W/E November 2nd Spooky things are happening! Cue the GARLIC!

By all accounts this is going to be another fast-paced week. Starting with the World Series, then add in Halloween shenanigans with candy being handed out on the Square and down Main St. Then we have an awesome new group playing Friday night, as well as the Stroll on the Square and Gail Rowley's nature photography exhibition and reception. So let's look at them all.

The World Series will happen with or without us. So I am not going to put much attention there—except to make sure I record any game while we aren't home to watch it.

Thursday is The Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival. It is all about handing out tons of candy to marauding hooligans in strange attire. Amber handed out over $50 in candy last year in under an hour. We'll be ready. The festival covers not only the Square and merchants but also goes along West Main Street to the Methodist Church where even more candy awaits.

Friday is the Stroll on the Square aka the Art Walk. This time we are featuring nature photographer, Gail Rowley. You may have seen some of her note cards in local shops. She and her husband, Tom, live near Willow Springs. As a long-time member of the Missouri Stream Team Project and current efforts in prairie restoration, Gail sees first-hand what our area needs to keep nature in its pristine condition.  Her nature photography has the ability to pull you in and focus your eyes on the beauty around us in this lovely unique habitat we call the Ozarks. We invite you to celebrate with us Friday night.

Also happening Friday night is a duo Jon heard 2 weeks ago at the Taste of Missouri. This exceptional duo is made up of Beci (pronounced like Becky) and Kent Coffey. They hail from Yellville, AR. Beci plays stand-up bass and does the vocals and Kent plays jazz guitar. Jon was highly impressed and persuaded them that we have a strong listening audience. We hope you'll make a point of stopping in to listen and hopefully, join us for dinner. The last two strolls were quite busy. We strongly encourage you to make reservations! We now have our full staff back in place, so service should go a bit more smoothly. Thank you for your patience previously. Oy!

Our Flavor Journey this week originates in Catalonia, Spain which has long been on the cutting edge of gastronomy. This would be the autonomous region of Spain of which Barcelona is the capital. The name of the dish is Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic. You might think it would be overwhelming in the kick of garlic. But, since the garlic is left whole while cooking and is roasted quite thoroughly, the bright edge to the garlic flavor is thoroughly mellowed out and simply adds a nice warm essence of flavor. If you understand the difference in flavor between raw garlic and roasted garlic, you'll appreciate the gentle flavor of the roasted variety. I'll be cutting up whole chickens and leaving the skin on. You'll have your choice of white or dark meat. The pieces will be plated on a bed of noodles and topped with the luscious sauce. Fresh herbs as well as white wine and applejack brandy lend their richness to the flavor impact. We'll add our seasonal stir-fry to  complete the dish. $14.99 During the week of Halloween you can never have too much garlic!

Our seafood will follow along the garlic theme, as well. It is Shrimp in Garlic Sauce. The version we are doing is Greek-based, as we are serving it over orzo and adding lemon, feta, oregano and fresh tomatoes. Oh my taste buds will be happy THIS week! We'll pair it up with our seasonal stir-fry. $15.99

The lunch specials~~
Monday~Goat cheese and spinach ravioli with  mushroom and Parmesan sauce $7.99
Tuesday~Shrimp and grits. $8.25
Wednesday~SW BBQ chicken quesadillas  with black beans, tomatoes, onion, BBQ Chicken, and Monterey jack/pepper jack blend $7.79
Thursday~Smothered pork chops with green beans and smashed potatoes $7.79
Friday~Philly cheese-steak-stuffed bell pepper $7.59

I started a new dessert late last week. It is chocolate crepes with a pumpkin mousse, chocolate sauce and toasted pepitas. The soup is most likely going to be a spiced potato soup. Those tend to evolve.

I hope you have a chance to see the trees at their peak. They are running about a week late this year. Did you know that the trees decide when to let the leaves go? You probably thought it was just the wind and rain that determined it. I was surprised and delighted to learn this gem. 

Thank you for your enduring support and encouragement for our little cafe. We love that we can call most of you by name and you know our strengths and weaknesses. It means so much to be a part of this lovely community and we feel we are a vital part of what keeps things interesting around here.  That is YOU I am speaking about—the interesting part.

