Monthly Archives: December 2009

Snowy Weather Breakfast – Scrapple and Eggs!

13 Sunday Dec 2009

Posted by in Food, Food Prep, Main Dish, Side Dishes, Things To Do

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There comes a time in the life of everyone, when you absolutely must eat something that may not be particularly beneficial to your health. Scrapple and Eggs on a cold, snowy Sunday morning fits that equation. Here are some photos for a “virtual” breakfast. Cheers!

Start by slicing and frying the scrapple. If you’re lucky, it won’t fall apart. Mine did!
Scramble some eggs in the pan, picking up all of the “broken” scrapple. Serve plain, with maple syrup (the Philadelphia way) or with ketchup.

So there you have a real traditional Philadelphia, PA area breakfast or even on a sandwich. You can get scrapple by ordering over the Internet. We do. Cheers!

Reply From "Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone"

13 Sunday Dec 2009

Posted by in What's For Dinner?

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From Sue Zimmerman:

In response to the comment about very little meat & alot of bone, the following day I was informed by the server that that particular customer was unhappy w/their curried goat meal. I spoke w/my chef who prepared that dish & he indicated that there were 3 large chunks of meat, as well as bones & sauce & meat on that dish. The goat that we use is baby goat (under 6 mos. of age) & the meat is very tender, that’s the good part. Unfortunately, because of the tenderness of the meat, the meat has a tendency to fall off the bone & disintegrate into the sauce when it’s kept warm for any length of time in the steam table. This is currently a problem as we are not “busy enough” to sell out of the goat on a daily basis. I have spoken w/the chefs in regard to this problem & from this point forward, until business picks up, we will prepare the goat to order.

In response to the “alot of bones” comment, again this is because the meat has a tendency to fall off the bone, & the goat is cut into small chunks. Here at Sweetwater’s we prepare our meals as “authentic” as possible; the Trinidadian curried goat is always prepared with bones (as in Trinidad & other Caribbean islands), which is not only authentic, but lends a tremendous amount of flavor to the dish. There will be bones in the curry, no doubt, but there should be more meat than bone, & the customer should never leave feeling unsatisfied.

Without having served the curried goat myself, I will give the customer the benefit of doubt when they say that there was very little meat in their meal. I only wish they had commented to this fact before they had finished their lunch so we could have remedied the situation. Sweetwater’s & our chefs take pride in the food we prepare & serve; we appreciate any & all feedback our customers have, whether it be positive or negative. While it’s always nice to recieve praise, comments to the contrary allow us to delve into any issues customers may have with the food, service, or otherwise (& of course, correct these issues whenever possible).

I hope this answers any questions you may have about their unfortunate experience at Sweetwater’s on Thursday. We are not perfect, but strive to be! Thanks for the commentary!

Have a nice snowy weekend!

Sue

Hope this helps to clear up a misunderstanding. Cheers!

An Awesome Dinner

13 Sunday Dec 2009

Posted by in Food, Food Prep, Oils, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do

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Well, if nothing else, the snow makes for a nice photographic tapestry. Snow has stopped for a while and the temperature is rising. It’s up to 22 now. But that will be about it for a “high”. So, guess we’ll make dinner. And it really was a goooood one!

The Menu (L-R)
Braised Lamp Chops with Juniper Berry Reduction

Carrot Salad with Italian Truffle Oil Dressing

Steamed Tarragon Infused Cauliflower

Jansson’s Temptation

2004 Bitner Vineyards Reserve Idaho Cabernet Sauvignon.

The recipe for the Jansson’s Temptation (actually much like escalloped potatoes but with no cheese) can be found on this blog. And I like these much better than the traditional escalloped potatoes – better flavors! So that’s what Robin and I do on a cold, snowy night. What do you do? Cheers!

Jansson’s Temptation – Potatoes

12 Saturday Dec 2009

Posted by in Food Prep, Food Trivia, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young

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OK, so maybe with the weather being lousy, I have to find something interesting to do. Robin found a good Sweedish recipe for Gravlax, but she also tripped over this recipe for potatoes – Jansson’s Temptation. This really looks good and I will make it for dinner tonight to go with the lamb. Here is a link for more Sweedis Recipes.

Jansson’s Temptation

Jansson’s is a grown up Potato Dauphinois and is served as a stand alone dish. A must at Christmas and for those midnight feasts served at really good, fun and late parties, where you need more sustenance to go on dancing. An icy cold beer and maybe a little snaps goes well with Jansson.

Ingredients:
2 large onions
7 anchovy fillets (n.b Swedish anchovy)
7 large potatoes (Desirée or King Edward)
5 oz double cream
3 oz milk (3% fat)
2 oz butter
2 T natural breadcrumbs

Directions:
Pre-Heat oven to 400°F

Peel the potatoes and julienne. Peel and slice the onions thinly and soften in butter in a frying pan, until golden brown.

Butter an oven-proof dish. Layer the sliced potatoes, onion and anchovy fillets. Start and finish with the sliced potatoes. Pour over some of the anchovy brine and cover with the cream/milk liquid.

