Here we are at the cafe, Erin, Mark and I. We have already worked 6 hours and Mark and I only have 7 1/2 left before we close up for the weekend. I love the mornings here, when folks trickle in and pick up lots of yummy treats for the day, or just grab their latte for the road. I love that we are the first stop of the morning for a few special people and we get to start their day off nicely! While we normally go out of town and escape during this holiday weekend (it is, after all, the longest stretch of time off we all get here) this year I have extra projects to do. Since we are staying home I will work part of Thursday & most of Friday, and hopefully be able to have all of Saturday & Sunday off. That would be really nice! We will go to Mark's mom and dad's for Thanksgiving dinner and it is always nice and relaxing over there. I always end up sitting in a chair with my feet up just enjoying the company and down time.
We did not get nearly as many pre-orders this year as we have in past years. I am not sure what this signifies, though that fact, combined with sales being down 14% and costs of goods being up 13%, we are worried. Nonetheless we are forging on and still baking all the extra rolls, pies and cinnamon bread that we usually do in hopes of a big walk in traffic day. I have a big plan perking around in my head that I will announce next month, and the my FABULOUS staff team is rallying and coming up with some great ideas of their own, and we are going to turn this thing around. Until then, we will hang on tight and keep on trying! December is our 'No Peeking' red envelope giveaway, where we give out 1000 envelopes, each containing a secret prize, that the bearer may not open until s/he returns in January. Each envelope gets opened in front of us and we award the bearer the prize right away. It is so much fun! No one can see through the envelopes to try to see their prize before hand, though many have tried. Plus Mrs Claus will visit on the 12th and that is a wonderful family event for the kids.
Last Saturday was our staff meeting and we had so much fun. We always invite our past staffers to join us at the 'after party', and our current team is welcome to stay after the meeting for us to wine and dine them. While us gals take care of business for a couple of hours, Mark makes pizza dough, pizza sauce, cranks up the ovens and gets all the toppings ready for us. When the meeting is over and we have all hugged it out we tromp down the stairs and there is a flurry of activity. The girls go in the kitchen and are all chatting, getting wine glasses out and pouring for each other, getting excited for a fun evening. I am always the last one down and my very most favoritest thing in the world is slightly self indulgent (as all the best things are) and just a quiet moment. As I come through the door into the downstairs dining room I pause and listen. The happy chatter of those I love, all working together and happy to be with one another, is delightful to my ears and heart. It is slightly self indulgent because I know that I have created this loving environment and built this fabulous team, and it is some of the best results of my hard work. From the moment I decided to be a boss it has been my goal to be the kind of boss that I always wanted and never had. I work on it every day, and some days I am more successful than others, and yet every day I have at least a small victory in reaching that goal. Our gals are awesome! (and yes, it is in part because they let me call them 'my girls'! Even though one is slightly older than me...)
We also had a new discovery that has gone over very well. Now mind you I KNOW it sounds disgusting, and it doesn't even look very good. It is called "Chocovine" and the label says it is a blend of 'Dutch Chocolate and Fine French Cabernet Wine'! Gross, right? You shake it up, serve it cold and it would last up to 6 months in the fridge if you could possibly resist drinking it all. It has the alcohol content of wine (14%, so a high alcohol wine) and only costs $12.95 a bottle (or $20 for 2 in a lovely gift box) and it is SO good! We handed out samples at the wine tasting Friday night, all day Saturday, and for a couple of hours on Monday, and all 4 cases are gone. That is how good it is! It tastes like a cross between Kahlua and Bailey's, and at half the price of those bottles how can you go wrong? We have more on order and will get it Friday December 4 and I wish it were going to be sooner because everybody wants more now. It is the oddest wine I have ever carried, though since it is very unique I think it fits our quirky little wine collection. Such great wine and so little time!
