I’m not a professional cook. However, I’m certainly no novice in the kitchen. I love kitchen tools, I collect cookbooks but rarely use them at the time of cooking except for in baking, and my instincts for pairing and flavor profiles are honed from years of experience, sharing my kitchen with actual professionals and throwing successful dinner parties. When the time came to stake out Hipcooks for an Urban Dish column, I thought the idea of a cooking class was fun, as well as incredibly useful for some people, but I admit I arrogantly doubted I'd benefit from it. So I signed up for the sushi class. Sushi was a first for me, and I was intimidated. I was sure my first roll would be a disaster, but I’d be damned if I didn’t nail it by the second try. And I certainly couldn't have figured it out without instruction. After gaining unexpected knowledge and skills, and enjoying a fantastic dinner there, I not only feel the Turning Japanese class is necessary to any sushi lover, but I now drool over the other classes on the schedule.
The Hipcooks instructors were full of fascinating background trivia that I was surprised to not have known. Today, sushi essentially means vinegared rice, and after we fanned the steam off the rice, we dressed it with far more seasoned rice vinegar than you’d ever imagine. But literally, sushi means “sour tasting,” and before it was synonymous with freshly caught fish, sushi was comprised of fermented fish, until vinegar was introduced for preservation and fermentation was largely abandoned. While vinegar and other elements seem like flavorful accoutrements, their practicality goes well beyond palate cleansing and spicing up (or masking) flavor: Ginger aids in digestion and wasabi can prevent food poisoning, making them necessary elements to pair with your raw or fermented seafood.
Rolling maki.
Barring the cool lesson in history and gastronomy, Hipcooks is mostly about fun teamwork, even when it's being informative. We drank beer and sake as we worked. We broke into small groups, contributing numerous appetizers to enjoy together at the Hipcooks dinner party table, and then formed new groups to make our own completely different variations on spicy tuna. Then we rolled and cut our own maki individually, but proudly shared them with anyone who wanted a taste.
A roll someone made in class.
Even though some time has passed since I took the class, when I decided to make sushi on my own for the first time the other night, I remembered exactly what I would need to buy at the market (and in case I forgot, Hipcooks follows up the class with an email providing recipes and summing up what you'll need). My spicy tuna roll was easy to make and so delicious I’m craving it again. But the best extension of my sushi adventure was gathering some friends in my kitchen, and teaching them all the tricks I learned. Their frustration at initially fumbling over a new and very delicate task turned into smiles as they became comfortable cutting the fish, applying the sticky rice to the nori (seaweed), and rolling the bamboo mats to create tight and colorful maki.
The sushi we made at home.
Fun and informative for novices and seasoned cooks alike, a Hipcooks class is well worth the $55, even if just for the dinner that you'll be enjoying that evening. Though you are making the meal, everything has already been purchased, the mise en place has largely been taken of, and there are hardly any dishes to wash.
Mise en place: Many of the ingredients you'll need are already set out for you.
Hipcooks has another Turning Japanese class on February 24th, but that’s not the only class on the schedule that would add more rich, healthy and delicious dishes to your repertoire, as well as a whole theme for your next dinner party. This January, Shortcut to Nirvana will teach you to make Indian favorites like samosas, mango chutney and tikka masala; La Belle Epoque is like an evening at a French bistro, with beef bourguignon and tarte tatin; and Una Noche en Espana is full of tapas classics like Manchego con membrillo (quince paste), garlicky saffron shrimp, empanadas and flan.
Monika, owner of Hipcooks, sitting at the communal dinner table.
Reserve early, as classes fill up. And sign up with a friend (not a bad birthday gift!) – it was obviously far more fun than going it alone, like I did. I had moments of feeling like I was on an awkward first date sharing small plates at a tapas restaurant. You’ll likely be more adventurous and less polite while crafting a dish with a friend or two than you would be with people you’ve never met. But even if you go alone, you’ll get swept up in what you’re learning and creating, as well as the teamwork and friendly conversation with the other experimenters around you.