Cooking Class - Middle Eastern Feast - Chicago

86 reviews

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What You’ll Do

Discover how to handcraft your favorite Middle Eastern recipes in this hands-on experience.

Make culinary magic in this interactive cooking class with Chef David where you'll practice knife skills while transforming fresh ingredients into flavorful Middle Eastern dishes that are ideal for sharing with family and friends.

Class starts with Chef David teaching you how to make creamy hummus with fresh pita chips for dipping. Next, you'll grill up spiced lamb and beef kofta with tangy tzatziki dip and two Middle Eastern salads: Parsley-scented tabouli and a vibrant Jerusalem salad with tomatoes and cucumbers. As a sweet finale, bake basbousa, a coconut semolina cake.

Guests are welcome to bring wine and beer to enjoy during the class.

Your Menu

Hummus and Pita Chips

With chickpeas, lemon and tahini

Jerusalem Salad

With tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, parsley and olive oil

Lamb and Beef Kofta and Tzatziki Sauce

With parsley, cumin, Greek yogurt, lemon, dill, cucumber and pita bread

Classic Tabouli

With bulgur and parsley

Basbousa Cake

With shredded coconut, semolina flour and lemons

Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated if noted prior to the event. Please mention this in the message field when you submit your booking request as adjustments to recipes cannot be made during class.

Details

Minimum Guests 2
Maximum Guests 12
Meal Courses 4
Event Duration 2.5 hours
Labels Beginner, Cake Baking, Couples, Fun, Group

Meet your chef

Chef David

Food safety certified

86 reviews

Chef David has spent the past five years working as a culinary instructor at one of Chicago’s premier cooking schools where he teaches hands-on cooking classes covering topics from the building blocks of cooking to intensive boot camp-style classes. Chef David also has experience as a private chef and has spent time working in the kitchen of one of Chicago’s most famous restaurants under a James Beard award-winning chef.

View all of Chef David's Experiences

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Concierge

Cancellation Policy

Flexible booking: Cancel or reschedule this event's reservation for free up to 48 hours before the event.

What You’ll Do

Discover how to handcraft your favorite Middle Eastern recipes in this hands-on experience.

Your Menu

Hummus and Pita Chips

With chickpeas, lemon and tahini

Jerusalem Salad

With tomatoes, cucumber, red onions, parsley and olive oil

Lamb and Beef Kofta and Tzatziki Sauce

With parsley, cumin, Greek yogurt, lemon, dill, cucumber and pita bread

Classic Tabouli

With bulgur and parsley

Basbousa Cake

With shredded coconut, semolina flour and lemons

Details

Minimum Guests 2
Maximum Guests 12
Meal Courses 4
Event Duration 2.5 hours
Labels Beginner, Cake Baking, Couples, Fun, Group

Reviews

Reviews guests left for this experience

Erin

30 Apr 2023

Wonderful! Highly recommend Chef David and this class!

Reviews guests left for other experiences with Chef David

Caseylin

25 Feb 2025

Really enjoyed my experience cooking at David’s class. Went with my partner and had a great time learning cutting/cooking techniques. Cooked a delicious three course meal: bruschetta, Brussels sprouts salad, Chorizo paella, and almond cake. After cooking, we all sat down at a big table to eat with other class participants; family style. Had a great time talking to others and getting to know each other. It was comfy, intimate, and cozy, exactly what you would expect from a cooking class. David was personable and charming, what a great teacher. Thanks for a wonderful class.

Stephanie

18 Jan 2025

Chef David was great! Very fun class, great teacher, and delicious food. Highly recommend the Journey to Spain class.

Hannah

11 Jan 2025

Chef David was awesome! We had lots of fun and really enjoyed the recipes and what we learned in class. Would definitely recommend and do another class ourselves!

Richard

07 Mar 2024

Amazing time and excellent experience. David is an awesome human being and marvelous cook. Food, fun and great conversation!

Erich

29 Feb 2024

Terrific class! Can't say enough good things about Chef David!

Aldo

24 Feb 2024

Chef David was awesome and very friendly.

Lena Jennings

10 Feb 2024

Chef David provided an amazing atmosphere for our cooking class. He has a beautiful studio kitchen that was so beautifully maintained with top of the line equipment. It felt like I was in a professional kitchen. I most certainly will be back to cook with Chef David! 10/10 experience.

Lena Jennings

10 Feb 2024

Amanda

18 Jan 2024

Chef David made the class so fun and engaging! I learned a good amount too as someone who does bare bones cooking. Loved the food we made and I feel confident to recreate the recipes at my home.

Sam Day

10 Jan 2024

The steak featured was pretty flimsy. Given that, the experience seemed overpriced, though fun.

