32nd Anniversary Dinner

15 Wednesday Jul 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Anniversary, Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Carrots, Classic Cuisines, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Ethnic Foods, Fennel, Food Prep, Fruits, Ginger, Green Peas, Green Salad, Harissa, Herbs and Spices, Idaho Lamb, Lamb, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Main Dish, Olive Oil, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Raisins, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes -Tagine, Salads, Special Dinners, Special Events, Spices of Morocco, Tagine, Tagine Cooking, Tagine of Lamb, Tomatoes, Traditional Food, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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fennel, lamb tagine, tagine, tajine

A happy 32nd anniversary dinner tonight! Thank-You Robin for all that love and those many years! The gardenia pictured here is on our front porch. Last century, when Robin and I would go to a formal dance, I would get her a corsage of gardenia. This plant is fitting and brings back many fond memories.
The dinner tonight, Tagine of Lamb with Peas and Fennel, is a very traditional Moroccan dish and tonight we prepared it in a traditional way – in a tagine.

A tajine or tagine (Arabic: طاجين‎ tajin from the Arabic: طاج‎) is a historically North African Berber dish that is named after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. A similar dish known as tavvas is found in Cypriot cuisine. The traditional method of cooking with a tajine is to place it over coals. Use of the tajine can be compared to stewing.

Ceramic tajines.
The traditional tajine pot is made of pottery, which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts: a base unit that is flat and circular with low sides and a large cone- or dome-shaped cover that sits on the base during cooking. The cover is designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. Tajines can also be cooked in a conventional oven or on a stove top.
Tajine is traditionally cooked over hot charcoal leaving an adequate space between the coals and the tajine pot to avoid having the temperature rise too fast. Large bricks of charcoal are purchased specifically for their ability to stay hot for hours. Smaller pieces of charcoal are reserved for cooking brochettes (barbecue) and other grilled meats.
Other methods are to use a tajine in a slow oven or on a gas or electric stove top, on lowest heat necessary to keep the stew simmering gently. A diffuser – a circular piece of aluminium placed between the tajine and burner – is used to evenly distribute the stove’s heat. European manufacturers have created tajines with heavy cast-iron bottoms that can be heated on a cooking stove to a high temperature. This permits the browning of meat and vegetables before cooking.
Tajine cooking may be replicated by using a slow cooker or similar item; but the result will be slightly different. Many ceramic tajines are decorative items as well as functional cooking vessels. Some tajines, however, are intended only to be used as decorative serving dishes. [Wikipedia]

Using the recipe link above, the vegetables are cut and placed in the tagine along with all spices.

At about 2 hours, or halfway through the cooking process, check to see if more liquid is needed.

The finished product still in the tagine. It could be served from this pot.

Tagine of Lamb with Peas and Fennel

Fresh Spinach and Tomato Salad
with
Meyer Lemon Olive Oil and Tarragon Vinegar Vinaigrette

Soft Shell Blue Crab Sandwiches

08 Monday Jun 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Blue Crab, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Crab, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Hard To Find Foods, Meadowlark Farms, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Seafood, Shell Fish, Snake River AVA, Soft Shell Crabs, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wines - Idaho

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Blue crabs, Cold Springs Winery, riesling, soft shelled crabs

Oh! Such a treat! Our daughter Marnie and her husband Mac were in Virginia for several days and she texted me, “Do you want some soft shelled crabs?” Silly girl! Of course! Was there ever a question? Nope! So when they arrived back in Boise at 12 midnight, she brought the crabs to us. Still 98% frozen in dry ice. Straight to the refrigerator to hold for 24 hours. And were they ever yummy! Add to the sandwiches a glass of 2009 Cold Springs phren/ology Riesling and we had an awesomely good meal!! A super good wine and a super good sandwich! Just look at what we did.

Soft Shell Blue Crabs – ready for cleaning.

Frying the crabs for 4 minutes on each side in 350 degree vegetable oil, Crisco.

