29 Wednesday Apr 2009
Posted in Celebrations, Cooking Programs, Food Prep
It’s not often that we get to Salute one of “our friends”, but now is one of those times. Please look at Chef James Grimes and his TV spots. The flyer has some interesting information on it, about his resume and the 2009 IWC. Take a look. Cheers!
26 Sunday Apr 2009
Posted in Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes, Side Dishes
Here is a great recipe for San Francisco Sourdough French Bread. Actually, the starter is a modified Friendship Bread starter. The starter looks sweet, but it really is not over-powering and obnoxious, as in Southern Sweet Tea.
1½ c warm Water
1 c Sourdough Starter (Recipe below)
4 c Bread Flour
3 t Sugar
1½ t Sea Salt
2 to 2½ more cups of Bread Flour
½ to 1 t Baking Soda
Combine water, starter, 4 cups flour, sugar and salt in a glass bowl. Mix well, cover lightly with a towel folded into several thicknesses, and let stand at room temperature for approximately 18 to 24 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Mix 1 cup of the remaining flour with ½ teaspoon of the baking soda and stir this into the risen dough until it is very stiff. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead approximately 1 more cup of flour and a little more baking soda into it. Knead it for 5 to 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Shape into 2 long loaves or 1 large round loaf, place on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover, and let stand in a warm place for 3 to 4 hours or until almost doubled in size. You may wish to sprinkle cornmeal on the greased baking sheet or line it with kitchen parchment before placing the bread on it. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
To make a wash, bring 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1/3 cup water to a boil in a small pan over low heat. Stir until it becomes thick and clear. Brush each loaf with it. OR brush a little water on top of the loaves and make a few diagonal slits across the top with a sharp knife. For a crustier bread, place a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the crust is a medium dark brown – 190°F.
Sourdough Starter
1 c All-Purpose Flour
1 c Whole Milk
1 T Active Dry Yeast
1 c Sugar
Bring the milk to room temperature. Add the sugar and yeast and dissolve. Let bloom.
Mix Starter Ingredients in a non-metalic bowl and let stand at room temperature – undisturbed – for 24 – 36 hours.
Next Day – Add
1 c All-Purpose Flour
1 c Sugar
1 c Whole Milk or Buttermilk
Place in a non-reactive bowl and mix thoroughly. Cover and let set at room temperature for 7 days before using.
There you have it. Yes, it does take a little time for the starter, but if you keep replenishing it, it will keep for a very long time – Robin and I did have some, reportedly, from the Lewis and Clarke expedition. But try this bread and let us know how it came out for you. We think it’s pretty good. Here is a Direct Link to the recipe. Cheers!
24 Friday Apr 2009
Posted in Classic Sauces, Recipe By: Bob Young
Let’s see …. The kitchen remodel is done, the concrete is poured, the IWC is over (except for medal deliveries). What to do? Jerri Nelson (Idaho Hotel, Silver City, ID) asked me a while ago for a wine reduction sauce. Here are two of them and they are slightly different from each other, but will both work well with pork tenderloin or center cut chops or with beef. If you do not have The Sauce Bible: Guide to the Saucier’s Craft, help the economy and purchase it. Amazon (dot) com is an excellent source. The Sauce Bible: Guide to the Saucier’s Craft, David Paul Larousse, 1993. ISBN: 13: 978-0-471-57228-2.
Wine Merchant Butter (Beurre Marchand de Vin)
1 Shallot, minced
1 T Parsley, Minced
1 c dry Red Wine
½ lbs Butter, unsalted and soft
1 c Beef Stock
pinch White Pepper
1. Simmer the shallot and wine until reduced by half. Add the stock and continue to reduce until 2 Tablespoons of liquid remain.
2. Whip the reduction along with the remaining ingredients until thoroughly blended.
3. Wrap the butter and store in a refrigerator.
Marchand de Vin indicates a dish seasoned with red wine and shallot reduction. Any grilled or broiled meat can be garnished with this rich butter.
