Orange Upside Down Skillet Cake and Egg Thread Soup with Asparagus

16 Monday Jan 2017

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Asparagus, Baking, Captain's Shack, Cast Iron, Dessert, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Family, Eggs, Food, Food Prep, Housemade Soup, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Vegetables, Local Markets, Photos By: Bob Young, Prep Work, Recipe - Dessert, Recipe - Soup, Recipe By: Captain's Shack, What's For Dinner?

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Egg Thread Soup, Mascarpone, Orange Upside Down Cake

Here is a wonderful – and very easy to do – Orange Upside Down Skillet Cake that we adapted from Rachael Ray. (Recipe in PDF) Really a super, good variation on the traditional Pineapple Upside Down Cake. We topped the cake with a Tiramisu Mascarpone instead of the whipped cream. Change the orange to lemon and use Limoncello instead of Grand Marnier and you might have another variation. The variations are limitless. Then also check out the Egg Thread Soup with Aspagagus found after the cake – Eat dessert first, Life is too short! Left-Click the photos to see them enlarged.

Caramelizing the orange slices. I use a mandolin to get the thin slices.

Cake batter is poured on top of the carmalized oranges.

Cake batter is poured on top of the carmelized oranges.

The cake is cooked and is now cooling before removing it from the skillet. Nice brown edges.

Put a platter over the skillet, turn it upside down and the cake should come out easily. If not, tap it lightly to encourage it.

Cross-section of the cooled cake.

Orange Upside Down Skillet Cake
Tiramisu Mascarpone Topping

And here is the awesome Egg Thread Soup with Asparagus:

Egg Thread Soup with Asparagus

It’s been a cold and snowy couple of weeks. Spend more time in kitchen to warm up.

Good Snowy Weather To Make Sauerkraut! Here’s How.

04 Wednesday Jan 2017

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Farmers Market, Cabbage, Canning, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Comfort Food, Food Photos, German Food, Homemade Sauerkraut, Idaho Pork, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Vegetables, Local Markets, Main Dish, Oktoberfest, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Pork Tenderloin, What's For Dinner?

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There have been many people asking how to make their own sauerkraut. Well here is a great link – Kraut In A Jar or the entire site by Holly Howe, Make Sauerkraut. Both resources are superb and chock full of some great information from recipes to keeping the kraut from going bad.

This photo is from Holly’s site and some kraut she made in a jar.

Shredding the cabbage using a mandoline. See the belnd of red and white cabbage. 4 heads of white cabbage to 2 medium heads of red cabbage. Nice color blends.

Shredding the cabbage using a mandoline. See the blend of red and white cabbage. 4 heads of white cabbage to 2 medium heads of red cabbage. Nice color blends.

Enjoy the links I have listed and have some fun and make some sauerkraut. Let us know how it comes out! Make a pork roast in the oven. Add to that some mashed potatoes – Idaho potatoes of course – and some of your fresh made sauerkraut and you’ll have a great meal. Wash it all down with a good Spaten. Think of this dinner for Oktoberfest. We just put up 14 pints of kraut. Cheers!

Pork mit Kraut

Wonderful 5-Hour Roasted Duck

13 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5 Hour Duck, Apple, Beets, Captain's Shack, Dessert, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Family, Duck, Food Photos, Heirloom Beets, Heirloom Carrots, Heirloom Onions, heirloom vegetables, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho Wine, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Onion, Petit Verdot, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Prep Work, Raspberries, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Captain's Shack, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes - Dinner, Recipes - Sauces, Roasted Vegetables, Snake River AVA, Special Dinners, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners, Wines - Idaho

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5 hour roasted duck, duck, duck sauce, Petit Verdot

Love to make this and it really is so easy. 5 Hour Roasted Duck and add to that some Roasted Root Vegetables and 5 Hour Roasted Duck Sauce, also really good with ham, and you will have a superb and wonderful dinner. A good 2013 Indian Creek Petit Verdot goes extremely well with it.

Several people have asked how to make the duck. Basically – season with Celtic sea salt and fresh ground Tellicherry Black Pepper, stuff with sweet apple and pear, prick the skin all over and cook in a 300°F oven and turn every hour for 5 hours. Last hour raise temperature to 350°F. Do not cover throughout the cooking process.

First of all, the moon must be full. If not, the recipe may not work.

Duck has been salt and peppered and stuffed with Braeburn Apple and Bosch Pear. Oven is preheated to 300°F

After each hour, turn the duck and prick the skin. This is after 1 hour. Pricking the skin at each turn, keeps the duck fat basting the duck.

At 3 hours, things happen. Starting to brown nicely.

Root vegetables are large cut and put into the bottom of the baking pan. This roasts the vegetables and keeps the duck off of the pan surface. The vegetables here are heirloom carrot, heirloom beet, local onion, parsnips and turnips.

