After a year’s delay, the Summer Olympic Games are officially underway.

Over 11,000 athletes from 205 countries are gathered in Tokyo, looking to

bring home the gold in everything from archery to water polo. On this

week's show, we raise a glass to intercontinental camaraderie by tasting

five exotic spirits produced across the globe.

On this week’s podcast, we meet Gulf Coast Blenders customer, Jaclyn Robinson. To say divinity played a part in the birth of Mo’ Bay beignet company is an understatement. Mo’Bay’s founder, Jaclyn Robinson’s faith led her to open a beignet café that she’d never considered an option before. Her own five children were big fans of her beignets, which she served with her own homemade syrups instead of traditional powdered sugar. But a sign from God gave her the inspiration bring her beignets to the world. With two Alabama locations and a diehard following, I couldn’t wait to hear the full story from Alabama’s number one beignet ambassador about how Gulf Coast Blenders contributed to her success.

From cuccidati to olive salad to St. Joseph Day altars, Sicilan foodways and traditions have had an immense influence on our state's cuisine and culture. On this week’s show, we talk with Louisiana natives who share a deep love and respect for their Sicilian heritage.

We begin with Grace and Tony Mandina, whose family-run restaurant on the West Bank, Tony Mandina’s, has been welcoming guests in true Old World style for nearly 40 years. Those Mandinas are one in a million – good, hardworking folks for whom la familia always comes first.

Then, we hear from New Orleans food historian Laura Guccione, whose family hails from Alia, Sicily. With her background in botany, Laura has long been fascinated by a local fruit tree, often referred to as the Japanese plum, which proliferates wildly on the island of Sicily. Her linguistic look at the fruit can be found on New Orleans Historical.

Finally, we sit down with Sal Impastato of the renowned Napoleon House clan. Sal tells us the story of the business that was family-owned and -operated for almost a century, before he handed over the keys to Ralph Brennan in 2015.

According to ancient Chinese legend, the discovery of tea was made in 2737 BC by Emperor Shen Nung while he was sitting under a tree as his servant boiled water. When some leaves of the tree fell into the water and the emperor consumed the accidental infusion, the course of hot beverages changed forever.

The emperor was seated under a Camellia sinensis – the same plant where most teas are still derived from today. And believe it or not, Southern Mississippi appears to be an ideal environment for Camellia sinensis cultivation. On this week's show, we take you straight to the tea farm to meet adventurous farmers Donald Van De Werken and Jeff Brown of Pearl River Tea Company.

Then, we travel to The English Tea Room in Covington, Louisiana where Jan and Tim Lantrip entertain us at a high tea while expounding on the many varieties of tea and how they can improve your health.

Finally, we visit Tru, New Orleans's very own Teach Witch, in her mystical tea wagon for a gypsy caravan-style tea experience.

On this week’s podcast we speak with the proprietor of a local beignet bistro, Bernard Stolberg. His charming little Garden District shop on Magazine Street between harmony and 8th has become quite popular with the locals and tourists alike for its fabulous beignets, and full bar. Usually there is an assortment of businesspeople, college students, and dog lovers soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying those tasty treats. On a rainy afternoon, we sat down with Bernard on the back patio -- that is until the rain ran us inside, to talk about those fabulous beignets and how our sponsor, Gulf Coast Blenders, has aided in his success.

On this week's show, we take a journey into the Ice Cream Underground to

uncover the magicians taking America's favorite dessert to new heights

right here in Louisiana. We begin with Sam Caruso, who has overcome a host

of challenges to find a sweet opportunity with Laozi Ice Cream.

The old adage is that a woman's place is in the kitchen. Despite that well-worn saying, it wasn't until the second half of the 20th century that women began finding their place in the restaurant kitchen. For this week's show, we gather together a powerful group of females who are breaking barriers and setting new standards for excellence in their fields.

We begin with Nina Compton of Compére Lapin and Bywater American Bistro, the first Black female chef to receive the coveted James Beard "Best Chef" nod. She explains what it took to get there and why the Saint Lucia native chooses to call New Orleans home.

Then, we talk with hometown girl Meg Bickford, the first female to ever rise to the executive chef's position at Commander's Palace. There's an awful lot of talent and power in that tiny little frame.

Finally, we meet new restaurateur, Betty Sun of Lotus Bistro, who celebrates powerful women from the menu to the décor of her tiny little sushi spot in New Orleans' Lakeview neighborhood.

Just across Lake Pontchartrain, in the quaint little downtown of Covington there’s a charming yellow cottage filled with English tradition and taste. That’s the English Tea Room, established in 2002 by Jan and Tim Lantrip. Guests of the establishment experience one of the finest

High Teas to be found anywhere on this side of the pond! When we sat down with Jan and Tim, we knew we were in for a spot of tea – but had no idea of the wealth of knowledge about to be served up with it!

On Thursday, Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday to commemorate the effective end of slavery in the United States, just days before the June 19 anniversary. This week, to mark the occasion, we revisit our 2016 trip to the Whitney Plantation, the only plantation museum in Louisiana that focuses entirely on the lives of enslaved people.

The Whitney Plantation is one of three surviving Civil War-era sugar plantations located in St. John the Baptist Parish along the Mississippi River. There, we join Director of Research at Whitney Dr. Ibrahima Seck, who gives us a personal tour of the property.

We make our first stop at a restored nineteenth century Baptist church, where we learn about slavery as viewed through the eyes of children. Not far from the church, Dr. Seck brings us to a large monument engraved with names and information about the enslaved individuals who lived at Whitney. We also step into one of the site's 22 cabins and tour the oldest detached kitchen in Louisiana, making our final stop at the big house where the Haydel family lived.

Following our visit to the plantation, we speak with Sybil Haydel Morial—educator, activist and former First Lady of New Orleans—who learned later in life of her family’s connection to the Whitney Plantation. Sybil chronicled her breadth of experience during the civil rights era and the years that followed in her memoir, Witness to Change.