Take a group of New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute (NOCHI) alumni, add in a multi-course menu and you have NOCHI Presents Cooking for a Cause on Sept. 21 at NOCHI’s headquarters.
Among the dishes they prepared were praline-filled beignets, cornbread gourgeres with a peach gazpacho, boudin dumplings, jackfruit oyster mushroom “crab” cake with kimchi, braised oxtail fried ravioli with chimichurri demi-glace, port wine chocolate cake and many more tasty dishes.
Specialty cocktails included the Figgy Mai Tai, Strawberry Moscow Mule and Negronis.
Culinary forays were the highlight of the 24-item silent auction and included “An Enchanted Evening in the Garden District! A Dinner Party with the Browers,” which was a dinner prepared by Chef Geordie Brower, NOCHI graduate Jordan Entwisle and members from The Commissary at the historic home of Lauren and George Brower, and the “Louisiana Fish Fry at the Last Batture Settlement of New Orleans with Dickie Brennan and Greg Reggio,” which featured a fish fry, side dishes and specialty cocktails from Cathead Distillery all served at a home with one-of-a-kind views of the Mississippi River.
Event co-chairs were Megan Eustis and Margaret Beer; honorary co-chairs were Lauren and George Brower and Leigh Ann and Sean Tuohy.
Funds raised at the event go to NOCHI’s scholarship fund and programming.
Fun Facts
All the food prepared for the event was planned, cooked and served by alumni of the NOCHI 100-day certificate program, which included Michael Breese, Whitney Myers, Erik Nunley, London L’Hoste-Larson, Catina Smothers and Martha Gilreath.
Megan Eustis, Ti Martin, Margaret Beer
Sean Tuohy, Leigh Anne Tuohy, Lauren Brower, George Brower
Ben Dupuy, Sweet Dupuy
Leslie Iwerks, Frances Roy, Deb Elam, Cary Grant
Gary Lorio, Hartley Crunk
NOCHI Alumnae – Catina Smothers, London L’Hoste-Larson, Martha Gilreath, Whitney Myers
