Update on Status of CT

I'm not sure whether it's the seemingly endless summer I spent hobbled by a broken foot and in rather intense pain, or the fact that I simply want to turn my attention to other things. I think it's a bit of both, actually. Either way, I'm here to tell you that after 5 years I'm taking a lengthier hiatus from publishing this blog and may not return to writing it at all.

But don't cry for me, Champaign-Urbana. I'll probably still post food-related items to Twitter and Facebook, so we can talk there. And one day I might feel inspired to start up the blog again, or maybe even start a new one, change the focus—who knows. Various ideas have been percolating, and it's not yet clear what kind of a brew might result.

I'll leave the blog up, in case you want to check restaurant reviews or recipes. Heck, I look up recipes on More CT pretty often, myself, as the blog turns out to be a great way to catalog them.

I'm going to close the comments on this post, because I think we said our goodbyes in the last one (and I very much appreciated all of your notes there). Thanks again to all who've read and commented over the years, happy eating, and C-U around. -Lisa

CT Going on Hiatus

Last month, all of us here at the Champaign Taste worldwide headquarters realized that we have been publishing this weblog virtually nonstop for five solid years. We sat in stunned silence for several minutes, absorbing that information, and then we shouted, almost in unison, "For the love of all things food in C-U, let's take a freaking break!" Thus was the executive decision made: We will take the summer off.

The solstice—the official beginning of the summer season (i.e., today)—seemed like an auspicious time to make the announcement. As editor-in-chief, I'll regroup, reevaluate, recharge, relax, and do other re- things, and see where the respite leads. Maybe it'll lead right back to this blog, in the fall. Maybe I'll end up doing something else with my spare time, and we'll disband the corporation and send massive disbursement checks to the investors. Hard to say at the moment. But I'll let you know when the summer winds to a close.

To those of you who've read and commented: Thanks so much for being part of Champaign Taste for the past 5 years. We've enjoyed the interaction (it's always fun to talk about food, isn't it?). Please feel free to still leave updates and info in the comments on existing posts this summer; I'll read them. And I may post on the CT Facebook and Twitter pages during the break.

Don't forget about the companion blog to this one, where you can peruse the recipes that have appeared on the blog, and all the CT restaurant reviews (full reviews and Quick Bites), any time you feel the need.

The change of seasons seemed to call for a fresh, new look, break or no break. Thus, the banner, on which is featured a personal-sized tiramisu, just one of the many fine pastries to be found at C-U's own Mirabelle bakery. Yours truly took the photo, and credit for the banner design goes to Keith, CT art director and all-around bon vivant.

Have a wonderful summer, and eat well.

Ciao for now!

-Lisa

Taste of C-U 40th Anniversary Celebration: Who'll Stop the Rain?

I'm reposting my report on last year's Taste of Champaign-Urbana, below, in case you haven't been before and want to see what goes on. This year marks the 41st Taste of C-U; I can't believe the event has been going that long.

Some pertinent details for 2011:

• Tickets will be 8 for $5 this year, instead of 6 for $5 as it was last year.
• Many of the same restaurants and catering operations will be represented.
• There will be plenty of arts and crafts to check out and purchase.
• The children's "fun zone" will be going strong.
• You can pick up info on any number of community groups and local pols on the northeast corner.
• Pets are not allowed at the event, so leave your iguana at home.

Regarding the food: I recommend the following (number of tickets listed for each vendor is for their "taste" size offering—well, except for Zorba's, and I'm giving them a pass because I'm so happy they've survived the devastating fire that destroyed the building they were in for 30+ years on campus):

• Empanadas at the Manolo's booth (3 tickets)
• Jerk chicken, mac & cheese at Caribbean Grill (2 tickets; mac & cheese is free)
• Pad Thai at Nitaya (2 tickets)
• Sushi at Ko Fusion (2 tickets)
• Chips and salsa at Mas Amigos
• GYROS at ZORBA'S! (small classic or chicken gyro, 7 tickets; large, 13 tickets; pita w/hummus, 4)

I'm also interested in trying

• a "signature" slice of pizza from One World Pizza (they do "fusion" pizzas);
• something from Shanghai 1938, because I've never been there; 
• Houlihan's pot roast slider; and 
• a smoothie from Smoothie King, because I've never had one. 

It looks as if the vendors this year have a better handle on the concept of offering inexpensive tastes of their food, which I'm happy to see, as that is, after all, the point of this event—to be able to sample SMALL BITES of foods from numerous vendors.

