New Year's Eve Dining Options Around C-U

Update 12/30/10: I've added a couple of new restaurants to the list; see Buttitta's and Luna, below. ~Lisa

This is very late, but in case you still haven't made up your mind about where to go on NYE, here's some info.

Note that the prices listed below do not include tax, tip, or beverages (except wine pairings at additional cost where applicable).

bacaro
How does smoked sablefish grab you? Seared sea scallops? Cauliflower ravioli with black truffles? Beef tenderloin with roasted sunchokes? Frangelico ice cream with hazelnut praline? You can have all of that and more for $45 for three courses or $65 for five. Vino pairings are $25 for the three-course menu and $35 for the five-courser. Check bacaro's Facebook page for the more.

Black Dog Smoke and Ale House
Once again this year, the BD is doing it up right for NYE. Two seatings: 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Menu includes smoked chestnut and prosciutto soup, smoked prime rib and smoked lobster tail with your choice of two sides, and pear and apple crisp with bacon and brown sugar topping for dessert. $50 per person. The BD will also have a fun-sounding late-night option: a 10 p.m. seating involving appetizers (think smoked butter and sea salt popcorn, lobster bisque, duck confit dumplings, duck-fat fries, etc.) and wines. Call 217-344-9334 for a reservation for either the dinner or the late-night seating. You can also check the BD's Facebook page.

Boltini
$50 gets you an all-inclusive party package, including passed hors d'oeuvres until 10 p.m., party favors, and a midnight bubbly toast. Premium bar drinks are $1 all evening. Check out the various party packages for groups large and small on the relevant Facebook page.

NEW as of 12/30: Buttitta's
B's is holding their first annual New Year's Eve murder mystery dinner, featuring the CUTC's Murder Mystery Troupe. Bring in the new year in 1920s fashion with "Frenchy's," an improv murder mystery show set in a posh New York City nightclub in the era of Prohibition. There's a colorful cast of characters, each with a motive to bump off one of their own. Someone will be dead by dessert, and it's up to you to figure out who done it. Menu includes choice of house salad or Caesar, choice of prime rib, orange roughy, or roast duck, and dessert. $70/person includes a drink ticket for a glass of wine as well as a Champagne toast. You can also just go to B's on NYE and order from the regular menu; you don't have to take part in the murder mystery dinner. Contact Buttitta's for reservations at 217-355-8656.

Jim Gould
Regular menu on NYE, with live jazz from 9 p.m. "into the new year," dancing strongly encouraged, and a complimentary Champagne toast if you're still there at midnight.

Ko-Fusion
KF is doing three courses for $40/person ($45 with Champagne). There's curried lobster soup, filet, and chocolate mousse cake to be had. Check out the whole menu on KF's Web site.

NEW as of 12/30: Luna
If you want to spend NYE pretending you're in Paris, there's no better place to do it than at this downtown Champaign bistro. A three-course tasting menu is $35/person; five-course menu is $55/person. Optional wine pairings for $20 more. Oysters, charcuterie, soup and salad courses, and special tapas are planned. Call 217-356-5862 for a reservation.

Milo's
They don't specify what's on the dinner menu, but starting at 6:30 they'll have "easy listening" music (Brice and Heather Anderson), dancing, and drinks, as well as dinner specials. $50/person, call 217-344-8946 for a reservation.

Radio Maria
NYE is your chance to chow down on some gnudi, if you've never had that experience. Gnudi with smoked pork ragout and white truffles, that is. Also on the menu are lobster agnolotti with braised mushrooms, a New York strip with caramelized onion risotto, and Belgian chocolate truffles figure in there somewhere as well. Here's a link to the entire menu. The four-course meal alone is $55/person; with wine pairing $75 or $90/person, depending on whether you choose the high-end wines or the rotgut (ho ho ho). Note that you can also just go in and order from the regular menu on New Year's Eve; you don't have to opt for the tasting menu. 217-398-7729 for reservations.

Sun Singer
Will be rockin' from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. They're decorating, and they'll be showing movies, handing out party favors (toward midnight), serving up Champagne and other bubblies, and you can order tasty treats from the cafe menu. You don't need a reservation and there is no cover charge. Check the SS Facebook page about the evening's festivities.

