The garden is growing.

The garden pre-weed invasion.

Romaine lettuce.

Gourmet Magazine's Black Bean Burger...10 minutes or less!

This is a super easy recipe for black bean burgers from Gourmet magazine. It took me about ten minutes to make, plus it's cheap and healthier than a normal burger. Check out the original:
Gourmet Magazine's Black Bean Burger

Fabulous Focaccia

The dough is simple to make. I let it rise for approx.
1 hr 15 min. An hour will do just fine.

Put dimples in the dough with your fingers.

You need to brush the bread's surface with olive oil.


Some of my toppings include rosemary, garlic, coarse salt, Roma tomatoes, and red onions.

The finished product. The end product is very beautiful and would make a
great gift for someone. A fabulous focaccia recipe by Tyler Florence...so good and so easy!

The original:
Tyler Florence's Fabulous Focaccia Recipe

A Garden Update: May 11th 2009

The garden is growing...slowly. Tonight, I planted some Roma tomatoes, jalapenos, chilies, hot banana peppers, habaneros, and eggplant. I would say the garden is approximately 65% planted. It has been raining every few days preventing planting, however it's still only May 11th. There's no need to worry. The broccoli is looking great, but my arugula is getting eaten by flea beetles.

A Sandwich fit for Panera

The skinny: French baguette cut horizontally, turkey, mustard, mesclun lettuce mix, red onion, feta

Food Network Kitchens: Chicken Salad

The recipe:

• 4 cups diced poached chicken, recipe follows
• 1 stalk celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced or 1/4 cup sweet onion cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon or fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 cup prepared or homemade mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, scallions and herbs. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Add to the chicken and mix gently until combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Bits and Bobs:

I substituted the poached chicken for pan-fried organic chicken breast tenders, that I seasoned with freshly ground black pepper and Kosher sea salt. this simplified and sped up the prep time substantially; make sure you use a celery stalk from the center of the bunch. these stalks are more blanched and tender; this recipe was very simple to make on a weeknight and was full of flavor.

-M

Jamie Oliver's Grilled Fillet Steak and the Creamiest White Beans and Leeks

The original:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/meat-recipes/grilled-fillet-steak-with-the-creamiest

Bits and Bobs:
use a tender cut of meat and don't over cook it as I've done here; in general the more tender the cut of meat the shorter the cook time; the leeks were wonderful in this dish. I sweat them for 20 min in a cast-iron casserole; I used a California Moscato wine for the beans; Moscato is a white wine perfectly suited for a summer evening.
-M

Jamie Oliver's Crunchy Beetroot Salad with Pear and Feta

The original:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/soup-and-salad/crunchy-raw-beetroot-salad-with-feta-and

Bits and Bobs:
this is a great summer recipe; it would be great for a summer get together; make sure to cut the beetroot like matchsticks for presentation; I used fresh mint from my garden. make sure to pinch out the very young and tender mint leaves from the tip of the meristem; I also used yellow beets instead of red for variety; very tasty!
-M

The Garden Is Growing 2009!

Lot's of vegetables were planted in my Orchard Downs garden last Saturday including: Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, tomatoes, bell peppers, peas, potatoes, and eggplant! Can't wait to make some fresh eats from what I reap.

Ann Arbor, Michigan...a true epicurean delight.

Ann Arbor is nestled comfortably in Southeast Michigan, approximately 45 min from America's eleventh largest metropolis, Detroit. It is the home of the University of Michigan, one of the most prestigious Big Ten schools. With its bustling downtown Ann Arbor, or A2, is the home many restaurants and art galleries. Among the best places to get a drink are: Rush Street, a swank martini bar, Cafe Habana, a Latin watering hole known for its sangria, and Connor O'Neills, a traditional Irish pub. Of course there are many more to accompany them. Good places to eat include: Prickly Pear Cafe, Grizzly Peak Brewing Company, and Blue Nile. Ann Arbor is also the home to many fine delicatessens and high end grocers like Zingerman's, Trader Joe's , Whole Food's, and Plum Market. The list just keeps on going. It was only a matter of time before Ann Arbor made the blog. Look for more in the future.