Sunday was my first MLS game, at the MLS cup (thanks to Kat who gave us great tickets!!) and it was awesome! Especially since LA went DOWN! We were outside at the peanut stand where the peanuts are far more reasonably priced than inside, and I noticed a familiar package. They had CB's Nuts!! From Kingston! I bought a bag right away and a woman asked me 'what's the difference between those and the others?" I was very happy to tell her that they are roasted in Kitsap County and the best nuts you can eat! She bought a bag too... keepin' it local, baby! I can't wait to go to a Sounders game next season, so anyone who wants to take me to one let me know.
Friday is Erin's birthday and she wants us all to meet at Indochine in Tacoma, which is really not a chore since we LOVE their food. It's her birthday and she gets to eat what she wants on that day for sure! Saturday for fun we could go to the 55th annual Silverdale Christmas Tree Lighting around 5 pm (Santa arrives at 5:45 by police escort (though I think that speaks more to his dignitary status than to any criminal tendencies) and lights the 131 foot tall Douglas Grand Fir. (I have mixed feelings about that... though I don't know where they got it.) Another fun activity this weekend will be the Harrison Foundation's Festival of Trees which runs both Saturday and Sunday. For those of us in the south end there is always WinterFest at Peninsula High School in Purdy. I love that festival and have not gotten there in several years so I may just take a peek this weekend.
What will you do to get into the holiday spirit? Or would you rather not? I enjoy it for the month of December and not before or after, so we don't get burned out on it. I need to go pull the turkey out of the fridge so it can rest at room temp before I cook it. Thanks to Farmer George's meats in Port Orchard we got a 15 lb local bird and it is gonna be good! I will share with you my mashed potatoes method (as it is more a method than a recipe) in case you want to change up your method a bit. Have a wonderful weekend!
A bunch of yukon gold potatoes (It depends on how many you want to feed)
Cut them into chunks and boil them in chicken broth. I use a food mill so I just leave the skins on.
Meanwhile, carmelize an onion or two, and roast a few heads of garlic.
set out a tub of mascarpone cheese so it gets to room temp, as well as some unsalted butter.
When the spuds are done (fork tender) drain them, reserving the liquid for later.
Put them through the food mill (or ricer, or masher, or whatever you use and plop in a good blob of mascarpone and butter (yes, 'plop' and 'blob' are technical terms!) while the potatoes are still hot so the butter and creamy cheese can melt.
Salt the heck out of em, add some pepper, toss in the onions and garlic (you can chop those up more if you want to) and blend it all together. If you need more liquid add in a little of the broth that you set aside earlier. Keep mixing until you have it they way you want it. Eat em up! YUM!
You can use that broth later for your turkey soup, the starchy from the spuds is quite all right.
Ciao for now!
The day Before Thanksgiving and more
Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com
I am cold this week! I keep hearing everyone bemoaning the 'nasty' weather and everyone seems to be so surprised at how rainy and cold it is. I looked up the averages and our temps are very normal for November. We do have about an inch more rain than average, though I don't think that is so much that we are noticing. What I really think happened is that the combination of the onset of our blustery November weather, combined with a later changing of the clocks, has thrown us off. Personally, I think it is ridiculous to change our clocks and if I could stand Arizona at all I would be tempted to move there so I wouldn't have to do it! It's an outdated and irrelevant practice, and I think we should stop. Pick a time and stay with it! Although I do remember fully enjoying being on graveyard shift when it was time to 'Spring forward'. I hated it extra on graves when we had to 'Fall back', that was never fun.
Last week I picked up some chicken from Shannon Harkness, a local farmer and purveyor of excellent chicken. They are plump and juicy and so flavorful! We just finished the last of our Sunday chicken last night and we can't wait to roast anther one, so thank you, Shannon for taking such good care of us by growing great food! For Thanksgiving we have an order from Farmer George for a locally grown turkey. I tried to find a farmer to go to directly, but no one had any around here. We did order a heritage turkey, like last year, though that one is down by my sister's place in Bingen so my family will get to enjoy that one without us. Fresh-Local Bremerton is now open so we can get local produce, grains, and other items at this great new store! I love that! They will serve their own blend of coffee, soups, sandwiches & other food that they make at their commercial kitchen across the street, and generally just be a wonderful place to gather and enjoy our community. I love that Jean Schanen has forged ahead with this fabulous project! It is so exciting!
