12 Saturday Nov 2016
Well, I thought this BBQ was good, but then, I like grilled meats. The recipe is in the file above, if you want it. Takes about 2 days, counting the marinating time. Very short to grill on a screaming hot grill.
The beef
Marinating
Grilling
Plated with a dipping sauce and Sautéed Bok Choy.
09 Sunday Oct 2016
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Not at all difficult to make. It just takes some prep time, about an hour or so; a clean crock for fermenting the cabbage, there are really nice ones online; fresh cabbage, this is the perfect time of year to get some great cabbage from your local Farmers Market; a good recipe and many are available. Here is our recipe for Sauerkraut and you can modify this anyway you want to make it “yours”. Recipes, like dance routines, are only suggestions. The recipe listed here is also on permanent file in the Boise Foodie Guild Recipes listed above. Here is the process that I use. In the final photo, I seal the cabbage from air by (1) Covering the top of the cabbage with uncut cabbage leaves and not plastic, and (2) Make sure the water seal on the top of the crock is always full. At times, you will hear that kraut “perking”. It is fermenting when that happens – a good thing! Robin bought me this crock several years ago online. It is awesome! See the safety tips below.
Shredding the cabbage using a mandolin. See the blend of red and white cabbage. 4 heads of white cabbage to 2 medium heads of red cabbage. Nice color blends.
The shredded cabbage in the crock. See the recipe for the spices I use. There are only 4.
Uncut cabbage leaves are placed on top of the shredded cabbage. Note the “water trough” on the edge of the crock. The top lid fits right in this “trench” and seals the mash from air.
Finally, weights – these came with the crock – are placed on the leaves to hold the cabbage under the liquid that forms. The idea is to keep the cabbage submerged and out of any air.
Here are some great safety tips when making sauerkraut, or any fermented vegetables. Sauerkraut Fermentation Gone Bad. And from the site listed in the link,
Three Basic Fermentation Rules
1) Keep it Salty! Weigh your cabbage and vegetables to ensure you add the correct amount of salt to create a 2% brine. The correct numbers are 1 3/4 pound vegetables for 1 tablespoon salt OR 5 pounds vegetables for 3 tablespoons salt. Remember, these weights include not just the cabbage, but any vegetables and seasonings you’re mixing with the cabbage.
2) Keep it Under the Brine! Use some type of weight to keep fermenting cabbage and vegetables submerged, especially during the first 7-10 days when the microbial climate of your jar is established. Put on a lid to keep out the air! Fermenting is an anaerobic process.
3) Keep it Clean! No, you don’t need to sterilize equipment or use bleach, just make sure your tools, fermentation vessels and weights are thoroughly washed and well rinsed.
13 Tuesday Sep 2016
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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.
17 Sunday Jul 2016
Ah yes. The infamous Crock-Pot, or Slow Cooker. In an article in the Huffington Post, A Brief History Of The Crock Pot, The Original Slow Cooker, they state that “… People tend to use the terms “Crock Pot” and “slow cookers” interchangeably, but they are not, in fact, interchangeable. While all Crock Pots are slow cookers, not all slow cookers are Crock Pots…Don’t get too disappointed. Just because the Crock Pot is a brand doesn’t mean it doesn’t have an interesting back story. In fact, the Crock Pot’s story is rooted in Jewish mothers and beans. The device was inspired by a dish the inventor’s mother told him about. From a humble bowl of bean stew grew a kitchen ware empire. Here’s the story:…Irving Naxon applied for a patent for a food heating device in 1936. His device consisted of an insert, held up by a case that held a heating device, which facilitated even heating of food inside the insert. The device was also portable…By 1940, Naxon got his patent for the device he called the Naxon Beanery, and he says his Lithuanian mother, Tamara Kaslovski Nachumsohn, inspired him. Naxon’s mother had told him stories about a bean-based stew she used to make in her village bakery at home in Lithuania.
