Baking our own bread

Fermenting a levain for the european styled sourdoughs, now being baked by hand at the Chez.






We've always prided ourselves on the quality of the bread at the Chez. But it's always been kind of a sore spot with me that we didn't bake it ourselves from scratch. It's also been a drag on our economy to buy the bread, because I couldn't see paying for bread that wasn't good... So I got the best bread available to me. And it was pretty darn good. And pretty darned expensive.

Now, with the economy going sour, and people cutting costs, we've decided that it's time to start baking our own. I think it's the right decision. And I hope you will, too. Over the next few months we'll invest in a better baking stone situation for the ovens, and get a high-powered mixer to do some of the kneading, but for now it's all kneaded by hand, by me. We're turning out dense, hearty whole wheat loaves, airy baguettes, deliciously moist potato breads and we're starting to make some ryes and traditional european sourdoughs. Loaves are available for sale, and we hope you'll feel free to give us feedback on the breads.

Chez Marché Cafe 108 S. Main St., Waupaca Wisconsin 54981 715.256.2672. http://www.chezmarchecafe.com

In this issue:
In the news!
Live music
Did you win a piece of pie?
Menu specials this week
Chez Featured Ingredient of the Moment!

Hiya,

Can we brag a tiny little bit? The Chez just got a very nice mention in an article in the new Wisconsin Trails magazine, in a feature about Waupaca. The writer says that her meal at the Chez "struck just the right chord," calling it a "funky cafe and gallery" with a "haute hippie vibe and ... back porch gourmet food." We topped the articles "places to eat" list, one of only two restaurants in Waupaca to receive that distinction and this in a town full of restaurants. Pretty exciting stuff, eh? The magazine has 40,000 subscribers and I know it's in every single waiting room I've ever had to wait in, so I'm thinking the article might attract some attention.
Don't worry, fame won't spoil us. :-)

---

Chez Featured Ingredient of the Moment:

Welcome to a new segment of the Chez newsletter: The Featured Ingredient of the Moment! I was going to call it the featured ingredient of the week, but that seemed to fizzle the spontaneous spark of my homage. So I'm only going to do this when I feel truly compelled to tell everyone how wonderful I think one of our ingredients is. This time we're featuring our toothsomely delicious Tribeca Ovens Whole Grain Bread. Made with quinoa, barley, amaranth, millet, oat, flax seeds, whole wheat and rye berries; it's chock-o-block full of whole grain goodness.

Lots of folks ask if we bake our own bread and technically, yes, we bake it, but that's really all we do with it. We don't nurture a starter or pamper a poolish or nudge the dough into shapely loaves -- we just pull a partially baked loaf from the freezer and pop it into the oven. It's a grand convenience. Especially since we make almost everything else from scratch, and there're only so many hours in the day. I think this is the best bread available, anywhere, for the Chez. And I know that you like it, because you tell me so. It's really wonderful bread, and I love working with it. Congratulations, Whole Grain Loaf! Chez Ingredient of the Moment!

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Menu Specials this week:
Tuesday and Wednesday:

• Potato soup with green garlic and shallots $5 / $3
• Big green salad with fresh greens from Mike Brilowski's Lettuce Love Gardens!!! First fresh greens of the season!!!!! $4.5 / $9
• Smoked trout salad sandwich $10

Thursday:

• Big green salad $4.5 / $9
• Smoked trout salad sandwich $10
• Petite aioli with beets, eggs, green beans, asparagus and radishes $8.5 / $12
• Catalan* gratin of chickpeas with garlic $9.50
  
• Pasta with house ragu $9

Friday:

• Big green salad $4.5 / $9
• Smoked trout salad sandwich $10
• Petite aioli with beets, eggs, green beans, asparagus and radishes $8.5 / $12
• Dinner: Sweetbreads with mushrooms and asparagus on toast, with pear tart dessert $18
• Friday night fish dinner: to be determined

Saturday:

• Buckwheat crepes with fruit and creme fraiche $12
• Spinach and bacon tart served with green salad, bread and butter $9.5
• Smoked trout mousse with herbs with croutons $10

*Catalan is a region that, depending on your point of view, is either in the North of Spain, the South of France, or its own distinct place. I lean towards the own distinct place line of thought. The food there, the language, the customs, all are highly individual to the area. The food is bold, strong and delicious. This gratin is a typically homey kind of casserole, full of flavor and terrific with a glass of blood red wine.

Menu specials are subject to last minute changes. Please call to verify menus -- 715.256.2672.

---

Live music this week includes the incomparable Doug Thompson and guest, Dennis Hart, on Thursday evening from 7 until 9 pm. It's always a great time. Stroll down and listen in.
Friday night we welcome the return of Flip O'the Coin for a couple of hours (7 to 9) of toe-tappin' fun. Just a reminder that the Friday night show has a jam element to it -- if you play Irish, folk or other, similar, accoustic music, pack up your instrument and come on down and join in the fun.

