What is “passata”?

26 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Classic Sauces, Comfort Food, Ethnic Foods, Heirloom Tomatoes, History of Food, Italian Food, Local Harvests, Passata, Recipes, Recipes - Sauces, Tomatoes, What's For Dinner?

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passata, Pomi, tomato

In the normal course of events of a daily schedule, we usually try to watch the Rachael Ray Show, just another in our long list of cooking shows we watch. Inquiring minds need to know. So today, she was making a tomato sauce and she used passata. We had no idea what this was, except it looked like tomato. It is. Uncooked, processed and strained to remove seeds and skins. Simply stated – passata is not cooked and it is made from fresh, de-stemmed and cored tomatoes. I did find this link on the web, What is Tomato Passata? on The Kitchn website.

It seems as if passata is an uncooked tomato puree that has been strained of seeds and skins. It originated in Italy but is used throughout Europe. Some passatas are chunkier and some are smoother, depending on the brand. Some people claim that passata can also be cooked, but most agree that it is uncooked. You will also see it spelled passato and passata di pomodoro … How is passata different from tomato sauce or tomato paste? Well, both the sauce and paste are cooked tomato products to begin with. Tomato sauce often has other ingredients such as carrots, onions, garlic, etc. And tomato paste is cooked down and much thicker. You would not want to substitute either product if passata is called for in your recipe. If you cannot find it in your store, take plain canned tomatoes and run them through a sieve or a food mill. While most passatas are just plain tomatoes, some are sold with additions, such as basil, so read your label carefully if this is an issue … In general, passata is considered to be a superior product to canned tomatoes, using higher quality tomatoes and processing methods. I’m really looking forward to giving it a try!

According to some sources, passata is rarely used in the USA and can be hard to find. However, Robin and I have found it – sold as Pomi – at Albertsons Grocery Stores and at Whole Foods. You can also try World Market Cost Plus. Whenever we come across a tomato recipe that calls for tomato sauce, a passata is what we use. And we use the brand Pomi. We like the richness and thickness of this product. Plus, it tends to be low in the sodium content. But then too, you can make your own if you so desire. Cheers and enjoy!

5 Hour Roasted Duck with Cherry, Cranberry and Rosemary Sauce

22 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5 Hour Duck, 5 Hour Duck Sauce, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Beans, Boise Farmers Market, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Classic Sauces, Cooking Styles, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Duck, Heirloom Carrots, Local Farmers Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, Ravenswood Winery Zinfandel, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes, Recipes - Dinner, Recipes - Sauces, Side Dishes, What's For Dinner?

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5 hour roasted duck, duck sauce, Joseph Swan Zinfandel, white beans

Yes, I know, I have made another post about this 5 Hour Roasted Duck. And it is always a great way to make duck – not greasy or fatty, yet moist and succulent. This time we have a twist. We made a Cherry, Cranberry and Rosemary Sauce (aka: 5 Hour Duck Sauce) for this entree. It was a perfect match! (It probably would go quite well with pork, too!) The cherry sauce is sweet, yet tangy from the cranberry. And the rosemary adds a really good flavor level that pairs well with the duck. Cooking the duck slow and low, really enhances it and creates a wonderful crispy skin. Here are some photos. Enjoy!

The duck after two hours at 300 degrees F. The duck is not covered throughout the entire cooking process.

5 Hour Roasted Duck
After 5 hours, this duck is crispy, moist and generally not greasy.

The cherry, cranberry, rosemary sauce for the duck.

The cherry, cranberry and rosemary sauce for the duck.

Side dish of white beans, heirloom carrots and baby turnips. This accompanies the dinner very well.

5 Hour Roasted Duck
Cherry, Cranberry and Rosemary Sauce
Sourdough Toast
White Bean and Heirloom and Baby Turnip Vegetable Medley

Add to the dinner, a wonderful

1989 Joseph Swan Vineyards Zinfandel

and you have a wonderful dinner. Decant the wine first.

Salmon with Mango Cream Sauce and Fennel and Peas

06 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Farmers Market, Cabbage, Captain's Shack, Harsch Fermenting Crock, Herbs and Spices, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, Pinot Grigio, Sauerkraut, What's For Dinner?

