#shae'scafe

Our grandma used to take us to the Missouri state fair - I kind of remember the greased pig contest (because it was traumatizing and my sister was supposed to take me with her but instead left me behind, crying because I couldn’t run fast enough in my red cowboy boots - she failed to catch the pig and got grease down her shirt and got in trouble later. Satisfied) but I mostly remember the food. Really, the best part was eating (when is this not the case?) -  pineapple soft serve, kettle corn, corn dogs, hot dogs, chili dogs, fried things, and funnel cakes. 

I don’t own a fry daddy (it’s a mistake that needs to be remedied) so, this is what we came up with: 

Cocktail: 

Super simple Limeade cocktail with a bit of pomegranate molasses to mimic the best Cherry-Limeades at the fair. Edible flowers for garnish because, pretty. 

First Course: 

Rosemary & pink peppercorn Kettle-corn 

Jalapeño & cheddar mini corn dogs 

Candied pecans 

Second Course:

Broadway Butcher Hot Dogs 

Broccoli Salad with chimichurri 

Vinegar & onion slaw with dill 

Three-cheese corn bake with Ritz crackers

Heirloom tomatoes with herbs 

Watermelon with mint, lime & sea salt

Dessert Course:

Rhubarb ice box pie 

I really love feeling like I’m getting a deal -- and nothing feels more like a deal than buying all the sad (and lonely, like me) looking tomatoes and making a bunch of salsa, tomato sauce, soup, etc. out of them.   One time, I bought like a thousand of them and made quarts on quarts of tomato sauce which then became 20 mini lasagnas. Mid way through I realized I wasn’t committed and had made a huge mistake - but, the tiny lasagnas that still live in my fridge make it all worth it. 

I like to buy all different types of the dented tomatoes (equal opportunity, LGBTQ friendly) - yellow ones help make things more bright and fresh - the green ones are sour, darker red = deeper flavor, etc. That way your sauce isn’t the one note, chef Boyardee - It’s special.

You take the tomatoes and cut out all the bad parts. 

Then, I put them all in a big bowl and add olive oil, fresh garlic gloves, basil, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, lemon zest and fennel seeds. 

Then you roast it in the oven - but, you choose the temperature - wherever it lands. I usually do 300 until they look like this.  

I have this friend named Dustin. We’ve been friends since I was 15 and he was 23. My sister is marrying him.  Shae’s Cafe celebrates with a themed dinner party - the theme is “all the stuff we liked together.”  

As a 15 year old, I taught Dustin how to drink alcohol. Teaching at 15 meant flavored vodka - training wheels.   12 years later, we like the same shit. 

Cocktail: Blueberry Stoli with house-made Lemonade.  

Making your own lemonade is super easy. And making balanced cocktails is super easy too. Sour:Sweet  

Get 10-15 ish lemons. Cut them in half. Juice them. You can just use a simple hand juicer. Once you’re done, you should strain it out to remove pulp + seeds (in the case that you did a shitty job). You should make a quart - that’s 32 ounces. This will stay good for up to three days. 

To make simple syrup, you need white sugar and water.  Put 50 grams ( or 16 ounces ) into a quart container (or wherever). You don’t really need to boil water but, it does make the sugar dissolve faster. I usually have no patience and just put lukewarm water in and end up stirring for fucking ever. You choose.   Once you’ve prepped your materials (!), you can make your lemonade. I usually will make them per drink (as opposed to batching). But, regardless, this is how it goes : 

1 ounce sour  1 ounce sugar  2 ounce liquor  top with water  So, that really applies across the board - whether you’re making limeaide or lemonade ... whiskey sour / mojito / or in this case, you’re a basic B and it’s a stoli lemonade.    Top it with a lemon wheel, because it’s all about being festive. 

First Course: 

Hummus with charred Pita 

Fried Chickpeas 

Pigs in a blanket with chipotle aioli, honey mustard, ketchup

Deviled Eggs 

Herbed Feta dip with Radishes 

Second Course:

BLTs 

Tomato, basil, avocado 

House-made potato chips 

Cheesey corn 

Dessert: 

House-made Ice cream cookie: chocolate chip cookie with cookies & creme ice cream 

Executive Chef de Cuisine, Shae first discovered her love of cooking in 1997 when she began microwaving eggs coining the phrase “Upside Down Eggs.” Since then, Shae’s Cafe has become a national success with kitchens in Brooklyn, LA, and Kansas City.