Jeff & Paquetta, first time Selma Cafe chefs, kept the food coming all morning long with two delicious specials.

Jeff’s special was a new one for us– panini with a couple of options.  Thanks to Mill Pond Bakery and Zingerman’s for the bread, the first choice was ham or no ham, and nearly everyone chose the ham.  Jeff had slow cooked the ham, from Steinhauser Farms, overnight in a crock pot with local honey, and it was moist and flavorful, without being too salty.  The next option was to decide between pesto and mozzarella cheese, or tomato onion jam with feta cheese.  I tried samples of each of the versions, and wow, they were all really great. Toasty and crispy on the outside, melt-y cheese-y and luscious ham on the inside, the pesto and the tomato onion jam rounded out all the flavors beautifully, along with a side of hoop house greens and vinaigrette to add a dash of color, acidic clarity and green goodness.

Paquetta’s special was a frittata two ways.  One with sweet Italian sausage and kale, and the other a vegetarian version with mustard greens and sweet red peppers. Both had roasted potatoes and tons of  eggs and cheese, and both were rich and  deeply comforting on such a cold Friday morning.  A side of hoop house greens was offered with this special as well, and the greens created a lovely balance to the richness of Paquetta’s dish.

Thanks to everyone who helped Jeff and Paquetta get their Selma Cafe chef hats on, and get food to the many many guests packed into the house this week. Michelle Fortin, Melanie Adams, Andrew Bozio,  Courtney Peterson, Solomon Jost, Alyssa Ackerman, Susie Baity Stearns, Ruth McAdams, Anne West, Codi Sharp, Nevon Clark, Sam Schiebold, Kris Kaul, Gary Mazzeo Anthony Nitsos, Morgan Mihok, Andrea Ridgard, Lauren LaRocca, Tracey Easthope, Jennifer and Noah Canvasser, Monica Patel, Mike Green, and Jules Kooch were our wonderful volunteers this week. Thank you thank you!

We had live music again this week, thanks to the Appleseed Collective, who came by and played a few sets of gypsy inspired psychedelic dixieland tunes to entertain us.  Thanks to Andrew Brown on guitar and vocals, Sophie Tulip on bass and vocals, Brandon Worder on violin, mandolin, and vocals and Vince Russo on washboard and vocals.  Catch them at the Blind Pig December 29th for some fun.

Thanks to everyone who purchased Selma Cafe swag for gifts this season. We sold out of gift bags, but I can make some more of them up if you are interested, and we still have lots of groovy mugs, t-shirts, tote bags and aprons. Let me know, and I’ll make sure to get you what you’d like.

Oh! look at all those neatly folded and pretty napkins.  That reminds me I want to give a shout out and big ol’ thanks to the Selma Cafe volunteers who showed up yesterday to deep clean the kitchen, mud room and living room.  Thank you Michelle Fortin, Simone and Charles Racine, Jennifer Jensen, Richard Kato, Greta Spivey, Nevon Clark and Andrew Bozio for all their elbow grease, organizational prowess and overall great attitude towards cleaning Selma Cafe.

Until January 7th, when Selma Cafe will be ready to rock and roll the breakfast for you, have a cozy, delightful, safe, healthy, loving and extra special holiday season with family, friends and community here in the mitten.

Love and good tidings, Lisa

Sous chef Ellie Thermansen, Thad Gillies and Scott MacInnis were back in the kitchen again bringing us the cozy winter comfort food big time last week.  It’s been really great to have executive chef and co-owner of Logan Restaurant Thad Gillie, along with Tranche De Vie Catering chef and owner Scott MacInnis stepping up to chef about once a month here at Selma Cafe.

This week they brought us two specials.  First, a sausage gravy poured generously over a couple of rich and creamy biscuits, topped with a fried egg and served with a side of hoop house greens.  Now that the days are so short, the wind so blustery, and frozen fingers and noses are a typical part of every day life here in the mitten, anything that comes with sausage gravy and biscuits is exactly what we want.

The second, a fluffy omelet served with a Moroccan inspired winter veggie hash, topped with a home made herb infused yogurt sauce, feta cheese, pickled brussel sprouts, micro greens and  a side of bacon brought us some heat from the rich and complex flavors.

Thanks to Phillis Engelbert and Joel Pannozo we also had a rich and toothsome vegan special.  Warm potato gnocchi, served with a sauce alfredo, a pumpkin muffin, some pear compote and a side of hoop house greens, this dish was a wonderful option full of hearty goodness.

In addition to all the fab food that was offered, we also had Tammy Coxen in the house serving up samples of her amazing treats.  Tammy, of Tammy’s Tastings, makes truffles, caramels, candy bars, and chocolate covered deliciousness that are made with the best ingredients and Tammy’s love of creating beautiful and fabulous delights.  If you missed her at Selma Cafe, be sure to check out the link I’ve included.  Her stuff makes perfect gifts for everyone on your list, and she has an online ordering option.

Thanks to all the volunteers who showed up Thursday evening and Friday morning to make Selma Cafe a success for another week.   Claire Maitre and Susie Baity Stearns for facilitating prep, Mel Adams for her Friday morning multi-tasking, Andrew Bozio for expediting breakfast, Michelle Fortin for facilitating the Friday morning clean up crew, and Alyssa Ackerman, Mary Rock, Codi Sharp, Nevon Clark, Robbie Moore, Rich Kato, Solomon Jost, Maddie Green, Kris Kaul, Anthony Nitsos, Megan Zlatos, Andrea Ridgard, Jennifer Jensen, Ajooni Sethi, Linda Kidder, Roberta Knox, Nate Wilson, Aaron Van Dyke, Mike Green, and Lizzie Olenzek for getting everything done so beautifully.  

Hey, thanks also to Mister Selma, my sweetie pie, for carrying on the birthday glamor for a few extra days with a bit o’ bread pudding,  a candle and a song.  We love celebrating birthdays here at Selma Cafe, (including our own) so let us know if you or a friend has a birthday when you come round for breakfast so we can give you the special birthday treatment too.

Don’t forget we’ve got great Selma Cafe Swag to help you with your holiday shopping.  In addition to the aprons, t-shirts and tote bags, we’ve got cool new stuff   HERE. 

Finally, please remember that Selma Cafe is closed  December 24 and December 31. We will re-open with return chef Dan Vernia on January 7, 2011 with a wonderful winter breakfast. 

See you around our kitchen soon,

~Lisa

Roos Roast Coffee & Selma Cafe have teamed up  to bring you the perfect gift for family and friends this holiday season.  A super cozy diner-style coffee mug adorned with the Selma Cafe logo, matched up with a 4 oz. bag of the latest Roos Roast special blend made just for Selma Cafe.  It’s packaged up pretty, with it’s own little tag all ready for gifting. Just $15, and all the proceeds go right back into Selma Cafe.

Maybe instead of the gift bag, you’d just like a Selma Cafe mug! Well, you’re in luck, because we’ve got ‘em waiting right here for you.  Come on by Friday morning and pick up a mug for only $10.

So, now you have your Selma Cafe mug, how about a half pound of the Selma Cafe Special Blend to brew at home? We’ve got enough for everyone, so pick one up for $8.

We also still have our Selma Cafe aprons, tote bags and T-shirts in a variety of styles with all items $12. to $15.

If you can’t come by on a Friday morning, email me at lisa@selmacafe.org,  and I’ll make sure to get you what you want from our swag supply.

Thanks for supporting Selma Cafe, and Roos Roast coffee this holiday season!

~Lisa