Quarterly Dinner at the Buzz

24 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Cabbage, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Salad, Seafood, Shrimp, Special Dinners, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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food, henkell trocken, sweet and sour cabbage soup

Ah! Another great Quarterly Dinner at the Buzz! Some really good wines and the dinner was a good surprise. Especially the Caribbean Grilled Shrimp Salad and the Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Praline Sauce. But then, the tarragon cream sauce with the roast beef was a hit too! Oh please! Stop! The memory! See what you missed? The photo here are two wines that were not on the list … They are extras. The Evolution was the better of the two, so far as I am concerned. Below are some photos of the dinner. Do enjoy. The wines that were saved are also listed along with a rating based on [20]. Cheers and please VOTE above. Thanks.

Garden Beignets with Crispy Greens

2011 Jean-Luc Columbo Viognier
13.0% alc. just did not stand up to the appetizers[17] $15.00

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup
(Awesome!)

2010 Tin Roof Merlot
13.5% alc. a great match with this soup. [18] $14.00
2009 Hugel Pinot Gris Classic
14.0% pinot gris goes with almost everything as did this one. [18] $20.00

Caribbean Grilled Shrimp Salad 2011 Martin Codax Alborino 12.5% alc. [16] $18.00

Caribbean Grilled Shrimp Salad
(Great salad!)

2011 Martin Codax Alborino
12.5% alc. [16] $18.00
2011 Eroica Reisling
11.0% alc. again. did not stand up to the shrimp [17] $23.00

Steak House Dinner and Q!uiona Salad 2009 Basil Cellars Claret 15.2% alc. great with the steak.[18] $18.00 2011 Bridlewood Cabernet5 Sauvignon 13.8% alc. not as good as the Basil Cellars with this entree. [17] $17.00

Steak House Dinner and Quiona Salad
(Awesome tarragon cream sauce.)

2009 Basil Cellars Claret
15.2% alc. great with the steak.[18] $18.00
2011 Bridlewood Cabernet Sauvignon
13.8% alc. not as good as the Basil Cellars with this entree. [17] $17.00

Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Praline Sauce
(Oh my!!)

NV Henkell Trocken
11.5% alc not bad with this dessert. [18] $15.00
1997 Blaufrankisch Strowein
11.5% alc. this took the “show”. awesome with the dessert [19] $20.00 (375ml bottle)

Williams-Sonoma Cooking Class – Pizza!

21 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Arugula, Baking, Boise Adventures, Cooking Classes, Cooking Programs, Cooking Styles, Food Prep, Italian Food, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Pizza, Prep Work, Special Events, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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anchovy pizza, bread flour, mario batali, pepper pizza, willams sonoma

A really good experience last night attending this class. Great conversations, comments and information. For instance, in Italian cooking, “In Italy, flour is classified either as 1, 0, or 00, and refers to how finely ground the flour is and how much of the bran and germ have been removed. Doppio zero is the most highly refined and is talcum-powder soft.” [ochef.com] The recipe that was used is from Molto Gusto by Mario Batali and Mark Ladner, and calls for “00” flour. Chad Poznick, resident Chef at this Willams-Sonoma store, said to replace it with bread flour. Just remember to sift it several times to get the same “softness” as 00 flour.
Here are some photos from the class. Enjoy and please VOTE above. Also, Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. Goot Essen!

Chad Poznick, resident Chef at the Boise Williams-Sonoma.

Chef Chad kneads the pizza dough.

The pizza toss. Nice job, Chef!

Prepping the Sausage and Pepper Pizza. Pair this with a great bottle of wine, say a Cold Springs (ID) Hot Red Red or a good Chianti.

Adding the cheese.

The finished product.

Prepping a Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza.

The finished product and ready to eat.

Anyone for a Potato, Anchovy and Ricotta Pizza? Pair this with a Caesar Salad and you’ve got a wonderful meal.

Yum!

Finish the meal with a wonderful Creme Fraiche Gelato. Double yum!

Finish the meal with a wonderful Crème Fraîche Gelato. Double yum!

A delightful evening and I expect to join in on more of these events. Loads of fun. Cheers!

Homemade Pasta. Yum!

14 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Classic Sauces, Eggs, Herbs and Spices, Homemade Pasta, Locavore, Main Dish, Pasta, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Salad, Seafood, Talapia, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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dinner, homemade pasta, talapia

Robin said that she wanted to make pasta sometime this week. So we bought the supplies, 2 dozen eggs and semolina flour. Combine that with talapia and look at our dinner tonight.