The 2011 Taste of C-U starts tomorrow (Friday, June 17) at 5 p.m. and runs through Sunday (see more info at the bottom of this post). Let's all do a dance for NO RAIN.

Now here's my report from the 2010 Taste, which celebrated 40 years of the event.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[Post from the 2010 Taste follows; we went on Sunday last year.]

There's not been a Taste in recent memory that did not take place on either the hottest weekend of the year to date, or the rainiest, or both. Shame. But if you brave the weather, you'll find, on this last day of the event, some great food, fun kids' activities, arty-crafty stuff, and good music.

We went yesterday. I'm not going to do exhaustive coverage of the event here, but I did want to tell you about the food and drink that we thought stood out.

First off, when you get to the Taste, walk to the center of the park and buy tickets. Tickets are priced at 6 for $5. Once you've secured your tickets, you're off to eat, drink, and play.

One of the things that makes a standout experience at the Taste, to me, is that the vendors offer tastes of their food. This may seem obvious, but some vendors understood the concept, and others did not. A small portion of this or that for a small number of tickets is what I'm looking for; after all, if one is going to sample a number of vendors' offerings, one doesn't want to either eat or pay for regular-sized portions at any one spot.

One of the vendors who did a great job in that department was Nitaya Thai restaurant. We got a small cup of pad Thai (both chicken and tofu versions were available) for 1 ticket, which was just perfect. The portion was large enough to give you a healthy sample of the dish, yet small (and cheap) enough so that you still had plenty of appetite (and tickets) left to try other things. And there were a number of very reasonably priced tastes of other dishes available, as you can see:

The food stylings of the Caribbean Grill were also well worth sampling. We tried the jerk chicken and the rice and beans, and both were delicious.

The chicken was wonderfully tasty and tender, with lots of charred bits of skin all over. The rice and peas (red kidney beans) was fabulous. If you get out there and try this today, which I strongly urge you to do, don't forget to drizzle (or douse) your chicken and/or rice and beans with some of the CG's sweet-hot sauce (in squeeze bottles on the table). That sauce was out of this world (but if you're a tender-mouth, be careful—it's spicy!).

The Caribbean Grill was also offering a large, ice-cold glass of fruit punch that was refreshing and delicious and complemented the food perfectly. You'll find the Caribbean Grill booth at the Urbana Sweet Corn Festival later this summer, if you don't get a chance to taste their offerings this weekend. If all goes as planned, you'll see, later this year, a Caribbean Grill restaurant somewhere in C-U.

We had a small taste of a pulled pork sandwich from Louie's BBQ. Louie's is an outfit that does catering only; they don't have a restaurant. The pork was tender and flavorful, and there were three flavors of sauce you could choose to put on your mini-sandwich. You can find contact and other info for Louie's at their booth.

We also stopped at Xinh Xinh Cafe's booth. Shai Mauth, the owner, and his staff were offering beef skewers, chicken wings, and samples of boba tea (many flavors of which are made at the restaurant in Urbana) as well as shots of a variety of "exotic" canned beverages such as sugar cane and coconut juices and soy, guava, and grass jelly drinks.

We spent our last tickets on empanadas (one beef, the San Telmo Carne, and one cheese and corn) from Manolo's Pizza and Empanadas. Man, are those empanadas good. Flaky, tender dough encases delicious fillings, and the whole thing just melts in your mouth.

You could get mini-slices of Manolo's wonderful pizza at the Taste booth, as well, served to you by lovely, enthusiastic staff. Here's the Manolo's Taste menu:

I mentioned kids' activities at the top of this post. There looked to be many fun things for children to get involved in. We saw a stage where a magic show takes place:

And a large mural that needed coloring in (the guy in the foreground below, a renegade, was creating his own drawing on the mural—nerts to filling in someone else's drawing!).

I also mentioned music. We stopped to listen to the Kevin Lucas Orchestra, a marimba band including flute, sax, guitar, bass, drums, and violin. They were playing their hearts out in the heat, and we found their sounds very enjoyable and well suited to the event.

I must stop here, as the last day of the Taste starts NOW. Hopefully the rain will hold off; it doesn't look too bad at the moment. Oh, and if the sun does start blazing, don't worry; you can always find a table and some shade:

Remember that the Taste is the main fundraiser for the Champaign Park District's Youth Program Scholarship program. So, if you can, go on out today this weekend and help the CPD celebrate 40 41 years of this event.

