12 Saturday Sep 2020
This is by far one of the best CS Brisket that I have made in a long time. Perfect smoke ring and awesome flavors using the rub that is included in the recipe. I love it in sandwiches – pictured here – or just to “nibble” on. It takes some time, but is well worth itt. Just remember to use a very sharp knife to slice it thin, almost shaved. Give it a try.
13 Monday Apr 2020
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Here is a great tip for storing potatoes from myrecipes.com. This is some really good information. Enjoy!
How Do You Know When a Potato Is Past Its Prime?
Good potatoes are firm, smooth, and sprout-free.
You can tell a potato is spoiled when it is:
Soft
Discolored
Decayed
Growing mold
Sprouts, or “eyes,” are an indication that your potato is reaching the end of its life. However, they’re not harmful and can be simply removed before cooking. As long as the potato looks, smells, and feels right, sprouts are no biggie.How to Store Potatoes
1. Keep them in a cool place…
Raw potatoes will thrive in a cool, dark place. The ideal temperature range is 43-50°, which is slightly above refrigerator temp. During cooler months, storing potatoes in an unheated basement or an insulated shed is a great idea. It’s a bit tougher to store potatoes in the summertime, but use your common sense—instead of putting them next to a window, keep them in the area of your house that stays the coolest.
2. …but not the fridge.
Raw potatoes like to be cool, but not cold. Very low temperatures can actually change the flavor of your spuds and make them dangerous. This “cold-induced sweetening” happens when the starch is converted to reducing sugars, which can form cancer-causing substances when cooked.
3. Avoid areas with lots of light.
Exposure to light can cause your potatoes to produce chlorophyll and turn prematurely green.
While this color change is usually harmless, excessive sunlight can also cause potatoes to produce a toxic chemical called solanine. Ingesting solanine in high amounts can cause unpleasant side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
4. Don’t wash them before you put them away.
Step away from the sink! It’s best to keep potatoes as dry as possible if you’re trying to make them last. Moisture promotes the growth of fungus and bacteria—so wait to wash them until right before you use them.
5. Let them breathe.
Prevent moisture accumulation by allowing your potatoes plenty of airflow. If you store them in a tightly sealed container (like a ziploc bag), the moisture released by the potatoes will have nowhere to go. Your best bet is an open bowl or paper bag.Bonus tip: Don’t store your potatoes with your onions! The chemical reaction will actually cause both to spoil faster. Crazy right?
15 Tuesday Oct 2019
Posted in 5-Stars, Beef, Boise Farmers Market, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Classic Cuisines, Classic Sauces, Egg Noodles, Ethnic Foods, Food - Russian, Food - Slavic, Heirloom Carrots, Herbs and Spices, History of Food, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Beef, Local Farmers Markets, Mushrooms, Onion, Petit Syrah, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Dinner, Recipes - Russian, Recipes - Sauces, Russian Food - Stroganoff, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food
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Not long ago, we made a Mahogany Beef Stroganoff and it was surprisingly good. Even with some totally different ingredients. Hoisin Sauce for one. But there were two questions: (1) What makes it mahogany? and (2) Is it Russian or Italian or French? Well, the answer to the first question is sort of easy. The mahogany color comes from the addition of the Hoisin Sauce, a Chinese BBQ sauce. Question #2. The short answer is “Yes”. Wikipedia says,
The dish is named after one of the members of the influential Stroganov family. Elena Molokhovets’s classic Russian cookbook “A Gift to Young Housewives” gives the first known recipe for Govjadina po-strogonovski, s gorchitseju, “Beef à la Stroganov, with mustard” [typically French], in its 1871 edition. The recipe involves lightly floured beef cubes (not strips) sautéed, sauced with prepared mustard and broth, and finished with a small amount of sour cream: no onions, no mushrooms and no alcohol. A competition purported to have taken place in 1890 is sometimes mentioned in the dish’s history, but both the recipe and the name existed before then. Another recipe, this one from 1909, adds onions and tomato sauce, and serves it with crisp potato straws, which are considered the traditional side dish for beef Stroganoff in Russia. The version given in the 1938 “Larousse Gastronomique” includes beef strips, and onions, with either mustard or tomato paste optional.
