Idaho Hotel, Silver City, Event!!

18 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Idaho, Idaho Hotel, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Silver City, Special Dinners, Special Events, Special Information, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine and Food Festivals, Wine Dinners, Wine Tasting

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dessert wine, food, lemon basil, restaurants, silver city idaho, wine educator

Take a hard look at this. A great opportunity. I just received this from Jerri Nelson, Owner of the Idaho Hotel in Silver City, Idaho. If you have never been to Silver, this is a great opportunity. Contact Jerri directly if you are interested. Cheers! The photo here is of the outside of the Idaho Hotel in Silver City, Idaho.

Bob – I know this is extremely short notice, but thought I’d send it anyway. We had several cancellations so I still have room, if you know anyone who might be interested in joining us this Saturday. Here’s the info…

Idaho Hotel – Wine Dinner July 20, 2013 $35.00
A midsummer night’s feast…
Culinary delights matched with wonderful wines.
Enjoy the simple moments of life…

Course 1: Aperitif Wine: Zonin Prosecco – Italy (14.70)
Melon wrapped with prosciutto
Beet humus and chips

Course 2: Wine: Domaine Bila-Haut Rose – France (17.70)
Chilled Red Bell Pepper Shooter
Pistachio Salad with feta, dried cherries, beets raspberry vinaigrette
Bread basket with compound butter cheese

Course 3: Palette refresher – Lemon-basil sorbet

Course 4 – Main Course:
Walldeaux Smithie NV – Forgeron Winery – Walla Walla, WA (19.50) Marinated Flank Steak
Roasted rosemary smashed parsnips
Fresh garlic green beans

Course 5 – Dessert: Wine: Quinta do Noval Ruby Port – Portugal (17.70)
Macadamia Crusted Chocolate Tart with Raspberries

Special thanks to:
Tim Smith, wine educator and Kathy Dutt for presenting and pouring wines!
And
The best staff – Michelle, Richard, Tanya, Christina, Kirstin, Jan and Roger!

Jerri Nelson
ph.208.375.8240 Ext. 1013
jerrin@stapley.net

Inside the Idaho Hotel. Your visit will be a delightful “step back in time”! Be sure to take a camera. Cell phone is limited.

A part of Silver City. Great hiking and “exploring”.

Do You Know Your Grains?

16 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Cooking Styles, Ethnic Foods, Food, Food Prep, Food Trivia, Grains, Interesting Information, Quinoa and Grains, Special Information, What's For Dinner?, Wild Rice

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edible seeds, food, grains

Robin came across this delightful resource for grains, a Grain Glossary. In part, it says, “Most people know brown rice when they see it, but what about all the other grains? It’s one thing to rattle them off, but it’s an entirely different matter to know their various nutritional profiles and how to cook them. Then there’s the confusion of defining or classifying grains, as some grains that we call grains are not. True grains belong to the cereal grass family; for this glossary, however, I include edible seeds that share the nutritional properties of whole grains (quinoa, buckwheat, wild rice).
The bulk bins can be bewildering; even when you’re familiar with a particular grain, it’s mind-boggling to make sense of all the names it may go by. Groats, grits, steel-cut, rolled, puffed, pearled, cracked, flakes, and flour are the most common references, and all describe how the grain has been processed.” [Culinate (dot) com]
They have listed some of the more popular, and somewhat confusing grain types, in a good chart that also shows you what the grain looks like, much like the photo above from their website. For instance, for polenta they state that, “Polenta
Polenta and grits may sound as disparate as Italy and the South, but they’re both ground corn, as is cornmeal. They differ in how they’re ground (both the method and the fineness of the grind). Avoid de-germinated cornmeal (the germ has been removed to increase its shelf life), as it’s not a whole grain. Polenta makes a delicious base for sauces (ragu, mushroom, gorgonzola) and sausages; it’s also good grilled or layered into lasagne-like dishes.”

There is more listed in the article. A good read! Enjoy the information. Cheers!

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!

Williams-Sonoma Cooking Class – Pizza!

21 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Arugula, Baking, Boise Adventures, Cooking Classes, Cooking Programs, Cooking Styles, Food Prep, Italian Food, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Pizza, Prep Work, Special Events, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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anchovy pizza, bread flour, mario batali, pepper pizza, willams sonoma

A really good experience last night attending this class. Great conversations, comments and information. For instance, in Italian cooking, “In Italy, flour is classified either as 1, 0, or 00, and refers to how finely ground the flour is and how much of the bran and germ have been removed. Doppio zero is the most highly refined and is talcum-powder soft.” [ochef.com] The recipe that was used is from Molto Gusto by Mario Batali and Mark Ladner, and calls for “00” flour. Chad Poznick, resident Chef at this Willams-Sonoma store, said to replace it with bread flour. Just remember to sift it several times to get the same “softness” as 00 flour.
Here are some photos from the class. Enjoy and please VOTE above. Also, Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. Goot Essen!

