Black Dog Smoke and Ale House Offers Lunch Specials Every Weekday

I don't even know where to start in catching you up on the latest at the Black Dog Smoke & Ale House in Urbana. For one thing, the staff over there is out of control; they're smoking everything from pork shoulder to blue cheese. For another, it just keeps getting better and better.

And when I say it, I mean the food (not slighting the service; it's always quick and friendly). As you may remember from my review back in February, they have this mammoth wood-fired smoker,and during the six months they've been serving up BBQ, they've become masters at using it.

What I just found out recently is that the BD now has a regular rotation of lunch specials on weekdays (thanks, WICD on Twitter for getting this ball rolling by tipping me off to the tacos!). At the risk of making it even harder to find a seat over there at lunchtime, let me indulge in a little show-and-tell.

The Daily Lunch Specials

Tuesday is taco day. Three smoked beef brisket or pork tacos on soft corn tortillas topped with onions and cilantro and served with smoky homemade salsa and limes—$5.95.Wednesday is Cuban sandwich day. They pile smoked pulled pork, ham, healthy slices of dill pickles, Swiss cheese, grilled onions, and chipotle mayo on about a 6- or 8-inch hoagie-type bread, the whole thing is grilled to oozy perfection, and you have your choice of a side (the sweet potato fries are my side of choice with this sandwich)—$6.95.Thursday it's burritos. One enormous burrito (bigger than your head) is filled with your choice of smoked pulled pork or smoked beef brisket, cheese, pinto beans, lettuce, tomato, and onion and is lightly grilled and served with sour cream and homemade salsa—$5.95 or $6.95, I can't remember which (and since it's 4 a.m., I can't call to find out right now, but either price is great since the burrito has, oh, maybe a pound of meat in it).Let's take a gander at the inside of that beef burrito, shall we? This photo kind of makes the burrito look small, but I promise you, it's not. I did want you to see the lovely filling.On a Friday, swim over for a smoked catfish sandwich. This is the only special I haven't tried yet, but they don't make any bad stuff over there and I am very fond of catfish, so I can pretty much guarantee you it's also a winner. Don't have a price on this one, but as you can see from the other specials, prices are reasonable so my guess is $5.95 or $6.95 including a side.

As if all of that were not enough, Tuesday through Friday at lunchtime you can also get a 1/3 slab of ribs with two sides for $6.95. The ribs are crusty and smoky on the outside and fall-off-the-bone tender inside. You really don't even need sauce on them, but I do favor a bit of the Carolina Red (that's the vinegary one; there is also a spicy chipotle sauce and a sweet "Georgia peach" one).Pineapple-pepper margarita with those ribs? A starter of freshly fried tortilla chips and chipotle salsa with those tacos or that burrito? Yes, please! That's if I can tear myself away from the mind-blowingly tasty smoked chicken wings with smoked blue-cheese dip . . .

The Black Dog Smoke & Ale House
201 North Broadway Avenue
Urbana, IL
217-344-9334
Open Monday through Saturday at 11 a.m. Closed on Sundays (except for occasional special dinners).

P.S. You may also remember that Mike Cochran graciously shared the recipe, requested by a reader of this blog, for the BD's fabulous twice-baked-potato casserole (one of the side dishes on offer). A friend told me she made it recently for a block party and it was a huge hit. Thanks again for sharing, Mike!

Indian Cooking Class at Mettler Center

Last week I attended a class called Everyday Indian Cooking, which was led by Rana and Manoj Shenoy of Mirsung Grocery and held at the Mettler Center Cooking School in Champaign. What a lovely class it was! Mary Knight, the Mettler University coordinator, was also on hand, pouring wine, offering beer and sparkling water to participants, and generally helping to keep the class running smoothly.

The dishes that Rana and Manoj demonstrated (and gave us the recipes for) were chicken curry with coconut milk, cumin rice, raita, and a dessert called gulab jamun. As you can see, the room where classes are held is nicely appointed and has a mirror over the cooking area so that everyone can see what's going on.Since class started at 6 p.m. and they figured we might be hungry, our instructors had thoughtfully prepared appetizers for us to snack on while they demonstrated the cooking of the dishes. We started off with sev chaat: tiny puris (crisp-fried mini-chapatis) topped with sev (crispy chickpea-flour bits), a mashed potato mixture, chopped red onions and cilantro, and your choice of several chutneys: garlic, green chilli, or date and tamarind.While we nibbled our appetizers and enjoyed our beverages, the cooking of the chicken and rice and the preparation of the cucumber raita began. Rana and Manoj were extremely well organized and prepared, and they chatted with us and answered our questions as they cooked, sharing info about Indian culture, history, and cuisine. Then it was time to eat! The chicken was delicious (I really love coconut-milk curries), and the rice and raita complemented it nicely.For dessert, they prepared gulab jamun, which you can think of as doughnut holes served with a light, sweet sauce. Somehow I missed getting a photo of dessert; phooey. Well, it was yummy, and you can buy a mix for the "doughnuts" at the store, which makes prep very quick.

