Birthday Dinner For Marnie

10 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in BBQ Sauce, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Tomatoes, What's For Dinner?

October 12th is Marnie’s birthday, but because both she and Mac have to work, she decided to have her dinner this past Sunday. One of the few days this week that we could see the sun and were able to sit outside without getting wet from the rain. So Mac made BBQ BabyBack Ribs that were really tender and juicy- Great!

Robin and I put together this platter of slice Fall tomatoes. Dixie Golden Giant – the gold tomatoes; A very large orange beefsteak that produces fruit very well. 1 – 1.5 pound tomatoes are great for slicing or diced in salads or salsa. Aunt Ruby’s German Green – the green tomatoes that are really sweet; A sweet delicious flavor with a hint of spice. 12-16 ounce fruits have a light green skin with a dark green interior when fully ripe. These look great when sliced on a plate with some dark red tomatoes and Black Krim – the deep, almost blood red, red tomato; Another black variety …fruits are a super dark red with greenish tops. Sweet and tasty flavor. All of these are Heirloom tomatoes and they are awesome. Sprinkle a little fresh chopped basil on them with some coarse sea salt and that could be dinner!

Bob made Corn Pie – Marnie’s favorite summer dish from the last of the corn. Here is everything plated. It was a scrumptious dinner. For Dessert Marnie got a Key Lime Pie and a Banana Cream Pie. Add to that a cup of good coffee, and ………. well, you get the idea. Happy Birthday, Marnie!! Thanks to Margaret and Chris for joining us.

Mint and Lime Marinated Lamb

03 Monday Oct 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Lamb, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Side Dishes, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

Good foodie Day! The photo on the left shows the Best of Boise celebration, where those restaurants in the Greater Boise area are selected as being the best in their category. Several of the places we have been to, appeared on the list. Then, it was home and to a wonderful lamb dinner. A Felzien Farms lamb dinner!

Grilled Marinated Lamb Chop
fresh rosemary, mint, thyme, garlic, lime oil, mint oil, olive oil

Fresh Steamed Brussels Sprouts and Red Cabbage in Reduced Balsamic Vinegar
rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, balsamic vinegar

Fresh Green Salad with Old German Tomatoes

Shellfish Night at Le Café de Paris

30 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Seafood, Shell Fish

≈ Leave a comment

All I can say is: WOW! If you missed this dinner at Le Café de Paris in Boise, you missed a good one! We were happy to have Gerry and Pamela join us. It was a great dinner. And, of course, we had wine with our meal. A 2007 Domaine Coste-Caumartin Pernand-Vergelesses which was a fantastic white wine that went superbly with the seafood. We also had a 2010 Domaine Tabordet Sancerre that was superb! Such a perfect evening. Just look at the dinner. Enjoy!!

Calamari Caesar Salad
Parmesan dusted and fried calamari, heart of romaine, roasted red pepper Caesar dressing, shaved white truffle cheddar

Lobster Pizza
manchego cream, lobster tail, caramelized cippolini onions, shaved truffle, salmon roe

Amaretto Scallops
pan-seared scallops, amaretto cream, rice pilaf, lemon asparagus

Cioppino
Classic Italian stew, herbed tomato broth, mussels, shrimp, ocean fish, crab

Key Lime Tarte

Just let me say this about that! We have been to Southern Florida, albeit not to the Keys, and we have tasted Key Lime Pie. But this Key Lime Tarte was AWESOME! Superb! Delicious! You get the idea.
NOTE: I just received confirmation that Soraya made the pie!!! It needs to go on the menu as a regular dessert. It also needs to be in the showcase!!!

Banana Pumpkin Bread

26 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Banana Bread, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Things To Do

≈ Leave a comment

We had some bananas that were … weeellll … ready to be eaten. Great time to make some Banana Bread. Here is what Robin came up with. Really a good variation on an old “stand-by”. Slather some butter on this and you are in 7th Heaven. Try this. You’ll like it! Cheers!

Banana Pumpkin Bread

Recipe Source: Robin Young

Ingredients:
5 ripe Bananas, mashed
4 Egg Whites
½ c Butter, melted
1½ c canned Pumpkin Purée
2 t Vanilla
½ c Brown Sugar
3 c All-Purpose flour
2 c Whole Wheat flour
2 t Baking Powder
2 t Baking Soda
1 t Salt
2 t Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 t ground Cinnamon
¾ c Chocolate Chips (optional)
1 c Walnut Pieces (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF (175 ºC). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan, maybe two.

In a large bowl, stir together the mashed banana, egg whites, melted butter, pumpkin, and sugar. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pie spice and cinnamon, stir into the banana mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts if desired. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).

Bake at 350ºF (175 ºC) for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Don’t forget: Slather a slice of this with butter when it comes out of the oven. Enjoy!