In the early 1970s, Naxon sold his design to Rival Manufacturing, who rebranded his Beanery and put it on the market as the Crock Pot. It was marketed toward working mothers who could put food in the pot before leaving for the office and come home to a cooked meal; the Crock Pot sold millions through the ‘70s. The Crock Pot “cooks all day while the cook’s away,” a 1976 advertisement said, the LA Times reports…
Today, slow cooking is as popular as ever, as 83 percent of families owned a slow cooker in 2011, according to Consumer Reports. The original Crock Pot design has changed little over the years, but now the insert is removable, a major improvement.”
But what about all the recipes I have collected over the years. How can I adapt them to the Slow Cooker? Good question. From About (dot) com we get some interesting information on this subject. Homecooking.
Reduce the amount of liquid used in most oven recipes when using the LOW setting, since the crockpot retains all moisture that usually evaporates when cooking in the oven. Add liquids for sauces about an hour before done. You will normally end up with more liquid at the end of cooking times, not less. A general rule is to reduce liquids by half, unless rice or pasta is in the dish.
• Spices may need to be adjusted. Whole herbs and spices are more flavorful in crockpot cooking while ground spices may have lose some flavor. Add ground spices during the last hour of cooking. Whole herbs and spices will probably need to be reduced by half.
• Crockpots may vary but generally, the LOW setting is about 200 degrees Fahrenheit and the HIGH setting is about 300 degrees. One hour on HIGH is approximately equal to 2 to 2 1/2 hours on LOW. Most crockpot recipes recommend cooking 8-10 hours on LOW. Some recipes recommend the HIGH setting based on the nature and texture of the food.
You will have to judge your recipe accordingly. For example, beef cuts will be better cooked on LOW for 8-10 hours to get a more tender texture, while chicken may be cooked on HIGH 2 1/2 to 3 hours.Ingredients to Avoid
• Rice, noodles, macaroni, seafood, milk and Chinese vegetables do not hold up well when cooked 8-10 hours. Add these to sauces or liquid about 2 hours before serving when using LOW setting (or 1 hour before if set to HIGH). If you want to use milk in an 8-10 hour recipe, use evaporated milk.
• Frozen foods cooking at low temperatures can provide the ideal medium for harmful bacteria. If you use frozen “make-ahead” ingredients in your crockpot, defrost them first.Prepping for the Crockpot
• Choose well-marbled meats and dark-meat poultry for best results. Chicken breasts and lean meats will dry out.
• Browning meats before cooking is a personal choice. It is not necessary, but it will reduce the fat content of some meats. Browned meats also benefit textually and visually.
• Sautéing vegetables (like onions, etc) is not necessary, (except for eggplant which should be parboiled or sautéed prior due to its strong flavor). Just add them to the pot with everything else. You may wish to reduce quantities of stronger vegetables since they will permeate the other foods in the crockpot with their full flavor.How to Convert Recipes
You generally need twice as much liquid as product to cook these ingredients. Here are basic conversion times:
If conventional time is: 15 to 30 minutes, then cooking time on low should be 4 to 6 hours.
If conventional time is 35 to 45 minutes, cooking time on low should be 6 to 8 hours.
If conventional time is 50 minutes to 3 hours, cooking time on low should be 8 to 16 hours.
Cooking most raw meat and vegetable combinations at least 8 hours on LOW. This gives the vegetables time to soften, the meat time to tenderize and all the flavors to blend.Of course, the new hotter cooking crockpots change the rules. If you have a crockpot that is less than five years old, you’ll probably need to reduce the cooking time.
In fact, some of the newer recipes I’ve seen in magazines cook the food for only 3-4 hours on low. That’s not really ‘slow cooking’, but it’s the reality of the crockpot manufacturing today. Check the food at four hours on low, using an instant read meat thermometer to see if the food is done.
