Hipcooks!

If you live in the LA or Portland area and are looking for a fun, hands-on cooking class (with dinner and drinks!), check out Hipcooks! I visited the East LA location at the Brewer Artist's Lofts near downtown LA for the Romantic Dinner for Two (II) class. Hey, I'm trying to get ready for Valentine's Day, what can I say?



The cooking studio was in an airy loft, and boy, did my loft dreams get reignited. We cooked around this u-shaped table and there was plenty of room for all of us aspiring chefs.



Any and every utensil was at ready disposal. (I think I'd like to put up one of these pegboards in my own kitchen and get rid of my very messy everything-but-the-kitchen-sink utility drawers.)

Bonny, our enthusiastic and unflappable teacher, banned all measuring implements, encouraged us to taste and season, and reminded us to remove our mussels from plastic bags as soon as we brought them home from the store or else they would suffocate. (Oh, that explains why the mussels I bought for my paella never opened when I cooked them.)



Our first course was a peppery and crunchy arugula salad topped with broiled, goat-cheese-and-candied-cashew-stuffed dates wrapped in prosciutto. What a delicious mouthful!



I was surprised at how quickly and easily our second course came together. It was a seafood stew called caldeirada made with white wine and saffron. I could have dipped a whole loaf of bread in the broth, it was so tasty.



And when we ended our meal with chocolate souffles, I knew this dinner would be perfect to prepare for Pat.



Thank you to the Arizona Mills for giving me this fabulous Christmas present!