It's New Orleans: Louisiana Eats

On this week s show, we look back on the lives of some extraordinary people we lost in 2018. We begin by revisiting our 2011 conversation with the late, great Anthony Bourdain. We had the opportunity to speak with Anthony after he was hired as a scriptwriter for the HBO series, Treme. Seven years later, we were absolutely devastated when we heard of Anthony s suicide and remembered that long ago conversation. We also hear from Anthony s friend and associate, Kat Kinsman, author of Hi, Anxiety Life With A Bad Case Of Nerves. She joined us for a frank and honest conversation about anxiety and depression. Kat has created an online forum for the industry, Chefs With Issues, that today is both a website and an active closed group on Facebook. Since Anthony Bourdain s tragic death, Kat has been traveling the country, creating safe spaces for open, raw, and thoughtful conversations about the industry s mental health and substance abuse issues. Next, we remember the late French chef Rene Bajeux, who shared his culina

When it comes to historic restaurants, there s no place like home if you re lucky enough to call New Orleans home On this week s show, we time travel through the storied past of iconic French Quarter landmark, the Napoleon House. Chef Chris Montero gives us a tour of the historic property, from the bar to the cupola and all points in between. As it turns out, in addition to being an accomplished chef, Chris is also a passionate preservationist and historian. He shares two centuries worth of Girod and Impastato family lore and talks about the future of the establishment. Then, we ll hear from Chef Slade Rushing about how he learned to balance the old and new at Brennan s when the Royal Street mainstay re opened its doors. And sometimes it s the food itself that tells the story. That s the case at the Roosevelt Hotel, where Chef Carl Cushenberry s famous fried chicken is available every Monday. We visit Carl in the kitchen there to learn what elevates his fried chicken to rock star status. But he s not giving a

On this week s show, we explore the intersections between hunting, gathering, fishing, and our changing environment. We begin at the Best of Bycatch dinner at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, where a highly invasive fish is on the menu the Asian Carp. Then, we travel to the island of Kauai and meet James Sarme, a fisherman who casts about the traditional Hawaiian way. Next, we attend a wild boar cook off in Violet, Louisiana, where we speak with young hunter Meagan Dragon. Meagan is one half of a father daughter hunting team with her dad, Darryl Dragon. Finally, we tell you about the strange history of hippos in Louisiana and meet Danlyn Brennan, who has spent her life foraging wild edibles. Her passion for wild craft is clear yet complicated by a desire to keep her methods and locations hidden. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

A growing trend in the craft cocktail movement has bartenders mixing drinks with little to no alcohol, shifting their focus to flavor. On this week s show, we ll explore the new wave of non alcoholic craft drinks, starting with cocktail vanguards Don Lee and Bobby Murphy, who experiment with non alcoholic ingredients at the New York City establishment Existing Conditions. Then, we hear from Ben Branson, founder of Seedlip a distillery producing non alcoholic spirits using peas grown on his 300 year old family farm in Northern England. We ll also hear from Charlotte Voisey of William Grant and Sons about Tales of the Cocktail s first ever non alcoholic party at the annual spirits convention. Hold the alcohol we re having a new wave cocktail party, on this week s Louisiana Eats. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

On this week s show, we indulge our sweet tooth with the help of some influential dessert makers. We visit the Swiss Confectionery, a family run bakeshop that s been in business in New Orleans for almost a century. Their custom made delicacies are fixtures at New Orleans weddings, birthdays, and other celebrations. Then we learn the rich history of Goetz Caramel Creams, which originated in 1895 as the Baltimore Chewing Gum Company. 123 years later, and CEO Mitchell Goetze has plenty to talk about. Next, Elna and Suzie Stokes invite us into their Vieux Carr candy shop, Leah s Pralines, where the sweet aroma of candy wafts through the shop from copper kettles. We also visit the Elmer Chocolate factory in Ponchatoula, Louisiana. With a heritage that reaches back to 1855, Elmer Candy is not only the oldest candy maker in Louisiana, but one of the oldest in the nation. Their state of the art machinery and innovative ingredients, however, are far from dated. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit u

