30th Anniversary Weekend – Part 1

13 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in 10 Barrel Brewing, Anniversary, Beef, Beer and Food, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Cuts of Beef, Main Dish, Mushrooms, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Beers, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?

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30th wedding anniversary, cheese steaks, scrumptious meals, steak ums, toasted rye bread

And we’re off! The start of a beautiful weekend …. Our 30th Wedding Anniversary. Friday night, Robin wanted Cheese Steaks. Make our own. Anyone remember “Steak-Ums”? Can’t get them here in Boise, as far as I know. Are they even made any more? Albertson’s Markets says, “No.” OK. Slice down some bottom round really thin and then chop it. Grill up some onions, and you get what is pictured here on the grill. Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. Please VOTE above. Thanks and enjoy!

Cheese Steak plated. Add a 10 Barrel Brewery Apocalypse IPA and you’ve got an awesome dimmer.

Saturday morning breakfast. Sauteed Crimini and Royal Trumpet mushrooms with scrambled eggs and Acme Bake Shop toasted rye bread. Add a good glass of orange juice and yum!

Two scrumptious meals. But wait …… There will be more. I promise. Cheers and keep watching!

July Wine Club Dinner at the Buzz

10 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Bistro, Dinner With Friends, Local Harvests, Locavore, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Asparagus Soup, flatbread pizza, food

Another great wine club dinner at the Buzz last night. A blind tasting this time. Interesting and fun! I know. In Boise during the summer months, folks have many adventures to follow and attendance at these events are low. Even when Robin and I were dancing, the summer dance events had extremely low attendance. But, everyone must still eat and have liquid refreshment. Why not at the Buzz for one of these events? $15.00 per person that includes 6 or so wines and a full, five course dinner, is a great price. And just think of all the new information you will gain and the new friends you will meet. Here is what we had and what you missed. Enjoy …. We did! Sorry for some of the photo quality, but I forgot my camera. Had to use my phone.
We started off with Cristi’s Choice, a 2007 Lan Rioja Crianza that was good, but not as good as the 2009 Alsace Classic Pinot Gris that she offered. You can find my review of these two wines on my Vivino page. Download it – it is free – to either your IPhone or Android and then follow me. It’s a great and fun little program that allows you to keep a record of the wines you try. I even use it to keep track of some of the beers I try, although the program is not setup to track beer. Vivino App for either IPhone or Android.
As a sample of a blind taste, Cristi had us work with this wine. 2010 Tin Roof Merlot 13.5% alc. not bad, as all the wines tonight were scored on the high side. This went well with the pizza – I saved a little. [18]

Flatbread Pizza and California Roll
2008 Renwood Barbera
14.5% alc. Barbera is not one of my favorite wines. But went well with the pizza and California Roll. [18]

Chilled Asparagus Soup
(Awesome)
2011 Toad Hollow Chardonnay
13.5% alc. One of the better wines and matches for tonight. This wine went extremely well with this delicious soup. [19]

Citrus Salad
(This was a great salad. Cristi said she will post the recipe for the dressing. Loved it!)
2011 Wentz Sauvignon Blanc
13.0% alc. Good Sauvignon Blanc with this salad. The citrus and the wine were perfect. [19]

Fish Tacos
with
Hominy and Bean Salad
2011 Garnet Pinot Noir
13.0% alc. Not the best match with the tacos. [17]

California Walnut Pie
and
Grilled Peaches
NV JJJ US Sparkling
Great match with the dessert. Full of almond and delightful. [19]

“Old Peoples” Sunday Dinner

07 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Chicken, Comfort Food, Main Dish, Old Peoples Sunday Dinner, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Viognier, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Green Peas Baked Potato Fresh Green Garden Salad Baked Chicken with homemade bread crumbs infused with fresh sage and thyme 2010 Fujishin Family Cellars Viognier from the Snake River AVA, Idaho

Green Peas

Baked Potato

Fresh Green Garden Salad

Baked Chicken
with
homemade bread crumbs infused with fresh sage and thyme

Homemade Gravy

2010 Fujishin Family Cellars Viognier from the Snake River AVA, Idaho

It really was a good dinner. The breadcrumbs were awesome and added so much to the dish. And then we made a gravy from the “grameals” in the bottom of the pan where I cooked the chicken. Add a little Marsala, some finely chopped green onion and some chicken bullion with corn starch, and you have a great gravy. It was a yum dinner.

