Cravings

Food—Pan-Asian
Drink—Coke products, other sodas, tea
Location—Campus
Average price for an entree—$6.50
Atmosphere—Hole-in-wall
Service—Courteous and quick
Patio seating—No
Vegetarian-friendly—Yes
Child-friendly—Perhaps; it's usually bustling and crowded

Several people have urged me to try this tiny restaurant on campus over the past year or so, but since there are 1 million restaurants in C-U and I can't clone myself, I hadn't made it over there until a few weeks ago. And then the following week I went again. Week after that: same drill. This place is great.Cravings' menu offers dishes representing a large number of cuisines: Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese. The volume and variety of dishes that the cooks turn out is mind boggling, really. The menu is posted on the walls above and nearby the counter where you place your order. This is just a miniscule portion of the menu.And don't miss the white board (on an easel in front of the kitchen) that lists specials.Lotta stuff to choose from. It can be a challenge to figure out what is what, so I'm going to try to sort some of it out for you.

Take a look at some of the dishes my lunch companions and I have tried. First and foremost: catfish fillets in black bean sauce with pea pods (listed on the specials board in English as "Fish Fillets/Chicken w. Bean Sauce"; $7.99).Tender fried catfish, delicious salty-sweet sauce, crispy pea pods. Man.

One lunch companion's tofu with pork and mushrooms was also outstanding (listed on the specials board as "Black Mushroom Pork Tofu"; $6.50).And we all pronounced Cravings' version of gado-gado (veggies and your choice of meats or tofu in a peanut sauce) a big tastebud pleaser, as well (on the regular menu; $6.25).There are any number of dishes involving green beans; in fact, one whole menu is devoted to them (this menu is posted on the south wall). We asked for green beans with pork, and got this:Look at all those green beans! The friend who got this stir-fry is doing Atkins, and even without the starchy rice accompaniment, he was quite satisfied after polishing it off.

And then there was this ground-pork dish (OK, so my friends and I are fond of pork). Ground pork, peppers, and basil topped with a fried egg and served with rice. Which I'm pretty darned sure is a dish that was featured on Chez Pim just now: Pad Krapow. Pim calls it a "ubiquitous fast-food dish in Thailand." One of the more delicious things ever. (Listed on the specials board in English as "Basil Pork Egg Rice"; $5.99.)Note that the entrees are so large that two people can easily split one (I've taken half of my food home and had another meal of it every time I've been there). When you consider the already very reasonable prices, you can see what a tremendous value you're getting. And when two of my friends did split a dish, they were kindly each given a bowl of rice without having to order extra rice (and without being charged for it). That sweet little touch made me love the place even more.

Oh, and if you like the standard Chinese-restaurant dishes like cashew chicken, beef with broccoli, twice-cooked pork, and egg rolls—you guessed it; they have those, too.If you go, or if you're already a fan, let me know what your favorite dishes are. I intend to eat my way around Asia at Cravings.

Cravings Restaurant
603 South Wright Street (just north of Green St.)
Champaign, IL 61820
217-328-2538
Open every day from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. (but note that they are closed on Sundays for the summer)
Eat in or takeout; no delivery

History, Philosophy, and Penne with Arugula

A very nice young woman asked me yesterday morning what my philosophy of food is. Having not thought about the matter in quite that way before, I sort of stumbled through an answer. At dinner, when I told Keith about how I'd had some difficulty with the question, he said, actually, I think that's easy. You like real food. And do you know, I think that sums it up nicely. Fresh food prepared simply is my thing. This probably stems from my Sicilian mother and the enormous pleasure she took in eating the simplest things: a slice of excellent capicola (which she pronounced gob-a-gole) with a hunk of fresh bread and Provolone cheese; a steamed artichoke leaf dipped in lemon butter; a succulent broiled lamb chop.

Thus, I am pronouncing this pasta dish to be an example of my philosophy of food! I found the following recipe, wherein you cook arugula along with pasta and then serve it with fresh tomato sauce, in my old The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian book (published in 1993; Flora's got it at Jane Addams, by the way). Having just gotten arugula from farmers' market, and 9 or 10 Roma tomatoes, I decided it was the dish I needed to accompany Keith's grilled ribeye steaks.Jeff Smith (a.k.a. The Frugal Gourmet) got this recipe from Carlo Middione of Vivande Porta Via deli-restaurant in San Francisco.

