come COOK with audrey claire taichman | Rittenhouse Row

Considering the fact that we think making snickerdoodle cookies from a Pillsbury box mix is a big deal, the news that our very own Ritt Row board Audrey Claire Taichman, owner of Audrey Claire and Twenty Manning Grill, will open the doors on her latest project, COOK, on September 6^th is enough to whip us into a complete food frenzy. Not to mention the feast for the eyes that is the line-up of yummy chefs she already has teaching there (To be blunt?they alone will have us throwing on an apron and declaring ourselves their devoted students faster than we usually consume the uncooked cookie mix.)

Sponsored by Philadelphia magazine, COOK is a state-of-the-art, fully-equipped, sixteen-seat kitchen-classroom where guests will discover, prepare and enjoy meals made by the Philadelphia area?s established and up-and-coming masters of food and drink. The collaborative space will offer demonstrations by approximately twenty instructors per month, provide a venue for private events and also house a bookstore, pantry and cookware boutique.

COOK will focus on celebrating the craft of cooking, drinking and gathering at the table. The programming will range from classes by A-list chefs to knife and butchering skills, cookbook author series and a cookbook book club, the art of mixology, stocks and sauces, pizza-making, canning and preserving, home-brewing, an ?open stove? night, kids classes, pastries and much more. Additionally, the boutique retail space at COOK will sell a variety of cookbooks from around the world, specialty food periodicals, private label pantry items and unique food products, gifts and kitchen gadgets.

The schedule for September features a number of the region?s big name chefs and celebrities including:

9/6?????????Georges Perrier ? Le Bec-Fin, Table 31, Georges?, Mia, The Art of Bread

9/10???????Michael Solomonov ? Zahav, Percy Street Barbecue, Xochitl, Federal Donuts

9/16???????Michael Schulson ? Sampan, Izakaya

9/19?????? Shane Solomon ? Pizzeria Stella

9/21?????? Daniel Stern ? R2L, MidAtlantic

9/23 ????? Peter Woolsey ? Bistrot La Minette

9/25?????? Ahmir ??uestlove? Thompson ?? Co-founder/Drummer of The Roots, DJ, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

9/26?????? David Katz ? M?m??

9/27?????? Mitch Prensky ? Supper, The Global Dish Caterers

All of COOK?s teachers and classes will gain from promotion in-print and online, and the space will provide a platform for exposing their talents, restaurants, menus, businesses and passions to an audience of devoted food lovers.

Taichman is incredibly excited about the project, and describes it as ?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. Bringing together the city?s diverse culture of food lovers, getting their support and creating a collaborative spirit within the larger restaurant and food community is really what COOK is all about.?

COOK?s Executive Director is Lily Cope, who worked previously as the founding director of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation?s Philly Homegrown? initiative, a multi-pronged communications campaign designed to promote the people, places and flavors of the region?s 100-mile foodshed. Alongside Taichman and Cope will be Jackie Baik, Director of Development, brought on after years with STARR Restaurants as their Development and Facilities Coordinator. With STARR, Jackie was on the opening teams for a number of their restaurants in Philadelphia, many of whose chefs will be teaching classes at COOK.?

COOK?s dream kitchen is also for hire. Taichman notes that ?everyone gravitates towards the kitchen when you have a party. Now, people can have their guests congregate in ours.? The space will be available to rent out for private events where COOK?s expert staff will prepare, serve and clean up for guests in their modern and comfortable setting. Private events, where guests BYOC (Bring Your Own Chef), are also welcome. Pricing available upon request.

COOK will be Taichman?s third venture on a small block of South 20th Street where she and her restaurants have been neighborhood anchors for 15 years. Cook will be located at the corner of Rittenhouse and 20th Streets, right up the street from Twenty Manning Grill and Audrey Claire.

To stay up to date on COOK?s progress, subscribe to their email list at www.audreyclairecook.com; you can also follow COOK on Facebook and Twitter.

Audrey Claire Taichman, with Jackie Baik and Lily Cope, of COOK.

Photo Credit: Suzanne Tenuto Photography 2011

Source: http://rittenhouserow.org/index.php/3465

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