~~~Susan et al

W/E October 26 This is THE week...stone crab ++

While we watch the magic of the leaves reaching their peak this week, other magic is in store. October 15th has come and gone. Stone crab season in Florida is officially open. This week we'll be flying in 25 pounds of medium stone crabs. You won't find it fresher than this unless you met the boat personally at the dock and loaded straight into your car. These are brought in by the Holliday family in Aripeka on the west coast of Florida north and west of Tampa. They have been harvesting crab from a single boat for many years. As an aside, Karri is one of the family members and has been a lifelong member of the Weeki Wachee mermaid sisterhood. The source is a part of the Sea To Table group and they have always provided the freshest of our fish.

Let me tell you about stone crab—they are the most sustainable means of harvesting, since the crab is allowed to live. Only one claw is removed and the crab is tossed back in the water to grow another claw. It will completely regrow the claw in seven months.  The flesh is wonderfully sweet and is my personal favorite crab. The hard, hard shell will be cracked ahead for you and you will be provided with a nut cracker and a skewer to do the rest. You may choose to eat yours warm or cold. We'll serve it with drawn butter as well as with our sea sauce. This is an extraordinarily rare event, and you don't want to miss it. In fact, folks have already been calling in reservations for the crab. As there will only be 25 pounds of it, if you want some, call it in and perhaps even plan to come in Wednesday or Thursday, just to be sure. Note: not available on Tuesday. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL FRIDAY to reserve. It'll be served with our seasonal stir-fry and our autumnal peppadew potatoes. The cost will be $25.99 for 5 claws. The claws average 6-8 per pound. So this is a pretty good-sized serving. If you need instruction on getting the most out of your claws, we'll be happy to show you. You don't want to miss a morsel.

Friday night music this week will be brought to you by local musicians that have become a crowd favorite. The group is made up of Gordon Johnston, Mark Johnson and CD Scott. They do a fabulous job of classic rock while not overwhelming you. You'll be grooving in your chair ... or go ahead and dance!!!

NEXT WEEK— Holy Moly! Here is a preview....

Thursday, the 31st, is the big Halloween event on the Square. Now called, the Great Downtown Pumpkin Festival, it covers an area all the way from the Courthouse to Garfield St at 1st Methodist. Merchants will be handing out candy in vast amounts. We went through $50 worth of candy in less than an hour last year.

Friday, the 1st, is the Stroll on the Square aka First Friday. We'll be exhibiting the nature photography of Gail Rowley. Her photos totally immerse you in the Ozarks environment. Music-wise, we'll be importing from Arkansas a fabulous jazz duo called Kent and Beci Coffey. Another rare treat you will NOT want to miss!


Now here are this week's lunch specials~~
Monday~ Vegan "tuna" sandwich with side. $7.29
Tuesday~ White chicken chili.. CROWD FAVORITE! with side salad $7.79
Wednesday~ Harvest ham sandwich with inhouse-made honey mustard, apples and choice of blue cheese or Swiss plus a side. $7.59
Thursday~ Creamy chicken enchiladas with Spanish rice. Another crowd favorite. The sauce is made with fresh spinach and New Mexican Hatch peppers. Kicky, but not over-whelmingly hot $7.79
Friday~ BBQ pulled chicken on ciabatta with side $7.59 

Soup~ Wild rice, wild coral mushroom with chicken. A taste treat.

The dinners—
Stone crab, as mentioned above (Wed.-Fri.only). Reservations STRONGLY ADVISED
Apple-stuffed pork chops with our seasonal stir-fry and autumnal potatoes. $14.99

All in all a super week to put us in your plans. We look forward to seeing you. Bundle up!

~~Susan and gang

Weekending October 19

I am loving the weather this year. While we have read of extremes around the country throughout this year, we have been experiencing some of the mildest weather I can remember. It makes me want to get out in the woods and enjoy the weather. Oh yeah...I can't. I don't hunt and am not likely to share the woods with someone armed with either a gun or bow and arrow. Sigh.

Perhaps, while the intrepid hunter is stalking wild prey, said person might also be foraging for wild edible mushrooms like the coral mushroom, or the fall morels...or paw-paws...or persimmons. I can hope.

This week my extensive display of quilts comes down. We had hoped to sell a few of my quilts to finance the expansion of our cafe to include a kegerator for regional and local craft beers. My thanks to those of you who expressed interest and to those who bought some of my smaller pieces. As no bigger pieces were sold, we will have to postpone our plans until a later time. As bright ideas sometimes go...it seemed like a good idea at the time. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to share with a few of you my vision and inspiration. Onward and upward.

