Residents of Champaign-Urbana (people living within the boundaries of the Urbana and Champaign Park Districts) receive discounted tuition for all Park District programs, including my FLAVOR PRINCIPLES OF ETHNIC COOKING series. The lowest tuition is the "early bird" tuition of $40 for all my cooking classes, but only if you register 2 weeks before the class. So today is the last day to register for the FRENCH CLASSICS class on February 20. Starting tomorrow, the tuition goes up to $50 for residents. So if you want to enjoy a three-course French dinner for $40 and also learn how to make it at home, register today! Full menu and details are here:  www.cooking-with-paul.com/classes For future reference, here is the tuition schedule and the registration deadline for our spring classes: French Classics (Feb 20) - $40 (before Feb 5) - $50 (after Feb 5) Vietnamese Cooking (Mar 3) - $40 (before Feb 27) - $50 (after Feb 27) A Taste of Palestine (Mar 27) - $40 (before Mar 13) - $5...

I often refer to my cooking classes as "cooking parties." That's because they're fun events where you get to cook and eat and learn all at the same time. I always remind students to come hungry and thirsty because there's always lots of food at my classes, and I never let you walk away hungry. So think of my cooking classes as an alternative to eating out at a restaurant, or maybe an interesting twist for "date night" ( see more pictures ). So what happens at a "cooking party"? Starting last year, we converted our classes from cooking show "demonstrations" to 100% hands-on classes where all students will participate in the preparation of the dishes on the menu for that evening. Starting at 6pm, we'll slice, dice, and chop our way to a multi-course dinner. I get to share how I cook at home, and you get to participate in a unique cooking party where we'll eat everything that was prepared that night.  This spring, my long-runni...

  It's been a while since Chambana had a French restaurant, so if you wanted to explore French cuisine, you'll have to drive to Chicago. Or go to France, which is what we did last year. Sure, Paris is full of amazing Michelin-starred restaurants, but if you want to get the most bang for your buck, head to Lyon (aka the gourmet capital of France). Even better, forget Paris or Lyon and book a CroisiEurope riverboat cruise instead. CroisiEurope is a French company specializing in European river cruises. I've never been on an ocean cruise and will steer clear of those insane 7,000-people environmental hazards. But a river cruise is a completely different story. With a capacity of 80 people or so, CroisiEurope boats are small, intimate affairs designed for French vacationers. Last year, we booked a six-day cruise from Lyon and there were only four Americans aboard (plus two other English speakers from England and Singapore). Where the boat went was not important to us...

I've been cooking a lot of French dishes since our trip to France last year. I've been busy fine-tuning new recipes in my home kitchen, and now I'm ready to share a new dessert recipe for FRESH BERRIES IN COULIS SAUCE. Perhaps the simplest of French sauces, coulis is simply pureed fruit or vegetables. For our dessert dish, we'll be blending fresh strawberries with something sweet, then adding a splash of cognac to make it really French. Serve the sauce with fresh berries and a scoop of ice cream, and you've got a beautifully simple dessert that can be made in minutes without cooking. Arguably, French gastronomy is the most influential of European culinary traditions. Tonight's menu also features a classic Julia Child-inspired Boeuf Bourguignon (beef stew) and a fabulous roasted beet salad with goat cheese. Come hungry and thirsty because we will be making and eating a classic three-course French dinner tonight. Our cooking party starts at 6pm on Thursday,...

Welcome to the 10th season of my long-running Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking classes at Urbana Park District. Since spring 2022, we have traveled around the world and sampled cuisines from Greece to Inida to Jamaica. This spring we're going to France, Vietnam, and Palestine to taste what each country has to offer.  This spring, I will be joined by two guest chefs who will share their personal recipes. With these upcoming cooking classes, our goal is to show you that making great-tasting ethnic dishes is not hard at all. Here's the schedule: French Classics (February 20) : Arguably, French gastronomy is the most influential of European culinary traditions. The French invented haute cuisine, then turned everything upside-down and re-invented itself with nouvelle cuisine — a simpler, lighter approach with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and presentation. Tonight's menu features three French classics.  Vietnamese Cooking (March 3) : Influenced by the flavors of neigh...

