Our Visit to “Twin Dragon Restaurant” in Boise

20 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 3-Stars, Brocolli, Chicken, Chinese Food, Dinner Reviews with Robin, Dinner With Robin, Ethnic Foods, Local Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Seafood, Spicy Food, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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Chinese food, Twin Dragon

Our recent visit – we have been there before – was OK. Nothing more. Just OK. 3-Stars out of 5-Stars. Twin Dragon, Boise, 2200 W Fairview Ave, Boise, ID 83702, (208) 344-2141 for take-out or reservations. One reviewer has stated that, “Twin Dragon is a local staple in Boise for classic Americanized Chinese food.” and I completely agree. The food has been Americanized. Another reviewer, from TripAdvisor, says that, “Like the sort of place you see in movies & TV from the 1950’s Old world classic American Chinese Nothing special, yet still nothing wrong in Boise….” Yup! That pretty much says it. But there are reviews that rave about Twin Dragon. Try it yourself and make up your mind. Here are some photos from our visit. Enjoy!

They do serve beer if you want some.

Pot Stickers

Pork and Seeds

Seafood Soup for 2

Disappointed in this. Hard to find the seafood. Taste was OK, but lacks some seafood. Robin and I got the Family Dinner #5. $11.00 per person. This photo, and the following ones, are what is included in this selection.

Fried Shrimp

Pork Fried Rice

I think this was warmed over from earlier in the day. It had the consistency and flavor of “left overs”.

Broccoli Chicken

Not bad, but lacked some intense, Oriental flavor.

Lemon Chicken

Probably the best dish of the evening.

We still believe that Sushi Joy and Yen Ching far out shine the Twin Dragon Restaurant. The Chinese Buffet on Fairview at Five Mile is better, too.

Valentines Dinner – Chicken Marsala With Mushrooms

15 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Beans, Capers, Captain's Shack, Chicken, Chicken Marsala, Classic Cuisines, Classic Sauces, Dessert, Dinner With Robin, Ethnic Foods, Green Beans, Housemade Pasta, Italian foods, Mushrooms, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes - Sauces, Special Events, What's For Dessert?, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Italian

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chianti, chicken marsala recipe, Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina, marsala

Oh, it was really soooooooo good! Robin and I really liked it. The recipe for the Chicken Marsala can be found in the recipe file above.

Chicken Marsala with Mushrooms
on a bed of
housemade angel hair pasta

Steamed Green Beans

dinner was served with a
2008 Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina

Strawberry Boston Chocolate Cake

Crock Pot Black Bean Chili

08 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beans, Black Beans, Butternut Squash, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Cooking Styles, Corn, Crockpot, Dinner With Robin, Grains, Photos By: Bob Young, Quinoa, Salad, Slow Cooking, Squash, Vegetables, Vegetarian Foods, What's For Dinner?

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black beans, butternut squash, crockpot, Idaho Power, quinoa, vegetarian dish

Yes. This is a vegetarian dish. Yes. It is really good! No. I did not miss the beef. The Quinoa gave the dish the “texture” of ground beef. The chunks of Butternut Squash gave the dish the “feel” of beef. You really should try this. It is that good. The recipe came from an Idaho Power mailing and every once in a while, they do come up with a good recipe. I just increased the corn to 1 cup and rinsed the cans out with a little red wine. That is the only change I made. The recipe is below. If you want to see these photos enlarged, Left-Click them. Enjoy!

Crock Pot Black Bean Chili Recipe courtesy Idaho Power

The chili is in the crock pot getting “happy”.

The chili is plated with tortillas and shredded lettuce.

Salmon En Croûte

07 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Alaskan Salmon, Captain's Shack, Classic Sauces, Classics, Dinner With Robin, Ethnic Foods, French Foods, Green Peas, Hollandaise Sauce, Pastries, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes, Recipes - Sauces, Salmon, Seafood, What's For Dinner?

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Boeuf en Croûte, Copper River Salmon fillets, en croûte, puff pastry, Salmon En Croûte

Table ambiance.

