Road Food Fever

Last Friday at the Royal Sonesta in the French Quarter, the New Orleans Road Food Festival kicked off with a phenomenal event that celebrated Louisiana’s—and America’s—rich heritage of portable, artisan eats. The festival and its foods unfolded on Saturday and Sunday in the French Market, but Friday night, participants got to hang out with a handful of high profile food personalities, including Roadfood authors Jane and Michael Stern, The Splendid Table’s host Lynne Rossetto Kasper and producer Sally Swift and New Orleans-based Poppy Tooker, host of Louisiana Eats! and a nationally known culinary preservationist. Poppy conducted a live taping of her radio show and featured interviews with the Sterns and Kasper. It was a great way to tee up what came later in the weekend: fried cornbread from Arkansas, frozen custard from New York and a hit parade of bites from New Orleans including eggplant and Portobello tamales, 12-hour roast beef po’boy, char-grilled oysters and sno-balls in 12 flavors.

I had a ball visiting with Poppy and meeting, for the first time, the Sterns and Kasper. The Sterns’ seminal volume, Roadfood, which is regularly revised and updated, features a state-by-state roundup of barbecue joints, lobster shacks, ice cream parlors, diners and other spots that reflect the American tradition of authentic road eats. Forget the Golden Arches—this catalogues beloved spots whose tiny, hand-scrawled menus epitomize local culinary culture. The 28 eateries included from Louisiana include Brenda’s Diner in New Iberia, Casamento’s and Domilise’s in New Orleans and Jerry Lee’s Kwik Shop in Baton Rouge (the sole Capital City listing). I chatted with the Sterns for awhile about their romps through Louisiana, and they reminisced about Didee’s, the Baton Rouge eatery famous for roast duck that has long since closed.

I took home Kasper and Swift’s cookbook, How to Eat Supper, a sensual celebration just like their radio show. It’s clear and concise, and it elevates basic ingredients with the use of fresh herbs, precise cooking technique and lots of color on the plate. Find sample recipes and commentary here.