Carlo's Macaroni with Arugula and Fresh Tomatoes
From The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Italian, by Jeff Smith

1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, very finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, cored, peeled, and well crushed
1 pound short pasta such as penne, small rigatoni, fusilli, etc.
1 bunch (approximately 2 cups) arugula, washed and cut into 4-inch pieces
1 1/3 cups grated Pecorino cheese

Heat the oil in a large frying pan until it is quite hot, add the onion, and cook it until it is just transparent. Add the garlic, and fry it until is is golden and fragrant. Add the tomatoes, and stir the mixture well. Cook the tomato sauce for about 30 minutes or so.

Boil about 6 quarts of salted water in a large pot. Add the pasta, and after about 2 minutes, add the arugula. When the pasta is al dente, pour it into a colander to drain. Put the pasta and arugula mixture on hot plates, and ladle on some tomato sauce. Sprinkle plenty of the grated Pecorino cheese on the pasta, and serve it immediately, very hot.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Some notes on ways that my preparation varied from the instructions in the recipe:

• I didn't use onion in the sauce, only garlic, and I didn't let it become "golden," only fragrant.
• I didn't core or peel the Romas; I just whizzed them a bit in the processor (I usually just cut them in quarters for this kind of sauce).
• I didn't add the arugula to the pasta-cooking water until about a minute before the pasta was done.
• I mixed the sauce, pasta, and cheese in a bowl before serving.

I sprang for RAO brand penne from World Harvest market on University Ave., and I got the (very tasty) Pecorino Romano from there as well.

FYI: Prairie Fruits Farm is now producing Pecorino Romano (they've been getting sheep's milk from an Amish farmer). It's quietly aging at the moment; Leslie told me it will be available this fall.

Now, if only some local farmer would start making capicola . . .

Jane Addams Bookstore Marks 25th Year in Downtown Champaign

Speaking of being inspired to cook by books: Recently I was sitting around bemoaning the loss of an old cookbook that I'd had for eons (until it literally fell to pieces) when Simona, my partner in the Novel Food event, told me about her adventures at Omnivore Books in San Francisco. Her mention of that store, which is devoted to books about food and cooking, spurred me to revisit our own local purveyor of used and rare books, Jane Addams Book Shop.

The book I was looking for was American Wholefoods Cuisine, by Nikki and David Goldbeck. I phoned Flora Faraci, owner of Jane Addams, and she kindly searched her inventory for it. She didn't have that book, but she did have another by the Goldbecks, The Good Breakfast Book, so I went in to pick that one up.

Making my way to the third floor of the shop, I found the food and cooking section. One small room is packed, floor to ceiling, with all manner of cookbooks, from the mundane to the esoteric, covering a wide range of cuisines.

Want a facsimile of the original Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook, circa 1896? It's there.How about a book on Chinese cuisine? Yep, you have a number to choose from.Books by the old (American) masters? Take your pick.And speaking of American chefs, if you have holes in your Frugal Gourmet collection, you can fill them at Jane Addams (don't count on getting Our Immigrant Ancestors; I nabbed that one the day I visited).There are other books on American cooking, like Sheila Lukins' U.S.A. Cookbook,and there's even a small section of books devoted to food Illinois-style (don't you love the one title: Illinois Celebrates Pork).Thinking Atkins or another special diet? You might just find what you need in that category.And if you want to learn more about wine, or you need a guide to mixing the perfect cocktail, Jane Addams has you covered in that department, as well.In sum: If you're looking to replace a favorite old cookbook, or one that your grandma had that's gone out of print, a book from the recent past—heck, even a new book—check out a downtown Champaign treasure trove, Jane Addams Book Shop, and help Flora celebrate 25 years in business.

Of course, Jane Addams is not limited to cookbooks! Flora has books on subjects ranging from aromatherapy to zoology, not to mention novels by every author you can imagine. I found the mystery book that inspired the last Novel Food event there (OK, so it's always about eating with me).

Jane Addams Book Shop
208 North Neil Street (across from Boltini Lounge)
Champaign, IL 61820
217-356-2555
Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Hey, C-U Cooks: Will YOU Be the Next Food Network Star?

As you may know, the fifth season of the culinary reality series "The Next Food Network Star" premiered a couple of weeks ago. Just today, a casting associate with the Food Network e-mailed me to let me know that the network is hosting an open casting call in Chicago next month for the 2010 season of the show. Chicago is one of just eight cities around the country in which open casting calls are being held.

To elaborate: The Food Network is looking to cast season 6 of the aforementioned televised contest. They are calling "all chefs, home cooks, line cooks, caterers, and culinary enthusiasts" to go and audition on Sunday, July 12, 2009, in Chicago. If chosen, you'd be one of ten contestants on "The Next Food Network Star," and if you're the last cook left standing when that grueling ordeal is over, you'll be awarded your own new FN series.