In the words of the old standard:

A French-Canadian Christmas: Tourtiere

On this blog I've often mentioned my Sicilian-American mother and her cooking and have shared recipes for Italian (or Italian-American) dishes. For Christmas this year, I thought I'd honor my father's side of the family. My dad's ancestry was mainly English (I have a family tree documenting that ancestry, and it goes back to the 1600s), on his father's side. His mother, my paternal grandmother, hailed from Vancouver, British Columbia. When asked about his heritage, my father would say something like "I'm mostly English, with a smattering of French-Canadian."

I was pondering that, and I was also thinking about local blogger Cynthia, of The Sandwich Life, and her family's tradition of making tourtière, or meat pie, for the holidays. The two ideas came together as I realized that instead of trying to do a traditional English Christmas meal, I could make tourtière, which sort of incorporates both the English (think pasties, steak and kidney pie) and the French-Canadian.

In the midst of all that pondering and having of ideas came a mention of tourtière on Twitter. I'd asked the C-U Twitterati to answer the question "what food screams 'Christmas!' to you?" and a fellow named Shea said that for him it's the meaty pie. I allowed as how that was interesting because I'd been thinking of making it this year; he offered to try to get me his mother's family recipe; and the rest is now recent history.

If you haven't had meat pie before: It's a pie filled with meat. Actually, meat or fish or fowl, depending on which part of Canada the ancestors lived in. But in this case, meat. Two kinds—beef and pork. Along with lots of onions, many cloves of garlic, spices, and mashed potatoes. Just a nice, light holiday main dish.

Speaking of light, I used a pâte brisée—a shortcrust—for the pastry shell. Don't ask how much butter is in those crusts; you don't want to know. All right, I'll tell you: one stick (4 ounces) goes into each crust (i.e., top and bottom). So that means two sticks of butter to one meat pie. You don't eat the whole pie, okay?

Here's the recipe for meat pie that I used. A thousand thanks, again, to Shea and his mother for sharing it. As Shea noted in a message to me, the pie is fine hot out of the oven; it reheats nicely (I used the microwave—easy, and slices of the pie really did reheat well), and it's even delicious cold.

Tourtière
Family recipe from Shea Nangle

Makes two 9-inch pies

2 pounds lean ground beef
2 pounds ground pork
4 large onions
16 large garlic cloves
4 teaspoons salt
1-3/4 teaspoons nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon mace
1-3/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Mix all of the above ingredients in large pot over low to moderate heat. As the fat from the pork accumulates, use a baster to remove most of it. (Save for fat.) Cook until meat is thoroughly cooked.

In the meantime, boil enough potatoes to produce 6-1/2 cups mashed potatoes. When mashing, add a small amount of the removed pork fat to the potatoes. When the meat mixture is done and the potatoes are mashed, combine the two. Mix completely.

Make enough pie dough for two 9-inch pies. Fill pie crust to brimming, cover with top crust, and bake at 450 °F for 20 minutes (or until pie crust is golden brown). Then reduce heat to 350 °F and bake for 40 more minutes.

Some notes on the recipe: I chopped the onions pretty finely and basically minced the garlic (using the mini-processor). I cooked the meat in the pot on the stove slowly and for about an hour, I'd say, and I boiled 9 or 10 small Blue Moon Farm Satinas for the potatoes (I was about a cup short). I used most of the fat I'd sucked out of the pot with the baster in the mashed potatoes, so I really could've skipped the fat-removal step (I think that Triple S Farm ground pork may have less fat in it than store-bought ground pork; in any case, by the time I had what I thought was the right amount of fat in the potatoes, I'd used 98 percent of it).

As I mentioned earlier, blogger Cynthia's family always has meat pie for the fall and winter holidays (on the evening before Thanksgiving and on Christmas eve). I got to talking to her about how I was going to try it this year, one thing led to another, and we decided to do an exchange: We'd both make two pies, and we'd give each other one of them. Thus were Cynthia, Ernie, Leo, and Owen in our kitchen on the afternoon before Christmas, which was great fun. Along with the tourtière, Cynthia brought a copy of a newspaper article that her grandma had clipped in the 1970s (pictured below).