On Saturday night we went to dinner in Covington with my 'BFF' and her husband. They took us to Trapper's Sushi: a locally owned place with a modern decor and fantastic fresh sushi. Their menu is simple in that it really is primarily sushi and sashimi, with a few appetizers and I noticed one or two teriyaki style dishes as well, though I really only read the sushi part. Lots of sushi long rolls, and several hand rolls (the cone shaped ones) as well. I got the sushi/sashimi combo plate to share and Mark got a long roll called 'extreme', and it was plenty for the two of us. I liked the snapper and the 'tako' (octopus) the best, though I did not taste any sushi that I didn't love. The best part, of course, was seeing my friend Linda, who I miss so much that it hurts sometimes! It wasn't enough time and we didn't get a chance to really dig in and talk as much as I would have liked, so next time we get together (it won't be soon enough) I will push for just the two of us to get together, I think. I miss my girl time with her!
We started gearing up for a busy week on Tuesday, when Italian wine maker Antonio Sanguineti came in for a couple of hours to sign bottles and schmooze with us wine drinkers! As always he was charming and pleasant and even though we only had a couple of days' notice for his arrival, quite a few folks came in and enjoyed the afternoon. We handed out samples of our caramelized onion tart and Gorgonzola pizza 'truffles' that were such a big hit at our last party. We tasted his white blend 'Vincero', his red blend 'Caruso', and his beloved 'Chianti'. It was just a tease preview of our Friday night wine tasting where I will open several of our new Small Vineyards wines to pour, as well as a super secret treat that I will unveil that evening. Teaser: it has wine in it, it is more for dessert than for with the meal, and it is really fun to sip! Friday night is going to be so much fun! It is our last wine tasting of the year and I am excited to premier these amazing wintry wines.
Saturday we have our quarterly staff meeting, which I always look forward to. After every meeting we invite the staff to stay for our 'after party'. They are each welcome to bring a guest, and we invite our past staffers to join us as well. Mark makes pizza dough & sauce, and gets all the toppings ready while we are in the meeting, and then once everyone is there they can top their own pizzas however they like! We enjoy a little wine, some great conversation, and sometimes even play a board game or two. It is a fun family night and Mark and I enjoy feeding our family this way. I love being surrounded by our 'girls', it makes me very happy.
Sunday is a special day for two reasons: 1)it is our little kitty's 1st anniversary with us. Mark fell in love with her and brought her home last year and since she is clearly part Persian, and very cute, I decided she should have a show name. You know how they do those super long names that we don't really understand but somehow delineate the cat's heritage... though they always call the cat by a very shortened part of the name. Well our Callie is technically: Madamoiselle Amouse Bouche Callebaut Bonnie Blue Butterfly McQueen. (I can explain it if you really want me to...) The #2 reason Sunday is special is that we are going to the MLS cup!!! THANK YOU, KAT! My friend Kat got us great seats with her via the Coast Guard and while my Sounders won't be on the pitch (frown) it will still be a blast to have my first pro soccer match be the superbowl of soccer! I remember going to my little sister's games (she played for many years) and as I got older I was forced to go (it was my little sister, after all!)... then I married a guy who played soccer and here I am a huge fan of the game! It was a surprise to me how much I loved it this year since I only watched the first game to hear my beloved Kevin Calabro. (I missed him after the Sonics left. Sore spot!)I watched every Sounders game that I could, as well as the other playoff games. It's crazy fun!