---

Graduation, confirmation and wedding time is drawing near. We're happy to help out with your festive plans, with food and a space to party if that's what you need. Stop in or call today to discuss your ideas.

---

If your name is listed here, you have won a free piece of pie! Pick it up anytime between now and May 24th.

Pie winner of the week is Caroline Leavitt! Congratulations Caroline!

(Names are selected randomly from those on this e-list. Once you win, you can't win again until everyone on the list has won and we start all over again. Prizes are non-transferable, but if you have a pie aversion, you can substitute something of equal or lesser value.)

Bon appetit!
b.

---

"The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious."
-- Tom Robbins

---

· Hungry? Too busy to cook? You need slow-cooked fast food! You need Chez Dinner at Home! Click here for details.
· Need eggs? We've got 'em. Wonderful brown, from free-ranged chickens, deep orange yolked eggs. $2.25 a dozen. We've also got whole chickens, breads, french dijon mustard (the real thing), wild rice, maple sugar and maple syrup, and all our soups are usually available by the quart, too.

Bonni Miller
Cook, Owner
Chez Marche Cafe

Week of April 16th

Chez Marché Cafe 108 S. Main St., Waupaca Wisconsin 54981 715.256.2672. http://www.chezmarchecafe.com

In this issue:
Did you win a piece of pie?
Menu specials this week
Art
Music



Hiya,

Okay, so this is probably the best video I've seen in ages. Try and watch it all the way through to the very end.

---

Jenny McComb will be performing this Sunday at the Chez. Stop in and catch some great live music. There's no admission charge (although I'm sure tips are appreciated), and it's bound to be a lovely time.

---

Due to pressure from the artists lobby, I'm extending the deadline for the Chez's art contest to June 4th. Get your submissions in! We need a sign!

---

Menu Specials this week:
Tuesday and Wednesday:
White bean soup with green garlic and olive oil
Avocado, fresh mozzarella, tomato and pesto sandwich
(standard dinner menu)
Thursday:
Steak Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
Dinner special: Pork loin with fennel, cumin and lime
Friday:
Salade Nicoise (with tuna, green beans, fingerling potatoes, eggs, olives, tomatoes, etc)
Petite aioli with beets, eggs, asparagus and radishes
Friday night fish fry: to be determined
Saturday and Sunday:
Apple butter buckwheat crepes with whipped cream
Asparagus quiche
Spinach and feta filo turnovers (Sunday only)

Menu specials are subject to last minute changes. Please call to verify menus -- 715.256.2672.

---

If your name is listed here, you have won a free piece of pie! Pick it up anytime between now and May 18th.

Pie winner of the week is Lori Hallman! Congratulations Lori!

(Names are selected randomly from those on this e-list. Once you win, you can't win again until everyone on the list has won and we start all over again. Prizes are non-transferable, but if you have a pie aversion, you can substitute something of equal or lesser value.)

Bon appetit!
b.

---

"The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious."
-- Tom Robbins

---

· Hungry? Too busy to cook? You need slow-cooked fast food! You need Chez Dinner at Home! Click here for details.
· Check out the upcoming events at the Chez.
· Visit our art gallery! See photos from several of our past and current art shows.
· Does your newsletter take too long to download? Send us an email requesting the "image-free newsletter" and we'll fix you up for speedy delivery.
· Need eggs? We've got 'em. Wonderful brown, from free-ranged chickens, deep orange yolked eggs. $2.25 a dozen. We've also got whole chickens, breads, french dijon mustard (the real thing), wild rice, maple sugar and maple syrup, and all our soups are usually available by the quart, too.

Bonni Miller
Cook, Owner
Chez Marche Cafe

Chez news for the week of January 1, 2007

Chez Marché Cafe 108 S. Main St., Waupaca Wisconsin 54981 715.256.2672. http://www.chezmarchecafe.com

In this issue:
Scroll down to see if you win a free piece of pie!
It's global warming, baby
Menu specials this week
Dinner at Home
Sunday brunch is coming soon!
So is Valentine's day!
Recipe of the week: Braised greens

Hiya,

So, happy new year! 2007 marks our third year in our new location. Three years this coming Monday, January 8th. There've been lots of changes at the Chez and there are certainly lots more to come, and I hope you enjoy them all. But, frankly, right now I'm more interested in the changes in the weather. Here's a photo that I took yesterday, New Year's Day, in my back yard.

(lilac leaf)

That, friends and neighbors, is a new green leaf on my lilac bush. There are several more new green leaves on that same bush. And my mint, chamomile and chives are all sprouting new shoots.
Now, granted -- my yard is sheltered, in town, and faces the south. But I've never seen this happen before. And, in addition to larger, global ramifications, I'm wondering what it's going to do to the gardens. Plants that send out new growth now, and then freeze, loose some of the energy that they've stored for spring regrowth without much chance to regain it. Several perennial species --like apple trees, reportedly -- require a dormant period for their health. Plus viruses, funguses, insect populations, etc. that are normally kept in check by the frost are not being dealt with. Our neighboring lake -- which only iced over in the last two or three weeks -- began reopening yesterday, and only half my yard has any frost in it at all. While I certainly appreciate the break in my heating bill, I wonder how much all this warm weather is ultimately going to cost us.


