The Mardi Gras School of Cooking and Catering

The Mardi Gras School of Cooking

Dear Friend:

Imagine yourself a visitor to New Orleans. You stroll through the Quarter or another historic neighborhood and fantasize about the aromas from the houses you pass. You get a glimpse of a private garden from the street, and the romance of the setting is as heady as the scent of sweet olive. You may eat at one of the world-famous restaurants and wonder, “Do locals prepare food like this?” Now satisfy your curiosity...step through the huge doors and enjoy hours of making and eating New Orleans’ cuisine in the Chef's kitchen located in the second oldest neighborhood in the city...Algiers Point.

Experience the city as one would have experienced it a 100 years ago preparing century-old recipes. Come in and relax. Get acquainted with your classmates and begin to take your fantasy cooking trip back over a century ago. Enjoy cooking your Cajun and Creole menu when you don your aprons and begin a full day of learning and cooking. Each guest is shown professional techniques, the secrets of seasonings and the preparation of selected recipes while learning the history of Louisiana’s world-famous cuisine. Reservations required. Minimum class is 2 person with a maximum of 12.

The hands-on cooking classes were developed in response to so many students attending my 3-hour demonstration classes at The New Orleans School of Cooking. After class was over, they inevitably wanted to know where they might take a Cajun and Creole cooking class to do the actual cooking themselves. And The Mardi Gras School of Cooking was born!

Our kitchen is located in a 140 year-old home on Algiers Point where you will don an apron and begin your Cajun and Creole cooking experience.

You begin your day by taking the 9:30 or 9:45 a.m. ferryboat at the foot of famous Canal Street and enjoy the free, 5-minute ride to the West Bank of the Mississippi River and New Orleans. You will be met at the landing by a chef in an apron at approximately 10 a.m. and taken for a short walk or ride to the school. Do not board the Mardi Gras World van.

Upon your arrival, our chef will greet you and your class will begin. Here you’ll start a fun-filled day of continual cooking, learning and eating. During your class you will learn some of the history of New Orleans and food, recipes and cooking techniques.

Hands-on classes are available with minimum of two persons. After meeting fellow foodies, we start the class with chopping everything we need for the dishes. Next, we begin making chocolate bread pudding with a white chocolate brandy sauce.  Then we do a study in rouxs where you will learn to make a roux 4 different ways.  You actually will make a Cajun roux for a gumbo and then a Creole roux for an Etouffee. And of course, we eat everything!  You will get the recipes at the end of class and wine is served with the meal. The cost is $90 per person.

We also offer a sauce class, which is $125 pp.  One cold sauce and three warm sauces are prepared. We boil jumbo shrimp and make a Remoulade sauce to serve over the shrimp on a bed of chiffonade romaine.  Next is oven-roasted asparagus over sliced tomatoes with a hollandaise sauce and surrounded by grilled sea scallops. Then a classic trout Meuniere shows you the four stages of butter.  Finally, soft shell crabs, deep-fried, with a tomato and basil Beurre Blanc.

Our classes are conducted for a minimum of 2 persons and a maximum of 8. However, if 6 to 8 people are taking the class at the same time, your day will last much longer than the regular 3 to 4 hours it normally requires for 2 to 4 people and the allocation of your time in New Orleans should be planned accordingly. However, most full day classes run about 3 to 4 hours. We also offer an open class, which is not hands-on, but audience style and calls for volunteers to assist the chef. We require a minimum of 6 persons and is $50 each. This includes the class instruction, recipes, lunch or dinner and wine. A total deposit of $100 is required for the group.

To make a reservation, mail your $30 per person, non-refundable, deposit check payable to Chef Richard Bond to 232 Bermuda Street, Suite B, New Orleans, La. 70114. We do not accept credit cards. We will also need to know where you are staying in New Orleans or a cell phone number in case of emergency. You may wish to take this letter with you to New Orleans for reference.

Also, groups or an individual must notify the Mardi Gras School of Cooking and Catering 24 hours prior to their class for any substitutions for allergies, etc., or we cannot accommodate you. This is not a restaurant.

Thank you for your interest in The Mardi Gras School of Cooking and I hope you will respond by calling us for a reservation for a fun filled day of learning and creativity. One that will be remembered as a true New Orleans culinary experience!

Amuse Bouche and Bon Appetite!

Chef Richard Bond

Chef Bond has conducted many classes over the past 20 years and has travel extensively throughout Europe for 5 years. Teaching is a passion for him in that he began cooking with his father at the age of 16 which laid down the foundation for his schooling and training. His fund raising events have produced thousands of dollars for many organizations such as The American Heart Association, The Caner Society of America and Breast Cancer groups.