At COOK, we have a deep respect for the
process, not simply the product. We believe that a great meal is not simply a service one receives but an experience one participates in.
COOK is a state-of-the-art, fully-equipped, sixteen-seat kitchen-classroom to discover, prepare and enjoy meals made from local and seasonal ingredients. With the help of our sponsors, Philadelphia Magazine and Foobooz.com, our space provides a platform for classes, conversation, demonstrations, experimentation, and private dining events focused on celebrating the craft of cooking, drinking and gathering at the table. Our intimate setting is an ideal laboratory for learning. COOK’s bookstore, boutique, kitchen, and expert staff are a resource for Philadelphia’s vibrant and diverse culture of food lovers - a space where everyone from the aspiring novice chef to the most decorated masters of cuisine can come to share their love and knowledge of food and drink.
So explore, learn and taste. Come COOK with us!
JENNIFER CARROLL
CARMEN QUAGLIATA & DANNY MEYER
ROBERT AIKENS
AUDREY CLAIRE TAICHMAN & GEORGES PERRIER
MICHAEL SCHULSON
JONATHAN ADAMS, AKA “JOHNNY MAC”
MICHAEL SOLOMONOV
BARBARA LYNCH
TERENCE FEURY
MICHAEL KLEIN & GIANLUCA DEMONTIS
MATTHEW RIDGWAY & JEAN-MARIE LACROIX
Audrey Claire Taichman, owner of Philadelphia
restaurants Audrey Claire and Twenty Manning Grill, opened the doors on her latest project, a demonstration kitchen called COOK, in September 2011. ABOUT COOK serves 16 Established in September 2011 16-seat kitchen/ classroom Sponsored by Philadelphia Magazine and Foobooz.com Approximately 25 classes per month Bookstore, pantry and cookware boutique
Sponsored by Philadelphia Magazine and
Foobooz.com, COOK is a state-of-the-art collaborative kitchen-classroom, featuring demonstrations by Philadelphia’s established and aspiring chefs. The collaborative space offers cooking classes and demonstration dinners by approximately twenty-five guest chefs per month and also houses a bookstore, pantry and cookware boutique. In a city with an emerging and dynamic restaurant scene, COOK has become the culinary hub for Philadelphia’s highly talented chef population to hone and share their love for food with the public and each other.
COOK celebrates the craft of cooking, drinking and gathering at the table.
PREVIOUSLY AT COOK
Programming ranges from
intimate, demonstration-style dinners led by A-list chefs and restaurateurs (including Michael Solomonov, Danny Meyer, Jennifer Carroll, Georges Perrier, Kevin Sbraga and Barbara Lynch) to knife and butchering skills, a cookbook author series, mixology classes, stocks and sauces, pasta-making, canning and preserving, home-brewing, an “Open Stove� competition night, kids classes, pastry and much more.
Jonathan Adams Robert Aikens Pierre Calmels Jennifer Carroll Joe Cicala Jon Cichon Jason Cichonski Nicholas Elmi Terence Feury Brian Freedman David Katz Jean-Marie Lacroix Barbara Lynch Danny Meyer Emilio Mignucci Aimee Olexy Georges Perrier Mitch Prensky Carmen Quagliata Chip Roman George Sabatino Kevin Sbraga Chris Scarduzio Michael Schulson Sylva Senat Michael Solomonov Daniel Stern Lee Styer Peter Woolsey
PIERRE CALMELS
DANIEL STERN
Here’s how it works. Classes and dinners at
COOK 101 Scheduled two months in advance Transportation and accomodation provided Chefs receive appearance fee plus reimbursement of food costs
COOK are scheduled two months in advance. Guest chefs work with the COOK team to finalize their theme or menu and then work on the best way to source the ingredients (either through their own kitchens or through COOK’s). Transportation to and accommodation in Philadelphia are also provided. All food costs are reimbursed and chefs are paid a fee for their appearance at COOK. Guest chefs are encouraged to bring a sous chef to help prep and plate. COOK offers two servers and a dishwasher nightly so there is no serving or cleaning required on the part of the visting chef. A basic pantry of spices, oils, and other staples, as well as all cookware, dishware, glassware, etc are provided by COOK. Guests purchase seats to the class online. At class, they are provided with beverage pairings by COOK that complement the chef’s menu (unless the chef chooses to bring his/her own pairings). Typically, chefs prepare/demo 5 courses in front of the guests, all the while explaining the process, answering questions and talking with guests.