Dinner at Home

Several of you have already signed up for our new program: Dinner at Home. This week those folks are taking home a creamy butternut squash risotto, polenta gnocchi with parmesan or gorgonzola and tomato sauce, and a hearty chicken and dumplings dinner. You could be one of those people. Visit our dinners at home web page for more details.


Sunday Brunch Starts January 21st, Planning for Valentine's Day begins

I'm starting to get pretty excited about the Sunday Brunch. I've just about got the first two Sunday menus nailed down, and I think you're going to like it. Did I mention that we'll be having live music during the brunch? Nothing demanding, just some very nice acoustic live music in the background. We'll be posting the full schedule soon.
We've also begun planning for Valentine's day. There'll be a very special dinner, and Jenny McComb will be performing her lovely latin jazz for us that night. Stay tuned for details.


Recipe of the week:

Braised Endive

This time of year, more than any other, I begin to crave cooked greens. Maybe it's as an antidote to the excesses of the holidays, maybe it's just because the days are so short and I miss the plentiful greens of summer. Hearty greens like endive, chard, beet greens, spinach, mustard and -- especially -- kale, are fairly easy to grow year round in a hoop house -- even here in Wisconsin. For more information on year-round gardening, check out Four Season Harvest, a book by Eliot Coleman and Barbara Damrosch.
Braised greens can be a quick and easy meal or side dish. You can long-simmer collard and mustard greens with smoked pork, hot peppers, onions and garlic until they're tender and savory, and serve with plenty of bread and rice to soak up the wonderful broth. Or quickly cook a head of leafy endive with onions and olive oil and just the water that clings to the leaves from washing, as in the following recipe.

Serves four as a side dish, one or two as a main dish with rice or cooked grains

2 T. olive oil
One large head of leafy endive, trimmed of browned leaves, cut crosswise into 2-inch strips (compost base), washed and left to drain in a colander
1/2 red or yellow onion, chopped
sprinkle of hot red pepper flakes and a couple of good pinches of salt

Sauté onions in the olive oil in a kettle large enough to hold all the greens. When the onion is soft, add the greens. Often times I do this in two batches, roughly adding the thicker bases of the stalks first and turning them over again and again in the oil until they wilt a bit, then adding the rest. When all the greens are in the pan, continue turning over the greens so that they all become coated with the oil and get into contact with the hot bottom of the pan. Then lower heat and cover, allowing them to cook down a bit. Uncover and turn the greens some more after about five minutes. They should be much reduced and might even be done at this point. Taste a thicker piece of stalk for tenderness. Add the salt and pepper to taste and, if the greens are done to your preference, remove from heat. Or continue cooking for a few more minutes until they're as tender as you'd like them to be. Serve with crusty bread (for instance, the wonderful French bread from the Chez), to sop up the delicious cooking liquids.

Variations: Instead of olive oil, fry three pieces of bacon, chopped, and then add onion to fry in the bacon fat, and cook the bacon with the greens.
The greens are also delicious served over creamy polenta with or without a spicy tomato sauce.
Escarole may also be cooked in this fashion.


Menu Specials this week:
Tuesday and Wednesday:
Corned Beef Sandwich with Swiss and Horseradish -- grilled
Hot Beef Sandwiches
Hoppin John with Rice
Butternut Squash Risotto with Parmesan and Black Truffle Oil
Thursday:
Spicy Dal Soup
Polenta Gnocchi with Gorgonzola and Tomato Sauce
Friday:
Pastitsio
Traditional Friday night fish fry (we might have a little tempura Friday night, too)
Saturday:
Meatloaf Dinner
Baked Swedish Pancake with Fried Apples, and Sharp Cheddar on the side


If your name is listed here, you have won a free piece of pie! Pick it up anytime between now and February 3, 2007.

Pie winner of the week is Deb or Donnie Fisher! Congratulations Deb! Or Donnie! I guess if you share an email, you might have to share the pie, too. :-)

(Names are selected randomly from those on this e-list. Once you win, you can't win again until everyone on the list has won and we start all over again. Prizes are non-transferable, but if you have a pie aversion, you can substitute something of equal or lesser value.)

Bon appetit!
b.


· Hungry? Too busy to cook? You need slow-cooked fast food! You need Chez Dinner at Home! Click here for details.
· Check out the upcoming events at the Chez.
· Visit our art gallery! See photos from several of our past and current art shows.
· Does your newsletter take too long to download? Send us an email requesting the "image-free newsletter" and we'll fix you up for speedy delivery.

