Should I reopen the happy place cafe?

[sashh]

I'm often awake in the night, today was a lie in for me, only properly awake since 4am.

In lockdown I opened, 'the happy place café where I would make virtual breakfasts and people would come to chat.

When it was last opened my French pastry chef Florence had married Fernando the cocktail waiter.

The kitten bees are inside because it is too old but the bumble cats are in the garden as usual.

SO should I reopen or was just something for lockdown?

>>> sits waiting patiently for honey cakes to cool<<<

@Sweetpea1532 as long as the pilot doesn't come over to grab your grub !

I hope you feel better soon @fivetriangulartrees , I keep Thornton dark chocolate ginger for times like this . I also regularly make my own candid ginger to add to breakfast cearal or just to nibble on .and picked ginger for stir-fry and smorgasbord type meals

Umm does anyone know if you can get help for ginger addiction?

pickled not picked

Morning all.

Well it looks like the honey cakes are going to be a permanent feature, I had no idea they would be so popular.

Well I'm making bubble and squeak with the leftovers from the lamb dinner, I'll fry an egg on the side and the left over lamb is going into sandwiches with a pickled onion on the side. The pickles are double spiced and finished with raspberry vinegar.

That sounds good @sashh , can I have a pack up please.
I have some pickles if you run out
( see pic up thread )

One pack up of lamb sandwich and pickles.

I'm sick too... not sure I can eat anything just yet... does the happy place cafe stop us feeling sick do you think?
If I just sit out of the way over there?

@alienslove I'll get you a herbal tea and a ginger biscuit, that should help.

@sashh Thank you for the lamb roast dinner pack up...it came in quite handy and kept me from starving to death...turns out our pilot didn't show up so we had an almost 4 hours delay until a substitute could be located 😒.
@ScottBakula ...
Our new pilot had just eaten his breakfast so my lamb was safe.

I'd love some bubble and squeak today please😋

@alienslove I hope you are feeling a bit better!

@Sweetpea1532 glad the roast was useful.

You needed this guy on your flight.

The happy place cafe did the trick I think! Feeling a bit better x

@sashh Thanks for sharing that pilot youtube! We ended up having to wait for a pilot whoo was able to fly the plane to take a 3 hour required nap because he would have been on duty for too long otherwise...😳

@alienslove glad to hear you're feeling better! The HPC has been a godsend to the lot of us during dark early morning hours and @sashh has just the knack for helping us all feel a little bit better.

Morning all.

@Sweetpea1532 thank you for the kind words,, I sometimes think it's a bit silly but if it cheers someone up then it's not is it?

I think we need a protein and spice boost so I'm doing eggs in avocado, with quite a bit of spice.

I think some some fried chorizo with Bartoli beans.

Anyone wanting a packing up Florence has made Cornish pasties and Fernando has some jam jars filled with a mystery liquid which probably should not be drunk if you are working or driving.

@sashh You are very welcome! No way is the Happy Place Cafe silly ....it gives us all a chance to talk about and pretend a bit about yummy delicious foods and drinks we can only dream about in real life...no calories, no bill at the end of the meal, and you even do pack ups! Even better than real life...especially when there's so many tragic things happening in the world now.
Also, like I've said before, you've taught me about cuisines from other countries that I probably wouldn't have ever known about...so thank you again for reopening the HPC...a place that is warm and safe and where we can get away for awhile and relax
Yes please, I'd love to try one of Fernando's jam jar concoctions.They are always delicious..and what a coincidence...IRL I'm visiting an area in the southern US that was known for serving up jam jars of mystery liquid made in a still in the back woods. Illegal, of course, so the suppliers had to have very fast vehicles to get away from law enforcement....and, thus, NASCAR racing was born 🚗🚓🚓

I forgot to put in an order for Florence's Cornish pasties, please. Would it be possible to have a large order packed up? Today would have been my DFs 98th birthday... my family and I are going to the cemetery to celebrate his life. He'll surely be surprised and pleased when I show up with yummy pasties.

I'm a bit late to the cafe, but I think it's so comforting... this was the first board I posted on!
Some nights I don't sleep well and this is such a happy place to come, I love it!
Thanks for opening!! @sashh
Kind words @Sweetpea1532

Thank you both.

@Sweetpea1532 I read ages ago about a group of teens who were having a picnic and some drinks in a grave yard - I don't know why.

An older woman started to walk towards them and they realised they were actually sitting on a grave. So they started to move, but the lady told them to stay, it was her late husband's grave and she told them he always liked a party and she was sure that's why they chose his grave.