Make stock from the vegetable pieces and the duck neck and parts. Simmer low and slow!

Lay the duck directly onto the vegetables and return to the 300°F oven. Cook for another hour.

At 4 hours last turn. It is smelling yummy now.

At 5 hours, remove from the oven and let cool, somewhat.

Yummy slices.

Here is the Cranberry/Cherry sauce for the duck.

Oh yes. Dessert – Pound Cake with Fresh Raspberries and Fresh Whipped Cream.

Thanksgiving 2016

25 Friday Nov 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Apple, Bacon, Baking, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Celebrations, Comfort Food, Corn, Dessert, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner With Family, Dried Corn, Food Photos, Green Salad, Heirloom Carrots, Heirloom Onions, Heirloom Parsnips, Holiday Gatherings, Holiday Menu, Idaho Vegetables, Idaho Wine, Local Farmers Markets, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Snake River AVA, What's For Dinner?, Wines - Idaho

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Dried Corn, heirloom vegetables, Spatchcock, wilted lettuce

And a great day it was! Dinner finished almost on time. Marnie, Chris and Anna joined us. The turkey tuned out fantastic – the first time I have done a spatchcock turkey and it was awesome. Veggies roasted great. Turkey was moist, tender and delicious. I took several pictures on my phone – 3 – of the dinner plated, Marnie and Robin and Chris and Anna, but they never appeared on my phone. They’re out in La-La land somewhere. Here, though, are some photos of preparing the dinner and maybe I’ll make a photo of the plated dinner – at least close to it. Cheers – This was really fun to do!

Getting the Bacon Wrapped Dates ready. Stuffed with Chopped Almond.

Dates ready for the oven.

Mushroom Stuffed Puff Pastry.

Finished product.

Turkey has been spatchcocked (backbone removed) and sitting on heirloom root vegetables – carrot, parsnips and onion – to keep the turkey off the bottom of the pan.

Cooking in the oven at 400 degrees F. This after 1 hour. One more hour to go for a 14 lbs turkey.

Plated

Spatchcock Turkey
Robin’s Cranberry Sauce
Dried Corn
Wilted Lettuce Salad
Roasted Heirloom Vegetables
Stuffing Cups
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy throughout
2006 and a 2008 Indian Creek Winery (ID) Pinot Noir

Skillet Apple Pie

These wines were available for dinner. We only had the oldest one on the left.

These wines were available for dinner. We only had the oldest two on the left. Super paring and wines.

In order to do a dinner like this, one needs to make a “schedule of events”. Thursday, I also made a schedule like this hour-by-hour.

A Hollandaise Sauce Variation

13 Tuesday Sep 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Captain's Shack, Classic Herb Blends, Classic Sauces, Eggs, Garlic, Heirloom Tomatoes, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Dairy, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Vegetables, Interesting Information, Local Harvests, Local Markets, What's For Dinner?

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Aleppo pepper, hollandaise

Here is an interesting Hollandaise sauce – one of the Mother Sauces – that goes very well with Eggs Benedict, but with a twist. On the recipe as a note, is a description of Aleppo Pepper that is used in the recipe. A portion of that description, is printed below. This pepper can be found at Whole Foods and William Sonoma. Mildly spicy. Very fragrant. The recipe can be found in the Recipe File above and will be a permanent addition. For now though, here is a link – Roasted Garlic and Tomato Hollandaise. Try the recipe and let us know what you think.

Aleppo pepper (Arabic: حلبي فلفل / ALA-LC: fulful alab Ḥ ī) is a variety of Capsicum annuum used as a spice, particularly in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Also known as the Halaby pepper, it starts as pods, which ripen to a burgundy color, and then are semi-dried, de-seeded, then crushed or coarsely ground. The pepper flakes are known in Turkey as pul biber. The pepper is named after Aleppo, a long-inhabited city along the Silk Road in northern Syria, and is grown in Syria and Turkey.

Spaghetti with Housemade Meatballs and Marinara

07 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in Basil, Beef, Boise Area Food Adventures, Boise Farmers Market, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Classic Sauces, Cooking Styles, Desert Mountai Grass Fed Beef, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Food Photos, Garlic, Herbs, Housemade Marinara, Housemade Meatballs, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Beef, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Pork, Idaho Vegetables, Italian Food, Local Farmers Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Onion, Photos By: Bob Young, Pine Nuts, Pork, Raisins, Recipe By: Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Italian, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Italian

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I’ve been looking for an acceptable marinara for quit sometime now. Years, min fact. Never was able to duplicate my Mothers, and it was awesome. Took her most of the day. But I came across this recipe from an Italian restaurant in New Jersey. And it is super. Think I’ll keep it. Takes about two hours to make and then dig in. The recipes for both the CS Marinara and the CS Meatballs is in the recipe file on this blog. (The link is in the header and by the photos below.) Here are some photos. Most ingredients used were from local farmers.
Note: I just received this (Sept 8, 2016) from Dave G here in Boise. “Oh my gosh! We cooked these meatballs and sauce up last night for dinner! Amazing! Everyone who loves spaghetti and meatballs has to give this a try. Wow! Thank you so much for posting.”

