Opus2Cafe

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Patriots Day
"Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch"
tentative menu
4/15/13 thru 4/19/13
Mon.     Vegetarian Chili, Cuban Red Bean Soup with Rice, Caesar Salads, Hummus Wraps, Swiss Melt, Something Chocolate for Natalia, again
Tues.     Vegetarian Chili, Southwest Corn and Potato Chowder, Sesame Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Fontina Hero
Wed.     Vegetarian Chili, Curried Spinach Soup, Peanut Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Portobello Croque Monsieur
Thurs.   Vegetarian Chili, Pumpkin Black Bean Soup, French Carrot Salad, Hummus Wraps, Baked Cavatappi and Aged Cheddar Au Gratin
Fri.    Vegetarian Chili, Onion Cheese Bisque, Wasabi Coleslaw, Hummus Wraps, BBQ with Cornbread Baked Beans and Slaw, Black Bottom Cupcakes - as requested

Music Menu

Patriots' Day

The low down on this week's menu - the fontina hero is a repeat with sun dried tomato pesto, fontina, pickled red onions, arugula/spinach, and something else-I-hope-I-can-remember-what.

News from the dark side - 'This week saw the celebration of Sophie Racine's 22nd year -- the real question is, who won the cake-off: Nancy or Sarah Song? (Looked like a tie to me.) -The dawning of warm weather means the new sliding door outside Opus 1 will soon be put to use -- hoorah for spring breezes!'

Last week's personalities were Steph and Sophie, for reasons obvious to anyone who knows them.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

The Cruelest Month
tentative menu
4/8/13 thru 4/12/13
Mon.     Vegetarian Chili, Sophie's Tomato Basil Soup, Ginger Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Artichoke Hero
Tues.    Vegetarian Chili, West African Peanut Soup, Moroccan Couscous Salad, Hummus Wraps, Pizzettes, Something Chocolate for Natalia
Wed.    Vegetarian Chili, Roasted Red Pepper and Coconut Soup, Asian Succotash, Hummus Wraps, Spinach-Feta-Sun Dried Tomato Quiche
Thurs.   Vegetarian Chili, Moroccan Potato Bean Soup, Greek Salad, Hummus Wraps, Quesadillas, Something else Chocolate
Fri.    [ totally tentative] Vegetarian Chili, Masala Root Soup, Pesto Tortellini Salad, Hummus Wraps, menu change - Cheddar-Tomato-Red Onion Pickle Panini Portobello Croque Monsieur

Music Menu

Beyond Cool; Past Perfect

The low down on this week's menu - Quesadillas on Thursday will be chipotle black bean, baby spinach, and maybe - sweet potato. Friday's Croque Monsieur, traditionally made with ham and Gruyere, won't be traditional.

Spring

News from the dark side - 'Opus employee Dan Knishkowy and his friend Anna Paikert organized Sunday April 7th's live original music and readings in Opus 1. Local talent abounds! Next Sunday: This semester's second HUM Storytelling session in Opus 1 at 5:30 pm -- we hope to see you there.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

The Lion, The Lamb, and The Chocolate Bunnies
tentative menu
4/1/13 thru 4/5/13
Mon.     Vegetarian Chili, Chipotle Sweet Potato and Fresh Sage Soup, Peanut Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Chevre and Pear Baguette, Cayuga Mud Cake
Tues.    Vegetarian Chili, Herbed Carrot Soup, Pesto Tortellini Salad, Hummus Wraps, Garden Panini
Wed.     Vegetarian Chili, Curried Pumpkin Soup, French Lentil Salad, Hummus Wraps, Vegetable Thyme Wrap, Something Chocolate for Natalia
Thurs.    Vegetarian Chili, Kale and Potato Soup, Ceci Bean Salad, Hummus Wraps, California Wrap
Fri.         Vegetarian Chili, Mushroom Barley Soup, Mediterranean Corn Salad, Hummus Wraps, Eggplant Parmesan Hero

Music Menu

The Lost Arhoolie Tapes

The low down on this week's menu - I'm taking the opportunity to use the fresh herbs overgrowing their pots. Sage, rosemary, lemon thyme, mint.