  When traveling, my favorite thing to do is to try new dishes with exotic ingredients that I'm not familiar with. My second favorite thing to do is to take cooking classes with local cooks who want to share their favorite recipes. On a recent trip to Oaxaca, I had just such an opportunity.  This was our third time going down to the southern-most state of Mexico. Oaxaca City just happens to be one of best places in the world to celebrate the Christmas season. Oaxacans are very traditional, and their Christmas celebrations involve a week of fiestas, parades, marching bands, and even a  radish carving festival . Oaxaca is also where the best mezcal is made. Small batch artisenal mezcal from Oaxaca is highly prized internationally. Oaxacan cuisine is also celebrated worldwide and heavily promoted by celebrity chefs like Rick Bayless . Moles (sauces made with peppers, nuts, and chocolate) are often featured in Oaxacan cuisine, and this chicken stew includ...

If my public cooking class schedule does not fit with your schedule, consider booking a private class with me. Invite me into your kitchen or come to my house for a private "cooking party" where we'll make a fabulous meal for you, your family, or friends. You can choose from over 200 kitchen-tested ethnic recipes from 22 international cuisines, or let's develop some new recipes together.  This is your chance to be adventurous, to try new cuisines, and to hone your kitchen skills. Here’s what you’ll learn in our private cooking class: how to plan a dinner party and design a fabulous menu how to utilize flavor principles to freely adapt recipes techniques and skills needed to be successful in the kitchen lots of time-saving tips & tricks without having to sacrifice quality My rates start at $50 per hour with a three-hour minimum. The cost of ingredients is not included (but we can go shopping together, or I can shop and submit a receipt ...

Are you an English-language student in the Project READ program? Do you like to cook? If the answer is "yes" to both questions, then read on... I'm a retired professor and a Project READ volunteer tutor ( more about me ). I have been teaching a series of ethnic cooking classes at Urbana Park District since 2022. I'm seeking local amateur home cooks who want to share their personal recipes to join me as a "guest chef" and co-teach a hands-on ethnic cooking class. These  small interactive classes  are taught in the James Room demonstration kitchen at Phillips Recreation Center in Urbana. Our classes usually have 12 students, are taught in the evening, and last about two hours. I will be your "sous chef" and assist you in the kitchen and provide language support.  Here's your opportunity to: Practice your newly acquired English language skills in a classroom environment Share your favorite recipes from your own country Teach local community ...

To help promote the upcoming Paella Festival in Valencia pop-up dinner, I decided to demo how to make Gazpacho on WCIA's lifestyle show called  ciLiving . Gazpacho is a healthy chilled summer vegetable soup that requires no cooking. Most people use tomato juice as a base for Gazpacho, but if you start with V8 instead, you're already halfway there. Of course, I add more fresh veggies for both texture and nutrition.  Since Gazpacho is a tomato-based soup, it didn’t exist until the discovery of the new world where tomatoes came from. The Spanish and Portuguese brought tomatoes back to Europe in the 1400s and they were the first people to make Gazpacho. Today it is popular all around the Mediterranean and there are many different variations. You can taste this dish on September 1 when I will be making  this exact recipe  at my next pop-up dinner at Harvest Market. Gazpacho will be the first course served, but the featured main course will be my version of ...

If you missed last month's Persian pop-up dinner at Harvest Market, don't fret. There's another pop-up coming on September 1 that you might enjoy when we visit Spain to celebrate the annual Paella Festival in Valencià . But if it's Persian food that you desire, you're in luck! I'll be making the same lamb shank dish again along with the world-famous "Jeweled Rice" recipe at my Persian Classics cooking class on the on September 19. Since this a cooking class, I'll be providing recipes and demonstrating how to make these two dishes plus a luscious Persian eggplant stew. Persia (as Iran was called until the 1930s) is located at the crossroads of the East and the West. Perhaps the most ancient of Middle Eastern cuisines, the Persians like to combine herbs and spices like saffron with nuts and dried fruit to make elaborate stews and rice dishes. Join us as we cook up classic "silk road" inspired dishes that are both sophisticated and sim...

