January 31, 2024
- John McMurray
- Apr 8
- 4 min read
Wow! Another week already! I am continually humbled and excited that more people sign up for this bit of musing each week. I am truly grateful. Though, anyone who might wish to unsubscribe may feel free to send me an email with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject, and I am happy to take you off the list.
Someone once told me that a true measure of wealth is not material accumulation, but rather the quality of people that surround you. I know, it’s a paraphrase, though if anyone knows the real quote and who is owed the credit, please tell me! Meanwhile, I have felt reminded of this concept frequently. I look at the friends we have, people I could trust my life with, my family’s lives, my house and pets, and I know how wonderful our lives are here in Harrisonburg. They are all good people. We care about each of them, and know they care about us. I hope you have been able to surround yourself with quality people.
I made a bit of a mistake in my last newsletter, for which I must apologize. Ott Street Eats was invited to Brothers Craft Brewing to set up on Saturday from 12-7. This was to provide some food for an event there to celebrate a partnership between Brothers Craft Brewing and Pure Shenandoah. I forgot to put that in the newsletter. My sincere apologies to both Brothers Craft Brewing and Pure Shenandoah. They were both incredibly hospitable and supportive. Together, they have developed a great product called Hydrate. It is a CBD Seltzer that comes in three flavors: lemon/lime, cranberry/raspberry, and mango/pineapple. They are very light and refreshing! We had a great time at the event and are grateful for being invited!
Today’s ‘culinary tip’ is about salt. We all know there are different types of salt, but have you ever tried a taste test side by side? Well, I have an experiment for you to try. If you have a small plate, get some ‘table salt’ out and put a little on the plate. Should you have some kosher salt, put a little bit next to the table salt. Then, just for fun, if you have some sea salt, put some next to the first two. Now, lick a finger and put in the first pile and taste the salt. “Normal”, right? Try that again with each of the next two. All salty, right? But, they taste VERY different. Sea salt, as the name suggests, is derived from the sea and milder and should be used to season anything from the sea (fish, shrimp, crab…the list is long). We all grew up with the blue cylinder of salt with the picture of the girl and her umbrella on the front…Morton’s Iodized Table Salt. It filled every saltshaker and to this day, for many, it still does. But, how did that salt with the taste of iodine come to be the norm? Because a long time ago it was determined that iodine helps fight polio! A hundred years ago, this was a serious problem! How could they get iodine into the population? Put it in the SALT! Everyone uses salt and gets used to it. Generations came and went, and this was just how salt tasted. Now, I am not saying anything is wrong with it, if that is the flavor you wish to add to your food. However, EVERY professional kitchen that I have EVER worked in uses kosher salt. It is the purest flavor of salt. Considering there was one case of polio in the US in 2022, and that over 30 years have gone by without a single case…I am not really worried about it. So endeth the culinary lesson of the day…use kosher salt, it will hook you.
At this point, the only special event of this week is First Friday. We will be open from 5-7 serving some special treats. It will be February, so our menus will be featuring a lot of things involving hearts and love.
This week’s menu is….
January 31-February 3
Breakfast 7:30-11:00
Kitten Head Biscuit Menu (Kitties)
¨ Plain Biscuit with butter and/or jelly $3
Raspberry, Blackberry or Apple Butter & Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¨ Cat Head Southern Biscuit $8
Breaded Fried Chicken Cutlet
¨ Hash Browns $1
¨ Omelet Tortilla Wrap $8
Seasoned Egg, Ham, Tomato Chutney, Cheddar
¨ Raspberry Pancakes $5
Lunch 11:00-3:00
¨ Beet Salad on a Stick $6
Beets, Arugula, Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Honey Balsamic
¨ Elote Corn Soup $8
Warm comfort food.
¨ Fried Potato Ribbons w/ Sauce $5
Choice of Ketchup, Mayo, Chipotle Honey Mustard or Malt Vinegar
¨ Soft Pretzels $5
With New Beer Mustard Dipping Sauce
¨ Quiche Lorraine $10
Classic with Ham and Swiss with Side Spinach Salad
¨ Roasted Crispy Pork Belly $14
Sticky Black Thai Rice
¨ Cake Crumb Mousse $5
And then….
February 7-10
Breakfast 7:30-11:00
Kitten Head Biscuit Menu (Kitties)
¨ Plain Biscuit with butter and/or jelly $3
Raspberry, Blackberry or Apple Butter & Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¨ Cat Head Southern Biscuit $8
With Country Ham and Red Eyed Gravy
¨ Hash Browns $1
¨ Omelet Tortilla Wrap $8
Seasoned Egg, Mushroom, Tomato, Olive, Cheese
¨ Sourdough Pancakes $5
With Strawberries and Cream
Lunch 11:00-3:00
¨ Tofu Taco $6
Red Pepper, Onion, Jalapeno, Avocado Crema
¨ Hearts of Palm Salad $6
Red Lettuce, Hearts of Palm, Crumbled Cheese
¨ Roasted Red Pepper Soup $8
With Raclette and Fennel Melt on Sourdough
¨ Fried Potato Ribbons w/ Sauce $5
Choice of Ketchup, Mayo, Chipotle Honey Mustard or Malt Vinegar
¨ Soft Pretzels $5
With Beer Mustard Dipping Sauce
¨ Sliced Pork Chop Pasta $10
Spaghetti, Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, Burrata
¨ Chocolate Box $5
To enjoy yourself...or to share!
I hope you all have a fantastic week! Thanks for being here.
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