My friend Helen and I have sort of a December tradition of taking a cooking class together at Sur La Table.

We’ve made croissants from scratch, homemade marshmallows, chocolate bark, and fancy holiday cookies. But we mixed things up and opted for something savory. Korean BBQ.

I love Korean flavors but am famously not that wild about beef. But I decided before I took the class I would broaden my horizons and give the Bulgogi a try. Even when the marinade included Asian pear, which seemed a little strange.

As it turns out, the Bulgogi, all juicy, flavorful, and not-so-daunting when served in a dainty lettuce cup with matchstick cuts of carrot and yes, more Asian pear (it really worked well) was really good. I actually (gasp!) ate two servings.

My favorite dishes of the night, however, were the accompanying scallion pancakes with a spicy dipping sauce and a marinated cucumber salad.

Cucumbers are super-refreshing and crunchy, of course, but a little boring most of the time. Thankfully, the tangy dressing we made gave them a great kick of heat. Overall, the experience was enjoyable and such a fun (and delicious) way to spend a couple of hours on a Monday night.

How about you? Do you enjoy cooking with Korean flavors at home? If so, what’s your tried and true recipe(s)?