Everything we do at Cafe 21 is made from scratch and with love. Chef Leyla wanted to share one of her most favorite recipes. Azeri Rugelach is a soft, flaky filled pastry which is typically enjoyed daily with tea. Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter or margarine 1 […]
France(Collioure) and Morocco travel(Marrakesh) We stumbled over the small city of Collioure after locals of a nearby town had suggested to visit the town. We found ourselves overwhelmed with jet lag and so our day slumber led to a night adventure of Collioure. With Château Royal de Collioure being the centerpiece of this small charming […]
HUMMUS REVEALED Black Bean Hummus / Carrot Hummus / Green Goddess Everything we do at Cafe 21 is made from scratch and with love. Now let’s delve into what that really means. Transparency is important to us and so this series is all about understanding what really goes on in Nature’s Kitchen. How everything is […]
Around the World – Montplelier This town, its streets, buildings, and even the ancient roads built for future generations to preserve and enjoy. It breathed history in and out. Prior to arriving we read about this Montpellier and besides being another city from south of France that made its fortune in wine, it’s also very […]
Trip to Barcelona We kicked off our travels in the beautiful city of Barcelona. With reasonable ticket prices, this meant a full trip for the family was possible. We did not want to leave the kids and wanted them to experience these travels with us, but traveling with a full family is expensive. We were […]
Looking back at 2019, we have had so many memories to share and are so thankful for our experiences this past year especially as we head into 2020. With some very big changes coming in 2020, some of which you have already seen, we really have to thank 2019. It is very fitting that we […]
Have you ever wondered how Thanksgiving came to be? You’ve probably heard it was a meal shared with Native Americans. While this is true, there is more to the story. Thanksgiving really started out informally. The first Thanksgiving was a traditional harvest festival in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Initially meant to be a one-time event, […]
Forró, pronounced fo-ho, is known today as a type of Brazilian music and partner dance. There are several theories on the origin of the word forró. One viewpoint, held by Brazilian folklorist Luís da Câmara Cascudo, states that word forró is a derivative of the word ‘forrobodó’, meaning great party or commotion. Another theory on the word […]
A Tango Dance Party Milonga is two things: a music style that originated in the Rio de la Plata region of Argentina and Uruguay in the 1870’s, and the name of an event that is dedicated to the Argentine Tango. The word Milonga is of African origin meaning “many words”. The term originated when African […]
It’s in the Sprouts If you’re a foodie, or simply like good, healthy food, the microgreens trend is for you. Simply put, microgreens are young seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs harvested less than 14 days after germination. The microgreens are about 1 – 3 inches long, depending on the vegetable or herb, and come […]
Borek is a very popular dish and with good reason. It has withstood the test of time. Originating during the Middle Ages, Borek is still something that you can find on the streets of Azerbaijan, as well as countries in Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. This dish has many variations. At its […]
When you think of Flamenco (fla’menko) dancing, perhaps you picture ladies with swirly dresses and men with white shirts, black vests and patent black shoes. They twirl and spin to a robust Spanish guitar, breaking a sweat with their movements and using intricate, yet dramatic steps. Perhaps you don’t realize there is so much more […]
As a restaurant owner, there are many behind-the-scenes challenges – and opportunities – that our guests don’t always hear about. In today’s blog post, I will reveal some of the challenges that come with owning a popular restaurant, and how Leyla and I address these challenges and use them to find opportunities to better serve […]
Farm-to-table can be an elusive term. It’s not regulated, like the word “organic” is, and people often have different interpretations and definitions of what it means. I thought it would be helpful to share with you what “farm-to-table” means in a general sense, and how we support the values of farm-to-table dining at Cafe 21. […]
Leyla and I are from Azerbaijan, which is a country in Eurasia. Azerbaijan is located on the Caspian Sea, and shares borders with Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, and Iran. Food from Azerbaijan is referred to as Azeri food. Since we’re now serving more Azeri food at Cafe 21, I thought it would be a good […]
