Louisiana Eats

How does a recipe become a retail offering? On this week's show, we track the path of great dishes and drinks from restaurant to retail. We begin with the Bayou State's spiciest new business, Louisiana Pepper Exchange. Founder and CEO Chris White tells the story of how a particular engineering feat of his led him to launch the new company.

Then, we visit with research and development chef Ross Robertson, who is often tasked with turning a restaurant's signature drink or dish into a retail commodity. That's a dream that Warren Chapoton, founder of Juan's Flying Burrito, is currently pursuing. Warren and co-owner Jay Morris tell us the story of the New Orleans-based Creole-Mexican institution, and why they will soon be introducing their very own spice line.

Finally, Christa Cotton of El Guapo Bitters shares how her company is manufacturing bitters and syrups so that every home bar is capable of mixing professional-style cocktails.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Located less than an hour from the New Orleans' French Quarter, Baton

Rouge, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, St. Tammany Parish has long been a

favorite vacation spot. The allure of piney woods, fresh air, charming

historic towns, and delicious food has beckoned visitors for over a

century. On this week's show, we take you along with us as we cross Lake

Pontchartrain to meet some chefs and restaurateurs on Louisiana's

Northshore.

Halloween is upon us and there's something spooky in the air! On this week's show, we have some very special treats (and no tricks – we promise!). We begin with Sally Asher, owner and operator of Red Sash Tours. On Halloweens past, Sally has taken us on special tours of St. Louis Cemetery No. 3. This year, we tour two different New Orleans graveyards in search of our dearly departed restaurateurs, barflies, and forgotten food luminaries.

Then, we drop by Courtyard Brewery, a New Orleans neighborhood haunt that's also patronized by poltergeists. After several years on Erato Street, the popular brewery found a new home just around the corner at 1160 Camp Street, formerly the site of an old funeral home. Before the brewery could move in, lots of work needed to be done – work that found owner Scott Wood and operations manager Rebekah Cianci coming into contact with all sorts of scary spirits.

Finally, we speak with our resident medium, Debbie Duvall, who put host Poppy Tooker in touch with Tujague’s famous cross-dressing ghost, ⁠Julian Eltinge. But not before Julian gave her the fright of her life!

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

On this week's show, we meet some folks who have moved on to new adventures

in their lives.

In 2011, Jessica Harris wrote “High on the Hog,” a book that traces the origins of African American food. Ten years later, it has become the basis of the hit Netflix docuseries of the same name. On this show, Dr. Harris sheds light on the resilience and inventiveness of Black cooks who shaped American cuisine.

Then, we catch up with Senegalese American chef Serigne Mbaye, whose fine dining pop-up, Dakar Nola is currently creating a sensation in the Crescent City. We learn how the ambitious young chef honors both his Senegalese roots and Creole flavors – showcasing the similarities of West African traditions and our own.

Finally, we speak with Deirdre Barrow Johnson and her husband Kenneth Johnson Jr. of Barrow’s Catfish, a place that celebrates African American food traditions daily in New Orleans just as it has for generations. We hear the story of the family's legacy – one that began with a fried catfish sandwich sold from Deirdre's grandfather’s barroom door.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

If you’ve ever had an encounter with a celebrity, you know you can dine out on that story for a long time. On this week's show, we hear from notable writers and chefs in their own right, whose brushes with fame come with a host of tales.

We begin with Sean Wilsey, whose star-studded childhood was hardly a bed of roses. He’s the author of More Curious, a book of essays that examines American identity, often through the lens of food and drink.

This year marks the centennial of the late southern bon vivant Eugene Walter. Although he has been dead for over two decades, the magical life of "Mobile's Renaissance Man" continues to inspire. We vicariously meet Eugene with the help of Donald Goodman and Thomas Head, co-editors of The Happy Table of Eugene Walter.

And finally, we get a taste of what 21st-century craft service is like from Anne Churchill. She has served as tour chef for a variety of acts, including the Dave Matthews Band, Melissa Etheridge, and the Zac Brown Band. Anne discusses what life is like for a rock and roll touring chef.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Across the Bayou State, people are taking their destiny into their own hands and pursuing entrepreneurial dreams of owning their own business. On this week’s show, we encounter a Louisiana-style cornucopia of self-starters who forged their own path to find success in the sphere of food.

We begin with Alfonzo Bolden, who, along with his brother Troy, is co-CEO of Cajun Nation Cajun Seasoning Company, based out of Lafayette. While there's no denying their food talents, Alfonzo and Troy's true genius lies in knowing just when to trademark a name – which for them, often precedes the product concept.

Seafood City's famed Al Scramuzza had a product – but needed to create a market for it. Al shares the story of his early role in catalyzing today's crawfish craze.

Then, we visit a marketplace that acts as a local incubator for budding food entrepreneurs. We sample the goods at the Pop-Up On Tchoup – a weekly makers market that Rouses hosts on Saturdays at their Uptown New Orleans store.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Whether it's loss due to recent hurricanes or the overwhelming, devastating loss suffered the world over during the pandemic, grief has been an unwelcome guest in many people's lives these days. On this week's show, we take a look at grief, its effects, and the gifts that sometimes accompany it.

We begin with Merissa Nathan Gerson, a new New Orleanians whose time here has been gravely marked by the unexpected death of her father. In her new book, "Forget Prayers, Bring Cake" Merissa shares an honest, unwavering look at her life during her year of grieving. 

New Orleanians are well acquainted with death. After all, we live surrounded by "Cities of the Dead" – as our cemeteries are often referred to – and our mourning customs are a deep, vital part of the culture. The Hermann-Grima House, a historic house museum located in New Orleans' French Quarter, dresses for mourning in the style of the 19th century Creoles each October. We take a tour to learn more about their customs. 

And as many Covid sufferers can attest, much of your ability to taste relies on your sense of smell. Author Molly Birnbaum relates the story of losing her olfactory senses in a terrible accident and how she personally dealt with the after effects.

For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

On this week’s show, we explore the intersections between hunting, gathering, fishing, and our changing environment. We begin at the Best of Bycatch event – a lighthearted competition hosted by the Southern Food & Beverage Museum back in 2017 – where a highly invasive fish is on the menu: the Asian Carp. Coastal scientist Alisha Renfro talks about how these newest invaders are wreaking havoc on our state's aquatic ecosystems, and Chef Philippe Parola of the Silverfin Group shares his Can't Beat 'Em, Eat 'Em solution.

Then, we learn what the states of Hawaii and Louisiana have in common. We journey to the island of Kauai and meet James Sarme, a fisherman who casts about the traditional Hawaiian way.

At the age of two, James' daughter began diving with her dad on the hunt for fish. In the southwest corner of our state, another daughter began hunting animals with her dad at a young age. We revisit our 2017 trip to Violet, Louisiana, where then-18-year-old hunter Meagan Dragon and her team, the Chalmette Owls, compete in a wild boar cook-off. We speak with Meagan and her dad, Darryl Dragon – the other half of the father-daughter hunting team.

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.