Food Talk with Tom Fitzmorris: Recent Episodes
Tom Fitzmorris
Programs about food and cooking have been on the air since radio’s earliest days. But The Food Show With Tom Fitzmorris is an anomaly, occupying more hours of prime airtime every week than any other show about taste in the history of the medium. It’s the longest-running talk show of any kind in New Orleans. Twenty-five years, three hours every weekday, same station, same host, same food-and-drink-only concept.
The main ingredient in the Food Show’s recipe is, of course, the New Orleans food culture.
A delightful conversation with the first family of bread in New Orleans: Sandy Whann and son William, and daughter Katie from Leidenheimer Bakery, celebrating 125 years in business. And Cheez Wiz, and crackers like Ritz and Saltines, plus a discussion of Maple St. Cafe.
Peter Caire called in to talk Christmas gifts, and our regular Thursday visitor, Nicole Dorignac told us about fun gifts right off the supermarket shelves. Also the Boston Tea party, turkey basters, roast goose, and chocolate-covered insects.
National Cupcake Day prompted a gosh-darned inspiring chat with Mignon Francois, proud N'Awlins girl, and cupcake entrepreneur. She owns the Cupcake Collection in Nashville and New Orleans. Mignon was a tough act to follow, but our own friend-of-the-show Gunther Preuss held his own with tales of Christmas traditions from his native Germany. Also molasses, the Eiffel Tower, and Jules Verne restaurant there.
Frozen foods, Palmiers, Brigtsen's, mulled wine, blue cheese, and Tim McNally helped us with bubbly selections for the holidays.
Chris Barbato from The Country Club talks about their menus. La Provence, Vincent's, Candy Canes. Daube Glace. And zabaglione.
Don Dubuc called in to chat about a wild Louisiana Christmas. Also Nicholas, vegetable soup, microwave ovens, and kirsch.
Valerie Waeltz from The Louisiana Food Truck Festival called in to tell us about it. Also apple pie, stollen.
Greg Sorenson from our local fruitcake maker Bakermaid called in on National Fruitcake Day.
Vince Hayward of Camellia Beans called in to talk about a new acquisition, Dagostino Handmade Pasta. Also Figgy pudding, espresso/
Janet Sprouse from Jiffy Mix called in. And Jonathan Klascala from Elysian Nar called in to talk Thanksgiving.
Ti Martin called in to talk about Thanksgiving and the new takeout place associated with Commander's Palace, Le Petite Bleu. Mary Ann reports on her trip to California.
Bob Delgiorno sat with Patty in Mary Ann's absence. Chef Andrea called in to chat with Bob.
T.J.Qutob from Petra in LaPlace called in to talk Thanksgiving. Gibson cocktail, cappuccino, Beef Wellington, Bourbon.
Chef Tim from Emeril's calls in to talk about their reopening. Also chives, Marie Antoinette, deviled eggs
Kevin Belton visits to talk about the Historic New Orleans Collection. Brennan's, vinegar, fried clams.
Eric Cook tells us about his new restaurant, St. John. Also oatmeal, pumpkin, Turkey (the country.)
Jacques Saleun, owner of the delicious and sadly gone Chateau du Lac, talks French food. And feijoada, and addictive foods.
We talked to our friend of the show, chef Gunther Preuss. And we talked about Rumtopf, and rum baba.
We talked to Kristen Preau, the Jambalaya Girl, who sells her jambalaya mix and other starters. And we talked about kale, chili, and Walt Disney World as well as Epcot chefs.
Nicole Dorignac called in to talk about supply chains and grocery things. And we talked about mushrooms.
Our traveling friend Stan Meadows called in from a tiny island in Florida near Apalachicola. We talked about him researching the "Old places" this week to eat. And we talked to Bob Arceneaux from Orleans Coffee and Parish Coffee, as well as Bob Hennessey of Morning Call on this, National Coffee Day.
We talked to Jeff McCrory, founder of Cool Brew, about his wildly successful and innovative approach to coffee. And we talked about shwarma and animal fat.
John Caluda of Caluda Catering called in to talk about his famous crawfish strudel. Dinty Moore's, chocolate milk, and corned beef hash.
Gunther Preuss called in to talk about silly food trends. Cherries Jubilee, cruising, prosciutto.
Nicole Dorignac called in to chat about supply chain. issues, now a constant. National Anchovy Day, and Worcestershire Sauce.
Sonya Clesi called in to chat about the fun place she runs with her two brothers, Clesi's in Mid-City on Bienville.St. Spinach and Artichoke Day, and choucroute.
Elizabeth Liuzza from Liuzza Farms in Amite called to chat about the business, established in 1909. Also.mussels, Sophia Loren, and Guinness.
It's Wednesday and that means we visit with Stan Meadows, out in America's heartland. Calling from Indiana today, he's heading to the cranberry harvest in Wisconsin. We talked Nashville hot chicken. and St.Elmo's steakhouse. And we pondered the difference between Cajun and Creole food.
We talked to Don Dubuc about fish - catching it and cooking it. And we talked potatoes, especially potato chips, on this day when the potato chip was invented in 1894.
We spoke to Chef Toya Boudy about her career in entertainment cooking. We talked about her travels in the Food Network competition circuit, her new spice blend, and her podcast. Also Louis XVI, and Mexican food in post-Katrina New Orleans.
We talked to Kristian Wade from Beau Rivage about the several great restaurants there... It was National Lemonade Day. And we talked about croissants.
Molly Kimball stepped in for Nicole Dorignac today, and we talked about whole grains. The gist: No need to eat amaranth and brown rice is only marginally better than white rice. Cayenne pepper, and Frostop, as well as Keith Young's burger. And the best alfresco places in town.
Stan Meadows visited with us today, reporting on the BBQ Trail of North Carolina. And we talked about ice cream pie on National Ice Cream Pie Day. Also cooking with pressure cookers.
We talked about Hatch chiles with Lisa Neal from the Hatch Valley in New Mexico, And we talked about St. Roch and lipstick on glasses, and early gourmet ingredients.
We talked to Mark Springfloat from UNO's business program for the hospitality industry. And we talked about brats on National Bratwurst Day. And we got a report from Christie, Mary Ann's sister, about all the food she ate on her recent 2 two week cross-country trip. We found out what a Runza is.
We talked to Jerry Mixon, chef at Trep's in Mid-City. Filet Mignon. Corn on the cob. Julia Child. And Will from Mandeville Seafood called in to talk crawfish season, beginning and end.
Nicole Dorignac called in for her regular Thursday visit about supply chain snafus, and we talked dumplings. Also a lengthy report on the new restaurant, The Greyhound in Covington, Also Sandro's Trattoria in Metairie.
It was Wednesday and that means we heard from Stan Meadows, eating his way through the American heartland. He was in Asheville, North Carolina. with his buddy Milt, the conductor of the Blue Ridge Symphony. Milt talked about Hakarl, decomposed shark and livermush. Milt is an adventuresome eater.
Julienne Gehrer called in to chat about Jane Austen and her recipes. We chatted about the home Jane shared with her family and friends. And we talked about banana splits and s'mores. Jimmy Dean sausage, and premium chocolate.
We talked to Stephanie Metzger from Pennsylvania, who called in to tell us about an event she judges each year. It's called the Olympics of water tasting, the Berkeley Springs, West Virginia tasting of over a hundred waters, municipal, bottled, sparkling, and still.
Michael Gottlieb from Tchefuncte's called to talk about foraging for mushrooms. And we talked about Jamaica and Jerk spices, and Acadiana in Washington DC.