Chez news for the week of December 25th

Chez Marché Cafe 108 S. Main St., Waupaca Wisconsin 54981 715.256.2672. http://www.chezmarchecafe.com

In this issue:

* Scroll down to see if you win a free piece of pie!
* Download times
* Sunday Brunch!
* Menu specials this week
* Live music this week!
* Holiday schedule
* Recipe of the week: Hoppin' John


Hiya,

Did you know that all around the world, several cultures have a tradition of eating beans to celebrate the New Year? The Italians do it, the Japanese do it... Here in the States, Hopping John, made with black eyed peas, is a Southern New Year's Day tradition. It's said to bring good luck and prosperity. Scroll down for a recipe for Hoppin John.


Two of you contacted me this last week to say that as much as they loved the Chez newsletter, they have a dial-up connection and the photos take forever to download on their computer. I used to have a dial-up connection and I can relate. So I'm wondering, now, how many of you have dial-ups and cringe whenever you start downloading the Chez newsletter. I definitely want the Chez News to be welcomed in your home, so this is of some importance to me.
There are two ways to handle it, either you can change settings in your email program preference (I have mine set to only download up to 50 KB of each message that comes in. This allows practically all text messages to come through and gives me the option of downloading a heavier message when I have time for it), or I can take care of it on my end. And I'm determined to do my part. So, if you'd prefer an image free newsletter, just drop me a line and I'll arrange it.

Starting this month, on January 21st, we'll be serving brunch on Sundays at the Chez! Service will be from 10 until 2, and we'll continue on with Sunday Brunches until sometime in May. If you like it, we'll do it every winter. We've been working on the menu, and it will include some of the Saturday favorites, but we'll be offering a little more pampering, and there'll also be a robust Sunday dinner kind of meal. Ski or skate all morning, make yourself good and hungry, and then replenish at the Chez before you go home for a nice nap. Or stop in for coffee, tea and pastries, read the Sunday papers, then take home a couple of dinners and you won't have to cook all day. Starting January 21st.

Holiday schedule: The Chez will be closed on Tuesday, January 2nd, for a cook's holiday.

LIVE MUSIC this week at the Chez. This Thursday we welcome back Doug Thompson, superb singer songwriter, from 7 to 9. And on Friday it's our monthly celebration of stepping lively with Flip O'the Coin. 7 to 10. See you there!


Menu Specials this week:
Wednesday: Duck soup with white beans
Thursday:
Ham and vegetable soup with farro
Carrot and sunflower seed salad
Broccoli bread
Dinner: Roasted pork with white beans and sausage
Friday:
Vegetarian Sloppy Joes
Corned Beef Sandwiches
Dinner: Friday night fish fry
Roasted pork with white beans and sausage
Saturday:
Butternut Squash Risotto
Fruit Taboulleh
Corned Beef Hash


If your name or email address is listed here, you have won a free piece of pie! Pick it up anytime between now and January 27th.

Pie winner of the week is whoever belongs to this email address: laibmi@---enet.net (some of the letters of the address have been deleted for privacy reasons). Congratulations!

(Names are selected randomly from those on this e-list. Once you win, you can't win again until everyone on the list has won and we start all over again. Prizes are non-transferable, but if you have a pie aversion, you can substitute something of equal or lesser value.)

Bon appetit!
b.

Recipe of the week:

Hoppin John (adapted from www.luckymojo.com) I'm including the original author's personal instructions for luck, which stem from the Scottish tradition of First Footing -- having a lucky person be the first one over your doorstep in the New Year to set the tone of your household for the months to come.

1 1/2 cups dried black-eyed peas
4 cups of boiling water
3 medium onions diced coarsely
1 pound each salt pork and spicy sausage, sliced into thumbnail sized cubes
1 cup mixed brown rice and barley
Salt, pepper and hot sauce or peppers to taste
1/2 cup molasses and 2 cups stewed tomatoes

Pour boiling water over the peas, let sit for 1 hour. Drain and cover again with fresh water. Place on the stove on very low heat or in the crock-pot/slow-cooker. Throw in onions, meat, rice/barley, tomatoes and molasses. Simmer until the beans have gone so soft they are falling apart, usually around 18-24 hours. Add hot sauce, salt, and pepper in the last half hour before serving.

Serve -- immediately after every window and door in the place is opened (to let out any left-over bad luck) and a particularly "lucky" person walks over the threshold to set tone of the luck for the New Year -- with cornbread, honey, and wishes for each person's New Year luck.

Hungry? Too busy to cook? You need slow-cooked fast food! You need Chez Dinner at Home! Click here for details.
Check out the upcoming events at the Chez.
Visit our art gallery! See photos from several of our past and current art shows.

