June at the Buzz

06 Friday Jun 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Bistro, Comfort Food, Dinner With Friends, Party Time, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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the Buzz, The Buzz Coffee and Wine, Wine, Wine Dinners

This month at the Buzz really sounds interesting.This is probably the best and most affordable complete 5 course dinner and 5 or 6 wines that you will find in Boise. Just a mere $20 per person! But do make reservations – (208) 344-4321. Here is the latest from Cristi.

Just a quick reminder of some of the fun at the Buzz this June. We continue with live music and wine tasting on Friday Nights. This month featured artists will be:

6/6 Pat Foulkner
6/13 Carter Freeman
6/20 Wayne White
6/27 Johnny Shoes

Starting 6/13 we will have some wines to go along with the world cup events.
Our wine club this month is 6/10 and 6/11. We will be talking about cooking outside. Make your reservations, buzzwine@cableone.net or (208) 344-4321. It will be a fun event. The cost is only $20 a person including food and wine.

Keep on the lookout for updates about some new things coming to the Buzz. Hope to see everyone soon.

Sincerely,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine

Really ….. I do think you will enjoy this. Bring your friends and have a relaxing, fun and educational evening. Learn about wine. Learn about the paring of wine and food. And this month, learn about what wine to serve over the hot summer months. Cheers and hope to see you there. Here is a little information about the Buzz from their website.

Buzz Coffee and Cafe has been owned and operated by Cristi and Tom Takeda since 2007 and is one the finest coffee houses and wine bars in the Treasure Valley. Buzz prides itself on presenting a “family friendly” atmosphere for all it’s patrons and is always happy to adjust to the needs of whoever walks thru the door. Our menu features great breakfast items to start your day along with the finest coffee and beverage choices. Lunch or dinner is always available, or a quick snack after visiting the Idaho Athletic Club right next door. Almost all our food is made to order when you order it, so changes are not a problem. Great sandwiches and wraps as well as very tasty healthy salads are all on the menu, and if you don’t see something just ask and we can try and make something to your liking.

Buzz uses Full Circle Exchange coffee roasted locally in Eagle.

In the mood for a glass of fine wine or a beer after work or workout? Cristi holds her level I Sommelier certification and is always on the lookout for new and exciting wines to stock the shelves with. She has personally selected all the wines on our shelves and is always ready and willing to answer any questions one may have about wines. Need to find a great wine to go with your dinner or just to drink? Cristi can help you pair a great wine to whatever you may be fixing for dinner, or help you find the perfect wine to just relax and enjoy with friends. Her schedule can be a bit varied and you may not always catch her here at Buzz, but Tom can always help out as well. Be assured that no matter who is here to help you, Cristi has tasted all of the wines we stock and as she likes to say, “All the wines we carry are wines I would share with friends.”

Here at Buzz we want everyone to feel as comfortable and relaxed as they would in their own living room. Music is always kept to a comfortable level so you almost don’t even notice that its playing. Our big screen TV is most often set to a 24 hour news channel, but for special events such as BSU football game we always try to watch our Broncos as they march up and down the gridiron. If asked, we will always turn the TV off to make your stay more enjoyable.

Herbs and Wine at The Buzz

14 Wednesday May 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Dinner With Friends, Food Photos, Herbs, Herbs and Spices, Housemade Soup, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Special Dinners, Spices, Sriracha Chili Sauce, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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Buzz Coffee & Wine Events, Wine, Wine Dinners

I would be remiss if I did not send our condolences to Tommy and his family for his loss over the weekend.

We had a very quiet and intimate wine tasting at the Buzz last night – Herbs and Wine was the topic. Great topic and job, Cristi! Your choices of topics is what makes these Wine Dinners so very interesting. If you live in Boise, or the surrounding area and you missed this event, you can redeem yourself tonight as the program is repeated. The program starts at 6:30pm and costs $20.00 per person for a 5 Course dinner and at least 6 wines. Here is what we had and the wines to go with dinner. Cheers!

