~ – Enjoy a meal or a recipe with us! Be sure to check the Sidebar and Menu above. Interesting resources are listed there. Most are hot links. Air Fryer (AF), Instant Pot (IP) and Captain's Shack (CS) recipes now have their own page. Subscribe to the blog. It's still FREE!
I must apologize for the delay in posting. It’s been a while. However, I lost the internet connection and it took CenturyLink a while to determine the problem was in their modem. They let me know it was working on Labor Day at 9:30pm, but at least now it is working.
I was lucky enough to work on two recipes that are really good. One is for Instant Pot (IP) BBQ Ribs. Don’t fret. You can adjust it to your own liking. Make it more “smoky” or BBQ’d if you want. The other one came from a good friend, Scot Beseman, RN (Ret). It is for a Potato Salad that is really terrific.
These are the BBQ Ribs done in an IP. They are spare ribs, which I do not prefer but were all I could get.(https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-IP-Ribs.pdf) The recipe is rather easy, although you should really try to follow the it pretty closely. Feel free to adjust to your liking. I served it for Labor Day with Orange Jello with Carrots and Beseman Potato Salad, recipe to follow.
This is the Beseman Potato Salad (https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Beseman-Potato-Salad.pdf) and it is really good. Love to add flowers to a salad like this for presentation. I used red potatoes, or you can use Yukon Gold potatoes, but I would not use Russet potatoes. Their water content is high and you can end up with mashed potato salad. Also, I did not peel the potatoes.. I also added some Dijon mustard to the recipe, I like the subtle flavor it gives dishes. Be sure, too, to use sweet pickles to add another flavor level.
If you have any questions or comments, please let us know.Hope you enjoy these recipes. Most of the products used in both recipes came from the Boise Farmers Market (BFM).
If you ar e in the Boise or plan to visit Boise, I highly recommend you go to Alyonka Russian Cuisine for a delightful and delicious meal. It is well worth the trip, time and experience and that is why I rate it a 5-Star restaurant. Their website and other information can be found at https://alyonkarussiancuisine.com/. Robin and I went there the other day, we have been there before, and the following photos are what we had for lunch. I do hope you enjoy these photos.
Let’s start with an Apfelwein Hard Cider. This one is really good. Sweet. Not sour or sharp.
Shuba. Layered salad – smoked salmon, potatoes, carrots, beets, with mayo touch
Borscht. Traditional Russian soup made of beets and garden vegetables served with sour cream and toast
Pelmeni. Handmade Russian style dumplings with seasoned ground beef filling, served with sour cream
I have received many requests for my recipes for CS Bread Braid (Challah) and CS Pot Roast. (https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Bread-Braid.pdf and https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Pot-Roast.pdf) The bread braid I added a little sourdough starter, but you don’t have to0, just add the amount of starter you would as water to the water amount in the recipe. But we liked the slight tinge of sourdough in the breade. And to the pot roast I added some button mushrooms quartered. You can use any mushrooms you want.These recipes were fun to develop and are very good, IMNSHO (In My Not So Humble Opinion).If you try them, let us know what you think, or what you changed. And it is perfectly OK to say that you didn’t like it, just tell my why. Here are the photos of the final products.
CS Bread Braid. Great toasted or as French Toast.
French Toast using the Bread Braid I made
CS Pot Roast on Black Truffle Oil Mashed Potatoes and a Fresh Green Salad with Grapes and Mic5ro Greens
I love a good Shepard’s (Shepherd’s) Pie! Much better than a Cottage Pie. Maybe that’s because I do like good lamb. And as a side point, lamb is one year old or younger, while mutton is older than a year, just in case you were wondering. But also, it intrigues me as to the origin of these dishes. I always thought it originated in the Basque country of Spain. But after researching for this article, I am wrong!
Shepherd’s Pie: This dish is believed to have originated in Scotland or northern England (Ireland) during the late 1700s to early 1800s. It was initially made with leftover roasted lamb or mutton, and the term “shepherd” in its name reflects the traditional use of lamb meat.
Cottage Pie is thought to have originated in England, particularly in the Midlands or northern regions, around the same time period as shepherd’s pie. It traditionally uses minced beef, and the term “cottage” likely refers to the modest dwellings of the rural working class, who would have commonly prepared this dish. The cottage pie was the precursor to shepherd’s pie, which was coined in the middle of the 19th century. For a while it was used interchangeably with cottage pie. However, as time went on, a distinction was made: shepherd’s pie referred to a dish made with lamb (because sheep are tended to by shepherds!), and cottage pie referred to a dish made with beef.