Taste of Champaign-Urbana 2011
West Side Park in Champaign
Friday June 17, 5:00 – 10:00 pm
Saturday, June 18, 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday, June 19, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Information, maps, list of vendors, etc., on the CPD website

Crawfish Boil Brings Taste of Louisiana to Downtown Urbana

I'm reposting my report on last year's crawfish boil at Crane Alley, because this year's boil—the 3rd annual—is coming up on Sunday, June 19, 2011. If this looks like something you want in on, you can register your intention to attend on the relevant Facebook page and stop by the bar this week to buy a ticket. Advance tickets for the all-you-can-eat extravaganza are $15; if you wait and buy in on Sunday, you'll pay $20. ~Lisa

If you're reading this right now (Sunday, June 20, 2010), what are you doing at home? Get yourself down to Crane Alley in Urbana and join the party! That's right—probably the best thing to happen in downtown Urbana all year is going on all day TODAY. I refer to Crane Alley's Second Annual Crawfish Boil. Sorry I didn't give you more notice, but I only found out about the event myself yesterday. Naturally, I rushed to the scene of the happening minutes before the party started at 1 p.m.

The Crane Alley staff were just putting up the sign over the alley when I arrived. The giant beer bottle was already in place. And a crowd was just beginning to gather. I smelled the cauldrons of potatoes, corn, and Andouille sausage in the adjacent parking garage before I saw them. General manager Aaron was kind enough to take me behind the serving line to show me the preparations.

There, I feasted my eyes on sausages, green peppers, and onions boiling in their Cajun-seasoned broth:

Ditto for the corn on the cob, cut into easy-to-eat pieces:

And the potatoes, here being lifted, drained, and readied for the serving line:

But of course, the focus in the prep area was the crawfish (a.k.a. crayfish and mudbugs). Aaron told this reporter that 400 pounds of live crawfish were delivered to the bar/restaurant yesterday, direct from Louisiana. Yep, I said FOUR HUNDRED POUNDS. Here are but a fraction of them lounging on chicken wire before their big dunk into the water.

Actually they were not lounging; they were mostly on the move. I snapped one guy as he was making his way to the edge of the table, and he was giving the others ideas. A few of the mudbugs did make a break for it and managed to flip themselves off the table; they were scooped up, carefully, by Aaron and the kitchen staff and unceremoniously dropped right back on top of the pile.

And then, suddenly, it was all happening. Vegetables, sausages, and crawfish were poured into serving pans, a line formed in the alley, the music was cranked up, the beer and Hurricanes started flowing, and I was in the thick of a suck-that-head, eat-that-tail, chug-that-drink, and wipe-your-face carnival.

Maybe I exaggerate a little bit. There were, after all, children in attendance at that early hour. All bets are off once the sun goes down tonight, though.

I glimpsed local celebrity chef Thad Morrow (of bacaro fame) there; he was one of the first in line. Chef Morrow obviously knew that Crane Alley was the place to be today.

I stood in line for a very short time, and soon I had my paper boat filled with the good stuff. Every single bit of food was deliciously seasoned and perfectly cooked. It was kind of amazing to be eating the mudbugs I'd seen crawling around only moments before. I mean, how often does that happen in C-U?

Have you never eaten crawfish before? If that's the case, take a gander at this precious video. It's a painfully simple process; crawfish are like teeny-weeny lobsters. Be prepared to get messy; that's all part of the fun.

I got a shot of the beverage menu for you. Notice the FOUR DOLLAR Hurricanes (I'm not so interested in beer, so it was the cheap cocktails that drew my attention; however, if you're a beer drinker, have at it).

There are also games and contests going on. Think you can peel and eat 25 crawfish faster than anyone else? Sign yourself up!

The price of admission to this fun event is $20, and that twenty covers all the crawfish and other boil food you can eat. Not a bad price at all, and when you factor in the $4 Hurricanes . . . (all right, that's all I'm going to say about the Hurricanes). The boil started at 1 p.m., and it'll be in full swing until at least 9 p.m. (or "whenever everybody feels like going home," according to manager Aaron).

Celebrating Father's Day? I think your dad would like to go.

If you missed it this year, make your plans for the third annual crawfish boil next June!

Crane Alley Bar and Restaurant
115 West Main Street (just west of Broadway; convenient parking is available in the adjacent parking deck)
Urbana, IL
217-384-7526

Tickets for the 3rd annual crawfish boil, which runs from 1 p.m. to around 9 p.m., are $15 in advance and $20 at the door on Sunday, June 19, 2011. Stop by Crane Alley this week to pick up advance tickets. Here's a link to the event page on Facebook.

