeyes lover too. The company that has grown to over 3,000 stores stretching from one end of the globe to the other, all started right here in New Orleans. Today, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen includes locations in more than 30 countries. You’ll find that chicken in London, Sri Lanka, the Philippines – there’s o...

On this week's show, we visit with three Louisiana chefs who have compiled many accolades and awards in restaurants across the South. First, we hear from James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence, whose upbringing in New Orleans has informed his illustrious restaurant career based in Oxford, Mississippi. John describes the through-lines of his craft, which includes a strong sense of place and a...

Foie gras – that’s French for fat liver. This celebrated luxury food is found mostly in high-end restaurants where even a small amount is quite costly. Traditionally, foie gras production has centered in the Aquitaine region of France where for hundreds of years ducks and geese have been carefully fattened in order to produce the large, ivory-colored lobes. Force-feeding is usually mentioned in co...

Where are you from? While what we eat may reveal our origins, it can also reflect our life's travels from one home to another. Chef Anh Luu was born in New Orleans to parents who emigrated to the United States from Vietnam. She discovered her love of restaurants at the age of 15 when she first began working the line. When Katrina blew Anh and her family to Portland, Oregon, she became a pioneer of...

What does family mean to you? For the folks on this week's show, when it comes to food, family means everything. NOCCA Culinary Arts student and Chopped Junior champion Retiba Hagazzi is a perfect example of that. The bright, ambitious teenager learned how to love people through food from her father, Khalid. They share that love with the world every time their food truck, Sittoo's Kitchen pulls up...

On this week’s show, we speak with three James Beard Award-winners to explore the history and culture of African American cooking and learn how African flavors are inspiring new dishes today.  We begin with soul food scholar Adrian Miller, who describes his book, Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, as love-letter to African-American cooks. Since it was first published in 2013,...

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 pl...

According to Matthew Raiford, when it comes to American haute cuisine, one need look no further than the South. On this week's show, we explore the possibilities of Southern cuisine with celebrated authors and chefs – beginning with Matthew Raiford. The self-described CheFarmer is spreading the good word of his Gullah Geechee heritage through a new book, Bress 'n' Nyam. Then, culinary superstar Se...

St. Tammany Parish is filled with family owned and family focused businesses, which exactly describes Restaurant Cote and the Maple Room in Olde Towne Slidell. Chef Jeremy Reilly and his wife Allysa opened their family business almost ten years ago and while growing the restaurant, grew their own family as well, adding two children to the Reilly family mix. Chef Jeremy’s food has deep roots in tra...

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...

Tales of the Cocktail is back! After a two-year hiatus, one which was held virtually, what is arguably the biggest alcohol event in the world will take place again this year during the last week of July. In honor of the 20th anniversary of one of the wettest events to ever hit New Orleans, on this week's show, we explore all things alcohol and non-alcohol.  In recent years, Tales has become increa...

When it comes to sharing our authentic food culture, there is no family as influential over time as the Brennans of New Orleans. Almost 80 years ago, Owen Brennan got the party started at the Old Absinthe House. Since that time, the family has grown and prospered, giving us all a wonderful time along the way. On this week's show, we sit down for the first time with the fourth generation of one of...