Mug club!
Sometimes we have ideas that don’t exactly come to fruition. For example, last Monday, your intrepid Smile Politely editors met in Campustown for our weekly “well, what the fuck do we do NOW?“ meeting. The plan was to split up into groups afterward, get into some mischief with the campus crowd, take pictures of said mischief, and then post a world-weary townie’s take on the banal experiences to be had at the U of I on a Monday night. This, friends, is not that article.
| Flatlander fundraising off to a tasty start
The mood on Sunday night at the newly opened Buvons! wine bar inside of Corkscrew was nothing if not jovial. Considering that the gathering was specifically designed to jumpstart fundraising for the Flatlander Fund, a newly realized organization dedicated to carrying out the late Daniel Schreiber’s dream of a place where all of us — even you — could go create through food, it was hard not to be amazed. He wanted a community kitchen, and a small group of people have decided to honor that by delivering on that notion.
At $100 a head, it wasn’t something that my wife and I took lightly. But giving is giving, and it’s something we choose to do when and where we can. We both felt strongly for Dan, and were affected by him in life and in death. As such, we plunked it down and toasted our first of many glasses of wine.
We started off with a 1312 cava non-vintage that was quite delicious. I don’t know a goddamn thing about wine outside of how to swirl it in a glass, sniff it well, and swish it around my mouth. My meter is simply if it tastes like rubbing alcohol, it ain’t good. If it doesn’t — it’s just fine in my book. Simple.
Goodness. The pace has picked up so much around these parts that MW darn near forgot to submit a column for this week. As it is, it will have to be short, as there is much work to be done, things to get caught up on, shopping lists to make, etc. Yes, shopping lists — MW makes one before the Market each week — it helps to plan ahead. It cuts down on waste and keeps MW (and MW's …
Several years ago I worked on a web project in which one of the principals wanted me to address the subject of agroterrorism. You can't be serious. Why would anyone want to waste time poisoning our food supply when they can see each week on the FDA (http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/default.htm) and USDA websites what a bang up job we do of it ourselves. But as politicians and federal agencies rush to point fingers, the fact remains that much of the blame …
Want to recreate that beach vacation feeling in the middle of Illinois? There's nothing like drinking fresh coconut water straight from the coconut itself. And yes, you can get fresh young coconuts right here in Champaign at Far East. Amazingly, you can get them all year round as well, although they do sell out fast when they arrive (Tuesdays and Fridays are the best days as that's when fresh produce arrives). If you've never had fresh coconut water before, …
Wow! Get to the third week of August around these parts and it suddenly becomes another world entirely, one filled with teeming hordes of people (and their parents) driving all over the place looking for interesting things to do, things that capture the spirit of the area and all that stuff. If you're here with your family tagging along for a few days, MW believes the Market is a great place to bring your parents; parents love farmers' markets …
Three weeks ago I wrote that I didn't really like corn. Since then, my husband has been only too happy to point out the irony of it. For 20 weeks a year, it is my job to persuade the shareholders of Prairieland Community Supported Agriculture to love vegetables, all vegetables. I tell them, if you don't like a vegetable it is only because you haven't found the right recipe. Last week, I ate my words, literally. For several weeks …
When Daniel Schreiber, chocolate-maker of Urbana, died just three weeks ago, many who knew and loved him started talking to each other about what could be done to honor his memory and to continue his wonderful work with local foods. Out of this ferment (Dan particularly liked fermented foods), came the Flatlander Fund, dedicated to creating and supporting a community kitchen. You can learn more about the Flatlander Fund and how to be a part of its work at …
At the risk of sounding like a mostly-broken record, MW has to break it to you: the weather will be hot and the produce will be amazing this weekend at Urbana's Market at the Square. While things are a bit dry around these parts, rain has fallen on other areas, including those inhabited by several of the Market's growers. Produce and flowers... in abundance. But it's going to be hot, OK? MW recommends going to the Market early in …
In the U.S. pasta sauce has traditionally been a labor of love, something that your parents, grandparents, or even you in an intrepid mood, made possibly over the course of an entire day or days. The process took up most of the kitchen and involved tending a giant pot or pots for hours, and typically raised the humidity level in your house or apartment by a good 10 to 15 percent — just what you need in the middle …
Most Recent Food Comments
Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.
@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.