Mexican Fast Food + Hawaiian Ices = A Fine Meal from Mobile Vendors

If you're a lover of great tasting, inexpensive eats and treats, make a point of stopping by the corner of Prospect and Bradley in north-central Champaign sometime soon.

This is the same corner where last fall you could find Lord and Lacy barbecue. I don't know what happened to that operation, but it has been replaced by the Mas Amigos taco truck and, more recently, the Hawaiian Ice trailer as well. Two mobile food vendors on one corner! Which is very convenient, because that way you can pick up dinner and dessert all at the same time.

The Taco Motorizado offers so much more than just tacos, as you see on the menu, but we can start there. I've had chorizo tacos and the steak variety ($1.85 each), and both were very tasty. These tacos are Mexican style: two small corn tortillas, lightly grilled, are topped with the meat of your choice plus onions and cilantro (you can have lettuce and tomato on top if you'd rather).

Counter person Ilyana will give you tiny cups of red and green sauce that you can dress up your tacos with, as well (be careful—both sauces will start a little fire in your mouth). And notice that you also get the traditional lime wedges for that extra flavor boost.

On another occasion I stopped by the truck after work and picked up a steak burrito ($4.99) and a quesadilla Suprema ($5.99). Both were very good—nice and hot, even after I'd driven home with them, tortillas and fillings very fresh, really great. The burrito was large, and as you can see, it had beans, meat, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, onions—all kinds of good stuff in there.

I ordered the quesadilla Suprema without meat, asking for avocado instead, and that was no problem. The final product was a delightful, big, chewy, cheesy mess, big and cheesy being the operative words. Loved it.

But wait, there's more. We haven't even gotten to my favorite Taco Motoizado items yet! Those would be the chicken torta ($4.99) and the elotes ($2.00).

A torta, as you may know, is a Mexican sandwich that comes on a giant bun and has everything but your smart phone on it: the meat of your choice, refried beans, mayo, avocado, jalapeno slices, lettuce, onions, cheese, etc., etc., etc. (Of course, as for all of these items, you can have it your way, so if don't want certain toppings, just tell Ilyana and she will take care of it.) I've had a pork torta and the chicken, and though the pork version was perfectly adequate, TM chef Gilberto does something to the chicken that's extra-good, so that's my standard order these days.

Now, elotes you may not be so familiar with. At its most basic, elote is corn on the cob on a stick. Yes, it's reminiscent of fair food. Boiled or grilled corn on the cob is coated with mayo (or a mayo-and-butter mixture), chile powder, and cotija cheese (which is sort of like Parmesan) and sprinkled with lime juice. The Taco Motorizado corn is very tender, and the whole deal is sweet, salty, tart, and a little zingy.

I urge you to try it right away, but you can't be prim and proper when you eat it, so be sure you take someone you don't mind getting creamy and sticky and messy with. Someone you can feel free to smack your lips and lick your fingers with.

Where was I? Oh, yes. What's to drink with all this food, you ask. The TM carries a full line of soft beverages including Mexican Coke and Pepsi, several flavors of Jarritos sodas, Boing! guava drink (my personal favorite), and bottled water.

You can call your order in and then go pick it up, if you want, so put the TM number in your phone: 217-372-0129. The truck serves lunch and dinner from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. every day but Sunday. There are no tables on the corner of Prospect and Bradley, so either take a card table and set up your own, eat in your car, or grab and go.

For dessert, or as an accompaniment for your Mexican food, take a few steps to the left of the TM and you'll find yourself at the window of the Hawaiian Ice trailer. There a very pleasant young man will make you a cup of shaved ice drowned in the sweet syrup of your choice.

There are more than 100 flavors (including Horchata!), so you should be able to find something you like. Ten of the flavors are calorie-free, even (sweetened with Splenda). I tried the flavor known as Tiger's Blood, which is a combination of watermelon, strawberry, and coconut, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I dare you to try Wedding Cake, or Red Hot.

Ices are available in three sizes: small ($2.00), medium ($2.50), and large ($3.00). I didn't get the volume figures on those, but my small looked to be 8 ounces, at least.

The Hawaiian Ice truck is open from noon to 9 p.m. every day, and the phone number is 217-722-9530. Go give owner Kyle a shout, he's a friendly fella and intrepid entrepreneur doing his best to keep you cool this summer. You can find out the latest by liking the Hawaiian Ice truck on Facebook.

Zorba's: Grand Reopening in the Works?

Driving down Green Street the other day, this is what I saw. THE ZORBA'S SIGN IS BACK! And it looks like work is being done inside!