Nicole Dorignac called in for her Thursday report, though we talked more about her recent trip. And we talked about Lambert's House of Throwed Rolls.
We talked cookies on National Chocolate Cookie Day,. And Louie Armstrong's birthday. Dom Perignon. And we talked about the Pillsbury Doughboy.
We talked to Tristan Johnson from 73 Distillery. We look forward to the release of their first Bourbon, Bywater Bourbon, on August 18th. We talked about yellow watermelons, Martha Stewart, and Barracuda Restaurant.
Do you prefer chocolate or vanilla ice cream? State by state preferences. It was National Ice Cream sandwich Day.
We talked to Tory McPhail on his birthday. It was nice to catch up with him. And we talked about Alton Brown on his birthday, and we talked White Castle.
Nicole did not call in today, but we did have a busy show talking about the party the night before, and chicken wings on National Chicken Wing Day
andm the short-lived ansd silly brennan restaurant from the late 70s, Anything Goes.
Lettuce in stock? Mon Dieu! We spoke to Rob Nelson from Elmer's Candies on National Milk Chocolate Day. And Stan called in from Hazzard, Kentucky for his regular report on Wednesdays. The subject was Bourbon, and Bourbon balls.
The show started with a conversation about Cajun pasta and maquechoux, Alex Patout called from New Iberia to explain how to make these Cajun favorites. We also talked about milk chocolate on National Milk Chocolate Day. And we talked about Tupperware, invented today. And Happy Anniversary to the newsletter version of The New Orleans Menu, which went online for the first time today in 1997.
In preparation of National Tequila Day, we chatted with Monica Richards from Houston, where she is one of the proprietors of Pico's Mexcian Restaurant. Monica is passionate about her heritage and the flavors of her ancestral homeland. She is quite knowledgeable about tequila and mezcal, and she was kind enough to give us a tutorial. We also talked about a pet project of theirs, importing heirloom ingredients from family farms.
The question to ponder...What constitutes a cult restaurant, an institution, and a "media darling?" We talked Mandina's Deanie's, Liuzza's, Leonardo's, Galatoire's. And mangoes.
National Junk Food Day With annual sales of $620 billion dollars, you can bet there was a lot to say. Eric Coogan from Dorignac's called in to talk about top sellers of junk food. Spoiler alert: Sweet stuff wins. Stan was out fishing for crappie today.
It was a celebration of the Food Show, which marked 33 years on Sunday. A little reminiscing with callers. We talked about Gallagher's in New York, and Ye Olde College Inn.
Seafood Poor Boy Day. And we talked about Mr. B's on the occasion of their birthday the following day. And Frostop Lottaburgers.
We talked about Frostop and entree salads. Nicole Dorignac was busy with her day job so we moved her weekly report to Friday.
National Mac'N'Cheese Day. And International Pate Day. And Bastille Day. We talked about all these things. French restaurants, pate, ans macaroni, and cheese. And we talked about Trey Yuen and Asian food in general.
Gunther Preuss called in to talk about dates. And we talked tipping...again. And the Gumbo Krewe Restaurant in Metairie. But mostly we talked French fries, on this, National French Fry Day.
A report on Stein's Deli and Sal & Judy's, Revolution, and Sandro's Trattoria. And we talked about tipping, peanut butter, and pecan pie, but not together.
We talked about omelets, microwave ovens, sugar cookies, butter cookies. a report on Tchefuncte's.
Nicole Dorignac called in to talk allocations and shortages and supply chains. A gushing report on lunch at Keith Young's, which included the best crawfish corn chowder we've ever had. We also talked about Saltine's in Mandeville, the Bower, and Frenier's Landing in LaPlace.
Stan Meadows called in to talk about Doe's Eat Place in Mississippi, Starkvegas, and fried chicken in Missouri. We talked about Pardo's, Tchefuncte's, and steak at Dakota. White bread, finger sandwiches. Also Foodie's Eatzie's, and Eataly.
National Fried Chicken Day and a fried chicken odyssey on Saturday. A scathing report on the state of McDonald's from a Fourth of July weekend visit.
Chef Amy Mehrtens from Copper Vine Wine Pub called in to talk about the new menu there. Also, a report on a Friday lunch experience with the most insulting service we've had in a long time, which spawned a conversation about bad service in general.
The show began with a full report on last night's dinner at Dakota. Stan Meadows called from Starkville, Ms, from the kitchen of Taste, the new restaurant recently opened by his friend Michael McIntosh, who was sucking the flavor from watermelon and putting it into vodka in a sous vide as we spoke. We talked tamales again, as Stan embarks on the Tamale Trail up the Delta.
A report on last night's visit. to the Peacock Room in the new Kimpton Hotel Fontenot. We talked about fried chicken. Zoe's Bakery, and the coming Elysian Market.
A full report on a weekend of boring eating. We talked bubble tea and tapioca, Stendhal Syndrome, Route 66, silverware use in Europe, and Richard Rodgers
National Catfish Day, and we had a New York pizza "symposium" with Doug Wellner and Pauli Gee from 2 new "slice shops" in town. And we discussed a cryptic new FB post from Oxlot 9.
Nicole Dorignac was on the roof at the supermarket at 3pm today, so she didn't call. We talked about our delicious meal at Marcello's last night, and a little about Beausoliel Coastal Cuisine in Baton Rouge. And pralines and produce that is a mere shadow of its former self.
Stan Meadows called in from the oyster bar at Trenasse in New Orleans. We talked about Commander's Palace and the busy restaurants around town. And we talked to Judy Walker about the Higgins crabmeat soup recipe and her book with Marcelle Bienvenue, Cooking up A Storm.
Zach Cheney called in to talk about his new juice bar on the north shore in Mandeville. And we talked about the juice and smoothie trend.
Darrell Johnson with NOLA Creations called in to talk about his food trucks, catering operation, and his stint on The Great Food Truck Race. Peaches and cream, A great Father's Day brunch at Tchefuncte's.
Gunther Preuss called in to talk vegetables on National Eat Your Vegetables Day. And we talked about Cheeseburger in Paradise.
Stan Meadows called in from New Orleans. Anheuser Busch, chorizo, Bloomsday, Pepsi and Coke. And Cracker Jack.
Margot Brignac called in to talk about coffee, and her company, artisan roaster Flamjeaux Coffee. Strawberry shortcake, Heimlich maneuver, seabobs. Bourbon
Nicole Dorignac called in to talk grocery business. Cabrito, and a report on dinner with The Gourmet Cellist.
Stan Meadows called in from right here in New Orleans. We talked about the Tamale Trail. Roux. Blenders.
Mandina's. Alfresco dining. Tom Brown calls in from North Carolina to talk about his life's work and passion, bringing back heirloom varieties of apples from Appalachia.
Chocolate ice cream, margarine, the Panama Canal, and cruising. Apple Pie. The Camellia Grill.
Stan Meadows called in to talk about his visit to the Loretta Lynn Ranch, and his plans for the next few months. In Alabama now, his investigations will focus on the meat-and-three. Italian food, Velveeta, and bean salads.
Nicole Dorignac had more detailed info on the tail end of COViD in her grocery report today. And peaches.
The end of the month and Memorial Day weekend. We talked about roasting a Boston butt pork roast, and lunch at The Lakehouse.
Nicole Dorignac called in with some especially interesting info. Vincent Price, Jamie Oliver. Pineapple.
