w/e April 6, 2013 When the secret ingredient is "Love"

Sprung!

Okay. I KNOW that sounds as corny as can be. But when I look over our menu and plan the next week's specials I am aware of several aspects. Number one is, "What would you like to eat this time of year? What can we celebrate?", next is "What is abundant or in season?" and then I am thinking about how to plan it all so it won't wear us down. Since we stick to ingredients with the least amount of processing, we are attempting to create meals that are truly healthy for you. If your mother had time, this would most likely be the types of foods she would plan. Each person who works with us in our kitchen truly loves cooking and working with fresh ingredients. Consider the quality of the energy that goes into your meal. The plant and meat energies are clean; the creative energies are clean; we compost and recycle; we support sustainable suppliers and are locavores as much as possible. I don't CARE if you think it is corny, it is a true statement of our vision. I make a lot of noise about how we change up the menu to keep me from getting bored, but that is really just a serendipity for me. Our cooking team is having a blast and LOVE is a key ingredient.

Even though we think of our little cafe as something that has stepped away from the mainstream, I am laughing myself silly reading that we are currently totally "on trend." Suddenly, it is trendy to use local ingredients, make "slow foods," change menus regularly to follow the seasons, serve in-house-made ice cream, in-house cheeses, in-house dressings, regional or local beers and wines and have kitchen gardens attached to the cafe. What we've done because it felt right and fit our style is suddenly "in." How funny is that? We love that you have supported that direction and intend to keep going that way—even after it may no longer be trendy.

Many of you are taking advantage of our referral program and getting double punches for introducing us to your friends and colleagues. Thank you. Last week was one of our most spectacular and we were thrilled. Keep bringing them in and getting double punches on your lunch bunch card. With your help we'll quickly reach that long-term sustainability level we are seeking.

Reminder: Wednesday is Winey Wednesday and that means off 20% all wines all day. We like having the extra incentive to lure you in during the mid-week. With that in mind we are extending things a bit. Now you can get 20% off any beer all day Brewers' Tuesday.

Spring has finally built up enough energy to burst forth. The forsythias are vibrant, the daffodils laughing their heads off, the redbuds are threatening to explode. It is time to get that raised bed behind the cafe up and running. We need used tires!!!!! Big ones!!!! We'll paint the outside so they won't be an eyesore, cut out the sidewalls and fill them with rich soil. We are building on a nearly impermeable base. We also still need cinder blocks in any quantity. I was originally thinking we needed about 100 but after visiting my friend's garden yesterday I think we can get by with about half that number. Please call me so we can pick them up or arrange delivery. PLEASE!!!!!

I have mentioned before that we are really enjoying having Amy on our staff. I don't know if I mentioned that she is a graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu in Denver. I mean Q*U*A*L*I*F*I*E*D!!!! I have had so much fun working closely with her and learn things from her every day. We seem to be able to bounce ideas back and forth seamlessly and what results is very exciting. Stay tuned while we mine her knowledge and use it to keep your tummy most happy. I love her sense of play. Go Amy, GO!!!!

Have you tried our new seasonal side? It is tabouli. Made with bulgar wheat, fresh parsley, lemon juice, tomato, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. It has a very fresh spring taste. Try it with your next sandwich.

I am thrilled to be serving roasted leg of lamb this week at dinner. I acquired gorgeous boneless legs and will be oven-roasting them to medium-rare after seasoning with garlic, rosemary, and mint. We'll serve a vinegar-based fresh mint sauce using a recipe passed down from my Canadian grandmother. Spring, red-skinned potatoes are seasoned with fresh garlic and parsley and lovely English peas touched by a bit of butter, mint and shallots will round out the meal. The meal, as always, comes with a generous side salad. $14.99. When was the last time you had leg of lamb? Bet it has been a while. This will be the Flavor Journey —to Canada!