As you may know, a raging fire engulfed the building in which the gyros palace-cum-jazz club was housed—what? A couple of months ago? Afterward, in an article in the News-Gazette, the owner expressed uncertainty about whether or not Zorba's would be able to reopen, because of the extensive damage and the costs involved in rebuilding.

It looks as if there might be cause for celebration. Now, not being a real reporter, I don't have any official word on the matter. I'll leave that to, oh, Christine des Garennes, say. But unofficially? It looks promising.

Zorba's, we're rooting for you, and we hope you reopen soon!

From the Pantry: Black Dog Smokehouse Rub

News flash: It's not only little girls that are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.

Did you know you can purchase the rub that the smoke masters at the Black Dog in Urbana use to make their tasty barbecue, and thereby replicate that 'cue in your own backyard? It's true. Just ask your waitperson or the bartender for it next time you're at the BD, fork over six bucks (a decent price for the large, 5.7-ounce jar), and you'll be the proud owner of their secret seasoning blend.

Well, it's not totally secret. According to the ingredient list, there's the aforementioned sugar in there, and in the spice department, there's paprika, sea salt, onion salt, celery salt, cayenne pepper, chili powder, chipotle powder, lemon pepper . . . and "spices." That's the secret part. You didn't think they were going to tell you every single thing that goes into their rub, did you??

In any case, I recommend getting some BD seasoning mix now that grilling/smoking season is nearly upon us. Keith and I rubbed some rub on back ribs recently, and we didn't even do them on the grill, as it was kind of chilly outside. We let the rub sit on the ribs for some hours, then we roasted those babies in the oven at 275 °F for a little over an hour and a half, and they were maybe the best ribs we've ever made. The flavor was great, and the sugar in the rub resulted in some caramelization, plus the meat was extremely tender.

You can use the BD rub on pork, beef, chicken, fish—heck, massage it into your tennis shoes and grill those, I bet they'd turn out finger-lickin' good. I look forward to using this stuff all season long. Thanks to the Black Dog for sharing. Now, if I could just replicate their Texas-sized, wood-fired smoker...

That's it from the pantry for now. See you soon with another must-have item from around C-U for your cupboard or fridge.

Quick Bite: Chicken Salad at Holy Land Mediterranean Grill

Update: I'm sorry to report that Holy Land is no more. The restaurant closed in the summer of 2011—not long after this post appeared. -Lisa

Though summer doesn't officially start for a month and a half, we're getting quite a sneak preview now, aren't we? A very nice thing for hot and humid days is this salad from Holy Land on Neil Street.

The base is HL's house salad, which the menu says is made with chopped romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and scallions and is dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. All that is true, but the cook does his own thing at HL, so when I got this salad the other day it also included tasty black olives and red onions. The salad is then topped with chunks of tender and succulent grilled chicken (one shish tawook, or skewer of chicken). It's a large plate of salad and very filling for $6.99.

If you want to be like me, you can have a small dish of hummus on the side ($3.99). Ordering hummus gets you pita bread, as well (Holy Land, please do something about your pita! Last time I was there it was stale and had been microwaved in an attempt to bring it back to life—which only made matters worse, as within minutes it became hard and dry). I love HL's hummus, topped, as it is, with sumac and olive oil. The combination of that and the chicken salad is just about perfect.

Other salads include tabbouleh, fatoush (highly recommended—there's mint in that one and pita croutons, $4.99), Greek salad (a very good Greek salad with kalamata olives and feta for $5.99), and tahini salad.

You can dine in at Holy Land or call in an order for takeout. If you eat in, you can watch Middle Eastern music videos and drink Arabic tea or American Coke (or Orange Crush!) while you wait for your food to come.

Holy Land Mediterranean Grill
705 North Neil Street
Champaign, IL
217-355-0599
Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Credit/debit cards accepted

Nancy Clark Recipe App Now Available

Since C-U hosted a marathon last weekend, and thus we're all feeling like, "hey, with the proper training and motivation, I could do that," I think it's an appropriate time to tell you about a new iPhone app called Nancy Clark's Recipes for Athletes. Because whether you're thinking marathon, half-marathon, 10K, or 5K—or whether you'd just like to work up to taking yourself out for a walk every day, it's never to early (or too late!) to start training.

The Recipes for Athletes app may help you in your quest. This app was produced by a company called Human Kinetics, which is based right here in Champaign, Illinois, and has subsidiaries around the world. I happen to work for the company, and I even played a small part in the creation of the app (I took some of the photos).

Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook is the basis for the app. The book includes a ton of valuable info and tips for healthy eating in general and eating to fuel your workouts specifically. It also addresses some of the myths and misinformation related to diet, exercise, and weight loss and provides sane advice about listening to your body instead of to numbers, scores, tests, advertisements, and the like. Who is this Nancy Clark, you ask? You can find out more about her on her website.

The Sports Nutrition Guidebook has a recipes section, and this is where the app comes in—the app gives you ALL of the recipes from the book (71 total) in a portable, easy-to-check-while-at-the-grocery-store format. The recipes cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, as well as beverages.

I particularly like Nancy's recipe for a homemade sports drink (think homemade Gatorade). It's super easy to put together, it tastes better than the commercial sports drinks I've tried—which isn't surprising, as it has fresh, natural ingredients in it rather than stuff you can't pronounce—and it's very economical.

Another recipe from the book and app that I like a lot is the one for Nancy's version of salmon cakes. The cakes come together quickly and easily (quick and easy being the hallmark of all the recipes in the book and app), they taste great, and they provide a healthy balance of protein, carbs, and fats.

Simple Salmon Patties
From Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook and the Nancy Clark's Recipes for Athletes iPhone/iPad app

Headnote to the recipe: "These salmon patties are made with canned salmon, an inexpensive source of healh-protective omega-3 fat. Enjoy them with Pasta with Spinach and Feta or with brown rice and a green vegetable for a complete meal."

1 14-ounce (420 g) can pink salmon, drained and flaked (remove the skin, but keep the bones for added calcium)
1 cup (70 g) crushed whole-wheat saltine crackers or bread crumbs
1 egg or egg substitute, slightly beaten
1 cup (150 g) diced bell pepper, green or red
1/2 diced onion, preferably a sweet onion such as a Vidalia
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, preferably low fat
Lemon pepper or black pepper, as desired
1 to 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil, for cooking

Optional: 1 teaspoon Worcestershire or soy sauce; dash of hot pepper sauce; 1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

In a large bowl, stir together salmon, cracker or bread crumbs, egg, bell pepper, and onion. Mix in milk (and Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce, as desired). Add lemon pepper or black pepper (and dill, if desired), and mix well with your hands. Lightly press the mixture into 8 patties.

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Once oil is hot, place the patties in the pan and cook on both sides until lightly browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings (8 patties)
Nutrition info: 300 calories per serving (2 patties); 24 g carbohydrate; 27 g protein; 11 g fat (2 g omega-3)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Now, I cannot tell a lie, so I will admit that I used (white) panko instead of whole-wheat cracker or bread crumbs and whole milk instead of low fat. But the patties still seemed vibrantly healthy! Ha. Also, I added some Old Bay seasoning to the mix, used the Worcestershire and hot pepper sauces and the fresh dill, and served the patties with wedges of fresh lemon. Mm, mm, good.

Another recipe that has become a staple around our house is Nancy's Mustard Dill Salmon, which takes virtually NO prep time and is a great way to get your omega-3s, or omega-6s, or beta-whatevers. But more important, it's a weeknight-friendly, delicious dish.

Pasta with Spinach and Garbanzo Beans was a keeper, as well. I added leftover roasted chicken to the dish, since I had it around. Again—quick and easy to whip up, and the leftovers made great take-to-work lunches.

The app also has a recipe for a little number called Oven French Fries (photo courtesy of Holly Gilly) that I want to try ASAP. A potato, some olive oil, sea salt, and fresh pepper come together to produce an elegantly simple, guilt-free potato snack. In the recipe, Nancy shares a tip for making them extra crispy outside and tender inside.

What's nice about these recipes is that though they're targeted for beginning cooks and people who don't want to invest much time or energy in creating meals, experienced cooks can modify and gourmet-up the dishes as desired.

The app is also nice because using the Quick Find feature, you can search for recipes in specific categories. I just did a search for gluten-free recipes and found that there are 32 of them. As well as 22 vegan-friendly recipes, 47 that are (or can be made) vegetarian, and 36 that are totally free of dairy products! My esteemed life partner wanted to know why there's not a Beef Lovers search category, so I had to point out that there's an entire Beef and Pork section in the recipes list. Whew—thanks, Nancy. That was close.

Oh, and you can set the app to show either imperial or metric measurements (you do that in your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad's Settings area; click on Settings on the home screen, scroll down to the Apps section, click on Nancy Clark, and touch either Imperial or Metric).

But Lisa, you moan, I don't have an iPod, iPhone, iPad, or iAnything! Don't worry, there's a product called a printed book that you can buy, and it has all the recipes the app has. (You can purchase the e-book instead if you're a little bit high-tech.)

