Yes, I know, I’m a day late. Sorry about that. I’m traveling for work, so a little busier plus a time change. And, also because I had the opportunity to attend a cooking class at the New Orlean’s School of Cooking. One of those things one takes advantage of when it arises.
When I knew for sure I was approved to attend a conference in New Orleans, after a little dance about the food I’d be able to have—authentic Cajun and Creole—my next thought was a cooking class. During my last visit, I visited the New Orlean’s School of Cooking shop. I discovered they offered classes to the public. At that moment, I put on my bucket list to attend a class at some point.
I signed up for it, after consulting with the husband, as the class isn’t cheap. Luckily they had a class on the evening I was free and after the end of the conference day. The menu would be gumbo, jambalaya, and banana’s foster. All very traditional dishes for the area.
After an hour of listening to the background on the evolution of food in Southern Louisiana (far too long of a time to listen and the only downside of the class), we got to cooking. There were nine of us altogether. Two of us were “singles” and got a stove all to ourselves.
The Chef’s instructions were very good, and all of the mis en place was already set up for us. We only had to grab a bowl containing the ingredients to keep the pace, thus allowing us to cook much quicker since no prep. He would shout out when to add an ingredient, checked our progress, made sure our roux was the correct color, and if we needed to add more liquid or flour.
Of course, what can I say, I was called out as having the correct color of roux and became the “leader” of the class. Everyone started to come over to see where I was and what things should look like as they cooked. Although nice to be acknowledged, I also don’t care for the limelight, or the pressure to get it right.
The end result was, as you might imagine when being lead by a master chef, was absolutely delicious. Just the smell was a little piece of heaven. Chef also made it all seem so easy. I’m pretty sure I can replicate what we made. The challenge will be increasing the recipe to feed 8-10 people from 2-6 people.
Here’s hoping I get to come back again to be able to take a different class with more scrumptious meals!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 