Do you have strong culinary skills? A personality that "pops"? A passion for cooking? Food knowledge? Lots of energy and enthusiasm? According to the flier they sent, these are the qualities the FN is looking for in potential candidates for the show.

If you think you have those qualities and you'd like a chance to vie for a foodie series of your own on the Food Network, get yourself up to Chicago next month and try out.

The detailed lowdown:

Chicago Open Casting Call for "The Next Food Network Star"

Sunday, July 12, 2009

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Affinia Chicago Hotel

166 East Superior Street

Chicago, IL 60611


What you need to take to the audition:

1. Two recent photos

2. A copy of your resume

3. A filled-out application (available on the show's "casting-call" page)

For more information or questions, e-mail nfns6chicago@yahoo.com.

So, hey—maybe in 2010 we'll be watching "The Next Food Network Star" and rooting for someone from Champaign-Urbana! Will it be you??

Foods of Our Fathers, and a Poem

This is from the archives, originally published in 2006. Because you probably didn't see it, and because I'd like to honor my father again, I'm bringing it back for a second appearance. Happy Father's Day, everyone! ~Lisa

My father loved McIntosh apples paired with sharp cheddar. And Welsh rarebit. And blancmange, which he said he remembered his mother making. And ice cream, which he tended to eat straight from the carton (as I caught him doing in the photo). He was a divorced dad, which meant that on the weekends I spent with him as a child, we ate our share of frozen Swanson's TV dinners and pot pies. But when he had time, he loved to experiment with sophisticated recipes like steak Diane and beef bourguignon.

For my sixteenth birthday, my dad took me and some friends to the local French restaurant for brunch. We sat outside on the deck and ate salads and savory crepes filled with artichokes and shrimp in a creamy sauce. The pièce de résistance was dessert— baked Alaska. It was presented with much pomp and circumstance and was flambeed at the table. I knew I had entered the world of adult dining!

In the 70s my sister and brother-in-law lived with us for a time, and we were all taken with the new health-food craze. We made whole-wheat bread and steamed vegetables and tried recipes from Francis Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet. I remember especially one profoundly disgusting meal involving peanut butter, tofu, and brown rice (maybe this is why my sister still can't tolerate tofu).

When I was in my twenties, my dad and I tried making pesto sauce (this was just as pesto was becoming popular, at least in our area of California). We had no idea how it was supposed to be served, so we poured it all over plates of pasta as if it were a red sauce (at that time we were oversaucing all pasta dishes, I am sure). We were overcome with the thick sauce, and the garlic stung our tongues, and we couldn't figure out why anyone liked the stuff.

Not long before my dad died, he and a friend made a surprise birthday meal for the friend's wife. For dessert, they planned cherries jubilee. He described preparing the cherries, pouring on a big slug of Cognac, and flambeeing them this way: "...we put a match to it and the whole thing went up like Mount Vesuvius!"

When my dad especially enjoyed a dish, he would close his eyes and say in mock ecstasy, "Mmm . . . ambrosia!"

Here's a poem by Maxine Kumin (from Selected Poems 1960-1990, published by W.W. Norton and Company). The first time I read it I thought of my father, and I copy it here in his memory:

Appetite

I eat these
wild red raspberries
still warm from the sun
and smelling faintly of jewelweed
in memory of my father

tucking the napkin
under his chin and bending
over an ironstone bowl
of the bright drupelets
awash in cream

my father with the sigh of a man
who has seen all and been redeemed
said time after time
as he lifted his spoon

men kill for this.

...

On this Father's Day 2009, let's celebrate our dads by remembering the foods they loved. When you think of your father, what foods come to mind? Does/did he like to cook? What are/were his favorite dishes? Leave me a comment; I'd love to know.

Cocomero Haiku Contest Winners

Before announcing the winners of the haiku contest, may I just tell you something interesting? Monday was the birthday of the famous Japanese poet Issa, which I discovered via The Writer's Almanac on that day:

It's the birthday of Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa, born in Kashiwabara, Japan (1763). He's one of the masters of the Japanese form of poetry called haiku, which uses 17 Japanese characters broken into three distinct units. He spent most of his adult life traveling around Japan, writing haiku, keeping a travel diary, and visiting shrines and temples across the country. By the end of his life, he had written more than 20,000 haiku celebrating the small wonders of everyday life.

And isn't frozen yogurt one of life's small wonders?! Apparently we thought so, because we asked you-all to write poems on the topic, and you came through in a big way. All told, 108 haikus were submitted. It was very difficult for Heather, Cynthia, and me to settle on just three favorites, but in the end we were forced to.