Spring

News from the dark side -

Last posting included a shout out to Maggie, our Chili Champion. We miss you, Maggie, come by for a visit.

Last posting we pointed out the CNY location where the traffic lights change, Tip Hill.

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Get-Away Week
tentative menu
3/11/13 thru 3/15/13
Mon.     Vegetarian Chili, Curried Spinach Soup, Asian Succotash, Hummus Wraps, Baked Cavatappi and Aged Cheddar Au Gratin, Something Chocolate for Natalia
Tues.    Vegetarian Chili, French White Bean and Cabbage Soup, Thai Cucumber Salad, Hummus Wraps, Menu change - whoops, switching with Thurs. Quesadillas today, Heroes on Thurs. Artichoke Hero
Wed.     Vegetarian Chili, Acorn Squash-Spinach-Roasted Garlic Soup, Pesto Tortellini, Hummus Wraps, Fontina with Red Onion Jam Panini, Something Else Chocolate for Natalia
Thurs.   Vegetarian Chili, Roasted Red Pepper and Coconut Soup, Wasabi Coleslaw, Hummus Wraps, Quesadillas Menu switch - heroes today
Fri.   Vegetarian Chili, Indian Spiced Roasted Tomato Soup, Edamame Salad, Hummus Wraps, Cheddar and Avocado Panini, Even More Chocolate for Natalia

Music Menu
'Alice... the moon'

The low down on this week's menu - I told Natalia that I'd indulge her with some chocolate this week.

News from the dark side - 'Cornel West's lecture Friday afternoon to top off the Voices of Color Lecture series: a widely well-received and inspiring talk.

-A resounding yum to last week's "Sergeant Wrap" (i.e. Jerk Tofu) in Opus 1 courtesy of Sean!'

The Flowed Lands in spring

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Sap Rising
tentative menu
3/4/13 thru 3/8/13
Mon.     Vegetarian Chili, Chipotle Black Bean Soup, Brown Rice Salad, Hummus Wraps, Pear and Pepper Jack Panini
Tues.     Vegetarian Chili, Split Pea Soup, Pumpkin Couscous Salad, Hummus Wraps, Pizzettes
Wed.     Vegetarian Chili, West African Peanut Soup, Greek salad, Hummus Wraps, Avocado Hero
Thurs.   Vegetarian Chili, Sweet Potato-Chipotle-Fresh Sage Soup, Moroccan Carrot Salad, Hummus Wraps, Caesar Salad Wrap
Fri.       Vegetarian Chili, Onion Cheese Bisque, Black Bean and Corn Salad, Hummus Wraps, "Jerry" Reuben Panini

Music Menu

Boys in The Band

The low down on this week's menu - Bosc pears, pepper jack cheese, mango chutney and homemade focaccia. Pizzettes on Tuesday will probably be pesto, baby spinach, tomato and mozzarella. Avocados will probably be ripe enough for the hero on Wednesday, but this isn't a sure thing. We see the return of our own jerry reuben this week.

News from the dark side - 'Hope you all enjoyed the complimentary Opus cocoa & chai at the Felice Brothers show Thursday night and the "Trashion" Show Sunday afternoon.

-This Monday at Opus 1 we bring you... the Jerk Tofu Wrap! We have Sir Sean Henry Smith to thank for the introduction of this menu item.'

Last week I explained everything you need to know about the O2 hummus wrap, including how much chocolate eating one allows you.
Last week we illustrated the difference in daylight minutes between Fenway South and Clinton, NY

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Spring Training
tentative menu
2/25/13 thru 3/1/13
Mon.    Vegetarian Chili, Cream of Tomato Basil Soup, Edamame Salad, Hummus Wraps, Quiche
Tues.    Vegetarian Chili, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup, French Lentil Salad, Hummus Wraps, Calzones
Wed.    Vegetarian Chili, Broccoli and Cheddar Soup, Chili Orange Cold Noodles, menu change - peanut noodles subbing in for the chili orange noodles Hummus Wraps, Fontina Veggie Hero
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Pumpkin Asiago Soup, Falafel Salads, Hummus Wraps, Antipasto Panini
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, Chinese Velvet Corn Soup, Pesto Tortellini, Hummus Wraps, BBQ