This week we bid a fond farewell to Vincent as he leaves us to join Haleigh in South Carolina. We know he will do well at anything he attempts. He has a strong work ethic, is true to his word and really bright and loads of fun to work with. He stuck around a couple of extra weeks to help us get someone properly trained to replace him. NOT an easy task. Emily has stepped up to the plate and is reeling in the amount of data Vincent has to share. Fortunately, much is being written down so it can be referenced later. We are still needing someone for prep who can work Monday and Wednesday mornings and Friday evenings. We need someone who is bright, friendly, willing and able to learn, preferably 21+ for prep and back-up. If you know someone like this, please send them to talk with either me or Amy. We are also looking for a person who can be back-up waitperson and/or support for Friday night. We know you know the best people.

This past weekend we had a really interesting group of travelers join us for a catered dinner Saturday evening. They are traveling by bicycle from the west coast to the east. Several of the folks were from out of the country. You'll probably get to read about it in the Quill as Terry Hampton managed to carve out some of her weekend to interview and photograph the group. Thanks to all!

Entertainment this week comes twice. Thursday evening the After Hours Big Band plays in the Annex. With my display down they'll have room to spread out. It is always a lively performance. As usual, we'll give you the option of dining IN the room with them or in the main dining room which is noticeably quieter. On Friday, the Renée Wood Trio with Tom Rowley and David Moore will play for us. They are crowd favorites and we love having them.

HEADS UP CRAB LOVERS! NEXT week we'll have stone crab flown in fresh from Tarpon Springs, FL. I am giving you plenty of notice so you can plan ahead. We'll bring in 30 pounds. It's scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday. That gives you 3 days to get in and enjoy. I do not expect there to be any left. We do this only once or twice a year.

This week's Flavor Journey  brings back the Beef Rendang. This Malaysian recipe renders a very tender beef dish that is quite complex in its flavorings. Similar to mole in the number of layers of flavor, it has a decidedly Eastern flavor profile that includes cardamon, anise, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, turmeric and chilies. We'll serve it with jasmine rice and our seasonal stir-fry vegetables. $16.99  In the past, this dish garnered many comments about how it was both flavorful and very tender. We'll be using flank steak as the basis for this dish. It will be a bit spicy but not generally overwhelming.

The seafood will be Sole Meuniere. This method of serving fish begins with a very light dusting of seasoned wheat and corn flour. It is seared on the griddle, then topped with a lovely wine sauce made with shallots—that precious bulb that mixes garlic with mild onion—butter, white wine, parsley and lightly topped with sliced almonds. I'll add a pilaf of wild rice and our seasonal stir-fry. $16.99

This week's lunch specials~
Monday~ Green Goddess grilled cheese with tomato soup  $7.29
Tuesday~ Chicken curry and rice  $7.79
Wednesday~ Pulled pork salad  $7.59
Thursday~ Chicken pot pie and side salad  $7.79
Friday~ Baja shrimp tacos  $7.99

I hope you are able to get out and enjoy the various entertainment treats nature has bestowed upon us this time of year. There are pumpkin patches and corn mazes, wine and beer festivals, and good music. Have a terrific week. Thanks for being a part of this journey. We're glad you are along for the ride.

~~Susan

W/E October 12th Fall REALLY arrives

What a difference a week makes when it comes to seasonal weather. Suddenly, the cooler weather has arrived and with it lower humidity. We may actually be able to have the doors open at the cafe this week. After an enormous electric bill last month, we'll be welcoming a more natural feel. Thankfully this was a moderate summer. If you like dining al fresco, this may be your best week of the year for it.

This weather motivates me to get out the soup recipes. Amy has jumped in with her choice for the week. She'll create a roasted red pepper soup. This time of year we get in lots of gorgeous red peppers. They are quite sweet—NOT HOT.  I'm thinking next week we'll get into the butternut squash....

Thank you to everyone who came out for the Stroll on the Square last Friday night. Despite having a limited menu, it was still fairly crazy. But a good time was had. We thoroughly enjoyed Bliss Hippy's entertainment. They were a bright new sound and delightful. This week, by special request, Jon Lumsden will play his laid back jazz. He's been adding a few more tunes to his repertoire, and that new guitar of his is luscious.

