Cafe Luna Rants and Raves

January 2012

2012-01-11T15:36:00.000-08:00

Hi All.

Here is a link to this months menu and current discount coupons.

Cafe Luna January Menu Click Here

Here is a link to a page of promotions for the Month of January.

Cafe Luna Promotions for January 2012

2011-09-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

Hello All you Luna/tics:

September is here and the transitional period of our season is creeping up on us, even though our summer kind of came and went and came and went.....

Not complaining mind you, just wondering if our global warming is actually global cooling down here in El Doe County at least....

Have been having some slow nights here at the Cafe - talking to people who are feeling the long term effects of what is going on in the country with their finances, their worries, and their joys. It is intriguing to say the least...baffling, exciting, and depressing all at once.....who knows where our minds go....

My yard has now officially grown past its limits...it is a jungle that has just gotten to the tropical stage with me waiting for Tarzan to come bounding out of the trees screaming his yell (I can't think of him with his yell without thinking of Carol Burnett's yodeling .....) just looking for Jane.....

But......

Winter comes and I am left with a whole bunch of leaves, and branches, and spent flowers that are mere reminders of Tarzan's leafy home.....not to bad....

Many changes here in the old P-ville Burg.....Lost our Mayor, shops closing, shops opening, people coming and going....changes....I guess with our economy and climate, we know things will happen as such. It really is the same, just with different lipstick colors. We all get over one hump to encounter another hump, or joy as the case may be. I am ready for the joy humping I dream about...(joy-humping ??? what the Holy "H" is that?)

Food: why do we love it? What makes food the main priority of our daily cravings and what is it that we crave? It's funny how food can guide you through your hours, just thinking about how good a certain something will taste in your mouth, and how that taste will sustain all your hungers.....but think about it:::::WHAT IS IT WE CRAVE???

Is it salty tastes like potato chips or pretzels? Creamy tastes like Fettuccini Alfredo or Cream Brulee'? Spicy like Chipotle Chicken or a fire-hot salsa? Or just the comfortable taste of pot roast that someone else made for you (which always taste better to me....) When I look into a menu planning session, I wonder out loud usually::::What do I want to eat???

I am always one to lean towards slow simmered or braised meats or stews, even in the summer. I am also a lover of anything over an open fire (prawns in their shells is a perfect example of what fire does to food.....I'm hungry...) - you know:::that perfect Rib Eye Steak over the barbecue, or Chicken on a spit slow cooking over off-set flames to give that beautiful glaze on the skin that is crispy and succulent at the same time....or pork chops, rubbed with your favorite spices, put on the barbecue and then brushed with a marinade or glaze that when it hits the flame, just sends memories flooding into your mind.

What is it I crave???

Maybe it is the friends or family that come with those associations of the smells and the tastes that I crave. The fun we have with the right bunch of people sharing food, drink, jokes - stupid, funny, off-color, and the "I forgot the punch-line-but-it-doesn't-matter" because you are still laughing gawd knows why.... -who knows. Maybe it is the preparation of what we eat. Here at our house, Gary does most of the cooking. Me, I do mine at Cafe Luna. But I also know that menus for me are planned out, with precise ingredients, with my recipes, my herbs, produce, meats, seafoods, grains, etc. Gary can look in the vast condiment-laden refrigerator at home and find dinner. Me? I see 1/3 full containers of mustard, capers, chutney, orange juice, mayonnaise, ketchup, Balsamic, and pickled green beans, and martini olives.....Him? Dinner fixings.

The ying and yang of the everyday joys of dinner.....

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So:::::

We have been able to offer our stuffed fresh figs, filled with Gorgonzola Dolce and wrapped in Prosciutto ham, and finished with a raspberry/Balsamic reduction sauce (great....now you know the whole recipe....good going Sherlock...). Figs are always this kind of erotic food for me: as a kid I remember seeing an old movie named "Tom Jones" with the actor Albert Finney. There is this one scene: the food scene that I will never, ever forget. It maybe the most erotic image that shaped my culinary adventures throughout my adult life: it is a scene where A Tom Jones (Albert Finney) and Mrs. Waters (Joyce Redman) sit across a table from each other and start to eat: meats, vegetables, breads, and then the fruits......well I am getting flustered just thinking about it. But let me say figs remind me about those first flushing's as an 11 year old young boy who experienced something he really did not understand, and has taken almost 50 years to ponder.

Over and Over and over....

Figs....

I love them. And now I need a drink....

(Below is a link to the famous wordless 3-1/2 minute food scene....kind of risque, so watch it if you will.....from the 1963 movie "Tom Jones")

"Tom Jones" Food Scene

But I digress.....

We are running a wonderful fresh Pacific Snapper dusted in one of my favorite spices: Pimentón from Spain. A paprika with such deep flavors and hints of memories that I love to cook with it. Pan sauteed and finished with a fresh roasted corn and cherry tomato relish. It is soothing and exciting at the same time (is that redundant?).....Try it...

We are also keeping a new dish for us: Filet Mignon with Mushrooms, Gorgonzola and Rosemary on a bed of Pasta. The fresh rosemary is really something to flavor: it pairs perfectly with the cheese and mushrooms...

Veal Milanese - pounded veal in breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese, pan sauteed until golden topped with shaved Parmesan and a dollop of 'Salsa Rojo' - roasted peppers pureed with herbs and vinegar. Delicious.

Curried Seafood Stew - Yellow Thai style made with lemongrass, coconut milk and ginger, this has prawns, scallops, white fish and calamari simmered and served with Basmati rice. Mild, but can be made spicer for our heat lovers.

Jerk Pork - One of my personal favorites. If you haven't had "Jerk" before, it is a Jamacian dish made with hot chile peppers, many herbs and spices, a bit of vinegar and my secret: fresh pineapple. You have to understand it is a 'curry' in so many ways: herb and spice blends to make this incredible flavor that just permeates the dishes it is cooked in. Ours? Boneless pork pan-sauteed and then simmered in the 'jerk' sauce. One of the Hottest Hot-Head Dishes we prepare, and guess what? Gluten free!

We are featuring our Flank Steak this month, also our Prawns Ala Casa de la Sirena - large-in-shell-prawns, grilled over open flame that have been marinated in fresh lime and orange juices, garlic and mild chiles. Wonderful.

Desserts: Have you tried our Coconut Flan? Topped with caramel glazed banana's? Incredible. Also our Brulee's remain most popular, as is our Berry Cobblers. We are also running fresh Strawberry Shortcakes made with our orange zested shortcakes.

Come in. Take a load off your feet. Order a nice bottle of wine, an appetizer and dinner if you are so inclined. We would love to see all of you. Now that school is back in sessions, it will be nice to have you back in town on a regular basis.

Take care.

David and Gary at Cafe Luna

The Real Rants and Raves of this Month

State of Mind September 2011

I am not one to discuss politics but I started this month out on a ticked off level, kept writing about how ticked off I was, and decided to just put this four page rant here, for those of you who like to read things that get you mad.

So if you want to see how things work in my head, double click this link to hear my workings of my politics at this stage of my mind.

2011-09-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

Printable copy of our

September dining menu

and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above to preview or download

September Promtions

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printable page of

Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday,all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price. Wino Wednesdays!!!.....Yahoo!!!!!

(Does not work with by-the-glass offerings)

#2. BYOB Thursdays! On Thursday nights, diners wishing to bring in their own bottle of wine getting one free bottle corkage per table. That alone will be a $15.00 savings. Please don't bring in wines on our list though.....how gauche! Call us first if you have a question......does not include holiday evenings!

#3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 1/2 off dinner coupons. Buy first dinner
at regular price, second dinner is half off the menu price; limit 2 coupons per table.
You must bring in the attached coupon.
Not valid on Special Holiday Nights.

This Months Recipe

Cuban Steak with a Fresh

Tomatillo Salsa

This is a keeper. Skirt steak or Flank steak, marinated overnight, barbecued, sliced and served with this wonderful salsa shouts "SUMMER" all year long. What to drink with this? Beer! or a nice local Barbera would be heaven.

2011-08-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

August 2011 Menu
Printable copy of this months current dining menu

and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above to preview or download

_____________________________________
_____________________________________

August Promtions

Double-Click here for a link to this months Promotions
Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday,all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price. Wino Wednesdays!!!.....Yahoo!!!!!

(Does not work with by-the-glass offerings)

July 2011

2011-07-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

Hello To All of You!

I am getting this out a bit late (who am I kidding: two weeks late!), and am full of news and information and all that stuff.

But......will cut it short to get this out to you in time.

So......

This is Gary's birthday month....I can't tell you his age to be, but will give you a hint: first number: add 3 + 3. Second number: add one more....

Listen....all I know is this: as I approach getting older (it will happen in 15 years or so.....) I can only hope I look half as good as Gary does. Attitude, tops. Fun-factor: the best. Being able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat: magical!!

Happy birthday to the greatest guy I know.....

We have been working on our back yard rigorously, just trying to get it ready so that we can just relax (Ha!!) and enjoy the rest of summer (which we are sure is going to eventually hit). We planted about 20 new pots, re-potted about 30 more, and am ready to let nature (and fertilizer) takes its natural course. Lots of major new growth this year. It is very hard for me to comprehend that this yard is only 2 years old.....whoa.....

The Meyer Lemon tree right now has about 50 or more ripe lemons on it, with about 100 more ripening. My Lime tree has been pollinated and has its very first blossoms on it....Okay....that's it now on the farm.....everything else is ornamental. and have to tell you I love my plants. We rearranged the side patio, added a couple of really comfortable "10 minute" chairs (you know the kind: when certain people sit in them, it is only 10 minutes before they fall asleep)......

Well anyway, the idea is to get out there and just read the paper, drink our coffee, and possibly just drink a bottle or two of some of our great wines.....(this can definitely happen...at least the wine part...)

I have copied at the bottom of the page, an article-link from the El Dorado Wine Association for you to look at. Only goes to show you how lucky we are to live up here where there are so many incredible wineries and tastes for us to enjoy. When was the last time you just went out and did a wine tasting afternoon? You learn so much, have a great time, and get to see other like-minded wine-heads out for a great day. You can see why it is such a social day of fun: by the end of the day, wine-tasting with people, you are all the best of friends.....
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This months new menu items:

It's summer, so why not lots of seafood, meat, grilled items and surprises?

Appetizers? A couple of additions: Seared Jumbo Scallops finished in a sweet Thai chile glaze. And our Salmon Cakes made with fresh Atlantic Salmon, roasted corn, and a mixture of aromatics, dredged in Panko crumbs, pan sauteed until golden, and topped with an orange and mango aioli.

Thai Chicken - if you know me, you know I love curries. This one is a Thai inspired green curry made with with lemon grass, ginger, chiles and cilantro, pan-sauteing the chicken meat in this mild curry with chunks of potatoes and carrots to round this out.

We have our Prawns ala' Casa de la Sirena, which is a long name for grilled prawns in the shell marinated in a fresh citrus and garlic slather, skewered in the shells and grilled on our open-fire char-broiler until they are just right. Serving them with a melted lime butter just for dipping...

Thick Veal Chops, open-fire grilled and then topped with a bit of baby Arugula micro-greens, cherry tomato and crispy bacon salad tossed in a Spanish Sherry Vinaigrette.

Our 14 oz. Double Cut Pork Chop, in our maple syrup brine to keep utmost juiciness, topped with an apple-ginger and fresh sage "jam".

How about a Turkey, Wild Mushroom, Chipotle and Potato Empanada, this time we have wrapped it in puff pastry and baking it until golden and flaky, serving it on a pool of Black Bean Sauce, topping with an avocado 'crema', fresh Salsa Lulu, and a dab of sour-cream.

Meats? We have Pork Osso Bucco, Marinated Flank Steaks, Rib Eye Steaks with a Roasted Garlic butter.

Mushroom Risotto: Crimini, Portabella, Whites, and Shitake mushrooms pan sauteed and simmered with Arborio rice, finished with Mascarpone and Parmesan cheese, topped with tiny cherry tomatoes. This is wonderful soul food.

We have you covered.

Gluten Free in Placerville::: Don't forget all of you and your friends who need gluten free foods: more than half of our menu is gluten free, and most can be adjusted for you if needed (switch pasta for rice, etc.). Just let us know.

Enjoy our summer, enjoy our wines and enjoy each other. Going out to dinner with your date is always a hoot and you know the benefits of doing something right.

Take care.

David at Café Luna

2011-04-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

April 2011

Hi All you Lunatics;

This is our anniversary month: 16 years open for business here at Cafe Luna. Whoa....through the recessions, the floods, the heat stroke, the political climates, the food trends - good and bad, the people, and the memories: thank you for 16 wonderful, exciting, fun, thought provoking, entertaining, and learning bouts of our lives.

We're still here.....

It is April, and once again (it would be appropriate to be singing "The Hills Are Alive" from the Sound of Music) my spirits are starting to soar towards the outside, and all of the benefits Spring brings us (wait!! the weeds, the snails, the bugs that seem to land on our planet just to make us crazy!!! And I'm sorry: who has the time to go flashlight snail hunting in the deep of dark nights???)

Gary is so excited, he dusted off his summer shirts and shorts, and can't wait for that first night at the Cafe where he will be able to bust out his summer ware.

Two weeks ago, snow. Snow, snow, snow. Fox 40 News called us and asked to send them some pictures of the snow falling on the highway, and our decks here. We are now famous for an anonymous picture of snow falling somewhere on Highway #50, eastbound.

Listen: I wanted to tell you about the power of letters and reading: Nancy, co-owner of The Bookery at 326 Main Street here in Placerville, read my last missive where I was saying I wanted a bread bakery to open up here. She went to a new bakery, "Beyond Baked", bought me one of his incredible pastry creations, and brought it to us to let us know they are in full swing. The little bit of chocolate mousse heaven she presented us was incredible: moist, chocolaty, and beautifully presented. Go there: here is their information.

Beyond Baked
1349 Broadway
Placerville, CA 95667
(530) 626-3600

I love that this woman took the time to let me know about this. Here is a lady that Gary and I first met when we started at Vineyard House in 1974. She was one of the very first people we met from Coloma, and to this day I still think of her as "Little Nancy Dunk". This is what we love about a small town environment: we spread the good word and the good works of business. This is the best advertising I can ever think of. Nancy has told me the bakery is only open Wednesdays through Saturdays, offering fresh pastries, breads, cakes and pies. What else could we want for our cravings??? Support our new business's in Placerville. It keeps our economy going...

So:
Sunday, Gary, Sally, Jim, Dan, Tammy, Michael and Linda took off for our Passport Weekend adventure. It started with everyone meeting at our house for a beautiful brunch Gary prepared for us; you know: we needed a full stomach to start our wine drinking on. So we took off caravan style to Windwalker Vineyards (double click for their website) where we picked up our tickets and started our first tastings of the day. Have we mentioned about their Mourvedre? Their Grand Chardonnay and Viognier? Their Zinfandel? I cannot say enough about these wines, except try them all: Alanna and Jim go out of their way to make you feel welcome, and to share these good wines with you. And on top of that? They are fun people to hang out with ....We loved it...Thanks for a great start!...

From there, we went to Cedarville Vineyards (double click for their website). Susan and Johnathan, the owners, are and "open by appointment" basis, but as Jonathan mentioned to us, just call. So we did. And we tasted his incredible minerally Viognier, the Grenache, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Sirah and their Syrah. These people are doing such an incredible job of making wines, that their pedigree and flavors are overwhelming in their simplicity and straight-forwardness of the varietals they grow. This truly is one of the El Dorado County wine treasures. And our friends were all re-introduced to the perfect cheese for wines: Spanish Manchego, a dry sheep's milk cheese that knocked our socks off. So simple for a great pairing of cheese and wines.

Off to Mount Aukum Winery (double click to go to their website), where we were greeted with a great rock-and-roll band playing music that Gary, Tammy and Sally started shaking their behinds in that "come dance with me' shake that makes me smile. Just fun. I even noticed ol' Daniel shaking his booty. Now that is a miracle of wine tasting. I haven't tasted their wines in awhile, but was very impressed with their blends: 2007 En Fuego, 2007 Vertigo, and their Malbec and Zinfandel were equally great. If you have not been up to this winery, go. It has one of the most beautiful views in the county.

And finally, our last stop of the day was at our friends Chaim and Elisheva, C.G. DiArie Vineyard (again, double click for their website). Another incredible view spot in the county, located in El Dorado, but looking over Amador County, it is so beautiful there. And then, Chaim took us for a private tasting and barrel tasting of his newest offerings of reds in the barrel room, and we all learn from him. He is a gifted teacher, and loves talking shop. Elisheva took us back up front and we tasted their new Di Arie Rose and their Verdelho - this white wine with Portuguese ancestry, that is so very excellent with cheeses and foods. We loved it. Rose has become so complex with its dry factors, its flintiness, and the full bodied tastes that it should never be compared to White Zinfandel. No. Not ever. Their Rose is made with a blend of Grenache, Estate grown Syrah, Primitivo and Petite Sirah, and its heritage of fine wines literally shines. C.G. DiArie has a tasting room in Amador County, open most days, and their winery is only open to wine club members. But if you have the chance, make this one of your required stops for what makes El Dorado County famous for its wines.
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This months new menu items:

Crab Cakes. Simply pan-sauteed with a mild chipotle chile aioli. Crab cakes are one of those items that cause such debate: my mothers mothers recipe was the best: Aunt Mary's sisters next-door neighbors was the greatest: I just love crab cakes: crab meat, scallions, celery bound together, lightly breaded in Panko crumbs, and pan-seared golden. Enough already!!

Miss Shirley's Chicken: Shirley West was a wonderful crazy funny woman known to many around here. She came in one day and described her favorite chicken pasta dish to me and asked it I would make it for her. So this was the result. Chicken breast meat, pancetta bacon, artichoke hearts, roasted leeks and capers in a white wine and lemon sauce served tossed with Pappardelle pasta, topped with Parmesan cheese.

Mushroom Risotto: Crimini, Portabella, Whites, and Shitake mushrooms pan sauteed and simmered with Arborio rice, finished with Mascarpone and Parmesan cheese, topped with tiny cherry tomatoes. This is wonderful soul food.

Short Ribs of Beef: My personal favorite meat dish. Boneless short-rib meat that gets braised for at least six hours on a bed of caramelized onions and vegetables with lots of wine and fresh thyme. We then reduce the pan sauce until it is coating the meat, and serve it on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes. Topped with a Meyer Lemon gremolata, it comes to your table smelling like perfection.

GLUTEN FREE IN PLACERVILLE??? Don't forget all of you and your friends who need gluten free foods: more than half of our menu is gluten free, and most can be adjusted for you if needed (switch pasta for rice, etc.). Just let us know.

And one more thing: I have been doing this monthly letter for several years now, and love it. The notes and letters we get back from you are funny, insightful and full of information that I save. Thank you for your business all of you. Thank you for your interest in our news letters, and thank you for your feed back. It is a fun way to get things going....

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

2011-04-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

This Months Recipe

Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy.

Risotto With Pancetta and Peas

Here is a wonderful recipe to keep and to grow with in your cooking. The basics are here for you to start trying and experimenting with. This dish is so great with a good bottle of red wine it hurts. Recommendations? An Albarino: white, crisp and dry. How about a fruity Pinot Noir? YOu will be the hit of table once you learn how to make this recipe and the subsequent variations you will want to try.

2011-03-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hi All you Lunatics;

March.

They say in all the ads "Welcome to March Madness!!!". I can see why. We have that tiny peek of sunshine, followed by that dismal bout of gray and rain, and wind and cold.....it's like not being able to decide what to wear when you get up in the morning. (Gary is so ready to pull out all of his Tommy Bahama's and shorts, and yet that vocal delivery of "possible snow tonight" just pulls all the wind out of his visionary sails.....)

Baby, It's cold outside ....(Listen here...Song: Baby, It's Cold Outside by Dean Martin

I swear to gawd, I was outside in my gray-wintered yard and we saw some plants sticking their bright green little heads out of the soil, but like that wise old beaver (?) who predicts the coming spring every year, they all said "screw this" and retreated back to the warmth of the underground.

Sometimes I am like that: you get your day going, and then "BLAM", something hits you and says 'it's to cold, dismal (fill in the blanks) to do anything' and we just want to stay home and make a fire (at our house, Gary walks over to the wall, looks at me and says 'Let me build you a fire', and he flicks the switch, and 'voila!' : instant fire. And he laughs each and every time he says this.... He's so good with technology....) and maybe have some hot tea, or warm up some vodka and drink it with our orange juice (am I getting that wrong???). Anyway, you just feel like plowing under the covers and retreating from the dismality (yes, this is a word: : the quality or state of being dismal : dismalness; also : a dismal occurrence or feeling) of our weather.

But I? Let us embrace this wreck of these days. It's cold: get out your favorite socks and sweaters and parade around feeling great about your feet just rejoicing in that feel of thick cotton wrapping around your toes screaming "I feel goooood".....that sweater of yours that you don't wash that often, that still has the smell of the last favorite thing you did while wearing it (AVATAR in 3-D), and finally being able to wear that eight foot long hand knit scarf wrapped around your neck three times (they look so good on the models: why do I look like Jabba the Hut?