We all went home with a tasty dinner in our tummies and well-written, easy-to-follow recipes for the four dishes. Thanks to Rana and Manoj for a class well done. Keep watching the Mirsung Web site for dates of future cooking classes.

P.S. The Shenoys mentioned during class that they have rented the space next to the store and are in the process of creating an Indian deli! There will be some tables, so you can eat snacks and such there or you can carry out any number of prepared foods. Watch for the deli to open in the next couple of months.

Fresh Blackberry Syrup

It's blackberry season around these parts—boy, is it ever. A coworker friend has been bringing quarts and quarts of the little gems into work (thanks, Dona!), so when I saw this recipe for blackberry cream soda on CHOW, I knew I had to swing into action.

I haven't actually made the cream soda yet, but I did make the syrup. It's painfully simple: You simmer the berries plus water and sugar—a lot of sugar—and then let the mixture sit for a few minutes, strain, and voilà! A luscious syrup you have.In the CHOW recipe for the syrup, they allow as how you can make "a grown-up soda pop" by mixing some into a gin-and-seltzer cocktail. You might also add it to lemonade or iced tea as CHOW suggests. I found that the syrup is quite tasty poured over Mission to Marzipan ice cream.I also think it would make an excellent pancake syrup. And how about subbing it for the crème de cassis in a Kir or Kir Royal? Its uses are only limited by your imagination.

If you want to try this at home, and you don't have blackberries growing on the estate, just take yourself to the Urbana farmers' market tomorrow and pick some up there.

Blackberry Syrup
From CHOW

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

Combine sugar, water, and blackberries in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

When mixture boils, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes, gently crushing blackberries against side of pan. Remove the pan from heat and let mixture steep for 15 minutes.

Strain blackberry syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Refrigerate until cold, and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Fourth Annual Julia Child Birthday Celebration

Here it is, the anniversary of the day of Julia Child's birth. I can't believe it's been five years since she died; no one will ever take her place.

I'm watching DVDs of The French Chef and reading a marvelous little bio called Julia Child: A Life, which the folks at Penguin Books were kind enough to send me a review copy of. I've read almost the whole book in one day, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's interested in Julia's life and times. I find it so well written and paced that it's a real page-turner. Wonderful to have both the DVDs and the book to immerse myself in after having seen the Julie & Julia movie last evening. Meryl Streep became Julia in the movie, and I teared up every time she was on screen. It was so comforting to have "Julia" back again and so poignant at the same time.

I decided that this year, seeing as how the movie has just opened, and seeing as how it focuses on not only Mrs. Child but also on Julie Powell, the blogger who famously took on the project of tackling all the recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I'd make the first meal that Ms. Powell cooked for her year-long project.

This was the meal that was so easy, Julie thought the project was going to be a snap (from the book: "I could do this with one hand tied behind my back!"). Suffice it to say, as the year dragged on (well, even as the week dragged on), the recipes became more complicated, and her life grew chaotic, Julie Powell found that the project was a tad more challenging than this first meal seemed to indicate it would be.

The meal in question:

Artichokes with Lemon-Butter SaucePan-Broiled SteakAnd because I had a cauliflower and tomatoes from farmers' market hanging around, I added Cauliflower Gratinéed with Cheese and Tomatoes.Other bloggers joined me in celebrating Julia Child by whipping up many wonderful dishes from her books. Please go admire their work and read about their memories of Mrs. Child.

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Linda of Ciao Chow Linda made a gorgeous Bouillabaise of Scallops. Yeah, I'd eat two or more bowls full. Large ones.

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Andrea Meyers ("cooking, gardening, and four hungry guys") made Eggplant Gratin that I wish I were eating right at this very moment.

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Julieta of Lindaraxa's Garden made a rich and delicious Chocolate and Almond Cake.

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Tien of Cooking with Tien put Scallops Saint Jacques into scallop shells for an extra-pretty presentation.

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Nupur, of One Hot Stove, made a beautifully decorated Provençal Tomato Quiche with a whole-wheat crust.