This is a Shepherd’s Pie that I made this past week. And I think it was really good. Good robust herb and vegetable flavors. And the ground lamb was awesome with no “wild” taste that you can get with mutton. And it was from a very local farmer. Meadowlark Farms in Nampa, Idaho to be exact. The crust was a combination of Russet (Idaho) potato and Red Potato. I did not have and Harvest Gold potatoes so I made my own! The browning on the top was from a combination of the potatoes and Parmesan cheese. So, if you are interested, here is the recipe I came up with. Feel free to try it. Just let me know how it came out and how much you loved it! https://www.rockinrs.com/CS-Shepards-Pie.pdf
There are times when one feels really challenged in the kitchen, whether it is perfecting a dish, Creamed Spinach for example, where something just does not come out as you had planned or pictured. And at other times you want to create something kind of different with pan drippings. Or you want to create a dish that can be daunting or challenging. Well here are 3 that did just that. Let’s take a look. (Click on the images to see them enlarged)
This one was, I thought, just a basic baked chicken and rice dish. But then I thought, plain Jasmin rice with a good baked chicken can be sort of mundane, so why not add some green onion – a very Oriental twist – and fresh spinach? That spinach was a surprise to some who ate it. And the pan drippings of the rosemary and sage can create a differently good gravy. It did! Even added a little to the rice, which gave it a whole new twist. I think, and use it quite often, that it is sinful to “dump the pan drippings” in the trash, so I used it. Not many in the household would do such a thing. Use those drippings!
Potatoes. They are good, but if it were up to some other cooks that need potatoes at every meal – you know who you are – at least change them up from peeled, water logged piles of something that resembles pablum, to maybe some good, crispy hash browns that don’t need to be only served at breakfast. And to, add something green, like the creamed spinach pictured here. Add some mushrooms to the pan dripping gravy from the seared pork chop. Don’t be afraid to be creative and adventuresome in preparing a meal. If nothing else, it’s fun!
Here is another adventure. Steak with Mushroom and Onion Pan Gravy, Asparagus with Lardons and Green Onion and Smashed Potatoes and Gravy. (I used an hand masher and left the potatoes a little lumpy and as always, left the peels on.)
I guess I like to “mix things up” in the kitchen and try different variations of a given dish. Have fun when preparing and use your imagination. And, I might add, most of the products here came from the Boise Farmers Market.
So now I am confronted with a dilemma. First, how many times do I chew a bite before I swallow? 5 times? 10 times? 20 times? 30 times?
And the second part of the dilemma is do I peel potatoes, carrots and tomatoes before I use them in a recipe?
My sources for this article are varied and it has taken a while to research the questions. My sources include, but are limited to thekitchn, healthline, intestinal.com and others. Most of the many resources reiterate
the answers, so I have chosen and condensed the articles to create this post. I do hope you find the information helpful and healthy.
Let’s start with chewing.Chewing creates more digestive enzymes in the saliva and are helpful in breaking down food further and to aid in digestion. Chewing also triggers the stomach to produce more hydrochloric acid and regulating the pH to assist in food breakdown. When you chew your food properly, the food gets broken down into smaller pieces and mixes with saliva to extract the greatest amount of nutrients,
If you are not chewing your food thoroughly, you are likely eating to quickly which can lead to over eating. The metabolic syndrome is marked by obesity, high cholesterol levels, blood pressure problems and glucose levels to high. Metabolic Syndrome can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain cancers. (Dr. Supriya Rao, MD, Gastroenterology Consultants)
If you don’t chew your food enough, it could lead to bloating, diarrhea, heartburn, acid reflux, cramps, nausea, headaches, skin problems, irritability, malnutrition and a over production of gas. Eating more fermented foods, sauerkraut and pickles for instance, will produce more digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria. They can reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, gluten intolerance, allergies and asthma.
It is strongly that you chew your foods a minimum of 32 times! When I site in restaurants and around our table at meal time, I count my chews and everyone else. Mine, and my wifes, are right around 30+ chews before we swallow. I can’t say that for the people I am watching. 5 times, 10 times and swallow. So my question is: How can they possibly say they enjoyed their meal? They can’t! It’s your choice. Choose wisely.
Tomatoes, Carrots and Potatoes. To peel or not to peel?