So that is our week in a large nutshell... we are getting our Thanksgiving pre order forms in and can't wait to get tons more! Rolls, pies, croutons, wine and more for the big day, quiche and pastries for the day after when all the company still has to get fed, and anything else anyone could want to make their holiday as easy as possible! The day before Thanksgiving is busy and hectic and we love it! Mark and I will be there for 14 hours at least, then go home exhausted and happy and sleep for a long time. It will be good.
Are you roasting, bbq'ing, or otherwise cooking a turkey next week? If so, I highly recommend using a brine first. The brine locks in juices and flavor, and makes it really hard to have a dry turkey, even if you cook it to the government's ridiculous recommendation of 190 degrees. If you don't brine it and cook it that long, your turkey will be dry every time. Not cat food dry... just dry enough to where it is fine, it is edible, and you need extra gravy to get the outside white meat down your throat. We have all had them and there is no need to continue suffering! Just do this:
Take out the gizards and neck if they are stuffed inside and place the turkey in a clean and sanitized bucket. for every quart of water that you put in to cover the entire turkey, also add 1/2 cup coarse salt (or 1/4 cup table grind salt) and let it soak for 48 hours, keeping it refrigerated. Pull out the turkey the night before you want to cook it, pat it dry all around and inside, and place it in the fridge, uncovered, until the morning. You have to be careful to give it a shelf all it's own, so you do not risk any other food touching it and getting cross contaminated. Cook the turkey however you want to and this super easy brine method will ensure that your turkey remains juicy to the end.
If you want a bit more flavor to your brine here is what I am going to do to our 15-ish pound organic, non enhanced turkey (this is good for 12-15 lbs):
6 quarts water & apple cider combined
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 c. kosher salt
5 bay leaves
3 T. whole coriander seed
3 T. crushed chili flakes
3 T black peppercorns
3 T. fennel seed
3 T. mustard seed
1 bunch thyme
10 cloves garlic
1 quart bourbon
a big wad of cheesecloth in the brine as well.
Later you will need the below mentioned dry rub, as well as a quart or so each of chicken broth and apple cider,
Submerge turkey in brine and soak 24-48 hours. Keep refrigerated!
Remove turkey and get all the herbs and spices off; pat dry inside and out.
Place in fridge on it's own shelf over night before roasting.
I get the roasting pan ready with all my veggies in 1/2 inch dice thrown in the bottom:
1 onion, 1-2 carrots, 2 celery, 4 garlic cloves, 2 granny smith apples, 4-5 bay leaves, and 1 bunch thyme and then season it well with salt. Arrange the turkey on top of the veggies and refrigerate overnight UNCOVERED! This will help the skin dry out and become really brown and crispy. Make sure that there is no raw food near the turkey in the refrigerator. After refrigerating overnight, the turkey is ready to go in the oven.
Keep the cheesecloth in the brine and refrigerated, though you could certainly move it to a smaller vessel.
The next day, pull the turkey out of the fridge 1-1.5 hours before roasting, and get it on the counter to come up closer to room temp. This is perfectly safe to do as long as you keep all raw foods away from the raw turkey, and do not let it out for more than 2 hours. Get that cheesecloth out of the brine, ring it out a little bit, but keep it good and wet, and then place it in the cavity of the bird. You do not want so much in there that there is no room for air movement, but you do want it touching all surfaces to leach out it's briney flavors into the cavity.
Preheat the oven to 450
Pour 2 cups chicken stock and 1 cup apple cider into the roasting pan, over the veg. Massage your turkey with the dry rub as follows:
Dry rub: Combine: 2 cups bro sugar; 2 cups salt; 1 cup ground pepper; 1 cup smoked paprika
Loosen the skin on the turkey (use gloves and really work your hands under the skin)rub olive oil (or butter) all over the bird, under and over the skin. Grab up some of that dry rub and schmear that all over the outside of the bird, making sure to get some under the skin for extra flavor. (I do this on chickens as well)
Roast the turkey in the 450 oven for about 40 minutes, or until the skin is getting brown. Lower the heat to 350 for the rest of the cooking time, and turn the bird around every hour or so. You can baste your turkey every 30 minutes to really keep the flavors flowing over the whole bird. You may need to add extra chicken stock and apple cider to the base to keep it all moist and happy. (ps this veg base will make a great gravy later on!!)