Leslie

30 Dec 2023

David’s class was so much fun for our group of 4 including 2 teens. The food was delicious and lessons memorable. Everyone agreed it was a great time. Highly recommend!

Janice

15 Dec 2023

Chef David is excellent, the cooking class was so much fun with him and his partners were wonderful

Danny

13 Dec 2023

This was my first cooking class, and it’s exactly what I was hoping for! Chef David taught us helpful knife skills with a fun and laid back environment. The other class members were super fun too! My girlfriend and I will definitely be back, and we’ll bring some friends with!

Ke Li Yew

10 Dec 2023

My fiancé and I recently had the pleasure of attending a fried chicken and biscuit cooking class and it exceeded all our expectations! Chef David's passion for Southern cuisine was evident from the start, and his friendly demeanor created a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. The hands-on experience kicked off with the secrets of achieving the perfect fried chicken with seasoning and marination. While we waited for the chicken to marinate, we transitioned into making the biscuits. Chef David shared his foolproof grandma's biscuit recipe. The hands-on approach allowed us to feel the dough's texture and witness the magic unfold as the biscuits rose to perfection in the oven. While waiting for the biscuits to bake in the oven, we also had the opportunity to learn how to fry the chicken to golden perfection. The highlight of the class, of course, was the tasting session. The joy of sinking my teeth into the crispiest and flavorful fried chicken and pairing it with a tender, buttery biscuit was simply incomparable. If you're a food enthusiast or just looking to up your kitchen game, Chef David's class is an absolute must!

Kelly

09 Dec 2023

Not only was this a fun experience and a delicious meal, but we all learned some things as well! Chef David is awesome - we highly recommend him and his beautiful space!

John

02 Dec 2023

We had a great time with Chef David - he made learning to cook fun, funny, and accessible. We would absolutely recommend his classes!

Rosalie

12 Nov 2023

Chef David made the class feel so personal, sharing his background, career journey, and passions. We got to meet new people and cook with another couple. Chef David shared knife techniques, some cultural aspects of Spanish cuisine and cookware, and also let us try baking skills. Then, we shared our meal family style after and everything was delicious!.

Richard

09 Nov 2023

We had really fun time. Very nice venjue with parking out front. Learned more about cooking and David has great sense of humor along with his vast dining expertise. Fun night out and will do it again! We also enjoyed spending time with a second couple who we did not know that was at class. Big thanks! Rick adn Mary

Ryan

08 Nov 2023

We had a great time with David! He did a great job ensuring that we were all engaged (to the extent each person wanted) with all our different skill levels. The food was great and we would highly recommend a class with him!

Rosie

19 Sep 2023

Chef David’s patience, breadth of culinary knowledge, kindness, and skill made the entire experience fun and filling. My partner and I consider ourselves to be good cooks, and we learned so much from Chef David. We are already planning to take a class with him again.

Jacob Ryno

23 Aug 2023

Amazing!

Morgan

22 Aug 2023

Had such a great time learning from and getting to know Chef David. He made for an easy and fun experience using kitchen utensils/tools that you would have around your own home. Not to mention the meal at the end was absolutely delicious and we even got to leave with leftovers! I would highly recommend Chef David for your first CozyMeal experience!

Megan

11 Aug 2023

Excellent class - great team building event and the food was delicious! We will plan on returning.

Nicole

04 Aug 2023

The best ! So kind and explained the whole process thoroughly. I would recommend his class to anyone.

Anna

22 Jul 2023

The class was fun and informative. The whole meal came out so yummylicious? and Chef David was so nice and a great teacher learned a lot from him. We love everything about it, the cleanliness and lay out of the kitchen the backyard OMG! Simple but inviting It feels like Home so clean and relaxing. One of the best thing about taking this class not only we learned and eat good food after it feels nice to meet new people. Definitely will take Chef David cooking class again!

Jalynne McGee

16 Jul 2023

Very knowledgeable and helpful chef, had a great time in class and learned quite a few things!

Jennifer

12 Jul 2023

Chef David was informative and had a great personality! My son and I enjoyed cooking the Chinese takeout and it was delicious! Cute place of business and very clean/organized. Best wishes for continued success!

Marie

09 Jul 2023

The class was a breeze and enjoyable with only 7 people. The kitchen was spotless and fully equipped, making cooking a delight. Chef David was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable host, ensuring a fantastic experience. You'll discover new kitchen tricks you may not have known before. Depending on the time you go, free street parking is available. Highly recommended!

Jeanyne

09 Jul 2023

Wonderful. My husband left a tip. For our party of 4. I had a great time.

Dwayne McGee

09 Jul 2023

My first time taking a class. Chelsea David was very informative, engaging and provided a relaxing and fun atmosphere.