Stan Meadows called in for his weekly Wednesday chat. A full report on Tuesday night's dinner at Nathan's. We talked jug fishing. Cherries Jubilee, and Who Is Killing The Great Chefs Of Europe?"
Andrew Doyle called in to talk about NYC pizza. he spent a year there for work, spending all his spare time on a quest for the best pizza in New York. He explained the secret code in ordering pizza in New York and we talked about his New Orleans favorites. The show started off with a caller from the original year of the Food Show in 1988. H.e just called to say hi.
Nicole Dorignac called in to chat about empty grocery store shelves. Quiche Lorraine, and a lengthy report on our lunch at The Lakehouse.
Stan Meadows called in after two weeks, this time from his home state of Kentucky. We talked burgoo and Kentucky Hot Brown sandwiches, as well as Amish culture and food. Also, a report on Coquette, Devil's Food Cake, and an account of Prom Night from Tom himself, as written in 2017.
A lengthy report on our eating weekend. Chocolate fondue. Revolution. A visit to Florida. Cacio e pepe, and ridiculous dishes in restaurants.
Nicole Dorignac called in to talk grocery items but we wound up talking prom with Tom, because it was Prom day. And we talked about macquechoux, succotash, and school cafeteria food.
A report on Mother's Day. And we talked about shrimp, La Provence, root beer, and Lipton tea.
We talked about lamb, and mache, , swordfish. And Croatians. Also, Mary Mahoney's restaurant.
We missed Nicole Dorignac today, but we talked Robespierre, oranges, Crepes Suzette, and Margherita pizza.
Stan Meadows called in for his usual Wednesday chat, and we had such fun talking about Lambert's Home of Throwed Rolls. He also explained what snook is, a Gulf Coast fish. And we talked Cinco de Mayo
A report on dinner at The Thorny Oyster in Bay St. Louis. And a disappointing lunch at the Anchor. Raisins, Arthur Godfrey, and Amtrak's 50th anniversary..
Nicole Dorignac called in to talk groceries, as she does every Thursday. And we talked shrimp, scampi, and langoustines.
Crawfish pie, Richard Hughes, Alice Waters, Charlie's Steak House, Tequila, air conditioning.
Prime Rib, waitresses, maraschino cherries, Victoria Station, Ichabod's Galley, Bart's, service staff eating food that comes back to the kitchen.
Rome's birthday, Romano cheese, and the Space needle, as well as WSMB. Stan Meadows called in with a friend from Arkansas, Ed Richard, who owns a New Orleans restaurant in Arkansas.
We talked about garlic, the Outback Steakhouse, and our weekend lunch and strawberry shortcake.
We talked about coffeehouses, Ruth Fertel and her philosophy of hospitality, Beluga Caviar, Mr. B's, Eggs Benedict, and gout.
A good show with lots of callers. We talked fast food and cookbooks and souffle potatoes, whiskey, and Austin.
Stan Meadows checked in from his RV in Oklahoma. And...Why do you buy a cookbook? was the question today. And hushpuppies.
Jeff Mauro from The Kitchen on The Food Network called in to talk about his wonderful new book, his first, "Come On Over" And we talked ethnic foods, Slidell restaurants, and an authentic Mexican place.
Nicole Dorignac called in to talk about the empty shelves, and why. What's back ad what is coming back. And we talked about milk bottles and empanadas. And margarine.
Coffee cake, food poisoning, Christian Brothers wines, and Francis Ford Coppola and his Rubicon vineyards.
Stan Meadows called in for the first time in months. We'll be hearing from him again as he makes his way back east in his travels across our land.
We also talked about the Eiffel Tower, pufferfish, and citrus.
Thursday means we hear from Nicole Dorignac. After her shortages report, we talked about stuffing crawfish heads for bisque..The Tichborne Dole, stuffed crust pizza, Ray's Pizza, the importance of crust, and the way to eat pizza.
Red beans and Rice Day. We talked about red beans and rice, Coq Au Vin, tikka, and French bread.
Jude's last day of guest hosting. Nicole Dorignac called in for her usual report from the store.
Jude talked about his passion for St. Patrick's Day. We talked about Irish pubs and corned beef.
Jude stepped in to cohost, and it was great fun. We talked about artichoke hearts, tea, and Los Angeles.
We talked muffaeettas, olive salad, Coke in bottles, Gandhi's salt gambit, and Galatoire's flamboyant Gilbert.
Thursday means a visit from Nicole Dorignac and Mary Ann's sister Syl. The subject was fennel salad. White chocolate bread pudding, Stromboli, Palace Cafe, and things that are deviled.
The first half-hour of the show included a statement about Tom, his legacy, and the future of The Food Show. It was the anniversary of Tom's first radio food critique, 46 years ago right here on WGSO.
Crabmeat, ketchup, fried bologna, and napoleons. And a report on some ordinary food that posed a question about dining out.
National French Onion Soup Day, cebollitas, Coca-Cola, and little fake wax Coca-Cola bottles.
Chef Jimi Setchim from Broussard's called in to talk about the belated celebration of their centennial. We also talked about Brennan's in Houston, fish mousse, the chuck wagon, and ramen.
Nicole Dorignac called in for her weekly visit, but we had so much to talk about luncheon meat olive loaf, and liver cheese. Alan called in from Seattle to talk about fried peanuts and Michael 75 about deals everywhere. And we talked about restaurants we miss.
It was National Deli Meats Day, and we talked about cold cuts. We also talked about hake, and SYSCO. And Chef Jordan Whitney called in from Augusta, Georgia where he is the chef of Gaby's By The Lake at the Ritz Carlton Reynolds Plantation. He was happy to share his recipe for Boiled Peanut Hummus as we continued the endless conversation about this.
We talked about pistachios and peanuts, of course, as the peanut conversation continues. We talked about fish frys and a report on lunch at Pyre Provisions.
National Banana Bread Day, so we talked about banana bread. Also Tootsie Rolls, farro, and Ritz crackers.
A special day today. The birthday of Aline Gremillion Fitzmorris, the woman who taught Tom to love food. She would be 109. In her honor, we talked about Cajun food, including a report on the new restaurant Etouffee in Covington, whose proprietors hail from Cut Off. And Sal Sunseri from P & J Oysters called in to answer a question about where oyster babies come from.
A really fun show today. Lots of callers talking boiled peanuts, Cornish hens, peanuts and coke (yes, together), and barbecue,
We talked about making wine out of carrots with Chuck Blethen from Blue Ridge Vineyards. Also Claudia Barker of Edible Schoolyard , along with Chef Knuth from Ralph's on the Park, and Frank Brigtsen called to talk about their fundraiser on March 2nd.
We had two hotdoggers on the show today. Chloe Cold Cuts and Barb BQ are in town with the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile, and they called in to chat.
We spent the first hour talking about a sad anniversary lunch at Windsor Court, and Nicole Dorignac called in with her regular Thursday store report.
A lot of reporting on a big weekend of eating all around. Tom's 70th birthday party at Antoine's, and the party after at Rest A While Sunday on the Mandeville Lakefront. And some Super Bowl party reports. Ending in some eulogizing of Bonnie Warren, a local PR treasure and prolific writer.
Chef Amy Mehrtens and sommelier Lydia Kurkoski from Copper Vine Wine Pub talked about their Mardi Gras around the world dinner. And we talked about Ruth Fertel, and steaks and oysters.
We talked about lunch at Ralph's On The Park, raw oysters, Ruth Fertel, and steaks. And we talked about the Copper Vine Wine Pub Mardi Gras around the world dinner.
