Last Saturday, COOK was honored to host Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist, Garance Doré and Ouigi Theodore of Brooklyn Circus for a reception, Q&A and signing of Scott’s fantastic new book, Closer. Stopping in to visit us before a bigger signing over at the Barnes Foundation, the crew, joined by Ouigi’s beautiful girlfriend Gigi, were all extremely warm in greeting Philadelphia fashion fanatics who’d come out to hear what makes the popular street-style photographer tick. Handling a comprehensive Q&A led by Ouigi thoughtfully and passionately, Scott also took the time to sign everyone’s books and talk to the crowd, all of whom came dressed in their best — a truly great showing for Philly style!
Often to referred to as the godfather of Nuevo Latino cuisine, chef Douglas Rodriguez is a man of many talents, but he has a particularly sharp skill for creating sublime ceviche — the man knows his fish! We at COOK were lucky to have the founding chef and co-owner of Rittenhouse’s long-running Alma de Cuba in to school us on the particulars of this Latin specialty.
For the past two Septembers, Philadelphians have been lucky to experience Feastival, an annual fete bringing together Philadelphia’s elite chefs and restaurants to benefit the Philadelphia Live Arts and Philly Fringe, one of the biggest urban arts festivals in the nation. A mainstay of the Feastival is its auction — a number of exclusive packages go up for bidding, with all proceeds directly supporting the arts in Philadelphia. The ultimate food-centric experience offered as part of 2011’s Feastival auction became an opulent reality in March, when seven of the city’s most celebrated chefs created an unprecedented private dinner party for an exclusive group of Philly-based patrons of the arts.
For most of us, grilled cheese is synonymous with childhood — it reminds us of those cold winter days when mom would butter up thick slices of bread encasing gooey, melty cheese and serve it alongside a mug of creamy tomato soup. Eventually we grow up and our sandwiches start getting fancier (think a roasted turkey/brie/avocado/Dijon mustard situation!). The old-school grilled cheeses we ate as kids become a thing of the past, at best an occasional diner indulgence or preemptive snack before a long evening of drinking. Last Thursday at COOK, however, the wonderful Aimee Olexy of Talula’s Table and Talula’s Garden showed all of us just how versatile and sophisticated a simple thing like grilled cheese can really be!
Gluten-free (GF) eating is something we’re hearing about so much these days, but unless you’re living this way, chances are you may not know the details. For me, I’ve long been curious: Does a gluten-free diet mean you’re consistently looking for adequate substitutions, or do you take efforts to avoid gluten-centric foods (pasta, sandwiches, breads) altogether? Enter talented chef Waldemar “Val” Stryjewski of Rittenhouse’s a. kitchen and his sumptuous multi-course gluten-free menu, and you’ve got a memorable evening dedicated to learning about the GF lifestyle — all while drinking good wine and eating great food!
We all know Philadelphia is a BYOB-loving town — you can barely walk down a city block without passing one. Don’t get me wrong, I love to bring my own wine to dinner. I sometimes wish I had one of those cool neon-colored neoprene bottle holders. But with so many good options around here, who do you trust? You can trust me on this one: Go to Pumpkin. In 2004, chef Ian Moroney and his wife Hillary Bor opened their small South Street restaurant with a simple goal: providing an unpretentious food and wine experience that is accessible to everyone. For seven years, the couple kept up this approach, changing their menu daily to showcase the best products from local purveyors. Then, last December, Chris Kearse came on as chef de cuisine and began taking Pumpkin in an exciting new direction, bringing fascinating new ingredients and techniques to the table while still honoring Ian and Hillary’s philosophy. We knew we had to get them in here ASAP!
