For my birthday, my husband got me a gift card for Audrey Claire COOK, a collaborative cooking demonstration in Philadelphia. I finally redeemed it, and we attended a class a couple weeks ago.

The intimate cooking demonstrations take place in a Rittenhouse Square storefront. Chefs from around Philadelphia and beyond host the sought-after classes. Each class only accepts about 16 attendees, so they often sell out within minutes of being posted.

Our class was a soulful seafood class with Chef Malik Ali, formerly of SOUTH, Noord and The Dutch. Chef Ali was joined by his mother, who acted as his sous chef for the evening. The comfort food menu featured four courses of indulgent seafood.

Up first, crab mac and cheese. This rich dish was my favorite of the night. Next, a Cajun seafood chowder with shrimp and mussels. The main course was scallops with garlic mashed potatoes, collard greens and pickled corn relish. For dessert, we enjoyed banana pudding with vanilla cake, wafer crumble, salted caramel and whipped cream. Some of the more time-consuming items were prepared ahead of time, but the majority of the meal was prepared before our eyes.

I enjoyed hearing about Chef Ali’s background, relationship to food/cooking and his tips for cooking and dining in Philadelphia.

In addition to the classes, the demonstration kitchen also hosts private events and sells items from its pantry and bookstore.

This Philadelphia dining experience is one I’ve been looking forward to for a long time, and it did not disappoint.

— Katie Skrzek, vice president/digital director