A Salad on a Warm Summer Evening

06 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bakery, Bread, Comfort Food, Local Markets, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Salad, Seafood, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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food, Fujishin Family Cellars, Tuna Salad, Viognier

It’s a warm summer evening on a link bound for nowhere that we decided to have a wonderful mixed salad. Easy to make, just use your imagination. Here is what we came up with and it was really satisfying.

Fresh Tuna Salad with Tomato
Spring Garden Potato Salad
Mixed Boise Farmers Market Greens
Acme Bakery Ciabatta
2010 Fujishin Family Cellars Viognier from the Snake River AVA, Idaho

Did you know that according to Bobby Flay on the Foodnetwork, that ciabatta means slipper? Interesting. Left-Click the photo to see it enlarged. Enjoy and make a different salad when the weather is hot and muggy! Cheers.

Quarterly Dinner at the Buzz

24 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Cabbage, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Salad, Seafood, Shrimp, Special Dinners, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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food, henkell trocken, sweet and sour cabbage soup

Ah! Another great Quarterly Dinner at the Buzz! Some really good wines and the dinner was a good surprise. Especially the Caribbean Grilled Shrimp Salad and the Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Praline Sauce. But then, the tarragon cream sauce with the roast beef was a hit too! Oh please! Stop! The memory! See what you missed? The photo here are two wines that were not on the list … They are extras. The Evolution was the better of the two, so far as I am concerned. Below are some photos of the dinner. Do enjoy. The wines that were saved are also listed along with a rating based on [20]. Cheers and please VOTE above. Thanks.

Garden Beignets with Crispy Greens

2011 Jean-Luc Columbo Viognier
13.0% alc. just did not stand up to the appetizers[17] $15.00

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup
(Awesome!)

2010 Tin Roof Merlot
13.5% alc. a great match with this soup. [18] $14.00
2009 Hugel Pinot Gris Classic
14.0% pinot gris goes with almost everything as did this one. [18] $20.00

Caribbean Grilled Shrimp Salad 2011 Martin Codax Alborino 12.5% alc. [16] $18.00

Caribbean Grilled Shrimp Salad
(Great salad!)

2011 Martin Codax Alborino
12.5% alc. [16] $18.00
2011 Eroica Reisling
11.0% alc. again. did not stand up to the shrimp [17] $23.00

Steak House Dinner and Q!uiona Salad 2009 Basil Cellars Claret 15.2% alc. great with the steak.[18] $18.00 2011 Bridlewood Cabernet5 Sauvignon 13.8% alc. not as good as the Basil Cellars with this entree. [17] $17.00

Steak House Dinner and Quiona Salad
(Awesome tarragon cream sauce.)

2009 Basil Cellars Claret
15.2% alc. great with the steak.[18] $18.00
2011 Bridlewood Cabernet Sauvignon
13.8% alc. not as good as the Basil Cellars with this entree. [17] $17.00

Brown Sugar Pound Cake with Praline Sauce
(Oh my!!)

NV Henkell Trocken
11.5% alc not bad with this dessert. [18] $15.00
1997 Blaufrankisch Strowein
11.5% alc. this took the “show”. awesome with the dessert [19] $20.00 (375ml bottle)

Williams-Sonoma Cooking Class – Pizza!

