Poppy Tooker
Host of Louisiana Eats!Poppy is the host and executive producer of the weekly show, Louisiana Eats! Food personality, culinary teacher and author, Poppy Tooker is passionate about food and the people who bring it to the table.
Poppy provides weekly restaurant commentary on, “Steppin’ Out” (WYES TV). Her book, The Crescent City Farmers Market Cookbook received a Tabasco cookbook award and was named “Cookbook of the Year” by New Orleans Magazine.She was recognized by the Times-Picayune as a “Hero of the Storm” for her work reviving New Orleans restaurants and food providers following Hurricane Katrina. The International Association of Cooking Professionals recognized Poppy’s rebuilding efforts at their annual conference in April 2008, with their first ever, Community Service Award.
For over 25 years, Poppy’s cooking classes have centered on history and tradition as well as the food science behind her preparation.
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The Slow Food movement sprang to life 40 years ago, when the first McDonald's in Italy was set to open at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome. Founder Carlo Petrini was so horrified by this fast food invasion that he began Slow Food to combat the effects of homogenization and to preserve and celebrate the flavors of regional cuisine. This week, we speak with people who are working to further Slow Food's mission to educate, inspire, and mobilize people toward good, clean, fair food. -
From north to south, Louisiana's Latin food scene has been reaching new heights over the past decade. On this week's show, we explore the rich and dynamic flavors of Latin cuisine in our state. Guests include Ana and Lydia Castro of Acamaya, Juan and Tatiana Lock of Tito's Ceviche and Pisco – both in New Orleans – and Gabriel Balderas of El Cabo Verde and Zuzul in Shreveport. -
Chef Edgar "Dook" Chase IV, grandson of Louisiana legend Leah Chase, is star of the brand-new WYES cooking series, "Dook Chase: A Chef’s Journey." Each episode takes viewers on a food tour of New Orleans, as Dook meets with chefs, restaurateurs, and local culinary talent. On this week's show, we sit down with Chef Dook and speak with two guests featured on his show about their chef journeys. -
New Orleans has long been seen as a place where alcohol flows freely and drunkenness is a natural state of being. Over the last few years, that may be changing. Don't worry, nobody's getting sober. They've just found an alternative in the form of hemp-derived THC drinks! The Big Easy is now the fourth-largest hemp beverage market in the country and four of the top 25 brands are headquartered right here. On this week's show, we explore this brave new world of THC drinks and beyond. -
On this week's show, we explore international food icons with humble roots that began right here in the Crescent City. We begin with writer and philanthropist Randy Fertel, who shares stories of his mother, Ruth U. Fertel. She founded Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, now a worldwide establishment, in New Orleans. We also learn about the late Al Copeland, who built a global fast-food empire with his spicy Popeyes Fried Chicken. -
French culture has always influenced our Louisiana traditions, especially when it comes to food. This week, Louisiana Eats explores that culture – from Parisians' love of chocolate to French porcelain used by princes, dukes, and kings at Versailles. -
This week, New Orleans once again welcomes Tales of the Cocktail, an annual gathering of cocktail and spirits industry professionals. In honor of their arrival, we take a look at both a new player in the bar game and an old story about how a traditional favorite made its way into your glass. -
From French colonists who settled here 300 years ago to Vietnamese immigrants arriving in the 1970s, newcomers to the Crescent City have made significant contributions to the evolution of New Orleans cooking. On this week's show, we celebrate the ways immigrants continue to shape the city's culinary identity. Guests include restaurateurs who have made their way here from three different continents. -
On this week's show, legendary New Orleans chef Adolfo Garcia talks about his trailblazing career in the kitchen and his role in Freret Street's culinary comeback. Then, we speak with Chef Adolfo Garcia Jr. and Sophia Petrou Garcia – the couple behind Chi Chi's Chicken & Beer and Dolfy's. Finally, Fredo Nogueira and Ryan Iriarte join us to discuss taking over the High Hat Café and opening their new Cuban restaurant, Café Conmigo. -
Salvador Dalí once said, "A real connoisseur does not drink wine but tastes of its secrets." On this week's show, we sit down with wine experts and wine vintners to unlock those secrets and better understand the world of fermented grapes. And a bonus – they're all female!
