Super Bowl Weekend

08 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Cajun Food, Captain's Shack, Cast Iron, Chicken Wings, Classic Cuisines, Classis Sauces, Cooking Styles, Crab Cakes, Crayfish, Creole Food, Dessert, Dinner For Robin, Housemade Sauces, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes, Recipes - Breakfast, Recipes - Seafood, Salads, Shrimp, Special Dinners, Tailgate At The Captains Shack, Tailgate Party, What's For Dinner?

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beet panna cotta, Cajun recipes, Crayfish, crayfish pie

Actually, a weekend full of some really fun food. And some I had never made – Crayfish Pie. Made them in individual servings using a cupcake pan. Worked well. And they were good! The Crayfish Pie is a traditional New Orleans dish.Here is my recipe for Crayfish Pie. Enjoy!
And really, I never expected the Denver Broncos to pull this one off. But happy they did. 24 – 10 over the Carolina Panthers. But Carolina is to be congratulated on a superb season – 17-2! Wow!
But now, for the food. We had a great time preparing and securing all of this. Took probably two days and that is where the fun is – prepping. A lot of food for two of us – I really expected more, but that didn’t happen. Anyway, look at what we made and devoured! Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. Cheers!

We went to Powell's Sweet Shop and got some candy hearts and gilato. Look at the lid of the candy box on the copunter.

We went to Powell’s Sweet Shop and got some candy hearts and gilato. Look at the lid of the candy box on the counter.

Italian Peppers, Meatballs and Pasta. Thanks Paul!

Blue Crab Cakes

Beet Panna Cotta. Delicious!! Beet Panna Cotta Recipe

Robin making 7 Layer Mexican Dip

7 Layer Mexican Dip

Purging crayfish!

Crayfish cooking

Preparing the filling for the Crayfish Pie.

Individual Crayfish Pies using a muffin tin.

Individual Crayfish Pie

Shrimp, Chicken Wings, Dips and Sauces. Plenty of Tailgate Food!

Lots of food all weekend and generally all homemade. Waiting sorta of patiently for the BSU Broncos football season to start next Fall. Seems like it is so far away! We also made two salads – Fennel and Celery with Olive Oil and Balsamic Dressing and Sliced Cucumbers with a Balsamic Dressing. Delicious!

Wonderful “White Velvet Soup”

18 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Bacon, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Dinner For Robin, Food Photos, Idaho's Bounty, Photos By: Bob Young, Rutabaga, Soup, Sourdough Bread, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Lunch?

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Bacon, pomegranate gremolata, rutabaga

This White Velvet Soup is wonderful! Smooth. Slightly sweet. Creamy. It takes a little time, but well worth it on a cold and snowy winter evening – no not snowing in Boise! But if it were ………… And then add some crumbled bacon (everything is always better with bacon!) and the Pomegranate Gremolata at the end, it is wonderful. It makes one feel joyful. Happy. And just think, it’s just some vegetables cooked together. Look at this soup. Then make it and enjoy! Add some toasted sourdough to serve with it.

White Velvet Soup
with
pomegranate gremolata and crumbled bacon

Sunday Dinner

15 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Brocolli, Butternut Squash, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Idaho Beef, Idaho Polenta Floriani, Local Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - French

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And a good Sunday dinner! Not the standard chicken, mashed potatoes and peas. This time beef, corn and vegetables. And a good 2012 Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal. It was a good one. The polenta was an Idaho product and so was the beef.

Idaho Polenta Spinach and Butternut Squash Casserole T-Bone Steak with Sauteed Mushrooms and Red Wine Reduction with Shallots

Idaho Creamy Polenta

Spinach and Butternut Squash Casserole

T-Bone Steak
with
sauteed mushrooms, red wine reduction with shallots

2012 Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal Pauillac

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.

Birthday Dinner at Alavita in Boise

18 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 4-Stars, Alavita, Arugula, Birthdays, Boise Adventures, Boise Restaurants, Buy Idaho, Chevre, Classic Cuisines, Cocktails, Comfort Food, Cooking Styles, Cream Sauces, Dessert, Dinner At Alavita, Dinner For Robin, Dinner Reviews with Robin, Dinner With Robin, Fennel, Feta Cheese, Food Photos, Green Salad, Homemade Pasta, Idaho's Bounty, Lobster, Locavore, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants To Try, Salads, Seafood, Shell Fish, Special Dinners, Things To Do, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Italian

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Alavita. Italian food, feta cheese, Heirloom Beets, Italian restaurant

September 17th will always be a special day – It is Robin’s Birthday. This year we celebrated the 43rd anniversary of her 29th birthday at Alavita, a good Italian restaurant. Actually a solid 4-Star Italian restaurant. On their webpage, they say, “ALAVITA is all about fresh pasta and local ingredients—from Agnolotti to Tortellini to Garganelli, Linguini to Pappardelle—created freshly every day. A restaurant whose name means “to life,” (Well actually two words– ‘alla’ ‘vita’ –that we put together to create one) ÀLAVITA is a great place for celebrating life with good friends and family alike.
What we believe: great food need not be too convoluted or overwrought, but rather fresh, uncomplicated, relatable and well executed in order to get out of the way of the local ingredients and find the pleasure in their innate flavors and qualities. In the vein of a traditional Italian osteria as a casual, local gathering place (An Italian Joint) to discover food, friends, wine, and creative libations, our menu reflects a new twist on Italian fare that is inspired by local, regional ingredients. As we do at Fork (Our big brother concept located next door by same creators), we firmly subscribe to our mantra of being ‘Loyal To Local.’” And they adhere to these words, rigorously. Enjoy these photos of our visit. We will return.

