Food and Wine. What a Delightful Way To Spend an Evening!

15 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Classics, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food Festivals, Wine Dinners

≈ 1 Comment

Another great night at the Buzz in Boise. 14 September 2010 was Wine Club Night where we had an awesome dinner to accompany a great selection of Chenin Blanc and Shiraz/Syrah. Chenin Blanc is a white wine that is very versatile and can be aged for decades. Other names for Chenin Blanc are Steen – South Africa, Vouvray – France, Pineau de la Loire – France and Cremant de Loire among others. Syrah/Shiraz, both the very same grape is a deep, rich red wine. Historically, Shiraz is so called south of the equator and Syrah north of the equator. The Shiraz grape was once thought to originate in Persia, but through recent, 1999, DNA studies, it actually originated in France from two obscure grapes Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche. Syrah/Shiraz is not the same as Petite Sirah and should not be confused with it. Usually the flavors and aroma include blackberry, plums and pepper but can vary greatly from region to region. It is heavily affected by climate: Warmer climates more plums and chocolate. Cooler climates more pepper. (From the Buzz tasting notes) So here is what we had for dinner and the wines that accompanied each course. My point scores are in [20], 20 points being the highest. And all this for $15.00 per person. You can’t beat it! Check with the Buzz for the date and time of the next tasting dinner. Cheers!

Tea Smoked Chicken
2006 Remy Pannier Vouvray
[11.0% alcohol; $18; [13] I didn’t get a whole lot out of this wine.)

Star Puffs
2008 Dry Creek Chenin Blanc
[12.5% alcohol; $12; [18] Full of pears and vanilla.]

Cornmeal Bilini Bites
2009 Simonsig Chenin Blanc (South Africa)
[11% alcohol; $14; [18]; Minerally taste. Went very well with the Bilini]

Gina’s Fiesta Salad
2007 Renwood Syrah
[13.5% alcohol; $11; [19]; Hints of cinnamon and wood.]

Roasted Spicy Mayonnaise Chicken
Herbed Quinoa
Grilled Eggplant and Pepper Salad
Herbed Creamed Bisquits
2008 Morse Code Shiraz
[14% alcohol; $11; [19]; Tar, cloves, spice, pepper. Great selection with the entree!]

Cousin Jonnies Red Velvet Whoopie Pie
2007 Red Syrah/Shiraz Blend (Australia)
[14.5% alcohol; $14; [20]; Chocolate, spicy, pepper. Smooth. A real treat of a blended Syrah with Shiraz. This wine went great with the Whoopie Pie]
The plates are empty. Our stomachs are full. Our thirst for good wine is achieved. So until next time …. Cheers!

Brunch At Bella Aquila In Eagle, ID

12 Sunday Sep 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Things To Do

≈ Leave a comment

On 12 September, a beautiful fallish day here in Boise, Marnie, Mac, Chris, Robin, Carmel Crock and I all went to Bella Aquila in Eagle for brunch. Ken Harris was there playing piano. Marnie is looking for someone to play and sing at her wedding reception on September 10, 2011 – that’s 09/10/11! The waterfall to the left is one of two that are on the patio. Enjoy the view of the Boise River, the sound of the waterfalls and good company and good music.
We had a wonderful brunch and I would recommend it if you are in the area and want a good brunch. The Bella Aquila is definitely a 4-Star restaurant. Prices range from $11.00 to $15.00. You can eat inside or, as we did on this beautiful day, eat on the patio. Below are the entrees we had. All of them very good.

Ken Harris on Piano

I had Alaskan Eggs. Scrambled Eggs with Salmon, Homefries and Apple Chicken Sausage

Chris had Eggs Benedict with Crab and Fresh Fruit.

Robin had Eggs Bellisima with Garlic Cream Sauce

Mac had Stuffed Shells with Crab and Fresh Salad.

Marnie had Stuffed French Toast.

Carmel had Eggs with Sweet Potatoes.

And of course, we all shared our dishes. It was great. Cheers!

Seafood Almondine

12 Sunday Sep 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beans, Cod, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Seafood, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

This Seafood Almondine actually was quite good. And besides, my Doctor would be pleased that I am eating so well – I did loose 21 pounds since my last appointment with him this past Spring – while he is eating his Rib-Eye and French Fries. It’s not that we eat less – we eat smarter! Heres what we had.

