MY KITCHEN IS CLOSED THIS WEEK

There won't be anything on the BONNI BAKES Menu this week since I'm still in Maryland. Due to the unusually cold weather their famous cherry blossoms are a week behind and won't bloom in time for the Cherry Blossom Festival. When I arrived some little flowers were struggling to bloom.

But over the course of a few days Spring has finally sprung.

One of the goals of my trip has been to teach a couple of select people how to create my classic BONNI BAKES Thin Crust Pizza from scratch. Of course they are sworn to secrecy and their identities are protected. There are now four certified people in the US and one in Canada.

This coming weekend is the Village of the Arts Garden Walk on Friday & Saturday from 11-4. It will be the last opportunity to tour my TreeHouse before I ultimately move back up north. My late, and gREAt, husband Rea drew the original footprint for the building before he died. A year later I took up pencil & paper and designed the interior to reflect my needs. 

The house is under 1,000 square feet but feels very spacious, light & airy. I've used recycled materials, plexiglass, energy & space saving items, split a/c, on-demand hot water heater & the talents of Village artists. You're welcome to tour all of it, including the former deck that has been enclosed, during this weekend's Garden Walk.

If you haven't taken the time to secure your reservations for the April 11th Village of the Arts Annual Brunch & Fashion Show, please do it quickly. This is our only fundraiser & it sells out quickly. The extensive brunch offerings will include my mini bialys with a choice of fillings. It's always a delightful time, filled with beautiful fashions on models you might recognize. Call Vicki at (941) 302-1069 for reservations.

Next Monday I report for Jury Duty at 8am. If it appears that I won't be involved in a week long trial, I'll be back in the kitchen. For the answer to the mystery of will there be BONNI BAKES offerings that week or not, read my April 6th blog.
                              Hugs from my kitchen,

                                                  Bonni

Enter Bonni's Treehouse in the Village of the Arts

932 12th Street West 

(down the driveway thru the white wrought iron gate) 

bonnibakes@gmail.com  

  
(941) 746-6647 

My dance card is full...

After this Friday's pick-up I won't be baking for two weeks. First I'll be attending a mini reunion with family members from Montreal & Sweden, then friends just back from Moldova. When I return, there will barely be enough time to get ready for the Annual Village Garden Walk April 3 & 4 from 11-4pm  when my TreeHouse will be on tour both days.

Downstairs

I've decided to move back to NYC in the near future, so my Village property will be up for sale or available for rent soon. Therefore, this is the last time the TreeHouse will be open to the public for tours. 

Miro tile mural in the shower

Although the building is under 1000 square feet, its soaring open floor plan creates a spacious feeling. The split a/c system is ductless, I embedded glass block in the bamboo floor, installed an on-demand hot water heater, hand painted Miro murals on ceramic tile, used Plexiglass extensively and incorporated lots of energy & space saving details. Stop by to see for yourself, ask questions & pick my brain for resources.

The west wall windows soar to the roof

At the same time I'm holding a MOVING SALE consisting of furniture, kitchen, household & outdoor things that I just can't take with me.

I put the TreeHouse on tour annually to encourage others to design & build their dream house, like I did. And to show that a small house doesn't necessarily mean it has to be a series of little dark boxes.



If you'd like to celebrate St. Patrick's Day to the music of the Billy Rice Band, and help abused kids in our own community, head to Ace's Lounge on March 17th from 5pm to ???? It's their 3rd Annual St. Paddy's Day Benefit for Manatee Children's Services. All proceeds from raffles, 50-50, jello shot sales & other benefit activities will be donated to MCS to support their Emergency Shelter for Children and other programs. For more info contact MCS at (941) 345-1200.

While you've got your social calendar out, make your reservations now for the Village of the Arts Annual Brunch & Fashion Show on April 11 from 11:30 - 1:30. It's a fun time to share with friends under the magnificent tree & it's the Village's only fundraiser!! I'll be making mini bialys with a choice of fillings as part of the Brunch menu. All the info is in the flyer below.

Lately I've been playing around with Indian flavors. Since I can't tolerate hot spicy food, I'm interested in yummy flavors minus the heat. I made two dishes this week, Cauliflower Potato Curry and Mango Chutney Chicken. Delicious, quick & together made an easy dinner. Leftovers reheated well too.