Cynthia's family recipe doesn't include potatoes in the filling; it calls for cracker crumbs. See the handwritten note, penned by her grandma, about possibly trying the pie with potatoes sometime as per the recipe in the article: "Next Xmas will try a small one to see." Grandma sounded rather dubious about the spuds, didn't she?! What a wonderful memento, that article.

We thought both pies were delicious. As Cynthia notes, they actually had quite different flavors and textures, and it was great to have that variety. Cynthia's pie filling was fragrant with clove (she used Penzey's ground cloves in it, and everyone knows that Penzey's spices are extra-specially good). The nutmeg, mace, and cayenne combo in Shea's mom's recipe also made for a very tasty filling. Well, and all that garlic—can't keep my Sicilian side out of the picture for long, apparently.

We ate our pie on Christmas eve with a green salad dressed with a simple vinaigrette, as Shea had told me that his family does. And then we had leftovers with my favorite kosher pickles on the side, and ketchup. Yum! Cynthia mentioned that her family often eats leftovers with the cranberry sauce from the Thanksgiving or Christmas day meals—something I must try in future.

Thanks again to Shea and Cynthia for helping this food blogger experience a splendid family holiday favorite for Christmas. I couldn't have done it without you, and I may co-opt your tradition!

Dining Out in C-U on Christmas Day: What's Open?

People have been asking me if I know of any restaurants around Champaign-Urbana that will be open on Christmas day. After having done some research, and with helpful input from Laura of chambanamoms, here's what I've got. Though the list isn't super long, there are more places open than I thought there would be.

The following restaurants will be OPEN on Saturday, December 25:

• American Grill in the Hilton Garden Inn (breakfast only, 7 to 11 a.m.)
• B-Won (also open Christmas eve)
• Escobar's (open 12/24 regular hours; 12/25 from 4 to 9 p.m.)
• First Wok
• Holy Land Mediterranean Grill (11 a.m. to 9 p.m.)
• Merry Ann's Diner (both locations)
• Milo's (special dinner menu served from 12 noon to 8 p.m.)
• Oishi
• Peking Garden (lunch and dinner)
• Perkins
• Sairam Om (open 12/24 and 12/25 regular hours, lunch and dinner)
• Seasons Restaurant in the Holiday Inn (brunch and dinner)
• Shanghai 1938 (12 noon to 10 p.m.)
• Rainbow Garden (opens at noon)

And because I don't want you to toss and turn tonight in a state of uncertainty: Here's a list of restaurants that I've confirmed will be CLOSED on December 25:

• Biaggi's (open Christmas eve, but they're almost booked)
• Black Dog Smoke and Ale House (closing 3 p.m. Christmas eve) 
• Bombay Indian Grill (both locations) 
• Buttitta's (closed 12/24 through 12/27)
• Cafe Kopi (closed 12/24 also) 
• Chili's (closing at 5 p.m. on 12/24)
• Courier Cafe 
• Das Cafe
• Dos Reales
• El Toros 
• Farren's Pub & Eatery (closed 12/24 also)
• Fiesta Cafe (open Christmas eve until 7:30 p.m.)
• Golden Harbor (closed now through 12/27)
• The Great Impasta (closed 12/24 also)
• Green Jade
• Jim Gould
• Houlihan's at the I Hotel 
• Kennedy's
• Ko-Fusion
• Luna
• Manzella's Italian Patio (also closed on 12/24)
• Mas Amigos
• Minneci's (open regular hours on 12/24)
• Papa Del's (also closed on 12/24)
• Le Peep
• Radio Maria
• Siam Terrace
• Silvercreek
• Sushi Kame
• Timpone's
• TGI Friday's
• Uncle Jack's (closes at 2 p.m. Christmas eve) 
• Vinny's East Coast Pizzeria (closing at 2 p.m. 12/24; reopening at 2 p.m. on 12/26)
• Xinh Xinh Cafe (closing at 2 p.m. 12/24; closed 12/25 and 12/26)
• Yellowfin

I don't think you're going to find many more restaurants open on Christmas day than those listed above, but if you know of one that I missed, do tell in the comments; that will help people who are looking to go out that day. Thanks, and if you celebrate it—Merry Christmas!

Coming soon: Keep your eyes peeled for the traditional CT "what's going on in C-U on New Year's eve" roundup.

