A Visit To Le Coq d’Or

25 Friday Jan 2019

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Acme Bake Shop Baguette, Boise Restaurants, Chardonnay, Chicken, Classic Cuisines, Cooking Styles, Cream of Mushroom Soup, Dinner at Le Coq d’Or, Dinner With Robin, Duck, Ethnic Foods, Food Photos, French Foods, Galaxy 9 Photos, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Potatoes, Idaho Wine, Idaho's Bounty, Main Dish, Mediterrean Foods, Mushrooms, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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Le Coq d’Or

What a great way to celebrate the birthday of Scottish Poet Robert Burns! An extremely good 5-Star restaurant in Eagle – Le Coq d’Or! 208-947-2840, 176 S. Rosebud Lane, Eagle, Idaho 83616. Tuesday-Thursday: 5:00pm-9:00pm; Friday and Saturday: 5:00pm-10:00pm.

The Restaurant at the Chateau draws upon flavor profiles from around the world: focusing on old-world traditional French and European cuisine, with subtle Eastern and Persian influences. All food served in our restaurant is made from scratch in our kitchen using locally sourced Idaho produce whenever possible. Fresh dining and artful ambiance makes the Restaurant at the Chateau a truly one-of-a-kind, well-rounded dining experience that will continue to enthrall you long after the last bite. Enjoy our house wine Roghani Vineyards or allow Christian Lamotte, our Maitre D’, to suggest one of our 100+ hand-selected wines from around the world.

And a great Truffle and Wine Dinner coming up Saturday, February 23, 2019. Call to make reservations and we will see you there! You will not be disappointed. In the meantime, here is what we had today. (Some of the photos are not the best – first time using the Samsung phone camera. Can only get better.) Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged.

Miss Fisher watches over the dining hall!

Robin in the dinning room.

Always a good wine from their winery. In this case, Shiraz

Green Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

I had this awesome Creamy Mushroom Soup. Delicious!

Robin had French Onion Soup

Duck and Truffle Potatoes

Chicken with Mediterrean Sauce and Polenta

I would have any of these items again.Super good!

Kibrom’s Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant

02 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by Bob and Robin in 4-Stars, Boise Adventures, Boise Food Adventures, Boise Restaurants, Ethiopean Kibrom's, Ethnic Foods, Hard To Find Foods, Mediterrean Foods, North Africa Food, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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Eritrea, Ethiopian food, North African food

Kibrom’s Ethiopian and Eritrean Restaurant at 3506 W State St, Ste 100, Boise, Idaho. (208) 703-0564. Eritrea, “Eritrea (/ˌɛrᵻˈtreɪ.ə/ or /ˌɛrᵻˈtriːə/;, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the East Africa. With its capital at Asmara, it is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast.” [Wikipedia] We were pleasantly surprised by this totally different cuisine. “Ethiopian cuisine (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ምግብ?) characteristically consists of vegetable and often very spicy meat dishes. This is usually in the form of wat (also w’et or wot), a thick stew, served atop injera, a large sourdough flatbread, which is about 50 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter and made out of fermented teff flour. Ethiopians eat exclusively with their right hands, using pieces of injera to pick up bites of entrées and side dishes. Utensils are optional…The Ethiopian Orthodox Church prescribes a number of fasting (tsom, Ge’ez: ጾም ṣōm) periods, including Wednesdays, Fridays, and the entire Lenten season, so Ethiopian cuisine contains many dishes that are vegan… typical dish consists of injera accompanied by a spicy stew, which frequently includes beef, lamb, vegetables and various types of legumes, such as lentils. Gurage cuisine also makes use of the false banana plant (enset, Ge’ez: እንሰት inset), a type of ensete. The plant is pulverized and fermented to make a bread-like food called qocho or kocho (Ge’ez: ቆጮ ḳōč̣ō), which is eaten with kitfo. The root of this plant may be powdered and prepared as a hot drink called bulla (Ge’ez: ቡላ būlā), which is often given to those who are tired or ill. Another typical Gurage preparation is coffee with butter (kebbeh). Kita herb bread is also baked. Pasta is frequently available throughout Ethiopia, including rural areas.[1] Coffee is also a large part of Ethiopian culture and cuisine. After every meal, a coffee ceremony is enacted and espresso coffee is served. Ajwain or radhuni, korarima, nigella and fenugreek (clockwise, from top) are used with chilies and salt to make berbere, a basic ingredient in many Ethiopian dishes.
Berbere, a combination of powdered chili pepper and other spices (somewhat analogous to Southwestern American chili powder), is an important ingredient used in many dishes. Also essential is niter kibbeh, a clarified butter infused with ginger, garlic, and several spices.
Mitmita (Amharic: ሚጥሚጣ?, IPA: [mitʼmitʼa]) is a powdered seasoning mix used in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. It is orange-red in color and contains ground birdseye chili peppers (piri piri), cardamom seed, cloves and salt.[6] It occasionally has other spices including cinnamon, cumin and ginger…In their adherence to strict fasting, Ethiopian cooks have developed a rich array of cooking oil sources—besides sesame and safflower—for use as a substitute for animal fats which is forbidden during fasting periods. Ethiopian cuisine also uses nug (also spelled noog, also known as “niger seed”).
Alcohol – Tej is a potent honey wine. It is similar to mead, which is frequently served in bars (in particular, in a tej bet or “tej house”). Katikala and araqe are inexpensive local spirits that are very strong.
Tella is a home-brewed beer served in tella bet (“tella houses”) which specialize in serving tella only. Tella is the most common beverage made and served in households during holidays.” [Wikipedia]

