Cafe Luna's Spring Menu

Cafe Luna's April Menu

 Double-Click Here for Our Current Menu


 We can't wait:  the farmers and the growers around the area have given us the indication that we will be having an incredible season of vegetables and fruits soon.  The exciting part is these growers are producing some new varieties to show us:  more intense flavors, more color, more choices.....
what's a chef to do????

Keep you posted on our adventures......

January Rants & Raves 2013

Hello All!  Welcome to the new year....

Another year on my belt....
Another year in Cafe Luna Land, this will be out 18th year in operation...

gawd....
for a little business that started out opening April 8th, 1995 in the tiny little area that is now know as "Creekside Salon" that was supposed to be a lunch-only establishment, things have changed (as they do....) over the years.

Our first day opening, we served a free lunch off a menu for the merchants on Main Street, and invited them to come check us out. 
We had bowls of fresh Portabella mushrooms, platters of raw Pasilla chiles, bunches of fresh cilantro and a big blue bowl full of Meyer lemons and limes out. 
Whoa! 
Were we ever the movers and shakers then....literally had our visitors marvelling at those items that -at the time- were mysteriously new to so many people (it was '95 you know, before Smart Phones and all....)
'Where did you get those giant mushrooms?' I was asked. 
'I grew them myself', I lied 'using the manure from the Scottish Highland Hairy Cows we have on the farm' another lie - we didn't have a farm....(why oh why do I feel this need to please strangers?)
'And why are those lemons so bright yellow?  Are they imported?'
'Why yes.  Yes they are' was the only thing I could think of saying (all the way from my Aunt and Uncles house in Granite Bay....).  'In the beautiful land of Boliviana, everything grows sweeter and brighter there....and tastes better too.'
'Well, I hope you have some Ah-mer-a-kin food too.'
'We will', I expressed, 'we will.....See?  There's a turkey sandwich on the menu with a Chipotle/orange aioli and Sherry vinegar roasted onions with avocado slices.'
It was at that point that I noticed I was being looked at askance.......
It hasn't stopped.....
going on 18 years now...

Thanks for the support and the stares.....

From the bottom of my Chipotle-chile filled heart....
__________________________________________
So as a merchant, I am not supposed to say this: 

I'm glad the holidaze are over.

There!
Cleansed.  Flushed.  Purged.....
I said it.
When you are in business, we don't often get the benefit of enjoying the holidays, because we are so busy with our lovely customers who are having a wonderful time enjoying dinners out with friends and family.
We have to wait until they are over (and we close) to start to enjoy them. 

I'm not complaining at all, this is what we are used to, now that we have been doing the same thing for the last 38 years (we had another restaurant you see....) and it seems we (me really) get it all done in a 2 day period:  planning the family dinner, buying the gifts, wrapping the gifts ('but Gary, you do such a better job wrapping than I do...'). Cooking the dinner, thinking about making the appetizers (Stuffed mushrooms with Proscuitto, hazelnuts and Gruyere; bacon-wrapped figs stuffed with Gorgonzola; Garlic and roasted red pepper humus with Chinese peppercorn dusted pitas....) making dessert, opening the wine (why yes, we do start that sometimes earlier than we should, but hell:  it is 5:00 in London...), cooking some more, drinking another bottle of wine (Mogan David really is better chilled.....and it is 6:00 in London now...), thinking 'Does my family really want three kinds of appetizers?', and then finally just getting the music blaring and dancing around the kitchen to Mariah Carey Christmas songs ("All I Want for Christmas Is YOU,,,,Baaay-bee") and getting into a major discussion as to how many artists really were singing on that English Band-Aid song ("Do They Know It's Christmas") and then finally wondering why no one can do a better version of silent night than Nat King Cole....
And then the doorbell rings:
What tha?
whaddaya mean it's time for dinner?
'Velveeta and Salsa anyone?

And thus, Christmas Eve at the house begins.....
and that Mariah Carey songs plays over and over again, and Gary and I look across the room at each other and wink....and break out the bubbly....

ahh....the holidaze.....
______________________________________________
So I am like a nut-job running around the yard, trying to figure out what to cover during these frost-bitten nights we are having....
Why oh why did I decide that our little bit of backyard heaven should be full of potted Succulents from much warmer climates? 