Cauliflower Potato Curry

Here's the chicken recipe. You can add hot spices to it if you'd like. Email me if you want the cauliflower recipe, it's too long to post here.

Mango Chutney Chicken

Mango Chutney Chicken

              YIELD:4 servings

1 TBL canola oil

1 LB boneless skinless chicken breasts,      sliced in half

1 TBL curry powder

2 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ cup BONNI BAKES Mango Chutney

½ cup half & half

1 cup frozen baby peas

¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Quickly brown chicken on both sides and remove. Stir in in curry powder, garlic, salt & pepper. Cook, stirring until aromatic, about 1 minute.

Return the chicken to the pan and stir in the half & half and chutney. Bring up to a boil then immediately add peas, stir, and lower heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peas are hot & chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro.

Just thinking about that made me really hungry and anxious to get back into the kitchen. Here's what I'm making this week.

THIS WEEK'S MENU     Pick-up  Fri  March 20   1-5 pm

THE BIG COOKIE    $1.50

Each cookie has its own personality & unique flavor profile. Some are seductive, using the allure of Belgium chocolate to get your attention. Others invoke memories of childhood or a less complicated time. Find your match amongst Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Orange Walnut Belgium Bittersweet Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, Pecan Coconut Belgium Milk Chocolate. 

CHOCOLATE ORGASM COOKIES     $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made with melted Belgium bittersweet chocolate throughout, toasted fresh almonds, chocolate chips & very little flour. Sold in packages of 4 because you must have more than one.

BREAKFAST CORN MUFFIN     $2

The soft texture of a non-greasy corn muffin is studded with sauteed scallions, cooked bacon and lots of melted Cheddar cheese, especially on top. Satisfying, filling and even yummier when toasted.

OUTRAGEOUS BROWNIE     $2.50

These intensely chocolate brownies share their interior with large toasted walnuts for a marriage made in Heaven, but enjoyed here on Earth, with every bite.

NYC JEWISH APPLE CAKE    $3/slice

Just like the cake I grew up with...lots of cinnamon covered fresh apple chunks surrounded by a moist not-too-sweet cake. A match made in heaven, or Brooklyn, by generations of immigrants using family recipes.

CRANBERRY PISTACHIO BISCOTTI     $2.50/pkg of 2
This twice baked cookie is ready to celebrate with its plump cranberries and ample pistachios. Great to dunk into espresso & coffee, or just enjoy on its own.

KALAMATA ROSEMARY FICELLE      $2.50/loaf 

Thinner than a baguette with a crusty outside & soft interior, and punctuated by lots of winey Kalamata olives and fresh rosemary from my organic garden. 

JAM or CHUTNEY    $4/jar

We're down to three flavors that I've made in small batches with locally available fruit, including Keitt mangoes & Meyer lemons from my own pesticide-free trees. Choose from: Mango Chutney, Ginger Pear Chutney, Simply Strawberry Jam (only 2 jars left).

No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives EVER!!

ORDER BY 5pm WEDNESDAY

all items in limited supply... first come, first served

PICK UP FRIDAY 1-5 pm at Bonni's Treehouse

in the Village of the Arts

   932 12th Street West 

(down the driveway thru the white wrought iron gate) 

TO PLACE AN ORDER 

email bonnibakes@gmail.com  

  
or call me at (941) 746-6647 

   PAY BY CASH OR LOCAL CHECK TO BONNI BROWN  

 Hugs from my kitchen,

Bonni

I'm in a musical New York City state of mind

I grew up in New York City during a very magical time for the arts. They were appreciated and integrated into every school. We had the option of attending Leonard Bernstein's "Young People's Concerts" on Saturdays for an inexpensive subscription. Sitting in the audience listening to him explain the music, you couldn't help but get swept up by his passion & energy. Hearing the New York Philharmonic perform for a room just filled with kids was very powerful. 

