It's New Orleans: Louisiana Eats

As the diplomatic thaw between the United States and Cuba continues, new opportunities for Americans to visit Cuba are opening all kinds of doors. In an incredible stroke of luck, Louisiana Eats host Poppy Tooker had the opportunity to join the Preservation Hall Jazz Band on their landmark visit to Cuba for the Havana Jazz Festival. On this week s show, Poppy shares an audio travelogue from her week long trip in the Rome of the Caribbean. We begin with a conversation with Greg Lucas, Development Director and of the Preservation Hall Foundation and Tour Manager to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Throughout their tremendous week in Havana, the iconic ensemble engaged in multiple education programs and neighborly activities designed to promote a meaningful exchange between two cities that share a lot of musical connections. Then, we spend a memorable evening in Central Havana at the Paladar San Crist bal with Peter Sanchez, co founder of Cuba Tours and Travel. Peter tells us about the restaurant revolution taki

On this week s show, we re capturing portraits in sound of several superstar chefs in Louisiana and beyond. We begin with Chef Rick Bayless of Chicago s Frontera Restaurants, who spent his childhood poring over Julia Child s books and watching her on TV before launching his own successful career. Now, Rick s the 2016 recipient of the Julia Child Award for his transformative Mexican cuisine. Then, we bring it back home with Chef Tory McPhail of Commander s Palace. Through determination and dedication to his craft, Tory has secured his place in the Commander s Palace family, as well as the restaurant s chef legacy. Next, we hear from a Louisiana expat who s now making waves in Mississippi, Chef Bingo Starr. After gaining years of experience at the Windsor Court Hotel, Delmonico s, and Cuv e, Bingo relocated to Natchez to be come the chef at the Carriage House Restaurant, one of the city s oldest and most revered dining institutions. Finally, we speak with journalist Karen Stabiner, who documented the life and t

On this week s show, we spend a day in the life of Louisiana s most fascinating culinary collectors. We begin in the French Quarter at Lucullus Antiques, where owner Patrick Dunne takes us into the mind of a collector and describes his favorite hidden gems of the culinary collecting world. Then, we take a visit to Kitchen Witch, a shop of books for cooks. When Philippe LaMancusa began his career in the restaurant industry back in the Sixties, he quickly learned that the more cookbooks he collected, the more culinary experience he could gain. With 10,000 books now in their collection, Philippe and his partner Debbie Lindsey have found a new home for their books and other collectibles in the Seventh Ward. We also have a conversation with Ray and B.J. Bordelon, whose extensive collection of absinthe antiques and accouterments is on display at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. The Bordelon brothers give us some insight into their obsession and show us some unique relics that make up the exhibit. Finally, we

The holiday season is upon us and we re throwing the ultimate cocktail party. No one knows how to entertain quite like like Julia Reed. In her book, But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria she offers a number of stories from a lifetime of rollicking culinary escapades. Julia lets us in on some tips for hosting a cocktail party for the ages. Then, we turn to the topic of wine with master sommelier Rob Bigelow of Sainte Michelle Wine Estates. Rob specializes in creating festive cocktails that incorporate fine wines and unexpected flourishes. After that, we re joined by Sonoko Sakai, author of Rice Craft, who gives us a lesson in how to create onigiri, a Japanese dish similar to sushi. Finally, Lesley Jacobs Solmonson and David Solmonson, authors of The 12 Bottle Bar, provide advice on holiday entertaining and wise ways to imbibe. We re making spirits bright on this week s Louisiana Eats

On this week s show, we re celebrating Thanksgiving by saving a place at the table for several remarkable stories. First, we spend a day riding along with the volunteers of the Trinity Loaves and Fishes food truck as they cater to the hungry and transient in New Orleans. All year long, volunteers at Trinity Episcopal Church prepare and deliver food throughout the Greater Metropolitan Area. Then, we join students, parents, teachers, and neighbors gathered for Edible Schoolyard s annual Sweet Potato Fest. We visit the garden at Arthur Ashe Charter School in Gentilly to help harvest crops and celebrate all things sweet potato. Of course, no Thanksgiving meal would be complete without a glass of wine and a slice of flaky pie. New Orleans based Windowsill Piesteamed up with Swirl Wine for a pie and wine pairing in the days leading up to the holiday. We stop by their kitchen just as the pies are coming out of the oven. Finally, we hear about an unlikely culinary partnership between cookbook author Brandon Schultz a

