3 Lucious Meals

06 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bakery, Avocado, Bacon, Beans, Black Beans, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Brown Basmati Rice, Captain's Shack, Cinco de Mayo, Comfort Food, Corn, Dinner With Robin, Eggs, Feta Cheese, Focaccia, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Pork, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Omelet, Party Time, Peaceful Belly Farms, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Pork Tenderloin, Puerto Rican Food, Puerto Rican Recipe, Purple Sage Farms, Salad, Sofritto, Spanish Food, Special Dinners, Spice Blends, Spinach, Steamed Clams, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?

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black beans, brown basmati rice, Cinco de Mayo, sofrito

It was a good Cinco de Mayo! At least meal wise. All from scratch, which really makes it fun, and then from mostly local products. Pork. Sofrito. Brown Basmati Rice. Mango Margaritas. Rhubarb Red Sauce. Black Olive and Rice Salad. Mostly fit the occasion; the holiday.
The photos below will give you an idea of these meals. Left-Click any of them to see enlarged. What did you do fro Cinco de Mayo? What did you cook? Have to eat? Anything special? Let us know. Spread the delicious words;photos. Cheers!

Pork and Sofrito Avocado Tomato Salad Brown Basmati Rice and Black Beans Mango Margaritas

Pork Tenderloin and Sofrito
Avocado and Tomato Salad
Brown Basmati Rice and Black Beans
Mango Margaritas

Good Cinco de Mayo dinner and fun to make!

Red Velvet Cake
with
strawberries and whipped cream

Our neighbors brought this to us, just because. Thank you! See why we love Boise?

Spinach Omelet
with
rhubarb red sauce and sofrito
Bacon
Toasted Focaccia

Such a differently good breakfast.

Steamed Clams
Buttered Corn
Black Olive, Tomato and Brown Basmati Rice Salad

Really a yummy dinner. Now for clam chowder with the broth.

Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb BBQ Sauce

03 Sunday May 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Breads, Acme Bakery, BBQ Sauce, Boise Farmers Market, Brocolli, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Cast Iron, Cheese, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Feta Cheese, Focaccia, Green Salad, Idaho Pork, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Peaceful Belly Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Pork Tenderloin, Purple Sage Farms, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Sauces, Salad, Turnip Greens, Turnips, Watermelon, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

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focaccia, pork tenderloin

An interesting and adventuresome dinner tonight. Here is the recipe: Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb BBQ Sauce and an interesting side to this BBQ sauce, it also goes with chicken and beef. We had it with pork tenderloin and it was fantastic. The recipe calls for oven roasting the tenderloin for 15 minutes. Ours was big enough that it probably should have gone 25 to 30 minutes. You too, may also have to extend the oven time. Enjoy the photo and you can Left-Click the photo to see it enlarged. The recipe is also a permanent entry to the Recipe File listed above. Cheers.

Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb BBQ Sauce Oven Roasted Baby Broccoli and Turnips Acme Bread Steamed Turnip Greens Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese 2012 Indian Creek My Best Friend Malbec

Pork Tenderloin with Rhubarb BBQ Sauce
Oven Roasted Baby Broccoli and Baby Turnips
Acme Bake Shop Focaccia
Steamed Turnip Greens
Watermelon and Cucumber Salad with Feta Cheese
2012 Indian Creek My Best Friend Malbec

Wonderful Römertopf Chicken

30 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Chicken, Classic Herb Blends, Comfort Food, Dinner With Robin, Herbs, Photos By: Bob Young, Römertopf, Römertopf Cooking, Recipe By: Robin Young, Recipes, Roasted Vegetables, Special Dinners, Tagine, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - German

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chicken, Römertopf, roasted vegetables, romertopf, romertopf cooking, tagine cooking

Römertopf chicken is so easy to do and it is wonderful! Crispy skin. Moist. From Wikipedia, we see that,