And now, the winners.

Steve G., who actually wrote this haiku in Japanese, then translated it so that it conforms to the 5-7-5 rule:

clouds are approaching—
and on top of my yogurt
I sprinkle berries

Sara P.:

summer blazes on
yearnings for the chill of tart
frozen drops of joy

Perri K.:

So many flavors!
Thank goodness for giant cups!
Damn. They charge by weight.

Congratulations to Steve (a.k.a. Morizou), Sara, and Perri! Please go into Cocomero with your haiku, tell a staff person your name and that you are a winner of the Champaign Taste haiku contest, and you'll each receive a $5 gift card. Enjoy your frozen yogurt!

And look: The manager posted the winning haikus on the wall in the store.
Y'all are famous!

Honorable mentions go to these folks and their poems:

Patrick:

Sweet Cocomero
Let's just hope it doesn't end
Like that one Seinfeld

(If you have no idea what the Seinfeld reference in the preceding haiku means, here's a synopsis of the episode.)

Janna:

There’s frozen yogurt
Where Garcia’s used to be.
Good lord, I’m so old!

Jennifer:

Tangy creamy snow
Rainbow-crown'd with shining fruit
Tames the summer blaze

This was great fun, everyone. Thank you so much for taking part in the haiku contest; you're the best! Many thanks also to my friend Jen for suggesting the contest in the first place. And three cheers to Colin at Cocomero for donating the gift cards (and for creating pomegranate flavor frozen yogurt).

Thai Food Fiasco: An Attempt at Pad See Ew

Here's a report for those who may have the mistaken impression that everything I cook turns out well. I recently bought the book Quick and Easy Thai and have been looking forward to cooking something out of it. As you may know, the old man loves beef, but not necessarily Thai food, so for my first real foray into Thai cooking I chose something I hoped he'd take to: a beef-and-noodle dish called pad see ew. I've eaten pad see ew many times at Thai restaurants and I just love it. (The dish is sweet, not spicy, by the way, so if you find yourself at a Thai place and you're afraid of getting something that's too spicy-hot, order it.)

McDermott does pad see ew a little differently from how I've seen it in other places; she calls for collard greens or spinach instead of the usual Chinese broccoli. Since I'd just gotten both collards and spinach at farmers' market and had a skirt steak from Triple S in the freezer, I was all set.

Then I decided to check the fantastic food blog Chez Pim to see how she does pad see ew. Her recipe looked great, so in the end I followed it except I stayed with the spinach instead of using the broccoli.

Pim's recipe called for the usual fish sauce, plus thick soy sauce and oyster sauce, none of which ingredients I had on hand. After a visit to Far East Market (for the dried rice noodles; couldn't find any fresh ones) and Lee's Oriental Foods, I was ready to go. Lee's carries the Three Crabs brand fish sauce that I'm pretty sure Pim favors, by the way.The thick soy is interesting; it's a mix of molasses, soy bean extract, and salt, so it's sweet and salty. Yum.I sliced the skirt steak thinly and across the grain of the meat and marinated it, as per Pim's recipe. Looking good. I prepped the spinach and garlic, and I soaked the rice noodles. All going well so far.

I heated oil in the wok until smoking. I drained and carefully dried the rice noodles. I threw them into the wok. The noodles almost immediately formed a giant, solid mass. I tried, with two large kitchen implements, to separate the noodles—to no avail. I added the thick soy and fish sauce, thinking they might loosen the noodles up. Wrong. I turned the mass, which was now not nicely charred like Pim had described but was pretty well burned. (The crappy, even more-out-of-focus-than-usual photo is just fitting, isn't it?)I wrestled with it some more, and then it was clear that the noodles had no intention of ever separating. The noodle mass went from wok into garbage can.

I realized at that point that all was not lost, however. I still had yummy marinated beef, garlic, and spinach sitting there. So I fried up the beef and garlic, added the spinach when the beef was almost cooked, threw in some more thick soy and splashes of fish sauce and vinegar, and we ate the beef-and-spinach stir-fry with steamed rice. It was quite delicious, thank you very much.Rice noodles, you won that round. But you've not seen the last of me yet.

Announcing Novel Food Summer 2009 Edition

Have you made up your summer reading list? Any promising novels on the horizon? If you're a cook who likes books, please join us for this event next month. By "us," I mean my partner Simona, of the food blog Briciole, and yours truly.