Yes, I know they are low maintenance, but winter time?  They don't like the cold?  Who-da-thunk that they would not like out zone 9b climate???  Cover them up, uncover them, listen to the forecast, listen to the new-revised forecast, then the last minute forecast (come back full-time Eileen Javora!!! You never lied!!!). 

You could just get dizzy from all the flapping I do with my frost-covers....
and what do you mean my lemon and lime trees need to be covered to?  do you know how big they are???
______________________________________________
So we had a wonderful, fun and happy New Years Eve here at the old Cafe Luna.  Full to capacity (a curse on you no-shows) with nothing but happy revelers who were just having fun, good food and libations.  Surprisingly, very little sparkling wine was served but rather tons of wine.  Things are changing here in California.....

We had a dish on the nights menu inspired by a good friend, Carmel Travers, that I named 'Pasta Carmella'.
She and her husband Glenn asked me years ago what I do with all the shrimp shells we save, and I told her we make Shrimp Butter with it. 

Shrimp Butter you say?  What is it good for?

Wellllll.............
Save all your shirmp shells in a bag in the freezer.  When you have a whole slew of them (Whole Slew = 8- 12 cups) you cook down the shells with white wine and/or stock, leeks, carrots, onions, garlic etc., strain it and reduce it down again, then add one pound of unsalted butter to this, and let it cool. 
Use this for a base for sauces or what-ever you want.

At that point talking to her, I realized how we in the restaurant industry take for granted everyone knows what we are talking about.

You don't.
I understand that now.

I know from my long life here on earth that there are many incredible cooks out there who rely on recipes to cook and the must follow them to a T.  I know that their creativity comes from making a recipe over and over again until they are comfortable to waver from the original, and then tweak it a bit to make it their own.

Thus 'Pasta Carmella' came about for Carmel and Glenn to play with.

I loved a show on the Food TV Network called 'Secrets of a Restaurant Chef' with a crazy-assed big-spiky-blonde-haired lady, Anne Burrell who said one of the wisest and most valuable tricks of the trade I know of:  'You bought it, don't waste it'.  That is a trick we use in restaurants all the time:  what to do with by-products.

By-Products?  What the heck are those? 

Well you see, all the things we have left over from making something else:  the peelings of carrots, the ends of onions, the skin of fresh ginger, the skin and bones of a chicken, the sticky stuff on the bottom of the pan we just sauteed the bacon in, the hard ends of a rind of Parmesan cheese, the shells from prawns, lobster or crab.....
Get the picture? 
We make wonderful stocks from vegetable trimmings.
Wonderful stocks that we de-fat from the skin and roasted bones of chicken, meats, etc.

And we make shrimp/lobster/crab butter with our shells....
It is so easy, and versatile that we take for granted you know what we mean.

In my hippy-dippy daze, there was this woman I have referred to many times:  Adelle Davis, author of "Let's Eat Right to Keep Fit".  This book was an epiphany to so many of us who thought we had discovered the Holy Grail at the time, a book written in the 1950's about healthy eating and living.  (and no, I was not a hippy-dippy in the 50's {that would have made me a Beatnik}I am talking about late-late 60's early 70's - I am old, but not that old {yeah, tell that to a 20 year old}).

In this book she made a plan for 'end of the week soup' that I still find intriguing....she said to get two jars:  one jar for all the left-over gravy's, juices from your cooked vegetables, and little bits of what ever stocks/liquids/juices you used during your cooking week - thus your STOCK JAR.  The second jar was to contain your left-over bits of uneaten cooked vegetables, meats, eggs, even salad left-overs, etc. - thus your SOLIDS JAR. Place these two containers in the freezer and keep adding during the week, freezing it until you needed it for your end project.

Her premise was to make a soup using these ingredients at the end of the week.  The flavorful butter used from your sauteed green beans or carrots that are so full of flavor make an excellent STOCK that you can start a soup with. 
She would have us let them defrost, pour all of this into one pot, re-heat it and add a bit of cream if you wanted, or more of something else.  This was the FOUNDATION of the soup:  all the goodies you used during your week.  To make it more eye appealing, puree the heated soup to a smooth consistency and then add more of what you wanted if it need it. 

The FOUNDATION TO COOKING started with these left-overs (by-products).
So here is what I have done with the Shrimp Butter made from the Shrimp shells and the onions tops, the carrot peelings, and the leeks ends. 

I have included these two recipes, (see below) once again. 