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Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen made Puree of White Beans with Garlic and Herbs. This is a must-try for me, as I love love love beans.

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Laura of Pragmatic Attic also made a gorgeous Chocolate and Almond Cake (great food bloggers' minds think alike, apparently!).

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Oh my goodness! Let's have more chocolate almond cake! Well, there's never too much cake, is there? Donna of Fab Frugal Food also made this scrumptious cake!

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Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen made the ever-delicious and so perfect at this time of year ratatouille.

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Susie of Admin by Day, Cook by Night made Chicken with Cream and Onions that I want to try making myself soon.

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Pat of Mille Fiori Favoriti made a creamy, dreamy leek and potato soup.

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Sandi of Whistlestop Cafe Cooking made Burnt Cream (OK, creme brulee, but since I've been using the English names of all these dishes, I decided to go with what we used to call it at a restaurant I worked at years ago).

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Lori Lynn of Taste with the Eyes managed a perfect Roast Chicken with a Natural Sauce even though she'd just gotten back from flying all over the country. Notice her beautiful floral tribute to Julia, as well. I can almost smell those roses and herbs.

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Simona of Briciole whipped up a personal favorite of mine, the light-as-air dessert sauce known as zabaione, and served it over fresh fruit.

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Cassandra of Chow Bella made Mustard Marinade with Pork Loin Chops all on her own to celebrate Mrs. Child's birthday. I thought it only fitting to bring her in to join us at this little party.

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An enormous thank-you to everyone who took part in this homage to Julia Child! It's always an honor to celebrate her life and achievements by making some of the dishes she taught so well, and I love hearing everyone else's stories about and memories of JC (and seeing photos of your old, tattered cookbooks).

Finally, I announce the winner of the Mastering the Art of French Cooking book: Zoe! She said in her comment on the announcement post that she's in a Venturing crew here in Champaign whose focus is on the culinary arts—what could be more perfect? Zoe, I hope you and your crew enjoy discovering French cooking through the best mentor of all, Julia Child. (Please e-mail me with your contact info so I can get the book to you.) And thanks again to Barnes & Noble of Champaign for donating the cookbook to this event.

Toujours bon appétit, everyone.

Mad Men and American Food 1960s Style

I'm resurrecting this post and updating it because the third season of this series starts Sunday!

Did you catch the marvelous series called Mad Men on AMC last season? If you did, you're probably eagerly anticipating the season 3 opener this coming Sunday evening (AMC, 9 p.m. Central Time), as we are around our house. The series is set in the 1960s, and it chronicles the lives, loves, and secret histories of the Brylcreamed men and girdle-wearing women who work in a New York City ad agency. It's been nominated for numerous Golden Globe and Emmy Awards and it's won two that I know of (Best Actor and Best TV Drama). If you haven't heard of it, you're not alone; it's been called "the best show on television that you're not watching." (Is this still true as we get ready to dive into season 3? Seems like the show has been steadily garnering more fans since last year.)

When I thought about what foods I could make that would represent the show, several things came to mind (these are scenes from season 1 episodes):

• Raw oysters, from the infamous scene in one episode where Don Draper exacts sweet revenge on his boss (Roger Sterling) for the boss's come-on to Don's wife by filling Roger full of dozens of raw oysters, pitchers of martinis, and cheesecake, and then marching him up 20 flights of stairs—yes, the boss pukes in front of God and everyone when the two finally reach their office.
• Steaks, of course. In the same episode, Don's boss has invited himself over for dinner, and Don's wife Betty only has two steaks. So she gives them to the men and when Roger notices she's not having one? "Sometimes I'm a vegetarian," she demurs.
• A ham sandwich and a Danish, which Peggy eats for lunch one day at the office. She's feeling particularly hungry but isn't admitting, even to herself, that she's pregnant (office "romance").

But in the end I decided to go with TV dinners and pot pies. Not that Betty Draper would allow a TV dinner in her gleaming Frigidaire, but it's just so '60s.As a child, I ate thousands of pot pies and TV dinners and drank gallons of Instant Breakfast. Not to mention Pop-Tarts, Wonder bread, Tang, and instant mashed potatoes. And, like the women on the show, my mom drank and smoked while she was pregnant with me and beyond. According to current wisdom, I shouldn't even be alive today.