Different cultures have different techniques of cooking food in pottery. Some design pots that are fully finished by burnishing and therefore don’t require the pot to be soaked each time before use. Some are unfinished and work well when soaked for about 30–45 minutes in water, each time before use. The design and shape of the pot have been slightly modified from one culture to another to suit their style of cooking. Seasoning is an essential part of cooking in clay. Seasoning is done by making a broth with flour (rice or wheat) and vegetable cooking oil. These ingredients are mixed to the water in the pot and brought to a boil…The food inside the pot loses little to no moisture because it is surrounded by steam, creating a tender, flavorful dish. The evaporation of the water prevents burning so long as the pot is not allowed to heat until it is completely dry. Because no oil needs to be added with this cooking technique, food cooked in clay many times is lower in fat compared with food prepared by other utensils. Pots also seal all the nutrients inside the pot by locking steam in. The unglazed pottery utensil made from clay is inert or non-reactive and does not leach into food. Earthenware cooking pots are made from special clay that can withstand heat in an oven or on the stovetop.

Here are some photos of the Chicken Römertopf that we made. And as a note, using a Römertopf is very similar to using a tagine in Moroccan cooking. Both techniques, and several other clay pot techniques, use steam to maintain the moisture. Enjoy!

Chicken Romertopf with lemon, thyme, salt and pepper

Chicken Römertopf
with
lemon, thyme, salt and pepper

Cooked covered at 400 degrees F for 90 minutes then 30 minutes uncovered.

Oven Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
with
Meyer lemon olive oil, fine diced garlic, salt and pepper

Oven roasted at 400 degrees F with lemon juice and lemon zest for 30 minutes. At 15 minutes the veggies are turned and returned to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Romertopf Chicken Oven Roasted Vegetables 2007 Mosel Riesling

Römertopf Lemon and Thyme Chicken
Oven Roasted Vegetables
2007 Mosel Riesling

Rolled Chicken Breasts

17 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Asparagus, Avocado, Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Cheese, Chicken, Classic Sauces, Coconut Oil, Cooking Oils, Cucumber, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Eggs, Greens, Ham, Ham and Cheese, Housemade Hollandaise Sauce, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Oils, Photos By: Bob Young, Spinach, Sriracha Chili Sauce, What's For Dinner?

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black forest ham, coconut oil, Cucumber Salad, Hollandaise Sauce, spinach, swiss cheese

Stuffed and Rolled Chicken
spinach, black forest ham and swiss cheese

Avocado and Cucumber Salad

Steamed Asparagus
housemade hollandaise sauce

2012 Schloss Vollrads Estate Qualitatswein Rheingau Riesling

Seafood Potpie For Dinner

28 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Green Peas, Housemade Pie Crust, Idaho Wine, Lobster, Onion, Photos By: Bob Young, Potpie, Reel Foods, Sea Scallops, Seafood, Shell Fish, Shrimp, What's For Dinner?, Williamson Vineyards and Orchards, Wine and Food, Wines - Italian

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fish stock, lobster, lobster meat, lobster shells, Reel Foods Fish Market, Sea Scallops, shrimp

This was an awesome recipe from Ina Garten for Seafood Potpie. Although I did alter it slightly. I could not find lobster meat – my seafood shop, Reel Foods Fish Market here in Boise was out of it – I used three small lobster tails. (We are really lucky here in Boise to have such an outstanding seafood market that brings in some really fresh product.) I removed the lobster meat from the shell and then stewed down the lobster shells and shrimp shells to make my own seafood stock. It made a fine rich stock. I also used a small jar of clam juice with the stock. Add to this dinner a wonderful glass of 2012 Williamson Vineyards Blossom, 100% Sangiovese Rosè, and we had a great dinner. Try the recipe. Let us know how you liked it and/or if you altered it at any step. Enjoy these photos. Cheers!

Seafood Potpie

This was really very good and we did like the housemade seafood stock.

Break open that luscious crust and one exposes peas, pearl onions, shrimp, scallops and lobster.

Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin with Rosemary, Balsamic Orange Sauce

23 Monday Mar 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Cheese, Comfort Food, Dinner With Robin, Housemade Pasta, Idaho Wine, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Salad, Side Dishes, Snake River AVA, Syringa Winery, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

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Cheese Sauce, cuts of pork, orange sauce, pork, pork tenderloin, Wine

Such a great way to serve a scrumptious pork tenderloin. A little involved, but nonetheless delicious. The orange sauce really adds to this dish. I did not have any chicken stock, so I used turkey stock and I think it came out just fine. Then we served it with 2010 Syringa Winery Sangiovese and the paring was super good! I used this wine in the sauce, too. The original recipe came from the Cooking Channel, Kelsey Nixon. I adapted it slightly.
As sides we had a Fresh Green Salad, Steamed Asparagus and Housemade Pasta with Artichoke in a Cheese Sauce. Here are some photos of the dinner. Enjoy – We did! I will probably post the recipe in the Recipe File above. Cheers!