By leaving the peels on the listed vegetables, and there are others too, The peels contain soluble and insoluble fiber, and both are important components of a healthy diet and add to the flavor of most dishes. Those vegetables that should be peeled, the peels are tough and hard to eat, are kabocha ( a sweet squash variety in the Cucurbitaceae family, related to gourds and pumpkins). Professional and home chefs cherish Kabocha for its exceptionally sweet flavor. Kabocha is considered to be even sweeter than butternut squash), red kuri (Red kuri squash is a small or medium sized winter squash with a hard, orange skin that can be used in all kinds of sweet and savory recipes), celery root and kohlrabi. Generally, unpeeled produce contains higher amounts of vitamins, minerals and other useful compounds, whereas peeled vegetables have had these compounds removed. Interesting to know that potatoes that are boiled or cooked with the skin on contain 332% more vitamin K, 142% more potassium, 111% more folate and 110% more magnesium and phosphorus than peeled potatoes. And fruits can contain 328 times more antioxidants in the peels than in the pulp. The peels can increase your intake of these nutrients when eaten with the pulp.
Tomato peels contain flavanols, a plant-based antioxidant and are linked to age related complications, i.e., lower risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease. Lycopene, a major source of antioxidants, is found in the tomato skins. If the skins of tomatoes are offensive to you, that is bitter, use a submersible hand blender to completely grind the skins into fine “bits”. The liquid will then be like a passata.
So there you have some information on fruits and vegetables. Use the information as you wish. If you question anything related to this article, please contact me and I will answer your questions. Thanks.
So you have some “stuff” still in the refrigerator that you don’t quite know what to do with. Don’t throw it out, unless, of course, it’s green and fuzzy. It’s not exactly Réchauffé – a dish of warmed-up leftovers, but more like Utiliser les restes – using leftovers. We have strawberries that need to be used, so we make Strawberry Waffles. And there is some Pork Belly, “… pork belly is uncured meat (while) bacon is a cured meat…(it is) the boneless cut that remains after the loin and spareribs are removed.” (pork.org) Just in case you wanted to know. So why not make an Idaho Benedict or a sautéed cabbage and apple to go with a Malheur River Meals ( https://malheurrivermeats.com ) pork chop? (Or you can get their products at the Boise Farmers Market or at Lark and Larder in Boise Good idea! So let’s take a look. Bon appetit!
Strawberry Waffle
Strawberry Waffles are so delicious. I have made waffles from scratch but here I used Krusteaz, because I had some that needed to be used. Just altered it slightly with strawberry jam and 1 egg in the batter. Then when I cooked it, I put sliced strawberries in the batter plus more sliced strawberries on top of the waffle before serving. A dusting of powdered sugar, too. You can use other fruits, also, like blueberries.
Malheur River Meats Pork Chop with Braised Apple and Cabbage
This was a yum dinner. A Smoked Bone-In Pork Chop with Braised Apple and Cabbage. Caramelized the apple first in butter and brown sugar over med-high heat and watched it carefully so as not to burn the apple. Just golden brown. Then added some chopped cabbage and caraway and sautéed it all together. There were no left-overs from this dinner!
Idaho Benedict
Shredded potato in egg ring form
Potatoes browned
This was so differently good! If you like Eggs Benedict, try this version. Instead of a toasted English muffin, I used a potato pancake, of sorts. More like a latke than a pancake. I had the “cake” keep its shape and form by using an egg ring. Worked well. Cooking was a challenge to keep it from burning. Med high heat and used the rendered pork belly fat – some of it – to cook the potato in. Turned it over carefully when I noticed some browning on the edges. It really came out fine and was cooked all the way through. Then for serving, placed potato on plate, then one strip of thick cut pork belly broken in half, poached egg and finally Hollandaise Sauce. ( CIA Basic Hollandaise Sauce )
So there you have it. Another fun week in the kitchen!
This potato salad,the recipe is located here Chef Lou’s Potato Salad, is full of vegetables. (Pictured above) You can use veggies, or not, or choose your own. The salad has an awesome dressing of mayo, apple cider vinegar and Dejon mustard. I also added some fresh lovage to add to the “celery” flavor. Try it. Easy to make. I chilled the cooked potatoes before adding them to the sauce/vegetable mix. I also cut the potatoes in “bite sized” pieces before cooking them. Try using new potatoes and quarter them.
The second wonderful dish we made was a Shrimp Salad. (Pictured above) This was a great, summer salad and it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Full of vegetables and shrimp and with a creamy sauce. I added frozen peas and corn to this salad which gave a a nice texture and flavor. I also used some fresh lovage in this, too. You could probably use lobster instead of shrimp, if you are so inclined. We served it with baked Orange Kokanee – salmon – (7 min at 375 degrees F) for 7 minutes. Toasted Sourdough Wedges with butter and garlic.
