Opus2Cafe

Sunday, November 17, 2013

First Dustings
tentative menu
11/18/13 thru 11/22/13
Mon.    Vegetarian Chili, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Pesto Tortellini, Hummus Wraps, Swiss Melt
Tues.    Vegetarian Chili, Red Pepper and Coconut Soup, Black Bean and Corn Salad, Hummus Wraps, Baked Cavatappi and Aged Cheddar Au Gratin
Wed.    Vegetarian Chili, Pumpkin Asiago Soup, Moroccan Couscous Salad, Hummus Wraps, Artichoke Hero, Whoopie Pies
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Peanut Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Cheddar-Tomato-Red Onion Pickle Panini
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, Cream of Tomato Basil Soup, Marinated Tomato Salad, Hummus Wraps

Music Menu

The Year You Were Born

The low down on this week's menu - this week's requested whoopie pies are gingerbread. We continue our carb heavy offerings for your enjoyment.
News from the dark side - 'Opus 1 is thankful for all it's lovely frequenters and hopes that the caffeine fixes will get you through to a much needed rest week.'
Last week's limerick, in reference to the Leonids (did you see them?)
A wanderer from old Monticello,
Told a passingly curious fellow,
"I am answering my calling, to hear a meteor falling,
Which wrinkles the ol' cerebello."

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Leonids
tentative menu
11/11/13 thru 11/15/13
Mon.    Vegetarian Chili, Caribbean Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup, Asian Succotash Salad, Hummus Wraps, Pear and Pepper Jack Panini
Tues. Vegetarian Chili, Hungarian Potato Soup, Tunisian Carrot Salad, Hummus Wraps, Caesar Salad Wrap
Wed.    Vegetarian Chili, Chipotle Tomato Soup, French Lentil Salad, Hummus Wraps, Avocado Hero, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, French White Bean Soup, Peanut Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Cheddar and Apple Panini
Fri.    Vegetarian Chili, Cuban Black Bean Soup, Hummus Wraps, Roasted Butternut Couscous Salad, Chevre and Artichoke Chop Salad Hero

Music Menu

Call Me Al

The low down on this week's menu - the assumption is that the avocados will be ripe enough on Wednesday.
News from the dark side - unofficial sources remind us not to miss the jazz combo at O1 this Tuesday. A good time will be had by all.
Last week's taxi tour of Utica included stops at Tiny's Grill, Bass Pro Shop and The Aud.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Arts and Crafts
tentative menu
11/ 4/13 thru 11/8/13
Mon.    Vegetarian Chili, Cream of Tomato Basil Soup, Peanut Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Chevre and Fig on a Baguette, Sean's Fabulous Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Tues.    Vegetarian Chili, Masala Root Soup, Pesto Tortellini, Hummus Wraps, Spinach Feta Quiche
Wed.    Vegetarian Chili, Pumpkin Asiago Soup, menu change, couscous wasn't delivered, switching in Black Bean Salad Butternut Couscous Salad, Hummus Wraps, Pizzettes
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Southwestern Corn Chowder, menu change Black Bean Salad, Hummus Wraps, Cheddar-Tomato-Red Onion Pickle Panini
Fri.     Vegetarian Chili, Chinese Velvet Corn Soup, menu change - salad switchAndean Quinoa Salad, Hummus Wraps, Falafel in a Whole Wheat Pita

Music Menu

White Line Fever

The low down on this week's menu - the chevre and fig will also have red onions, walnuts and baby spinach.Whoopie Pie Wednesday is still a go, but the flavor is yet to be determined.
Last week's limerick;
There was an Egyptian named Earl,
Who watched his eternity unfurl,
When the Pharaoh lay dead, they embalmed him instead,
The pyramidic last Duke of Earl.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

All Souls
tentative menu
10/ 28/13 thru 11/1/13
Mon. Vegetarian Chili, Roasted Red Pepper & Coconut Soup, Moroccan Couscous Salad, Hummus Wraps, Chevre and Pear on a Baguette
Tues. Vegetarian Chili, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Orzo Fattoush Salad, Hummus Wraps, Tapenade and Provolone Panini
Wed. Vegetarian Chili, Sherried Carrot Soup, Marinated Tomato Salad, Hummus Wraps, Baked Cavatappi and Aged Cheddar Au Gratin, Whoopie Pie Wednesday
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, menu change - going to be more like assorted baked squashes and ginger soup Butternut and Ginger Soup, Massaged Kale and Chickpea Salad, Hummus Wraps, Quesadillas
Fri. Vegetarian Chili, Curried Pumpkin Soup, Barley Salad with Dill and Lemon, Hummus Wraps, Artichoke Heart Hero

Music Menu

I Scare Myself

The low down on this week's menu - Tapenade is a popular spread in the south of France, where it generally consists of olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil. Classically, tapenade can be riffed many ways, so long as it always has capers and olive oil. Our version consists of capers, olive oil, artichoke hearts, red peppers, parmesan, and parsley. Friday's hero is requested by our Will.