The pork tenderloin has cooled enough to slice it. So juicy and moist and tender. Delicious.

Pan SearedPork Tenderloin with Rosemary Balsamic Steamed Asparagus Green Salad Housemade Pasta with Artichokes in a Cheese Sauce 2010 Syringa SangioveseOrange Sauce

Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin
with
rosemary and balsamic orange sauce

Steamed Asparagus

Green Salad

Housemade Pasta with Artichokes in a Cheese Sauce

2010 Syringa Sangiovese

Mai Thai Visited

18 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 4-Stars, Asian Food, Boise Restaurants, Buy Idaho, Curry, Dinner With Robin, Duck, Locavore, Mai Thai, Photos By: Bob Young, Sushi, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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Asian - Mai Thai, chicken, curry, duck, Mai Thai, sushi

We have been to Mai Thai several times, but this is the first time for the lunch buffet. They are located at 750 W Idaho Street, Boise. (208) 344-8424. Such a treat! They continue their outstanding cuisine. With just a small comment: The duck could have had more of the fat removed and the connective tissue trimmed. The vegetable tempura was good, but slightly soggy and cold. For those reasons, I can only rate this visit a 4-Star, out of 5-Star, meal. The ambiance is terrific. The Waite staff is very attentive and polite. The price, $11.95 for the buffet, is extremely reasonable for the amount of food that is available. Mai Thai is well worth the trip to go there. If you like Asian cuisine for lunch, this is the place to go. It is just a little more of a formal setting than most of the other Asian places in Boise. Give it a try. I have also listed Mai Thai on TripAdvisor. Here are some photos we took. Left-Click any of the photos to see them enlarged. Enjoy!!

Buffet menu

Makings for a salad

Lettuce Wrap Ingredients and Vegetable Tempura. (The tempura was not heavy with batter.)

Sushi offerings

Curry

Noodles

Chicken and Duck

Vegetable Tempura, Salad and Sushi

Sushi close-up

Duck, Noodles and Curry on Rice

Happy 1 Year Birthday Cloud 9 Nano Brewery!!

17 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beer and Ale, Beer and Food, Birthdays, Boise Adventures, Brew Pubs, Buy Idaho, Cloud 9 nano Brewery, Cod, Comfort Food, Dessert, Dinner With Robin, Fish and Chips, Idaho Breweries, Local Farmers Markets, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Potatoes, Restaurant Reviews, Seafood, Shepards Pie, Special Events, What's For Dinner?

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fish and chips, potato soup, scottish ale, shepards pie

And it was a rousing St Patrick’s Day celebration and birthday party!! The turn out was superb. The food was awesome as usual and the beer/ale was outstanding! Glad they are so close to us – about 1 1/2 blocks. A nono brewery produces less than 5oo cases per year. They are small but they are sure delicious! Here are some photos from the evening. They had to put a tent up outside in addition to the patio seating. It must be a Rite of Spring, because it sure did feel like it. Happy Birthday Cloud 9! Here’s to many more! You are definitely a 4+-Star Pub (Out of 5-Stars). Love it!

The inside. About 8 tables and bar seating. Children are allowed but not at the bar. Full and delicious menu of Idaho and local products.

The beer/ale menu.

(L) Stout and (R)Scottish Heather Ale

Shepard’s Pie and Potato Soup. Both were delicious!

Fish and Chips are awesome. These are always on the menu.

Happy Birthday cake!

