Welcome to the Bistro!

​Mary's Blog and Sharon's chalkboard features + MUSHROOM PATE’ Recipe  - January 17, 2020

And, another fine week it has been…even with the crazy wild weather. I could not believe the rain last Friday. Between that and wicked wind our little Bistro was very quiet. Getting hit with a storm at any time is not fun but it really hurts on a weekend. I still am amazed at the weather people and their scare tactics. When I turned on the radio Thursday morning at 6:30 there was already a “winter storm watch” out through Sunday morning. And, nary a drop of rain yet. I’ll admit that Friday was dangerous driving but Saturday was fine. No 2 inches of ice as predicted. Oh well. On the other hand, I’ve sure been lucky being able to exercise my furry buds so far this winter. Hope it stays that way!

Sharon and I had the pleasure to do a presentation at the Novi library recently. There were 80 attendees at both the morning and evening sessions. We saw so many familiar faces and it was great to talk about the history of the Bistro and our backgrounds. The last 15 minutes of each was set aside for questions and answers and there were certainly some good inquiries. I did a little demo of our Mushroom Pate’ and then everyone got a taste. The Pate’ has been on the menu since 1996 and was given to me by a Jamaican chef at a little wine bar, The Bottle and Cork, in London. I still have his recipe hand written on a cocktail napkin. I’ve included it here for you; it is easy, fast and so good!

 Monday is Martin Luther King Day, in celebration of his birthday January 15, 1929. He was the chief spokesman for non-violent activism in the Civil Rights Movement and assassinated because of his beliefs in 1968. His famous “I Have A Dream” speech was delivered August 28, 1963 to 240 thousand civil rights supporters on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He called for an end of racism in the United States. It was a defining moment for the Civil Rights Movement. This speech has been ranked one of the top American speeches of the 20th century. With his single phrase of “I Have A Dream,” delivered numerous times throughout this oration, he joined the ranks of Lincoln and Jefferson in the shaping of America. Ronald Regan signed a bill in 1983 making the third Monday in January a national holiday a celebration of King’s life. Although it is a day “off” for many it is notable to remember that Dr. King wanted us, each and every American, “to do better by its most vulnerable: the poor, the racial minorities, the un-housed, the uneducated, the left out, left behind and forgotten, the ones the Bible calls the “least of these.”
“Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life’s most persistent and urgent question is:

“What are you doing for others?” MLK

And, a good question it is. 

There’s some Awesome Chalkboard Features Coming Your Way! Always a Favorite:

SEARED JUMBO SEA SCALLOPS: Served with a Wedge of Chevre Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart and a Warm Relish of Corn, Green Onion, Bosc Pear and Prosciutto. Drizzled with Basil Chili Oil;

GRILLED MAHI MAHI: Brushed with Garlic oil, Char Grilled and Topped with a Brandy Peppercorn Sauce. Presented with Twice bake Yukon Gold Potatoes and Broccolini;

JAVA AHI TUNA: More Than “Just Coffee” Crusted –Seared Rare (or more if you like), Accompanied with Honey and Rosemary Roasted Baby Carrots, Parsnips and Rutabaga. Finished with a Whiskey Drizzle

and Last, but Not Least

CRAB Portobello Rockefeller: Two Mushroom Caps Filled with Jumbo Lump Crab, Spinach, Pernod, Onion and Applewood Smoked Bacon, Sprinkled with Mozzarella & Parmesan Then Baked until Bubbly and Splashed with Hollandaise. YUM!!!

MUSHROOM PATE’
A Recipe From The Cork and Bottle, London 5-96’
Added to the Bistro Menu September 1996

½ # Salted Butter
½ Medium Onion, Chopped Medium
2 T Minced Garlic
1# Sliced Button Mushrooms
1 Small Roll Cut Into Large Chunks
1 # Cream Cheese, Room Temperature, Cut Into 2” Pieces.

1.   Melt butter in a large sauté pan. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent.
2.   Add mushrooms and cook until they are soft. Season.
3.   Add the roll and toss with the mushroom mix until softened.
4.   Put softened cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor. Add warm mushroom mix and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cool before serving.

Serve On Croutons or Crackers Topped with Pickled Red Onions.

PICKLED RED ONIONS
1 Medium Red Onion Thinly Sliced
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Apple Cider or White Vinegar
1.   Heat sugar with vinegar in a sauté pan until sugar is dissolved and bubbly.
2.   Add onions and cook until soft. Season to Taste.

​WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT THE BISTRO AND WISH YOU MANY MILLION DOLLAR DAYS!!!!
XO,
Mary, The Pups and Ponies