Tired of your usual go-to dishes? Top Philly chefs are teaching classes on everything from sausage to cookies.
COOK
253 S. 20th St.
Audrey Claire Taichman didn’t really need another reason to spend more time on her little nook of South 20th Street. Between Audrey Claire and Twenty Manning Grill — her two neighborhood mainstays — she’s there plenty, thank you. But her latest venture into the Philly culinary scene, COOK, allows her to experience a whole other side of the restaurant biz.
“After 15 years of hard restaurant work, while this is a lot of work, it’s so much fun,” she says of her new demonstration kitchen and boutique, which opened last month. “I feel so privileged to hear another chef teach and watch the guests appreciate what we do.”
A 16-seat kitchen classroom, COOK hosts everything from celebrity chefs to children’s classes, with a simple unifying mission: Get messy, and then get together and enjoy a delicious meal.
On the COOK calendar
What’s cooking at COOK this month? Plenty! Classes range from $45-$135, and reservations are required.
Oct. 16: “Perfectly Pumpkin Desserts” with Adriana King of Jones
Oct. 17: “Basics of Sausage Making” with Nick Macri of Southwark
Oct. 31: “Halloween Party” with Pumpkin’s Ian Moroney and Christopher Kearse
More cooking classes
Oh, You Bake
If you have a discerning sweet tooth, chances are you’ve already met pastry chef Adriane Appleby’s high-profile confections. After leaving Jose Garces’ Amada, she went on to bake Those Cupcakes at G-Ho darling Betty’s Speakeasy. Now, she’s sharing her secrets with a series of baking classes out of West Philly’s Green Line Cafe (43rd St. and Baltimore Ave.).“I really like the nerdy, technical side of baking,” says Appleby, who will be teaching classes for both fellow pros and casual home chefs interested in stepping up their holiday baking game. “But there will, of course, be classes where we learn how to decorate sugar cookies.”
Tria Fermentation School
1601 Walnut St.
With its low-key atmosphere and meticulously curated menu, it’s no surprise that Center City wine/cheese/beer destination Tria also boasts a classroom series that’s wildly popular among nerdy foodies. Classes for their Fermentation School sell out quickly, so visit the website to sign up for e-mail notices on upcoming classes — which make pretty sweet holiday gifts, if you’re wondering what we’re wishing for. On our October radar: A session with Philly cheese queen Tenaya Darlington (aka Madame Fromage) on Oct. 28.