What happens in Novel Food is that you read a novel (or bio, or memoir) and then you cook something inspired by it and share it with us via either a blog post, if you have a blog, or by sending Simona or me a write-up about it (with photo if possible). Then Simona and I will publish round-ups of all the submissions with links to your novel posts so that everyone can see what everyone else has been reading—and cooking.

If you haven't seen one of these Novel Food events before, you can get an idea what they're like by checking out one of the round-ups from past events.

Here are the guidelines for submissions:

• Prepare a dish of your choosing that has a connection to a published literary work (novel, novella, short story, memoir, bio, poem).
• Publish a post about it on your blog by the end of Saturday, July 18, 2009 (midnight, Pacific Time), referencing the Novel Food event. Include a link to this or to Simona's announcement. If you wish, you can use the Novel Food logo.
• Send an e-mail to Simona (simosite AT mac DOT com) or to me (champaigntaste AT gmail DOT com) and include your name, blog name and blog address, and a permanent link to your post. Please, include the words "Novel Food" in the e-mail subject line, so we can more easily retrieve the message in our inbox.

Non-English submissions are fine. If possible, include an introduction in English.

If you don't have a blog, send us an e-mail telling us about the recipe, the literary work that inspired it, and, if you have it, a picture of what you made: we'll add it to the roundup as well.

Note: If you don't receive an answer to your e-mail or a comment on your post within two days of sending me or Simona the e-mail, please contact us again: sometimes messages get lost in cyberspace.

We're looking forward to seeing what you're reading and what you cook up! For my part, I'm not sure yet what book I'll end up cooking from. There are so many books on my list that I wonder which ones will actually end up getting read. Most promising right now are A Thousand Splendid Suns and In the Kitchen. Also on the nightstand are Unaccustomed Earth and Not Becoming My Mother. None of those books are light summer reading, but all sound intriguing. See you soon after July 18 with a book-and-cook report.

You Want This: Artichoke Spoon Rest

When I was tasting cheeses at the Art Mart last Saturday morning, I spied this little treasure, which, naturally, I had to buy immediately. Look how the leaves are even tinged with purple! It's my new favorite thing. $7.00. You're welcome.

The Art Mart opens at 8 a.m. on Saturday mornings while the farmers' market is on.

And speaking of the farmers' market, Leslie and Wes of Prairie Fruits Farm will be offering their first-ever Caprino Romano cheese (aged 6 months) tomorrow morning. Wowie. Quantities are limited, so get there early.

P.S. You have no idea how hard it is to get a photo of a spoon rest.

Cocomero: Enter the Contest and Win Free Frozen Yogurt!

Update (June 16 at 12:01 p.m.): Because the deadline time for submissions has passed, the comments area for this post is now closed. Thanks again to everyone who submitted haikus! The judges will deliberate, and the three winners will be announced tomorrow. ~Lisa

Hey, y'all. A bunch of us C-U food bloggers visited this cute new place for frozen yogurt recently. We sampled the ice-cream-like concoctions, swirling and topping like froyo fools. The yogurt was delicious and light, and a good time was had by all. I wanted to tell you about it and also invite you to enter the first-ever CT frozen-yogurt contest.But let me give you the lowdown on the place. The brightly colored interior is very welcoming and fun. What you do first is, you get yourself a cup. Then you peruse the available flavors, and you mix up your very own custom cup of whatever single or mix of flavors you'd like (it's self-serve).Here's a rundown of the current flavors. Yes, there are a lot.

• Cookies & Cream (nonfat)
• French Vanilla (nonfat)
• Chocolate Fudge (nonfat)
• Peach Light (nonfat)
• Peanut Butter/Espresso (lowfat)
• Strawberry (nonfat)
• Banana Cream (nonfat)
• Mango Tart (lowfat)
• Blueberry (no sugar added)
• Cheesecake (nonfat)
• Pineapple (lactose free)
• Original Tart (nonfat)
• California Tart (lowfat)
• Green Tea Tart (nonfat)
• Raspberry (lactose free)

Once you've got your froyo, then you move on to the toppings bar, where a wide variety of fresh fruits (look at the luscious strawberries, mango, blackberries, pineapple, and others—I especially liked the watermelon), candy, cereals, and other accompaniments (granola, sprinkles, gummy things, Cap'n Crunch, M&M's, etc.)awaits you. When you're all set, you pay for your froyo sundae (cost is 39 cents per ounce) and you sit down and enjoy it. Couldn't be easier.There's a great view, from both down- and upstairs tables, of the intersection of Green and Wright streets (Cocomero is in the building where Moonstruck used to be).But what's this about a contest, you ask. Well, here's the deal: If you'd like to get a big cup of Cocomero frozen yogurt for free, you need only write a haiku about it and have it be a winner.