Chez News for the week of December 18th

Chez Marché Cafe 108 S. Main St., Waupaca Wisconsin 54981 715.256.2672. http://www.chezmarchecafe.com


In this issue:
Even if you don't have time to read the whole newsletter, scroll down to see if you win a free piece of pie!
Art Contest Announcement
Gifts and Food for the holidays
Menu specials this week
Holiday drink recipe

santa baby

Hiya,

Calling all artists! We need a sign designed. A large one, for the front of the Chez. It's high time that we took advantage of the building front and put up a nice big sign. But, of course, it can't be just any old sign. We need art on the front of our building. So, we're announcing a contest. Grand prize for the winning design is $250 dollars. Note: This does not involve creating an actual sign; it's just for creating the design for the sign. Click here for the whole skinny.


Speaking of art, you know that art makes a terrific gift. And we've got some beautiful works hanging right now in the Chez gallery.
There's still time to pick out an original Jim Lang or Doris Weed painting.

zinnias detail of "Zinnias," by Doris Weed

(Please pardon the flash caught in the photo.)


If you're still stuck for ideas for gifts for those last few on your shopping lists, you might consider a Chez membership or gift certificate. Chez Friends membership costs $45 and gets the recipient a 15% discount for an entire year. Plus, you get two discount cards -- keep one for yourself or give them both away. It's a great way to appreciate someone all year round. Or maybe you know someone who'd enjoy the Dinner at Home program? There's a link at the bottom of the page for details, and now you can buy it online, at our website, using your credit card.

Plus we've still got some wonderful wild rice, maple sugar candy, maple syrup and jams. And we've got a few small birch bark baskets, too. The maple syrup comes from Dave Peterson's Maplewood Gardens in Elderon, and all the rest are from Native Harvest in Minnesota. Profits from the Native Harvest sales support Winona LaDuke's White Earth Land Recovery project.

Here're a couple more gift ideas for the food astute on your list. Have they (or you, for that matter) read Omnivore's Dilemma yet? This is the must-read book of the year -- maybe of the decade. Food issues are rapidly rising to the forefront in the United States and this is perhaps the best book written on the state of our food supply today. Plus, it's easy to read, and hard to put down.

2. Consider buying your family a CSA membership. There are several in the area now and we'll be happy to connect you to one near you. Just give us a call at the Chez. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it represents a deal in which a farmer sells you a subscription to the produce from his or her farm for one season. You provide a stable income for the farmer and the farmer provides you with a weekly box of fresh food. It's a wonderful way to get extremely high quality food, locally produced and often organically grown too.


There's still a couple of days left to order delicious pre-cooked Chez food for the festivities. Someone pointed out that we'd neglected to note the price of oyster stew in last week's newsletter, I'll include it here along with all the rest of the pricing. Deadline for ordering is the end of the Chez day (9 pm) on Wednesday, December 20th.

Brie:
Pastry wrapped baked brie with toasted almonds and wine jelly: $15 per wheel
Unadorned plain wheels of Fleur de France Brie are also available for $8 each
Pies:
Rhubarb Berry, Cherry, and Pecan pies: $16 each
Mince pie: $20
(All pies are made with all-butter crusts)
Side dishes:
Cauliflower with brown butter and shallots: $8 qt.
Sweet potatoes with jalapenos and pecans: $8 qt.
Creamed spinach with pinenuts and garlic: $5.50 pt.
Carrots with cumin and orange: $7.5 qt.
Oyster Stew:
Oyster stew with fennel and thyme: $20 qt. (Serves four as a first course or appetizer)
Breads:
French baguettes and batards $2.5
Whole grain 1-pound loaves $4
Italian sesame 14-oz loaves $3.5
Rustic Olive Bread 1-pound loaves $7.5
Whole Wheat 1-pound loaves $3


Menu Specials this week:
Tuesday and Wednesday:
Lamb Sandwich with Mixed Baby Greens and Shallot Sauce
Potato Soup with Leeks
Cashew Chili
Thursday:
MREA Monsoon Burrito
Egg Salad with Horseradish and Bacon Sandwich
Falafel with Hummus and Lebna
Friday:
Roasted Beef and Horseradish Sandwich
Falafel with Hummus and Lebna
Saturday:
Homemade Eggnog -- made with organic milk, cream and eggs
Corned Beef Hash -- Slivered brisket fried with potatoes and onions
Fish Tacos -- poached and marinated haddock in soft tortillas with shredded greens, fresh cheese and roasted tomatoes
Additional specials to be announced

Dinner Specials:
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday:
Malai Sak (Spiced creamed spinach) with Sweet Potato Pancakes
Mushroom Stroganoff on Egg Noodles
Friday night:
Wisconsin Fish Fry: Wild caught Haddock with homemade tarter sauce, cole slaw, bread and fried potatoes $15
Calamari Fry: Deep fried squid with choice of sauces, served with green salad, bread and butter. $12


Recipe:
Here's a holiday nog-like (grog-like?) drink recipe that I think you'll like...