Bake in a 400°F for approx 30 min. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and shave some butter on top of the dish. Cook for another 20 min, until the potatoes are tender and the surface is nicely browned

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So, give it a try. It really sounds good, especially with the addition of the anchovy. Cheers!

Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

12 Saturday Dec 2009

Posted by in Dessert, Food, Food Prep, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young

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I just made some. They are really very, very good! But, you have to like peanut butter! Jerri, The Pie Lady, you will like these and Merideth and Roger, too!

Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe created by Carolyn Gurtz, winner of the 2008 Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest

It’s a twist on the classic peanut butter cookie! Crunchy outside, creamy inside, with just a hint of cinnamon. A real winner.

Yield: 24 cookies
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Fisher dry-roasted peanuts , finely chopped
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup JIF creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 roll (16.5 ounces) Pillsbury refrigerated peanut butter cookies , well chilled
Crisco original no-stick cooking spray

Directions:
Heat oven to 375°.
In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 balls, about 1 inch each.

Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.

Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with Crisco original no-stick cooking spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.

Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

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When I made these, I also added 1 roasted almond to the top. A chocolate chip would be good also. (Chocolate is great in almost anything!) Do enjoy these. Cheers!

la porte brune

12 Saturday Dec 2009

Posted by in Classics, Interesting Information, Things To Do, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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Guess what? Andrae is back in business!! No, not in Boise, but in Walla Walla. Look at this –

La Porte Brune, has come forth from passion, not from obsession. In a day when the culinary unenlightened are herding to troughs of food at chains and uninspired local restaurants in a fervor for quantity over quality, La Porte Brune wants to reset the “American Way” by bringing the art of dining back to the culinary enlightened.

In a world of frozen, pre-cooked, pre-portioned and an“ I don’t care where my meal comes from as long as it is big and cheap”, we intend to slow it down a little. Food truly “farm to table”, simple in approach, refined in flavor and with every plate prepared with a passion for the ingredient rather then the almighty dollar.

If this is describes your perfect meal well then, you have stepped through the right door.

These meals will be presented in a tasting format, with us suggesting the wine pairing and you bringing your favorite bottle. They will move from location to location, never stopping at the same place twice. You will sit at communal tables and share your experiences with friends and strangers alike, all coming together over the perfect union of food and wine.

Those brave souls on the list will receive an e-mail detailing the night’s events. You will be given the address a few nights prior to the event, not before. Prepayment in cash when you arrive is required with a cash tip left on the table for the staff. No bill will be presented.

so, what do you think? tell us your thoughts, suggestions, concerns. whatever you would like to share about the ethos of la porte brune, we want to hear. leave your comments below. thanks!

Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 6:30pm at a soon to be disclosed location La Porte Brune’s 1st underground dinner will happen. It will be a 5 course dinner all paired with wines of the world. 20 seats available for the first dinner and they will be first come first served. The menu will be posted in the next few weeks with the wine pairings. After payment is confirmed you will be notified the day before as to the location in Walla Walla. Tell your friends and be one of the first to come through the door of culinary enlightenment!

The prices are (hold on!):
1 person – $85.00
2 people – $170.00
3 people – $255.00
4 people – $340.00
5 people – $425.00
6 people – $510.00
Knowing Chef Andrae Bopp, this will be an unforgettable meal!! Worth every succulent dollar! or bite! And just think … You bring your own bottle of wine to share with everyone! What fun! Great for a 70th birthday. Yea – Right! Cheers!!

Idaho Statesman Restaurant Review

11 Friday Dec 2009

Posted by in Food, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants

≈ 3 Comments


I recently read Greg Hahn’s restaurant review, Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone eclipses tropical tiki fare in the Idaho Statesman, and like some other commentors, I really must take exception to the article. I totally agree with Michael Boss, Behind The Menu, where he states

I’ve been to Sweetwater’s a number of times now, and I do have to take exception with Greg’s observation that the menu prices are on the high side for lunch. Let’s be clear: this is not a local burger joint. Having done some interviews with Sue and Joe for Behind the Menu, I have to agree that they’re raising the bar on product sourcing…and let’s face it, you gets what you pays for.

Interesting. That’s the second time this week that I have heard people being told that if you want fast food, go to McDonalds or Burger King. (Don’t get me wrong, both of those establishments have their place.)

And from DDTDaughter, another commentor on the article:

Sweetwater’s quality, taste and portions more than make up for the comment “relatively expensive for Boise”. Plus the fact that they are using local, humanely grown and sustainable ingredients from meat to eggs and they have the freshest American caught seafood and offer exceptional vegetarian dishes on their menu, goes to show they care. Not a fast food chain, where you pay a lot more for unhealthy menu items.

I have a difficult time rationalizing why a reviewer would pan a restaurant for charging high prices when the critic, Greg Hahn this time, makes statements like,

The “tropical” restaurant – heavy on Caribbean with some south Asian flair and a few detours around the equator – replaced Milky Way Downtown and arrived with a pedigree: owners Sue and Joe Zimmerman ran the Sweetwater Jam House in Portland for almost nine years. And you can tell – the food and the feel of the place already is sophisticated and cohesive.