(See view ➔)

Oh well, a legend in my own mind.....

And we look forward to just 2 - 3 weeks from now when it all changes......and then I remember: April showers bring May flowers....(am I the only person who remembers these things? What did my mother do to us???).

So once again, food brings comfort. Food nourishes us. How we go about getting the comfort and nourishment is up to us....

Me? I love braised meat dishes. So you will see that on the menu. Last month, we asked for some customer favorites that we could incorporate into this months menu. To those that offered items I could re-create thank you. We have several of these items on the menu, and some favorites to boot. Ms. Katy has a seafood stew that is already popular (with us to begin with...) that has crab, and shrimp and clams. I tweeked the recipe a bit, but Katy's Seafood Stew is now on the menu. Along with Judy's Hanger Steak, Mike's Jerk Pork, and Margie and Bob's Pesto Chicken, and one of my favorite people who we miss, "Miss Shirleys' Chicken Artichoke Pasta". So enjoy your fame you crazy kids.....you are on the menu!!!!

Alas, to those who offered things I could not include on the menu, what were you thinking??? Cold Polish squid with pickled cabbage? Black ink pasta with chocolate, fresh lavender and prawns? Lamb pancreas with rice and honey? I am getting too old to see the value of food I would be afraid of eating.....life is to short...

Give me polenta any day of the week.....just polenta....maybe with some short-ribs, or Osso Bucco, or lamb shanks. or Gorgonzola and Parmesan....(now I am being pushy...)

So another thing; Placerville NEEDS a great bakery. The kind where we can go and get a fresh out of the oven Baguette, or a Brioche, shiny with an egg wash. When we go to San Francisco, we always go to this bakery on Columbus that is an old Italian bakery that specializes in wonderful breads and pastry that you can't decide which or how many to purchase. I long for that in our area. Anthony Bourdain, the mad-man of food and travel and awkward sentences, has a must-watch program on the Travel Channel called "No Reservations". He makes no excuses for what he likes, and dislikes. He also is an opinionated S.O.B., but you find yourself mesmerized by his observations. This is a clip from his show about French bakeries that is wonderful, and makes me long for that smell in the mornings....which will also clue you in on this months recipes...

Anthony Bourdain Baguettes

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I was given the site to watch this lady named Clara on YouTube. She is 94 years old, and has a cooking segment she films about cooking during the depression (which one you ask???). I find her fascinating in that she is so patient while she is discussing and preparing her foods. It is a lesson in my own patience just to watch her cutting a carrot, or peeling an apple. I am sending you this link to watch this amazing lady. She has a cook book, she has a web site, and she is 94!!!! Come on, it is a couple of minutes out of your busy life to see this lady who is still doing something constructive with her days. She reminds me of all the older people in my life that I probably should not take for granted, and also the ones gone that we should have taken more time with. WRITE YOUR FAMILY COOKBOOKS!!!!

Great Depression Cooking - by Clara

(Can you tell I have found a new way to interject some media to our e-mailings to you? watch out::::you will be seeded with things I like.....)

And one more thing: I have been doing this monthly letter for several years now, and love it. The notes and letters we get back from you are funny, insightful and full of information that I save. Thank you for your business all of you. Thank you for your interest in our news letters, and thank you for your feed back. It is a fun way to get things going....

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

2011-03-26T12:10:00.000-07:00

March/April Promtions

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printablepage of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday,all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price. Wino Wednesdays!!!.....Yahoo!!!!!

(Does not work with by-the-glass offerings)

Printable copy of this months current dining menu

and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above to preview or download

February 20111 Rants and Raves

2011-01-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

Hi All you Lunatics;

Here we are in the Lovers Month of February. We are looking at what kind of recipes or foods to feed to the significant others in our lives, and we take more time for this than usual.
Because the benefits of a well planned out evening reap great rewards (what? they don't reap great rewards???? go read your manual on how to keep the spice in your love-life....and read the chapter on chocolate and white chocolate. And turkey......).

I start thinking early in the month: what will work better this year than last...a smoother chocolate dessert? no nuts? more nuts? candles all over the room OR the whole house? flowers: red, white or pink? roses or carnations? which ones will smell best after two days in my window? do I really need to get the dog groomed for the day? Romantic card or just simple? do I need to shave? Shower? Change my socks?

oh my gawd: the dilemmas we put ourselves through.....

but it should be worth it....

This will be year 38 in the Happy Valentines Day celebrations we have shared. I remember the first one: yes, the dozen red roses, the box of Godiva chocolates (the best at the time), the mushy card....and my starched and pressed shirt when presenting my gifts.....
I was a stunner....
and did I ever rack up the points that day!!!

Which makes the other years harder and harder to keep up with.

Lately, a grand holiday like this is being able to go to sleep early with just a slight good-wine or sparkling wine buzz that will not end up in my seeing the walls spinning around and around....(but that's just me....) and being able to find my socks at the end of the day. That is the accomplishment....

And I also remember that one year it was a single flower, a single truffle and a simple card: racked up allot of points that day also. (who am I kidding? we take the time, we reap the rewards!!!!)

So this months recipe for you to check out is for a Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake. This one is very simple to make, looks beautiful, and holds really well for a couple of days, covered up tightly. and the best thing? When it is sitting in your refrigerator all wrapped up, your other half remembers the time and effort and the reason it's there: always think ahead my dears: always think ahead!!!!

My mom has been collecting Valentines Day cards for about 50 years now. The paper kind that we used to give out to all the kids in our classrooms.
And remember we signed each and every one of them? and they had the great little envelopes that were sometimes the same shape as the cards themselves, or a really cool color that was not white??? And sometimes you were afraid to give to a certain person because they either (#1) might get the wrong impression, or (#2) they might find out you were secretly harboring a crush on them, but you were not ready for them to find out about....just yet......

but I digress....

so, she has been collecting these cards for over 50 years. she shows me the many boxes of these cards. I realize that she has many of them over 100 years old, and that they have their original envelopes, and some have the best sayings in them with such succinct poetry that it just makes you swoon with the romantic feelings they convey, or you get pissed off and wonder why your jerk of a spouse never gives you anything like that....after all you have done for that person: slaving over a hot stove, cooking meals, raking up bushels and bushels of leaves, shoveling snow in the dead of winter when you would rather be watching "TOP CHEF" reruns, cracking walnuts outside IN THE COLD so you won't make a mess in the house; cleaning the house, washing the car, cleaning out the gutters, making ice sculptures using a hand-saw of a unicorn floating through the clouds....cutting the grass, trimming all the hedges, pulling the weeds, and the list goes on and on and on....taking care of the kids and the friends of the kids, and making their meals and sewing their clothes, and saving for their college funds, and trudging through miles and miles of winter snow to get to school...

but wait: we don't have kids, and it doesn't snow here, and we have a great guy who does our yard-work, and I have never made an ice sculpture in my life, and we have no gutters.....
what the hell?? I'm just lucky to have someone who puts up with me and my insanity s***!!!!

and for that I count my lucky stars.....

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The Menu::::

Risotto Rules: So since we have introduced a monthly Risotto preparation to our menu, this rice dish has quickly become our second biggest seller on our on the menu. Who-da-thunk???

This month we are offering a fresh Asparagus and Spinach Risotto finished with Mascarpone cheese and Parmesan. Here is this wonderful gluten-free dish that fills us up with creamy/cheesy wonderfulness and just warms up your soul.....Try this if you love risotto. We can add chicken or prawns to this dish if you are so inclined also.

Short Ribs of Beef: If there is one thing to know about Café Luna and myself, you need to know of our love of braised foods: this wonderful long and slow and low cooking the results in such flavorful and tender meats that it falls apart with just your fork. and the sauce that this type of cooking gives us is exceptional!!! So we are preparing our short-ribs using caramelized onions as the base, slow cooking until the vegetables almost melt, and then making this amazing sauce to serve them in. You will be happy. I am going to have two options for serving: garlic mashed potatoes or a creamy polenta (yummm...). You are the master here....

Duck, Mushroom and Delta Corn Pasta: I love duck. It is something that I cannot believe that so many people have not experienced, or have experienced this really terrible version of that has soured them for life. Not here: we are braising this meat (again: long, low and slow...) until it almost falls apart, pan-sauteing it with wild and domestic mushrooms, fresh corn kernels, sun-dried tomatoes and finishing it with a bit of Mascarpone cheese, white wine and tossing all of this with Gemilli pasta ("little Twins"). This is a great way to get your pasta and your duck fix!!!

Check out down below for a full copy of this months menu if you want to download the whole sheet.

And don't forget: Gluten Free in Placerville?? About 75% of our menu is GLUTEN FREE!!! And more than half of our desserts are gluten free, so you can eat the way you want to!!!
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And one more thing: I have been doing this monthly letter for several years now, and love it. The notes and letters we get back from you are funny, insightful and full of information that I save. But I would love to get something more from you: I am looking to do a whole March 2011 menu based on customer favorites: ours and yours. If you have some family recipes that you think would work here at the restaurant, or would like to share some of your food memories, I would love to hear about them. Your name will be here on the menu if we can get to them all. Think about it, and pass them along if you would like to. This should be great!!!

Thank you for your business all of you. Thank you for your interest in our news letters, and thank you for your feed back. It is a fun way to get things going....

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

February 2011 Promotions

2011-01-31T17:11:00.000-08:00

January/February Promtions

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printable page of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday,all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price.
Wino Wednesdays!!!.....Yahoo!!!!!
(Does not work with by-the-glass offerings)

#2. BYOB Thursdays! On Thursday nights, diners wishing to bring in their own bottle of wine getting one free bottle corkage per table. That alone will be a $15.00 savings. Please don't bring in wines on our list though.....how gauche! Call us first if you have a question......does not include holiday evenings!

#3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 1/2 off dinner coupons. Buy first dinner
at regular price, second dinner is half off the menu price; limit 2 coupons per table.
You must bring in the attached coupon.
Not valid on Valentines Night.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

February 2011 Menu

Printable copy of this months current dining menu
and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the heading above to preview or download

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake
This Months Recipe
Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

Chocolate Mocha Cheesecake
So, this time of the year, we want and crave chocolate. We also love cheesecake. So why not make this recipe, and have enough for tomorrow? This is delicious, and very easy to make. And you will make points with anyone you serve it to. Enjoy....

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

2011-01-31T17:10:00.000-08:00

Wine Facts and Trivia:

There are 24,000 names for varieties of wine grapes, corresponding to between 5,000 and 10,000 actual varieties. However, only about 150 are commercially important.

One bottle of wine contains about 25.6 ounces, or for those whose think in metric terms 0.75 liters. This is usually considered to be 4 glasses. As a rule of thumb, it takes about 2.4 pounds of grapes (usually 600 to 800 grapes) to produce a bottle of wine.

Looking at wine production another way, there are about eight bunches of grapes per bottle or three to five bottles per average grapevine.

Be careful about averages, the actual numbers vary widely. For example, Chateau d'Yquem, the most famous estate in Sauternes region of France, produces approximately one bottle of wine from eight vines. But what a bottle, this wine is generally considered the world's greatest sweet wine, and has merited a unique rating for over 150 years.

What about acres? On the average an acre of land produces 5 tons of grapes, or, in other terms, a little less than four thousand bottles of wine. In other words, if you drank a bottle of wine a day, it would take eleven years to consume the output of a one acre vineyard.

Wine grapes are the single most widely planted fruit crop. There are 20 million acres of grapes planted worldwide, just about enough to supply every adult living in the United States with a bottle a day. Not that we are suggesting...

In actual fact, the US ranks 33rd in per capita wine consumption at 2.088 gallons a year, which works out to about 10.5 bottles per person per year. In contrast, Luxembourg leads the world in per capita wine consumption, beating the US by a factor of more than 7.5 to 1. The non-Moslem country reporting the lowest per capita wine consumption is Mexico, at less than a glass of wine per person per year.

The Languedoc-Roussilion region of southern France produces more wine than does the entire United States.

One 6.4-ounce glass of typical white wine contains about 133 calories; while a glass of a typical red contains about 141 calories. In contrast, that much grape juice contains about 131 calories. So you won't lose much weight by switching from wine to grape juice.

A typical grape berry is, by weight, 75% pulp, 20 % skin, and 5% seeds. Small grapes such as Pinot Noir have a larger portion of skin to pulp.

When grapes ferment into wine, the most important chemical reaction is the transformation of sugar into alcohol. A typical wine contains 86% water, 11.2% alcohol, and 2.8% of all the other compounds that make the wine a wine, instead of colored firewater.

Chemists have identified over 250 compounds in wine, making it more complex than blood serum.

Complex or not, people don't want to wait for a wine's components to evolve. Over 90% of the world's wine is consumed within two years of its vintage date. Don't get me wrong, there is no point waiting for most wines to evolve over the years, they won't.

In spite of the great interest in wine storage, including a wide variety of cellars, racks, and refrigerators, it is estimated that 98% of all wine sold is consumed within a single week of purchase.

In 2000, California had more than half a million acres devoted to grapevines.

The California wine industry provides about 150,000 jobs. This may not be surprising when you consider that more than 160 countries import California wines.

Napa Valley recently surpassed Disneyland as California's No. 1 tourist destination with 5.5 million visitors a year.

While California is the American state producing by far the most wine, all fifty states can claim at least one commercial winery.

There are approximately 49 million bubbles in an average bottle of sparkling wine, but an estimated 250 million bubbles in a bottle of Champagne.

All these bubbles generate about 90 pounds per square inch pressure in a bottle of Champagne, approximately three times the pressure in your automobile tires.

Typical dessert wines range from 5 to 30 percent residual sugar.

The Hungarian Tokaji Esszencia, one of the world's finest dessert wines, contains up to 85% residual sugar. Only a special strain of yeast is able to ferment it, ever so slowly. One must wait decades for Tokaji Esszencia to attain 5 or 6 percent of alcohol. I am told that it is worth the wait.

A one-inch cube of cork contains about 200 million fourteen-sided cells filled with air.

A cork tree is first harvested at about age twenty-five years. Subsequent harvests occur once every nine years for a total of about fifteen harvests. Can anyone claim to taste the difference between a wine sealed with a cork from a twenty-five year old tree and the same wine sealed with a cork from a one hundred sixty year old tree?

Portugal is by far the main source of wine corks. At one time it produced thirteen billion of them per year.

A good sommelier won't grimace when extracting a cork using a waiter's corkscrew, even though the extraction requires between 50 and 100 pounds of pulling force.

Italy has about 900,000 registered vineyards, and more than a thousand grape varieties.

Grapevines don't produce good wine grapes until they are at least three or four years old. If properly maintained they may continue producing for a century. As the vine ages, the yield tends to decrease, but the quality may improve.

A glass of wine served between 44º and 59º F ( 6.6º and 15º C) warms up a degree Fahrenheit approximately every seven minutes until reaching room temperature. A wine served between 39º and 44º F (4º and 6.6º C) gains a degree approximately every four minutes.

Experts recommend storing wine at a constant temperature of 55º F / 13º C and humidity of 70 to 75 percent.

2011-01-03T17:02:00.000-08:00

Hi All you Lunatics;

Happy New Year to all of you.

What a great way to start our year! We had a great New Years Eve group of people that came in and we had a wonderful time just enjoying food, wine and each other....Gary, Maria, Richelle, Drew and Courtney commented all night what a gorgeous bunch of people we had....

Thank you for thinking of us for this special night.

We had fun.
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So now, we gotta get on the ball and figure out our new year's plans I guess. Not one to make resolutions (why set myself up for failure?), instead we try to just set goals for the years....baby steps....that when achieved, we just shout out loud "Good for us" and when we don't, we blame our parents.

Our hopes for the new year? Besides what they say at every convention, beauty pageant or press conference ("Mah dream is for world peace and to be able to stand upright with my tee-ara on straight"), here are some of my wishes:

1. That all of the wineries are able to bottle up and sell really incredible wines this year: balanced, flavorful, and making us realize why California and our counties make us proud wine drinkers.

2. That all the food trends that came and went last year be either put to rest, or be part of our new appetites.

3. The home cooks realize how wonderful bone-in meats really are when they braise them slowly for hours.....making their homes and kitchens smell like heaven and all their people eating these dishes thank them for taking the time to produce such good foods.

4. That we all eat something new this year, and learn to love it with the same secret gusto as we do French Fries.

5. That bacon become part of our food group. And everyone learns how to make candied bacon for breakfast.....(recipe to come...)

6. That soup-making be part of the weekly dining habits of everyone. That we all understand how easy and economical they are to make, and how great they can be as a full-on meal for your family. With a loaf of really good bread, hot out of the oven. And the right wine to go with the soup-meal. Did I mention the wine? (Side note: in my old hippy-dippy daze, a lady named Adele Davis wrote this book called "Let's Eat Right". In it, she praised the benefits of a weekly soup that she made with just the frozen left-overs from your weeks dinners: save all of the cooked vegetables in a Mason jar; save all the stocks, juices from cooked meats, the left-over butters from your cooked veggies, etc. in another Mason jar. Left-over bits of pasta, rice, meats, chicken in another jar. At the end of the week, combine them all to make a hearty soup. She mentioned that pureeing this soup with a bit of cream was also a way to make it look better. At our house, we call it "Must-go" soup.)

7. That we can budget out to purchase one great piece of kitchen equipment that we can use over and over and over again: examples: a heavy bottomed enameled cast iron dutch oven (ala Le Creuset or some of the others on the market); a food mill; Microplane graters; a Kitchen Aid mixer; canning equipment; a stock pot.

8. To find 100 new ways to use the above piece of new kitchen equipment (see #7 above).

9. To find a brand new varietal of wine that we have never tried before and learn to appreciate it and incorporate into our dining habits.

10. To find out the benefits of using a wine decanter for some of our everyday wines.

11. That we talk to a family member and start writing down all the recipes that we love from family and friends get-togethers, so they don't get lost or forgotten. Producing a family/friends cook-book is a goal for everyone who loves to cook or who loves foods. And the awful part, is most of these recipes are in that persons head and not on paper. (Example: Gary's mom made this wonderful Portugese dish she called "Garvanzas"; it was a tradional holiday or special occasion dish that every one of the six brothers loved. Where is that recipe now?????)

12. That we have more functions with friends that are casual.

13. That we have more functions with friends that are formal, and require an R.S.V.P. (It's fun to get dressed up and look snazzy....)

14. To get everyone in the household to eat at least 2 meals a week AT THE TABLE....without the T.V. on, and using cloth napkins.

15. To remember how a lit candle at dinner changes the whole mood of the dining experience. And realize that even KFC Chicken can be romantic, if you set the mood.

16. To go on at least a "once-a-month" date with the one you love.
A real-planned-night or day out. No kids, no other friends. The kind of date that ya primp up for and might hold hands across the table while looking in each others eyes. And smile. It is nice to realize and appreciate why we love our mates. And to court each other all over again. (And the rewards are great too!!!)

17. To try and see some value in that person who always just pushes your buttons. And try to "just get along....."

18. To give the remote control to the other guy for a night or two.....

19. To go dancing. (See #16 and #15). It seems like every movie that gets us kind of romantically weepy has a great dance scene in it, even if it is in your boxers and slippers in front of the T.V. We need to just dance every so often.

20. To help out more in your house with the things the other person does for you.....(the possibilities and the rewards can be endless in the romance department!!!)

21. To put the toilet seat down each time you use it. And be the first one to replenish the toilet paper roll.

22. To live my life with relish.

23. To laugh at myself more,

and to laugh: period.
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This months menu:
I am keeping Stuffed Pasilla Chiles on our menu: yes, they were that good!!!! Filled with fresh zucchini, sweet potatoes, and corn, and three kinds of the great Mexican cheeses we found locally. On a bed of rice, topped with a roasted tomato sauce, and Mexican Crema. this is good eating. Vegetarian but so very flavorful.

This months Risotto is a traditional Saffron Risotto that is made with Crimini, Shitake and button mushrooms, grape tomatoes, fresh corn, and winter truffles, topped with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and white truffle oil.

Filet Mignon is back on the menu: our filets we hand cut at 10 oz. portions, wrap in thick cut apple-wood smoked bacon, and char-broiling them, topping with a wonderful reduction sauce made with Barbera wine, prosciutto, and wild mushrooms. Happy meat eaters unite!!!

Our slow braised Lamb Shanks are going to make my lamb lovers very, very happy. Perfect winter food, these bone in shanks look like something out of a Flintstones cartoon. Slow simmered in red wine, garlic and vegetables, we strain and reduce the sauce down and served it on a bed of our garlic mashed potatoes. Good stuff Maynard...

Mr. Don's Chicken: Don is this great guy who loves this dish, so I named it in honor of his good looks and his good taste: a large skin-on chicken breast, pan-seared until golden, finished on a bed of little potato gnocchi's, Fingerling potatoes, and quartered mushrooms with white wine and a pan-juice reduction.

Scroll down this page to get to our new menu and this months promotions and recipe. This is the fun part!
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Have a great month all of you.....and thank you for your business, and just taking the time to read the bantering of a guy who is going to turn a year older this year......