National Stuffed Mushroom Day. Snickers Bars. Tamales, doner, the soup kitchen, and hot turkey sandwiches.
It was National Carrot Cake Day. We talked about Mardi Gras, and the Boeuf Gras, Steak, the Super Bowl, and fennel.
We spent a lot of time on this show talking about Indian food. Also caviar, Hawaii, and pig's feet.
We talked about onion rings, Jewish rye bread, and the powerful memories that food evokes. And Nicole Dorignac called in with her weekly visit.
The show started off so slow we made Henry start it off again after the first break. And suddenly we were flooded with calls. We talked vegemite, tucker, Paul Newman, and hanger steak.
We talked to Sarah and Billy Rieger from Rieger's on the Trace. And we talked about Iris, Ceaser's Ristorante, Cafe Brulot, Rossini, Irish Coffee, stone crabs, and Pasta Fagioli soup.
Happy Anniversary to Chef Andrea, who opened in Metairie in 1985. And we talked about clam chowder on National Clam Chowder Day.
We talked about Belgian food on Belgian Independence Day. And we talked about cheese on National Cheese Lover's Day, going through the top hundred cheeses.
National Popcorn Day. Susan Franco called from Pop On The Block, an online retailer of gourmet popcorn..
No Grocery Goddess food report from Nicole Dorignac today. But lots of callers. Good show. We talked pastrami and cooking oil.
Six geese a-laying. The last Food Show of the year. We talked champagne and hopes for 2021.
We talked about warm milk and hot toddys, rhubarb, and bittersweet chocolate, and macaroons. And we talked about a great dinner at Antoine's.
We talked of stewed chicken and Casablanca Restaurant, and the best way to fry is. Cornmeal, flour, or corn flour?
Our regular Thursday visitor Nicole Dorignac the Grocery Goddess. calls in with her weekly report from the grocery shelves. And Lisa Blount from Antoine's called in to talk about National Oyster Ro Rockefeller Day on Sunday, an d the special at Antoine's to celebrate it.
It's the Epiphany, King's Day, Twelfth Night. We talked about king cake. And we talked about Dooky Chase on. the anniversary of Lean Chase's birthday, and napoleons.
Leaping lords. It was the first show of the new year, and we talked about spaghetti, feijoada, and evaporated milk. And it was the nearly 50th anniversary of the New Orleans Menu.
Eleven pipers. We talked about yams, whipped cream, and the Burger King whopper, as well as Tom's first visit to a Burger King..
Three French Hens. More food talk. Winding up the year. We talked about chowder, Benjamin Franklin and his Poor Richard's Almanack, and Ralph's On The Park.
Four Colly Birds. Nicole Dorignac called in on an unusual day to talk about what might be missing from the grocery store shelves. And Christmas and New Year's. And we talked about Brunswick Stew.
The last Food Show before Christmas. We talked about Christmas plans, of course. And Stan Meadows called in from his winter home in Las Vegas to tell us about the Ghetto Reveillon he was hosting at the "resort."
Nicole Dorignac dropped i for her Christmas week visit. We talked about food shortages, but also about Christmas plans.
Plenty of food talk this day. Hamburgers, Antoine's Pelican Club, absinthe, gingerbread, and champagnes with Tim McNally.
We talked about shepherd's pie and Irish stew and cheese, on the birthday of Jame Lewis Kraft, founder of the eponymous behemoth food company.
Nicole Dorignac called in for her usual report from the store. What's going to be missing from the store shelf when you need it and why, and when it might be back.
Stan Meadows called in to report on his Thanksgiving feast at the "resort" in Las Vegas and his latest investigations into cool stuff edible and not in his travels out west. He is living in Vegas for the winter in his luxury motor home, reliving the golden age of Vegas when the Sands was around.
A report on the birthday dinner of Carl's Fried Chicken now in the Sazerac at the Roosevelt..
Mary Ann's birthday, today, so the conversation revolved around great celebrations at restaurants in the past.
It was Thursday and that means Nicole Dorignac the Grocery Goddess called in to report from the store about all things COVID-related. And it was a three- way Thanksgiving review with the Connell sisters and Nicole.
Stan Meadows passed on calling today with a cold, but we managed to have a lively show anyway.
It was a post- Thanksgiving Day wrap-up. We did a recap of our own festivities at the Cool Water Ranch and heard from callers about theirs, including Ron and his globally-injected turkey, and Don and his four-day brine.
Stan Meadows called in from his "resort" in Las Vegas to give us the latest installment of his gangster hangout research. He talked about cooking Thanksgiving for his neighbors in the "resort."
WE talked about the Po-Boy Festival, getting a new roof on the house in 2012, and the restaurant in the Bywater known as the Country Club.
We had a visit from Jim Richard and Matt Farmer, the team at Trenasse, one of our favorite restaurants in town. And we talked more Thanksgiving stuff, and Ron the Gourmet everything called to check in, back from a few weeks in Mexico.
We had a special Thanksgiving Edition of the Grocery Goddess Nicole Dorignac and a special Thanksgiving edition of the Mom's Throwdown. It was Sylvia's birthday, but Henry showed no special partiality in awarding the Throwdown prize.
Friday the 13th turned out to be pretty lucky for the Food Show. We had a great guest, Ryan King, Editor-In-Chief of the online publication Fine Dining Lovers.
It was Thursday, and that means a report from the grocery store shelves from our Grocery Goddess Nicole Dorignac. And the Mom Throwdown got a little wild with the addition of Michael 75. The Throwdown contest was meatballs and spaghetti.
Stan Meadows checked in from Las Vegas where he is chasing down gangster hangouts, and we reminisced about iris, and Beach Bum Berry's Latitude 29 which Tim McNally chimed in to talk about.
We talked about satsumas and the Tun Tavern in Philadelphia on this the anniversary of the founding of the United States Marine Corp, Burpee Seeds, and lemonfish.
The end of the week, so it was a light-hearted show. We talked about nachos and Moxie and peanut butter and jelly, bearnaise sauce, and a not-so-good lunch.
Nicole Dorignac the Grocery Goddess called in for her Thursday report from the grocery aisles. The Mom Throwdown was cabbage. And we talked about polenta and grits and the sandwich chain Roy Rogers Roast Beef.
We talked about escargots and finger sandwiches and National Club Sandwich Day and we talked to Stan Meadows who is channeling gangsters from the Sixties in Las Vegas.
We talked to Chef Jeremy Stephens from Galatoire's (until recently) who called in to talk about winning a European award for best North American Chef in a contest sponsored by Italian company Acqua Panna. His recipe for Trout with Crab Fat Popcorn rice will be featured in the San Pelligrino Best New Chefs book. And we talked about figs and chili and men who cook.
We talked about Halloween Candy and Trapani's in Bay St. Louis, and Hurrican Zeta, deviled eggs, chocolate mint, and the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld.
On this day before Halloween, we talked Halloween candy, Pyre Provisions in Covington. Torchy's Tacos, and S.E.B.'s, a short-lived goody at Jax Brewery riverfront from the early Nineties.
It was a lively show today with a round of callers, talking about Tchefuncte's Restaurant and Revolution and slow-cooked brisket, as well as etiquette and, baked potatoes, La Foret, and succotash.
We talked about pumpkins and bluefin tuna and cereal. And Heidi Diestel from The Diestel Turkey Ranch in Sonora California called in to talk turkey.