Lemon and Thyme Baked Talapia
Homemade Pasta with Fresh Peas
in
browned butter infused with fried fresh sage
Fresh Green Salad
2011 Dusted Valley (WA) Pinot Gris

A really yummy dinner! Left-Click the photo to see it enlarged and then grab a fork. Sorry, but there is no “Smell-A-Vision”. And please VOTE above. Thanks! Goot Essen.

Sumac Lamb Burgers

13 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Lamb, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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grilled lamb, juicy hamburger, lamb burgers, secret herbs

Lamb Burgers with Sumac Herbs Butter Lettuce Tomato and Avacado Served with a 2012 Rubiolo Gagliole Chianti Classico

Lamb Burgers
with
Sumac Herbs, Butter Lettuce, Tomato and Avacado Slices
Served with a 2012 Rubiolo Gagliole Chianti Classico

Robin said the other day that she was having a “Big Mac Attack”. She wanted a big, juicy hamburger. Big Mac is not it! Too greasy and too salty and cooked almost beyond recognition. Instead, today I grilled lamb burgers, on my new Father’s Day grilling pan, that were sumac herbed – sumac is a Mediterrean herb and mixed with “secret” herbs, it is yummy. The burger was delicious. And juicy. And different. The wine we had with it went perfectly. It was a Yum-O dinner! Please VOTE above. Thanks.

Australian Wines At “The Buzz”

12 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bakery, Captain's Shack, Dinner With Friends, Morels, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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cucumber soup, layer cake shiraz, morel mushrooms, pillar box, vanilla slice

Another great wine dinner at the Buzz in Boise on June 11. Cristi and Paul do such a great job in paring the wines and the food. And Cristi tries really hard to prepare appropriate foods for the dinner theme. Great job!! This month the wines were from Australia and there were some really good ones and food of a different nature. Cristi will probably post some of the recipes on the Buzz blog. Please write down and reserve Saturday, June 15, 6:00pm – 8:00pm for the Buzz. It’s their Concert Jam Night which is awesome. If you play an instrument, bring it and join in with these super artists! They just love it when you join in. Enjoy these photos of the night. Cheers!

Morel Mushrooms in Dry Sherry and Leek Fondue
with
Acme Bakery Ciabatta

Robin and I always enjoy making these. This was a surprise appetizer that we took to the dinner. (Morel Recipe Here).

Quiche with Marmite Dgwood Dogs Zuchinni Bites 2008 Box Head White 12.5% alc. not a bad wine and went fairly well with this appetizer. A little light. [17] $15.00

Quiche with Marmite
Dogwood Dogs
Zuchinni Bites
2008 Box Head White
12.5% alc. not a bad wine and went fairly well with this appetizer. A little light. [17] $15.00

Chilled Cucumber Soup 2011 Morse Code Chardonnay 12.0% alc. really a super wine with this soup. great body, taste and finish. [19] $13.00

Chilled Cucumber Soup
(I liked this soup!)
2011 Morse Code Chardonnay
12.0% alc. really a super wine with this soup. great body, taste and finish. [19] $13.00

Roasted Beet and Mango Salad
2010 Pillar Box Red
14.5% alc. great taste and finish. a little light on the nose. [18] $15.00

Meat Pies with Ginger Beans
2011 Mollydooker Cabernet Sauvignon
15.0% alc. a super good wine. great body, taste and finish. light on the aroma. [19] $27.00

Pavlola and Vanilla Slice 2011 Layer Cake Shiraz 14.5% alc. a little heavy for this dessert, but a very good wine, nonetheless. [18] $18.00

Pavlova and Vanilla Slice
2011 Layer Cake Shiraz
14.5% alc. a little heavy for this dessert, but a very good wine, nonetheless. [18] $18.00

And it really was a good dinner. If you missed it, maybe we will see you next month or at the Concert Jam on June 15 or the Buzz Quarterly Dinner on Sunday June 23 (Reservations required for this dinner. See the sidebar.) Cheers!!!

Koenig Vineyards and Cottonwood Grille

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Cottonwood Grille, Koenig Vineyards, Main Dish, Merlot, Mushrooms, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Salads, Salmon, Special Dinners, Syrah, Viognier, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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apple brandy, cottonwood grille, puff pastry, wild mushrooms

On Monday, June 10, we attended a wine dinner at the Cottonwood Grille featuring the wines of Idaho’s Koenig Vineyards. Chef Jesus did a good job with the paring of the food with the wines. My only comment about the food is it tended to be salty. Maybe I am becoming very aware of the salt amounts in cooking. Nonetheless, some of the entrees were salty. The dinner was well attended and it was interesting to talk to the people at our table. The photo to the left is the menu along with a glass of 2011 Koenig VineyardsMerlot. Below are some other photos from the evening. Do enjoy the presentations and please VOTE. Left-Click any photo to see enlarged. Thanks!