Chasing the Gator With Isaac Toups Chef Isaac Toups has long been a favorite guest on Louisiana Eats In past episodes we ve talked hunting rabbits and even had a front row seat on Isaac s rendition of the Cajun Night Before Christmas Isaac has just published his first book, aptly entitled "Chasing the Gator." In it he pulls back the curtain on the decidedly Louisiana style "new Cajun cooking that he serves at both Toups Meatery and Toups South. In this Quick Bites podcast, host Poppy Tooker sits down with Top Chef fan favorite, Isaac Toups to discuss his personal culinary evolution. Then, Isaac and Poppy step out into the side yard of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum to play something Isaac calls "Cajun Games" a topic he explores thoroughly in his cookbook. Suffice it to say shiny, sharp instruments are involved Finally, everyone goes into the kitchen at Toups South to learn how to fry cracklins from the master. You ll want to chase the gator yourself after listening to Quick Bites of Louisiana Eats

Ora King is a sustainably raised salmon from New Zealand with a delicious history. On this week s show, we travel to three cities to meet three chefs all finalists in an international competition to create the most inventive Ora King salmon dish. To begin the judging process, we visit Austin, Texas to meet Chef Mia Li of Lenoir Restaurant and learn about her theory of cooking, which has been shaped by her personal experiences at home and abroad. From there, we head to Brooklyn to find Chef Yael Peet at her elusive Japanese speakeasy, Karasu. Yael s mastery of accessible Japanese cuisine and her training as an animation artist made her Ora King dish stand out. Then, we meet finalist number three in Los Angeles. Chef Jonathan Granada worked his way up from commis to line cook at the legendary French Laundry in Napa Valley. He now serves as chef de cuisine at Otium. After becoming acquainted with all three finalists, we reveal the big winner. We also learn a bit more about the fish of the hour, Ora King. David S

It s that haunting time of year again, when pumpkins glow and black cats screech, and you can be guaranteed we re ghost hunting on this week s show To begin, we share a supernatural encounter at Tableau Restaurant on Jackson Square. Suffice it to say, Tableau s ghosts know how to make the bottles fly better than any bartender. Next, our tour of restaurant ghosts brings us to the Napoleon House. When Ralph Brennan acquired the Napoleon House in 2015, he adopted its many apparitions as well. We also stop by Tujague s to search for Julian Eltinge, the restaurant s beloved ghost, who haunts the legendary establishment in drag. We may even receive a visitation from New Orleans original celebrity chef, Madame Begue, who has some unfinished business at the second oldest restaurant in the city. We then move from New Orleans second oldest to its oldest restaurant, Antoine s, where Lisa Blount gives us a tour of their ghostliest sites. From there, we journey up to Mamou, Louisiana to visit the Hotel Cazan. During our s

Ora King is a sustainably raised salmon from New Zealand, whose story is almost as delicious as the fish itself. Back in early 1900, two avid fishermen somehow managed to bring live King salmon home to New Zealand from a fishing trip to California. The salmon thrived there and the rest is Ora King history. Ora King is only available to the restaurant trade, where it s developed a cult following with top chefs like Thomas Keller and Emeril Lagasse, because of it s pristine quality and flavor. Host, Poppy Tooker served as the judge for this year s Ora King competition travelling to Austin, Texas; Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles, California to taste the Ora King creations of the three top finalists, Mia Li of Lenoir, Yael Peet of Karasu and Jonathan Granada of Otium. On this podcast, we travel to Los Angeles, California to meet finalist number three Jonathan Granada. After beginning his career at the French Laundry, where he worked his way up from commis to line cook, Jonathan was selected by Chef Timothy Hol

On this week s show, we ll explore the immense influence that Italian foodways had on the development of New Orleans cuisine. We ll time travel through the years of the family operated Uptown gem, Pascal s Manale. This history, which is now immortalized in Poppy s new book, The Pascal s Manale Cookbook, focuses on two Sicilian immigrant families, the Manales and the Radostas, forebearers of today s Defelice clan, who continue the Manale tradition today. Three generations of family share their stories with us. We ll also visit Manale s oyster bar for a once in a lifetime shucking experience with celebrity oyster shucker "Uptown T" Thomas Stewart and speak with Loyola University history professor Justin Nystrom about how Sicilian Americans shaped New Orleans food culture. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Ora King is a sustainably raised salmon from New Zealand, whose story is almost as delicious as the fish itself. Back in early 1900, two avid fishermen somehow managed to bring live King salmon home to New Zealand from a fishing trip to California. The salmon thrived there and the rest is Ora King history. Ora King is only available to the restaurant trade, where it s developed a cult following with top chefs like Thomas Keller and Emeril Lagasse, because of it s pristine quality and flavor. Host, Poppy Tooker served as the judge for this year s Ora King competition travelling to Austin, Texas; Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles, California to taste the Ora King creations of the three top finalists, Mia Li of Lenoir, Yael Peet of Karasu and Jonathan Granada of Otium. On this podcast, we travel to Brooklyn, New York to meet finalist number two Yael Peet. To find Yael in her restaurant, Karasu in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, first you have to walk through another restaurant, the brightly lit, bustl