CS Meatballs
(Recipe)

They are baked, not fried in oil.

CS Marinara
(Recipe)

The plated dinner of

Spaghetti, Meatballs and Marinara
with
Shaved Pecorino

Congratulations on 35 Years of Bliss

23 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Anniversary, Appetizers, Boise Area Food Adventures, Buy Idaho, Capitol Cellars, Celebrations, Classic Cuisines, Dinner at Capitol Cellars, Dinner With Robin, Fennel, Feta Cheese, Food Photos, Heirloom Beets, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Vegetables, Lamb, Photos By: Bob Young, Ravenswood Cabernet Sauvignon, Scallops, Sea Scallops, Seafood, Shell Fish, Shrimp, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?

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Yes, congratulations to Skip and Melinda Smyser for 35 years of marital bliss! A great party at their restaurant in Boise, Capitol Cellars – a 5-Star establishment! (There is a permanent link to their restaurant in the sidebar.) Great party with some 30 year old wines that have aged well, just like the marriage. An interesting point – Skip Smyser was an Idaho State Senator for several years and many of the dishes served are of political slant. Check their menu on the site for some names. “Featuring Prime Rib six nights a week, our dinner menu is all about Idaho cuisine. You’ll be sure to find that almost every product is sourced locally.”

The Smyser Family

Beautiful celeebration cake! And delicious.

Beautiful celebration cake! And delicious.

35 year old Beringer!

Decanting a 35 year old Beringer.

A good 30 year old Ravenswood that we shared.

A good 36 year old Ravenswood that we shared.

Superb Champagne, and I don’t like Champagne, but this was awesome.

Cantaloupe
with
Raspberry Balsamic Reduction and Lime Oil

Bethane's Beet Salad with Blood Orange vinaigrette and Feta Cheese

Bethine’s Beet Salad
with
roasted beets, shaved fennel, arugula, candied walnuts, blood orange vinaigrette and local feta

Bethine’s Heirloom Beet Salad

Named after the wife of Idaho Senator Frank Church.

Rack of Lamb

Seafood Risotto

Sunday Breakfast and Dinner

15 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Bacon, Baking, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Cast Iron, Cheese, Comfort Food, Corn, Desert Mountai Grass Fed Beef, Dinner For Robin, Eggs, Food Photos, Fruits, Heirloom Carrots, Herbs, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Pork, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Vegetables, Local Farmers Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Pork Tenderloin, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, True Roots Produce, What's For Dinner?

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pork medalions, port wine, port wine reduction

These two items are so much fun to make. Somewhat quick. Somewhat involved. Always good. Give them a try. Enjoy!

Breakfast Potato Eggs Line a muffin tin with thinly sliced potato slices. Bake off for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F until potatoes aare slightly crisp. Fill with a mixture of beaten egg, cheese, green onion, salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees F until eggs are set. Remove an let cool 5 minutes. I used the convection for baking these. Top with Salsa or Pico de Gallo.

Breakfast Potato Cups

Line a muffin tin with thinly sliced potato slices. Bake off for 20 minutes at 425 degrees F until potatoes are slightly crisp. Fill with a mixture of beaten egg, cheese, green onion, rendered bacon pieces, some salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees F until eggs are set. Remove and let cool 5 minutes. I used the convection for baking these. Top with Slasa or Pico de Gallo.

Breakfast Potato Cups Plated. They should come right out of the muffin tins as a unit. Serve with fresh fruit.

Heirloom Carrots, Fresh Corn Pork medallions with Port Wine and Herb Reduction

Heirloom Carrots
Fresh Corn
Pork Medalions
with
Port Wine and Herb Reduction

Port reduction – Using the cast iron skillet that the pork was done in, add 1 T Olive Oil, 2 c Port Wine, 1 T fresh Sage chopped, 2 t fresh Thyme and 2 T Heavy Cream. Stir to release the bits of pork that remain in the pan and the wine is reduced to 1 cup and starts to thicken slightly. Place 1 T of the reduction under the pork and 1 T on top of the pork.