Two servers and dishwasher provided Basic pantry items, cookware, dishware, glassware provided Seats sold online Beverage pairings provided Typical demo features five courses
COOK is also a proud partner of Wyebrook Farm. Located in Honey Brook, PA, Wyebrook provides an alternative to the industrial food supply. By creating a diverse polyculture on his farm, Farmer Dean and his staff produce the healthiest animals and best food without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, hormones or antibiotics. Many local residents and area chefs have already tasted the high quality meats Farmer Dean raises, and COOK is pleased to be the exclusive Center City location to pick up Wyebrook’s sustainably-raised beef, pork, poultry and produce. Visiting chefs are also able to sample and/or use Wyebrook products when teaching at COOK.
COOK is the perfect place
for a chef to promote a new restaurant, cookbook or menu. All of COOK’s guest chefs and classes gain from promotion in-print and online, and the space provides a platform for exposing their talent and passion to an audience of devoted food lovers. COOK works closely with sponsors Philadelphia Magazine and Foobooz.com to promote classes and chefs. COOK places a montly advertisement in Philadelphia Magazine with a complete list of upcoming classes.
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ADDITIONAL PROMOTIONS
An email database of 15,000+ subscribers who receive bi-monthly emails Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and COOKbook, the COOK blog We take photos and video of each and every chef. Both are available to chefs and their publicists for their own promotional use.
JONATHAN ADAMS
ROBERT AIKENS
KIONG BANH
LOU BOQUILA
JON CICHON
JASON CICHONSKI
ANNE COLL
GIANLUCA DEMONTIS
JEAN-MARIE LACROIX
BARBARA LYNCH
DANNY MEYER
EMILIO MIGNUCCI
BEN PUCHOWITZ
CARMEN QUAGLIATA
MATTHEW RIDGWAY
CHIP ROMAN
MICHAEL SCHULSON
SYLVA SENAT
MICHAEL SOLOMONOV
DANIEL STERN
PIERRE CALMELS
JENNIFER CARROLL
KATIE CAVUTO BOYLE
JOE CICALA
NICHOLAS ELMI
TERENCE FEURY
BRIAN FREEDMAN
DAVID KATZ
JEREMY NOLEN
AIMEE OLEXY
GEORGES PERRIER
MITCH PRENSKY
GEORGE SABATINO
KEVIN SBRAGA
CHRIS SCARDUZIO
SCOTT SCHROEDER
VAL STRYJEWSKI
LEE STYER
ROB WASSERMAN
PETER WOOLSEY
“Usually being confined to a kitchen prohibits a lot of guest interaction. It’s a humbling feeling to actually have the ability to watch a guest enjoy what we work so hard for. COOK has become a forum for not just chefs but everyone passionate about food to come together and be immersed in the whole culinary culture, without pressure or pretense. We end up laughing as hard as we cook.”
Nicholas Elmi Executive Chef, Rittenhouse Tavern
“COOK is an awesome place for chefs to get out of the comfort of their own kitchens and get right in front of their guests.”
Kevin Sbraga Chef-Owner, Sbraga
“COOK is easily the top resource in the city for learning about food, wine, drinks, and everything in between. No matter what the subject of each individual event may be, the COOK team manages to create an atmosphere that’s both sophisticated and fun — not an easy balance to strike. It’s no wonder that classes sell out so regularly and so quickly, and that the top chefs in the region are involved. I’m thrilled to be a part of COOK and look forward to my wine evenings each month. I’m as proud of them as I am of any classes or dinners I’ve ever hosted.”
Brian Freedman Food and Wine Writer
“The ability to connect is part of the art of cooking. COOK provides the perfect forum for every chef to step out of their kitchen for a night and share their true passion of the craft.”
Michael Schulson Chef-Owner, Sampan, Izakaya, St. James Place
“COOK is such a great venue to host a demo because the space is so intimate. It draws those who are very interested in what you do, and that makes it really fun. The kitchen is outfitted so well that it is a joy to perform there.”