Here are the contest rules:

• Write a haiku about frozen yogurt (and if you work in the name of a flavor you particularly like or want to try, and/or the name of the store, so much the better).
• The haiku must consist of three lines: the first line must be five syllables; the second line must be seven syllables, and the third line must be five syllables.
• Leave the haiku in the comments and be sure to leave your name as well.
• You can submit as many haiku as you like; let your creativity loose on us!
• The deadline for submissions is noon on Tuesday, June 16.
  
• The judges will review all haiku submitted and will choose our three favorites.
• The three winners will be announced on June 17 and will each receive a $5 gift card to Cocomero.
• Sorry, but participation is limited to people in and around the Champaign-Urbana area, for obvious reasons. And C-U food bloggers and their families are prohibited from participating (must give others a chance!).

The panel of judges includes yours truly (Champaign food maven); Heather (foodie and ice-cream maker par excellence); and Cynthia (foodie and author of the popular Champaign blog The Sandwich Life).

Whether you're already a fan of Cocomero frozen yogurt or you have yet to try it, we hope you'll enter the contest by submitting one or more haiku. Here's a sample haiku to get you started, in case you're not familiar with this type of poem:

Light and creamy-cold
Frozen yogurt hits my tongue
California tart

See how it goes? The first line has five syllables, the second line has seven, and the last line has five. Give it a try! You have nothing to lose, and a cup of yummy frozen yogurt topped with fresh fruit and crunchy morsels of this and that to gain.

Hope you'll join in, and good luck! Many thanks to Colin, the manager of Cocomero, for so generously donating the gift-card prizes, and thanks to Lauren and Mike of Genki Tummy for allowing me to use one of their photos in this post.

Caribbean Style Black-Eyed Peas in the Crock-Pot

If you're looking for a tasty meal that's quick to prepare in the morning and is ready when you get home from work, look no further. You have to like black-eyed peas, though (this wouldn't be a dish for my sister). I think this dish would be very good even meatless, so if you're a vegetarian, just leave out the ham.

If you do include ham, I recommend trying a ham hock from Triple S Farm (their booth is along the south aisle at the Urbana farmers' market). The ham hocks from Stan's Berkshire pigs are worlds better than those you buy at the grocery store. The flavor is so good, and there's lots more meat on them.

Caribbean-Style Black-Eyed Peas in the Crock-Pot
Slightly adapted from a recipe by Diana Rattray on About.com

1 cup dried black-eyed peas
1 meaty smoked ham hock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 serrano pepper, finely minced (or any hot pepper you prefer)
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup water or broth

Soak the black-eyed peas overnight. (Or do the quick soak: In a saucepan, bring peas and water to cover by 2 inches to a boil. Boil for 1 or 2 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and let the peas soak for an hour).

Drain the peas and put them into the slow cooker with all of the other ingredients. Cover and cook on low 8 to 12 hours.

Take the ham hock out of the slow cooker and remove the meat from the bone (it will mostly just fall off), chopping it up if you like. Stir the meat back into the black-eyed pea mixture.

How easy is that?

Serve with rice (and collards, if you like; I just boiled some up quickly with Cajun seasoning and butter). Salsa, pepper vinegar, or Tabasco is great on top of the peas.

Quick Bite: Farmers' Market Breakfasts at The Great Impasta

Harold Allston, owner of The Great Impasta in Lincoln Square, is getting up early on Saturday mornings. He scours the Market at the Square for the freshest produce, eggs, meats, and breads he can find, and then he takes his haul back to the restaurant—conveniently located adjacent to the market. There, the cooks work their magic on the ingredients and turn out breakfasts that you can enjoy either on the lovely outdoor patio or inside.

This week, the offerings included eggs baked in a tomato sauce, eggs Benedict, several types of omelettes, bacon or sausage with eggs cooked your way, and quiche.

I ordered one of the omelettes of the day, which involved eggs cooked with sausage, tomato, and onion. It was served with a slice of bread and a dish of mixed fresh fruits.I've been going to The Great Impasta since its inception in the early 1980s, and the restaurant has never served breakfast—until now. The owner saw an opportunity to expand the repertoire and strengthen the local community at the same time. A huge and hearty thank-you to Harold and his staff for making this concerted effort to showcase and support local farmers.

Breakfast is served from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings, and the farmers' market runs from 7 a.m. to noon.

P.S. Did you know that you can follow the Urbana Farmers' Market on Twitter? Go give them some love, and be a farmers' market insider!