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Harsch Fermenting Crock, Housemade Sauerkraut

After putting together 13 lbs of cabbage for Sauerkraut, from the Boise Farmers Market – shredding, salting, herbing, packing in the Harsch Fermenting Crock – I heard a faint voice asking, “What’s for dinner?” It was 4:15pm. Where did the time go? So we discussed salmon and fennel. Good start. I’ll come up with the rest. Here was our dinner and it was yummy.

Sauteed Salmon
with
Mango Cream Sauce
Sauteed Fennel and Peas
Green Salad with Tomatoes and Beets
2014 Marchesi Winery Anjola Pinot Grigio

Celebrating Jacques Pépin’s 80th Birthday Today!

06 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Captain's Shack, Caviar, Eggs, Herbs and Spices, Local Farmers Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipes - Breakfast, What's For Dinner?

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caviar, Jacques Pépin

Jacques Pépin, one of the world’s most famous and skilled Chef’s, celebrates his 80th birthday. Here is some information about him from Wikipedia.

Jacques Pépin (born December 18, 1935)[1] is an internationally recognized French chef, television personality, and author working in the United States. Since the late 1980s, he has appeared on French and American television and written an array of cookbooks that have become best sellers. In addition to the Daytime Emmy Award won with Julia Child, Pépin has received two of the French government’s highest honors: He is a Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1997) and a Chevalier de L’Ordre du Mérite Agricole (1992). In October 2004, he received France’s ultimate civilian recognition, the Légion d’honneur.

On May 13, 2010, Pépin, along with other chefs from The French Culinary Institute (known as The International Culinary Center), Alain Sailhac, Jacques Torres and André Soltner, prepared a $30,000-per-couple dinner for President Barack Obama’s fund-raiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at Manhattan’s St. Regis Hotel.
On February 5, 2010, during the christening of MS Marina, Pépin was named an honorary commodore of the Oceania Cruises fleet,[7] for which he serves as Executive Culinary Director.
He received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Boston University on May 22, 2011. In October 2011, Pépin was the recipient of the first-ever tribute dinner at the New York Food and Wine Festival. Cooking for Pépin at the event, hosted by Martha Stewart, were some of America’s best-known French chefs including Alain Ducasse, Daniel Boulud, and others.

James Beard Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award
James Beard Foundation, Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America
Chevalier de L’Ordre du Mérite Agricole
Chevalier de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Daytime Emmy, Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home
James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame, La Technique
James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame, La Méthode
James Beard Foundation Award for Best National TV Cooking Show, Jacques Pépin’s Kitchen: Encore with Claudine
James Beard Foundation Award for Best National Cooking Segment, Jacques Pépin’s Kitchen: Cooking with Claudine
James Beard Foundation Outstanding Culinary Video, Today’s Gourmet
Co-founder of the American Institute of Wine and Food

Scrambled Eggs with Chives, Lumpfish Caviar, Sour Cream and Herring Red Row. Fresh Idaho Cantaloupe and Toasted English Muffin

Scrambled Meadowlark Farms Eggs
with
Garden Fresh Chives, Lumpfish Caviar, Sour Cream and Herring Red Row
Fresh Idaho Cantaloupe and Toasted English Muffin

Chanterelle Omelet, Seafood Stir Fry and Scrumptious Chicken Wings

06 Tuesday Oct 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Asian Food, BBQ Chicken, Boise Farmers Market, Brocolli, Bronco Nation, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Chicken, Chicken Wings, Chinese Food, Coconut Rice, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Gameday, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Mushrooms, Mushrooms - Chanterelles, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Seafood, Sea Scallops, Seafood, Shell Fish, Shrimp, Slow Cooking, What's For Dinner?

