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The Weekly Newsletter for December 15, 2014
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Dear friends,
So many astounding events this year of 2014; perhaps not too early to look back, and we give you thanks for your unwavering support this extraordinary year.
Adma and Emily Thome have carried the flag for many, many years here at Laurey's, and we'd first like to take a moment to acknowledge their leadership and dedication to the principles that have earned Laurey's the title of Best Caterer for five years in a row.
Adam and Emily lead a marvelous team of shopsters, cooks, office and catering staff, and we'd like to especially thank them, friends new and friends of many years.
New folks in the shop show up at the door with a smile and an adventure ahead of them - some stay years, some spend with us for a bit then skip on ahead. All are welcome, and we wish them the best as they come to us and as they move on to their new challenges.
We are thrilled with the stellar response from our customers, also friends new and friends of many years, and we look forward with confidence and anticipation to another record-breaking year for Laureys Catering*Cafe*Comfort. We have many events already on the books for 2015 - thank you for bringing your family and friends to us over and over again.
We know you'll be with us for the holidays.
Thanks also for remembering that all the downtown businesses get a bit of a breather in the first months of the year, so we'll be very glad to see you all through the winter for breakfast, lunch, supper, and drop-in meetings here at our sunny shop.
Our own Jenna Lindbo is planning some special musical events for 2015, and we'll keep you informed as the schedule is firmed up.
See you downtown!!
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New in 2015 - Seasonal Suppers
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Now for the news - we'll be introducing "Seasonal Suppers" in January.
We will offer a marvelous dinner menu, a different selection each night from Monday through Friday. The entrees will be varied, feature your favorites, and change with the seasons.
Those five-day Seasonal Supper choices will stay the same for the month - for example, the same Supper each Monday for the month, yes? As we usually do, we'll have vegetarian options on the menu, and gluten-free, and all your happy comfort food.
We invite you to sit down with us here and enjoy them in the cafe, or you can call ahead to reserve and we will have them packed and ready for you to take home, just as you have for our Dinners-To-Go over the past years.
We're going to transition away from the full-month menus of Dinner-To-Go; we really have such a lovely space for dining and visiting, and we'd just love to see you here.
We hope that the Seasonal Suppers will be a little easier for you to keep straight, and easier for us to manage and keep fresh and available.
C'mon in and try it!! Coming in January...
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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, December 15 Chicken Piccatta with Salad Nicoise $8.95
Tuesday, December 16
Portabella Kale Enchiladas **GF** $8.25
Wednesday, December 17
Vietnamese Pork with Rice Noodles $9.25 **GF**
Thursday, December 18
Braised Short Ribs and Polenta $9.95
Friday, December 19
Crabcakes with Maple Coleslaw $11.25
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Casserole and Lasagnas to go!
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Casserole of the Week  whole serves (9) ~ half serves (4)
Wednesday, December 17
Farmhouse Beef Pie
Whole $52/Half $26
Lasagna of the Week
whole serves (9) ~ half serves (4)
Friday, December 19
Spinach Lovers Lasagna
Whole $42/Half $21
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Christmas Eve Dinner-To-Go: The Menu
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 Crispy Duck Breast with Cherry SauceGreen Beans with Crispy Shallots
Sweet Potato Au Gratin
Black Pepper Cheddar Rolls
Chocolate Chess Pie
$25.95 per person
Order by Tuesday, December 23
Pick up Wednesday, December 24 between 12 and 2 pm.
Please call us at (828) 252-1500 to reserve your dinner.
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New Year's Eve Dinner-To-Go: The Menu
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Fig, Fennel and Prosciutto stuffed Pork Loin
Hoppin' John
Braised Collard Greens
Corn Bread
$14.95 per person
Order by Tuesday, December 30
Pick up Wednesday, December 31 between 12 and 2 pm.
Please call us at (828) 252-1500 to reserve your dinner.
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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.]
December 18, 2006
Oh, what a week it has been.
I guess the biggest thing is that I now have a proof of my book. [Elsie's Biscuits, published in 2007] The other day I was out in the cafè meeting with some folks about an event that will be coming up in January. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Fex EX guy dropping off an envelope. There was a lull in our planning and I stepped into our office to check on a date. I noticed the Fed Ex package lying there on my desk, all tied up with a bright red ribbon. Emily and Noel and Jaime were all staring at me.
"We think we know what's in that envelope," they giggled.
I had to go back into my meeting but as soon as it was finished I scampered back to my desk.
Just at that moment the phone rang. Emily picked it up. I started opening my package.
"Yes, she's here, just a sec, let me let her know you're calling," she said.
I kept opening, cutting the side of the big envelope with a pair of scissors.
"It's Dori Sanders," she whispered across the room.
I finished opening the package and, yes, took out a book - MY book, the assembled proof of my very first book. And then I picked up the phone.
