3 Lucious Meals

06 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bakery, Avocado, Bacon, Beans, Black Beans, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Brown Basmati Rice, Captain's Shack, Cinco de Mayo, Comfort Food, Corn, Dinner With Robin, Eggs, Feta Cheese, Focaccia, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Pork, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Meadowlark Farms, Omelet, Party Time, Peaceful Belly Farms, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Pork Tenderloin, Puerto Rican Food, Puerto Rican Recipe, Purple Sage Farms, Salad, Sofritto, Spanish Food, Special Dinners, Spice Blends, Spinach, Steamed Clams, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?

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black beans, brown basmati rice, Cinco de Mayo, sofrito

It was a good Cinco de Mayo! At least meal wise. All from scratch, which really makes it fun, and then from mostly local products. Pork. Sofrito. Brown Basmati Rice. Mango Margaritas. Rhubarb Red Sauce. Black Olive and Rice Salad. Mostly fit the occasion; the holiday.
The photos below will give you an idea of these meals. Left-Click any of them to see enlarged. What did you do fro Cinco de Mayo? What did you cook? Have to eat? Anything special? Let us know. Spread the delicious words;photos. Cheers!

Pork and Sofrito Avocado Tomato Salad Brown Basmati Rice and Black Beans Mango Margaritas

Pork Tenderloin and Sofrito
Avocado and Tomato Salad
Brown Basmati Rice and Black Beans
Mango Margaritas

Good Cinco de Mayo dinner and fun to make!

Red Velvet Cake
with
strawberries and whipped cream

Our neighbors brought this to us, just because. Thank you! See why we love Boise?

Spinach Omelet
with
rhubarb red sauce and sofrito
Bacon
Toasted Focaccia

Such a differently good breakfast.

Steamed Clams
Buttered Corn
Black Olive, Tomato and Brown Basmati Rice Salad

Really a yummy dinner. Now for clam chowder with the broth.

Turmeric – The “Poor Man’s Saffron “

11 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in East Indian Food, Interesting Information, Moroccan Spices, Photos, Special Information, Spices, Spices of India, What's For Dinner?

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food, middle eastern cuisines, moroccan cuisine, spice in indian cuisine

Here is another fascinating “spice” article from Malaysian Delacacies on Facebook. (If you look, Facebook does have some interesting posts. But only some.)

Turmeric is named as the ’Golden Spice of Life’.The botanical name is Curcuma longa, and the plant is a member of Zingiberaceae or ginger family. Turmeric has color similar to that of sunlight. Therefore, it is considered to be sacred in India as in ancient times such natural forces were believed to have supernatural powers. It is used in auspicious ceremonies and rituals.

Studies have shown that two teaspoons of turmeric contain 1.88 milligrams of iron, 0.08 milligrams of vitamin B, 0.96 grams of dietary fiber, 114.48 milligrams of potassium and 0.36 grams of manganese.

Turmeric is an essential spice in Indian cuisine. This warm and aromatic spice with bitter undertones is also used extensively in Southeast Asian and Middle-Eastern cuisines. In Indian cuisine turmeric is added to nearly every dish, be it non- vegetarian or vegetarian. Its bright yellow color imparts an orange yellow hue to curries. It is widely used in Moroccan cuisine to spice meat, particularly lamb, and vegetables. It is also used in spice blends in the Caribbean, North Africa, the Middle East, and Indonesia. Turmeric is also used to give a yellow color to some prepared mustards; it gives ballpark mustard its bright yellow color.

Listed above on the graphic, are the benefits of Turmeric. Left-Click to see enlarged.

Acme Bake Shop Opens in Boise

11 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Boise Weekly, Bread, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Photos, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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baker michael, bread flour, farmers market, lehi roller mills, whole wheat

(Photo credit: Ryan Thorne, Boise Weekly July 10, 2013)

Baker Michael Runsvold has started a new bakery in Boise/Garden City. The Acme Bakery, Acme Bake Shop. I keep talking about the products that he and Soraya bake. Well here is an article from the Boise Weekly about the start-up. Great bread and great write-up. Acme Bake Shop I have excerpted some of the article below.