Nathaniel Zimet from Boucherie called in to talk about the NOWFE wine dinner at Boucherie. And we talked about paprika on Hungarian Independence Day. Also canning food, Sarah Bernhardt and Johnny Carson.
It's Thursday and that means a report from the Grocery Goddess Nicole Dorignac, who calls in each week to tell us what to expect missing from the grocery shelves in this new COVID world. And why. We had the mom throwdown with the Connell sisters and Nicole, but the sentimental favorite Aline Fitzmorris (Tom's mom) won today for stuffed bell peppers. We also talked about alligators and Vitamin C and neighborhood groceries. And Del Frisco.
Stan Meadows checked in from Las Vegas where he has been researching the best red velvet cake in Las Vegas, and the best shrimp cocktail, in this the origin city for the dish. He talked about his next project, following the trail of Las Vegas gangsters.. We can't wait to hear. We also talked about Emeril's NOLA and apples. And we had a few good calls reminiscing about New Orleans neighborhood food markets
A lot of reporting on our eating in the last two days. We had a long lunch at Pyre Provisions and a fantastic dinner at 5 Girls last night where the red beans were simply the best we've had.
A big report from a weekend of eating. We talked about Brats Ya'll, Pizza Delicious, Forks and Corks and Andrea's, where we finally ate garlic and sardines.
Dan Kluger called in from New York, where he is Chef/Owner of Loring Place. His new book is Chasing Flavor, a primer on elevating home cooking to chef level. We talked about lamb and Artesia Restaurant, and compared Domino's Pizza to Papa John's. People prefer Domino's by a wide margin.
Nicole Dorignac, the Grocery Goddess, checked in for her weekly report on what's hot and what's not in grocery world. We talked about printed grocery bags and holiday dishes and the Mom's Throwdown was daube and spaghetti. The Connell sisters still beat Nicole, even though she brought in her brother-in-law for reinforcement.
No Stan Meadows this week. He's in Death Valley with no signal. We did talk about tasso and Thomas Keller, Alex Patout and the benefit of guidebooks for travel.
It was another lady chef from the Kitchen Queens series on Channel 12. Christie Plaisance from Bouligny Tavern checked in. And we talked about all the new foods brought back to Europe by Christopher Columbus, on this Columbus Day.
Nicole Dorignac called in for her grocery report, and the throwdown was Turley Poulet. We talked about Walgreens soda fountain on the birthday of Charles Rudolph Walgreen. And we talked poor boys on Poor Boy Day, kumquats, and Valencia Spain.
Today is National Basil Day and yesterday was National Bay Leaf Day, so we talked about herbs. There was a technical glitch that prevented Nicole Dorignac from doing her grocery report, so she'll be on tomorrow. And we reminisced about old restaurants.
Stan Meadows called in from Las Vegas for his weekly report on the food in the heartland of America. Stan has been researching shrimp cocktail since the origins of it is traced to Vegas. He's had a few for his research and gave us the ratings
Back to back interviews today, the first from NOCHI and the second about cheese. October starts National cheese month, and who doesn't love that?
Our guest was Sue Zemanick, the owner of Zasu and former chef of Gautreau's. Se traced her career path from er home of Pennsylvania through New York and here in New Orleans. And we talked about McDonald's and french fries and file gumbo.
We talked about Henry Ford's fateful change to his worker's workweek, and how that started the patronizing of restaurants on a large scale. And we talked about gourmet salt.
It was a lovely day yesterday and we had a fun show, talking scallops, and pretzels (but not together), and all things Dakota Restaurant on the occasion of their 30th anniversary. Kim Kringle called in to chat.
Back ! It was Grocery Goddess Day. Mary Leigh weighed in on cookies and helped Henry judge the Mom Throwdown between, Nicole Dorignac's mom Esther and Mary Ann's mom, Sylvia. Sylvia Jr, Mary Ann's sister, gangs up on Nicole with Mary Ann to defend Sylvia's honor.
Ron the Gourmet Waiter sits in with an assist from Henry, our producer. The subject was barbecue.
Don the Gourmet Neighbor pinch hits in a pinch, and talks about his sous vide French fries.
No guests today, so that made room for our daughter Mary Leigh, also known as The Red Bean Edition, to step in and chat with us. She gave a lengthy report on eating in Harahan, and we talked about our visit Friday night to Antoine's for the COVID world re-opening. there.
It was fun to talk to Peter DiMartino of DiMartino's Muffalettas about his family's food stall at the markets back in the early 20th century, as we continue the exploration of the Sicilian Italian influence on our local cuisine.,
Nicole Dorignac, The Grocery Goddess, called in with her usual report from the store. It's always fascinating to hear what's here and what's not, and why. COVID, you know? We talked Cherries Jubilee and turkey gumbo, and Illy Caffe (espresso)
National Anchovy Day begged the question: Anchovies...yes or no? And we talked about Lea & Perrins and Tabasco
It was a lengthy report on our visit to The Commissary deep in the Irish Channel. We had lunch and took out food that was prepared, and some raw kits to cook at home. And we took a few interesting calls.
Kolette Mandina called in to kick off our exploration of the Sicilian influence on New Orleans food. Kolette runs the Westbank gem Tony Mandina's along with her daughter Lindsey. They purchased it from her father Tony Mandina last year. We spoke about the cousins in the old country and her famous Red Gravy. available in stores all over town. And we talked about my sister's shrimp mold.
Today is National Cheeseburger Day, so we talked a bit about the question: Cheese on a burger or no? And if yes, what kind of cheese? And we heard from Phillip Buccieri, the new chef of MeMe's, our favorite restaurant ever in Chalmette..
It was a fun show today. Nicole Dorignac and Mary Ann had a throwdown channeling their mothers, comparing stuffed artichoke recipes. We talked about Greek salad and food in Boston, which became a city in 1630 today.
Stan Meadows checked in from his travels out West, calling us from Las Vegas, where he plans to spend the winter. We talked about his visit to The Potato Museum in Idaho,, and his plans for dinner tonight at Emeril's Fish House. I recommended Scarpetta and a village at the Grand Canyon. And we talked about LW, his traveling companion, and beloved hound dog.
It was a show full of restaurant reports, mostly ours. We talked about Acorn, and the Rib Room, Houmas House and The Mill. And that was just one weekend! We had calls about Anchor and the cast iron cooking of a pork belly.
A busy show today with a lot of gourmet callers wanting to talk about steak tartare. When we looked up a recipe for steak tartare in the Joy Of Cooking, a recipe for cheese straws fell out, and we talked about that too.
The Grocery Goddess Nicole Dorignac calls in to talk about the state of grocery shopping in COVID world. Allocations, her new exclusive line of beef called Braveheart, and holiday items. And we got a thorough report on Tchefuncte's, a new star in the New Orleans dining scene.
It's Wednesday so that means Stan our traveling man called in from Idaho, where he was standing by on his way to the Idaho Potato Museum, home of the world's largest Pringle. he planned to get takeout (all that is allowed) from the museum's restaurant. He will report next Wednesday on his all-potato meal. There was a two-hour wait for food. If that doesn't prove his commitment to food, what does?
Ashley Jones called in to talk about her passion for cast iron cookware, which started when her new mother-in-law gave her a family heirloom. We talked about seasoning pans, the health benefits of cast iron, ad its newfound resurgence in popularity. Her great book, Cooking With Cast Iron: The Complete Guide to Selecting, Seasoning, Cooking, And More is, like its author, full of heart and exuberance about the subject. Visit her blog atbigsisterknows.com
We were visited by the Red Bean Edition, our daughter Mary Leigh, and we talked about processed cookies like E..L.Fudge and L'il Debbie. And the Grocery Goddess Nicole Dorignac checked in with us to report on the grocery situation in COVID world.