Now, my mother was a fabulous cook, but she was a working mom, so sometimes convenience won out. And for a divorced dad, TV dinners were like manna from heaven (dad's favorite, as I recall, was Salisbury steak). I read that 10 million TV dinners were sold the first year they came out (in the mid-1950s). Was it the cunning compartments that took the American imagination by storm? The fact that the dinners fit perfectly on TV trays, with room to spare? The "convenience"? We may never know, but they certainly became iconic.

And this was long before TV dinners could be microwaved (hard to imagine, but there were no microwaves then). It's unthinkable—you had to preheat the oven, which takes forever, then you had to bake the dinner for 30 minutes or so. It wasn't fast, and it wasn't good, but you didn't have to cook!

Of course, I say now that it wasn't good, but I loved TV dinners and pot pies. The beef pot pie was my favorite. The thinnest parts of the crust, covered with brown sauce, were my favorite. And the peas! The little carrots! The chunks of potato! It was a beef-stew pie, and what could be better than that?

In honor of the TV show that brings back so many memories—you watch in horrified fascination if you lived through any part of that era—I give you the beef pot pie. Couldn't find Swanson's brand, the one we always had; this one is a Banquet. They don't come in foil tins anymore, which stinks; it's paper cups now. Not the same.Still, the crust is there, and the stew-y stuff. The very taste of it transported me to my childhood.

Take a look at this trailer for the third season of Mad Men. I've seen various versions; this one hits the sex angle hard. It's great!

Sunday night, August 16, 9 p.m. Coats, ties, and girdles optional. TV dinners, a must.

Quick Bite: Siam Terrace

A quick report on lunch at this downtown Urbana Thai restaurant. I had pad see ew with pork, and it was very tasty. The pork was tender, the noodles had nice charred spots, and overall I enjoyed it. I was disappointed that they didn't use Chinese broccoli, and I've never seen carrots in pad see ew before, but still, it was a good dish. I got the lunch special portion, which made for a light meal; I didn't feel stuffed afterward.I tried the green papaya salad, too (took most of that home); the papaya, carrots, and peanuts were crunchy, and there were green beans and halved cherry tomatoes tucked into it—very nice. The dressing was sweet-salty-spicy-tangy, and I liked it, though I wished the flavor of the lime juice had come through a bit more.

If you're in Urbana and craving Thai food, I recommend this place, though it's not my first choice in C-U for Thai cuisine. At $6.50 for the lunch portion of pad see ew, the price was right. Another dish I like a lot at Siam is the panang curry; a sweet, mild curry with green beans that I usually order with pork (you can choose from pork, beef, chicken, tofu, or shrimp).

The interior of the restaurant is nicely decorated and pleasant, and service has always been good (although on the day I had the pad see ew, my water glass was never refilled, but they were really slammed at noon so I forgave them that). On one occasion I was seated near the windows up front and had a very enjoyable time eating my curry, looking out at the downtown scene, and listening to Ella Fitzgerald.

You can peruse the restaurant's complete regular menu on their Web site. (They also have daily/weekly specials, which you can check out on the white board near the entrance.)

Siam Terrace
212 West Main Street
Urbana, IL
217-367-THAI
Open 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Sunday Noon to 9:00 p.m.

Local Auction Offers Foodie Items, and You Can Win One!

Updated 8-14-2009: We have a winner! Congratulations, Kristen! Your name was chosen, so you are entitled to one canning class with Anna Barnes. Please contact Anna at anna AT annabarnesmedia DOT com to sort out details on when and where the class will be. Thank-you to everyone who left comments in support of this auction. ~Lisa

I know. We seem to be contest-happy around here at CT. First it was the Cocomero haiku contest, then the Julia Child book giveaway, and now this. In the case of this giveaway, though, you win more than just a prize; you help to support individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS.

Braking the Cycle is a 3-day bicycle ride (covering 295 miles, from Boston to NYC) that's held each year to raise funds for HIV education, treatment, and counseling. Anna Barnes of Champaign (pictured below) will be riding, as she has in past years, and Susan Summers of Urbana will be crewing. They're riding in memory of Susan's nephew Jeffrey. They'll be joined by riders from across the United States. You can see a video about last year's ride on YouTube.Though HIV/AIDS doesn't get the press that it did years ago, it still affects more than 400,000 people in this country. Events like this help to raise awareness about the disease, and the local participants in the Braking the Cycle ride are holding an online auction to raise funds for the ride, 100% of which will be used for AIDS education, prevention, and support and counseling services. Anything they raise between now and Aug 15 will be matched dollar for dollar by the Bank of America.

