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...

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...

  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...

  The eighth season of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" classes starts on June 13, but the Jamaican class is already sold out. Fortunately, there are still seats available for the July 11 Greek class and the August 1 Japanese class. Grab these seats before they're gone! In each of these classes, we'll be deconstructing the recipes of an ethnic 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. 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 ge...

Reminder: Registration for all Urbana Park District summer 2024 programs starts on Wednesday, April 3  at 8am. This includes the next edition of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" series. From past experience, we know that this series sells out fast. Even though we've increased the seating to 12 people per class, we anticipate this series selling out within days. Don't delay, register now to reserve your seat. 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  Do come hungry and thirsty...

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 co...

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...

The spring 2024 edition of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" series starts on February 15. This series always sells out fast and as of today, two out of the three classes have already sold out. However, there is still one seat left for the Mexican cooking class on Thursday, March 14 at 6pm.  Although the Chinese and Ethiopian classes are full, Urbana Park District does have a wait list and you can still add your name to this list. Full menus and registration links are on my  website . Tuition starts at $40 per class for in-district residents of Champaign County. All my cooking classes are for adults and the tuition includes a two-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 get to participate by helping me make a dish or two. I'll also share all the ...

I have to admit that I have a soft spot in my tummy for octopus. Of all the different ways to prepare octopus, the grilled Greek version is my absolutely favorite way to eat this delightful sea creature. Every reputable Greek eatery worth eating at has this dish on their menu, and ever since discovering this dish in Chicago's Greektown restaurants decades ago, I have been religiously ordering it as a starter for every Greek meal. Deceptively simple to prepare, this dish delights all the senses -- from its smokey aroma to its garlicky tongue tickling zing, to the refreshing lemony acid infused dressing to the crispy charred crunch to the irresistible chewy texture -- I could go on. All I can say is that if you've never tasted this dish, you haven't really lived.  In the coming weeks, I'll be making this dish twice: once at our upcoming " Greek Sunset in Santorini " pop-up experience on September 17, and then again at Common Ground's Greek Meze Dinner co...

It's going to be a busy fall season at both Common Ground Food Co-op and Urbana Park District's Phillips Recreation Center as we've scheduled a full season of six cooking classes starting in September.  The first class will be "A Taste of Palestine" on September 21 at the Phillips Recreation Center's James Room Kitchen . For the first time, I will step back and assist Fairouz AbuGhazaleh who be the chef du jour and cook up several of her family recipes. According to Fairouz, "Palestinian food begins at home with recipes that evoke feelings of homesickness, happiness and nostalgia that have been passed down by generations." This class is part of my continuing series called "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" where we travel around and sample the best tasting ethnic cuisines available ( see full menus and details ). If you want to attend this class or the other classes in this series, please register today . From past experience, we know...

Well, it depends on who is doing it. This is how we do it: We dream of international destinations where there are lots of good eats (the more exotic the better). We fantasize what the ultimate menu might be at this destination. We research what wines and beverages might pair well with these dishes. We set a table for 10 people and have one hell of a dinner a party!  This is what makes us different: All of our pop-up events are all-inclusive prix fixe dinners. This means you get a multi-course dinner complete with wine and other beverage pairings all evening long for one fixed price. Unlike at restaurants, all taxes and tip are included as well. Since we're only inviting 10 people, these are small intimate affairs where you can easily meet other like-minded foodies and make new friends. Yes, it's a lot of work, but it's also a lot of fun. We just pulled off a 10-course Japanese tasting menu around the theme BULLET TRAIN TO OSAKA. We're looking forward to exploring France...

A new pop-up dinner experience has been scheduled for Sunday, September 17, 2023. This time, we will be visiting the Greek Island of Santorini for a six-course meze dinner complete with imported wine pairings all evening long. This pop-up dinner is part of our on-going series of international prix fixe experiences complete with wine pairings all evening long. Since the recent closing of Chicago's legendary Santorini in Greektown, it's becoming even more challenging to experience authentic Greek food the way it's meant to enjoyed — random morsels of tasty bites served in no particular order along with some great Greek wines and a shot of Ouzo. In Greece, this is called a meze dinner -- a complete meal of small bites or appetizers without any main dishes.  Tonight's fantasy Greek meze dinner takes place on an imaginary terraced restaurant overlooking the village of Oia on Santorini, the most picturesque and most visited of all the Greek islands. Imagine a table full of...

  This fall, I taught a total of seven ethnic cooking classes around town (three at Urbana Park District and four at Common Ground Food Co-op). Every class was filled and we had some great dinner parties, ate a lot of good food and drank a lot of wine, beer, sake, soju, and even grappa. We traveled the world and tasted delightful treats from China, Greece, India, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. We cooked up classic dishes like Sichuan-style Kung Pao Chicken, Korean bibimbap, Indian tandoori chicken as well as more challenging delights like Greek-style grilled octopus, pig ears in hot oil, and braised pork belly (see more pictures on  Instagram  or  Facebook ). But there's more to come: In the spring, we've planned six more classes with all new menu items. I've also committed to teaching 18 classes per year with six brand new classes planned for the summer and six more coming next fall. In each season, my "deep dive" series will continue at the Common Gr...

  On Thursday, September 22, the third season of my "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" series will premiere at Urbana Park District's Phillips Recreation Center. In our first session, we will travel to Greece and enjoy an authentic Greek dinner complete with Greek wines and grappa tastings. If you've already registered, you're all set: the menu and recipes are all linked from my  website . To save on paper, we will only print out recipes for you upon request (please send me an email at info@cooking-with-paul.com if you need paper copies). Otherwise, come hungry and thirsty. But to get the most out of this class, read  this article  first and watch the recommended movie for homework ;) (Sorry, the entire fall season of this series is sold out, but you can call 217-367-1544 to be added to the wait list).

  Season 3 of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" series will start on September 22, but seats are selling fast. Register now to claim your space as we continue our exploration of great eats from around the world. This fall, we will be making stops in Greece, India, and Korea. This fun dinner-party-style demo class includes a two-curse dinner complete with wine and beer tastings.  More info is available here .