Jon Cichon Executive Chef, Lacroix
“Think of one of Philadelphia’s top chefs dropping by to show his (or her) stuff in your fantasy kitchen after you’ve invited some new friends over for drinks. That’s the feel of a COOK evening. Except you don’t have to chill the white, lock up the Jack Russell, or wash the sauté pans.”
Rick Nichols Philadelphia Inquirer Food Critic Since 1978
PRIVATE EVENTS Chef tastings Menu development Video shoots Birthday parties Anniversary parties Graduation parties Bridal showers Rehearsal dinners Retirement parties Corporate gatherings Just-for-the-heck-of-it
COOK is available to rent
by chefs, restaurateurs, investors and film crews for tastings, menu development and video shoots. It is also the perfect space to host a special event or private party where an expert staff can prepare, serve and clean up for guests in our dream kitchen. Private events, where guests BYOC (Bring Your Own Chef), are also welcome.
The boutique retail space at COOK features one of the most extensive collections of cookbooks on the East Coast, periodicals, specialty food items, private label pantry products, gifts and kitchen gadgets. BOUTIQUE INCLUDES: Cookbooks and periodicals Private label items Knife rolls Gift certificates Herbs and spices Cheese accoutrements Wine specialty items Modern utensils Bamboo tools Mixing bowls Barware Artisinal foods Tea and coffee gear Kitchen linens Soaps and candles All-Clad cookware Butcher blocks
To read more about COOK, visit our regularly updated Press page: audreyclairecook.com/press.html
MICHAEL KLEIN
DAVID LIPSON
RICK NICHOLS
philly.com/food
Philadelphia Magazine
Philadelphia Inquirer
The COOK Masters Program:
an instructional cooking series taught by some of the city’s and country’s biggest culinary names, for students who are truly passionate about pursuing a professional career in the restaurant industry. The first semester of THE COOK MASTERS PROGRAM will begin in January 2013. COOK has already secured an impressive roster of professional chefs as instructors. Signed on so far are: Michael Solomonov (Zahav, Percy Street Barbecue, Federal Donuts, Citron and Rose), Marc Vetri (Vetri, Osteria, Amis, Alla Spina), Jean-Marie Lacroix (Lacroix, Brûlée Catering), Pierre Calmels (Bibou), Nick Elmi (Rittenhouse Tavern), Jon Cichon (Lacroix), Georges Perrier (Le Bec-Fin, Table 31, Georges’, Mia, The Art of Bread), Guillermo Tellez (Square 1682, Red Owl Tavern), Peter Woolsey (Bistrot La Minette), Michael Schulson (Sampan, Izakaya, St. James Place), Jeff Benjamin (Vetri), Aimee Olexy (Talula’s Table, Talula’s Garden), Joe Cicala (Le Virtu), Jason Cichonski (Ela) and MANY more. Also involved in the project as partners are Philadelphia Magazine and Foobooz, who will help hand-select the ten students per semester to ensure they are invested in the industry. All are welcome to apply: line cooks, culinary students, dishwashers,aspiring chefs… No fancy resume necessary. Applicants will be chosen by one simple criteria: a genuine passion to cook in a restaurant kitchen. The overall goal is to grant each student as many as 20 hours of hands-on work with instructors. This experience will ideally lead to an intern position (“stage”) in a chef/instructor’s kitchen or even entry-level employment. COOK’s owner, Audrey Claire Taichman, says, “With the help and generosity of our chef friends, we are working to foster the next generation of Philly chefs. This is such a strong culinary community – and we not only want to make it stronger but we all want to do our part to give back”
COOK MASTERS PROGRAM Begins January 2013 Ten students per semester Hands-on experience with the city’s and the country’s biggest culinary names IF YOU’D LIKE TO BE PART OF THE COOK MASTERS SERIES, CONTACT US TODAY!
To plan a visit or for more information about COOK, please contact Lily Cope, COOK’s Executive Director: lily@audreyclairecook.com 215.735.COOK (2665) or mobile: 215-565-5937 253 SOUTH TWENTIETH STREET
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103
AUDREYCLAIRECOOK.COM