Get ready to order again

It is yet another wet day here in Kansas City.  We have had a lot of rain the last several days.   But if the forecasters are correct, that is going to end with the advent of a drier period starting tomorrow.  I have been out trimming some of the landscaping the past couple days in between periods of rain.  The plants are loving the rain as well as the atypical cooler June temperatures we have had.

Starting next weekend, July 9th-11th, I will resume taking food orders.  We've had a long period of time during which I closed everything down due to the pandemic.  But it's time to start it up again.  I've already put out the first two weekly menus.

The passcode to get into the website is still the same.  If you've forgotten it, just let me know and I will remind you.  There are FAQs on the website to review if you wish, as well.

Remember the ordering process is simple.  Choose what you want from the appropriate weekly menu.  Indicate what day you'd like to pick these items up and how many -- remember some items are ordered individually and some are ordered as a group, for example, 6 cookies in one order.  You'll see a spot to leave a note for me in the ordering process as to the day you'd like to pick them up.  And I will be in touch to confirm your order and then later again to let you know that items are ready for pickup.

When you select an item from the weekly menu, you'll see a note indicating how many of the item are still available; for example, "5 of 10 left".  The ordering page will not let you order more than what are available.

Check back every week to see what new items are being offered and also to see new additions to the full menu.  If you see items on the full menu you'd like to see in a weekly rotation soon, just click on the item on the FULL MENU page and the individual item page will appear with an indicated spot to let me know.

Remember that for those who are invited friends and family, everything is free, my gift to you.  It is my pleasure to share my favorite foods with you. 

Bisques

Today it is very wet here in Kansas City after a couple rounds of heavy rain over night.  Some of the plants in my garden have been beaten down by the rain and are low to the ground.  Hopefully, they will right themselves soon.  

It seems like a good day to make carrot bisque.  Bisques are traditionally a creamy soup made with crustaceans such as lobster.  However, I am quite fine calling my carrot bisque by that name rather than soup.  It's not really a soup.  It's thick and very creamy, and to me it is a bisque.  Could it simply be called a "cream soup"?  Well, it still seems more like a bisque to me, albeit without the seafood.

Quite long ago I wanted to have a carrot soup of some sort, and so I spent some time experimenting.  And what I came up with was a combination of carrots, water, cream, broth (chicken or veggie), coriander, nutmeg, and salt and pepper.  Once this cooks for a long while, I puree the mixture until it is smooth and creamy, and then I cook it a bit longer to reduce its volume and intensify the flavors.

I had this idea of doing this same process with various other vegetables.  So I chose celery next.  That was a mistake.  Boiling celery in water results in an aroma which is not at all pleasing to me.  So I never tried it again.  However, I've also not tried other vegetables since then.  But I'm going to make an effort to do that over the next short while.  I can see beet, broccoli, or asparagus working well as a bisque.  Cauliflower might be nice as well, but I like to make that as mashed cauliflower dish similar to mashed potatoes.     

When I made the carrot bisque, I initially did it in small batches.  And then one day I tried to scale it up to a very large batch, but I wasn't as happy with the result.  Some things, I am convinced, are simply better when made in small batches.  This bisque is one of them.

Well, I'm off to cut up carrots now.  In a while I will have a wonderful aroma spreading from the kitchen.

Enjoy the final weekend of June, everyone.

Hazelnuts and July food offerings

 

Happy Saturday!  It's a very warm week here in Kansas City, although not as warm as some other parts of the country.  It's a good day to stay inside out of the heat and the humidity.

Yesterday, my order of hazelnuts was delivered.  Two pounds.  Many people prefer to get their hazelnuts already completely skinned.  However, I like to just take them with the skins on, roast them, and then roll them in a towel or in a plastic baggie to take off some but not all of the skin.  When they are ground, I like seeing some of the darker color that comes from the skin.  

These hazelnuts will be part of the first weekly menu in July.  I am excited to get back to making food for everyone.  Typically, each weekly menu has 3 items on it.  I've decided that one of the items will be hazelnut Florentines.  I love making these little lacy-thin cookies.  They are such a great combination of sweet and savory.  

Another of the items will be ice box dessert, one of the newest items on the menu.  I've just procured lots of wonderful vanilla beans for making French vanilla ice cream which is part of the ice box dessert.  Some of those vanilla beans will also be used for vanilla creme caramel, pastry cream, and other things over the next short while.

As for the third item to appear on the first weekly menu of July ... I haven't figured that out yet.  But I'm having fun thinking about it.

Enjoy the weekend wherever you are.  Try to stay cool.  And indulge in some yummy food.  It's good for the soul.

New item - roasted tomatoes

 

Good morning, everyone!

The summer heat here in Kansas City is finally about to make it's first appearance.  I have been quite happy to have a rainy mild spring.  And since it was so mild, I'm not at all worried about the summer heat that will soon hold sway for several weeks.  

Summer is a great time for tomatoes.  Well, I supposed I have to say any season is a great time for tomatoes.  I love tomatoes.  I keep cherry tomatoes on my kitchen counter to snack on frequently.  I love having sliced tomatoes with a light sprinkling of sugar.  I love tomatoes in salads and sauces and stews.  And I especially love them roasted long and slow on low heat.

Today, I have added slow-roasted tomatoes to the full menu.  These are Roma tomatoes sliced in half with a small wedge of the core cut away, brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with a combination of seasonings that I like to use just for these.  They are roasted at a low 225 F for three hours.  

They come out with wonderful flavor, tender and juicy.  And they reheat beautifully.  You'll see them on a weekly menu offering in July and probably frequently thereafter. 

I have a handful of other new items that will also be added soon, so keep a close eye on this blog and on the menu at www.brucebakeryandbistro.com.

Enjoy our beautiful sunny weather and don't forget sunscreen if you're going to be for long in the sun.

Bon appetit, everyone!

Deer food and food waste

Good evening, everyone.  Just a few minutes ago I had a beautiful deer stop in my yard to eat some dinner.  She seemed to like what was found here.  I watched her for a minute or two from the house.  Then I managed to step out the door to get a clear picture without scaring her away.  She didn't stay long once I was outside, but long enough for me to get a good picture.  Deer often stop in my yard during the dark hours of night, but I've never seen one out in the late afternoon.  Needless to say, I was quite excited as I pulled my phone out to take this snapshot.

I don't mind the local wildfire foraging, although I have to admit I don't like it when the deer eat the fresh hosta leaves as they grow each spring.  But they seem to leave them alone once they leaves are no longer tender.  I actually encourage wildlife.  The squirrels here can get quite fat eating from various things that I toss out from the kitchen.  Sometimes these are failed cooking experiments.  Sometimes they are just old bread and other similar things that need to be disposed of.  I can count on the squirrels and birds and racoons to eat those leftovers.

I don't like to waste food.  I like to see things get used up.  And if they don't, they become squirrel food or become part of my landscaping beds, improving and enriching the soil.  Even eggs shells can go out in the soil.  They are actually quite beneficial.

I was planning on cooking today, but I got distracted.  It sometimes happens.  How did I get distracted? Relaxation was the culprit, although the live feed of the Geldingadalir volcano in Iceland also has to take some of the blame.  However, I used my relaxation time well by thumbing through recipe books, and recipes online, looking for ideas, reading up on techniques, and so on.

I will do more of that tomorrow, but I also plan on doing some actual cooking as well.

Have a great weekend!