Farewell to Personal Chef Conference & Wonderful New Orleans

The European Omlette – Portobello Mushrooms and Brie accented with fresh thyme.

The Personal Chef Conference in New Orleans has been a truly memorable experience! So much has been learned from our classes as well as from the comraderie of such capable and talented personal chefs from all over the U.S. & Canada!  As we depart our beloved city of New Orleans we wanted to try just one more restaurant for breakfast as we drove out of town.  We had heard about the Ruby Slipper which is South Cortez St. (off of Canal Street, mid-city), their byline is "There's No Place Like Home" as in coming home in the aftermath of Katrina.  The food was incredible, I had a Portobello Mushrooms and Brie Omlette accented with fresh thyme and a side of the most creamy grits ever as well as sourdough toast.  Hubby Keith had the 3 little pigs omlette with Applewood smoked bacon, Sausage and Ham with Swiss cheese which was equally delightful.  The service was warm and welcoming and the atmosphere of the beautiful old home complete with hardwood floors was like coming to Grandma's house!  Our attentive and informative server told us that they are currently opening another location in downtown NOLA on Magazine which we are sure will do very well but I'm so glad we were able to enjoy this little piece of hometown paradise off the beaten path.  Check it out the next time you're in NOLA for breakfast, brunch or lunch at http://www.therubyslippercafe.net/ Bon Appetit!

Final Day of Personal Chef Conference New Orleans, LA

Mustard crusted ham hock with stewed shell peas & greens at COCHON!

Louisiana cochon with turnips, cabbage & cracklins at COCHON! 

Fried Rabbit Livers for lunch at COCHON!

Chef Lauren's Favorite Creme Brulee Fois Gras with Goose Liver Pate @ Restaurant Cuvee

A wonderful impromptu street band performance, Incredible!!!!

The last full day of conference began with a fabulous class about Press Releases with Mia Andrews, President of the Canadian Personal Chef Association.  The class was not only informative but enlightening as everyone shared their successes and experiences with the press and overall exposure to the Personal Chef business.  The day began with a visit from renowned New Orleans chef Frank Brightsen who took time out from his busy day as chef of Brightsen's restaurant to talk with the Personal Chefs in attendance about the seafood industry in the aftermath of the oil spill and to assure us that the seafood is safe to eat.  Chef Frank also spoke with us about the culinary history of New Orleans and the current state of the restaurant business in the aftermath of Katrina.
Chef Lauren and hubby Keith headed out to lunch to once again enjoy the culinary talents of Chef Donald Link (also of Herbsaint) at his ever popular restaurant Cochon in the warehouse district.  The atmosphere is upbeat and energizing and the food is incredible!  Check out their website at http://www.cochonrestaurant.com/
For dinner we headed to our favorite New Orleans restaurant Restaurant Cuvee.  The service at this incredibly romantic restaurant is truly impeccable and the menu and wine list are beyond compare.  My favorite dish, which I always enjoy as my entree rather than an appetizer, is the Creme Brulee Fois Gras with Goose liver pate...I know it doesn't sound appetizing to some but I dare you to try this gastronomic delite without dreaming of it long after your trip to New Orleans is merely a memory!  Restaurant Cuvee is the highlight of our trip in spite of the many wonderful restaurants that we enjoyed during our trip to New Orleans.  Check it out on your next trip to NOLA, you won't be disappointed http://www.restaurantcuvee.com/

Dinner at Herbsaint, New Orleans Personal Chef Conference

Arugula w/Roasted Beets, Burrata & Walnut Vinaigrette

Antipasto Platter

Beef Short Rib with Potato Rösti and Salsa Verde

Happy Campers in spite of a not so cheery Waiter!

"Famous Actor" at the next table of Hollywood types..Who Dat??

BANANA BROWN BUTTER TART WITH FLEUR DE SEL CARAMEL

After a very rewarding (and exhausting) day of work at The St. Bernard Project Chef Lauren and hubby Keith joined the other personal chefs for a gourmet dinner at Chef Donald Link's famous Herbsaint restaurant on St. Charles Avenue.  As evidenced by the above referenced photos, the dinner was not only a gastronomic delight but a visual treat as well!  Our waiter was a bit terse to say the least but that was because the table behind us was filled with a movie crew and he was much more concerned with taking care of their needs:-)  The movie star looked familiar but we have yet to determine the movie star's name so if you recognize him from the photo above let me know his name!  If you're in the New Orleans area make sure to visit Herbsaint http://www.herbsaint.com/ but understand that they do not do separate checks or credit cards so you can imagine what it was like trying to figure out how 12 people could pay one check with one credit card!! It all worked out and the food was incredible.

