The Enchanted Kitchen

Enchanted Transitions

April — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:23:34 +0000

Happy New Year! As I sit inside with a cozy cat on my lap on this cold, Winter’s day, I reflect upon the many changes that have occurred in my life this year. Personally and professionally, 2011 was a year of challenge. Closing the cafe in December was a bittersweet decision and I am still working on cleaning out the space so I may breathe new life into 2012′s incarnation of The Enchanted Kitchen.

For Christmas, I received a shiny Green Apple colored Kitchen Aid Professional Tilt Head 5qt mixer! I am filled with glee to begin using this awesome piece of machinery to provide you with amazingly delicious gluten-free baked goods! What would you like to eat?

I’m excited to be catering an Author Party this Saturday, with 30 Curry Nori rolls! The strong woman who is hosting the party is a great inspiration to me, and I am completely honored to be helping to feed her on this special night.

In Gratitude,
April

A Week to be Thank-Full

April — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:04:08 +0000

Greetings of Gratitude! Though this day is a cold and dreary one, I am still filled with a feeling of hope and thankfullness for all that surrounds me and my life. I fed people here yesterday and sent a handful away on their travels with Enchanted spreads to grace the Thanksgiving table. Today I give thanks for a 4 day break, starting with my son’s Thankful Tuesday celebration at the Friends school at 11 am. The beauty of 60 families coming together for food, community and song fills my heart with Joy!

This week, the cafe will be closed from Tuesday through Friday, so that Amanda, Maura and I can share time with our friends and family…giving thanks and enjoying the bounties of our Earth. We wish you an Abundant week filled with all that you love and cherish and look forward to feeding you again on Monday the 28th.

In Gratitude…April

A dinner date before Kirtan

April — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:04:06 +0000

This Saturday, October 22nd, please join us for dinner. We will offer 2 seating times at 5 and 5:30. Eddy Nataraj will guide us in lifting our voices and opening our hearts with Kirtan at 7:30. Please make your reservations by Thursday for this beautiful event. For more details, please click the link below.

A dinner date

To food in your belly and a song in your heart!

Introducing: Apple Crumble!

April — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:57:16 +0000

Happy Monday! As promised, the name for our newest smoothie creation has been chosen. It was a tough decision, as there were many creative and thoughtful suggestions. Apple Crumble makes it way onto our Seasonal Specials menu! Our winner receives a free smoothie on her next visit. Congratulations, Meredith!

In other delicious food news…we are pleased to announce our late-Autumn Pesto Melt~Arugula Pecan! It is truly food alchemy at it’s finest: the spicy Rocket Arugula blends perfectly with the creamy sweetness of pecans and the earthiness of olive oil…just enough lemon and garlic to round it out and voila! It is served on your choice of Gemelli bread or for a gluten-free version, a brown rice tortilla. Topped with white balsamic marinated onions, juicy cranberries and dark leafy greens and sharp cheddar (dairy or vegan). Start your week off with this magnificent taste sensation!

For dessert: Back by popular demand is our RAW Vegan SuperFood Fudge! A decadent, yet outrageously healthy treat made with raw cacao, coconut oil, agave nectar, spirulina and cinnamon, topped with cinnamon coated hempseeds. Enchanted Goodness!

Namaste

Autumn Apple Mania!

April — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:55:13 +0000

Autumn has arrived here in Happy Valley and it is absolutely GORGEOUS. As I look out of my window, the multi-colored leaves are falling, the sun is shining on my giant pink cosmos and miraculously, my basil plants are still growing! For you, this means that our unbelievably delicious Pesto Melts will still be available! If you haven’t been in for one, you are missing out on a taste extravaganza: Basil Walnut Pesto, our White Balsamic Marinated Onions, sundried tomatoes, hearty greens and your choice of Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar or Daiya Vegan Cheddar. Choose freshly baked Gemelli bread or for a gluten-free option an organic Brown Rice Tortilla. Served with a side of Maple Balsamic for dipping…just thinking about it is making me hungry!

As is my custom, I like to create seasonally inspired smoothies. My tribute to apples has resulted in a super creamy culinary sensation. I have one problem, though: I cannot think of a NAME for it! I need your help, so I am holding a contest. Whoever comes up with the best name will receive a coupon for their next one FREE! At the end of this week, I will decide and announce the winner on Monday, the 17th. Details of the smoothie: One whole apple, apple cider, cultured coconut milk, walnuts, ginger, cinnamon and maple syrup. The most interesting quality of this concoction is that each one tastes a little different! I buy a half-bushel of mixed apples from McNitt’s Orchard and whichever one I choose is what goes in: the flavor reflects the nuances of the multitude of apple varieties.

I invite you to come in, savor the flavors of the season, relax and enjoy the love and attention that we give to our food that we gratefully serve to you.

Namaste.

Peaches, Peaches Everywhere!

April — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:49:56 +0000

It’s mid-August and that means bushels and bushels of sweet and juicy peaches from Mc’Nitt’s farm! We are stockpiling them in the hopes of being able to serve you peaches all year long. We are super excited to be creating new recipes highlighting these delectable fruits.

Currently we are serving a new Curried Almond pate in a sprouted grain tortilla, with red peppers, creamy avocado, carrots and spinach, then topped with a Minted Peach Salsa. We’ve been met with resounding YUMMMMMMM!! from everyone who has ordered this. It comes with a side salad accompanied by our Mango Vinaigrette and to put it over the top, add a cup of our Raw Red Pepper Bisque. I promise…you will be blown away!

Come and discover the Magick of our local bounty.

Local Foods Week

April — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 12:12:27 +0000

Wow! It’s already Thursday of this year’s Centre County Local Foods Week! The cafe has been abuzz with the life force energy of garden fresh goodness. August is an amazing month: the first big rush of the harvest begins and though in some ways, it’s the height of Summer, we also begin to turn our thoughts to saving the jewels from the garden to feed us through the Winter. But enough about Winter!

Today, we celebrate the harvest with a dish I haven’t made since last year: Sprouted Quinoa tabouli. Traditionally, tabouli is made with bulgar wheat. We make it raw and gluten free with chewy, nutty sprouted quinoa! Lots of delicious heirloom tomatoes, mint, parsley and sweet onion, tossed with lemon, olive oil and sea salt. Simply delicious! If you’d care to stray from the local food theme, add some avocado for a fabulous boost of flavor and texture.

The zucchini is a-plenty as well, so I’ve combined the bounty with the abundance of tomatoes to create our Pico Zoodles, topped with Basil Sunflower Seed pate. The side salad is served with Mother Earth’s Herbal Vinaigrette, our Summertime tribute to the herbs of the garden.

New this week, is the advent of our ‘What’s cookin’ in the dehydrator?’ special! Each week we will highlight a few dishes prepared this way, a showcase of the more labor-intensive gourmet side of the Raw food diet. Currently we are showcasing our Live Pizza, made from sprouted buckwheat and sunflower seeds. It’s topped with a fresh tomato marinara, zucchini rounds and our newest addiction, white balsamic marinated red onions. DEE-LICIOUS! Add a sprinkling of our Brazil nut ‘Parmesan’ and your tastebuds will be tingling!

Sumptuous Summertime!

April — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 22:09:47 +0000

It’s officially Summer and for the Enchanted Kitchen, that means the return of ZOODLES!! Our multiple visits to the farmer’s markets yield crisp fresh zucchini, lovely herbs and so many varieties of lettuce, I am beside myself with excitement.

If you’ve never had Zoodles, you are in for a treat. We start with hand-julienned zucchini ‘noodles’, then toss them in our seasonal Mother Earth’s Herbal Vinaigrette, with Sungold tomatoes, red onions and spicy mustard greens. Each day’s order may be a little bit different, as I am drawn to create with whatever food inspires and speaks to me in the moment.

Need some cool refreshment? Try our latest smoothie invention: Choco-Mint Mania! We start with freshly harvested chocolate mint from my garden, blended with hydrating coconut water, raw cacao powder, hempseeds, flaxseeds, coconut oil and just a splash of maple syrup. Truly a masterpiece.

We look forward to sharing the Bounty of the Earth with you!

The only constant is Change

April — Tue, 10 May 2011 16:05:00 +0000

It’s a Sunny May day in Happy Valley! Amanda is busily preparing lunch for everyone, as I eagerly plan for my return to the cafe in just 2 weeks! It has been necessary to make even more changes to our hours, as my recovery progresses.

Monday-Friday 11am-2:30 pm
Thursday dinners are still on hiatus. At this point, I am unsure of when evening hours will return.

Keep an eye out for some delightful special events coming up, to celebrate our 1 year anniversary!

Peace and Sunny Pate!

Changes

April — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 17:07:45 +0000

Hello and Happy Saturday to all. There is some big news for the Cafe for the upcoming weeks. I will be having surgery on Tuesday, and I have placed the Enchanted Kitchen into the hands of my trusted Cafe manager and partner in food crime, Amanda Pinegar. She will be serving your lunchtime favorites, as well as our new Breakfast items for the weeks to come. Assisting her will be my dear friend Kerri Zelman, with guest appearances by Laura van Velsor and her ADORABLE daughter Ella, as well as lotus center yoga’s own Karen Sapia. These ladies are my trusted crew and will make sure your experiences at the Cafe remain as Enchanted and delicious as usual.

Some changes in our hours have been necessary and are as follows:
Monday through Friday 8:30 am – 2:30 pm
Thursday dinner will be ON HIATUS until at least Mid-May.

I look forward to seeing you all again when I am healed and newly Vibrant!

Happy Spring!