The National Cafe (1)

So Since Saturday’s Brunch plans at The National were a bust, and today was an epic clusterfudge at work, My boss took pity on me and took me out to grab lunch.  He knew how badly I wanted to try The National, and since it’s literally 2 minutes from work, we sped over. I.was.excited.

 

The National Cafe is Super Cute

First of all, the decor is adorable.  Exposed Cream City brick, neat spherical lights hanging from the ceiling, and band posters tacked on the walls.  It really, honestly looks like a downstairs flat converted into a restaurant, and it was cozy.  

I spent a long time ogling the chalkboard menu, and after much deliberation, I decided on the  Italian Melt ($7) which is Patrick Cudahy Salami, Red onion, tomato, Provolone and Olive Tapenade grilled in a panini press.  I also opted to add a buck and get a cupp’a soup du’Jour, which was Asian Veggie soup.

My boss got the Door County Cherry and Chicken Salad Wrap ($7.5) and a cuppa the asian veggie too.

We got back to the office, and as silly as it seems, we both took a bite of our stuff and turned our swivel chairs towards each other and just said “Oh my god. This is good.”

I gave him a quarter of my sandwich to try a bite, and he wouldn’t give it back.  Though, in return, I got a chunk of his wrap.  

the Italian melt was amazing, but the star was definitely the olive tapenade.  It was incredibly flavorful and it lingered pleasantly in my mouth for a while after the food was gone.  The bread was toasted and pressed thin just the way I like it.

The wrap was great, too.  the Chicken salad was hearty, with veggies, nuts, big chunks of meat, and it was so creamy.  I’m always wary of the savory/sweet combo, but the cherries in the wrap were actually really complimentary to the chicken salad.

It made me remember how good a simple sandwich can be.  I am guilty of a Jimmy Johns delivery on a busy day, and while JJ’s fills the belly, it doesn’t please the palate the same way the sammie I ate today did. (and it doesn’t cost much more!)

The Asian Veggie soup was yummy, and to be honest– tasted similar to the Spicy Ginger Cabbage soup I made this past Saturday, though it was loaded with more veggies, including some really great mushrooms.

Plus, I can’t neglect to mention the ideals of sustainability that The National operates under.  On their website, they explain:

“At the National, we are committed to growing sustainable local economic, ecological and social communities. By eating or shopping with us you enter a community that reaches from your plate to the farms and communities your food comes from. Our relationships with our great vendors create sustainable agricultural and economic communities, as well as help us all eat well. 

However, we also try to do our part at the National, to make a healthier planet for us all to live in. Nearly all of our compostable food waste finds its way into our compost piles, which provide our garden with nutrients to grow food for your plate, and provides our employees with a chance to learn about composting skills to apply to their own lives and communities. By employing a compost pile, an average of 20-30% of waste is saved from our already overfull landfills. It also provides a nearly cost free source of fertilizer for our organic gardens.”

This makes me happy. Oh! Also– they have a pretty huge Vegan and Vegetarian menu for you veggivores out there. Please visit The National Cafe the next time you’re looking for a great brunch, or just a REALLY good food experience that’ll have a positive impact on the city of Milwaukee.  

….Now I just have to lament about my tapenade recipe and strive to come reven remotely close to the stuff from my sanguich today.

The National Cafe

839 W. National Avenue

Milwaukee, WI 53204
(414) 431-6551 
Click here to download the menu 

 

Musical Accompaniment:
The National – Fake Empire

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Spicy Ginger Cabbage Soup for the Soul

This morning was a total bummer.  I had plans to do brunch at The National and was really, really excited about it.  It was supposed to be my real first adventure into Milwaukee food, and my first real post here was going to be all about it. But I received an early morning text message canceling plans.  I, of course, should have known better–  My friends are not early birds.  Comedians, musicians and nerds do not get out of bed before noon unless there is a gig, or better yet– their house is on fire.  So, I huffed and puffed around the apartment, being cranky but useful, cleaning up, and eventually laying around in my PJs.  

Until, of course, the usual Saturday morning ritual of The Food Network made me antsy to get in the kitchen.  After surveying my options, I decided I wanted comfort food.  Like a warm hug. Soup! (Not as warm as a Jack Daniels hug, but a close second!)

The recipe I came up with ended up being a weird bastard of flavors that surprisingly worked very well together.  It definitely satisfied my need for comfort food!

