Turkey may be America’s default holiday centerpiece, but there’s a whole world of festive alternatives waiting to be discovered. One of my personal favorites is Beef Wellington — a show-stopping beef tenderloin wrapped snugly in golden puff pastry. Most people think of it as quintessentially British, yet its roots trace back to a classic French dish called Filet de Bœuf en Croûte. The two recipes are nearly identical, though the French version is traditionally served with (naturally!) a red wine sauce. For Thanksgiving this year, I cooked a version inspired by Paul Bocuse’s recipe. I streamlined the method so it’s very doable at home: sear the beef, brush it with Dijon mustard, then wrap it in prosciutto and a savory mushroom duxelles before rolling it all up in store-bought puff pastry. The hands-on prep took just 30 minutes (plus a short chill), and it baked to perfection in about 45 ( see the full recipe ). Serve the roast with ultra-cr...

Many of you know that I spent 20 years as a graphic design professor at Parkland College before retiring in 2019. What you may not  know is that I’m also a lifelong movie buff who believes that cinema is the greatest of all the visual arts. We watch films with our eyes, but we also hear  them with our ears and feel  them through the power of storytelling. At their best, movies fuse theater, photography, music, performance, and pure imagination—creating a kind of magic no other medium can match. Because the best movie experience is a shared one, I’m thrilled to announce a new community project: FILM FANATIC MOVIE NIGHTS at Gallery Art Bar in downtown Urbana. Our premiere event takes place December 18 , and we’ll be screening THE FALL, one of the most visually breathtaking films ever made. This is a movie that goes where only cinema can go—deep into the soul, where images, sound, and ideas intertwine into an unforgettable experience. I’m exci...

Looking for a gift that’s thoughtful, unique, and guaranteed to delight? Custom gift certificates for my cooking classes and private chef services are now available—beautifully printed on card stock and tucked into a ready-to-gift envelope. You can even add a personalized message to make your present truly meaningful. For the foodie who has everything: Give an adventurous eater the unforgettable treat of a private dinner party cooked right in their own home. Whether it’s an intimate celebration or a special surprise, I bring the experience to you—no trip to Chicago or flight to Paris required. My private chef services are just $50 per hour, backed by more than 200 kitchen-tested recipes and the option to design brand-new dishes to match any theme or fantasy. Learn more here: www.cooking-with-paul.com/private-chef.html For the curious home cook: A hands-on cooking class at Urbana Park District’s Phillips Recreation Center might be the perfect present. With only 12 students per sessio...

Spring may still feel far away, but registration for all Urbana Park District classes begin on Wednesday, December 3. Starting at 10:00 a.m., you’ll find direct registration links for every spring cooking class on my website: www.cooking-with-paul.com/upd-2026-spring.html This spring, we’re thrilled to welcome two guest chefs who will bring their cultural traditions—and treasured family recipes—into our kitchen. Guest Chef Maxim Krupskiy (Russia):  Maxim, a visiting scholar at the UI College of Law, will share three classic Russian home dishes, including the star of the menu: Ukha (Fisherman’s Soup). Traditionally cooked over an open fire with just-caught fish, this rustic, deeply flavorful broth embodies true Russian outdoor cooking. Guest Chef Thu Nguyen (Vietnam):  Thu returns with her personal recipe for Phở, the iconic Vietnamese beef noodle soup beloved around the world. As a first-generation immigrant and “boat person,” she...

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here’s a glimpse of our October 30 "cooking party," where guest chef Kayla Lammy  led a lively group of student cooks through a 2.5-hour, fully hands-on culinary adventure. We chopped, mixed, boiled, sautéed, kneaded, assembled, and baked our way to a feast that several students called the “best class they’ve ever attended.” Together, we made fresh mozzarella from scratch; fresh pasta with flour, eggs, and water; stuffed ravioli by hand; shaved Brussels sprouts into a roasted vegetable salad; and finished off the evening with a luscious "Dirty Chai Tiramisu" for dessert. It truly was a party to remember ( see even more pictures ).  Even if you missed the class, you can still cook along. All kitchen-tested recipes from every class—including all of Kayla’s dishes—are available on my website, organized by cuisine. There are now over 200 streamlined, easy-to-follow recipes ready for you to download anytime. Since la...

