LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING
WYES-TV’s Newest National Cooking Series Chronicles the Foodways of the Vanishing Gulf Coast
New Orleans, LA—WYES-TV’s newest cooking series,LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING, celebrates the bounty of Southeast Louisiana and raises awareness about coastal restoration through the lens of food. The 13-part series presents sustainable fare from chefs and home cooks who share recipes that capture the unique flavor of the Mississippi River Delta.
LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING will premiere on WYES-TV on Saturday, April 5 at 9:00 a.m. The series will stream on wyes.org and on the free WYES and PBS apps. Episodes will premiere each Saturday at 9:00 a.m. and will repeat on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. Viewers outside of the WYES broadcast area should contact their local public television station for airdates and times. This series, narrated by WWL radio news and traffic anchor Courtney P, is distributed nationally by American Public Television (APT). For all series details and for recipes from the series, visit wyes.org.
Louisiana’s nearly 800 miles of coastline are the center of the state’s economic, cultural and environmental identity. The coast is home to nearly half the state’s population — more than 2 million people. Its rich ecological environment supports many animal species, including waterfowl, migratory birds, reptiles, plus abundant commercial and recreational fisheries.
As sea levels rise and ocean swallows shore, the impact of storm surge and flooding are most dangerous for the communities in these low-lying areas. While experts work to develop solutions for coastal protection and restoration, the rapidly changing coastal map is affecting the history and hopes of the communities along the bayous of the Gulf Coast.
Featured chefs and restaurants include John Folse (Restaurant R’evolution), Michael Nelson (GW Fins), Dana Honn (Carmo), Nicole Cabrera Mills (Pêche Seafood Grill), Dickie Brennan (Bourbon House, Pascal’s Manale), Tommy Cvitanovich (Drago’s Seafood Restaurant), Jana Billiot (Chef John Folse Culinary Institute), Ryan Gaudet (Spahr’s Seafood Restaurant) and Erik Nunley (Chefs on Boats). These culinary professionals work to bolster fishermen whose livelihoods are being threatened by multiple challenges.
The talented home cooks for the series are equally involved in the coastal restoration mission by sharing their traditions as cook-off contestants, outdoorsmen and community advocates.
The dishes for the series —over 30 in all —draw from the ingredients found in the coastal habitats of the state, including Creole White Beans and Shrimp, Burrata and Crab Stuffed Ravioloni, Red Snapper Tempura Fry, Game Bird Poppers, Tuna Sliders, Louisiana Satsuma and Rosemary Olive Oil Cake, Crawfish Bisque and Chargrilled Oysters.
LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING ventures off the main road for a look into life on the coast and the food traditions that help feed our state and our country. Each episode offers an excursion to the state’s coastal region. A Chefs on Boats trip is an educational experience into seafood sourcing; and a stop at the Anna Marie shrimp boat on Bayou Terrebonne provides a look at its innovative processing plant. Viewers will get a boatside view of off-bottom oyster farming in Grand Isle, Louisiana, and take part in the 20th anniversary celebration of the Paddle Palooza kayak fishing tournament. And in a very special trip to Montegut, Louisiana, New Orleans restaurateur Dickie Brennan joins Pointe-au-Chien tribal elders Theresa and Donald Dardar for a meet and cook experience and discussion of the tribe’s sacred sites that are being protected from rising seas through an oyster shell recycling program.
To highlight the new cooking series WYES will host a WYES LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING LAUNCH EVENT & TASTING, an event open to the public, on Saturday, March 29 at 11:00 a.m. During the event guests will see the first episode before anyone else, meet some of the chefs profiled and sample dishes from the series. Tickets are $30 per person and benefit WYES. Proceeds help support future local cooking series and documentaries. Purchase tickets online at wyes.org/events.
LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING thanks our generous major funders: The Melvin S. Cohen Foundation, Inc. and Louisiana’s Delta Country, Plaquemines Parish.
LOUISIANA COASTAL COOKING follows the success of WYES’ popular national cooking series: THE DOOKY CHASE KITCHEN: LEAH’S LEGACY (2023), KEVIN BELTON’S COOKIN’ LOUISIANA (2021), KITCHEN QUEENS: NEW ORLEANS (2020), KEVIN BELTON’S NEW ORLEANS CELEBRATIONS (2019), KEVIN BELTON’S NEW ORLEANS KITCHEN (2018), NEW ORLEANS COOKING WITH KEVIN BELTON (2015) and several with Chef Paul Prudhomme.
