Can I book a single seat in a class?

No. Every event is private, and the kitchen is reserved for your group alone. Companies book team-building events, and individuals book birthdays, bachelorette parties and family celebrations.

How many people can come?

The Team Builder takes 10 to 30 guests. The Market Basket Challenge and the Team Builder Light each take 10 to 24 guests.

How long does an event last?

Each program runs 3 hours. That covers a reception, about an hour of hands-on cooking and a sit-down meal.

The Team Builder includes sparkling wine at the reception and white and red wines with dinner. The Market Basket Challenge also includes wine. The Team Builder Light comes with bottled San Pellegrino and Panna water.

What are the payment terms?

A 50% non-refundable deposit secures the date. The balance is due 7 days before the event, when you confirm your headcount. Sales tax and a 20% gratuity are added on top.

Chef’s studio · New York

Cooking by the Book

Private, hands-on team-building cooking events in the Macy's Herald Square kitchen

About Cooking by the Book

Cooking by the Book is a private-event cooking company. Suzi O'Rourke started it in a Tribeca loft in 1989. It now runs its events in the De Gustibus Cooking School by Miele kitchen on the 8th floor of Macy's Herald Square. It has no open classes to drop into. You book the whole kitchen for your group. Most clients are companies doing team building, and law firms make up a big share of them.

Every event is fully hands-on and lasts about three hours. Guests start with hors d'oeuvres and sparkling wine. Then they split into small teams, each led by one of the school's chefs, called Culinary Advisors. You spend about an hour cooking a preselected menu and picking up knife skills. After that you sit down to eat what you made, with white and red wine.

The Team Builder covers an appetizer, entree and dessert for 10 to 30 guests. The Market Basket Challenge is a Chopped-style competition for 10 to 24 guests. The Team Builder Light is a cheaper two-course option. Menus change with the seasons and can be customized. Birthdays and bachelorette parties are welcome too.