A Safari Dinner – Wednesday, February 24

 

Come join us as we journey through South and East Africa and savor the cuisine of the African Continent.

 

Join me and my new friend John Moody as we serve a typical South African Safari dinner, complete with South African Wines. Following dinner, John will share tales and photos of his travels in his native lands. Cost of the dinner is 45.00 (+ tax).

Please add $10 if you’d like to have wine.

 

From Africa to Asheville, John’s life passion is Africa. A native to this beautiful and stunning land, John has ventured through Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Born in Zimbabwe John now resides in Asheville and welcomes the opportunity to share some of his Safari sojourn through this captivating land.

 

Here’s what we’ll be serving:

At the start;

Samoosas with Chutney

Chicken Sate Piri Piri (an African Chile Sauce)

 

The Safari Buffet:

African Chicken Stew

Yellow rice Pilaf

Kenyan-style Curried Cabbage

Grilled pineapple on a Stick

Pumpkin Fritters

 

The Dessert:

Baked Bananas with Crème Fraiche, Toasted Walnuts, and Amarula

 

Valentine’s Day is Sunday, this year.  February 14.

 

We’ll be making a special Valentine’s Eve Dinner to Go

Order by Friday the 12^th.  Pick your up on Saturday, the 13^th. 

We’ll give you easy reheating instructions. 

Get a fire going in the fireplace and don’t worry about driving anywhere!

 

Here’s the menu:

 

Brie with Figs and Toasted Almonds

Hearts of Romaine Salad with Blue Cheese Crumbles and a Champagne Vinaigrette

Polenta hearts with Sauteed Shrimp in a Sherried Cream Sauce

Or

Steak au Poivre

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

“Love Knot” Rolls with herbed Butter

Chocolate Mousse with Gran Marnier Whipped Cream, Strawberries, and a Chocolate Shortbread heart-shaped Cookie too.

 

Time for cooking classes again:

 

On Wednesday, February 10 we’re going to get you ready for Mardi Gras. Come learn how to make jambalaya, gumbo and a couple of other N’Awlins-style favorites. We’ll have King Cake Cupcakes for dessert with a baby hidden in one. If you find the baby, your next class is free! Cost is $35 which covers the class, the recipes, the tastes of everything, and a glass of wine. Class time is 6-8.

 

Dinners 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. Orders are ready by 3.

 

Feel free to stay here with us, listening to music and visiting with your friends. I can't think of a nicer place to linger and we're now open until 8, you know.

 

Please order by phone (252-1500) or stop in to speak to one of us in person.

 

Dinners for this week are:

 

Monday February 8

*Tilapia au Poivre with Horseradish Crème Fraiche 11.75

 

Tuesday February 9

*Grilled Italian Sausage and Beer-braised Lentils 12

 

Wednesday February 10

Thai Curried Shrimp with Leeks and Jasmine Rice 12.50

 

Thursday February 11

Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, and Spinach 11.95

 

Friday February 12

Crab Cakes with Dilled Rice 13.25

 

 

We make a special casserole each week.

 

Order by noon or so. Order a half if you have around 4 folks. If you have a bigger group, or you just like leftovers, order a full-sized one.

 

Then come pick up between 3:00 and 8:00. (Or bring a gang and enjoy your dinner right here. We do have beer and wine by the glass, you know.)

 

Please order by phone (252-1500) or stop in to speak to one of us in person.

 

Wednesday, February 10

Cajun-style Chicken and Sausage jambalaya

Full: 53

Half: 26.50

 

ALSO - we're now making lasagna every Friday.

This Friday's Lasagnas are:

Chorizo and Kale Lasagna

Full: 55  Half: 27.50

Or

Roasted Vegetable lasagna

Laurie Fisher and friends take charge of The Garden Room this coming Thursday, February 11.

 

They play swingy, danceable tunes so DO come and dance (HEY all you dancers, are you listening?) 

 

When Emily and Adam swung into town last weekend they delivered my Christmas Present.  PERFECT!  I like stacking rocks and I love fun things (especially when they are on my desk.)

 

I talk about having a staff of "talented and interesting individuals."

But sometimes, the talent blows me away.

 

This is a new calendar that we're starting to have every month, now that we have so much going on in the cafe.

 

It’s Friday night. I’m home. I’m SUPPOSED to be at work. I’m SUPPOSED to be cooking. Right now! If I was where I thought I was going to be right now I would be greeting the guests, passing Tuscan goodies. My demonstration table would be set up and in about ten minutes I would suggest that everyone have a seat. I would start talking about an unusual starter that I once had in Tuscany and I would make it and pass it to everyone. And everyone would taste the second wine of the night. Ha!

 

Instead I am home. The fire is lit and it’s nice and warm in here. It’s not too bad outside either, around 35 or 37 here in Weaverville. Those few degrees make all the difference when it comes to a night of rain or a night of ice. Tonight, as it turns out, is a night of rain. Ah well. Everyone around here was flipping out all day, certain that it WOULD turn to ice. Maybe in some other neighborhoods it is doing just that. Not here.

 

I grew up in Vermont, you know, so I consider all this hoopla about ice and piles and piles of snow a big laugh, especially when nothing happens. Of course there ARE enough times when something DOES happen that it probably makes sense for all the flipping. But there is a part of me (a big part) that just groans when I see the warnings for another winter blizzard. In my experience around here it is when no one calls for anything that we really get slammed. That and the fact that daffodils are usually up and bright when the biggest dump of snow comes.

 

Our road, growing up, was dirt and was 5 miles from the small town and 8 from the big one. Still, our town, with its dirt road, had its own Road Commissioner, whose job it was to keep our road plowed in the winter and graded in the summer. Hawley Hathaway took his job seriously. The snow started. So did he. We never got snowed in, at least not because our road was not plowed.

 

The rule in our house was that if we could not open our front door, we could stay home. The wind whipped in from the west during storms, racing across the big field and gathering the snow with it. On the best days, the snow would, indeed, pile up in front of our door and keep us from being able to open it.

 

Ha! Snow day!

 

We always managed to get out the door to the kitchen, the one leading to the porch. We always managed to get out and go tobogganing, even if we couldn’t get to school.

 

So tonight, being home for the second Friday in a row due to weather, I just shake my head and wonder if I need to turn in my Born in Vermont badge. Truthfully, last week we DID have a good amount of snow, enough for us to call Saturday a snow day at work. And, much to my delight, enough to actually go sledding with friends. Yee ha!

 

Kris is new in the office.

She is very organized.

And Noel, here in the office, is EXTREMELY organized.