![\"Robin](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/web-Robin-Ross-assistant-at-Hipcooks-School-with-a-plate-of-Prosciutto-Wrapped-Goat-Cheese-Stuffed-Dates.jpg\")
<\/a>\u201cIt\u2019s a party,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cHelp yourself to some spicy candied nuts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The cooking school, located at 4048 30th St., offers several three-hour classes for $55 per person. Pre-registration is required, and class sizes are limited, based on topic. Some upcoming classes are \u201cThe Thrill of the Grill\u201d on Sunday, Sept. 15, \u201cDim Sum and then Some\u201d on Sept. 22 and \u201cOMG-Cooking for a Crowd\u201d on Sept. 24. New classes are posted each month.<\/p>\n
Jessica and Rob Miles walked in for the open house, and went straight up to Espinosa. Naturally, they wanted to know what was cooking, as the couple had taken a previous class at Hipcooks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe decided to learn how to cook paella because it sounded interesting,\u201d Jessica Miles said. \u201cWe learned that you don\u2019t need a big paella pan to make it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rob Miles said it had been a fun experience to get everyone together, and they plan on taking another soon. \u201cWe all made different variations of paella. Then we all got to eat it, too,\u201d he said. \u201cNext time we\u2019ll take the tapas class.\u201d<\/p>\n
Espinosa\u2019s assistant Robin Ross removed a large cooking sheet of treats from the oven. \u201cThese are prosciutto-wrapped, goat cheese-stuffed dates, unlike anything you\u2019ve ever tasted,\u201d Ross said.<\/p>\n
The evening was indeed a party for Hipcooks friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cHipcooks is all about having fun in the kitchen and having fun making great food,\u201d Espinosa said.<\/p>\n
Open for two years, Espinosa said she believes North Park is the perfect fit for Hipcooks. The North Park school is the fourth for the company in California, and the first in San Diego. They also run Hipcooks schools in Portland, Ore. and Seattle.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great foodie neighborhood with lots of great foot traffic, and it just really suits our personality as a company. It\u2019s hip, inviting, has really developed over the last few years and continues to grow,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
All of the classes are hands-on with the students cooking each of the dishes together at the island. In each class, Espinosa said, the teachers bring out the \u201cinner chef\u201d of each student to help everyone feel more comfortable in the kitchen, and to empower them to go home and create delicious food.<\/p>\n
Christina Leeper, who dropped in to sample the black bean hummus and stuffed endive, had taken a previous class, called \u201cThai One On,\u201d with a friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a nice communal atmosphere to learn in. Christina [Espinosa] is a great instructor,\u201d Leeper said. \u201cIn \u2018Thai One On,\u2019 we used all of the tastes found in food: spicy, sweet, salty, bitter and sour.\u201d<\/p>\n
What Leeper particularly enjoyed about the Thai class was the way Espinosa had organized the dinner, starting with spring rolls and a shrimp and rice appetizer. Next were pad Thai and a papaya salad. After that, the cooking students prepared two curry dishes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got to sit down and enjoy it course by course,\u201d Leeper said. \u201cChristina [Espinosa] had prepared the dessert beforehand, so as we sat eating that, she explained more about Thai cooking.\u201d<\/p>\n Leeper said that after she had completed the class, she and her friend planned when they would try to cook that meal at home for their husbands.<\/p>\n Hipcooks San Diego offers instruction appropriate for anyone with a desire to learn. A class on proper knife skills, a new technique or the use of an unfamiliar ingredient may be just the secret to a rediscovered joy in cooking.<\/p>\n Still, not everyone who walks in the door thinks of themself as a cook, much less a gourmet chef. Espinosa remembered one young woman who had come to take a cooking class only to appease a friend.<\/p>\n \u201cShe said she did not like to cook. I asked her \u2018why not,\u2019 and she said she had thought it was always time consuming,\u201d Espinosa said. \u201cWell, she took our class and she totally changed her mind. She never thought cooking could be so easy and fun.\u201d<\/p>\n Thom Nickelson, who prefers to eat vegetarian meals, appreciated the variety of appetizers Espinosa had set out for the open house. He particularly enjoyed the roasted tomato salsa.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking at the menu created in the \u2018Game Day\u2019 cooking class. Looks good,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll wait to see what my friends decide what they want to try.\u201d<\/p>\n Espinosa smiled at Nickelson, saying, \u201cI love that Hipcooks is in North Park. We try to become part of the neighborhood and help build community.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a>