We served the 'Pasta Carmella' on New Years Eve.  I served it with scallops, Rock Shrimp, medium prawns, and large Bay Shrimp tossed with Spaghettini pasta sprinkled with toasted bread crumbs (for a bit of crisp texture), and sprinkled with the lightest touch of Parmesan cheese and fresh black pepper on top.
Heaven.

We learn every day while cooking.
We get more confident, we grow as cooks, we branch out of our comfort zones.
We get to experiment, we win some, we toss some, we love some more than others, and we share what we love. 

And we all hope that we have a great experience just playing around in the kitchen.

Go forward my kitchen-kids, go forward.....
_____________________________________
Sooo.....guess who got mentioned in that incredibly talented, very witty, insightful, perplexing and probably terribly handsome journalist Blair Anthony Robertson from the Sacramento Bee restaurant reviewer/life styler reporter for Northern California?

Me.
Yes, apparently he drinks allot of wine also.
Especially when reading my letters to you. 
BAR (that's what we call him you know...) wrote in last Sundays column about the highs of the 2012 dining scene. 

Me.  I got listed.....
If I could only reach around and pat myself of the back I would....but I can't. 
Author-write-us.....with age, it happens you know.....

So for that Mr. Robertson (who in the past I have likened to the good looks and charm of Cary Grant I am sure) thank you for the comments. 

I write, I cook, I laugh, I drink wine.
What could be better???

HIS QUOTE:::

"A chef who can write: David Van Buskirk of Cafe Luna in Placerville not only does a very good job in the kitchen, he's a thoughtful and often hilarious writer. I look forward to his monthly "Rants and Raves" newsletter more than any other restaurant-related material...." 
((Text Link to the Sacramento Bee Article)

__________________________________

Take care all of you.  Strive to do something more than we did before, and better.
Be good to someone who wouldn't expect it.  And laugh with your mouth full.....

Hoping to see all of you in one way or another.
Please write and comment....
love 'em....

David at Cafe Luna

Placerville, CA

This Months Recipes

Please double Click on the Two Recipes Names Below

'Pasta Carmella'
&
'Shrimp Butter'

 January Menu for Cafe Luna

(double-click above for a link to the menu for printing)

New This Menu: 

The menus new items:

Pasta Carmella - As mentioned above:  A tribute to a good friend, a rich pasta dish of scallops and prawns , simmered in a rich lemon/basil cream sauce then served with Spaghettini pasta, topped with parsley and toasted bread crumbs. .

Our Rib Eye Steaks are now dry-aged for about two weeks.  Love what happens to this meat this way.  We are serving it with a roasted garlic butter and it is fabulous if I do say so myself.

Chicken Carbonara is on this months menu: boneless chicken breast, garlic, smoked peppered bacon, Parmesan cheese and an egg yolk emulsion.

Duck Breast - Pan-seared with a crispy skin, finished in a Pomegranate/blackberry and Balsamic reduction sauce, sliced and served with mashed potatoes and fresh vegetables.  31.

Orecchiette Pasta: 'Little Ears' pasta with fresh sage, pasilla chiles, ham, red skinned potatoes and Fontina cheese pan sauteed and then baked to form a 'cake' that is so satisfying.  We love this dish for many reasons.... 

Butternut Squash, Saffron, Pancetta & Mushroom Risotto - ✭ Italian Arborio rice slowly simmered with Pancetta bacon, corn and roasted butternut squash in rich saffron, white wine and vegetable stock until creamy, finished with fresh caramelized leeks, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms flavored with fresh basil, Parmesan and Mascarpone cheese and served drizzled with our basil oil.
This is wonderful for you Risotto lovers... 

Beef Short-Ribs   - Yes, it's the season for our Short Ribs.  We take meaty, boneless short-ribs, sear them and then simmer for six hours in a red wine, garlic and onion broth until fork-tender.   We are offering with either our mashed potatoes or our Polenta - made with Parmesan cheese to creamy goodness.,  I love winter...  

    

Did you know that more than 75% of our menu is Gluten Free?  All of you with these allergies can rest assured that you will have something to eat and be happy with.....this includes our desserts too!!!

November 2012 Menu
(Double-Click for PDF printable copy)

Here is a down-loadable copy of our current menu.  Call if  you have questions, we love talking to our customers....

September 2012

Hi All.