Sautéing of beef StroganoffMahogany Beef Stroganoff
After the fall of Tsarist Russia, the recipe was popularly served in the hotels and restaurants of China before the start of World War II. Russian and Chinese immigrants, as well as US servicemen stationed in pre-Communist China, brought several variants of the dish to the United States, which may account for its popularity during the 1950s. It came to Hong Kong in the late fifties, with Russian restaurants and hotels serving the dish with rice but not sour cream.
And from Cooksinfo, we learn,
There are at least two popular theories about how Beef Stroganoff originated.
One is that it was created in 1891 in St. Petersburg, Russia, by Charles Brière, a cook who worked for Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov. Brière reputedly submitted the recipe in that year to “l’Art Culinaire” (presumably the magazine whose full name was “La Revue de l’Art Culinaire”.) This is the version proposed in the 2001 version of the English language “Larousse Gastronomique”. If this is so, it would seem to be just about Brière’s only claim to fame. His recipe called for shallots (now onions are used.)
The second is that it was created by an unknown cook for Count Grigory Stroganov (1770-1857), because the Count had lost his teeth and couldn’t chew meat. Beef Stroganoff, though, is probably just a more refined version of similar, pre-existing recipes…The last prominent scion of the dynasty, Count Pavel Stroganoff, was a celebrity in turn-of-the-century St. Petersburg, a dignitary at the court of Alexander III, a member of the Imperial Academy of Arts, and a gourmet. It is doubtful that Beef Stroganoff was his or his chef’s invention since the recipe was included in the 1871 edition of the Molokhovets cookbook…which predates his fame as a gourmet. Not a new recipe, by the way, but a refined version of an even older Russian recipe, it had probably been in the family for some years and became well known through Pavel Stroganoff’s love of entertaining.
There are also variations made with chicken or pork, which to me, looses the original likeness. I have made it with chicken, but always go back to beef. You be the judge. And just to note: we served this with a 2002 Ridge Vineyards Dynamite Hills Petite Syrah and I marinated the beef cubes in a little Hoisin Sauce, garlic powder and Worcestershire Sauce for several hours before browning it off. The marinating really made it rich. We also had it over medium wide egg noodles and topped the dish with sour cream and chopped parsley. Delicious!
29 Sunday Sep 2019
Posted in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Red Wheat, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, AirFryer, Argentina Pink Shrimp, Avocado, Banana, BBQ Beef, Beans, Blueberries, Boise Artisan Bakery's, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Buy Idaho, Buy Local, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Classic Herb Blends, Classic Sauces, Classic Spice Blends, Classis Sauces, Cooking Styles, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Eggs Basted, Eggs Omelets, Eggs Poached, Food Photos, German Food, Greens, Grilled Beef, Grilling, Herbs, Herbs and Spices, Hollandaise Sauce, Homemade Sauce, Housemade Hollandaise Sauce, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho Wine, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Omelet, Parma Ridge Winery, Peaceful Belly Farms, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Purple Sage Farms, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes - Breakfast, Recipes - Sauces, Rice Family Farms, Salads, Salmon, Seafood, Shrimp, Sourdough Bread, Spinach, Things To Do, Traditional Food, True Roots Produce, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?
Fun time in the kitchen this past late summer. Mostly “playing” Chopped of the Kitchen: “These are the ingredients, make something edible!” In other words, mostly no recipe, just do it!
And let’s remember: The best ingredients are not processed ingredients, but rather go to your local Farmers Market. Visit your local fruit stand. You control what ingredients to use, not a major super market. Although, there are some really good super markets available, Just look at the ingredients and where the fruits and vegetables are grown, In My Not So Humble Opinion. Buy Local! Look at some of these meals. Enjoy, we did! Here is a link to Kelley’s Canyon Orchards for fantastic fruits. Look in the sidebar for more links to some fantastic produce and farm products.
Shrimp Omelet with Herbal Hollandaise Sauce. Here is the recipe that we use for making our own – from scratch – Hollandaise Sauce. CIA Basic Hollandaise Sauce. We modified this one to add fresh herbs, from the garden.