Back to breakfast.

Huevos Rancheros seems to fit for today, with guacamole on the side and a tequila cocktail from Fernando.

In a change for Florence she is making tamales so anyone wanting a pack up, go see Florence.

So now I'm googling tamales. I'd heard the word but realised I never knew what they were. Hats off to Florence, they look a bit fiddly to make. "Take one corn husk..." As if I have a pile of those lying around!

What's the dough like when you eat it? I'm guessing it must be spongy like a dumpling? (I like dumplings.)

I'm all better from the weekend bug, but don't think I've got the stomach for eggs and guacamole yet, so I'll go for tea and a pastry, and I'll look forward to trying a tamale when they're done.

@fivetriangulartrees

Corn husk? Try finding banana leaves the alternative wrapping.

The ones I had were like stuffed cabbage, but I was in Argentina not Mexico.

Haha, banana leaves! I bet there's a whole trade in reusable plastic tamale mats I know nothing about.

Never heard of stuffed cabbage. I suppose you can stuff anything if you try hard enough.

You have never heard of stuffed cabbage? Really?

It appears in various countries with a few variations including in the UK.

Easy recipe.

1 cabbage - one you can roll the leaves so savoy works well
Minced beef or lamb
Sausage meat
Spices / seasonings of choice, I'd probably do chill, salt, pepper, paprika - use more spice than you normally would.
Cooked rice - this is optional but is a good way to use left over rice.
1 packet of passatta.

Cheese is optional

Get a large bowl, pull of the larger leaves and put them in the bowl cover with boiling water and leave for 10 mins to wilt.

In another bowl mix everything but the passatta and cheese and then form into balls.

Drain the cabbage and cool with cold water.

You need a pyrex or metal shallow dish.

On a chopping board cut out the thick stalk so you have a leaf with a 'V' shape cut out. Put a ball of filling just above the 'V', wrap the laft and right sides into the middle and then fold over the top, place in the dish with the 'join' underneath.

Do this with the other leaves.

Pour the passata over and grated cheese if you are using it.

Bake in the oven for 30-45 mins, serve with a dollop of soured cream.

There are other recipes that involve stuffing a whole cabbage.

Vegan version here
https://www.coop.co.uk/recipes/stuffed-cabbage-leaves

Well that looks worth a try, thanks for the recipes. I'm sure DC will scream and throw it on the floor without trying it, but maybe I can try saying it's zombie brains?

Sigh, sleep hasn't happened and it's time to get up for work. Thank you for the breakfast and for teaching me something new!

@sashh good choice with the Mexican food..tamales are my absolute favourite. Yum😋
I live on the west coast US where Mexican food is plentiful. Tamales are traditionally a dish served at Christmas...not quite sure, but I think it's because there is so much work involved. They freeze very well, though. I've never made them, but you can buy empty dried corn husks in the shops here.
@fivetriangulartrees I think you've just invented a new 'thing' with the reusable plastic tamales mats😅 It's hard to explain the consistency of the cornmeal part of the tamales...not like dumplings at all...more dense and kind of crumbly, but moist. Delicious if you like cornmeal based bread. The corn husks are used so you can steam cook the tamales. And also, they are good for microwaving them as you don't need a separate covering.
@sashh Thanks for the stuffed cabbage leaves recipe...my Polish uncle used to make them all the time.

Glad to hear everyone is on the road to recovery...the HPC has that effect on people 😀

Mmm not sure if stuffed cabbage is for me! Just a hot chocolate and a waffle with ice cream if there are any Florence please 👍🏻

Morning all.

I'm glad the tamales were a hit.

@Sweetpea1532 I have read that tamales are often made by a group of people to distribute the work, so that would fit with Xmas and gatherings.

It's strange the different traditions, in Japan they have KFC!

I was watching a "American reacts to..." on YouTube and he was surprised our easter egg hunt has chocolate eggs, he was expecting plastic. I don't know if that is all over the US or just where he is.

There used to be a little cafe with polish staff they sold golbaki

Back to THC.

Florence is making popcorn, more for amusement than anything because the kittenbees will try to steal it but they can only manage one piece at a time and they are disappointed if they get salted not sweet.

Breakfast I think we need to celebrate sausages, Lincolnshire, Cumberland, bratwurst, Polish, hot dogs, square.

There is a selection of breads, sauerkraut, mustards etc.

There are sausage rolls for a pack up.