Spicy Ginger Cabbage soup

I know…You’re thinking “Cabbage soup?  How is that comforting?  I’m not Charlie Bucket and this aint the Remake of that chocolate factory movie.  Cabbage soup sounds like a Russian poverty meal!”

Trust me.  It’s good.

You’ll need:

2 and 1/2 quarts chicken stock (or veggie stock if you wanna keep the recipe Vegan)
1 medium head of Nappa Cabage (Cut in strips 1″x3″)
1 Jar California Hot mix (drained)*
3 big cloves of garlic (Chopped)
1/2 a medium onion (Cut in 1″ Chunks)
2 tablespoons Pickled Ginger (Chopped) (less if you use fresh)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/8 cup chopped fresh Oregano
1/8 cup chopped fresh Marjoram 
The zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 Tablespoons Butter or olive oil (Again, keeping the recipe vegan, if you’d like!)
Salt & Pepper to taste

How to put this baby together:

1. Melt the butter or heat Olive oil in a large Stock Pot on Med/High Heat.  Once the Butter or Oil is hot, add garlic, onions and ginger, Lemon zest, as well as some salt & pepper to taste.  Cook until the onions and Garlic are slightly translucent.   
2. Add the chicken stock,  All Herbs, cabbage, and your jar of drained California Hot Mix*.  Stir the pot all up.  Let cook uncovered until the soup begins to boil, and then turn the heat down to medium. Cover the pot.
3. Let simmer, covered for 45 minutes or so.  Check the soup, eat some test veggies to see if they’re tender to your liking.  I like my veggies slightly al-dente, but if you like yours mushy, keep cooking uncovered for 10-20 min.  Also, if you think more salt or pepper are needed– add ‘em!

I served the soup with a little Romano cheese I had in my fridge, and it added a nice mellow bite that I really liked.

The ginger in this soup is quiet but really pleasant, and the lemon zest really brightens up the flavor.

*A note on California Hot mix:  I love this stuff.  I put it on sandwiches or in salads all the time.  It’s a mix of hot peppers, carrots, cauliflour and other stuff, and it is spicy.  If you aren’t so into super spice, I’d suggest adding some chopped veggies from your fridge, or 2 cups of frozen mixed veggies.  The soup will still be yummy, but I loves me the spicy.

It looked like this when I served it:

 

Spicy Ginger Cabbage Soup

 The recipe makes a BIG pot of soup..  After years of cooking for my family, I am pretty much incapable of cooking for one, so please feel free to halve the entire recipe, and it’ll still taste really good without giving you the epic pot o’ soup I have.  

Luckily my room mate loves leftovers.

How I spent my Summer Vacation

Summer Vacation. A long romanticized three month lull in life where you take trips, hang out on the beach, and don’t have anything you HAVE to do.

I wish.

Summer for me was spent the same as any other red blooded, dead on the inside adult: At Work.

But the weekends– oh the weekends! I spent Friday 5pm to Sunday night doing everything I possibly could to do nothing at all, except, of course, cook. This past summer I perfected Potstickers (wonton wrappers from scratch!), Bread of all kinds, Pork Ribs, Crock-Pottery, Sauces, and I finally grew a pair and taught myself to bake.

As a self proclaimed culinary rebel, the idea of baking always seemed like such a restricted, science-y way to cook, and that was not attractive to me. However, a friend of mine, a professional rollerblader, was seriously injured without insurance, and the more domestic gals I knew decided to have a huge bake sale to rase money for his medical bills. So I set out to teach myself to bake.

I ended up immersing myself in recipes, online tips & tricks, and my new toy, The Veganomicon. I figured that the professional Rollerblading crew might have a few hippie-dippies in their midst.

I made almond cookies with chocolate frosting, Organic peanut butter fudge, and individual serving Vegan chocolate cakes with white carob frosting.

We sold over $400 in baked goods and I felt good about baking!

I ended up then making it my goal to bake as much as I could this summer. Lots of failures ensued. (Did you know that if you put marshmallows in batter, they expand and explode in the oven? I didn’t then, but I know now…)

But now, as September rolls in, I can proudly say that I can bake a REALLY good cake from scratch, no help from Betty Crocker, and now i’m learning to make them pretty. See?

Raspberry Chocolate cake With cream cheese frosting!