Picking up the pace

The vultures have come to roost in Thayer. I took this photo last week shortly after most of the flyers had settled down for the night. This was my first image of 5 that I moved from left to right in my view. There are 85+ vultures in this image and the remaining photos had a total of over 500. It is quite amazing to see them stacked up and soaring just before they roost. Someday, I'll learn how to use my Photoshop Elements to make a panoramic shot.

Well, last weekend was not our best. We decided to try to lure shoppers in on Friday and Saturday for lunch. That was a bust. One that will not be repeated this year. So we will NOT be open on Saturdays for lunch during your shopping sessions. I had very mixed emotions regarding being open during those times, so I am not disappointed. We old farts need more recovery time, and giving up our Saturdays was not done easily—but that is happily now rectified.

By the time you read this, we expect to have received our first snowfall of the year. All winter long, if you come in while foul weather is happening, remind us and we'll give you a double Lunch Bunch punch. We appreciate your braving the wet or cold stuff to come see us.   

Did you notice the minor change in the lettuces in the salads? We have been able to get nice lettuces from Mary Badiny/Marantha Farm. She has a good volume now and expects to throughout the winter months. We are adding them into our usual Romaine. Are you a fan of arugula? If so, please tell me and I can add some into your salad at no additional charge. I am a big fan of arugula. It has a taste very similar to watercress—a peppery bite. Just tell me how much to add. Mary tells me she planted lots of it. Throughout the winter months we'll also have access to kale and Swiss chard.  I know to add the kale to soups. But, beyond adding Swiss chard to quiche, I really have had little experience with it. So your input and ideas would be appreciated.

Will your office be having a holiday party of some sort? How about letting us cater it? We can make it quite simple for you and you'll get to eat lots of tasty, even healthy treats. Even our most decadent are at least made from real ingredients—like real whipped cream, eggs, cream cheese or butter. We make sure our flavors are real—like chocolate, vanilla and almond.  We can work with your budget and most special dietary needs. We DO need a bit of warning, so 24+ hours is pretty important.

How about gift certificates for your employees or family members? We are delighted to see how well received our gift certificates have been. People LOVE them! You determine the value. We have them printed on a nice card stock and present them in an invitation-sized envelope. 

We will be helping to cater several private parties again, this year. As we have gained experience, my confidence has grown. I enjoy getting to create outside my usual format. Presenting dishes that get you the kudos while keeping entertainment hassles to a minimum is one of our primary aims. Thank you for trusting me to make it work.

My menu is getting a bit of a shake-up this week as I re-organize from the weekend. Monday, which is usually quite low key, will get a nice entrée in the form of a pork loin stuffed with Granny Smith apples, shallots and white wine. I'll have oven-roasted root vegetables to accompany it. Beyond the usual onions, carrots and potatoes, there will be turnips, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and rutabaga. Don't miss this—perfect for a snowy day.

I invented a new pie last week. It is an apple pie that is topped with pumpkin custard. You see, I had this apple pie that just didn't look as full as I thought it should. I was making a pumpkin pie for our own Thanksgiving and decided to pour some of the custard right in on top of the streussel topping. It is now pretty as well as tasty. The dollop of whipped cream on top is just a bonus.

With the cooler weather, I have been digging into my stash of soup recipes. This week we'll start out with Bruce's beef and veggie soup. It has a nice flavor base and Jon got quite excited about eating it. Then I'll do a Tom Ka Kai for Tuesday. That is the Thai chicken soup that has coconut milk, lime, cilantro and tons of flavor. It is one of our most requested. Later in the week I'll do a beef and barley soup—guaranteed to stick to your ribs.

Desserts this week will include white chocolate cheesecake. Bruce has been tasked with digging out some of his family recipes of desserts.  No doubt, something good will come of it.

So here is this week's Flavor Journeys menu ~~

Monday~Pork loin stuffed with apples and shallots. Served with oven-roasted root vegetables and a side salad. $6.50
Tuesday~ Pulled pork tamales with salsa verde cheese sauce and Spanish rice. $6.50
Wednesday~ Creamy chicken enchiladas with cilantro lime slaw and Spanish rice. $6.50
Thursday~ Spinach turkey crepes with tarragon hollandaise. Served with side salad. $6.50
Friday~ Baked sausage manicotti. Served with side salad and garlic bread $7.00

Reminder: we will resume Friday nights after our vacation in January.

