A couple of weeks ago, Heather Roberts , the co-host and producer of  WCIA's ciLiving invited me to do a cooking demo on her show. I chose to showcase one of my favorite recipes -- a restaurant-quality ramen noodle soup that is so easy to make at home.  Good soup always starts with a good broth, and this broth is made from a combination of miso paste (fermented soy beans), chicken base, and vegetable base. As with all soups, the more garlic and onions you use, the better the broth. Add some noodles, some protein, and your favorite veggies, and now you have a one-bowl meal that's both satisfying and delicious. You can taste this soup on August 1 when I will be teaching how to make this exact recipe at one of my "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" classes at Phillips Recreation Center . Also on the menu for the evening is Tuna Tataki with Ponzu Sauce, Yakitori (Chicken on Skewers), and Ohitashi (Sesame Spinach). As with all my dinn...

  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...

  I'm happy to announce that Harvest Market has invited me to teach a series of classes in their demo kitchen located in the upstairs mezzanine of Champaign flagship store. Affectionately called "The Nook," their instructional and educational kitchen has a new director and she is planning a full calendar of events in the upcoming months. Sirisha Bhandaru is up first with an Easy Indian Cooking class on June 6, then Sue Tiger is up next with  Canning 101  on June 13. My Thai cooking class follows on June 27.  Thai cuisine is a harmonious blend of flavors, textures, and aromas that always taste fresh. Sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors are combined to create unbelievably mouth-watering taste experiences that come alive when properly balanced. Our tasting menu for the evening will consist of three easy-to-make Thai favorites. Do come hungry and thirsty because the tuition includes Thai beer tastings a special welcome cocktail. Here's what's on the menu:...

  This is the sequel to last year's BULLET TRAIN TO OSAKA event that all of you have been asking for. Like last time, we'll take a fantasy foodie safari from Tokyo on the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train line while tasting everything Japan has to offer en route to Kyoto. Before we board the train at the Tokyo station, we'll grab some sakana (small bites). As our train leaves Tokyo station, we'll indulge in some tasty appetizers as the train departs and accelerates up to 200 mph. Soon food carts will come down the aisle and we'll grab anything that looks tasty. Once we arrive in Kyoto, we'll head directly to our ryokan (Japanese style inn) in the Gion dstrict where we might spy a geisha walking the alleys. When we arrive at our ryokan, we'll be directed to a private dining room where a kaiseki-style dinner has been prepared for us. Like last time, we'll have sake, wine, highball, and beer pairings all evening long, plus a few surprises!...

  Plans are already in the works for our fall season of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" classes. We've got plans for two new classes and I'll be introducing a new guest instructor. Here's a preview of what's being planned: •  Persian Classics (September 19): Dive deep into this ancient Middle Eastern cuisine inspired by the courts of ancient Persia (as Iran was called until the 1930s). Learn how to combine herbs and spices like saffron with nuts and dried fruit to make elaborate stews and rice dishes. Enjoy a silk road-inspired royal banquet that's both sophisticated and simple.   •  German Oktoberfest Feast (October 10): Originating in the Bavarian city of Munich, Oktoberfest is the largest folk festival in the world. At this dinner party celebration, we'll be making festival favorites that are rich, hearty and robust, often balancing savory and tangy flavors. This session will be co-presented with Brittany Heyen ( @highinfi...

  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...

  To label Singapore as the Asian food capital would be an understatement. Sure, this city-state has Michelin-starred restaurants, but only tourists eat there. The locals prefer to eat at hawker centers and food courts instead -- where the food is abundant, cheap, and really good. From "food opera" to "food republic" to "food village" to "food square," these eating palaces offer an endless variety of pan-Asian fare. From authentic traditional bites to exotic ingredients to creative fusion inventions, if you can dream it, you can find it here. Join us for an authentic Singapore hawker center feast with an all-vegetarian menu : Wood Ear Mushroom Salad : crunchy Chinese mushroom salad dressed with garlic, soy, and sesame Vada Sambar Chutney : popular south Indian savory donut snack served with lentil stew and coconut chutney Green Papaya Salad : zingy and spicy Thai salad dressed with a savory garlic-lime sauce Okonomiyaki :...

  Join us on Sunday, April 14 for a culinary ride through the heart and soul of Mumbai's street food scene. For the first time, we'll be featuring a meat-free menu made by  Sirisha Bhandaru , our guest chef for the evening. Sirisha grew up in Andhra Pradesh and in Mumbai, India but spent many summers with her grandmother, who taught her how to cook authentic dishes from scratch using homegrown ingredients. Since 2016, Sirisha has taught dozens of cooking classes in Urbana featuring regional Indian cuisines. Sirisha also manages her popular Instagram food blog page  @mycravesandraves , known for food styling, photography, food storytelling, and recipes. 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! ...

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...

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 s...

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 o...

In another life as a Parkland College professor, I had several Russian students in my classes. One of them invited me and my partner to Russia for a visit and we said "yes." The result was a trip of a lifetime and a cultural immersion experience like no other. I can vouch personally that the Russian people are the warmest and most welcoming of people. And their food culture and zest for life is definitely something to admire. Now might be the best time to celebrate Russian culture just to remind us that the people and its government are not one and the same. Just as not all Americans are fans of Trump, not all Russians follow Putin.  So let's do as the Russians do – make some great food, indulge in a celebration of good company, and make a feast of traditional Russian favorites. Of course, we'll start the evening with caviar and vodka shots, but we'll also indulge in another Russian favorite – French bubbly.   In this "double feature" cooking class se...