Mango-Port Sauce
1 ripe Mango
2 c Heavy Cream
1 Shallot, Minced
4 T Unsalted Butter, ¼ inch chunks
½ c Port Wine
Salt and Pepper to taste
¼ t Sugar
1. Peel, pit and purée the mango in a food processor.
2. Simmer the shallot and port wine until about 2 Tablespoons remain. Add the mango purée and sugar and continue cooking until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Add the cream and blend well, and simmer until reduced by one-third or until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
4. Add the butter and blend continuously, until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in a warm place until ready to use.
Hint: When making butter based sauces and reducing with wine, Do Not exceed 130ºF to guard against the sauce breaking. Mango-Port Sauce is good with any grilled or broiled beef or pork, especially a tenderloin or Rib-Eye.
If you would like hard copies from the web, here are the links:
1. Wine Merchant Butter (Beurre Marchand de Vin)
2. Mango-Port Sauce
Good Luck with the sauces and Cheers!
22 Wednesday Apr 2009
Posted in Food, Recipe By: Bob Young, Wine and Food
So you say it has been 80 degrees for the past 3 days? And your BBQ looks lonesome? And the smoker is empty? Then, I say, “Time to fire ’em up!”. But you don’t have, or need another, good marinade. Well, here is one I have used with Rib-Eye. A hard copy is here: Mixed-Up Wine Marinade. But, to give you an idea, here is the recipe:
2 2/3 c Red Wine
2 2/3 c Red Wine Vinegar
2/3 c Olive Oil
1 1/2 T Rosemary, dried
6 med Garlic cloves
1. Chop the garlic fine.
2. Combine all ingredients in a sealed container. Use a submersible mixer to
combine all ingredients. Place in the refrigerator for 8 hours or more.
3. Place the Boston Butt or Brisket into a large non-reactive container.
(You should use a jacquard on the meat) Cover the meat with the marinade and
refrigerate for 8 to 16 hours, turning as necessary.
4. Remove the roast(s) from the refrigerator and allow to come up to room
temperature.
5. In the mean time, prepare the smoker to 225° F using Alder or Mesquite.
6. Remove the meat from the container, reserving the marinade for basting,
and place in smoker. Slow cook until the center of the roast(s) reaches
160°F. Baste as necessary to maintain moisture. Remove from the smoker and
let rest for 30 minutes before slicing or pulling the meat.
Cooking Tip: Just a note – You want to slooooow cook these roasts. If 225°F
seems to be cooking too fast, reduce the temperature. It should take about 8
hours to cook.
This is not a hard recipe, but it is a good one! I asked Robin today is she wanted a Brisket or Pulled Pork sometime in the near future and if she wanted to go and pick something out at our local distributor: YES!
22 Wednesday Apr 2009
Posted in Wine and Food, Wine Dinners, Wine Tasting
The quarterly wine dinner date has been set for Father’s day. We are accepting reservations and have gift certificates available. The seatings are at 5 and 7:30 on June 21. The theme will be BBQ and some great vino to accompany.
Location Title
2999 N Lakeharbor Lane
Boise, Idaho 83703
The Buzz at the Buzz this Spring
Wine Club Dinner :
May 12 is the regional wine dinner. New Zealand will be our focus this month. Dinner is at 6:30 and the cost is $10.00 per person. As is our custom the featured wines will be 10% off for the night. Reservations are required 344-4321 or buzzwine@cableone.net .
April 24 and 25
Cartlidge and Browne will be our wines for the tasting this weekend. Easy drinking wines from California. Come by and enjoy some wine while listening to Audra Conneley. Music starts at 7 each night. No reservations needed.
This Friday and Saturday April 24 and 25 we will have a White Sale. All our whites by the glass will be offered for $3.00 a glass. List will vary so check by and have a glass of wine. Also we will be having a 10% off rack with miscellaneous retail items available. Don’t forget Mother’s day is just around the corner.
