Certified Master Chef Exam

26 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Awards, Classic Cuisines, Classic Sauces, Cooking Styles, Ethnic Foods, Food Prep, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Events, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

ACF, American Culinary Federation, Certified Master Chef, CMC

Bonet alla Piemontese Chocolate-Coffee Amaretti Terrine

Ever dream of joining the ranks of such notable Certified Master Chefs as Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Anthony Bourdain, Paul Boluse, Rocco DiSpirito, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Todd English or Charlie Trotter? Well, this just might be your chance. An 8 day Chef exam, very similar to the exam for Master Sommelier in the wine industry. The American Culinary Federation is holding the exam this year. In 2012, out of seven starters of the 8 day ordeal, only one succeeded in finishing, Chef Jason Hall, CMC from the Hammock Dunes Club in Florida. It is a grueling 8 day experience and one that is loaded with high stress. But the rewards in the cooking industry are tremendous. Here is some more information that Robin found from the ACF. Enjoy!

The title of Certified Master Chef (CMC), presented solely by the American Culinary Federation (ACF) in the U.S., is the highest level of certification a chef can receive. It represents the pinnacle of professionalism and skill. Today, there are only 67 CMCs and 11 Certified Master Pastry Chefs® (CMPC) in the nation. The last CMC exam was held in 2012 at The Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York. Jason Hall, CMC®, executive chef at Hammock Dunes Club, Palm Coast, Florida, was the only candidate out of seven to pass the exam.

Eleven chefs from across the nation will soon vie for the chance to join the ranks of Hall and the other 66 CMCs during an eight-day exam held Oct. 26–Nov. 2, at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Los Angeles, Pasadena, California. Candidates for the CMC exam must possess proficiency in a broad range of styles and techniques, and have the ability to perform for eight days under extreme pressure.

To apply for the CMC exam, a candidate must be a Certified Executive Chef® or Certified Culinary Educator®, provide two letters of recommendation from current CMCs or CMPCs, and have completed education courses on sanitation and food safety, cost management, management and wine. The candidate must also secure funding for the cost of the exam process including the exam fee, travel expenses and practice materials.

During the eight-day exam, candidates must maintain an average score of 75 out of 100 points to be eligible to continue. Scores are tallied based on kitchen skills, plate presentation and taste. Candidates are tested on the following subjects by ACF-certified chefs:

Healthy cooking
Buffet catering
Classical cuisine
Freestyle cooking
Global cuisine
Baking and pastry
Continental and Northern Europe cuisines
Market basket

This credential is considered the highest and most demanding achievement level of ACF certification and successful candidates will join an elite group of only 67 chefs in the United States.

Did you notice that they consider wine as part of the testing curricula and therefore a part of the exam and the candidates for the Certification must have “… completed education courses on … wine”. Wine and food – The perfect Match.

Oktoberfest At “The Buzz”

15 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Bacon, Beer and Food, Cabbage, Cakes, Celebrations, Classic Cuisines, Dinner With Friends, Ethnic Foods, German Food, Oktoberfest, Photos By: Bob Young, Photos By: Robin Young, Pork, Special Beers, Special Dinners, Special Events, Special Information, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners, Wines - German

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Benedictine Abbey Weilhenstephan, Oktoberfest, Smit & Van Wyk

A good party at The Buzz last night for the October Wine Dinner – Oktoberfest! A little bit of a change in the program. There were two beers offered that were pretty good, especially the Weihenstephaner, which was a light and refreshing lager. Very drinkable. From the Smit & Van Wyk blog, “The world’s longest continuously used trademark goes to the Benedictine Abbey Weilhenstephan in Germany, which has been using the mark Weilhenstephaner to identify its beer since 1040 AD When Britain enacted its trademark registration statute in 1876, beer was first and second in line, Bass’s Red Triangle became U.K. Reg. 1 for pale ale, and its Red Diamond for strong ale became U.K. Reg. 2.” A fun night. Hope to see you7 next month on November 11 and/or 12 for “Party Foods to Prepare Ahead” along with “Holiday and Gift Wines”. Then Beaujolais Nouveau Night on November 20. Cheers!!

