You’ll begin the class by learning the best kept secrets for authentic New Orleans cooking. We begin by discovering the importance of the Cajun Holy Trinity, and start cutting and prepping to make the best New Orleans cuisine you’ve ever tasted. Once the Cajun Holy Trinity is all chopped, we will take a break and get our first glass of wine. Mise en place (everything in its place), we start the Dark Roux for the gumbo. After the gumbo, we start the light Roux for the Shrimp Etouffee. After properly plating your meal, it's time to dine. The last part of the class, (and possibly your favorite) will include teaching you how to make Bananas Foster. Yum! We’ll show you a fool-proof way to make this dessert that is sure to impress your friends and family.
This was the best hands on cooking class I have ever taken. Chef Ray was very patient and gave us a lot of great tips to make great food. loved the wine. the food was spectacular and can't wait to return!!!
The food was great. Barry was patient, knowledgeable and friendly. It was just my husband and I and we loved the whole experience.
Most delicious meal I've this trip to NOLA. Chef Barry did fantastic. Lot of great cooking tips and better understand the whole process around Roux.
Outstanding! Barry was knowledgeable, skilled and engaging. Making gumbo, etouffee, and bananas foster was great fun. And the classroom was beautiful! I highly recommend.
Great hands on experience and wonderful way to hear and learn about the culture not just the food. Raymond was great!
Raymond was an absolute blast to work with! We learned a lot, while enjoying good conversation and good food!
Excellent experience. Would do again.
It was an amazing time and a great experience. The staff was incredible. It was a lot fun! Come hungry, you'll eat every bite!
Chef Sassy was not only a great instructor, but also, a very good storyteller of New Orleans food history. My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in the kitchen. We were in a small group setting which made things easier for instruction and assistance. We had some food allergies in our group and the staff was well prepared for their arrival and was very cautious about any cross contamination. We also appreciated the variety of beverages available to drink while we enjoyed our class. The beverages ranged from bottled water, soft drinks, variety of beer and wine. The Oak Leaf cabernet sauvignon was delightful. Overall, it was a great learning experience and would recommend the Roux class to anyone interested.
Chef Barry provided an outstanding cooking experience!! He was so well organized. The kitchen and dining areas were lovely. He had all of the food and cooking utensils set up. Throughout the food prep and cooking, his instructions were excellent. He was so pleasant and conversational. There were six of us in the class and we had a wonderful time getting to know each other and enjoying the food we prepared. We learned a lot! The food dishes (gumbo, shrimp etouffee and bananas foster) were truly delicious!! Highly recommend this experience!!
Raymond was great and enjoyed his instruction very much! He answered lots of questions for our group of four and was very patient, yet up beat. I cook regularly at home and this was not too elementary, especially if you've never made shrimp ettoutfee or a Cajun roux. I burned my roux at home prior to this class so it was so helpful to me, restoring my confidence to give it another go. Come hungry. I had no idea there would be a two course meal. Ask for the secret Raymonds Rice ;)
We brought our q5 ueat old son and we had a great time. We made our own food under the eye of a chef and it was the best food we ate in New Orleans.
We had a blast at the cooking class and Chef Raymond was the best! The food we made was delicious, we had so much fun and cant wait to make it all again at home.
Sassy was very good. Had a fun time learning to cook Cajun
Great to experience! Raymond was the best:)
My daughter and I took the Roux class at Mardi Gras School of Cooking with Chef Sassy, and it was such a fabulous time! Chef Sassy has this laid-back, friendly energy that made the whole class feel relaxed and fun, not intimidating at all. She didn’t just teach us the roux — she threw in extra tips and tricks along the way, including her method for never-fail rice. We went straight home, tried it, and she was right — best rice we’ve ever made! It was such a great bonding experience for my daughter and me, and we walked away with real skills we’re already using at home. As a bonus, it feels wonderful to support a small, women-owned business doing such a great job. We can’t wait to come back for another class — highly recommend, especially if you get Chef Sassy!
This is a fabulous class. While we are foodservice professionals, we were impressed with all the techniques we were taught. We didnt want to leave. We wanted to take all the classes but we couldn't make the time. Next time, for sure!
My son and I enjoyed every second of the cooking adventure! The hands on experience was great. The chef Mark was funny, knowledge and just simply amazing! I would book this cooking experience again!
The best way to take New Orleans home with you is to learn how to cook the food! Chef Barry was fantastic. Will do this again and again till I know all the recipes. Worth every penny!!!
Very great family, friend or spouse activity! Conner was our chef and he was excellent! So detailed and we are experienced cooks and had some great takeaways from this experience. Such an interactive class of sharing with other guests and best of all; this is the best meal we’ve had in New Orleans since we’ve been here. We truly, truly enjoyed this experience. Thank you!
Learned a lot preparing a great meal! Thanks Conner!
Ray was awesome and the food we cooked was very delicious. We plan to go back and take another class with Ray. He took us step by step through all the necessary steps. Ray is very personable and there was never a dull moment. He also provide some tips to improve our everyday cooking.
Had a great time, lots of new ways to make food taste delicious. Generous helpings of deliciousness.
I have never gone to a Cooking Class before, but I will go to all of them, if they were half as good as this one. Chef Raymond was outstanding! His personality along with his skills in the kitchen, were unbeatable. I'm ready to make everything we learned - Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Shrimp Etoufee and Bananas Foster. PS. I will be making Shrimp Etoufee and Bananas Foster this weekend!!!!