Thank you for sharing your time, your ideas and your resources with us. We all benefit, and I feel very lucky.

~~Susan

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is certain to be a wild ride of a week. We will be open except for Thursday. In fact, we will be open on both Friday and Saturday. So if you are out holiday shopping, we'll be here to make sure you get a good lunch. This might be a good time to introduce your friends and family to our unique experience.

If you are thinking about entertaining, we are ready to make it go more smoothly. We can prepare a dessert—like tiramisu, or white chocolate cheesecake, or pumpkin rolls. Also, we can prepare finger foods like Tuscan chicken salad on brushetta with sprouts and tiny tomatoes. How about a dip with the olive-fig tapenade with cream cheese and crackers? Perhaps the roasted red pepper cheesecake would make a nice presentation on your buffet table. Take a few moments to discuss your plans with me and I'll help you formulate a plan.

While you are thinking of friends, perhaps a jar of chipotle strawberry jam or garlic jelly would make a nice hostess gift. These savory treats are wonderful paired with roasted meats or even a savory bread— like a sweet potato biscuit.

Many of you have commented on Bruce's intimate floral portraits. They are available from $65-350. My scarves, too, make a nice gift. I have reprinted the knots cheat sheets and they accompany any sale. The price on my hand-dyed silk scarves is $40 each or 3/$100. I have not raised my price on these in 6 years. Each corner is hand-beaded to add just enough weight to make them behave. If you come in during a quieter moment, I can even give you a personal knot lesson.

For the music fans on your shopping list, remember Jon's CD is available for $10. Every dollar spent on his CD goes toward his new dream guitar. I think he is setting up a listening station, if you'd like to check it out. Did you know we do gift certificates? We do. If you know someone on your shopping list who loves to eat here, a gift certificate may be something highly desired.

I am making a point of bringing in some of my smaller quiltlets for your enjoyment. Some focus on the joys of middle-aged yoga. Some feature botanicals. The botanicals are made from a combination of handmade stamps and pigments on linen, plus my hand-guided machine quilting. I made the stamps to celebrate post oaks, dogwoods, magnolia pods, and osage oranges. Check them out on your next visit. While my current focus is on the cooking, I spent many years creating my artquilts and would love to share them with you. Most of all, thank you for shopping "small" and "local." This way we keep the money in the local economy.
Now here's this week's menu~

For this week we will be quite seasonal. I know most of you will have your fill of turkey, but on Tuesday Bruce has a VERY special tamale this week you have got to try. It was the recipe that sparked his interest in the whole tamale game—Sage-rubbed, oven-roasted turkey-stuffed tamales with warm spiced pumpkin purée and a cranberry and hominy chutney.  $6.50

On Monday I'll bring back the Elk meatloaf. Those that enjoyed it on Friday were raving about it. If you have never tried elk, you might be surprised to learn that it is NOT AT ALL gamey. It is very low in fat but high in protein. The loaf is quite moist and flavorful. I'll pair it with some garlic mashed potatoes and fresh broccoli. $6.50

Wednesday we'll bring back those luscious blue crab and chipotle onion quesadillas. They will be accompanied by the usual quesadilla sides— guacamole, sour cream, salsa and tortilla chips. $7.00

Thursday—Thanksgiving—we'll be closed.

Friday~ Sausage and mushroom quiche with a side salad. No wimpy quiches here! Deep-dish and full of fresh ingredients and farm-fresh eggs. $6.50

Saturday~Roasted pork loin topped with fresh herbs and strawberry/chipotle jam with apple/shallot dressing and oven-roasted root veggies. $6.50

Desserts this week include tiramisu, pumpkin roll, apple pie.
The "comeback treat" will be one of Bruce's family recipe cookies.

We are thankful for your continued support in our efforts. We know you have many things happening with your families right now. We hope you'll spend a bit of time with us.

