We’re incredibly excited to welcome you back to COOK!
To kick off our return to the kitchen, COOK has organized a very special series of virtual classes from Monday, June 29th to Friday, July 3rd (6pm daily) with 100% of net proceeds benefiting Cooking for the Culture and Black Lives Matter Philly. Six Philadelphia chefs and veteran COOK instructors are generously donating their time and talents to raise funds and awareness.
For those who would like to cook along with the instructors, grocery lists and recipes will be sent one week prior to class. Just want to watch? We’d love to see you too!
Zoom call-in details will be sent the morning of each class.
Note: Due to the fundraising nature of these classes, gift certificates cannot be applied toward registration.
Enrollment opens at 2pm this Thursday, June 18 with each class starting at $100. Here’s a sneak peek of our lineup!
Monday, June 29, 6pm: Lobster The Laurel Way with Nick Elmi of Laurel, ITV and Royal Boucherie
For our long-awaited return to the COOK kitchen, we’re going big – Nick Elmi big! Top Chef Season 11 winner Elm has built a solid French repertoire that is constantly updated with influences from his travels as well as his upbringing in New England. For this inaugural virtual class at COOK, the chef behind Laurel, ITV and Royal Boucherie returns to his roots with a tutorial on how to prepare a most New England of ingredients – lobster (or lobstah, as they say it up north). Following a demonstration of how to break down a whole lobster, Elmi will share tips and tricks used at Laurel to make perfect, buttery, tender lobster with some small garnishes. Menu is gluten free. Approximate class length: 1 hour.
Tuesday, June 30, 6pm: Mom’s Fried Chicken Dinner with Malik Ali
Soul food is a loose term used to describe regional cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African Americans of the Southern United States. And while the cuisine may not be the best for our waistlines, it is downright, downhome comfort food. Join Malik Ali as he prepares a soulful, rib-sticking supper, an homage to dishes he learned from his own mother Adrianne. Most recently in the kitchen at SOUTH, Malik previously worked at Joncarl Lachman’s Noord and Neuf, Lachman’s and Lee Styer’s The Dutch, followed by The Blue Duck and The Ugly Duckling. Honored by Zagat as a finalist for their 30 Under 30 list, Malik is a frequent collaborator with Cooking for the Culture. Approximate class length: 1.5 hours.
Wednesday, July 1, 6pm: A Night In Hawaii with Kiki Aranita and Chris Vacca of Poi Dog $100
Kiki Aranita and Chris Vacca of the fantastic Hawaiian food truck, Poi Dog Snack Shop, opened a brick-and-mortar Poi Dog in 2017 on 21st Street between Chestnut and Sansom Streets. Kiki (who is originally from Hawaii and Hong Kong) and Chris (from the Philly area) started the truck because they longed for Hawaiian food 5,000 miles away from the islands and wanted to share their experiences of what people eat in Hawaii with mainlanders. And we couldn’t be happier that they did! This virtual class offers a crash course on preparing two Hawaiian staples: ahi poke and spam musubi. Both dishes contain soy and gluten but are dairy-free. Approximate class length: 1 hour.
Thursday, July 2, 6pm: Empanadas and Chimichurri 101 with Jezabel Careaga of Jezabel’s $100
Looking to up your Hot Pocket game? Meet the empanada, the stuffed pastry baked or fried that you can find throughout Latin America. Empanadas, while they may be found by different names in such far-flung places as India and the Philippines, are most closely associated with Argentina. Lucky for you, there’s a little slice of Argentina in Philadelphia. Operated by Argentine expat Jezabel Careaga, Jezabel’s offers tastes of Argentina from her childhood, while fusing global tastes and flavors in uniquely delicious ways. Jezabel will lead viewers in a empanada lesson, walking you through the process of making the fillings (both beef and vegetarian versions), assembling the empanadas and making the chimichurri. BUT there is homework – because the dough needs to be made in advance, you will need to prepare your dough the day before class and rest it in the refrigerator. If only all homework was this delicious, right? Approximate class length: 1 hour.
Friday, July 3, 6pm: Chicken and Rice Made Nice with Jason Moss $100
Personal chef, cooking instructor and athlete Jason Moss believes that eating healthy should not be a bland, boring experience. Contrary to what you may think, eating healthy doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor. Jason combines his love of healthy living and cooking to help others live the best life that they can. Pick up a new way to prepare chicken and rice as Jason demonstrates Filipino pineapple chicken with sticky rice. Menu contains dairy but no gluten or soy. Approximate class length: 1 hour.
