NEW IBERIA, La. --- Chef Sheri L. Raleigh, owner of Cast Iron Skillet Culinaire, LLC and founder of @blackwomenchefs and @giftsfromtheancestors on Instagram, will host a free seminar of Louisiana Creole foodways on Sat., June 24, 2023 from 1 - 3:30 p.m. at Shadows-on-the Teche Visitor Center (320 E. Main St.).

This program, offered jointly by the Iberia African American Historical Society Center for Research and Learning and the Shadows, is suitable for an adult audience and is being held free of charge, however, seating is limited and reservations are required. To register, visit EventBrite.

Th Gifts from the Ancestors Foodways Project explores Louisiana Creole food, culture and family heritage. The GFTA Foodways Project event will include a food demonstration and an interactive presentation including food genealogy, family heritage and Acadiana history. There will also be doorprizes donated from Tabasco and Konriko Company Store/Conrad Rice Mill.

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

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.

About the Iberia African American Historical Society

The mission of The Iberia African American Historical Society is to foster the appreciation, understanding, and teaching of the long, rich, and unique history of African Americans in Iberia Parish; and also, by example and through programs and activities, to encourage and promote research, preservation, and publication of historical materials related to the history of African Americans in Iberia Parish. The IAAHS is a not-for-profit organization that funds special programs and events through donations. For more information, and to become a member, visit IAAHS.org.

About the Iberia African American Historical Society Center for Research and Learning

The Center for Research and Learning facilitates the ongoing research and preservation of the African American influence in both historical and present-day Iberia Parish. Founded in 1868, Iberia Parish is comprised of land that was once part of four surrounding parishes: Lafayette, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion. The Center for Research and Learning accomplishes its mission through robust community engagement, acquiring and digitizing records, objects, and photographs that represent the inclusive history of the parish, and maintaining an archive that is both physically and virtually accessible. The Center for Research and Learning and its resources are available to schools for curriculum development and integration, family historians, researchers, and those interested in learning the full and inclusive history of Iberia Parish.  

About Shadows-on-the-Teche

The Shadows-on-the-Teche, National Trust for Historic Preservation site, opened to the public in 1961 with the mission to preserve the buildings, landscape, collections, and historical integrity of the site; to research and interpret through education programs a 19th century southern Louisiana plantation economy and community and their evolution; and to encourage an appreciation of and interest in historic preservation. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns and operates the Shadows-on-the-Teche, is a private, non-profit organization. The Shadows does not receive funding from federal, state, parish, or city government. The site supports itself through admissions, special programs and events, and donations to the Friends of the Shadows.

For more information, contact Jayd Buteaux at (337) 369-6446 or visit GFTA's website.