Our fall season is almost finished, so it's time to start planning for spring. Here's a preview of the cooking classes we have planned for you next semester at Urbana Park District. Mark your calendar for December 3  if you want to be first to sign up for these spring cooking classes: On  February 12, 2026 , we will be celebrating Vietnamese Lunar New Year with guest chef  Thu Nguyen , a first-generation immigrant and " boat person " who forged a deep connection to her Vietnamese roots through food, family, and cultural engagement. Her passion for culinary arts blossomed in her twenties while living in Europe. Her journeys across more than 20 countries further enriched her palate and deepened her appreciation for authentic flavors. On March 5, 2026 , I will be presenting my version of Indian Delights where w e'll learn how to make a Garam Masala spice mix from scratch, then use this delightful seasoning to infuse a homemade Indian Goat Curr...

  This is Kayla Lammy, a University of Illinois grad student who is also my cooking partner and guest chef for our first ever "cooking workshop" and feast on Saturday, October 4, 2025. Our group chopped, grated, mixed, sauteed, boiled, baked, and grilled for 3 hours to prepare the ultimate German Oktoberfest banquet. Thanks to guest chef Kayla Lammy for developing the recipes and leading the workshop. Here's the final menu of what we put on our buffet table:  Kaltes Buffet (cold buffet): Black Forest ham, Braunscheiger (liver sausage), Landjaeger (smoked meat sticks), salami, Gebrannte Mandeln (candied almonds), Waffelröllchen (wafer rolls), Café Kranze (shortbread cookies), Kartoffelstäbchen (potato sticks) Homemade soft pretzels with Obatzda (beer cheese dip) German sausage platter with Kayla's venison bratwurst, weisswurst, knockwurst, sauerkraut, horseradish sauce, mustard, pickles, bread Spaetz...

  Harkening back to ancient Roman times, olive oil, garlic, cheese, and herbs have been combined around the Mediterranean region to become the essence of classic Italian cuisine. The best Italian dishes are the simplest ones, using the freshest seasonal ingredients and focusing on enhancing natural flavors. Modern Italian cuisine is more focused on regional specialties and often shows influences from neighboring countries. But the core philosophy of simplicity and sourcing fresh, local, seasonal ingredients remains the same. Tonight's vegetarian recipes were developed to highlight the seasonal flavors of fall with an emphasis on nutrition and taste: Butternut Squash Ravioli with Ricotta Cheese Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Dried Cranberries and Sunflower Seeds Dirty Chai Tiramisu Kayla Lammy will be our guest chef for this cooking class. Kayla is currently a second-year master’s student in the Food Science and Human Nutrition department at the Univer...

Meet Kayla Lammy , our guest chef for Urbana Park District's first-ever Oktoberfest cooking workshop and feast. Kayla is currently a second-year master’s student in the Food Science and Human Nutrition department at the University of Illinois who also grew up in rural Illinois. For Kayla's family, hunting was a way they sustained themselves, and she grew up eating ground deer meat, or venison, as a substitute for ground beef in most recipes. On Saturday, October 4 , Kayla will share her family's special bratwurst recipe along with all the other traditional German festival favorites that you expect at an authentic Oktoberfest banquet. Here's what's on the menu: Homemade Soft Pretzels with Obatzda (beer cheese dip) Kayla's Venison Bratwurst with Sauerkraut (traditional home recipe) Spaetzle (German egg dumplings with caramelized onions) Rotkohl (red cabbage with apples) Bayrischer Kartoffelsalat (Bavarian warm potato salad) Apfelk...