You should cook it about 17 minutes for every pound, and if it begins to get too brown you can put a piece of foil lightly over the top (don't seal the edges) and it will stop browning. You want the bird to get to at least 160 degrees. Make sure your thermometer is in a thick part of the meat, not touching bone or pan, and check multiple areas to make sure it is accurate all over.
Once it has cooked long enough, take it out and place it in a safe spot on the counter, tent it with foil, and let it sit for AT LEAST 30 minutes. It will continue to cook from the residual heat, the juices that were swirling and bubbling on the surface of the bird will all soak back into the meat and the meat will relax and get super tender for you. The skin will get crispy and this sounds so good I am salivating! I can't wait!
If you want to make gravy out of the juices just throw the whole thing into a strainer, pressing on the veg to get all the juicy goodness out, toss them aside and then go on to make gravy as usual with the drippings. If you kept up on the broth and juice additions you should have a good amount of drippings to use. You can always enhance it with more chicken stock and herbs and spices.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
More Italy Pics; Old Town Blues; Wine & Food, Of Course!
Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com
What a lovely day it was today! The sun was shining most the day and while it was definitely chilly, it was really very nice. In case you want to see the many pictures that Mark took while we were in Italy, he has posted them HEREfor you to peruse. There are many photos, and he is a very talented photographer, so hopefully you will find the experience quite pleasant. Hosting 18 people was more work than we thought it would be, and yet we will definitely do it again next year! You can check out the details of the new trip HERE and then sign up to go with us!
I have been busy for the past couple of weeks due to staffing issues. First Sharon had a nasty cold that she is still not completely over, so I was working for her for a couple of days. Now Rheycel is on vacation and Victoria is still rather new, so I have been closing with her and working the opposite end of the day. It's actually good that Rhey is gone for now, because we have been really slow. Everyone's hours get cut a bit, though far less since we are technically 'down' one person. Hopefully business in Old Town will pick up next week, I have heard several business owners bemoaning the state of our community lately. We want so much to be a destination that is convenient and service oriented, as well as homey and community-centric. We know we have more to offer than the mall and it's surroundings, yet we seem to get forgotten down here more easily than not.
We are all working on different ideas about how to make Old Town more appealing, and specifically how our business can cater to the needs and desires of the community. We would love to hear from you and get your input and ideas, since you are who matters to us the most! What is on your mind these days? What do you wish Old Town had more of? Less of? Was different from? We could use your help for sure.
Meanwhile I have a couple of fun things for you to know about that, unfortunately, are not in Old Town Silverdale. They are a part of our community, nonetheless, so of course I want you to hear about them. First is Port Orchard's wine store the Puget Sound Wine Cellar, which is more than just a whimsical play on words. On Saturdays they have a $5 wine tasting from 2-5 and it is generally a great time to be had. John & Ann Ready are the 'new' owners, having bought the place in the past year or so, and they are quite fun and funny to hang out with for an hour or two if you are on the bay front in Port Orchard, or taking the foot ferry over from Bremerton. It's too bad the farmer's market isn't there anymore, the two places combined made for a fabulous summer Saturday!
You may remember how much I enjoyed my first visit to Suzy's Kitchen in Bremerton, from this blog post last April. It is a Korean BBQ joint and I think it is really fabulous. Her food is so good and her prices so reasonable, that she deserves to be more packed than she is, so I thought I would remind you about her. You can get food to go, and I think that much of her business is done in this style, though I would encourage you to try the Korean food for the first time in the restaurant while it is fresh and you can ask questions if you want to. I don't expect you to fall in love with the decor, the ambiance, or the oddly styled menu. Go straight for the Korean dishes (I am sure the other stuff is great, it's just that her Korean food is Fabulous, and she IS Korean, so that is what I think you should try there) and remember that when you order a main dish, you get the traditional 6 sides and rice with it.