Fill a tall Collins glass with ice. Add 1 1/2 ounce spiced rum (such as Captain Morgan’s), then almost fill the glass with 4 ounces vanilla chai mix (such as Oregon Chai). Add 1 ounce heavy cream, stir and serve.


If your name is listed here, you have won a free piece of pie! Pick it up anytime between now and January 20th.

Pie winner of the week is Claudia at Studio 212! Congratulations Claudia!

(Names are selected randomly from those on this e-list. Once you win, you can't win again until everyone on the list has won and we start all over again. Prizes are non-transferable, but if you have a pie aversion, you can substitute something of equal or lesser value.)

Bon appetit!
b.


"There, my Retreat the best Companions grace,
Chiefs, out of War, and Statesmen, out of Place.
There St. John mingles with my friendly Bowl,
The Feast of Reason and the Flow of Soul. . . "

Alexander Pope from Imitations of Horace


Hungry? Too busy to cook? You need slow-cooked fast food! You need Chez Dinner at Home! Click here for details.

Check out the upcoming events at the Chez.

Visit our art gallery! See photos from several of our past and current art shows.

Chez news for the week of December 12th

Chez Marché Cafe 108 S. Main St., Waupaca Wisconsin 54981 715.256.2672. http://www.chezmarchecafe.com

In this issue:
Even if you don't have time to read the whole newsletter, scroll down to see if you win a free piece of pie!
Pricing on holiday helpers
Grainbelt beer
Dinner at home excerpt (pricing)
Membership
Gift Certificates
Saturday's children's recital

Hiya,

As was mentioned in last week's newsletter, the Chez will be cooking up treats to make your holiday entertaining easier. And, if you want, we'll even prepare them in your dishes. No one really needs to know that you didn't make it yourself. :-) Here's pricing on those items to help you plan.

Brie:
Pastry wrapped baked brie with toasted almonds and wine jelly: $15 per wheel
Unadorned plain wheels of Fleur de France Brie are also available for $8 each
Pies:
Rhubarb Berry, Cherry, and Pecan pies: $16 each
Mince pie: $20
(All pies are made with all-butter crusts)
Side dishes:
Cauliflower with brown butter and shallots: $8 qt.
Sweet potatoes with jalapenos and pecans: $8 qt.
Creamed spinach with pinenuts and garlic: $5.50 pt.
Carrots with cumin and orange: $7.5 qt.
Breads:
French baguettes and batards $2.5
Whole grain 1-pound loaves $4.5
Italian sesame 14-oz loaves $3.5
Rustic Olive Bread 1-pound loaves $7.5
olive loafRustic olive bread

Additionally, we're having a sale on whole wheat bread. One pound loaves of organic whole wheat bread for just $3.00. Normally we'd sell them for $4. Loaves are available frozen, only. (Which we think is preferable for you anyway. They're best when freshly baked and this way you can pop them in the oven for 25 minutes and finish them up at home, and serve nice hot fresh bread.) Note that these are different than the whole grain loaves that we currently serve at the restaurant. This is the bread that we used to serve. Still a very good bread.

Deadline for ordering is December 20th. And if anyone is thinking about turkey for dinner on Christmas, we've got just one heritage bird left. Price is $3.75 per pound, and the quality is exceptional. And we've still got plenty of free-range chickens in the freezer at $2.75 pound.


We've added a new beer to the cooler. Grainbelt Premium Beer, brewed in New Ulm, Minnesota, is a pretty good lager at an even better price.

Stop in and try one today. Only $2. Lest you have reservations, let me add that rumor has it that it's the favorite beer of Baron von Raschke, whom those of a certain age may remember as having been the bearer of "The Claw."
The Claw, "five fingers of unrelenting pain. A grip so intimidating it made grown men who had little to no acting ability, act like frightened children."

Menu Specials this week:
Tuesday and Wednesday:
Cauliflower and potato cheese soup
Thursday:
Mushroom custard with toast and salad
Friday:
Cashew chili
Friday night fish fry
Saturday:
Fish tacos
Peanut Butter Stuffed Toast with Sauteed Plums

This week's dinner specials (as long as they last) are a choice of curried chickpeas or roasted lamb (see attached menu).

Children's recital is this Saturday from 2 to 4 at the Chez! Don't miss it! See this week's Waupaca County Post for the full story or go to our events page later today for the inside scoop.



Chez Home Dinners: In last week's newsletter we gave you a link to information about our new service, Chez Home dinners. For those of you who didn't have a chance to follow-up on the link, here's the pricing information on the dinners, which are prepared in regular casserole dishes, and you get them either hot and ready to eat, or ready for you to heat at your convenience.

Costs:
$27 per week for three full-portion meals for one person
$21 per week for three small-appetite meals for one person (For instance: children, seniors.)

And that translates to:
Full portion size = $324 per 12-week subscription (or 36 meals whenever you want them) in one payment, or $115 per month.
Small portion = $252 per 12-week subscription (or 36 meals whenever you want them) in one payment, or $89 per month.

