Friday 24 October 2014

Week beginning October 27th - Halloween and Lamingtons

This time of year reminds me of a childhood rhyme taught to my brothers and I courtesy of my father who had ingrained it into us... Oogie boogie custard, green snot pie, mix it all together with a dead dogs eye... sadly there's more to this but I cant bring myself to finish it. Along with the traditional 'Trick or treat' when door-knocking during Halloween we would recite this little ditty. I'm unsure of its origins, maybe my father heard it in a Vincent Price B-horror film? This gross poem was most effective in annoying strangers into giving us sweets and the odd bit of healthy snacks like fruit or nuts which in its self is a trick. 

In celebration of this pagan ritual, which has been transformed into a bit of fun by our Yankee cousins we have a pumpkin heavy menu. As a special this week we'll be doing the gruelling task of making something a little extra, mini pumpkin curd pies topped with a creamy nutmeg icing.

The pumpkin theme continues in our vegetarian foccacia, pumpkin slices have been crumbed and fried until golden. Then think veggie schnitzel with pickled cabbage and dijonnaise, bringing salty, sweet and sourness together in a haunting and addictive toasted sandwich. 

Lastly we finish off with a frighteningly good variety of squash, as said in previous blogs it is the double cream of all squash. Crown prince squash is rich, has deep orange flesh, and is the steak of the vegetable world. Thinly sliced layers of crown prince will be baked in a wholemeal pastry case with a little cream and finished with yellow charlock flowers which taste of mustard. 

So come in and have a hauntingly joyful and edible experience, courtesy of Kaffeine.  


Jared Bryant
Lead Chef
Kaffeine
@redjar50

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.60 (V)
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.60 (V)
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passion fruit) 3.70 (GF, V)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with home made preserves 1.90
Povitika bread 2.40
Banana bread 2.40
Porridge (V) 3.00
served with condiments muscovado sugar, dried fruit, chopped nuts, golden syrup or honey

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissant 1.90
Pain au chocolat 2.50
Almond croissant 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet muffin: Blueberry and bran (V)
Savoury Scone: Red onion, thyme, dijon and gruyere (V) 2.40
Friand: Passionfruit (V, GF)   2.40
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 2.00
Almond and custard slice 2.40
Canele 2.40
Special: Mini pumpkin curd pies with nutmeg icing (V) 2.40
Special: Lamingtons (Thurs/Fri/Sat only) 2.50

Lunch
Soup 4.50
Ratatouille with polenta bread (V)

French retro baguettes 5.00
Ham, gherkin, dijon, gruyere, red onion and rocket
Baked courgette, feta, chutney, pear and spinach (V).

Foccacias 5.30
Pancetta, creamed mushrooms, fennel and spinach 
Crumbed pumpkin, pickled cabbage, dijonnaise and rocket (V)

Salads: 5.50/6.90
Slow cooked beef shoulder with black mustard, pears, gorgonzola and walnuts (GF)
Roasted celeriac and peanuts with ox-eye daisy and salad burnet dressing (VE, GF)
Raw kale tossed in crushed slow roasted tomatoes and served with paprika pumpkin seeds (VE, GF)

Tart: 4.40 or 7.90 with salad
Cream of crown prince squash with charlock flowers and wholemeal pastry (V).


Friday 17 October 2014

Week beginning October 20th - Pluot muffins, Beef Shoulder Soup & Bubbleberry Jelly Salads

This week’s menu has rather a lot of explaining to do, instead of blearing on with rubbish antidotes about the weather I shall fill this space with information on a few of these menu items and ingredients.

First up is our pluot and almond muffins, pluot is a sub-species of plumcot. If you’re unsure of a plumcot it’s a plum crossed with an apricot. Plout resembles a medium sized plum with granite like complexion against a background of maroon. Its flesh is beetroot red and tastes of vanilla.

The first option in this week’s salad incorporates salmon fillet baked in bubble berry jelly. What is a bubble berry? These berries resemble dwarfed strawberries, more pink than red and have the distinct taste of bubble gum. Though now out of season I have a secret stash of these berries in my freezer perfect for jelly making. Once baked the salmon is flaked and served with fresh black pepper curd, cucumber, zesty foraged wild sorrel and castelfranco, this Italian lettuce has red speckled leaves and grows like the petals of a rose.  

Skipping onto our third salad we have blanched cima di rapa which is a green-budded heritage variety of sprouting broccoli. Succulent and intensely flavoured, they will be served with a little chopped chilli, garlic and rosemary; lastly garnished with toasted pine nuts.

Our tart/pie of the week has foraged turnip greens which has a lingering horseradish flavour great paired with other earthy ingredients such as mushrooms and the humble potato. There will also be a splash of sherry for sweetness and nostalgic comforts.

Lastly I must mention our soup which has beef shoulder slow roasted in Chinese Szechuan pepper corns. These peppercorns do not have heat however they do produce a tingling numbing sensation and a lemony aroma. The beef will be cooked in a broth of swollen spelt grains and foraged wild cabbage from Devon. And for the first time we will be serving our soup with soda bread.