Offer valid April 24 and 25 only
Buzz Coffee and Wine 2999 N Lakeharbor Lane Boise ID 83703
22 Wednesday Apr 2009
Posted in Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes
Let’s see …. The kitchen remodel is done, the concrete is poured, the IWC is over (except for medal deliveries). What to do? Jerri Nelson (Idaho Hotel, Silver City, ID) asked me a while ago for a wine reduction sauce. Here are two of them and they are slightly different from each other, but will both work well with pork tenderloin or center cut chops or with beef. If you do not have this resource, help the economy and purchase it. Amazon (dot) com is an excellent source. The Sauce Bible: Guide to the Saucier’s Craft, David Paul Larousse, 1993. ISBN: 13: 978-0-471-57228-2.
Wine Merchant Butter (Beurre Marchand de Vin)
1 Shallot, minced
1 T Parsley, Minced
1 c dry Red Wine
½ lbs Butter, unsalted and soft
1 c Beef Stock
pinch White Pepper
1. Simmer the shallot and wine until reduced by half. Add the stock and continue to reduce until 2 Tablespoons of liquid remain.
2. Whip the reduction along with the remaining ingredients until thoroughly blended.
3. Wrap the butter and store in a refrigerator.
Marchand de Vin indicates a dish seasoned with red wine and shallot reduction. Any grilled or broiled meat can be garnished with this rich butter.
Mango-Port Sauce
1 ripe Mango
2 c Heavy Cream
1 Shallot, Minced
4 T Unsalted Butter, ¼ inch chunks
½ c Port Wine
Salt and Pepper to taste
¼ t Sugar
1. Peel, pit and purée the mango in a food processor.
2. Simmer the shallot and port wine until about 2 Tablespoons remain. Add the mango purée and sugar and continue cooking until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Add the cream and blend well, and simmer until reduced by one-third or until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
4. Add the butter and blend continuously, until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in a warm place until ready to use.
Hint: When making butter based sauces and reducing with wine, Do Not exceed 130ºF to guard against the sauce breaking. Mango-Port Sauce is good with any grilled or broiled beef or pork, especially a tenderloin or Rib-Eye.
If you would like hard copies from the web, here are the links:
1. Wine Merchant Butter (Beurre Marchand de Vin)
2. Mango-Port Sauce
Good Luck with the sauces and Cheers!
15 Wednesday Apr 2009
Posted in Food, Photos, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners
On 14 April, Robin and I went to The Buzz for their monthly wine tasting – Wines From Spain and Portugal for April. These are really fantastic tastings for an incredible price: $10.00 per person. Besides the wines – 7 of them tonight – Debbi Haydon creates some fantastic Appetizers and Tapas.
The ambiance of The Buzz is loose and informal – a real “coffee house” feel. Pictured here is the main counter. Just to the left and out of sight, is the tasting area, large enough for about 30 people. To the right is another smaller area that is also used for eating, drinking wine and relaxing.
And Robin always has a good time at these affairs. As a palate cleanser, we started with a 2006 Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut ($15.00) A good sparkling wine that cheered everyone up. Salute!
For starters, we had this delicious Portuguese Stone Soup. I have no idea where the name came from, but I didn’t find any stones. (I bet they cooked the soup with hot stones.) This soup is full of onion, sweet red peppers, leek, green beans, Chorizo, potatoes, carrot and red beans. This is a light soup that went very well with a 2007 Caves da Cerca Vino Verde ($10.00 and 9.5%) and a 2007 Coto de Hayas Campo de Borja Crianza ($12.00). These two wines were pretty good alone, but as most wines go, they were far better with the food. Both were clean and light on the nose and refreshing on the palate.
The “Star of the Tasting”, so far as the food went, was this plate. Shrimp Cocktail in Avocado Cream (awesome!!!), Potatoes, Beef, Pork, Bread with Black Olives and a pastry filled with mushrooms and vegetables. The wines were a 2006 Mad Dogs and Englishmen ($13.00, 13.5%) and a 2003 Emina, ($15.00, 13.5%). These two wines were the Show Stoppers for the evening. The paring with the Tapas platter was awesome.
