Manna Cafe and Bakery Cookbook

Book excerpt: Manna Cafe was more than a restaurant. It was a community that evolved from 35 years spent nourishing customers with from-scratch bakery, creative meals, and a vibrant, welcoming space. Here, the lives of patrons and staff intertwined, and the cafe became a home and crossroads for many. This combination cookbook-memoir caps off the shared career of a wife and husband whose talent for cooking and hospitality first delighted guests at the Collins House Bed and Breakfast, then attendees at catered events, and ultimately the cafe-goers who stood in lines-out-the-door for their famous oatmeal pancakes, sticky buns, pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, and so much more. With double-tested recipes for these and other beloved Manna Cafe specialties, plus detailed instructions and kitchen insights gained through decades in the industry, this book is for cooks of all skill levels. Bringing the recipes to life is the story of how two people discovered a Madison they loved, and their path to running two businesses that reflected their lives, passions, and values.