Ruffino’s hosts Miss USA contestants

Contestants in the 2014 Miss USA pageant visited new Ruffino’s downtown catering facility, De La Ronde Hall, last Sunday. The stop was one of many for the 51 women who have been participating in events around the city for the past two weeks in preparation for Sunday’s big event at the River Center. Ruffino’s Executive Chef Peter Sclafani and his brother Gino hosted a private cooking class for the contestants, which was taped for a special feature that will air during NBC’s broadcast Sunday night. At the class, the Sclafanis shared a few signature Italian-Creole recipes, including shrimp and grits with alligator sausage, crawfish Agnolotti with a sauté of Louisiana crawfish, pan-roasted Louisiana red snapper with seafood-stuffed mirliton and lemon butter, and white chocolate bread pudding with Maker’s Mark Crčme Anglaise. —Matthew Sigur