We saw this reccipe on a competition on the Foodnetwork. Decided we needed to make it. Think of it like a Beef Wellington, only made with salmon. We adjusted the recipe for the two of us. That is, I used 2-4 ounce Copper River Salmon fillets instead of a 2 pound side of salmon. Here is the basic recipe. Adjust it as necessary. Salmon En Croûte. Here are some photos of the cooking and prep process. Take your time and all will come out just right. Have fun with the recipe. The recipe for the Hollandaise sauce is in the recipe file on this blog. Here it is, too: Hollandaise Sauce. Cheers!

In the culinary arts, the term en croute (pronounced “on KROOT”) indicates a food that has been wrapped in pastry dough and then baked in the oven. Salmon en Croûte is a popular recipe. Pâté and brie cheese are also frequently prepared en croute.
One of the classic en croute recipes is Beef Wellington, or in French, Boeuf en Croûte.
Traditionally, the type of pastry used for making Pâté en Croûte is a simple straight pastry dough called pâte à pâté, or pâté pastry. But today, puff pastry is frequently used for most en croute recipes.[http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/glossary/g/En-Croute.htm]

The salmon packet is ready to go into the oven at 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes.

The packet is cooling after baking.

The plated Salmon En Croûte. Yum!

A Visit To Da Vinci’s Italian in Eagle

06 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 3-Stars, Boise Restaurants, Capers, Classic Cuisines, Cooking Styles, da Vinci's Italian, Dinner With Robin, Green Salad, Italian Food, Pasta, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants To Try, Salads, Salt, Tuscan Cuisine, What's For Dessert?, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

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Da Vinci, Tuscan cuisine, veal, veal marsala, veal picatta

Overall, a good visit and meal at da Vinci’s Italian in Eagle, ID last night. Overall good flavors in the food and good wines. My only negative comment is that there seemed to be an overuse of salt. Things were salty. But the layers of flavors – after you got by the salt – were very good. Had it not been for the overuse of salt, we would have rated da Vinci’s a 4-Star restaurant. Instead, we rate this as a 3-Star (out of 5-Stars) restaurant. You can see their menu at Yelp. From their website, “All Full Size Entrees Include Our Bottomless House Salad Bowl With Da Vinci’s Homemade Italian Dressing And Freshly Baked Tuscan Bread, Or Substitute A Caesar Salad For An Additional $2.95.all Chicken And Veal Dishes Are Complemented With A Side Of Angel Hair Pasta With Aglio Olio Or Tuscan Tomato Sauce. Add Extra Chicken $2.50 Add Extra Veal $4.50” Here are some photos from the evening. Enjoy!

The “party” area.

Art on the walls.

Table ambiance.

Robin had,

Veal Piccata
Veal scaloppini sauteed with lemon, white wine, capers and garlic

Bob had –

Veal Marsala
Veal scaloppini sauteed with sweet marsala wine and mushrooms

The 2010 Terra Nativa Cabernet Sauvignon went very well with this veal. The wine was light enough that it did not overpower the subtlety of the veal and the marsala sauce did not interfere with the wine. Good paring.

We shared –

Homemade Tiramisu
Coffee and rum-soaked chocolate sponge cake layered with mascarpone cream, dusted with cocoa, and garnished with chocolate pieces

Super Bowl Vittles

01 Sunday Feb 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Corn, Dinner With Robin, Ethnic Foods, Gameday, Local Harvests, Meadowlark Farms, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Shell Fish, Shrimp, Super Bowl, What's For Dinner?

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garbonzo beans, grits, hummus, idaho polenta, shrimp, Super Bowl Party

Well it was a good game, even though the Seattle Seahawks lost. But then, that was a weird call in the last 20 seconds and on the 2 yard line that probably cost them the game. 24-27 was a good score. The way a Super Bowl should end up.
I think our appetizers were much better. And 99% of it from Idaho products by local farmers. If you want to see these photos enlarged, Left Click the photo and it will go larger. Here. Take a look. Enjoy!

Fried Meadowlark Farms Eggs
Steamed Shrimp with Housemade Tartar Sauce
Idaho Grits

A very good breakfast!

Crab Dip East Coast Style

Steamed Shrimp with Tartar Sauce

Fresh Hummus

What you don’t see are the Steak Tacos that we made. Again, from scratch. They were yum! Actually the food all night was yum!

