New Orleans School of Cooking

This was one of my favorite things from my recent N.O. trip. A little pricy, but delicious and so, so much fun. I did one of the hands-on cooking classes with my teen kiddo (they made an exception for the 18-and-up rule ---- thank you!). First up, you get a history lesson in Cajun/Creole cooking while enjoying some pre-game wine, beer and drinks with your fellow classmates. Then you and your cooking partner get to produce a three-course meal from your own cooking station under the guidance of a resident chef. For our meal, we made the best gumbo I've ever tasted, a very flavorful barbecued shrimp and gruyere cheese grits, and flambeed bananas Foster crepes for dessert. Hands down, the best meal we had on our whole trip. I learned so much about making a decent roux, and can't wait to recreate these recipes back at home. If you like to cook -- or eat, this is definitely worth putting on your Nola itinerary.

We enjoyed our demonstration cooking class for brunch this week. Our chef was fun and interesting and gave us some insight into the foodie culture of New Orleans.We were seated at large tables in the "classroom". The biscuits on arrival were rather fluffy and fabulous. Chef ultimately demonstrated how to make gumbo, jambalaya and bread pudding. A fan of cooking shows, it was fun to see this live, smell the cooking and eat the results! We followed along with preprinted recipes provided and got to see the spice blends she was using as there was a carousel of them on our table. The food... The gumbo was our favorite. It was flavorful and deep and had spunk. It was also salty. The jambalaya was tasty but very very salty. As we peered at the ingredients of the spice blends she used extremely liberally, the number one ingredient was salt. So that explains it. I think the andouille sausage itself is so flavorful (and salty), one could do with easily 1/2 the spice blend as it was almost inedible. Out table mates all agreed, and adjusted their recipes accordingly. Lastly the bread pudding with a hard sauce sounds good but was oversweet. Not a fan of white chocolate which I find too sweet, having it in the pudding and the sauce was over the top.A gentleman I met said it was their fourth time there! Although we enjoyed it, "been there, done that" is how we feel. Perhaps if we enjoyed the food more we would feel compelled to go back to learn some new recipes. I recommend the experience. You won't leave hungry but I'm not sure you will come home and replicate the menu.

Yeah, great stop! Make the reservation, spend the money, learn about Cajun and creole cuisine, culture and taste. Truly a huge hit on our recent visit to New Orleans.First, we had no expectations, sat in the back, still had a great view. Listened to the stories, enjoyed seconds... felt compelled to post a picture of my empty bowl of gumbo.Second, this is not a fine dining experience, you'll need to pay attention, accept what is served, and be patient. Our experience included a humble bottle of wine and a regional beer.Concluded the meal with pralines and ice cream and a flaming bananas foster. Yes, if we ever get to New Orleans again, we will attend another class here. Don't worry, they have a gift shop as well.

We had an absolute blast!! The mirror on the ceiling was so helpful to be able to see all that was happening. The food was the best we had in nola and we watched it get cooked. They are generous with the beer we gave ours away but some people got 2 or 3 beers!

Get your Foodie @$$ here! First-timer to NOLA and I had to get in on their local cooking scene; by the time I made reservations, I could only attend a 2pm demonstration (vs. a fully interactive class), but it was amazing! Chef Rene was an absolute hoot, and I swear he could cook a shoe and I would eat it! He's very comedic and has a ton of one-liners. (invite me to your next party!)Our menu was Gumbo, Jambalaya and pralines. We were seated at a table with some Chicago peeps and locals from Alabama. We represented Bean Town and all things New England! ;) Also met some super friendly ladies from New Jersey in the gift shop. People are so dang friendly down here! We got a lot of rich tradition and history interwoven with watching Rene prepare the menu. Was excited to learn the difference between Cajun & Creole, plus all the hullabaloos about ROUXS! Holy Trinity vs. mirepoix, etc. I don't like burn-your-face-off hot stuff, but I gotta say, the dishes were flavorful with a bit of kick and I loved them. Sadly, my plain Jane friend who eats like a toddler mainly ate bread & butter and pralines. I got to snarf her food as well. The gumbo is more souplike and was made with andouille sausage (not my favorite--it reminds me of our local Portuguese linguica), but the smoked sausage in the Jambalaya was absolutely my jam! There was a lazy-Susan in the center of the table with all these regional spice blends and the star of the show was this red garlic sauce. Sooooo flavorful and it elevated the jambalaya. I even tried the ground sassafrass leaves in my gumbo, know as Gumbo Filé. Apparently you can't find it in stores outside NOLA. I know these Southerners love their pralines, but there's something about the texture that makes me want to say, just make it into fudge (it tastes like New England's penuche fudge)...I can take 'em or leave 'em. But I'm not saying one isn't delicious. Naturally, I let them take all my money in the gift shop so I could bring a few things home to replicate in the kitchen. I highly recommend this on your trip to the area; make reservations and prepare for the shop to get crowded if a bus tour stops by or a class has recently gotten out.

