Thoughts of Thanksgiving

The holidays are fast approaching and our pastry department is very excited to present their creations for Thanksgiving. We are starting to take orders for our specialty dessert items which have been designed to feature all of your favorite autumn flavors. My personal favorite is the above pictured Apple Streusal Cheesecake. This is a rich and creamy cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. If that was not enough, it is topped with caramelized apples. I was lucky enough to try this exquisite creation. It is a masterpiece of carefully matched flavors and textures. But I will let you be the judge of that. Come and check out the entire Thanksgiving dessert menu and be sure to get your orders in early. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Live and Eat Well!

Chef Anthony Boccella

Thanksgiving Dessert Menu

Pumpkin Roulade
whipped crème fraîche
caramelized walnuts

16

Apple Streusel Cheesecake
caramel apples
graham cracker crust

23

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte
layers of chocolate ganache
praline butter-cream
hazelnut meringue cake

19

Spiced Cake
Caramel mousseline
candied cranberry compote

18

Seasonal Cookie Trays
2lb. 3lb. 4lb.
Also available

Autumns Bounty- Apples & Cranberries

Nothing epitomizes autumn like the produce in October. This week at the restaurant we've brought in some really nice apples and cranberries. I tend to prefer the white cranberries(pictured above) because they a bit less tart than their red counterparts. These two ingredients, I believe, really compliment eachother and we made a sauce for our flan appetizer from them. The sweet and tart combination works very well with many other ingredients. We use it in this dish in particular as a means to cut the very creamy texture in our pumpkin-sage flan.

As many know they can always be used in sweet applications, be we decided to experiment and use them in a savory dish with many flavors and textures.

Our recipe is for a Cranberry-Apple gastrique. By definition, a gastrique is a syrupy reduction of caramelized sugar and vinegar. With this sauce as a base, we add the fruit and fruit juices and create our own signature sauce. Please feel free to experiment with this recipe at home and try it out on some of your own dishes. Happy Cooking.

Eat and Live Well

Chef Anthony Boccella

1c. Sugar
2/3 c. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 c. Apple Juice
4 each Thyme
2 c. Vegetable Stock
2 c. Cranberry Juice
2 tbsp. Butter
1 lb. Sweet Cooking Apples( local if possible)
1 pt. Fresh Cranberries

1. Add the sugar to a saucepan over med-high heat until it begins to brown, stirring constantly.
2. Next, carefully add the vinegar off the heat. Reduce for 5 min.
3. Add the fruit juices, thyme, stock, cranberries and apples. Bring to a boil
4. Let simmer until it reduces to about 2 cups.
6. Skim off any foam.
6. Add the butter off the heat and swirl through.
7. Remove the thyme and allow to cool

Autumn's Bounty-Celery Root

Autumn is my favorite time of year. The food, the weather and the upcoming holiday season. I've decided to start a weekly journal of my visits to Willow Creek Orchards and showcase the ingredients that we will be using in the restaurant. This week I picked up a few goodies, but I am very excited about the celery root. I love to use celery root in many different dishes. I tend to treat it like I would a potato. That is roasted, mashed, in soups or a combination with other root vegetables. You will find it tastes like a cross between conventional celery and parsley. The celery root can also be eaten raw, once peeled, and shaved over salads. This adds a great crunchy fresh flavor. Try it out. It is a great addition to one's culinary repertoire.

Chef's Notes: A vegetable peeler may not do with this tricky vegetable. The root has a thin, rough skin so use a knife until you come to the crisp white vegetable.

Stay tuned for recipes and new ingredients

Eat and live well!

Chef Anthony Boccella