Happy 10th Birthday Le Café de Paris in Boise

27 Friday Apr 2012

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

Even though we woke up to snow on the mountain this morning – yup! 91 degrees last weekend and snow this weekend, 34 degrees over night – we want to congratulate Le Café de Paris on 10 years in Boise. And what an exciting epicurean trip it has been! Thank-You Mathieu and Thank-You to all of his staff who greet us, serve us and prepare fantastic meals for us. Tonight’s dinner was superb!!! Take a look.

Mathieu Choux, Owner of Le Café de Paris, with his party streamers.

Soraya and Olli. Soraya is the Manager of Le Café de Paris

Proud Mama!

Two of the wines we bought to share. Don’t ever say that a white wine, in this case a Chardonnay, won’t cellar well. This one, from 1974, was great and, in my humble opinion, out performed the French wine!!

And we also brought an good Cabernet Sauvignon. We are happy that we were able to share our wines with the folks at Le Café de Paris.

HOR d’OEVRES
Plateau de Charcuterie
Fois Gras
with
Cherry Gastrique
Pâté and Rilette
Fresh Baked Bread

Escargots de Bourgogne
escargot sauteed in maitre-d butter, served in voul-au-vents

Fois Gras
with
Cherry Gastrique

SOUPE et SALADE
Salade de Chèvre Chaud
field greens, confit tomatoes, mustard vinaigrette, baked goat cheese on crostini

Potage Paysan
creamy provençal soup made with potato, onion and swiss
(This soup was awesome!)

POISSONS
Duo de Poissons
Braided Salmon and Halibut Fillets
with
beurre blanc

Bar aux Herbes
thyme encrusted seabass, served with rice pilaf

VIANDES
Steak Frites
Medium Rare Tri-Tip
green peppercorn brandy sauce,
served with Handcut Fries

Poulet aux Ecrevisses
Local Free Range Chicken
Crawfish
sauce nantua

Handcut Fries

DESSERT
Crêpe Suzette
delicious crepe served with buerre suzette, flambéed with Grand Marnier

Crème Brulée
pistachio custard with topped with burnt sugar

And this is specially for Mathieu. We were talking about the Shrimpcargot from The Buzz and how great an appetizer this is. Enjoy this Mathieu!

Thank-You all for a fantastic and fabulous meal and dining experience. You are still the best! Cheers and see you next time.

Another Great and Different Dinner

26 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wild Rice

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Here is another fantastic dinner we had. Yes, we do eat well!!

Sauteed Crimini Mushrooms
with
Beef

Wild Rice
with
Mint and Walnuts

Carrot Salad with Green Olives

What you say? Carrots and green olives? The steamed carrots are sweet. The olives add a tartness to the salad. The dressing is olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. Have you ever had a Green Olive Soup? Olives are a surprisingly wonderful addition to some dishes.

Grilled New York Strip Steak

25 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Mushrooms, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Shrimpcargot, What's For Dinner?

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What a super dinner. It’s been a while since we had a good grilled steak. Here’s what we had tonight.

Grilled New York Strip Steak
with
Garlic Sauteed Crimini Mushrooms

Fennel and Tomato Salad

Shrimpcargot

1988 Dolcetto D’Alba Cascina Bordino

Tommy’s Salmon Marinade

22 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Salmon, Seafood, What's For Dinner?

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Tommy’s Salmon. Hot off the grill! Yum-O!!!

Wow! This is one awesome salmon recipe. Thanks to Tommy Takeda from The Buzz here in Boise for his recipe. Look how easy this is.

Tommy’s Salmon Marinade

Ingredients:
2 T Brown Sugar
1 T Ginger, fresh grated
Soy Sauce – I used Mitoko Johsen Organic Shoyu Traditional Soy Sauce. Available at most Asian markets.

In the photo, 2 – 5oz Salmon Steaks. Enough for 2

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. You want just enough soy sauce to make a paste.

Let sit for 1 hour refrigerated.

Spread over salmon steaks and let sit for 30 minutes. Grill over med-high heat until done. Eat slowly to enjoy every, luscious bite!!

Friday Nite Buzz And 1st Saturday Market

21 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Local Farmers Markets, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Red Feather/Bittercreek, Special Events

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The first day of the Boise Saturday Market!!! Yea. It looks like there was going to be a good sized crowd today. This photo was taken at about 10:00am, thirty minutes after opening, and it looks full. The market has grown this year, too. It’s bigger and Better! Enjoy these photos of the activities this weekend, at least some of the activities. The Buzz and the Boise Saturday Market are a great way to start this weekend. Plus great weather – clear skies, gentle breeze and 76 degrees!

Malbecs were featured on the Friday Night Tasting at the Buzz. Good selection! We just might make this a regular. Good wines. Good food and Good friends.

