On a stretch of the oldest street in New Orleans, between the French Quarter and the New Orleans Museum of Art, a historic 1798 West Indies Creole-style plantation home is nestled on two lushly landscaped acres. Here, at this landmark bed and breakfast called The House on Bayou Road, the New Orleans Cooking Experience is "in residence" and thriving.

Judy Jurisich opened the school in April 2004. Her vision: a cooking school that "gives visitors a sense of authentic New Orleans culture. We wanted to offer a peek behind the curtains, to show the how and the why of Cajun and Creole cooking."

Photograph by Peter Krumhardt
Written and produced by Stephen Exel

Recipes are at the end of this story.