We talked to Bobby Brocato, who wrote the book Food For Kings: Diamond Jim, A New Orleans Legend, which is a wonderful map of the influence on the New Orleans culinary landscape of the Immigrants from Sicilian in creating the hybrid "New Orleans Italian" cuisine. All the families are connected, and the book traces that history while highlighting the specific contributions to New Orleans that Brocato's grandfather, Diamond Jim Moran made at his La Louisiane. And we talked about macadamia nuts and baked oysters.
We didn't have our regular Wednesday call from our traveling guy Stan Meadows. He is Montana without cell service right now. Instead, we talked about frittatas and barbershop singing.
Neil Swidler , the new Culinary Director at Felix's ( a restaurant group that had previously not had such a person) called in to talk about his plans for making the food at Felix's more inventive and fun. And gourmet, using his experience at Emeril's and Broussard's and the sadly short-lived Lucky Rooster. We had some good calls too.
Michael Dominici of Dom's Soul Food, a pop-up and his career change since COVID. And we talked bananas and plantains.
The Grocery Goddess calls in for her regular report. Nicole Dorignac of Dorignac's talks about the things people grab for hurricanes. And liver cheese, of course.
Our friend and traveling man Stan Meadows called in to talk about his honorable mention for his peach butter at the Wyoming State Fair, and his lasso lessons.
We talked about hurricanes and food preparations, and how they have changed through the years.
It was a nice surprise to hear from one of our favorite callers for the first time since the move. Mike the oenophile, checked in.
The Grocery Goddess, Nicole Dorignac, called in to talk about items that come and go on grocery store shelves in COVID world. We have learned a lot about supply chain interruptions from Nicole, who talks to the people on the floor who make it all happen every day. This is a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of the people who made your food available every day.
We talked to Audrey Johns, who lived in Harvey as a child, and who now lives in Idaho, where she has just released her fourth bestseller in four years. She lost 150 pounds in 11 months and started her popular blog Lose Weight By Eating. We want to have her back to show us how to make our food diet food.
We talked about the defunct and much-beloved restaurant Genghis Kahn, helmed by Symphony violinist Henry Lee. The stories of that restaurant (which was almost a community) spawned a number of callers wanting to reminisce. We also talked about the Caribbean Room, fondly remembered for many things, but none more than the Mile High Pie. it was National Ice Cream Pie Day.
On this, national Caramel Custard Day, we compared flan, cup custards, Crème Brûlée, and where around town the best versions of each could be found. We tried to remember if Galatoire's is a basic cup custard or not. And we talked about lipstick on restaurant glassware, on this day that chemist Hazel Bishop developed a lipstick that was permanent.
It was a short show today because the power went out on the north shore because of a big storm. Until then we talked about Tony Mandina's , where one of us had lunch - the other went to Andrea's
We were visited by Nicole Dorignac the Grocery Goddess, reporting on the status of your grocery shelves. We talked about the "circle" where Dorignac's has specialty grab-n-go items from restaurants around town. She explained the guidelines for this, and we talked about production lines and agricultural snafus, and all the things down the chain that can affect your shopping experience. And we talked about Julia Child and steaks because it is National Filet Mignon Day
Winnie Brown with the WYES auction called in to talk about Tom Benson's wine collection up for purchase in their annual fundraising auction. And staycations. And restaurant gift certificates. But that's only food and fun. There are other luxury items to be had, but it closes tomorrow night at 10. After Winnie, we had our regular Wednesday visitor, Stan Meadows calling in from Wyoming to report on the Wyoming State Fair, where he feels pretty confident he will collect the blue ribbon for his peach butter.
We started the show yesterday with a call from Peyton Burrell, who is a graduate of NOCHI who has returned to town and opened gourmandneworleans.com, an interesting idea that allows someone to eat restaurant-quality meals they assemble from home. The website is gorgeous and we are excited about this. Another guest is part of a series of women chefs in New Orleans who are part of a WYES series Kitchen Queens of New Orleans. Amarys Herndon from Palm & Pine wowed us with talk of how she has adapted to COVID. (Check out the plate lunches from here.)
Jorges Enriques and Gus Martin called in to talk about their influence on the Keith Young brand. These two consummate professionals were with the Dickie Brennan group for 27 and 30 years, respectively, They were hired to add a little pop to the reliable and consistent brand, which we have already seen. This week or next, Five Girls opens in the space formerly occupied by Keith's much-loved Crabby Shack. During the lockdown, Keith and Linda went in to spruce it up and wound up starting over with an upscale breakfast place and lunches of gourmet sandwiches and salads, as well as soups. We're excited. The Youngs do everything first class.
The show began with a report from Henry, our producer, who went to Mosca's the previous evening in a recommendation from us. He went with Tom's suggestion to get the Oysters Mosca and was quite satisfied. Ali Loftin called and it was a busy show. We talked about bruschetta and its proper pronunciation.
The Grocery Goddess called in today. Nicole Dorignac didn't have the bad news she had last week, or are we just getting used to shortages? And we talked about a delicious lunch we had today at Ristorante Fillippo.
Husband and wife team Christina do Carmo and Dana Honn from Carmo and Cafe Cour called in to talk about their appearance Saturday on The Kitchen Queens of New Orleans cooking show on Channel 12.. This was a great conversation. Today was oyster day, and who to better talk oysters than Tom?. We listed favorite oyster dishes of the baked variety, and we talked mustard. All kinds.
The long and winding road of the Food Show on display again. We talked about a steak dinner at Austin's Monday night but it got parsed into a discussion of bread, then steaks, then sides. And we had some good callers.
No guest today but good calls. We talked about Gulf Coast dining. The dearth of good restaurants is a problem. And we talked a lot about the Sycamore House in Bay St. Louis. But we mostly had a good list of food reporting from another busy eating weekend.
Richard Hughes, owner of the Pelican Club, called in to talk about his COOLinary, and we forgot to wish him a Happy 30th Anniversary. And Tanya Dubuclet of Neyow's Creole Cafe called in to talk about her episode of Channel 12's Kitchen Queens of New Orleans. Plus our usual silly food banter.
Really fun show today. The Grocery Goddess Nicole Dorignac called in and took a lot of calls about the Dorignac family history.
Stan Meadows checked in with us from his motorhome in Oletha Colorado, where we talked of fresh produce and his peach butter entry in the Wyoming State fair, where he plans to conquer a competition with that, and a special cherry variety in another contest.. And Jim Richard dropped in for a minute to talk about Trenasse.. But mostly we talked about where we will be sending producer Henry on his food quest.
We talked about the anniversary of the New Orleans Menu moving to an online format in 1997. We talked about cucuzzas, milk chocolate, and potatoes, as well as Louis's Lunch in New Haven, home of the first hamburger. And Liz Boekman from Fidelity Bank called in to talk about the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation's Power Plate program.
Well, they can't all be gems. We spent the show trying to remember things. We talked about 7 on Fulton and Scotch and Crème Brûlée. And Coq au vin.
T.G.I.F. Fun show today, with an atypical amount of callers. We talked Welsh Rarebit and peach butter and spumoni and custard.
The Grocery Goddess (aka Nicole Dorignac) calls in to talk about the state of grocery shopping in this strange new world. It is also National Vanilla Ice Cream, and we talked ice cream trucks and also festoons of cheese, as well a Robert Parker, wine writer extraordinaire.