On this week s Louisiana Eats , we join Chef John Besh in the Rouse s Culinary Innovation Center, located at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, for a lesson in cooking up some oyster stew. We also talk about John s book, Besh Big Easy, which focuses on traditional dishes that he believes are disappearing from Louisiana dinner tables. We ll also meet several talented chefs at the Blackpot Festival and Cookoff held annually in Lafayette. This gathering of south Louisiana musicians and cooks draws in more and more attendees each year with its come one, come all hospitality. And stir your appetite for roux, rice, and gumbo with author Stanley Dry. Whether it s cooking for home or feeding a crowd of thousands, we ve got a real taste of the state on this week s Louisiana Eats Leroy s Oyster StewServes 6From Besh Big Easy 1 leek, white part, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large tomato, chopped 2 green onions, chopped Go To Pan Sauce see below Pinch dried thyme 3 dozen oysters, shucked an

On this week s show, we speak with some powerful and influential women in the food industry who are getting the job done. We begin with local treasure JoAnn Clevenger, restaurateur behind the Upperline. While she is most famous for her Uptown restaurant, JoAnn has worn many different hats over her lifetime, managing multiple businesses with pluck and determination.Then, Jill Pratt, the first ever female General Manager of Zatarain s, tells us stories from behind the scenes at the company, and how she adapted to an entire new food culture in New Orleans. Finally, Popeyes President and CEO Cheryl Bachelder explains her philosophy of servant leadership in her book, Dare To Serve How to Drive Superior Results by Serving Others.We re speaking with tastemakers and powerful players on this week s Louisiana Eats

It s Halloween and there s no place better in the world to celebrate All Hallow s Eve than in the the ghost laden state of Louisiana To get you in the spirit, on this week s show, we tour the cities of the dead, learning tombside all about our dearly departed culinary legends from Sally Asher, author of Stories From the Saint Louis Cemetaries of New Orleans. Then, we learn all about the business of writing tales of the dead with Times Picayune obituary writer, John Pope, who compiled years of work in a collection of obituaries Getting Off At Elysian Fields. You ll be amazed to learn that John has prepared files full of obituaries for famous New Orleanians years before their actual demise. Finally, we ll tour famous French Quarter haunts where Chef Duke Locicero introduces us to Caf Giovanni s little girl ghost and then we conjure up the famous cross dressing ghost at Tujague s Get ready for a hauntingly good time on this week s Louisiana Eats

On this week s show, we re taking a tour of the iconic restaurants that have made a transformative impact on American cuisine. We begin with acclaimed Yale history professor Paul Freedman, who explores two centuries of historical and cultural changes in his book Ten Restaurants That Changed America. Paul s list weaves together culinary and social history, from the innovators of roadside dining to the vanguards of haute cuisine. Next, we take a visit to Antoine s, the essential New Orleans restaurant that graces the pages of Paul s book. Established in 1840, Antoine s Restaurant is the longest running family operated restaurant in America. Today, CEO Rick Blount is working hard to ensure Antoine s staying power in the 21st century restaurant landscape. Then, we learn about another national dining treasure, Delmonico s Restaurant, which opened in 1837. Located in New York s Financial District, Delmonico s is the nation s oldest restaurant still open today. We speak with Executive Chef Billy Oliva and Marketing

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, 35 years ago, was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. We begin with Spud McConnell, well known for his portrayal of Ignatius on stage. The Gonzales born actor has become so recognized for his embodiment of the role, that the statue of the portly protagonist, which is located on a sidewalk in front of the old D.H. Holmes building on Canal Street, was modeled after him. Then, we speak with Cynthia LeJeune Nobles, who examines food as a character in the novel, compiling recipes for her gastronomical homage to Ignatius, A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook. Cynthia spent 18 months engrossed in the novel, and much like Spud, developed a personal relationship with Ignatius and his world, jelly doughn