Pimento Cheese

Here's one from the archives, as the holidays seem like a good time to bring it back. This is a great spread to have around at get-togethers. I think it's especially good stuffed in celery, because the lightness and crunch of the celery perfectly complements the heaviness and sharpness of the cheese, but it's also delish on crackers or in sandwiches. Note that it's best served at room temperature—or at least softened somewhat—not straight out of the fridge. 

As for the Duke's mayo I talk about below: I found it at Schnucks over the weekend! A lot of people, Southerners especially, think Duke's is the only mayonnaise to use for pimento cheese. And now we have it right here in C-U. 

Ever felt drawn to those tiny jars of chopped pimientos you see in the grocery store? Ever had the urge to mix cheese and mayonnaise together? Then you may be a pimento cheese aficionado and not even know it. (By the way—it's traditional to drop the second "i" in pimiento when referring to this concoction; I'm not asking questions.)

I was recently advised of the existence of this spread/dip/topping by a friend who's from Greenville, South Carolina. I didn't remember having heard of it before, and I was certain I'd never eaten it. Obviously, I had to rectify the situation, the sooner the better, so I set about finding and comparing recipes.

On NPR's Kitchen Window site, I struck the mother lode. Not only is there the author's recipe, but many others, in the comments on his article. People have fond memories and strong opinions about their pimento cheese! Then, coincidentally, I ran into the Homesick Texan's recipe. And not long after, I was perusing The Great American Writers' Cookbook—and there it was again. Plenty of recipes to choose from.

But there remained a possibly insurmountable obstacle: I had no Duke's mayo, nor any idea where to get any. According to many, Duke's was key to a successful pimento cheese. Again, my Southern friend came to the rescue. With her mother as liaison, she transported a quart of Duke's from Greenville to Champaign and into my hands.

Pimento Cheese
Reynolds Price, The Great American Writers' Cookbook

Grate a pound or more of extra-sharp cheddar cheese. Chop coarsely one jar of pimentos with one or two cloves of garlic. Mix into the grated cheese with plenty of freshly gound pepper and a minimum of salt; then gradually add enough homemade mayonnaise (maybe three tablespoons) to form a stiff chunky paste. Sometimes I add a little lemon juice or a very little wine vinegar or Tabasco—nothing to disguise the bare cheese and peppers and good mayonnaise. I've been caught eating a pound in two days (though it keeps well), especially if life is hard. On rough brown bread, it's a sovereign nerve-salve.

Price calls for homemade mayo, but of course, I used the Duke's. And I bought diced pimentos (4-ounce jar), so didn't need to chop them. I grated the cheese in the processor, then put the regular blade in and pulsed the grated cheese, the garlic, and the pimentos a bit. I spooned the mixture into a bowl and mixed in the mayo (probably 3 tablespoons), a few dashes of Tabasco, and the salt and pepper.Use as a spread on bread or crackers, stuff in celery, put on a hot dog—whatever you can think of!

Has pimento cheese been part of your family tradition? If so, and you'd like to share your recipe, please do.

Oh, and while we're on the subject, you might be interested in the Lee brothers' pimento cheese gratin I talked about last December.

Quick Bite: Chicken-Noodle Soup at Xinh Xinh Cafe in Urbana

I reported on the beef-noodle soup at Xinh Xinh Cafe almost two years ago, when the cafe first opened, and last summer I talked up the salad-like noodle bowls. This time I must tell you about the chicken-noodle soup. Pho ga, that is. The broth is fragrant with ginger and star anise, it's piping hot and filled with rice noodles and chunks of tender chicken, and I highly recommend it at this frigid time of year. It's Vietnamese chicken soup for your soul.

On the side of your big bowl of pho you'll get a dish filled with crunchy bean sprouts, fresh Thai basil, and slices of jalapeno peppers. I urge you to ask for lime wedges, as well, because I think fresh lime juice is particularly good added to chicken pho (and it provides your poor, freezing body with extra vitamin C, which your immune system is crying out for at this time of year). As you can see in the top photo, I drop the squeezed lime wedge right into the soup. I'm weird like that.

The soup is not spicy at all unless you add the peppers (or the red chili sauce you'll find on your table), so if you don't like spicy food, simply leave the jalapenos on the plate. If you do put the jalapenos in, and stir them around, that will give a mild, warm spiciness to the broth (you don't have to actually eat the peppers unless, like me, you like the head-clearing, eye-popping experience that chewing Xinh Xinh's extra-hot jalapenos gives you). If you're looking for a comforting bowl of chicken-noodle soup, look no further than chicken pho.