Knock ‘Em Dead Dinner Theater – Robin’s Birthday

18 Sunday Sep 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

What an enjoyable evening we had at the Knock ‘Em Dead Dinner Theater’s production of “Oklahoma!” here in Boise. It was Robin’s Birthday Evening Out. Such a joy! Here she is sitting by the fountain at the entrance to the theater. I do not normally “review” stage productions, at least not since my Martin College (Pulaski, TN) days or my Boise State University days. So this will be an exception.

If you want a night our with dinner, look to the right at the productions coming up. You really should try to make one of them. They are that good! Here is a hot link to KED’s web site. And, according to Millie Boardman the Business Manager, there are still season tickets available. The Producer/Director – Scott Beseman. A superb job, Scott. You had so very much talent to work with. Your production crew also did a superb job.

Stephanie Santos (Laurey) has one of the most fantastic voices I have heard in a while. And Ben Clegg (Curly) has another exceptional singing voice. But then, all of the cast could keep on key and sing exceptionally well. The only bad comment about the audio that I will say is that at the tart of the show, the music over powered the voices, but that was soon corrected. And it was great to see the cast “go with the flow” when a glass unexpectedly broke and a bench fell over. Ben Clegg was clever enough to incorporate the over turned bench into the flow of the scene.
All in all, I will rate this a 4-Stars out of 5-Stars. No, not a big New York or San Francisco production, but an extremely well acted, sung, produced and directed musical here in Boise. Scott Beseman and his staff did an outstanding job ….. again! Don’t miss these! And the dinner! Catered by Boise’s own Le Café de Paris, it was very good. Again, my only comment is that I missed bread with my meal. Beer and wine are available with your meal. Look at what we had.

Fresh Garden Salad
tomatoes, croutons, cucumber, creamy herb dressing

BBQ Baked Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
green onions, bacon bits, cheddar
Garlic Green Beans

Apple Tarte
chantilly whipped cream, cinnamon

The one thing that I failed to mention is that we have known Scott Beseman and Millie Boardman since the 1980’s. Robin and I taught them square dancing. And as a note, Scott has an awesome singing voice. Get him to do his interpretation of Boris Karloff’s “Monster Mash”. Close your eyes and just picture his routine. Sorry you were ill, Scott. We will see you at another production. Cheers! and Break a leg!

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Party at Seasons Bistro

08 Thursday Sep 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Seasons Bistro, Things To Do, Thought For The Day

≈ Leave a comment

I thought some of you might be interested in this and have some great appetizers at the Season’s Bistro in Eagle. This event will help support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Thursday September 8, 6:30pm – 9:00pm. Here is a PDF Flyer for you to look at or to have. I am all wrapped up in a wedding this weekend and will not make this, but do go and support this worthy cause! Cheers!

Labor Day Feast

05 Monday Sep 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

Such a great Labor Day! Beautiful weather: 86 degrees and winds NNW at 10mph. I started out this morning at 5:30 am smoking the ribs, finding the wine request from Robin, making Potato Salad and making Baked Beans. The photo at the left shows the plated dinner.

And to top this off, we had a light 2006 Parma Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel. It was not big and bold as is a Ravenswood Winery Zinfandel, but it went very well with the ribs and did not overpower them. I think this was Parma Ridges first vintage year for a Zinfandel. I’m glad we had some in the cellar.

And as for the ribs: Smoked over Hickory for 2 1/2 hours at 230 degrees F; Transferred to 250 degree F oven for 5 hours. Look at the smoke layer in this photo. It is the pinkish to dark pink layer just below the skin. And if we’re lucky, we’ll see some tomorrow at a meeting we must go to. These ribs are wonderful cold!

Just the start to a very busy week. Our daughter is getting married Saturday. Labor Day today; Meeting tomorrow; Salmon Feed Thursday evening; Bachelor Party Thursday night; Out-Of-Town folks coming in Thursday; Rehearsal Dinner Friday; Wedding Saturday! And sometime I have to get my bike ride(s) in! Wish I was retired. OH! I am! Cheers!

10-Barrel Brewery Coming To Boise?

03 Saturday Sep 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in 10 Barrel Brewing, Beer and Ale, Party Time, Special Events, Special Information

≈ 1 Comment

There is a story in the Idaho Statesman by Patrick Orr entitled Patrick Orr: 10 Barrel Brewing coming to Boise?. Follow the link to read the full story. But here is a teaser from the article.

“We are thinking about Boise, I can say that,” Wales said, confirming 10 Barrel is the business that has discussed the 9th and Bannock property with the Idaho Department of Lands. “We are looking at a few different cities. We just love the city (Boise). We like the vibe.
“We like the proximity to Bend. We like the size of (Boise). The site is Downtown, and it’s close to the North End. We think there could be a good lunch business. We just really like everything about it.”
Boise has two brew pubs (TableRock and The Ram) in the Downtown area already, but neither is in the core. I really like the idea of a new unique brew pub in the middle of Downtown, and how it would be close to 8th Street and Basque Block restaurant nexuses but expand that area to the west, where it would be across the street from Yen Ching.

