Vegetarian Caviar...

Yes and it is delicious. Aqua Gourmet vegetarian caviar is produced in Canada, using a variety of seaweed as the primary ingredient. This caviar is made strictly form plant extract to create a 100% vegetarian product. Kelp offers not only an authentic caviar taste, but also incredible health benefits, all at a great price. We have three varieties: Sturgeon, Salmon, and Spicy Chili. They each offer a taste and versatility to the table. Great for appetizers, salads, a fancy pizza offering and baked seafood, or haw about this recipe...

Z&H Kelp Caviar Eggs

The Stuff:
4 hard-boiled eggs
4 tablespoons of Kelp Caviar
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise or sour cream
freshly ground black pepper to taste

The Skinny:
Shell the eggs, cut them in half, and remove the yolks. Mash the yolks well and mix with mayonnaise, two tablespoons of Kelp Caviar, chopped parsley, and ground black pepper. Put this mix in the egg halfs, and serve it as a salad course. Easy.

New Neighbor on 57th Street!!!

Whoo Hoo. We have a new neighbor down the block on 57th Street; the 'old' Istria Cafe has a NEW owner and we wish Belinda and her team much success. Please stop in and wish her luck. It is great that we have another local small business that will add to the fabric of Hyde Park.

Cheese: Old favorites, New favorites

One of our 'old favorites' is the peerless Pleasant Ridge Reserve from Upland Cheese in Dodgeville, WI. An artisanal cheese crafted from unpasteurized milk from their own Wisconsin cows, fed and raised using traditional practices This cheese is made only from early spring through fall.The sweet flavors of the pasture are detectable in every bite of Pleasant Ridge Reserve.

One of our new favorites is Rush Creek Reserve also from Upland Cheese. They have made just one cheese for the last 10 years, Pleasant Ridge Reserve. Now This. With a chalky beige rind, Rush Creek Reserve has a rich, slightly grassy aroma and a mild flavor that hints of smoke and pork. A washed-rind cheese, it is wrapped with a strip of the same spruce bark. It is made from evening milk that was not pasteurized (it is aged for at least 60 days). Aging this style of cheese for so long is tricky, but worth the effort. A great ay to enjoy this cheese is to remove the top of the rind and scoop the cheese with a baguette.

Old and new, both wonderful.