Xinh Xinh has also been serving vegetarian pho for quite a while now (pho chay). I haven't tried it, so I can't vouch for it, but my guess is that it's just as tasty as the other pho varieties.

Pronunciation guide: Xinh Xinh = "sin sin." Pho = "fuh." But don't worry about pronouncing pho correctly. Whether you order "foe" or "fuh" or "chicken-noodle soup," you'll get the same steaming-hot, satisfying bowl of happiness from Shai and the rest of the friendly and helpful staff at the cafe.

Xinh Xinh Cafe
114 North Vine Street
Urbana, IL
217-337-7600
Open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Party Food: Sun-dried Tomato Dip and Chipotle Hummus

We took some food to a friend's birthday celebration Saturday night, and it all went over so well I wanted to share a couple of recipes with you in case you'd like to try them. Plus I have a few party-food tips that may come in handy if you're having company and you don't want to cook.

First off: sun-dried tomato dip. This is a delectable concoction that, as Ina Garten says in the headnote to the recipe, is "the most popular dip we make at Barefoot Contessa. Reminiscent of Russian dressing, it is updated with the intense flavors of sun-dried tomatoes and fresh scallions. This takes virtually a minute to make and can be served with crackers, chips, and fresh vegetables."

What made the dip extra-good on this occasion was that it came from a cookbook that the friend whose birthday we were celebrating had given me for my birthday; a clear-cut case of—what. Paying it forward? Instant karma? One good deed deserves another? Whatever you want to call it, both book and dip are a boon to humanity. Make the dip for your next get-together and see if everyone doesn't gobble it right up.

Sun-dried Tomato Dip
From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

Makes 2 cups

Next up: chipotle hummus. Several people at my friend's party told me how much they enjoyed this variation on the hummus theme, and one even went so far as to say she thought it was the best hummus she'd ever had! High praise, especially coming from an aficionado who, by her own admission, eats the stuff every week. This dip is more work than the previous one, but it's still pretty quick and easy.

Smoky Chipotle Hummus with Garlic Bagel Chips
From The Bon Appetit Cookbook, edited by Barbara Fairchild

The headnote to the recipe suggests using the hummus as a spread for pita sandwiches, which I think would be a very good use of it—if you have any left over.

2 15- to 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 4-ounce jar sliced pimientos, drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 6-ounce packages roasted-garlic bagel chips

Reserve 3 tablespoons garbanzo beans for garnish. Blend remaining garbanzo beans and next 7 ingredients in processor until smooth. Add pimientos; using on/off turns, process until pimientos are coarsely chopped. Transfer hummus to medium bowl. Stir in cilantro. Season hummus to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with reserved garbanzo beans. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Accompany with bagel chips.

Makes 20 servings
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A couple of notes: I like the brand of canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce that they carry at El Charro Mexican grocery. Also, I bought diced pimientos, so I stirred them in with the cilantro instead of pulsing them in the processor. For dippers, I used New York Style Baked Bagel Crisps (plain, not garlic). I found them at Schnucks; they were indeed very crispy, and they paired well with the hummus.

If you're having a soiree or shindig of some sort and you want ready-made food, I recommend talking to Jeremy over at Manolo's. I first tried Manolo's empanadas last November, and then I had them again last summer at the Taste of C-U. Thus, they came to mind when I was thinking about what to take to the party.

My friend wanted to stick to non-meat empanadas, which was no problem because Manolo's makes a whole slew of them (6 of the 14 types of empanadas they make are vegetarian). You can peruse all of the empanada flavors on Manolo's Web site. I'm especially partial to the potato-cheddar and sweet corn-cheese varieties. But then I also really like the bean-cheese ones. And being a meat eater, I go for the San Telmo Carne (seasoned beef, onions, bell peppers) as well. I guess maybe I just like them all.

Here's a shot of some of the next-day leftovers. Note that the empanadas looked much more golden and puffed and beauteous the night before, but I'm doing my best here. I could have eaten them right out of the fridge, but they do reheat pretty well in a toaster oven and they made for a quick breakfast.