The series is produced and directed by Terri Landry, who has led 17 national public television cooking series for WYES.Executive Producer is Jim Moriarty. Associate Producer is Dawn Smith. Video Editor is Lenny Delbert Sr.
ABOUT WYES:
WYES is the storyteller for New Orleans, southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. For 67 years, WYES has earned a reputation for quality PBS programming, award-winning local documentaries and cooking series. Thank you for making WYES a vital source of education, information, and entertainment – on air and online. For more information, call (504) 486-5511 or visit wyes.org. Like us on Facebook (wyes.neworleans). Follow us on Twitter (@WYESTV) & Instagram (wyestv).
ABOUT APT:
About American Public Television:
American Public Television (APT) is the leading syndicator of high-quality, top-rated programming to the nation’s public television stations. Founded in 1961, APT distributes 250 new program titles per year and nearly one-half of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles in the U.S. APT’s diverse catalog includes prominent documentaries, performance, dramas, how-to programs, classic movies, children’s series and news and current affairs programs. America’s Test Kitchen, The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, The Chavis Chronicles, Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Television, Doc Martin, Hope Street, Lidia’s Kitchen, Midsomer Murders, My Life is Murder, Pati’s Mexican Table, The Real Wild West, Rick Steves’ Europe, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love, Table for All with Buki Elegbede, Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration and NHK Newsline are a sampling of APT’s programs, considered some of the most popular on public television. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service and distributes Create®TV — featuring the best of public television’s lifestyle programming — and WORLD™, public television’s premier news, science and documentary channel. More information at APTonline.org
Episodes
Ep 101
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: Sourcing Seafood – Chefs on Boats
Shrimp and Grits, Nikkei Style Ceviche and GW Fins Swordfish Chop with Black Garlic Bordelaise.
Ep 102
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: Culinary Arts in the Heart of the Bayou Region
Alligator Gar Ball Stew, Redfish Veracruzana alla Ferrara, and John Folse’s Baked Goose Holly Beach.
Ep 103
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: Coastal Angling – Paddle Palooza
Kayak fishing contest, Spahr’s Tuna Sliders, and Jamaican Escovitch Fish with Rice and Beans.
Ep 104
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: A Cook-Off for the Coast
Crowd favorite Creole White Beans and Shrimp, Smoked Hog Sandwiches with Slaw, and Couchon de Lait.
Ep 105
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: Louisiana Oyster Traditions
Oyster industry, Drago’s Charbroiled Oysters, Pascal’s Manale Oyster Bar and seafood dressing.
Ep 106
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: Alternative Oyster Culture – Oyster Farming
Grand Isle off-bottom oysters, Oysters with Bayou Verde Mignonette, and Peche Fried Oyster Salad.
Ep 107
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: Living Shorelines
Oyster shell recycling, Point-au-Chien Tribe Pot Fried Shrimp, Carmo Shrimp and Vegetable Tacos.
Ep 108
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: Pollinators and the Urban Forest
Curried Pumpkin and Corn Bisque with Crawfish and Andouille, Satsuma and Rosemary Olive Oil Cake.
Ep 109
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: Louisiana’s Prized Shrimp and Crawfish
Bayou shrimp boat visit and shrimp boil, Jumbo Shrimp with Coconut and Greens and Crawfish Bisque.
Ep 110
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: Restoring Wild Habitats
Cypress tree monitoring, Roasted Quails with Figs and Garlic Sauce, and Blackened Gator Tacos.
Ep 111
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: Save the Coast – Save the Culture
Cajun Music Session, Game Bird Pepper Poppers, and St. James Carrots and Andouille with Dirty Rice.
Ep 112
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: A Deep Dive into Louisiana Blue Crabs
Burrata and Crab Stuffed Ravioloni with Crab Sauce – Chef Jana Billiot, Pointe-au-Chien Tribe Pot Fried Crabs, and Soft Shell Crab Breakfast Toast.
Ep 113
Louisiana Coastal Cooking: The Bounty of Southeast Louisiana
State Seafood Cook-Off, Smoked Catfish Dip, Redfish on the Half Shell, and Red Snapper Tempura Fry.
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