Please enjoy this weeks menu, as we will enjoy bringing it to you.

Jared Bryant
Lead Chef
Kaffeine
@redjar50

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.60 (V)
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.60 (V)
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passion fruit) 3.70 (GF, V)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with home made preserves 1.90
Povitika Bread 2.40
Banana bread 2.40
Porridge (V) 3.00
served condiments muscovado sugar, dried fruit, chopped nuts, golden syrup or honey

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissant 1.90
Pain au chocolat 2.50
Almond croissant 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet muffin: Pluot and almond (V)2.40
Savoury Scone: Pumpkin seeds, ginger, chilli and wensleydale cheese (V) 2.40
Friand: Passionfruit (V, GF)   2.40
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 2.00
Almond and custard slice 2.40
Canele 2.40

Lunch
Soup: Szechuan beef, spelt grain and wild cabbage with soda bread

French retro baguettes 5.00
Pancetta, mozzarella, tomato, basil and rocket
Aubergine, goats cheese, sweet chilli, thai basil and spinach (V)

Foccacias 5.30
Ham with grilled pineapple, blue cheese sauce and spinach 
Roast pumpkin, saute mushroom, brie and rocket  (V)

Salads: 5.50/6.90
Salmon cooked in bubbleberry jelly, castelfranco, fresh black pepper curd, cucumber and wild sorrel (GF).
Camargue red rice, pickled damsons, candied saffron cashew nuts, baked green olives and coriander (VE, GF). 
Blanced cima di rapa with chilli, lemon, rosemary and pine nuts (VE, GF).

Tart: 4.40 or 7.90 with salad
Turnip greens, mushroom, potato and sherry pie (V).

Monday 13 October 2014

Week beginning October 13th - Claires' Long Holiday

As I mentioned in last weeks blog winter has arrived and we're now required to cover our limbs in fleecy materials. Though this can be depressing we find comfort in cozy objects such as the sofa, electric mattress covers, bubble baths and my personal favourite... soup. Last week customers asked if we had broken out the soup kettle yet? Almost but not quite, this week you'll be pleased to know its back! During the mornings we will be serving our vegan porridge with an array of condiments. Then at lunch the kettle will be replaced with soup and served with our very own bread fresh from the oven. 

This week also marks the start of manager Claire's well deserved 4 month holiday, she will be managing the floor Monday and Tuesday and has made a request on Kaffeine's first soup for 2014/15, her selection is my action packed deluxe Chicken and Sweet corn soup, so chunky you need a fork to eat it.  

However if soup is not your thing we will be serving mini French pumpkins which have been hollowed and stuffed with layers of crème fraîche, stale bread, Dijon, thyme and gruyere. All melty and warm with a touch of dairy naughtiness. The stuffed French miniature pumpkins will be replacing our tart, they're so Parisian you'll think you've experienced the Moulin Rouge, street performing mimes and Ladurée in one sitting. 

So come get cosy with the staff and fellow customers this week and if you know Claire wish her a Bon voyage. 

Jared Bryant
Lead Chef
Kaffeine
@redjar50

Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.60 (V)
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.60 (V)
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passion fruit) 3.70 (GF, V)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with home made preserves 1.90
Pumpkin seed and apricot fruit toast 2.40
Banana bread 2.40
Porridge (V) 3.00
served condiments muscavodo sugar, dried fruit, chopped nuts, golden syrup or honey

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissant 1.90
Pain au chocolat 2.50
Almond croissant 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet muffin: Carrot cake (V) 2.40
Savoury Scone: Courgette and feta (V) 2.40
Friand: Passionfruit (V, GF)   2.40
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 2.00
Almond and custard slice 2.40
Canele 2.40

Lunch
French retro baguettes 5.00
Ham, gherkin, gruyere, Dijon, red onion and rocket.
Sauté mushrooms, cheese fondue, tarragon, roasted chestnuts and spinach (V).

Foccacias 5.30
HG Walters organic chicken, Brie, puttanesca pesto and rocket 
Crumbed aubergine, tomato, mozzarella, spinach(V)

Salads: 5.50/6.90
Chorizo, manchago, grilled Laeticia plums and green olives
Frisee lettuce, pickled carrots and red onion with a buckthorn mayonnaise and roasted peanuts
Roasted curried parsnips (VE, GF)

Tart: 4.40 or 7.90 with salad
Two whole baked Munchkin squashes filled with Dijon, thyme, gruyere and crème fraîche (V)


Weekend Menu 
On the weekend we change the salads and the tart offer and also put on one of the best weekend foccacia sandwiches ever invented.