Sorry, but I just don’t agree with Mr Hahn on his criticism where he states, “… And as you maybe have figured out from the prices I’ve listed, Sweetwater’s is a relatively expensive restaurant for Boise, and that’s even more pronounced at lunch.” We have eaten at Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone three times now and we will return. The quality, style and flavors are what I go to a restaurant for and Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone definitely comes through and shines. I don’t mind paying a little more for quality and it’s the quality that counts. Did you ever eat at Andrae’s here in Boise before it left after many years and spend $500.00 for a dinner for 5? I think that Mr Hahn misleads the reader and the public in his article. Please do read it as linked above. That’s my “Two Cents”. Cheers!

"The Buzz" – Italian Wines, Part II

09 Wednesday Dec 2009

Posted by in Food, Things To Do, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners, Wine Tasting

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All I can say, if you have never been to one of these Wine Dinners, you are missing a huge part of the wine experience in Idaho!! The wines we tried, from lowest ranked to highest (0-20), were:

Zonin Insolia (13)
Fratelli Montepulciano d’Abruzzio (16)
Sella and Mosca Vermentino (18)
Il Trullo Primitivo (18)
Moscato d’Asti (18)
Zonin Iperion (19)
Taurino Salice Salentino (20)

The dinner selections, and Debbie did another outstanding job with finding, preparing and then matching the courses, were:

This was an exciting evening and I really do hope that you plan to attend the next dinners. At $15.00 per person – yes the prices are going up in January – you can’t beat this Night Out! Contact “The Buzz” for more information. Look in the Sidebar for their logo and click for more information. Cheers!

Scrapple

09 Wednesday Dec 2009

Posted by in Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes, Things To Do

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No, this entry has nothing to do with Habbersett or Rapa Brand Scrapple. It has to do with a recipe for the delicious and enduring breakfast or sandwich treat. A treat that we can not get in Idaho, we have to import from Philadelphia or the immediate Philadelphia area. IO grew up with this for breakfast with scrambled eggs. I like it thin sliced and fried to a golden brown. In Philadelphia, you will get it thick sliced and as a sandwich. Anyway, here is a recipe on how to make this. Remember – It is using all the left-over parts of the hog after slaughtering. The key words are: all the left-over parts.

Scrapple

Source:
Author: Bob and Robin Young
Source: http://www.boisefoodieguild.blogspot.com
Web Page: http://www.rockinrs.com

Author Notes: This is an old recipe from Barbara Packham Nolan. There is no date on the recipe that is written on an old shirt cardboard form.

Yield: 10 pounds

Ingredients:
8 lbs Pork, ground. It can be scraps or sausage
6 lbs Stock, beef preferred
2 lbs Cereal, cornmeal or buckwheat flour
Wheat germ
1 crushed Bay leaf
1 T Sage, dried
2 T Salt
1 T Marjoram, dried
2 T Pepper
½ T Nutmeg
1 t Red Pepper flakes
2 t Onion powder

Directions:
1). Combine the first five ingredients in a large pot. Boil for about 30 minutes stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Cook until a thick gruel is formed.
2). Add the remaining ingredients and continue to cook until thickened. Remove the Bay Leaf.
3). Place in long loaf pans and chill overnight.
4). To serve: Slice off pieces and fry in oil until golden brown on both sides. Usually swerved with eggs.

Cooking Times:
Preparation Time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Inactive Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 9 hours and 45 minutes

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So there you have it. Cheers!

Rudy’s – A Cooks Paradise

07 Monday Dec 2009

Posted by in Food Trivia, Rudy's Twin Falls, Thought For The Day, Trivia

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Here we have some more information from Rudy’s – A Cooks Paradise in Twin Falls.

GET INVOLVED!
Give us your two-cents on a product you like!

If we pick YOUR idea as a “Rudy’s Pick”, you’ll get a 10% discount AND you and your pick will be featured in the newsletter!


Click to Send Susan YOUR idea for a favorite “Rudy’s Pick”

And too, let’s not forget the Food Trivia for the week!

This Week in the History of Food & Drink:

December 8, 1896: J.T. White was issued a patent for an improved lemon squeezer.
December 9, 1927: ‘Struttin’ With Some Barbecue’ was recorded by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five.
December 10: National Lager Day
December 11, 1686: Prince Louis II de Condé, known as the Great Condé, died. He was a French general who loved to hunt and had a passion for rice. Several dishes have been named for him, including Consommé Condé and Creme Condé.
December 12, 1967: The movie ‘Guess who’s Coming to Dinner’ premiered.
December 13: National Cocoa Day
December 14, 1503: Nostradamus was born. He is best known as an astrologer. However, he also published a cookbook in French titled, An Excellent and Most Useful Little Work Essential to All Who Wish to Become Acquainted with Some Exquisite Recipes.