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

Market at the Square is starting to really get going this Saturday with a larger variety of fresh spring produce due to the warmer conditions. The early bird still gets the worm though; don't sleep too late, or you might miss out on some of the newer items.

We are starting to see a variety of crucifers including cabbages, bok choy, and maybe, we can hope for some kale, broccoli, and cauliflower in the next few weeks. Luckily, we can expect to have asparagus for about two more weeks. Make sure to get your fill — paired with some peppery arugula — asparagus makes an amazing salad. Radishes and rhubarb are still going strong as are the early harvest strawberries.

Now is definitely the time to bake a strawberry rhubarb pie for your honey or buy one for that matter.

Few things do it for me like the sound of an ice cream truck rolling by my house. I am 28 years old now, and still, that warped and wobbly jingle pumping out of those crummy speakers makes me drop my rake and go dashing into the house for money without thought.
Last night was no exception. At around 7:45 p.m., an ice cream man named Ralph, from Thomasboro, stopped by the neighborhood and sold his icy confections to the masses.

Be sure to look for him this summer, as he plans on scouring the streets from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every day — unless the weather is rotten, that is.

"When it rains, it's worthless," Ralph quips. "I stay home."

And I can't blame him. Even though the temperatures only got to the upper 60s yesterday, the sun beating down was enough to inspire me to drop a fiver on an array of ice cream treats. There goes the diet. Again.

Editor's Note: For the next month or so, our roving food writer will be reporting from Europe.

An advantage of teaching at Parkland College is the privilege of participating in international exchange programs. Last year, I was accepted and matched with an exchange partner from Switzerland. In October 2007, I hosted Immanuel Willi, an IT professional at University of Applied Sciences/Northwestern Switzerland in Basel. He stayed with us in Champaign for two weeks, and now it's my turn to to stay with him in Basel.

We had another beautiful day at the Market last week. The morning clouds parted and gave way to some incredible sunshine along with a little spell of wind. Many of the vendors were holding down their tents to keep them from flying off, and I witnessed a few minor injuries. If you haven't had the chance to check out the market yet this year, Saturday looks like another great opportunity with outstanding weather and more incredible local products.

With my wedding just 16 days away, and a burning yet misdirected need to somehow shave off as many pounds as possible, my mind has been on one thing and one thing alone come dinner time: chicken. The fried kind.

We’re fortunate to live in a community that serves up some great choices if you’re willing to get your ass on the treadmill the next day, and so I present to you my Top 3 Places to Eat a Fried Bird in C-U:

Dig in after the jump.

There's barbecue and then there's Jackson's "pit" barbecue.

Located on First Street, across from the police station, this windowless storefront hides one of the best barbecue joints in town. Inside, the decor is sparse and clean, just your basic unfussy dining room with a full-service bar area (open only during the evening). The soda fountain is self-serve and so is the beer cooler. You order at the counter and pay first, but this is definitely not fast food. If you're in a hurry, go to Li'l Porgy's. But if you want authentic down home cooking, then stick around. The food will come eventually.

It was a great day at the Urbana Farmers' Market last week, and customers enjoyed the gorgeous weather, catching up with the local farmers and running in to friends, while exploring all the market had to offer. Although the variety of available produce was less than market goers are accustomed to this time of year, the bounty was plenty. Asparagus was the vegetable-of-the-day, and although I went slightly overboard on my purchases, I have no regrets, and will likely indulge again.

I was lured to Crazy Buffet in the North Prospect Big Box Retail District the other night on the recommendation of a friend who told me that this place was “better than the others.” By the others, I’m assuming he meant Chinatown Buffet, the now defunct Four Seasons House and Eastern Taste down in Savoy (conveniently located next to Friar Tuck). Of course, my excitement at eating at Crazy Buffet was fueled by the fact that I hadn’t eaten much all day and, aside from its abundance and variety, it dished up food that looked and smelled good. Yet, on finishing my third plate, I looked down at the substantial leftovers (bits of this or that I didn’t feel like eating) and thought to myself: Nothing here was really very good.

With the recent acquisition of a rice cooker to our kitchen, we thought we should experiment and see what our new toy can do. Sure it cooks rice fine, as it should. But can it do more?

The answer is "absolutely."