New Orleans - Fun Activities, Part 1

I'm going to take us on a trip via the "wayback" machine to March 2014 (not so way back, but work with me here). My wife and I, with our friend Amy, decided to take a trip to New Orleans (henceforth to be known by the acronym: NOLA). Among the activities, we had to participate in a cooking class. Oh, but taking a cooking class in NOLA is like going through the drive-thru at McDonald's, only 100x more expensive, right? Wrong.

It all depends upon what kind of experience you want to have.

I'm all about experience, and not about price--although I trend to the cheap side. Here's where my absolute thumbs up cooking school and culinary entertainment provider comes into play: Langlois. Caveat:  Because my experience is nearly three years old, the method of delivery (going to their own brick-and-mortar establishment in the Marigny district) has since changed. They now provide various entertainment offers, many of which take place at established, well-regarded restaurants in the city, or at a private home. Therefore, the charm of a small, former corner grocery located outside the bounds of tourist-thick French Quarter, is no longer an option. But like I said: EXPERIENCE, and Langlois mixes culinary know-how with storytelling like no other!

Ours was an intimate class of 7, and, while time has taken away memories of the exact dishes that we learned to prepare (chicken was involved, as were fat pasta noodles made from scratch), but we did come away with stories of how NOLA and Creole cuisine came to be. Needless to say, NOLA's culinary history is a melange of various cultures and comes together in the modern day in a bodacious taste experience! And the cooking school provided us with wonderful recipes that I use to this day (especially Cured Smoked Pompano--although I prefer to use salmon and trout for this one).

And if you don't believe me, try these reviews for size.

Give Langlois a go. If you're in the mood to call them, they can be reached at 504-934-1010, or try the contact form at this link. 

Bon appetit et laissez les bontemps roulez!!