This was a super, awesome appetizer that Cristi came up with – Shrimpcargot Shrimp in a crimini mushroom cap with green onion, cheese and a garlic butter sauce.

Gnocchi, Baked Sweet Potato Fries and Green Salad. Great bistro food.

Great crisp with coffee ice cream

Our friends Geno and Debra who are back in Boise for a while after being in Arizona and Alabama. Welcome back!

Eggs Benedict from the Red Feather Lounge at the Saturday Market. The food was good … can’t really say that about the service. Maybe because it was very busy at the market. We’ll give them another chance.

Some of the people at the market. It was getting crowded.

And just to prove that it is Spring in the Treasure Valley, here are Gennieve’s flowers. Wisteria, and red and yellow tulips.

Meyer Lemon Steamed Talapia

19 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Talapia, What's For Dinner?

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I know, some of you do not like talapia, a very mild white fish. Replace it with sole or halibut. As for the sauce.Think of it like a beurre blanc (white butter) but without the butter.

Before I get to the recipe. look at the dinner plated.

Meyer Lemon Steamed Talapia

Meyer Lemon Steamed Talapia In Marsala Sauce

Lemon Steamed Rice with Green Onion and Spinach

Winter Vegetable Medley
asparagus, Brussels sprouts, shallots

Lets start with the Meyer Lemon Steamed Talapia.
Ingredients: For the talapia
2 – 5 oz Talapia fillets or sole or halibut
4 T Vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 c Sauvignon Blanc
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon, reserving the peel
1 c Brown Basamati Rice
1/2 Meyers Lemon cut into pieces
2 c Spinach, chopped
2 Spring onions, diced

Ingredients: For the sauce
1/4 c Marsala
3 t Corn Starch
1/2 c Hot water

Directions:
Place the oil, salt and pepper and lemon juice along with the lemon peel that has been cut into pieces, in a saute pan. Bring to a low simmer. Add the fish fillets and the wine. Cover and steam until the fish flakes. You may have to turn the fish once.

Directions: for the sauce
Remove the fish from the liquid. Mix the sauce ingredients together until the corn starch is dissolved. Lower the heat to medium, if not already there. Add to the pan liquid and stir continually until thickened. Spoon about 2 T of the sauce over the fish.

Steam all of the vegetables together and add to the plate when done. Steam the rice along with the spinach, onion and the lemon until the rice is soft. Add to the plate.

This is really a yummy dinner and served with a Sauvignon Blanc – we had a 2011 Indian Creek Sauvignon Blanc that was awesome! It is also what we used in the sauce and to steam the fish. Enjoy!

Boise Food Truck Rally – April 2012

14 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Buy Idaho, Food, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do

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It was another great Boise Food Truck Rally at the MK Nature Center on Walnut Street. A good place with lots of room. The crowd looked like another big one. Maybe 1000+? Everyone looked like they were enjoying their selves. Here are some photos I took. Oh. The BBQ pictured here was a brisket, pulled pork and sausage sandwich. Sorry for the bite(s) out of the sandwich. Just couldn’t wait. The Golden Nectar of the Gods is an IPA from Payette Brewery in Garden City. Enjoy!

The BBQ pictured above was made by Big Daddy’s.

The Brown Shuga Soul Food truck. Am sorry Yvonne, I did not make it back. The line was long and you looked very busy. Thank-You, though. Next time!

My friend Yvonne, Owner/Chef of Brown Shuga Soul Food, warning me to stay away from the turkey legs! Oh my, but they sure did smell good!

Some of the crowd who was there.

More of the crowd.

Even the little ones were having a good time.

And then the Gray Goose tried to make a landing in the parking lot. I don’t think it did, though. I love the diffused sunlight through the clouds lighting the Canada Goose. It was trying to be a stormy, spring night.

Reviving an Old Community Garden

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Community Garden, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do

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It has been a long 7 years or so since there was a community garden at the corner of 19th and Jefferson Streets. It is great to see that the Salvation Army is reviving the garden. We did have a complete sprinkler system in place with the original garden. I suppose it is all still there. This is looking west. Remember the house that used to be there?

This is the area looking east.

Here is a flyer that the Salvation Army has posted. Left-Click to enlarge and then print. It is being sponsored in part, I guess, by the Boise Urban Garden School. Look for the “Get Your Hands Dirty” tab on their page to learn more. From the BUGS website, “… The idea behind the Boise Urban Garden School came one winter afternoon while cofounders Wendy Young and Amy Hutchinson were talking over a cup of tea …The pair also discussed the role the natural world, especially the family vegetable garden, played in their childhood. From this simple discussion, the seed of inspiration was planted for BUGS.”