21 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Arugula, Baking, Boise Adventures, Cooking Classes, Cooking Programs, Cooking Styles, Food Prep, Italian Food, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Pizza, Prep Work, Special Events, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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anchovy pizza, bread flour, mario batali, pepper pizza, willams sonoma

A really good experience last night attending this class. Great conversations, comments and information. For instance, in Italian cooking, “In Italy, flour is classified either as 1, 0, or 00, and refers to how finely ground the flour is and how much of the bran and germ have been removed. Doppio zero is the most highly refined and is talcum-powder soft.” [ochef.com] The recipe that was used is from Molto Gusto by Mario Batali and Mark Ladner, and calls for “00” flour. Chad Poznick, resident Chef at this Willams-Sonoma store, said to replace it with bread flour. Just remember to sift it several times to get the same “softness” as 00 flour.
Here are some photos from the class. Enjoy and please VOTE above. Also, Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. Goot Essen!

Chad Poznick, resident Chef at the Boise Williams-Sonoma.

Chef Chad kneads the pizza dough.

The pizza toss. Nice job, Chef!

Prepping the Sausage and Pepper Pizza. Pair this with a great bottle of wine, say a Cold Springs (ID) Hot Red Red or a good Chianti.

Adding the cheese.

The finished product.

Prepping a Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza.

The finished product and ready to eat.

Anyone for a Potato, Anchovy and Ricotta Pizza? Pair this with a Caesar Salad and you’ve got a wonderful meal.

Yum!

Finish the meal with a wonderful Creme Fraiche Gelato. Double yum!

Finish the meal with a wonderful Crème Fraîche Gelato. Double yum!

A delightful evening and I expect to join in on more of these events. Loads of fun. Cheers!

Homemade Pasta. Yum!

14 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Classic Sauces, Eggs, Herbs and Spices, Homemade Pasta, Locavore, Main Dish, Pasta, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Salad, Seafood, Talapia, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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dinner, homemade pasta, talapia

Robin said that she wanted to make pasta sometime this week. So we bought the supplies, 2 dozen eggs and semolina flour. Combine that with talapia and look at our dinner tonight.

Lemon and Thyme Baked Talapia
Homemade Pasta with Fresh Peas
in
browned butter infused with fried fresh sage
Fresh Green Salad
2011 Dusted Valley (WA) Pinot Gris

A really yummy dinner! Left-Click the photo to see it enlarged and then grab a fork. Sorry, but there is no “Smell-A-Vision”. And please VOTE above. Thanks! Goot Essen.

Sumac Lamb Burgers

13 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Lamb, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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grilled lamb, juicy hamburger, lamb burgers, secret herbs

Lamb Burgers with Sumac Herbs Butter Lettuce Tomato and Avacado Served with a 2012 Rubiolo Gagliole Chianti Classico

Lamb Burgers
with
Sumac Herbs, Butter Lettuce, Tomato and Avacado Slices
Served with a 2012 Rubiolo Gagliole Chianti Classico

Robin said the other day that she was having a “Big Mac Attack”. She wanted a big, juicy hamburger. Big Mac is not it! Too greasy and too salty and cooked almost beyond recognition. Instead, today I grilled lamb burgers, on my new Father’s Day grilling pan, that were sumac herbed – sumac is a Mediterrean herb and mixed with “secret” herbs, it is yummy. The burger was delicious. And juicy. And different. The wine we had with it went perfectly. It was a Yum-O dinner! Please VOTE above. Thanks.

Australian Wines At “The Buzz”

12 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bakery, Captain's Shack, Dinner With Friends, Morels, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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cucumber soup, layer cake shiraz, morel mushrooms, pillar box, vanilla slice

Another great wine dinner at the Buzz in Boise on June 11. Cristi and Paul do such a great job in paring the wines and the food. And Cristi tries really hard to prepare appropriate foods for the dinner theme. Great job!! This month the wines were from Australia and there were some really good ones and food of a different nature. Cristi will probably post some of the recipes on the Buzz blog. Please write down and reserve Saturday, June 15, 6:00pm – 8:00pm for the Buzz. It’s their Concert Jam Night which is awesome. If you play an instrument, bring it and join in with these super artists! They just love it when you join in. Enjoy these photos of the night. Cheers!

