Day 245: New Orleans Cooking Class

Yesterday, Mr. E and I and his family attended a cooking demonstration class at the New Orleans School of Cooking on St. Louis Street in the French Quarter, just four blocks from where we were staying at the Hotel Mazarin:

We had a wonderful instructor, Pat Hirsch, who gave us an entire culinary history lesson before she showed us how to make three typical New Orleans dishes -- brown gumbo, jambalaya with rice, and pralines -- in the demonstration kitchen classroom:

I knew ahead of time that I wouldn't be able to eat the main dishes, as they both included not only garlic and onions but also sausage (pig), so I planned ahead of time and swiped the makings of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread from the breakfast offerings at the hotel in the morning.

The experience was fabulous, even if I couldn't sample the dishes, and Pat was an informative, engaging, and personable instructor.  We got copies of the recipes to bring home, so Mr. E and I may try to make our own versions of gumbo and jambalaya with modifications to accommodate my dietary needs.  Yum!