On this week s show, we re up at the crack at dawn to examine what many consider to be the most important meal of the day breakfast. First, we speak with John Currence, the James Beard Award winning chef who has earned the title of "Big Bad Chef" at his revered restaurant, Big Bad Breakfast. John tells us tall tales from his breakfast joint in Oxford, Mississippi. Next, we experience breakfast after midnight at the 24 hour Trolley Stop Cafe, an Uptown New Orleans institution that attracts early birds and night owls alike. Then, Jennifer Weishaupt tells us the story behind her New Orleans breakfast phenomenon, the Ruby Slipper. Based on a teenage girl s reference to New Orleans as "OZ and everywhere else as just Kansas," the Ruby Slipper has since grown to include eight locations in the Gulf South with a dazzling selection of breakfast specialties and cocktails. Finally, we have breakfast in the French tradition at the Crepe Cart. A staple at New Orleans French Market, the Crepe Cart serves up authentic crepes

On this week s show, we re looking at farming across the state and North America. We begin on the West Coast, with a tour of Gourmet Mushrooms in Sonoma County, California, where they are mimicking natural growing conditions to cultivate specialty mushrooms indoors. This farm harvests eight different varieties of organic mushrooms for food wholesalers, gourmet grocers, and restaurants all across America. Then, we return to an urban farm in our own backyard. Three years ago, in the shadow of US 90 and the Crescent City Connection, Jordan Bantuelle and his partner, Ian Willson started Southbound Gardens on a keyhole lot almost invisible from the street. We take a tour of their urban farm and its unexpected bounty. Next, we venture up to North Louisiana and visit with Rebecca Krefft, owner of Delta Delivered. Rebecca scours farmers markets in the Shreveport area in search of the best local produce to deliver to Shreveport residents, challenging the idea that healthy food can t be easily accessed. We also spend a

Perhaps nothing tells the story of a kitchen better than the objects that live in it. On this week s show, we re bringing in a panel of experts for an education on culinary antiques and collectibles. We begin with author and Antiques Roadshow appraiser Nick Dawes. Nick s expertise gives him a remarkable view into the lives of people and their ancestors through the relics that they bring to the show. His visit to the Historic New Orleans Collection s Antiques Forum gave us the opportunity to tap his vast knowledge of ceramics and glass. Then, John Stuart Gordon offers his thoughts on the role silver flatware played in the dining rituals of the 19th century. John has the unique honor of curating American decorative arts at the Yale University Art Gallery, creating for himself the perfect marriage of passion and career. Finally, we speak with Tom Savage, curator of Henry Francis du Pont s former estate, the Winterthur Museum. Tom gives us a peek behind the curtains into one of the du Pont family s finest homes.

t s hard to believe that it has been a whole year since we moved our Louisiana Eats studio into the Southern Food and Beverage Museum. On this week s show, we celebrate this one year anniversary by meeting our neighbors in the Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard corridor in Central City. Of course, our move wouldn t have been possible if it hadn t been for the museum s intrepid director, Liz Williams. Liz joins us to reflect back on a year of fantastic exhibits and reveal what exciting expansions are on the horizon for SoFAB. Liz then takes us out of the studio and across the street to the John and Bonnie Boyd Hospitality and Culinary Library, which contains over 11,000 volumes of cookbooks, menus, pamphlets and archival documents. The library boasts the title of the South s largest culinary collection. From there, we take a walk down the block to Caf Reconcile, a community pillar with a culinary and life skills training program that has mentored young New Orleanians for 16 years. Chef Joe Smith remembers when they

On this week s show, we celebrate Commander s Palace and its visionary matriarch Ella Brennan, whose highly anticipated memoir is coming out next week. First, we speak with Ella s daughter and co author, Ti Adelaide Martin. Born into her family s restaurant dynasty, Ti knows all too well her mother s revered place both in the food industry and in New Orleans history. Aware of the fascination with her mother s life story, Ti wrote down a number of stories about Ella over the years that she eventually incorporated into the memoir. Next, we speak to the book s illustrator, Tim Trapolin, whose line drawings complement each chapter in the book. Tim s work has long graced menus as well as walls within Brennan family restaurants and he also illustrated Ti and Lally s book, In The Land of Cocktails. Tim discusses his involvement with the project and what it was like to depict some of Ella s most harrowing moments using pen and ink. Then, the Brennan family tells the story of Ella Brennan s culinary impact in their ow