Let’s cross our fingers that 10-Barrel Brewing comes to Boise. They offer some fantastic IPA’s. Be sure to follow the link above to read the full article. It is really informative. Cheers!

September at the Buzz

30 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

I just received this from Cristi and Tommy Takeda from the Buzz in Boise. It is the program for the month of September. Be sure to make reservations. Robin and I will be there on Tuesday. Hope to see you there!

Dear Bob and Robin,
Hope the end of summer is finding everyone healthy and safe. As we have endured our own losses this summer and have been hoping for the best for our countrymen on the east coast we just want to say Happy beginning of the fall to our friends and family.

Just to let everyone know about a couple of new things going on at the Buzz; be sure to “like” us on face book as Buzz is going to be posting wine reviews on our facebook page three to five times a week with some special order pricing available if wines are ordered when they are reviewed also we are beginning a frozen meal service so that as the busy time of year catches up with all of us you can keep your freezer stocked and have healthy quick options for your family at meal times. Both of these services will be up and running on September first so be on the lookout for updates.

Our music September 2nd will be Carter Freeman and on September 9th we will host Pat Foulkner. Both Nights the music will begin at 7PM and continue until 9 PM so come by and join us for free wine tasting, great music, and our weekly dinner special. On Saturday nights we will have the Wii at the Buzz so come by for wine tasting Saturday nights and practice with Wii resorts (bowling and ping pong) so that you are ready later this fall when we host the Wii bowling tournament.

Wine Club
Septembers wine club will feature….the vacation you did not have time for over the summer. We will enjoy Ironstone wines (continuing with our family owned and operated wineries) and Hawaiian foods to accompany the Californian wines. As always we ask for reservations and please let us know of any food allergies or intolerances prior to the event. The cost is $15.00 per person for dinner and wine tasting. Reservations can be made at (208) 344-4321 or Buzz E-Mail.

Sincerely,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine
2999 N Lakeharbor Lane
Boise, Idaho 83703
208-344-4321, E-Mail the Buzz

Linda and Johns Seafood Chowder, Buffalo Pasta and Corn Pie

29 Monday Aug 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Buffalo, Corn Pie, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Seafood, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

The following recipe for Linda and Johns Seafood Chowder was submitted by Linda McCormack of Dieppe, New Brunswick, Canada. She and her husband made it during the recent hurricane, Irene. We “met” her via the internet and South Africa. It’s a long story. The photo to the left is the St Anseime Church in Dieppe. Thanks Linda for this recipe. Enjoy!

Linda and Johns Seafood Chowder

Source: Linda McCormack, Dieppe, New Brunswick, Canada

Ingredients:
4 cups of seafood mix – clams, shrimps, scallops, crab, lobster & haddock (fresh or frozen)
2 large stalks of celery chopped small
2 medium white onions diced
3 cups of diced raw potatoes
Pepper to taste
1½ c Milk
½ c Cream
Chopped chives to taste
4 strips of bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
2 tbsp butter

Directions:
Fry up bacon in a heavy skillet till crisp. Remove and drain, then crumble into pieces and set aside. Sauté celery in bacon fat till tender, then add onions and sauté till transparent.

Put cooked celery and onions in bottom of a large soup pot and add raw diced potatoes. Add enough water to barely cover the potatoes. Put seafood mix on top of potatoes and season with pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and fish is flaky. Add about 1 ½ cups of milk and ½ cup of 18% cream. Add butter, chives and bacon bits stirring till butter melts. Reduce heat to medium low and gently heat chowder until heated through.

Serves 6 to 8 depending on the appetites, lol!!!!

——————————

And then we have this awesome Buffalo Pasta, which we got the inspiration for this from a recent event at the Red Feather Lounge in Boise. The recipe is at the link above and is linked in the Master Recipe File located in the sidebar. Here are some photos of this dish. Enjoy!

4 oz of the pasta is placed in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Salad tomatoes of various colors are cut and half and placed on the pasta.

Here are the noodles we use. Shirataki Noodles. You will be surprised at these and Dr Oz says they are far better for you than the flour based pastas. Give them a try!

The end product.
One cup of the sauce is placed over the pasta and the tomatoes. Then serve this with a wonderful 2008 Indian Creek Winery Rainy Day Tempranillo and you have an awesome dinner!

——————————

But wait! We’re not through. It is September – well almost – and the corn is ripe and some is turning “old”. Don’t you dare throw that corn away. Make a Corn Pie from it! A what? Corn Pie! Check out the recipe from the link above or on the Master Recipe File in the sidebar. Corn Pie and Sliced Fresh Tomatoes for dinner! YUM-O! Here are some photos. Enjoy!