Brats, Pretzels, Mustard and Zwiebelkuchen
Weihenstaphaner Beer
7.7% alc. great with these appetizers. light and refreshing [19] $6.00, 16oz

“Zwiebelkuchen, which literally means onion cake in the German language, is either a one-crust pie made of steamed onions, diced bacon, cream, and caraway seeds on a yeast dough or a leavened dough that is particularly popular in the German wine-growing regions mostly of Rhenish Hesse, the Palatinate, Franconia, Baden and Swabia (a similar pie called Flammkuchen is also eaten in Alsace), or a quiche variant in Switzerland, traditionally eaten in Basel during the Carnival and in Bern for the Zibelemärit.” [Wikipedia]

Cucumber Salad
This was an awesome salad and Cristi said so very easy to make.
2015 Star Lane Sauvignon Blanc
14.2% alc. really good with this salad. [18] $22.00

Erbsensuppe mit Speck (Pea Soup with Bacon)
Il Canapone
14% alc. an OK wine that still went well with the soup. [16] $18.00

I think Cristi used ground pork. Speck is, “Speck Alto Adige PGI (German: Südtiroler Speck) is a dry-cured, lightly smoked ham (prosciutto in Italian), produced in South Tyrol, northern Italy. Parts of its production are regulated by the European Union under the protected geographical indication (PGI) status, also known as Tyrolean Speck.”

Pork and Apples with turnip and potato gratin and red cabbage 2011 Il Canapone 14% alc an OK wine that went pretty good with the pork [16] $18.00

Pork and Apples
with
turnip and potato gratin and red cabbage
Rye Bread
2011 Il Canapone
14% alc an OK wine that went pretty good with the pork [16] $18.00

German Chocolate Cake 2013 Monga Zin Carol Shelton [17] $21.00 good paring with the chocolate

German Chocolate Cake
2013 Monga Zin Carol Shelton
14.9% alc.good paring with the chocolate [17] $21.00

An interesting comment from Cristi about Oktoberfest mugs (steins) and attendance at the event. "Consumption about 5 million, 1-liter mugs [of beer] filled. Mugs are to be returned; Fine for stealing one is $60 US; security usually catches 150,000 each year, but the Hofbrau tent alone looses about 35,000 a year...6.3 million guests attended the 2014 Oktoberfest. 112 oxen, 48 calves and 6.4 million liters of beer were consumed. Tent security stopped 112,000 people from taking their mug home with them."

An interesting comment from Cristi about Oktoberfest mugs (steins) “Consumption about 5 million, 1-liter mugs [of beer] filled. Mugs are to be returned; Fine for stealing one is $60 US; security usually catches 150,000 each year, but the Hofbrau tent alone looses about 35,000 a year. ..6.3 million guests attended the 2014 Oktoberfest. 112 oxen, 48 calves and 6.4 million liters of beer were consumed. Tent security stopped 112,000 people from taking their mug home with them.” No, this is not one of “those” mugs!

Saint Lawrence Gridiron hosting Boise Farmers Market Festival

05 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Farmers Market, Buy Idaho, Celebrations, Dinner With Friends, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Locavore, Party Time, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Restaurants To Try, Saint Lawrence Gridiron, Special Dinners, Special Events, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Boise, Boise Farmers Market, Idaho Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Saint Lawrence Gridiron

The Saint Lawrence Gridiron, at 705 W Bannock Street in Boise, will be hosting a dinner spectacular for the Boise Farmers Market and The Idaho Center for Sustainable Agriculture tonight, Sunday, Oct 5. There are still tickets available and you may get them at the door. Or, for more information and to reserve your spot call (208) 345-9287. Tickets are $65.00 for a 5 Course Local Harvest Supper. Happy Hour starts at 4:00pm with dinner to follow at 5:00pm. See you there!

The telephone number on the flyer is incorrect. The correct one is (208) 345-9287

Wine Meet-Up and Reel Foods Oyster Bar

04 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Caesar Salad, Dinner With Robin, Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria, Herbs and Spices, Idaho's Bounty, Italian Food, Lobster, Local Harvests, Locavore, New Restaurant Trial, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Pizza, Reel Foods Oyster Bar, Restaurant Reviews, Seafood, Shell Fish, Special Events, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria, Reel Foods Oyster Bar

On Wednesday, we joined the Wine Meet-Up group for a gathering at Flatbread Neapolitan Pizzeria in Boise at 800 W. Main, Suite 230, Boise, ID 83702 and their phone is (208) 287-4757. Not bad, overall, but their food, at least two of them that we had, were very spicy and Robin could not finish all of hers. It might be a good idea if the Wait Person would explain that some menu items are spicy. Our Waiter, Dallas, was very good, except he did not tell us of the spiciness. Their menu and bar offerings are readily available at Boise Menu. Here are some photos from our visit. I do hope that you enjoy it when you go there. Ambiance is really very good and children are welcome, they even have a childs plate of pasta, which Robin got. And they do advertise that their products are purchased locally as much as possible. I can not, however, give them more than 3-Stars out of 5-Stars because of the spiciness of the foods. Enjoy these photos. Cheers!