Located just east of Paris, the  Bourgogne  region is known for its rich and full-flavored dishes, creamy cheeses, Dijon mustard, and of course its world-class vineyards. Join us as we do a deep dive into French cuisine and survey all the deliciousness that France has to offer, region by region. At our first stop on Wednesday, September 11, we'll cook up a multi-course French dinner featuring all French classics made famous in Burgundy wine country. Of course, each course will also be paired with imported French wines from the region. Here's what's on the menu: Escargots à la Bourguignonne (snails in butter) Coq au Vin (chicken braised with red wine) Selection of cheeses Crème Brûlée (baked custard) This  Classic Burgundy Wine Country Cuisine  class is the first in a series of three "deep dive" French cooking classes in Harvest Market's modern demonstration kitchen. A couple of months ago, we ate our way through France and I'm now a huge ...

You may have met Brittany Heyen at one of our pop-up dinners in the past year. Brittany was the server and all-around helper who made sure the food arrived hot, your wine glasses were never empty, and your needs in the dining room were met. So when Brittany said she wanted to be the chef du jour and cook up some German dishes inspired by her grandmother's recipes, we absolutely said yes. And since the annual Oktoberfest season is upon us, we thought she should do it twice. First up is our  Oktoberfest Feast in Munich pop-up dinner on  Sunday, September 22 . As is our tradition, we'll be serving up a multi-course dinner complete with imported German beers and wines for one fixed price (unlike at restaurants, all taxes and tip are included as well). This time, 16 guests will be invited to celebrate Oktoberfest in a private party room in downtown Urbana where we'll create a Bavarian beer hall atmosphere with communal-style dining. Brittany's grandmot...

Mark your calendars! August 7 is only 3 weeks away, and that is when you can start registering for the 9th season of my long-running "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" classes. In this series, we travel around the globe to taste all the diversity that our wonderful world has to offer. Learn how to make anything taste ethnic by following a few master recipes and utilizing simple flavor principles. By the end of the series, you will be able to customize flavor profiles and adjust recipes like a pro. Here's what's on the menu: •  Persian Classics  (September 19): Dive deep into this ancient Middle Eastern cuisine inspired by the courts of ancient Persia (as Iran was called until the 1930s). Learn how to combine herbs and spices (like saffron) with nuts and dried fruit to make elaborate stews and rice dishes. Enjoy a silk road-inspired royal banquet that's both sophisticated and simple.  •  German Oktoberfest Feast  (October 10):...

Arguably, French gastronomy is the most influential of European culinary traditions. The French invented haute cuisine, then turned everything upside-down and re-invented itself with nouvelle cuisine — a simpler, lighter approach with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and presentation. All of this tradition and innovation was supported and promoted by another French invention: the highly influential Michelin Guide and its star-rating system. Even in our everyday language, French words like  cuisine ,  gourmet ,  récipé , and  bon appétit  are universally understood and associated with good food. This fall, join us as we do a deep dive into French cuisine and survey all the deliciousness that France has to offer, region by region. We'll start in Burgundy wine country where we'll learn how to cook with wine. Next, we'll taste the Mediterranean-style Provençal cuisine from the south of France where bouillabaisse and ratatouille were invented. Lastly, we'll head ...

