Sur La Table Cooking Class: Date Night in The French Quarter

We did it again! J & I attended another lovely Sur La Table cooking class this past weekend and we had a blast. J has given me these classes as gifts two Christmases in a row and it’s starting to become quite a yummy tradition.

This year he selected “Date Night in The French Quarter” with a menu of Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo on a bed of Bay Leaf Perfect Steamed Rice, Classic Shrimp and Grits , and Old School Bananas Foster for dessert.

We, of course, brought our own wine to enjoy while we cooked, but this year we brought along our own cups, as well. Because… you know… spills can happen.

Before looking at the printed recipe lists, we hadn’t realized just how long of a process it is to make gumbo & grits. It says to simmer the grits for 45 minutes to 1 hour! Luckily, the class sped up the process by preparing a few things ahead of time. However, making the rue for the gumbo took quite a bit of time. I was stirring for about 15 minutes before I asked one of our team members to sub in for me for the last 15 minutes.

In teams of four, we all chopped, stirred, and sautéd our way to a delicious three course New Orlean’s-inspired evening. Throughout the night, the head chef taught us tricks to use in our own kitchens at home. Whether it was how to dice an onion more efficiently or how to combine all the ingredients to where each one’s flavor is enhanced to its fullest potential in the dish, Chef Frank T was a great asset to our night.

Our two other teammates were a sweet older couple who, coincidentally enough, had taken the same cooking class we did last year! In fact, we were all about 95% sure we were in the exact same class. How funny! I also ran into a REALTOR who still works at the old brokerage Twin Sis and I were at last year.

The hidden “win” about these cooking classes? You can use all the dishes, but you don’t have to clean up the mess! Win :)

If you haven’t attended a cooking class at Sur La Table yet, please do. Make it one of this year’s “must-dos”. Whether it’s a date night, a girls outing, a birthday party, this is such a fun thing to do with others.