Dredge before cooking in 2 Meadowlark Farms eggs with a splash of milk. Beat the eggs.
Flour – 1/2 c All Purpose Flour, 1/2 c Corn meal, 1 1/2 T Old Bay Seasoning and Salt and fresh ground Tellicherry Black Pepper. Stir to mix.
Dredge crabs in eggs, then in flour mixture. Shake to remove excess flour. Fry.

Serve on a Brioche roll or on Croissants. Serve with slaw, I used chopped Savoy cabbage with our special Slaw Dressing – the recipe is in the Boise Foodie Blog Recipe file above.

A Visit to Ruth’s Chris Steak House

21 Thursday May 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5-Stars, Beef, Bread, Caesar Salad, Coffee, Crab Cakes, Cream Sauces, Cuts of Beef, Dessert, Dinner For Robin, Dinner With Robin, Mushrooms, Photos By: Bob Young, Potatoes, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants To Try, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Salads, Sourdough Bread, Special Dinners, Spinach, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Ruth's Chris Steak House, Steak House

And such a good visit it was. Daughter Marnie and her husband Mac gave us a gift certificate for dinner and we thank them for that. You can find more by clicking here Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boise. Make reservations online or reserve their Party Room. They have a full and extensive Menu that can be viewed online and get an idea of what they offer. Not ready for dinner? Try their Happy Hour Menu for lighter offerings. “… Our Sizzle, Swizzle and Swirl Happy Hour features $8 food specials and premium cocktails.” You will find the menu items either equal to or greater than Chandler’s Steak House or to the Cottonwood Grille. Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Boise is definitely a 5-Star restaurant. Here is what we had. Two of us ate for $123.00 and it was worth every bite. Definitely a Special Occasion restaurant; Great for “Date Night”.. Enjoy!

The dining area. Formal and delightful. Soft background music.

Private dining area that will accommodate 12 people. The fee is $50 for the room.

We brought our own 2005 Ridge Zinfandel ($10 corkage fee), but they do have a wide selection of wines. They also offer sparkling water instead of “tap” water if you desire.

Good Blue Crab cakes, but I think these are over priced.

Blue Crab Cakes

Very good housemade Sourdough Bread.

Superb Caesar Salad with Tellicherry Pepper.

Petite Filet. “USDA Prime served sizzling on a 500° plate – every bite is as
delicious as the first.” This was delicious! Loved the way the sides came in their own bowls. The Creamed Spinach was super good with a touch of nutmeg. The Mushrooms accompanied the steak very well. Robin had Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach.

The Petite Filet done to perfection.

Chocolate Sin Cake. A delicious finish to a grand dinner! “… Our desserts vary by location and are homemade daily by our expert
pastry chefs, using the freshest local ingredients.”

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.

Wonderful Römertopf Chicken

30 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Chicken, Classic Herb Blends, Comfort Food, Dinner With Robin, Herbs, Photos By: Bob Young, Römertopf, Römertopf Cooking, Recipe By: Robin Young, Recipes, Roasted Vegetables, Special Dinners, Tagine, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - German

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chicken, Römertopf, roasted vegetables, romertopf, romertopf cooking, tagine cooking

Römertopf chicken is so easy to do and it is wonderful! Crispy skin. Moist. From Wikipedia, we see that,

Different cultures have different techniques of cooking food in pottery. Some design pots that are fully finished by burnishing and therefore don’t require the pot to be soaked each time before use. Some are unfinished and work well when soaked for about 30–45 minutes in water, each time before use. The design and shape of the pot have been slightly modified from one culture to another to suit their style of cooking. Seasoning is an essential part of cooking in clay. Seasoning is done by making a broth with flour (rice or wheat) and vegetable cooking oil. These ingredients are mixed to the water in the pot and brought to a boil…The food inside the pot loses little to no moisture because it is surrounded by steam, creating a tender, flavorful dish. The evaporation of the water prevents burning so long as the pot is not allowed to heat until it is completely dry. Because no oil needs to be added with this cooking technique, food cooked in clay many times is lower in fat compared with food prepared by other utensils. Pots also seal all the nutrients inside the pot by locking steam in. The unglazed pottery utensil made from clay is inert or non-reactive and does not leach into food. Earthenware cooking pots are made from special clay that can withstand heat in an oven or on the stovetop.