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna
___________________

2011-01-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

Printable copy of this months current dining menu

and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above to preview or download

_________________________

January/February Promtions

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printablepage of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday,all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price.
Wino Wednesdays!!!.....Yahoo!!!!!

(Does not work with by-the-glass offerings)

2011-01-03T17:00:00.000-08:00

This Months Recipe

Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

Candied Bacon

This is a bacon lovers dream. I am sure that you have heard of this, or seen it before, but if you love bacon, you need to add this to your files. It can be served for breakfast, brunch, or as an appetizer with a nice chilled white wine or even a Sangiovese or Barbera. Enjoy.

December 2010

2010-12-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

Hi All you Lunatics;

oh my gawd....

I have come to the conclusion that we must address the holidays as something that is hard to fathom anymore: sure, the decorations, the parties, the gift-buying and the gift-receiving, the cookie and desserts we all profess not to eat, but love to have and to make this time of the year....
and now, we have the computer aspect of the the holidays and it seems like: the new religion.

You have no idea how many Christmas cards and notes, and family "letters" we have received via the internet and e-mails.....

Don't get me wrong: I love to hear from long-ago friends, or relatives we haven't seen in along time, and usually get communications through cards, or name-drawing, or just "thinking of you" notes. And we do get a lot of satisfaction out of hearing about the everyday lives of the people that we know marginally, or through work or jobs.....the insight and the "huh, I didn't know that" aspect of them.....

But......
Gary and I want to write our own holiday card to people who we haven't seen in years, but put a bit of evil holiday cheer in it:

"Well, it has been an eventful year: Johnny got kicked out of re-hab: again. Suzie has been trying to get Mr. Right to propose, but has to wait for his wife to leave - the kids miss him so much....Our dog Scooter is still chasing the neighbors cats, even with only three legs....that rash on my chest has now spread to my face, but some friends tell my it looks good.....Gary's able to feed himself now....the medication seems to be working, other than the uncontrollable fits of profanity and spit.....and the house foreclosure has been delayed another 60 days......"

I have always wanted to be the guy with the bumper sticker on his car that says "My child is on the Honor Roll in Art Class at Folsom Prison".

but that is us....(it does seen the horns do come out during the holidays....I attribute it all to my up-bringing....Gary's? Hormones...)
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Gary and I and the Wine Gang went out wine tasting a couple of times these last several week-ends. You know how people live in a beautiful area, a place like Placerville/El Dorado County where people come here to vacation and sight see? Well....sometimes with our wineries, the ones that we are so familiar with and drink their wines so often, we forget about their presentation and how many other wines they might be offering. That is what we did. We went to our oldest winery account, dating way back to 1974: Boeger Winery.
When we opened our first restaurant up here, The Vineyard House, Boeger was our first local winery that we carried. And believe it or not, our wine list was pretty extensive at the time, eventually carrying most of the ten or so local wineries offerings. And believe it or not again: we probably carried at least 8 or 9 White Zinfandels: yes!!!
The reason? Back then, White Zinfandel was theee wine that got people drinking more wine, and getting non-wine drinkers drinking wine.
It seemed at the time that all of our local wineries had a White Zin on the market, and we couldn't keep them in stock. Moms, Dads, Grannies, Trannies: everyone was drinking that particular bottle. Along with Mateus Rose, and Lancers. And we can't forget Blue Nun.
The famous one? Sutter Home White Zinfandel....

At the time, it was what the Michael Jackson "Thriller" album did to many of the general public: it made dancers out of all of us.....even those of us with no rhythm what-so-ever: didn't stop us: we Danced !!! I remember going down to our bar in the basement at the restaurant, ordering 2 Tequila Sunrise's, going into my alcoholic haze, and then opened my eyes: well, I could dance to church music, I was so good. And a pole in the room? Watch out Carol Doda!! A long haired hip-thruster I was.....and a butt-wiggler....and a head bobber....
just not able to do them at the same time....

That "Thriller" album (yes kids: they were "Albums" then.....vinyl records that you either played separately so they wouldn't scratch, or you could be a rebel and stack 4 or five on the turn-table and have music all night long.....) put so much fun into parties, that we all started experimenting with music: being a young kid from the city up here in the mountains looking for crazy fun finding music? Bee-Gee's, Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, "Caribbean Queen", Marvin Gaye.....heaven!! And of course, all of our friends believed we had great taste in music (apparently, we can all decorate houses, dress really well, know all the colors at the paint store, and shop for accessories better then the employee's at Pottery Barn....{these falliacies must end!!!}...but that is another story..) because we played it really loud, and remember: I could dance to organ music.... in my mind at least...
So that would get the party started. And we would laugh and have fun and work the floor. But it got the people out there and dancing....

Just like White Zinfandel Wines.....it got people trying new stuff that they maybe thought they had never liked before. Trying your first wine and usually having a Hearty Burgundy or Chianti at your great aunt and uncles house, you know, the one on top of the refrigerator that had been there - opened - since last year: this was not a great introduction to wine-drinking if you were fresh off of Tab of Fresca.....
White Zinfandel EASED people into wine drinking.....

And so we carried Boeger's White Zinfandel. Along with their Hangtown Red, and Hangtown White, etc....

Our own little Miss Sara took excellent care of us, guiding us through the varietals and tastes we needed to be aware of. She has so much information about the wines that I was totally impressed and demand she get a huge raise!!!

Oh well....I tried.....(just like home: no one listens to me.....)

What we tasted we loved that day? Barbera, Rofosco, Primitivo, and of course, their Zin's. Love them....and thank you for the wonderful reception you showed us all.

Then on our day of education, we ambled over to Madrona for a wonderful tasting of their current wines. Paul and Maggie took us down-stairs into the the "vault" (we think they didn't want others to see us having too much fun....) and sampled us on all their current vintages, and some futures. Of course my favorite wines that day were the ones I couldn't have....such is life.....
But we did taste some of their incredible, rich, big reds that I love. It is a wonder to taste some really toothsome wines since our current status with California tastes seem to be along the lines of "fruity" - gimme a "stain-your-teeth-red" any day. Madrona's Malbec, Shiraz/Cabernet, Nebbiolo, Syrahs....and of course their Zinfandels. It was wonderful tasting these wines all over again, re-introducing me to their great product.
What is odd to a lot of people to imagine: I get to taste upwards of 20-40 wines a week. I take copious notes on my wine-tasting, because at my age, well....let's just say my memory comes and goes.....so if I take the notes, at least I have a great reference point to remember later. And oddly enough, I have great penmanship - at the beginning at least....
Syrah: 2007 - El Dorado County; reserve; huge nose, luscious outer tongue tinge, leather, cocoa, old-tobacco; complexity that evens out to a well rounded mouth-feel. (why yes, I do right notes like this....at the beginning.....)
At the end of the day? I can't seem to stay within the lines of my note paper, my penmanship is huge and flowing off the paper, and usually it says: I lub theese wines.

end of notes.

Thank gawd I have friends who "think" I am just tired.
The things we do for our public..... It never ends.....
__________________________________________
So.
Gary has the tree up at the house, the outside of the house decorated, and the timers are working. He has hung wreaths in the windows, flower arrangements on the mantle and in the dining room, placed all of his Santa collection out on the table, and is over at Aunt Sandi's decorating her table for her.
Me? I baked some cookies. Then took a nap. Then looked at the new Pottery Barn catalog.
I love the holidays.
__________________________
Our new menu: we have a lot of new items on this months menu.
Lulu and I have made some Stuffed Pasilla Chiles that we filled with fresh zucchini, sweet potatoes, and corn, and three kinds of the great Mexican cheeses we found locally. On a bed of rice, topped with a roasted tomato sauce, and Mexican Crema. this is good eating. Vegetarian but so very flavorful.
We have also included, at Ms. Sharon Chilton's request, Chicken Vindaloo on the menu as an alternative Hot-Head Special. This is probably the hottest/spiciest dish we have ever served; it puts my "Hot-Heads" to task in the 'sweat-on-the-forehead' department. A rariety for Indian curries, it uses vinegar as part of the flavor base. It is wonderful in its complex chile heat, and we top it with a bit of our house made curry to bring it back to earth. Hot-Heads unite!!!
Beef Stroganoff is back, making my meat-lovers and sour-cream needers happy. We use only filet for this dish, and four kinds of mushrooms, in a rich sour-cream, paprika and wine sauce. Over noodles. Good stuff.
Our own Cioppino with crab claws, scallops, prawns, mussells, and white fish in a rich tomato/wine broth served with a bit of rice on the side.
Farfalle Pasta with Goat Cheese and Gorgonzola: Crimini, Shitake, domestic whites, and Porcini mushrooms in a white wine, fresh oregano cream sauce, finished with Meyer lemon zest, goat cheese and topped with a bit of crumbled Gorgonzola. Pasta happiness.
We brine our pork chops. This makes them so juicy and flavorful. So this month, how about a 14 oz. Double-Cut Pork Chop, in our maple/sage/brown sugar salt brine, char-broiled and served topped with an apple/onion compote-jam like topping that says HOLIDAYS and smells like your kitchen should at this time of year.
This months Risotto is a Saffron and Shrimp Risotto that is topped with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and extra-virgin olive oil.
_______________________________________

Scroll down this page to get to our new menu and this months promotions and recipe. This is the fun part!

Enjoy our weather, go to the wineries, get involved in what is the rest of our mild weather. Come to Cafe Luna, see Gary and Richelle and Maria, and Courtney and Drew and say hello. We love to see you, and I love to hear back from you. We love being your guilty pleasure. And send me ideas you would like to see on the menu....my mind,,,,,,it is a slipping...

Thank you for your business and your continued support. Hope is eternal for all of us! Have a merry everything.

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

2010-12-09T15:50:00.000-08:00

This Months Recipe

Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

Cafe Luna's Chocolate "Chubbies" Cookie

Christmas is here. Cookies, cakes, fruitcakes, pies.....the kitchen is full of great smells.....and tastes.
Miss Sherry is a bona fide chocoholic, and these cookies are for her. Make tons of these...they are wonderful, best within a couple of days baking, but wonderful for you and your family and friends, or to give away for a great little gift. Did I tell you they are a chocoholics dream? Try these after dinner with a great port like Jodar's Black Bear Port, drizzle a bit of chocolate syrup on top, and you have a very elegant dessert. Or eat them by yourself when no one is with you. Either way: you.will.be.happy....
enjoy.

2010-12-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Printable copy of this months current dining menu

and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above to preview or download

_________________________________________________________

December 2010 Promtions

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printablepage of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday,all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price.
Wino Wednesdays!!!.....Yahoo!!!!!

(Does not work with by-the-glass offerings)

#3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 1/2 off dinner coupons. Buy first dinner at regular price, second dinner is half off the menu price; limit 2 coupons per table. You must bring in the attached coupon in to be honered for the month.
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Wine Facts and Trivia:

Thomas Jefferson's salary was $25,000 per year - a princely sum, but the expenses were also great. In 1801 Jefferson spent $6,500 for provisions and groceries, $2,700 for servants (some of whom were liveried), $500 for Lewis's salary, and $3,000 for wine."

Thomas Jefferson helped stock the wine cellars of the first five U.S. presidents and was very partial to fine Bordeaux and Madeira.

Cork was developed as a bottle closure in the late 17th century. It was only after this that bottles were lain down for aging, and the bottle shapes slowly changed from short and bulbous to tall and slender.

The Napa Valley crop described in 1889 newspapers as the finest of its kind grown in the U.S. was...hops.

What is the ideal temperature for wine?
Whites: chilled (45-55 degrees F) for a few hours in the refrigerator.

Reds: slightly cooler than room temperature (about 65 degrees); Younger fruity reds benefit from chilling.
Sparkling Wine: thoroughly chilled; refrigerate several hours or the night before serving.
Dessert Wine: room temperature.

Chilling tones down the sweetness of wine. If a red wine becomes too warm, it may lose some of its fruity flavor.

Should I ever use a decanter for my wines?
A decanter is used mainly to remove sediment from older red wines. Also, it can be used to open up young red wines. Otherwise, wine will "breathe" enough in your glass and decanting is not necessary.

Why should I swirl wine in my glass before I drink it?
By swirling your wine, oxygen is invited into the glass, which allows the aromas to escape.

Some of the best-known grape varietals and their characteristics:

Sauvignon Blanc - Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine best known for its grassy, herbal flavors. Sauvignon Blanc is also called Fume Blanc, and is a popular choice for fish and shellfish dishes.

Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio) - The low acidity of this white varietal helps produce rich, lightly perfumed wines that are often more colorful than other whites. The best ones have pear and spice-cake flavors.

Chardonnay - Chardonnay is a white wine which can range from clean and crisp with a hint of varietal flavor to rich and complex oak-aged wines. Chardonnay typically balances fruit, acidity and texture. This varietal goes well with everything from fish and poultry to cheeses, spicy foods and nut sauces.

Muscat - The white Muscat grape produces spicy, floral wines that often do something most other wines don't: they actually taste like grapes. Muscats can range from very dry and fresh to sweet and syrupy. This varietal is often served with puddings and chocolate desserts.

Gewurztraminer - Gewurztraminer is a white wine that produces distinctive wines rich in spicy aromas and full flavors, ranging from dry to sweet. Smells and flavors of litchi nuts, gingerbread, vanilla, grapefruit, and honeysuckle come out of this varietal. It is often a popular choice for Asian cuisines and pork-based sausages.

Riesling - Rieslings are white wines known for their floral perfume. Depending on where they're made, they can be crisp and bone-dry, full-bodied and spicy or luscious and sweet. The flavor is often of peaches, apricots, honey, and apples and pairs well with duck, pork, and roast vegetables.

Champagne/Sparkling Wine - These wines are made effervescent in the wine-making process. Champagnes and sparkling wines range in style from very dry (Natural), dry (brut) and slightly sweet (extra Dry) to sweet (sec and Demi-Sec). Many sparkling wines are also identified as Blanc de Blancs (wines made from white grapes) or Blanc de Noirs (wines produced from red grapes).

Pinot Noir - Pinot Noir is a red wine of light to medium body and delicate, smooth, rich complexity with earthy aromas. They are less tannic than a cabernet sauvignon or a merlot. Pinot Noirs exude the flavor of baked cherries, plums, mushrooms, cedar, cigars, and chocolate.

Zinfandel - Primarily thought of as a Californian varietal (though recently proven to have originated from vineyards in Croatia), Zinfandel is a red wine with light to full body and berry-like or spicy flavors. The Zinfandel grape is also widely used in the popular off-dry blush wine known as White Zinfandel. The Red Zinfandel pairs well with moderately spicy meat dishes and casseroles.

Syrah (Shiraz) - Syrah can produce monumental red wines with strong tannins and complex combinations of flavors including berry, plum and smoke. It's known as Shiraz mainly in Australia and South Africa.

Petite Sirah - Petite Sirahs are red wines with firm, robust tannic tastes, often with peppery flavors. Petite Sirahs may complement meals with rich meats.

Merlot - Merlot is a red wine with medium to full body and herbaceous flavors. Merlot is typically softer in taste than Cabernet Sauvignon. It's flavors and aromas include blackberry, baked cherries, plums, chocolate, and mocha.

Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet Sauvignon is a red wine known for its depth of flavor, aroma and ability to age. It is full-bodied and intense, with cherry- currant and sometimes herbal flavors. Cabernet Sauvignon may have noticeable tannins.

November 2010 Rants & Raves

2010-11-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

Hi All you Lunatics;

It's getting to that time of year when a bit of the holiday panic starts to dig its heals in the back of our heads....did I do this, did I do that, will I ever be able to do that again?

gawd....the holidays are coming......

Here it is 72 degrees outside as I begin to write this bit of monthly running of the mind/mouth. It can't be. It's November. Today is my Mom's 79 birthday. She looks fantastic. I hope it is in our genes, and not just ending at hers.......
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So.
We have this little dog, Max. He is the quietest dog we have ever loved. We never hear him enter the room, we never hear him bark.

But his presence is felt all the time. It is that we ANTICIPATE him coming into the room, or look for him at his favorite spots to nap, or wonder where he is when we don't see him. So we call him, or go look for him, just to make sure that he is OK, and within our eyesight.
In our presence.

Max stares at us. He has the kind of eyes that look deep inside of us, and hold our gaze, and we find we can't look away. He is hypno>tic that way, and it is usually him that breaks the stare-hold first. He is cat-like in that he comes for affection when he needs it, not when we do. He is loving but strangely aloof. He is a rescue dog that was abused in his past life. And he is so cute, that it breaks my heart that someone could ever abuse a little guy like him. (Bastards!)

But here is my point: Max and his (our) needs represent so much of how I look at what I love in foods.

Wha tha????

Look, let me explain: on the Thanksgiving table::: of course the turkey, the stuffing the gravy, the mashed potatoes. But it isn't Thanksgiving WITHOUT the cranberry sauce, the tiny little sweet pickles my mom always included, and the sweet potatoes that were always there, but seldom eaten. But they completed the meal.

We all have these kinds of things that make our lives and our food needs complete. It's this calm I need to get through my day.

It's funny how we do a quick sweep of our environment and see when the picture is complete and not complete, and how we can either be okay with it, or stress away the day waiting for it to be "OK". The older I get the more these things are important to me, probably because I realize that I can take care of these little seemingly crazy quirks in my personality.

I am happy to have my lucid moments when I can REMEMBER that my mom used to always put little sweet pickles on our holiday table. Or that when we were kids it was the only time we were allowed to stick the canned black pitted olives on all five of our fingertips and eat them one by one and giggle our heads off at the luck of the day of "manners-out-the-window". Thus the holidays were not only fun, but uproariously loose.

As loose as little kids with black olives stuck on the end of their fingers with their siblings and peers doing the same thing and all of us laughing and choking on our laughter.

So when I look at Max, I can give this little dog of ours the affection that I want/need to give him, but the completed picture is when he comes to me and wants the petting and the belly-rubbing. Ahhh.....this is the glories of the day for me.....

And make sure that the cranberry sauce is on the table: and I do like both kinds: the jelly and the chunky......

what's wrong with me?
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Our new menu: This is a fun menu for me. We get to incorporate several of our favorite dishes from the past and present and give things a new spin.
As many of you know, we used to have another restaurant in the area called "The Vineyard House" over in Coloma. One of our menu items that was so popular was our "Tortellini ala Panna": a dish that incorporated mushroom, minced ham, Calamata olives, basil, Marsala wine, tomatoes and stuffed tortellini pastas finished with Parmesan cheese. We are re-introducing this dish and believe me it is timeless. We are using Tortelloni pastas filled with minced Proscuitto ham and chicken. This is a comfort food item that you will love.
Pear and Gorgonzola Tart: One of our small plates, this is a puff pastry tart filled with caramelized onions, Dijon mustard, chutney and fresh poached pear slices baked until golden and crispy. Served with our house-pickled onions and some other condiments, it is a perfect "little" dish.
Butternut Squash, Corn and Bacon Risotto:
Risotto is another of those dishes that is a comfort food to us. This one celebrates the last days of our fresh Delta grown corn, with locally grown Butternut Squash and the wonderful apple-wood smoked bacon that my butcher provides us. Finished with Mascarpone cheese and Parmesan cheese, it is a wonderful risotto that kind of throws in some corn in an Italian dish that some people think is sinful: most Italian cooks don't used a lot of corn, considering it "pig food", or what they feed their livestock. But they do not have the wonderful varieties we have here in California. (Ex-step Mother Gloria would be turning in her grave, until she tasted it that is....)
Pork Wellington:
Pork tenderloin covered with a minced mixed mushroom duxelle, covered in puff pastry, and baked until golden. The wonder of this dish? The sauce topping it: a simple knock-out sauce of fresh ginger simmered in wine and real maple syrup that is too incredible for my own good. This is a beauty of a dish that you will love.
Duck Breast:
Maple Leaf Farms raises some incredible ducks for us. This version of using their duck breasts is pan-sauteing the breast until the skin is crispy, and then taking dry cherries from Italy, with Port wine and some stock, and making a great pan-jus' sauce that we finish with Aunt Sandi and Uncle Paul's home-grown pomegranate seeds. Duck lovers are complete.
Our Skirt Steak:
Skirt Steak is such a flavorful piece of meat. We are marinating this in a lime, garlic, soy and beer base, char-broiling it to your specification, and then slicing and topping with a pile of charred and roasted peppers and caramelized onions in a vinegar oil that is great. This dish is a meat lovers paradise.
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Our Wine List Additions

Gary and I went to a couple wineries in the area lately, along with several "event" wine tastings that we are invited to (thank you very much...!).

Windwalker Winery in Fairplay (double click on their name to go to their website) has been a mainstay in our are for years. One of the most impressive aspects of this winery is their vast array of varietals and vintages available to us. Mike, Sheri, Gary and Sally and I spent the afternoon out there a couple of Sunday's ago: my opinion? Incredible!!