The Only Recipe You Need: Carbonara

This is a simple and tasty carbonara recipe that I've had fun making this summer and it never gets old. Here's the recipe from Rachel Ray:

1 pound rigatoni
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta (Italian bacon) chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2-4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup dry, white cooking wine
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
flat-leaf parsley optional garnish

Check it out:

Some of the essentials

Crisping the pancetta in red pepper flakes, olive oil, garlic and white wine

The rigatoni cooked al dente

Two egg yolks with 1/2 cup of water from the pot of pasta

Spread the egg and water over the pasta with the Romano cheese. Mix slowly but don't scramble the egg!


So easy...enjoy! Who said good cooking had to be hard!

Chocolate Amaretti Cake (Giada De Laurentiis)

This is a wonderful desert containing Italian cookies, semisweet chocolate chips, and orange zest, that can be jazzed up with some chocolate syrup for the ultimate chocolate lover. Recipe coming soon...

Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola (Giada De Laurentiis)

Frittata with Potato and Prosciutto (Giada De Laurentiis)

This Giada De Laurentiis recipe is delicious way to start your day. Recipe coming soon...

Italian cooking hits the big screen...

After enjoying our marinated chicken breasts with provolone served on a organic ciabatta roll, my friend and I popped in "Big Night" (1996). Big night is an excellent movie starring Stanley Tucci, Minnie Driver, and a very young and unassuming Marc Anthony, all of whom find themselves dancing the night away to "Mambo Italiano" thanks to some Italian grappa. Big Night is the comical story of two brothers and their attempt to save a failing restuarant. It is fun flick that is definitely worth checking out.
-M

Marinated Chicken Pizza with Sun Dried Tomatoes

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

My marinade:
-1/3 cup EVOO
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-2 teaspoons Frank's hot sauce
-1 tablespoon Montreal grill seasoning blend
-1 teaspoon chili powder

Pizza basics:
-1 large Meijer pre-made pizza crust
-1 small can of Contadina tomato sauce with Italian herbs
-1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
-Oregano and spice to taste
-Pepper flakes (of course!)



Our chicken pizza paired well with Le Bocce, a classic Italian Chianti (a dry red table wine).

UC Davis Aroma Wheel

Ann Noble an Enologist at UC Davis created the wine aroma wheel in 1984 to help wine enthusiasts identify the flavors they experience while drinking a glass of wine. The primary aromas found in a glass of wine might include chemical, pungent, oxidized, microbiological, floral, spicy, fruity, vegetative, nutty, caramelized, woody, and earthy. Look to the wine aroma wheel to help you describe the flavor profile you experience in your next glass of wine...Cheers!
-M

Louis Jadot Vino...

Louis Jadot, a French winery, offers many flavorful wines including a tasty Pinot Noir.

South American Flavor in the CU

Cono Sur es un vino chileno muy bueno utilizado por jefe de cocina mejor paraguayo de Champaign, HLN. Debajo de usted encontrará uno de platos más finos de Horacio, los ravioles atún con guisantes. ¡Fue delicioso!
-M

Out in the garden...

Recent rains and rich soil have helped my market garden "play catch up" this week. This year my garden was planted very late because of repeated heavy rainfalls and cool temperatures this spring. Now everything seems to be growing well and is completely disease free...so far. This is my second year having a garden at the Orchard Downs community gardens located off Race street in Urbana, IL. 'Hercules' pumpkins, 'Early Girl' tomatoes, Vadalia sweet onions, and many other varieties, many of which came from Johnny's Select Seeds.
-M

Welcome!

Welcome to the CU Epicurean dedicated to all things food in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. I am currently a graduate student studying crop sciences at the University of Illinois. As crop scientists, we are looking for more sustainable methods of producing food that is of the highest quality and safety. In this blog I intend to integrate the production side of agriculture with fine dining. Furthermore, the cities of Champaign and Urbana are a gold mine of restaurants, bars, and other epicurean delights. It is my intention to explore these establishments, and ultimately share them on my blog along with my gardening and cooking experiences. Enjoy!
-M