News from the dark side -official sources report a big scrumulous congratulations to Club Rugby.

Last week we gave our thanks to Bernard "Pretty" Purdie.

Last weeks moon, a waning Gibbous, started the week out at 97%. More or less.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Full Moon O'er The Cabbage Patch
tentative menu
10/21/13 thru 10/25/13
Mon.    Vegetarian Chili, Roasted Garlic-Tomato Soup, Pesto Tortellini, Hummus Wraps, Chile Relleno Torta, Sean's Chocolate Peanut Butter Marble Brownies
Tues.    Vegetarian Chili, Carrot Cauliflower Bisque, French Lentil Salad, Hummus Wraps, Cheddar-Tomato-Red Onion Pickle Panini
Wed.    Vegetarian Chili, West African Peanut Soup, Caesar Salads, Hummus Wraps, Baked Goat Cheese "Caprese" Baguette, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Thurs. Vegetarian Chili, Chipotle Sweet Potato and Fresh Sage Soup, menu change, delivery failure, subbing in Moroccan Carrot Salad for the couscous Pumpkin Couscous Salad, Hummus Wraps, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burrito
Fri.    Vegetarian Chili, Crimson Lentil Soup, Fall Greens Salad, Hummus Wraps, Chipotle Vegetable Wrap

Music Menu

Requests...Just Kidding

The low down on this week's menu -

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Election Season
tentative menu
10/14/13 thru 10/16/13
Mon. Vegetarian Chili, Cream of Tomato-Basil Soup, Brown Rice Salad, Hummus Wraps, Cheddar-Apple Panini
Tues. Vegetarian Chili, Curried Spinach Soup, Ginger Noodle Salad, Hummus Wraps, French Onion Panini
Wed. Vegetarian Chili, Chipotle Black Bean Soup, Ceci Bean Salad, Hummus Wraps, Wild Mushroom Pate Hero

Music Menu

Straighten Up, and Fly Right

The low down on this week's menu - Tuesday's caramelized onions will either be on a panini with swiss cheese, dijon mustard and arugula, or pizzettes. Depends on the bread situation. Resolved. The wild mushroom pate is a particular favorite here in O2.

News from the dark side - still nothing.

Last week we shared our secret recipe for O2 chili.
Can the wooly bear's stripes predict the coming winter's severity? No. According to our source, the stripes may be an indication of last winter's though.

Last week's limerick;

There was a coyote of Clinton,

Whose coat was the color of flint and,

He pressed into the crowd, and he sang loud and proud,

That querulous coyote of Clinton.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Suburban Coyotes
tentative menu
10/7/13 thru 10/11/13
Mon.     Vegetarian Chili, French White Bean and Cabbage Soup, Peanut Noodles, Hummus Wraps, Cheddar-Tomato-Red Onion Pickle Panini
Tues.    Vegetarian Chili, Southwestern Corn Chowder, Caesar Salads, Hummus Wraps, Quiche
Wed.     Vegetarian Chili, Aiigo Bouido (Portuguese Garlic-Potato Soup), Wasabi Slaw, Hummus Wraps, Artichoke Hero, Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Thurs.   Vegetarian Chili, Red Pepper Coconut Soup, Andean Quinoa Salad, Hummus Wraps, Quesadillas
Fri.      Vegetarian Chili, (Acorn Squash-Garlic-Spinach Soup, menu change - soup - not enough acorn squashes on hand, so will supplement with butternut.) Pesto Tortellini Salad, Hummus Wraps, Swiss Melt

Music Menu

Art Pepper = Happy Music

The low down on this week's menu - Monday's panini sees the return of Eliza's pickles, and possibly the addition of avocado. Tuesday's quiche will most likely be spinach-feta-red pepper. I'm still thinking about Friday.


Can the wooly bear's stripes predict the coming winter's severity?

News from the dark side - no news is good news.

Last week's toss off limerick, inspired by the start of turkey hunting season;

There was an old Tom from Westmorelan,

Said, "My bombulus beard is for-lor-in,

Yet when I strut to the vale, and I fan m fantail,

All the hens will still be there adorin."

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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, November 17, 2013

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Sunday, October 6, 2013

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