Robin at Flatbread.

Making pizza in a wood fired oven.

Part of the interior of Flatbread in Boise.

Claire Fenton, Organizer of the Meet-Up group, and Bev Fraser of Fraser Winery in Boise.

They list this as a

Classic Caesar
Artisan Romaine, Fresh Parmesan, Focaccia Croutons

but without anchovy it is not the classic version. Calling this a Classic Caesar Salad is like calling a Reuben Sandwich with Thousand Island dressing a “classic” Reuben. It is not!

Baked Goat Cheese

Robin had this and it was very, very spicy. She could not eat it all.

Pepperoni-Sausage-Mushroom Pizzetta

This is what I had, It too was spicy, but not as bad as what Robin had.

Robin then had

Pasta Alfredo
Picky and Proud!

A delightful change from the spiciness of her appetizer of goat cheese.

I had this

Summer Gnocchi
House-made Ricotta Gnocchi, Creminelli Proscuitto, Grilled Broccolini, Local Mushrooms, Roma Tomatoes, Pinot Grigio Cream, Shaved Parmesan
(available after 4pm)

It was very good with a nice cream sauce.

Then on Thursday morning, Robin said she would like to go to Reel Foods Oyster Bar for a Lobster Roll. Their address is 611 Capitol Boulevard, Boise, ID 83702, and their phone is (208) 342-2727 And who am I to refuse a good lobster? Here is their Menu, and it is a good one. Yummers!

Robin sitting on the patio at Reel Foods Oyster Bar waiting for our Lobster Rolls.

They now offer Sushi. too. This is not the raw one.

Lobster Roll and Fries

We could have had potato salad instead of the fries. We just love this seafood market and get 99% of our seafood from there. They even have a section of frozen, overstocked seafood selections at quite a price discount.

Great Music at the Buzz

17 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beer and Food, Dinner With Friends, Dinner With Robin, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Events, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Boise Philharmonic, Drake Viola Conservatory, Serenata Chamber Orchestra, viola

Ah, yes! Once again Jen Drake, Artistic Director at Serenata Chamber Orchestra, Section Viola at Boise Philharmonic and Head Cheese at The Drake Viola Conservatory. Studied Viola Performance at Michigan State, brought a group together to “jam” the night away – 6:00pm – 9:00pm without a break! A free ‘jam” – if you can read music and you play an instrument, you can join in. There was even a teen playing a sax a while back. Don’t be intimidated by the artistic level, they are there for fun and want you to join in. The Serenata Chamber Orchestra and Jen both have a FB page, so you can follow them there and get on an email list for future performances. It is an awesome evening of some awesome music. Oh, the cost. Zero, Nada, Nothing, Free! Buy some wine or beer or a dinner. That’s it. Just come and enjoy the evening. And I’m sure that if you let Cristi or Tommy know, they will put you on their email list for notifying you of events at the Buzz. There is a link in the sidebar. Like Robin’s shirt?

The Buzz

Some of the talented musicians that played tonight.

See anyone you know?

There is Jen in the gray shirt.

More musicians.

Our dinner

Baked Beans
Potato Salad or a Fresh Green Salad
Pulled Pork Sandwich
Wild Huckleberry Muffin (not pictured)

and don’t forget the new beer taps.

August At “The Buzz”

09 Saturday Aug 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Beer and Food, Dinner With Robin, Healthy Eating, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Buzz Coffee & Wine Events, the Buzz, The Buzz Coffee and Wine, Wine Dinners

I just received this from Cristi at The Buzz in Boise. It looks like an exciting month. Hope to see you there. We have our beer mugs there, do you have yours? For when you come in to have a nice mug after work? Tommy will keep yours on display if you bring him one. These monthly wine dinners are one of the best wine dinner buys in Boise. 5 course meal and at least 5 wines, and sometimes more. If you are missing these, you really should try to make one. Just call for reservations. Hope to see you there, Joe Dewey! Cheers!

