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After a lazy breakfast this morning, we head off to the New Orleans School of Cooking for a fun time. Well, you won’t believe the store offering tons of spices, aprons, cooking books etc. for all who enter. You have to check in at the front desk and you are seated according to when you booked the class. Ta da! We were the third name called.

Our teacher, Sondra (Sandra) should be considered a national treasure. She is so alive, so funny and explains everything you would want or need to know about cooking, history of New Orleans, and a ton of jokes to add to the spice of the morning.

The menu for today was: Shrimp and Artichoke Soup (fabulous); crawfish etouffee, Bread pudding with a whiskey sauce and, of course, Pralines  (pronounced praw-leens). This was also our lunch. When lunch was over, we did some shopping and left.

Okay, we went to Harrah’s and guess what? Yup, AGAIN. Don also did well, but because I won more, I treated for dinner at Oceana (another Emeril restaurant). We had a most delightful server, Brad, who assisted us with our choices.  I ordered the catfish po boy sandwich and for dessert – pecan pie. Don ordered a blackened red fish over gumbo and deep fried crawfish and sauce. He ordered only ice cream but we left happy and sassy and now are home, safe and sound.

OMG! What a day this was. We were picked up at our condo before  8:30 a.m.,  joining 4 other people in the van. It takes about an hour to drive to the Laura Plantation with our very knowledgeable guide, Ginnie. The company is Tours  by Isabelle https://www.google.ca/#q=tours+by+isabelle+new+orleans

At the Laura plantation, we spend about an hour with Stephen, our guide, walking through the yard, old house, slaves quarters, mother-in-laws house and store. Our guide is so knowledgeable and passionate about the story he has to tell, it is enjoyable to be a part of it.

Now we get back into the van and head off to the Oak Valley Plantation , where lunch was served. It began with a salad and went to red beans and rice and crawfish etouffe. Dessert was a choice of Buttermilk pie or Bread Pudding. 6 out of 7 chose the Buttermilk Pie. Oh darn, was this good. It is now 2 p.m. and we have about a 45 minute drive to take a swamp tour.

We meet with our guide and story teller, Roland Torres for the hour to one and a half hour tour. It is too cold for the crocodiles to be up and about but we saw a few egrets, blue herons, nutri rat (sorry for spelling here) and how to survive the various spiders and snakes that are here. It is cold out and are more than happy to get back into the warm van to go back home.

We decide to go to Emeril’s Delmonico Restaurant for dinner.

http://www.emerilsrestaurants.com/emerils-delmonico/menus Actually, this is a ‘best’ choice. We started with a Creole mirliton pirogue….I can only say it was good.

Don ordered a duck breast with sweet corn maque choux, brussel sprouts, roasted poblano and cheddar grits and tasso jam.

I ordered a roasted Filet Mignon with ham and gruyere cheese potato croquettes, sautéed spinach and a marchand de ven sauce. Wow!

Not having enough to eat (just kidding) we ordered the creole cream cheese stuffed beignets and poached pear and toasted almonds and coffee.

We ask for a cab and waddle our way out. What a day this was.