Louisiana Eats

Water conservation and ecology are at the utmost concern to beverage makers like Great Raft Brewery and Cakebread Cellars. Andrew Nations has gone to great lengths to figure out ways to change the taste profile of Shreveport's water, and Bruce Cakebread has helped organize a group of winemakers to ensure that their family businesses will survive the ongoing drought in California. We'll join each of them on site as they focus their attention towards these environmental issues.

And once you hear Molly Kimball's advice about the benefits of a daily glass of wine, you'll be glad these beverage makers are so disciplined. New research suggests that a little alcohol is great for a healthy heart: a perfect pairing, if you will. Should that not be enough for a perfect pairing, then turn to Scott Gold for his take on what makes a bowl of chili great, a great companion on a cold winter night. 

Plus food writer Jason Wilson joins the show and Poppy shares her recipe for Coq Au Vin.

For the past twenty years Dana Cowin has been Food & Wine's editor in chief, but has keep a secret from her readers. Despite being surrounded by food nearly every single day, she never learned how to cook. But with the help of her friends, many of them famous celebrity chefs, Dana has mastered her mistakes in the kitchen and learned some invaluable life skills along the way. 

We're also joined by Tony Abu-Ganim, one of the world's leading mixologists. He's seen the profession go from being a secondary job to a respected career during his 30 years behind the bar and joins us to talk about the hardships he's encountered along that journey.

And for a set of bakers with roughly five years of experience on their hands, the crew at Bellegarde Bakery is making quite a name for themselves. We'll join Graison Gill and Brett Guadagnino at their Broadmoor bakery for an early morning baking session.  

Plus Ian McNulty and Chris Jay both join us for reports from the road. 

There were so many different food stories that emerged this past year that we had a hard time narrowing them down to a single hour of programming. Whether it was the Gulotta brothers opening up their own restaurant in Mid-City or a national grocery store returning to the city, there seemed to be new food stories popping up everywhere. It wasn't just local either: one of our favorite chefs traveled to Russia and The New York Times stuck its foot in its mouth. 

Sadly, we also lost some very good friends of ours. Michael Mizell-Nelson and Rudy Lombard both championed Louisiana's foodways and worked hard to preserve many of our customs and traditions. We'll revisit them one as time before we turn the page to another calendar year.

At one point in their lives, each of our guests had to choose whether or not they would inherit a family business. The answer didn't always come quickly, and most of them had to change the business to make it their own, but each decided to carry their family's tradition to the next generation.

With so much to do during the holidays and so little time to do it, they often don't feel like "the most wonderful time of the year." But if you pocket a word of wisdom from our guests, perhaps you'll be able to go about the next couple weeks breathing easier. 

The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is the oldest Orthodox Church in America. For 150 years the members of the church have passed down their traditions bit by bit, day by day. But now that our culture has changed and fewer people have extra time on their hands, the culture could be in jeopardy of being lost. This week on Louisiana Eats! we'll speak with the women of the church as they prepare finikia to hear their thoughts about community, family and heritage. 

Evan McCommon has been converting his family's timber ranch into a biodiverse farm. The changes have been slow, but his resolve steady as the 1,100 acres change from a dense forest to an open savannah. 

The interior of Aaron Sanchez and John Besh’s new restaurant is split into two designs: one that looks like the iconic architecture of New Orleans, and the other is an homage to Sanchez’s vibrant tattooed body. Even though both of these chefs have found success independently, their new collaboration at Johnny Sanchez is having each chef second guess what they took for granted. 

In addition to countless children trick-or-treating, revelers of all ages will be hosting and attending parties this week to celebrate Halloween, a holiday that gives everyone an opportunity to get creative with costumes and cuisine.

Years ago, Scott Gold was asked to be a guest chef for a Halloween-themed dinner party. Taken from this week's edition of Louisiana Eats!, Scott explains what dishes he prepared for his hair-raising meal and rhapsodizes about the joys of playing with one's food.

On this week’s Louisiana Eats! we speak to Manbo Sallie Ann Glassman about the role food plays in ceremonial vodou, chat with Mary Ann Winkowski about her ability to speak with the departed, and learn about rituals, mojo bags, and herbal remedies from Miriam Chamani.

Plus, Scott Gold throws a Halloween party and Chris Jay visits the Grill of the Dead in Shreveport.