Mike Runsvold stood at a nearly empty table as the bell rang, signalling the end of a busy day at the Boise Farmers Market. Throughout the morning, his breads had gradually disappeared one by one, as customers came by to snag a slice of sourdough or a bite of boule.
“Everything that I make, I try to make like it would be an exceptional version of its type of bread,” Runsvold said…Runsvold’s breads are made with local and semi-local flours and ingredients.
“You can’t find bread flour that’s produced or milled locally, but the one I use is in Lehi, Utah, not very far away,” Runsvold said.
In addition to using unbleached white flour from Lehi Roller Mills (where Footloose was filmed), Runsvold also sources from Shepherd’s Grain. He procures other flours, including whole wheat and rye, from Caldwell and Donnelly, where they are grown and milled on the spot.
Acme breads quickly caught the eye of 10 Barrel’s chef Paul Faucher, who wanted local breads to complement the brewpub’s menu.
“When we were opening this place up, I asked Mike if he could do something special for us,” Faucher said. “We decided to incorporate our beer wort into our buns.”
Runsvold uses the wort to add sweetness and flavor to the buns. So far, Faucher has been impressed with the quality of Acme’s breads.[Ryan Thorne, Boise Weekly, July 10, 2013]

Read the rest of the article as linked above. It is a good one and then try some of Acme Bake Shop’s breads. Robin and I have some delivered to us each and every week at home. I also am prone to get some at the New Boise Farmer’s Market at 10th and Grove in downtown Boise each Saturday morning. Cheers!

Spanish Wine Dinner at the Buzz

10 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Paella, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Spanish Food, Spanish Wines, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Spanish Wines, sparkling wines, the Buzz, Wine Dinners

Another exciting and great wine dinner at The Buzz on Tuesday evening, April 9! (The same wines and dinner will also be presented Wednesday, April 10.) Cristi and crew did another good job. Robin wanted to expose some of her Nurse friends to The Buzz and the program that Cristi presents for wine dinners. She invited 22; 18 came. It was a great time and Cristi and Tommy placed us altogether. There are some photos of the nurses below. But first ….. Let’s eat! Wine scores are listed as [20]. Please cast your Vote above!

Robin brought a Rollingstone Chevre for everyone to try.

Albondigas and Sherried Mushroom Empanada
2009 Mercedes Eguren
14% alc. great food paring with the appetizers. little citrus on the finish. [17] $14.00

Sopa de Pastor Manchego
(Such a good soup!)
2010 Layer Cake Garnacha
14.5% alc. this was the best wine of the night, in my opinion. light chocolate on the nose and a long finish. [19] $18.00

Ensalada Sevillana
2011 Raimat Albarnio
12.5% alc. a hint of pear on the nose. fruity. did not pair well with the salad dressing. [18] $14.00

Paella
(If you have never had paella, you really should try it. It’s like a stew – there are many, many variations. But most have seafood and rice with some type of meat.)
2007 Lan Rioja
13.5% alc. good paring with the spiciness of the paella. black cherry on the nose. [18] $22.00

Torrijas and Flan
NV Cava Coderniu
11.5% alc. I’m just not a fan of sparkling wines or Champagnes. this one was OK but not much more. [15] $13.00

And here are some photos of the St. Luke’s folks that Robin invited. I did not get photos of everyone. Enjoy!

Barb Herrick and Sherry Grabowski

Diane Ross, Roli Martin Parker, Carol Fountain, Leslie Thomason, Kathy Kimmel

Sherry Grabowski, Connie Merrill, , Diane Ross, Susan Van Houten

Sherry Grabowski, Connie Merrill, Di McDonough, Diane Ross, Susan Van Houten

Those not pictured: Marti Downey, Pat Hutchison, Sue Montgomery, Joe Levitch, Marti Monk, Joe Murray, Gayle Ogle Weatherby, Wendy Weatherby Johnson and Ron Dunagan. Thank-You one and all for a great evening. Hope to see you again at The Buzz! Cheers.

March At The “Buzz”

22 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Comfort Food, Local Markets, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners, Wine Tasting

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entertainment, food, oscars, restaurants

March is quickly moving into Boise and with the March winds, comes some fantastic programs from Cristi and Tommy at The Buzz. Here is the March schedule. Call for reservations because these events sell out quickly!! There is a link in the sidebar. See you there. Cheers!

Hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful time of the year, as we get ready to try to move from winter to spring and all the excitement that mother nature has in store for us. We have some awesome activities planned at the Buzz so join us, reservations may be made at 344-4321 or buzzwine@cableone.net. Please let us know of any diet restrictions with your reservation. Hope everyone has a great March, lets hope it comes and goes like a lamb and we avoid the whole lion thing this year.

Quarterly Dinner
March 3 at 6:30 PM $30.00 per person
An amazing 5 course meal; each course paired with 2 wines. This is your chance to determine which wine goes better with the food. Reservations required.