Initial subscription must be for twelve weeks (or 36 meals). After that, subscriptions can continue in twelve week increments or go month-to-month. Monthly rates are as follows:
$30 per week for full portion meals for $120 per month
$24 per week for small appetites and $96 per month

Delivery can be arranged for a small additional fee, determined by distance and frequency.

By the end of this week, we'll have online purchasing set up at the website, and you'll be able to purchase the meal service with your credit card. You can email the form questions to me and we'll arrange pickups and delivery either via email or by phone. Easy peasy. Any questions? Call me. 256-2672.

You'll also be able to purchase Chez gift certificates and memberships online. Membership is $45 and provides 365 days of discounted sales at the Chez. Save 15% on all prepared foods and most groceries (excluding the Dinner at Home service and all commissioned sales). And of course, you can always pick these things up in person at the Chez.


If your name is listed here, you have won a free piece of pie! Pick it up anytime between now and January 14th.

Pie winner of the week is Marguerite Ramlow! Congratulations Marguerite!

(Names are selected randomly from those on this e-list. Once you win, you can't win again until everyone on the list has won and we start all over again. Prizes are non-transferable, but if you have a pie aversion, you can substitute something of equal or lesser value.)

Bon appetit!
b.


" One of the greatest charismas of food is that it's about cultures and grandmothers and death and art and self-expression and family and society -- and at the same time, it's just dinner."
~~Bill Buford, author of Heat {An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany}

Chez news for the week of December 5th

Chez Marché Cafe 108 S. Main St., Waupaca Wisconsin 54981 715.256.2672. http://www.chezmarchecafe.com


In this issue:

Even if you don't have time to read the whole newsletter, scroll down to see if you win a free piece of pie!
Christmas shopping at the Chez
Dinner at Home: New Chez Subscription Service
Christmas treats from the Chez kitchen
HOMEBREW Supplies!
This week's specials
Terry Achten's Annual Pottery Sale
Annual Children's Recital


Hiya,

We're rolling out a new service at the Chez. It's ideal -- we think -- for super busy families, shut ins, folks who don't cook, and everyone who loves Chez food. It's a simple idea, really. People subscribe to 12 weeks of three meals per week, or any increment of 36 meals that works for you. We cook 'em and you pick them up. Or, for a small additional fee, we could deliver them. And because the meal is a guaranteed sale with minimal service on our part, we can offer it for less, much less really, than we could if it was an entree on the menu. For details, visit the Dinner at Home page at our website and see if it's something that might work for you. We think you'll like it!!


Christmas shopping? We've got great gifts at the Chez. There are -- of course -- the ever popular gift certificates, and the Chez membership (see last week's newsletter). We've also got some beautiful artwork by Doris Weed and Jim Lang. And there's wonderful native harvested, hand processed wild rice. There are little jars of tasty wild fruit jams and preserves -- perfect for hostess gifts or stocking stuffers. We've also got some delectable maple sugar candy. And we've got some of Dave Peterson's "nectar of the Gods" maple syrup from his trees in Elderon. Magical tree juice.


Foods that will be available at the Chez for your holiday entertaining include:

Our great breads (whole grain, baguette, and -- new for the season -- italian white bread and savory olive bread)

Brie en croute (French brie stuffed with red wine jelly, wrapped in puff pastry, topped with shaved almonds and ready to bake in your oven until browned and melting.) This makes an elegant and delicious offering. Guaranteed to wow your guests. Serve it with freshly baked baguettes, crackers or toasted whole grain bread.

Oyster stew -- made with fresh oysters, organic milk and butter, in the Chez kitchen.

Mince, rhubarb berry, cherry and/or pecan pie

Assorted side dishes including:

* Cauliflower with Browned Butter and Shallots
* Pecan and Jalapeno Spiked Sweet Potatoes
* Creamed Spinach with Garlic and Pinenuts
* Carrots with Cumin and Orange


Deadline for ordering side dishes, oyster stew, brie en croute and pies is December 20th. Limited quantities are available. If you'd like, we'll be happy to prepare the sides in your casserole dishes, the pie in your pie plate, etc.

Homebrewers! Now buying homebrew supplies is even easier. Simply click here to our supplier's catalogue and get the order numbers of what you want and send me the order. Deadline for regular ordering is the 15th of every month, but if you have a special need, we can order anytime ($50 minimum for unscheduled ordering). If you need prices before you order, please write "Hold for pricing" at the top of your order and we'll get you a total asap. But you can plan on it being less than what you'd pay at a regular homebrew store. We guarantee the lowest price.
As we get more familiar with what it is that you typically order, we'll start stocking it at the Chez, and then all you'll have to do is stop in and pick it up. Way easier than pie. You'll get exactly what you want, with no time consuming, gas guzzling trip to Stevens Point or Appleton -- and at a better price, too!