Here are some photos of the Chicken Römertopf that we made. And as a note, using a Römertopf is very similar to using a tagine in Moroccan cooking. Both techniques, and several other clay pot techniques, use steam to maintain the moisture. Enjoy!

Chicken Romertopf with lemon, thyme, salt and pepper

Chicken Römertopf
with
lemon, thyme, salt and pepper

Cooked covered at 400 degrees F for 90 minutes then 30 minutes uncovered.

Oven Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
with
Meyer lemon olive oil, fine diced garlic, salt and pepper

Oven roasted at 400 degrees F with lemon juice and lemon zest for 30 minutes. At 15 minutes the veggies are turned and returned to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Romertopf Chicken Oven Roasted Vegetables 2007 Mosel Riesling

Römertopf Lemon and Thyme Chicken
Oven Roasted Vegetables
2007 Mosel Riesling

The Orchard House and Williamson Vienyards

07 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Brocolli, Classic Cuisines, Cooking Styles, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Idaho Trout, Idaho Wine, Local Markets, Locavore, Meatloaf, Orchard House, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Potatoes, Restaurants, Restaurants To Try, Salmon, Seafood, Special Dinners, Special Events, The Orchard House, What's For Dinner?, Williamson Vineyards and Orchards, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

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Idaho Trout, idaho wineries, The Orchard House, trout, Williamson Vineyards, Williamson wines

What a great time last night at The Orchard House for dinner and Williamson Vineyard and Orchards serving their wines. The Orchard House is a favorite of ours when we are in the Snake River wine area. And Williamson Vineyards have some fantastic wines and their fruit in season is awesome! We highly recommend these two businesses. Here are some photos from the evening. Truly a Homestyle meal! Enjoy.

Patrick Williamson, Orchardist, explains to the Orchard House customer about the Williamson wines.

Patrick Williamson, Orchardist, explains to the Orchard House customers about the Williamson wines.

(L-R) 201o Williamson Viognier and a 2012 Williamson Blossom. Both are delightful wines.

(L-R) 2010 Williamson Viognier and a 2012 Williamson Blossom, a rosé of Sangiovese. Both are delightful wines.

More wine offerings.

A flight of Williamson wines.

Chicken Nugget Appetizer. Breading was a little heavy and they are spicy.

Some really good Onion Rings.

Some of the best Idaho Trout in the state!

I know. No one makes a Meatloaf like your Mother. And you can not find a good meatloaf when traveling. Until now. Outside of my kitchen, and my Mother’s kitchen, this has got to be the best anywhere. And if you are here for lunch, try the Meatloaf Sandwich!

What else can I say? The meal was a Plus 4-Star dinner (out of 5-Stars) and the wines went extremely well with the dinner. If you are in the area, stop in at both places. You may need reservations at The Orchard House – they get very busy for dinner. And try their breakfast or lunch. And don’t forget the appropriate wine with dinner. Say Hi to Kris for us! Cheers!

Cottonwood Grille Revisited

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Bearnaise Sauce, Beef, Boise Restaurants, Buy Idaho, Chocolate, Chocolate and Food, Classic Sauces, Colter's Creek Winery, Cottonwood Grille, Dinner With Robin, Herbs, Idaho Wine, Idaho's Bounty, Kobe Beef, Locavore, Oysters, Photos By: Bob Young, Potatoes, Restaurant Reviews, Salads, Seafood, Shrimp, Snake River AVA, Special Dinners, Syrah, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Béarnaise sauce, Colters Creek winery, cottonwood grille, Crème Brûlée, garlic mashed potatoes, London Broil

It was a good meal. And to get the negative out of the way, I thought the peas we had were a little salty for us – we eat very little salt – so the saltiness may not be entirely true for everyone. We would have liked a little more garlic in the potatoes. So will this keep us from going back? Probably not. The Kobe beef that Robin had was so very tender and delicious. My London Broil was good and the Béarnaise sauce on it was wonderful! Robin had an awesome Chocolate Mousse served in a White Chocolate Cup and I had a delicious Crème Brûlée. Here. Look at these photos and enjoy! If you want a more detailed review of the Cottonwood Grille, look at Our Restaurant Guide.

Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail

Wonderfully fresh seafood!

Oysters On The Half Shell

How fresh were these? You could taste the ocean and smell the ocean and hear the waves crashing on shore. That’s how fresh they were!

Caesar Salad

Love how this is presented.

Fresh Green House Salad

Kobe Beef with garlic mashed potatoes steamed peas

Kobe Beef
with
garlic mashed potatoes and steamed peas

London Broil with Bear garlic mashed potatoes and steamed peas

London Broil and Béarnaise sauce
with
garlic mashed potatoes and steamed peas

Chocolate Mousse in a White Chocolate Cup

Crème Brûlée

And with our dinner, we asked for a Fraser Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon but they were out of it. So we got a good 2011 Colter’s Creek Syrah, both are Idaho wines are very good and went quite well with our dinners.
But beforer we went for dinner here at the Cottonwood Grille, we went to the Arid Club, which is designed “To establish a club of business and professional men and women whose members are uniformly congenial with one another as nearly as may be, to provide them with an attractive and convenient meeting place, and to exclude there from bigots, propagandists, boosters, go-getters, uplifters, reformers, and snobs. [Arid Club Preamble]” for the release of the documentary film on the Idaho Wine Regions called “Idaho Wines: From Bud to Taste Bud”. It is on its way to be presented at the Sun Valley Film Festival.

Valentine’s Day Dinner Menu

13 Friday Feb 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Capers, Captain's Shack, Chicken, Chicken Marsala, Classic Cuisines, Classic Sauces, Cooking Styles, Dinner At The Captains Shack, Housemade Pasta, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Special Dinners, Special Events, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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angel hair pasta, chicken marsala, chicken marsala recipe, homemade pasta, pasta, Valentine's Day Dinner

What are you having or making for Valentine’s Day Dinner? It would be nice to share. Here is what we are having. Enjoy!

I am really looking forward to making this for Robin for Valentine's Day tomorrow evening. Here is the menu, and, I might add, all made from scratch. Chicken Marsala Pasta (I'm making it from semolina, though, and not white flour.) Steamed String Beans Wine of Choice

I am really looking forward to making this dinner for Robin for Valentine’s Day tomorrow evening. Here is the menu, and, I might add, all made from scratch.

Chicken Marsala
Homemade Angel Hair Pasta
(I’m making it from semolina, though, and not white flour.)
Steamed String Beans
Wine of Choice

Thailand Express by Chef Pong

19 Monday Jan 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in 4-Stars, Asian Food, Brocolli, Buy Idaho, Dinner With Robin, Duck, Ethnic Foods, New Restaurant Trial, Oriental Food, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Sauces, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Restaurants To Try, Rice, Seafood, Shrimp, Singha, Soup, Special Dinners, Spring Rolls, Thai Food, Thailand Express, Vegetables, Vegetarian Foods, What's For Dinner?

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Asian - Thailand Express, Chef Pong, Thailand, Thailand Express

Located at 2025 12th Ave Nampa, Idaho 83686. This was a very good surprise! Super food. Great Waite Staff. Ambiance was OK – open and more like a country cafe, not formal like Mai Thai in Boise. From their website, “Looking for mouthwatering Thai restaurants in Nampa, ID? Call Thailand Express at (208) 501-7975 and ask all about our menu that is chock-full of delicious Thai Food. Our chef has years of experience working in top tier restaurants and provides some of the best Asian food in the area. Whether you are looking for quick and easy lunch specials to share with coworkers or something a little fancier for dinner, you will find it here. We have both spicy and mild dishes for the whole family.” Here is a link to Thailand Express.
We found their food to be deliciously intriguing. Not spicy hot, unless you want it that way. Very large servings – Robin and I could have shared a bowl of the soup – no telling how large the pot size of soup was. Probably good for a family. Presentations were good. Prices were good for the quality and serving sizes. Watch their opening times as they are open twice daily, with a break in the afternoon when they are not open. “NEW BUSINESS HOURS – LUNCH —Tuesday-Friday–11:00a.m.2:30p.m., Saturday-Sunday–12:00p.m.-3:00p.m., Dinner –Tuesday-Thursday 4:30p.m.-9:00p.m., Friday-Saturday 4:30p.m.-9:30p.m., Sunday 4:30pm – 9:00pm. Monday Closed”
We rate this 4-Stars out of 5-Stars – on their FB site and their website they have a rating of 4 1/2-Stars. We will return to Thailand Express by Chef Pong. Enjoy these photos of the evening. Left-Click any of the photos to see enlarged.

