18 Wednesday Nov 2009
Posted in Food, Interesting Information, Main Dish, Restaurants, Things To Do, Wine and Food
The last time Robin and I were here, it was a pretty good meal. We really need to go back. But if you are interested, Left-Click the coupons below and print them out. Take them with you and use them for coffee and/or a bottle of their house wine or a dessert for two! Can’t beat that!
Left-Click any of these graphics and print them out. Cheers and have a good meal! See their web site at 36th Street Garden Center and Bistro and check out their Fall Menu (PDF format).
17 Tuesday Nov 2009
Posted in Classics, Local Markets, Main Dish, Pizza, Pizza and Brew, Things To Do
To say that today was a big waste of time, would not be true! So I won’t say it. Robin and I had the very distinct pleasure of meeting and having lunch with Michael Boss of Behind The Menu at Pizzalchik on Gary Lane in Boise.
Some really unique pizzas and salads. Try a Tequila and Lime Roasted Prawn Salad with Asian Noodles or one of the fantastic House Salads with a Balsamic Dressing! Or a Neapolitan Pizza – thin crust, tomato and cheese. Or Build Your Own – ground beef, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, red onion and basil. And then there is always wine to go with the meals or beer or Cokes. Here are some slides.
Want something different along the lines of a pizza? Try the Pizzalchik. It’s well worth the trip. And try one of their salads while you’re there. Cheers!
14 Saturday Nov 2009
Posted in Appetizers, Condiments, Food, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Things To Do
I said that the next time we went to Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone, that I would get the Curry Goat. As the Walrus said, “The time has come”. We returned tonight and the meal was superb!!! Here is what we had. You might want to read below, but the slides are labeled. Remember to go to full screen to view the photos.
Our dinner consisted of: Pineapple Curry Muscles that were superb. The sauce is awesome. House Salad, Trinidadian Curry Goat (there’s the goat), Cuban-Style Bistec de Palomilla (Cuban steak that is pan seared) and a Chocolate Torte. The main thing is, would I have the Goat again? The answer is simple: Absolutely! It was that good! Actually, everything we had was that good. When we go back, and we will, it will be hard not to choose the same things again. We will probably go through the entire menu eventually. You really need to visit the Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone. It’s that good and giving the old Andrae’s a race for taste and quality! Cheers!
10 Tuesday Nov 2009
Posted in Food Prep, Lamb, Main Dish, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Things To Do
I’m always looking for a good recipe for Lamb Shanks. I have at least one, that suffices, but this one looks good. Think I’ll try it. Enjoy these lamb shanks!
Long, slow, braised Lamb Shanks are perfect comfort food, so welcome on a chilly autumn or cold winters day. There are many recipes for Braised Lamb Shanks but this is one of my favorites. The Lamb Shank is cooked very slowly in a good red wine (I emphasize good, never cook with wine you wouldn’t drink), which tenderizes the meat until, when it is cooked, the meat will quite literally fall from the bone.
Adapted From: British Food About Dot Com (Some of the spelling and terminology had to be changed)
Prep Time: 0 hour, 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours, 0 minute
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
6 Lamb Shanks
2 T Olive Oil
16fl oz /500ml/ good Red Wine
1 Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Garlic Bulb, cut in half cross-wise
2 sprigs fresh Rosemary
1 T Greek Oregano
1 T Harissa
3 pints /1.5 litre Beef Stock
2oz /55g ice cold Butter
Salt and ground Black Pepper
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 160°C/320 °F/Gas 2.
1). Sprinkle a chopping board with salt and freshly ground pepper, then roll each lamb shank over the board to cover lightly with seasoning.
2). In a large ovenproof casserole heat the oil, once hot, two at a time brown the lamb shanks. Remove the lamb shanks and keep to one side. Pour in the red wine, bring to a gentle boil, leave to simmer until reduced by half. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, rosemary, harissa and finally the lamb shanks.
3). Pour in enough beef stock to cover the meat, don’t worry if the bones are sticking out, this is fine. Bring back to a simmer then cover the dish and place in the oven. Cook for 3 hours, checking from time to time that the meat is still covered in stock and top up as necessary and turn the shanks from time to time.
4). Once cooked, remove the shanks and keep to one side or the cooking pot. Place the casserole on the burner and bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes. When the lamb shanks are cooked through, remove them from the cooking liquid and set aside on a warm plate. Strain the sauce and check the seasoning. Whisk in the cold butter to create a really glossy sauce.
So there you have it. Give these a try. Serve with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes. Here is a Recipe Link to a printable coy of the recipe. Cheers!