I am very sad today.  There are changes on Main Street that I don't like.

TonyMatthews has closed.  As of July 31, they have closed their doors.  I know, I know they are on to other things and moving forward in new directions, but at the same time, Tony won't be on the street talking or smiling at people walking by.  Matt won't be behind the counter laughing or being the friendly guy he is.
It just won't be the same.
Placerville just got a bit more quiet....
We will miss these guys, not to mention Suzanne, Tony's certified crazy mother.  We love her wit, her smile and her caring for people here.  She is one of those people who, if you walk in in a bad mood, she can lift you out of it. 
She did this for Gary and I for many, many years....
Like I said, Main Street, Placerville just got a bit more quiet.
But (now this is the grownup me speaking) we wish them the best of luck and hope we will continue to see them on the streets....
We have watched these guys for the last 16 years become a staple in the community, a place to go for great gifts and essentials, foods, and kitchen supplies.  They jumped right in the community with both feet believe me.
We will miss the fact they are not there on a daily basis..
Here's to all of you.....I'm drinking wine just for you.....
__________________________________________________________
Cafe Luna has finally got a new email address after all these years....AT&T finally ticked me off enough to make me leave them for ever (as if they could care less....).  Our new email address is:

cafeluna@comcast.net

Truth be told, I needed faster internet, and AT&T could not provide it.  So there....
__________________________________________________________
Gary and I are gearing up for our proposed trip to Merida, Mexico in November....this is an incredible place that friends, and you, our customers have been raving about for several years now.  We have contacted a guy over there who is going to take us around the Centro district for a tour of what kinds of houses we can maybe consider if we were to have a second home there.  We love the fact it is a city that is the second oldest Colonial city in Mexico, full of historical buildings, and considered by many a very European city in the Yucatan Peninsula.  We have always had a major love of Mexico and its culture, and hope to someday immerse ourselves in an long extended stay there.  Merida is also known for its seven parks in the Centro district, and we have found out that every night in one of the parks there is some kind of cultural party, dance, fiesta, or planned gathering that is part of their cultural education for the area.  Centro district is full of restaurants,shopping, and museums and we are looking for this type of experience to rev up our tired bones.....and the fact that we can walk anywhere we want to go is a huge plus.  Mexico here we come.....
will keep you posted on these events.....

So our garden at the house has been extremely happy this year.  It is now three years old now and everything is getting huge.  We have been growing about 15 different hydrangeas and this year they just got nuts with huge flowers. We have been cutting them, giving them away, and starting new plants because I love to propagate plants.  The challenge is taking these little stems and made exact plants from them.  Because you see, I have a lot of time on my hands because I do not grow my own tomatoes anymore.  Every year I try growing tomatoes but forget it.....the tomato worms win, the birds win, and I always lose.  Soooo.....the Farmers Markets in Placerville and El Dorado Hills and Cameron Park are great resources for buying great and unusual tomatoes.  We are lucky here because we have many of the local farmers come in and bring boxes of their vegetables and fruits and we get to hand pick these babies.....Kelen (Helen with a 'K' she tells me...) brought in the most beautiful and sweet tasting orange grape tomatoes that we are using for saute, etc.
This is just like real life right?  They come to your door and you get to pick the best of the best?  I can't wait to retire someday and just answer the door when these guys bring us their wares.  I am ready.....
_______________________________________________________
Boy oh boy, I love my job.  In the last couple of months, we have had so much incredible wines brought in to us to taste and examine and try with foods.  It is amazing how much difference wines can taste varietal to varietal and region to region.  The Barbera's in the county from one side to the other have a huge taste structure change that sometimes I cannot identify.  Some of the Syrah's, and the Zinfandel's are changing in their flavor components.  I have found a lot of the red wines go for the 'fruit bomb' experience rather than the characteristics of the varietals, but I guess this is the California public demanding big fruit forward wines.

We have one of our wine reps, Bill Gilbert who works with Wine Warehouse out of Sacramento.  He has taught me so much about French wines, South American wines, and Spanish, Portuguese and Italian wines.  Tasting these wines which I admit are very different than what we are used to.  Dry wines, lower in alcohol (generally in the 12-13% range), but mostly how excellent they are with foods.

April 2012

Hello all of you Luna/tic Happy Campers...

