On Mardi Gras Day, it’s never surprising to find magical, mythical creatures mingling with street revelers. In her new book, The Mermaids of New Orleans, author Sally Asher brings the effervescent underwater life of Mississippi River sea nymphs to life. One day a year, all mermaids may walk on earth and in New Orleans, that day is Mardi Gras Day.

In this podcast, we sit down with Sally and Melissa Vandiver, the book’s illustrator to learn the story of their inspirations and collaboration that resulted in one of the most charming children’s books every written about New Orleans.

Food, DrinkPoppy TookerJanuary 31, 2019Sally Asher, Melissa Vandiver, Louisiana Eats, Poppy TookerComment

Dreaming Of A Place At The Table

On this week’s show, we take a look at immigration and its impact on the American food landscape.

We begin with Rick Bayless, whose award-winning Frontera restaurants are bolstered by workers who come from immigrant backgrounds. Rick explains how many of his staff members were brought to the country as children and are now facing an uncertain future.

Talking Trash

Americans waste 373 million pounds of food each day. That’s a pound per person. On this week’s show, we’re talking trash — in a productive way, of course! We meet a few individuals who are working to tackle the widespread problem of food and water waste.

Hitting The Books

On this week’s show, we delve into the wonderful world of cookbooks. We begin with Chef Isaac Toups, who collaborated with acclaimed food writer Jennifer Cole on his debut cookbook, Chasing the Gator. The book pulls back the curtain on the new guard of Cajun cooking. Visit our website to hear a full-length Quick Bites podcast with Isaac, which includes a cracklins tasting and a round of Cajun games.

Quick Bites: Johnette Downing, Louisiana's Pied Piper

Children in Louisiana grow up with so many local traditions that schools could practically add an extra class to cover all of them! Luckily, songwriter Johnette Downing is around to set these traditional stories to music. Johnette’s award-winning books and songs have earned her many nicknames, from “the pied piper of Louisiana music traditions” to “the musical ambassador to children.”

Food, DrinkPoppy TookerJanuary 12, 2019Johnette Downing, Swamp Romp, Poppy Tooker, Louisiana Eats Comment

Happy Birthday, Leah Chase

Join us this week as we celebrate the 96th birthday of a New Orleans icon, our dear friend, Leah Chase. We'll spend the hour honoring Leah's talent and achievements as the undisputed Queen of Creole Cooking.

In Memoriam 2018: Culinary Legends Lost

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.

Any Way You Slice It

On this week's show, we meet the great Dario Cecchini, a world renowned Italian butcher. Dickie Brennan invited the Cecchini family to New Orleans earlier this year to return the exceptional hospitality Dario had extended to Dickie’s son, Richard Brennan III, who served as Dario’s apprentice in Italy.

Dario and his wife, Kim, join us in the studio to talk about their life and work in Panzano, a little village in Italy's Chianti region. Then, we hear from Richard Brennan III about his extraordinary apprenticeship.

Serving Up Great Restaurants With A Slice Of History

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.

Eat It To Eradicate It

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 & Beverage Museum, where a highly invasive fish is on the menu: the Asian Carp.

Hold The Liquor

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.

Not Your Typical Cup of Joe

There’s nothing like a cup of good, hot coffee. On this week's show, we look at the art of the coffee bean in our state and beyond.

We begin with a local favorite—PJ’s Coffee—which Phyllis Jordan founded 40 years ago. Phyllis reflects on the early years, when she became the first commercial iced coffee purveyor in New Orleans.

Food, Drink, DiningPoppy TookerNovember 24, 2018Louisiana Eats, PJ's Coffe, Food, Drink, French Truck Coffee, Steampunk Coffee Roasters, Dub Rogers

Confection Affection

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.

Quick Bites: 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!

Angling for the Elusive Salmon

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.

Mindfulness and Medicine

This week, we learn the health benefits of paying closer attention to what we consume and our emotional well-being.

We begin with Dr. Ronald D. Siegel, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. A long-time student of mindfulness meditation, he explains the psychology of happiness, and why humans use food and drink as a pathway to achieve it.

Spooky Eats

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!

Quick Bites: The Ora King Race To New Zealand Finalist Jonathan Granada

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.

Creole Italian Manale's Style

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.

Quick Bites: The Ora King Race To New Zealand Finalist Yael Peet

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.

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