Warmest wishes—

Susan, Jon and Bruce

Warp Speed! and the truth about honey

Before I dive into what is happening around here this week, I want to tell you about an article I read last week that really opened my eyes. It was published in Food Safety News on Nov 7th. Here's a link to that article in full. I was going to print it out or attach it, but it is several pages long. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/
The upshot is that most grocery store brands of honey have been ultra-filtered and the pollen has been completely removed. Why is that a big deal? Health-wise, we know that using local honey often helps to build an immunity to local allergens. You are getting the local pollen in small doses, and your body can build a resistance to those allergens. The part the food safety people were most concerned about was that without the pollen, the country of origin couldn't be proven. So lots of honey from unregulated areas, like China, are getting their honey into the country and out to the grocery shelves without any quality control. Locally, all the brands at Walgreens and the Winnie-the pooh-brand at Wal-Mart as well as the Great Value clover honey were all totally devoid of any pollen. The article lists many of the brands that fit this category. While I haven't been making a major effort previously to get local honey, I will now be doing so.

This week things are happening beyond our usual lunches. We have several caters for Thanksgiving-themed meals that we'll be delivering to various employers in and out of town. One of the non-traditional meats I'll be presenting will be an elk meatloaf. I'll make it for you, too. We'll be serving it on Friday for lunch. Don't be late. Better yet? Call in to reserve your serving.

Is your office is planning an in-house reception? Perhaps we can help. With a bit of planning we can create anything from a platter of Tuscan Brushetta or a dip to a full meal delivered with chafing dishes. Let us prepare food you'll be proud to serve while keeping the job minimal for yourself.

In the last couple of weeks we've had the joy of being discovered by a few more offices where we have been asked to provide the luncheon fare. When I followed up with each office the feedback was really encouraging. They also like the fact that they get a free plate of homemade cookies if they place the order 24 hours ahead.

You may have read last week that we are taking a hiatus on our Friday nights until after the holidays. There is just so much going on for everyone that we felt that we were struggling for attention.  There is almost the same level of effort needed to serve 35 people on Friday night as 12. We are pretty pooped out by Friday and were happy to take a break. However, with the exception of THIS Saturday, we'll be open for lunch on Saturdays until just before Christmas. We have to pay for that trip to see our grandkids some way, and this will allow us to make up the lost income with minimal additional effort. So if you are out shopping for the holidays—think of us.

I'll be making a lentil, kale and sausage soup on Monday. I'll also be doing a nice vegetable soup from scratch. I was in a restaurant on Sunday that bragged they made their own vegetable soup. When Jon ordered it, I saw it was made with canned vegetables. Really. We'll use fresh potatoes, carrots, onions, squash, kale, spinach, and a couple of other ingredients as I come across them. We either make our own stocks from scratch or use organic or no msg boxed ones.  I am pleased with the quality of soups we've been presenting and truly appreciate your input and feedback. 

So here is our menu for the week~~
Soups: Lentil, kale and sausage soup; vegetable soup—served with a roll or cornbread.
Monday: Pimento cheese quesadillas—These proved quite popular again, last week. Served with our homemade salsa, guacamole and sour cream, plus tortilla chips. $6.50
Tuesday: Italian sausage tamales with marinara sauce. $6.50
Wednesday: Tamale pie. This follows the more traditional tamale flavors but in a pie form—with a side salad. $6.50
Thursday: Chicken curry over yellow rice, with side salad $6.50
Friday: Elk meatloaf served with mashed garlic potatoes and Brussels sprouts $7.00
Remember~ no Friday night dinner this week.

See ya again soon!
Susan

Changes in the wind

This time one year ago, Jon and I were quaking in our boots. Our 40th anniversary was imminent and we were celebrating by committing to leasing space for our cafe. Throughout the month of November we focused our attention on getting this space remodeled into a working kitchen/ cafe. A year later, we are still here and are on the verge of some, hopefully, significant changes.

First of all—this Saturday we will be open. This is an exceedingly rare event. We'll be open because it is the first weekend of deer/gun season and there is a tradition in these parts for the women who aren't hunting to be out shopping, instead. Kathy and Frankie at Simply Chic clued us in to this phenomena and were the ones who suggested we might be open. So we will be. If you have not been able to join us previously because of your work schedule, or know of those in that category, this would be a lovely time to experience our lunch menu. Perhaps a few of you will be among those out shopping and can make us a part of your shopping spree. We'll be open from 11a.m.-2p.m. I know Kathy and Frankie have some pretty spectacular deals going for this annual event, too.

