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.

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

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

Hi All you Lunatics;

March.

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

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

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

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

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

(See view ➔)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anthony Bourdain Baguettes

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

Great Depression Cooking - by Clara

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

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

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

February 20111 Rants and Raves

Hi All you Lunatics;

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

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

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

but it should be worth it....

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

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

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

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

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

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

but I digress....

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

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

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

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The Menu::::

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

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

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


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

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

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


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


Take care.

David at Cafe Luna

Hi All you Lunatics;

Happy New Year to all of you.

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

Thank you for thinking of us for this special night.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

22. To live my life with relish.

23. To laugh at myself more,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Take care.

David at Cafe Luna
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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

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

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

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

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

September 2010

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