On August 27, 2020 Dr. Morgus, also known as Sid Noel Rideau, left this world for the realm of the  "Higher Order". In 1959 Dr. Morgus appeared for the first time. He enlightened New Orleanians with his scientific experiments during interludes of late night horror movies. I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Morgus on a few occasions. This interview with Dr. Morgus was conducted on October 10, 2006. In this interview Dr. Morgus explains how city leaders could have stopped New Orleans from flooding during Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Morgus, also known as "Morgus the Magnificent" is New Orleans' preeminent Dr. of science. As a member of the "Higher Order" his specialty is of course Morgusian science. Some call him mad but New Orleanians recognize his genius. Duration: 20:38

New Orleans Podcasting

Morgus the Magnificent explains how to protect the city from flood waters

Julia Bland is CEO of the Louisiana Children’s Museum (LCM). The Museum has recently moved to its sleek new building in New Orleans’ City Park. According to Bland, to be successful, a museum must be relevant. She explains that while LCM’s colorful exhibits promote interaction and fun, the museum’s central focus is on education. The beautiful new space contains many unique exhibits that have special relevance to New Orleans. For example, children can learn about water management, good food and nutrition, and how cargo moves in and out of the busy Port of New Orleans. Despite its name, the LCM does not confine its focus solely to children. “We’ve really made a large investment in working with parents and in thinking more about the caregiver”, Bland notes. “We are trying to produce some useful tools for how those caregivers can help support the learning processes of their children.” In this podcast, Bland describe the museum’s five major exhibit categories, and she explains how LCM can stimulate curiosity in our children to help them become informed about the world around them.  

Louisiana Children's Museum's new City Park location

Linda Auld is the third generation owner of Barber Laboratories and author of BugLady’s Butterfly Summer. In this podcast, Auld discusses her new book and explains the important role insects play in our gardens and throughout the planet. Auld’s specialty is butterflies. Her book is the result of field research she conducted while collecting and studying butterflies and native plants. In today’s high-tech, fast-paced culture, many people are removed from nature. In BugLady’s Butterfly Summer, Auld offers examples of how we can connect with nature and begin to see the small things that make life fascinating and mysterious. Every Saturday in September, Auld will be at various nurseries throughout metropolitan New Orleans and beyond. She will offer tips about how to attract butterflies by planting easy-to-grow native plants. For detailed information and a list of the nurseries Auld will visit, visit https://www.barberlaboratories.com.

The BugLady's Butterfly Summer: How to attract butterflies with native plants

This podcast is the last of three interviews with Leah Chase. I am revisiting this series of interviews in memory of our great New Orleans Queen of the Kitchen, whom we lost on June 1, 2019. In this conversation on February 5, 2012, Leah talks about her parents and shares reminiscences about how she was raised. She explains how her experiences as a youth were very different from the way young people of today grow up. Leah also shares her thoughts about food, her life, and the way she expresses love. Leah’s distinctive food brought people together around the table and her expansive spirit touched everyone she met. We will miss her dearly. This interview took place in the kitchen at Dooky Chase  Restaurant in New Orleans.

In Memory of Leah Chase: Leah reminiscences about her childhood

This 2012 interview is the second of three memorial podcasts in honor of New Orleans' beloved culinary ambassador, Leah Chase. In the conversation, Leah's wonderful enthusiasm for cooking shines through as she describes the importance of making her guests feel at home.  Leah Chase passed away in New Orleans on June, 1, 2019. Leah Chase is owner and Chef at Dooky Chase restaurant. Leah, who celebrated her 89th birthday on January 6, is a beloved figure in New Orleans' vibrant culinary culture. She has put her indelible stamp on her family's renown Creole restaurant. In 2012, for the first time since Hurricane Katrina, Dooky Chase is open for dinner on Fridays. Leah shares her thoughts about food and her life. She explains her philosophy of life and tells us how her experiences as a youth were very different from the way young people of today grow up. If you think Leah's first passion is food, you might be surprised to hear what Leah has to say. Many people do not know who the "Dooky" is in Dooky Chase; listen in and find out. 