August at The Buzz

Hope that everyone is enjoying the last little bit of summer, we will be glad when it does cool down a little bit. We have some fun events coming up. Our music schedule is 15th Larry Clark, 22 Nancy Kelly. On August 16th we will be hosting our Classical Jam night starting around 5 PM, Come listen or join in and play with members of the chamber orchestra.

Our Wine Dinners this month are August 12th and 13th at 6:30PM, cost is $20 per person for a 5 course meal and wine with each course. We will be enjoying courses from all over the world. To make reservations please call (208) 344-4321 or email at buzzwine@cableone.net. Watch for information about our monopoly game coming in September.

Don’t forget we have opened our growler fill station and now have kombucha growlers as well. Come and check them out.

Enjoy the last few days of summer and we hope to see you soon,

Cristi and Tom Takeda

The “Buzz” Remodel and Italian Wine Night

09 Wednesday Jul 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Dinner With Friends, Herbs and Spices, Italian foods, Party Time, Pasta, Photos By: Bob Young, Remodel, Special Beers, Special Dinners, Special Events, Special Information, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners, Wines - Italian

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Buzz remodel, growler, Italian food

Yes! Yea! Hallelujah! (Cristi looks like she is ready for the completion!) The remodel at The Buzz is complete and it looks awesome! New floors! New seating arrangement! New wine area! And a brand new Growler station! Bring your growler ….. Fill it up! Bring in your favorite stein or mug and Tommy will keep it for you on a display shelf for your use when you come in. Novel idea for this area.
But before we look at the new Buzz through the camera lens, lets look at the July Wine Club, Italian Wines. These wine dinners are a full 5 course dinner and 5 or 6 wines. All for $20 a plate! Look at what you get for that, not counting of course, the awesome friends and company. Left-Click any of these photos to see them enlarged. Cheers!

The announcement!

Mushroom Parmesan Risotto Cakes ( I really enjoyed these, but a light sauce may have been a great addition.) 2010 Mandarossa Fiano 13.5% alc. good match with the cakes, but not my favorite for the evening. $12 [14]

Mushroom Parmesan Risotto Cakes
(I really enjoyed these, but a light sauce may have been a great addition.
2010 Mandrarossa Fiano
13.5% alc. good match with the cakes, but not my favorite for the evening. $12 [14]

Piedmont Autumn Soup (Super good!) 2011 Piemonte Barera 13.5% alc. general appeal was good. a strong Barbera. $15 [15]

Piedmont Autumn Soup
(Super good! A little dab of fresh pesto in the soup would be good.)
2011 Piemonte Barbera
13.5% alc. general appeal was good. a strong Barbera. $15 [15]

Abruzzo Salad
2011 Niro Pecorino
13% alc. good match with is delightful and refreshing salad. $19 [17]

Agnolotti Piemontesi Allo Stufato 2011 Badiola Toscana 13% alc. a wonderful paring with this entree. $18 [19]

Agnolotti Piemontesi Allo Stufato
2011 Badiola Toscana
13% alc. a wonderful paring with this entree. a super Cab and Sangiovese blend $18 [19]

Pistachio Chocolate Cannoli
2012 Mandrarossa Nero D’avola
13.5% alc. super good Tuscan wine. loved it. can’t get a better score. $12 [20]

Ed and Mary enjoying the new look at The Buzz.

Now look at the New Buzz! Great atmosphere. Love the new look.

The new sign on the building by the entrance. There is also a very bright red and green sign on State Street.

The beer steins we have on “The Shelf”.

One of the beers on tap and ready for your growler or steim.

One of the beers on tap and ready for your growler or stein.

The new Growler Fill Station and location of the wines. Just inside the State Street door and to the right.

The new look just inside the State Street door. Wide open spaces! Great shiny floor. Bright and colorful. You did a great job, Cristi and Tommy. And I know Austin and Bailey helped.

New Look For the Buzz In Boise!

29 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beer and Food, Beer Tasting, Buy Idaho, Comfort Food, Local Markets, Locavore, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Beers, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

beer bar, growler, the Buzz

Cristi and Tommy and all have been working very hard to “re-design” the interior of the Buzz in Boise. Personally, I like the new look! And they have installed a growler bar, which is fun and fantastic! We have two beer steins that I am going to take to the Buzz. Cristi said it would be OK to leave them there for use at the new growler bar. Maybe we can get a shelf to put them on.and use when we go to the Buzz. How many different types can we get? Let’s display our steins at the Buzz. Any takers? Enjoy this new look! Cheers!