Eva

02 Jul 2023

Fantastic Birthday, Rustic Italian Cooking Class, experience for all twelve of us! Chef David and Sous Chef Jackie engaged us immediately and made a complicated multi course meal prep easy and fun even for the grandkids. The food was delicious! Place was welcoming, clean and great for the venue. We all had a ball! Will definitely book again!

Emma

29 Jun 2023

This was my very first cooking class and it definitely won’t be my last!! I had such a great time with Chef David. He was incredible and so knowledgeable. And the food we made was delicious. I can’t wait to do another!

Nikki

28 Jun 2023

Terrific night! Highly recommend

Cristina

12 May 2023

Extremely entertaining, educational, and well planned. The facility is top notch and Dave is wonderful!

Dan

12 May 2023

Chef David was absolutely phenomenal. We are cooking novices, and he was incredibly patient and made cooking fun! Absolutely recommend Chef David to anyone, and we will be taking another one of his classes.

Shawn

06 May 2023

David was an amazing host and teacher! Loved the class and the food came out excellent. Looking forward to the next one!

Daniel

05 May 2023

great host and great chef

Joe

30 Apr 2023

David was an awesome teacher and a highly recommend taking his classes!

Carissa

04 Apr 2023

My boyfriend and I had an absolutely lovely time at Chef David's cooking class. It was a wonderful space and we picked up basic knife skills as well as learned recipes that would be replicable for our everyday lives. We would definitely recommend Chef David and these classes!

Molly

14 Mar 2023

Chef David was AWESOME!! We had such a great time. And David's sarcastic humor was top notch...and his cooking skills aren't bad either :-P Kidding...he was a great teacher, and very relaxed with so many things happening at once. Any level of cooking skill would do great in this class...and probably any class that is taught by David. Thank you for a wonderful experience!

Emily

13 Mar 2023

Chef David is a knowledgeable and fun instructor! It was a great experience!

Melisse

12 Mar 2023

Terrific class! Chef David was so knowledgeable and we had a ton of fun!

Maame-Mensima

11 Mar 2023

Chef David is a great instructor and I left feeling confident in my culinary skills. I also feel that I will decrease my time in cooking prep now. Thank you for the great experience. ?

Patrick

27 Feb 2023

Chef David was personable, knowledgeable and overall a blast to cook and learn from. He is a amazing chef and I highly recommend him

Lon

12 Feb 2023

High energy. Great teacher. Food was yummy. Nice space.

Gerald

08 Feb 2023

I will be back ‼️

Paula

05 Feb 2023

So incredible, fun, and inviting space! Delicious food too. We've done a class with Chef David twice now, and we plan on coming back for more!

Jenni Walsh

05 Feb 2023

So fun and delicious! David taught us how to make an amazing meal!

Laura Hartman

05 Feb 2023

This was incredible , will definitely do it again

Christina Hughes

02 Feb 2023

Chef David is such a pleasure! We absolutely loved our experience. Learned so much about the details of cooking/knife skills and also thoroughly enjoyed his space. So clean and aesthetic and Chef David is so warm and welcoming. We will definitely be returning!

Irvin

01 Feb 2023

Chef David was efficient and courteous. Definitely learned a lot.

Lauren

30 Jan 2023

Took a class for knife skills and cooking bruschetta/ratatouille/polenta/mousse and loved it! David was very informative, approachable, and energetic! It was a fun experience to try.

Denise

30 Jan 2023

Experience was spectacular! Cooking, learning, networking, and of course enjoying the meal was great.

Benjamin

19 Jan 2023

Had a great class with Chef David!

Sheila

11 Jan 2023

Great experience! Chef David was personable, taught us ALL the things and the food was savory and delicious!

Elisa

30 Dec 2022

Chef David was awesome! I can’t wait to take another class!

Heather

14 Dec 2022

What an excellent evening! We as a team had the best experience with David and the food was even better than anticipated. The space was great to do the class then also relax and enjoy it. We think we found a new holiday tradition :)

Roger Stefani

10 Dec 2022

Jacklyn was friendly, knowledgeable, and a great teacher. She kept us all involved and engaged, and guided us in preparing a really tasty meal. Thanks so much

Tommy

08 Dec 2022

This class was fantastic! Chef David was immediately welcoming and engaging. The space was amazing, the food was great, and it was all thanks to Chef David!

Nick

20 Nov 2022

Had an amazing time with David!

Lauren

13 Nov 2022

Chef David was friendly, knowledgeable, and a fantastic chef to lead our dinner. We had a wonderful time, and truly enjoyed the experience. Can't wait to do another class!!

Symone

12 Nov 2022

Our food turned out SO good— perfect way to celebrate a birthday

Julie

05 Oct 2022

Chef David was great and so fun to hang out with. David is patient, knowledgeable, and a great teacher. Not to mention the food was incredible! Thank you, David!!

