Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Happy happy holidays!

Happy holidays everyone! Even I need a day off once a year, so there will be no menu for delivery on 12/27. I will be back with a FANTASTIC new year's menu for delivery to greater Boston next Tuesday, 1/3/2012! Check back for it soon, because I'll be posting it by Friday, 12/30/2011.

Much love from your favorite personal chef,
Mary

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Happy Holidays! A vegan feast, for delivery to Boston and beyond on Tuesday, 12/20

Hello and happy mid-December!

I can't believe that there are so many holidays right upon us! Hanukkah, Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa... So many food-centric holidays and they all happen at once this year! It's a lot to plan, but I have got you covered with treats to dress up your festive holiday table.

Please place orders for Tuesday delivery by midnight Sunday night, if possible. I will deliver this wonderful menu to your home, office, or classroom on Tuesday, December 20!

Thank you so much, and have a wonderful, safe, and sane bunch of holidays!

Much love,

Chef Mary

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SOUP:

Broccoli Potato Soup $7

PLATES:

Carrot Ginger Latkes, served with garam masala spiced cultured cashew creme. $10

Potato Pancakes with Vegan Tzatziki! A more traditional latke, served with cultured cashew creme, flavored with veggies and herbs. $10

Mock Chopped Liver: That gorgeously festive dip made from mushrooms and walnuts returns! With veggies to dip. $11

Spinach Lasagna: A white lasagna, with gluten free pasta, almond bechamel, and cashew ricotta. So festive on your holiday table! $11

Red Pepper Hummus: Beautiful, delicious, and a lot healthier than your average holiday dip! A festive appetizer or a delightful lunch, with veggies to dip. $10

BAKERY:

Persimmon Muffins! The delicate but sunny flavor of persimmons reminds us that after the Solstice on Thursday, the days will start getting longer again! $10 half dozen, $18 dozen

Red and Green Granola Balls! With green pumpkin seeds and red dried cranberries, even the Grinch loves them. Yum! $8

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As always, everything is vegan, healthy, and made without peanuts, soy, or gluten ingredients. I do use tree nuts, seeds, non-gluten whole grains, and all sorts of fruits and veggies - local and/or organic when possible. If you are allergic or sensitive to anything at all, please just let me know!

Thank you for returning clean containers when you finish with them. It helps keep costs reasonable, and it helps keep Mother Earth happier too!

Thank you all so much, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Love,
Chef Mary

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Fabulous vegan food from your favorite personal chef!

Hello and happy weekend to you all!

We are right in the middle of holiday preparation time. I hope you are all finding some peace and calm in this hectic season! And we have just a couple more weeks of darkness, before it starts to get lighter and lighter outside.

Just in time, I have some help for you! Let me feed you and your family, so you have a little more time to relax! Here is a wonderful new menu for delivery on Tuesday, 12/13. This week I will only be delivering on Tuesday, so please plan accordingly. Please place orders by Sunday night for Tuesday delivery in Greater Boston. Thank you very much, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Email me to order, at rathercraftymary@gmail.com

Much love,

Chef Mary

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SOUP:

Roasted Beet Soup $8

PLATES:

Kasha Varnishkes: Buckwheat, gluten free noodles, local veggies. What's not to love? $10

East Meets West Bento: Almond Butter and Jelly Onigiri (sounds strange, tastes awesome!) surrounded by delicious veggies. A perfect lunch to go! $10

Local Potatoes Stuffed with Butternut Squash, served with Cultured Cashew Cream $10

Black Bean Patties with Sweet Potato Fries and Homemade Spicy Ketchup. Served on Rice "Buns." $11

Sesame Seaweed Salad with Brown Rice $9

BAKERY:

Cinnamon Raisin Scones, served with Apple-Pear Butter (made with local fruit, of course!) $9

Cranberry Muffins! In honor of St. Lucia's Day. $9 half dozen, $16 dozen

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Whenever possible, ingredients are organic and/or local. If you have a question about a dish or an ingredient, please ask!

All dishes are vegan, so they are naturally free of common allergens fish, shellfish, dairy, and egg. Most dishes do not contain honey, and out of respect for those who choose not to partake, I will always specify any dish that does contain honey. I do not use soy, peanuts, wheat, or other gluten containing grains. I DO use tree nuts and seeds, and naturally gluten free whole grains. If you have any kind of allergy or sensitivity, please let me know!

I always appreciate it when you return washed containers for reuse. It helps lighten all our footprints, and it keeps costs reasonable!

Thank you all so much, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Love,
Chef Mary

Friday, December 2, 2011

Wonderful new vegan menu of awesomeness! For delivery to greater Boston Tuesday 12/6.

Happy Friday, and Happy December!

I have a great new menu to share with you, but first, some news!