Anyway, the empanadas were fresh out of Manolo's oven and ready to go when we arrived at the store at the appointed hour on Saturday night—I say "we," when in point of fact my intrepid life partner was the pickup person. He had to park a half-block or more from the place, walk back to the car with the precious boxes in the freezing cold, then drive (a short distance) to the party, and the empanadas were still piping hot, tender, flaky and fabulous when we took them out of their boxes in my friend's kitchen. Very nice work, Manolo's—thanks.

And then there were the chips and salsa. Did you know you can order both to go from Chevy's? As most Mexican restaurants do, they fry up their own corn tortilla chips every day (but unlike most Mexican restaurants, they also make their flour tortillas from scratch daily—FYI). And Chevy's salsa is a yummy roasted-tomato, roasted-pepper affair that's made fresh every hour. The chips come in 1-pound bags and the salsa in pint containers, so you can grab and go. I feel a fiesta coming on.

Lastly, my friend had also ordered appetizers from Milo's: bite-sized, puffy crab cakes, tiny slices of roasted red pepper and cheese strudel, and stuffed mushrooms that had a wonderfully buttery, crunchy topping. So, if you need some ready-to-serve (or to pop into the oven) snacks, you might give Jane at Milo's a ring.

That's all I've got for now. If you have party-food tips you'd like to share, either for homemade or takeout food, do tell in the comments.

Spoon House Korean Kitchen

Food—Korean fusion
Drink—Pepsi products
Location—Campus
Average price for an entree—$7; tacos are $2 each
Atmosphere—Fast-food
Service—Counter only
Patio seating—No
Vegetarian-friendly—No; you can get bi-bim-bap with no meat, but that's it as far as I could see
Child-friendly—Perhaps; it was crowded and loud the day I visited

This Korean fusion restaurant opened on Green Street just last month. You might have read about it in Christine Des Garennes' article in the News-Gazette in October. I've visited only once, but because I went with three friends, I got to see and sample a number of dishes.

Spoon House is located next to Panera, just west of Wright Street on the north side of Green. The interior is bright and modern, with the walls painted in cheerful colors and accented by large photos of food. There are plenty of wooden tables and chairs situated such that the restaurant can easily accommodate either large groups or tables of two or four people.

The menu appears on what look like TV screens above the counter where you place your order, adding to the modern feel of the place. There are also printed, laminated menus that you can take to your table to peruse if you like.

The owner is Colin Kim, the fellow who also owns the frozen yogurt shop Cocomero (you may remember that we ran a haiku contest in conjunction with Cocomero in 2009 on this blog). Colin's new venture brings fusion fast food to C-U in the form of Korean tacos and burritos.

But it's not only tacos and burritos, as you can see. There's soup, and a stir-fry, and bi-bim-bap, and also a ramen-and-kimbap combo ($7.95) that I want to try next time I go. Are you hip to kimbap? Think of it as a Korean sushi roll. Another of my friends ordered that, and yes, that's pieces of hot dogs in there (it says "ham" on the menu, but I'll eat my hat if it wasn't hot dogs). The kim bap struck me as a bit dry; a swirl of sauce did wonders for it, though (more about the sauces later).

There are also what Spoon House calls "trays," on which you can get beef or chicken bul-go-gi, spicy pork, or spicy squid accompanied by a salad, a couple of mini-potstickers, a mini-spring roll, sweet potato fries, and steamed rice. One of my friends ordered the spicy squid tray ($7.95), pictured below.

She reported that the squid was great but that the other items were "just okay." There are dressings (Thousand Island, Ranch) at the counter for the salad that comes with the trays.

Another friend ordered one of the burritos, and she liked it very much. Burritos are filled with either the beef or chicken bul-go-gi meat, a "sweet and spicy" chicken, or the spicy chicken or pork, as well as fresh vegetables, rice, and cilantro. All burrito varieties are right around $6.

As for me, I tried a beef bul-go-gi taco and a bowl of soup (Yook-Gae-Jang on the menu, $7.95). I realized later that I neglected to get a photo of the soup, which is a shame because it was an enormous bowl filled with spicy broth, strips of beef, and bean sprouts. On the side were a large bowl of steamed rice and a tiny bowl of spicy pickled daikon (reminiscent of the banchan that normally accompany Korean meals).