I am fighting my restless urges to travel but hope to get to St. Louis next week to catch Quilt National at the St. Louis University Museum of Art. It has been 4 years since I got to see this biannual exhibition, and it is the most stellar and prestigious of the art quilt exhibitions in the country. We are fortunate to have the entire exhibition displayed in St. Louis. After it leaves there in late October, it will be split into three traveling exhibitions and travel for 2 years. I usually enter but so far, always get the rejection letter. I think I've entered five times now. They even have a prize each year for the person who entered the most times before getting accepted. I hope to be in the running for this prize someday.

When we did the Artwalk in September, I was unable to chat with folks who came in to see my work as I was desperately needed in the kitchen. Last Friday I was more able to visit and share my art with viewers. It was a lovely experience. I had nearly forgotten how much it means to be able to share that part of me, complete with the hidden art, the stories behind each piece and my simple techniques. It is who I AM. While I love creating the food and ambiance of the cafe, who I AM is the fiber artist....just as Jon, while being a terrific host, is really all about his music.  

My dinner entrées this week will revisit earlier favorites. The seafood will be Red Snapper Vera Cruz. We'll grill lovely 8 oz fillets and top them with a south of the equator sauce made from tomatoes, olives, shallots, capers, raisins, and herbs.   I'll pair it with our autumnal potatoes and stir-fry. Many places make the accompanying vegetables an afterthought. Not so, here. The red-skinned potatoes are mashed with a bit of cream and butter; then chopped Peppadew peppers and smoked Gouda cheese are blended in to make them pretty stellar. The autumnal stir-fry changes every week. We've been adding in everything from okra to shitaki mushrooms to eggplant and squashes. I love that this evolves as the ingredients become available. $16.99

My Flavor Journey revisits Argentina with the Argentinian Grilled Flank Steak with chimichurri sauce. Last time we served this, I got tons of comments from happy diners. We'll pair it with polenta with roasted red peppers and mushrooms. I'll also feature Mary Badiny's organic eggplants in an eggplant casserole. Ahh Fall! $15.99

The lunches this week will show much diversity and creativity. You won't want to miss a single day. I know. We make it hard. Amy just keeps digging into her bag of tricks and pulling out gems, and I am constantly inspired to try something new. Join us for this ongoing adventure.

Monday~ Lemony pasta with goat cheese and spinach  $7.29
Tuesday~ Spicy salmon sushi roll, calamari/cucumber/seaweed salad  $7.79
Wednesday~ Roast Dijon chicken and vegetables over potatoes  $7.79
Thursday~ Chicken sesame noodle salad  $7.79
Friday~ Cuban pork sandwich with side  $7.79

We know it is a busy time of year. We hope you keep your meals here a priority. You know that what we make here is made of good ingredients, using the simplest preparations, and is generally much healthier than you might find otherwise in town. This takes commitment on our part and is not the easiest way to make it work. We count on you to create the energy that keeps us going. Thank you for doing your part.  Have a lovely week.

~~Susan and the gang

w/e October 5~Cart-wheeling into fall

So far the harbingers of fall are the goldenrod, the dogwoods and the sumac. The goldenrod is in full bloom. The dogwoods are turning their berries red and the leaves are getting colorful and the sumac is glowing auburn. Surprisingly, our temps are actually running higher than normal. This coming weekend marks the usual earliest likeliness of freeze. I remember doing many art shows in St. Louis on this weekend and several times there was a light frost in the early mornings. Not so this year, it seems. I'm glad as I am not ready to bring in my assorted plants nor pull the annuals.

This weekend we are sticking our necks out and bringing in out of town talent on Friday night. In the past you have been very supportive of our doing this. We have never been embarrassed with no crowd when we have brought performers in from out of town. Bliss Hippy hails from the Rolla area and came highly recommended by Tom Rowley. They are waiving their usual fee in order to help build their audience size and we hope this is good move for them. As usual, there will be no cover charge. However, we hope that a) you will tip them well and b) you eat a meal with us. We strongly suggest reservations.  There music is a blast of fun—quite irreverent, often hilarious.