Here we go again, into my favorite time of the year...everything is happening in our yard, in the grocery stores, the Farmers Markets are starting to get serious, and the chores keep looming....

Had a very serious birthday last month.  Six-oh.   I can finally get into the movies with a discount!  Was surprised with a whole lot of wonderful people that I love secretly showing up for a REAL SURPRISE PARTY that I had no idea what-so-ever about.  It was fun.  The hardest part was trying to talk when you are kind of over-whelmed with emotions. 

60.  The new 40?  Hell no.  60 is 60.  And this is where I am at.  Deal with it David.....

This month is our anniversary month at Cafe Luna.  On April 8, 1995, we opened for business.  We are now a 17 year old restaurant.  Gawd....how time and things have changed.

When we first opened up, we used to display some of the 'exotic' fruits and vegetables we were using:  Key Limes, Portabella Mushrooms, Crimini Mushrooms, Pasilla Chiles.....

Now?  These are part of the items you can find any day of the week in our local grocery stores. 

We started out way back then serving only French Roast Coffee.  At the time, some customers thought the coffee way to strong and dark.  We couldn't get it strong enough for our tastes.  Java City was our coffee supplier.  Still love their French Roast coffee beans. 

And we only used (still to this day) Kosher Salt on the tables.  Why people asked?  We would have a bit of iodized salt for people to taste next to the Kosher.  There is such a distinct 'chemical' taste to the iodized salt that the difference was huge, and we converted  many people on this one item alone.
And now, we have Maldon Salt flakes, sea salts, Himalayan salts, finishing salts, grey salt, pink salts....the list goes on and on.....

Why?  We have grown up on changing things and taking the time to do something that might just make a difference with our foods.  This is something that we are experiencing in our homes with seasonings, recipes, etc.  Its a good thing to evolve like this. 
But.
Still playing around with our favorite things to eat, just throwing a new curve in every so often. 
Thus:  a new recipe is born every minute....

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

Here is a link to our new menu:

Cafe Luna Spring Menu

Don't forget all of you Gluten-Free people:  our menu is naturally low on gluten except for our pasta dishes.
Who'da thunk?  Gluten-Free in Placerville???

Enjoy our weather and our wines.... we live in a wonderful area...

Take care.
David at Cafe Luna

March 2012

March 2012

Hello All of you Luna/tics....
Sometimes I wish I wore a hat. You know - one of those Indiana Jones hats or the kind you see the Vietnamese farmers wearing.....I want this. For protection from the sun, and to make me feel 'cool' , and all this because I have this great HAT on.
But....
I have a fat head.
Hats look like someone put a chair cushion on my head and told me to balance it on top until it falls off. And the funny part is they always ride above my ears and so - on top of it not fitting - I don't look 'cool' at all. ...more like that dorky guy who pretends to be an adventurer in the land of suburbia with a chair cushion on his head asking for directions....probably with a fried egg stuck somewhere in my hair...
But this is what I envision myself looking like when I work outside.
And it all starts this time of the year.

What is it about March that gets my Mojo working? My testosterone boiling, and my ability to see a weed in my garden a mile away? SPRING!!!

Getting into such a great groove of anticipating what is going to be happening with our weather, our soil and planning on whatever changes we are going to make is one of the items I get most excited about, especially now that we have decided not to ever grow tomatoes again. I am free of worrying about those damn tomato worms eating my plants bare in a days time. Ha! I will instead spend my time growing herbs and weirdo vegetables that I use a lot at home, and that I can't find better from the store or the Farmers Markets.

Free I tell you!!!

I remember my friend Michelle from Sleepy Hollow nursery (we miss that place) telling us how they would always sell twice as many tomatoes because of the fickle weather we experience: you know - those extremely Spring-like days in February and March that make a gardener just go out and plant their tomato plants, only to have a massive frost mid-March or April that would wipe out their baby plants. So she told us people would come back and buy the same tomatoes sometimes three times in one season, because WE MUST PLANT!!!
But me? I am free of the tomato bug!!!! I want to instead, plant Ghost Chiles' just to see if I can get them to grow. And maybe a new crop of Genovese Basil, chives and some of the new radishes we have eaten lately. Tomato-free!!! No head-aches. No anxiety. No having to kill those bugs that seem as big as my hand eating those damn plants. Not me.
Now.....as long as we are not overwhelmed with the attack of the Moles/Voles/Gophers, life will be good. If they tasted better we could eat them....but they don't.....so we can't.....damn.

