March 19th might be just another day in other parts of the United States, but here in New Orleans, it's a day when revelers take to the streets in honor of the Feast of St. Joseph. The tradition of food altars dedicated to Jesus' foster father came to the Crescent City in the late 1800s with immigrants from Sicily, where Joseph is the patron saint. What was called Mi-Carême (or Mid-Lent by the Creoles) was a day when fasting was suspended and festivities abounded. On this week's show, we explore the holiday and join in on the celebration. Tony Marino's family were faithful followers of St. Joseph, and today, he keeps the tradition alive at his Bourbon Street home in New Orleans' French Quarter. We sit down with Tony to hear what it takes to pull off his annual street party, complete with altars and a life-sized statue of St. Joseph. Then, Arthur Brocato, third generation of Angelo Brocato's Ice Cream and Confectionary, joins us to share his family's history and explain the special role Brocato's has played in the St. Joseph's Day celebration. Founded in the French Quarter in 1905, the gelateria and pasticceria continues those traditions today on Carrollton Avenue in Mid-City. Finally, historian Laura Guccione joins us to reveal what she's discovered about the fancy dress balls that were once part of the St. Joseph tradition and to explain the mystical tie between the feast day and the Mardi Gras Indians. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

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.