FOR PICKUP    THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY  APRIL 15, 16, 17

  ORDER until 9AM WED April 14th              

FROM FRANCESCA

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THE BEST OF ITALY --------------------$29

The Italian region of Emiglia-Romagna includes Parma, Modena, Bologna and has given the world lasagne, tortellini, bolognese sauce, Parmigiano-Reggiano, balsamic vinegar, mortadella and Giuseppe Verdi. The Po Valley is the agricultural center of northern Italy, with wheat, tomatoes, and vegetables in abundance. Sit down to this dinner featuring the region's superstar ingredients and four classic dishes.

Radicchio w gorgonzola and walnuts -- deep crimson bittersweet chicory leaves with a wedge of tangy cheese and crunchy walnuts, dusted with sea salt and drizzled with our best EVOO and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Ravioli al balsamico--  egg pasta handmade with 00 flour from Ferraro,  filled with a mixture of swiss chard and ricotta, dressed with  butter, shallots, a kiss of certified IGT, 10 year old balsamico and imported Parmigiano-Reggiano. 

Roasted Filled Mushrooms -- crimini or button mushroom caps filled with parsley, mortadella,  Parmigiano-Reggiano, homemade breadcrumbs, garlic and olive oil.

Apple Torta -- a classic not-too-sweet, super moist and apple-y golden cake.

You're in Parma, birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi!

So Make it a Night at the Opera.

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Beverages: Prosecco for opening and closing the meal,  a nice Chianti Classico with the ravioli.  Non alcohol option: Bubbly water with a shot of pomegranate juice with nice tannins to play with the butter sauce.

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Music: Stream the Opera Gold album on Pandora while you eat.

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Movies: Try a Verdi opera. For beginners, Rigoletto is full of recognizable music. There's a 1982 film version with Luciano Pavarotti available on Amazon Prime. Or you can watch the actual opera at the Met in New York City filmed for Great Performances, season 38 from RMPBS.

The Garden of The Finzi-Continis (1971), free on Amazon Prime,

is an Italian drama set in Ferrara about a family of  intellectual Jewish

aristocrats at the beginning of Fascism in Italy. It won the 1972

Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, directed by Vittorio Di Sica.

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FROM TOM

WOODSTOCK --------------           $28

August 15 - 18, 1969.  Really, a first of its kind event.  The Woodstock Music Festival, 3 Days of Peace and Music, An Aquarian Exposition.  An expected crowd of 50,000 turned into over 400,000, 32 bands performed, there were rainstorms, warnings about the brown acid and as Arlo Guthrie proclaimed, the New York Thruway was closed.  It was an event that is often credited as being a pivotal moment in popular music, indeed a defining moment for the counterculture generation.  Thank you for the space, Max!

Enough said!  Now, let's see what food we might find at Yazgur's farm…

Tomato Tuna Zucchini Salad

This first course features fresh pieces of Ahi which have been simmered and then marinated in a mixture of capers, bay and olive oil.  It is mixed and served with zucchini and cherry tomatoes for a delightfully fresh beginning.

Pan Roasted Chicken with Apple - Fennel Slaw

This taste explosion features a chicken breast which is browned in a hot pan and cooked crisp and juicy in the oven.  It is then served on a crisp bed of slaw made of fennel and tart apples and then dressed with a surprising light mustard sauce.

Marbled Chocolate Meringues

Feather light Meringues made special with a drizzling of bittersweet chocolate which is folded in, creating a wonderful marbled effect.

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Make a Night of It

The movie and music are a no-brainer…

"By the time we got to Woodstock, we were a half a million strong,

and everywhere there was song and celebration."  Joni Mitchell

Woodstock (1970 )   

Beverages;

A good Chardonnay will be my choice for this dinner, and the two that I recommend  are Far Niente and La Crema.  Otherwise, if a beer is more fitting for the occasion, I'd look for something along the lines of a red ale. 

click to order, pay and choose pickup day and time

NOW COOKING .....   -- NOT AVAILABLE TO ORDER

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Mediterranean Odyssey  --------------$28

The flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean from Turkey to Libya are on the table this week. Market vendors offer nuts, yogurt, bulgur wheat, legumes, coriander, garlic, saffron and rose water and much more for cooks to create enticing aromas wafting from the kitchen or street stalls. Exotic cultures like Persians, Greeks, and Arabs have been trading, sharing and adapting ingredients and recipes for centuries, creating a regional cuisine where we can seek out our favorite variations of dozens of traditional dishes. Here are a few that I and my family love.