Robin enjoys her Birthday Dinner!

We have known Kerry, the Floor Manager, for many years – we go back to the Andrae days – and it is good to “find” her again.

The open kitchen area.

How about a

Barrel Aged ÀLAVITA
Crater Lake gin + St. Germain + sweet vermouth + bitters (aged for six weeks in charred oak bourbon barrels). Salute To Life!

Yummers, but drink it slow!

A good white wine goes with seafood.

Alois Lageder Riff Pinot Grigio (12.5%)… Veneto, Italy

Potato, Leek and Fennel Soup

Robin had this really very good soup as an appetizer.

I had a very good –

Heirloom Beet Salad
rainbow beets, shavel fennel, arugula, Rolling Stone goat cheese feta, toasted pistachios and champagne vinaigrette

Tuxedo’ Linguine {gf}... squid ink & orange zest infused linguine, ÀLAVITA clam sauce, chili flake & Manila clams

Tuxedo Linguine
squid ink and orange zest infused linguine, ÀLAVITA clam sauce, chili flake and Manila clams

Robin had this and the clams were so very fresh – gout la mer!

Black Ravioli... stuffed with West coast lobster & fontina, butter poached shrimp & lemon-fennel-thyme infused local Cloverleaf cream sauce

Black Ravioli
stuffed with West coast lobster and fontina, butter poached shrimp and lemon-fennel-thyme infused local Cloverleaf cream sauce

I had this and basically, I would get it agin. But I did not get much lobster flavor.

Robin’s Birthday Cake. Kerry had this done for her.

ÀLAVITA Tiramisu
espresso lady fingers, Grand Marnier and orange zest

I finished with a

Dark Chocolate Mousse
hazelnut cream + crushed vanilla-maple spiced hazelnuts

Sinful!

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!

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.

Breakfast and Dinner

21 Tuesday Jul 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Baking, Braising, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Capers, Captain's Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Eggs, Eggs Baked, Food Photos, Green Salad, Greens, Homemade Lox, Homemade Pasta, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Lox, Meadowlark Farms, Onion, Pasta, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Breakfast, Recipes - Dinner, Sea Scallops, Seafood, Shaved Fennel, Shaved Onion, Shell Fish, Sourdough Bread, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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eggplant, fennel, fresh pasta, Scallops, squash

Fun times, again, in the kitchen! Fun making our own pasta, and better than some of the store bought “stuff”. Pasta dishes can take all forms and so can breakfast. Here we made two different breakfasts – two days – and a really good pasta dinner. Let’s look at breakfast first. Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged.

Eggs in Pockets

Spray cup cake pan with Pam. Shave – slice thin -potatoes and line cups. Bake off to lightly brown at 350 degrees F. Scramble several eggs and add whatever you want to the mix. Pour into cups. Bake at 350 degrees F until eggs are set. Remove from oven and cool. Remove Pockets and serve.

Eggs in Potato Pockets
Fresh Peaches and Blueberries

Lox and cream Cheese cream cheese, red lettuce, shaved onion, capers, homemade lox

Homemade Lox and Cream Cheese
Acme Bake Shop Sourdough Bread, cream cheese, red lettuce, shaved red onion, sliced tomato, homemade lox, capers

Here is the recipe for Robin’s Homemade Lox. In the photo above, I added fennel fronds to the process in the refrigerator. You can add any herb you wish.

Homemade Pasta
in
White Wine Reduction
with
braised squash, eggplant, shaved fennel, scallops

Here is the recipe for the White Wine Reduction. This is really a wonderful and rich dinner. We do like to make our own pasta.

Baked Potato with Chives Braised Fresh Green Beans, Carrots and Roasted Peppers Green Salad with Fresh Tomatoes, Fennel and Celery Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin with Bernaise Sauce

Baked Potato
with
Chives

Braised Fresh Green Beans, Carrots and Roasted Peppers

Fresh Green Salad
with
Fresh Tomatoes, Fennel and Celery

Bacon Wrapped Beef Tenderloin
with
Bearnaise Sauce

This was our dinner tonight

32nd Anniversary Dinner

15 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Anniversary, Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Classic Cuisines, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Ethnic Foods, Fennel, Food Prep, Fruits, Ginger, Green Peas, Green Salad, Harissa, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Lamb, Lamb, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Main Dish, Olive Oil, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Raisins, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes -Tagine, Salads, Special Dinners, Special Events, Spices of Morocco, Tagine, Tagine Cooking, Tagine of Lamb, Tomatoes, Traditional Food, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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fennel, lamb tagine, tagine, tajine

A happy 32nd anniversary dinner tonight! Thank-You Robin for all that love and those many years! The gardenia pictured here is on our front porch. Last century, when Robin and I would go to a formal dance, I would get her a corsage of gardenia. This plant is fitting and brings back many fond memories.
The dinner tonight, Tagine of Lamb with Peas and Fennel, is a very traditional Moroccan dish and tonight we prepared it in a traditional way – in a tagine.