This week is also the First Friday Art Walk. We are planning ahead this time and will feature a limited menu of dishes that can be prepared by our staff without my on-hands assistance. That way I can actually be a part of the Art Walk and speak to those who venture in. I am very much looking forward to this part of the exhibition experience. It is something I have missed since starting the cafe. The exhibition featuring my quilts will remain up for another couple of weeks. The reduced pricing on my quilts will expire when the quilts come down. After that we'll hang the work of another fine artist. I look forward to introducing you to her. More on that later.

My seafood this week has an Asian slant~ Teri-yaki salmon steaks. I'll take those lovely Coho salmon that we flew in awhile back and  froze, cut them into steaks, grill them and season them with a teri-yaki glaze and fresh shiso leaves. Along with the fish will be served  a salad made with calamari and seaweed, sesame rice and our seasonal stir-fry. I think it'll be a lovely treat. $16.99 Yoshi! Ikuzo! (All right! Let's go!)

The Flavor Journey this week is middle eastern in its origin. It is Slow cooked leg of lamb with spiced yogurt and herbs. I'll take an entire leg of lamb, season it and cook it in a braise of stock, white wine and lemon juice to which many herbs are added. It'll cook in these juices very slowly to assure a very tender cut of meat. A bed of cous-cous will be the foundation, topped with the sliced lamb, then a spiced yogurt and finally a "salad" of chopped fresh herbs. It is a beautiful dish that is most flavorful. Perfect to welcome in a gentle fall.  $15.99

We are currently serving pumpkin crepes filled with sweetened cream cheese and topped with warm praline sauce and pecans. Served with vanilla ice cream for $6/ $5 without the ice cream. Later in the week I plan to make a chocolate walnut tart. Slurp! Also our carrot cake will be on hand.

Now here are the lunches~
Monday~spicy vegetarian chili
Tuesday~1905 salad-made famous by the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa, FL~ Romaine, kalamata olives, swiss cheese, oven roasted turkey, tomatoes, Romano cheese, and an olive oil based dressing with lemon, oregano and worchestershire. $7.79~ crowd favorite
Wednesday~Braised Moroccan Chicken and olives over cous-cous $7.79
Thursday~Pork Bahn Mi Sandwich with side $7.79
Friday~Shrimp burgers with roasted garlic /orange aioli plus side $7.99 


I hope you have a joyous week. It'll be lovely for dining al fresco. We'll have the tables out for you.

~~Susan

W/E September 29 Equinox Changes

This past Sunday marked the first day of autumn—the Equinox—the day where the sun is visible and invisible for equal amounts of time. While the true colors of autumn are yet a month away, the harvests are winding down, and we adapt to shorter periods of  visible light or around here known as "can't see to can't see". I can feel the inner stirrings I get this time of year. This has always been my prime time of year for doing art shows and being on the road. It is like an itch I don't get to scratch.

Instead I'll channel my wandering energies toward a new piece of art and creative ideas in the food line-up. I was delightfully surprised by how well the tilapia salad with curry vinaigrette went last week. Last Friday night we sold out of both the trout with dijon sauce and the Greek moussaka. Fortunately, as the fall progresses our number of diners is picking back up and hopefully this will be a weekly occurrence.

We've got some wonderful music lined up this week with a Linda Stoffel and Dennis Crider—both from Blackberry Winter Band. Any members of that band have consistently packed the house and we expect that to happen again this week. Other members of the band may join them, but so far, these are promised. Dennis' awesome guitar picking and Linda's Songbird voice are well loved in these parts. Reservations are pretty well the only guarantee you'll get in. So don't mess around—get your reservation in early. While you are doing so, did you know you can call in and reserve your dinner entree? This is especially important on the seafood entrée as we have only 16 servings for the week. Entrée information is listed a few paragraphs down

If you are a fan of Renée Wood's After Hours Big Band, come listen Thursday evening this week. They will play in the Annex. If you want the full dose of big band, you can sit close by. If you wish the sound to be more background, we'll seat you in the main dining room. We close the doors between the rooms as the intensity of the big band can carry you away...in a good way.