We tasted all of their offered wines, each one getting better than the last, and yet, each one consisting of such distinct varietal tastes and aspects that are getting harder and harder to distinquish in California wines. Not just fruit forward, but there are dry factors and tannins and good old red wine attributes

that are getting harder and harder to find in our "fruit bomb" California reds. Take a trip out their some day and give them a try, or try them here at the restaurant. Very excellent food-friendly wines. Of their wines, we are carrying:
Estate Grand Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
CAbernet Sauvignon Blanc
Cabernet Franc
Primitivo "Shady Lady"
Mourvedre
Malbec
Sangiovese
Barbera
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Here is another wine new to us I am so excited about: Tait "The Ballbuster". This wine knocked me out when I tasted it. A blend from the Barossa Valley in Southern Australia, it is a blending of Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot. This wine is so big and full in the mouth, and so great with food, that we will be offering this at an incredible purchase price for case purchasing only. This wine also got such high scores with the powers that be in the wine industry, I am amazed. Hard to find locally, but we are carrying it.

Tait 'The Ballbuster' 2008

Deep, dark purple in color, this wine has intense aromas of black currant, stewed plums, cherry, and chocolate. On the palate, it is full-bodied with berry flavors and a sweet long lasting finish."

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We are starting to book several Holiday parties. If you and your organization are looking for a venue our size (50 +/-), contact us for information. We will gladly open on a Sunday or Monday evening if your group is 30+ guaranteed, for a private event. We have our back room which holds 24 comfortably, for smaller groups on evenings we are open, but they are booking fast.
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And finally, thank all of you who have suffered though our "reviewed" daze. The Sacramento Bee Restaurant Review from Blair Anthony Robertson has been an incredible boost to our business, and almost overwhelming. We thank all of our regular customers for coming in, and all of our new customers for giving us a try. We have been having a wad of fun talking and meeting all of you again.

Here is the link to the review if you want to check it out:

Cafe Luna Restaurant Review

Thank you for your business and your continued support. Hope is eternal for all of us!

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

2010-11-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

Printable copy of this months current dining menu

and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above to preview or download

________________________________________________________

November 2010 Promtions

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printablepage of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday,all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price.
Wino Wednesdays!!!.....Yahoo!!!!!

(Does not work with by-the-glass offerings)

#3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 1/2 off dinner coupons. Buy first dinner at regular price, second dinner is half off the menu price; limit 2 coupons per table. You must bring in the attached coupon in to be honered for the month.

2010-11-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

This Months Recipe

Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

Cafe Luna's Spaghetti Pie

I often refer to my ex-stepmother Gloria when I cook. She was a great hard-core Italian lady who loved to cook. Her basis was always home cooking but with the freshest ingredients. This was something she made for us, that I have served many times, and was a favorite when we were open for lunches.
You take cooked pasta, mix it with a bit of your favorite Marinara or meat sauce, cheese, eggs and herbs, place into a cake pan, and bake until it is golden and firm. This dish is really great now that entertaining for the holidays is looming. A great buffet dish, it is spectacular served on a cake pedestal, or elevated on your buffet line.
You get to find a use for too much pasta that you made, too much sauce or the left over bits of cheeses that find their way into the refrigerator. Cooks always have several "go-to" recipes for leftovers. This is one that will keep you happy, and no one will know you are re-cycling last nights dinner.
This dish benefits from early cooking as letting it rest "sets" the eggs and cheese up more firmly (like lasagna). This stores well in the reefer for about 4 days, covered tightly with plastic wrap.

2010-10-05T12:20:00.001-07:00

Cafe Luna Rants & Raves

October 2010

Hi All you Lunatics;

Oh my gawd: my hands......my hands are tired from signing all the autographs......
(well...I may be stretching that a bit...ok, ok, it is an outright lie....nobody requested my autograph although I did set up a booth outside of the Cafe with a little table full of brand new 'Sharpie' pens and with cute kid-pictures of me as a fireman and a fisherman from when I was little....just something that I knew the public would love to see......HAD THEY ASKED!!!! But don't worry----I'm not bitter....)

BUT:::if you didn't read our little e-mail supplements sent out on September 19th, you will know that Cafe Luna got a really great review from the Sacramento Bee's food critic, Blair Anthony Robertson, obviously a writer who is so very intelligent, witty, and insightful (kiss-kiss...). I was phone interviewed by him after he had been to the Cafe several times, and can only attest to the fact he is all of the above. He knows his foods, and I found out we have a hobby in common: he loves to bake breads of all kinds.

(This photo is what I am sure he looks like due to his great writing skills...) He noted that he, due to the nature of his job, is not able to be a regular at restaurants because he must remain anonymous. That just sucks. But now that the review is out, I would like to meet him. Wonder how that will happen? Wait and see......wait and see......

Here is the link to the review if you want to check it out:

Cafe Luna Restaurant Review

In the review, he made a statement I wanted to address:

First of all, we are going to re-model the inside of the restaruant. We have decided to go with a beige interior covering the walls with oiled burlap to signify the covered wagons of yore....we have also decided to rid the restaurant of any electricity and use oil burning lamps only. This will further the ambiance of the "olden daze". We are going to paint the floors a shiny gold to signify the gold rush, and then finally, we will be having large branches jutting out from the walls to signify the hanging of certain men during these Placerville days. We think that way all of the locals who have probably forgotten what it was like to live in those days will be reminded once again. Oh, also: the menu will consist of only river trout, baked campfire beans, and also beef and buffalo jerky, gourmet style of course.

What the???

Well, just kidding of course. This has been the biggest item of discussion about this wonderful review: making the restaurant more likened to the area. So what is our area in regards to design? Victorian, modern, 50's style? I am to lazy to figure that out, so I am afraid it will have to stay the way it is....with all my little bits of memorabilia that customers have brought in to us, items from our travels, and wines of wonder we have loved.

After the article came out, we have been so busy with returning customers, new customers, and the customers who have not been here in a long while. It has been great for us, and to all of you - Thank you!!!

The main question we get from our regular customers is wanting to know if they have to make reservations now:

WHAT??? You weren't making reservations before? Hey! We are a small little establishment, that only seats 38+ people inside. We need you to make reservations so we know what kind of meats, produce and seafood's to order nightly.

We can always try to get you in, but sometimes on a busy night, we hate to have to tell regulars that they have to wait for a long time for a table. You don't like that!

So, yes, we love reservations!!!
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Hey all you gift-starved people! Gary and I recently had to send out a wedding present to someone we knew marginally. Best friend of a relative, you know. So what do you get something for someone you barely know? So we talked to our friends at Arnold's for Awards, and they came up with this idea: a bottle of their favorite California sparkling wine, with the names and wedding date engraved on it. Perfect!!! I am sending you a link to their site. Just an idea for you to ponder. They also did several of our wine bottles at the restaurant, along with the etching on our wine glasses. They do everything!!! And we love them too!!! Great friends who have a great business in Shingle Springs. Ask for Mike or Sheri.....they know their stuff. Click on the line below to go there....

Arnold's For Awards Bottle Etching

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GLUTEN-FREE AT CAFE LUNA: who-da-thunk?

Our menu is basically GLUTEN-FREE!! Now don't get crazy on me, we do have gluten products, of course: pasta's, Panko bread-crumbs, flour, etc. But these are specifically noted on each dish.

Most of our dishes are saute's, grilled, or roasted. We do not use breading on most of our dishes, we do not use processed items, and we do not use pre-made items. So there are no "hidden" ingredients we need to worry about. And in most cases, if we do use a breading or flour, we can not use it for your meal. JUST ASK!!! But pa-leeze do not assume.....

We also served several gluten-free desserts!!! Our Coconut Flan with Bananas, our Creme Brulees are all gluten-free. And we always have fresh fruit available for you.

So, in our own way, we are patting ourselves on the back being able to make another group of people happy!!!

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Here is something that customers ask us all the time: how to store their fish properly. This article from about.com is great. and it answers the age old question: is my fish going to stay fresh?

How to Freeze Your Fish - - Tips on Freezing Fish
from about.com

Any fish you are not planning on eating within a few days must be frozen. And properly freezing a fish does not mean tossing it will-nilly into the icebox. Here's what you need to know to have top-quality fish for months:

Air is your enemy. Any air that touches your fish will destroy it. It's that simple. So you must prevent air from contacting the fish by vacuum-sealing it, glazing it or wrapping it tightly -- this is in order of preference.

If you catch a lot of fish or buy lots of fresh fish from the market, buy a vacuum sealer. They're worth every penny.

If you choose not to do so, you can glaze the fish by dipping them in cold water and putting them on a sheet pan in the freezer. Let that water freeze, then repeat the process several more times to get a 1/4 inch thick ice glaze on the fish. You can then put your glazed fish into a plastic bag for storage.

You can wrap your fish in plastic wrap, then put them into a plastic bag, but I don't really recommend this for more than a few days. It just is not as effective at preventing moisture loss and freezer burn as the other methods.

Remember that the weather in a freezer is just fine for many fish. What do I mean? Think about cold-water fish such as cod or haddock: They spend their lives in water that is only a few degrees above freezing, so putting them in the freezer will not be as radical a change for the meat as it would be for, say, a steak or a chicken. This means you will get less of a loss in flavor with many frozen fish than you would with frozen terrestrial meats.
How long can you freeze your fish? Never longer than 6 months. After that, you will notice a serious decline in quality. Fatty fish, such as salmon or trout, go down hill even faster: Don't freeze them longer than 3 months.
And some fish should never be frozen. These are the fattiest ones, the bluefish, herring, mackerel and sardines. You can glaze them, but they still decline in quality a lot. If you find youself with a surfeit of bluefish -- this happens a lot -- vacuum-seal them and know that you will be making fish cakes with them down the road; that's all they'll be good for.
When you thaw your frozen fish, do it gradually. Never put them in the microwave to thaw!! Let them thaw in the fridge or in cold water. Thawing at room temperature is also a bad idea.
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We are on Facebook now, and I try to post all of our daily changing specials and notes....if you are interested, sign up for these notices, and I promise not to make you crazy....John told me no more that 4 a week!!!

www.facebook.com/cafelunaplacerville

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Scroll down this page to got to our new menu and this months promotions and recipe. This is the fun part!

Enjoy our weather, go to the wineries, go to the nurseries, get involved in what is the rest of our summer. Come to Cafe Luna, see Gary and Richelle and Maria, and Courtney and say hello. We love to see you, and I love to hear back from you. We love being your guilty pleasure.

Thank you for your business and your continued support. Hope is eternal for all of us!

By the way, if you would like to subscribe to our monthly newsletter, contact me to sign up. We have much more information about the local wineries, events, and more to look at.

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

____________________________________________________

This months promotions for our internet friends:

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printablepage of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday,all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price.
Wino Wednesdays!!!.....Yahoo!!!!!

(Does not work with by-the-glass offerings)

#3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 1/2 off dinner coupons. Buy first dinner at regular price, second dinner is half off the menu price; limit 2 coupons per table. You must bring in the attached coupon in to be honered for the month.

2010-10-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

October Dinner Menu

Printable copy of this months current dining menu

and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above to preview or download

2010-10-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

This Months Recipe

Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

Roasted Halibut with Orange & Avocado Salad and Salsa Lulu Sauce

Seafood: it has become such an expensive treat anymore, that you have to get the most out of each dish you cook. This dish shows the easy methods in which we cook fish: simple and quick, with the main criteria a hot clean saute pan. Presentation is beautiful: the "salsa" is kind of 'smeared' on the bottom of the plate, the halibut placed on top, and a hefty spoonful of the salad on top. Simple, and a great looking main course.

Don't be afraid of fish. It is easy to cook. Turn on your broiler or oven. Make sure everything is hot before you start your cooking. A clean, saute pan heated up (stainless steel is my favorite, but aluminum will work too), and then oiled up with just a bit of olive oil or butter or other oils will almost guarantee success.

Cooking fish is something that does not take a long time. Have all of your ingredients ready to go, your table set, and your friends ready to eat. This kind of fish cookery takes about 10 minutes, start to finish. The 'Salsa Lulu' is a great "keep on hand" type condiment that works well with many different dishes, just remember to have it hot and finished. The salad is a room temperature salad that you can just place on top when the fish is finished. This has a great "restaurant" look to it when presented. YOU will love this! Enjoy!

September 2010 Rants and Raves

2010-09-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

Hi All you Lunatics;

Gawd: what a month we have had...so much has happened in the last 30 days, it would take a long, long note to tell you: so here goes.

I know, I know....I am a month or two late....but it is so crazy outside, that I had to fix my drip system at the house, re-organize all my outside potted plants, pot up all my summer starts, walk the dog, and....those were the priorities needing to be dealt with.....and I love doing them this time of the year.

Gary had his very first-ever-in-his-life surgery last month...his retina all of a sudden detached itself from his eye, and luckily he went to the doctor, and the doctor scheduled him for surgery the next day. He was out of the restaurant for three weeks. And of course I got a bit nervous: me? have to be out front and be nice at the same time? I don't know about this Lucy....

So, all of a sudden I kept feeling a bit sick to my stomach, tired, and just under the weather. And it kept going. And then all of a sudden Mother Mary and her infamous family seemed to visit me and I got on the scale and had lost 12 pounds. Worrying about Gary was paying off in the must-lose-weight department. But so tired? And not hungry on top of that? There must be a balance....
So another week goes by, and another 14 pounds have melted off my perfect body. So I think to myself "this is not because of my steadfast goal in life to set the perfect example of cooking for our customers, cooking for our friends, drinking wine, loving appetizers all hours of the day, and never gaining a pound (damn you Giada..)....", no - me thinks something might be wrong. So off to the doctor I go, get tests, and come home and lose more weight in four more days.

(NOTE: one good aspect: for a couple of weeks, I was able to go to the other side of my closet - you know the one reserved for your Angel Flight Pants, your bell-bottoms (they might come back...) and medium sized shirts...the ones you just can't part with...it was like memory lane for a bit...)

The good doctor tells me that I need to go to the emergency room at the hospital NOW, and to find out what the heck is going on. So I do, and what do you think they do? Hold me hostage in their resort for 7 nights! Only with promise of hospital-red jello would I approve...

And so, long story short Gary's eye is healing (his vision will be fuzzy out of the operated eye for several months - I put on some of the bell-bottoms and medium shirts and asked him to cover his good eye and tell my how I looked using his 'fuzzy' eye....NOTE TO MYSELF: if you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question....he could have been gracious at least....)
And me? It seems as though I have an extremely rare blood disorder with a very unromantic name of "Hyper-e-o-sin-o-phil-ic syndrome". Just kind of rolls off the tongue, huh? Major elevated white blood cells that are kind of destroying all the good parts of my white blood cells. Have had to commit to the doc's for 10-12 months just for observation. It is that rare, where they are just trying to find out the right kinds of therapy for it: drugs, radiation, what-ever. At this point the "Big C" is off the table, but treatment might be somewhat in the same vein. We are fine, I have to go back to my regular side of the closet, and Gary keeps squinting at me with his 'fuzzy' eye....

But having to close the restaurant down for 12 days??? Dear gawd in heaven: My financial solvency is a myth!!! Still we are on the way to recovery, and just hope that business stays as steady as it has been lately. Thank you all for your kind letters and thoughts....it will be a long, drawn out process, but I am strong....and wine makes me stronger.....
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I am not a VEGAN!!!

Recently, we had some people coming into the restaurant who talked to Richelle and basically chastised her because Cafe Luna was not catering to Vegan's. A vegan does not eat anything from animals: meats, eggs, cheese, milk, etc. Strictly vegetables, whole grains, etc. Usually not any processed foods of any kind. (NO Potato Chips?? no way...)..Soy or rice milk is fine, plant-based foods the standard, etc.

But we are not a vegan restaurant.
I make my polenta with cheese. My pasta's are made with flour and eggs. I am not sorry for this, because I love the taste that cheese and eggs give an item.

But VEGANS:: we can make you happy. The kindest thing you can do to a restaurant is call ahead and tell us you are coming: I then get to brain-storm with myself how to take care of you and make you happy! Our curry dishes are vegan. Made with coconut milk, vegetable based curry pastes, and vegetables. Perfect. And we can always just add vegetables or grains to them to make you a happy camper. We have many sautes we can make for you.

And yet.........
This particular night, we offered to make them a perfectly VEGAN vegetable curry but my two Vegan Warriors hated anything spicy, so of course we were terrible people who are prejudiced against their beliefs, are purposely trying to make their lives miserable, and do not care.
So Richelle came in the back room, rolled her eyes (yes, we are allowed to do that you know...in the back room....) and she suggested we do anything to make them happy: so we did a quick vegetable and grain saute, using olive oil and tomatoes fresh off the vine with the wonderful basil we get and served it beautifully on a platter that make them very happy. But somehow I wanted to slip in a hot chile just to see what would happen (I didn't....but I thought about it...).
Bottom line: Don't be rude. Restaurants bend over back-wards for our customers. We aim to please you and your tastes, dietary restrictions, and likes/dislikes. But you must also be courteous to us. Let us know what we can do for you, make a special purchase if necessary and keep you happy and within your food margins. Just call ahead!! (Note: we have a customer that is so alergic to anyking of pork product, that she brings in her own saute pan for us to cook her meals on. Now that is planning!!! She tells us she could literally die from pork, but she still goes out, and trusts us. We love her thoughtfulness and trust.)
And you know, MY body is also a temple: it just happens to have a lot more seating than others....
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GLUTEN-FREE AT CAFE LUNA: who-da-thunk?

Along these same dietary restriction lines, we had this wonderful couple in a couple of weeks ago with their own restrictions: they needed GLUTEN-FREE foods due to their own allergies. We talked about last months menu at great lengths, and guess what? Our menu is basically GLUTEN-FREE!! Now don't get crazy on me, we do have gluten products, of course: pasta's, Panko bread-crumbs, flour, etc. But these are specifically noted on each dish.

Most of our dishes are saute's, grilled, or roasted. We do not use breading on most of our dishes, we do not use processed items, and we do not use pre-made items. So there are no "hidden" ingredients we need to worry about.

We also served several gluten-free desserts!!! Our Coconut Flan with Bananas, our Creme Brulees are all gluten-free. And we always have fresh fruit available for you.

So, in our own way, we are patting ourselves on the back being able to make another group of people happy!!!

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On a Personal Note: The passing of Jeff
Gary and I lost one of our very best friends last month. He was a man who has been mentioned many times over the years in this Rants and Raves blog. Jeff was one of those opinionated people who made you crazy and giddy at the same time.

Jeff loved to eat, yet his eating habits were not normal. He loved junk foods, loved processed foods, and hated anything green. Baloney, Cheetos, Fritos, candy bars, pork rinds, Cracker Barrel Cheeses, canned peas...you get the drift. Yet, he had an opinion on each and everything we ever fed him.

To rich.
To spicy.
To much tomato.
To much olive oil.
To much meat.To much vegetables.

"I loved everything but......"
Always the "but" with Jeff.

He was probably the funniest man we have ever known. As he got older, his stories were told and re-told so many times, that we always looked forward to hearing the new versions. He could tell a joke with the correct accents, and always with the proper pauses ("for effect, my dear, for effect...") to provide the perfect punchlines.

He and Gary talked every morning at 9 AM. He moved to Hawaii for a couple of years, and his thriftiness caused him to buy a cell phone that was able to make his long distance calls to us part of his plan and thus saving on long-distance....now that is thinking ahead.

Jeff lived with Gary and I for several months before he moved to Hawaii and when he moved back from Hawaii. He always joked about living with us was not what he thought it would be: he envisioned loads of foods and left-overs in our refrigerator, yet, he was only able to find condiments, and yogurt. He forgot we ate at the Cafe five nights a week, and usually ate out the other nights. So he was on his own for food. We would bring him meals to eat, but this was like feeding a ten-year old who hated everything. But he did live for our dinner parties and gatherings.

Jeff had a circle of friends that was endless, and encompassed so many people. And yet, his "core" friends - about five of us - were the ones who talked to him daily, took care of his errands, and kept him company. He was the best of friends to us. We were the ones that usually never received an invitation to one of his events, because he expected us to be there. And yet, to his other friends, a beautiful invitation was issued. he was funny that way. But we were his family that should know what he meant.

Jeff was a gatherer of people. He loved to host events, and parties, and get-togethers that included people just conversing, something that he believed was becoming a lost-art. He believed himself to be "Victorian" in his thinking about manners, and correctness. He loved to have new people to be included in his circle. Jeff and four of us went on a cruise to Mexico several years ago, and I swear by the end of the cruise, he had engaged in conversation with everyone on that ship. He waved and told us the gossip about people just passing us by. He was amazing about meeting people, and it came so easy to him....Me? I never saw the point. I just wanted to spend time with the people I knew rather than strangers. And yet he was able to explain that they were only strangers until you met them. At-Sea-Logic I guess.

Jeff was the "Dr. Doolittle" of animals. He lived in this house on Hi-way #49 in Placerville, and had at one time, three dogs - 2 pit-bulls, and a terrier, 6-10 cats, geese, turkeys, pheasants, cockatoos, exotic birds, and fish in a pond. And the incredible thing about his animals: they never fought, and they all played, slept and came into his house, and never made a mess! We asked him how he did this, and he just looked at us with a very sarcastic stare and said "you mean yours don't?" and left it at that.