Wine Dinner at The Buzz

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

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

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Wow! What an exceptional wine dinner. Cristi you outdid yourself! The theme tonight for the April Wine Club was Social Media Wine Dinner. Cristi went through a fairly complete list of the social media that is available and the pluses and minuses of each. Interesting. The wines were very good also. With six wines presented, including Cristi’s Choice, the point spread was 1 point! A very close race. You will see my point spread as we progress through this post.
Cristi also had flowers and herbs that she has put into wine and beer bottle vases with a self-watering system. Here is Greek Oregano that I picked. It looks nice on our kitchen window.
Cristi’s Choice: 2010 La Cryma Christi Feudi di San Gregoro. A very pleasing and easy to drink wine. 12.5% alc, $20.00 [17]

Along with the wine, we have had folks who bring in one of theirs to share. Tonight was no exception as Joe brought in an Alaskan Blueberry and Merlot blend. I know, you say “Yuk!” But try this first. It is really surprising and not overpowering with blueberry. At least give it a try.

Appetizer
Crab Cakes
2010 Dry Creek Chenin Blanc
12.5% alc, great taste and finish, slightly lacking on aroma. [17] $14.00

Black Bean and Chorizo Soup
2008 Duragutti Bonardo
13.9% alc, full bodied and awesome taste. good finish [17] $16.00

Carrot and Ginger Salad
(loved these flavors!)
2010 Les Jemelles Viognier
13.1% alc, a wonderful Viognier, full of fruit and flavor that went very well with the salad. [18] $14.00

Brown Butter Sage with Ravioli
Chicken
2010 Fratelli Montepulciano
12.5% alc, another wonderful wine. easy to drink and was pared very well with the ravioli. [17] $14.00

Bourbon and Banana Crepe
Chocolate Cream
Morse Code Shiraz
great paring with the crepes [17] $14.00

Those scores are so very close. A great salute to Chisti’s ability to choose a wine that pairs well with any course. The wines were great and this was probably one of the top meals from the Buzz. Great job!!!

Boise High End Restaurant Delimna

09 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Anthropology of Food, Food Trivia, Interesting Information, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Information

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Robin pointed me towards a really good article in the Boise Weekly for April 4, 2012. The article written by Guy Hand is Tales of a Food Critic: The Highs and Lows of Boise’s Food Scene. Basically, the article defends the premise that the lows of the Boise restaurant scene is due to economics and an assumption that Boise is a “Meat and ‘taters” populace – which I can not totally agree with. In the article, Guy states that
“…In rapid succession, many of the Treasure Valley’s most innovative, chef-driven restaurants tumbled like elegant, ill-fated dominoes: Mortimer’s, Franco Latino, MilkyWay, Tapas Estrella, Andrae’s and SixOneSix. All fell within a few months.
[James Patrick] Kelly, like many I talked to about the subject, blamed the economy for many of the closures but added that the fall wouldn’t have been as swift or as efficiently targeted to such a specific class of restaurants if not for other factors.
“Boise is a burgeoning city,” he explained. “And therefore, you would think it would be able to support innovative concepts that are a little more ‘big city.’ But I think at the end of the day, people are not as adventurous here in terms of dining. High-end concepts aren’t cutting it in Boise, and that has to do with the economic downturn, as well as people not necessarily wanting it. They may say they want this high-end, this big-city cuisine, but actions speak louder than words, and you actually have to frequent those places.”
I think that final statement, “… you actually have to frequent those places” is the key. Not necessarily that Boise is strictly a “Meat and ‘Taters” community, because it is not. What I am saying is that if you like a particular restaurant, whether it be La Cafe de Paris, or Chandlers or The Buzz or Yen Ching or Cottonwood Grill or Sushi Joy or a multitude of other ethnically diverse and well deserving establishments, you must support them by visiting them. I don’t totally agree with Mr Kelley when he states that “… people are not as adventurous here in terms of dining …” because I do think they are adventurous in their eating habits. But their eating habits are ethnically diverse and not necessarily the more expensive the dinner is, the better it is. The people in Boise are adventurous in their dining.
For a city the size of Boise, there are so many different types and styles of restaurants here. Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, Bosnian, German, Polish, French, Thai, Soul food and a host more.
And now, there is the growth of the Food Trucks. Look at the diversity, both in food styles and in cost. I know that the last several Food Truck Rally’s in Boise were extremely well attended. And if you would like to go to one, here is a link to the April Food Truck Rally. (pdf format)
So is the decline in Boise of the high end restaurants economic? Probably partially. I just think that the folks here are more diverse in their eating and they are looking for diversity. Can I spend $45 a plate at Sushi Joy? Yes I can. Can I spend that much at the Cottonwood Grill? Yup! Do I consistently spend that much per plate? No. What we like is the different types and styles of food preparation. And I think that the population diversity of Boise dictates that diversity in food selection.
The article by Guy Hand was stimulating and thought provoking. Thanks Guy, for your writings.