Smile Politely. Speak Directly. A Champaign-Urbana Culture Blog

Although the produce section in our local supermarket looks the same year round, most people are beginning to recognize the concept of seasonality when it comes to vegetables. Summer tomatoes, zucchinis, and corn are simply not worth the high price produce commands this time of year and our money is wiser spent on tastier cold-weather crops. Traditional winter vegetables such as cabbages, greens, and root vegetables are fresher and sweeter, and haven't traveled as far to reach the grocer’s shelves, as they were more than likely grown in our own hemisphere. So using in-season vegetables is inevitably going to yield the best results in the kitchen. And a gorgeous winter vegetable that is often overlooked and underused is the leek.

This past Thursday, Itchefs-gvci (Virtual Group of Italian Chefs), an organization made up of Italian chefs cooking abroad, kicked off the First International Day of Italian Cuisines around the globe. Itchefs-gvci rallied chefs, foodies and lovers of Italian food to celebrate the authenticity and quality of Italian cuisine by cooking or eating pasta alla carbonara according to the original recipe.

A perk of teaching at Parkland College is the privilege of participating in international exchange programs. Recently we met Danny and Leni, two Indonesian exchange students who are here as part of a U.S. state department-sponsored program. Danny and Leni told us that they missed their favorite foods from home, so we invited them over one evening so that they could teach us how to make a few authentic Indonesian dishes. Danny suggested three courses – a traditional Indonesian soup, followed by a popular fried rice dish and then finishing off our meal with a dessert soup.

I'd like to report that nothing goes better with Mama's Chili than a peanut butter sandwich (good for dipping — trust me!).

– Angie Heaton

With all the hullabaloo about Carmon's in downtown Champaign reopening as a crêperie, we thought it would be a good time to revisit Champaign's first crêperie in to compare. Originally called Tout Sweet, the brightly lit little café is hidden inside the College Corner Mall on the corner of Fourth and Green Streets. About a year ago, Tout Sweet was transformed into The Crêpe Café with a new owner and an expanded menu. They weren't kidding when they said "expanded." As soon as our party of three sat down, we were immediately overwhelmed by a menu listing 12 savory crêpe selections plus twelve more dessert options. Then, there were omelettes, salads and an invitation to create our own masterpiece from a list of ingredients which included many vegetarian options. Then our waiter pointed to the specials of the day which included seven more choices including a smoked salmon, brie and spinach combination as well as an eggs Benedict option - that's eggs Benedict inside a crêpe.

The secret’s out: I love Jamie Oliver, the 32-year-old British culinary superstar who champions healthy eating in all corners of society. Imagine my excitement to hear he has returned to the Food Network after what seemed like an eternity. Granted, Oliver has continued to be a public presence, releasing his eighth cookbook and reforming the school lunch program in England, where he’s given wayward youths new opportunities through his Fifteen restaurant program. But it’s still satisfying to know Oliver will be back in my living room on a weekly basis.

Last Sunday marked the debut of Jamie at Home, a stylistic new look at what Oliver is cooking up in his own back yard. (The program now airs every Saturday night at 8 p.m. on the Food Network.) Using produce and herbs from his home vegetable patch, Oliver conveys the message, as the Village Voice puts it, that “gardening is cool.”

As a professional chef, I have a well-equipped kitchen. Three drawers full of every imaginable tool — knives, spatulas, whisks, tongs, you name it. Yet there are some gadgets I just can't live without. Thinking back, I realize that I’ve cooked for years without having many of the tools that today I would consider “essential,” and somehow everything seemed to work out. Nevertheless, I would not go back to those dark ages no matter how organic or romantic they seem in my mind. Let's face it: Gadgets make our lives easier and our kitchens happier.

Here are some of my all-time favorites — and I think many chefs would agree.

While living in Texas I was introduced to the custom of eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s for good luck. My friend Carrie would whip up a batch of Texas caviar, a salsa-like dish made with fresh black-eyed peas, chopped red onion, fresh tomato, green onion and jalapeño — all tossed together in red-wine vinaigrette. We would snack on the "caviar" with tortilla chips while watching football on New Year’s Day. Tasty and refreshing, Carrie's Texas caviar was something I looked forward to year after year.

Whenever my wife Bonnie and I take an excursion to big cities such as Chicago or St. Louis, we look for dining opportunities not available in our little towns. Since there are no Ethiopian restaurants in Champaign-Urbana, we try to find an excuse to stop at Ethiopian Diamond in Chicago or Meskerem in St. Louis to satisfy our taste buds for Northern African flavors. Ethiopian cuisine has heady, intense flavors and unusual spice combinations. The sloppy portions are usually served on a spongy bread called injera. Traditionally, the food is shared by everyone at the table and eaten the way food was meant to be eaten — without utensils. The tactile sensation of feeling the texture and temperature of what you are about to put in your mouth is like foreplay. Everything just seems to tastes better.