Chef Jesus of the Cottonwood Grille, Boise

Winemaker Greg Koenig and his wife Kristen.

Wild Mushrooms in Puff Pastry 2012 Koenig Vineyards Rose

Wild Mushrooms in Puff Pastry
2011 Koenig Vineyards Merlot
This dish was very good, but salty. The merlot probably would have been better with the sauce had the entree not been so salty.

Fresh Mixed Greens with Figs and Berries
2012 Koenig Vineyards Rose
A good and refreshing salad. Well paired with the wine.

Fresh Sockeye Salmon with a Lemon Beurre Blanc
2011 Koenig Vineyards Viognier
One of the better wines of the night. Went extremely well with the salmon. One of Idaho’s favorite wines.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Brandy Cream Sauce
2010 Koenig Vineyards Syrah
The Syrah was a good paring – or would have been. This entree was way to salty and both Robin and I could not finish the dish because of the extreme saltiness. Too bad.

Peach Cobbler 2011 Riesling Ice Wine

Sorry to have to pan this dinner, but we have had much better dinners at the Cottonwood Grille. This just did not measure up to their standards because of the over use of salt in the dishes. A little salt will enhance the dish and should not overpower it. If I did not know better and know the quality of their dinners, I would not return. And that’s too bad, because the wines were overall very good.

William Sonoma Grilling Seminar

09 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in BBQ Class, Classes, Classics, Cooking Programs, Cooking Styles, Food Prep, Grilling, Photos By: Bob Young, Seafood, Special Events, What's For Dinner?

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cooking, cooking shrimp, food, himalayan salt, salt block

A good seminar tonight. Next time I’ll remember (1) To take my other camera, and (2) Bring my notes home with me!!! Duh! Overall, a good evening and very well attended. I’m glad I went a little early. Food was good of which I liked the shrimp the least – way to salty for me; It was cooked on a Himalayan salt block. The pulled pork was good, but the pork tenderloin was the best. I will get another copy of the recipes tomorrow and post them. But for now, here are some photos from tonight. I did sign-up as an alternate, for their late June 2 hour seminar. Enjoy these photos.

Chef Chad roasts spices.

Searing the pork loin.

Pulled Pork

Cooking shrimp on a salt block. Personally, I think it is way too much salt.

Shrimp plated.

Pork Loin. I’ll post the recipe for the sauce tomorrow.

Comfort Food Dinner

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Apple, Cabbage, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Comfort Food, Main Dish, Mustard, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Salad, Traditional Food, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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c mayonnaise, cabbage, Canoe Ridge Winery, corn on the cob, dijon mustard, dinner

Oh yes! Push the season! Fried Chicken, Corn on the Cob and our own Slaw. It was a yummy dinner, even if the slaw had apples in it. Not high on my Enjoyed That Salad list when it has apples in it! But this one was good. I’ll make it again. Must have been the dressing. 1 c Mayonnaise, 4 T Dijon mustard and 1 T Celery Seed. Blend all together and pour on the slaw. Mix, chill and eat. Slaw is 1/2 head medium Red Cabbage, 1/2 Head medium Regular Cabbage, 4 or 5 Carrots and 1 Pink Lady Apple. Run through the grater on the blender. Mix with dressing. That’s it. Quick and easy! Serve with a 2011 Canoe Ridge Expedition Chardonnay and you are set for a relaxing, start of the summer meal. Grab a fork and Left-Click to see this dinner enlarged. Cheers and please VOTE above. Thanks!

Breakfast at the “Triangle Inn” in Sweet, Idaho

02 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Basque Food, Breakfast, Dinner With Friends, Friends, Idaho, Main Dish, Mexican Food, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Special Events, Sweet Idaho, the Triangle, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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breakfast, coconut and banana, rambling roses, restaurants, sky clouds

78 degrees! Light, puffy, Big Sky clouds. Light winds. Great company! We met Barb and Terry Knivila at the Triangle Inn in Sweet, Idaho. (Just go there and smell the sweetness of the wild Rambling Roses.) A fun place to visit and to have a meal. We had a great breakfast as pictured below. Friendly people; all had smiles! And they came to our table and talked to us. A good experience. And the food was good, too. From Boise, take Hiway 55 to Horseshow Bend and the Hiway 52 to Emnmett. The Triangle Inn is at the Sweet/Ola intersection. Just look at what we had and please VOTE above. Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. Thanks and Cheers!

Breakfast Burrito

Basque Omelet

And they make an awesome Pineapple, Coconut and Banana Jelly along with a super good Buttermilk Syrup that goes well with pancakes and on the Homefries!