Mas Amigos: Fresh, Tasty, and Affordable

Food—Mexican
Drink specials—Margaritas
Location—Between campus and downtown Champaign
Atmosphere—Down-home cafe
Prices—Appetizers: $2.60-12.99; tortas: $4.99-$6.50; lunch specials: $4.75-$6.50; dinners: $6.25-$10.99
Service—Friendly, helpful, and quick
Vegetarian friendly—Yes
Child-friendly—Yes
Outdoor seating—Yes

I'm guessing you've eaten a hot dog on a bun, but have you ever had a sliced and grilled hot dog, along with a thin piece of breaded steak, a slice of ham, beans, cheese, avocado, tomato, onion, lettuce, jalapeño peppers, and mayo on a bun?Didn't think so. A bit messy to eat, but so good. It's an experience you really shouldn't miss out on.

To have the experience, take yourself over to Mas Amigos. Don't know it? It occupies the space where Murphy's Deli used to be (on Springfield Ave. near Locust, next to Euro Mart). If you like the description and photo above, what you want to order is the torta Cubana ($6.50).If that Cubana did not grab you, say because you're a vegetarian, have no fear. You can order the torta vegetariana ($4.99), in which you'll find grilled sweet red peppers and zucchini along with the standard avocado, beans, cheese, jalapeños, tomato, onion, lettuce, and mayo.Like tacos? Mas has tasty ones ($1.85 each). Check these out: one is chorizo, another is chicken, and the third is al pastor (pork). Smothered in fresh cilantro and onion, accompanied by limes—that's what I'm talking about!On another visit (yes, I've haunted the place), I tried a lunch combo: one taco, one chile relleno, rice, and beans ($5.50). Delish. And see that green sauce on the taco? You must run over to Mas immediately, put it on everything, dip your freshly fried tortilla chips in it, drink it if you need to.Smooth, spicy, and tangy, it's home-made from avocados, tomatillos, and jalapeños, and it's the best thing ever.In the beverage department, you have lots of choices. Mas carries the Mexican brand Jarritos sodas; I hadn't tried the grapefruit variety before and found it a refreshing counterpoint to the food. You can also get the usual American sodas, as well as beer and, of course, margaritas, which are often on special.

Here's a shot of the dining area on a recent week day before the lunch rush:The menu at Mas Amigos is large and varied; it's not just tacos, baby! You can get everything from quesadillas and fajitas to egg dishes, burritos, and enchiladas, as well as steaks, chicken, and shrimp in various preparations. There's also a section listing vegetarian meals.

Not fancy, just good. Enjoy!

Mas Amigos Mexican Restaurant
40 E. Springfield Avenue
Champaign, IL
217-356-2100
Serving lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday
Lunch specials served 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Credit cards accepted

Everyday Yellow Dal; Indian Brown Beef Stew

And speaking of Indian food, here are a couple of recipes you might be interested in. One is vegetarian, and the other is definitely not! I made both dishes recently out of the book 5 Spices, 50 Dishes: Simple Indian Recipes Using Five Common Spices, by Ruta Kahate.

It's a great little cookbook that simplifies Indian dishes so that you don't feel you have to have tons of "exotic" ingredients around your kitchen in order to whip up delicious Indian food. I was uncertain about this premise but wanted to give the recipes a try, and I must tell you: both things I made were super-good. I got the book from the library, but this is one I'd like to own.

The following recipes are a taste of what you can expect from the book. It's amazing how the same five spices the author chose (coriander, cumin, mustard, cayenne, and turmeric), used in different combinations, give each dish a unique flavor. Now, you could get the spices and split peas in the first recipe at one of our two Indian groceries (Annapoorna and now Mirsung), but the idea behind the book is that you'll easily find the things you need for the recipes at any grocery store.

Everyday Yellow Dal
From 5 Spices, 50 Dishes, by Ruta Kahate

1 cup yellow split peas, soaked in cold water for 1 hour
3 cups water
1 large tomato (about 8 ounces), cut into 8 wedges
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
5 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, finely ground (I used ground coriander)
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt

Drain the dal (split peas) and place in a large saucepan. Add the fresh water and tomato and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the peas are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pick out any tomato skins and whisk the dal to emulsify it. Keep warm over low heat.

Make the tadka: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat. When the oil beings to smoke, add the cumin seeds, covering the pan with a lid or splatter screen. After the seeds have stopped sputtering, add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until most of the onion has turned dark brown, about 5 minutes. Add the coriander, turmeric, and cayenne, stir, and pour the onion mixture over the dal. Add the cilantro, butter, and salt to the dal and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Serves 4.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
The head notes for the recipe say that "this dal goes well with any Indian menu. It can be part of an elaborate meal or simply ladled over freshly steamed rice with a little store-bought Indian pickle or chutney on the side." I ate it for breakfast and lunch on different days with rice and chutney, and it was delicious.