Dori Sanders, by the way, is a lovely lady from South Carolina, a peach farmer, a cook, a storyteller, an author, and a friend. She has been a big cheerleader to me throughout the process of the writing of this book, telling me first to "tell those stories of yours" and then to "build a frame, like a big barn, and then fill it in," and then, "keep it up!"
"Dori!" I hooted, "Guess what I have in my hand! The proof of my book! It's real!"
We laughed together at the fortuitousness of this call, though neither of us was terribly surprised, if we really thought about it. I mean I was thrilled and VERY surprised to hear her sweet voice on the phone. I haven't talked to her for a year or so and her timing was impeccable. But her timing is always perfect. She always calls when I need to hear from her. She has been the secret guardian angel of this book and so, really, she was calling to share this next step with me. What a nice thing, to have a guardian angel.
The book will be ready in February. What a lovely process it has been. Just lovely.
Merry Christmas to you all... until the new year. I'll look forward to telling more stories - and in the meantime I wish you the best holiday possible. Take care of yourselves and of the ones you love. They matter the most. Don't forget.
Talk to you next year.
[source: Laurey's newsletter, December 18, 2006 ]
- Heather Masterton
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2014 Mountain Express "Best Caterer" 5 years in a row!
 Peppercorn Beef Skewers
with Horseradish Cream
Small (serves 10-15) $72
Large (serves approx 25+) $139
Elsie’s Pickled Shrimp
our modern take on this Blueberry Hill favorite
Small (serves 10-15) $45
Large (serves approx 25+) $100
Grilled Chicken Skewers
with Cranberry BBQ sauce
Small (serves 10-15) $42
Large (serves approx 25+) $99
Roasted Winter Root Vegetables
with Maple Curry Dip
Small (serves 10-15) $45
Large (serves 25+) $100
Regional Artisanal Cheeses
Looking Glass, Yellowbranch, Round Mountain, Meadowcreek Dairy & more!
presented with crackers & fruit
Small (serves 10-15) $55
Large (serves approx 25+) $130
Bite Size Cheese Coins
Blue Cheese Pecan & Spicy Cheddar
with fruit garnish
Serves approx 15
$36
Hot Crab & Leek Dip
with local Chevre & a touch of Sherry
Assorted Crackers (GF available)
Serves approx 20
$49
Savory Sausage Cheddar Balls
local HNG Pork & Yellowbranch  Cheese
Small (serves 10-15) $42
Large (serves approx 25+) $99
Brie Wheel
topped with winter preserves, toasted nuts, dried fruits & assorted crackers
1 wheel serves approx 25
$60 per wheel
Assorted Bite-sized Sweets
Brownies, Congo Bars, Mingus,
Raspberry Bars and our seasonal Peppermint Chocolate Bars!
Small (serves 10–15) $29
Large (serves approx 25+) $62
Martha’s Rugelach
Ridiculously good!
Raspberry, Apricot Ginger
$25 per dozen
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
Serves 6-8
$21
Eggnog Bread Pudding
with Brandy Sauce
Serves approx 9 - 12
$36
Citrus Almond Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Serves approx 8-10
(gluten free)
$40
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We'll be closed the following days..
December 25, 26
January 1, 2, 3, 4
And closing early these days:
Christmas Eve (December 24) close at 2 pm
New Year's Eve (December 31) close at 2 pm
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Newsletter in 2015 - and Laurey's archives
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The newsletter began on paper in the late 1990s, initially to help Laurey publish the nightly Dinners-To-Go.
I stepped up to write the newsletter this year, and as Laurey's sister, plumbed the archives for selections from Laurey's articles. It's been fun and challenging, meeting the deadlines (mostly!) and shaping the message.
As you can imagine, there is an impressive body of work, both from my sister Laurey and from our mother, Elsie Masterton. Photographs, manuscripts, travel diaries, bicycle trip blogs, audio tapes of our mother's 1960's radio show, and videos of Laurey here and there.
An editor approached me with some ideas. We are chatting about how best to assemble and present this work, how to make access simpler, how to craft a charming retrospective. It's great material, and there's lots of potential. As wonderful as it is to put it out in bits and pieces weekly, I'd really love to draw a larger narrative.
As I get ready to do that, I will step back from this weekly newsletter production sometime soon, and get started putting archival and original material out there for you.
Adam and Emily and Andrew and Kate and Jenna and everybody else at Laurey's will always have access to me. As I have said often this past year, my role has never been operational at Laurey's, and the team is ready to step up with their own message.
We'll see how best to make this happen, and they will post links and excerpts of my work in progress, too.
With the introduction of monthly Seasonal Suppers, weekly newsletter deadlines can relax. But we're still gonna talk to you - and thank you for listening!!
You can always get in touch with me directly at heather@laureysyum.com.
We're here for ya, baby!
Hugs,
Heather Masterton
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