Wall decorations.

Table Appetizer

Marinated roasted duck and fresh veggies wrapped rice paper and served with special brown sauce. 4 pieces, $6.95

Peking Duck Roll
Marinated roasted duck and fresh veggies wrapped in rice paper and served with special brown sauce.
4 pieces, $6.95 (Well presented and delicious!)

Thai Brown Sauce. This recipe is what we came up with after trying theirs. It is very close.

Coconut Soup (Tom Kah) Coconut milk, chicken and mushroom in lime juice and fish sauce served mildly. Bowl $3.95, Popt $8.95

Coconut Soup (Tom Kah)
Coconut milk, chicken and mushroom in lime juice and fish sauce served mildly.
Bowl $3.95, Pot $8.95 (Robin had a bowl. Delicious!))

Wonton Soup
A traditional Chinese soup with homemade wontons and veggies, mixture of seasoned ground pork, minced shrimp, chicken and water chestnuts.
Bowl $4.95, Pot $9.95 (I had the bowl. Delicious!)

Chef's Special Honey Crispy Duck Half duck marinated sauce and then roasted. Served with special honey sauce on top a bed of vegetables and jalapeno soy on the side. $13.95

Chef’s Special Honey Crispy Duck
Half duck marinated in sauce and then roasted. Served with special honey sauce on top a bed of vegetables and jalapeno soy on the side. $13.95
(Robin made a really good choice with this.)

Praram Long Song Your choice of meat (Pork) stir fried in Thai peanut sauce and served atop a bed of stir fried broccoli. Jasmine rice on the side. $9.95 and worth every penny. There was none to take home!

Praram Long Song
Your choice of pork, beef, chicken, veggie, tofu, shrimp or duck (Pork) stir fried in Thai peanut sauce and served atop a bed of stir fried broccoli. Jasmine rice on the side. $9.95 and worth every penny. There was none to take home!

Glad I tried this Thailand beer. Light and a refreshing lager that was a perfect match to the food. After a language lesson, it is pronounced “sing-ha” with a slight inflection on the “sing”. Our Waite Person was delighted that we asked how to pronounce this. She was very helpful throughout the meal. Thank-You!

Tailgate Food?

04 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by Bob and Robin in Avocado, Bigwood Bread, Black Beans, Brunch, Captain's Shack, Chicken, Comfort Food, Dinner With Robin, Egg Salad, Eggs, Fruits, Italian Food, Meadowlark Farms, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Raspberries, Special Dinners, Vegetables, Watercress, What's For Dessert?, What's For Dinner?

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avocado, Bigwood Bread, Bigwood Sourdough, black beans, watercress

Robin has made some awesome “tailgate” food in the past several days. Here is the Tiramisu recipe from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network. Raspberry Tiramisu. The photo here is Robin wearing her new BSU Bronco hat! You can Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged. Enjoy!

Robin constructing the tiramisu.

Completed tiramisu.

Want a slice? Left-Click to enlarge.

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad. Another yum offering.

Black Bean, Corn, Chicken and Avocado Salad. Another yum offering.

Egg Salad on Sourdough with Water Cress. Corn, Chicken, Avocado and Black Bean Salad. The Acme Bake Shop Sourdough was not available at the COOP when I went there, so I tried the Bigwood Bread Sourdough out of Sun Valley. This sourdough was a lot denser than the Acme sourdough. Not bad, but I prefer Acme Bake Shop. Hard to overcome that bias! Just a personal preference.