A PERFECT CAFE LATTE

A typical Saturday morning for Jim and me includes a visit to our favorite coffee place in Santa Rosa - Centro Espresso.

This place started out as a coffee cart in our local magazine shop, Sawyers. Jim started going there over a year ago and kept raving about their coffee. Then when they opened this little shop in a new shopping center in the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa we started going for weekend coffee. They simply have the best cup of espresso I have had outside of Italy.

The interior is tastefully modern and comfortable, with a few tables. We usually sit outside.


They offer light breakfast items. Our favorite thing to order is the toasted baguette with butter and jam. I always get the raspberry jam.

Jim always gets the apricot jam.

I swear their bread tastes better than the baguettes I can buy in our local foodie bakeries. And the butter tastes European. Maybe it's just because I feel like I'm sitting at a Paris cafe when we're drinking our lovely lattes out of coffee bowls.


They are real artists with the foam. (Nancy, this picture is for you).


We like to sit and do the crossword puzzle together and chuckle over the odd headlines in the paper.

And even down in the bowl, the latte is still beautiful.

We love supporting our local small businesses, so after breakfast we went next door to the wonderful Italian deli, Traverso's and bought some yummy cheeses, salami and mustard, along with a sourdough flute from a local bakery. As always, we have a lovely time chatting with George (Traverso) at the cash register. Then we went to Town and Country, an area with three locally owned shops that we always patronize, Pacific Market, where we do most of our grocery shopping, and where one can get things like locally grown duck and fresh sardines (which we bought today), La Belle Fleur, where we enjoy chatting with Diane and supporting her flower business, and Mariposa, a very fun gift store where I can always find interesting folk art gifts or jewelry.

Another fine Saturday in Sonoma County.

Audrey

CABARET NIGHT 2010

This is the 10th year Jim and I have hosted "Cabaret Night," turning our studio into "Cafe Stephens" for a french bistro meal. This year Jim made Boeuf Bourguignon


and topped it with these garlic and basil crostini:


Our friend and neighbor Mark once again made outstanding tarts - this is a flamiche, or leek quiche

and an anchovy and spinach tart (yum!)


I made a goat cheese, blueberry and almond salad

and dessert - for the first time I made petit fours. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS UNLESS YOU HAVE: a) gone to pastry school and/or b) have LOTS of patience and time. Eventhough they didn't look how I wanted them to, they tasted yummy.

(yes, the green is marzipan).

With dessert we always serve espresso. It's my big chance to use my cute espresso cups. (I have enough now to serve 25).

Here's the cafe

We had a smaller than normal turn out this year (only 15) but everyone did their part to entertain us.

The Squires (table of 4) put on an original skit (written by Linda with an i) with real New York accents. Here they are taking their bows.


Jim had some terrific jokes to tell between acts and he also announced each act, in cape and mask.

Kurt did an amusing risque version of "The Night Before Christmas."

Wayne has a lovely voice and sang us a song - David is helping him with the words by looking them up on his i Pod


Michael also has a lovely voice and sang a really funny song this year.



We gave Matthew a hard time because he has real talent and dared to play professional quality guitar, which we enjoyed very much.

My act was a reading of Bertolt Brecht's Pirate Jenny, but alas, no one took a picture of me in my blonde wig and pirate hat.

Lynda (with a y) and Jeff were in the spirit of the weekend with a Valentine's Day tribute hillbilly style.

The amazing flip wig got passed around to everyone.

Lynda (with a y) and Barney

Linda (with an i)

me

Mark

Michael

A fine time was had by all.

Audrey

GETTING READY FOR CABARET NIGHT

Every year Jim and I host "Cabaret Night." This is mainly a party to celebrate life in the middle of winter, but also a chance for everyone to unleash their creative selves. We turn our studio from an art project room

into a French Cafe.


Getting cleaned up is a challenge every year. For example, in the middle of the floor right now is a HUGE box left over from our last party, "Disturbing Christmas,"


where everyone makes ornaments out of odd parts and puts Barbies together in strange ways.


These decorate our "white pine" tree at Christmas time. Everyone always has so much fun putting Barbie on the bandsaw! A typical comment heard during this party, "has anyone seen the other bat wing?"

In our studio we have the "lily pads," a display piece from the now-defunct Frederick and Nelson department store, where Jim and I used to work (and where we met, but that's another story), which holds our collection of (way too many) hats.

(Note: none of Jim's many Panama Hats from Ecuador are on this hat rack). When I need inspiration for Cabaret Night (or Halloween) I often turn to the hat rack. It helped me this year because I didn't have a clue what my act would be until last weekend when I spied the pirate hat in the foreground with the red feather.

Oh, did I say? The guests all have to perform at Cabaret Night. It can be ANYTHING - reciting a poem, singing a song, skits, jokes, etc. We STRONGLY encourage costuming. Here are some examples from years past.

Mark, Teresa and Emma (not pictured) doing a family skit portraying "My Darling Clementine."

Our lovely friend Mirica doing a great chanteuse number.

On this particular year we were fortunate to have Chuck and Nancy visit us. They really got into it and wrote their own (very entertaining) skit about two students in a writing class.

Steve and Renee are singing and they are blind (mice? Can't remember)

Jim is the Green Man. He distributed rubber duckies.

(You had to be there).

Some of the yummy appetizers - and we always start with champagne.


Emma (she's 15 now!) usually helps us serve our bistro menu. She has a terrific french maid outfit and usually gets good tips.


Pretty much what goes on at Cabaret Night, stays at Cabaret Night.


And you never know what wig you may have on by the end of the night.






Audrey