(Sorry for the poor photo)
And finally, chocolate and fresh fruit! With these finishers, we just had to have a Quinta do Noval Tawny Port ($18.00, 19.5%) and a La Gitana Sherry ($12.00, 15.0%). (Now I know why my Dad loved Turtle Soup!) Both of these wines were Non Vintaged.
This was an awesome night, and we hope to attend more of these. If you go to their website, you can ask to be put on their mailing list to keep updated on the tastings. But, the events do fill quickly. Cheers and Happy Tastings!
14 Tuesday Apr 2009
Posted in Food Trivia, Thought For The Day
Here is the latest from Rudy’s – Cooks Paradise in Twin Falls, which, by the way, we will be going to Twin on Wednesday, “The Day of Reckoning”, 15 April!! If you need any thing from Rudy’s, let us know.
April 13, 1796: The first elephant to be brought to the U.S. arrived from Bengal, India. It was exhibited in New York, and its diet was described as: “thirty pounds of rice besides hay and straw…. all kinds of wine and spiritous liquors….and every kind of vegetable; it will also draw a cork from a bottle in its trunk.”
April 14, 1939: ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ by John Steinbeck was published.
April 15: National Glazed Ham Day
April 16, 1956: On the ‘I Love Lucy’ show, Lucy stomped grapes in Rome, and wrestled with another female grape stomper. An inspiration for future ‘food wrestling’ entrepreneurs. Actually, this is one of the funniest sitcom episodes ever made.
April 17, 1810: Lewis M. Norton of Troy, Pennsylvania was issued the first U.S. patent for pineapple cheese.
April 18: National Animal Crackers Day
April 19, 1995: The Supreme Court ruled that alcohol content could be listed on beer labels, overturning a 1935 law which had prohibited it.”
I don’t know where Rudy’s comes up with some of these, but some are quite funny! Cheers!
13 Monday Apr 2009
Posted in Classes, Food, Restaurants, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners
Last month, Robin and I just “happened” upon another good tasting – The Buzz Coffee and Cafe. It is located in the North corner of the Idaho Athletic Club on State Street at Lake Harbor. If you go to their web site, The Buzz Beans, you can follow their tasting schedule, read specific program posts, add your name to their E-Mail Newsletter or look at their blog – which needs help. Tasting listings are as follows:
April 14th: Buzz’s regional wine tasting dinner focuses on Spain and Portugal this month. Join us for an informal presentation on the culture, food and people of Spain and Portugal. Cristi and Deb will once again amaze your taste buds with wonderful treats native to both regions. And of course there will be FANTASTIC wines from these regions.
Reservations are required for our regional wine dinners and seating is limited so call or email now to reserve your spot at this event.
The Buzz Coffee and Cafe is a nice place to go for light snacks, coffee, wine, heavy snacks and meeting other people. Their tastings are extremely limited, so I would suggest that you sign-up early. Theri tasting/parings are very good – they know how to pare a wine with food, or pare food with wine. At any rate, try the business out. I think you will like it. Cheers!
12 Sunday Apr 2009
Posted in Celebrations, Dessert, Food, Wine Dinners
No, it was not a boxing match. It was fun and exciting. We do understand, but Mac was a little late. But we are glad he could make it. The dinner was awesome and met expectations. The Lamb was slooooow cooked, the Asparagus was adente and the Dried Corn was just what it should be. But the Dessert! What can I say. Robin did a superb job with her Raspberry, Angle Food Cake, Whipped Cream treat! Watch the slides and you’ll see it. A 2001 Hopler Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) went extremely well with Robin’s dessert. Buy a case of this wine and enjoy it for breakfast – it’s that fruity! And, Oh!, the wines!!! The 1988 Indian Creek Pinot Noir took the show!!! Great fruit forward and low tannins paired well with the lamb and asparagus. The 2007 Bedrock Winery Pinot Noir has got to cellar for a while. Right now, it is a hot wine and heavy in tannins. But even at that, it went well with the lamb and the asparagus. Let this one age and do buy some! Good job, Morgan!
Cheers! Enjoy Spring.
Boise Foodie Guild 