For more information on using your favorite recipes in a crockpot, look at Cooking Times for Specific Foods. This article has more in-depth information on cooking times for more specific items, i.e., steak, beans, chicken, Swiss steak, brisket, meatloaf, ham and soup to name a few. Give them a try. Great for Gameday treats! Here is a Gameday recipe we use, Creole Slow Cooker Pork Chops, but there are many more ideas at Boise Foodie Guild Recipes. It should be fun. Here is a link for some oven to crockpot recipes. There are more. Lots more! Five Ingredient Crockpot Recipes crockpot recipes. All that being said, here is a good resource for finding the right crockpot for you: Picking the Slow Cooker That’s Right For You.
27 Friday May 2016
Posted in Acme Bake Shop, BBQ Beef, BBQ Sauce, Beef, Boise Artisan Bakery's, Boise Farmers Market, Boise Food Adventures, Burger and Brew, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Comfort Food, Cuts of Beef, Grillin' and Chillin', Grilling, Housemade Burgers, Housemade Ketchup, Housemade Relish, Housemade Sauces, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Locavore, What's For Dinner?
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‘Tis the season for that infamous burger. Here are some suggestions that you may like. Have fun with these. Most of the ingredients for the recipes listed below, can be found locally in Boise – Desert Mountain Farms for beef products, Acme Bakeshop for superb burger buns, Purple Sage and True Roots for vegetable products. If in Boise, check out the Boise Farmers Market.
From Burgers Outdoor Grilling, here is the carmelized onion recipe.
Recipe adapted from Angie Mar, The Beatrice Inn, New York, NY
Makes 1½ cups
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb (2 medium) yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 c Cabernet Sauvignon, divided
2 tbsp sugar, divided
sea salt and freshly ground black Tellicherry pepper
Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and lightly caramelized, 20 minutes. Add half of the wine and half of the sugar, and cook until the wine has reduced and the onions have caramelized even further, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the remaining wine and sugar, and repeat the process until the wine has evaporated and the onions have caramelized even further, 6 to 8 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
And here is one for Housemade Beet Chup, a sweeter condiment. Roasted beets are blended with apple cider vinegar for a sauce that gives the same sweetness as your typical bottle of ketchup but with a bit more tang. The beetchup – like the name variation? – sings when paired with a burger, cheddar cheese and good crunchy iceburg lettuce on a soft roll from Acme Bake Shop here in Boise. (They can be found on Facebook at Acme Bakeshop or at the Boise Farmers Market, every Saturday 9am – 1pm at 10th and Grove in Boise.)
Recipe adapted from Sandy Dee Hall, Black Tree, New York, NY
Makes 1½ cups
Ingredients:
1 lb (2 medium) beets
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black Tellicherry pepper
5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1½ tbsp sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 500º. Layer 2 large pieces of aluminum foil on a clean work surface and place the beets in the center. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Crimp the foil to seal and roast in the oven until tender, 1 hour. Let cool, then once cool enough to handle, peel and quarter. Transfer the roasted beets to a blender with the remaining ingredients and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
How about a tangy sunchoke sauce? Turmeric-stained sunchokes add a bright tartness to this creamy sauce, already with a zing from hot sauce. Slather the pickled sunchoke sauce on a white bun that envelopes a patty topped with American cheese, lettuce and tomato.
Recipe adapted from John Amato, Little Jack’s Tavern, New York, NY
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
½ c apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
½ tbsp sea salt
½ tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp celery seeds
¼ tsp yellow mustard seeds
½ tsp ground turmeric
8 oz (4 large) sunchokes, peeled and roughly grated
Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients, except the sunchokes. Bring to a boil, then pour over the grated sunchokes. Let cool completely.
Recipe adapted from John Amato, Little Jack’s Tavern, New York, NY
Makes 1¾ cup
Ingredients:
1 c mayonnaise
⅓ c ketchup
⅓ c drained pickled sunchoke relish
2 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp sea salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, finely grated
Directiions:
In a medium bowl, stir all the ingredients together.
And if you are really into the Burger World and need to only make your own, here is a recipe from The Tasting Table, Homemade Burger Blend. Have fun!
Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen
Yield: Six 6-ounce burgers Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
1½ pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces and chilled
½ pound beef brisket, cut into 1-inch pieces and chilled
6 ounces boneless beef short ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces and chilled
sea salt and freshly ground black Tellicherry pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil, for greasing
Buns (Acme Bakeshop in Boise) and toppings, for serving
Directions:
1. Using a meat grinder set up according to the manufacturer’s directions and with a medium die, grind the meats into a medium bowl. Using your hands, mix the meat until incorporated, then form into six 6-ounce patties. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper.
2. Light a grill. Using tongs and paper towels, lightly grease the grill. Cook the burgers, flipping once, until charred and medium rare, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter, assemble as desired with buns and toppings, and serve.
28 Thursday Apr 2016
Posted in 5-Stars, Asian Food, Asparagus, Blueberries, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Brussels Sprouts, Buy Idaho, Cakes, Captain's Shack, Classic Sauces, Dessert, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Eggs, Eggs Omelets, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Vegetables, Lamb, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Mushrooms, Mustard, Omelet, Peaceful Belly Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Purple Sage Farms, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, True Roots Produce, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?
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Yum meals an fun to do! Breakfast and twoi dinners. As folks say, “You do eat well!” and yes we do. Meals from scratch make it so much fun, interesting and nutricious. You can pick and choose what ingredients are included in the dishes. We try very hard to eat local. And now that Spring has arrived, the Boise Farm,ers Market is open every Saturday and we get fresh and locally produced items.
Let’s start with Tuesday dinner. A wonderful Asian Grilled Salmon, although I did not grill the salmon thgis time but rather braised it in the Asian marinade. And as a note, most – not all – but most of the ingredients to these dishes are local products – Idaho grown!
Tuesday’s dinner –
Wednesday –
Mashed Parsnips, Turnip and Blue Potato
Steamed Brusssels Sprouts
in
balsamic vinegar and sherry reduction with butter
27 Sunday Mar 2016
Posted in Buy Idaho, Cakes, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Dessert, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Family, Easter Dinner, Holiday Gatherings, Holiday Menu, Idaho Greens, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Vegetables, Local Harvests, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Purple Sage Farms, Vinegars, What's For Dinner?, Wines - NW
Such a great time having a meal with family. Robin, Marnie and Mac. We did miss Christopher and Sophia, but they got a “Care Package”. Hope they enjoy it. The photos below are what we had and some of the recipes are with the photos. Mac made some wonderful rolls and there are some left-over for ham sandwiches. A word about the recipes, especially the Holiday Ham recipe by Chef Michael Symon. When we watched him make the ham on the ABC program The Chew, he used a ham steak. I altered that somewhat and use a Shank Portion Smoked Ham. The same technique that Chef Symon used for browning the ham was used so I would have some pan “grameles” for the gravy. I roasted the ham in the oven at 350 degrees F but first, after cross hatching the skin and fat layer and rubbing it with some ground clove and ground allspice and then some good maple syrup. Not much, but enough to give the ham some sweetness. The recipe for the Holiday Ham and the Parsley Salad are permanently located in the recipe file above. It turned out superb. Here are some photos of the dinner. Enjoy!
Again, another recipe adapted from Chef Michael Symon. We did alter it by adding honey, radish and miners lettuce. Enjoy the recipe – easy to do and so refreshing. Parsley Salad
Mac made some awesome rolls to go with the ham. We also had a 2014 Estancia Pinot Grigio that went very well with the dinner.
Marnie made this. She found these individual “cake pans” that worked very well for her. Basically, sliced pineapple on the bottom with brown sugar and then carrot cake batter on top and baked. Iced with the standard Carrot Cake Icing. It was super! Thanks Marnie.
Icing is on the bottom! Told you it was an upside down!
26 Saturday Mar 2016
Posted in Beef, Beer and Ale, Beer and Food, Beer Tasting, Boise Adventures, Boise Restaurants, Duck, Food, Food Photos, Idaho, Idaho Beef, Idaho Breweries, Idaho Chefs, Idaho Grains, Idaho Greens, Idaho Polenta Floriani, Idaho Polenta Roys Calais, Idaho Vegetables, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Modern Hotel, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Sausage, Special Beers, What's For Dinner?