09 Monday Nov 2009
Posted in Appetizers, Classics, Food Prep, Main Dish, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes
I had to make some more of our award winning Citrus Marmalade and, knowing how long it can take to make it, I wanted something to “snack on”. And knowing that Pico de Gallo can actually be several things – an Appetizer, Side Dish or an adjunct to a Main Dish – I made a large bowl of it. We make our own recipe. Here it is:
Comments: Pico de Gallo can be used as an Appetizer, Side Dish or Main Dish additive. It is a versatile component. A condiment.
Degree of Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12
Ingredients:
6 lg Roma Tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 bunch Cilantro, chopped
1 lg White Onion, diced
1 lg Avocado, diced
6 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and diced
1 T Mexican Oregano, dried
2 t Cinnamon
3 Limes juiced
Directions:
1). Dice the tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Dice the onion and add to bowl. Chop the cilantro, dice the jalapeno and mince the garlic and add to the bowl. Add the diced avocado. Mix to combine.
2). Add the spices and salt. Squeeze the limes and add the juice to the bowl. Mix until combines. Taste and adjust as necessary.
3). Place the mixture into the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving to marry the flavors. Serve cold with blue corn chips.
Cooking Times:
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
So there you have it, and a repeat for our Citrus Marmalade recipe. Enjoy! Cheers!
01 Sunday Nov 2009
Posted in Food, Food Prep, Herbs, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young
No, no sour cream in this one! The Romertopf is a clay cooking pot that does chicken like nothing else! In it’s own steam and juices. Not particularly slow, at 375 degrees F for 2 1/2 hours will do it. Here we see the 7 pound chicken resting on a bead of onion, potato, garlic and white wine.
After cooking for 2 1/2 hours at 375 degrees F, this is what the chicken will look like. Well done and falling apart. Lightly browned on top. And the aroma of the garlic, rosemary and sage. It is awesome!
And here the dinner is plated. Notice that the plate is Fresh Beet Greens, Romertopf Vegetable Blend and the Romertopf Chicken. Think of this with a nice 2005 Eagle Knoll Winery Chardonnay. OK, so here is the recipe:
1 – 7 lbs Whole Chicken
2 lg Carrots, cut into 1″ rounds
1 lg White Onion, cut in half and then each half cut into thirds
1 lg Potato, cut into 1 ” rounds and each round cut into thirds
5 lg Button Mushrooms cut into quarters
2 Sticks of Rosemary, fresh and chopped
8 fresh Sage leaves, chopped
8 lg Cloves of Garlic, diced
1 c White Wine
Salt and Pepper to taste
Pre-Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Clean the chicken.
Place the cut vegetables in the bottom of the Romertopf, one layer thick. Place the chicken on the vegetables and fill around the chicken with the rest of the vegetables.
Fill the cavity with the diced garlic and the herbs. Save some of the herbs and garlic and sprinkle lightly over the bird. Salt and pepper the bird.
Place lid on the Romertopf and cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 1/2 hour.
So there you have it. Not exactly an Old Persons’ Sunday Chicken Dinner, but just as good! And while I was at the local grocery store, my favorite checker was there and she asked if my list was dinner for tonight. So Mary, the recipe is for you. And yes, it really was good, with some left over. That makes a an inexpensive dinner. Cheers!
29 Thursday Oct 2009
Posted in Food Prep, Main Dish, Photos, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes, Things To Do
So what does one do in Boise on a cold, “looks like snow” day? We could go to Manleys for Biscuits and Gravy. Oh …. I forgot. Manleys closed about 10 or 12 years ago. Boo Hoo! 4 of their biscuits would fill a pie plate and they were probably 2″ or so high. So, maybe I should make my own. No Bisquick? No problem!!
Yield: 12 Biscuits, or so
1¼ c Cake flour
¾ c All-Purpose flour
1½ t Baking Powder
½ t Baking Soda
½ t Salt
¼ lbs Butter, cut into small chunks
¾ c Buttermilk
Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 500° F
2. Prepare ingredients: Cut butter into small chunks, place in a bowl and return to fridge. Measure out buttermilk and set aside. Sprinkle flour on a work surface and have extra flour nearby for your hands and biscuit cutter. Have biscuit cutter and an ungreased baking sheet handy
3. Mix dough: In a medium-large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt until very well blended. Add butter and cut into flour using a pastry blender, two knives or your fingertips, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in buttermilk and stir lightly until dough comes together in a ball.
