All About Our New Deli

Rasberrys has a new look and deli items to-go. By Sabina Dana Plasse. Sun Valley Property News (SVPN) August Issue, pages 246-247

Always striving to provide their customers with more choices and better service, the Rasberrys, Maeme and Callie, have completed a remodel of their downstairs dining room bistro café adding more space to their inside dining and kitchen to satisfy a demand for their take-out.  With a newly installed deli case and their signature antique cabinets, there is more room for distance dining downstairs and take-out for other Rasberrys' delicacies including bread, desserts, pantry items and whatever the girls feel like making that day. 

The past few months, Elias Construction, along with much time, consultation and genius design ideas from their Aunt Annette Frehling, owner of Sister in Ketchum, the Rasberrys were able to add more square footage to their downstairs dining room by opening up a storage area and moving their tables and seating.   The new space, painted a delicious French blue and sweet red with vintage chandeliers and ornamentations blending beautifully and cohesively with the eclectic art and put “perfectly where it wants to live,” as Aunt Tita says, has truly expanded their signature style. 

“We had a real need for more space,” says Callie.  “Our solution was to work with the space we had.  It was our landlady who offered over her storage space so we could expand and it worked out amazingly.  We are busy every day with diners dining outside and some inside, with proper social distancing and sanitizing of course.  But the deli has been off the charts, which is wonderful, considering all that is happening with the pandemic.”

When you come downstairs, the area has been made larger and is adorned with decor accents and other elements, some that were there before and some newly added.  “Our mirror and bench are the same, but now they look even better,” says Callie. “We write on the glass of the deli case so customers can see what's waiting for them on the other side.  When one offering sells out, we wipe off the writing to get ready for something new.  We think it's one of the best additions we've made since we opened the restaurant.  I can’t say if it ages us or makes us feel younger, but it takes me back to the time when we first moved here and worked at Esta.  It feels like yesterday, but oh how far we have come.”

Providing fresh, organic and local foods, the Rasberrys serve their celebrated Tex-Mex cuisine and all their signature salads, sandwiches, soups and daily specials.  And they never leave you wanting for homemade desserts, cookies, fresh baked goods and breads by their in-house baker Riley Heneghan, along with their house-made spice blends and seasonal goodies.

“We try and keep all the dishes local and organic as much as possible,” says Callie “to ensure the quality, flavor and bounty of what our community has to offer shines in the different dishes we create.”

If you adore Rasberrys, but still want to stay cuddled at home, your favorite items are available to go, including their Tex-Mex dishes, all day Monday through Friday.   You can also purchase local cheese from Picabo Desert Farms, specialty pastries, cakes and desserts by Mary Jones from the Chocolate Moose, farm fresh eggs from Harmony Eggs, crunchy kales, delicate salads and microgreens from Itty Bitty Farms, Squash Blossom Farms and Kasota Hydroponics (with new farmers being added every day), local pastured meats from CD Enterprises and a plethora of in-house made goods from seasonal produce.

The Rasberrys continue to serve the Valley’s needs for catering and are humbled that they have been chosen by their fans as an award-winning catering business.   They are adept at customizing any event, big or small, just for you.   Right now, though, they are most excited about their new deli counter, upstairs and downstairs distance dining and to-go service and hoping everyone who comes to the new space will feel special, just like the girls feel every time a customer walks through their brand-new door,  hand painted by local artist Karen Jacobsen.  

“We want to thank everyone who has allowed, helped and been there cheering us on through this expansion and all of you who have continued to support us, from all of our staff to all of our customers.  We want to be here for the community because they have been here for us.  Without community, there is no Rasberrys,” says Maeme. “Now we are able to do more of what we've always wanted to do.   Help keep everyone healthy, safe and fed.”

Rasberrys recommended February reads

Maeme was gifted the green thumb in the family.  During the growing season, where can you find Maeme? In the garden of course!   This month her recommended reading is the cookbook "Let's Stay In".  Yes, Pinterest is a source of inspiration, but there is something about the feel of a book - cookbook for that matter. 

Let’s Stay In: More than 120 Recipes to Nourish the People You Love by Ashley Rodriguez

Let's Stay In is all about effortless hospitality, meaningful family meals, and an appreciation for the magic of meals shared with others. Families, neighbors, friends, and loved ones will find a different kind of love around the table together, connecting over memorable meals. The recipes walk you through every meal of the day with delicious breakfasts, easy lunches, inviting dinners, and Ashley's signature incredible desserts:

  • Breakfasts of Red Lentil and Chickpea Stew with Poached Eggs, Breakfast BLTs, and Spiced Raisin Scones

  • Midday meals of Zucchini, Gruyere & Basil Quesadillas, Ricotta, Speck and Plum Salsa Tartine, and Ivy's Split Pea Soup

  • Table-groaning dinners of Steak Tacos with Radish and Pickled Onions, Oven Baked Risotto with Squash and Rosemary Candied Walnuts, and Grilled Leg of Lamb with Green Sauce

  • Sweets and drinks like Blood Orange Poppy Seed Upside Down Cake, Guava Coconut Punch, The Easiest Pear Tart, and Cardamom Cream Soda

Ruth Reichel visiting Sun Valley was definitely a 2019 highlight for Callie.  (Thank you Sun Valley Center for the Arts for bringing her here!)  Winter is a good time to grab a cup of tea, a cozy blanket and a good book.  This is Callie's February pick for recommended reading.  Enjoy!  

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life by Ruth Reichl

My Kitchen Year  follows the change of seasons—and Reichl’s emotions—as she slowly heals through the simple pleasures of cooking. While working 24/7, Reichl would “throw quick meals together” for her family and friends. Now she has the time to rediscover what cooking meant to her. Imagine kale, leaves dark and inviting, sautéed with chiles and garlic; summer peaches baked into a simple cobbler; fresh oysters chilling in a box of snow; plump chickens and earthy mushrooms, fricasseed with cream. Over the course of this challenging year, each dish Reichl prepares becomes a kind of stepping stone to finding joy again in ordinary things.

The 136 recipes collected here represent a life’s passion for food: a blistering ma po tofu that shakes Reichl out of the blues; a decadent grilled cheese sandwich that accompanies a rare sighting in the woods around her home; a rhubarb sundae that signals the arrival of spring. Here, too, is Reichl’s enlivening dialogue with her Twitter followers, who become her culinary supporters and lively confidants.

Do you have a new favorite book or cookbook? Let us know what it is! We love recommendations too!

The buzz about Turmeric

Turmeric is trending, but we do love it too! Turmeric is a deep yellow colored root from the ginger family. The peppery flavor is a hit and compliments many dishes. It needs substantial rainfall to thrive and therefore grows well on the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. There are so many ways to use turmeric, here are just a few ideas.

  1. Golden Milk - we drink before bed

  2. Add to meat and seafood dishes

  3. Make a dip for your veggies

  4. Use as a pickling spice

  5. Pumpkin-apple smoothies!

  6. Coconut squash soup

  7. Make a viniagrette

  8. Chili-lime popcorn

  9. Toss with roasted veggies

  10. Add to rice