I consider myself pretty handy in the kitchen. With a couple of Henckels knives and a Calphalon, I can tackle a wide range of cuisines from the comfort of my own home. I see recipes as vague recommendations and feel confident in adding my own slant to any number of house favorites. Despite my culinary confidence, there are still plenty of techniques I need to perfect in order to round out my kitchen repertoire, so I set out to try some of Beijing’s many cooking classes.

Founded in 2008 by Serve the People: A Stir Fried Journey Through China author Jen Lin-Liu, Black Sesame Kitchen offers an eclectic range of Chinese cooking classes, as well as a weekly wine dinner. I couldn’t resist joining a dumpling-making class (¥300) on Chinese New Year’s Eve. Our friendly teacher, Candice Lee, introduced all the various vinegars and peppers needed for our egg and cucumber, chive and pork, and lamb and carrot fillings. What I found particularly useful was learning to roll our own dough with the addition of spinach, tomato and carrot juice to create colorful, playful treats.

The Hutong offers a variety of classes, from noodle-pulling and vegetarian Indian to the more social Hook’n’Cook. My Cantonese class (¥220) started quickly with a long boiled pork rib and yam soup, progressing to fried noodles with Chinese sausage and a surprisingly flavorful dish of sautéed celery and lily bulbs. While preparing the food under the watchful eye of our Chinese instructor was fun, eating our creations was the true reward. Hot tip: If spice is your thing, don’t forget to ask about Ayi’s secret chili sauce, which is sold by the jar.

Baking is my culinary Achilles’ heel, so I joined The Kempinski’s new monthly pastry cooking class (¥398, 6465-3388 ext. 4075) with great hopes. Chef Jean-Luc Vasser walked us through chocolate cookies, apple almond tarts and a cleverly creative bitter chocolate olive oil crème with bell pepper and raspberry sauce. Held in the underbelly of the hotel, the class was divided into groups, with each team tackling one recipe. Vasser finessed the final touches. Though tasting three types of dessert is rather much, the class also includes a three-course, wine paired dinner at Trattoria La Gondola with Vasser and Executive Chef Thomas Laberer.

Cooking may not be everyone’s sport of choice, nor will all the classwork enthuse more experienced cooks, but as Chef Laberer simply stated, “Today, we only have two goals: ask lots of questions, and have fun.”