These pictures were taken by Jennifer Ashley, one of the students who attended last week's hands-on Georgian cooking class. On September 11, a small group of foodies gathered at Urbana Park District's Phillips Recreation Center for a "cooking party," and we made a Georgian feast featuring a beef stew, three minced vegetable appetizers, an herbal lemonade soda, and meat dumplings from scratch. This event was part of our long-running series of cooking classes called PRINCIPLES OF ETHNIC COOKING ( see more pictures ).  Since its inception in 2022, we have traveled the world, enjoying the best that each country has to offer. So far, we have explored 24 different cuisines, including some that are hard to find in Champaign-Urbana. Last week's class featured popular dishes from Georgia, a former Soviet state nestled between Europe and Asia. Coming up next is a taste of some unusual dishes from Oaxaca, the southernmost state in Mexico, to be followed by guest chef K...

Last December, we spent the Christmas holiday season in Oaxaca City and thoroughly enjoyed all their local holiday traditions of fiestas, parades, marching bands, and even a  radish carving festival . Oaxaca is the southernmost state in Mexico, and their cuisine is 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. While I was there, I was lucky to be able to take a private cooking class with  Roxana Hernandez , a local artist and home cook extraordinaire who taught me how to make an authentic Oaxacan chicken stew with a red mole as a key ingredient. The cooking lesson took place in her upstairs outdoor home kitchen with traditional wood-fired stoves and clay pots. The stew itself is pretty standard, except for the broth. The combination of exotic spices and the addition of a homemade mole made this dish special and uniquely Oaxacan. Her...

On Saturday, October 4 , we will be hosting our first-ever cooking workshop and feast to celebrate Oktoberfest. We invented the "workshop" format because a 2.5-hour evening class is simply not enough time to celebrate an event like Oktoberfest. So we're planning a 4-hour "cooking party" on a Saturday afternoon where we get to make all the traditional festival dishes you expect from a real German Oktoberfest celebration. Featured on the menu will be guest chef Kayla Lammy's venison bratwurst recipe. Growing up in rural Illinois, hunting was a way Kayla's family sustained themselves. She grew up eating ground deer meat, or venison, as a substitute for ground beef in most recipes. "Hunting, when done respectfully, is a great way to connect with the land and have a deeper appreciation for where our food comes from," says Kayla. Join us and learn how Kayla's family makes their own special bratwurst. Here's what ...

On  September 11 , we will be introducing Champaign-Urbana to the unique cuisine of Georgia, a former Soviet state nestled between Europe and Asia. Georgian cuisine is beloved by Russians as well as curious and adventurous foodies all over the world. This is your last chance to register for this class at the discounted price of $40 per seat. Urbana Park District's "early bird" tuition ends two weeks before the start of each class, so please reserve your seat by Wednesday, August 27 at midnight because prices will increase by $10 on August 28. My first taste of Georgian cuisine was in a restaurant in Moscow. Our Russian friends took us to their favorite Georgian restaurant, and what we ate was like nothing else we've tried before. Almost like a mashup of Middle Eastern, Persian, and Asian traditions, Georgian dishes are complex, full of flavor, and mouthwateringly good. Since that first experience, we have sought out Georgian cuisine wherever we trav...

Ceviche is a Latin American raw seafood dish that has been marinated in citrus juice. This centuries-old tradition of “cooking” seafood without heat originated in Peru but is common all along the Pacific coast up to Mexico. Fish and shrimp ceviche are most common, but the first time I had the scallop version was in Oaxaca, the southernmost state of Mexico. Most ceviche is made with lime juice, onion, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro, but the Oaxacan version also had mangos, which adds a lovely sweet note to the flavor profile. Usually served as a cold appetizer, ceviche is deceptively simple to make, full of potent flavors, and a refreshing summer treat that's also good anytime of the year. Here's the recipe:  www.cooking-with-paul.com/recipes/mexican-scallop-ceviche.html   We'll be making this dish and two other unique dishes at our Oaxacan Flavors cooking class on October 2 . There are only 3 seats left for this class, so register soon. Full m...