The other night I needed a quiet moment to myself between working the cafe and heading to a busy meeting, so I stopped in for some 'soup'. My meal was comforting and wonderfully tasty, and I am so glad that I stopped! For under 10 bucks I had hot tea, a bowl of spicy chicken & pork 'stew' with big potatoes, onions, and other things, a bowl of rice, and the 6 side dishes. I love those side dishes! The potatoes were soft and warm, spiced similarly to my 'stew'. (I just don't know what else to call it, other than yummy!) Next were some pickled yellow radishes that had sweet undertones to the tang of the pickliness. They were cold and refreshing, crisp and delightful! The soy bean sprouts tasted of sesame oil; also cold and crispy and a nice intermittent bite to take the sting from the spicier dishes. Suzy's kim-chee is very good. 'Al dente' is a good descriptor here, and very spicy, just the way I like it. The broccoli side dish was a surprise, perfectly cooked and reminiscent of the same sesame oil from the sprouts. The last little side was a white pickled radish and it was spicier than the yellow was. It is so much fun to take a bite of one taste, then another, and have the juxtaposition of contrasting & similar flavors and textures, and then jump around to different combinations.
I was told that traditionally Koreans love their food HOT (I mean temperature-wise) and that the bowl of rice is meant for you to spoon a few bites of your main dish into, then eat with the rice. The one thing I noticed is that nearly every dish had some form or another of egg in it, and I am curious to find out what, if any, significants this has to Korean cooking and/or culture. Do you know and will you tell me?
One week until our wine tasting of the new Italian wines that we ordered and I can hardly wait! They have arrived and I have them up and listed, if you want to come in for a preview, or go to the web site wine page.
Last week I said I would offer you the Shrimp Risotto recipe and so here it is. Risotto is a style of cooking that can seem intimidating, though it should not be. After you make it the first time you may be like me and get hooked on making it frequently. It can be homey and comforting, elegant and impressive, and anything in between. Follow a few simple tricks and it will be easy to make, no matter what kind you do. Do pay attention to ingredients and prep everything before you start, and you will have no trouble at all. You may have heard that you must watch the pot and stir constantly; this is not exactly true. There is stirring involved, though it is not constant by any means.
Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen pink shrimp (32-40 or 42-50 work well): head off, shells on, uncooked
2 cups fish or clam broth
2 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups chicken broth/1 cup water if you don't have the other stuff)
Old Bay Seasoning (optional; readily available in either the seafood or the spice department of your grocery store)
olive oil
1 1/2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice (arborio should be easy to find)
salt & pepper
1/2-1 cup dry white wine (whatever you will serve with the dish)
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
hand full of asiago (or parmesan) cheese (maybe 1/2 cup or so) (optional)
2 TBS unsalted butter, cold and cubed (optional)
Peel the shrimp and throw all the waste into a sauce pan, add the broths and a few dashes of old bay seasoning, put a lid on it, bring to boil, reduce to simmer
Coat the bottom of a heavy bottom skillet or pot with olive oil. Season the shrimp and place them in the pan, cooking them on each side for about 1 minute. You want them to just brown a bit, and barely start to cook; they should begin to turn more pink and curl up. Get them out of the pan and onto a plate; set aside.
Recoat the pan with oil; do not clean it out. Add in the rice and stir to coat all the grains with the oil. You are going to 'toast' the rice on medium heat and this step is very important. Keep stirring it around, you do not want it to stick, though you do want to give it a chance to toast evenly, so let it be between stirs.
After it has toasted for a couple of minutes add in the salt, pepper, and wine. You want enough wine to not have it evaporate immediately, but not so much that it completely drowns the rice. Give it a stir and let the rice begin to soak in the liquid.
