Starting from her family's kitchen in Detroit, Michigan, Chef Celeste has become a fixture on the food scene in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She was important to the development of the downtown market. And she has just written a cookbook, Chef Celeste’s Louisiana Kitchen: Simplifying Cajun and Creole Cuisine, which is full of personal stories and delicious recipes. Listen, it’s on Tip of the Tongue.

And her book . . .

Not many companies that are still operating in the United States were started in the 1700s. Laird and Company is one of them. We have a lively conversation with Lisa Laird Dunn, President and Global Ambassador. She is the 9th generation to operate the business, and her children have joined the company. Imagine 10 generations of apple brandy! Listen to what Lisa has to say. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

You can read about the history of the company and all of its products.

And if you are interested in recipes, there are plenty of cocktail recipes on the website. There is even a cookbook available.

If you want to cook efficiently and make best use of your resources, you will love Mary Bryant Shrader’s The Modern Pioneer Pantry: A Complete Guide to Preserving Food. It will help you eliminate waste and really make use of your resources. You’ll be prepared for disasters and for those days when you have been so busy that you haven’t had a chance to go to.the store. It is a great supplement to her previous book, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook.

You can listen to an earlier podcast with Mary. She talks about her first cookbook, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook.

Do you love grilling and smoking, but you have limited space to do it? Are you new to smoking, but want to experiment? Do you just want to have fun outdoors? Watch Morgan Bolling as she experiments, very successfully, with backyard grilling. No fancy equipment, just the ordinary stuff that we all might have. The perfect equipment for fun and learning! We talk to Morgan about the show, how it came about, and whether there will be more of it. Listen, it’s on Tip of the Tongue.

Here is the cache of recipes from the show.

You probably know Morgan from America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country. And she is the author of When Southern Women Cook.

Sam Gugino has had a varied career as a chef, a writer, and an actor. He has truly invented himself. He talks about all of it, including his new book, Eat, You’ll Get Hungry.

We have a conversation about his various careers and we speak a lot about his Sicilian family. The table was the center of his home and the cookbook tells the story. His recipes are delicious and reflect the old-fashioned nature of that table.

Read the book, learn about Sam, and take a few pointers from him. Listen. It’s on Tip of the Tongue.

Chef Ashwin Vilkhu opens his dream restaurant - The Kingsway - in New Orleans. It is a modern prix fixe restaurant that features the chef’s interpretation of the foods of Asia. We discuss opening a restaurant in these times. When and how you know it’s right for the restaurant, the staff, and the diners.

Born in India, Chef Vilkhu grew up in New Orleans, absorbing not only the vibe and flavors of the city, but the eclectic culinary attitudes of his family. His father, Chef Arvinder Vilkhu and his mother, Pardeep Vilkhu, have been exciting the taste buds of New Orleans for years. They opened Saffron NOLA, with Chef Ashwin. It is twice nominated for James Beard Foundation awards. Listen, it’s on Tip of the Tongue.

Arvinder and Ashwin Vilkhu

Listen to the podcast with both Chefs at Saffron NOLA.

Are you a food writer? a food person? a writer? Adam Roberts is all of these things. After having written cookbooks, food blogs, television shows, and articles, Adam has written his first novel, Food Person.

You read about Adam, his podcast, his other books, and more here.

Other books by Adam Roberts. . .

Adam’s newsletter is The Amateur Gourmet.

There was a time when there were many gentlemen’s dining clubs. There is something very 19th century about them. And there are probably not that many that are descended from a club that has been around for a good while. Although it is a 20th century club, the New Orleans club - the Escargot Society - is a spiritual descendant of those clubs where gentlemen met to appreciate good wine and food. Dominic Massa, a member of the Escargot Society, joins us to talk about the club’s history. Listen, it’s on Tip of the Tongue.

The snail on the wall at Antoine’s designed by John Chase

Dominic Massa