Wine Club
We will feature Italy at this month’s wine club. March 12 or 13 at 6:30. $15.00 per person. Reservations required.

Music for March

Join us for music from 7-9. No Reservations required.
Wine tasting each night.
Feb 22 Wendy Mattson
March 1 Blaze and Kelly
March 2 Classical Jam Night
March 8 Johnny Shoes
15th Tomorrow Never Knows
March 16 Leta Neustaedter
March 22 John Cazaan
March 29 Pat Folkner

Grabyourgroceries.com is up and going; grab an extra hour or two a week by letting us do the shopping for you, feel free to email with any questions about this service.
We look forward to seeing everyone this month. February 22 and 23 we will have an Oscar contest pair the wine with the movie and receive a small prize both nights beginning at 5 PM.

Thanks for your patronage and we will see you soon. Stay safe.

Sincerely,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine

Save 25% – Order any case of wine now through the end of March and we will take 25% off the case order. This can be a full case of wine or mix and match. Most orders take 24 hours to fill. Let us know what you are in the mood for and we will help you find it.

Offer Expires: March 31, 2013

Bouillabaisse Party

12 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Classics, Comfort Food, French Foods, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Seafood, Sourdough Bread, Special Dinners, Special Events, Stew, Traditional Food, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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Bouillabaisse, cayenne pepper, fish soups, food, French, silver hake, Traditional Foods

Such a great Bouillabaisse Party on this cold and wintry night in Emmett, Idaho. Thank-You Victoria and Jeff for opening your home to this event. Victoria is pictured here. They have done a fantastic job on remodeling their home. There were about 15 people that enjoyed the Bouillabaisse, the wine and the crepes! Here are some photos of the evening. You can Left-Click any of the photos to enlarge. Cheers!

A novel way to construct a pot rack. From a Stop sign post.

Jalapeno Dip

Bouillabaisse is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating from the port city of Marseille. The French and English form bouillabaisse comes from the ProvençalOccitan word bolhabaissa, a compound that consists of the two verbs bolhir , to boil) and abaissar , to reduce heat, i.e., simmer.
There are at least three kinds of fish in a traditional bouillabaisse, typically scorpionfish (fr: rascasse); sea robin (fr: grondin); and European conger (fr: congre); and it can also include gilt-head bream (fr: dorade); turbot; monkfish (fr: lotte orbaudroie); mullet; or silver hake (fr: merlan) It also usually includes shellfish and other seafood such as sea urchins (fr: oursins), mussels (fr: moules); velvet crabs (fr: étrilles); spider crab (fr: araignées de mer) or octopus. More expensive versions may add langoustine (European lobster). Vegetables such as leeks, onions, tomatoes, celery and potatoes are simmered together with the broth and served with the fish. The broth is traditionally served with a rouille, a mayonnaisemade of olive oil, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper on grilled slices of bread.
What makes a bouillabaisse different from other fish soups is the selection of Provençal herbs and spices in the broth; the use of bony local Mediterranean fish; the way the fish are added one at a time, in a certain order, and brought to a boil; and the method of serving. In Marseille, the broth is served first in a bowl containing the bread and rouille, with the seafood and vegetables served separately in another bowl or on a platter.

Bouillabaisse Plated with Homemade Sourdough Bread

Some wine and some of the 15 people who were there.

Janjou Pâtisserie Opens In Boise

09 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Ethnic Foods, Janjou Pâtisserie, Local Harvests, Locavore, Organic Foods, Pastries, Photos, Photos By: Robin Young, Quiche, Restaurants, Salad, Special Information, Things To Do, Traditional Food, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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food, gabbitas, Goat Cheese, Janjou Pâtisserie, quiche, restaurants, rose water

Robin and I treated ourselves to a great experience. We went to the Janjou Pâtisserie at 1754 W State Street, Boise this morning. (I have added their link in the sidebar and a hot link there also.) This is some of the best Quiche I have eaten, and I have had some good Quiche. Goat Cheese and Leek Quiche ($8.99). I do not like goat cheese but this was awesome and I will get it again. The Bostock pastry ($3.50) was awesome with just a hint of rose-water. Robin had an 8 oz Mocha coffee ($3.65) and I had a 12 oz Americano ($2.95). Both of these coffees were great and went very well with our “treats”. Husband and wife team, Chuck Gabbitas – Owner and Moshit Mizrachi-Gabbitas – Owner/Chef are doing a super great job for only being open for 7 days. For an eatery of this type, they definitely rate a 4-Star (out of 5) and maybe a 5. We will have to return. They are planning to offer in the future, maybe wine, soups and sandwiches. That would be interesting. Their website is Janjou Pâtisserie and is worth looking at. Call your order in and pick it up at the pâtisserie. Here are some photos that Robin took. Enjoy and let them know you saw this review here. Cheers! (Left-Click to see a larger view of the photos.)

