Well, we are in the throes of Covid shutdown again, folks. No one wanted this, but our dining room is closed again. We will keep our stoves hot for takeouts and hopefully this will not last more than a couple of weeks. You will notice that the always available menu has changed a bit since we are in the fourth quarter of the year.
For now we will be offering the always available dinner menu with the regular appetizer selection, and one nightly entrée special. Lunch will revert to the weekly menu.
Here are a couple of highlights from the upcoming Menu
Samten's Lobster Inari with Thai Chili Sauce
So Inari is at its most basic-- just tofu pockets stuffed with sushi rice. The Tofu is seasoned with sugar and salt, then deep fried twice. This results in a slightly sweet "puffed" piece of tofu that can be stuffed with whatever you like, usually rice. Years ago we bought some Inari tofu and had Samten experiment with it. Sam bypassed the rice altogether and used a salad of cooked lobster, vegetables, soy, and sweet Thai chili sauce to make a sweet and salty appetizer that our residents seemed to love. This dish is served cold, and will have extra sauce on the side. We now use tamari instead of soy sauce which makes this dish gluten- free.
Honey Miso Glazed Salmon [Lunch only]
This weekly lunch special is fresh Atlantic salmon grilled, topped with our house-made miso and then honey glazed and finished in the oven. Miso is fermented soybean paste (it's actually more complex than that but we will discuss that later). Rich in flavor, this salty paste is simmered with Vi's own honey, tamari, ginger and other spices until smooth, then brushed on the fish. The sugars in the honey caramelize on the fish while the salt forms a crust keeping it moist. Pretty good, I think, hopefully you will too! We serve this with Corn on the Cob, and sweet Plantains
Speaking of Honey, we are awaiting some new jars for our own Vi's Bees honey and will have them available as soon as we can fill them. I will be using some of the honey we harvested to experiment with making our own Mead for future enjoyment. Mead is basically wine that is made from honey rather than grape juice. Mead can run the gamut from very sweet to very dry, and range in alcohol levels from 4% all the way to 20% . It will be interesting to see how the hard work of our six beehives transforms into this delicious beverage. I'll let you know when it is ready to taste.
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