We had such a great experience at Mardi Gras School of Cooking! My husband and I took the roux class with Chef Ray, and it was one of the highlights of our trip. We made gumbo and étouffée, and while we enjoyed the étouffée, Chef Ray treated us to a fun Bananas Foster demonstration. The class was easy enough for my husband, who never cooks, but still engaging and informative for me as a high school Culinary Arts teacher. Chef Ray didn’t just teach recipes — he shared techniques and tips that can improve your cooking in general, all while keeping everyone laughing with stories throughout the class. I highly recommend taking a class here on your next trip to New Orleans. It would also make a perfect date night or fun outing with friends for locals!
From the moment you walk in to the final spoon of Banana’s Foster this is an awesome experience. You feel like you are in your best friends kitchen, grab a drink, lean against the counter and talk like you have know on another for ever. After some good safety advice, we are using knives after all and fire too. The directions were easy to absorb for any cooking level, when to stir when not to stir, how to chop, how to mix, how to roux…it’s all there. The slow pace really makes you think easy to taste the creation, just like at home! The Gumbo, Ètoufèè, were just delicious, it’s all in the preparation, execution, and plating. We learned the Banana’s Foster at a distance, too much flambé for amateurs to the Craft. We have even tried the Gumbo Recipe just a few days later at home, brings back the memories.
Excellent experience in every way.
It was amazing... such good food....Connor was great.... we learned so much... definitely recommend for an amazing experience
What a find! We went to New Orleans for the Jazz fest & had a free day & figured why just go to a restaurant and eat when we could learn how to make these great dishes & eat them! What a great experience! I highly recommend this!
We were in a small class with Chef Sassy and she was awesome! Super friendly and great at instructing but let us do it ourselves. Awesome class definitely worth the price!
Learning to make gumbo and étouffée with Chef Sassy was the highlight of my trip to New Orleans. Taking the class alongside my three friends made the experience even more special. Chef Sassy shared a wealth of knowledge—not just about the recipes, but about cooking techniques and the rich traditions of Creole cuisine. She showed genuine respect for the dishes’ origins and for the mentors who passed that knowledge down to her. Despite a full class, she kept the pace lively, engaging, and easy to follow. And the best part? Sitting down to enjoy the delicious dishes we created ourselves—absolutely unforgettable!
We got a lot out of this experience, and have already put our skills to work. I did this with my daughter and it was the perfect mother-daughter activity and made us feel like we could take the culture home. Highly recommend!
This a great hands on cooking experience. You eat what you cook and it is delicious. The chef is friendly and helpful and the whole experience wonderful.
Truly hands on cooking class. Informative chef: she included the history behind each dish. It was fun, fascinating, and I actually learned new skills, and I went with a professional chef who was looking to up their cooking game. Fun group of people showed up. Our chef was professional, let us take the lead with making each part of the dishes, unlike most other cooking classes where you just watch a chef make food. I def recommend it.
Chef Erika was OUTSTANDING !! When we go back we will ask for her. She gave us the history behind the dishes/people. Little tricks here and there. Her Bananas Foster she showed us was better than Brennans !! We think that this cooking class was the highlight of our New Orleans trip.
My husband and I did the Roux cooking class with Chef Erika, who is absolutely amazing and adorable. It was our first time participating in such a class and we throughly enjoyed it. It was fun and we learned a lot. Highly recommend it!
Chef Conner was amazing! He showed us how to properly handle our utensils, and the class was very hands-on from start to finish. The gumbo, shrimp étouffée, and bananas foster were all absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was lively, and the food was incredible. My only regret was forgetting to buy the season.
The hands on cooking is done in pairs and not as an individual. Would have preferred individual but I understand given you a cooking a meal.
It was a great experience. Chef Conner taught us a tip to cut vegetables efficiently. We learned to make the dark roux we used to make gumbo. Then we made the etouffee followed by bananas foster. Best part was eating what we cooked. Chef Conner was a great instructor & I would recommend the experience to everyone visiting the Quarter.
We working with Raymond. He was amazing. Professional, entertaining, and obviously a great chef. He was also a great instructor. This was our best meal on our visit. We will 100% be making everything we learned how to make when we get home. Thanks Raymond for an great evening!
We had a lot of fun with our group! The food was filling and tasted amazing. Our chef gave us a lot of good tips and a nice desert show with the banana foster display. Come to find out he was also on top chef at one point! Will definitely come back!
Chef was fantastic and so were the recipes. Probably not a lot of tolerance for kids who arent serious about cooking as a heads up. Ours said it was a trip highlight and bananas foster is still made in our home!
Chef Mark was awesome and the food was amazing! It was a great experience and would highly recommend.
Sassy was such a great chef to work with. Very knowledgable and friendly. Even though hickups she was swift to fix things. Would come back 100% to her.
Sassy was our chef, and she did an amazing job. If you're looking for hands-on and want to learn to make roux, this is the place.
My husband and I did the Roux cooking class with Chef Raymond. When he told us it would be the best meal we ate while visiting New Orleans, I was skeptical. BUT IT WAS! Chef Raymond made it so easy to follow along, and we can’t wait to recreate the gumbo and etoufee recipes at home. If you have the chance, don’t miss out on this experience. Not only will you have fun and enjoy a great meal, but you’ll walk away with recipes that you can recreate over and over again.
This class was so much fun. I booked it with my husband and friend and Chef Connor had the three of us laughing and learning the entire time. Even my hubby, who does most of our cooking, learned some new tricks. It was very relaxed and just a great way to spend the evening.
Excellent instruction and a fun atmosphere. Fun for individuals, couples and/or groups. Cook, laugh and enjoy!!
Chef Barry made it fun for us. Definitely worth the money. We would do it again. Will definitely be cooking these foods at home.
Ray is amazing - our gumbo was unquestionably the best gumbo I have ever tasted and he is so warm and entertaining!! I would love to come back and do this again!!! Highly recommend!!!
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
Reach us by phone
Reach us by email