Cake Decorating Fondant & Marzipan Class and Lunch @ Feast

Crispy Roasted Pork Belly, Potato Cake and Red Cabbage

with Apples at FEAST!



Calf's Liver & Bacon w/Mashed potatoes, spinach & onion gravy at FEAST!



Keith enjoys the Pork, Chicken Liver, Cherry and Pistachio Terrine



Chef Lauren's Marzipan pumpkin in decorating class

Tuesday morning class was very interesting and entertaining as chefs from Canada and the United States taught us their individual hints and tips on cake decorating at it's finest.  We all had so much fun trying our hand at making marzipan pumpkins as well as fondant roses.  Most of all we truly enjoyed sharing tips and hints on various desserts and dishes.
Chef Lauren and hubby Keith took a side trip at lunch to try out a newly opened restaurant in the warehouse district called FEAST! Their specialty is Rustic Europeon fare and their ever changing menu is truly a delight to the senses.  If you're in New Orleans make sure to check out this brand new and off the beaten path restaurant, in the meantime check out their website at https://sites.google.com/site/feastneworleans/. 

St. Bernard Project Volunteer New Orleans Personal Chef Conference

Ready for a day of volunteering at St. Bernard Rebuild Project

A new home for Gooby the puppy:-)



Keith moving the family back home



The happy family & volunteers on their front porch

Chef Lauren and hubby Keith (aka The Grillmaster) volunteered for the second year with the St. Bernard Project in New Orleans in conjunction with the Personal Chef Conference.  As in 2009 this volunteer project is so rewarding and we have looked forward to this opportunity all year.  This year we were joined by personal chefs from all over the United States and Canada to volunteer in St. Bernard parish to help the people who were devastated by Hurricane Katrina rebuild and move back into their homes.  This year we had the most rewarding experience of actually doing the final clean up and then actually move the family back into their home!  We worked hard to do the final construction clean up in the house and yard then we met the family at their temporary home and moved their furniture back into their newly refurbished home...including a dog house for their new puppy!!  The family (Mom, Dad and 10 year old daughter) was so very grateful and gracious and words cannot express what a rewarding experience it was for all of us to be a part of the experience of moving the family back into their permenant home!!  If you happen to be in New Orleans please do yourself a favor and volunteer at the St. Bernard project http://www.stbernardproject.org/v158/ , I promise it will be the highlight of your trip!! 

Chef on the Beach Personal Chef Conference in New Orleans, LA

Chef Lauren & hubby Keith (aka The Grillmaster) attended Personal Chef conference in New Orleans, LA along with personal chefs from all over the United States and Canada.  The conference officially started on November 1st but a number of chefs arrived a day early on Halloween to enjoy an evening of costumed fun beginning with dinner at favorite chef John Besh's restaurant "LUKE"!  The dinner was absolutely delicious and we were all able to enjoy our meal with a New Orleans Saints win over the Pittsburgh Steelers:--) A fabulous time was had by all including a walk down famed Bourbon Street to walk off our dinner and enjoy a little "local flavor"!!  Chef Lauren and Keith enjoyed bringing our Pirate and wench personnas to the even more crazy than usual streets of the Big Easy!!

Polo Tailgate Win

Chef Lauren with Best Tailgate Award 2010

Enjoying Polo at the Point 2010

Smoked pulled bbq butt, pickled shrimp & pumpkin dip

A table of delectable delights

Picnic basket, program & Mums & a picture perfect day!

Warming up

Four legged & two legged athletes on the field

Magestic

World Class Polo at Polo at the Point, Point Clear, AL

Last Sunday Chef on the Beach was proud to receive the prize for best Tailgate Tent at Polo at the Point.
The menu included Pickled Shrimp, Turnip & Artichoke Dip, Savory & Sweet Coleslaw Salad, Tomato, Butterbean & Silver Queen corn Salad with Crowder Pea Vinaigrette, Ratatouille with Feta, Green Olives & Almonds, Smoked Spicy BBQ Pulled Pork Butt, Kickin' 4 Baked Beans, Pumpkin Dip with Ginger Snaps, Old Fashioned Banana Pudding & Tar Bars. 
The theme this year was "Beach Meets West" to represent our Beach business venturing west to Point Clear, AL to enjoy a fast paced day of polo, great friends and delicious food.  The tent was decorated with seahorses and seashells in addition to saddles, bridles & polo mallets.  The guests started the day with Bloody Mary's & Mimosas and enjoyed a selection of red and white wines as the food was enjoyed throughout the afternoon. 
This charity event is a fabulous, world class polo event and Chef on the Beach is truly honored to be presented with the Best Tailgate Award 2010!!