During high school we got discount tickets for Broadway shows and many English classes went into the City via subway to see them. We also had an annual musical competition called "SING" in high school between sophomore, junior & senior classes. The scripts were shrouded in secrecy, filled with new lyrics to familiar Broadway tunes and parodying life at school. It ran to sold out audiences for several nights. The Commissioner of SING the year I was a junior was David Geffen. Yes, the same person who owns Geffen Records and has just pledged $100 million to renovate & rename Avery Fisher Hall to David Geffen Hall. Not bad for a skinny kid from Brooklyn.

New Yorkers are bred to love musical theater and as a result they wind up supporting it for a lifetime. 

I fell in love with Rex Harrison during My Fair Lady and marveled at Julie Andrews' transformation before my eyes. 

Hard to believe that it has been 50 years since Man of La Mancha opened on Broadway. I can still remember Richard Kiley's strong voice bouncing off the back wall of the theater. 

Of course Ethel Merman's un-miked voice in Gypsy shook the entire building. A few years later I was working at a hotel in the Catskills where she was a guest. I answered the Room Service phone one morning and heard a booming female voice order "a glass of hot water with prune juice on the side". That voice identified her more accurately than the picture on her drivers license.

But I think my favorite musical was "Fiddler on the Roof" because you just couldn't take your eyes off of Zero Mostel whenever he was on stage. The range of expressions on his face didn't require words. We all walked out humming and that's my measure of a good musical.


Things are humming in the kitchen this week, take a look. 

THIS WEEK'S MENU     Pick-up  Fri  March 13   1-5 pm

PUMPKIN DATE WALNUT MUFFIN    $2

A rich muffin with the background flavors of pumpkin & warm spices studded with plump dates, raisins and roasted walnuts. I love to cut one into thick slices then schmear cream cheese on each slab. I'm just saying...

THE BIG COOKIE    $1.50

Each cookie has its own personality & unique flavor profile. Some are seductive, using the allure of Belgium chocolate to get your attention. Others invoke memories of childhood or a less complicated time. Find your match amongst Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin Walnut, Orange Walnut Belgium Bittersweet Chocolate, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, Pecan Coconut Belgium Milk Chocolate. 

CHOCOLATE ORGASM COOKIES     $5/pkg

My legendary chocolate delivery system made with melted Belgium bittersweet chocolate throughout, toasted fresh almonds, chocolate chips & very little flour. Sold in packages of 4 because you must have more than one.

CINNAMON APPLE TWIST    $3.50

A small buttery Danish loaf filled with crisp apples bathed in Sri Lanka cinnamon & raisins plumped in Jamaican Appleton Estate dark rum. Generous enough to share, but why should you?

      ** VEGAN ALERT...DON'T READ THIS ITEM **

CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE GALETTE     $4.5o

Personally, I love corned beef on rye or a good Reuben. I never warmed up to the St. Pat's classic boiled meal. But this is something else! My handmade tender pastry (with a tad of rye & caraway) is filled with Jewish Deli style home cooked corned beef, surrounded by sauteed cabbage & onions, on a bed of roasted red potatoes. Kosher pickle optional.

It will look something like this, but different

SEEDED FLATBREAD CRISPS  (vegan)   $4/pkg

When you want something very light, crisp and full of flavor, try a bag of these. Each one is rolled out by hand, seeded and cut into unique shards. Perfect with soup, salad, dips or in a bread basket.

WHOLE WHEAT HONEY OATMEAL    $4.50/loaf
This perfect sandwich bread is also delicious toasted or grilled. White whole wheat flour provides the nutrition without a strong bite, along with oats and a subtle taste of honey.

JAM or CHUTNEY    $4/jar

We're down to three flavors that I've made in small batches with locally available fruit, including Keitt mangoes & Meyer lemons from my own pesticide-free trees. Choose from: Mango Chutney, Ginger Pear Chutney, Simply Strawberry Jam.

No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives EVER!!

ORDER BY 5pm WEDNESDAY

all items in limited supply... first come, first served

PICK UP FRIDAY 1-5 pm at Bonni's Treehouse

in the Village of the Arts

   932 12th Street West 

(down the driveway thru the white wrought iron gate) 

TO PLACE AN ORDER 

email bonnibakes@gmail.com  

  
or call me at (941) 746-6647 

   PAY BY CASH OR LOCAL CHECK TO BONNI BROWN  

 Hugs from my kitchen,

Bonni