Le Menu

Seafood Almondine
Cod and Shrimp

Spicy African Beans in Onion, Tomato and Pomegranate Molasses

2009 Horton Vineyards (VA) The Tower Series, Viognier

The wine was really extremely good with this dinner. Almost as good as an Estencia Pinot Grigio. It went quite well with the spiciness of the beans but did not cover the light cod and almonds. I would have this again. Except this time, I would remove the bean from the pods, although the pods were good. Full of fiber. Cheers and Goot Essen!

Alley Tomatoes

08 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Alley Gardens, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Thought For The Day, Tomatoes

≈ 4 Comments

There is an old song called Home Grown Tomatoes by Guy Clark. These tomatoes are some of our Alley Tomatoes and they are soooo good! But even more than that, there is a line – the chorus – in the song that says,

“Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes,
What’d life be without home grown Tomatoes,
There’s only two things that money can’t buy:
True love and home grown tomatoes.”

And just for kicks, here are the rest of the lyrics.

“1. There’s nothin’ in the world that I like better than
Bacon, lettuce and home grown tomatoes
Up in the morning and out in the garden
Pick you a ripe one, don’t get a hard ‘un.
Plant ’em in the springtime eat ’em in the summer,
All winter without ’em’s a culinary bummer.
I forget all about the sweatin and the diggin
Every time I go out and pick me a big’un.

CHORUS

2.
You can go out and eat’em that’s for sure,
But there’s nothin a home grown tomato won’t cure
You can put em in a salad, put em in a stew
You can make your own, your very own tomato juice
You can eat em with eggs, you can eat em with gravy
You can eat em with beans, pinto or navy
Put em on the side, put em on the middle
Home grown tomatoes on a hot cake griddle

CHORUS

3.
If I could change this life I lead,
You could call me Johnny Tomato Seed
I know what this country needs,
It’s home grown tomatoes in every yard you see
When I die don’t bury me
In a box in a cold dark cemetery
Out in the garden would be much better
Where I could be pushin up those home grown tomatoes.

CHORUS
Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes,
What’d life be without home grown Tomatoes,
There’s only two things that money can’t buy:
True love and home grown tomatoes.“

And I feel so very lucky! I’ve got both!!! And if you look hard, you can probably find a copy of the song. Neat song and so appropriate! Cheers.

BSU vs VT Dinner

06 Monday Sep 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in BSU, Celebrations, Party Time, Photo By: MJ Shaner, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, Thought For The Day, What's For Dinner?

≈ 2 Comments

OK. So here is the BSU Game Dinner. Go Broncos!

Bob and Robin

Robin and Margaret

Marnie and Mac

Virginia Wine on the left and Idaho Wine on the right

Margaret’s BSU Potato Salad

BSU Mesquite Smoked Corn

The Dinner plated.

Pulled Pork

BSU Corn

BSU Potato Salad

Baked Beans

BSU MJ’s Cake

It was a great dinner. We are still watching the Pre-Game hype! Cheers and Good Luck!

Indian Foods Grocery Store in Boise

05 Sunday Sep 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in East Indian Food, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young

≈ 2 Comments

One thing that Boise has really improved on in the pat 10 years or so, is ethnic foods. Ethnic restaurants and grocery stores. As C. Jeanne Heida says in her post on Associated Content,

“… Boise, Idaho is not known for having a wide range of ethnic grocery stores, and up to about 15 years ago or so, our ethnic food choices were pretty much limited to the “foreign food” aisle of the local grocery store.

Fortunately for Boise, a number of small ethnic markets have sprung up in recent years, providing a wide range of international foods. Since many of these small markets are neither advertised or listed in the Yellow Pages, they can be a little tricky to find.” Robin and I totally agree with this statement! It is great to see these small markets in Boise.

Robin and I visited this shop this morning and found it to be very complete and versatile. Hasmuka Patel has done a great job. The store is located at 6020 W Fairview Ave in Boise. Telephone is (208) 387-0000. I have not found a website for them.

The store is located in the old Bob’s Bicycles – no relation. For some, it might be a little difficult to locate. It tends to sit back off the highway. But, there is plenty of signage, as evidenced in the above photos. This is a photo of the store front.