In July 2023, we launched a series of Sunday night pop-up dinners featuring gourmet meals from exotic destinations around the world. We are happy to announce that these special themed dinner parties will continue in 2024 with a brand new season of exciting new culinary adventures. We're lucky that Champaign-Urbana is home to an amazing variety of restaurants serving a broad range of international cuisines. Despite this abundance, we’re still missing a few important culinary traditions. Our goal is to fill in that gap with unique dining experiences not typically available locally. Here's what we've planned so far for this upcoming year: February 11 - Valentine's Dinner in Napa : A romantic five-course gourmet meal with wine pairings for every course March 17 - An Evening in Český Krumlov : An authentic five-course traditional Czech meal with wine and beer pairings April 14 - Mumbai Street Food Tour : A guided survey of all the best eats available in this vibrant India...

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 ...

It's only December, but our February 11, 2024 pop-up dinner has already sold out. So we're pleased to announce that we're now taking reservations for our March 17 event called " An Evening in Český Krumlov ." At this pop-up event, we will be serving an authentic five-course traditional Czech dinner with wine and beer pairings. The Czech Republic (a.k.a. Czechia) is at the crossroads of Eastern and Western Europe and its "Old Bohemian" cuisine reflects their storied historical influences. 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 tale village of 13,000 is a Unesco World Heritage Site with a stunning castle, an old town square, and a great place for gypsy music and amazing food. At this upcoming pop-up dinner, I'm going to recreate a traditional Old Bohemia dinner that I had in this town ( see pictures from this trip ). Full menu ...

Reminder: registration for all Urbana Park District spring 2024 programs starts today. This includes the next edition of the "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking" series. From past experience, we know that this series sells out fast. Full menus and registration links are on my website . Tuition starts at $40 per class for in-district residents of Champaign County. In the seventh season of this long-running "dinner party-style" cooking classes, you'll be able to learn how to make almost anything taste Chinese, Mexican, or Ethiopian. 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. Do come hungry and thirsty because the tuition includes a two-course dinner complete with ...

In February 2024, we're going on another "deep dive" into another tasty ethnic cuisine. This time, we'll be visiting Russia! Now might be the best time to celebrate Russian culture just to remind us that the people and its government are not one and the same. Just as not all Americans are fans of Trump, not all Russians follow Putin.  In this deep dive "double feature," we'll do as the Russians do – make some great food, indulge in a celebration of good company, and make a feast of traditional Russian favorites. Of course, we'll start the evening with caviar and vodka shots, but we'll also indulge in another Russian favorite – French champagne.  You can book one or both of the classes in this series:  Summer Picnic at the Dasha (February 27) : Dashas are summer homes for city dwellers in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Because Russian summers are relatively short, many people spend most of the warmer months in the country growing their own vegetabl...

I started the "deep-dive" cooking classes at the Common Ground Food Co-op last fall with a series called "A Taste of China." This series of three classes was designed for serious foodies who want to explore ethnic cuisines in depth, so traveled through China region by region and cooked up a variety of Cantonese, Sichuan, and Shanghai dishes. This series sold out quickly, so we scheduled another one right away. In spring 2023, we offered a series called "A Taste of Japan." This time, we explored three different categories of Japanese cuisine -- one at a time. First, we did a deep dive into noodles and cooked up my favorite ramen, udon, and soba dishes. Next, we explored Japanese-style barbecue and made yakitori, kushiyaki, and shioyaki. Finally, we hosted a make-your-own omakase feast with sushi, sashimi, chirashi, and makizushi. French food is hard to find in our town, so we had to offer "A Taste of France" next. Like the Chinese "deep...

Back in fall 2021, I approached Janet Soesbe at Phillips Recreation Center with a cooking class proposal. Janet is the community program manager for all of Urbana Park District, and at the end of our 15 minute meeting, she signed off on a new cooking class series that we called "Flavor Principles of Ethnic Cooking." The series was a big hit and almost every class sold out. After teaching more than 18 of these classes in their beautiful James Room Demonstration Kitchen, it's almost time to  celebrate our two-year anniversary. And how are we going to do that? By not changing a thing and repeating what we've been doing for the last two years. I mean, why fix something that's not broken? So starting in spring 2024, we're going to offer the same cooking classes that we offered in spring 2022. This means if you tried to register for a class in the past but couldn't get in, this is your chance to try again. Be warned, some of these classes do sell out fast...

We started in July with "Bullet Train to Osaka," a 10-course Japanese fantasy foodie safari of small plates that also included sake, highball, beer, and sochu pairings. Then in August we hosted "An Evening in the Cinque Terre," a four-course Italian pesto feast. Next, we traveled to Greece for a six-course meze dinner that we called "Greek Sunset in Santorini." Last month, we hosted a Spanish small plates feast called "Tapas Crawl in Barcelona." The final pop-up dinner event this fall will be a "Formal French Dinner in Paris" where a classic seven-course gastronomic meal will be served on Sunday, November 12 (sorry, this event is already sold out).  We're going to be taking a break from hosting these monthly dinners, but we will be back on February 11, 2024 with a "Valentine's Dinner in Napa" special event. This romantic fantasy destination dinner will start with oysters on the half shell and end with crème brûlée. ...

On October 19, 2023, Terri & Carly from Explore Champaign-Urbana invited me to chat about food, cooking, international travel and more on their weekly podcast. To listen to this episode, head over to Podbean or listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts (search for "Chambana Proud").  The Chambana Proud podcast is a weekly show about all things Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, otherwise known as Chambana. These self-proclaimed Chambana gurus highlight everything from local businesses and events to people and must-know stories. Brought to you by Experience Champaign-Urbana and the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, these are the same people who run the Chambana Welcome Crew ambassador program for newcomers to our little community. More information about upcoming pop-up events and cooking classes can always be found at www.cooking-with-paul.com . For the latest news, feel free to subscribe to my monthly email newsletter .