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The Weekly Newsletter for September 29, 2014
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Dear friends,
Having cleared enough debris to call Laurey's cabin at least the beginning of a home, we bravely (!) hosted a pot luck to welcome Alicia...I was jittery, overscheduled, trying to act patient. At the end of a phone conversation with Fred one afternoon, I turned to my friends at the Brunk Auctions front office: "How did I sound? Did I sound like a loving wife?"... My friends chuckled. Apparently not.
There was plenty of trepidation to share. Laurey's dear friends, her caregivers and hug-providers, have been following the developments up at the cabin, as you have. We invited a few for the evening, all for their first look. We collectively presented a nice bundle of nerves, mixing feelings of love and longing with wistful hopes of happy times to come.
As the evening approached, I plotted a simple central menu to anchor our guests' potluck contributions, and at the last minute decided to add a quick first course, our childhood favorite from the Blueberry Hill Cookbook: Shrimps Steamed in Beer. Yeah, Shrimps. The recipe came "intact" from the Florida Keys, where our mother Elsie Masterton found this recipe, in the 1950s.
As kids, we adored this dish, fell upon it on the winter evenings when we were able to command our busy mother's attention, when she cooked just for us. I am certain she welcomed a first course that kept her children busy peeling their own shrimp, mounting piles of the fragrant shells, dipping carefully into the tiny clear dishes with our own little serving of the lemony butter sauce. We truly had no money at all in the early years of Blueberry Hill, but somehow our folks managed to afford shrimp for us often enough that I recall it clearly.
In the morning, Fred and Alicia and I sailed my shining linen cloth over the dining tables, scooted the living room furniture aside, unearthed china, napkins, Laurey's colorful forks and spoons and serving dishes. Fred ventured shyly that I might want to clear out of Brunk Auctions early enough to give me a little prep time before the guests arrived. Yuh.
I shopped my way home, up Merrimon Avenue, recalling ingredients as I pulled out of the parking lots of each grocery store. Yes, I did make a list. And yes, it was home on the counter. Shrimps. Italian parsley, thyme, dry mustard. Oh, geez, chives. Some nice 12 Bones barbecue sauce for Fred's grilled chicken. BEER!
I like Pabst Blue Ribbon or other American not-quite-real beer, to drink, and certainly for this recipe. Light, airy, just a hint of beer-ish-ness. Basically what you might be daring enough to cook down to serve an eight-year-old. (Like most wine recipes, all the alcohol boils off in the cooking.)
Whirling dervish briefly in the kitchen, a last polish to the one-day-ago-replaced picture window, and the guests arrived. Cries of joy, of delight, of relief. At last. We're here. At last. To see the windows lighted in the early evening and warm greetings pouring from the door, to skip lightly up the new stone steps, to bring Ina Garten's guacamole, and her macaroni and cheese, great salads and lots of nibbles, Fred's tender chicken, brownie and berry delights, and an apple and honey to greet the New Year.
And the Shrimps!! We gathered, a prayer, a circle of hands, and sat. Our guests positively INHALED the shrimp! Growling happily, a little territorial about their little pots of butter sauce. Really, truly, a great successful party starter, gloriously messy and a real crowd pleaser.
Please try some!
[recipe at the end of this issue!]
- from Heather Masterton
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Dinners to go for the week
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Here are dinners to go for this week. This, if you do not know, is a fabulous way to have dinner. It's easy - just call us by noon and your dinner will be ready for you to pick up by 3 that very day.
You can stop by to pick yours up until we close at 8.
Add salad (3.25) or bread (1.25) if you like.
 Monday, September 29 Chicken & Rice
with Creamy Braised Leeks $8.95
Tuesday, September 30
Stuffed Butternut Squash
with Kale and White Beans $7.95
Wednesday, October 1
Pork Tenderloin
with Orange Blossom Honey Mustard $9.95*GF*
Thursday, October 2
Herbed Chicken and Dumplings $8.95
Friday, October 3
Wild Salmon
with Avocado Mango Salad $10.95
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Casserole and Lasagnas to go!
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Casserole of the Week
whole serves (9) ~ half serves (4)
Wednesday, October 1
Guinness and Beef Irish Stew
Whole $62/Half $31
Lasagna of the Week
whole serves (9) ~ half serves (4)
Friday, October 3
Local Pork Sausage and Roasted Pepper
Whole $59.95/Half $30
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We love these, Deb's grand burritos... always something new, always something familiar.
For breakfast or lunch or a late-night snack!
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Flower Day - thank you, Lori!
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Another shining face on our staff - this very nice Lori brings lots of light and smiles to the cafe!
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Irvegg and the Deviled Eggs
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I actually snagged one of these friendly bites as my breakfast on the way out the door yesterday morning... whatta way to go!
Thank you to my model, Irvegg!
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Laurey's notes (from a lifetime of writing)
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[So much has been written about Laurey and her life projects, but of course the best spokesman is Laurey herself. In this column we present archival reprints of her messages.
I am re-typing Laurey's OFFLINE early newsletter, a paper version, produced only once a month in the early years, before 2004..
Please give us a minute while we-transcribe these for you... We will catch you next week with "A Note From Laurey" from October of 1999!**
(This is a snap of "The Seesters" Lucinda, Heather, Lucinda's daughter Rachael, and Laurey, at the Keeneland racetrack in Kentucky. Looks like we may have won?!)
- Heather Masterton
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Don't forget that you can order your own lunch for a group, or just you!
...ohhh, this chicken is terrific, I can tell you!
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Our neighbors in West Asheville live near a VERY popular breakfast spot.
We noted this gracious North Carolina-style sign painted on a garage in their neighborhood. Hah!!
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Recipe: Shrimps Steamed in Beer
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- from the Blueberry Hill Cookbook, by Elsie Masterton, 1959
"This is the easiest shrimp recipe on record for the cook. The guest does all the work. He is served the shrimps in the shells, peels them, and dunks them himself in the sauce provided....The recipe is supposed to make four servings, but I usually use 3 pounds shrimps for four people and double the other ingredients and dunk sauce. The sauce should be made at the same time you are preparing the shrimps, so that it will be ready when the shrimps are done."
Heather's note: as an appetizer or first course, about 1/2 lb per person. For 10-12 people, get 5 pounds of shrimp, double the ingredients below, and double the dunk sauce recipe. Serve the shrimps in a few bowls in the center of the table, and let the guests help themselves. Give a bowl of dunk sauce for every 2-3 people around your table - they will share, probably.
Here's what you need:
1 can beer [PBR! Rolling Rock! Very very light beer!]
1/12 pounds shrimps in their shells
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped chives or onion
Here's what you do:
In a large saucepan with a cover, combine the beer, unshelled shrimps, thyme, dry mustard, bay leaf, chopped garlic, salt, chopped parsley, pepper and chopped chives... well, combine everything!
Cover tightly and bring to a boil (you'll hear it). Immediately reduce the heat and start timing. Let shrimp simmer 3 minutes. They should get pink, no more.
Serve at once, with the following sauce, prepared while you are preparing the shrimps.
Dunk Sauce for Shrimps in Beer
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 teaspoon salt
Melt the butter. Add other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
4 delicate servings - double for main course.
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