Chef Sheri L. Raleigh, owner of Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, LLC and founder of @blackwomenchefs and @giftsfromtheancestors on Instagram, hosted a free seminar of Louisiana Creole foodways. This program was offered jointly by the Iberia African American Historical Society Center for Research and Learning and the Shadows.

The Gifts from the Ancestors Foodways Project explores Louisiana Creole food, culture, and family heritage. The GFTA Foodways Project event included a food demonstration and an interactive presentation that included food genealogy, family heritage, and Acadiana history.

Chef Sheri shared experiences from her digital cookbook, Gifts From the Ancestors - Okra & Tomatoes, 25 Recipes Celebrating the Heart of Acadiana. She also previewed her upcoming work, Creole Celebrations, Kreyol a lété fèt!

Door prizes for the workshop were graciously donated by Tabasco and Conrad Rice Mill.

ABOUT THE CHEF
Chef Sheri is a native of Lake Charles, La. and a graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La. where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Food Hospitality and Nutrition.

Cast Iron Skillet Culnaire, LLC was established in 2012 offering culinary edutainment and team building classes. Chef Sheri served as an administrator and educator in public education for 35 years. The proceeds from the digital cookbooks help to fund the Lawrence J. and Viola M. Raleigh Education Fund benefitting aspiring black women chefs in collaboration with the Texas Restaurant Association Foundation.