Robin said she wanted a toasted shredded wheat biscuit for breakfast with bananas. I added the blueberries. The biscuit has brown sugar on it that is caramelized with a torch.
Or how about this Toasted Whole Wheat Sandwich with Avocado and Tomato for breakfast. The tomato was from True Roots Gardens and the Whole Wheat was from Acme Bakeshop. Both vendors are at the Boise Farmers Market,
German Benedict for breakfast. The Hollandaise is linked above. Why a German Benedict? The spices on the Air Fried potatoes is a blend or German spices.
You like Eggs Benedict? Look at these.
Salmon Benedict on a Bed of Spinach and Fresh Idaho BFM Fruit – Israeli Melon (Awesome!) and Blueberries. The Hollandaise is linked above and we added tarragon and thyme from our garden.
Grilled Brisket Benedict on a Bed of Spinach on Toasted Acme Bakeshop Sourdough and Fresh BFM Fruit. The Hollandaise is linked above and we added tarragon and thyme from our garden.
Grilled brisket? Or AirFryer goodies? Here was an awesome meals.
German Potato Salad
Grilled Brisket, German Potato Salad, Fresh BFM Fruit and Cowboy Beans
2017 Parma Ridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Chicken? How about AirFryer Asian Chicken and Grilled Baby Bok Choy and Green Salad Here is the recipe: AF Asian Chicken.
AirFryer Steak with Sauteed Summer Squash and Fresh Beet and Beet Green Salad Here is the recipe – AF Ribeye Steak
AirFryer Pork Chop, Green Peas, Potato Cubes and Cantaloupe Malheur River Meats is where we got these pork chops. Awesome products! See their link in the sidebar.
Crab Cakes with Caprese Salad
Cognac Shrimp Reduction
Cognac Shrimp with Vegetables
So there are some of our meals. We eat well and very good. Thank goodness for the Boise Farmers Market every weekend during the season. Be sure to check our recipe file above. It gets updated regularly. Cheers and Cook Your Own Meals – They’re better!
16 Monday Sep 2019
Posted in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Breads, Acme Bake Shop Red Wheat Bread, AirFryer, Bistro - Parma Ridge Winery, Boise Food Adventures, Boise Foodie Guild, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Brunch at Parma Ridge Winery, Captain's Shack, Chef Storm Hodge, Comfort Food, Cooking Styles, Dessert, Dinner At Parma Ridge Restaurant, Dinner at Parma Ridge Winery and Bistro, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Family, Dinner With Friends, Eggs, Eggs Omelets, Food Photos, Idaho Chefs, Mushrooms, Parma Ridge Specials, Parma Ridge Winery, Parma Ridge Winery Bistro, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?
Happy Birthdays –
Myra
Chris
Robin
And to Robin – we have some feeders attracting the hummingbirds – Happy Birthday!
And here are some things that Stephanie and Chef Storm Hodge made for us. Delicious! Thank-You!
The Bomb. 2016 Big Red
Coconut Shrimp
Romaine Caesar Salad
Mushroom Omelet
Wine Lovers Chocolate Cake
And earlier this week, I made Robin –
AirFryer Shredded Wheat with Caramelized Sugar and Fruit
Avocado Sandwich on Toasted Acme Bakeshop Whole Wheat, Garlic, Avocado and Heirloom Tomato Slice
And this, too!
Chicken Potpie
Chicken Potpie. And all from Scratch!
21 Friday Jun 2019
It isn’t often that I “push” a kitchen product. This is an exception. I do have several different kinds of mandolins, but about a month ago, I was using may – until then – plastic, not inexpensive one and the plastic table and rails were warped. The guard slipped off and the mandolin became a DNA sampler and history. Now, to find another. Search Boise. Nothing to suit me. So to the web. Progressive International offered a model PL8, that looked interesting. Here is a link to the PL8 Professional Mandoline 1000.
PL8 Mandolin
I find the safety element – a non-removable hand guard, solid construction and some plastic but mostly where needed metal – an absolute benefit and must. Non skid feet on both ends work extremely well. They come in either black or white. I got a white one like pictured here.