We have had a great couple of last months thinking about what matters in life. We (Gary and I) realize that we should be taking more time to just bop around and do the kind of things that make us goofy/happy. And that list is a long list.....
We find that the older we get: we love our friends. Every time we are with them, we wonder why we can't spend more time with them. Then we remember: we work. We spend many hours at our business and thus not enough time 'playing'.
I want to play more.
Gary is definitely ready also.
Every time a commercial comes on the TV about a cruise, he says 'that could be us (salt on my open wound...). And then he always adds: "but you wouldn't like to do that would you??? You would rather work....."
I don't know if he tells me that to make me crazy or tells me that to think about what and where we should be doing next.

It's Spring and we talk this way every year.

I keep telling him that going to Camino sounds like a great adventure to me.....He on the other hand has his sites on Mexico.....
Damn man....
It's spring and everything I think about has its basis in the clouds. The clouds of Camino, my garden and Mexico.
It's Spring.
Things turn green this month. Things start to grow where we least expect them to grow. We let things sprout hoping - even though we did not plant them there - that they might just turn out to be a rare and exotic plant or vegetable or herb.....
And not the noxious weed that will ultimately take over my garden.

(NOTE: Have you ever noticed that every season, we have a 'new' weed that we have to endure? I wish they were the polite weeds that once I pulled one out they would be gone forever.....)

But no: I get the kind of weeds that seem to be clinging to the very foundation of my house and when I pull and pull them up, of course the main part of the root breaks off and I will have to wait until it re-spouts to find it again, usually after it has set a million seeds all over the yard....The Weed.....

And so you understand that the basis of Spring to me is a dithering in my mind that doesn't get any easier or better as I age....it is the time of the year when my mind goes all out ass-crazy with the things I want to get done. Quickly, with effort, and then relax from our efforts....this is fair.

Maybe they have a nice Mexican restaurant in Camino we could explore that serves really strong Margarita's for Gary.....

Ahhhh.....spring.......I need some wine.....

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

A Note to many of you from Cafe Luna: a couple of weeks ago, I sent out an email explaining about our friend Juan Correa who is doing a 545 mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. He is doing this to benefit the the "Aids/LifeCycle" Project out of San Francisco. Juan is a great customer of ours and a personal friend who is committed to doing something with his talents.
A word of thanks to you who donated to his project. Gary and I are both humbled and over-whelmed with the outpouring of generosity that you provided for this event.
Thank you all. You have helped make this benefit happening for real...

If you are intersted in looking at this event, or how to help him achieve his goal, just double click the link below.

Aids/LifeCycle Project

This Months Recipe:

Portuguese Black Bean Soup
(double-click above to get a printable copy of this recipe)

I love soups as you may know. I take the most time making soups, doing the "mise en place" (which is the secret to restaurant cooking you know...having everything cut up and ready before you start to do your actual cooking.....doesn't everyone have a prep cook at home???), the laying out of all utensils needed, planning my garnishes, and all the while watching it transform from sauteed vegetables, meats, etc. to this wonderful creamy heaven in a bowl.

This is one of my favorite recipes for soup, something that Garys mom taught me many years ago: building on your flavors. Layering your flavors and making sure each level is properly seasoned. Soup making is a study in patience.

This soup is wonderful just made, but like so many soups, really develops its flavors the next day. It also freezes well. I like this soup as a main meal with some nice rustic thick crusted bread. Go wild on your toppings....and enjoy...Portuguese Black Bean Soup

March 2012

March 2012

Hello All of you Luna/tics....
Sometimes I wish I wore a hat. You know - one of those Indiana Jones hats or the kind you see the Vietnamese farmers wearing.....I want this. For protection from the sun, and to make me feel 'cool' , and all this because I have this great HAT on.
But....
I have a fat head.
Hats look like someone put a chair cushion on my head and told me to balance it on top until it falls off. And the funny part is they always ride above my ears and so - on top of it not fitting - I don't look 'cool' at all. ...more like that dorky guy who pretends to be an adventurer in the land of suburbia with a chair cushion on his head asking for directions....probably with a fried egg stuck somewhere in my hair...
But this is what I envision myself looking like when I work outside.
And it all starts this time of the year.

