Although modern Hawaiian "luaus" are held every day for the entertainment of tourists, these ancient traditional celebrations have existed for thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans. In fact, these Polynesian feasts were held to celebrate anything from the launch of a new canoe to a battle victory or a ceremony to honor Hawaiian Gods. The traditional center piece of these feasts was usually Kalua Pork , a whole pig that's wrapped in banana leaves and slow cooked with hot stones in an imu (underground oven). These days, the same dish can be recreated in a smoker, slow baked for hours in an oven, or cooked in a pressure cooker. The key ingredient is banana leaves which is available frozen at your local Asian grocer. Steaming meat with banana leaves imparts a unique subtle sweet flavor and aroma to the dish.  Learn how to make this unique pulled pork dish, plus Hawaii's famous Huli Huli chicken , an authentic tuna poke bowl, and a very tropical coconut ...

The first session of my summer cooking class series called " Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking " starts on June 8, 2023. The "Moroccan Classics" class is sold out, but there is still one seat left for the June 29 "Taste of Hawaii" class. Unfortunately, the July 20 "Vietnamese Cooking" class is also sold out, but if you wish to be added to the wait list, please call 217-367-1544. This Urbana Park District cooking class series will meet at Phillips Recreation Center on Thursdays from 6–8pm. The tuition is $40–$75 per person and includes a full two-course dinner along with wine and beer tastings. Because we'll be visiting Hawaii this summer, you can also expect some experimental retro tiki cocktails on June 29, 2023.  The sixth season of these long-running "dinner party-style" cooking classes will continue in the fall when we visit Palestine, the Czech republic, and Indonesia. A preview of the fall season is already online and ...

"Hawaiian regional cuisine" can be a foodie wonderland of delightful Polynesian-influenced dishes like Huli Huli Chicken , a distinctively flavored sweet-and-sour grilled chicken dish. Start with an Asian-influenced soy-ginger-garlic marinade, add some sweet pineapple juice, a squeeze or two of citrusy lime juice, and you've got a perfectly balanced basting sauce for truly tasty grilled chicken.  Learn how to make this great summertime backyard barbecue dish, plus a very traditional roast pork dish, an authentic tuna poke bowl, and a very tropical coconut custard dessert at my "Taste of Hawaii" cooking class on June 29, 2023. This class is part of the fifth season of my "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" series at Urbana Park District's Phillips Recreation Center. This series is almost sold out, but there are just a few seats left for this luau-style dinner party which also includes an open bar with retro tropical tiki cocktails. Registration...

My summer edition of "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" series starts on June 8, 2023. But we all know how fast these classes sell out, so please mark your calendar for April 5, 2023 because that is the first day of registration for all of Urbana Park District's summer classes. This summer, we're going to be traveling to Morocco, Hawaii, and Vietnam for some tasty meals. We'll deconstructs the recipes of each ethnic cuisine and break down the flavor principles of each culinary tradition. We'll learn how to make almost anything taste Moroccan, Hawaiian, or Vietnamese by following a few master recipes and utilizing simple flavor profiles. By the end of this series you will be able to customize and adjust your favorite recipes to make tasty ethnic dishes for dinner every night. This Urbana Park District cooking class series will meet at Phillips Recreation Center on Thursdays from 6–8pm. The tuition is $40–$75 per person and includes a full two-cours...