Author Archives: Bob and Robin

Where Does That Steak Come From On The Beef?

26 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in Cuts of Beef, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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I came across this graphic while in Albertson’s Grocery Store. And I know that many people want to know what part of the beef they are eating. Here is a pretty good graphic produced by Raymond Vineyards, 849 Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena, CA 94574. You will also find their suggestion for which wine to serve with what cut of beef. And you ask, “Why beef descriptions from a winery?” Here is directly from their web site. Although now, not beef, but other livestock. “Sheep, goats and chickens now make their home in our Theater of Nature and provide some of the compost that nourishes our vineyard.” Enjoy! Left-Click the graphic for a larger view.

Braised Pork with Cream Mustard Sauce

25 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, What's For Dinner?

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Braised Center-Cut Pork Chop
with
Cream Mustard Sauce
Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Green Salad with Carrot Strips
Baked Sweet Potato
(not pictured)
2006 Parma Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel

This was a really good dinner. Easy to prepare. Enjoy!

TBA For When?

24 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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Most people, if they are extremely lucky, will have 3 TBA’s (Trockenbeeren Auslese) in their lifetime. This will be my 6th! This is an Austrian wine. A rich gold color and awesome! Each grape is picked by hand and each grape has sugar concentrated in it. This particular wine has an alcohol level of 10.0%. Question is – When will be a good time to open this?

Greek Tilapia

24 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Ethnic Foods, Greek Food, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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You see? We eat other seafood than salmon. Here is a good recipe for tilapia done in a little different way. Our menu for tonight?

Greek Tilapia
(See recipe)
Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves
Greek Green Beans
2008 Vale Wine Co. Merlot


Greek Tilapia Recipe

While on a trip through the Greek islands, my husband and I had a dish that we loved. I tried to duplicate it by combining several different recipes and came up with this. —Sally Burrell, Idaho Falls, Idaho

Ingredients:
6 tilapia fillets (4 ounces each)
4 teaspoons butter
1 egg
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled tomato and basil feta cheese
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped ripe olives
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
In a large skillet, brown fish in butter in batches. Transfer to a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine the egg, cheese, milk and cayenne; spoon over fish. Sprinkle with tomato, olives and pine nuts. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
In a small bowl, combine the parsley, lemon juice and pepper; drizzle over fish.

Yield: 6 servings.

I reduced the recipe to feed just Robin and I and it turned out just fine. You can see the plated dinner in the photo above. Enjoy!

Margaret’s Irish Soda Bread

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Bread, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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Great to have these small cooking/baking classes for those interested. This one was particularly nice because Margaret requested it. Well ……. Sort of! Fun to make this Irish Soda Bread – it only has 3 ingredients in it – and quick. Total time about an hour. And look at what she made. (Do I hear applause for her?) Left-Click for a larger view of the photos.

But before baking this morning, we had to have some dinner last night. How about

Broiled Talapia
with
Fresh Made Tartar Sauce

Braised Asparagus and Mushrooms
with
Montmorency Cherry Sauce

Wow! This was super! And serve it all with a 2010 Indian Creek Winery Mountain Syringa and you have an awesome and delicious dinner!

Now …… Back to baking!

Margaret. Ready to learn how to make the Irish Soda Bread. She did a great job!

Look at what she made! So easy and so good. Great Job Margaret!

But wait! Here are two loaves. We’ll make one additional loaf at no additional cost! Sucha deal. Spread a little butter on and maybe some honey. Oh my!

Backyard Chicken Farmers Event!

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Backyard Garden, Chicken, Special Events, Special Information

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I received this information from Gretchen Anderson (thebycf@gmail.com) and thought I would pass it on. For you Backyard Chickeners, this might be an ideal event. You grow the chickens … we will buy the eggs. Left-Click the graphic to see a larger view. Contact Gretchen directly via email for more information. It should be a fun time!

April Schedule at the Buzz

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young

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Because of the “non-static” nature of information from the Buzz, I am going to post their articles on this main page. I think it works better. With that in mind and since it is snowing outside and the Irish Soda Bread class that we held is over, here is the latest from Cristi and Tommy at the Buzz. Cheers!

Greetings!
As the first day of spring has arrived with blowing snow covering the budding trees, we at Buzz are getting ready for our spring, which is full of events and fun. Hopefully, you will be able to join us during these activities.

Up and Coming Events –

April Fool’s Day Dinner
On April 1st at 6:30 PM Buzz Coffee and Wine will host our April Fool’s Day Dinner, no joke. We will feature a five course meal with each course being paired with two different wines, we will then discuss which wine pairs better with the food. This is a Quarterly Event hosted by the Buzz. Reservations are required, space fills quickly so be sure and call early for your reservations. The cost is $30 per person and reservations can be made at (208) 344-4321 or buzzwine@cableone.net.