A tajine or tagine (Arabic: طاجين‎ tajin from the Arabic: طاج‎) is a historically North African Berber dish that is named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. A similar dish known as tavvas is found in Cypriot cuisine. The traditional method of cooking with a tajine is to place it over coals. Use of the tajine can be compared to stewing.

Ceramic tajines.
The traditional tajine pot is made of pottery, which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts: a base unit that is flat and circular with low sides and a large cone- or dome-shaped cover that sits on the base during cooking. The cover is designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. Tajines can also be cooked in a conventional oven or on a stove top.
Tajine is traditionally cooked over hot charcoal leaving an adequate space between the coals and the tajine pot to avoid having the temperature rise too fast. Large bricks of charcoal are purchased specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours. Smaller pieces of charcoal are reserved for cooking brochettes (barbecue) and other grilled meats.
Other methods are to use a tajine in a slow oven or on a gas or electric stove top, on lowest heat necessary to keep the stew simmering gently. A diffuser – a circular piece of aluminium placed between the tajine and burner – is used to evenly distribute the stove’s heat. European manufacturers have created tajines with heavy cast-iron bottoms that can be heated on a cooking stove to a high temperature. This permits the browning of meat and vegetables before cooking.
Tajine cooking may be replicated by using a slow cooker or similar item; but the result will be slightly different. Many ceramic tajines are decorative items as well as functional cooking vessels. Some tajines, however, are intended only to be used as decorative serving dishes. [Wikipedia]

Using the recipe link above, the vegetables are cut and placed in the tagine along with all spices.

At about 2 hours, or halfway through the cooking process, check to see if more liquid is needed.

The finished product still in the tagine. It could be served from this pot.

Tagine of Lamb with Peas and Fennel

Fresh Spinach and Tomato Salad
with
Meyer Lemon Olive Oil and Tarragon Vinegar Vinaigrette

Braised Red Snapper in White Wine Reduction Sauce

12 Sunday Jul 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Farmers Market, Braising, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Classic Sauces, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Food Photos, Herbs and Spices, Housemade Aioli Mayo, Idaho Wine, Idaho's Bounty, Local Farmers Markets, Main Dish, Olive Oil, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipe Writing, Recipes, Recipes - Sauces, Recipes - Seafood, Red Snapper, Salads, Seafood, Shaved Celery, Shaved Fennel, Snake River AVA, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

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Celery Salad, Housemade Aioli Mayo, red snapper, Tuscan wine, White Wine

Braised Red Snapper in White Wine Reduction Sauce – Just a super meal! It takes a little time, but well worth the effort. The actual inspiration came from a Cooking Channel program, Extra Virgin, which has Tuscan roots. They used tomatoes and a red Tuscan wine; I did not. Here is how we made this luscious dinner.

Shaved Fennel and Celery Salad: Cut the root end and the top off of a fennel bulb. Wash and clean. Carefully using a mandolin, shave the bulb quite thin; paper thin. Repeat the process with 2 – 3 stalks of celery, depending on the size of the stalks. You want to end up with about 3/4 fennel and 1/4 celery. Combine about 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil with the juice of 1/2 a large lemon. Salt and fresh pepper to taste. 1/4 teaspoon of Agave. Whip together until emulsified. Pour over the fennel and celery mix.

Braised Red Snapper
in a
White Wine Reduction Sauce

Braised White and Green Asparagus
with
aioli mayonnaise sauce

Shaved Fennel and Celery Salad

2009 Cold Springs Winery Riesling

Braised White and Green Asparagus: Remove the woody ends of the asparagus. In about 1 Tablespoon of garlic infused olive oil, braise the asparagus until lightly browned. Place on platter and add 1 T of the Aioli Mayonnaise (recipe link).

Braised Red Snapper: Purchase the freshest you can find – we use Reel Foods Fish Market in Boise. You will need about 2, 6oz pieces. In a bowl, make an egg wash. Dip each piece of fish in the egg wash and dust lightly with plain fresh bread crumbs. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, add 2 T olive oil. Gently place the fish in the fry pan and braise for about 5 minutes on each side. They will be a light brown. Do not over cook and do not disturb the cooking process by turning the fish. When the fish is cooked, remove to a platter. Reduce the heat and add 3 cloves of chopped garlic and 1/4 cup chopped red onion. Saute until lightly brown. Do not burn the garlic. Add 1 cup of a good white wine and reduce slightly – a red wine might be to “big” for the lightness of the red snapper. Add 2 T of heavy cream and 1 T butter. Stir constantly as the sauce reduces to about 1/3. Spoon over the fish on the platter. Serve the dinner with a good white wine, riesling or a pinot grigio. Enjoy!