My daily bread...
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A Little Thanksgiving, a Little Snow & One Last Farmers' Market!

First off, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!
I have thoroughly enjoyed having an extra day off, although I have to laugh at myself. Every time we get a long weekend, I convince myself that three days is going to be more than enough time to get everything done. And somehow, here I am on holiday Monday, still scrambling to finish all those little things I was so sure I'd have time for.

Saturday was our last outdoor Farmers' Market of the season, and let me tell you, Mother Nature certainly wasn't interested in sending us off with a beautiful fall morning!
​It was COLD. There was even a little snow blowing around, and I think only about half the vendors were brave enough to show up. Nancy and I bundled ourselves into our winter coats, headed down, and made a rather speedy trip around the market. There wasn't much lingering or visiting happening this time!

I came home with bags full of some of our favorite things. Beautiful vegetables, a few last treasures of the season, and plenty of inspiration for the Rise Kitchen. And did you happen to spot those gorgeous plums? I simply couldn't resist! I'm thinking we might just have to stew them down and tuck them into a beautiful little coffee crumble cake.💛

I'm always a little sad to see the outdoor market wrap up. There's something so wonderful about visiting with the growers, seeing what's been harvested, and planning our menus around whatever delicious things I find. Of course, that's just me being selfish, wanting them to be there forever! These wonderful people have put in an entire season of incredibly hard work, and Saturday mornings at the market are only a tiny part of it. They've certainly earned a well-deserved rest and I can't wait to see them all again May long!

Thankfully, we still have our indoor Farmers' Market, and we're fortunate to have so many amazing local growers whose produce continues to find its way into our grocery stores throughout the colder months.

So, while our outdoor market adventures might be finished for another year, we'll certainly keep finding ways to bring those local ingredients into our kitchen.

A Short Week & A Little Trip Around the World!

We're back at it Tuesday morning, and with only four days to squeeze everything in, I suspect the Rise Kitchen will be operating in a bit of a flurry!

After a weekend of Thanksgiving dinners, leftovers, desserts, and probably one too many helpings of just about everything, we thought we'd lighten things up a little this week.

Not that we're giving up on comfort food! With this first little blast of cold weather, we're all craving something warm and nourishing. I know this is hardly cold by Alberta winter standards, but those first chilly days always seem to catch us off guard!

We'll start the week with our grilled chicken wraps, and I'll be getting a few hams into the oven early Tuesday morning so we can bring you our roasted ham wraps by Wednesday.

Our weekly salad will be a beautiful quinoa bowl, with Thai black rice, little baby potatoes, golden beets, and plenty of other lovely vegetables from the market, all brought together with a cranberry lemongrass vinaigrette.

And then we're going to have a little fun with the rest of the week!

We're borrowing some inspiration from Thailand for Wednesday's soup, heading to Vietnam for Thursday's lunch special, and finishing off with a little Korean inspiration for our TGIF sourdough pizza.

A little lighter, a little adventurous, and still plenty of that warm, comforting food we all love.

Now, here's what's happening at Rise this week!💛

Monday Morning at Rise… Except It's Tuesday!☕

A short week doesn't change a thing! Doors open at 7am, the pastry counter will be filling up with all sorts of delicious things, and our baristas will be busy getting those morning coffees rolling.

The Pumpkin Spice Lattes have been going absolutely crazy! With these chilly morning there's something about those beautiful spices that feels like a warm hug from the inside out.

And then there are the BLTs... Oh my goodness, have you ever been spreading the word!
​Thank you! ​
Our all-day BLTs have become such a hit that we're now on a mission to make sure every single staff member knows how to make one. That way, when someone starts suffering from a serious case of BLT cramps, there's always someone ready to jump in and relieve them!
And yes, they're still available all day, every day.
We're not messing with a good thing!

Sourdough line-up...
​Monday - closed for the holiday - no sourdough loaves
​Tuesday - no sourdough loaves
​Wednesday - Red Fife Country Loaf, SuperSeed Multigrain Loaf and Garlic, Swiss & Scallion Bialys w/fresh lime zest
​Thursday - Light Rye Loaves
Friday - Red Fife Country Loaf

LUNCH AT RISE... WEDNESDAY • THURSDAY • FRIDAY

WEDNESDAY | Soup Day - Tom Kha Gai!
​We're off to Thailand this Wednesday with one of our favorites, Tom Kha Gai, a beautiful Thai Coconut Chicken soup!

Now, you know us. We can't seem to leave a recipe entirely alone! We're staying pretty true to the traditional flavors, but adding a few little Rise touches that I think make it even better. A little puréed squash will give our coconut broth just a touch more body while keeping it lovely and light. We're adding a few fresh snap peas for a little crunch and some delicate glass noodles, because we loved them so much the last time we made this soup! It's fragrant, creamy, a little tangy, and full of those wonderful Thai flavors. Just the thing for a chilly October day!
​We start ladling Soup at 11am💛

THURSDAY | Off to Vietnam!
​We're heading to Vietnam on Thursday with a beautiful Vermicelli Shrimp Bowl!

Think delicate rice vermicelli noodles nestled into a fragrant shrimp broth infused with lemongrass, ginger, and garlic. We'll ladle that gorgeous hot broth over the noodles, add our citrus-steamed shrimp, and then pile on all sorts of fresh, crunchy vegetables.

