By Brett Fisher

  • Photos by Brett Fisher. Adrian Morales, Kierra Bell, John Schultz and Chef Roberta Davies work in the Bleu Cafe kitchen.
    Photos by Brett Fisher. Adrian Morales, Kierra Bell, John Schultz and Chef Roberta Davies work in the Bleu Cafe kitchen.
  • John Schultz pan roasts duck breast on the stove top inside the Bleu Cafe kitchen.
    John Schultz pan roasts duck breast on the stove top inside the Bleu Cafe kitchen.
  • Chef Roberta Davies plates the main course of Hasenpfeffer.
    Chef Roberta Davies plates the main course of Hasenpfeffer.
  • Chef Roberta Davies gives directions to her staff, including server Hannah Garrison (right).
    Chef Roberta Davies gives directions to her staff, including server Hannah Garrison (right).
  • Kierra Bell and Adrian Morales plate Hasenpfeffer Wednesday night.
    Kierra Bell and Adrian Morales plate Hasenpfeffer Wednesday night.
  • Chef Roberta Davies breaks up parsley into sprigs Wednesday night.
    Chef Roberta Davies breaks up parsley into sprigs Wednesday night.
  • Chef Roberta Davies (right) with Kierra Bell and Adrian Morales.
    Chef Roberta Davies (right) with Kierra Bell and Adrian Morales.
  • Chef Roberta Davies works with John Schultz at the stove to add sauce to the Hasenpfeffer.
    Chef Roberta Davies works with John Schultz at the stove to add sauce to the Hasenpfeffer.
  • Chef Roberta Davies and Kierra Bell plate Hasenpfeffer Wednesday night.
    Chef Roberta Davies and Kierra Bell plate Hasenpfeffer Wednesday night.
  • John Schultz and Chef Roberta Davies share a laugh Wednesday during dinner preparation.
    John Schultz and Chef Roberta Davies share a laugh Wednesday during dinner preparation.
  • Fresh-baked pretzel rolls.
    Fresh-baked pretzel rolls.
  • Pretzel rolls and wine on a table at the Bleu Cafe Wednesday night.
    Pretzel rolls and wine on a table at the Bleu Cafe Wednesday night.
  • Hasenpfeffer plated with roasted potatoes and red cabbage.
    Hasenpfeffer plated with roasted potatoes and red cabbage.
  • Spiced potato soup with dark rye bread croutons.
    Spiced potato soup with dark rye bread croutons.
  • Pan-roasted duck breast salad.
    Pan-roasted duck breast salad.
  • Hasenpfeffer with roasted potatoes and red cabbage.
    Hasenpfeffer with roasted potatoes and red cabbage.
  • Bavarian Cream dessert.
    Bavarian Cream dessert.

Chef Roberta Davies has traveled extensively worldwide, building upon her knowledge of international cuisine.

When she and her sister, Karey Domen, opened the Bleu Cafe in Carson City together three years ago, Chef Roberta began sharing the recipes she had collected and customized throughout her culinary journey.

The Bleu Cafe has always offered an eclectic menu of European and New Orleans cuisine. Starting this month, though, the restaurant began a special showcase of international cuisine with a monthly themed Culinary Travelers Club Dinner.

On Wednesday, Oct. 17, the Bleu Cafe hosted a German Hunter’s dinner in celebration of Oktoberfest. The five-course meal, featuring authentic dishes found throughout Deutschland, was accompanied by traditional German music to set the mood.

Chef Davies and her kitchen staff worked hard and diligently to give dinner guests a true German experience, beginning with fresh-baked pretzel rolls, a beer cheese spread, imported German beers as well as wine.

Second course featured a spiced potato soup seasoned with bratwurst and caraway seed, then topped with parsley flakes and dark rye bread croutons. Composition of the soup was light, its texture creamy with tender chunks of potato.

Pan-roasted duck breast salad comprised the third course of the meal, complete with a savory cherry-port sauce. The duck was prepared to perfection, tender and juicy with just a little bit of pink.

The main entree course followed, an age-old traditional Germanic dish called Hasenpfeffer, featuring braised rabbit marinated in wine, juniper and other spices from old-world Germany. Roasted potatoes and braised red cabbage were served alongside the tender, succulent rabbit meat.

“Hasenpfeffer is an ancient German dish,” the Bleu Cafe web site stated. “Recipes have been traced back to the Renaissance period. Others suggest its origins are in Westphalia dating back to the early 1300s.”

The Bleu Cafe said that Hasenpfeffer’s preparation was first developed as a way to preserve the meat in similar fashion to corned beef or sauerbraten.

But the enduring flavors of the preservation method soon resulted in an endearing dish.

Hasenpfeffer even secured a place in American popular culture thanks to a 1962 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam, who played the hapless cook tasked with preparing Hasenpfeffer for a demanding monarch.

Final course of the evening was a sweet, smooth dessert called Bavarian Cream topped with wild blueberry sauce and candied orange peel.

Chef Davies was joined in the kitchen by her sous chef, Adrian Morales, as well as John Schultz and Kierra Bell. Server Hannah Garrison led efforts in the dining room to bring the finished courses to guest tables.

Davies said she plans to offer a Culinary Travelers Club Dinner each month, treating guests to the tastes of different countries and places around the world.

Visit the Bleu Cafe online at www.bleucafecarson.com, or its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bleucafecarson, for updates on the next Culinary Travelers Club Dinner in November.

The Bleu Cafe, located at 240 E. Winnie Lane in Carson City, is open seven days a week for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday and Saturday for dinner from 5-9 p.m., and for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 775-297-3301 for more information.