Classes - Give and Take

I've written a lot about the food I had while in New Orleans at conference, but I did learn some things too!  I teach a lot of cooking classes so it's a nice change to be a student and take a class.  No pressure, just learning. 

I had some excellent classes while attending the conference.  Sunday morning started out with a keynote panel titled Women Chefs and Restaurateurs - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.  The panel consisted of Leah Chase owner of Dooky Chase restaurant and Ti Adlelaide Martin managing partner and owner of Commander's Palace. 

Ms Chase led the discussion and spoke of her years cooking, the changes and the similarities for everyone.  Ms Chase started cooking when she was 18 years old, in the segregated South and has some stories, she's in her late 80's now!  I could have listened to her for much longer.  Ms Martin, the youngster, has known Ms Chase for a long time, her mother is Ellen Brennan of the Brennan restaurants who has been friends with Ms Chase for a long time.   A great opening.

After the opening (and a networking break with food in case we got hungry after breakfast) I attended The Foods of Southern Louisiana:What Makes it Creole or Cajun and Why?  Again a great panel - Leah Chase, Poppy Tooker, Marcelle Bienvenu, Michaela York. 

Ms York led off with a quick history of who settled in Louisiana and when.  There are seven significant nations that have contributed to the food history - Native American, Spanish, French, African, German, English and Italian.  No wonder there is so much good food!  Again I could have listened to the group for much longer.  They had a heated roux discussion and discussed the differences of Cajun and Creole.  There was no big overall agreement except they agree that everyone does things their own way. 

I moved on to A Modern Take on Southern Desserts (yes, after lunch, we try to go very little time without nourishment) where 3 New Orleans pastry chefs demonstrated how they take some classic recipes and give them twists.  They were all knowledgeable and again all different.  One likes to use local, seasonal produce in classic recipes - Zucchini and Peach Buckle, one updated the 19th century rice and yeast fritters into a Coffee and Doughnut dessert, one uses local creole ingredients - creole cream cheese and makes panna cotta.  The class description included the claim that there would be no food, we would taste at the dessert reception later, but of course that was not true.  We had some of everything.  And I have recipes.  The fritters are a must try.  They do take 2 days!

Monday I was up bright and early to lead a round table discussion on the Challenges for Personal Chefs.  I had several people at the table and we had a good discussion.

After that was breakfast which was delicious and I have to try some of those recipes.  I moved on to my class The Tie That Binds - Art of Flour and Water Across the World.  This was a participation class where we learned to make several different types of noodles - Herbed Spaetzle, Arepas, Garganelli, Strozzapreti, Cous Cous,  and Soba Noodles all from flour and water!

I can't wait to try cous cous making at home.  I believe it too takes at least one day and maybe more.  It was so interesting though!  It was time for lunch and a panel on Diversity.  After that I attended Taste! Taste! Taste! Opportunities for Women in Wine.  This was probably my least favorite class.  I was looking more for types of opportunities and didn't get enough info on that.  Still interesting and good things to know. 

We finished the conference with a finale dinner of New Orleans Street foods which are foods from all countries.  Excellent and I met a woman from Los Angeles who has some great programs for teaching at risk kids culinary arts.  She focuses on kids at women's shelters and gang members and is very successful.  Very interesting woman who has given me some ideas.

That's the end of conference and I probably won't take a class for a while.  Although I never know! 

I gave a class Saturday.  I had the 3 to 5 year olds and we made Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs and Cookies.  As always we had fun and the kids were amazing.

I know, I cut off the heads of the wonderful assistants, but the height difference is challenging.  Yes, the kids are standing on stools.  They're small!

Now I have to get ready to go out and about.  Hopefully I will find gas.  I have meetings with a new client and with a returning client that I cooked for starting in 2002.