Jeff was high maintenance as a friend. He loved to have us cart him around all over for his shopping, his site-seeing, his party-going. The reason for this? Jeff hated not to look a person in the eyes when he was speaking to them. Thus, we never let him drive, because God forbid anyone was in the back seat: he would be steering his car on the free-way, turn his head backwards to talk to his back-seat passengers, and careen off the road. But he was able to maintain his manners even though the other passengers were cringing......
But in the back of my mind, it may be because he wanted to say on his gas....he was cagey that way: scare the heck out of someone and he would never have to worry about that task again...

Thrifty? Gave the word new meaning.
While living here in Placerville, he discovered "Big Lots" and the heavens opened for him. He loved perusing the aisles looking for some new bargain or item that he could use.
He was an eBay seller that bought and sold from people all over the world with his antiques, his silver collections, his vast collections of Asian artifacts, his Indian and Mayan ceramics and his vast knowledge about these era's. He loved history and his place in it. Jeff and I often got into conversations about his not having any interest in the present, but loved the past. Not his past, by thousands of years ago past. He believed he was not of this generation but of another....

Jeff could knock a person down with one of his scathing remarks.

And yet he was one of kindest people we have ever had the privilege of knowing.

He put color in our lives.

He made the rainbows brighter and the glitter in our lives more relevant.

He brought the sparkle out in us. In a lot of us.

We loved him, we love him.
And to all of those who knew this wonderfully complicated diverse man, we will miss him. He was a great friend.

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Sooo....
Cafe Luna came in 1st Place on Sacramento Magazines Best Restaurant for El Dorado County!! (Double click on it to go there) This is the current August Issue on Best Restaurants....Thank you for your support on this, what we are amazed about is we have never advertised with the magazine, and it is great to know that the voting was based on public opinion, and not advertisers. Thank you!!!

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We are on Facebook now, and I try to post all of our daily changing specials and notes....if you are interested, sign up for these notices, and I promise not to make you crazy....John told me no more that 4 a week!!!
www.facebook.com/cafelunaplacerville
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Scroll down this page to got to our new menu and this months promotions and recipe. This is the fun part!

Enjoy our weather, go to the wineries, go to the nurseries, get involved in what is the rest of our summer. Come to Cafe Luna, see Gary and Richelle and Maria, and Courtney and say hello. We love to see you, and I love to hear back from you. We love being your guilty pleasure.

Thank you for your business and your continued support. Hope is eternal for all of us!

Take care.
David at Cafe Luna
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This months menu and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

September 2010

Just Double-click on the "Menu" Icon above to preview or download.

2010-09-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

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Café Luna Promotions and Discounts for our Internet Readers

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printable page of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday, all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price.
Wino Wednesdays!!!.....Yahoo!!!!!
(Does not work with by-the-glass offerings)

#2. BYOB Thursdays! On Thursday nights, diners wishing to bring in their own bottle of wine getting one free bottle corkage per table. That alone will be a $15.00 savings. Please don't bring in wines on our list though.....how gauche! Call us first if you have a question......does not include holiday evenings!

#3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 1/2 off dinner coupons. Buy first dinner at regular price, second dinner is half off the menu price; limit 2 coupons per table.

2010-09-01T21:18:00.000-07:00

This Months Recipe

Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

"Indian Stuffed Potato Naan Bread"

Naan is a traditional Indian bread served with meals. We are including this for my "foodies" who love to experiment and try new things to cook. You will love this recipe as it is actually two in one: "Naan" is the actual bread without the filling, which makes these incredible "puffy" breads when baked. Stuffing them with the potato mixture makes them a meal. These are fun to make and fun to eat. It is a great appetizer, or an addition to any good Indian Curry dinner. By themselves as a light luncheon or dinner; serve with a lightly dressed green salad, and you have perfection on a plate. We liked this best with a glass of Gloria Ferrer Brut. It was a perfect combination.

These were devoured by all who tried them. It is a yeast bread base, and start to finish, it took about 3 hours (with 2-1/2 hours rising time).::::

Also noted this: when making a day ahead, the heat level of the chile peppers cooled off considerably, thus we made second batch with the higher amounts of peppers for their mild heat factor. to be This is important if you want a bit more spice to this dish. Just double click on the above title for the link to the printable recipe.

*Depending on your heat levels, add up to 3 chile peppers, but make sure you seed and devein them.

2010-08-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

August 2010

Double-Click here for a down-loadable copy of current menu

For all of our friends who are looking for Gluten-Free foods and desserts, most our our entree's are either Gluten-Free, or can be adapted. Polenta may be substituted for pasta, and certain items can be left un-breaded or floured. Ask your server.

David is in the Kitchen

Appetizers

Soup - We love soup. Made fresh here at Café Luna. Appropriately garnished. Cup 6. Bowl 8.

Baked Brie - Brie cheese baked and topped with a warm house-made chutney, roasted heads of “melt in your mouth” garlic for squeezing, grapes, and toasts for spreading. 8.

Tomato Caprese - Locally grown Heirloom tomatoes, sliced and served with Mozzarella cheese and fresh basil, drizzled with a Balsamic vinaigrette and toasted bread-crumbs. 8.

Crab & Shrimp Dip - Crabmeat and shrimp, roasted garlic and other herbs minced and pureed’ and mixed with three cheeses and baked until golden. Served with toasts for spreading. 9.

Sauteed Mushrooms - Fresh mushrooms pan sauteed in fresh garlic, olive oil, butter and white wine. 7.

Small Plates

Make a meal of these by adding our House Side Salad 5.

Torta Rustica - Our version of “Pot Pies”: look for tonight’s selection on our special listing. AQ.

Market Pasta - A bed of warm Spaghettini pasta tossed with fresh Heirloom cherry tomatoes, our house-made basil pesto, topped with toasted pine-nuts. A simple dish so wonderful in flavors! 14. (With chicken, add 6.) (Wine Suggestion: C.G.DiArie Zinfandel)

Polenta ala’ Luna - A favorite in Italian kitchens, this dish is polenta triangles made with Parmesan cheese, garlic and cream, cut thick, baked, and then topped with a rustic mushroom, sun-dried tomato and red-wine sauce, sprinkled with Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheese and then top baked in a casserole. 12.
(Wine Suggestion: Paoletti Sangiovese)

Pasta Entrees

All entrees are served with a fresh salad of mixed baby greens featuring organically grown lettuces and mixed fresh vegetables (Crumbled Bleu cheese available for 1.50)

Italian Sausage Ragu’ - Spicy pork and veal meat, simmered with garlic, tomatoes, wild and domestic mushrooms, herbs and red wine to make a wonderful sauce served on a bed of Pappardelle pasta (wide ribbons) sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. 19.
(Wine Suggestion: Tolosa Edna Ranch Pinot Noir)

Pasta Cavatappi - Fresh locally grown cherry and grape tomatoes sauteed with sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, garlic, corn, garbanzo beans, and fresh arugula flashed with white wine and lemon. Served tossed with “Cavatappi” pasta - short curly tube shaped pastas and finished with a bit of Feta. A vegetarian dish. 17. (With chicken, add 6.) (Wine Suggestion: Marimar “Acero” Chardonnay )

Pasta Raphael - Chunks of fresh Atlantic salmon filet simmered in a rich sauce made with tomatoes, white wine and artichoke hearts, basil and herbs, finished with a bit of cream and topped with Parmesan cheese. Served on a bed of Spaghettini pasta. 24. (Wine Suggestion: Boeger Sauvignon Blanc)

Hot-Head Entrees

for those looking for adventures in heat and chiles....

Chipotle Chile Pasta - This incredibly flavorful and spicy dish combines boneless chicken, Spanish Chorizo sausage, shrimp and ham pan-sauteed and then simmered in a smoky sauce made with chipotle chiles, tomatoes, cilantro and onions. Served with Penne pasta, sprinkled with a bit of Mexican Cotilla cheese. Spicy, but can be made hotter. 25. (Heat Scale of 1 - 10 = 8) (Wine Ideas: Boeger “Reserve” Barbera)

Yellow Thai Curry - Fresh Pacific cod and jumbo scallops in a mild yellow Thai curry with chunks of carrots, potatoes, simmered in a coconut milk yellow curry sauce, served with Basmati rice. 28. (Heat Scale of 1 - 10 = 6) (Wine Suggestion: Chateau St. Jean Riesling)

Dinner Entrees

All entrees are served with a fresh salad of mixed baby greens featuring organically grown lettuces and mixed fresh vegetables
(Crumbled Bleu cheese available for 1.50)

Risotto - Italian Arborio rice slowly simmered in rich vegetable, saffron stock and white wine until creamy, finished with fresh caramelized butternut squash, baby peas, corn, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms flavored with fresh thyme and Parmesan cheese and served drizzled with a white truffle oil. This is a rich and wonderful family-style “company” dish (Vegetarian) 17.

Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breast - Boneless chicken breast stuffed with Sonoma goat cheese and herbs and topped with a baby greens, cherry tomato and bacon salad, on a bed of mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables of the day. 24. (Wine Suggestion: Madrona “Reserve” Chardonnay )

Pork Tenderloin - Niman Ranch pork tenderloins, brined for juiciness, then dry-rubbed with our herb-blend, and roasted to medium, sliced and served with our house-made barbecue sauce and served with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. 25.
(Wine Suggestion: D.K. Cellars Merlot)

Rack of Lamb - Some of us LOVE lamb, so here you go! Australian lamb rack coated in minced garlic, bread crumbs, and Dijon, roasted medium rare, sliced and served with a fresh mint, ginger and garlic pesto. With mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. 29.
(Wine Suggestion: Sean Minor “4Bears” Cabernet )

Skirt Steak - A wonderful cut of meat full of flavor, that is increasingly popular as a marinated and grilled piece of meat. We are dry-brining this meat, rubbing the steaks down with our own “Montreal” style dry-rub, char-broiling to your specification (best served medium to medium/rare) and serving it topped with a dollop of rich Port and shallot butter. With mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables. 26. (Wine Suggestion: Boeger “Reserve” Barbara)

Rib-Eye Steak - A 16 oz. Rib eye, dry-rubbed with herbs, grilled to your specifications, and topped a dollop of “Cowboy Butter” - a paprika, garlic and herb butter. Served with fresh vegetables and d potatoes 29. (Wine Suggestion: Jeff Runquist “R” Cabernet Franc)

Scallop and Mushroom Gratin’ - Large sea scallops gratineéd with mushrooms, onions, cream and topped with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, broiled until golden and served with herbed basmati rice and fresh vegetables. 25. (Wine Suggestion: “J” Pinot Gris)

Red Snapper Vera Cruz - Fresh Pacific Red Snapper fish quickly pan-roasted until golden, and then served simmered in a red sauce made with capers, green olives, and pickled jalapenos, served with Basmati rice. 26. (Wine Suggestion: Hollys Hill Viognier)

Basa - Our most popular dish! A wonderful sustainably farmed white fish similar to Filet of Sole: sweet, flaky and moist. It is lightly dusted in Panko bread crumbs, pan-sauteed and topped with a lemon-butter pan reduction sauce and toasted almonds. Served with rice pilaf and fresh vegetables. 24. (Wine Suggestion: “J” Pinot Gris)

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Internet Specials for August 2010

Double Click here for a copy of this months dining specials and coupons for our internet readers...

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Sign-up for Café Luna’s “Rants & Raves” Monthly Newsletter
Recipes, Specials and News.

Join us on our Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/cafelunaplacerville

Café Luna
451 Main Street, #8, Placerville, CA
Phone 530/642-8669 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 530/642-8669 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 530/642-8669 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 530/642-8669 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 530/642-8669 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 530/642-8669 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

2010-07-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

July Menu
(Double-Click above to go to printable copy of menu)

David is in the Kitchen

Appetizers

Soup - We love soup. Made fresh here at Café Luna. Appropriately garnished. Cup 6. Bowl 8.

Baked Brie - Brie cheese baked and topped with a warm house-made chutney, roasted heads of "melt in your mouth" garlic for squeezing, grapes, and toasts for spreading. 8.

Tomato Caprese - Locally grown Heirloom tomatoes, sliced and served with Mozzarella cheese and fresh basil, drizzled with a Balsamic vinaigrette and toasted bread-crumbs. 9.

Sauteed Mushrooms - Fresh mushrooms pan sauteed in fresh garlic, olive oil, butter and white wine. 7.

Small Plates

Torta Rustica - Our version of "Pot Pies": look for tonight's selection on our special listing. AQ.

Market Pasta - A bed of warm Spaghettini pasta tossed with fresh cherry tomatoes, our house-made basil pesto, and Parmesan cheese topped with toasted pine-nuts. A simple dish so wonderful in flavors! 14.
(With chicken, add 6.)

(Wine Suggestion: C.G.DiArie Shenendoah Zinfandel)

Pasta Entrees

All entrees are served with a fresh salad of mixed baby greens featuring organically grown lettuces and mixed fresh vegetables (Crumbled Bleu cheese available for 1.50)

Italian Sausage Ragu' - Spicy pork and veal meat, simmered with garlic, tomatoes, wild and domestic mushrooms, herbs and red wine to make a wonderful sauce served on a bed of Pappardelle pasta (wide ribbons) sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. 19.

(Wine Suggestion: Tolosa Edna Ranch Pinot Noir)

Pasta Cavatappi - Fresh locally grown cherry and grape tomatoes sauteed with sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, capers, garlic, garbanzo beans, and fresh arugula flashed with white wine and lemon. Served tossed with "Cavatappi" pasta - short curly tube shaped pastas and finished with a bit of Parmesan. A vegetarian dish. 17. (With chicken, add 6.)

(Wine Suggestion: Marimar Estates "Acero" Chardonnay )

Pasta Raphael - Chunks of fresh Atlantic salmon filet simmered in a rich sauce made with tomatoes, white wine and artichoke hearts, basil and herbs, finished with a bit of cream and topped with Parmesan cheese. Served on a bed of Spaghettini pasta. 24.

(Wine Suggestion: WHITE: Boeger Sauvignon Blanc
RED: D.K. Cellars Meritage)

Hot-Head Entrees

(For All Of You Craving Hot, Spicy Food)

(Wine Ideas: Boeger "Reserve" Barbera)

Yellow Thai Curry - Fresh Pacific cod and jumbo scallops in a mild yellow Thai curry with chunks of carrots, potatoes, simmered in a coconut milk yellow curry sauce, served with Basmati rice. 28.
(Heat Scale of 1 - 10 = 6)

(Wine Suggestion: Chateau St. Jean Riesling)

Dinner Entrees

All entrees are served with a fresh salad of mixed baby greens featuring organically grown lettuces and mixed fresh vegetables (Crumbled Bleu cheese available for 1.50)

Grilled Stuffed Chicken Breast - Boneless chicken breast stuffed with Sonoma goat cheese and herbs and topped with a baby greens, cherry tomato and bacon salad, on a bed of mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables of the day. 24. (Wine Suggestion: Madrona "Reserve" Chardonnay )

Grilled Skirt Steak - Skirt steak marinated in a roasted garlic, olive oil and Balsamic vinegar brine, char-broiled to medium-rare (or what you would like), sliced and served on a bed of dressed Arugula leaves, topped with a caramelized onion and Parmesan oil. With mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. 28.

(Wine Suggestion: Boeger Zinfandel)

Barbecued Pork Tenderloin - Niman Ranch pork tenderloins, brined for juiciness, then dry-rubbed with our herb-blend, char-broiled to medium, brushed then simmered with our house-made barbecue sauce and served sliced. With mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. 25.

(Wine Suggestion: MacRostie "Keltie Brook" Merlot)

Rack of Lamb - Some of us LOVE lamb, so here you go! Australian lamb rack coated in minced garlic, bread crumbs, and Dijon, roasted medium rare, sliced and served with a fresh mint, ginger and garlic pesto. With mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables. 29.

(Wine Suggestion: Cedarville Cabernet )

Rib-Eye Steak - A 16 oz. Rib eye, dry-rubbed with herbs, grilled to your specifications, and topped a dollop of "Cowboy Butter" - a paprika, garlic and herb butter. Served with fresh vegetables and d potatoes 29.

(Wine Suggestion: Jeff Runquist "R" Cabernet Franc)

Red Snapper Vera Cruz - Fresh Pacific Red Snapper fish quickly pan-roasted until golden, and then served simmered in a red sauce made with capers, green olives, and pickled jalapenos, served with Basmati rice. 26.

(Wine Suggestion: Hollys Hill Viognier)

Jumbo Prawns - Large Pacific prawns pan-sauteed with cilantro, chunks of fresh pineapple, garlic and tomatoes, and finished with a sweet chile pan sauce, served with Basmati rice. With mixed vegetables. 27.

(Wine Suggestion: Boeger Sauvignon Blanc)

Basa - Our most popular dish! A wonderful sustainably farmed white fish similar to Filet of Sole: sweet, flaky and moist. It is lightly dusted in Panko bread crumbs, pan-sauteed and topped with a lemon-butter pan reduction sauce and toasted almonds. Served with rice pilaf and fresh vegetables. 24.

(Wine Suggestion: "J" Pinot Gris)

Join us on facebook! www.facebook.com/cafelunaplacerville

8.00 Per person Minimum Table Service Charge
Split Plate Charge: 5.00
We use Kosher Salt for our cooking and on the Tables
Special Diets: inform your servers to let us help.

Café Luna
451 Main Street, #8,
Placerville, CA
Phone 530/642-8669

www.cafelunatics.blogspot.com

June 2010

2010-06-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

June 2010

Hi All you Lunatics;

I know, I know....I am a week late....but it is so crazy outside, that I had to fix my drip system at the house, re-organize all my outside potted plants, pot up all my summer starts, walk the dog, and....those were the priorities needing to be dealt with.....and I love doing them this time of the year.

The big decision? Are we going to try to grow tomatoes (again) this year. I am for NOT doing it, Gary, the happy couch-farmer, says WE MUST. Why though? I figure that all of the tomatoes we harvest cost us about $8.75 each, after the purchasing, the fertilizing, the watering, the fretting, and then there is the wine I must consume each time I find one of those hideous green and yellow tomato worms on them....
therapy sessions are not even included in this price factor!..

And the best reason??? We have several great Farmers Markets to purchase them from instead!!! No bugs, beautiful tomatoes, and a much greater selection!!! Did I mention NO bugs???

In my mind, I am a Martha-Stewart-Man farmer: nattily dressed, nothing out of place, no weeds, perfect soil and compost balance, pristine plants bearing hoards and hoards of tomatoes,fruits, and vegetables, when in reality I am more like if George Costanza from Seinfeld were to try to grow vegetables: all out war would be engaged upon the environment because it didn't pan out correctly, shirts and clothing with rips, paint smears, and ill-fitting, and it would result in a panic attack, all-out lies to fellow farmers, exaggeration beyond belief and loss of friends and then on top of it all I would find out I am allergic....and ultimately: no tomatoes.

I know my limits....tomato plants are off-limits.

And then I have to be nice to people on top of this??? If you know me, you know that this is not something that just rolls off my tongue.....

Bitchy? yes. Prone to sarcasm? easily!! Being nice? Not so easily....I would rather sit back and just observe the craziness of life rather than have to participate in all of it.....but that is why I am in the back room and Gary is in the front.

We know our stations in life.

He likes people.

I myself? I am in the back room listening to Leo LaPorte pod-casts, and humming along to African rhythms and chants that are recorded on my Ipod. And just cooking away, making more condiments and oils, and emulsions, and chutneys....now that is when I am happiest!!

Speaking of condiments: I love them. IF you were to come and visit our house on any given day or night, we would be able to open the refrigerator and find about 40 different condiments we like to cook with. I love to experiment and play around with this type of quick-on-the-fly type cooking where you take a great single ingredient and enhance it simply with a great "go-together" type condiment. You know what I mean: chutneys, salsas, flavored oils, emulsions, puree's, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

We have a great item on this months menu which is a Grilled Skirt Steak on a bed of fresh Arugula leaves, sliced, and then topped with a Parmesan and Roasted Garlic Oil. It is fantastic in my opinion. I should be using it for dipper for our breads, or as a condiment for fish or chicken, or anything that needs something flavorful on it. This whole dish was designed around this condiment we whipped up in the back room of the kitchen.

Then, my produce man brought me some excellent Arugula to go with this dish, and so we made an Arugula Oil to top our soups with. Another item that would be spectacular as a bread dipper.

Sheri and Sally were in the other night and I made them try these, and they are the ones who thought bread dipping condiments would be the bomb. I know they are right. They have excellent taste. It is always fun to have someone else make some observations about things: sometimes I get so caught up in tunnel vision that I forget to expand the universe with foods we make. So they come in and they tell me this and that and all of a sudden it blossoms and evolves into something completely different. This is the best part of cooking: collaborations with friends. and this is how new recipes are created....

Sooo....

Cafe Luna came in 2nd Place on KCRA's A-List for Best New American Food Restaurant. (Double click on it to go there)
Thank you for your support on this, and the emails and the reply's and the messages....it was fun. KCRA told us more that 94,000 people participated in this voting.....how fantastic! Now.....what do we do with it???

I don't know. But it was a hoot to get involved in it all....caught up in the moment I guess.