In Memory of Leah Chase: Dooky Chase re-opens for Dinner in 2012

New Orleans lost a great friend in Leah Chase on June 1, 2019. Leah Chase was Chef at Dooky Chase's restaurant and a beloved culinary icon in New Orleans and beyond. Many knew her as the Queen of Creole Cuisine but perhaps Leah Chase's biggest accomplishment was as a civil rights activist. As a tribute to Leah, I will re-post several of my interviews with her as she recalled her life from her early childhood years to her days as a civil rights activist.  This 2006 interview took place in Leah's FEMA trailer, where she talked about the return of Dooky Chase restaurant following the devastating floods of Hurricane Katrina. We talked about Creole food, and the distinction between European Creole cuisine and the cuisine of Creoles of Color. While speaking about the evolution of Creole food, Leah pointed out that integration exposed Blacks to European Creole cooking. Black cooks then contributed their knowledge and ingredients, adding to New Orleans' rich culinary tradition.

In memory of Leah Chase

Maestro Robert Lyall is the General and Artistic Director for the New Orleans Opera Company. This year, the New Orleans Opera Association will host two popular summer camps for young people. In this podcast, Maestro describes how these unique, hands-on summer camps help children develop their creative talents and give them confidence to take on new challenges. The 2019 Music, Drama and Technical Theatre Camp is for children ages 9-12 years. The camp will run from July 15 through July 19; campers meet from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. The Technical Camp also meets in June; it has several different sections for children in various age groups. Dates vary for each section; however, all campers will meet from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For creative grownups,The New Orleans Opera Association is offering two Adult Hat-Making Classes beginning June 27. Visit http://neworleansopera.org/summer-camp for detailed information on all camps. In closing, Maestro gives us a sneak peek into the 2019-2020 opera season schedule.

Summer Camps: A Creative Alternative

Brent Rosen is the new President and CEO of the National Food and Beverage Foundation (NatFAB). Rosen’s diverse background includes legal work, business development, marketing, and fundraising. He will bring these skills to his new role with the foundation, which oversees several entities, including the Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFAB). In this podcast, Rosen describes how the museum’s layout and organization encourage visitors to learn about and appreciate the South’s unique food culture and discover food traditions from other parts of the country. SoFAB’s cooking classes are, perhaps, one of New Orleans’ best kept secrets. “We do unbelievable cooking classes every Monday and Thursday,” Rosen says. He also explains how SoFAB has become the “last stop for cooking memorabilia” in the country, and he shares future plans for SoFAB.

National Food and Beverage Foundation: New President and CEO Brent Rosen

Liz Williams is former President and CEO of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFAB) in New Orleans. Williams was the driving force behind SoFAB; when she transitioned from her president and CEO positions, Williams assumed the title of Founder. From its initial 2004 beginning as a museum dedicated to celebrating the foods and beverages of the South, SoFAB has given rise to three additional entities: The Museum of the American Cocktail (MOTAC), the John & Bonnie Boyd Hospitality & Culinary Library, and the Pacific Food & Beverage Museum. All three exist under the parent company, the National Food and Beverage Foundation. In this podcast, Williams shares insights into how SoFAB gave rise to three diverse organizations and gives a glimpse into the National Food and Beverage Foundation’s exciting future plans.

Southern Food and Beverage Museum founder takes on new role

 Sandy Rosenthal, and her son, Stanford Rosenthal, founded Levees.org in 2005, following Hurricane Katrina. The Rosenthals created the organization to inform citizens and law makers that Katrina’s devastating flooding of New Orleans was a man-made, civil engineering catastrophe, not the result of a natural disaster. Today, 14 years later, Rosenthal continues the organization’s ongoing efforts to educate residents, lawmakers, and others to ensure that our city will never again experience a man-made catastrophe like the flooding that inundated New Orleans in 2005. Rosenthal’s 8th annual Levee Breach Bike Tour on Saturday, April 20, 2019 is a perfect example of how Levees.org continues its educational mission. The ride is free; all participants have to do is bring their own bikes. The educational ride will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Flooded House Museum at 4918 Warrington Drive,New Orleans, LA 70122.   Visit https://go.levees.org/8thBikeTour for detailed information but first, listen to Rosenthal describe her Levees.org journey. In this podcast, she explain why educating ourselves about our vital levee system is much more than an intellectual exercise; having accurate information about our levee protection system has real-world, financial implications. 