Herbed Quiche
2012 Wente Chardonnay
13.5% alc.a wonderful chardonnay with this quiche. [19]

Herbed Zucchini Soup 2012 Monte Fresco 13% alc. good choice with the spice in the soup. great soup

Herbed Zucchini Soup
2012 Monte Fresco
13% alc. good choice with the spice in the soup. Awesome soup! [17]

Spiced Grape Salad
2012 Zolo Bonardo
13.8% alc. great paring with the salad. big enough to go with the radish [19]

Herbed Chicken
Broccoli
Saffron Tomato Rice
2012 Fernandez Gomez Rioja
14% alc. superb match. went very well with the broccoli. [19]

Lavender Cupcake with Honey Frosting
2012 Tranche
13.2% alc. I thought the balance was a little off on this one. The cupcake, however, was awesome! [17]

Valentines Wine Dinner at the Buzz

12 Wednesday Feb 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Chocolate, Chocolate and Food, Dinner With Friends, Healthy Eating, Idaho Chefs, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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petite sirah, The Buzz Coffee and Wine, Two Angels Petite Sirah, Valentines Day, wine dinner

Another superb wine dinner at the Buzz in Boise! So far this year, the dinners have been great. Tommy’s Asian Dinner last month and now this dinner for Valentines Day. And then too, it is Cristi’s birthday at the end of the month. Oh yes. I forgot. She was born on February 29th. But I bet she will have something. As for the dinner tonight, most of the wines were pretty good. Out of 7 wines, 3 were scored [19], 2 were [17], 1 at [16] and one at [15]. Thanks to Michelle and Cristi for this great dinner. Here are some photos from the dinner. The wine above, 2008 Two Angels Petite Sirah, was probably my favorite of the night with a score of [19]. Enjoy and see you at the next dinner! Cheers!

Assorted Chocolates

Caponata Crostini reall a good appetizer. Too bad the wine was not up to the spiciness. 2012 Heritage Cote du Rhone 14% alc. definitely not the best wine of the evening. not enough body and finish to go with the appetizer [15] $14.00

Caponata Crostini
really a good appetizer. Too bad the wine was not up to the spiciness.
2012 Heritage Cote du Rhone
14% alc. definitely not the best wine of the evening. not enough body and finish to go with the appetizer [15] $14.00

Tomato and Chocolate Soup such a good soup! 2012 Heritage Cote du Rhone 14% alc. not my favorite. [15] $14.00

Tomato and Chocolate Soup
such a good soup!
2011 Tomero Cabernet Sauvignon
15% alc. went very well with the soup. good body and finish. [17] $16.00

Pear and Spinach Salad
truly a great salad that went extremely well with the wine.
2011 Jack Cabernet Sauvignon 13.8% alc. This wine went superbly with the salad! great body and finish. [19] $18.00

Pasta Marinara and Beef Kabob
I really enjoyed this entree. Great sauce on the kabobs made with beer.
2008 Two Angels Petite Sirah
14.1% alc a superb wine with this plate. great taste, body and a good finish. [19] $21.00

Brownie Tiramisu Such a delight to end the dinner with this. Great ending! 2011 Renwood Zinfandel 14.5% alc. just OK with the dessert. Almost to big for the chocolate. [17] $15.00

Brownie Tiramisu
Such a delight to end the dinner with this. Great choice!
2011 Renwood Zinfandel
14.5% alc. just OK with the dessert. Almost to big for the chocolate. [17] $15.00

And as a side note and information that Cristi presented last night, the Thursday before Labor Day is known as Cabernet Day and Cristi said she might think of a wine dinner that goes along with this event. And another, Zinfandel is a great partner with curry and hard cheeses. And as for a Petite Sirah, which is not by any means a small grape or wine, “… goes well with any food with which you would normally pair a big red wine: grilled meats, roast duck, lamb, pot roast, rabbit in mustard sauce (ed note: I have a great recipe for this), mushrooms and chocolate. Petite Sirah can age for years. Even decades.” (Cristi Takeda, the Buzz) Hope you make the next wine dinner. They are really fun and informative. Cheers!

February At The Buzz

07 Friday Feb 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Dinner With Friends, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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Buzz Beans, Buzz Wine, the Buzz, The Buzz Coffee and Wine, Valentines Day

This just in from Cristi at The Buzz in Boise! Don’t forget that it is Valentines Day on February 14 – bring your significant other to the tasting on February 11th or 12th. What a great treat! Also, let’s not forget that the price is now $20.00 per person for a 5 course dinner and about 6 or 7 wines. Call for reservations!! Their web page is at Buzz Beans and their blog page is Buzz Wine where Cristi has posted some recipes and awesome photos. Enjoy and see you this month at The Buzz! Cheers.