It does several things beyond just a slicer. It will julienne 3 different sizes. It also does a waffle slice. But I am really impressed by the safety hand guard. (Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlargede.)
PL8 Parts
I ordered mine online from Walmart, Order Online from Walmart and I am extremely happy with thee service and the speed of delivery. They are available, however, from several vendors and all within a do-able price range – $59.95. For me? This is well worth the cost. If you are looking for a good, stable and substantial mandoline, this might be for you. And just so you know, I Do Not receive anything for promoting this kitchen product. Think of it as Tool Time in the Kitchen! Cheers!
20 Wednesday Feb 2019
It’s snowing outside. Wet. 5″ Deep. Cold. It’s better to be inside working on this blog.
I have had several requests/questions on how to convert a recipe from the stove/oven/frying process to an Air Fryer or Instant Pot. Air Fryer info can be a little hard to find, but it is there if you look. I recently received a book by Ben Mims, Air Fry Every Day, 2018 Clarkson Potter, New York ISBN 978-0-525-57609-9. A really good book and one you should add to your Kitchen Library.
“I’m a food writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer. I’ve formerly worked as the Test Kitchen Director at Lucky Peach magazine, Food Editor at Saveur magazine, a food editor at Food & Wine, and the pastry chef of Bar Agricole restaurant in San Francisco in 2013. 
I’ve authored three cookbooks: Air Fry Every Day: 75 Recipes to Fry, Roast, and Bake Using Your Air Fryer (Clarkson Potter, 2018), Coconut (Short Stacks Editions, 2017), and Sweet and Southern: Classic Desserts with a Twist (Rizzoli; 2014), in addition to recipe development for Tasty Ultimate: How To Cook Basically Anything (Clarkson Potter, 2018), Matcha: A Lifestyle Guide (Dovetail, 2017) and Munchies: Late-Night Meals from the World’s Best Chefs (Ten Speed Press, 2017). I’ve also written for the Wall Street Journal, GQ.com, Jarry, Lucky Peach, Epicurious.com, Rachael Ray Every Day, Real Simple, Southern Living, and Food52.com.” [Ben Mims Website].
OK. So how do I convert from stove top frying to the Air Fryer? Mr Mims suggests that in general, you should reduce the temperature by 25ºF and the cooking time by 25%. If you are using a packaged/frozen product, or a recipe that you have used for years and the directions say to cook at 425ºF for 25 minutes, cook in the Air Fryer at 400ºF for 18-20 minutes. “… Because the heat in the air fryer is more intense than a standard oven, reduce the suggested temperature by 25ºF to 50ºF and cut the time by roughly 20%. So, if a recipe calls for cooking in the oven at 425ºF for 60 minutes … instead you can air-fry the chicken at 400ºF for about 40 minutes.” [Meredith Laurence] Just remember to check your product at the lower cooking time to check for doneness. For instance, I cook bacon at 400ºF for 12 minutes. It comes out just the way we like it – crisp, but not burned – and it will burn! I always, especially when cooking bacon, line the drip pan with aluminium foil. Clean up is easy. Two other suggestions: (1) Do not over fill the basket. The product needs airflow, and (2) Some items need to be turned – chicken thighs for one. French Fries probably need only a shake. Experiment and have fun.
Now. The Instant Pot. This is really an All-Purpose appliance. Slow cook, pressure cook, sauté , make soup or yogurt. It’s amazing! Several things to remember [The PlateJoy Blog]-
Just have fun with these appliances and experiment. Cheers!
16 Saturday Feb 2019
Posted in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop Breads, Baking, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Captain's Shack, Cookies, Crab, Dessert, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Eggs Omelets, Food Photos, Food Prep, Greens, Herbs, Hollandaise Sauce, Homemade Sauce, Housemade Hollandaise Sauce, Housemade Sauces, Housemade Soup, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Potatoes, Lobster, Lunch For Robin, Omelet, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Potatoes, Recipe By: Captain's Shack, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Dinner, Recipes - Sauces, Salad, Sea Scallops, Seafood, Special Dinners, Vegetables, Watercress, What's For Dinner?, Wines - Idaho
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This week in mid February, 2019, was dedicated to the one I love. (There ought to be a song written to that phrase!) A week in the kitchen. Planning. Finding. Testing and tasting. Preparing. Serving. It was an exciting week and very fulfilling. I know she liked the meals – they are all gone! That’s always a good sign. Here are some of the dishes we had. And to answer the question – someone did ask – yes I did make all of this. There are recipe links where available. Enjoy! (Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged.)
