Louisiana Eats

In her book, To Boldly Grow, author Tamar Haspel uses the term "first-hand food" to describe anything you get with your own two hands – meals we grow, fish, hunt, or even forage. According to the Washington Post food columnist, growing and sourcing your own food just makes it taste better. On this week's show, we're getting our hands dirty and meeting some people who are taking a do-it-yourself approach to food.

We begin with Tamar, whose book chronicles the adventures of her and her husband as they go about raising livestock, growing vegetables, and even hunting their own meat. Recounting tales of their successes and failures, Tamar fills the pages with practical tips and hard-won wisdom for those looking to cultivate their own food.

Then, we hear from fifth-generation chicken keeper, Lisa Steele, whose blog Fresh Eggs Daily inspired her book of the same name. Lisa shares her story as well as some egg-centric tips and tricks.

Finally, we explore one of the South's favorite backyard crops – the mirliton. After our mirlitons drowned in Hurricane Katrina, they were saved from extinction thanks to the efforts of Dr. Lance Hill. We get an update from the good doctor and learn how mirliton lovers from across the globe have connected through his website, Mirliton.org, resulting in the world's largest collection of mirliton recipes.

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

It's no secret that Louisiana culture and cuisine have broad national and even international appeal. This week, we look at some local companies that have successfully leveraged a love for Louisiana to expand their operations across the state and beyond.

We begin with the cannabis-infused seltzer brand, Louie Louie. Brewed on the banks of the Mississippi in New Orleans, the company celebrates our state's flavors in every can. And people are drinking it up – everywhere from local restaurants like Mosca's and the Napoleon House to locations across the nation. Two of the company's founders, Ken Jackson and Eric Becker, join us.

Then, we sit down with Braithe Tidwell. The corporate beverage director for the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group tells us how Louie Louie Pimm's Cup cocktails made their way onto the Napoleon House menu.

Next, we learn about the fast-casual seafood restaurant company, Off the Hook. Founded in Thibodaux, the business had been steadily expanding across Louisiana – most recently opening a location in Lafayette. We speak with CEO Paxton Moreaux about growing his brand while keeping everything authentic and hyper-local.

Finally, we speak with Jennifer Weishaupt, founder and CEO of the Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group. The Ruby Slipper Café has prospered and multiplied in a way that Jennifer and her husband Eric could never have anticipated when they opened their very first Mid-City location in 2008. She tells us about her ever-expanding breakfast and brunch empire, now serving hungry diners in locations across six states.

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

Agriculture can be a tough business. To quote Will Rogers, "The farmer has to be an optimist, or he wouldn't still be a farmer." On this week's show, we meet three optimists who are revitalizing rural lands and redefining what it means to be a farmer.

We begin with Matthew Raiford, who has been spreading the good word of his Gullah Geechee heritage through his book, Bress N' Nyam. Matthew originally swore he would never return to his family farm, but in breaking that vow, he discovered a way to connect with seven generations of family.

Then we speak with Will Harris of White Oak Pastures in Georgia. While Will fully embraced taking over his family's farm, he completely changed the way it was run – returning to a system his great-grandfather used more than a century ago. We discuss this change and his book, A Bold Return to Giving a Damn.

We also sit down with New Orleans' native son, Richard McCarthy – founder of the Crescent City Farmers Market and former executive director of Slow Food USA. Now we can add "author" to Richard's accomplishments, with the publication of Kuni – A Japanese Vision and Practice for Urban-Rural Reconnection. Richard shares the revolutionary ideas and practices his co-author Tsuyoshi Sekihara is using to save rural areas that were abandoned in postwar Japan.

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

Many of us toy with the idea of committing our life stories to pen and paper. If you're a regular listener to Louisiana Eats, or simply another food obsessed Louisianan, odds are your biography may well take the form of food memoir. This week, we hear from a trio of writers who have been there and done that.

First, we catch up with Sara Roahen. Her award-winning memoir, Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table, chronicles her adjustment to life in the Big Easy. But Sarah is also a teacher of memoir writing and has penned a guide for aspiring authors. She shares some tips from her book, How to Begin Writing Your Life Stories: Putting Memories on the Page.

Next, author Karen Katz gives us backstage access to the wild world of food TV. She writes about her adventures as Emeril Lagasse's cooking show producer in her memoir, Getting Sauced: How I Learned Everything I Know About Food From Working in TV.

Finally, we speak with stand-up comic and actor Dan Ahdoot. In his debut memoir, Undercooked: How I Let Food Become My Life Navigator and How Maybe That's a Dumb Way to Live, Dan examines his emotional relationship with food starting from childhood, and provides both an honest and comedic look at where that has gotten him.

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

It's Carnival time in Louisiana and we're ready for the party! No Mardi Gras celebration is complete without king cake and everyone has their own opinion on who makes the best one. On this week's show, we speak with the owner of Fleurty Girl, Lauren Haydel. She explains why she only sells Manny Randazzo's king cakes in her stores even though she married a member of the famous Haydel Bakery family. The Haydels have been baking their famous king cakes in New Orleans since 1959.

Then, Chef Alon Shaya joins us to discuss his take on the Carnival treat – one that brings together both his Jewish heritage and his love for New Orleans – a babka king cake. He also tells us how his restaurant, Saba, which sits on the Krewe of Thoth parade route each year, gets in on the fun.