Happy February to all. We know that the snow is getting tiresome, but just think of all the grapes in Idaho that are being well taken care of this week.

We have our regular wine tastings and music this month. On the 7th Wayne White will be playing, on the 14th stop by and say Happy Valentines day to Carter Freeman, the 15th Tomorrow Never Knows will be celebrating with us, and on the 21st is Dr Todd Palmer. We will have appetizer, dinner and dessert specials each night to compliment the wines.

Our annual Chocolate and Wine nights will be February 11 and 12 at 6:30. Reservations are required buzzwine@cableone.net or (208) 344-4321. The cost is $20 for 5 course dinner and at least 5 different wines. Hope to see you there.

Stay safe and warm and join us for a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine
2999 N Lakeharbor Lane
Boise, Idaho 83703

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January At “The Buzz”

10 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Asian Food, Dinner With Friends, Ethnic Foods, Friends, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Dinners, Special Events, Traditional Food, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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asian food, the Buzz, wine club dinner, Wine Dinners

Here is the latest from Cristi at the Buzz here in Boise. (Check the sidebar for their link if you want more information.) This month’s Wine Club Dinner really sounds interesting and I know Tommy does a great job cooking. This will be an interesting evening, especially paring the wines with dinner. Sounds like fun. Hope to see YOU there, but don’t forget to call for reservations. Cheers!

We, at the Buzz, wish all the best in this new year for you and your family.

Just a reminder that the price for wine club dinners has changed slightly dinner is now $20.00 per person (with a $5.00 credit toward the featured wines). We will continue with the second Tuesday and the next day at 6:30 PM. The first wine club dinner for 2014 will be on January 14 or 15 and will feature Asian Foods. Don’t forget to make your reservations; buzzwine@cableone.net or (208) 344-4321.

Music in January will be:
1/10 John Cazan
1/17 Johnny Shoes
1/24 Sons of Thunder Mountain
1/25 Jean Cardena

Weekend wine tasting begins at 6PM on Friday and Saturday nights. Music starts at 7PM. We have appetizer, dinner, and dessert specials on Friday and Saturday Nights. No reservations required just stop in and say Hi.

Again Thanks and Happy New Year,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine

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The Rib-Eye Christmas Dinner

26 Thursday Dec 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Cuts of Beef, Dinner With Friends, Dried Corn, Friends, Local Farmers Markets, Local Markets, Locavore, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipes, Rib-Eye, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, Twice Baked Potatoes, What's For Dinner?

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Linder torte, pear and almond tarte, prime rib dinner, raspberry and walnut torte, rib-eye, rib-eye roast, torte

It’s not as if there was not enough for everyone to eat. There was plenty!! In a previous post on this blog, Christmas 2013 Dinner Prep, I posted some photos of the Rib-Eye being prepared and I also posted the recipe for the roast. This was not a standard cooking time. But it turned out terrific! Look at the recipe. And check out this “neat” tree ornament that Sophia made for Marnie and Mac. Great idea, as we are all Ravenswood Winery enthusiasts, as Robin helped to start it back in the mid 1970’s. Here are some photos of the dinner. Enjoy ….. We did!

Rib-Eye Roast. It was awesome. Done to perfection, tender and juicy. Thank you Homestead Farms for such a great roast!!

Ready to be served.

Rib-Eye Roast
Twice Baked Potato (Marnie)
Dried Corn

Dried Corn and Twice Baked Potatoes. Marnie did a great job on the variation to the potatoes.

Marnie and Mac enjoy the dinner.

Sophia and Chris

Margaret and Robin. It looks like everyone liked what they were eating. I did!

Robin’s first time at making marshmallow. These were terrific!!

Marnie made this great Pear and Almond Tarte. Beautiful colors.

Robin made the Linder Walnut Raspberry Torte. Another yummy!

And the candle started to go dim and the tree lights are subdued. The end of the day and a very great Christmas. Thank-You one and all! Cheers!