Next—This Friday we will host Renee Wood Trio. It will be the last Friday night we will be open this year. Between now and Christmas the café will be available for private parties during the evening hours. We will close entirely for 2 weeks immediately following Christmas. We'll be seeing our kids and grandkids whom we have not seen in two years. When we return January 9th, we expect we will have our beer and wine permit. This will allow us to serve beer or wine with lunch, catering or at our Friday night dinners.  Our focus will remain on local/ regional fare and this will extend to the beers and wines. We'll plan on hosting tastings and, hopefully, educate our palates along the way.  I have much to learn about pairings and celebrating regional wines. We can all learn together. I think it'll be a fun adventure.

Then—we are looking at revamping some of our Friday nights. We are currently surveying for feedback for a once-a-month-fine-dining experience. We would be creating a meal of magnificant delicacy, multi-coursed and splendid. The cost would be in the realm of $25/person. Pairings with wine or beer would be available. It would give me a chance to bring out the fancier ingredients—fresh seafood flown in, unusual meat sources, high grade cuts, etc. Because this would not work for just a few, we would have to have a high enough participation level to keep it up. I would love to explore various ethnic cuisines, sharing the lore behind the dishes and acquainting you with a more worldly palate. This would, most likely, replace open mic night on the first Friday. The note cards on the table are for your feedback and to let us know your favorite regional beers and wines. We really do want to structure our cafe around your needs and wants. So pipe up!

The holiday catering is already heating up. We will be producing several office holiday lunches for various staff around the county. Hopefully, we'll be preparing foods that are familiar while allowing you to have new taste experiences. If you have a staff luncheon planned, please give us a shot at preparing it. I'm betting your colleagues will thank you.

We are exploring more custard type desserts as the season heads toward the colder temps. My first one that I am excited about will be coconut cream pie with meringue. Of course, pumpkin will be in the mix as well as lemon curd, and various creme brulee. I can't wait to learn to use the torch to melt the sugar on the creme brulée. Bruce has brought back his tira misu. It will be available most days. As far as we can figure out, we are the only place in the region to make a real tiramisu. We use real mascarpone, a dozen egg yolks, real lady fingers dipped in real coffee liquor and real whipped cream. Recently, one of our customers had us make one for his girlfriend's birthday. She wrote to tell us how she used to eat Tiramisu while living in Italy and this was the best version she had had since leaving there. I'm not sure if Bruce's head will fit through the door on Monday...or perhaps it is just that he is floating 3 feet above the ground.  While I love creating fusion fare that mixes up the cultures somewhat, bringing you authentic foods created without shortcuts, using quality ingredients continues to be a big part of our mission. So many options these days begin with "I need a faster way." There are simply times when faster isn't better.

Here's the week's menu—
Soups~ all week French onion soup. A batch takes almost 10 pounds of fresh onions that are cooked down for hours to release their sweet goodness. Later in week~smoked sausage, kale and potato soup

Monday~Tuna Romans are on sale at $6.99 This tuna steak is seared to order and served on a Roman bun (made inhouse) with wasabi mayonnaise, tomato and spicy sprouts. Served with chips.
Also~Antipasto salad is $6.50 containing lettuces, salamis, ham, turkey, bell pepper, red onion, roasted red pepper, black olives, swiss cheese. Hefty!
Tuesday~ Sweet and sour chicken tamales with a confetti rice. Bruce's specialty! $6.50
Wednesday~Chicken Pad Thai $6.50 We've got the real deal made with tamarind, lemon grass, rice noodles, egg, sprouts, lemon...yum!
Thursday~ Turkey casserole. I know...we need a better name for it. It is made with fresh turkey breast, fresh and canned tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, mostaccioli (a form of macaroni) and lots of parmesan cheese. We'll serve it with a side salad. $6.50
Friday~ To celebrate Pimento cheese month, eat our pimento cheese quesadilla. Made from scratch, the pimento cheese is mostly chopped up cheddar cheese, plus roasted red peppers, some real mayonnaise, a jalapeno or two and finely minced onion. As the insides of a quesadilla—marvelous! $6.50 with a side.
Friday night dinners~
Seafood~Pan-seared rainbow trout, roasted root veggies, sautéed brussels sprouts plus side salad $12
Meat~Pastitsio. This authentically made Greek casserole of layered beef and noodles has both a tomato layer and a creamy cheese sauce layer. Served with a side salad and warm bread. $12
Vegetarian~Whole wheat noodles with broccoli, red peppers, carrots, shitakes, onions and garlic. With a side salad and warm bread. $10