8th annual Levee Breach Bike Tour

Claire Byun is an editor for MidCityMessenger. The independent, online news source covers local news that primarily affects residents in Mid-City and the surrounding neighborhoods. According to Byun, in determining what stories she will pursue and investigate,“We try to think about the impact the stories will have.” In this podcast, Byun talks about some of her more recent news stories that are impacting residents in New Orleans’ Mid-City.

Claire Byun is an editor for MidCityMessenger.

After serving locals and visitors for more than seven decades, The Old Coffee Pot Restaurant on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter closed on February 10, 2019. In tribute to this beloved Creole  eatery, here is a podcast interview with Pearl Jefferson from 2008. In addition to being a gracious server, Ms. Pearl was the Coffee Pot’s bread pudding lady. For over forty years, patrons enjoyed Ms. Pearl’s rich bread pudding swimming in buttery whisky sauce. Those who had the opportunity to visit the restaurant prior to its 2018 redecoration will miss its original, cozy ambiance and memorable servers. Ms. Pearl and The Old Coffee Pot Restaurant represented New Orleans’ true essence: warm, hospitable, welcoming, and generous. Even as we mourn the loss of the Old Coffee Pot Restaurant, we will always remember Ms. Pearl with gratitude for her contributions to New Orleans’ rich culture. She is, truly, a precious Pearl!

A Beloved Restaurant and its Precious Pearl

David Bottner is the Executive Director of the New Orleans Mission. Founded in 1989, the New Orleans Mission has been providing services for three decades to New Orleans residents grappling with homelessness, addiction, abuse, or food insecurity. The Mission is a faith-based organization that relies on support from private donations; it receives no money from the City, State, or Federal governments. Bottner explains the Mission’s multi-pronged approach: “We recognize that food, clothing and shelter are only the beginning; the real goal is to help men and women through rescue, recovery, and then re-engagement.” In this podcast, Bottner talks about the organization’s latest accomplishment, a food pantry in Lacombe, Louisiana, and he discusses the state of the homeless in New Orleans.

New Orleans Mission serving the homeless for 30 years

Kathleen McCulla is the Director of Special Events in the Department of Philanthropy at Ochsner Health System.  In this podcast, McCulla offers details about the hospital’s annual King Cake Festival. This year, 2019, is the sixth year for this popular event that will take place on Sunday, January 27. Festival goers and King Cake enthusiasts will be able to sample 26 varieties of King Cakes, enjoy live music, and enjoy food from an assortment of food trucks. The proceeds from the King Cake Festival help families with children at Ochsner Hospital for Children. To hear more about the free festival, including participating bakeries, entertainment, location, and hours, click on Kathleen McCulla’s interview below.

King Cake Festival proceeds help families in need!

Sarah Zoghbi is the Director of Care for Creatives, a partnership between Southern Rep Theatre and the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic. Zoghbi’s office is in Southern Rep’s new home on Bayou Road. The stately  brick building was formerly St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. The goal of the partnership is to offer a variety of workshops, events, and outreach activities to promote optimal mental health self-care among New Orleans’ creative community members. Mental health practitioners help participants learn resilience through a variety of enriching programs that focus on personal development, psychological education, and healing. While these programs emphasize optimal mental health, participants do not need to be mentally ill to attend: all creative professionals are welcome. In fact, Zoghbi notes that many attendees have said they have become more in touch with their creative selves after attending Care for Creatives programs. In this podcast, Zoghbi also offers an overview of the various events and programs at Southern Rep Theatre.

Mental health self-care for the New Orleans’ creative community

I created this podcast in January 2006, just a few months after hurricane Katrina. The idea was to help spread positive stories about the New Orleans recovery. By 2012 the recovery was well on its way so I started focusing on the people, places and organizations that make New Orleans, New Orleans. If you would like to see some of my old podcasts visit NewOrleansPodcasting.com Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

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