December 2010

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.
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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

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.

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

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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

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

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.

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

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

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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)

#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 to be honered for the month.

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.

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

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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)

#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 to be honered for the month.

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

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

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
_________________________________________________________

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
_________________________________________________________

This months menu and our By-The-Glass Selections Pairings

September 2010

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

___________________________

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.