Cristi is in the Growler Bar area. Check out those floors!

Cristi is in the Growler Bar area. This photo is along the North side, the State Street side. Check out those floors!

The center half-wall has been removed and it really opens the space up. This is looking as you enter the State Street door, the side door.

Tommy and Michelle show off the new Growler Bar.

Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer!

22 Sunday Jun 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Antipasto, Appetizers, Buy Idaho, Chardonnay, Comfort Food, Dinner With Robin, Hat Ranch Winery, Idaho Trout, Idaho Wine, Interesting Information, Local Harvests, Locavore, Main Dish, Marsing, Merlot, Orchard House, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Snake River AVA, Special Dinners, Special Events, Special Information, Syrah, The Orchard House, Things To Do, Trout, Weston On The Lake Winery, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wines - Idaho

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

chardonnay, Hat Ranch Winery, Idaho wines, merlot, syrah, The Orchard House, Weston Winery

Clear blue skies! Light, cooling breezes! 88 degree temperatures. Only thing missing is a tempting ocean breeze. We spent the day both at Hat Ranch Winery off of Plum Road in Marsing (their postal address is in Caldwell) and the Snake River AVA and then to a wonderful dinner at The Orchard House. Hat Ranch was releasing their Tempranillo, which is very good. The Orchard House has good meatloaf.
Hat Ranch Winery bought Vale Wine Co., as some of you might already know. Some of the Vale wines were there for us to try also. Their Chardonnay is really a good one and will pare well with foods that need a citru match. Not an oaky chardonnay. The appetizers that they had to accompany the wines, see the photo of the menu board below, were a perfect match. Enjoy these photos and if you are in the area, stop in at both Hat Ranch Winery and The Orchard House. You won’t be disappointed. Cheers!

Hat Ranch Winery, Tempranillo release party, menu board.

A very good Redpepper Humus. Not overly spiced.

A very good Redpepper Hummus. Not overly spiced.

Good selections on the Antipasto Platter.

Some of the wines we tried. We also tried a Hat Ranch Merlot and Syrah.

Some of the wines we tried. The Tempranillo will pair with most foods, especially Italian or Spanish.

The Vale Wine Co., Chardonnay.

And then, we went to The Orchard House for dinner. Goodbye diet for today! We always enjoy the meals here. If I were to choose which meal I would constantly get here, it would definitely be the breakfast. It is just so satisfying. But today, we had a good Meatloaf dinner and an Idaho Trout dinner. This is one place that you can get a good meatloaf away from your own kitchen. The Orchard House is located at 14949 Sunnyslope Road, Caldwell (just outside of Marsing) in the Snake River AVA.

We had to check this bottle of wine out. It really is named for the Weiser Old Tyme Fiddlers Festival, which is just over for the year.

This is the back of the bottle. Good information. Left-Click this or any of these photos to see them enlarged.

Robin had this good Idaho Trout dinner.

I had their Meatloaf Dinner. Just a good ol’ down home dinner. We did buy a bottle of Shane Weston’s 2009 Weston On The Lake Pinot Gris. Such a great day today. Super great tour of the area, of sorts, with Robin.

Boise AirBNB

16 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Dinner With Family, Marnie BNB, Party Time, Photo By: MJ Shaner, Special Events, Special Information, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Whats For Breakfast?, Whats For Lunch?

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

AirBnb, bnb, Boise, boise area, Boise bnb

Are we proud? Yes you bet! Our Daughter Marnie and her husband Mac have turned their downtown home into a BNB. Well kind-of. Yes, you can expect everything that you get in a BNB, but not a prepared meal. You make your own meals in this BNB. The AIRBNB, and many more nationwide, have a new trend – You rent the entire home for a short period of time and you have all the conveniences of being at home. You can make your own meals. Do laundry. Have a quiet evening “at home”.
Enjoy beautiful Boise. Generally cheaper than a hotel, where you must purchase every meal. Check the link for more detailed information Marnie and Mac’s AirBNB. And after looking at the photos, make a reservation. The house has been completely remodeled inside and out. Completely fenced in yard. Enjoy!

Recently remodelled interior. (They jut got it done on June 14, 2014.

Recently remodelled interior. (They just got it done on June 14, 2014.

Close to downtown Boise; The Greenbelt where you can ride your bikes or just walk; Awesome restaurants or all cuisines. Boise Farmers Market for fresh local produce. Close to brew pubs and local breweries. Close to Idaho wineries.