The soup was steaming hot and perfect for a godawful freezing cold day such as we're having lately. I heartily recommend it.

Here's a shot of the taco ($2):

As you can see, the meat is served on a small, warm corn tortilla and is topped with lettuce, red onions, cilantro, and chili sauce, and it's served with a lime wedge. Great taco; the only complaint I had was that the tortilla fell apart almost immediately, making the taco hard to pick up and eat. I mentioned to Colin that it would be a good idea to double up the tortillas, as they do at Mexican restaurants serving this kind of taco, so it may be that they're doing the tacos that way now.

There are two kinds of sauces available at the counter for your tasting pleasure: a sweet-spicy taco sauce and a spicier sauce for the bi-bim-bap (which of course you could also use on your taco or burrito).

Now, my friends and I visited during one of the first days that the restaurant was open; thus, the staff was still getting used to the ordering system and the kitchen was struggling a bit to keep up with demand. I imagine those issues are resolved by now, or soon will be. There was a very long line at noon; if you go for lunch, I recommend going early or late. All in all I find this to be a fun place, especially good for the student crowd, that serves fresh, tasty, trendy food.

Have you been? Let me know!

Spoon House Korean Kitchen
616 East Green St.
Champaign, IL
(Sorry, I couldn't find a phone number.)
Open for lunch and dinner 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily

Madhur Jaffrey's Cauliflower Stir-Fried with Ginger and Cilantro

Another tantalizing treat from Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. Last time it was the curried lentil soup, and now here's a quick and easy stir-fry. Look, only three main ingredients: cauliflower, ginger, and cilantro. Very warming and aromatic.

I must buy that book! I got it from the library and had to return it, but I really want it on my bookshelf.

Cauliflower Stir-Fried with Ginger and Cilantro
From Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian: More Than 650 Meatless Recipes from Around the World

Headnote to the recipe: "A simple, refreshing stir-fry that is good hot but also chilled."

1/4 cup olive oil
4 thin slices fresh ginger
1 head of cauliflower (1 1/4 pounds), cut into delicate florets
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh cilantro
Generous squeezes of lemon juice

Put the oil in a large wok or saute pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the ginger. Stir for 10 seconds, pressing down upon the ginger. Now put in the cauliflower and salt. Stir and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of water and cover. Cook on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cauliflower is crisp-tender. Uncover and boil away extra liquid if there is any. Add the black pepper to taste, cilantro, and lemon juice. Stir to mix and turn off the heat. Serve. (The ginger may be removed before serving,)

Serves 4 to 6
. . . . . . . . . . . .
I actually chopped the ginger into small pieces, which undoubtedly gave this dish a stronger ginger flavor, but I love eating ginger, so there you are. I also added, as you can see in the photo, one or two chopped fresh cayenne peppers. Cayenne pepper sounds hot, and cayenne powder certainly can be, but I don't find the fresh peppers to be hot at all; to my taste they just add a little extra something. I've gotten lots of different kinds of peppers from Blue Moon Farm this fall, so I just add them to dishes willy-nilly. But you don't have to.

This stir-fry is delicious just on its own, with steamed rice, but it would also be a great accompaniment to a roast, or steak, or chops.

Road Trip: Ted's Garage in Clinton

Have you ever heard of this 1950s-style, automotive-themed restaurant? Thanks to my friend JB, I found out about it. It's about 40 minutes from Champaign-Urbana—kind of a nice drive if the weather cooperates. A couple of friends and I made the trip earlier this fall. You can take I-72 part of the way, or just head west on Springfield Ave. until it turns into IL-10, which takes you into Clinton, IL, where Ted's is located.

The restaurant is super cute. It's basically a diner obsessed with cars and stuff associated with cars. Like gas pumps, for instance, and illuminated signs from old-time gas stations. And old license plates. And more. The cloth "napkins" on the tables are replicas of mechanics' rags (a little rough to actually use, but a great idea, in theory).

The menu items have names such as Piston Rings (onion rings), Gas Gauge (cheese-and-chili fries), Bel-Air (12-oz. charbroiled hamburger steak), and El Ranchero (a "Mexican horseshoe"—beef patty on Texas toast covered with fries, cheese sauce, and salsa). 