Morel Mushrooms in Dry Sherry and Leek Fondue
with
Acme Bakery Ciabatta

Robin and I always enjoy making these. This was a surprise appetizer that we took to the dinner. (Morel Recipe Here).

Quiche with Marmite Dgwood Dogs Zuchinni Bites 2008 Box Head White 12.5% alc. not a bad wine and went fairly well with this appetizer. A little light. [17] $15.00

Quiche with Marmite
Dogwood Dogs
Zuchinni Bites
2008 Box Head White
12.5% alc. not a bad wine and went fairly well with this appetizer. A little light. [17] $15.00

Chilled Cucumber Soup 2011 Morse Code Chardonnay 12.0% alc. really a super wine with this soup. great body, taste and finish. [19] $13.00

Chilled Cucumber Soup
(I liked this soup!)
2011 Morse Code Chardonnay
12.0% alc. really a super wine with this soup. great body, taste and finish. [19] $13.00

Roasted Beet and Mango Salad
2010 Pillar Box Red
14.5% alc. great taste and finish. a little light on the nose. [18] $15.00

Meat Pies with Ginger Beans
2011 Mollydooker Cabernet Sauvignon
15.0% alc. a super good wine. great body, taste and finish. light on the aroma. [19] $27.00

Pavlola and Vanilla Slice 2011 Layer Cake Shiraz 14.5% alc. a little heavy for this dessert, but a very good wine, nonetheless. [18] $18.00

Pavlova and Vanilla Slice
2011 Layer Cake Shiraz
14.5% alc. a little heavy for this dessert, but a very good wine, nonetheless. [18] $18.00

And it really was a good dinner. If you missed it, maybe we will see you next month or at the Concert Jam on June 15 or the Buzz Quarterly Dinner on Sunday June 23 (Reservations required for this dinner. See the sidebar.) Cheers!!!

Koenig Vineyards and Cottonwood Grille

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Cottonwood Grille, Koenig Vineyards, Main Dish, Merlot, Mushrooms, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Salads, Salmon, Special Dinners, Syrah, Viognier, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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apple brandy, cottonwood grille, puff pastry, wild mushrooms

On Monday, June 10, we attended a wine dinner at the Cottonwood Grille featuring the wines of Idaho’s Koenig Vineyards. Chef Jesus did a good job with the paring of the food with the wines. My only comment about the food is it tended to be salty. Maybe I am becoming very aware of the salt amounts in cooking. Nonetheless, some of the entrees were salty. The dinner was well attended and it was interesting to talk to the people at our table. The photo to the left is the menu along with a glass of 2011 Koenig VineyardsMerlot. Below are some other photos from the evening. Do enjoy the presentations and please VOTE. Left-Click any photo to see enlarged. Thanks!

Chef Jesus of the Cottonwood Grille, Boise

Winemaker Greg Koenig and his wife Kristen.

Wild Mushrooms in Puff Pastry 2012 Koenig Vineyards Rose

Wild Mushrooms in Puff Pastry
2011 Koenig Vineyards Merlot
This dish was very good, but salty. The merlot probably would have been better with the sauce had the entree not been so salty.

Fresh Mixed Greens with Figs and Berries
2012 Koenig Vineyards Rose
A good and refreshing salad. Well paired with the wine.

Fresh Sockeye Salmon with a Lemon Beurre Blanc
2011 Koenig Vineyards Viognier
One of the better wines of the night. Went extremely well with the salmon. One of Idaho’s favorite wines.

Pork Tenderloin with Apple Brandy Cream Sauce
2010 Koenig Vineyards Syrah
The Syrah was a good paring – or would have been. This entree was way to salty and both Robin and I could not finish the dish because of the extreme saltiness. Too bad.

Peach Cobbler 2011 Riesling Ice Wine

Sorry to have to pan this dinner, but we have had much better dinners at the Cottonwood Grille. This just did not measure up to their standards because of the over use of salt in the dishes. A little salt will enhance the dish and should not overpower it. If I did not know better and know the quality of their dinners, I would not return. And that’s too bad, because the wines were overall very good.