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.

Life in the food biz is often regarded as glamorous and exciting, but in reality, it's a hard life – exemplified by long hours and frequent financial challenges. For many, it's the only life imaginable. On this week's show, we speak with Chef Nathianial Zimet, owner of Boucherie and Bourrée in New Orleans, and Drew Ramsey, whose family has run Hubig's for three generations. Both tell us their tales of tragedy to triumph.

Another year has come and gone. As we look forward to a new one, Louisiana Eats is taking a moment to reflect on the year that was 2024. First, we remember educator, activist, and former First Lady of New Orleans – Sybil Haydel Morial – with an extended version of our 2016 conversation with her. We also celebrate two restaurateurs who took on the task of feeding food insecure kids over the summer – Amanda and Isaac Toups of Toups' Meatery.

When it comes to supporting the community, chefs – New Orleans chefs in particular – are an extremely generous, giving bunch. And when it comes to helping their own in the service industry, they'll gladly give the shirt off their back – literally! To raise funds for a local mental health services program for hospitality workers, 21 Crescent City chefs have recently peeled off a bit more than just their shirts, baring it all – or at least most of it – for charity.

No one needs to explain the spiritual aspect of cooking to Louisianans. For generations, the thoughtful preparation and service of food has been our way of loving people and building community. This week, we take a look at folks all around the world who also take a spiritual and community-based approach to food.

The elves are busy in Santa's workshop at this time of year! So as we head into the big holiday gift-giving time, Louisiana Eats is talking with some homegrown Louisiana elves for delicious inspiration. Guests include Jady Regard of Cane River Pecan Company, Christopher Nobles of Piety and Desire Chocolate, and Patrick Brennan of Congregation Coffee.

What is "real" Louisiana cooking? There's Creole, there's Cajun, and what’s the difference anyway? However you define it, for many of us, it's simply what your mama used to make that made you feel loved. On this week's show, we meet three Louisiana authors whose cookbooks help tell the authentic story of our state's distinctive cuisine.First, we hear from Eric Cook, the executive chef and owner of two distinguished New Orleans restaurants: Gris-Gris and St. John. Eric talks about the evolution of our traditional local fare – many examples of which can be found in his cookbook, Modern Creole: A Taste of New Orleans Culture and Cuisine. Eric shares his secrets to success with dishes such as crab and shrimp stew, wild duck cassoulet, and even his mama's chicken and dumplings.Next, we welcome food writer and culinary historian Marcelle Bienvenu, who has reported on Cajun and Creole cooking for half a century. She shares her expert knowledge and talks about the fifth edition of her classic cookbook, Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux?Finally, for 125 years, Vaucresson Sausage Company has produced its beloved brand in New Orleans' Seventh Ward. In her debut cookbook, Creole Made Easy, co-owner Julie Vaucresson shares recipes and stories both from her illustrious family of origin and the family she married into.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

The fascinating food business is so multifaceted that it's always changing and evolving. On this week’s show, we look at how delicious new products make it from concept to dinner table and how one simple product turned ordinary folks into food celebrities.We begin with actor Harry Hamlin and his niece, veteran food-industry leader Renee Guilbault. They tell us how serving lunch to some famous TV housewives led them to host the AMC cooking show, In the Kitchen with Harry Hamlin. We also learn about their innovative new enterprise, Harry's Famous Pasta Sauce.Next, Pepper Baumer of Crystal Hot Sauce and Ti Martin from Commander's Palace recount the Cinderella story of leftover pepper pulp's transformation into a hot new condiment – a smash of a mash called Crystal Pepper Pulp.Remember the chicken sandwich wars that pitted fast-food chains against each other? This year, the Louisiana Fried Chicken Sandwich Challenge set out to show that the best chicken sandwich in America was actually created in a home cook’s kitchen. We learn about the event and meet the national winner, Mindea Pituk.Finally, we chat with Samantha Stein and Dan Trahant of Reily Foods, the company behind Blue Plate Mayonnaise. We learn how they set out to create a new twist on two southern sauces – tartar and cocktail.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

From the height of its popularity in the 19th century to its modern revival, absinthe has a long and storied history. A favorite pastime of artists, writers, and bohemians, the spirit known as "the green fairy" was subject to a near global ban for nearly a century due to myths about its hallucinogenic effects. Even after those bans were lifted around the turn of the millennium, its wild and mysterious reputation remains. On this week's show, we delve into the mythical world of this once illicit elixir.

Halloween season has arrived – that magical time when revelers across the country take to the streets disguised as ghosts, vampires, and witches. Here in Louisiana, of course, you'll find those kinds of spooky sightings all year round! On this week's Louisiana Eats, we've got all treats for you – and no tricks!Witchcraft has cast a spell on society for a long time, and with it, many literary and film references to good witches and bad witches. But it's not always so cut and dried. To begin our show, we speak with Orenda Fink, author of the memoir, The Witch's Daughter. Orenda, who's perhaps best known as half of the dream pop duo Azure Ray, tells us the story of being raised by a mother who claims to be a witch, and the madness that bound her family together.Orenda Fink will be presenting and signing her new book when she appears at Octavia Books in conversation with host Poppy Tooker on Friday, November 1 at 6pm.Next, we sit down with Cristina Quackenbush, the witchy chef behind Tatlo, a restaurant and absinthe bar in the French Quarter. From the menu to the décor, everything at Tatlo springs from Cristina's practice of benevolent witchcraft.Then, we hunt for specters in the home of Leslie Castay and Bryan Burkey, before raising a toast to our ghostly friends – with cocktails to die for! Sharon Keating and Christi Keating Sumich, authors of Hauntingly Good Spirits, take us on a historical romp through the supernatural by way of New Orleans' bar scene.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.