Well there are two meals you can play with. Have fun and enjoy! Just don’t forget: If it is on a plate, it is edible! Don’t ever put something on a plate that is not edible.
Here is a great tip for storing potatoes from myrecipes.com. This is some really good information. Enjoy!
How Do You Know When a Potato Is Past Its Prime?
Good potatoes are firm, smooth, and sprout-free.
You can tell a potato is spoiled when it is:
Soft
Discolored
Decayed
Growing mold
Sprouts, or “eyes,” are an indication that your potato is reaching the end of its life. However, they’re not harmful and can be simply removed before cooking. As long as the potato looks, smells, and feels right, sprouts are no biggie.
How to Store Potatoes
1. Keep them in a cool place…
Raw potatoes will thrive in a cool, dark place. The ideal temperature range is 43-50°, which is slightly above refrigerator temp. During cooler months, storing potatoes in an unheated basement or an insulated shed is a great idea. It’s a bit tougher to store potatoes in the summertime, but use your common sense—instead of putting them next to a window, keep them in the area of your house that stays the coolest.
2. …but not the fridge.
Raw potatoes like to be cool, but not cold. Very low temperatures can actually change the flavor of your spuds and make them dangerous. This “cold-induced sweetening” happens when the starch is converted to reducing sugars, which can form cancer-causing substances when cooked.
3. Avoid areas with lots of light.
Exposure to light can cause your potatoes to produce chlorophyll and turn prematurely green.
While this color change is usually harmless, excessive sunlight can also cause potatoes to produce a toxic chemical called solanine. Ingesting solanine in high amounts can cause unpleasant side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
4. Don’t wash them before you put them away.
Step away from the sink! It’s best to keep potatoes as dry as possible if you’re trying to make them last. Moisture promotes the growth of fungus and bacteria—so wait to wash them until right before you use them.
5. Let them breathe.
Prevent moisture accumulation by allowing your potatoes plenty of airflow. If you store them in a tightly sealed container (like a ziploc bag), the moisture released by the potatoes will have nowhere to go. Your best bet is an open bowl or paper bag.
Bonus tip: Don’t store your potatoes with your onions! The chemical reaction will actually cause both to spoil faster. Crazy right?
This riverside restaurant has been serving customers since 1146. “In 1146, German builders completed work on a bridge crossing the Danube river in Regensburg, [Germany]. With the project finished, the tiny construction office next to the bridge found new life as a food stand serving meat dishes. Today, it still serves customers, making it one of the oldest restaurants in the world.
Customers in the early days were mainly dock workers, sailors, and builders constructing the nearby Regensburg Cathedral, which was built between 1280 and 1520 in the Gothic style.
In 1806, the Schricker family took over and started offering mainly charcoal-grilled sausages and sauerkraut. The family still runs the restaurant and gave it its current name, Wurstküche (“sausage kitchen”), or Wurtskuchl in the local dialect.” [ Atlas Obscura] Wurstküche or Wurstkuchl.
“On the Danube Troll, right next to the Stone Bridge, stands the historic Wurstkuchl for over 500 years. Where, even in the Middle Ages, the Regensburg stonemasons and dock workers allowed their strengthening, much remains the same today: the open charcoal grill, the homemade sausages from pure ham, the sauerkraut from the own fermenting cellar and the famous Wurstkuchl mustard the historical recipe of Elsa Schricker…The origin of the historic Wurstkuchl was a small building leaning against the city wall, which was used as a construction office during the construction of the stone bridge from 1135 to 1146. When the building, celebrated at the time as the eighth wonder of the world, was completed, the construction office moved out and the small building became the “cookshop on the little church”. The patrons of the cookshop were harbor and construction workers, hence the name “Kranchen,” the word for cranes or cranes. There were many dockers because the wealthy trading patrons of the Free Imperial City of Regensburg used the port intensively for centuries as a hub for goods from all over the world. The hungry construction workers, however, came mainly from the construction site of the Regensburg Cathedral.” [Wurstkuchl]
Interested in their products? Sausage? Sauerkraut? Potato Soup? All traditional German. Look here – Wurstkuchl Products. (Our sweet Mustard in USA: Our sweet mustard can be found in the USA through our wholesaler: http://www.mygermancandy.com)
So if you are in Germany and want some traditional food in an old, old restaurant, look here. Enjoy!
Boise Foodie Guild 