As of right now, there's only one seat left for this Sunday's " Persian Royal Feast " pop-up dinner ( reserve now if you've got Sunday night open). We're taking August off, but starting in September, we will be back on schedule with our monthly Sunday night pop-ups. On September 25, we'll be going to Spain to celebrate the annual Paella Festival in Valencià . Traditionally cooked outdoors over an open fire, paella is a Mediterranean rice dish that's especially popular during holidays and celebrations all over the world. At our Sunday night banquet, we will be cooking up a big batch of seafood paella along with a few other popular Spanish side dishes. Kilya, our mixologist will also be creating a variety of sangria for your tasting pleasure. On October 27, we will be going to Oaxaca, Mexico, to celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), an ancestral festival with deep roots in ancient civilizations like the Aztecs. A special menu of unusual ...

Stuffed grape leaves are a popular summer treat all around the Mediterranean Sea and wherever wine or grapes are grown. Although the origin of this popular treat is unknown, they can be found in Iran, Armenia, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, as well as Greece. Of course, each country has its own local variations, but this version is all-vegetarian (see full recipe) . The stuffing is simply rice seasoned with lemon, parsley, and dill. These days, grape leaves come pre-brined in a jar and are ready to use. Making these luscious little bite-sized bundles is a simple folding action that takes less than 10 seconds per roll. Baking the rolled dolmades tenderizes the grape leaves and melds all the flavors. Chill and enjoy this snack with a garlic-yogurt dip on any hot summer day. Or come to my Greek cuisine cooking class this Thursday and see how easy they are to make.  I'll be making a big batch of Dolmades and 3 other Greek favorites including spanakopita (spinach p...

A couple of months ago, we visited France for the first time. Of course we spent some time in Paris, but we also visited the Alsace region and the city of Lyon -- also known as the gastronomic capital of France. But the highlight of the trip was a week-long riverboat cruise with a French company called  CroisiEurope  where we ate amazing French food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. Hanging out with French people meant that we also indulged in wine for lunch  and  dinner. And since this was a French boat, all the champagne and cognac we could drink was also included. This was indeed foodie heaven! One of my favorite pastimes is to recreate dishes I've enjoyed when traveling and eating out, and this trip was no exception. I've already started experimenting and testing recipes, and by this fall, I will be ready to share the results of my research. So join us as we go on a deep dive into French cuisine at Harvest Market's demo kitchen . and survey all ...

It's July, which means basil harvest season is already here. If we were in Genoa, Italy, it would be time to take our bountiful basil harvest and make a big batch of fresh pesto sauce right now. Genoa is a major trading port on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in northwestern Italy. Located next to Tuscany, Genoa is also where pesto was invented. Harkening back to ancient Roman times, garlic, cheese, and herbs have been pounded into a paste that eventually evolved into the modern version of pesto — a raw sauce that demands the freshest of ingredients. At tonight's Taste of Genoa  cooking class, we'll learn how to make fresh pesto using just-harvested local basil, fresh garlic, and Italian extra virgin olive oil. We'll use our raw pesto sauce in every dish on tonight's special Mediterranean menu which includes the world-famous Pizza Pesto Genovese. Register here: www.goharvestmarket.com/event/cooking-with-paul-young-taste-of-genoa . All my Harvest Market ...

Last week, Heather Roberts  invited me back to do another cooking demo on her locally produced lifestyle show called  ciLiving  on WCIA. I chose to showcase a new French recipe I developed based on a dish we ate on our recent trip to France (also see my France travel blog ).  On this trip, we booked a 6-day riverboat cruise with a French company called CroisiEurope and they had a great chef onboard. We ate the best gourmet French food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day for a week. And we wine for lunch and dinner. And all the champagne and cognac we could drink. It was foodie heaven! Our onboard chef was a big fan of nouvelle cuisine,  which has been all the rage in France since the 1970s. Popularized by Chef Paul Bocuse of Lyon, this cuisine is more of a philosophy than a style of cooking. Using high quality ingredients, simple cooking methods, and beautiful presentations, every dish we ate on the cruise was artistical...

