Friday, February 26, 2010

Friday

Lentil Soup, vegan
Cock-a-leekie Soup, Scottish chicken and leek

Tuna Melt Panini

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Thursday

Spicy Jack Panino
turkey, caramelized red onions, habanero jack cheese, and zebra sauce

Soups:

Cock-a-leekie Scottish chicken and leek soup
Tomato Basil (vegetarian)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Wednesday

Curried Cauliflower Pistachio Soup
, vegetarian
Beef Barley Soup

UPDATE
the CCPistachio is running low and we have added
Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
, vegetarian

SOLD OUT! Sorry! Spicy Black Bean Cheeseburger Panini
- two black bean burgers, extra spicy jack cheese, salsa, lettuce and lime chipotle aoili served on a toasted chiabatta sub roll.

Spicy Jack is the evening special.

Another soup coming this afternoon and, when I know what it is, this post will be updated. The panini muse spoke early, the soup muse is awol.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Tuesday Specials

Curried Cauliflower Pistachio Soup, vegetarian
Beef Barley Soup
Split Pea Soup, vegan

Shaved Roasted Pork Loin with Caramelized Onions is our panino special today.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Monday Specials

San Pedro Panino, a grilled sandwich with avocados, roasted red peppers, grilled onions, provolone cheese, greens, and cilantro-lime mayo

Beef Barley Soup
Split Pea Soup, vegan

And scrumptious Gingerbread Butterscotch Scones.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Damn Good Porridge

Breakfast Specials
Wild Rice Porridge with dried blueberries and cranberries, toasted hazelnuts, maple syrup and cream. It is a recipe from Damn Good Food, a cookbook and memoir by bad-boy chef Mitch Omer, the owner of Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis.

Caramel Apple French Toast Casserole
the San Pedro panino, a grilled sandwich with avocados, roasted red peppers, grilled onions, provolone cheese, greens, and cilantro-lime mayo

Beef Barley Soup
African Peanut Soup, vegetarian

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Thursday Specials

the San Pedro panino, a grilled sandwich with avocados, roasted red peppers, grilled onions, provolone cheese, greens, and cilantro-lime mayo

African Peanut Soup, vegetarian

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

An indugence before Lent begins?

Try the Loaded Baked Potato Soup - "the works" sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese. Regardless of your religious convictions, I'm pretty sure the Loaded Baked Potato Soup is a sinful indulgence.
Lentil Soup (vegan)
Mulligatawny Stew an anglo-indian chicken soup

Spicy Italian Panini turkey, pepperoni, shredded mozzarella and spicy red sauce grilled on a ciabatta sub roll.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Snow what's new?

Gypsy Soup - a sweet potato/tomato based vegetable stew that is scrumptious!
Mulligatawny Stew an anglo-indian chicken soup

Spicy Italian Panini turkey, pepperoni, shredded mozzarella and spicy red sauce grilled on a ciabatta sub roll.

I'm also making a pot of Lentil Soup for this afternoon.
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If you asked about my favorite dessert I'd be hard-pressed to answer. A single, perfect truffle, ginger ice cream or a fresh rice krispy treat - my sweet moods are seasonal, emotional and hormonal. But recently it has come to my attention that for a number of years I have subconsciously been seeking my memory of Coconut Cake.

Seriously, regardless of season, temperament or unlikely origin (like the Safeway or Giant bakery) I've tried them all, but to say there was one disappointment after another is an understatement.

Sweet and creamy, fresh coconut and moist layers of yellow cake, I could not place the memory of this baked confection. I assumed my iconic Coconut Cake passed on with Granny Duff.

That is until Thanksgiving.

Out on the screened in porch where pies, cakes, brownies, puddings and cookies spread over 15 feet of counter space (no exaggeration) I spotted a well used cake carrier with a yellow base and a cloudy white cover that has seen better days. And in this modest container was THE cake. I knew immediately as it slumped onto my plate that this was it. And furthermore, someone ALIVE had baked the cake and brought it to dinner. Shortly after I stuffed a forkfull of cake into Michael's mouth yammering something like "this is it - the one - you know? this is what I've always thought coconut cake was....." I went to find the source. It was (and is) my mother's sister Polina. You would have thought I had three eyes the way she looked at me going on and on about THE cake. Guess everyone but me knew that Coconut Cake was a "Polina thing".

So very graciously she agreed to give me the recipe, assuring me that it was the easiest thing ever and one of the reasons it makes a good holiday dessert is the cake should be made and iced several days in advance.

Under no circumstances would I ever have tried the recipe she sent me if I hadn't tasted it for myself. It breaks about every rule and notion related to baking, but give it a try. With winter still upon us and no break in site, it will bring a bit of tropical delight to you and yours. And be forwarned - do not substitute the coconut found in the baking isle for the frozen!

Polina's Coconut Cake
2 cake layers (any yellow box cake) each cut in half horizontally
4 pkgs. frozen coconut (found near the frozen fruit in very flat little packages)
16 oz sour cream
1-1/2 cups sugar
Small container kool whip (God forgive me)

1. Freeze cake layers for easy slicing & filling; but if they are not frozen, dental floss does a neat job.
2. Mix 3 pkgs. thawed or semi thawed coconut with sour cream and sugar. Cover, set in fridge for a day or 2, stir occasionally if you think of it.
3. Reserve 1 cup of this mixture, fill layers.
4. Mix reserved mixture with a small Kool Whip (enough to cover the cake) and frost. Use 4th pkg of thawed coconut to sprinkle on cake.

