URBANA – Shirley Splittstoesser's idea of fun may seem like work to some folks. She loves to cook, then write about cooking and teach it to others. "Cooking truly has been my hobby," she said. Growing ...

The cook behind Mambo talks about cooking without artifice, biography on the plate, real fire, and a new generation that wants to cook well—without showmanship or mistreatment.

An Inverness neighborhood lies empty on a recent Thursday afternoon, yet tucked into one cul-de-sac is a party. Cars line the street, and neighbors rush into the house still in work clothes to enjoy ...