The Orchard House and Williamson Vienyards

07 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Brocolli, Classic Cuisines, Cooking Styles, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Idaho Trout, Idaho Wine, Local Markets, Locavore, Meatloaf, Orchard House, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Potatoes, Restaurants, Restaurants To Try, Salmon, Seafood, Special Dinners, Special Events, The Orchard House, What's For Dinner?, Williamson Vineyards and Orchards, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

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Idaho Trout, idaho wineries, The Orchard House, trout, Williamson Vineyards, Williamson wines

What a great time last night at The Orchard House for dinner and Williamson Vineyard and Orchards serving their wines. The Orchard House is a favorite of ours when we are in the Snake River wine area. And Williamson Vineyards have some fantastic wines and their fruit in season is awesome! We highly recommend these two businesses. Here are some photos from the evening. Truly a Homestyle meal! Enjoy.

Patrick Williamson, Orchardist, explains to the Orchard House customer about the Williamson wines.

Patrick Williamson, Orchardist, explains to the Orchard House customers about the Williamson wines.

(L-R) 201o Williamson Viognier and a 2012 Williamson Blossom. Both are delightful wines.

(L-R) 2010 Williamson Viognier and a 2012 Williamson Blossom, a rosé of Sangiovese. Both are delightful wines.

More wine offerings.

A flight of Williamson wines.

Chicken Nugget Appetizer. Breading was a little heavy and they are spicy.

Some really good Onion Rings.

Some of the best Idaho Trout in the state!

I know. No one makes a Meatloaf like your Mother. And you can not find a good meatloaf when traveling. Until now. Outside of my kitchen, and my Mother’s kitchen, this has got to be the best anywhere. And if you are here for lunch, try the Meatloaf Sandwich!

What else can I say? The meal was a Plus 4-Star dinner (out of 5-Stars) and the wines went extremely well with the dinner. If you are in the area, stop in at both places. You may need reservations at The Orchard House – they get very busy for dinner. And try their breakfast or lunch. And don’t forget the appropriate wine with dinner. Say Hi to Kris for us! Cheers!

Cottonwood Grille Revisited

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Bearnaise Sauce, Beef, Boise Restaurants, Buy Idaho, Chocolate, Chocolate and Food, Classic Sauces, Colter's Creek Winery, Cottonwood Grille, Dinner With Robin, Herbs, Idaho Wine, Idaho's Bounty, Kobe Beef, Locavore, Oysters, Photos By: Bob Young, Potatoes, Restaurant Reviews, Salads, Seafood, Shrimp, Snake River AVA, Special Dinners, Syrah, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Béarnaise sauce, Colters Creek winery, cottonwood grille, Crème Brûlée, garlic mashed potatoes, London Broil

It was a good meal. And to get the negative out of the way, I thought the peas we had were a little salty for us – we eat very little salt – so the saltiness may not be entirely true for everyone. We would have liked a little more garlic in the potatoes. So will this keep us from going back? Probably not. The Kobe beef that Robin had was so very tender and delicious. My London Broil was good and the Béarnaise sauce on it was wonderful! Robin had an awesome Chocolate Mousse served in a White Chocolate Cup and I had a delicious Crème Brûlée. Here. Look at these photos and enjoy! If you want a more detailed review of the Cottonwood Grille, look at Our Restaurant Guide.

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail

Wonderfully fresh seafood!

Oysters On The Half Shell

How fresh were these? You could taste the ocean and smell the ocean and hear the waves crashing on shore. That’s how fresh they were!

Caesar Salad

Love how this is presented.

Fresh Green House Salad

Kobe Beef with garlic mashed potatoes steamed peas

Kobe Beef
with
garlic mashed potatoes and steamed peas

London Broil with Bear garlic mashed potatoes and steamed peas

London Broil and Béarnaise sauce
with
garlic mashed potatoes and steamed peas

Chocolate Mousse in a White Chocolate Cup

Crème Brûlée

And with our dinner, we asked for a Fraser Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon but they were out of it. So we got a good 2011 Colter’s Creek Syrah, both are Idaho wines are very good and went quite well with our dinners.
But beforer we went for dinner here at the Cottonwood Grille, we went to the Arid Club, which is designed “To establish a club of business and professional men and women whose members are uniformly congenial with one another as nearly as may be, to provide them with an attractive and convenient meeting place, and to exclude there from bigots, propagandists, boosters, go-getters, uplifters, reformers, and snobs. [Arid Club Preamble]” for the release of the documentary film on the Idaho Wine Regions called “Idaho Wines: From Bud to Taste Bud”. It is on its way to be presented at the Sun Valley Film Festival.