Music Menu
Sequestration Blues

A head's up on this week's menu - Calzones on Tuesday will probably have tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto and parmesan in them. Probably. Wednesday is all about Sophie. She'd prefer Dragon Noodles, it'll depend on the pickled ginger juice status. Hero will have sun dried tomato pesto, fontina, arugula, red onions, capers and pepperoncini. Probably. Friday's BBQ includes coleslaw [asian or wasabi], cornbread, beans.
News from the dark side - 'Opus 1's heat is still on the fritz (a serious problem with the system), but maintenance is over daily to check up on things and hopefully keep us warm.

Thanks to the participants of this weekend's HUM storytelling session!'

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Kung Fu Summer
tentative menu
2/18/13 thru 2/22/13
Mon.    Vegetarian Chili, Chipotle Tomato Soup, Mediterranean Corn Salad, Hummus Wrap, Baked Cavatappi and Aged Cheddar Au Gratin
Tues.    Vegetarian Chili, Portuguese Kale and Potato Soup, Peanut Noodles, Hummus Wrap, Chevre and Pear Hero
Wed.    Vegetarian Chili, Madras Curried Tomato Soup, Indian Style Rice Salad, Hummus Wraps, Pizzettes again, Black Bottom Cupcakes
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Southwestern Corn Chowder, Marinated Tomato and Feta Salad, Hummus Wraps, Burritos
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, Caribbean Sweet Potato Soup, Andean Quinoa and Corn Salad, Cheddar Tomato and Pickled Red Onion Panini

Music Menu

Limbo Schtick

How I met your mother, Iolanthe?

The low down on this week's menu - The chevre and pear hero will also have toasted walnuts and red onions. Maggie and I had such a good time making pizzette dough last Wednesday that we want to go at it again. This week we'll top them with roasted broccoli, feta and something-else-I-can't-remember-what-we-decided. Burritos on Thursday will have chipotle black beans, sweet potatoes, peppers, spinach, salsa and cheese.

News from the dark side -Next Sunday, Hamilton HUM will have a storytelling session in Opus 1 -- come over for tea, snacks, and good stories at 5:30.

-Blackberry Sage tea is on the shelf! Fruity and caffeinated, staff recommended.

Last week we gave up our secret recipe for Cayuga Mud Cake.

Last week's menu was heavy with aphrodisiacs. The results were as Geraint might say 'fab-alus'.

Last week's featured old dead white guys were Andrew Marvell and Jean-Paul Sartre. And had we but words enough, and time...

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New Dish of the Week Profile -Acorn Squash with Roasted Garlic Soup - so o.k., this isn't very new to us here, but it hasn't been profiled yet. Do we have any curious cooks in the house? Both the squash and the garlic are roasted. The shallots and celery are sauteed. The spinach is tossed in raw. Dry sherry and whatever extra dribs and drabs of milk we have are added towards the end. Seasonings are exactly what you'd expect. Mom approved. nutritional info per 8 oz. serving, based on the assumption that I'm going to find mainly skim milk dribs and 1% drabs -cal. 197, fat - 8.7g, carbs - 27g, pro - 4.3g, choles. - 22mg, sodium - 135mg

Here's the Opus 2 recipe for clumping granola - melt 1/2 c butter, stir in 1/4 c honey and a splash of vanilla, set aside. In a large bowl, mix 4 c rolled oats with 1/2 c sunflower seeds and 2 cups almonds (whole or sliced). Toss butter/honey mix with oat mix. Add a bit of water if it seems too crumbly. Spread granola out on a parchment lined half sheet pan. Press firmly. Seriously. Cover with foil and bake at 250 degrees for about 70 minutes, or until you can smell the granola. Remove the foil and continue baking until desired shade of medium brown, anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan, and when totally cool, break up into clumps. Mix in some dried cranberries or raisins. Some times we add wheat germ and/or pepitas,