We talked about peach butter and great Mexican bakeries with Stan Meadows, calling in from Oletha, Colorado. And we talked about mangoes and bananas and other fruits, including durian. Tom, who loves stinky cheese, found durian too foul.
Rock Rapashayev called in to talk about his roots in Georgia (the country) and how he came to be the new proprietor of Neely's Pizzeria in Mandeville. And we talked about junk food and Ernest Hemingway..
Chef Diva from Diva Dawgs, also known as Ericka Lassair, calls in to talk about her upcoming appearance on Kitchen Queens of New Orleans on Channel 12 this Saturday and Sunday. And we talked about lollipops and fortune cookies and our weekend trip to the Jourdan River Steamer.
The subject was anniversaries. The Food Show turns 32 tomorrow and we reminisced with callers, including Stu Barash, who met his wife on the show 16 years ago. And we talked Mr. B's who celebrates 41 years today. And parsley, which is not celebrating a birthday or anniversary.
Grocery Goddess Nicole Dorignac called in to talk about liver cheese. and Cascade dishwashing liquid. But mostly we talked seafood boats.
We talked entree salads on this, National Entree Salad day. And we talked about the El Tovar Hotel food at the Grand Canyon. And Stan Meadows called in to talk about fresh food and farming and growing pinto beans, in his weekly report from the road.
We talked macaroni and cheese and pate, and Jeff Mattia from Pyre Provisions called in to talk about barbecue and global cuisine, and duck hummus.
A fun show today. No guests. Lots of callers. National French Fry Day. We talked Paul Prudhomme and sous vide and In'N'Out burgers.
Chef Michael Gottlieb calls in from the sensational new fraternal twin restaurants of Tchefuncte's and Anchor in the old Friends building in Madisonville. And that spawns a conversation about restaurants in a class by themselves. Revolution, ... and?
The Grocery Goddess Nicole Dorignac calls in to help us find our way in the new reality. We also talked omelets and sugar cookies..
Stan Meadows calls in from Colorado to talk fresh corn and green chiles and a hip hamburger in Gunnison.. Also Absinthe, and Oysters Rockefeller..
A fun show today. We talked with one of our sponsors, Chris Nobles of Piety and Desire Chocolate, a premium artisan chocolatier. He was fascinating as he described the process of bring cacao beans to chocolate bars, and in his case, beautiful bon bons.
The subject was fried chicken, on this National Fried Chicken Day. We talked about the Al Copeland Foundation Chicken Jam and more on the pork rinds "fried chicken", and we learned something about colonel Sanders.
Greg Reggio called in to talk about Semolina. We talked Fourth of July, and M.F.K. Fisher.
We Talked with Tony Roelofs, Vice President of pulses for Columbia Grain International to talk about grains and pulses.
The Grocery Goddess Nicole Dorignac calls in for the supermarket shopping shortages report. Liver cheese is still hard to get. And we gushed over a visit to Tchefuncte's, the grand new restaurant opening late July. The casual spot downstairs in the old Friends building in Madisonville, is our new favorite. Don't miss Fourth of July there.
Stan Meadows the Traveling Man calls in from Colorado to talk about fried pork chops and Tightwad, Mo, population 67.
Vic Gerrets calls in from vacation to talk chef tips. Also Veal Chops and Flamingos and a first look at a new favorite.
Nicole Dorignac the Grocery Goddess called in to help us navigate supermarket shopping shortages.
Stan Meadows called us from his motorhome in the Ozarks. After retiring (semi) from Trenasse, he has hit the barbecue and fried chicken trail in Missouri on his way to getting his kicks on Route 66. He and his hound dog LW will check in periodically.
Ally Cousins and her daughter Taylor Healy called in with some tips for using their delicious Cousins salad dressings.
Our guest today was Jill Holland from Lonolife, a company that makes bone broth powder. And Alan called from Seattle. We also talked about an incredible lunch we had at Jacmel Inn in Hammond.
Nicole Dorignac calls in to tell us what to expect in the supermarket aisles next week. And we talked International Picnic Day.
Chef Eric Cook from Gris Gris regales us with tales of working with Gordon Ramsey on the episode of "Uncharted" from the bayous of Louisiana
Eric Cook of Gris Gris came back to visit, this time to talk about his show "Uncharted" with Gordon Ramsey.
No guests today. We talked about Sal & Judy's and making the oven-fried chicken with pork rinds crust. Also fudge. Cracker Jack, and chorizo.
Eric Veney from Muriel's called in as our chef helper in the Ask The Chef segment. The Vintage Tom was Etienne's in Metairie, and we talked about The Poorboy Passport and other special things on our website. And we tried to get fascinating calls so someone can win a case of Creole tomatoes and another one of Creole Tomato salad dressing from Cousins Salad dressings.
We had no idea how much we didn't know about pork rinds. Mark Singleton from Southern Recipe Pork Rinds gave us an education. And Nicole Dorignac called in to guide us through the perils of shopping in this bizarre new world.
No Guests today. We talked about cabrito and port wine sauce and what constitutes gourmet and non-gourmet food.
Debbie Pierce from the late great restaurant, The Bon Ton calls in to reminisce, and to give us the recipe for the famous Alvin sauce.
It was a guest-free show. We talked donuts and alfresco dining, on a most-unusual day to talk about eating outside.
Chef Matt England and owner John White from the Louisiana Pepper Exchange call in to talk capsaicin.
Plaquemines Parish farmer Ben Becnel calls in to talk about the Creole tomato harvest. And Jay Vise with Second Harvest tells us about he PoorBoy Passport.
A fun show today with Andrea Ballard from Olympia Washington, who has a podcast on baking. And we reunited with Gregory, a caller from the old show who just found us.
Lincoln Owens from MeMe's in Chalmette gives us some great oyster recipes for grilling. And Nicole Dorignac talks grocery item shortages.
One of our favorites so far. Frank Brigtsen calls in and divulges the recipe he got for legendary perfect rice from none other than Gerard Crozier.
Reminiscing with Peter Sclafani left us only minutes to get some questions answered about our lockdown cooking.
One of our best chef interviews yet. Jim Richard from the Word Of Mouth Restaurant Group in Florida joins us while the local outpost, Trenasse is temporarily closed.
After a few good calls, we talked to a delightful chef, Matt Moore, about his new book, Serial Griller: Grillmaster Secrets For Flame Cooked Perfection.
A great conversation about school cafeteria food was started by our favorite ex-pat, Alan from Seattle. And another more commercial cafeteria conversation sprouted up from our Vintage Tom piece of the day - Wise Cafeteria. And two new words were created that you'll hear a lot: quantifood and it's more appealing counterpart...qualifood.
Chef Wes Rabalais from the Laurel Oak restaurant in the Magnolia Hotel chatted with us.
This is a great conversation with Chef Greg Piccolo from the sadly-defunct Redemption and Bistro at the Maison de Ville.
Chef Duke calls in to chat and we talked cocktails using Swamp Pop with Chris Fontenot.
This was a great show. Harlon Pearce from Harlon's L.A Fish called in to talk about wild-caught catfish.
This is the second week of the show and the first show in the tweaked format, featuring a new segment called Ask The Chef. Jacques Saleun from the sadly defunct Chateau du Lac chatted with us.
The second edition of The Food Show is slightly better. Some callers make it on, but still plagued with terchnical difficulties.
The Inaugural show of the new Food Show was loaded with callers that never got on. Plagued by technical problems throughout, the board at the station was actually dismantled during the show.