Meals for Robin

02 Tuesday Aug 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Breads, Acme Bake Shop Red Wheat, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Alaskan Salmon, Appetizers, Asian Food, Asparagus, Avocado, Bacon, Basil, Beets, BFM, Boise Farmers Market, Braising, Breakfast, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Cheese, Chicken, Comfort Food, Cream Sauces, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Eggs, Eggs Omelets, Eggs Over Easy, Eggs Sunnyside Up, Greens, Housemade Sauces, Housemade Soup, Idaho Bacon, Idaho Chicken, Idaho Dairy, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Grains, Idaho Polenta Floriani, Idaho Vegetables, Local Markets, Lunch For Robin, Omelet, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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Love the beaming smile she has in this photo! After she got home from the hospital, I had to change the meal plans, somewhat. Watch the sugars, not totally eliminate them. Keep the carbs to 60 or so a day, which is not hard to do. Keep the calorie count to a max of 2000 per day. That’s harder, but not impossible. Here are some of the dishes I came up with. Enjoy! All made from scratch with mostly local products from the Boise Farmers Market – eggs, sausage, Acme Bake Shop Breads, Fruit, Salsa, Pico de Gallo. We’ll start with breakfast.

2-Egg Cheese Omelet with Pico de Gallo
Bacon
Acme Whole Wheat Toast
Fresh Canteloupe

Sausage Gravy on Acme Sourdough Toast
Over-Easy Eggs

Strrawberry Waffles with Strawberry Sour Cream Topping Sunnyside Up Egg

Strawberry Waffles with Strawberry Sour Cream Topping
Sunnyside Up Egg

Idaho Polenta Acme Bake Shop Toasted Whole Wheat BFM Strawberries Pico de Gallo Soft Scrambled Eggs

Idaho Polenta
Acme Bake Shop Toasted Whole Wheat
BFM Fresh Strawberries
Pico de Gallo
Soft Scrambled Eggs

Lunch and “Tea Time”

Grilled Spam and Cheese on Acme Sourdough Toast
Housemade Cream of Tomato Soup with Basil

Bacon Wrapped Avocado
Oven Fried Chicken

Salsa
Sour Cream
Canteloupe Cubes
Blue Corn Chips
Corn Chips

Dinner

Braised Scallops in Garlic Butter Zucchini and Baby Turnip with Rainbow Chard Medley Braised Salmon and Halibut in a Tarragon Cream Sauce

Braised Sea Scallops in Garlic Butter
Zucchini and Baby Turnip with Rainbow Chard Medley
Braised Salmon and Halibut in a Tarragon Cream Sauce

Fresh Tamale with Pico de Gallo and Shaved Red Onion
Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce
Baby Beets and Cauliflower in Brown Butter Sauce

Steamed Asparagus Halibut with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Steamed Asparagus
Braised Halibut with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Braised Sea Scallops on Jasamine Rice
Steamed Baby Carrots and Turnips

Salmon Scewers
Asian Salad
Idaho Polenta

33 Anniversary at Capitol Cellars in Boise

15 Friday Jul 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Anniversary, Arugula, Capitol Cellars, Dinner at Capitol Cellars, Duck, French Foods, Herbs, Idaho Beef, Idaho Chefs, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Vegetables, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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You bet. Our 33rd wedding anniversary and Bastille Day celebration at Capitol Cellars with awesome French foods and wines. Visit theem at the preceeding link or at 110 S 5th St., Boise. (208) 344-9463. A great time and thank-you Marnie for joining us and thank-you to Dr and Mrs Jutzy – she was celebrating her birthday! It was a celebration dinner! The loud dude who sat at the end of our table should have stayed home! At any rate, it was a superb evening! Definitely 5-Star dining. They source their food products from local farmers. Just look at what we had.

The menu for the evening

Logan Symser, General Manager, sabers a bottle of champagne.

Logan Symser, General Manager, sabors a bottle of champagne.

Table decorations

When we arrived, each one of us received a glass of 2015 Nicolas Pinot Noir Rosè. Then dinner started.

Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras
brioche toast, broiled apricots, raspberry-balsamic glaze and micro greens
2006 Maison Nicolas Sauternes

Nicoise Salad arugula, sunflower sprouts, herbs de Provence, seared tuna, haricots verts, egg, Kalamata olives dressing, tomato 2013 Selection Laurence Feraud Cotes du Rhone

Niçoise Salad
arugula, sunflower sprouts, herbs de Provence, seared tuna, haricots verts, egg, Kalamata olives dressing, tomato
2013 Selection Laurence Feraud Côte du Rhone

Seared Duck Breast summer vegetable ratatouille, port reduction sauce, beech mushroom, tomato, truffle oil, local stewed cherries 2010 hateau Patache d'Aux Cru Bourgeois, Medoc

Seared Duck Breast
summer vegetable ratatouille, port reduction sauce, beech mushroom, tomato, truffle oil, local stewed cherries
2010 Chateau Patache d’Aux Cru Bourgeois, Medoc