Chad Poznick, resident Chef at the Boise Williams-Sonoma.

Chef Chad kneads the pizza dough.

The pizza toss. Nice job, Chef!

Prepping the Sausage and Pepper Pizza. Pair this with a great bottle of wine, say a Cold Springs (ID) Hot Red Red or a good Chianti.

Adding the cheese.

The finished product.

Prepping a Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza.

The finished product and ready to eat.

Anyone for a Potato, Anchovy and Ricotta Pizza? Pair this with a Caesar Salad and you’ve got a wonderful meal.

Yum!

Finish the meal with a wonderful Creme Fraiche Gelato. Double yum!

Finish the meal with a wonderful Crème Fraîche Gelato. Double yum!

A delightful evening and I expect to join in on more of these events. Loads of fun. Cheers!

Breaded Mahi Mahi For Dinner ….. Warm Beet-Orange Salad Recipe

13 Monday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Asparagus, Beans, Captain's Shack, Mahi Mahi, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipes, Seafood, Special Information, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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ahi Mahi, beets, homemade tartar sauce, leon millot, Mahi Mahi

Yes we did have Braised Mahi Mahi tonight. But first ………….. I was showing the wine cellar to a friend, Mike from Acme Bakery in Boise (Mike makes awesome bread and his rolls are the ones used by 10 Barrel Brew Pub in Boise, for their burgers) when I noticed a seriously leaking bottle. Yes, it was the one shown here. Almost 75% of the wine was gone – most evaporated. But now the question is, how many of the readers here have ever had a wine made from the Leon Millot grape? I never had one. Here is some information from House of Vines blog.

This is another little hybrid that was developed in France. In fact it is has the same parentage as its more well known sibling Marechal Foch. Two other hybrids came from this same cross including Marechal Joffre and Lucy Kuhlman. Leon Millot is an early ripening black grape with small bunches, often 2-3 per shoot the largest usually about 70-80 grams.

It is cold hardy to approximately -25 to -30 c and while bud break is relatively early it is a little later than Foch making it appealing to those where later spring frost can be an issue. It is also known to ripen a few days earlier than Foch but these accounts appear somewhat subjective. Typically it ripens in 135-140 days, with flowering to harvest being about 85-90 days. What is known is that it regularly ripens to the same brix as Foch but does not have the high acidity problems that Foch can have in some years. In fact the juice chemistry is often excellent for wine making. [House of Vines]

Braised Mahi Mahi
with
homemade tartar sauce and bread crumbs
Rosemary White Beans
Onion and Asparagus with Morel Mushrooms

Here is the beet salad that Marnie made for Mother’s Day. She got the recipe from the food Network. Enjoy!

Warm Beet-Orange Salad

Place 1 pound beets on a large piece of foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 3 tablespoons water; close into a packet. Roast at 400 degrees F until tender, 50 minutes.

Peel the beets and cut into wedges.

Whisk 1/3 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt to taste in a bowl.

Add 2 segmented oranges, the beets and 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts and toss.

Enjoy the information and the recipe. Thanks Marnie for sharing this. Please VOTE above. Thanks!

Spring Is In The Air at The Buzz

07 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Events, Special Information, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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buzz music, restaurants

This is just in from the Buzz in Boise. Hope to see you at one of these events. Cheers!

May at the Buzz
Music and Wine
We at the Buzz, hope that everyone is doing well. We will be having a few fun and interesting events at the Buzz during May. We will be featuring music on May 10 Nancy Kelly, May 11 Carter Freeman, May 17 Todd Palmer, May 24 John Cazan, May 31 Johnny Shoes. Music starts each night at 7 PM and continues until 9 PM. Each Friday and Saturday Night we will have winetasting, dinner specials, dessert specials, and appetizer specials. Come join us for some great food, wine, music and company.

May Wine Club
Wines of the Pacific Northwest
We will continue our journey through the world of wine by learning about the wines of the Pacific Northwest. Wine club this month is May 14 and May 15 at 6:30. The cost is $15.00 per person including dinner and wine tasting. All wines will be on sale 10% off after dinner. Reservations are required. Buzzwine@cableone.net or 344-4321.