You can either go and bid on one of the items for yourself, or, since you probably have some interest in food or cooking if you're reading this blog, you can simply leave a comment on this post and win your choice of any one of the food-centric items on offer:

• Cheese-making class
• Canning class
• A dozen scones (flavor of your choice; reduced sugar, whole-wheat, and vegan versions available)
  

Champaign Taste is sponsoring the auction in a small way by donating one of the auction items to one lucky winner. Just leave a comment on this post telling me which of the aforementioned items—the canning class, the cheese-making class, or the dozen scones—you'd like by August 13th at midnight CDT. On August 14, the day the auction ends, we'll put all the names of those who leave comments into a hat and will pull out the winner's name.

Anna herself will be teaching the classes and baking the scones. She's worked on local food projects since 1996, including coordinating Prairieland Community Supported Agriculture (PCSA), which supports local farmers. She's taught canning workshops through PCSA and now through the Common Ground Food Coop, where she also teaches cheese- and yogurt-making workshops (which are frequently sold out). You may have read about Anna's cheesemaking classes last month in the News-Gazette.

If you'd like to support this worthy cause, help some people in need, and learn a new cooking skill (or just receive a supply of yummy scones!) into the bargain, leave a comment and let me know, and thanks in advance for your support.

Le Peep Restaurant

Food—Variety of breakfast and lunch items
Drink specials—Espresso concoctions, smoothies
Location—South Neil St. in Champaign
Atmosphere—American breakfast cafe with a French accent; good for both family or other groups and tête-à-têtes
Service—Friendly, helpful, and quick
Vegetarian friendly—Not especially, but you could find some options
Child-friendly—Yes
Patio seating—Yes

For some reason, I haven't written much about breakfast spots around C-U. In a move to start rectifying that situation, here's a report on a very popular restaurant located in the Shoppes of Knollwood mall on South Neil Street. I haven't included Le Peep in my brunch series because I've restricted those reviews to restaurants that offer a distinct brunch menu. But if you eat at Le Peep on a weekend between, say, 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and call it brunch, I won't stop you.

Le Peep offers a vast array of breakfast and lunch items; everything from eggs Benedict to omelettes, skillets to French toast, oatmeal to biscuits with gravy, plus sandwiches, salads, and burgers.

On this past cool but sunny Saturday morning, we took ourselves there for a leisurely breakfast. I knew exactly what my darling husband was going to order, because he orders the same dish every time we go: The Desperado skillet ($7.50). This hearty meal consists of potatoes, chorizo sausage, green chilies, and onions topped with Le P's homemade salsa, cheese, and two basted eggs. You can choose from three different types of English muffins with the skillets, and on this occasion Keith went with the whole-wheat variety (I think it would be great if they also offered a couple of warm tortillas as the bread option with this particular skillet). Keith was extremely pleased to find a container of his favorite jam, blackberry, among the varieties on our table. And he raved about the basted eggs, which were perfectly cooked.Feeling like I wanted a smaller meal, I ordered one of the "Breakfast Breaks" items: a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on a bagel, accompanied by what Le Peep calls peasant potatoes (deliciously seasoned, oven-baked potato cubes).My sandwich was described as consisting of one egg and one strip of bacon, but the amount of (fluffy and yummy) scrambled egg on there seemed like more than just one egg, and there were actually two pieces of bacon, so it was nowhere near as tiny as I had wondered if it would be. The sandwich, along with a generous helping of the potatoes, made for quite a filling "light meal" (at $4.20, this meal's price was certainly on the light side, however!). The only quibble I had was with the potatoes; though very nicely seasoned, they could have been warmer. And while I understand Le P's emphasis on fresh, non-greasy breakfast meals, the potatoes could have benefited from a little grease—I found them to be rather dry.Though we didn't sit on the patio yesterday, it would have been a great morning for it, because the weather was perfect. It's quite a pleasant and spacious area, as you can see. And with all the large windows facing the patio, the dining room inside also feels light and airy.In sum, the food was fresh and tasty; the coffee was hot and delicious (and they leave a pot on your table, a feature we're fond of, as well as a pitcher of lemon-scented water); our server was bright, personable, and efficient; and prices were reasonable. Another very pleasant breakfast experience at Le Peep.

Oh, and they have this sign up front near the cash register, which I had to show you because it cracked me up.Having attended a party the night before our breakfast there this weekend, I was feeling a bit, er, basted, myself.

You can peruse the entire breakfast and lunch menu on the Le Peep Web site. Have a favorite item here? Let me know.

Le Peep
2209 South Neil St.
Champaign, IL
217-352-7599
Serving breakfast and lunch 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.