Lili Courtney isn't a traditional chef. Known as the "Queen of Condiments," Courtney has been cooking, teaching and serving up dishes in Louisiana for 25 years. She considers herself a culinary instructor.

"My passion for cooking started with my daddy," Courtney said. "There were eight children in our family, and that was a lot of mouths to feed."

After Sunday morning Mass, Courtney's parents would gather in their small home kitchen in Alexandria and fill a 12-inch skillet with enough water to poach eggs for 10 people. They would make eggs Benedict and stir up a pitcher of milk punch made with ice cream.

As a stay-at-home mom in Baton Rouge, Courtney did not stay idle; she took every cooking class she could get her hands on.

In her 20s, Courtney took cooking classes in New Orleans from

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