The seafood entrée this week is crab-stuffed sole paupiettes with our fall potatoes (mashed with gouda and peppadew peppers), eggplant parmesan with fresh mozzarella, and a salad of microgreens, radishes, pears, walnuts and blue cheese with a mustard vinaigrette. Paupiettes are made by stuffing lengths of sole fillet with the crabmeat, then rolling them up and cooking in a stock. The result is a tender, flavorful roulade (rolled meat). The sole will be topped with a white wine sauce (Sauce Vin Blanc). It is a very elegant dish from Normandy France. On the plate, I am stuffing some of Mary's lovely small eggplants, adding in those seasonal potatoes (which are getting rave reviews) and a pear and blue cheese salad. Perfect for fall. $16.99

The Flavor journey is apple and bacon stuffed pork chops. I'll be using some fresh local sage to season the stuffing as well as local apples plus apple-smoked bacon. As there is no bread in the stuffing, it is lighter than many stuffed pork chops. There will be a pan sauce using the stuffing that doesn't fit in the chops to which I'll add a bit of white wine. This will be drizzled over the top. We'll plate it with our seasonal potatoes and seasonal stir-fry. $14.99 I'll have about 12 servings for the week. Another perfectly timed fall dish.

The Autumnal Equinox Salad returns this week. It starts with a base of romaine, then topped with a combination of arugula and spinach, feta, chopped fresh pear and apple, red onion, wood-fired chicken, pomegranate, walnuts and served with a hot bacon dressing. For many, this is a declared favorite on the menu. We'll have it until late December when things change with the Solstice.

Also returning this week are soups. This first week I have Roasted Poblano-Cheddar Soup made with fresh local poblano chilies, sharp cheddar cheese, chicken broth, cream, tomatoes and onions.  We usually take turns from week to week with our choices. As always variety, rather than predictability combined with local availability dictate the whim of our choosing.

You may already know this, but occasionally there is some confusion regarding Monday's lunch. First of all, we serve our entire lunch menu each day. We feature a meatless special on Monday that has a strong vegetarian following. Since I am often still working on the rest of the week's menu and blog, I can seldom post it beyond the Facebook listing for the day. You are encouraged to come in on Mondays whether you are vegetarian or not. We are lucky to have such talented vegetarians on our staff who can present a wide variety of dishes. I have gotten to taste more vegetarian dishes in the last three months than I have eaten in my entire life. Good for us all.

Come Wednesday I'll have some pumpkin crepes for dessert. The crepes themselves have the pumpkin. They are filled with a sweetened cream cheese and topped with a warm praline sauce and chopped pecans. $6. Holy moly.

Now here are this week's lunches~~

Monday~ Portabella pizzas with feta, spinach ,garlic and tomato plus side salad $7.59
Tuesday~ Equinox Salad~ romaine, spinach, arugula, chopped pear and apple, feta, red onion, wood-fired chicken, pomegranate and walnuts with hot bacon dressing. Normally $7.59; today $7.39
Wednesday~Chicken enchiladas with Spanish rice $7.79
Thursday~Lasagna Bolognese  with side salad. Traditional lasagna. $7.79
Friday~ Pork Estofado with side salad. A traditional Filipino pork stew (estofado means stew) that includes tomatoes, potatoes and carrots. $7.79

I hope you are able to take a few moments to slow down and notice the very beginnings of the change of seasons. The colors are not here yet, but the delicate air, light as a feather, foretells the advent of autumn. Now if we can just have a bit fewer allergies to go with it. So far, so good.

~~Susan

W/E September 21 Variety—our spice of life

By now you have probably figured out that we like to try out new ingredients, new flavors and newly twisted combinations of otherwise familiar ingredients. Because we are small, we are able to make very fast adaptations to our daily menu based on what is available. This week we'll benefit from two local growers who have planted special crops with us in mind. Yippee!!!

Mary Badiny took my suggestions to heart with letting her greens go to seed and creating microgreens. These are sproutings of a variety of greens that are allowed to grow until just before their true leaves are formed—about 10-15 days.. Then they are cut to nearly ground level for consumption. They are extremely high in nutrients and, in fact ounce for ounce, microgreens provide more nutrients than any other natural food known and have a concentrated flavor profile. A little goes a long way. I'll feature a salad on Thursday lunch that showcases these greens.

The other grower has planted Shiso. Shiso is a plant whose individual leaves are harvested for their unique flavor. Often added to Japanese and Asian dishes, Shiso is nearly impossible to get without camping out at the international grocery in St. Louis.  If you have been to a sushi restaurant you have perhaps seen them used as a garnish. They have a somewhat citrusy flavor and are a part of the mint family. Usually, that means the stems are square as I expect these are too. I'll combine the shiso into a salad using buckwheat soba noodles. I haven't decided on every ingredient yet, but you can count on sesame oil, fresh mushrooms, green onions, peanuts, fresh banana peppers, lime, poached chicken ...

