For the Love of Rice! Summer Cooking Class Series

Accessibility Note: This event takes place in a historic 100-year-old building and is currently a 4th-floor walk-up. Elevator access is not available at the time of the event. If stairs are a concern, please consider this before purchasing tickets.

Join Chef Adunni of Taste Tutor for a global cooking series exploring rice traditions, techniques, and cultural storytelling through food. Each 2½ hour hands-on rice cooking experience explores iconic dishes from across the African diaspora, and beyond, and includes guided instruction, shared dining, and thoughtfully prepared accompaniments served alongside the featured rice dish. This class series is designed for people who love good food, good music, and learning without pressure.

Each class is interactive, communal, and focused on real techniques, from seasoning and layering flavor to perfecting texture and timing and is hosted in a beautiful historic downtown Seattle loft.

To keep this series accessible, each class includes 2 community spots for participants who may need financial support. Guests may choose to donate a spot at checkout.

This series is rooted in education, cultural appreciation, and shared culinary experience and is about building flavor, trusting your instincts, and enjoying the process, not perfection!

Whether you come with friends or solo, you’ll leave having cooked an authentic rice dish, connected with others, and hopefully fallen a little more in love with cooking.

• Small group, hands-on
• Music, vibes, and skyline views
• No prior cooking experience needed

Who This Class Is Perfect For

• Folks who love RICE! and other food but want more confidence in the kitchen
• Solo attendees, friends, and couples
• Anyone who wants to learn authentic techniques and flavor-building, not just follow recipes

Learn how to build deep flavor and signature smokiness in one of West Africa’s most iconic rice dishes. We’ll cover seasoning foundations, pepper sauce reduction techniques, layering spices, and achieving the perfect texture without mushiness. *contains shellfish

Served with: Suya Chicken Wings. *contains peanuts

Brief History:
Jollof rice traces back to the Wolof people of the Senegambian region of West Africa and spread across the continent through trade, migration, and cultural exchange. Today, it remains one of the most beloved dishes throughout West Africa and the African diaspora, with each region and family bringing its own traditions and techniques to the pot. Nigerian Jollof has become especially known for its rich pepper and tomato base, bold seasoning, and celebratory role at parties, weddings, and family gatherings.

Learn how to prepare Haiti’s luxurious black mushroom rice using dried djon djon mushrooms to create its earthy flavor and signature dark color. We’ll focus on balancing aromatics, texture, and depth while exploring Haitian flavor traditions. *contains coconut

Served with: Pikliz and Fried Plantain. This class would be good for any vegetarians/vegans.

Brief History:
Diri Djon Djon originated in northern Haiti and is traditionally prepared with dried black mushrooms during holidays, celebrations, and special gatherings. While the mushrooms themselves are native to Haiti, the dish reflects the influence of African and indigenous Taíno culinary traditions preserved and transformed by Haitian communities following the forced migration of enslaved Africans to the Caribbean.

Learn the foundations of this deeply rooted Low country rice dish by building layers of tomato, peppers, aromatics, and smoked flavor while discussing rice traditions within the Gullah Geechee corridor. *contains pork

Served with: Braised greens.

Brief History:
Gullah Geechee red rice developed in the coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia through the preservation of West and Central African foodways carried by enslaved Africans. African rice-growing knowledge played a major role in shaping the agricultural and culinary history of the Low country, making red rice one of the clearest surviving connections between West African and Southern coastal cuisine.

Learn how to prepare Senegal’s national dish by layering seasoned fish, vegetables, and richly flavored rice cooked together in one pot. We’ll focus on broth building, spice balance, and traditional cooking methods.

Served with: Braised vegetables and seasoned fish.

Brief History:
Thieboudienne originated among the Wolof people of Senegal and is considered one of the foundational rice dishes of the Senegambian region. Often translated as “rice and fish,” the dish reflects centuries of West African culinary tradition and remains deeply connected to the broader history and evolution of Jollof-style rice dishes throughout the African diaspora.

Learn how to prepare fragrant East African pilau using whole spices, layered aromatics, and traditional cooking techniques that create its signature warmth and depth of flavor.

Served with: Grilled beef and kachumbari salad.

Brief History:
Kenyan pilau developed along the Swahili Coast through centuries of exchange between East African, Arab, Persian, and South Asian communities connected by Indian Ocean trade routes. The dish reflects the movement of spices, culinary knowledge, religion, and culture across the region during periods shaped by commerce, migration, empire, and slavery. Over time, East African communities transformed these influences into a beloved distinctly Swahili rice tradition that remains deeply rooted in Kenyan and coastal East African cuisine today.

Learn the foundations of traditional paella, including broth building, rice selection, socarrat formation, and balancing seafood, aromatics, and saffron for depth and texture. *contains shellfish

Served with: Citrus-marinated shrimp.

Brief History:
Paella originated in Valencia, Spain, where rice cultivation expanded under the Moorish influence period in the Iberian peninsula. Over time, the dish evolved into one of Spain’s most internationally recognized culinary traditions, reflecting the movement of ingredients, agricultural knowledge, and rice culture across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Info: On time arrival and introductions. Wash your hands, grab your apron, pick a work station.

Info: Chef will guide participants through the preparation of the day's rice dish.

Info: Enjoy the fruits of your labor, enjoy the music, fellowship with others.

Info: Pack up your left overs. Stack all your dirty dishes at the corner of your table and place your aprons in laundry, say your goodbyes.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

55 S Atlantic St suite 406, 55 South Atlantic Street, Seattle, United States

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