After our marriage, the first piece of furniture we bought for our new house was a dining room table. My husband Rea admired a trestle table in a shop window he passed daily on his way to work, for several years. Now he had a place for it, but feared the Madison Avenue price would be beyond us. After all, if it was still on display, it must be very expensive.
When he walked in to inquire, it turned out that he had seen a series of similar tables over the years. The artisan workshop imported white oak beams removed from old French barns when they were disassembled; shipped them to NYC by boat, then used the 150 year old wood to make new furniture to order. Rea ordered a table, plus 8 side chairs, built in France. We loved our 8' table so much that when we moved to North Carolina and were ready to renovate the house we bought, we told the architect to design the house remodel around the table. He failed. We fired him, and Rea designed it!!
I used that same table at Bonni Bakes Bakery/Cafe as a communal dining table for years. It's been in storage for a year, but this week it moved into the location in my TreeHouse that I originally designed for it in 2006. To define the space better, I had yet another wall painted black. Personally, I love it. You'll get your chance to weigh in when my TreeHouse is on tour during the Village of the Arts Garden Walk, April 4 & 5, from 11-4 daily.
I never met my father-in-law, Robert Rea Brown, who was a decorated WWI veteran. He met his future wife while recovering from his injuries in a French hospital, but that's another love story. Years ago his daughter, Betty Spaulding, designed & framed a beautiful remembrance that included his Purple Heart, Columbia Certificate, ribbons and medals.
As part of the South Florida Museum's show honoring veterans this month, I have lent it to them. It's on display in the Planetarium lobby through March. He recovered, returned home, married his love on Veteran's Day, became an inventor and sired three beautiful children. I'm particularly fond of his only son, who became the love of my life.
After spending the last week moving furniture, boxes & a lot of loose "stuff", I'm pretty tired. On reflection, I have to agree with W.C.Fields. To paraphrase him, "All things considered, I'd rather be in my kitchen."
Here's what I'm making this week in my kitchen:
PUMPKIN DATE WALNUT MUFFIN $2
ALL ITEMS IN LIMITED SUPPLY...FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
When he walked in to inquire, it turned out that he had seen a series of similar tables over the years. The artisan workshop imported white oak beams removed from old French barns when they were disassembled; shipped them to NYC by boat, then used the 150 year old wood to make new furniture to order. Rea ordered a table, plus 8 side chairs, built in France. We loved our 8' table so much that when we moved to North Carolina and were ready to renovate the house we bought, we told the architect to design the house remodel around the table. He failed. We fired him, and Rea designed it!!
I used that same table at Bonni Bakes Bakery/Cafe as a communal dining table for years. It's been in storage for a year, but this week it moved into the location in my TreeHouse that I originally designed for it in 2006. To define the space better, I had yet another wall painted black. Personally, I love it. You'll get your chance to weigh in when my TreeHouse is on tour during the Village of the Arts Garden Walk, April 4 & 5, from 11-4 daily.
I never met my father-in-law, Robert Rea Brown, who was a decorated WWI veteran. He met his future wife while recovering from his injuries in a French hospital, but that's another love story. Years ago his daughter, Betty Spaulding, designed & framed a beautiful remembrance that included his Purple Heart, Columbia Certificate, ribbons and medals.
As part of the South Florida Museum's show honoring veterans this month, I have lent it to them. It's on display in the Planetarium lobby through March. He recovered, returned home, married his love on Veteran's Day, became an inventor and sired three beautiful children. I'm particularly fond of his only son, who became the love of my life.
After spending the last week moving furniture, boxes & a lot of loose "stuff", I'm pretty tired. On reflection, I have to agree with W.C.Fields. To paraphrase him, "All things considered, I'd rather be in my kitchen."
Here's what I'm making this week in my kitchen:
PUMPKIN DATE WALNUT MUFFIN $2
This gloomy wet weather makes me hungry for something filled with deep flavors like dates, raisins & walnuts, combined with earthy sweetness like pumpkin. Perfect, and they're also moist & filling!
HAMANTASCHEN $2.50
I missed making these in time for Purim last week. With their crumbly shortbread base and smooth prune filling, these classic Jewish pastries are welcome in my house all year long.
JEWISH CHEESE DANISH mit almond $3
These are the wonderful cheese filled pastries that I grew up on. Never too sweet, because sugar was expensive. A delicate pastry encases the filling & is topped off with sliced almonds. So good!!
THE BIG COOKIE $1.50
Individually wrapped & available in the following flavors: Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Orange Belgium Dark Chocolate Walnut, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Snickerdoodle, Pecan Coconut Belgium Milk Chocolate
CHOCOLATE ORGASM COOKIES $5/pkg
My legendary chocolate delivery system made from melted Belgium Bittersweet chocolate, toasted fresh almonds, chocolate chips & very little flour. Sold in packages because you must have more than one.
MINI BOULE with cheese, tomato & pepperoni $3
This smaller loaf of bread, perfect for two, is part French and Italian. It boasts the crisp outer skin of a baguette, but inside its heart comes alive with sun-dried tomato, pepperoni, oregano & 3 cheeses.
KALAMATA OLIVE & FETA BREADSTIX $4/pkg
Enjoy the magic as Mediterranean olives, capers, oregano & Feta cheese combine, and explode in your mouth. Perfect partner to soup, salad or a drink... and they stay crunchy to boot!
HOMEMADE JAM, CHUTNEY & MARINADE $4/jar
This week's flavors are: Mango Chutney, Ginger Pear Chutney, Tropical Tangerine Marinade, Strawberry Mango Cardamom, Blueberry Lemon, and Strawberry Balsamic Black Pepper (wonderful with sharp cheese as an appetizer).
Everything always hand-made in small batches with the best ingredients & locally sourced when possible. No artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fake stuff EVER!!
ORDER BY 5pm WED. & PICK-UP
FRIDAY 12-4 in the Village of the Arts
at BONNI's TreeHouse
932 12 St W (down the driveway thru the white wrought iron gate)
OR
SUNDAY 11-3 at Palma Sola Farmers Market
at Geraldson's Community Farm, directions at
facebook.com/palmasolafarmersmarket
ALL ITEMS IN LIMITED SUPPLY...FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
TO PLACE AN ORDER
email bonnibakes@gmail.com
email bonnibakes@gmail.com
OR
call me at (941) 746-6647
call me at (941) 746-6647
PAY BY CASH OR LOCAL CHECK TO BONNI BROWN
Hugs from my kitchen,
Bonni
Bonni
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