Christmas 2013 Dinner Prep

25 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Boise Farmers Market, Captain's Shack, Dinner With Friends, Dried Corn, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes, Rib-Eye, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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Chef Ron Lock, Horseradish Sauce, Kosher salt, prime rib, prime rib roast, rib-eye, Wine

Well, at least our part. This Rib-Eye Roast, 12 lbs, will – should – serve the group of us. Eight? This does not cook long, just at a high temperature. 500 degrees for 1 hour. I have put the recipe below. The beef is from Homestead Farms. A local producer and there is a link to them in the sidebar. The house smells so wonderful! The stove heat is high enough that the fire alarms went off. Just checking them! To see the photos enlarged, Left-Click. There will be more photos posted here later. But for now ……….

Rib-Eye Roast with thee rub on it and getting happy!

And of course, there is always a well chosen wine for dinner, too. Here are some from our cellar. Cheers!!

And of course, as promised, here is the recipe that I promised. Enjoy it!

Roast Prime Rib of Beef

Source: Chef Ron Luck, http://chefronlock.com/recipes/roast-prime-rib-of-beef/

Step 1: So, my roast is 5.75 lbs. x 5 minutes = 28.75 minutes. I will round up to 29 minutes and add 1 minute for the heat lost when opening the oven door. Keep this in the back of your mind for future reference.

Ingredients:
1 5.75 pound prime rib roast of beef (2 bones)

The rub. There are no measurements here. Just generous amounts of the following:
Butter at room temperature
Herbs de Provence
Fresh cracked pepper
Kosher salt – a generous amount
Chef Ron Lock’s Spicy Horseradish Sauce – See below

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (this MUST be an accurate temp)

Put roast, rib side down in roasting pan. Mix the pepper and herbs in the butter until well combined. Spread the butter mixture over the entire surface of the prime rib. The more the better.

Put the kosher salt over the entire surface of the butter. Be very GENEROUS. Use more than you think you should here. Most of the salt will run off and very little will remain on the meat. I can’t stress the “generous” enough.

Put the roast in the 500 degree oven for 30 minutes as outlined in step 1. The time will be according to the size of your roast. After the 30 minutes, simply turn the oven off and walk away from it for 2 hours. Yup, just walk away. Do NOT open the door, fiddle with it or anything else. Pretend the roast does not exist.

After 2 hours, remove the roast and LET SIT at least 15 min to allow it to rest before carving!

Slice and serve. You can remove the rib bones for easier slicing and it also makes it easier to get 4 generous servings from the roast. Save the bones! Serve with au jus or Chef Ron Lock’s Spicy Horseradish Sauce. Whatever you like. You will surely love this method. You will get a succulent, moist roast between rare and medium rare. Perfect!

Chef Ron Lock’s Spicy Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients:
2 T Prepared Horseradish
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t dry Mustard
3 T Mayonnaise
½ c Sour Cream

Directions:
Combine all ingredients until well blended. Taste and adjust as necessary. Chill until ready to use.

Boise Foodies Party On!

23 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Boise Foodie Meet-Up, Comfort Food, Curry, Dinner With Friends, Finger Foods, Friends, Idaho Wine, Idaho's Bounty, Indian Food, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Salads, Side Dishes, Special Events, Tapas, Turkey, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Boise Foodie Meet-Up Group, curry, Heirloom Seed Suppliers, Idaho wine, indian food, Thai Food

And a great party it was! Great to see so many people there and to talk to them. Thanks Kat for opening your home to all of us. And the decorations, as in this tree where Robin and Tina are chatting, were marvelous. And the food that everyone shared was fabulous. And if you are in search of Heirloom seeds, here is a list of Heirloom Seed Suppliers. Enjoy the following photos and Left-Click any of them to see enlarged. And while you are at it, please rate this article above and Follow us on this blog – there is a place to do so in the sidebar. Cheers!

Kat, Rick and Tina are chatting on the couch.

Cathy

Lance, The Elevated One, and Bernadette

Krista and “Louie’s Pizza Maker”

Kitchen workers

I don’t know what to say here.

Layered Russian Salad that Robin brought. I will have the recipe posted in the Recipe File above later today.