On this week s show, we go back to school for no ordinary education. We take an in depth look at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts NOCCA and their flourishing Culinary Arts division the only chef s training program offered at the high school level in the nation. It wasn t until recently that the culinary arts discipline was added to the Institute s curriculum. The program s inception was due, in no small part, to Chef Emeril Lagasse. For the behind the scenes story of how the program got its start, we meet Emeril at Press Street Station on NOCCA s campus. Then, we walk over to the campus office of the NOCCA Institute s Executive Director, Sally Perry, who shares her insight into the conservatory s culinary program and the relationship between its students, their mentors and the community. After hearing so much about the program, we get to see it in action with Dana Tuohy, Culinary Department Chair, at the school s teaching kitchen. Next, we step outside to Press Street Gardens, an urban farm and outdoo

Cooking For The Young And Young At Heart With the proliferation of kid s cookbooks and cooking shows these days, it s evident that the kitchen is increasingly becoming the favorite playground of many a child. This week s show is dedicated to the budding chefs of tomorrow and everyone who is young at heart. We begin with a conversation with Melina Hammer, author of KidChef The Foodie Kids Cookbook. Filled with over 75 surprisingly sophisticated and healthy recipes, the cookbook is a crash course in culinary training for aspiring young chefs and adults alike. Then we speak with Louisiana born artist Clare Crespo, who has made a career of playfully fusing the worlds of food and art. Clare created and stars as a pint sized chef in the wild and wacky video series YummyfunKooking, which has dedicated fan base of viewers young and old. After that, we re joined by Sonoko Sakai, author of RiceCraft, who gives us a lesson in how to create onigiri, a Japanese dish much like sushi, but so easy, your preschooler will want

On this week s show, we explore the thriving craft beer scene, which takes us from Louisiana to Europe and many places in between.Locally, the undisputed leader of the craft beer revolution is Polly Watts, owner of the Avenue Pub. We have a conversation with Polly and her team, who recently returned from work outing of a lifetime a trip to Belgium where they got the opportunity to meet several of the brewers whose special beers grace their extensive menu.After we return from our vicarious trip, we visit with Andrew Gerson, Brooklyn Brewery s Head of Culinary Programming. His job has taken him all over the world, producing international food and beer pairing events called the Brooklyn Mash.In New Orleans, Courtyard Brewery has become a beer lover s destination, offering some of the smallest batches of beer commercially produced and sold. We hear how owner and head brewer Scott Wood went from home brewing in his French Quarter courtyard to professionally brewing at Courtyard.We re raising a glass locally and ab

On this week s show, we re taking a look at the coffee and tea scene across Louisiana. We begin with Geoffrey Meeker, owner of French Truck Coffee. It took only one cup of coffee from San Francisco to inspire him to become a New Orleans coffee purveyor. Now, Geoffrey and his team are at the vanguard of what many are calling the third wave coffee movement. Then, we visit one of the many coffee shops that serve French Truck Coffee, a diminutive restaurant in New Orleans s 7th Ward called Pagoda Cafe. There, we demystify the flat white, a specialty coffee drink with origins on the other side of the world. Next, we switch from coffee to tea and meet the only tea educator in Louisiana, Garrett Johnson. He s spreading the gospel of fine loose leaf tea through a series of lectures and gatherings in the Shreveport area. Garrett invites us to the table to learn about traditional hot tea and sample some of his favorite brews. Finally, we take a tour of Luzianne Tea in New Orleans East and speak with Malcolm and Scott S

Here s some copy and links. You might want to make sure the pieces match the final cut of the show, as I haven t heard the very final version On this week s show, we re celebrating the tricentennial of Natchez, Mississippi. We ll visit our neighbors across the river and learn how residents are combining history and innovation to make Natchez a singular destination. Founded in 1716, the river city is home to an impressive array of antebellum mansions and national landmarks. We settle in at one of these estates, the Dunleith Historic Inn, where we re greeted by historian Terry Trovato, who gives us a tour of the storied mansion. Next, we hear from the ladies of the Natchez Garden Club, who since 1932 have been opening their private homes to visitors, sparking a passionate interest in historic preservation and creating a now legendary pilgrimage to Natchez. Then, we become acquainted with the new garde of Natchez. We meet Dub Rogers, who is transforming the city s coffee and live music scene through several busi