Vineeta

17 Sep 2022

My fiancé and I really enjoyed the class. Chef David was super entertaining and made us feel super comfortable with having him in our home. Will definitely book services again soon!

Caleb

05 Aug 2022

David was absolutely a fantastic teacher. We had so much fun learning and enjoyed the delicious meal.

Laura

23 Jun 2022

Chef David was great! We learned a lot of great cooking and knife techniques.

Andrea

15 Apr 2022

Chef David was amazing! We celebrated my wife's birthday and we were so pleased with his at home cooking lesson. Not only is Chef David a great teacher, he is patient, kind and funny! It was a blast and we will be scheduling another lesson soon!

Jenna

02 Apr 2022

We had the best time with Chef David! He was so helpful and patient with us when teaching knife skills. We will definitely be using these skills when we cook in the future. Such a fun, delicious evening!

Brian

31 Mar 2022

Chef David came a long way, to the southwest suburbs, and was an absolute blast to have and an incredible instructor. He was high energy and kept us entertained with his own chef stories. The meal prep and cooking was a breeze with his expert instruction and the meal itself was delicious. Chef David's personality and culinary expertise were really a joy to experience.

Derek

14 Mar 2022

Chef David was a great teacher and great company. We loved our experience.

Nicole

22 Feb 2022

Chef David was wonderful! My partner and I had a great time. He gave us great tips, taught us knife skills and was all around a great instructor and person. I would definitely recommend Chef David!

Allison

21 Feb 2022

This experience was so much fun! My partner and I both love to cook, but have never taken a formal class and had never made Southern food at home. It was great to have David walk us through everything step by step and even teach us some skills we'll be using everyday from here on out! David is so friendly and getting to know him during our lesson was the icing on the already great cake. We're super excited to make these recipes again for all of our friends and family.

Danny

16 Feb 2022

Great chef, great time.

Alice

16 Feb 2022

David was amazing. We had so much fun and he’s a great teacher. I appreciated how kind and funny he was. Obviously the food was fantastic. Perfect evening.

Abby

11 Feb 2022

Chef David treated my friends to a fantastic evening! They absolutely loved their time with him and LOVED the food!!! This was such a fun wedding gift :)

Sarah

09 Feb 2022

Chef David was phenomenal! My friends and I learned a lot from him and he was so fun!!

Omega

09 Feb 2022

Chef David was amazing, he allowed us to Comfortably be ourselves and gave great instructions on how to prepare the meal. He was early, super friendly and just overall a good time. I learned a few techniques for meal prep and cutting styles that I use in the kitchen… 10/10 would recommend. As soon as some other meals by him are listed we will be booking him again. Thank you.

robert

07 Feb 2022

Chef David was great, the food was very good and we learned something about cooking, cutting and meal prep. Mission accomplished with much fun. We'll be gifting Cozymeal for my son's B-day. Hopefully, David can do that one also.

Stephen

31 Jan 2022

We love Chef David! They brought such a positive energy to the experience, and were had a very supportive teaching style. The recipes they brought us were delicious and fun to make.

Eddie

25 Jan 2022

Chef David was an awesome chef to work with! He brought a lot of energy, taught us a bunch of cooking skills/tips, and overall made the night an unforgettable experience. I couldn't recommend him enough!

Ryan

07 Jan 2022

Chef David was wonderful. He was such a great teacher and we really enjoyed the experience. We will definitely recommend him to our friends and family.

Patrick

06 Jan 2022

Chef David was incredible. Despite a brief snafu of locking myself out of my apartment, David was super patient, understanding and reassuring while we waited on the locksmith. I'm a pretty inexperienced cooker, and David was the perfect chef and teacher for me (and us). He taught us some really useful techniques the I look forward to using in the future and explained every step of the process throughout. Can't recommend Chef David enough for a class for anyone in the Chicago area!

Meagan

19 Dec 2021

Our evening with Chef David was amazing! He was so professional, friendly and helpful. I would recommend this experience a million times over. Don't wait, book your evening with Chef David.

Scott

13 Nov 2021

Instead of going out to dinner at a restaurant, we thought it would be a great date idea to have Chef David come into our home and cook a meal. We were blown away by how nice and comforting Chef David made us feel. We were both novices in the kitchen and Chef David turned us into the best cooks on this side of the Mississippi. He was very hands on with his teaching and was able to talk us through the whole process clearly and accurately. His personality makes it very easy and fun to have him in your kitchen for 2.5 hours. I would recommend this experience to anyone. 10/10

Ashley

12 Nov 2021

David was great. Friendly, patient. Taught us a lot. Felt like we had a house guest we had invited over who was teaching us lots! Would recommend