Seafood Entrée—Pan-fried BONELESS whole trout à la meunière. We'll coat the trout in seasoned cornmeal/ flour and then pan-fry in corn oil for a very short time. I'll top it with a meunière sauce made with butter, shallots, lemon, capers,white wine, fresh parsley, and garlic. Served with garlic red-skinned potatoes and fresh asparagus or seasonal stir-fry and our generous side salad. $14.99

Lunch specials~

Monday~ Falafel in whole grain tortilla with feta, sprouts, tomato, and onion. Topped with tzatziki and served with a side of tabouli. $6.99; add hummus for $.75
Tuesday~ Pork Bahn Mi sandwich. All Week!! Asian marinated pork loin, freshly pickled cucumbers and carrots, sriracha mayonnaise and sprouts on a French bread roll with side. $7.99 This was a favorite all summer.
Wednesday~ Pork fried rice with a side salad. A mixture of white and brown rice, yellow onions, green onions, red pepper, local eggs, spring peas and chopped carrots plus roasted pork loin. $7.99
Thursday~Egg Salad Sandwich with side. Those local fresh eggs have really rich yolks. Served on Jason's bread with fresh tomatoes and sprouts with side. $7.25
Friday~Wood-fired salmon pasta with side salad. A lunch-sized portion of the wood-fired salmon pasta with roasted red pepper sauce I serve at night. $8.25 Find out what all the hoopla is about.

Thank you for sharing this journey with us. As time goes by I am delighted to discover just how many of you "get us." We know we are doing things a bit differently and we are proud of that. Mostly we are doing things that simply make sense—locally, globally and personally. Your ongoing support allows us to keep doing what we do. We never forget that. Thank you.~~

Susan

W/E February 16th. Happy year of the snake

Thank you to everyone who made the effort to join us on Friday night last week. It was Jon's 60th birthday and he was performing. When he is playing and singing you are seeing him in his "zone" and experiencing his passion. You were an attentive audience and that is the biggest payoff for him. Thank you.

I finally have the Filipino Flavor Excursion dinner menu somewhat finalized. There may have to be last minute modifications based on ingredient availability, but I already have most of it. I have now sent the menu to my wine guy and he is working with his experts to pair up 4 wines to accompany the courses. We still have 4 slots as of this writing. The cost is $60/pp and includes the wines. It'll be happening on Saturday February 23rd at 6 pm.

Amuse bouche~fresh summer roll with nuoc cham dipping suace

Appetizer~ Chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce

Soup~Chicken soup with coconut

Salad~ Green papaya salad 

Seafood~ Filipino paella-shrimp, mussels, octopus, calamari, mahi-mahi

Fresh Fruit~ papaya, mango, kiwi and lychee with Salabat ginger tea

Meat course~ Pork adobo with rice noodles

Dessert course~Cashew custard in meringue

The Valentine's dinner is this week. We will be open regular hours and the full dinner menu will be available. However, I have put together a special Valentine's dinner available in limited quantity. The oysters are a variety called Fanny Bay and are being flown in from the Pacific northwest coast. Fanny Bay Oysters are found in the nutrient rich waters of Baynes Sound on the eastern side of Vancouver Island, BC. The flavor profile description is medium salty and firm texture with a pronounced cucumber and fruity finish. When you make reservations you may select your time frame. The cost for the special dinner is $28/pp. Here's that special aphrodisiac menu~

Oyster shooter~chili rimmed glass, fresh oyster, vodka, cocktail sauce, lime

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Oysters on the half shell with fresh remoulade 

or Oysters Rockefeller- cooked on the half-shell with bacon and bread crumbs

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Spinach and arugula salad with feta, strawberries, marinated figs, pomegranates 

and walnuts topped with our sweet sesame dressing

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Mussels in a light curry sauce over freshly made black squid pasta

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Palate cleanser~cucumber ice cream

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Roasted garlic-studded beef sirloin roast with creamy horseradish sauce and duchess potatoes

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Raspberry tira misu or chocolate cheesecake

We hope to have some Asti and champagne available as well as our usual lineup of wines. 

We've begun planting some of our fresh herbs and sprouts. The pea sprouts will be the first to come out and hopefully you'll see signs of them on your plates soon. I love how spring is a slow build up of energy here. It is palpable. Even before the bales of soil go out in the feed stores' parking lots, plans are bring made for seed swaps and discussions fill the air over which varieties to plant. Now, more than ever, avoiding seed in your food plot that has been genetically modified is a big topic. GMOs are creeping into our diets more insidiously than a runaway kudzu. It is hard to believe you actually have to seek out seeds that have not been modified to work with "round-up". We prefer to buy our produce from folks who are paying attention to these issues and support their choices. During the winter months we buy much of the produce that goes into the stir-fries from Maranatha Farm. Mary and Skip Badiny are committed to growing organically and we love what they bring us. They also produce much of our summer tomatoes, herbs and fresh veggies.  