For best results: back in the fridge for a couple of days.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Saturday Specials

Panino Specials
The Torpedo an italian sausage stuffed submarine
Basil Pesto Caprese

Soups
Mulligatawny Stew an anglo-indian chicken soup
Creamy Tomato Basil
Roasted Butternet

Friday, February 12, 2010

Friday Specials

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Roasted Butternut Soup


Today's special panino is
Cuban Sandwich with roast pork, ham, pickles, swiss cheese, and mustard.

Later today we'll have The Torpedo Panino (italian sausage stuffed submarine), and Mulligatawny Stew (anglo-indian chicken soup).

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Thursday and the cafe is open!

I've been snowed in for almost a week. As of today there are drifts well above five feet in front of my house. I haven't seen this much snow since I left Minnesota and at one point yesterday we had whiteout conditions on my street. Standing at the door, I literally could not see patio furniture that was only 3 feet away!

So for Michael and the rest of the Carma's Cafe staff a huge thank you. I know the cafe was kept open as much as possible and that meant a whole lot to the people of Charles Village (intrepid bunch that you are). And I've really missed living in the neighborhood this week. Can't wait to see you all.........soon, I hope.

This photo was taken before the second storm hit!

THURSDAY, OPEN

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
Roasted Butternut Soup


Today's special panino is
Cuban Sandwich with roast pork, ham, pickles, swiss cheese, and mustard. Yum Yum.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

WEDNESDAY, CLOSING AT 1:00 PM

CLOSING AT 1:00 PM

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
16-Bean Soup
(vegan)
Sausage Kale Soup

Today's special panino is
Cuban Sandwich with roast pork, ham, pickles, swiss cheese, and mustard. Yum Yum.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Tuesday, Still Open

16-Bean Soup (vegan)
Sausage Kale Soup

Later today we'll have Tomato Basil Soup.

Today's special panino is
Cuban Sandwich with roast pork, ham, pickles, swiss cheese, and mustard. Yum Yum.

Monday, February 8, 2010

MONDAY AND WE ARE OPEN

16-Bean Soup (vegan)
Sausage Kale Soup

A Turkey Pesto Panini or Pesto Caprese Panini and a cup of soup will be just the thing to fuel your snow shoveling efforts.

Snowman Latte with White Chocolate and Almond
Black Forest Cocoa - our signature chocolate sauce and cherry syrup

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Keep Calm and Carry On

Well I said it wouldn't happen. Excuse me, but would you please pass a fork? I'm going to eat my words. The Cafe is Closed Until Monday.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Be safe!

Sausage Kale Soup and Mexican Corn Chowder (vegetarian) are on the menu today.

A Turkey Pesto Panini or Pesto Caprese Panini and a cup of soup will be just the thing to fuel your snow shoveling efforts.

Snowman Latte with White Chocolate and Almond
Black Forest Cocoa - our signature chocolate sauce and cherry syrup

I'm making a pot of 16 Bean Soup that should be finished by this afternoon and without a doubt the snow muse will hit the pastry case. Come see what's cooking.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

We Will Stay Open Through Whatever Storm May Come

Tomato Garbanzo with fresh Rosemary (vegan) it's a lovely dairy free, almost fatfree soup. Half of the beans are pureed with the tomatoes and it gives the soup a nice body - hearty without being heavy.

Garlic Roasted Red Pepper Soup - (not vegetarian)

later today Mexican Corn Chowder (vegetarian)

Spicy Jack Panini - turkey, extra spicy pepper cheese, grilled onions and zebra (horseradish) sauce. Substitute hummus for the turkey and we call it a Spicy Jeremy.

Teriyaki Turkey Panini marinated roast turkey with a stir-fry gravy on a toasted bun. Get it while it's hot.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Winter Wonderland Specials

A new tomato soup today - Tomato Garbanzo with fresh Rosemary (vegan) it's a lovely dairy free, almost fatfree soup. Half of the beans are pureed with the tomatoes and it gives the soup a nice body - hearty without being heavy.

We have a bit of Garlic Roasted Red Pepper Soup - tasty roasted garlic and red peppers in a chicken stock base and Harvest Split Pea Soup (vegan).

Spicy Jack Panini - turkey, extra spicy pepper cheese, grilled onions and zebra (horseradish) sauce. Substitute hummus for the turkey and we call it a Spicy Jeremy.

It probably won't be ready by lunchtime, but there is the biggest turkey breast I have ever seen roasting. Seriously people, it may in fact be ostridge. Anyway, it's been marinated in teriyaki and will be served on a toasted roll with stir fry veggies - straw mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo and the like. Come by for dinner, a hot beverage and a Teriyaki Turkey Panini.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Too'sday Specials

Just because there's been too much to do this morning. But we have an old favorite from back in the day when we were just a wee-bit of a cafe, Garlic Roasted Red Pepper Soup - tasty roasted garlic and red peppers in a chicken stock base. Also a pot of Harvest Split Pea Soup (vegan).

Spicy Jack Panini - turkey, extra spicy pepper cheese, grilled onions and zebra (horseradish) sauce. Substitute hummus for the turkey and we call it a Spicy Jeremy.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Tex-Mex Chili - beef and spicy sausage with corn, black beans and green peppers.
Minestrone (vegan)

Basil Pesto Caprese Panino

Chocolate Peanut Cookies v.3.0 are in the pastry case!