Behind the scenes on the expansion—we are progressing, if somewhat slowly. I have requests out to area suppliers for the equipment we'll be seeking.While there has been high interest in a few of my quilts, getting money in hand has been another story. I have been asked if quilts could be paid for over a number of months. I am willing to do so on a few. We need to get this plan in motion and being stable in the present is a prerequisite for expansion. In the next week or so I'll trade out a few of the currently exhibited pieces in order to showcase a few more. If you have an interest in one of the quilts, please take a few moments to talk with Jon. The exhibition in its current form will remain up until after the First Friday Art Walk in October. After that, the prices will return to their normal range and only a few will be displayed. I have also been asked about doing commissions. As we now have such a high caliber staff, I am more confident about having time to create new work. So if you are thinking this direction, let's talk.

I am truly looking forward to more time in my studio. I am extraordinarily grateful to my studio landlord for allowing me to retain my studio even while no work was happening. It has enabled me to keep my dream alive. Just being able to pop down for an hour without having to first dig stuff out and move things around really shortens the runway for a new project. I have a piece on the drawing board that will celebrate the local streams and fishes. It won't be quite as colorful in the jewel-tones as "Live Water" but I think it will be just as much fun to work on. What are your favorite local fishes? Crawfish? What plant life do you see in the stream beds? I look at the gravel bars and try to figure out how to depict them. Colors. Camouflage. Big fish, tiny fish. Swimming hole. Waterfalls. Light shining through the water. Hang on for the ride.

This week Jon Lumsden will play for us on Friday night. He plays a 7-string jazz guitar and most enjoys playing the Great American Songbook classics, as well as his own well-crafted tunes. As is usual for us, there is no cover charge, but your generous tips keep him in strings and motivation.

By the way, we'll have live music for the next few Friday nights, as well as the Renee Wood Big Band on Thursday night, Sept. 26th. The Friday night music lineup includes:

• Sept. 27th: Linda Stoffel & Dennis Crider (from Blackberry Winter)
• Oct. 4th: Bliss Hippy from the Rolla area
• Oct. 18th: Renee Wood Trio (with Tom Rowley on guitar)

Speaking of fish—trout! I'll make the seafood special this week using boneless whole rainbow trout. They will be coated with a layer of crushed almonds then baked and served with a Dijon mustard sauce. I'll team it up with a mixture of spinach, arugula, and mustard greens. We'll add in our new winter potatoes—red-skinned, mashed with peppadew peppers from South Africa and smoked gouda cheese. $15.99. I'd make a point of drinking a nice pinot grigio or chardonnay.

The Flavor Journey originates in Greece. I'll make a traditional Moussaka which is one of the most iconic Greek dishes. This is a casserole that starts with leg-of-lamb ground up, adds in eggplant, potatoes, bell peppers, onions all in a béchamel sauce (white cream) that is boosted with egg yolks, nutmeg and Greek yogurt. The whole shebang is layered and topped with a hefty layer of Parmesan and baked to perfection. This isn't low cal, but there are so many good veggies in it I think it balances out pretty well. We'll serve it with a Greek salad, spanikopita, and triangles of pita bread. $16.99. What a treat!

Lunches~~

Monday~ Greek salad sandwich~ made with hummus, cucumbers, red onion, roasted red peppers, feta, tomatoes, sprouts on ciabatta $6.99

Tuesday~ Shiso soba salad~ buckwheat soba noodles with sesame oil, fresh mushrooms, green onions, peanuts, fresh banana peppers, lime, poached chicken on a bed of chopped Romaine $7.99

Wednesday~Turkey Caesar sandwich~with side $.7.79

Thursday~ Grilled tilapia salad with arugula, Romaine, fresh mozzarella, heirloom Thessaloniki tomatoes, radish slices, micro-greens topped with a tilapia fillet and a curry vinaigrette. $7.79

Friday~ Reuben Sandwich~traditional corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing on rye bread. $7.99 with side.

Well, there you have it. I hope your week is glorious and provides you with the kinds of inspiration that make you glad to be alive and a part of this wonderful universe surrounding us. Take a moment to look a little closer. You'll be rewarded with greater understanding and awareness of your part in it all.

~~Susan