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chanterelles, chicken wings, coconut rice, seafood, seafood stir fry

Such a good meal combination. No! Not all at once but over three days. The recipe for the chicken wings and the stir fry are listed permanently in the recipe file. The link to that file is at the top of this page. But for now, here is the link to the Shrimp, Scallop and Pineapple Stir Fry recipe and the recipe for the Robin’s Chicken Wings, that would be great at a Tailgate Party! Here is some information about chanterelle mushrooms –

Cantharellus cibarius, commonly known as the chanterelle, golden chanterelle or girolle, is a fungus. It is probably the best known species of the genus Cantharellus, if not the entire family of Cantharellaceae. It is orange or yellow, meaty and funnel-shaped. On the lower surface, underneath the smooth cap, it has gill-like ridges that run almost all the way down its stipe, which tapers down seamlessly from the cap. It emits a fruity aroma, reminiscent of apricots and a mildly peppery taste (hence its German name, Pfifferling) and is considered an excellent edible mushroom. Though records of chanterelles being eaten date back to the 16th century, they first gained widespread recognition as a culinary delicacy with the spreading influence of French cuisine in the 18th century, where they began appearing in palace kitchens. For many years, they remained notable for being served at the tables of nobility. Nowadays, the usage of chanterelles in the kitchen is common throughout Europe and North America. In 1836, the Swedish mycologist Elias Fries considered the chanterelle “as one of the most important and best edible mushrooms.”
Chanterelles as a group are generally described as being rich in flavor, with a distinctive taste and aroma difficult to characterize. Some species have a fruity odor, others a more woody, earthy fragrance, and still others can even be considered spicy. The golden chanterelle is perhaps the most sought-after and flavorful chanterelle, and many chefs consider it on the same short list of gourmet fungi as truffles and morels. It therefore tends to command a high price in both restaurants and specialty stores.
There are many ways to cook chanterelles. Most of the flavorful compounds in chanterelles are fat-soluble, making them good mushrooms to sauté in butter, oil or cream. They also contain smaller amounts of water- and alcohol-soluble flavorings, which lend the mushrooms well to recipes involving wine or other cooking alcohols. Many popular methods of cooking chanterelles include them in sautés, soufflés, cream sauces, and soups. They are not typically eaten raw, as their rich and complex flavor is best released when cooked.

Chanterelle Omelet with Fresh Chives, Sausage and Local Cantelope

Chanterelle Omelet
with
Fresh Chives, Sausage and Local Cantaloupe

Next meal, wonderful Seafood Stir Fry. Look at this!

Scallops, shrimp, celery, broccoli and pineapple in a wonderful stir fry. Here it is cooking.

Scallops, shrimp, celery, broccoli and pineapple in a wonderful stir fry. See the recipe and enjoy. Here it is cooking.

Shrimp, Scallop and Pineapple Stir Fry
Coconut Rice and Chow Mein Noodles

And finally, awesome tailgate fare with these chicken wings. (Recipe above) Don’t bypass marinating the wings for the 2 hours or so. Enjoy!

Chicken wings getting happy!

Sticky Marinated Chicken Wings Fresh Vegetable Mixture

Robin’s Chicken Wings
Fresh Raw Vegetable Mixture

Grilled Avocado for Breakfast; Icelandic Flounder Papillote for Dinner

11 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Avocado, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Cooking Styles, Eggs, Eggs Poached, en Papillote, Food Photos, Green Beans, Grillin' and Chillin', Icelandic Flounder, Local Farmers Markets, Local Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes - Breakfast, Recipes - Dinner, Recipes - Fruits, Recipes - Seafood, Reel Foods, Seafood, Vegetarian Foods, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?

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avocado, en papillote, grilled avocado, Icelandic flounder, Papillote

Grilled avocado seems like a weird way to prepare the fruit. But really, for a non-avocado lover, this was pretty good. Leave the peel on and lightly caramelize the pulp to a golden brown. Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged. Enjoy!
But first, just what is a papillote?

En papillote (French for “in parchment”), or al cartoccio in Italian, is a method of cooking in which the food is put into a folded pouch or parcel and then baked. The parcel is typically made from folded parchment paper, but other material, such as a paper bag or aluminium foil, may be used. [Wikipedia]

In the culinary arts, the term en papillote (pronounced “ON poppy-YOTE”) refers to a moist-heat cooking method where the food is enclosed in a packet of parchment paper or foil and then cooked in the oven.
When cooking en papillote, there are usually some vegetables, herbs and seasonings included in the packet along with the main item. These additional ingredients, along with the main item, give off steam, which is what actually cooks the food. Therefore, en papillote cooking is basically a technique for cooking with steam.
Because it is delicate and cooks quickly, fish is a good choice for cooking in this way. Salmon en papillote is a popular dish.
When serving a recipe prepared en papillote, it is traditional to present the dish by slicing open the paper in front of the guest. [Culinary Arts]

But breakfast comes first! Here is the Grilled Avocado I made.