Thank you one and all who helped us on this. Our friends at Boulevard Bistro in Elk Grove deservedly won first place. If you have not visited Bret and Debora's wonderful restaurant, do it soon. They have a great Sunday Brunch, and serve lunches and dinners (Click on their name to go to their website). Congratulations!!!
To all of us....
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www.facebook.com/cafelunaplacerville

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Enjoy our weather, go to the wineries, go to the nurseries, get involved in spring. Come to Cafe Luna, see Gary and Richelle and Maria, and Courtney and Chelsey, and say hello. We love to see you, and I love to hear back from you.

Thank you for your business and your continued support. Spring is eternal for all of us!

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

June Dinner Menu

2010-06-08T12:11:00.001-07:00

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This Months Dinner Menu for June, 2010

Click Here to get a copy of our current menu for Cafe Luna

and our by the Glass Selections

June 2010 Recipe & Promos

2010-06-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

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This Months Recipe

Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

"Asparagus Do-Ahead Cooking for a Crowd"

We have been serving fresh asparagus nightly on our entrees at the restaurant. Of course I par-cook them a bit ahead, and came to the conclusion that this might be something people want to know how to do at home. So here is a link to this procedure that you might enjoy, if you are inclined to cook large bunches of asparagus for your parties or events, along with a great way to make garlic flavored olive oil:::: Just double click on the above title for the link.

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June 2010 Promotions

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printable page of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday, all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price. The change here is it used to be wines under $35.00 and over 50.00......now you get to have any one on the menu, bottles only. So now, a $40.00 bottle will run you $28.00 on Wino Wednesdays......Yahoo!!!!!

(Does not work with by -the-glass offerings)

#2. BYOB Thursdays! On Thursday nights, diners wishing to bring in their own bottle of wine getting one free bottle corkage per table. That alone will be a $15.00 savings. Please don't bring in wines on our list though.....how gauche. Call us first if you have a question......does not include holiday evenings!

#3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 1/2 off dinner coupons. Buy first dinner at regular price, second dinner is half off the menu price; limit 2 coupons per table. You must bring in the attached coupon in and be honored for the month of June, 2010.

2010-06-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Wine Trivia:

I love Prosecco. We carry a wonderful Prosecco from Bela Casel that I always encourage people to try with their appetizers or meals...

Prosecco Prosecco, a sparkling Italian wine can be the perfect selection for an excellent wine to serve with appetizers, light meals or fruity desserts. You will find the crispness refreshing and the bubbles exciting.

Prosecco is a dry sparkling Italian wine that comes from the grape of the same name - a white grape grown primarily in the Veneto region of Italy, north of Treviso, in the northeastern corner of Italy. The wine has a reputation for its rich aroma, crisp mouth feel and fruity overtones of yellow apple, pear and white peaches. This grape ripens late in the harvest which tends to make it a sweeter grape. Many perceive the resulting wine as slightly sweet; however, the acid and mineral balances of the wine keep it from being extremely sweet.

This medium-bodied wine tends to have large bubbles resulting in a medium froth. Its alcohol content of 11 to 12 percent is lower than some other wines. This lower alcohol level, combined with the slight sweetness of the wine, makes this wine a popular choice for both novice and experienced wine drinkers.

A Little History
Vintners began making this sparkling wine as early as the 1100s and many enjoyed the wine due to its slight effervescence. Producers would crush the grapes and ferment the wine in the bottles. This is the same process for making Champagne . Since there was no temperature control to the fermentation, it was common for yeast cells to die due to the cold of winter before they had a chance to convert all the sugar in the wine to alcohol and carbon dioxide. By spring the wine would still be slightly sweet and any carbon dioxide bubbles would be contained in the bottles, giving the wine a slight fizz.

In 1868 winemaker/chemist Antonio Carpene founded the Carpene Malvoti winery. He changed the way vintners made this sparkling Italian wine by producing and fermenting the wine in large pressurized tanks. The "Charmat "style was the name given to this new wine making process. The positive reception of this wine so overwhelming that Carpene started to teach other winemakers his process, eventually founding the School of Viticulture and Enology at Conegliano, which to this day is one of Italy's most important wine schools.

Carpene and other Prosecco producers made a relatively sweet wine and used a full secondary fermentation to achieve a wine with a lot of fizz. This type of wine, called "Spumante" is still in production today. In the 1960s, vintners introduced a lighter, less expensive sparkling wine called a "Frizzante" or "Gentile." Today this wine is available with both levels of carbonation.
Production Areas

There are now about 5,000 producers of Prosecco in the Veneto area. The better wine is from the DOC Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, founded in 1969. The Prosecco produced in this region must be made from at least 85 percent Prosecco grapes with the remaining 15 percent being Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay or up to 10 percent of Verdiso.

As with all wine varietals, not everyone likes the same type of taste profile - some prefer a sweeter wine, some prefer a wine with more bubbles, etc. To select the perfect bottle for your tastes, you need to find the balance of sweetness and acidity that you prefer.
Sweetness: The selections with the lowest amount of residual sugars are labeled "Brut" and are the least sweet. If you want slightly more sweetness then you should try a bottle labeled "Extra Dry". If you are looking for a sweeter wine, look for "Dry" on the label.
Vintage: Prosecco does not get any better with age; so, you can't assume (as you would with a red wine) that the wine will mature and take on more favorable characteristics. You need to find a selection you like today and enjoy it within the next few months. Many bottles bear the NV (non vintage) designation, which can be an excellent selection.
Magic of Prosecco: This is a wonderful wine to keep chilled in the refrigerator so that you can pull it out at a moment's notice and serve it at its preferred 45 to 46 degree serving temperature. Pour this light golden sparkling wine into tall flute-shaped glasses to preserve its sparkle. It is an excellent way to make a few simple snacks feel like an appetizer party and help a bowl of fresh fruit to become a dessert extravaganza.

Retrieved from "http://wine.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Prosecco"

2010-05-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hi All you Lunatics;

I can't talk.

I can't talk because it is to beautiful outside.

I can't talk because there are tiny little weeds in my garden just waiting to sprout into huge monsters if I don't get to them soon!

I can't talk because our new rescue dog, Max, keeps running outside protecting us from the wind, the shadows, the bugs, the pillows, the blankets, and all of the other things he feels he needs to protect us from. And then he wants to make friends with every other dog and cat in the neighborhood.
Max
I can't talk because we get so busy this time of the year with spring cleaning, with re-arranging, with re-modeling, and with projects that come out of necessity and whim.

I love this time of the year.
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Sooo....

Cafe Luna got nominated for KCRA's A-List for Best New American Food Restaurant. (Double click on it to go there and vote for us!!!) What started out as a fun little event has turned into an all-out major production with people e-mailing me, and Facebook'ing us, and letting us know about their experiences here at the neighborhood restaurant over the years.

My mind, my mind....Gary has such a great memory about every detail and event, and alas, I can't find my socks. I believe anything he tells me ("oh really?") and all he has to do is tell me a name of someone or an event, and then he can remember where they sat, what they ate, what wine they drank and how their evening went. And he can remember things like that from yesterday, or from years, and years ago.

And I still can't remember where I put my socks.

But...............I believe him. Yes, every word.

I am just so sorry that I was not able to meet President Obama and Michelle and the Clintons, and Mr. Ford Coppola and Stephen King when they dined at the restaurant a couple of weeks ago. He told me how much fun they had and how ol' Francis kept going on and on about his wines, and Michelle kept calling their daughters to make sure they were cleaning up after their dog "Bo" and to be respectful of their grandmother while they were out of town.

Gary told me that Ms. Clinton was telling the funniest jokes to him, and that they all laughed and laughed, and how he sampled them on so many of the El Do County and Amador County wines, and how they loved our Zinfandels and Barberas.

And then the Hot-Head dinner came to the table. Well.....you would think that people when they read "Heat level: 9 out of 10" would realize that this means HOT!....but oh no......Gary tells me that he and Richelle had to get a pile of napkins for them to wipe their brows with (I saved them all for Ebay!)

Which brings us my latest Rant: Hot. Heat. Scorching.

What is Hot to you and what is Hot to me. When we post that a Hot-Heads Heat level is an 8 or 9, you would think that a person would realize "close to scorching"...but oh no.....they sometimes think about heat levels along the lines of Taco Bell hot ("Listen, when I was your age, I used to live dangerously and have the HOT taco sauce ...ohhhhh::::I'm on fire!!!!"). But listen kids: Serrano, Jalapeno, Thai Bird, Habenero chilies - well they produce some wonderful fires in our mouths.....some you can't put out. And then I have my people who say it isn't hot enough (Ms. Debbie C: I admire you!!!).

So people who do not understand loving chile heat: how can I explain it? You have the first taste : FIRE. Then it cools down a bit and you start to taste the subtleties of the chile: believe it or not, a Habanero chile almost has a tropical aftertaste like melons or mango's ("You're crazy!"). Serrano's just taste like new green to me, with wonderful hints of cilantro, and maybe cucumbers and lime. With that fire first....but when the people on the floor talk to the un-exposed to our heat levels, they can't convince them that fresh raw chiles cooked quickly will send you over the edge if you are not used to them.....It's an addiction we have.....chile heat. Sweating brows, red foreheads......what is wrong with us?????

But I digress: When Mr. Clinton sat and ate his #9 level Hot-Head without blinking an eye, and Mr. King sat next to him crying real tears (is there a new novel coming out: "Chile Crazed Killers"), ahhhhh:::: the conundrum of life.......

And still we want hotter and hotter for those of us who love heat. It's funny. A former employee, Rosa, used to have "family" dinner with us after each shift. Most of us would have a slice of bread or a glass of wine or something to go along with our food. Rosa? one whole Serrano chile and one whole Jalapeno chile, raw, that she would just take bites out of while eating her meal. Hmmmm.....the true lover of heat.....

With that in mind, our little tribute to the heat lovers out their: Jalapeno Popper Fondue like appetizer. All the cheese ingredients you crave in a popper, in a dip-able little crock with tortilla chips and toasts for your spreading....heaven.....

We love Short-Ribs of beef any way we can have them. So, we are having a Short Rib Linguine pasta dish this month: slow simmered short ribs, in a rich simple braising sauce, shredding the meat and tossing with linguine pasta. Everything we love about this meat with Pasta!!! Gloria would be so proud!!!

We have added a new winery to our menu: Sean Minor's "4Bears" Wines. We are carrying their Cabernet Sauvignon, their Chardonnay and their Sauvignon Blanc. This powerful little winery is making a lot of noise by producing excellent wines in the Napa Valley with prices you won't believe considering the quality. And winning award after award... You will love these wines.

I have this passion for Prosecco wine. This sparkler from Italy has always been so much of a fun wine to drink with appetizers, desserts, and lighter meals. It is a celebration every time you have it. I have been looking for the same memories in a bottle that Gary and I experienced years ago in Italy, and found it. Tasting probably 20 or 30 of them, we found this one by "Bele Casel" who produces this light and exuberant bottle. Try this. It is great and fun.

Oh, and long story short. Gary ‘fessed up:::: The Obamas were not here with Mr. Ford Coppola and Mr. King. They were dining with the Clintons and Oprah and her best friend Gayle King.... I got the names wrong.....(and yes, Oprah did stay on her diet...).

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We are on Facebook now, and I try to post all of our daily changing specials and notes....if you are interested, sign up for these notices, and I promise not to make you crazy....John told me no more that 4 a week!!!

www.facebook.com/cafelunaplacerville
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Enjoy our weather, go to the wineries, go to the nurseries, get involved in spring. Come to Cafe Luna, see Gary and Richelle and Maria, and Courtney and Chelsey, and say hello. We love to see you, and I love to hear back from you.

Thank you for your business and your continued support. Spring is eternal for all of us!

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna
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Printable copy of this months current dining menu
and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the bolded red letters above to preview or download

May 2010
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Wine Trivia:
Here are some interesting and fun facts about wine and other alcoholic beverages......
Wine has been enjoyed by many for quite a long time now. Its history dates back into ancient times when grapes was first known to be cultivated and fermented into an ancient brew that became the process that was eventually followed in the production of modern wines. The long and rich history of wines comes with a number of quite interesting trivia that revolved around this popular drink and how it was made. Here are just some interesting samples to think about.

1. For quite a number of wine loving people all over the world, the word Champagne easily strikes a familiar chord. And most people know that it was a certain French monk residing in the Benedictine Abbey in Hautvillers who was credited for "inventing" the process on how Champagne is made. The monk by the name of Dom Perignon, developed the way of holding the cork in place to help withstand the pressure inside the bottles that eventually became the Champagne. But it may be quite unknown to many that this humble monk was actually blind.

2. Sparkling wines are known for their bubbles, so most likely they would produce foam as they are being poured. In order to prevent excessive foaming, it is suggested that an ounce of the wine be poured first and left to settle for a bit. The remainder of the serving is then poured into this starter so that the sparkling wine would not foam as much.

3. Grape cultivation has become a very important industry all over the world. It has grown steadily over the years that there are now over 20 million acres of land planted to grapes worldwide. And not only that, wine grapes today rank as the number one among the world's fruit crops when it comes to the number of acres used for its cultivation.

4. Grape cultivation for use in winemaking really takes patience. It is known that newly replanted grape vines usually take four to five years before they are ready for a harvest of a commercial crop.

5. Today, there are over 10,000 varieties of grapes used for winemaking that exist worldwide.

6. The oldest wine review on record is over 200 years old. It was made by Pliny the Elder as he wrote the History of the Roman Empire around 70 AD.

7. There are over 400 species of oak trees that exist today, yet there are only about 20 species that are used in making oak barrels for wines. Of these 20 species of oak trees, only five percent of them are suitable for making high grade wine barrels. High grade oak barrels usually makes use of species such as the French oak tree which is harvested for use in wine barrels at an average age of 170 years old.

8.00Even in ancient times, wine has been considered as a drink for the classy lot. It was found in certain archeological findings that in King Tut's Egypt which existed around 1300 BC, it was the ordinary folk that drank beer while the upper class drank wine.

* Reproduced with permission from Winelist.com

2010-04-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

Hello All You Luna/tics!
Welcome to our old friend Spring!!

It's Our 15th Year Anniversary!! We opened up in April 1995, and we are still here and having fun! Thank you to each and everyone of you for your support and friendly faces!!!

I can tell something is happening: the strawberries, asparagus and artichokes are making themselves known to all of us in the food biz...The strawberries this time of year do seem to be the biggest, the most red and the juiciest of the season.....and the artichokes? We get the tiny baby no bigger than your thumb, up to some as big as baseball mitts.....and they all have their purpose....those tiny ones are those that get braised in wine and butter with herbs and are served as a bed for some glorious meat or braise. Those huge ones? They are here to feed the planet for those who only want "one" item to munch on.......

Soooooo......have been looking at Main Street, Placerville. It is so very strange to see all the empty shops available here. And more strange to see Placerville on a Friday or Saturday night, at 8 or 9 PM empty. So what has happened to our fair little town? What has the economy done to us in particular? We all know that businesses in America are hurting, and we all know that we are hoping for the states to get more involved with the "little guys" - the "Mom & Pop" businesses that are the back-bone for our country's financial health: the places we can depend on. And yet.....here we are with close to 25 empty shops and spaces on our little Main Street.

Creekside Place, where we are located, has three of its small shops going out of business. Our fabulous art gallery is already closed up, and two more are leaving. This is such a blow to our little community, because it represents the small business man who is unable to maintain financial stability, even by cutting back and working harder.

The intention of Creekside Place was to have smaller shops, affordable and maintainable by the small, sole-owned and run business person. When a small shop of less than 500 square feet is struggling, what are we to think?

So, this brings me to a memory of several years ago, when the "Downtown Association" had a vote for most requested new businesses needed on Main Street, Placerville. Where are we with that now? I remember that the #1 spot was a Thai Food Restaurant, and in the top 5 was a mens shoe store. With our economy, what is needed in Placerville now?

I love the fact a new wine tasting room is joining our Main Street where Auriga Wine Tasting room was. This is indicative of where Placerville might be going. We are an INCREDIBLE wine area, but sadly, not everyone is able to go out to the wineries. So why not have more tasting rooms available for the public to see what we have to offer. This is something I have always wondered why a group of the wineries have not banded together to establish: a tasting room or two that would combine many of the wineries together, to get a "taste" of El Dorado County Wineries.

Gary and I were treated to a wonderful afternoon several months ago on a maiden journey of our friends Dan and Jim's new motor home. We went to Lodi, and there was this great tasting room representing at least 20 wineries. This was like one-stop shopping for the wine-whore!!! And guess what? The people behind the counters knew information about each of the wineries, and were not representing just one. And all my questions were answered and I am a more educated wino now. We loved it!!

So: I am advocating more of these on Main Street!!!! Fun, and they do not take away from the wineries, but enhance them because we are exposing the walking public on Main Street, Placerville, to something that they are not expecting: our bounty!!!

(And we have some spaces available if interested!!! Plug.)

'Nuff said.
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Speaking of wines:::(double click on the underlined winery names to jump to their websites...)

We got our new shipment ofJeff Runqist Winesin: his new Barbera, his new Cabernet Franc, and his new Zinfandel. If you are unfamiliar with these wines, come in and enjoy. His style is high fruit, but so great with food, or just sipping. We love them.

A couple of years ago, we had a Zinfandel on our wine list from Opolo Winery in Paso Robles that knocked our socks off!.. We probably went through at least 20 cases of this wine (and that was just Gary and I ....not really...well maybe close to that....I am going to hell well preserved at least....). This was one of the "fruit bombs" that Zinfandel has sometimes gotten right. And the next year? well, not so great. But we tasted their new vintage: IT'S BACK with a vengence!

Tolosa Wineryis a sustainably farmed vineyard in the coastal hills of San Luis Obispo. We are carrying their Edna Valley Chardonnay and their Edna Valley Pinot Noir. Both have been very high scorers with the wine reviewing sorts, and are well deserved. Sometimes Chardonnay is a hard-match for foods, but this one? Lovely.
Their Pinot is so approachable with our foods and we love the fact that the price is one we can pour by the glass with our foods.

And Holly's Hill Vineyards, which we carry several of their beautiful Rhone's, has a new Viognier that is hot! (not hot in a wine way, but hot in an incredible taste way....). Viogniers in general, are a great food wine with great aromas and clear taste that goes so well with our summer foods, and cheese, and fruits and fish and chicken, and sauces, and salsa's....get my point? A great addition to our menu....

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www.facebook.com/cafelunaplacerville

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Enjoy our weather, go to the wineries, go to the nurseries, get involved in spring. Come to Cafe Luna, see Gary and Richelle and Maria, and Courtney and Chelsey, and say hello. We love to see you, and I love to hear back from you.

Thank you for your business and your continued support. Spring is eternal for all of us!

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

2010-04-14T12:12:00.000-07:00

This Months Recipe

Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

Salsa Lulu Sauce
Latin Inspired Torta Rustica

Lulu is my prep lady who keeps me humble with her simplify in cooking. This is a dish we did together, with great results....a great summer bounty dish that can be made as a casserole, or in individual baking dishes, that can be wrapped and frozen for another time.

Printable copy of this months current dining menu

and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above to preview or download

April 2010

2010-04-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

April 2010 Promtions

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printablepage of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

(Does not work with by -the-glass offerings)

2010-03-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

Hi All you Lunatics;

The New Joys and What we will do.....

March 2010

This just happens to be my birthday month (again....)

It is also my favorite month because we can finally see the absolute beginnings of SPRING which is right around the corner. Have you ever noticed that the emerging greens on plants coming out of hibernation seem to be the very greenest we will see all year? I have some Podophyllum pleianthum x versipelle (try working that into a conversation....) that are just emerging from the mulch in the garden. They look like small 1" hats. But.....they are Spring to me. That one little sign it is coming.

Our native California Buckeye has the same effect: late February/early March we see the green leaves starting to unfurl on these rounded majestic trees. They are usually the first to be in bloom in the area. For a month before anything else sometimes......and we know that change is coming....

We are doing a re-model job of the entrance to the restaurant, the seating area, and then the ladies and men's bathrooms. Let Gary know if you like his new projects outcome...

Sooooo......cooking.....this time of the year.....

Slow braising in big ol' heavy enamel dutch ovens: turn them on, and walk away.....love this....

It is Chicken Pot Pie time, Beef Stew time, Arroz Con Pollo time.....and I am just glad that we were able to acquire the heavy duty pots we needed for this type of cooking. I am a firm believer in a brand called "Le Creuset" that has the crazy colors of reds, yellow, greens, white, orange and others but the heavy enamel over the cast-iron is something you can buy now, and will to your grand-children. They seem to be impervious to any kind of damage, and they go from stove-top, to oven, to table just like that. And on top of that, they hold their heat at a high boil, or the lowest simmer.

If you do not have one of these kinds of heavy dutch ovens, buy one. They truly are one of the kitchens essential items. Believe it or not, I purchased all my pieces on Ebay, from this Canadian company that sold them about 50% below retail, but I have heard that there is an outlet store for the Le Creuset line in the outlet stores in Folsom. Or I have also seen some awesome pieces at a place called the Home Goods on Sierra College Blvd. at Douglas in Roseville. These are crazy prices there, lower than wholesale and totally worth the trip there. (Side note: if you have ever been to Costco, you know it is overwhelming the first couple of times you shop: you go in for a bag of cashews, and come out spending $300.00 on other stuff you "have to have". Home Goods is like that .......bed-sheets for $10.00? Towels for $4.00, dishes and kitchen items galore.......it makes your head swim at the bargains they have there!)

