While on our trip to NOLA, we used our 6th day, Sunday, to take a class at the Mardi Gras School of Cooking and Catering, and it was one of the highlights of the trip (and the whole trip was a highlight, so this was EXTRA special). The class we signed up for was the 3-hour “New Orleans Style Brunch Class”, which featured learning to make Shrimp and Grits, Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce over a Crab Cake, Praline Bacon (otherwise known as “Pig Candy”), and Bananas Foster. Oh, and bottomless mimosas, champagne, wine, beer, sodas, and water. Yeah. It was a blast.
We arrived a little ahead of our scheduled time of 11am to be greeted by Chef Scott and his assistant for the day, Graham. We were a group of 5 (Kayla, Erik, Kayla’s dad and his girlfriend, and Kayla’s grandmother). There was another group of women taking the class with us who were very pleasant. Chef Scott was an amazing instructor who led us through how to make the various dishes, including offering up prepping and cooking techniques, tips, and tricks. He showed us how to properly use a knife, how to peel and de-vein shrimp, and how to make whipped cream without a stand mixer (oh man, our arms were TIRED after that! Thankfully it was toward the end of the class!). Graham was there to help us with anything we needed, from clean up to fetching more mimosas!
The time flew by, and it was the most enjoyable cooking class we have ever participated in (and if you know us by now, you know that we have participated in quite a few). Our class ended up wrapping up a 4pm – 2 hours past the scheduled time of 3 hours. None of us were mad about it.
Kayla’s grandmother stirring the sauce for the shrimp and grits. 
Kayla’s grandmother, Jane, and a woman from the other group look on as Chef Scott holds the bowl of a double-boiler while Kayla whisks the hollandaise sauce for the Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict. 
Erik looking quite pleased with himself for having deveined and tailed a lot of shrimp! 
Kayla tries not to drool while eating Pig Candy. 
Kayla’s grandmother, Jane, whips up heavy whipping cream into whipped cream for the waffles that accompanied the Bananas Foster. 
Chef Scott, a woman from the other group, and Kayla’s grandmother, Jane, watch Erik flip crab cakes for the Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict. 
Kayla’s dad, Keith, whisks batter for the waffles that accompanied the Bananas Foster.