Mother’s Day
Don’t forget Moms Day
Make reservations for our brunch buffet on May 12 from 10:30 until 2:30. All moms get complimentary champagne with their brunch. $9.95 for adults $6.95 for children 4-12. Reservations at buzzwine@cableone.net or 344-4321.

WHIP – We’re Helping Inspire People
Join us for our first WHIP night. This is a night for our friends and customers to inspire each other. This will be the last Thursday of each month (Thursday May 30), bring a project you are working on or questions you may have and join the group. May will feature digital photography. We will have “small bite” specials and flights of wine. No reservations required. Hope to see you there.

Grand Opening-New Boise Farmer’s Market

04 Saturday May 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise, Boise Adventures, Boise Farmers Market, Hard To Find Foods, Herbs and Spices, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Locavore, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Events, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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fiddlehead ferns, food, Goat Cheese, potted flowers, tomato plants

The New Boise Farmer’s Market at 10th Street and Grove in downtown Boise, held their Grand Opening today – it rained the day they had originally scheduled the Grand Opening. Today was crowded, no rain and sunny, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the food, the produce, the beef and buffalo and lamb and chicken. Fresh herbs are also available along with fresh tomatoes and tomato plants. Do you like goat cheese? See the Rollingstone Chevre booth for fresh made goat cheese. All types. Bleu Goat Cheese is coming in about 3 weeks. Here are some photos from today. Enjoy. Left-Click the photo to see enlarged and don’t forget to VOTE above. Thanks.

Potted flowers. Here are some Pansy’s.

Food is available at the market. Here is a Waffle Stack.

Fiddlehead Ferns

Fresh, hard to find mushrooms.

Wild West Bakery and Espresso

28 Sunday Apr 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Baking, Breakfast, Brunch, Comfort Food, Miss Donna, New Restaurant Trial, Pastries, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Special Events, Special Information, Tillamook Cheese, What's For Dinner?

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assorted goodies, blueberry muffin, food, mint bar, restaurants, sprinkler guy

We went to the Wild West Bakery and Espresso in Eagle today for brunch. And as Robin says, “Today, April 28, we met Marnie and Mac at the Wild West Bakery and Espresso shop in Eagle – just 10 miles west of Boise – for brunch – When Bob worked with ‘The Sprinkler Guy’ – his boss Bob Scrivner and Donna Scrivner almost always sent home a bunch of baked treats made by Donna as she ‘manned’ the office at home – making appointments and communicating with the guys out in the field who were installing and fixing sprinklers. She found her dream job as a baker for Wild West and still loves it – and she sent us home with a box of assorted goodies she baked.” A scrumptious home cooked brunch and pastries! Yum. Look at these photos and decide for yourselves. Personally, we’d go back for brunch and may have to try their regular menu. This is easily a 4-Star restaurant for home style cooking. Enjoy these photos – Left Click to see an enlarged view – and please VOTE above. Thanks.

Pansys greet you at the front door. They are beautiful.

Miss Donna, Baker, presents some of her creations. Yum!

Miss Donna’s Blueberry Muffin.

Or how about an M&M Cupcake.

Or maybe a Chocolate Mint Bar. All are her creations.

Robin had Eggs Benedict.

Miss Donna said to try the omelet that the Chef makes a good one. Yes he does. Just look at this one and make one from many fillings. You choose.

This was really a good brunch. You really should try it. But go early as it fills up quickly. The patio is open now and a welcome relief to eat outside. Check the link above for menus and times that they are open. Cheers and I hope you enjoy the Wild West Bakery and Espresso!

10 Barrel Brewing Opens in Boise Today!

22 Monday Apr 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in 10 Barrel Brewing, Beer and Ale, Brew Pubs, Sandwiches, Special Events, Special Information, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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10 Barrel Brewing, brew pubs

Yea! It’s finally opening here in Boise. It seems like it has been forever since we first heard that they were coming. It looks like this will be a great week to visit them as they are having many specials. Here is from their Facebook page. “The day is upon us!!! Opening for lunch at 11! We’re kicking things off with a bang. Everyone who shares this status will be entered to win a $100 gift card that will be ready at four o’clock today, just in time for some after work drinks! Get to sharing, and stay tuned for more give-a-ways all week!!” And I did share the status . Maybe ….. Just maybe. I plan to go tomorrow while the motorhome is being looked at. Hope to see you there! Cheers! And please VOTE above. Thanks.