Gotta run. Having downed my Nancy Clark Fruit Smoothie and chomped on some homemade Honey Nut Granola, I'm out the door for a quick 10-mile jog. Yeah, right. I'm just hoping to fit in a 20-minute walk later. I may not actually be an athlete, but thanks to Ms. Clark's app, I can at least eat like one on occasion.

Share a Meal 2011 Is Tomorrow!

On Tuesday, April 26, you can donate money to organizations that help people (and animals, in the case of the Champaign County Humane Society) in need. And you won't feel a thing.

That's because six restaurants in Champaign-Urbana have generously agreed to donate 20 to 30 percent of their profits on that day to charitable organizations. All you have to do is go out to eat—it's that simple.

Here are the participating restaurants and details.

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The Black Dog Smoke and Ale House
The best place for barbecue in C-U is donating a percentage of its profits at both lunch and dinner time. So go in for one of their fabulous sandwiches during lunch hours, or go for dinner and enjoy ribs, chicken, pulled pork, or brisket. I highly recommend the smoked chicken wings with homemade smoked blue-cheese dip as an appetizer.

The daily specials on Tuesdays at lunch are the BD's famous tacos (pulled pork, beef brisket, or pulled free-range chicken) and a grilled pastrami sandwich with Swiss cheese and coleslaw on Mirabelle bakery rye bread. I've had both the tacos and the pastrami sandwich, and you cannot go wrong with either one. The pastrami sandwich will still be available at dinner, plus you can chow down on their smoked artichoke dip, served with homemade chips.

201 North Broadway Avenue
Urbana, IL
217-344-9334
Share-a-Meal contribution: LUNCH and DINNER
Serving lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Farren's Pub and Eatery
Some people say that Farren's has the best burgers in C-U. Actually, a LOT of people say that, and with good reason—they do cook a mean burger. But it's not just burgers, baby! Farren's menu and daily specials are varied and eclectic. On any given evening you might find lamb shanks, shrimp and grits, steelhead trout, or spareribs on the specials board. And evening is when you'll want to go to support Share-a-Meal, because Farren's is only participating at dinner time. So check them out starting at 5 p.m. tomorrow, April 26.

308 North Randolph Street (behind Nitaya Thai restaurant)
Champaign, IL 61821
217-359-6977
Share-a-Meal contribution: DINNER ONLY
Serving dinner from 5 p.m.

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The Great Impasta
This great Italian restaurant, long a landmark in downtown Champaign and now ensconced on the east side of Lincoln Square in Urbana, is also donating a percentage of its take during both the lunch and dinner hours. Grab a cup of soup and a sandwich at lunch or a plate of pasta or chicken Parmigiano for dinner, and you'll automatically be giving a significant donation to the charity of your choice.

Lincoln Square Village (entrance is on the north-east side)
Urbana, IL
217-359-7377
Share-a-Meal contribution: LUNCH and DINNER 
Serving lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Milo's
This Urbana favorite is located at the corner of Windsor and Philo Roads. Milo's is participating in Share-a-Meal at dinner only, so you can go in tomorrow evening and try their pepita-crusted shrimp with herb aioli, goat cheese and red pepper strudel, or wild mushroom ravioli with pecan buerre blanc—if you want to. Just a thought. I reported on those items in a review a few years ago, so you can see some motivational photos there. But of course, there are lots of other things to choose from. Peruse the entire dinner menu online, and remember they'll also have specials.

2870 South Philo Road (in "The Pines," corner Philo and Windsor)
Urbana, IL
217-344-8946
Share-a-Meal contribution: DINNER ONLY 
Serving dinner from 5 to 9 p.m.

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My Thai
This restaurant is the new kid on the block, having opened maybe a year ago. It's located on West Springfield Avenue, where Illini Grill and Pancakes most recently was (and El Torero before that). The people who own Siam Terrace in Urbana also own My Thai. You can try one of your favorite Thai dishes or sushi here and support Share-a-Meal at either lunch or dinner, as the owners are generously contributing a percentage of their profits from both meals. The menu is viewable online.

2312 West Springfield Avenue
Champaign, IL
217-351-8424
Share-a-Meal contribution: LUNCH and DINNER
Serving lunch 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and dinner 4:30 to 10:00 p.m.

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Siam Terrace
The place for Thai food, and now SUSHI, in downtown Urbana, will donate their percentage during dinner hours (you may remember that I had a fun sushi experience there on New Year's Day last year). So go and enjoy a boatload of sushi and sashimi, or pad Thai, or a delicious stir-fry on Tuesday evening. You can peruse Siam's menu on the Web site. Be sure to also get the crab Rangoon appetizer; they do the best crab Rangoon in town.

