The Isolation Cafe : 10 months later

Not trying to brag or anything,  but I've been successfully creating, plating and serving an array of delicious dishes at the Isolation Cafe for 10+ months now. 

In a covid pandemic, 10 months in the restaurant business is an achievement. 

Ok, ok... so maybe if you give away all the food and don't pay employees (me) it's less admirable and can hardly be defined as a restaurant.

But here's the thing; I'm still meeting expectations and achieving goals so IMHO a little self congratulations is warranted anyway. 

 

What were the goals?

Eat well. Healthy,  varied and interesting. 

Use this time to try new recipes,  perfect older ones.

Learn more about myself, food and kitchen appliances. (Yes,  you heard me correctly. Don't tell me you are familiar and use, all the bells and whistles on your appliances.)

Avoid the temptation to luxuriate with in-restaurant dining despite the risk - because it is one of our little pleasures.

Thai sticky rice: I'm on the right track but it's gonna need some tweaking to increase the stickiness. This dessert, like many Thai recipes, appears to improve overnight. Perhaps the challenge is less recipe-based and more about learning patience? (Oh boy...)

Banana cake/bread: A recipe I've been using and fussing with for 20 years.  I hold dear the belief that because it contains whole wheat and fruit, I can justify the addition of chocolate chips by the handful. In this case, a little online grocery purchasing error meant we were in possession of a crazy quantity of bananas - and 6 of them were dark brown in the fruit bowl at the end of the week. That's mandatory banana bread baking, right there!

Bread pudding with a twist: 

The day I found chocolate cranberry bread in the supermarket was the day I new bread pudding could be WAY elevated!

This version features increased amounts of cranberries and chocolate, by my own hand. The whole deal is drowned in a sweetened egg mix and baked till the edges are golden and crisp.

It was served with a measure of heavy cream... while the pudding was still slightly warm. 

I could live off this. 

Flaxseed Muffins: Little bites of something that tastes like carrot cake, but in fact is better for you and therefore can be eaten for breakfast, without guilt! I took many of the cues for recipe altering from taste-testing over YEARS in Aspen. One of the cafe's there has something called "kitchen sink muffins" and I think I'm getting close to replicating them. 

Scones - the real kind.... how they are made in England and New Zealand. You'll think they are more like an American biscuit, than the US version of a scone. Not sweet. Just buttery good and then you plonk on some lemon curd or jam, and a dollop of heavy whipped cream or clotted cream. 

Uh-huh... the freezing and thawing of mini-pies was an experimental success. We defrosted slowly and warmed them again in a muffin tin. Seriously though, they are 99% as good as when fresh. 

Lattes are also improving.  While I'm proud of my milk foaming skills now,  I'll be the first to admit that you're unlikely to see hearts, ferns or swans gracing the top of any drink I make you. Your choices are: Blob of foam. Or no foam.  The end.