Next, we sit down with Dickie Brennan. He shares the story of last year's once-in-a-lifetime occurrence: when the reviewing stands for the Rex royalty were positioned at Pascal's Manale restaurant. This year, the queen and her retinue will raise a glass to his majesty further up Napoleon at another Dickie Brennan venture: The Josephine.

Finally, we hear from Abby Roniger, author of the colorful children's book, Carnival Time in My Mind, which depicts the joy and excitement of being a kid at Mardi Gras. The book will bring back memories for anyone lucky enough to have grown up in New Orleans and is a lovely introduction to the celebration for kids everywhere.

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

In his 1975 book, Cooking as Therapy, Louisiana-born doctor Louis Parrish offered some advice for those who felt their lives were in a perpetual state of chaos: "Reorient yourself toward better organization by starting in the kitchen. . . . If you can organize your kitchen you can at least start to organize your life." On this week’s show, we explore all the benefits that come from organizing your kitchen – from clearing clutter to finding lost treasures.

We begin with Kay Morrison, the founder of The Occasional Wife, a New Orleans-based company that is helping others meet their organization goals. The story of the Occasional Wife is just as multifaceted as the path Kay took on the way to founding the business. Kay joined us in the studio to tell us the whole story.

We also speak with Jason Cummings, a member of Kay's team who's armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of silver flatware. Jason heads up Found Assets, an Occasional Wife assessment service.

And finally, we speak with the Historic New Orleans Collection's decorative arts curator, Lydia Blackmore. At the heart of the HNOC is the Williams Residence, a 19th century townhouse located in the French Quarter. Lydia talks about preserving and cataloging all objects in the house while the building undergoes repairs. To give you a sense of the scope of the project – it took one year just to pack everything up!

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

New Orleans has often been referred to as the northernmost city in the Caribbean. On this week's show, we examine Caribbean culture and cuisine and their influence on both Louisiana and the entire world.

First, we hear from Chef Nina Compton of Compère Lapin about the journey from her childhood home on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Lucia to the commercial kitchens of New Orleans – via Jamaica, Miami, and a star-turn on Top Chef. Chef Nina has recounted her remarkable gastronomic journey, along with recipes she's developed en route, in a cookbook titled Kwéyòl / Creole: Recipes, Stories, and Tings from a St. Lucian Chef's Journey.

Then, we sit down with the world's first global ambassador for the category of rum, Ian Burrell. Growing up in London to Jamaican-born parents, Ian was raised in a rum-loving household. He tells us about rum on a global stage. And he should know – he's conducted rum masterclasses on every continent – including Antarctica!

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

Louisianans are blessed with restaurants that have been dining destinations for generations. So whenever a culinary institution announces an ownership change, we tend to get nervous. On this week's show, we explore three restaurants that have changed hands, but whose owners have worked hard to preserve their traditions.

We begin with a visit to Middendorf's, the classic seafood house located in Manchac – a tiny village 40 miles north of New Orleans on Lake Maurepas. Famed for its thin-cut fried catfish, Middendorf's has been an institution since 1934. Originally owned by three generations of family, it was taken over by Horst and Karen Pfeifer in 2007 after their French Quarter fine dining restaurant was closed due to Katrina. Horst walks us through Middendorf's history, talks about his tenure as owner, and describes how he weathers storms on the Louisiana marsh.

Then, we hear from Dickie Brennan and his sister Lauren Brennan Brower. In March 2023, they got the keys to Pascal's Manale Restaurant when the Dickie Brennan restaurant group purchased the Uptown landmark established in 1913. Growing up, Dickie and Lauren were regulars at Pascal's Manale. The two discuss their memories of the Brennan family's favorite eatery.

Finally, we sit down with the Casbarian family, the second family to own Arnaud's Restaurant in New Orleans' French Quarter since 1918. We learn how they've kept the traditions established by the first owners – Count Arnaud and his daughter, Germaine Wells – while continually innovating for the future.

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

Anyone who has ever been employed in the hospitality industry knows what a challenge this kind of work can be to one's mental health. The combination of dealing with demanding customers while attempting to carry out multiple tasks all at once can wear out even the best workers. This week, we hear from two doctors who know a thing or two about taking proper care of oneself and avoiding mental meltdowns.

First, we sit down with Cleveland-based neurologist Dr. Max Wiznitzer, who explains how depression and anxiety may be symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. He helps us understand what ADHD looks like in adults, offers strategies to deal with it, and explains the dangers of not treating it. We also discuss how the hospitality industry may provide an excellent work environment for managing this disorder – and why restaurant and bar employers may want to think twice before discounting a potential hire based on their CV alone.

For more information about adult ADHD, Dr. Wiznitzer recommends visiting the website for CHADD, the National Advocacy Group for ADHD. He is a member of the Board of Directors and co-chair of the Professional Advisory Board.

Then, we join Dr. Linda Shiue, a doctor and chef who guides her patients to cook healthier meals by harnessing the power of spices. Linda was just starting to spread the word about spices when we first met her in 2016. She returns to our studio to discuss her latest book, Spicebox Kitchen: Eat Well and Be Healthy with Globally Inspired, Vegetable-Forward Recipes.

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

Twelfth Night marks the birth of the late New Orleans icon, Leah Chase. The

culinary legend, who passed away in 2019 at the age of 96, was the

undisputed Queen of Creole Cooking and a civil rights activist who changed

lives over a bowl of gumbo. On this week's show, we spend the hour honoring

Leah's talent, achievements, and lasting legacy.