We saw no alcoholic beverages listed on the house menu. I hope this attempt at demystifying the Ethiopian cuisine helps. It is good and the restaurant can be a fun place. I would suggest going with friends or a small group. Here are some photos of our meal. Enjoy!

Lentil and Beef Samosas with Cardamom Tea

Please note: The bread like addition to the next two plates is as common as Wonder Bread and is known as, “Injera (Amharic: ənǧära እንጀራ [ɨndʒəra]; sometimes transliterated as enjera; Oromo: bidenaa; Somali: canjeero) or taita (Tigrinya: ጣይታ) is a sourdough-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. Traditionally made out of teff flour, it is a national dish in Ethiopia and Eritrea. A similar variant is eaten in Somalia and Djibouti (where it is called canjeero or lahooh), as well as Yemen (where it is known as lahoh) and Sudan (where it is known as kisra).” [Wikipedia]

Menchet – Ground Beef with Butter, Onion, Tomato and Berbera Sauce

White Tibs – Lamb, Onion and Garlic

Lamb Shank Tagine

15 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Apricots, Captain's Shack, Cast Iron, Classic Cuisines, Classic Herb Blends, Couscous, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Ethnic Foods, Food Photos, Food Prep, Food Trivia, Fruit, Garlic, Garlic Scapes, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Greens, Idaho Lamb, Idaho Wine, Interesting Information, Koenig Vineyards, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Mediterrean Foods, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes -Tagine, Slow Cooking, Special Information, Spices of Morocco, Tagine Cooking, Tagine of Lamb, Tajine, Tomatoes, Traditional Food, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wines - Idaho

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apricots, garlic scapes, lamb tagine, Mediterrean food, North African food, tagine

Tagine cooking using a cooking utensil like pictured here, is a very Mediterrean or a North African style of cooking. Low heat and long time. More information on tagines and tagine can be found on this blog by Clicking Here. According to Wikipedia,