Seven-Layer Russian Salad that Robin brought. I will have the recipe posted in the Boise Foodie Blog Recipe page, listed at the very top of this page, later today. (Seven-Layer Russian Salad Recipe – PDF format)

Turkey Meatballs. Here is the recipe: Cranberry Turkey Meatballs (This is a PDF file)

Curry, Thai food, different types of rice, chicken, pasta and much, much more. No one went away hungry!! There are some awesome cooks in this group. I like this type of Meet-Up just as well as visiting our local restaurants. As my Supervisor at the duPont Company would say many years ago, "Atta boy!!"

Curry, Thai food, different types of rice, chicken, pasta, chocolate bacon, egg salad bruchetta and much, much more. No one went away hungry!! There are some awesome cooks in this group. I like this type of Meet-Up just as well as visiting our local restaurants. As my Supervisor at the duPont Company would say many years ago, “Atta boy!!” A job well done.

The Drink Bar and Waterfront Grill Visit

26 Tuesday Nov 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Bisque, Boise Adventures, Chowder, Dinner With Friends, Lobster, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Pubs, Sandwiches, Seafood, Shell Fish, Soup, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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Drink Bar and Waterfront Grill, Idaho humanists

The Boise Humanist group met at Drink Bar and Waterfront Grill on November 25. The restaurant is a nice setting right on the lake. But just a little cold on the Cabana when the temperature is in the high 20’s, even if the sides are shielded by plastic. They probably could have turned the heaters on an hour or so earlier so that the room would warm up a little more. People were cold. Here is their Cabana/Tiki Bar Page and menus.

The food was OK, but not much more. The clam chowder was tasty as was the lobster bisque. It would have been nice to have fries or something come with the burgers. They could probably do with better hamburger buns, too. These were “gummy”. I will rate this as a 3-Star ( out of 5-Stars) restaurant based on what we had. Here are some photos from the evening. Left-Click any of the photos to see enlarged. Cheers!

The Cabana

View out over the lake.

Some of the people who were there.

Lobster Bisque

Clam Chowder

The Haole Burger

The Big Wave Burger

Two Great Meals!

24 Sunday Nov 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5 Hour Duck, Bronco Nation, Captain's Shack, Chilies Rellenos, Comfort Food, Dinner With Friends, Duck, Ethnic Foods, Main Dish, Mexican Food, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipes, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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5 hour roasted duck, Acme Bake Shop ciabatta, Chile Rellenos Casserole

On Saturday night, we went to a BSU game party. BSU lost 34-31 to San Diego State. Yuk! But to save the day, Robin’s brother Brian sent us a recipe for Chile Rellenos Casserole. We used it as a dip and the people loved it!! It really was good and Thank-You Brian!! We just altered the recipe slightly.

Chile Rellenos Casserole

Chile Rellenos Casserole

Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 pound lean ground beef, 95% or Kobe
2 t Cumin
1 T Oregano
1/2 onion chopped, lightly caramelized
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 10 oz can diced fire roasted green chilies
1 lg Jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed and diced
1 15oz can Black Beans, rinsed
1 15oz can whole kernal corn
1 10oz can Ro-Tel
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese or Mexican blend of cheeses
3/4 cup milk
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
2 eggs

Preparation:
In a heavy skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, diced jalapeno and onion; drain off excess fat. Place in a bowl and sprinkle beef with the first 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cumin and oregano. Stir with a spoon to mix all the herbs.

Rinse the black beans and drain the liquid from the corn. Mix the beans, corn and Ro-Tel. Spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of a casserole dish.

Spread the meat mixture evenly on top of the bean mixture.

Combine milk, flour, salt, pepper and eggs. Whisk until smooth. Pour over meat and chili mixture. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake at 350° for 45 to 50 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Let the casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with corn chips or with the chip of your choice. Enjoy!

Then we had our neighbors, Kelley and Scott and their daughter, over for a Five Hour Roasted Duck dinner. There is a recipe for this roasted duck in the recipe section of this blog.

Five Hour Roasted Duck

Orange Infused Wild Rice

Green Salad

Acme Bake Shop Ciabatta Pull-Apart Rolls

Gravy

Peach Melba with Housemade Oatmeal Cookie

A variety of wine and sherry. It was a good foodie weekend with good friends. Thank-You everyone. Cheers!