Strain the broth back into the sauce pan and keep it hot on the stove, over low heat. (You want to add warm broth so the cooking process will not slow or stop.) Once the wine is fairly well soaked in and evaporated put in 2 ladles full of broth. Give it a stir and put the heat down to med-low. Add in the parsley.
You will know when it is time to add more broth when you give it a stir, and slide the spoon across the bottom of the pan. If the liquid rushes back in to fill the space, it needs more time. If the spoon leaves sort of a trail behind it, where the liquid is very slowly filling in, then it is time for another ladle or two full of broth. As the rice cooks, the time between adding in broth will lengthen.
Do give it a stir now and then to check the progress and to ensure that it does not stick. You do not need to constantly stir the pot. As you are adding the broth you may begin to run out. Simply add some more of the broths and Old Bay Seasoning, or just add hot water and Old Bay if you are out of the broth.
When you think it might be ready give it a taste. Make sure the spices are where you want them to be. (If you are adding butter, you may want a pinch of extra salt to go with it; if you are adding one of the hard cheeses, you may want a little less salt, because they will add a bit of salty bite to it as well.)
The rice grains will be 'al dente', just like good pasta, not mushy and not hard. Each grain will stand on it's own; you will feel them individually as well as all together. The 'sauce' will be creamy and thick, so that when you spoon it onto a flat-bottom bowl or plate, it will slowly spread, and there will not be any 'liquid' or runniness around the edges.
If it is just about where you want it to be, stir in the shrimp and turn off the heat. If you are not adding the butter or cheese, give it a couple of brisk stirs, put a lid on, and leave it while you pour the wine and set the table. If you are adding the cheese or butter do that, then stir it briskly until it is incorporated, and cover for a few minutes.
Plate it up and it will be eaten! The shrimp should be cooked perfectly and the rice very flavorful. You will kiss yourself!
The Party Results Are In! Plus Great New Local Shopping!
Link: http://www.waterfrontbakery.com
Last Saturday we hosted a party at the cafe and we had a blast! Several people came in and got to sample the dishes we made and a couple of wines that we loved in Italy, as well as check out some of our pictures that Mark took on the trip. We had a pot of Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans... on the east coast it is commonly referred to as 'pasta fazoole') and we topped it with our fabulous olive oil. Everyone loved that so much that we offered it for sale while we handed out the samples. I made a caramelized onion tart that was so popular and had such an enthusiastically positive reception, that I have gladly added it to our catering menu. Mark made 'pizza truffles': little rounds of pizza dough stuffed with gorgonzola cheese, drizzled with olive oil and baked. Oh yea, they were fabulous, though better hot than after they got cold. Mark made our olive oil cake, which we usually make with hazlenuts, but instead we made with fresh chestnuts thanks to Ron who brought them in to us. That was a huge hit, as well. I made some marinated zucchini and that went over nicely, as did the wines we served.
I left my computer on with a slide show of our photos, and we got to see 5 of our fellow travelers who all came out for the festivities! Our tour coordinator, Doumina Whyman, was on hand to talk about next year's trip and the whole day had a festive and fun atmosphere. I poured some 100% Vernaccia from Le Rote (near San Gemignano), and 2 wines from our beloved Perazzeta: Erio (50% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet, 20% Syrah, 10% Merlot) and Sara 90% Sangiovese 10% Ciliegiolo, all of which are nearly gone now. We sold out of the Rigoloccio Rosato (100% Cabernet Franc) which is still the best rose I have ever had and I am very sad that we will not be able to get any more. Folks always say 'oh, I don't drink rose', thinking it will be like white zinfandel. Then they taste and are, without exception, very surprised at the wine. Even if they still do not prefer the wine, it is always surprising as to how good the quality is. Europeans drink rose all the time and theirs is good, we just have to get used to thinking of it differently over here. And while I decidedly do not enjoy white zin, I never bash it because that is the wine that actually got me started drinking wine in the first place. Bartels & James wine coolers got me to Sutter Home White Zinfandel (I preferred it over Beringer for some reason), then on to Gewurztraminer, and then on to an array of different wines. So hooray for white zin!