Thailand Express by Chef Pong

19 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 4-Stars, Asian Food, Brocolli, Buy Idaho, Dinner With Robin, Duck, Ethnic Foods, New Restaurant Trial, Oriental Food, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Sauces, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Restaurants To Try, Rice, Seafood, Shrimp, Singha, Soup, Special Dinners, Spring Rolls, Thai Food, Thailand Express, Vegetables, Vegetarian Foods, What's For Dinner?

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Asian - Thailand Express, Chef Pong, Thailand, Thailand Express

Located at 2025 12th Ave Nampa, Idaho 83686. This was a very good surprise! Super food. Great Waite Staff. Ambiance was OK – open and more like a country cafe, not formal like Mai Thai in Boise. From their website, “Looking for mouthwatering Thai restaurants in Nampa, ID? Call Thailand Express at (208) 501-7975 and ask all about our menu that is chock-full of delicious Thai Food. Our chef has years of experience working in top tier restaurants and provides some of the best Asian food in the area. Whether you are looking for quick and easy lunch specials to share with coworkers or something a little fancier for dinner, you will find it here. We have both spicy and mild dishes for the whole family.” Here is a link to Thailand Express.
We found their food to be deliciously intriguing. Not spicy hot, unless you want it that way. Very large servings – Robin and I could have shared a bowl of the soup – no telling how large the pot size of soup was. Probably good for a family. Presentations were good. Prices were good for the quality and serving sizes. Watch their opening times as they are open twice daily, with a break in the afternoon when they are not open. “NEW BUSINESS HOURS – LUNCH —Tuesday-Friday–11:00a.m.2:30p.m., Saturday-Sunday–12:00p.m.-3:00p.m., Dinner –Tuesday-Thursday 4:30p.m.-9:00p.m., Friday-Saturday 4:30p.m.-9:30p.m., Sunday 4:30pm – 9:00pm. Monday Closed”
We rate this 4-Stars out of 5-Stars – on their FB site and their website they have a rating of 4 1/2-Stars. We will return to Thailand Express by Chef Pong. Enjoy these photos of the evening. Left-Click any of the photos to see enlarged.

Wall decorations.

Table Appetizer

Marinated roasted duck and fresh veggies wrapped rice paper and served with special brown sauce. 4 pieces, $6.95

Peking Duck Roll
Marinated roasted duck and fresh veggies wrapped in rice paper and served with special brown sauce.
4 pieces, $6.95 (Well presented and delicious!)

Thai Brown Sauce. This recipe is what we came up with after trying theirs. It is very close.

Coconut Soup (Tom Kah) Coconut milk, chicken and mushroom in lime juice and fish sauce served mildly. Bowl $3.95, Popt $8.95

Coconut Soup (Tom Kah)
Coconut milk, chicken and mushroom in lime juice and fish sauce served mildly.
Bowl $3.95, Pot $8.95 (Robin had a bowl. Delicious!))

Wonton Soup
A traditional Chinese soup with homemade wontons and veggies, mixture of seasoned ground pork, minced shrimp, chicken and water chestnuts.
Bowl $4.95, Pot $9.95 (I had the bowl. Delicious!)

Chef's Special Honey Crispy Duck Half duck marinated sauce and then roasted. Served with special honey sauce on top a bed of vegetables and jalapeno soy on the side. $13.95

Chef’s Special Honey Crispy Duck
Half duck marinated in sauce and then roasted. Served with special honey sauce on top a bed of vegetables and jalapeno soy on the side. $13.95
(Robin made a really good choice with this.)

Praram Long Song Your choice of meat (Pork) stir fried in Thai peanut sauce and served atop a bed of stir fried broccoli. Jasmine rice on the side. $9.95 and worth every penny. There was none to take home!

Praram Long Song
Your choice of pork, beef, chicken, veggie, tofu, shrimp or duck (Pork) stir fried in Thai peanut sauce and served atop a bed of stir fried broccoli. Jasmine rice on the side. $9.95 and worth every penny. There was none to take home!

Glad I tried this Thailand beer. Light and a refreshing lager that was a perfect match to the food. After a language lesson, it is pronounced “sing-ha” with a slight inflection on the “sing”. Our Waite Person was delighted that we asked how to pronounce this. She was very helpful throughout the meal. Thank-You!

