As we donned our aprons and gathered around the table it was fairly evident everyone had come in pairs: friends, husbands, coworkers. Quickly I sent a frantic message to my husband which read, "Everyone is in pairs, next time I am NOT coming alone". Although my initial reaction was to feel unsure and awkward, the evening ended up being one of the greatest nights I have ever spent in the company of total strangers.

At the beginning of class we went around the table to introduce ourselves and explain why we were there. The truth of the matter was several months ago I had signed up for a tamale class, but due to some unforeseen circumstances I had to cancel. Since the tamale class was not being offered again for awhile I decided to reschedule for the Savory Pie Ninja class. I like pie, my husband likes meat, so a savory pie class seemed like the perfect idea. Any class with the word "ninja" in it also caught my eye.

Quickly we broke into groups of four and I found myself paired up with three friendly individuals. Before long we were fully immersed in our work, combining flour, butter and water like old pros. It was fun to watch the varying skill levels in the class. Some had clearly never used a rolling pin while others knew their way around the kitchen. It is rare for me to become so immersed in my work that I don't have room for others thoughts. The Savory Pie Ninja class ended up being much more than cooking class, it was a four hour break from life.

Brandi patiently took us through the different steps of making dough. In four hours we created three menu items and even learned how to make a quick puff pastry. As much as I enjoy cooking, I always thought puff pastry was something you bought frozen at the grocery store. Heavens, oh how wrong I was about that!

Since we broke into small groups the cooking class was a very hands on experience. We were able to each take a turn mixing, rolling and helping to create our masterpieces.

In general, I feel fairly competent in the kitchen, but this class allowed me the opportunity to dive deeper into the art of dough making. I found Brandi to be easy to learn from and very laid back. Brandi's vision for The Pantry is to "Imagine a new kind of community space. One where activities are centered around how we grow, buy, cook and eat our foods. A place that brings people together at the table, to cook, eat and learn." I love the idea of creating a sense of community through food.

If time and money were not an issue, I would happily take every class they offer at The Pantry. Brandi, who happened to be our instructor is also the founder of The Pantry and pastry chef at Delancey.

After filling my stomach with Pork and Fennel Sausage Rolls, Chicken, Pea and Tarragon Cobbler and Steak and Stout pie I was both entirely stuffed and completely satisfied. As I drove home that evening, I found myself smiling from ear to ear. Life is a culmination of experiences and that evening I had thoroughly enjoyed the presence of strangers as we worked toward the common end goal of creating a delicious meal.

I had tackled any evening alone and instead found an old, confident, familiar friend in its place- me.