Specials this week include:

Tuesday and Wednesday:

* Fish Chowder with Potatoes
* Butternut Squash Soup with Goat and White Beans
* Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
* Steak Sandwich

Thursday:

* Butternut Squash Soup with Goat and White Beans
* Filo turnovers with spinach, raisins, nuts and cheese
* Crepes stuffed with chicken and wild rice

Friday:

* Stuffed French Bread sandwich with tuna, olives, eggs, onions, greens and vinaigrette
* Linguine with sausage and winter greens
* Fish Fry!

Saturday:

* Brie and Ham Sandwich -- grilled
* Steak and blue cheese open-faced sandwich
* Cornmeal pancakes with sauteed apples and caramel sauce



Save time out from your busy day on Saturday, December 16th, for the annual Children's Recital at the Chez. It's from 2 to 4 pm, Saturday afternoon. Local students will be performing, Mr. Biba's kids will sing Christmas carols, and organizers will be collecting donations to benefit a very worthy cause that we'll give you more information about in our next newsletter.

This Friday the 8th, and Saturday, the 9th, Chez friend Terry Achten will be hosting his annual pottery sale at N2556 Pleasant View Lane, Waupaca. Call 715-258-2279 for more information. You can also see some of Terry's works at the Chez and at the Amherst Coffee Company in King.


If your name is listed here, you have won a free piece of pie! Pick it up anytime between now and January 7th.

Pie winner of the week is Mike Brilowski! Congratulations Mike!

(Names are selected randomly from those on this e-list. Once you win, you can't win again until everyone on the list has won and we start all over again. Prizes are non-transferable, but if you have a pie aversion, you can substitute something of equal or lesser value.)

Bon appetit!
b.


" One of the greatest charismas of food is that it's about cultures and grandmothers and death and art and self-expression and family and society -- and at the same time, it's just dinner."

~~Bill Buford, author of Heat {An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany}

Chez news for the week of November 27th

Chez Marché Cafe 108 S. Main St., Waupaca Wisconsin 54981 715.256.2672. http://www.chezmarchecafe.com

In this issue:
Friends of Chez Membership Renewal
Christmas Cooking
Bag Lunches
Live music and menu specials this week

Hiya,

Do you know about the Chez Membership Discount? For $45 you get a 15% discount on all Chez things, for an entire year. January 1 to December 31st, 2007. This exludes gift certificates, certain grocery items and things that we sell for other people, like the artwork and the free-range chickens and turkeys, but if you eat at the Chez on a regular basis, you might want to consider it. If you have a modest lunch at the Chez once every two weeks, or dinner once every six weeks or so, you've pretty much paid for your membership. Plus you get two membership cards, one for you and one for whoever: Your spouse, your partner, your favorite kid, you pick 'em.
If you sign up right now, before December 6th, we'll start your membership right away and it will be like getting an extra month to three weeks of discount!
If you're already a member, renew before December 6th and we'll increase your discount to 20% thru the rest of 2006. Practically a whole month of extra savings!
Memberships make great Christmas gifts as well. This year we're offering snappy membership cards -- the perfect stocking stuffer!

Thanks to everyone who took part in our first offering of take-home food for Thanksgiving. We'd like to offer more of the same at Christmas and would appreciate your suggestions. What could we prepare for you that would make your life easier? Mincemeat pie? Steamed figgy puddings? Christmas cookies?Appetizer plates? Fine french cheeses? Oysters? Something a little different to serve alongside the main dish? Drop me a line and we'll take it from there.

We know you're busy. And you know that we think that good food should be prepared with care and that means time. But we also want you to eat good Chez food as often as you can, so we just have to reach a compromise.
So... we're going to keep a few bag lunches in the cooler, again -- just a couple of different kinds of sandwiches with a cup of cole slaw or fruit salad -- and because they'll be cold, we'll be offering them to you for a substantially less than what we would have charged for a nice fresh lunch made to order. If these sell well, then we'll add a couple more items -- salads probably. Basically, those of you who have been in need of a quick lunch can now get one, cheaply. We'll see how it goes.

Live music this week at the Chez includes Doug Thompson on Thursday night from 7 until 9 PM.
Friday night we welcome the return of the Chronically Wasted Band with Carmen Lee. That's Gregg Orlowski's band, folks. Music Friday is from 8 until 10. Give us a call at the Chez for more details.

Specials this week are:
Tuesday--
Lentil Soup with Garlic and Sausage
Tuna Tartine
Wednesday --
same as above with
Rosemary Scalloped Potatoes and Roasted Lamb for dinner
Thursday --
Chicken Dumpling Soup
Rosemary Scalloped Potatoes and Roasted Lamb for dinner
Friday --
Chicken Dumpling Soup
Fish Fry!
Saturday
Stop in and check out our new and improved brunch menu!
Specials this Saturday are Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, Wild Rice Pudding, and Scalloped Potatoes

Bon appetit!
b.