In urban kitchens from San Diego to Seattle, Hipcooks trains budding culinary artists in how to build gourmet dishes from scratch. With a greater emphasis on the artistry of cooking rather than the science behind it, its classes promote the cultivation of instinct through social learning experiences that end with a shared dinner.

Many of the classes have a specific scenario in mind; Date Night, for example, teaches students how to ignite the flame of romance with Portuguese seafood stew and chocolate soufflé, while the Surprise Guest instructs them in what to keep on hand to whip up an impressive dinner in a pinch. Other courses, however, take a classic approach and focus on a particular cuisine, such as the tapas-oriented Una Noche en España and Shortcut to Nirvana, which teaches the tenets of Indian food with spicy curries and vegetarian samosas.