4. Knead dough and cut biscuits: Dump dough mixture out onto floured work surface. With floured hands, lightly knead dough a few times until it is fairly well blended. Pat out into a circle, ¾ – 1 inch thick. Dip cutter into flour and cut biscuits without twisting the cutter. Form the dough scraps into an extra biscuit-like shape instead of re-rolling the dough. Place cut biscuits together on the baking sheet so that the sides are touching. Brush tops with melted butter, if desired.
5. Bake biscuits: place baking sheet in the middle of a preheated 500° F oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove biscuits to a wire rack to cool for a few minutes.
OK, so now I have the biscuits. (I really need to cut them to 1″ thick before baking. They would be higher.) 
How about an old stand-by: Biscuits and Sausage Gravy? Sounds good to me. Just break up some sausage links, or use ground sausage – I would not use an Italian sausage for this – some butter and flour for a roux, salt and pepper, some nutmeg and whole milk. Mix all together with the sausage until it thickens and serve on the biscuits you just made. A hearty cup of El Pico coffee and you are set!!! What a delightful way to spend this gloomy day (even Buddy is gloomy!). Make some fresh and homemade Biscuits and Sausage Gravy for my blushing Bride!! Yup! That’ll work. Cheers!
27 Tuesday Oct 2009
Posted in Lamb, Local Farmers Markets, Main Dish, Things To Do
I have had some questions on where to buy lamb in Boise. There are several sources: (1) WinCo, (2) Albertsons and (3) Costco – which I think has the better selection of most meats of the three listed. Costco, I think, has the best selection and quality.
There is a group of us that get a lamb a year from a 4-H source that we have. Then they have the lamb butchered, cut and frozen at Custom Butcher & Smokehouse. We – Robin and I – have always been greatly satisfied with the lamb that we get from there. You may want to contact Custom Butcher & Smokehouse and see if they have any “in stock”.
So, if you know of a 4-H source, you may want to start placing an order. I will check with our source and see if it is OK to publicize their information here. I like using the 4-H group because it really is Idaho produced, and I like to buy local! Anyway, there is a start. Cheers!
20 Tuesday Oct 2009
Posted in Food, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do
Last week, Robin said she wanted to got to the Outback Steak House for a steak and some fresh root vegetables. Normally, that would be a real treat. But it has been a while since I have done a steak dinner. So, not to be out 
done by our friends to the west, I went to our local butcher and had him cut me two nice, fresh Filet Mignon steaks, about 1″ thick. Nice! Then I found some pretty good fresh vegetables – summer squash, Chinese peas, broccoli, carrots and onion. Just a simple matter of cutting the veggies into pieces and steaming them over a bath of Herbs de Provence (our own blend) and salt and pepper until tender. The beef was bacon wrapped and grilled over low heat on the stove. A simple salad of shredded lettuce and applesauce. It has been rainy and somewhat cool here in Boise today – a little gloomy. So this dinner seemed to be a “comfort” meal that drove the blahs away. If nothing else, the plate tends to have some nice color in it that aids in the presentation. We eat with our eyes first. It was fun to make. Cheers!
18 Sunday Oct 2009
So here is yet another lamb curry recipe. However, this one is skewered and grilled. The grilling gives the lamb another dimension and worth trying. Yes, you really can grill all year – rain or shine; snow, sleet or sunny.
Ingredients:
¼ c Coriander seeds
2 T Cumin seeds
2 t Brown Mustard seeds
1 t Whole Black Peppercorns
2 t Bombay Indian Curry powder
2 t Turmeric
3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
¼ c Canola oil
¼ White Wine Vinegar
1½ lbs Boneless Lamb Shoulder, cut into 1-inch dice
6-inch wooden skewers, soaked in cold water for 20 minutes
Kosher salt
Olive oil, for drizzling
Procedure:
1). Heat the grill to high. Combine the coriander, cumin, mustard seeds and black peppercorns in a small skillet on the grates of the grill and grill until lightly toasted, about 1½ minutes, stirring a few times; transfer to a coffee grinder and process until finely ground and place in a bowl. Add the ancho, turmeric, garlic, ginger, ¼ cup canola oil and vinegar and whisk until it forms a paste. If the mixture is too dry, add a few tablespoons of water to loosen it to a paste.
2). Place lamb in a large bowl, add the curry paste and toss to coat each piece of lamb. You can grill immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours to allow the flavors to intensify.
3). Skewer 2 pieces of lamb onto 2 skewers so that the meat lays flat on the grill. Season both sides of the lamb with salt and grill until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides and cooked to medium-rare doneness, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with Basamati steamed rice.
Boise Foodie Guild 