December is upon us, and we're making merry this festive season by discovering new mixed drinks and getting the stories behind some iconic cocktails. First, we learn about Dick Bradsell, the late, great British bartender who invented several modern cocktail classics – most notably the Espresso Martini. His daughter Bea Bradsell joins us in the studio to talk about her father's legacy in hospitality. Then, we hear from authors Sue Strachan and Tim McNally. As part of the Iconic New Orleans Cocktails series from LSU Press, both Sue and Tim have written books exploring Café Brûlot and the Sazerac, respectively. And finally, are you looking to bring the party this season, but want to hold off on the booze? That's where Lauren Chitwood of Spiritless comes in. She tells us about the development of an alcohol-free line of liquor that is a dead ringer for the real thing when mixed in a glass. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

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 home-grown, Louisiana elves for delicious inspiration. First, we hear from Jady Regard, CNO (Chief Nut Officer) and second-generation proprietor of Cane River Pecan Company. He tells us how the past half-century has seen his family's enterprise grow from a small Acadian pecan orchard to a purveyor of fine culinary gifts starring the state's official nut. Next, we head down to New Orleans' Lower Garden District to speak with Christopher Nobles of Piety and Desire Chocolates. Since founding his bespoke business in 2017, the local chocolatier has been uncompromising in his reverence and passion for chocolate, while balancing science and art in his bean-to-bar production. Finally, as Orleans Coffee celebrates 40 years of quenching the Crescent City's thirst, owner Bob Arceneaux recounts how this local company has expanded to a national level. Bob also fills us in on the special anniversary blend recently introduced. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

In our increasingly fast-paced world, traditional foods and foodways often have trouble competing with speed and convenience. But never fear. All over the planet there are people working to save the superior flavor, nutrition, and cultural significance of heritage foods. On this week's show, we introduce you to some of our greatest heritage food warriors. We begin with Sarah Lohman, author of Endangered Eating: America’s Vanishing Foods, who recounts her adventure researching some of the country's rarest ingredients and the often extraordinary efforts to preserve them. Next, we meet a trio of folks from an organization at the center of this movement, Slow Food USA. They discuss their book, The Ark of Taste: Delicious and Distinctive Foods That Define the United States, which provides an in-depth look at some of the stories behind these disappearing flavors. Finally, we speak with classically trained chef and food anthropologist Casey Corn. She hosts Magnolia Network's Recipe Lost and Found, a show that helps families recover their long-lost recipes and the memories that go with them. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Japan may once have seemed like a world away, but the most delicious elements of Japanese food and drink culture have become increasingly embedded in our American psyche. On this week's show, we celebrate the complexity and craftsmanship of Japanese drinking culture. We begin with Christopher Pellegrini, longtime homebrewer, Honkaku Spirits founder, and author of The Shochu Handbook. Originally from Vermont, Christopher now lives in Tokyo, where he has become a Japanese spirit evangelist. He introduces us to shochu, one of Japan's most popular distilled spirits, and one of the best-kept secrets everywhere else. Next, we hear Stephen Lyman, author of the James Beard-nominated book, The Complete Guide to Japanese Drinks. Stephen recounts the intriguing history of Takamine koji whisky, and the remarkable 19th-century Japanese chemist whose work inspired it. Finally, in Japan, drinks are always accompanied by snacks, often in a bar and eatery called an izakaya. Restaurateur Jackie Blanchard drops by to explain how a Cajun girl raised on Bayou Lafourche ended up crossing the world to open Sukeban, an authentic izakaya, right here on Oak Street the Crescent City. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

Who taught you how to cook? Perhaps it was a favorite family member or Julia Child on public television. Maybe you devour cookbooks on the weekend just for fun. The education of a professional chef can be just varied – be it a formal degree or on-the-job training. On this week's show, we explore culinary learning. We begin at one of Louisiana's educational treasures, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To mark this milestone, we revisit our trip to the school's Marigny neighborhood campus. There, chefs Emeril Lagasse and Dana D'Anzi Tuohy explain the origins of NOCCA's celebrated Culinary Arts program. Then, chef and cooking school director Dee Lavigne talks with us about African American chef and entrepreneur Lena Richard. By the 1940s, Richard had become the Crescent City's premier caterer, educator, and the first local TV food personality. Finally, we look outside of the state to learn how Anne Willan achieved legendary success on both sides of the pond. Founder of the prestigious La Varenne Cooking School, which operated in Paris and Burgundy, France from 1975 until 2007, Anne's also a prolific author whose award-winning cookbooks are available in 35 different languages. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.

A recipe can be more than a guide to making food. On this week's show, we meet culinary detectives who are using recipes to unlock the past. We begin with the inspiring story of humanity preserved through recipes from the time of the Holocaust. Chef Alon Shaya joins us to share the story of a family cookbook he encountered while visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and how it led to a collaboration and friendship with Steven Fenves, a man who survived the horrors of that time. Through their Rescued Recipes project, Alon and Steven have raised over $500,000 to benefit the same museum that brought them together. Then, we speak with culinary historian Gerald Patout, whose lifelong obsession with cookbooks led him to uncover a nearly forgotten tome: "The Lafayette Cookbook." As Gerald explains to us, there's really nothing typically Cajun in the century-old recipe collection. Due to his efforts, the book has been reprinted, and is now available to order via UL Press or First United Methodist Church of Downtown Lafayette. Finally, historian Miki Pfeffer joins us with tales of New Orleans' own Grace King, whose life spanned the period from before the Civil War to the Great Depression. She describes how this celebrated literary figure relished the art of dining and had a lifelong fascination with food. Miki's latest book is "A New Orleans Author in Mark Twain’s Court: Letters from Grace King's New England Sojourns." For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.