Grilled Avocado
with
Poached Egg, Micro Greens, Pink Grapefruit Wedges and Toasted Acme Bake Shop Sourdough

And now Icelandic Flounder en Papillote.

The flounder is set in the parchment with lemonn slices, limoncello, Texas tarragon (which has a slight bite to it compared to the French tarragon) and salt and pepper.

Flounder en Papillote
Fresh Idaho Honeydew Melon Slices
Potato Croquettes
Fresh Green Beans with Brown Butter

An awesome and fun day in the kitchen!

Good Eats!

18 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Baguette, Basil, Beef, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Classic Sauces, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Eggplant, Eggs, Food Photos, French Foods, Garlic, Heirloom Tomatoes, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Beef, Idaho's Bounty, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Paella, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Purple Sage Farms, Recipes, Recipes - Dinner, Salads, Sea Scallops, Seafood, Shrimp, Tomatoes, Vegetables, Vegetarian Foods, What's For Dinner?

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Basil Treads

A couple days of some really good eats – good food! The weather is not 100+, it is 58 degrees at night and in the mid 80’s during the day. I’ll take that. The Soda Fire is 90% contained and rehab has started for the grasslands – it’ll take two to three years for it to totally come back. Grazing will be at a premium. Wild horses are being cared for and watched for injuries. All seems as well as it can be under the circumstances. Back to the kitchen!

Meadowlark Farms Eggs Benedict
Fresh Williamson Orchards Fruit

Home Stead Foods Rib Steak Asparagus with Bearnaise Sauce True Roots Heirloom Tomatoes with Purple Sage Basil Threads

Homestead Foods Rib Steak
True Roots Asparagus with Meadowlark Farms Eggs for Bearnaise Sauce
True Roots Heirloom Tomatoes with Purple Sage Basil Threads

Braised Scallops Shaved Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes Basil and Cheese

Braised Scallops
Shaved Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes, Basil Treads and Cheese

Ratatouille
Toasted Baguette with Garlic
Here is the Ratatouille recipe.

Meadowlark Farms Scrambled Eggs
Grits and Shrimp

I asked Robin what she wanted for breakfast. Without even blinking an eye, she said, “Shrimp and Grits.” I asked her if she wanted some scrambled eggs with that. She said, “Just one egg.” I had some, too!

Such a yum couple of merals. Such a great time in the kitchen!

“Eggs Baked in Tomatoes” For Breakfast

31 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Basil, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Cheese, Classic Herb Blends, Eggs, Eggs Baked, Food Photos, Heirloom Tomatoes, Herbs and Spices, Idaho's Bounty, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Breakfast, Rice Family Farms, Tomatoes, What's For Dinner?

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baked eggs

Really a super flavor. A great idea that Robin found. But, we find that certain changes should be made – use cupcake tins (pans) for one thing. Basically, the recipe comes from PowWow recipes, Eggs Baked in Tomatoes. We found that the tomatoes have a lot of liquid in them for this recipe. We used Beefsteak, which are super tomatoes. We need a more pulpy tomato, but not a San Marzano or Roma. Wrong shape. I will check at the Boise Farmers Market tomorrow to see what I can find. Here are some photos that I took of our breakfast. Enjoy. I will post the recipe as we used it at the end of this post. Cheers! The tomatoes and the eggs are from the Boise Farmers Market. The herbs are from our garden.

The tomatoes are scooped out and have a large pinch of herbs and salt and pepper in them. We used a cupcake pan so the tomatoes would keep their shape. Take care when you remove them from the pan. They have a tendency to want to collapse and fall apart. Let them cool first.

Even being careful while removing them from the pan, they tended to “fall apart”. But still deliciously different for breakfast.