A tajine or tagine (Arabic: طاجين‎ tajin from the Arabic: طاج‎) is a historically North African dish that is named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. A similar dish known as tavvas is found in Cypriot cuisine. The traditional method of cooking with a tajine is to place it over coals. Use of the tajine can be compared to stewing … The traditional tajine pot is made of pottery, which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts: a base unit that is flat and circular with low sides and a large cone- or dome-shaped cover that sits on the base during cooking. The cover is designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. Tajines can also be cooked in a conventional oven or on a stove top.
Tajine is traditionally cooked over hot charcoal leaving an adequate space between the coals and the tajine pot to avoid having the temperature rise too fast. Large bricks of charcoal are purchased specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours. Smaller pieces of charcoal are reserved for cooking brochettes (barbecue) and other grilled meats.
Other methods are to use a tajine in a slow oven or on a gas or electric stove top, on lowest heat necessary to keep the stew simmering gently. A diffuser – a circular piece of aluminium placed between the tajine and burner – is used to evenly distribute the stove’s heat. European manufacturers have created tajines with heavy cast-iron bottoms that can be heated on a cooking stove to a high temperature. This permits the browning of meat and vegetables before cooking. Tajine cooking may be replicated by using a slow cooker or similar item; but the result will be slightly different. Many ceramic tajines are decorative items as well as functional cooking vessels. Some tajines, however, are intended only to be used as decorative serving dishes … Moroccan tajine dishes are slow-cooked savory stews, typically made with sliced meat, poultry or fish together with vegetables or fruit. Spices, nuts, and dried fruits are also used. Common spices include ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and saffron. Paprika and chili are used in vegetable tajine. The sweet and sour combination is common in tajine dishes like lamb with dates and spices. Tajines are generally served with bread. Because the domed or cone-shaped lid of the tajine pot traps steam and returns the condensed liquid to the pot, a minimal amount of water is needed to cook meats and vegetables. This method of cooking is practical in areas where water supplies are limited or where public water is not yet available.

Here is the process of making our Lamb Shank Tagine. Enjoy!

The lamb shanks are seared in olive oil and Mediterranean spices, which can be found in most grocery stores or in speciality stores.

The lamb shanks are seared in olive oil and Mediterranean spices in a large cast iron pot over medium heat. The Mediterrean spices can be found in most grocery stores or in speciality stores. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

One thinly sliced onion, diced garlic and chopped garlic scapes are cooked until tender. More Mediterrean spice and sea salt and fresh pepper can be added.

Remove the shanks from the cast iron pot and put aside. Do not remove the lamb liquid. Lower the heat so vegetables do not burn or scorch. Add one thinly sliced onion, diced garlic and chopped garlic scapes and cook in the olive oil in the cast iron pot until tender. More Mediterrean spice and sea salt and fresh pepper can be added.

Chickpeas, drained, and chopped dried apricots are added and mixed. Add about 4 Bay Leaves.

Chopped tomato is added to the pot. Let cook until warmed through. Taste and adjust spices and seasonings as necessary.

Add the vegetable mixture to the tagine. Taste and adjust as necessary. Place the lamb shanks into the vegetables. After 1 hour, it should look like this.

Add the vegetable mixture to the tagine. Place the lamb shanks into the vegetables. After 1 hour, it should look like this.

After 2 hours, the shanks should look like this.

3 hours and the shanks are looking good. The lamb should be tender and tend to pull easily from the bone..

Tagine Lamb Shank
Couscous
with
Tagine Vegetables
2012 Koenig Vineyards Devil’s Bedstead Zinfandel
(an Idaho wine!!!)

Boise Farmers Market – 09 August

09 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Sourdough, Android Photos, Antipasto, Arugula, Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Chianti, Classic Cuisines, Dinner With Robin, Heirloom Tomatoes, Italian Food, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Mediterrean Foods, Photos By: Bob Young, Purple Sage Farms, Rice Family Farms, Sourdough Bread, What's For Dinner?

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Acme Bake Shop, Chesnok Red, chianti, green and yellow zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, muffeletta, Roma tomatoes

We were not in town last week, so I missed the market. But, I made up for it today. Wonderful green and yellow zucchini squash, fresh heirloom tomatoes, fresh Roma tomatoes, fresh Chesnok Red garlic, fresh arugula, fresh eggs and fresh, still warm Acme Bake Shop sourdough bread – I have two Muffulettas to make – there is a photo of the sandwich on the recipe at the link. Fresh spinach is probably done for the year – it’s too hot and the spinach bolts (goes to seed).

Some the the market area. The tent in the foreground is Meadowlark Farms, where I get my eggs.