Now here's one for the meat-and-potatoes guys. Not that you know any meat-and-potatoes guys, but the one I live with absolutely loved this dish.

Indian Brown Beef Stew
From 5 Spices, 50 Dishes, by Ruta Kahate

3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons coriander seeds, finely ground (I used ground coriander)
2 teaspoons finely grated garlic (about 4 large cloves)
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger (about a 2-inch piece)
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 pound beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch square pieces (I used Triple S Farm's beef stew meat)
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 large russet potatoes (about 1 pound), cut into 2-inch cubes
1 medium green serrano chile, cut lengthwise in quarters
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Heat the oil in a large stockpot and sauté the onion until golden. Add the coriander, garlic, ginger, cayenne, and turmeric, and stir over medium heat until browned, about 4 minutes. Deglaze the pan by adding a few tablespoons of water and using a spatula to loosen the browned bits, if the mixture starts sticking to the bottom.

Add the beef and sauté over medium heat until well browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the 2 cups water and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 hour. Add the potatoes and chile and continue cooking until the beef and potatoes are tender, another 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the vinegar, simmer for an additional 2 minutes, and remove from the heat. Serve hot with crusty bread or steamed white rice.

Serves 4.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
This beef stew was homey and flavorful (not spicy, per se, at least not to us). I served it with rice, and you may say, potatoes and rice? But it worked. We had a simple green salad on the side as well.

The next recipes I want to try from this book include Blackeyed Peas in a Spicy Goan Curry (involves coconut milk, yum yum), Crusty Russet Potatoes with Coriander, Corn with Mustard Seeds, and Shrimp Cakes with Ginger and Cilantro.

Mirsung Indian Grocery Now Open on Green Street

Yes, folks, there's a new kid in town. If we're talking Indian grocery stores, that is. Mirsung grocery is located on Green Street in that strip mall where Jimmy John's and Dazzling Nails are—a block or so east of the viaduct at Neil, on the south side of the street.

I attended the grand opening yesterday to see what was going on. The shop is small, and although it packs quite a variety of items, it doesn't feel overcrowded and lots of light pours in through the front windows. The owner and his wife were very welcoming and helpful, yet when I said I wanted to browse, they left me alone to do so. I took photos of a few items so you could get a feel for the kinds of things they carry in the store, although my photos don't begin to represent the entire range of what's available.

Obviously, they carry all the spices you'd need to make Indian dishes. And basmati rice. And various types of dal, and flours. In addition, there's also some fresh produce. Need a whole coconut? They have them.If you're not up to cracking one of those babies open, though, you can just buy the milk.Fresh ginger, peppers, garlic, okra, limes, tomatoes, and mangoes? Check.And there was a bin of bitter melon, a.k.a. karela; want to try cooking with those soon.Do they have chutneys? Of course (they carry one of my favorites, Swad mint chutney; I'd like to try the green chili variety).And of course there are all sorts of frozen foods. These lentil-filled samosas were tempting.I also picked up "kits" for making pani puri and sev batata puri (Indian snack foods—more on this later, when I attempt to make them). Aren't the kits cute? The boxes contain already fried puris, plus chutneys and other accompaniments. Don't know if the final product will be any good, but I couldn't resist.If you're looking for a timesaver, you can procure jars of minced garlic and ginger. Usually I mince my own, but this product looked very fresh and like something I might actually try sometime.This first week the store is open, all items are on sale for 15% off, which is a bonus.And yesterday, as a thank-you-for-coming, they were giving away a box of two potato-pea samosas and a container of mango drink to every customer. (You may still be able to get this thank-you gift if you shop there this week; quite a few boxes were still in the fridge when I was there in the afternoon.) The plan is that fresh samosas will be delivered from Chicago twice weekly, so you should be able to buy them on any given day. Warm them in the toaster oven and you've got a tasty snack.Here are some recipes for Indian dishes I've featured on the blog, in case you need ideas about things to make with all the ingredients you'll find at Mirsung.

• Pav bhaji (Indian mixed vegetable dish)
• Shredded cabbage with lima beans
• Curried cauliflower and potatoes
• Spicy cauliflower with braised tomato
• Kale and fava bean quasi-samosas
• Curried lentil and butternut squash soup
• Doubles (delicious West Indian snack)

For more info about Mirsung grocery, check their Web site.