Ora King is a sustainably raised salmon from New Zealand, whose story is almost as delicious as the fish itself. Back in early 1900, two avid fishermen somehow managed to bring live King salmon home to New Zealand from a fishing trip to California. The salmon thrived there and the rest is Ora King history. Ora King is only available to the restaurant trade, where it s developed a cult following with top chefs like Thomas Keller and Emeril Lagasse, because of it s pristine quality and flavor. Host, Poppy Tooker served as the judge for this year s Ora King competition travelling to Austin, Texas; Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles, California to taste the Ora King creations of the three top finalists, Mia Li of Lenoir, Yael Peet of Karasu and Jonathan Granada of Otium. On this podcast, we travel to Austin, Texas to meet finalist number one Mia Li. A first generation American born to Asian immigrants, Mia is the chef de cuisine at Lenoir, a tiny restaurant housed in a charming cottage nestled under ancient oak t

On this week s show, we re sharing untold stories of lives spent in service. We begin with a tour of the Kemper Williams Residence at the Historic New Orleans Collection with decorative arts curator Lydia Blackmore, who conducted exhaustive research on the individuals who worked for the Williams family. Next, we revisit our interview with the late historian Michael Mizell Nelson. In 2010, Michael took us on a streetcar ride for a history lesson about the streetcar strikes of 1929 and their connection to the advent of the poor boy sandwich. Then, Adrian Miller discusses the African American men and women who fed our First Families, from George Washington to Barack Obama. Finally, we hear from the great Dr. Rudy Lombard, who passed away in 2014 after a lifetime of civil rights activism. Rudy s vision for change was spurred in part by his personal experience as the child of the housekeeper and cook at the Uptown residence of prominent New Orleanians. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at

In this Louisiana Eats Quick Bite episode, we travel to Denver, Colorado for Slow Food Nations with our friends from Camellia Brand beans. With the theme, "Food For Change," Slow Food USA gathered together many of the world s greatest thinkers and influencers to further their goal of good, clean food for all. For three days in July 2018, Denver s Larimer Square was the hotspot for tasting and talking from the Taste Marketplace to panel discussions and cooking demonstrations, we re taking you there We begin with a cooking demonstration, "Beans Around The World" with Chef Alon Shaya and Poppy Tooker. Alon and Poppy make Cannellini Bean Muffalatta Salad, Pintos Calas and Hummus Ful for the hungry audience. We explore the connection between seeds and beans with seed farmer, Evan Gregoire. Chef Rick Bayless explores the cultural connections to be found in a pot of beans, and academic and activist, Raj Patel explains how beans can restore ecological systems for more sustainable agriculture. Finally, we sit down wit

On this week s episode, we sit down with Loyola University history professor Justin Nystrom to explore the influence that Sicilian Americans have had on New Orleans foodways. Surprisingly, that influence didn tbegin with the heavy influx of Sicilians who populated the city in great numbers during the late 1880 s. Those rural Sicilians made their mark on the French Market and created the sandwich we know as the muffalatta. Actually, the first wave of Italian immigrants were urban dwellers who arrived on our shores in the 1830 s and became wealthy importers and restaurateurs. Who knew that Commander s Palace was actually founded by the son of an immigrant from Ustica whose father had Americanized his surname from Camarda to Commander Or that those same Ustican immigrants were important members of the Southern Yacht Club taking their leisure racing sloops on Lake Pontchartrain Not exactly the image you might have in your mind of our Sicilian immigrants. The recent publication of Justin s book Creole Italian Sici