We're talking finely sliced cabbage, carrots, snow peas, bean sprouts, green onions, fresh parsley, and cilantro. And don't worry, all you cilantro haters! We'll be asking at the counter whether you're a lover or a hater, because I know cilantro can be a rather controversial little herb! Personally, I think a big handful of fresh cilantro is exactly what this bowl needs, but we'll leave that decision up to you.

We'll finish everything with a light miso-lime sesame drizzle, adding just a little extra zing to all those beautiful flavors. A big bowl of goodness without feeling the least bit heavy. Exactly what we're craving after Thanksgiving.
We start lunch service at 11am.

FRIDAY | TGIF PIZZA - Seoul Chicken, with a Whole Lot of SOUL!
​We're finishing our little culinary adventure in Korea this Friday, and oh my goodness, I think this one is going to be something special!

We're calling it our Seoul Chicken Pizza, but quite frankly, I think we should spell it SOUL, because this pizza has plenty of it!

We're starting with our delicious sourdough pizza crust, topped with grilled chicken tossed in a sticky, spicy gochujang glaze, thinly sliced red onions, and mozzarella. Into the oven it goes, and then the real magic happens!

Once it's out of the oven, we'll give it our signature garlic aioli drizzle, a generous handful of fresh Balmoral snow pea shoot microgreens, and then comes the good stuff! A fresh, crunchy cucumber kimchi pickle relish with scallions, toasted sesame seeds, and lime zest.

And because apparently we just can't leave well enough alone, we're finishing the whole thing with a drizzle of hot honey, made with our house chili oil and local Gull Lake honey, a little toasted sesame seeds, and a fresh lime wedge.

Sweet, spicy, tangy, crunchy, creamy, and just a little messy. Everything a really great pizza should be!
​Coming out of the oven at 11am.💛

CHEESECAKE FRIDAY
​Oh, have we got a beauty planned for you this Friday!

We're making a Matcha, Raspberry & White Chocolate New York Cheesecake, and I think this one might just be a showstopper!

We'll start with our classic graham cracker crust, filled with a rich, creamy matcha New York cheesecake, with beautiful ribbons of fresh raspberry coulis swirled throughout. Then comes a delicate layer of silky white chocolate ganache, a little Chantilly cream, fresh raspberries, white chocolate curls, and a final dusting of matcha around the edge.

The slightly earthy notes of matcha, the tartness of fresh raspberries, and that lovely sweetness of white chocolate are going to be absolutely delicious together. And just imagine how pretty this one is going to be when we cut into it!

A Few New Things on Our Shelves!
​I have to tell you about a wonderful new local product we've brought into Rise!

We've recently started carrying a few jars from Lacombe Fresh, a collaboration of local greenhouses finding creative ways to use their beautiful produce and reduce waste. And you know how much I love that!

We're carrying their pickles, mustard pickles, and ketchup, and I have to tell you, those mustard pickles absolutely stole my heart!

The first time I tasted them, I was instantly transported back to the farm, making mustard pickles with my mom. They taste just like the ones we used to make! And my very next thought was, who on earth has time to make mustard pickles anymore? Certainly not me! So why not bring in someone else's wonderful homemade goodness?

And here's a little tip for you. Those mustard pickles with a delicious piece of Brie(we just happen to have in our cooler right now)on a cracker? Oh my goodness. Absolutely mind-blowing!

I haven't even had a chance to taste the ketchup yet, but if it's anything like those mustard pickles, we're in for a treat!

You'll find these lovely local products on our shelves at Rise, and I'm so happy we get to share them with you.

A Little More Seating Room at Rise!
​I spent a little time this weekend shuffling tables and chairs around, trying to figure out how to squeeze just a few more of you into our little space. I managed to make room for another table, and while I had to sacrifice a couple of chairs along the way, I think we've made things a little more comfortable and given Rise a slightly different feel.

It's all part of figuring out how to make our little bakehouse work better as we grow. And believe me, I'm always moving something around!

And finally, I just want to say thank you.

Every single week, we have people walking through our doors saying, "Oh my gosh, this is my first time here!" And I can't tell you how wonderful that is to hear.

Whether you've been coming since the day we opened, you stop in for your morning coffee, you tell your friends about our BLTs, or you've only just discovered us, please know how much we appreciate you.

We're having so much fun building this little space, trying new things, learning as we go, and sharing it all with you. And none of it would be possible without your incredible support.

So thank you for spreading the word, for bringing your friends, for trying our sometimes slightly crazy creations, and for making Rise such a wonderful place to come to work every morning.

Have a beautiful week, everyone! Stay warm, and we'll see you bright and early Tuesday morning!
​With love and gratitude💛!

I'll be back here next Sunday with a little peek into what's been happening in the Rise Kitchen! We've been having some wonderful brainstorming sessions, tossing around ideas, sharing inspiration, and dreaming up what we'll be making next. I'm absolutely loving the creativity and enthusiasm our kitchen team brings to the table, and I can't wait to share what we've come up with for another delicious week at Rise!💛

#5, 4324 - 54 Ave., Red Deer Alberta
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