My 16 yo daughter and I went this morning for demo session with Harriet. It was a blast. Initially I thought it was a bit high for just a demo, specially since you can do that online, but it was so personal and getting to eat the food and have the different spices and sauces just made it all so amazing. A bunch of very nice people. I bake and cook a lot and learned several new things. That's what cooking is...learning and growing with others. Great day!

Loved this really fun experience. Chef Austin was awesome and patient while i almost burned everything down. Loved the menu they chose and I'm excited to try some of the recipes at home. Fun date spot or group event

Found myself with a little solo time during a trip to NOLA. I needed a place to beat the heat (so swamp tours were out!) The New Orleans School of Cooking was a quick walk from my hotel and the reviews were great, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did. This was actually the perfect place for a solo adventure. It's also great for families, couples or anyone wanting to have a fun NOLA experience. We waited in the gift shop of the school before entering into the cooking demo area. They allow people in based on when they made their reservation, so if you are wanting a prime spot, I'd say to make your reservation online early! I did the demo class. The round tables in the demo are set up to face the front. Tables were set with utensils and drinks were provided (lemonade, water and beer). I got to try the gumbo, jambalaya and bananas foster. For me, the experience was really about learning how to make the foods. Getting to see the chef in action, I was able to see what parts of the dish were non-negotiables where as you can get a little more creative in other things. I learned a lot and feel confident in my ability to replicate these dishes from home. I bought a seasoning to try it out as well!I had a lovely time with those at my table. Everyone was friendly and there was a great sense of camaraderie around the table! There were guests from across the US as well as New Zealand and Panama when I went! So fun!

This is a MUST do for all foodies out there especially if you want to take a piece of New Orleans back with you. When you get to the location...they have a small store that you wait in for class. The lady checking it was a little rough when talking to people checking it. I wasn't aware there were multiple classes so I was afraid all the people waiting was in one class which had me turned off. (I didn't make the reservation for this.) Once it gets close to time your chef will come out and call your name and your group will head to your respective classroom. We had Chef Lynn! . She was amazing!! I loved all the information she shared about New Orleans history before we got started cooking. This is why classes like this is a MUST! You learn things about the city you possibly wouldn't learn on tours. She also taught us ways to recover a messed up dish which we all know will happen. I loved how she had us leave our recipes at the table and just walked us through everything. This allowed you to be attentive in class and not trying to read. She walked around and helped us. I think with it being a small group she definitely was able to help us individually no matter what step we were on. Our group was 8 as 2 didn't show up. It was the perfect size. The stations are set up when you get there. The rooms had drinks such as wine, juice, beer and water. It was a perfect little restaurant. There is also an assistant in the classroom that will help out. She was just there when you needed her when you didn't know you needed her. She as replacing or giving you things you didn't realize you needed. I don't recommend trying to do this if you party the night before or thinking if I land at 8am and class starts at 10 you will make it. You will not. Traffic, waiting on bags etc will happen. This isn't a class something you do when you have a time constraint. Our class did a seafood and okra gumbo, crawfish pie and banana fosters crepe. I definitely recommend taking a class here. Can't wait to return to take another class!

Not only is the school an outstanding experience, the history, culture and influences that led to the cajun country's famous dishes is even better. This is a must-do experience if you have interest in the food, the culture, the history of New Orleans and it's people. Oh, did I say the food is FANTASTIC! What is there not to like?