Wild Grape Pie
We at O2 spent a pleasant day making a wild grape pie. Here's the recipe.
Harvest at least 2 pounds worth of wild grapes. Wash and dry them carefully. Measure out 6 cups worth, and gently peel them. Put the skins in a bowl, the pulp and seeds into a saucepan. This will take a couple of hours if you have help, but it'll be a fun couple of hours.
Bring the saucepan of pulp to a full, rolling boil, and boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Strain the seeds away from the pulp, discarding the seeds. Mix the pulp in with the skins, and between 1 and 3 tablespoons of tapioca. Place this mix of skins and rapidly thickening pulp into a refrigerator to chill for about 2 hours. While this is chilling, make a pie dough recipe of your choosing. We are fond of a basic pate brisee, heavy on the butter.
When the pie dough has relaxed sufficiently, roll it out and fit it into an 8 or 9 inch pie pan. Remove the grape filling from refrigeration, and stir into it about a cup's worth of sugar. Scrape this filling into the bottom crust, top with a full or latticed top crust. Bake as any fruit pie, making sure you have a pan underneath it in your oven. Enjoy cool.

O2 Onion Cheese Bisque.
really.
Cook up a big bunch of onions in butter over a low flame. When they are just starting to caramelize, stir in some flour. Cook off the raw flour taste, and add in milk. Lots of milk. We use an assortment of fat levels. Add in some grated cheese. We use an assortment of types. Stir, taste, season. Add in some vegetarian worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard. Partially puree with your wand of chaos.
nutritional facts based on 2% milk and medium sharp cheddar - calories for a 12 oz serving - 315.4, fat - 21.2 g, carbs - 19.1 g, protein - 13.5 g

Dear Charlotte [crispy];
Thank you for being such a loyal customer. I hope that this will help.
1. Acorn Squash, Roasted Garlic and Spinach Soup -
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut 2 acorn squash in half, scoop seeds out. Roast squash, cut side down for about 45 minutes, until it feels tender. Roast 4 heads of garlic at the same time. In a pot, saute 2 onions in butter until starting to brown. Add 4 cups of water or vegetable broth and 2/3 c dry sherry. Add in the flesh from the squash and the roasted garlic. Puree. Add in 1 bunch of clean, chopped spinach. Heat and add salt, pepper, a little bit of fresh nutmeg, and 2/3 cup half and half or heavy cream.

2. Chinese Velvet Corn Soup
In a splash of oil, saute 4 cups of diced onions. Cook until caramelized, then add 6 cups of corn kernels and 8 cups of water. Cook a bit, then add 1 teaspoon of szechuan peppercorns, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1/2 cup dry sherry, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 4 teaspoons sugar, a good dollop of sambal oeleek, and some chopped chives. Remove about a third of the soup and with an immersion blender, coarsely puree what's left in the pot. Add the unpureed soup back. Dissolve 1/2 c of cornstarch in about 1/3 cup of cold water. Pour this into the hot - but not boiling- soup. Taste for and add salt.

3. Chipotle Sweet Potato and Fresh Sage
4. Masala Root Soup
5. Onion Cheese Bisque
6. Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
7. Roasted Cauliflower Soup
8. Roasted Red Pepper and Coconut Soup
9. Sherried Carrot Soup
10. West African Peanut Soup.
Let me know if something really important to you is missing.

Pesky Wild Violet Invasion
It's that time of the year again, wild violets marring the new lawn. Spraying is so politically incorrect.
'Violets contain rutin, a phytochemical with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may help strengthen capillary walls'. Eat them.
Clean violets carefully. Dry thoroughly.
Beat a couple of egg whites, then strain into a small bowl.
Work with one violet at a time.
Using a clean paintbrush, paint egg white on all surfaces of the violet. Don't get excessive, egg shouldn't be dripping.
Immediately sprinkle superfine sugar over all coated surfaces.
Place violet on a wax paper covered wire rack to dry.
Repeat process.
Flowers are extremely perishable and should generally be served fresh. Candied flowers like these wild violets will last up to a year. Do not store in the refrigerator.
Today's important [p.c.] disclaimer here;
Introduce flowers slowly to your diet to avoid any potential upset or allergic reaction, especially important if you have allergies to pollen.
Next week - dandelion jelly.

Opus2Cafe

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Sunday, February 17, 2013

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