On Saturday, October 4, we will be hosting our first-ever cooking workshop and feast to celebrate Oktoberfest. Originating in the Bavarian city of Munich in 1810, Oktoberfest is now celebrated all over the world. In Urbana, we will celebrate this festival season with a traditional German banquet and cooking class featuring traditional German recipes, and of course, German beer. German cuisine is known for its hearty and savory dishes and a long tradition of sausage-making as well as fermentation of vegetables like cabbage. But the highlight of this cooking workshop will be guest chef Kayla Lammy's Deer Bratwurst, modified from a recipe from her father. We will be making this sausage from scratch along with a feast of traditional German favorites. This is a four-hour hands-on cooking workshop for adults where all students will participate in the preparation of all the dishes on the menu. Do come hungry and thirsty because the tuition includes a full festival menu, and you w...

The fall edition of the Urbana Park District Program Guide is now out, and this means that fall registration will be open soon. Mark your calendar for August 6 if you want to be first to sign up for our fall cooking classes. If you already have the catalog, flip to page 28 to preview all the cooking classes coming this fall — and they're all new! Here's a summary of what's coming up in our long-running PRINCIPLES OF ETHNIC COOKING class series at Urbana Park District's Phillips Recreation Center. This is a series of "cooking parties" where all students will participate in the preparation of the dishes on the menu: On  September 11 , I will be sharing the results of my latest home kitchen experiments in a Taste of Georgia class. Georgia is a former Soviet state nestled between Europe and Asia with a unique and vibrant cuisine. Join us for this special Georgian feast, which will include the world-famous Georgian Kharcho (beef stew) and two other exot...

On July 10, guest chef Aliya Dosmanbetova led a cooking party with 10 students, and we made a delicious Kazakh feast! Aliya was a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois for the last 12 months, and as a parting gift for our community, she shared her favorite family recipes with us at this farewell dinner. We made a lamb pilaf from scratch with the help of a pressure cooker, then we whipped up a lovely fresh salad with tomatoes, onions, and peppers, and finally, we also fried up a big batch of Baursaks (Kazakh fried bread), which Aliya made from scratch with flour, milk, and sugar. If you missed this class and want to try out her recipes, they have been archived on my website .  Aliya also shared stories about her life back home, her country's culture and history, as well as her experiences here in America. We drank tea, cooked up a storm, and ate up everything that was cooked up that night. Aliya is now on her way back home, but she will take back some...

Soul food is an immigrant cuisine that combines West African, Western European, and American culinary traditions. The expression "soul food" originated in the mid-1960s when "soul" was a common word used to describe African-American culture. Soul food is intensely seasoned and uses a variety of spices to add robust flavor to food and savory sauces. While all soul food is Southern food, not all Southern food is soul. Soul food cooking is an example of how really good African-American cooks cooked with what they had available to them. Our guest chef for this class will be Darlene Anderson, who will present a healthy and tasty all-vegan menu of her favorite family recipes which will feature her own  Kentucky Fried Tofu Nuggets  recipe. Darlene is a teacher with a master's in childhood education, a former passenger service agent for American Airlines, and a former model for JC Penney. She grew up in a Chicago neighborhood where everyone knew each other and th...

Mangoes are a tropical fruit that’s juicy and sweet. Although they are native to Southeast Asia, most grocery store mangoes in the U.S. are grown in Florida, California, and Mexico. Mango connoisseurs claim that Alphonso mangos imported from India are the sweetest, but Ataulfo mangoes (aka “honey mangoes” or “champagne mangoes”) are cheaper and more readily available. Both are yellow and smaller than the more common Tommy Atkins mangoes . In the U.S., peak season for mangoes runs from May through September. This very popular seasonal Thai dessert makes use of fresh ripe mangos made sweeter when topped with a coconut sauce (also see video ). This video will show you the basic steps in about two minutes (turn on the helpful closed-caption subtitles). The full recipe will take about 10 minutes to make. We will be making this easy recipe together at my upcoming Thai Night Market cooking class on June 5, along with three other Thai dishes. Full menu and details are here: www.c...