Eggs Benedict are always liked. Especially on a Sunday morning.
Crab Louie salad is awesome.
Or maybe a Crab Omelet one weekday morning.
Scallop and Watercress Salad makes a great dinner.
The absolute best meal, and the one that took the most time, patience and tasting, was this one. The sides that Robin wanted are checked in red. The salad and the entree are fixed.
After all of these delicious seafood meals and all, we had to make something, well ………. more subtle. Like some Robin’s Vegetable Soup. But this is not your standard peas, corn, tomato, etc soup. Try some leek, celery, turmeric, etc soup. It is delicious!!
So there it is – Our Valentines Day (Week) in the kitchen. Nothin’ says lovin’ like something from the kitchen! Cheers and enjoy the recipes.
29 Tuesday Jan 2019
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As Yul Brenner said, “As it has been written, so let it be done.” I asked if the readers of the Boise Foodie Blog would like to have the Air Fryer and Instant Pot recipes put on separate pages from the main recipe file. With over 100 responses, the answer was Yes. So, I have done just that. The main recipe file is located at Boise Foodie Blog Recipes. The AirFryer recipes are located at Boise Foodie Blog AirFryer Recipes and the Instant Pot recipes are located at Boise Foodie Blog Instant Pot Recipes.
I hope that this helps you to find some specialized recipes easier. And as a note, we have tried all of these recipes in their original form and only then have we modified the recipe to match our tastes.
07 Monday Jan 2019
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Actually, there is a lot of information “out there” about AirFryers. And, there are many different brands and models. Do your research and I do think you will be happy with your choice. But first, let me say this about that. (That sounds familiar!)
This handy appliance claims to mimic the results of deep-frying with nothing more than hot air and a tiny amount of oil. And it does in much less time and heat in the kitchen. The AirFryer is essentially and “beefed up” countertop convection oven. Its compact space facilitates even faster cooking. Rapid heated air circulation makes the food crisp, much like deep-frying. Cleanup is super easy too, and most units have a dishwasher safe basket. The units do a fantastic job cooking up anything that is meant to taste deep-fried when it comes from a conventional oven. So think frozen fries, breaded chicken or fish, and frozen onion rings. Liquid batters do not work well in the AirFryer. You also can’t make anything in large quantities, so if you’re feeding a family, be prepared to cook in batches.
How do they work? AirFryers use circulating hot air to cook food that would otherwise be submerged in oil. The AirFryer’s cooking chamber radiates heat from a heating element near the food, thus cooking it more efficiently. A fan is generally used to circulate hot air around the food. The opening at the top is used to take air in and there is an exhaust at the back that controls the temperature by releasing any undesired hot air. It is also used to counter any increases in internal pressure. The temperatures inside can go to 400°F depending on the model. For safety, it is essential to not put oil inside the air fryer or have flammable objects near the air fryer. Lightly spraying the food product with a light coating of oil is OK. Just don’t submerge the product in oil! In general, cooking times in the air fryer are reduced by 20-30% in comparison with traditional ovens. This varies per brand and the quantity of the food cooked in the air fryer. Recipes are generally available on the internet, or you can look at our recipe file as listed above, or Click Here. Here are some of the meals we have made. (Left-Click to see them enlarged)
Fish Tacos
Coconut Shrimp
Salmon
AF Pork Chops with sautéed Cabbage
Blow is a good cooking time reference and you can print it out and post near your AirFryer. Please note: Most proteins probably will have to be turned half-way through the cooking cycle and Don’t Crowd the basket. Bake in batches if necessary. Also, you might have some family or cultural recipes that use the metric system. If you need a conversion reference, use the one posted below and print it out if need be.
AirFryer cooking times.
Temperature and Weight Conversions
