I've never been to Japan, but if I were to ever go, Tokyo's " Yakitori Alley " would be at the top of my list of culinary destinations. There are over 7,000 yakitori restaurants in Tokyo, but the most "authentic" ones are all located in one alley near Tokyo's very busy Shinjuku station. Also affectionately called "memory lane," this strip of 81 tiny stalls sits in a narrow alley that hasn't changed much since World War II. Most of these "mom and pop" shops are so small that they seat only six or seven people. What would it be like to take a tasting tour of this alley? Well, I'm going to try to recreate that fantasy experience at the Common Ground Food Co-op on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. Sorry, but this cooking class is already sold out. But since we are doing regular pop-up events, perhaps a Japanese yakitori dinner experience might be in the cards soon (send me an email if you're interested). Technically, yakitori is transla...

I was amazed that the spring Urbana Park District series sold out within 24 hours. Then I found out that two of the three Common Ground Japanese "deep dive" classes have also sold out. The only class that still has a few seats left is the March 7  Yakitori cooking class . If you're interested in learning how the Japanese make amazing barbecue skewers, do register soon. This one's for adventurous eaters! We now have all the details worked out for the next Ethnic Cooking series at Urbana Park District. You can look forward to tasting some great dishes from  Morocco, Hawaii, and Vietnam  this summer. I've also started experimenting with some retro tiki cocktail recipes for the Hawaiian cooking class on June 29, 2023. I know that's a long time away, but do mark your calendars because registration for summer classes starts on April 5, 2023. And they do sell out fast. Thanks for all your support as we embark on our second year of international culinary e...

Starting February 7, 2023, Common Ground Food Co-op will host the first of three Japanese "deep dive" cooking classes scheduled for the spring season. The Japanese have elevated noodle cuisine to new heights with a wide range of broths and dipping sauces as well as an infinite variety of soup ingredients and toppings. In this first session, we'll examine three different approaches to eating noodles the Japanese way by cooking up some miso ramen, a seafood udon noodle soup, and a cold soba noodle appetizer dish. We'll also be making some gyoza (potstickers) from scratch. In this hands-on series, students will participate in the cooking of their own dinner under the guidance of the instructor. Later in the season, we'll be focusing on yakitori, kushiyaki, shioyaki, sushi, sashimi, and chirashi. We'll also be tasting a variety of Japanese sake and beers during each class. Detailed descriptions and menus are posted on  my website  and you can register now on...