Fresh seafood is always abundantly available in Thailand. In western restaurants, premium white fish like red snapper or cod is often featured. But the Thai prefer barramundi (Asian sea bass), carp, or catfish, which are much cheaper and more widely available. Asians prefer serving the whole fish complete with head and tail, but fish fillets will also work for this recipe. You can dust the fish with flour and deep-fry it in oil, which will get you a nice crispy skin. But I prefer steaming my fish since it is healthier. Either way, what makes this dish distinctively Thai is the use of hot chili peppers and fish sauce. Asian essentials like garlic, ginger, and scallions round out the flavors. Kick it up a notch by also adding a little sweet and a little sour, and now you’ve got the ultimate Thai main course. This video will show you the basic steps in about two minutes (turn on the helpful closed-caption subtitles). The full recipe will take about 20-30 minutes to make. We will be ...

Our long-running Principles of Ethnic Cooking series at Urbana Park District's Phillips Recreation Center  is now in its third year. This is a hands-on cooking class series where all students will participate in the preparation of all the dishes on the menu. Do come hungry and thirsty because the tuition includes a multi-course dinner during the second half of the class when you will be eating everything you cooked that evening. Every season, we will explore three different ethnic cuisines, and this summer is no different. Here's this summer's schedule: June 5: Thai Night Market with Paul Young July 10: Taste of Kazakhstan with Aliya Dosmanbetova (sold out) August 7: Vegan Soul with Darlene Anderson In each of these classes, we will deconstruct ethnic recipes and break down the flavor principles of each culinary tradition. Learn how to make anything taste ethnic by following a few master recipes and utilizing simple flavor principles. By the end of the ...

  Chiang Mai is considered by many as the cultural center of Thailand. Located in the northern highlands of Thailand, the city is known for its many festivals and amazing food. Although it's on TripAdvisor's top 25 international destinations, foreign tourists are still only a small minority compared to the number of Thai visitors who visit Chiang Mai every year. Daytime temperatures in Thailand can often exceed 100°F, but the evenings are much milder. So it's no wonder that the locals prefer to come out every night to go to the night market. From fishmongers to souvenir stands to hundreds of street food vendors, everyone is jammed right next to each other, and the choices are endless. Tonight's hands-on cooking class is inspired by the aroma and festivities of this Thai night market. Featured on tonight's menu will be a steamed whole fish as typically prepared by night market street vendors. We'll top the fish with a chili garlic sauce that's sweet, sou...

   Last week, guest chef Fairouz Abu-Ghazaleh led a fabulous hands-on Palestinian cooking class. Twelve students participated, and boy, did we cook up a storm. We started the cooking party with freshly brewed mint tea and a brief introduction. Then the action started with dessert first because we needed time to bake it in the oven. Our dessert that night was Namura, an eggless sweet cake that was soaked in sugar syrup enhanced with orange blossom water. Next, we made homemade hummus from scratch and paused to enjoy our snack. Then we cooked up a Middle Eastern frittata called Ejjeh, and finally we made a Palestinian pizza called Manaqeesh. All-in-all, a good time was had by all, and there were even plenty of leftovers to take home ( see full photo gallery ).  This class was part of our long-running PRINCIPLE OF ETHNIC COOKING class series at Urbana Park District's Phillips Recreation Center. This series is now in its third year, and our summer season...

  We're very excited to announce two new collaborations with guest chefs this coming summer. Aliya Dosmanbetova from Kazakhstan will join us on July 10 as our special guest chef. Aliya is a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois, and she loves to cook and share her culture. She comes from a big family where everyone cooked, and she has fond memories of helping her mom prepare large meals for many guests in their kitchen. “Cooking for me is more than just preparing food,” says Aliya. “It is a way for me to connect with my heritage, my family, and the memories that shaped me. In her cooking class, Aliya will share three favorite family recipes, including a luscious lamb pilaf. On August 7, Darlene Anderson will introduce us to a healthy vegan soul dinner featuring Kentucky Fried Tofu Nuggets. She swears that you won't be able to taste the difference between the hormone-injected mass-produced fast-food version and her healthy vegan homemade version. "It'...