All in all I am calling the party a success because everyone had a good time and we introduced some new flavors to our friends and family at the cafe. We will have another party in January or February and serve up some more goodies and wine, since we are always looking for an excuse to have fun!
Last week I told you about a new place that is opening and Friday is the grand opening! Fresh-Local Bremerton is the place to be on Friday from 3-8 to see this new concept for a grocery store. I am so excited and I plan to be there the minute they open! First I am going to go check out the new bakery that has taken the space where Luigi was. Heidi & Lowell, of Hi-Lo's 15th St Cafe fame have opened The 15th St Bakery and they hired Luigi's former staff to fill the place with breads and baked goods. They also have an art gallery in there, merchandise for sale, as well as their fabulous coffee. Heidi took me around the space last summer as she shared the plans with me so I have been very excited to see this come to fruition. Heidi is one smart business cookie and I love just love that whole gang! I will get there before the grand opening at Fresh-Local and have a lovely full day of fabulous local food! I hope to see you all there and when I ask the question: What did you buy locally this week? You will have an easy answer!
By the way last week was Mark's birthday and we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at home, and then later in the week I made him shrimp risotto that he loved so much he almost married it! I was going to give that recipe today and then was asked so many times about caramelized onions that I decided to do that instead. You can email me if you want the risotto, or maybe I will do it next week, you never know! Or maybe you have a recipe to share with me, I would love that, too.
Caramelized onions have many uses and while they are naturally very sweet, they are great in savory things, too. You can caramelize onions a little, so they are a light brown and not too sweet, but still soft and supple and add a great depth of flavor to sauces, soups, pastas and more. Or you can give them such an extreme, deep caramel that they are fabulous on toast and act as fruit preserves only better! I love them on pizza with roasted cashews and while that sounds odd, I did it as a lark and that is what I always have at our staff meeting pizza parties now! Last Saturday when I put them into a quick pastry dough the crowds went wild. Everyone who tastes caramelized onions always asks 'what is this??' because no one expects it to really just be onions, but it is, and it is so simple. The only difference in preparation between lightly caramelized and deeply caramelized is time. That is entirely up to you! It takes time, but not much work.
How much do you want to make? 4 onions will reduce down to 1-2 cups, depending on original size and cooking time.
Peel, cut in half, then slice the onions to the size you like. I do 1/4 inch slices
Pour some olive oil (I use my good stuff for this) into the bottom of a heavy bottom pot or deep sided skillet. Coat the bottom of the pan.
Drop the onions in and if they are not sweet onions (you can do this with any kind at all) you can add a touch of honey to get the sugars going. Just a quick drizzle is all you need.
Stir to coat all the onions in the oil, turn it up to medium high, put a lid on, and let it go for 5-7 minutes, until the juices start to release and the bottom of the pan is fairly wet.
Remove the lid, give it all a really good stir, turn it down to medium low and leave it alone. Do not stir it too often, though do stir it often enough to keep it from sticking to the bottom. If it does stick, vigorous stirring usually loosens it right up. The first half hour I might stir it 3 times at the most, then less after that. I usually turn it down a bit more after the first half hour as well. The longer it goes, the lower you can make the heat, and the less you need to stir.
They will go a minimum of an hour for a light caramel and you will be surprised at how much they reduce. They will go upwards of 3 hours for the deepest caramel, and they will be a golden lump of goodness by that time.
When they are as done as you want them give them a little salt, which will brighten up the flavors and balance a bit of the sweetness. For 4 onions maybe a 1/2 teaspoon will do... start light because you can always add more but you can never take it out.
Voila! That is all it takes! You will love this result and you can do many things with these onions. I know the farmer's markets are pretty well shut down by now, so check out the fresh-local store for onions from our farmers.
And remember to Think Local First! It's better for all of us!