We get our mushrooms locally from Willow Mountain Mushrooms—buttons, portabellas, and shitakes and occasionally oyster mushrooms. Our eggs are from an Amish farm in the Seymour area. They are free range, antibiotic-free and very tasty. I often find double yolkers. If you know anyone raising Aracana chickens please tell them I'd like to buy eggs from them. They come in with shells already a lovely greenish blue—almost the color of our walls. I just love peeling them for the spinach salad. We now have staff that are ardent gardeners themselves and the peelings and produce trash that doesn't make it into our weekly veggie broth goes home with them for their compost heaps.

One of our newest additions to the staff is Amy. She comes with an impressive experience history that includes several years of working in a vegetarian restaurant in Lawrence, Kansas. She also spent time in a cafe much like ours where the quality of the food was a high priority and visiting with customers an important part of her job. We are excited to have her as a part of our collaborative team. She brings a fresh level of passion and excitement to the game. We plan on starting to open for Monday lunches around the beginning of March and Meatless Monday lunch specials will be her personal contribution. Watch for it.

More and more we seem to be becoming something of a community hub. We are proud of that and want you to know that if you have a group that likes to meet casually on a weekly or monthly basis, we are happy to host it. We currently often have knitters meeting about 10 am in the annex on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Even though we are not open for business, our tables are available for a quiet meeting space. Did you know we also have free WiFi? Our password is LunchBunch. All one word with the L and the B capitalized. 

If you want get our weekly blog with the upcoming menu specials, be sure to sign up with your email address at the counter. Alternatively, you can find us on Facebook—A La Carte Cafe WP. If you liked our food please tell the world via Facebook or one of the rating sites like Yelp.com. We always are seeking your feedback, good or bad. We listen and try to keep up with your desires and preferences. We know we can't please everyone—but we wish to be more inclusive than not. Our commitment is to producing fresh real food from scratch using as much local sourcing as possible. We let the food speak for itself and thus far have grown almost entirely via word of mouth. Now in our third year, we have an ad in the Buzz to help build the midweek dinner "regulars." Please continue to share us with your family and friends. The comment we most frequently hear from newcomers is "This is here in West Plains? I feel like I'm eating at a place I'd only find in a big city." Thank you. My personal creative mission is to expand your palate by presenting a variety of foods not generally found in the local dining establishments. This might translate to using a wider variety of vegetables in your salads or stir-fries, or acquainting you with the foods from a foreign cuisine. Sometimes we just flat out get experimental. It is all about having fun and really enjoying your meal-time. In this fast-paced world we invite you to take a few moments to breathe, visit with friends and family and enjoy the flavors passing over your tongue. 

Now to this week's lunch and dinner specials~~

~~Lunches~~

Tuesday~ Crab and pimento cheese quesadilla with all the fixings-sr cream, guacamole, salsa, chips $7.99

Wednesday~1905 salad—Adapted from the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, FL—Romaine, Swiss cheese, turkey, tomatoes, Romano cheese, Kalamata olives and the 1905 dressing which has strong lemon and Worchestershire flavorings.**customer favorite heads up!$7.75

Thursday~Valentine's Day~De-constructed chicken pot pie—crepes with creamy chicken filling plus a variety of fresh mixed veggies and a side salad.$7.99

Friday~Swiss Chard, fennel, bacon and muenster cheese quiche with a side salad $7.99  

~~Dinners~~

Flavor journey~~Lemon chicken pasta plus soup or salad. Made with fresh lemon juice,olive oil, capers, fennel sprigs and garlic plus linguine. $12.99 Available all week.

Seafood~~ Available Wednesday through Friday~~ Havana Mahi-mahi $19  Papaya and mango Mojito glaze, Caribbean kimchee, served with a citrus and arugula salad, pencil asparagus, and jasmine rice. You asked for good seafood...

Also available Wed- Fri or until gone—Flown in fresh from the Pacific northwest! Fanny Bay oysters on the half shell. Half dozen $16, dozen $24.

As you can see, we are starting to have some real fun. I love having the additional collaborative energy. I've always wanted to have this be more than the sum of its parts. There is some serious synergy starting to happen. I am really tickled to get to share a bit of our creativity via the Flavor Excursion. Thank you for the amazing level of support you have shared with us. It keeps us motivated and excited about what comes next.

Hope this week is a grand one for you.  Don't forget to take care of your Honey!

~~Susan