For those of you who might be interested, this looks like a great symposium coming to the Nampa Civic Center this Fall. It might be a good thing to sign up for early. It is a very popular subject. You can use the QR code on the graphic to register.

Tagines and Tagine Cooking

18 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Anthropology of Food, Chicken, Curry, Ethnic Foods, Food Prep, Herbs, Herbs and Spices, Interesting Information, Lamb, Main Dish, Mediterrean Foods, Moroccan Dish, Moroccan Food, Moroccan Spices, Persian Food, Special Information, Spices of Morocco, Tagine, Tagine Cooking, Traditional Foods, What's For Dinner?

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chicken tagine, Mediterrean, moroccan cuisine, Morocco, tagine cooking, tagine recipes

Robin and I like the cuisines of different cultures, as some of you may well know. The cooking traditions of Morocco or of the Mediterrean area, can produce some really wonderful dishes. But to do them, you probably would benefit by using the correct cooking utensil. In this case a tagine, as pictured here.

Tagine is named after the pot [an entree] is cooked in, a thick clay cone resting on a rounded base. While many tagines are ornamental – see the delicate ceramic ones [above], hand-painted carefully – the basic cooking version is unpainted and only occasionally glazed. Practical and durable (except if you drop it, of course), the dish is synonymous with Morocco for good reason: every roadside stall, tourist restaurant and cafe seems to have pots of the stuff simmering all day long. (legalnomads.com)

You can spend a lot of money on a tagine, or not. The ones pictured above, could be rather expensive. The one Robin and I have is an earthen color and can prepare a meal for 6. We bought it online and it was not expensive. A good source for information about Mediterrean cooking and tagines is Legal Nomads. Another good source on Facebook is the group Moroccan Cuisine. There are several articles, and tagine recipes, on this blog. One such article/recipe is Chicken Tagine and Mushrooms with Moroccan Green Olives. On this blog, search on the word tagine, and several articles will be found.
Basically, tagine cooking is defined as:

… By virtue of slow-cooking meat at low temperatures, effectively braising it until tender, a lower quality or tougher meat can be used. And the food cooks with minimum of additional liquid (water is added as it simmers), and no additional fat. The meat browns in the heated clay despite the slow simmer – the heat remains trapped inside the pot by the raised outer ridges on the base of the tagine. [legalnomads.com]

The method of cooking – via a tagine – is partially what makes this cooking style so unique. The other very important ingredient are the spices. Here are some that are used in tagine cooking, and in particular, foods from Morocco. Sweet paprika, good quantity of cumin, Moroccan saffron – if you can find it, turmeric, garlic, freshly chopped parsley, ground ginger, and salt and pepper. In the article, It’s Always Tagine O’Clock in Morocco, you will find more information on tagine cooking as well as recipes for Tagine of Beef, or Chicken or Mutton. Or, if you like shrimp or other shell fish, here is a good recipe for Tagine of Shrimp in Tomato Sauce.

Try this cuisine, you may find you like it. Think slow cooking and low heat. Sound familiar? And remember the tagine spices, and actually the ones I have listed are only a fraction of the spices use, but they are the basic ones. Enjoy!!

Sunday Dinner: Lamb Kabobs

25 Sunday Aug 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop Breads, Captain's Shack, Couscous, Ethnic Foods, Felzien Farms Lamb, Food Prep, Lamb, Local Harvests, Main Dish, Mediterrean Foods, Photos By: Bob Young, Traditional Foods, What's For Dinner?

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convection oven, lamb kabobs, mint sauce

It’s not your “ordinary” Sunday dinner. But boy, was it good! Started to marinate the lamb yesterday. Then today made the couscous with diced sweet yellow and red peppers with a mint sauce. Made the kabobs with onion, pepper, lamb and the repeat until you have 4 pieces of lamb on the skewer. Make the couscous and the mint sauce. Fire up the grill and add the kabobs. And wouldn’t you know, I ran out of gas in the grill. But the lamb was mostly done and it only took another 10 minutes in the convection oven. Here are the kabobs. Enjoy!