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This page is a Monthly Archive of entries from December 2007 listed from newest to oldest.
With Strawberry Fields remodeling their cafe, despairing foodies have one less quality place to lunch. Fortunately, Sunsinger Wine Bar Cafe is doing quite well, and they are welcoming those in need of exceptional sandwiches, soups, salads, snacks and desserts. Lunch in a wine store? Why not? There's something snobby and decadent about being surrounded by racks and racks of expensive wines while sampling a duck liver pate or a jerk chicken wrap.
In large families, the holidays are often surrounded by a myriad of food traditions. Family members all arrive at the table with signature dishes — and these are recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. Whether it’s Aunt Ida’s green bean casserole or Uncle Frank’s marinara, the holidays wouldn’t be the same without these delicious traditions.
Come Christmas time, I know what my Grandma Maizie is up to. My mouth salivates at the prospect of wolfing down as much of her Peppermint Bark as possible, despite the fact that we are generally relegated to a mere two ounces or so. This year, I decided that her measly portions were simply not enough, and I tasked her to show Smile Politely the recipe and better yet, let me watch her make it. She agreed. I was off to her new digs on East Colorado Drive in Urbana.
My grandparents were Italian immigrants. They loved food — pasta, prosciutto, roasted chicken and American favorites like apple pie.
One of my grandmother’s specialties was struffoli, a snack or dessert that I loved as a child. I’d describe struffoli as doughnut pieces drizzled with honey and sprinkled with powdered sugar. My grandmother would make the dough, slice it into bite-sized pieces, fry them and then put them in a bowl with honey and sugar. I’d sometimes treat myself to an extra dish of honey.
On festive holidays when there's a large party to feed, turkey usually comes to mind. For those of us who just can't seem to conform to this tradition, a whole leg of lamb might be the perfect alternative. This simple German/Jewish recipe doesn't take a lot of effort, makes a great impression and tastes fabulous. Round off the meal with roasted potatoes, garlic green beans and mint jelly, and you have a great main course. Serve shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and maybe some baklava from World Harvest or Euro-Mart for dessert. Now, you're ready to make an unforgettable meal.
Depression has officially set in.
Our local farmers’ market lasts only two more Saturdays and I'm already starting to feel unhealthy. Despite the ample supply of late-fall vegetables (carrots, potatoes, turnips and brussel sprouts), I experienced what can only be described as disappointment — even despair — during a recent Thursday night voyage to a local supermarket in search of something fresh.
A sure sign that a city is worth living in is the presence of Chinese dim sum at local restaurants. Champaign-Urbana now has two dim sum restaurants: Eastern Taste and Mandarin Wok – both owned by the Yang family.
Dim sum is Chinese-style tapas, small plates of appetizers usually served with tea for breakfast. In the United States, dim sum (loosely translated as "a touch of the heart") is more often served as weekend brunch at bustling Chinatown palaces where hundreds of varieties may be available on given day. Traditionally served on rolling steam table carts pushed by female servers who often don't speak any English, one only needs to point to an item to have it instantly appear on your table, ready to gobble up.
Nothing warms the body and soul in the winter months more than a fantastic pour of wine. This year, why not check out some local Illinois wines for your holiday spread?
One of Illinois’ largest wineries has a tasting room right here in Champaign–Urbana. Located on Duncan Road, just a mile north of Bloomington Road, Alto Vineyards Winery has been hosting wine tastings and local musical acts in their outdoor wine garden since 2001. The Champaign location is a second outlet for Alto Vineyards and the Renzaglia family. The vineyard, where they grow all of their grapes and make the wine, is located in the foothills of the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois.
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