Hipcooks uses handfuls, not measuring cups

Por Ashley Mackin | Editor SDUN

For those wanting to learn how to cook by your instincts, Hipcooks in North Park is a great place to start. The goal is to teach interactive, free form cooking, with no measuring instruments.

Instructor Tristan Faw said, “Hipcooks is about getting people back in the kitchen and having fun, not stressing with cooking… Finding that inner chef in you and reminding you to trust your own instincts about what’s good and what’s not good.”

A class at Hipcooks includes hands-on instruction in a number of courses, with participants working in small groups to create dishes based on their personal taste preferences. Participants make a course and then sit down to eat it, complete with a glass of wine. Classes are typically $55 per person.

The only time traditional measuring equipment is allowed is when baking, so instead of a measuring cup, Faw and other instructors at Hipcooks use a handful, a dash or a little pinch.

“I think it’s about really using your eyesight and your taste buds to determine how much of each of each item goes in,” Faw said. “It takes a while to develop that, I mean you have to make some mistakes along the way.”

Faw explained some people come to volunteer as an assistant. After volunteering to assist three times, assistants get a free class. North Park resident Paul Greshko participated in two classes before signing on to be an assistant.

Greshko said, “I’ve taken other cooking classes in town and this is much more interactive, and its much more free form, so its kind of like really cooking, rather than just having a recipe and measuring out the exact ingredients for everything.” He added, “You just kind of wing it until it tastes the way you want.”

Greshko added he likes how much more interactive Hipcooks is as opposed to other cooking classes, as well as the social aspect. “It’s sort of like a dinner party but at the same time, you are learning how to cook [your] meal and you also get to meet a lot of interesting people that are interested in the same things you are.”

Faw explained she was excited when the building that now houses Hipcooks became available. “There are so many restaurants here,” she said. “This is a real destination place for some San Diegans, especially for the demographic we aim to please,” adding, “With all the restaurants around here and the foodie idea and using organic products and no processed foods, I think we just fit in to the community here.”

North Park resident Jessica Wexler said, “It has been fun learning how easy some of these things are to make and how much less stressful it can be when you don’t over think it. It has also been fun meeting new people in the neighborhood. Especially since I am new to the area.” She added, “It’s also been fun bringing friends to class, since a night out on the town would cost about the same.”

Faw agreed, saying, “I think we offer a different type of evening out. If you go out to a restaurant, it would be the same price point as a restaurant,” she said.

When you come here… you get a place to meet people, you’re actively making your dish and [you’re] leaving with knowledge and information,” she said. “And maybe a little excitement, that you can cook at home. You don’t always have to go out to eat.”