698. Bruce Craft

698. Kerr and I interview Bruce Craft at the Punjabi Dhaba Restaurant about his article about it in the new book, Get It while It's Hot. Located off Interstate 12 inside a truck stop in Hammond, Louisiana, Punjabi Dhaba is a renowned roadside eatery serving authentic, home-style North Indian cuisine to truckers, locals, and travelers alike. Celebrating classic Punjabi culinary traditions, the restaurant offers robust, flavorful dishes like butter chicken, garlic naan, and spicy curries, making it a beloved hidden gem of Southern highway dining. Get It While It’s Hot brings together scholars, food writers, influencers, and even a CEO to discuss the phenomenon of eating by the side of the road. This innovative collection examines an increasingly commonplace belief across the U.S. South—that some of the best, most enjoyable food comes from places you would not expect: a gas station, the back of a pickup truck, or a ramshackle building made of plywood. Bruce A. Craft is an instructor of English at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. His research and writing focus on Southern literature, cultural geography, and the intersections of food, identity, and narrative in the American South.

1. Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 222 years. Order your copy today!
2. This week in the Louisiana Anthology. Another recipe from Celestine Eustis Cooking in Old Creole Days. Hopping John.
   Take a cupful of cow peas (small black peas) that have been soaked over night, one onion, parsley and a laurel leaf. Let them boil in a quart and a pint of water for an hour, or until soft. Add two cupfuls well washed raw rice. The rice must cook about fifteen or twenty minutes. Then add a quarter of a pound of well-fried sausages, a slice of ham and a small piece of bacon, both cut in small pieces and fried. Put your saucepan aside to soak, or dry. Cover closely. Be careful it does not burn at the bottom. If the rice has to be stirred use a fork, as it turns easily, and still can not be stirred too much, or it becomes soggy. Those old-fashioned black pots are the best to use. ' 'Uncle John,' S. C.
3. This week in Louisiana history. October 2, 1965. Edwin Edwards wins his run for 7th District Congressman.
4. This week in New Orleans history. October 2, 1935: The first Sugar Bowl classic was officially sanctioned, beginning a long tradition of New Year's Day college football in the city.
5. This week in Louisiana.
   Curry Farms Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze
   October 2026 (open first weekend of October through the last Sunday of October)
   548 Robinson Dr.
   Rayville, LA 71269
   Website: pumpkinpatches.com
   Phone: (318) 728‑6203
   Email: Not listed in search results
   Curry Farms is a long‑running, family‑owned Christmas tree farm that transforms into one of Northeast Louisiana's most popular pumpkin patches and corn mazes each October. The farm opens the first weekend of October and runs through the last Sunday of the month, offering a full day of fall fun for families, school groups, and visitors from across the region.
• Pumpkin Patch: Visitors can pick pumpkins straight from the patch, with field trips and family visits throughout October.
• Corn Maze: A full walk‑through maze where guests learn about growing corn and pumpkins before navigating the paths.
• Hayrides: Tractor‑pulled hayrides around the farm, included with admission.
• Farm Attractions: Giant climbing spider web, bounce pillow, hay slide, tire ponies, hay barn, goat feeding, swingy‑thingy swing, and more ' a full lineup of kid‑friendly activities.
• Family‑Owned Legacy: Curry Farms has been in the same family since the mid‑1800s and continues to operate as a multigenerational farm today.
6. Postcards from Louisiana. James Andrews at the French Quarter Fest.

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