Well I did go this year. The first time since the first one that was held 4 years ago in 2012. What drew me this year? Janie Burns and probably the fact that the organizers added Idaho food products, thus Foodfort!
The Treefort Music Fest is a five-day, indie rock festival which is held at numerous venues throughout downtown Boise, Idaho in late March.The 2014 festival took place March 20–23 with the featured acts Built to Spill, The Joy Formidable, and Poliça; the 2015 festival, scheduled March 25–29, featured TV On The Radio, Trampled By Turtles, and Emily Wells, and locals Built to Spill and Josh Ritter. Treefort has been called “the west’s best SXSW alternative” and “Boise’s preeminent artistic, cultural and musical happening” which has “morphed from quirky music festival to consuming community event.” It has also been characterized as having become a “nationally renowned gathering just by maintaining its personable close-knit vibe” and a “music lover’s joyous mayhem” which showcases the soul of Boise. [Wikipedia]
Here’s some of the venue – Beer, Food and Entertainment.
It was very full and busy.
All ages jumping rope!
They were very good!
See?
And these folks.
To a hand-stand!
There were many local and Idaho breweries represented. Some very good micro breweries and nano breweries.
Chef Richard – James Beard Nominee – from Vincinos.
He uses local rainbow carrots in some of his dishes.
He made, for public consumption and enjoyment, Duck with Polenta and Tomato. It was superb!
The folks from Juniper were there also.
Juniper provided Kuboto Beef with Farro. Again, all Idaho products!
The Modern Hotel supplied us with a delicious Sausage and Lentil dish.
I heard the Michael from Acme Bakeshop was working on a new bread and had samples. I did not see him. But maybe next week when the Boise Farmers Market opens for the season. Find them from 9am to 1pm at 10th and Grove in Boise.
02 Saturday Jan 2016
Posted in Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Alpicella Bakery, Bearnaise Sauce, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Classic Sauces, Eggs, Eggs Poached, Herbs and Spices, Housemade Béarnaise, Housemade Sauces, Idaho Eggs, Local Harvests, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipes - Breakfast, Recipes - Sauces, Salmon, Seafood, Spinach, What's For Dinner?
Now this is a great twist on Eggs Benedict. Instead of Hollandaise Sauce, use a Béarnaise Sauce. This is one of the sauces that you should have in your recipe box, or book, or file or pocket. Basically a Hollandaise Sauce, but with the addition of tarragon – lots of tarragon – and diced shallots. Hollandaise Sauce on Eggs Benedict or fresh steamed asparagus. Béarnaise Sauce on beef, salmon or these eggs. Enjoy! The photo here is to Parma Ridge Winery Bistro entrance. I bet if we talk nice, Chef Storm could/would try this. Hmmmmm!
01 Friday Jan 2016
Posted in Bearnaise Sauce, Boise Farmers Market, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Classic Sauces, Dinner With Robin, Green Salad, Herbs, Idaho Eggs, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Wine, Idaho's Bounty, Lamb, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Meadowlark Farms, Photos By: Bob Young, Pinot Noir, Salads, Snake River AVA, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho
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And to say Good-Bye to 2015 and Hello 2016, how about a nice dinner consisting of Felzien Lamb Chops with Bearnaise Sauce, Poached Green Beans and a Spinach Salad with Micro Greens, Carrots and Tomatoes that was topped with a wonderful Champagne Pear Vinaigrette. And the perfect – and it was perfect – match of wine with dinner – 1997 Indian Creek Winery Pinot Noir. It paired better than some new 2013 Ravenswood Winery Old Vine Zinfandel. Now that’s saying something! And it has been said that Idaho can not make a good wine. Think again! Then for dessert, wonderful sliced Fresh Strawberries with Grand Marnier Whipped Cream (Sorry for the poor photo of the dessert). And the very perfect dinner partner, the love of my life, Robin! Love to make these dinners for her. Here’s to another great year, Honey! Cheers!
Boise Foodie Guild 