April 3 is only two weeks away! Please mark your calendars because that is the first day to register for the next season's cooking classes at Urbana Park District's Phillips Recreation Center. The eighth season of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" classes starts on June 13, but we know from past experience that this series sells out fast! 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. This is our summer schedule: June 13: Jamaican Cooking July 11: Greek Classics August 1: A Taste of Japan  All my cooking classes are for adults and the tuition includes a multi-course dinner complete with wi

Our monthly Sunday night pop-up dinners continue next month with a MUMBAI STREET FOOD TOUR special event on April 14, 2024. In the tradition of featuring good eats from exotic destinations around the world, we'll be recreating a multi-course vegetarian Indian foodie safari experience like no other. We've got comfort foods, playful flavor bombs, and indulgent treats – buttery, spicy, sweet – you name it! Join us for a vegetarian culinary ride through the heart and soul of Mumbai's street food scene: Chaat: Pani Puri  • Playful little flavor explosions that packs a punch Sev Puri  • Light, crisp canapes topped with potatoes, onions, flavorful sauces and thin crispy fried chickpea noodles Idli Sambar Chutney  • Savory steamed lentil and rice cakes with a lentil tamarind stew and coconut chutney Paneer Frankie  • A favorite among college kids, a soft wrap encasing a spicy paneer filling Pav Bhaji  • A flavor-packed spicy vegetable mash served with a buttered

As part of our Czech pop-up dinner event next week, I made this delicious honey cake for dessert. A throwback to the Soviet era, this very popular treat is available at almost all Czech restaurants and coffee shops during the Christmas season. Although this cake is fairly easy to make, the process does take three days. So plan ahead! On day 1, you'll want to make the caramel cream filling. Because you're boiling a can of condensed milk, it is recommended that you chill the unopened can in the refrigerator overnight. This way, you won't risk burning yourself when you open the can the next day. On day 2, you'll make the cake itself, but you should let it sit overnight in the refrigerator so that the flavors meld together as the wet cream filling moistens the sponge cake layers. It'll be so much better the next day! You can serve the cake on day 3, but be sure to let it sit out for an hour or so before dessert time. Since there is a lot of butter in the cream f

As part of my Russian cooking class series at Common Ground Food Co-op, I developed this gourmet version of the infamous Moscow Mule cocktail. Traditionally made with vodka and ginger beer, this refreshing drink is my go-to cocktail during the hot summer months. Although there's nothing wrong with the traditional recipe (which doesn't have anything to do with Moscow or Russia), I thought the drink could be cleaner. So I invented my own version. The "gourmet" version replaces ginger beer with real ginger juice. The unique "zing" of ginger is what makes mule drinks special and using the real thing makes all the difference. Without ginger beer, there is also no sweetener to balance out the lime juice. So I use agave nectar instead -- it's so much better for you than the corn syrup usually used to sweeten ginger beer. But what about the bubbles, you say? No problem, let's use seltzer water instead.  Now the big question: what kind of vodka s

It's only March, but summer is coming! The eighth season of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" classes at Phillips Recreation Center starts on June 13, 2024, but we know from past experience that this series sells out fast! So mark your calendars for April 3 because that is the first day that registration opens for all Urbana Park District summer events.  All my cooking classes are for adults and the tuition includes a multi-course dinner complete with wine, beer, and/or cocktails. Do come hungry and thirsty because these classes are "dinner party-style" events where we'll be tasting and eating everything that will be made that night. Whenever possible, students will also get to participate by helping me make a dish or two. I'll also share all the tips and tricks I know on how to get from A to B to Z quickly and efficiently. This summer, we'll be going to Jamaica, Greece, and Japan. In each of these classes, we'll be deconstructing

Our monthly Sunday night pop-up dinners continue this month with AN EVENING IN ČESKÝ KRUMLOV on March 17 at 6pm. In the tradition of featuring gourmet meals from exotic destinations around the world, we'll be recreating an authentic five-course "Old Bohemian" dinner featuring Czech classics like:  Kulajda  • A rich and creamy mushroom soup with potatoes and dill Vepřové Koleno  • Pork knuckle marinated in dark beer, baked until crispy on the outside and fall-off-the-bone tender on the inside Braised Red Cabbage  • Stewed for hours with caramelized onions and vinegar Fried Cheese  • A Czech national treasure Medovník  • A luxurious and rich honey cake with layers of caramel cream infused with rum Of course, there will be imported wine and beer pairings all evening long, plus a few surprises! While Prague is a great city, the best-kept secret in Czechia is a picture-perfect town called Český Krumlov. Just two hours south of Prague, this charming fairy