This has been in the works for a long time. We are pleased to announce that we are now catering events at our restaurants and off-site. We are so excited! Back when we were just one restaurant, we catered a lot. Office meeting and parties, birthdays, weddings, large celebrations, fundraisers and more. We love setting […]
Leyla loves to make hummus, as you can see in this video: Hummus is so healthy. It also makes a great base for different seasonings and flavors. Hummus can be very colorful, blended with different spices, vegetables and herbs. Leyla likes to experiment with different combinations of vegetables and spices. She likes to see what […]
Today, we are going to talk about salad dressings. It may seem like a simple topic but it’s really much more than a “sauce” put on a salad. At Cafe 21, we make our salad dressing from scratch. We prefer vinaigrette of various flavors because they best bring out the taste of the vegetables without […]
One of our specialties at Cafe 21 is our Sangria. We spend a lot of time picking the right wines with the right notes and flavors. We make sure our fruits are fresh and whole and as pesticide-free as possible. Our Sangria is the result of a lot of investment in time and love to […]
Today, I’m going to talk about one of my favorite breakfast items: A Dutch Baby. While Dutch Baby’s originated in Germany and were traditionally served as pancakes made from eggs with lemon juice and powdered sugar, they have evolved over time to become both savory and sweet. If you see a Dutch Baby, it almost […]
Today, I would like to give you an easy recipe for your own Mozzarella Cheese. Mozzarella is very good with Caprese salads, pizzas and as quick appetizers, combined with basil or as a simple cheese ball ingredient mixed with herbs, spices, and nuts. Mozzarella most usually comes in two consistencies – hard or soft. Hard […]
Today, I would like to tell you how you can grow organic herbs of your own, indoors or outdoors. Herbs make good “starter plants” if this is your first time trying your hand at organic gardening because they are easy to grow. All you need is to follow the process below and give them a […]
Today, I will be discussing pesticide residue in foods, and how those residues can affect people. First, it is important to understand how pesticides are used and the differences between various types of pesticides. Pesticides, as their name suggests, protect crops from pests, which can include weeds, insects, fungi, and germs or infections. They can […]
Today, I would like to talk about how to select which olive oil to purchase and use in your cooking. Extra virgin olive oil is the best grade of olive oil, so that’s a good term to look for. But, as with many elements of cooking, consumer marketing, and life – there are nuances. Look […]
Leyla and I are committed to serving you delicious food and drinks, made with locally-sourced organic ingredients. In this post, I’ll focus more on the “drink” part of the picture, and share how to make alcohol infusions using organic ingredients (specifically, an apple vodka infusion). To get started with infusing, you’ll need to have: mason […]
Recently, a friend of mine tried to bring cherries from Oregon to California and was told he could not. I found this fascinating and thought I would share with you why California bans certain foods from entering the state, and examples of some banned foods. Essentially, California is protecting against the introduction of environmental and […]
Leyla and I take great pride in our menu offerings, which we carefully craft to be mouthwatering and flavorful, as well as good-for-you and socially conscious. We use locally grown, organic ingredients, hormone-free meats, and yeast-free bread. When we are considering adding a new dish to our menu, we know it needs to fit in […]
For this blog post, I would like to explain the difference between clarified butter and regular butter, point out a few health benefits of clarified butter, and share how Leyla makes it! What is Clarified Butter? To better understand what makes clarified butter different from regular butter, let’s talk about regular butter first. Butter, unlike […]
I would like to talk about yogurt and yogurt-based drinks that are very popular in Eastern cultures. Ayran it’s a yogurt drink, that has different names – Doogh, Tan, Lassi – it is served chilled to accompany a tasty lunch in Turkey or early dinner in Azerbaijan, or maybe late breakfast in Iran and India. […]
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Local Organic Farm I want to share with you how Leyla made food out of ingredients exclusively from Coral Tree Farm produce. This farm is conveniently located off the I – 5 interstate and Rancho Santa Fe exit. I knew she would take on this project as she always challenges herself. The food had to be […]