Brush up on your cooking skills and learn something new from the supremely talented Chef Carl Drake during cooking classes at Drake’s Gourmet Foods & Catering! Prior to opening Drake’s Gourmet Foods, the Culinary Institute of America–trained Chef Drake worked at Le Bec-Fin, Opus 251 and Bacchus Market. How’s that for some fine credentials?
Classes will be offered for groups of four people, providing an intimate atmosphere to hone culinary skills that will increase proficiency and enjoyment in your home kitchen.
All classes will start at 6 p.m. on Mondays and 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Classes are designed for people over the age of 16. Complimentary wine will be served to all students 21 and older.
Soup Class with Knife Skills
3-hour class, $65 per person
Learn knife skills, including chopping, mincing, slicing, dicing, julienne and sharpening, as well as how to create vegetable stock, chicken noodle soup and roasted butternut squash soup. Please bring your own chef’s knife & paring knife (but if you don’t have these, don’t worry!).
Simple Sauces
2-hour class, $55 per person
Get Chef Drake’s secret recipes for salad dressing, marinara, pan gravy and basic aioli. Once you’ve mastered these basic sauces, your culinary repertoire will expand dramatically.
Hors d’Oeuvres I
2-hour class, $55 per person
This course features easy items that don’t require an oven: sushi (tuna roll & avocado roll), Boursin cheese–stuffed grape tomatoes, hummus, and crudites with dips. Impress your guests this holiday season!
Hors d’Oeuvres II
2.5-hour class, $60 per person
Why buy frozen when you can make fresh? An array of hors d’oeuvres will be covered, including spanakopita, guacamole with hand-made chips, sun-dried tomato risotto cakes and deviled eggs.
Tea Sandwich 101
2-hour class; $55 per person
Get the inside scoop on how Drake’s makes its famous tea sandwiches. Varieties include chicken salad, egg salad with dill, cream cheese with olive, cucumber and the popular ribbon (ham salad, egg salad & watercress).
One-Dish Dinner
2-hour class; $55 per person
It’s the ultimate comfort food cooking class, as chicken pot pie, bananas foster and meatloaf take center stage. Perfect for the cold months ahead!
Create-Your-Own-Class
Interested in French cuisine? Or St. Louis BBQ Ribs? Maybe a Mexican-themed dinner party? Give Drake’s a call—they’ll be more than happy to accommodate you. Classes involving the ins and outs of cooking a complete meal are also available. Pricing for these courses will vary.
Chef Carl will also come to your location for a fun and delicious evening of culinary education! Email him directly here for more details and to book your evening.
For more details about any of the classes, call Drake’s at (215) 247-5911. Make your reservation by calling ahead at least five days to check for availability.
Drake’s Gourmet Foods & Catering is located at 8419 Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia.
Photo credits: Drake’s Gourmet Foods & Catering.