212 W. Main Street
Urbana, IL
217-367-THAI
Share-a-Meal contribution: DINNER ONLY
Serving dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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There will be a couple of volunteers from Community Shares at each of the restaurants on April 26 at the appointed times, which makes things very easy. All you have to do is tell them, on your way out, what your total bill was, and that's that! UPDATE: It's different, and easier, this year! All you have to do is eat; you don't have to fill anything out or tell anyone the amount of your bill. Each restaurant will simply add up its total take for lunch and/or dinner and will donate the percentage they've agreed to—no muss and no fuss for you, the patron.

These are just a few of the organizations you can support by eating out in C-U tomorrow:

• Champaign County Humane Society
• PACE Center for Independent Living
• Champaign County Health Care Consumers
• Voices for Illinois Children
• Habitat for Humanity of IL
• Wesley Church Evening Food Pantry

I want to personally extend a giant THANK YOU to these six C-U dining establishments for their generosity. The percentage of hard-earned profits they're giving away to help support our community is really staggering, and they should be well praised for it.

Last year, the Share a Meal event raised $4,101.95 for local charities. Thanks to everyone for going out and supporting it—maybe we can raise that total even higher this year. Let's all show the owners and their staffs how much we appreciate their giving spirit by packing their restaurants at lunch and dinner time on Tuesday, April 26.

Hot Off the U of I Press: Guide to Wild Mushrooms

So, OK, this book is not HOT off the Press anymore, but I wanted to republish this post anyway, because let's face it, hunting the wild mushroom never goes out of style. This post was originally published on April 15, 2009, and has been revised slightly. -Lisa

Did you know that the humble fungi is responsible for the lived-in look of your favorite stone-washed jeans? It's true. According to Joe McFarland and Greg Mueller, authors of the University of Illinois Press's new book Edible Wild Mushrooms of Illinois, a fungus is put on the cotton material, allowed to "munch," and subsequently washed off. Who knew? I guess "stone washed" sounds more romantic than "fungus eaten" in ad campaigns.

Anyway, that's just one of the fascinating tidbits of information you'll find in this new guide. I received a review copy last week (thanks, UI Press!), and I've been up to my ears in fungi ever since. Factoids aside, the book is an in-depth guide to finding, positively ID'ing, and cooking wild mushrooms. And it's specifically geared to our region (Illinois and surrounding states). We're in the thick of the mushroom-hunting season now, or will be very soon, so the book's release is perfectly timed.

You're probably familiar with oyster mushrooms, chanterelles, and morels, but I'll bet you've never heard of the lion's mane mushroom, or the cauliflower or lobster mushrooms. Those are just a few of the many varieties of edible fungi presented in the book, which includes gorgeous color photos—of the edible mushrooms and the poisonous look-alikes you need to stay away from.

In fact, the guide could really be called a picture book, that's how filled to the brim it is with photos. And detailed photos, of course, are really essential if you're heading out to try to find and identify these babies. If going on a mushroom hunt piques your interest, this is the book for you. It's really intended for beginners who want to bag their own fresh, wild 'shrooms, though I'm sure even an experienced mushroom hunter would appreciate it.Once you've got your mushrooms, what to do with them? The recipes section of the book will help you out in the cooking-and-eating department, too.You'll find recipes from Illinois cooks and chefs for everything from beer-battered morels to chanterelle cream soup, mushroom Bolognese, and parasol mushroom frittata.And how does wild mushroom lasagna with arugula pesto grab you? That recipe is from Chicago's own Charlie Trotter. Not to be outdone by the Chicago chefs, Christian Phernetton, formerly chef at Silvercreek restaurant in Urbana, contributed a recipe for duck confit and morel Wellington with vanilla-bean reduction. That's right—a C-U restaurant is represented in this book! How fun.

In the past, County Market in Champaign (on Kirby Ave.) has carried morels from California around this time of year, but they're pricey (I seem to remember $20/lb.) Obviously, if you hunt down your own wild mushrooms, the cost will be much less than buying them—like virtually nothing. Familiarize yourself with all the dos and don'ts, tuck a copy of Wild Edible Mushrooms of Illinois & Surrounding States into your backpack or glove compartment, and you should have a successful back-to-nature mushroom experience.

Ever stalked the wild mushroom in this area? If you have, I'd love to hear about your experience and any hunting or cooking tips you may want to impart.