The eighth season of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" classes is in full swing, and Greek cuisine is next. On July 11, we will be cooking up a 4-course meze dinner of all vegetarian dishes. If you love garlic, then this wonderful Mediterranean cuisine is for you. What makes Greek food so tasty is the heavenly combination of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, fresh garlic, and lots of herbs. Our master recipe this evening is an extremely versatile Greek vinaigrette dressing which we will use in all of our dishes. By the end of the class, you will be able to make almost anything taste Greek. Here's our menu for the evening: Ladolemono (Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette) (Master Recipe) Horiatiki (Greek Village Salad) Melitzanosalata (Eggplant Dip) Spanikopita (Spinach Pie) Dolmades (Stuffed Grape Leaves) Wine, beer, and Ouzo sampling  All my cooking classes are for adults and the tuition includes a multi-course dinner complete with wine, beer...

Our monthly Sunday night pop-up dinners continue in July at a new venue -- the Harvest Market upstairs demo kitchen. Affectionately named "The Nook," this ultramodern space has a giant kitchen counter island that is perfect for both cooking and eating. With this pop-up event, we are inaugurating a new series called "Chef's Table" where 10 special guests are invited to a front-row seat right at the kitchen counter, where you can watch your dinner being prepared in front of your eyes. Each dish will be presented by the chef with notes on ingredients, preparation, and flavor profiles, as well as background information about its cultural history. Cooking techniques and modern shortcuts will also be discussed, and all your questions will be answered. Persian cuisine is steeped in thousand-year-old traditions from an ancient empire that connected India and China with the West along the silk road. Famous for its creative use of spices like saffron, cardamom, and dr...

A couple of weeks ago, Heather Roberts , the co-host and producer of  WCIA's ciLiving invited me to do a cooking demo on her show. I chose to showcase one of my favorite recipes -- a restaurant-quality ramen noodle soup that is so easy to make at home.  Good soup always starts with a good broth, and this broth is made from a combination of miso paste (fermented soy beans), chicken base, and vegetable base. As with all soups, the more garlic and onions you use, the better the broth. Add some noodles, some protein, and your favorite veggies, and now you have a one-bowl meal that's both satisfying and delicious. You can taste this soup on August 1 when I will be teaching how to make this exact recipe at one of my "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" classes at Phillips Recreation Center . Also on the menu for the evening is Tuna Tataki with Ponzu Sauce, Yakitori (Chicken on Skewers), and Ohitashi (Sesame Spinach). As with all my dinn...

  The eighth season of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" classes starts on June 13, and this summer we'll be going to Jamaica, Greece, and Japan. In each of these classes, we'll be deconstructing the recipes of each cuisine and breaking down the flavor principles of these culinary traditions. By following a few master recipes and utilizing simple flavor profiles, you will be able to customize and adjust your own favorite recipes and make tasty ethnic dishes every night for dinner. Here's our summer schedule: June 13: Jamaican Cooking July 11: Greek Classics August 1: A Taste of Japan  Due to a last minute cancellation, we now have one seat open for the June 13 Jamaican class ( grab it here before it's gone ). As of today, there are still a few seats left for the July 11 Greek class and the August 1 Japanese class. Register soon before these classes sell out! All my cooking classes are for adults and the tuition includes a multi-cou...

  I'm happy to announce that Harvest Market has invited me to teach a series of classes in their demo kitchen located in the upstairs mezzanine of Champaign flagship store. Affectionately called "The Nook," their instructional and educational kitchen has a new director and she is planning a full calendar of events in the upcoming months. Sirisha Bhandaru is up first with an Easy Indian Cooking class on June 6, then Sue Tiger is up next with  Canning 101  on June 13. My Thai cooking class follows on June 27.  Thai cuisine is a harmonious blend of flavors, textures, and aromas that always taste fresh. Sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors are combined to create unbelievably mouth-watering taste experiences that come alive when properly balanced. Our tasting menu for the evening will consist of three easy-to-make Thai favorites. Do come hungry and thirsty because the tuition includes Thai beer tastings a special welcome cocktail. Here's what's on the menu:...