We went for dinner on a Tuesday night because we wanted to try the country-fried steak special (you can see all of the Comfort Food Dashboard Specials on Ted's Web site). All three of us ordered that special, so I don't have a lot of variety to show you. As you can see, there was plenty of cream gravy on the steak and the mashed potatoes. And seeing as corn was the vegetable of the evening, the plates were rather monochromatic.

The breading on the steak was crispy and nice; the gravy was bland for my taste, and we were pretty darned sure that the potatoes were instant. A shame. It's not difficult to make real mashed potatoes. You know what, though? My friends and I each cleaned our plates. Comfort food is comfort food, after all.

There are also daily lunch specials, among them a hot beef sandwich, chicken and noodles (which the menu says is homemade), and Salisbury steak. You can see the entire lunch menu on the Web site.

Oh, and speaking of the menu, we loved this notice inside the dinner version:

With that caveat, this place is obviously family friendly. There's a children's menu, and Ted's also serves hand-dipped shakes and malts, and fountain sodas to which you can add cherry, chocolate, or vanilla syrup. As for adult beverages (which Ted's calls "high-octane"), there's beer and wine and even frozen margaritas, pina coladas, and a mudslide ("super ADULT chocolate sensation").

I want to go back to Ted's and try more of what they have to offer. The Saturday-night special is baby back ribs, which sound tempting, or maybe the Brake Pads (a hamburger horseshoe with a pile of fries and cheese sauce) or the Friday Night Fish Fry.

While you're there, check out the showroom. The night we stopped in, this car was on display. It's a Chevy, and from the 70s, I'd say—I think it's a Malibu. In any case, I'm sure they have different cars in the showroom at different times, so who knows what old auto you might see.

Ted's Garage
808 W. Highway 54
Clinton, IL
217-935-8008
Serving "Fast-Track Lunch" Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
Ted's Web site

Fried Chickpeas with Sage Leaves, and Other Foods for Chanukah

Get out the candles and the dreidels—the first night of Chanukah starts at sundown. If you don't celebrate this holiday, you may not know that it begins tonight and runs for eight nights. Because I had a lot of Jewish friends growing up, I was always aware of the holiday even though I'm not Jewish myself (and, incidentally, the Jewish kids in the public schools I went to in Los Angeles were allowed to take the Jewish holidays off—does that happen around here?). If you do celebrate it, happy Chanukah! Not to be glib, but I thought I'd get into the spirit by doing some deep frying.

It's traditional to eat fried foods during Chanukah, and I saw a great-looking recipe in CHOW's "Frying Feast" feature that I wanted to try. I'm also a great lover of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), my sage plant is still hanging on in the garden, and I'm always on the lookout for excuses to use my deep fryer. Thus, all signs pointed to yes on the fried chickpeas.

Although they look nice in the photo, they actually turned out kind of weird. The problem was that I bought the wrong brand of garbanzo beans, and I kick myself because I remembered, too late, that I'd gotten that brand before and the beans were no good. The brand is Full Circle Organic, and I'm warning you off of them right now. I don't know what they do to those chickpeas, but they have no body. A shame, because it could have been a tasty snack, especially with the addition of the crispy sage leaves (which turned out great).

I'm going to try the recipe again with good chickpeas and see what happens. Keep in mind that even with good-quality beans, this snack doesn't improve with age; as noted in the recipe, it should be served immediately (as for most fried foods). Here's a link to the recipe, in case you want to try it. If you do, let me know how it turns out for you.

Fried Chickpeas with Sage recipe

Meanwhile, I'm waiting for the Art Mart to get jars of duck fat back in so I can make these latkes. The fat is supposed to be in soon, so you may see another Chanukah treat at this location later in the week, or on the weekend.

Here are links to other foods-for-Chanukah recipes I've tried in past years. At the risk of sounding immodest, I have to tell you that they were, to a dish, all fabulously delicious.

• Smoked Salmon and Salmon Roe on Crispy Potato Pancakes with Horseradish Cream & Pickled Onions
• Beet and Braised Beef Soup
• Red-Wine-Braised Beef Brisket with Horseradish Sauce and Aunt Rifka's Flying Disks
• Sufganiot (Jelly Doughnuts)

If you're celebrating Chanukah, what will you be cooking/eating?