[Taipei, TW] - GoTuCook

GoTo Cook Website: http://gotucook.wixsite.com/cookingclass

If you didn't already know, The Boyfriend likes to cook. So, I thought it would be fun to try something new this trip - a cooking class! It actually didn't occur to me to even look for a cooking class taught in English in Taipei until I started reading A Culinary History of Taipei... which is a great book if you're interested in learning more about food. I was leaning more towards bugging family to teach me or The Boyfriend. If you don't want to bother family though, there is Calvin Tu!

Calvin is a great instructor, and is passionate about what he does. His teaching method is great regardless of if you are a dabbler (like me), or if you have much more skill (The Boyfriend). He is very adaptable, and instructs in either Mandarin or English. He went to Le Cordon Bleu, and was a chef in Australia before moving to Taiwan. 

On the website, you can take a look at the different menu options that range from beef noodle soup to pineapple cakes. After you reach out, you pick your day/time. It's super convenient, and the pricing is great. If you are in the Taipei area, you'll know that the MRT system is pretty fantastic. He makes it even easier by picking you up from the Hongshulin MRT Station (Red line, almost to Danshui), and taking you to his home. 

He has everything all prepped and ready. The experience itself is very relaxed and casual. He's super easy going, and the pace is very comfortable. If you have no knife skills, he can help! 

Prepped before we arrived, and ready to go!

This is me being nosy and seeing which books he has on his shelf

One of the items we opted to learn was Luwei (滷味) - slowly braised proteins (tofu, pork, and eggs are very common, but there is really no limit to what you can throw in there!)

Next on our to-do list: 四神湯 or "Four Gods Soup." Primarily herbal, you can use the more traditional intestine, or another protein of your choice. In this case, Calvin had some pork ribs cut and ready for us. I didn't have this soup much growing up because I was a jerk who didn't like trying new things, or anything that seemed "weird." Apparently I am trying to make up for it now by eating everything. 

I don't know the names of all of the herbs in the soup, but you can usually just buy the prepackaged version and toss it in the pot. 

One of the other items we learned was pickled veggies. This one specifically goes with stinky tofu but can be eaten with plenty of other things. Also to note, Calvin preps for everyone with recipes in a neat folio. I love that on the recipes, he has space for you to write your own notes during the day. LOVE the attention to detail!

After stuffing the cabbage and other veggies in the jars, it's time to scoop some vinegar mixed with sugar. 

While we work on the pickles, he is already prepping for the next thing on the menu.

The fantastic Mr. Tu at work!

Our dipping sauces for the dumplings we are about to make

We made two types of fillings - pork and onion, the other is pork and corn. I used to hate the onions in my dumplings but now I appreciate the extra flavor it adds.

For the dumplings, we used this flour. This is the same flour used for the dumpling skins at 鼎泰豐 (Din Tai Fung). This stuff is so good we bought a few extra bags to bring back to the States. We have been looking around and it just seems like this is the best flour for noodles and dumplings!

After kneading the dough and letting it rest, it's time to get it to the right size so we can start wrapping some dumplings! While we both try to roll and cut the skins, Calvin keeps a watchful eye and gives helpful pointers.

I have no aptitude for this. The Boyfriend's came out much better than mine. This was his first attempt, and it only got better each time.

That's right, the ugly ones are mine! Calvin and The Boyfriend made the prettier looking ones.

Getting ready to boil them for our long awaited lunch

Even Calvin was impressed with The Boyfriend's plating. Of course I deferred to him and let him do this portion.

Sauce? Check! Pickled cabbage? Check!

I really like his kitchen

Soup? Check!

Finally, our dumplings! This was my favorite part of the meal. The skin was so good, and knowing we made it ourselves made it all the more awesome. Trying these were what really sold us on lugging back a few bags of the flour, actually.

So we asked Calvin, what do people usually request to make? And there is a definite pattern. Locals want to learn to make Western food, and foreigners and out of towners want to make the Taiwanese dishes. Not really a surprise, but still interesting!

Like I mentioned at the beginning, he gives you a nice folio with all of the recipes so you can make it at home! Which reminds me, it's probably time to make some of those dishes!