Yesterday I shared a peak at the beginning of my trip to New Orleans, so today I’m sharing some more about the actual event, which was centered around lamb. The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine at Tulane University is a really special place. The first dedicated teaching kitchen implemented in a medical school, they also host events for health and foodservice organizations and offer many free cooking classes to help members of the community improve their health through learning to prepare healthy food.
On Tuesday morning when we arrived at the Goldring Center, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast (frittata and fruit for me) and then learned about patterns of lamb consumption as well as how lambs are raised and how their diet impacts how they taste. It was an eye-opener to hear a farmer’s perspective—it was clear from the way he spoke how much he loves and respects the animals he raises. (Link)
After that, we got an in-depth demo on how to butcher a lamb (RIP Loretta). I know it’s not everybody’s idea of a good time, but I found it fascinating and again was struck by the appreciation for the animal and the process of preparing the different parts and really utilizing as much as possible.
After the demo we broke into groups and were each given a recipe to prepare. I was on team burger, where we worked with fresh-ground lamb, mushrooms, and fresh herbs to create delicious lamb burgers served with caramelized onions and melted mozzarella cheese. Other groups made a roast with various veggies, a lamb and bean stew, and flatbread. We ate what we cooked for lunch.
That afternoon I did a little work catch-up and walked around before meeting the group for dinner at Killer PoBoys. The chef put together a beautiful meal featuring local produce and showcasing traditional New Orleans flavors in a new way. My favorite was the salad with the quick-pickled strawberries and fresh herbs. The lamb gumbo was also inventive, and it’s hard for me to not love a slab of beef in a red wine-based sauced. The macerated strawberries & ice cream dessert was also lovely. To drink, we had Underwood canned wine—white for me.
On Wednesday morning, same as Tuesday morning, I started with a trip to the hotel gym and some coffee with a packet of collagen stirred in. This has been a major game-changer for hanger management while traveling.
After a similar breakfast to the day before, we broke into our cooking groups again, only it was Chopped-style, this time. We opened the fridge at our station to find a cut of meat and given a wide variety of ingredients and seasonings to choose from. My group made North African-inspired tacos, and I could resist making a batch of pickled red onions to top them with (link to mo day). Some other creations were a taco salad, an Easter roast with a few different sauces and roasted potatoes, and lamb-and-chickpea meatballs.
After lunch, we headed to the airport, where I enjoyed a few chill hours of writing time. Since I knew “dinner” on the plane was going to be the
turkey jerky
I can’t wait to go back to NOLA—next time for live music and a trip to the Pharmacy Museum. And a ghost tour. And more food. And…
What places have you traveled to and couldn’t wait to revisit?
This has been another installment of the Running with Spoons Thinking Out Loud link party, where randomness is the name of the game. Thanks to Amanda for hosting.