What is it about March that gets my Mojo working? My testosterone boiling, and my ability to see a weed in my garden a mile away? SPRING!!!

Getting into such a great groove of anticipating what is going to be happening with our weather, our soil and planning on whatever changes we are going to make is one of the items I get most excited about, especially now that we have decided not to ever grow tomatoes again. I am free of worrying about those damn tomato worms eating my plants bare in a days time. Ha! I will instead spend my time growing herbs and weirdo vegetables that I use a lot at home, and that I can't find better from the store or the Farmers Markets.

Free I tell you!!!

I remember my friend Michelle from Sleepy Hollow nursery (we miss that place) telling us how they would always sell twice as many tomatoes because of the fickle weather we experience: you know - those extremely Spring-like days in February and March that make a gardener just go out and plant their tomato plants, only to have a massive frost mid-March or April that would wipe out their baby plants. So she told us people would come back and buy the same tomatoes sometimes three times in one season, because WE MUST PLANT!!!
But me? I am free of the tomato bug!!!! I want to instead, plant Ghost Chiles' just to see if I can get them to grow. And maybe a new crop of Genovese Basil, chives and some of the new radishes we have eaten lately. Tomato-free!!! No head-aches. No anxiety. No having to kill those bugs that seem as big as my hand eating those damn plants. Not me.
Now.....as long as we are not overwhelmed with the attack of the Moles/Voles/Gophers, life will be good. If they tasted better we could eat them....but they don't.....so we can't.....damn.

We have had a great couple of last months thinking about what matters in life. We (Gary and I) realize that we should be taking more time to just bop around and do the kind of things that make us goofy/happy. And that list is a long list.....
We find that the older we get: we love our friends. Every time we are with them, we wonder why we can't spend more time with them. Then we remember: we work. We spend many hours at our business and thus not enough time 'playing'.
I want to play more.
Gary is definitely ready also.
Every time a commercial comes on the TV about a cruise, he says 'that could be us (salt on my open wound...). And then he always adds: "but you wouldn't like to do that would you??? You would rather work....."
I don't know if he tells me that to make me crazy or tells me that to think about what and where we should be doing next.

It's Spring and we talk this way every year.

I keep telling him that going to Camino sounds like a great adventure to me.....He on the other hand has his sites on Mexico.....
Damn man....
It's spring and everything I think about has its basis in the clouds. The clouds of Camino, my garden and Mexico.
It's Spring.
Things turn green this month. Things start to grow where we least expect them to grow. We let things sprout hoping - even though we did not plant them there - that they might just turn out to be a rare and exotic plant or vegetable or herb.....
And not the noxious weed that will ultimately take over my garden.

(NOTE: Have you ever noticed that every season, we have a 'new' weed that we have to endure? I wish they were the polite weeds that once I pulled one out they would be gone forever.....)

But no: I get the kind of weeds that seem to be clinging to the very foundation of my house and when I pull and pull them up, of course the main part of the root breaks off and I will have to wait until it re-spouts to find it again, usually after it has set a million seeds all over the yard....The Weed.....

And so you understand that the basis of Spring to me is a dithering in my mind that doesn't get any easier or better as I age....it is the time of the year when my mind goes all out ass-crazy with the things I want to get done. Quickly, with effort, and then relax from our efforts....this is fair.

Maybe they have a nice Mexican restaurant in Camino we could explore that serves really strong Margarita's for Gary.....

Ahhhh.....spring.......I need some wine.....

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A Note to many of you from Cafe Luna: a couple of weeks ago, I sent out an email explaining about our friend Juan Correa who is doing a 545 mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. He is doing this to benefit the the "Aids/LifeCycle" Project out of San Francisco. Juan is a great customer of ours and a personal friend who is committed to doing something with his talents.
A word of thanks to you who donated to his project. Gary and I are both humbled and over-whelmed with the outpouring of generosity that you provided for this event.
Thank you all. You have helped make this benefit happening for real...

If you are intersted in looking at this event, or how to help him achieve his goal, just double click the link below.

Aids/LifeCycle Project

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..... _________________________________________________ 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.

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

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.

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

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July 2011

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

This Months Recipe

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

Asparagus and Gruyere Tart

We love asparagus, and we love puff pastry. It makes Chefs out of everyone! This is an easy, show-stopper recipe for an appetizer, a first course, or something to enjoy a good white wine or Proscesso with. Enjoy.

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