So, in honor of us getting our dinners and meals going so we can go outside and jump into Spring, our recipes available for download will be in this vein of get it going and forget about it. We are approaching our good and beautiful weather here.....lets get outside and do something!!!
And then eat ....and drink a good bottle of wine....and then take a walk and then a nap.....heaven......

Have you signed up for our Facebook page yet? It is a couple of times a week where you will know what special seafoods, desserts, and soups we are offering for the evening.....it is fun to see the responses from those of you who are part of this vast, vast network of socializing souls...

Here is a direct link to our sight:

www.facebook.com/cafelunaplacerville

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For this month, we are offering our special "Buy one dinner, get the second one at half price" on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. This is a great savings for you.

And WINO WEDNESDAY = 30% off any bottle of wine on our list!

Thursdays is NO CORKAGE THURSDAY! Bring in a bottle of your wine (that is not on our list) and we will pour it for you with your dinner free! You gotta love that!

New wines on the menu:

Amador Cellars 2007 Rocky Point Vineyard Zinfandel- this is an awesome Amador County wine that has been introduced to us from Kristin, our rep from the winery. She had told me how delicious it was, and I have been stringing her along and she has been patient with me. Well. Big fruit, great body, excellent with food, and dare I say it: I like it slightly chilled.

2006 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon - This venerable winery from the Napa Valley has always been at the top of my Napa wines.....this Cabernet is what we California wino's love in a Cab: big, bold, and almost staining the glass with its fruit. So good with red meats and stews, but also with tomato based pasta dishes too. We love this...

Duas Quintas "Douro" (Touriga grapes) - If you have not had this varietal before, you should try it. One of Portugal's famous wines, it has been used in America and Europe as a "blending" wine, but on its own, it is fantastic, and a wine I believe will be a popular varietal soon. This wine is so good it is great all by it self, just sipping. C.G. DiArie makes a wonderful bottle on their reserves, and I encourage you to get that when it is available, but today, you can have this one and love it!! So far, we have served two cases of this wine, in just 2 weeks. It is a repeat purchase for people it is that good.

Dillian Petite Sirah - Good old Tom Dillian in Amador County keeps his score 100% with me on this wine. Luscious is all that I can tell you. Petite Sirah may be my favorite varietal because of its drinkability and its complex nose and taste. It is also so good with foods and cheeses, and appetizers, and sitting in front of a fireplace sipping slowly. A wonderful product from an amazing vintner.

Hollys Hill Patriarche Blanc - We carry several of Hollys Hill Wines, but this is the one I have had the most requests on. Steve DelaRosa has always encouraged me to taste and appreciate this wine, and we are so happy he is persistent. This white wine is a blend of some of our counties best Rhone grapes: Rousanne, Granache Blanc and Viognier. Wonderful!

Enjoy our days, come in and eat, and say hello. Thank you for your business and your continued support. Spring is eternal for all of us!

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

_________________________________________________________________

Printable Copy of March 2010 Menu

and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above to preview or download

March 2010

2010-03-11T19:02:00.000-08:00

March 2010 Promtions

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printablepage of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

(Does not work with by -the-glass offerings)

This Month's Recipe::::

Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

Cuban Marinated Steaks with Tomatillo Salsa

A wonderful marinade, a great salsa topping and a great barbecue entree.

2010-03-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

Wine Trivia:

Here are some interesting and fun facts about wine and other alcoholic beverages......

Would you consider drinking a wine with one of the following olfactory descriptions :

Dumb: Muted but promising, closed.
Nutty : Found in mature White Burgundy and Amontillado.
Wet Wool : When there is too much sulfur in the wine.
Stewed : Like leaving a tea bag in your mug too long.
Petrolly : Found in mature riesling.
Cat Piss : Found in the varietal aroma of Sauvignon Blanc.
Skunk : Do you need an explanation ?

Did you know that ?

Most wines do not improve with age.

The word Alcohol is derived from the Arabic language (al kohl or alkuhl). Consider the fact that a large proportion of the Arabic population is forbidden from consuming alcohol for religious reasons.

Poor soil quality tends to produce better wines. The trick is to "challenge" the vines by making them "work" harder.

Although red wine can only be produced from red grapes, white wine can be produced from both red and white grapes.

Need to set your food or drink on fire ? The way to do it is to preheat the vessel holding the alcohol, as well as a portion of the alcohol itself. Certain alcoholic beverages are exempt of this rule however and are readily combustible (i.e Sambouka).

What is proof ? It is alcohol content in half the proportion of the proof degree specified. A 200% proof vodka would taste as alcohol, as its alcoholic content would be 100% (doh). However no such content has been yet recorded on commercial products. In the early days of alcohol trading, whiskey was mixed with gunpowder in order to determine if the alcohol content was high enough to set the gunpowder aflame. (It is inadvisable to attempt to test this fact, consequences could be dire).

Try to pronounce this correctly : brandewijn. It is the original word for Brandy (Dutch in Origin).

The wreck of the TITANIC, holds the oldest wine cellar in the world and despite the depth and wreckage, the bottles are still intact. Happy divings. (Although if you are American you will probably be required to produce a valid ID that you are 21 years of age, before diving.)

Did you know the names of the different bottle sizes :

Champagne Bottles:

Magnum : 1.5 lt (this magnum does not kill, except perhaps if you aim the cork well enough).
Jeroboam : 3.0 lt
Rehoboam : 4.5 lt
Methuselah : 6.0 lt
Salmanazar : 9.0 lt
Balthazar : 12 lt (Rightly named after one of the three magicians who carried the holy gifts)
Nebuchadnezzar : WOW 15 lt (Try drinking this on your own, and then perhaps you will be able to pronounce it correctly.)

Bordeaux bottles among others also include:

Double Magnum : 3 lt (for double the effect).

2010-02-06T14:38:00.000-08:00

Hi All you Lunatics;

Here we are in February already.....the world is still in chaos, wondering when Obama-magic will happen, and most of all - looking forward to the first signs of spring that will be emerging soon....(damn Groundhog....)

Something very exciting (to me at least) I would like to talk to you about: Facebook. I know, I know...who wants to hear people telling your they read the newspaper, or walked their dog or finished drinking their coffee.....and then the "see ya later" part ......

Well. Mr. John Adams, our new head-chef guy, has shown me the light and how valuable this item can be. We have now been on-line with this social networking program for about a week hard-core now, and it has enormous potential to reach the WORLD!!! We are posting our nightly fresh seafoods and preparations, our
nightly specials, our soups of the day, and eventually will be posting our 'out-of-the-oven" desserts, and all the things we will not have printed on our monthly menu.

The response has been great, and on top of that to have the feed-back from you, our customers is incredible.
And instant......
That is the part that is so over-whelming to me.....how people read these little messages, and respond back or write us a little tid-bit of their own. And some of them our outright funny....and rude (my favorite I am afraid)!

I guess this is where I must learn that the COMPUTER IS MY FRIEND. Apparently there is more to it than me sending out this little letter each month. Who'da thunk?

So if you would like to link to this Facebook site with us, here it is:

www.facebook.com/cafelunaplacerville

New Faces Again: Gary and I used to own a restaurant in Coloma for many, many years. It was the Vineyard House. While there, a young girl used to come in and watch her sister work for us - because very few of you know this, but restaurant work is very glamorous. She would just wait for her sister, and watch and practice with her hands getting her imaginary tray balanced, her ability to recite the current menu and specials, and to flirt with the imaginary men who flirted with her. She was 14 at the time....
Then we sold the Vineyard House, and five years later we opened Cafe Luna (1995). She began working for us here when we opened, and continued for about six or seven years.

Well.....she is back. Richelle is back. She has been working for us for the last several weeks, and let me tell you, it is a very warm penny she brings to the table. And the surprising part? So many of you remember her from her first several years here and from the old restaurant (I envy this kind of memory from others: me? I can't find my socks....). Come in and say hello. We are so very happy to have her back. (oh by the way: what has she been doing? Well two more children, a husband and a new house....I will give her kudo's for staying busy.....)

Valentines Day Menu:
We will be open on Sunday, February 14 for Valentines Dinner. I will be posting the menu for all of you to check out. Make your reservations as soon as you can. We will be open from 4 PM to 8:30 PM.

___________________________________________________________________
New wines on the menu:

Amador Cellers 2007 Rocky Point Vineyard Zinfandel

2006 Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley

Duas Quintas "Douro" (Touriga grapes) - Portugal

Dillian Petite Sirah - Amador County

Hollys Hill Patriarche Blanc
_____________________________________________________________________

Note: Gary is back from Mexico....tan, tan and more tan. And for some strange reason, reeking of tequila and guacamole.....go figure....His journey with our friends to Troncones, Mexico on the Pacific coast staying at our friends Debbie and Mike fabulous place Casa de La Sirena (double click the name to go to their web-site) was a success! They had a ball, sent me pictures, and brought me back some incredible "Day of the Dead" or in Spanish, "Dia de las Meurtos", a very big celebration that has small figurines of skeletons in different guises. I have been collecting them for several years, and so I guess if I don't get to go there, a great present softens the blow.....
___________________________________________________________________

Thank you for your business.

We are all excited about this new year. Changes here at Cafe Luna will be making things better, and more fun. We hope to see you all soon. We love seeing your faces, and miss seeing those we do not. Come in and say hello.
Drop me a line with an idea, or a suggestion and I will try to respond. It is a pen-pal situation here on the internet.....

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

February 2010 Menu, Recipes & Promotions

2010-02-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to this months dinner menu.

Just double click on the line below to be whisked away to food heaven....

Cafe Luna February Menu

*************************************************

This Months Recipe

Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

Cafe Luna Beef, Gorgonzola and Mushroom Pasta

An elegant entree' that is fairly quick, and a show and flavor stopper.

**************************************************

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printable
page of Dining Discount coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page and e-mails.

#1. On Wino Wednesday, all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price. The change here is it used to be wines under $35.00 and over 50.00......now you get to have any one on the menu, bottles only. So now, a $40.00 bottle will run you $28.00 on Wino Wednesdays......Yahoo!!!!!
(Does not work with by -the-glass offerings)

#2. BYOB Thursdays! On Thursday nights, diners wishing to bring in their own bottle of wine getting one free bottle corkage per table. That alone will be a $15.00 savings. Please don't bring in wines on our list though.....how gauche. Call us first if you have a question......does not include holiday evenings!

#3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 1/2 off dinner coupons. Buy first dinner at regular price, second dinner is half off the menu price; limit 2 coupons per table. You must bring in the attached coupon in and be honored for the month of February, 2010.

Wine Trivia

2010-02-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

Age of vine before producing useful grapes-3 years

Age of vine before full production-5 years

Productive lifetime of a vine-30-35 years- Although the quality can remain good, the yield begins to decrease after that

Grape clusters in bottle-4-5

Grapes in a bottle-500-600

Clusters on a vine-40

Grapes in a cluster-75-100

Grape clusters in one glass of wine-1

Vines per acre-500-1300

Pounds of grapes produced by one vine-8-12

Tons per acre-4 (average-can vary greatly)

Gallons of wine per ton of grapes-120

Gallons of wine per acre-less than 500

Barrels per acre-13.5

Bottles per vine-4-6

Bottles per ton-500-700

Bottles per acre-4,000

Cases per barrel-24.6

Glasses per acre-16,000

Glasses in a bottle-5-6

Bottles per 60 gallon barrel-300

Calories in a 5 ounce glass of dry wine-100-125

Fat in a 5 ounce glass of dry wine-0

Carbohydrates in a 5 ounce glass of dry wine-1-2

Cost of French oak barrel-$600-850

Cost of American oak barrel-$300-550

Average age of a French oak tree used to make barrels-170 years

Number of years an oak barrel is used-5-8

Proportion of total value at harvest of red varietals compared to white-Nearly 3:1

Ranking of United States in world wine production (1999)-4th-533,596,000 gallons (behind Italy, France and Spain) 2008)

Ranking of United States in world wine acreage (1999)-4th-905,000 acres

Ranking of United States in world wide consumption-Second place - soon to become first

Percentage of U.S. wine made in California-90%

Average annual soft drink consumption of Americans per capita-55 gallons

Average annual beer consumption of Americans per capita-22 gallons

Average annual coffee consumption of Americans per capita-22 gallons

Average annual bottled water consumption of Americans per capita-11 gallons

January 2010

2010-01-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

Well here we are...

Another year older and wiser......

Full of the proverbial piss and vinegar, ready for what comes in this near future, and trying (with vitamins and good living) to remember the past....

Could I possibly have drunk to much wine in 2009? Is my liver along with my memory going further down the trail of beyond middle age? (lets see:::: 40 + 40 = 80.......how long will I live? Exactly when did I hit my "middle" age? 38 for a man who with our averages lives to 76. So.....?
oh good:::::::::::what are we approaching after we reach the "Middle" Age of 38 years? I know: ask a 16 year old and they will tell me with fluidity: just plain old! Damn, I knew there was a reason I did not have children: I don't think I would have been able to take the mental abuse their honesty would have lashed out to me.)

But then I do take respite in the fact that "my kind" is gifted with incredible bodies, a great sense of style, and of course, we are all great dancers. And apparently, we can all decorate any house or building or yacht on the ocean. JUST --- LIKE --- THAT ("Saa-NAP!!")

It's the "gift".

Ask my mom.

She will tell you:

"Why yes; when he was little, he wore flannel shirts, a white T shirt with old Levi's and work boots. ("It's fun to stay at the Y ....M ....C ....A ....!")
And he hated to throw anything away (Watch "Hoarders" on A & E or think EBay). And yes, David used to be so smart......(think Alice B. Toklas)...... now what do we do?

You wake up each day, you brush your teeth, wash your face, comb your hair (??), and then you look in the mirror and tell yourself "Don't you ever die you handsome devil" or something like that....or maybe you just brush your teeth, wash your face and you comb what is left of your hair...it is all relative isn't it?

And your kids and your nieces and nephews and all the people around you are another year older too. The youngest kids maybe have started to lose that look that kept them babies. And the adolescents have started to grow wispy mustaches. (Boys and girls...) And then there are the adolescent boys with their voices changing in that "falsetto/deep-as-thunder-at- times' shrieks that seem to emit from their mouths, especially when they are trying to explain something to you that "is very serious Uncle David!" And the little-about-to-be-women girls in your life blush at everything you say.....

And we listen. We flash on when we were in the same boats, and how we handled it, and we hope that our children don't ever get away with what we got away with, and we hope that we can read them better than some of our parents or adults read us as kids...... (think Alice B. Toklas once again.....gawd:::::my poor Mom.....)

We have all been there.

And so, you do look in the mirror and you say "don't you ever die, you some-what handsome devil" and you go about your day, with the hope and desire not to embarrass any of your friends of family. (But then the little horns on the top of your head, kind of hidden by what is left of your hair, seem to rise up and you think to your self: "hmmmmm......what CAN I do to embarrass my friends and family???" now my day is really beginning....)
_______________________

Note: Gary is going to go to Mexico in a couple of weeks, back to the spot on the Pacific coast we have mentioned on our site several times, Troncones, Mexico. Our friends Debbie and Mike, the hosts at the fabulous place we stay Casa de La Sirena (double click the name to go to their web-site) will be there, along with some of our very best friends. If you see me walking around town, dressed all in black with the back of my hand touching my forehead and dragging my foot around with an empty Margarita glass and an avocado in my other hand, its ok......I am just feeling the pangs of not going TO MEXICO.....

they will have fun...
_______________________
Ryan and Teresa have left us for sunny San Diego so she can finish her education. We will miss them.

I am pleased to announce John Adams is now our full time chef here at the old Cafe and is now a registered Lunatic. We will be having some new items in the coming months that I am very excited about. I love food that is cooked by others. I love it when someone re-invents the wheel. I love it when someone can take a classic, add a hint more of this, or a smidgen of this or that, and create a whole new dish.

I love food.

Come in and meet John.....he will be the one running around in the clean white chef jacket with the full head of hair. And the great part for me? He is not afraid of hot and spicy food!!!! Yahoo!!

John Adams love affair with all things culinary developed at an early age, while learning to cook in the kitchen of his Sicilian grand-parents. Holidays and vacations were spent making homemade sausage with his Grandpa Joe, fishing for dinner, cooking huge traditional meals for the family, and helping at Uncle Sam's delicatessen.

While growing up John's parents ate out regularly, he would befriend the chefs at whatever eatery they were at and spent most evenings in the kitchen. He eventually was offered a dishwashing job at the age of thirteen at one of these frequented restaurants. John spent the rest of his teenage years studying cuisine, playing sports, and working his way up the line at an assortment of local establishments.

At the age of 17, John landed a job at Paragarys in Folsom, eventually moving up to Sous chef. This is where John honed his culinary skills. Specializing in fresh pastas, grilled items and pizzas, Paragarys was the spot to be in the 90's. Switching gears as an adult, John left Paragarys after 5 years to pursue an "Information Technology" (IT) career. Like in the kitchen, John excelled at a rapid pace and landed a chief information officer position for California's largest independently owned Title and Escrow Company. He thrived in the corporate environment; he would often cater corporate events and cook special meals for co-workers and clients.

In 2005 John partnered with local restaurateur Taro Arai and opened a sushi bar in Elk Grove. During this process Adams traveled to Japan and all over the United States doing research on food and restaurant design. While eating at some of the best restaurants in the world and building a restaurant, John realized what his true passion was. In 2007, he traded in his mouse and keyboard for a set of chef knifes.

Prior to joining Café Luna, John helped open two new Sacramento hot spots, Hot Italian and Matteos. Working with some of the finest ingredients and using a lot of local products Adams continued to develop his culinary skills. John prides himself in constantly learning new techniques in the kitchen. Having lived in El Dorado County for over 30 years John is thrilled to be cooking in his hometown.

So with this new menu, you will see some of his new ideas and dishes. A collaboration of the two "foodies" that we get to talk and discuss and play around with.

I love food. And now, lets get on with our new year....

Thank you for your business.

We are all excited about this new year. Changes here at Cafe Luna will be making things better, and more fun. We hope to see you all soon. We love seeing your faces, and miss seeing those we do not. Come in and say hello.
Drop me a line with an idea, or a suggestion and I will try to respond. It is a pen-pal situation here on the internet.....

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna
_______________________

Printable copy of this months current dining menu

and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above to preview or download

______________________

New This Menu:

Main Entrees

Truffled Risotto - Italian Arborio rice slow cooked with white wine and winter truffle butter with roasted Butternut Squash, baby peas and Button mushrooms. Topped with Parmesan cheese and Truffle oil. Our vegetarian option.

"Jerk" Chicken - Our Hot-Head Special this Month. A "jerk" sauce is Jamaican in theory: but we take liberties.....a base of so many herbs and spices to combine to a great dish that we cook boneless chicken breast in with chiles and tomatoes, serving with Basmati rice and topping with a lime/cilantro/sour cream that cools down this dish. ON our heat scale 1 through a hot 10 = 9!!

Pork Shanks - Niman Ranch pork shanks slow braised in wine, apples, herbs and spices, sprinkled with a "Gremolata" made with fresh garlic, lemon zest and Italian parsley. This pork shank is along the lines of "The Flintstones" in size, with the meat so tender and rich. A wonderful winter dish.

Frutti di Mare - (Fruits of the Sea) A mixture of fresh shellfish and seafood with white wine, tomatoes and herbs, simmered together and served tossed with Linguine pasta, we are topping this with toasted Panko bread crumbs for some extra added crunch. Dee-lish!!!!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast - Grilled boneless chicken breast stuffed with Sonoma Goat Cheese and fresh herbs topped with a light salad of Arugula, bacon and tiny grape tomatoes.

Rib Eye Steak - We think this is THEE steak for flavor: well marbled, great beef taste, and juicy. We are dry-marinating this steak, char-broiling to your liking and serving it topped with a bit of green peppercorn butter. This is MEAT!

Appetizers, Small Plates and Light Entrees

Grilled Chile Lime Prawns - Large grilled prawns served with a smoky Chipotle chile remolade topping.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi - these little house-made gnocchi's are so light and delicious. If you have had gnocchi before, you will love this presentation: light as air tiny pasta dumplings in a brown butter and Marsala wine sauce with sage and Gorgonzola cheese. Heaven in your mouth!

Our new Favorite Torta Rustica - this little dish has become so popular, we are going to be doing this regularly, and surprising you daily. We will tell you about each nights presentation and how wonderful they are. Ask Gary or Maria or any of us about tonights preparation.

_______________________

January 2010 Promotions

2010-01-07T16:44:00.000-08:00

January 2010 Promtions

Double-click here for a down-loadable & printable page of coupons

Here is our promotional plan for this month. These are available to only you, our customers who have signed up for our e-mails and looking at our web-page.

#1. On Wino Wednesday, all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price. The change here is it used to be wines under $35.00 and over 50.00......now you get to have any one on the menu, bottles only. So now, a $40.00 bottle will run you $28.00 on Wino Wednesdays......Yahoo!!!!!
(Does not work with by -the-glass offerings)

#2. BYOB Thursdays! On Thursday nights, diners wishing to bring in their own bottle of wine getting one free bottle corkage per table. That alone will be a $15.00 savings. Please don't bring in wines on our list though.....how gauche. Call us first if you have a question......does not include holiday evenings!