Fresh Alaskan Salmon 2 Ways

10 Saturday Jan 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Alaskan Salmon, Asian Food, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Classic Herb Blends, Cooking Styles, Dinner With Robin, Grilling, Heirloom Carrots, Herbs, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Marinades, Salad, Salmon, Seafood, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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Asian marinade, Asian salmon, food photos, Grilled Salmon, recipes

Wow! This salmon was super good and fresh! It should be. Our neighbor, Cary White, returned from an Alaskan trip and brought us a side of fresh salmon. Thank-You so much, Cary, this was superb. We made Asian Grilled Salmon, a new and awesome recipe that we tried, and Robin’s Icebox Lox from the side. I know the Asian Grilled Salmon was wonderful – we had some last night – and I know the lox will be superb. Here are some photos of our endeavor. Enjoy and Enjoy the recipes! Cheers.

Robin’s Icebox Lox getting ready for the refrigerator and the weight.

Asian Grilled Salmon getting to know the marinade. Just remember to use a hot grill and 3 – 5 minutes per side. Cook just long enough so the salmon releases from the grill or grill pan easily and is slightly “marked”.

Asian Grilled Salmon
Fresh Asparagus and Snap Pea Saute
Green Salad with Yellow Heirloom Carrots

Tailgate Food?

04 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Avocado, Bigwood Bread, Black Beans, Brunch, Captain's Shack, Chicken, Comfort Food, Dinner With Robin, Egg Salad, Eggs, Fruits, Italian Food, Meadowlark Farms, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Raspberries, Special Dinners, Vegetables, Watercress, What's For Dessert?, What's For Dinner?

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avocado, Bigwood Bread, Bigwood Sourdough, black beans, watercress

Robin has made some awesome “tailgate” food in the past several days. Here is the Tiramisu recipe from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network. Raspberry Tiramisu. The photo here is Robin wearing her new BSU Bronco hat! You can Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged. Enjoy!

Robin constructing the tiramisu.

Completed tiramisu.

Want a slice? Left-Click to enlarge.

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad. Another yum offering.

Black Bean, Corn, Chicken and Avocado Salad. Another yum offering.

Egg Salad on Sourdough with Water Cress. Corn, Chicken, Avocado and Black Bean Salad. The Acme Bake Shop Sourdough was not available at the COOP when I went there, so I tried the Bigwood Bread Sourdough out of Sun Valley. This sourdough was a lot denser than the Acme sourdough. Not bad, but I prefer Acme Bake Shop. Hard to overcome that bias! Just a personal preference.

2015 – Here We Come!

30 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5 Hour Duck, Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Appetizers, Bread, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Celebrations, Comfort Food, Crockpot, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner With Robin, Duck, Grilled Vegetables, Holiday Gatherings, Holiday Menu, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Slow Cooking, Special Dinners, Special Events, Tomatoes, What's For Dinner?

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new years day, new years eve

Well, 2014 has been a good year. We spent some time on a houseboat in Portland, OR. We saw my brother and sister in Jacksonville, FL – I had not seen them for “too many years”. We saw old high school classmates in Florida, too. Had a great time in the kitchen and will be making our own pasta from now on – we got a pasta machine for our Kitchen Aid – and we will be making our own pie crusts now. The store bought ones although being good, have too much salt in them. Buddy, pictured here with his Teddy Bear, is now 12 years old. Here is how we are preparing for the New Years celebrations – Our menu.

New Years Eve
East Coast Crab Dip
Stuffed Mushroom Caps
Fried Baby Artichokes with a Yogurt Dip
Bacon Wrapped Scallops

New Years Day
Open House at Meadowlark Farms in Nampa. We are making an Italian Pot Roast with as much local products as possible; Beef, onions, carrots and potatoes are all local.

Here are some photos of our meals for the past few days; Our New Years Prep meals.

Start off with

Shrimp Pasta
Acme Bake Shop Garlic Sourdough

5 Hour Chicken
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Creamed Onions and Spinach

We have done 5 Hour Goose, 5 Hour Chicken and the original 5 Hour Duck. The duck is by far the best.

Baked Ham
Grilled Zucchini Squash
Baked Yam

So there is our Lead-Up dinners and then our menu for New Years Eve and New Years Day. And of course, there will be wine from our cellar and Martinelli’s also. What are you having? Staying home? Going out? Be careful and have a Happy New Year! Cheers!