For those who don’t follow us on Instagram or Facebook, you may not be aware that we, like many restaurants here, have given ourselves over to the world of delivery. Obviously, given our traditional sorts of five course meals with wine, around a communal table, that’s a very different thing than we’re used to. Mostly we’ve been focusing on “comfort food” – or at least something far more casual than our norm.

There’s a rumor going around that within the next two weeks the government is going to let restaurants re-open dining for those that have outdoor spaces. We’ve been kicking about the idea of using our patio table in the garden, as the weather is also starting to warm a bit. I’m not sure that’s a workable option, but we shall see. It would limit us to a table of four, and probably, they’d have to be people who come together.

We did a sort of trial run a couple of weeks ago at that with a request from a couple that we know for a special romantic dinner, and set up the table for two for them. But those were two people we knew, we knew they’d been strictly quarantining, and we still took all sorts of extra precautions. So, what food have we been serving up for delivery? Let’s give it over to the photos….

This was the three-course meal for the couple on their romantic eve. We started with a sole ceviche, followed by seco de cordero, lamb braised in cilantro sauce with white beans and rice, and, a crepe filled with dulce de leche and topped with pecans and blueberries warmed in a bit of butter and liqueur.

Our bread baking business has really taken off, and in truth, most weeks overshadows the meal deliveries. Some people order breads along with their meals, but many are just ordering breads. Here, three newer additions to our bread menu (you can find a current one on either our Instagram or Facebook pages). These are mini-fitascette, a Lombardian coiled bread topped with caramelized red onions and mozzarella; parmesan chive breads; and an herbed focaccia. In the second photo, whole wheat and oat breads, and pumpernickel rolls.

In the same vein, one of Henry’s friends, a few weeks back, asked if we could make him a passionfruit and chocolate cheesecake, which we did. Come to think of it, the two cheese breads above were things he asked about – he sent a message asking if we could make him some sort of yummy breads with onions and cheese, and these were the two I came up with to offer him. He spread the word among his friends and we’ve had three more requests for passionfruit and chocolate cheesecakes since. Now I want someone to ask for a different flavor!

Funny, I’m just realizing how much of this month has been special requests. Got an email from a local acquaintance who passes his time back and forth between here and Canada. He’s owner of a local gourmet food shop that I like quite a bit, and he wanted to gift a birthday dinner to the young man who runs the shop here and his family. Specifically requested, cream of mushroom soup, and meatball lasagna, for four. Now, the last, and probably only, time I made cream of mushroom soup was back in cooking school, eons ago – actually I’m not even sure we ever made cream of mushroom soup. Maybe I’ve never made it before. But, I did some online and in-book sleuthing and came up with a distillation of ideas for a tasty soup, and it turned out really well, if I do say so myself. I think the next post will be a how-to on that one.

And, I’ve never made meatball lasagna. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten or seen meatball lasagna. But, there are recipes out there, and I went, more or less, with the version from Leite’s Culinaria that I found online, with a few tweaks here and there. Basically it’s a four layer lasagna with… meatballs, cheese, and tomato sauce. We made extra and sold a few, and ate a couple. It was good, but I’d rather have a more classic lasagna. Also, in talking to the young man who we delivered it to, a couple of days later, it turned out that the one that he waxes poetic about and that incited the gift, was made with really, really tiny meatballs, “not even a centimeter across”, all in one layer of the lasagna rather than in alternating positions in different layers.

The last three weekend’s offerings… First up, lentejas – our house lentil stew, that we make regularly, with handmade lamb sausages and jalapeño. And the other dish, a twist on a shepherd’s pie, with the lamb stew underneath being, basically, Greek moussaka.

The following week, canneloni, semolina “crepes” filled with a roasted garlic infused potato puree, and then topped with braised oxtail and a Morbier cheese and shallot cream sauce. The other dish, a sort of “out there” take on lasagna, layered with artichokes in escabeche, bacon lardons, pistachios, and Fontina cheese.

And, this last weekend, hand-rolled strozzapreti in a chicken, leek, and goat cheese sauce, topped with spiced panko crumbs; and, lamb, prosciutto, and sun-dried tomato meatloaf with mint mashed potatoes and garlic sauteed chard.

And, that’s where we’re at so far for the month of August!