Upcoming Music
3/23 Blaze and Kelly
3/24 Sandy Sanford
3/30 Johnny Shoes
4/6 Gayle Chapman
4/7 Lee Penn Sky

Music starts at 7 PM and ends at 9 PM with wine tasting starting at 6 PM. As always we will feature a dinner special each night along with the wine tasting and music. 


April Wine Club
The wine club dinners continue to focus on wine and media. For April our focus will be social media and wine. The wine club dinners will be April 10 and 11 at 6:30 PM. Please make reservations early as spaces fill up quickly. Hope to see you there.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for your business along with our hope to see you soon. If you have any catering needs this spring do not hesitate to call or email and let us be part of your festivities throughout the season. We will be hosting our annual Mother’s Day Brunch on May 13 so watch for more information to be coming. Also, don’t forget we carry a complete line of take and bake meals, the menu is posted on our facebook page so give us a call so we can have your take and bake meal ready and waiting for you. Free delivery on any order in Boise over $50 or Caldwell and Nampa over $75.00. (24 hour notice requested). Thanks again.

Sincerely,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzzwine@cableone.net or (208) 344-4321

Original White or Dark Irish Soda Bread

18 Sunday Mar 2012

Posted by in Bread, Irish Soda Bread, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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Well … It was a super St Patrick’s Day dinner! There were 20+ people there and everyone pitched in to help either by preparing something, or setting the table or prepping. It was great. Thank-You Leanne and Tom!
The photo to the left is a White Irish Soda Bread that I made. (The link takes you to the recipe) This comes from an original recipe from the Preservation of the Irish Soda Bread web site. (There is also an article of the Irish soda bread below.)





I had to make two loaves, and I am glad I did. I made one as a White Soda Bread, above. Here is the Dark Soda Bread, to the back of the pan, and the White Soda Bread to the front of the pan. The only difference between the two are the ingredients. Both are mixed and baked off precisely the same way. I have them both in the same recipe as listed above. These are really very easy and quick to make. Do try them and let us know what you think. Cheers!

Copper River Salmon Dinner

17 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Salmon, Tomatoes, What's For Dinner?

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Rain. Rain. More rain. Rivers flooding. Snow melt in the mountains is causing roadway flooding. Some homes flooded in Weiser. And what is it doing now? Rain!
So there has to be a bright point in the day. Try this ….. (Left-Click to see a larger view!)

Broiled Copper River Salmon
Baked Red Potatoes
Fresh Green Salad

That was a super dinner. Brush the salmon lightly, after drying it off, with a little salt and pepper and then some lemon curd. Rub the potatoes in bacon drippings before baking. Mix the salad greens with tomato, onion, almond slivers, bacon bits and the dressing of your choice. Top this all of with a 2009 Indian Creek Pinot Noir (13.5% alc – another great Idaho wine) and you have an awesome dinner. Quick and easy to do! Enjoy.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread ….. The debate Continues!

15 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in Bread, Ethnic Foods, Food Prep, Food Trivia, Irish Soda Bread, Party Time

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So it looks like the debate continues about Irish Soda Bread. Actually, I really don’t know that you can call it a debate. Maybe a “misunderstanding” about what “real” Irish Soda Bread is. Maybe from the Irish Soda Bread Web Site we can get some information. Here is some information that may help.

The Un-Bread
If your “soda bread” has raisins, it’s not “soda bread! It’s called “Spotted Dog” or “Railway Cake”! If it contains raisins, eggs, baking powder, sugar or shortening, it’s called “cake”, not “bread.” All are tasty, but not traditional Irish Soda Bread!

Traditional Irish Soda Bread
If one searches the internet using the term “Traditional Irish Soda Bread” about 63,500 sites are listed. 98% of them aren’t even close to being traditional. Google “Irish Soda Bread” and you will find 126,000 sites.

Would “French Bread” (15th century) still be “French Bread” if whiskey, raisins, or other random ingredients were added to the mix? Would Jewish Matzo (unleavened bread) used to remember the passage of the Israelites out of Egypt still be Matzo if we add raisins, butter, sugar, eggs, and even orange zest? So why is traditional “Irish Soda Bread” (19th century) turned into a dessert and labeled “Traditional Irish Soda Bread?” OK, maybe you don’t like the analogy, but you get the point!

So there’s a start on the debate, or maybe the finish. Have a good glass of Belhaven Ale or a Guinness Stout and look at the web site for more detailed information and maybe even a recipe or two. Be sure to look at the White Soda Bread Recipe that is on the site.

But for the time being, the Traditional Irish Soda Bread has “… wheat flour, white flour (do not use self-rising as it already contains baking powder and salt), buttermilk (pour in a bit at a time until the dough is moist), salt, bicarbonate of soda and butter if you want to deviate a bit … The best flour to use is “soft wheat” which is called “pastry flour” or “cake flour” today in the US. If you want to try using Irish flour, may I suggest Odlums.” (www.sodabread.info) Enjoy and thanks Joe Levitch for the reference to this site!!!