#3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 1/2 off dinner coupons. Buy first dinner at regular price, second dinner is half off the menu price; limit 2 coupons per table. You must bring in the attached coupon in and be honored for the month oif January, 2010.

_______________________

2010-01-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

This Months Recipes
Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy

Cafe Luna Dry Steak Rub

This is one of the "restaurant" tricks people are always asking about: what do you do to your meat that makes it taste so great? Well, let me tell you, we do a "dry rub" - essentially a dry marinade that infuses flavor and tenderness to meats that are incredible. The sugar in the recipe helps break down tough fibers in the meat, and the paprika gives it not only wonderful taste, but a great color. Make enough of this to package up for your best buds. It is a keeper.

_____________________

Wine Trivia Q & A:

Are there particular wines that go well with ethnic or take out foods? The more complicated the flavors in the food, the simpler the wine should be. The acidity in wine heightens the flavors in food.

Sushi and sashimi - Sparkling wine is perfect. Zippy whites like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc are winners, too.

Japanese teriyaki - Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blends. Spicy Szechwan Chinese dishes. Kung Pao Chicken or Mu Shu Pork, a Riesling or lighter-bodied red like Beaujolais.

Enchiladas, tamales, burritos - Chardonnay with little oak aging, Zinfandel or a young Chianti Classico.

Beef or chicken fajitas with salsa - Pinot Noir, a red Cotes du Rhone, Cab-Shiraz blend from Australia.

Greek roast lamb - Italian reds, California Zifandel, a Shiraz.

Pad Thai and piquant Thai dishes - German Riesling, Gewurztraminer or a fruit-packed Sauvignon Blanc. Indian curries and chutney. Riesling's a good choice; Semillon-Chardonnay blend.

Middle Eastern Dishes - Fruity Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Semillion-Chardonnay blend. Lighter-bodied Chianti, Temprnillo.

Pizza - Works well with many wines. Sangiovese, Chianti, Cabernet.

· Should I leave a wine to breathe? - Simply drawing the cork and leaving the bottle to stand for an hour or two before drinking it - allowing the wine to breathe' - does virtually nothing towards aerating the wine. Rather, pour the wine into a serving decanter or pitcher, thus exposing the wine to the oxygen.

· What should I think about when matching wine with food? - Remember it is a matter of personal taste, so choose combinations you find particularly pleasing. Many wine styles evolved to complement the cuisine of the region, and so this is a good starting point for finding a food and wine combination. Have fun, be brave and experiment. Many excellent combinations have been discovered this way!

· How many bubbles are there in a bottle of champagne? According to scientist Bill Lembeck there are approximately 49 million bubbles in a bottle of Champagne. (On a side note, here is an interesting story about the discovery of Champagne. The 17th century Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon, is credited with discovering the cork as a means to seal wine and champagne bottles. He is also credited with discovering the process of making champagne. It is said that upon his first taste of champagne he cried, "Come quickly, I am tasting stars.")

· What does the term "Blanc de Noir" refer to? The term "Blanc de Noir" refers to white wine made from red/black grapes.

· Is wine good for you? There is growing scientific evidence that regular moderate consumption of wine is good for you. Red wine in particular is said to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The cholesterol that blocks arteries is low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LPD). This is cleared from the blood by high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HPD). Both are carried in the blood.

· Why is cork used to stop wine bottles? Cork is used to stop wine bottles because its structure renders it light, elastic, and impermeable to most liquids and gases. Corks are produced using the bark of cork trees grown in the western Mediterranean.

· What are sulfites and should I be worried about them? Sulfite is a term used to describe sulfur dioxide and other sulfur derivatives. Sulfites are found in all wines as they are a natural product of fermentation. Sulfur dioxide is used in wine making to prevent oxidation, kill bacteria and wild yeasts, and encourage quick and clean fermentation. The U.S. government requires wine labels to include "Contains Sulfites" to alert those who may be allergic to sulfites. Approximately 1% of the population is allergic to sulfites.

2009-12-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

Hi All You Luna/tics!!

tick, tick, tick........it's almost here.......

the big switch at Cafe Luna:

our guy Ryan Montgomery who has been doing duty in our kitchen for the last 14 months, is moving to San Diego with his bride, Teresa so she can finish her graduate education. We will be missing his fun, his weird sense of humor, and his abilities to interpret what I say out loud and talk about i- nto finished dishes. Teresa is going to be graduating in her field of Sports medicine, and we wish them both well...Their last day will be December 19. Say goodbye....

And coming in to make my life easier? Mr. John Adams. John was recommended by one of my favorite wine reps, Bill of Wine Warehouse. He knew we were going to be needing a replacement in the kitchen, and he brought this young man some very good reviews. John was the mastermind behind "Hot Italians" pizzas on 16th Street in Sacramento, a restaurant Gary and I have been to many times, mainly because of our friend from the "Masque" restaurant who ran the floor for awhile. This little place serves some of the best thin crust pizza's around, and to find out that our new man John was behind the success? Delightful!

Soooo.....when the new year comes along, look for some new ideas coming into the kitchen menus, new ideas on traditional foods, and some new dishes that we know will blow you out of the water. Johns first official day is December 22.

Which brings up our holidays: Cafe Luna will be closed Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day, along with New Years Day (hang-overs take precedence....)

BUT: WE WILL BE OPEN NEW YEARS EVE for a special dinner. Make reservations early, as this night fills up early due to all the party people and the people on dates coming out in their party mode. I will be publishing the New Years Menu in the next couple of weeks for you to look over.

_____________________________________________________________________
And so I am thinking what is going to be different this year during the holidays that we didn't take advantage of last year, or years prior: and so Gary and I have decided to try to remember.

Yes, just to remember.
And so I am thinking what is going to be different this year during the holidays that we didn't take advantage of last year, or years prior: and so Gary and I have decided to try to remember.

Our holidays are so full of being busy here at the restaurant, decorating the Cafe, Creekside Place and then home, and dinners out with friends, and family, and some shopping, and there is always the traveling that we like to do to look at decorations around the different towns, and
of course the holiday 'must see' movies that we go to.

And in the end, all we can think about (as usual) is: WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

Why didn't we take more time to do this or do that. Why couldn't we squeeze in this thing or that place or what ever.

So, this Christmas, we vow to remember. I know that we will still be as busy, and as bustling, and as frantic, but we can take the time to remember people we love who are not here anymore. The family and friends who in times past, have spent wonderful holidays with us, influencing us with their spirit, their laughter and their sense of 'family' that we have incorporated into our celebrations in life.

We will set aside some time this year, just to remember the loved ones we miss, we wish were still here, and the ones we wanted to spend much more time with in our lives.

And so, we will take that time to be mindful of our memories.

___________________________________________________________________

Have a great holiday season to all of you. We appreciate all that you have done for us this past year, and only hope that you experience a better 2010.

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

2009-12-08T11:28:00.001-08:00

December 2009 Dinner Menu

Printable copy of this months current dining menu and our
By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

Just Double-click on the under-line above....

2009-12-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

This Months Menu High-Lights.....

New This Menu:

Main Entrees

Seafood Curry - Prawns, clams, scallops, and halibut in a green curry sauce with coconut milk, mixed minced vegetables and served with our Basmait rice. A Thai curry is not necessarily made with curry powder, but rather a mixture of chiles, herbs and spices. It is subtle in its heat, creeping up on you rather than screaming at you. We love these curry dishes, and they go fantastic with sparkling wines or beers. Rating on our heat scale 1 through 10= 8.

"Jerk" Pork - Our Hot-Head Special this Month. A "jerk" sauce is Jamaican in theory: but we take liberties.....a base of so many herbs and spices to combine to a great dish that we cook boneless pork in with chiles and tomatoes, serving with Basmati rice and topping with a lime/cilantro/sour cream that cools down this dish. ON our heat scale 1 through a hot 10 = 9!!
Lamb Shanks - Australian raised lamb shanks slow braised in red wine, herbs and North African spices, sprinkled with a "gremolata" made with toasted pecans, dried cranberries, fresh garlic, lemon zest and Italian parsley. These gremolatas are meant to permeate your smell when these ingredients hit the HOT dish out of the oven. They are used primarily in Osso Bucco, short ribs, and other great braised dishes.

Salmon Wellington - Fresh Pacific salmon filets topped with caramelized leeks and carrots, rubbed with French mustard and tarragon, wrapped in puff pastry and baked until golden. Served topped with a light Meyer lemon beurre blanc. Dee-lish!!!!

Flank Steak - Finally!!! A dish from our past: lean flank steak marinated in a soy, ginger, garlic, Marsala wine, orange and chile mix to flavor this dish that we char-broil to your specification. We are serving this cut with some of our pickled red onions. Almost a picnic.

Orecchiette - Mike W. asks for this every single month. His sisters ask for this dish. I love this dish. Gloria, my ex-stepmother, the Italian lady with the incredible ability to cook beautiful and simple dishes, taught me this rustic dish that the 'old' Italians used to make utilizing left over pasta, meats and bits of cheeses and vegetables. We are using ham, Pasilla peppers, fresh sage and Fontina cheese with the "little ears" pasta and cooking this dish almost like a crispy frittata, topping with a bit of fresh tomato salsa and some sour cream. This is a fun and additive dish.

Appetizers, Small Plates and Light Entrees

Chicken Torta Rustica - This months version is in honor of our winter nights that have finally hit us. Boneless chicken meat simmered with carrots, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and butternut squash in a rich cream broth in a puff pastry enclosure. This is pure comfort food at its best.

Market Pasta: Angel hair pasta, tossed with a bit of butter, fresh chopped Roma tomatoes, topped with our house-made pesto sauce. Simple, flavorful and to the point.
Polenta ala' Luna : Polenta made with Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheeses, cut into triangles, topped with a sun-dried tomato, mushroom and red wine 'ragout', topped with a bit more cheese and top broiled until golden and bubbly. I love winter foods......

Mexican Chorizo Dip - Locally made pork chorizo mixed with three kinds of cheeses, roasted Poblano chiles and wild mushrooms, served warm with corn tortilla chips.

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This Months Recipe
Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy!

Gruyere Gourges

This is a great little appetizer, snack, addictive little morsel that you will love. This is a great item to have as an accompment with a glass of Champagne or Sparkling wine. It is celebratory. They are little cheese puffs, savory with spices and a bit of black pepper. And did I say addictive? Try them!

2009-12-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

This Months Recipe
Double Click on the recipe title for a PDF copy. Enjoy.

Gruyere Gourges

This is a great little appetizer, snack, addictive little morsel that you will love. This is a great item to have as an accompment with a glass of Champagne or Sparkling wine. It is celebratory. They are little cheese puffs, savory with spices and a bit of black pepper. And did I say addictive? Try them!

2009-11-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

Cafe Luna Rants & Raves
November 2009

Hi All You Luna/tics!!

Welllllll.......

I am sitting here in my home office with the last of the Anglo-tan peeling off my cheeks (face cheeks my dears. face cheeks....) the result of our just getting off the ship from our seven day cruise to Mexico. The weather was beautiful, warm/hot, and clear. Incredible sun-sets and smooth sailing.

And then there were the cocktails.....
the many, many, many cocktails......

It is so great to be able to be served double-shot margarita's while sitting in a chair, not having to spend any money and just have another and another. And to have your friends keeping up with you....or surpassing you....doesn't matter.

Served.
Whoa...just like home....

We went to Puerto Vallarta first, one of our most favorite cities in Mexico. Why? The diversity of the city. The architecture, the people. The color of the city. The ocean. The influence of the ocean on the city. And the food. It is one of the things we Californians have available to us, and something we all seem to rely on often: Mexican foods. The comfort of taco's, "chips and salsa", guacamole...Mexican beers on a hot day, especially if they are served in the frosty ice cold glasses with the lime wedge. Mexico.

Gary and I seem to go there as often as we can: far enough away to relieve any stress in life at the moment, and close enough to make it affordable regularly (should have had kids.....then I would have known where all my money would be spent...plus all my future money.....and my will would be totally different.....Gary and I have a belief: if we have any money left when it's all over, we didn't have a good enough time.....and we expect to have a great time in life...).

Did I mention the music of Mexico? Have you ever listened to the beautiful Mariachi music that is so full of life, guitars, and yes - sometimes accordion playing - that is so infectious with its rhythms and its ability to sweep you away in the moment.....and not to mention it can be so very, very romantic. There is something so sensual just listening to the beautiful Mexican ballads played. (For those of you unfamiliar with these ballads, try listening to good old Linda Ronstadt's incredible CD's of Mexican ballads from 1983, "Canciones di Me Padre" along with her other CD "Mas Canciones" from 1990. Pure infectious melody and angst and romance.....listen to these on a moonlit night with someone you love....and take a shower...just in case....).

Keeping in the spirit of all things Mexico on our cruise, we brought along our domino set, and played "Mexican Train" dominos. Endlessly. Marathons of them....Karen, Mike and Sally kept us lubricated (bless you...) - I hope they weren't trying to get us drunk enough for us to lose our edge....oh well, it didn't matter....we all won equally....except maybe Mike (The Cheater) making funny noises and imitations that totally distracted us (oh my gawd: I just realized: he kept us laughing so hard, we forgot whose turn it was, and he always said it was his....that guy! there is no end to his devious behavior plying us with liquor and such...who am I kidding? we were easy marks.....).

One thing we did notice: all of these people of -- let us say "a certain age" group (think Blue Hair and very heavy perfume and cigar smoking men) kept coming up to our game table and asking us what we were doing and how smart we were to bring our domino set with us and listening to us laugh and giggle and get really loud while playing. (NOTE FOR NEXT TIME: bring several extra sets and sell them at a huge mark-up!!! Pay for our cruise in no time...). All of us were so surprised by this, mainly because all of us had our natural hair color (whoa: thunder and lightening? in the middle of the day??? ok, ok. I am sorry...) and kept thinking what a sophisticated and mind-broadening game to play on board....(who am I kidding? it travels well...and it is easy.....unless you refer to the rules....and you know we just made them up as we went along....angel/devil on our shoulders.....we use what advantage we could.....forgive me Karen/Mike/Sally/Gary....I really did know what I was doing......oh gawd....I might be going to hell.....).

But FUN? Yep. It is a fun game and we had a blast. And the Margarita's, the Pina Colada's and beers weren't to shabby either. And then there was the "Cookie Lady" (who was a dead ringer for Scarlett Johansen) from Romania who kept bringing fresh-baked-hot-out-of-the-oven cookies around on a rolling cart.....did I mention how much like home it was????

There is such joy in laughing. The utter release of all your anxieties, the sheer silliness that over-comes you when you can't stand it any longer and just give in to your body letting you laugh out loud, shake with laughter, blow wine/milk/margarita's out-of-your-nose laughter. It may be the healthiest thing I do for myself. I love to laugh. Out loud. And love to hear that laughter in my friends. (Try not to laugh when you hear someone laughing well. It just takes over...).

And we laughed.
Allot.

And now I have a cold I am getting over (I will never drink again and leave my mouth open....). We had a wonderful time. Relaxed. Slept. Napped. Ate.

and ate....
(walking around now even here at home, every time I hear something any close to the sound of a bell, I am hungry.....Pavlov was right....conditional reflexes and all.....{I will be taller, I will be taller.....}).

Gary and I are so fortunate to have laughter in our lives. We love to laugh, to laugh with others, and to get giddy from laughter. Having fun, and a sense of humor - no matter hot twisted - is one of the main ingredients to a successful relationship. To be able to laugh at ourselves and to laugh out loud, and to laugh together..... hmmmm...........I am blessed.

And to know others in this Secret Society: even better.

JOIN!!!

Enough about us......
well not just yet.

You know what isn't fair? That Gary can go outside, fall asleep in the hot sun - yes the same sun that cooked me in 20 minutes - and get tan. And stay tan. Me? I look at the sun, I burn, I peel.

Damn European Latins and their olive complexions.....(skin envy...). His mom was Portuguese, his dad born-and-raised in Spain. And the only wrinkles? around his eyes when he laughs.....
the happy wrinkles of fun.

Ok, now that is enough about us.....

All in all....a wonderful, relaxing and fun time had by all of us....

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

2009-11-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

Here is our promotional plan for this month (oh you Wino's will be happy!!)

#1. On Wino Wednesday, all full bottle wines are 30% off the list price. The change here is it used to be wines under $35.00 and over 50.00......now you get to have any one on the menu, bottles only. So now, a $40.00 bottle will run you $28.00 on Wino Wednesdays......Yahoo!!!!!
(Does not work with by -the-glass offerings)

#2. BYOB Thursdays! On Thursday nights, we will be having diners wishing to bring in their own bottles of wine getting one free bottle corkage per table. That alone will be a $15.00 savings. Please don't bring in wines on our list though.....how gauche. Call us first if you have a question......

#3. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights 1/2 off dinner coupons. Buy first dinner at regular price, second dinner is half off the menu price. Bring the attached coupon in and be honored for the month of September, 2009.

2009-11-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

This Months Dinner Menu
(Double Click avove to get a complete copy of this months Dinner menu)

New This Menu:

Well my friends, the menu change has been a hit! The two page format with one page of appetizers and light entree's along with several salads has been very much of a tasting menu for a lot of you. Thank you!!!

Main Entrees

Mediterranean Seafood Stew - Did you know Gary is half Portuguese? His Mom's family was from the beautiful Azores - an incredible tropical island that we will someday visit. His mom was also the kind of cook that could make mud-pies taste good. She taught me the benefit of Linguisa sausage and the role it plays in Portuguese cooking. Kind of like our bacon. The Linguisa renders its fat, and that is used to saute and other parts of the dish, gathering layer after layer of flavors. We are taking large prawns, cod fish and clams, sauteing them with Linguisa, tomatoes and white onions, finishing them with a great saffron stock and fresh fennel sauce, and serving with a mound of Basmati rice. Wonderful. So good sometimes it hurts.

Tortellini Ala Pana - Cheese filled tortellinis simmered in a Marsala wine sauce with sliced olives, bell peppers, Sopprasatta salami, and a bit of parmesan cheese, finished with a bit of cream to even it out. A very satisfying pasta dish from the old school, and one of Gary's favorite dishes.

Chicken Don-Don - Our Hot-Head Special this Month. Basically a peanut sauce gone wild. Barbara Tropp, author of a great book "China Moon Cafe" used to make this "table sauce" and add the extra chiles, ginger and garlic. We upped it one more. This is a "9" out of "10" for our Hot-Heads. Pan-sauteed chicken in a peanut-garlic-ginger sauce over rice with crispy rice noodles on top.

Thai Tuna Curry - Mike likes to fish. He likes to fish off the coast of San Diego. He likes to catch tuna. His wife doesn't like Mike to bring home the tuna. Mile brought the beautiful tuna into us. We are making this dish with a green Thai curry with chunks of potatoes, coconut and serving it with Basmati rice. A nice, even tempered curry, on a "5" scale.

Salmon Wellington - Fresh Pacific salmon filets topped with caramelized leeks and carrots, rubbed with French mustard and tarragon, wrapped in puff pastry and baked until golden. Served topped with a light Meyer lemon beurre blanc. Dee-lish!!!!

Short Ribs of Beef - Finally!!! Slow simmered meaty beef ribs served in their reduced juices over (Best!) polenta. This is a house pleasing dish, perfect for these colder days and nights. We love this part of the year.

Beef Stroganoff - Filet Mignon strips of beef, pan-seared with wild and domestic mushrooms in a rich sour cream and paprika sauce. Served with egg noodles. We should name this after Stephanie at the Shafsky House B & B, she asks us about this dish almost monthly...here you go, Lady.

Appetizers, Small Plates and Light Entrees

Whoo-hoo! Our best girl-friend Sally steered me into this new region of smaller plates and things to try. She is my food conscious, the one in the white robe sitting on my right shoulder while I sit on my left shoulder - usually with red on and horns.....

Torta Rustica - This months version has a slight Latin bend to it: roasted butternut squash, roasted Pasilla chiles, black beans, corn, zucchini, and potatoes with Jack cheese, baked in individual puff pastry pies, and served topped with a rustic charred tomato, roasted red bell pepper and garlic "salsa". This is one we are all eating in the back room for dinner each night.

Market Pasta: Angel hair pasta, tossed with a bit of butter, fresh chopped Roma tomatoes, topped with our house-made pesto sauce. Simple, flavorful and to the point.
Ahi Tuna: Rare Ahi tuna, on a bed of baby greens, topped with an Italian infused Meyer lemon olive oil, served with a red chile aioli with toasts.

Salmon Cakes - Poached salmon mixed with roasted vegetables, herbs and bound together to form little cakes we saute until golden and crisp and top with top with a spicy aioli made with Chipotle chiles, oranges and garlic.

Salade Nicoise - Lightly Dijon dressed greens topped with steamed potatoes, hard cooked eggs, steamed French green beans, artichoke hearts, Roma tomatoes, caper and Nicoise olives then slices of charred rare Ahi Tuna......see picture above.....its delicious.....