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.

March 2010 Promtions

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

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

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

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

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

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

This Month's Recipe::::

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

Cuban Marinated Steaks with Tomatillo Salsa

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

Spicy Hungarian Pork Goulash with Peppers, ala Cafe Luna
Serves 6
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3 TB Vegetable Oil
1 Large Onion, chopped, yellow or white
3 cloves Garlic, mashed to a paste with 1/4 kosher salt
1-1/2 TBL Hungarian hot Paprika
½ tsp caraway seeds, lightly crushed
½ tsp ground cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
2 # Boneless pork butt, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 qt. low sodium beef stock or water (or more to cover pork)
2 Large Ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Large Red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into 1" pieces
2 Large Potatoes, (about 2-1/2 # total), peeled and diced int 3/4" pieces

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven over moderately low heat until hot, but not smoking.

2. Cook the onion, garlic, paprika, caraway seeds, and cayenne until the onion is softened, but not browned, about 8 minutes.

3. Increase the heat to high, add the pork, and brown, stirring occasionally, for about 8 more minutes (Don't crowd the pork otherwise it will steam. If your pan is too small, cook in smaller batches until all the meat is "toasty" and browned). Add more oil if necessary, 1 TBL at a time.

4. Add the stock or water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and then continue at a bare simmer, covered for 1 hour, or until the pork is tender. Stir in the tomatoes and red peppers, and simmer gently, uncovered for 30 more minutes.

5. Stir in the potatoes, and simmer until they are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Season to taste, and serve in deep soup bowls.

Variations: Serve with Basmati, or a loose grain rice; or wide noodles. I like to top the goulash off with a bit of sour cream or Cr me Fraiche. Sprinkle top with fresh minced flat-leafed parsley for garnish.

Enjoy.....David

Beef Stroganoff for A Crowd - October 2008

1 oz. melted unsalted butter
1 oz. Olive oil
2 cups white onions, sliced thin and then chopped
2 quarts mushrooms, sliced
1 TBL minced garlic
2 cups dry white wine, or dry vermouth
4 cups beef stock
2 cups dry shiitake mushrooms
1 cup dry porcini mushrooms
2 TBL porcini mushroom powder, optional
1 TBL Mushroom concentrate (comes in a tube in grocery store)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 TBL tomato sauce
2 TBL Worcestershire sauce (or more to taste after completed)
Coarse black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp.Paprika
1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche

Strips of filet mignon, about 2 pounds to start.

1. In large pot, heat the butter and oil until hot. Add the white onions and saute until limp and translucent. Add the fresh mushroom slices and saute until golden. Add garlic and saute for 3 minutes more.

2. Add wine to pot, bring to a boil, and cook on medium-high until liquid is reduced by ½.

3. Add stock, dry mushrooms, mushroom base, porcini mushroom powder, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. Bring back to boil, reduce heat and let simmer about 15 minutes.

4. Add cream to pot, bring to boil, and simmer another 15 minutes. Stir in paprika, kitchen bouquet, then adjust seasonings, adding salt only if necessary. At this point, check thickness of sauce. If not coating the back of spoon, mix a roux and thicken. When thickened, add sour cream/crème fraîche and stir.

5. While sauce is cooking, heat large saute pan with enough oil to coat bottom of pan. When hot, add seasoned meat to the pan, and saute in batches, trying not to “sweat” the meat, but rather cooking it quickly, with the least amount of liquid released from the meat (this would be more likely to be “steaming” the meat). Drain the meat, reserve the juices, and cook next batch.

6. With left-over juices from meat, reduce by 2/3 and add to sauce. Add meat and stir and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

7. Serve over egg noodles topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of thin sliced green onions.

Individual servings:
In 8" saute pan, place a handful of sliced fresh mushrooms.

Add about 1/4 cup of heavy cream, and about 8-10 oz. of stroganoff sauce with meat.

Bring to boil, simmer adding right before serving:
1 heaping tbl. Minced parsley and 1 heaping tbl. Minced scallions.

Cafe Luna Beef Short-Ribs

Serves 6 to 8

10 pounds short ribs
½ cup dried thyme
3 TB granulated garlic
1 TBL coarse salt
1 TBL freshly ground black pepper
1 cup flour (just to toss ribs in; toss the rest of the flour out when done)
4 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4 cups onions, minced
½ cup prepared creamed horseradish
3 cups tomato sauce
4 cups full-bodied red wine, preferably Cabernet Sauvignon
1 cup minced fresh parsley
½ cup dried marjoram
½ cup fresh minced garlic
6 bay leaves
4 cups rich beef stock (a good trick if you don’t have homemade: take canned or boxed stock, pour in sauce pan and reduce by ½. This will give you a good rich stock.)

1. Heat oven to 350°. Mix flour, salt, granulated garlic, dry thyme and pepper together. Place in a large bowl. Toss the short-ribs in this mix until well coated. Heat oil in a large heavy roasting pan over medium-high heat, and brown short ribs on each side. Remove short ribs to another pan, and cook carrots, celery, and onions until onions turn golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato sauce, stir to blend and cook 2 to 3 minutes until bubbly.

2. Add red wine. Bring to boil, and cook until wine/vegetable mix is reduced by two-thirds, about 20 minutes. Add parsley, marjoram and bay leaves, fresh minced garlic, and beef stock to pan. Return short ribs to the pot. Bring to a boil, turn off heat and cover. Transfer to oven, and cook until meat is fork-tender, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until ribs are very tender.
(Note: the idea is to keep the ribs at a steady slow simmer in the oven . Check every half hour or so to make sure the temperature is right. If not lightly bubbling, increase heat by 25 degrees. If bubbling to much, reduce heat by 25 degrees. Slow steady simmer is what you are trying to achieve.)

3. Transfer short ribs to another container. Strain sauce through a colander into a medium-size sauce pan. Puree vegetables in blender, return to pan and bring to boil. Reduce sauce over medium heat until it thickens to a gravy like consistency, about 15 minutes or so. Adjust seasoning to taste, spoon sauce over short ribs, and serve on a bed of mashed potatoes. Or better yet, we love to serve these on a bed of soft Parmesan polenta. Good. Just plain good.

Enjoy!!