I will continue delivering on Tuesdays, and I encourage you to spread
the word to all your family, friends, classmates, and neighbors! There
is room for more clients on our wonderfully growing Tuesday roster!
But Fridays have been a little slow, so I am going to phase out Friday
deliveries for a little while. I am sorry if this inconveniences
anybody!

I will definitely continue delivering on Tuesdays! I will also deliver
for special events and occasions, and by special arrangement, so
please keep me in mind if something comes up and you need some awesome
food for an event or on the fly!

I will still be able to work with you on all kinds of parties. I can
deliver food in advance of an event, I can do bake-your-own-cake
parties with kids, and I can do cooking lesson parties with adults!

But for at least a little while, all of the regular, non-party magic
will happen on Tuesdays.

And now, I have a wonderful menu for you, for delivery on Tuesday,
December 6! In parts of Europe (and in the family I grew up in) Saint
Nicholas Day is celebrated on December 6. Children leave their shoes
by their doors the night before, and Saint Nicholas leaves them small
gifts of chocolate, or little toys. Thursday of next week is my
birthday, and the birthday of at least one more of you out in Crafty
Land, so I will also be reprising some of our favorite dishes! It's a
time of celebration!

Enjoy, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Much love,

Chef Mary

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SOUP:

Italian white bean soup with local greens! $6

PLATES:

Nori Rolls filled with Raw Carrot Ginger Pate and Spinach $10


Medley of Roasted Local Squashes and Root Veggies! With Greens du Jour. $11

Raw Sprouted Sunflower Seed Hummus with Crunchy Veggies to Dip! The
classic returns! $9

Black Forbidden Rice Salad, with Almonds and Satsuma Tangerines! $11

Quinoa and Vegan Cheezy Sauce (made from cashews and veggies) with
Local Veg du Jour $10

BAKERY:

Chocolate Almond Butter Cups! They may look like certain candies you had
as a child, but they are peanut free and oh-so-much-better! $6 for a trio

Date and Walnut Muffins! Spiced cakes with fruits and nuts are a
delicious Saint Nicholas Day tradition. $10 half dozen, $18 dozen

Gingerbread Cake! I have been thinking a lot about what kind of cake
to make for my birthday. While chocolate is always tempting, I kept
finding myself thinking about a spicy, moist, molassessey gingerbread.
I wanted it to be not-too-sweet, sweetened only with molasses and a
kiss of agave nectar. I wanted to use only whole grain buckwheat
flour, which is one of my favorites. So I developed this recipe! I
made a prototype this morning and I was rather pleased with the
results. It's not fancy, it's not fussy, it's just delicious! $6

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Please place orders for Tuesday delivery by midnight on Sunday night.
Even if you're late though, I can often accommodate you - so don't be
shy! It never hurts to ask.

As always, everything is vegan, healthy, and made without peanuts,
soy, or gluten ingredients.

I do use tree nuts, seeds, non-gluten whole grains, and all sorts of
fruits and veggies - local and/or organic when possible. If you are
allergic or sensitive to anything at all, please just let me know! If
you have a question about any ingredients at all, please ask!

I always appreciate it when you return containers, and Mother Earth
appreciates it too!

Thanks, and I look forward to feeding you soon!

Much love,
Your favorite personal chef, Mary

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Wonderful menu of deliciousness! For delivery 11/29 and 12/2

Hello and happy Thanksgiving weekend! Can you believe it is almost December?

Here is a wonderful new menu for next week! Please order by emailing rathercraftymary@gmail.com

It helps me a lot if orders for Tuesday are in Sunday night, and orders for Friday are in Wednesday night. This helps me get right to work in the morning! Even so, if you happen to miss the deadline, just email me and I may well be able to hook you up. So don't be bashful!

And without further ado, here it is! This week's beautiful, vegan, gluten free, allergy friendly menu of awesomeness! Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Much love,
Chef Mary

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SOUP:

Mushroom Noodle Soup! Made with homemade shiitake mushroom broth, sauteed crimini mushrooms, and GF brown rice pasta, of course! $7

PLATES:

Butternut Squash Pasta! With colorful local and seasonal veggies all mixed in. $10

Hedgehog Potatoes with Romesco Sauce. No hedgehogs are harmed in the making of this adorable dish! $10

Spicy Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili, served with Brown Rice. It will warm you right up! $10

Autumn Bento with Sesame Glazed Veggies, and Spinach Sesame Onigiri. Yums! $11

BAKERY:

Moist Apple Cinnamon Cake with Maple Glaze $6

Pear Ginger Muffins $9 half dozen $16 dozen

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As always, everything is vegan, healthy, and made without peanuts, soy, or gluten ingredients. I do use tree nuts, seeds, non-gluten whole grains, and all sorts of fruits and veggies - local and/or organic when possible. If you are allergic or sensitive to anything at all, please just let me know!