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Eggplant Salad--  scoop mashed roasted eggplant, olive oil, onion, garlic, saffron and mint onto crisp cucumber slices.

Lamb Kofte--  Spiced, grilled ground lamb, bulgur and pistachio croquettes, grilled over wood chips for a pleasant smokiness.

Vegetarian: Red Lentil Koftesi -- roasted sweet peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, bulgur with warm spices.

Coriander Potatoes -- Cracked red potatoes pan fried in butter and then cooked tender with crushed coriander seeds and red wine.

Kadyif   -- Buttery shredded pastry,  filled with sweet cheese kissed with rose water and orange blossom water.

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MAKE A NIGHT OF IT

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Beverages:

Enjoy a white wine  (not a retsina, though) from Greece. A yummy red from Puglia, like Negroamaro or a syrah-grenache-mouvedre blend from southern France will play nice with this food. A  Colorado craft pale ale or IPA will lend their hoppy, citrusy, spicy notes to the food.

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Music:

For an immersive experience, find Arabic Cafe for Middle Eastern Classics. Or Turkish Traditional Radio on Pandora for an exotic, more contemporary sound.

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Movie: If you didn't spend and evening in Florence and watch Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon in "INFERNO", catch it this time and you'll visit Hagia Sophia in Turkey. Just for fun and complete escape, watch "INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE". Best choice of all though, the excellently crafted and acted "O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU?", the Coen Brothers'  imaginative contemporary retelling of Homer's Odyssey.

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FROM TOM

Monterey  ---------------- $30

Founded in 1958, the Monterey Jazz Festival takes place on a 20 acre site featuring 500 artists on nine stages performing 50 concerts.  Now that is a music festival!  It also includes workshops, exhibitions, clinics and an international array of food, shopping, and festivities spread throughout the Monterey County Fairgrounds, where it is held.  This year's event is  scheduled for Sept. 24 - 26 and tonight enjoy your dinner with some Dave Brubeck, who was instrumental in making this festival come to fruition!

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Goat Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper Portobellos

We’ll start with marinated, grilled Portobellos topped with a goat cheese, herb and roasted red pepper mix.  It features a tangy, savory and lightly sweet flavor profile.  A great beginning to your meal! 

Beverage:  With this first course, pair it with a Sauvignon Blanc, and let me suggest Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc.  It’s a classic Marlborough wine with citrus and herb aromas, vibrant acidity and  tropical fruit flavors which will absolutely enhance the flavors of this mushroom blend.

Lemon-Herb Poached Halibut

Featuring a spice rub and then poached in a broth of stock,

wine, lemon and diced mirepoix, this halibut explodes with

a Mediterranean flair.  It will be accompanied by a

Roasted Vegetable Salsa alongside flavorful Couscous. 

Beverage: That Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc will go perfectly

with your main course but if you want to change it up a bit, look for Chenin Blanc or a Semillon from Bordeaux.

Fruit Tart with Caribbean Pastry Cream

This pastry cream is a rich delight!  I learned it in school

from Chef Carrie and it instantly became a favorite of mine. 

This tart begins with a pastry crust, topped with the cream

and finished with fresh berries.  Yummm!

MAKE A NIGHT OF IT

Beverage:  Wines are paired by course above. A perfect no-alcohol choice is DRY sparkling lavender in a jazzy glass.

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Music: Obviously, enjoy your choice of jazz at dinner.

Movie: After dinner, settle back and watch an absolute classic,  "ALL THAT JAZZ "with Roy Scheider and Jessica Lange.  Intense and most enjoyable!