The Weekly Newsletter
Menus and Stories for December 10 - 14, 2007
Our staff sale starts today

Here are some of my newer glass ornaments. Little worlds of color, aren't they?

We also have mugs with Martha's cookies and sweets, Wendy's lovely pottery, Sky's beautiful paintings, Noel and Kether's fused glass, and fun swing music compilations from Andrew. If you can't make it today, we'll still (maybe) have things available next week.

Merry days to you.

Still coming in!

These sweet folks, from Firefly Farms, grow unusual squash and other interesting things up to the North of us. Here they are with almost the last of the season's Candy Roaster squash. When young they are as sweet as a honeydew, but let them mature, like these, and you end up with a deliciously sweet squash. I presented to them to the cooks whose minds started racing with inspiration.

Oh, the seeds from these squash are being saved too. Apparently these folks have almost singlehandedly saved this heirloom squash from disappearing from the nation's seed stocks. Grand.

Opening the presents

Our Garden Room is such an adaptable place. We had an early Christmas gathering here for a local group of medical folks. I cooked Tapas in front of everyone until they got distracted by the gifts piled in the back area of our room. What a pretty sight it all was.

Dinners to go

Dinners, as you know, come with a freshly-made green salad, salad dressing of the day, and made-right-here bread of the day. We take reservations until noon or so. Please order by phone (252-1500), by FAX (252-02002) or stop in to speak to one of us in person.

As a reminder, every time you order a dinner to go you are eligible to enter our drawing. Just drop a card in our drawing jar (a business card works or fill out one of the cards that we have right here) and, at the end of the month, we'll pull one card which will be good for two free dinners-to-go.

Maybe you'll win next month.

Order a lot? Enter a lot!
Good luck!!

Here is this week's menu:



Monday December 10 Cider Chicken with Granny Smith Apples 9.95
Tuesday December 11 Dijon Lamb Chops with New Potatoes 11.75
Wednesday December 12 Jerked Pork Tenderloin with Fried Plantains 13.25
Thursday December 13 Swedish Meatballs with Parslied Egg Noodles 10.75
Friday December 14 Blackened Tuna with Sweet Pepper Relish 17.25

Our website
Special casserole of the week

We make a special casserole each week, usually on Wednesday. Order before noon and we'll have yours ready to pick up between 4:30 and 6:00 that very afternoon. (Yes, you can order in advance too.) Order a full for 9 portions or, if your gang is smaller, opt for the half-sized one, which serves 4 or so.

Say, we'll happily make a salad and provide bread for you if you like, just let us know when you call and we'll get you all set up.


Wednesday, December 12
Beef Stroganoff
Whole: 38.75
Half: 19.50

Perks

I often forget to eat, which might seem unbelievable since I am surrounded by food. But I get caught up in my mind and in my computer and my papers and this and that and just, well, miss lunch. Emily and Sky and Jaime watch out for me, though, asking if I've eaten.

The other day Adam made me the day's Special Sandwich: Blackened Tilapia. I'm hardly ever known to eat a whole sandwich (without getting sick of it, that is) but I ended up being a few minutes late to an appointment that day because I wanted to enjoy each bite. Gosh it was good!!!!

I recommend keeping an eye out for the specials. They are.

A bit more glass

Okay, I've been busy in the hot shop and am proud of my little orbs. I still almost can't believe I can do this and the fact that my amusement turns into such beauty is a fabulous treat. The windows here are filled with them. Nice.

Stocking Stuffer World

Here are a couple representative stuffers for your viewing pleasure. We've got these, cookies covered with Jo's chocolates. We have Margie's incredible toffees (the other day when they arrived the office gang called Margie and screamed into the phone about how happy we were to have her candy.)

We'll have everything arrayed all over the shop. Do come, browse, stock up. I don't have room enough here to show pictures of everything, alas.

A Note From Laurey
 
December 8, 2007

Hiya. Oh the season seems today to be in full swing. Across the street the market is bustling with our farmers who have shown up to sell their holiday treats, crafts, foods. We have some parties going on today and the kitchen is humming with activity and aromas and such. The café is pleasantly occupied by tables of shoppers, friends, visitors. And we’re doing a steady stream of sales for our staff art and craft sale. Meanwhile, the sun is shining and the sky is clear and it is warm and it is just a plain old nice day.

Today my mind roams around, reviewing this year that is nearing a close and wondering about the one that is about to start. At our staff meeting everyone mentioned a bit of what was new with them. One person just got engaged, one person just bought a house, one person just passed his massage boards. One person has a new boyfriend, one is getting straight A’s in his new back-to-school venture. We had a lovely collection of news.

I’ve heard from the 20/20 people and it looks like the story about Eric Weiner’s forthcoming book, The Geography of Bliss, part of which is about Asheville (and a part of which includes his interview with me) will be broadcast on January 11th. I wonder how much of the interview with me and two other Asheville gals will make it to the final cut, the final show. It’s kind of daunting to think that my words might go out to such a broad audience. But then I think of interviews I have seen on television and I realize that I rarely remember them, especially the words of someone who doesn’t mean anything to me personally. Still, what happens if they use one sentence of a three sentence thought? I’m nervous about what my words might look like in the final edit. And what might I look like to people who know me? Yipes! And of course this story is not about me, it’s about Eric and his book, but I can’t seem to help wondering.

Jean Anderson, the author who came here for a visit that happened to coincide with the Asheville Christmas parade (remember that story?) sent word that her book has been selected in the top 25 cookbooks of the year! This is a wonderful honor. If you are looking for a great, informative, interesting book that is loaded with great recipes, do pick it up. A Love Affair with Southern Cooking.

And my book continues to move along. It’s hard to believe that it all happened just last year. Whewf! Time can fly, can’t it? I’ve got some trips planned with it for the new year and that’ll be fun. Cooking and reading stories in Virginia and Florida are in the works at this point. I’ll keep you posted.

For now, the café, since I started my note, has filled up and I probably need to get going. I’ll be in touch soon.

Take care and have a sweet weekend.

Laurey



New hats!

We had a staff meeting last week which was good. What a crew we have working here. Last night, in fact, in the MIDDLE of a party, a client called here and left a message saying how great the party was: how much fun she was having, how terrific the food was, how much she adored our staff.

At the end of our meeting I dumped out a box of just-made fleece toques. The gang pounced and, a second later, posed. I dug down into the dark reaches of my brain, found the instructions to operate the self-timer on my camera, and here's the feisty result.

(We have some beanies left over...right next to the t-shirts in our shop.)

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