New Orleans School of Cooking

The New Orleans School of Cooking is a long-running demonstration cooking class at 524 St. Louis Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, in a converted historic building a short walk from Jackson Square and the Mississippi River. The school teaches the Creole and Cajun cooking of south Louisiana, and bookings are made through the school's own website, nolacooking.com. The listing describes it as long-running; visitors can find the founding history on the school's site.

The format is a demonstration class rather than a hands-on workshop. An instructor cooks the dishes at the front of the room while telling stories about Louisiana food, culture and local ingredients, and participants watch, ask questions and then eat the results. Dishes listed for the class include gumbo, jambalaya and pralines, which gives the menu a savoury core of roux-based and rice dishes with a traditional sweet finish. The class lasts about two to three hours and ends with a meal in which participants taste what was prepared.

Prices are about US$35-45 per person for a demonstration class, and visitors should confirm current rates on the school's website because they change. The fee covers the demonstration, recipes and the meal tasting; drinks, gratuities and any retail purchases from the school's shop of Louisiana ingredients and cookware are typically separate. Classes are held in English and are suitable for groups, couples and individual travellers, and advance booking is advised in peak seasons such as Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and holiday weekends.

Because the classes centre on dishes with shellfish, pork sausage, wheat and dairy, visitors with allergies or dietary restrictions should contact the school before booking to ask what accommodations are possible. The French Quarter location is central, so the class can be paired with a walk to nearby sights. Without any need to cook, the format suits visitors who want a relaxed, entertaining introduction to local cuisine and a take-home set of recipes, and is a reasonable rainy-day activity in a city where afternoon showers are common.