Tom and Mary Ann chat about Tom's idol, Arthur Godfrey, raisins, World's Fairs, the Vietnam War's influence on New Orleans cuisine, and farina.
Tom and Mary Ann talk about restaurants that appeared on the scene immediately after Reconstruction. Commander's Palace, La Louisiane, Madame Begue's, and the lesser-known Gem on Royal Street and Victor's. Also Maylie's, not because it was part of this group, but just because.
Mary Ann and Tom talk about Chez Panisse, serviceberries, crawfish pie, and Hank Williams and his song, which they sing very badly. Also, Happy Birthday to Richard Hughes, owner of the Pelican Club.
Mary Ann and Tom talk about tea, and roast beef, and prime rib, rib roasts, and maraschino cherries. Also, St Zita.
Eric Stuart of The Crescent City Classic visits to chat about where he's been picking up food lately, and what's going on "out there."
Tom and Mary Ann chat with Rob Lary, who reached out to use to reminisce about this and Tom's favorite city.
Mary Ann and Tom talk about West Texas and soda fountains and prosciutto and Justin Wilson and Julia Child.
The two most unlikely people in the world, Tom and Mary Ann, talk about long gone pick-up bars in New Orleans
Tom and Mary Ann discuss what Shakespeare and our own friend-of-the-show Daniel Lelchuk have in common. And Mrs. Wheat's pies.
Tom and Mary Ann chat about the founding of WSMB radio, and the climate of radio back in 1925. It is also the day Rome was founded in 753 BC, and Mary Ann recalls going to a birthday celebration at the Circus Maximus in 2014. Also frozen pizza, Romano cheese, and rosemary.
Tom recounts his career in restaurants, remembering more extinct ones, starting with Etienne's, where Andrea's is now.
Tom remembers restaurants that were based on something other than food, no matter how absurd.
Mary Ann and Tom talk about lima beans and butter beans and pineapple upside-down cake, St. Agnes, school cafeterias, the Grand Canyon and Marcus Aurelius.
Nicole Dorignac calls in to talk about how different things are now and where it might go after this is all over. Don Clement, the Gourmet Neighbor checks in, coincidentally to report that his first trip back to the store was at...Dorignac's. Just today.
Tom and Mary Ann Chat about cheese balls and crawfish boulettes and hogshead cheese. And something much more gourmet - pancetta.
Tom and Mary Ann talk Eggs Benedict, Mr. B's, Ruth Fertel, Solari's, La Louisiane, and gout.
Mary Ann and Tom chat with Drew Herrington and Stephen Bandi of Dlivery Nola about the madness-inside-the-madness that is food delivery in these times.
Mary Ann and Tom talk soufflé potatoes and garbanzo beans and MacDonald's vs. In 'N'Out and The Burger Joint and Popeye's Chicken Sandwich, Seagram's and The Poddle Dog Restaurant....ending with a most interesting quote from Leonardo da Vinci.
Tom and Mary Ann reunite with Chef Andrea for a chat. And Ron the Gourmet Waiter calls in with his own list.
More silliness somehow connected to food. Hush Puppies, Hints from Heloise, catfish, and blind dates.
Tom remembers his favorite supermarket of all time - Pap's in Gentilly, but the conversation moved on to all the others too.
Remembering places like Berdou's, the original Del Frisco's, Dos Gringos, Visko's, and of course, Le Ruth's.
A big bunch of heavyweight birthdays today. Baron Rothschild, Thomas Jefferson, cobblers, Woolworth counters.
Mary Ann and Tom talk soft shell crabs, and buster crabs, and a lobster named Larry and thinking too much about your food. Also Paul Theroux.
Daniel Lelchuk checks in with Tom from New Hampshire. They reminisce about the origins of their acquaintance, music, Topol, Tom's violin, and a little food talk.
Tom and Mary Ann continue foodstuffs for the day, including gumbo z'herbes, Leah Chase, Dennis Quaid, Paulina Porizkova, and Anthony Bourdain. Also bento boxes. We did two of these today and they overlap a bit, but both are fun.
Silly talk about food. Easter, Passover, unleavened bread, the Pink Moon, fortune cookies, soft shell crabs, hummus.
Tom and Mary Ann talk to Michael DePaolo from Pythian Market about a group of food stalls transforming into a major catering operation, feeding hundreds (fun tidbit: Meribo Pizza can crank out 50 pizzas in 15 minutes in their 800-degree oven) And Alan from Seattle checks in from his isolation.
Mary Ann and Tom chat about the French Riviera, empanadas, Hubig's pies, Mrs. WHeat's, spoonbread, and milk in glass bottles returnable for deposit.
Scot Craig from Katie's and Francesca's and Bienvenu checks in from the frontlines of "the fight." Ali Loftin chats till the kids wake up.
It's National Beer Day, and Coffee Cake Day, ptomaine poisoning, Francis Ford Coppola and biscotti.
Tom talks about New Orleans restaurants he has loved in his near half-century career. This episode continues to feature the Grande Dames, starting with Arnaud's.
Tom reminisces with Mary Ann about all the great restaurants at the New Orleans lakefront West End, that "ain't dere no more."
Tom revisits the halcyon days of the Sazerac, remembering in particular the hospitality genius of Tommy Andrade.
Tom and Mary Ann catch up with some regular callers and friends of the show to discuss the weird circumstances of late. Sal, Ron the gourmet waiter, and Michael from California call in to talk about how they are coping with these strange new times.
Tom and Mary Ann talk peanut butter and jelly, churros, Buddy Ebsen, seafood beignets, and The White House Easter Egg Roll.
Mary Ann interviews Tom on his nearly 50-year-career. This one about the print version of the New Orleans Menu.
Tomfoodery is the podcast that most closely resembles the radio show, We talk about food somehow related to the date, using the Food Almanac as a basis of the show.
Tom and Mary Ann talk about the strange times in which we now live. Daniel Lelchuk, the gourmet cellist, sometime fill-in host and general great friend of the show, calls in from his own isolation in New Hampshire to report on all his cooking.
Tomfoodery is the podcast closest to the currently suspended radio show. Silly talk about food based on the Food Almanac of the day.
More reminiscences about favorite bygone restaurants: Begue's, Luther's, Occhipinti's, The Red Onion, Stonebreaker's, Doug's, Barecca's, and Corky's.
Tom reflects on his nearly 50-year career. His introduction to fine dining at UNO, where a gourmet meal with all the finery went for under $2 at the Flambeau Room, the on-site restaurant for professors and meetings, and curious students like Tom.
A frank discussion with Tom Fitzmorris about how The Food Show originated, how he got hired, and the first few episodes of the show.
Discussing the current situation with COVID-19 and it's toll on restaurants and hospitality. Staying connected with the food community in the new world.
The Sicilian-New Orleans connection and the evolution of Italian restaurants in New Orleans. Italian immigrants arriving in New Orleans in the 1880s had no idea how they would shape the food of their new home. Includes a broad discussion of present-day New Orleans Italian food.
Starting in his childhood, continuing as he discovers food at school, the Time Saver, high school, and college. It ends with his discovery of fine dining.
A full discussion of "Irish" food in New Orleans and beyond. Enjoy a fun run-through of food that is considered Irish and what that means, as well as the truth to those claims.
The Food Show with Tom Fitzmorris returns after a COVID-19 hiatus. Enjoy this first attempt at podcasting from home while the studio is on shutdown. We will be working to improve this quality in the coming days.