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 of two distinguished New Orleans restaurants: Gris-Gris and St. John. Eric talks about the...

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 Endangered Eating: America’s Vanishing Foods, who recounts her adventure researching some of the...

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 housewives led them to host the AMC cooking show, In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin. We also...

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 mysterious reputation remains. On this week's show, we delve into the mythical world of this once...

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 out to become a maker of culinary magic. Carlos was raised in Central America during an...

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 2007. Since then, he’s opened or acquired several dining spots – each one completely different...

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 film references to good witches and bad witches. But it's not always so cut and dried. To begin...

Japan may once have seemed like a world away, but the most delicious elements of Japanese food and drink culture have become increasingly embedded in our American psyche. On this week's show, we celebrate the complexity and craftsmanship of Japanese drinking culture. We begin with Christopher Pellegrini, longtime homebrewer, Honkaku Spirits founder, and author of The Shochu Handbook. Originally from Vermont, Christopher now lives in Tokyo, where he has become a Japanese spirit evangelist. He...

From crumbly cornbread that perfectly compliments a home-cooked meal, to warm cookies that can make you forget any problem, baked treats are key to happy eaters everywhere. This week, we celebrate the delicious half-science, half-art that is baking! First, we hear from our old friend, food writer Anne Byrn. Her latest cookbook, Baking in the American South, is a beautifully photographed tome, featuring hundreds of mouth-watering recipes along with the history behind each one of them. Next,...

It's been a long, hot summer, but fall has finally arrived in Louisiana! As temperatures and humidity go down, the Bayou State comes alive with a colorful array of autumn events and festivals. On this week's show, we enjoy a taste of fall. We begin on the Northshore, where the annual Abita Fall Fest is about to kick off, bringing national acts and local artists to the quaint town of Abita Springs. We meet festival co-founder Anthony Essaied at his restaurant and bar, Abita Brew Pub, to learn...

For those in the hospitality industry, there are few honors more prestigious than winning a James Beard Award. This year, New Orleanians were thrilled when the Beard Foundation named the Big Easy's Dakar NOLA Best New Restaurant in America. Those familiar with Chef Serigne Mbaye's original take on his native Senegalese cuisine were not surprised. On this week's show, we celebrate the local 2024 winners and nominees. First, we talk with Ti Martin, a member of the famous Brennan family and one...

In 1946, a New Orleans bar owner named Owen Brennan opened Brennan's Vieux Carre on Bourbon Street. Fresh out of high school, his sister Ella became his de facto manager there. Just before Owen's untimely death a few years later, plans were in place to move the restaurant to Royal Street, where the Brennan family dynasty truly began. Today, Brennan's Restaurant on Royal Street is grander than ever – all thanks to the loving care of Owen and Ella's nephew, Ralph Brennan. Named one of the 20...

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. We begin with Spud McConnell, well known for his portrayal of Ignatius on stage. The Gonzales-born actor has become so...

Less than an hour's drive from New Orleans' French Quarter, Baton Rouge, and Mississippi's Gulf Coast is Lake Pontchartrain's Northshore. The charming towns of Madisonville, Mandeville, and Abita Springs are filled with hospitality and delicious dining opportunities. On this week's show, we cross the Causeway to visit our Northshore neighbors. We begin at the Covington Farmers Market, which is widely considered to be one of the best markets in the state. We hear from market founder Bo Gallup...

Although South Louisiana does not provide the easiest growing conditions, when fueled by passion and obsession, it's amazing what can be done. On this week's show, we introduce you to some real alternative thinkers who are successfully cultivating the unusual and the exotic. We begin with a trip to the SG Tiki Farm just across the state line in Pearlington, Mississippi. There, Chef Ernie Foundas grows exotic fruits and vegetables used in the dishes he serves at his restaurant in New Orleans'...

Hippocrates said, "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." That line is just as true today as it was when the Greek physician said it 2,500 years ago. We know we are what we eat and drink, yet we don’t always consume what's best for our bodies, minds, or souls. On this week's show, we gather together three experts to examine the impact our diets, our cravings, and mental health have on our lives. We begin with Linda Shiue, a doctor and chef who guides her patients to cook...

As summer nears its end and thoughts turn towards back-to-school, we're having one last adventure – a tour through the rich and diverse offerings of New Orleans' Asian cuisine scene. First, we hear from Thuy Pham, founder of the NOLA Nite Market, an evening bazaar featuring a plethora of authentic Asian street foods created by small mom and pop restaurants, complete with live music and artisan wares. Next, we dive deeper into the local scene with Aom Srisuk and Frankie Weinberg, the...

In today’s society, meat often gets a bad rap. But this week, we speak with three people who find great beauty in the art of the butcher, the finger-licking taste of barbecue, and even the usefulness of wild hogs. First, Chef Matt Moore chats about his latest cookbook, Butcher on the Block, which is chock full of over 125 recipes for grilling and barbecue. The volume also offers a butchering primer for at-home cooks, as well as a personal introduction to the butchers behind the...

When the 2018 Federal Farm Bill was signed into law, repealing the nation's 82-year prohibition on hemp, Louisiana's legislature rapidly opened the door for a booming new industry here in our state. In just a few years, the hemp industry has grown to represent over $33 million in state commerce annually. On this week's show, we explore this fibrous cannabis plant and meet the people who are extracting it, infusing it, and serving it up at your favorite local bar. We begin with Paige...

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games are officially underway. Athletes from more than 200 countries are gathered in Paris, looking to bring home the gold in everything from archery to water polo. On this week’s show, we raise a glass to international camaraderie by sampling spirits from across the globe. Is there a bottle of jenever in your bar at home? Unless you’re from the Netherlands – that might not be the case. Gin and jenever expert Philip Duff joins us to explain the difference between...

In 1983, the Louisiana legislature named crawfish as the official state crustacean. In 2008, they proclaimed the Sazerac as New Orleans' official cocktail. And on June 1, 2024, Billy Nungesser, Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, proclaimed Blue Plate Mayonnaise to be the official mayo of poor boy sandwiches. On this week's show, we explore some other essential poor boy ingredients. We begin with the story of the first poor boy loaf ever baked from the inventor's grandson and great-grandson,...

Between the levee and the Mississippi River is the batture – a lively slip of wilderness that a tiny community calls home. There's batture land right here in the midst of metropolitan New Orleans – but unless you're lucky enough to know a batture dweller, there's a good chance you weren't aware of one of the city’s most unconventional neighborhoods. That was certainly true of Macon Fry when he arrived in New Orleans in the 1980s. After a chance encounter with a batture resident at a local...

What do a group of Buddhist monks, a New Orleans-based Chinese bakery, and a non-profit that educates young girls in Nepal all have in common? Why, dumplings, of course! This week, we explore three groups of people who are doing their best to make their mark on the world and the role that dumplings play in each of their stories. First, local chef Angela Wilson tells us about Empower Nepali Girls, a group dedicated to providing education to young women, whose opportunities are otherwise as...

Since ancient times, the Eastern Mediterranean has been one of the most significant regions in the world. Sitting at the crossroads of trade routes, the area – which, broadly defined, includes Israel, Syria, Greece, and Turkey – has long been a melting pot of cultures and culinary influences. On this week's show, we meet local restaurateurs who are showcasing the rich heritage of the region and learn about the Lebanese diaspora in Louisiana. We begin with Vassiliki Ellwood Yiagazis, owner of...