Dining During The Great Depression

The stock market crash of 1929 marked the end of the Roaring Twenties and the beginning of the Great Depression. Fortunes were lost, unemployment skyrocketed, and food was often scarce. This week, we take a look at some of the ingenuity and heroics that kept people fed. First, we hear from Lance Zaal, the newest owner of the historic Lalaurie Mansion, perhaps best known as the most haunted house in New Orleans' French Quarter. But Lance has uncovered a little-known part of the site's history. Before the turn of the 20th century and through the Great Depression, it was owned by William Warrington, a philanthropist who turned the building into a community center that fed and housed those in need. Equipped with photos and documents he's dug up, Lance paints for us a very different picture of 1140 Royal Street. During those lean years of the Depression, struggling households would often save costs by limiting their food budgets. Food writer Anne Byrn explains how mayonnaise became an essential home staple. Along the way, we also learn about some of the recipes folks used to stretch their meals and ingredients as much as possible. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.