As you can see from this interior shot, the store has a lot of shelving that is full of product. There is also a space for cooking supplies – pans, steamers, etc. This is just two isles of four, plus end shelves and another room. The products include not only food stuffs, that being the primary emphasis, they also provide incense and some light hardware. An interesting shop that if, you are looking for the East Indian, Asian or Pakistani foods, this should be your first stop. Open 7 days a week from 9:30am until early evening. Cheers!

What’s For Dinner?

05 Sunday Sep 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Chicken, Curry, Food, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

So this morning, while I was contemplating the Bronco victory in Virginia, Boise’s hot air balloons were taking off over Julia Davis Park in the center of town. There is also the question of What’s For Dinner? I asked Robin if she wanted chicken. She said yes with some curried rice. Her wish is my command!

Le Menu

Braised Chicken in White Wine and Pomegranate Molasses
with
Sauteed Leeks and Garlic in Orange Infused Olive Oil

Curried Rice
with
Red and Green Tomatoes and Summer Squash

Serve all of this with a wonderful 2008 Casablanca Valley Chile Root:1 Chardonnay and you have a wonderful Saturday evening meal. Cheers and

GO BRONCOS!!

Tillamook Baby Loaf Tour In Boise!

02 Thursday Sep 2010

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

≈ Leave a comment

Yea! The Tillamook Baby Loaf Van at Albertson’s at 16th and State in Boise – the site of the original Albertson’s – the bank is on the actual location now. Even though it was 7:00pm and they were closing down the display, I did get to tell the Tillamook representative that I am the one who blogged their trip to Boise, see Tillamook Cheese Baby Loaf In Boise. I’m not so sure that they were prepared for me to show up, but they did give me some coupons, and I did use them. It would be nice to see where they will be tomorrow. Maybe I will show up again. Anyway, it was fun to see the Baby Loaf van and to visit, albeit a short time. Cheers and hope I can catch them again. Thanks Mac for stopping by and telling me that they were at Albertson’s – only a block away. And Geno and Debra, it was really great to see and talk to you two again. (How was the frozen yogurt?) I didn’t know you knew how to sail, Geno. Cheers!

Fresh Made "Cream of Tomato Basil Soup"

01 Wednesday Sep 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Local Harvests, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

On this past Sunday, we all – Robin, myself, Mac and Marnie – went to Berryhill and Co for brunch. They had a wonderful Tomato Basil Soup. Since we have a lot of tomatoes on the vines that are ready to pick and a lot of fresh basil growing, I made some Cream of Tomato Basil Soup out of our fresh tomatoes, our basil and Half-and-Half. It is wonderful! I also made some fresh Blue Potato Salad with Tomato Slivers out of some fresh red potatoes, fresh blue potatoes, fresh kohlrabi, fresh onion – the potatoes, onion and kohlrabi are from the Refugee Garden subscription we have – , fresh parsley and tomatoes – both from our garden – and celery. That was great with the soup! This is not hard to do. You can make this from what I have listed or adapt to your own liking. The tomatoes though, will need a little raw sugar and a little sea salt. Cook this slow and do not boil. Temper the cream before you add it to the soup. Add a little basil to the soup just before serving. Enjoy!

Lunch Menu

Fresh Made Cream of Tomato and Basil Soup

Fresh Made Blue Potato Salad with Tomato Slivers

Toasts

Osso Buco Dinner

29 Sunday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Lamb, Local Harvests, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

≈ 2 Comments

This was one of “those” dinners. The weather is cool, almost Fall like and we have some lamb in the freezer. I though I was getting lamb steaks out for dinner. Instead, I got out Osso Buco – Lamb Shanks. So, I guess I should make Lamb Shanks – Osso Buco. (Check out the recipe) Hmmm! My goodness. It was awesome! Here is the complete menu.

Lamb Shanks – Osso Bucco
with
Fresh Tomatoes and Wild Mushrooms

Carrots in Pomegranate Molasses

Cous Cous with Fresh Mint and Tomatoes

2008 Parma Ridge Syrah

The lamb was from Meadowlark Farms, the tomatoes and carrots from the Refrugee Gardens, the wine was an Idaho wine and the bread from Le Cafe De Paris. Cheers!