Here is the recipe –

Eggs Baked in Tomatoes

Adapted From: Eggs Baked in Tomatoes | Recipes – PureWow
Robin Young, Boise, ID Servings: 3 Start to Finish: 45 minutes Prep: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
2 T Olive Oil
6 med Tomatoes
6 lg Eggs
¼ c Whole Milk
¼ c grated Parmesan Cheese
Sea Salt and freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper
2 T chopped fresh Chives
1 T fresh Thyme leaves
2 t chiffonade fresh Basil
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a large, oven-safe skillet with the olive oil, or a muffin tin.
2. Using a small paring knife, cut around the stems of the tomatoes and remove them. Use a spoon to scoop out all the insides of the tomatoes, including the liquid. (Reserve the insides and liquid and use them to make tomato sauce or salsa.) Be careful not to split the sides of the tomatoes.
3. Blend together the chopped chives, fresh thyme leaves and basil. Sprinkle the inside of the tomatoes with a large pinch of the herb blend and salt and pepper.
4. Arrange the tomato shells snugly in the prepared skillet or in a muffin tin. Again, be careful not to split the sides of the tomatoes. Crack an egg into each tomato. Top each egg with 1 tablespoon milk and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Season each egg with salt and pepper.
5. Bake until the tomatoes are tender, the egg whites are set and the yolks are still a little jiggly, 18 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes and then garnish with a little more of the fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

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It’s Been A Long Time – Salisbury Steak Time!

31 Friday Jul 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Alley Gardens, Backyard Garden, Basque Bread, Beef, Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Herbs, Idaho Beef, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Wine, Local Markets, Main Dish, Mushrooms, Onion, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Vegetables, Weston On The Lake Winery, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

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Comfort Food, salisbury steak

Every so often, one has a yearning for “things from the past”. In this case, comfort food. A Salisbury Steak and Baked Potato. Not much more basic than that. Add a good and hard to find Idaho wine, and you are in ecstasy!

Salisbury Steak with mushroom dark gravy Baked Potato with butter and chives Toasted Basque Bread

Salisbury Steak
with
mushroom, garden fresh thyme, onion and bacon dark gravy

Baked Idaho Potato
with
butter and garden fresh chives

Toasted Basque Bread

2012 Weston Winery and Vineyards Murray Hill Estate Malbec

How easy was that? Yum.

Yummy Breakfast

30 Thursday Jul 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Banana, Basque Bread, Bread, Breakfast With Robin, Captain's Shack, Cooking Styles, Eggs, Eggs Basted, Ethnic Foods, Pennsylvania Dutch, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Special Information, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?, White Grapes

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Apple Scrapple Festival, Basque bread, huckleberry jam, Pennsylvania Dutch, scrapple, wikipedia

………… and very easy to do. Only thing is, you must have scrapple. What? Scrapple. Wikipedia explains scrapple as,

Scrapple Fresh Grapes and Bananas Toasted Basque Bread Basted Eggs

Fried Scrapple with Ketchup
Fresh Grapes and Bananas
Toasted Basque Bread and Huckleberry Jam
Basted Eggs

Scrapple, also known by the Pennsylvania Dutch name panhaas or “pan rabbit,” is traditionally a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and wheat flour, often buckwheat flour, and spices. The mush is formed into a semi-solid congealed loaf, and slices of the scrapple are then pan-fried before serving. Scraps of meat left over from butchering, not used or sold elsewhere, were made into scrapple to avoid waste. Scrapple is best known as a rural American food of the Mid-Atlantic states (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia). Scrapple and panhaas are commonly considered an ethnic food of the Pennsylvania Dutch, including the Mennonites and Amish. Scrapple is found in supermarkets throughout the region in both fresh and frozen refrigerated cases.

The roots of the culinary traditions that led to the development of scrapple in America have been traced back to pre-Roman Europe. The more immediate culinary ancestor of scrapple was the Low German dish called panhas, which was adapted to make use of locally available ingredients, and it is still called “Pannhaas,” “panhoss,” “ponhoss,” or “pannhas” in parts of Pennsylvania. The first recipes were created by German colonists who settled near Philadelphia and Chester County, Pennsylvania in the 17th and 18th centuries. As a result, scrapple is strongly associated with rural areas surrounding Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, eastern Virginia, and the Delmarva Peninsula. Its popularity on the Delmarva Peninsula is celebrated the second weekend of October during the annual “Apple Scrapple Festival” in Bridgeville, Delaware.

In composition, preparation, and taste, scrapple is similar to the white pudding popular in Ireland, Scotland, and parts of England and the spicier Hog’s pudding of the West Country of England.