Chuck Gabbitas, Owner, preparing a treat.

Inside of Janjou Pâtisserie

Goat Cheese and Leek Quiche. Delicious!

Steamed Idaho Trout For Dinner

05 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beans, Captain's Shack, Cinder Wines, Food, Green Beans, Idaho, Idaho Trout, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Salad, Seafood, Sliced Carrots, Things To Do, Viognier

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Carrots, dinner, fresh water fish, Green Beans, Idaho Trout, spinach salad, Viognier

Such a great dinner tonight. I don’t particularly like fresh water fish, but this was great!!

Wine Steamed Idaho Trout
Green Beans with Garlic and Sliced Carrots
Rice and Spinach Salad
2007 Cinder Viognier

Such a yummy dinner!

Happy 2013 Everyone!

01 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Captain's Shack, Celebrations, Crab, Crockpot, Finger Foods, German Recipes, Holiday Gatherings, Holiday Menu, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Sauerkraut, Seafood, Shell Fish, Shrimp, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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byrd cookie company, finger foods, food, new years eve, red cabbage

We do hope that everyone has a great 2013! And that you also had an exciting New Years Eve party. Robin and I did. Very quiet. But very delicious. Started out, somewhat, with this Red Cabbage and Sausage over a Baked Potato. It was yummy. Then we went to more of a party mode with the finger foods we made pictured below. Left-Click the photos to seed enlarged. Enjoy!!

A table full of Finger Foods.
Various Crackers and Chips
Steamed Shrimp
Crab Dip
Various Byrd Cookie Company Delights
Fresh Grapes
Shrimp Sauce
Stella Artois Goblets
Moscato d’Asti

A plateful of Yum!

Christmas 2012: Food, Wine and Family!

26 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Breakfast, Buddy, Captain's Shack, Celebrations, Christmas, Cod, Comfort Food, Dried Corn, Food, Food Prep, Holiday Gatherings, Holiday Menu, Lamb, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Robin Young, Recipes, Salad, Salads, Seafood, Side Dishes, Sole, Soup, Special Dinners, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine and Food Festivals

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cheese danish, food, huckleberry jam, morning pastry, wine cork

Oh, my! What a great two day Christmas celebration!! Great food! Great wines! Great family! I just love it when the extended family – at least the Idaho portion – all get together and have a good meal together. Thank- You Mac and Marnie for the Christmas dinner. And Thank-You everyone for all of the great gifts! And Mac, for making the Italian Wine Cork Retriever!!! And Buddy got his Piglet! I think he thinks he is being replaced. Not a chance!! (Left-Click any of these photos for a larger view.)
But let’s start with Christmas Eve food. Robin and I spent a nice quiet evening at home. To start with, we made a salad of Caprese Scallop Stacks and then for the entree we made Cod with Tomato Cream Sauce. I used both Cod and Sole in this recipe. These were really delicious. The photos are posted below.

Caprese Scallop Stacks

Cod with Tomato Cream Sauce

Then for Christmas morning – I remember my Mom running downtown in Newark, DE., to Bing’s Bakery and picking up a Christmas Morning Pastry Wreath – Robin made these wonderful cheese Danishes. I was still asleep when I smelled this wonderful aroma, drifting through the house. It was these pastries. Yum-O!

Cream Cheese Danish with Wild Idaho Huckleberry Jam and Sliced Pear

Then in the afternoon, we packed up the car and went to Marnie and Macs for an awesome dinner. And a yummy dinner it was. Marnie made a root vegetable, slightly curried, creamy soup that was delicious. We want the recipe, Marn. (Sorry I didn’t get a photo of it.) And Mac did a great job with the lamb. But look at what they made.

Green Bean Casserole
Roasted Lamb with Mint Jelly
Roasted Potatoes
Dried Corn with Poblano Peppers

And for dessert –

Noel Log

And to go with the dinner and the chocolate dessert, some wines we pulled. Enlarge the photos and read the labels. Especially the vintages. These were awesome!