“more beer is drank” Awesome. Way to go “editors.“
You left out the best part—you have to REMEMBER your number after the beer chugging! Yeah, I’m a member.
Great article, man. Like you, I didn’t really know Daniel all that well, but I felt the impact of his death. I too was inspired by him and it pleases me to see that he continues to live on in the spirit of the community.
Thanks you guys…I love living in a community that can connect, share, and create through food. It’s inspiring…
<div> A beautiful recap of the evening and thank you for sharing why you find what the Fund is doing is inspiring. I haven’t been able to write too much about my feelings about the community’s loss of Dan yet either, but Dan has also inspired me…
Seth and Justine, thanks so much! Through your writing and your photos, everyone can get at least a taste of what was served up Sunday night. Dan would very much have liked that! As you say, our community is very much “fertile ground,“ and Dan had such…
That is perhaps the best article you have ever written… a love letter to Champaign-Urbana and the people who call it home.
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Most Recent Comments
Illinois has simply had no luck at all in these Mizzou games. None. I think maybe we’re do for a couple of bounces to go our way. If we get one or two (or sever or eight) breaks, I think it’s a win.
Jason, Savoy could easily join the CPL tax district, which is probably closer to most Savoy residents than the Tolono library is. But my impression is that Savoy residents as a whole don’t want to pay the cost of the CPL (Tolono’s library taxes are cheaper), even…
Sorry, but I am lagging behind on updates to the map. Also, some construction projects were delayed from their original start date. On a more positive note, I am putting together a map of haunted houses in Central Illinois. I have a few plotted already, and I…
I’ve never gotten the privilege of all the services CPL cardholders get. I just want to be able to go out of my way to drive to the CPL to check out books, pay fines, maybe buy some coffee, and enjoy the library. None of those activities…
These days, there is more to using a library than checking out books. At one time, paying into the Lincoln Trails system probably would cover the expenses incurred by other libraries in the system. Now, with Internet, videos, coffee shops, wireless Internet hubs, etc., I suspect the…
(speaking as a Savoy resident) By paying taxes to support a member of the LTLS, we are paying our “fair share” to use any LTLS library—Tolono, Champaign, Urbana, etc. This is how library systems work. The 6% of CPL’s circulation represented by Tolono users is NOT significant…
I read Timbo’s argument. I think the key word is “speculating.“
I would be interested to hear more about the “word on the street”—how are individual hauling companies fulfilling their promise to recycle?
Timbo makes a smart, sound argument. Reread it.
I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…
And, I might add, no one is being prevented from using the Champaign library. They are just being asked to pay their fair share if they are going to use it as their primary library.
The equation is pretty simple here. If you want social services, then pay the taxes required to run those social services. These things only work if everyone puts in their fair share. As a heavy user of the Champaign Library, I say bravo to this new policy.
Curtis Orchard is always good for an hour or three, especially if you have rugrats.
What is the increased marginal cost of serving a resident of Savoy or Mahomet? I suspect negligible. What is the increased revenue to be realized by this new policy? I suspect very little. Aside from these financial aspects, what are the most probable results from this new…
Looks like you are also all members of the killer sideburns club.
Thanks for the article, Ben. I was not familiar with this band until now and even though I won’t be able to attend the show on Friday they are now on my radar. A *good* jam band is hard to find, and these folks appear to fill…
Nice article, love the Dead quote in the beginning. If they can get down here to Central FL I’ll definitely be heading out to the show. Some of my friends have finally stopped wincing when I say “jam band.“ I’ve now tried my best at more descriptive…
@Annie: Yeah, my bad. That was the best part! Drinking + memory exercises = fun @Rob: According to Ask the English Teacher, “My dictionary says ‘drunk’ is an archaic past tense of ‘drink.‘“ We’re all about the new grammar around here.
Katie, have the residents of Savoy and Tolono thought about having their taxes raised a little to help their public library expand? That’s a possibility for them. And then everybody wins.
good call on that Herring recording, Josh. Love that version of Exit Music….here’s a clip of the Cinco de Mayo show (from about six months prior). As I recall, this Shakedown went on for roughly a half hour, while getting into the Trampled Underfoot jam in the…
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I joined on 09-09-09 after living here over a year, and having to listen to my dad tell me how his best friend is, like, #27 or something crazy like that, and how said friend never lived further than 50 feet from the Illini Inn while going…