The Next Food Network Star

Jarrod and I had a delightful weekend this past weekend. We received a wonderful wedding present from my dad and step-mom for a night at Ashton’s Bed and Breakfast, and a cooking class at the New Orleans Cooking Experience. If you know me, you know that I’ve loved to cook for years. Jarrod just developed a love for cooking, so this was the perfect gift! Ashton’s and the cooking class were just down the road from each other, so we got to walk down a pretty street to get there.

We arrived to the class a little bit early and were introduced to the chef, Chiqui Collier. She was AMAZING and really committed to helping us learn applicable techniques. The large kitchen was gorgeous but comfortable. We felt right at home. After getting a drink and meeting our classmates, we went for a tour of the property. The New Orleans Cooking Experience is located in the House on Bayou Road another bed and breakfast in New Orleans. After the tour we got ready for our class. Because there were only four people in the class, we all decided to cook and eat along the way rather than cook and eat in the dining room. We appreciated the casual and laid back atmosphere.

We all took turns cooking. Jarrod was up first to start the appetizer a shrimp remoulade. He’s so handsome in an apron! Next up was our sweet classmate, a darling teenager with her dad. She made sweet biscuits with sugar in the raw on top for our dessert. Y’all know I love my biscuits!! We baked these while we cooked so that they would be plenty cool when it was time for dessert. We also made a simple syrup with strawberries in it. Once it cooled, we poured it over strawberries and blueberries and put that in the fridge to sit until after dinner. More on that later.

Then it was my turn. I made a soup. It was absolutely incredible and had vegetable pears as it’s main ingredient. It was easy and delicious. And it gave us a few new kitchen gadgets that we need to buy…a strainer and a hand blender. After making the soup, we stopped to eat our appetizers. They were INCREDIBLE. And you know how Jarrod likes shrimp! He was in heaven.

We tried out the soup after that and it was yummy. We had it with crusty french bread. We roasted zucchini, squash, and asparegus in the oven and mashed garlic mashed potatoes (the trick is to boil the potatoes with chopped garlic in the water!) before we got the fish ready. We were preparing pecan encrusted catfish. First we cut the fish really thin. Then we put it in flour that had been food processed with roasted pecans. That was to seal out the oil. Then the fish went into a bath of eggs, cream (equal parts) and salt. For the breaded, the fish went back in the flour. This time the pecans stuck thickly and made a nice crust. When the oil was hot enough, we threw the fish in and watched them cook up. We ate them with the potatoes and veggies. I can’t tell you what was the best because it was all INCREDIBLE!

I was so stuffed I wasn’t sure I could ever eat again… Until we started assembling the shortbreads! We sliced the biscuits in half, poured in the berries, and put whipped cream on top. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!! Aren’t they beautiful! AND they were red, white and blue in honor of our patriotic wedding…

After dessert, we sat around and listened to Chiqui’s stories about area restaurants and her time in the restaurant business. She was so interesting and personable. She made the experience meaningful, practical, and fun!

To recap, here are some things we learned:

• Homemade biscuits are not hard to make.
• Breading fish is easy and we already have everything we need to do it.
• Roasted veggies taste good, are easy, and Jarrod will eat them!
• A roux is so simple! (Chiqui taught us how to make a roux even though it was not required for any of our recipes)
• Making your own chicken stock is simple and uses things you would throw out anyway!
• Cooking delicious food doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or hard.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend the New Orleans Cooking Experience! (They didn’t pay me to say that!) And really, if you’re in the area, hop on the bridge and come say hi to Jarrod and I!

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