Live demonstration at Jazz Fest 2019

Kim Dejan, owner and Pastry Chef of KD’s NOLA Treats, grew up watching her mother prepare meals for the family.  “Praline was a frequent aroma as my mother prepared this for friends and family quite often.  It seemed like my mom was the go to for parties.  She would whip up a pan of pasta in no time and make a lil’ extra for the house.  I loved when she made us praline.  It was something about that sweet smell that filled the house.  But the best part wasn’t just the smell, it was eating it, of course.  So when I received an invite to perform a live demonstration of how to make Praline, I jumped at the opportunity!”

Kim is a New Orleans Native who attends Jazz Fest regularly and even dreams of the day of becoming a dessert vendor at the festival. While Kim prepared Praline for fest-goers she explained the origin of Praline and the memories she has from watching her mom make it.  “The process takes about 30 minutes, with the majority of time spent stirring the pot.  Once the temperature is hot enough, you have to scoop the praline onto parchment quickly so that the candy doesn’t harden. I made several prepackaged samples for the crowd to taste but there were those who’d prefer their Praline warm and fresh out of the pot, just as I did when I was a kid.  This was truly a memory I’ll never forget!”