Please return empty containers so we can re-use them. It helps us manage costs, and keeps our carbon footprint a little smaller. Thank you!

Love, your very own personal chef,
Mary

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Beautiful vegan food for delivery Tuesday, 11/15 and Friday, 11/18

Hello wonderful folks!

It's nearing the end of the week, and that means it's time to think
about next week's menu!

Believe it or not, it's almost Thanksgiving too! I'm including a
Thanksgiving sneak preview at the bottom of this menu, to get all our
imaginations working in that direction. For Thanksgiving week, I will
make just one delivery, on Tuesday, November 22. Friday I will be
recovering from Thanksgiving, and preparing for the weekend's work!

But this coming week we'll have our regular Tuesday/Friday delivery
schedule. Please place orders by midnight Sunday night for delivery on
Tuesday, and by midnight Wednesday night for delivery on Friday. Thank
you so much, and I look forward to seeing you all soon!

Much love,
Chef Mary

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SOUP:

Celery and Potato Soup $7

PLATES:

Vegan cassoulet! The classic French bean stew gets a vegan update.
With herbed breadcrumbs on top. $11

Tuscan White Bean Dip with roasted potatoes for dipping. $9

Burritos! Hand rolled gluten free flour tortillas, stuffed with sweet
potatoes, rice, and beans. Served with a side of Alex's Ugly Sauce.
(Note: the Ugly Sauce contains honey. Read all about it here!
alexsuglysauce.com) $11

Squash Pizza: With caramelized onions, herbs, white sauce, spinach,
and roasted local squash! $10

Quinoa with Lemon Caper Roasted Cauliflower. So good! $10

BAKERY

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches. With chocolate
frosting, of course! $8 for a pair of cookie sandwiches, wrapped up
all prettily with a bow!

Pumpkin Muffins! $9 half dozen, $16 dozen

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I do not use peanuts, soy, wheat, or any gluten-containing grains in
my cooking or baking. I do not use dairy, eggs, or meat products. I DO
use nuts and seeds in some dishes. Please let me know if you have any
allergies or sensitivities at all!

Please remember to return clean containers when you're done with them.
It helps keep the Earth clean, and it helps keep costs reasonable!
Thank you!

***************************

Finally, as promised, here are a few of the ideas I'm working on for
Thanksgiving week! It's all tentative so far, and subject to my whims
and what's available at the farmers' market, of course. With that
caveat, enjoy your sneak preview!

Butternut squash soup

Carnival squash with a stuffing of wild rice, cranberries, and pecans

Mashed potatoes and turnips, with mushroom gravy

Roasted Beet Salad with Pears and Walnuts

Raw Cranberry Sauce, with Apples and Dates

Sweet Potato Corn Muffins

Chocolate and Pumpkin Custard-Cakes

Yum!

Friday, November 4, 2011

Wonderfully autumnal new menu! For delivery 11/8 and 11/11/11!

Happy Friday!

It seems we have returned to normal autumn weather. Hooray!

Among the many things I love about fall in New England are all our local fruits and vegetables. It's prime season for hard squashes, many root vegetables, and some greens. It's still apple season, and we're coming into cranberry season too! If you can't tell, I'm pretty excited about all of this. I hope my excitement shines through in another glorious autumnal menu, full of local and heirloom variety yumminess!

Looking forward to seeing you (and feeding you) soon!

Much love,
Chef Mary

P.S. Feel free to share my info with your friends and colleagues. I'm happy to feed more good folks!

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SOUP:

Cauliflower and Potato $8

PLATES:

Black Bean Dip with crunchy veggies! $9

Sesame Seaweed Salad with Brown Rice $9

Local Squash Medley, featuring butternut squash wrapped in greens, carnival squash, delicata, and sunshine squash, over buckwheat. $11

Black Bean Veggie Patties with rice "buns" and roasted sweet potatoes. Yes, I will make the famous homemade ketchup again! $11

Quinoa and Creamy Cheesy Sauce (made of veggies and cashews, no funny business!) with greens du jour $10

BAKERY:

Apple Crisp $8

Cranberry Ginger Muffins with Ginger Crumb Topping! Fresh cranberries are finally back in season! Hooray! $10 half dozen, $18 dozen

**************************

As always, most ingredients are organic and/or local. If you have a question about a dish or an ingredient, please ask!

I always appreciate it when you return washed containers for reuse. It helps lighten all our footprints, and it keeps costs reasonable!

All dishes are vegan, so they are naturally free of common allergens fish, shellfish, dairy, and egg. I do not use soy, peanuts, wheat, or other gluten containing grains. I DO use tree nuts and seeds, and naturally gluten free whole grains. If you have any kind of allergy or
sensitivity, please let me know!

Thank you all so much, and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Love,
Chef Mary