On this week s show, we re celebrating all things pescatarian across Louisiana. To begin, we travel from Port Sulphur to Barataria Bay for a taste of authentic Louisiana seafood with the Landry family of Don s Seafood. The Landrys host us at their fishing camp and share stories that have been passed down through the generations. Next, we meet Paul Greenberg, author of Four Fish and The Omega Principle. Paul spent 3 years investigating omega 3 and made some surprising discoveries about the highly popular supplement. Then, we angle on the water with Dickie Brennan and Captain Theophile Bourgeouis to learn about the state s Catch and Cook Program, which allows charter fishing groups to bring their catch to a participating restaurant, where the chef will prepare their fresh caught fish to order. Finally, we visit with Captain Lance Nacio, who offers his firsthand account of the impacts of land loss, oil spills, and storms on our coastline. Lance tells us the ways in which he s confronting the many environmental s

The Historic New Orleans Collection, is a great jewel in the crown of the Crescent City. Founded in 1966 by General L. Kemper and his wife, Leila Williams, the collection today includes a museum and research center encompassing ten historic French Quarter buildings. At the heart of the HNOC is the Kemper Williams residence, a house museum, which allows visitors to experience life as the General and Leila lived it there for decades. On this Louisiana Eats Quick Bite, we tour the residence with Lydia Blackmore, the HNOC s first decorative arts curator. As Lydia researched life at the residence, she uncovered previously untold tales of the Kemper s "help." The staff, which included a butler, chauffeur, cook, housemaid, personal maid, laundress, gardener and private secretary, made the Kemper s life of privilege possible. Lydia decided that it was time their story was told, so she developed a focused tour that told the story of the servants who worked for the Williams from 1946 through 1964 which has now been inc

On this week s show, we follow three chefs on their journeys from cooks to culinary entrepreneurs. We begin with New Orleans chef Alon Shaya, who recently launched a new company, Pomegranate Hospitality. Alon describes his path, starting from unassuming culinary origins in Philadelphia, to his tenure at Domenica, and finally, to the evolving theory of Diasporic foodways that underlies his two new modern Israeli restaurants, Saba and Safta. Then, we speak with self styled lapsed anarchist Ari Weinzweig, who built a business empire called Zingerman s in Ann Arbor, Michigan beginning with just one deli. And we visit with James Beard Award winning chef John Currence, whose upbringing in New Orleans has informed an illustrious restaurant career based in Oxford, Mississippi. John explains the through lines of his craft, which includes a strong sense of place and a healthy dose of humility. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

When it comes to family, the Landry s of Don s Seafood are as authentically Louisiana as it gets. When I first made their acquaintance, they were reminiscing about the fun they ve had creating some of the restaurant s best selling dishes right on the dock of their fishing camp in Port Sulphur. When they agreed to let me come to the camp with them, I couldn t resist bringing you all along with me In this Louisiana Eats Quick Bite we travel down to Port Sulphur to fish and cook with Donny, Mike and Tracy Landry. Not only do we get a fish fry lesson, but they also share the secrets about catfish, crawfish and chicken in a bag. For locals and visitors alike, there s something special about each plate served at Don s Seafood. It s made according to a family recipe that s probably older than you are. Don s Seafood is as truly Cajun today as the day Don Landry, Sr. served that first plate more than 80 years ago. See the Landry s doing what they do best in a new series of videos that show a whole new angle on Don s S

The suicide of Anthony Bourdain in June sent shock waves through the world, but especially the industry he loved. Since then, the conversation about mental health in the hospitality community has come into sharp focus. On this week s show, we speak with individuals close to the issue who gathered in New Orleans in July as part of Tales of the Cocktail s new Beyond The Bar initiative. Intended to help the hospitality industry take care of its own, Beyond the Bar offered compelling seminars on wellness and recovery. We begin with bartender and former brand ambassador Tim Etherington Judge, who was inspired to create Healthy Hospo following a mental breakdown and subsequent recovery. The not for profit wellness platform is designed to help bring a new healthy atmosphere to the industry he loves. We ll also sit down with Kat Kinsman, author of Hi, Anxiety Life With A Bad Case Of Nerves, for a frank and honest conversation about anxiety and depression. Kat has created an online forum for the industry, Chefs With I