Breakfast Foccacias 6.50
Cotechino Sausage with fried egg, gruyere cheese and aioli 

Salads 5.50 or 6.90
Grilled HG Walters Organic chicken with bulgur wheat, red onion, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, parsley, mint and cashew nuts
Poached pears with Turkish black figs, walnuts, goats cheese, watercress and honey
Roasted parsnip strips fried with a coating of parmesan cheese crumbs and a romesco sauce

Tart 4.50 or 7.90 with salad
HG Walters Bacon with new potatoes, spinach, eggs and cheese




Friday 3 October 2014

Week beginning October 6th - Povitica bread and our own made Ricotta

While writing this week’s menu I’ve noticed a sudden departure of our Indian summer. Yesterday was a wonderful 24°C, now it’s a cool 17°C and I’m eating soup in one of our friendly rival cafes. Which reminds me we need to break out our own soup kettle soon and bring back the comforts of porridge and soups. However for now we’ll focus on this week’s offering.

Recently while on holiday in the Amazon I came across a sweet and savoury bread called Pão de Rosas, which translates as rose bread. This bread is based loosely on an enriched Eastern European bread called Povitica. We made the Brazilian version for the last 2 weeks at Kaffeine which involves sugar, coconut, cayenne pepper and cheddar. Once proven the dough is then stretched out quite thinly and covered in the sweet and savoury mixture; then rolled up and cut into pin wheels. Left to prove and then baked, once made the bread resembles the shape of a rose. Strangely moorish and difficult to distinguish whether it should be sweet or savoury, either way it just works and goes great with black coffee. 

Then last week on Kaffeine’s favourite TV show ‘The Great British Bake Off’ by pure coincidence Chetna makes the Croatian version of Pão de Rosas: Povitica. This is then followed by an even bigger coincidence, it is also on the technical challenge. Chetna obviously nailed it and came first. Though a tricky bake I felt the need to change our Pão de Rosas to its original inspiration, the Povitica. Khan the kitchen master has been toying around with the method to create our very own Kaffeine Povitica with layers of very attractive swirls of almonds and cinnamon. I highly recommend you try the Povitica toasted with a spread of salted butter and black coffee.

In the last few weeks I’ve gotten into making my own yoghurt at home, incredibly easy and no need for an Easy-yo maker. In fact I’ve been using my rice cooker, I mix scalded milk (which is then cooled) with a little live natural yoghurt, this activates the milk with good bacteria. I then keep the yoghurt sealed in a container and placed in a bain-marie environment and leave for several hours to set. I find the warm setting on a rice cooker an ideal environment. After making several batches I’ve discovered I can also make fresh cheese using a similar method. Last week we had fresh curd on the menu, this week ricotta. Baked in a tart with foraged sea radish (think mild horse radish) and smoked salmon.

Come into Kaffeine this week and eat your food with gladness, and drink your coffee with good company.

Jared Bryant
Lead Chef
Kaffeine
@redjar50 


Traditional bircher muesli with rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.60 (V)
Granola muesli with pomegranate molasses and rhubarb and raspberry compote 3.60 (V)
Fruit salad (pineapple, mango, strawberries, grapes, passion fruit) 3.70 (GF, V)
Ciabatta roll with omelette, pancetta, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Ciabatta roll with courgette omelette, rocket and tomato salsa 4.90
Croissant with Italian roast ham, talleggio cheese, spinach & plum tomatoes 4.90
Seven seed bakery bloomer toast with home made preserves 1.90
Pumpkin seed and apricot fruit toast 2.40
Banana bread 2.40

Pastries by Seven Seed bakery
French butter croissant 1.90
Pain au chocolat 2.50
Almond croissant 2.80

Baked Treats
Sweet muffin: St Edmond's pippin and raspberry 2.40
Savoury Scone: Pickle and mature cheddar (V)2.40
Friand: Passionfruit (V, GF)   2.40
Super moist chocolate brownies 2.40
White chocolate blondies 2.40
Portuguese tarts 2.00
ANZAC cookies 2.00
Almond and custard slice 2.40
Canele 2.40

Lunch
French retro baguettes 5.00
Ham, apple butter, gherkin, red onion and rocket.
Roasted sweet potato and red peppers with dill mayonnaise and spinach (V).

Foccacias 5.30
Pancetta, tomato, taleggio and spinach. 
Sauté mushrooms, tarragon pesto, mozzarella and rocket (V)

Salads: 5.50/6.90
Baked ham, raspberry vinegar cured rainbow chard, feta and guelder rose berry jelly (GF).
Raw kale, soaked in lemon and earl grey tea, served with baby capers, parmesan and basil.
Roasted root parsley with a buckthorn curd and lady smock leaf (V,GF)

Tart: 4.50 or 7.90 with salad
Kaffeine made ricotta tart with foraged sea radish and smoked salmon 


Weekend Menu 
On the weekend we change the salads and the tart offer and also put on one of the best weekend foccacia sandwiches ever invented.

Breakfast Foccacias 6.50
Cotechino Sausage with fried egg, gruyere cheese and aioli 

Salads 5.50 or 6.90
Grilled HG Walters Organic chicken with bulgur wheat, red onion, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, parsley, mint and cashew nuts
Poached pears with Turkish black figs, walnuts, goats cheese, watercress and honey
Roasted parsnip strips fried with a coating of parmesan cheese crumbs and a romesco sauce

Tart 4.50 or 7.90 with salad
HG Walters Bacon with new potatoes, spinach, eggs and cheese