Tillamook Cheese Baby Cheese Tour

22 Sunday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Food Prep, Things To Do, Tillamook Cheese

Some things are just fun. This looks like it could be. A lot like the Oscar Meyer Hot Dog Mobile in times past. Any way, here is some information if you are in Boise or planning to come visit. Look for the baby Loaf truck. Here is more specific information.

I received this email from Allie Korosi, “Tillamook’s Loaf Love Tour is coming to Boise! They arrive on Friday, August 27th (corrected) and will be rolling around the Boise area until Wednesday, September 1st. They’ll also be making a special stop at Boise’s 24th Annual ‘Alive After Five’ Concert Series on September 1st from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., handing out free cheese samples, coupons and more. The baby buses will also be in attendance – definitely a sight to see. We hope you’ll help us in sharing the Loaf Love with Boise!”

TILLAMOOK® WANTS BOISE TO KNOW… ALL YOU NEED IS LOAF
First-Ever “Loaf Love Tour” Rolls Into Boise Bringing Tasty Cheddar to Cheese Lovers

WHO: Tillamook®, the 101-year-old, farmer-owned brand that has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s premier natural cheese makers.

WHAT: Tillamook invites Boise area residents to join the fun of its first-ever cross-country event, the “Loaf Love Tour”. The Loaf Love Tour will stop at grocery stores, farmers’ markets, neighborhoods and special events to spread the love of Tillamook’s cheddar to consumers. Event attendees will have the chance to learn about Tillamook while sampling their all-natural cheddars made in the Pacific Northwest using only the highest-quality milk from humanely raised cows not treated with the artificial growth hormones.

The Loaf Love Tour consists of a trio of mini-buses that are retrofitted from 1966 Standard VW Microbuses to resemble Baby Loafs of Tillamook cheddar. Overall, the “Loaf Love Tour” will visit 100 cities in 8 different states throughout the Western U.S.

WHEN: Friday, August 27th to Wednesday, September 1st at various Boise locations. Also, a special stop is planned in Boise at the 24th Annual Alive After Five Summer Concert Series on September 1st from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.

WHERE: To see the tour’s schedule, please visit: Loaf Love Tour.

TILLAMOOK: The Tillamook County Creamery Association, formed as a farmer-owned co-operative in 1909, has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s premier makers of cheese. TCCA is a national marketer of naturally aged cheddar and a variety of other cheeses, butter, and an extensive line of premium ice cream, sour cream and yogurt. TCCA is most famously known for its internationally award-winning Tillamook® cheddar cheese, voted World’s Best Medium Cheddar Cheese at the 2010 World Championship Cheese Contest. For more information visit our Web site Tillamook Cheese.

Eggs ‘N Nests

22 Sunday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Boise Adventures, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

≈ 2 Comments

So after the very, very exciting evening last night in the wind storm – winds peaked at 68mph and the record set on 24 July 1981 was 71 mph – it was time this morning to try some comfort food, sorta! (There was no damage noticed on this house. However, the electric and phone lines may be in jeopardy. I only got a recording at Idaho Power.)

So look at these eggs. Fun to make and I will probably change the procedure as Robin suggested. Bake the potatoes first and not broil them. Enjoy!

Shred 1 large potato. Leave the skins on. Grease (Robin says use bacon grease) the cup cake tins. Place the shredded potatoes in the cup. Press down in the center and bring up along the walls. Add a touch of salt and pepper. Bake off in a 400 degree oven until the potatoes are browned. Remove from oven a let cool slightly. Add some fresh cut chopped chives and fresh picked shredded basil to each cup. Place one egg in each cup. Broil until the eggs are set.

Gently remove each nest from the cups using a flexible, narrow spatula, trying not to break the “nests”. Plate with some un-burned bacon (oops!) and garden fresh sliced tomatoes topped with chopped chives.
These are fun to make and you can do almost anything with the eggs as you wish. Robin likes the soft cooked eggs, so that’s what we had here. I may try a scrambled egg next week with maybe some cooked Country Ham pieces in the egg. Hmmmm. Enjoy!

Icebox Lox

21 Saturday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Lox, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Things To Do

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Robin made this awesome Icebox Lox. Not hard to do, just takes about 48 hours. Use only the freshest of salmon. Lay 1 whole side of rinsed fresh salmon – skin side down – in a rectangular glass dish large enough to hold the entire piece. If you need to cut the slab in half to have it fit the dish, that will work. Cover the meat with Kosher salt and sugar. Lay some fresh dill on the slabs. Either fold the slab in half so that the fleshy surfaces are facing, or lay the 1/2 cut piece on top. Cover with foil and weigh down with cans. Place in refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator and drain liquid. At this point, if you need to add more salt and sugar, do so. Flip the slabs over and return the curing lox to the refrigerator, covered and weighted. After the second 24 hours, rinse the lox, cut the flesh off the skin in thin slices. Small bits can be used later in cream cheese as a spread or in pasta dishes.

To Serve: Slice about 6 garlic/onion bagels in thin rounds [cut the rounds in half-moon shapes]. Lightly butter or rub with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and toast in an oven until lightly browned. (We like to toast our own bagels compared to the “store bought” bagel toasts.) Cool. On each slice of bagel, spread with cream cheese, a thin slice of fresh ripe tomato, a half ring or two of red onion that has been sliced thinly, soaked in cold water while toasting the bagels, and the slice of salmon and capers. You can use either size caper, small or large. Just remember to thoroughly rinse the capers to remove the vinegar and salt. The lox has enough salt in it.

For the Holidays – 5 New Appetizers

16 Monday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Celebrations, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

≈ 1 Comment

Just think, in 2½ weeks and we in the US will be celebrating Labor Day! Then Halloween and Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years! Don’t blink ’cause you’ll miss them! Here are five suggestions for appetizers for the parties you will be having or will attend. The first three are new ones and the last two are re-visited superb appetizers. Enjoy them!

Do enjoy these! Cheers!

Poached Cod

16 Monday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Seafood, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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Actually, this Poached Cod (right side of plate)is pretty easy to do. The liquid to poach the fish is mango juice – we used Mango Snapple. Near the end of the poach, 4 minutes on each side – I cut up some mango slices and put it into the poaching solution. Plate with some of the mango and some fresh Pico de Gallo – Fresh red tomatoes and maybe some Green Zebra tomatoes, fresh jalapeno pepper, fresh onion, Mexican oregano and cumin. Serve with some steamed Kale with Onion, Baby Turnip and Garlic, left side of the plate. That’s the whole dinner. You don’t need anything else except maybe a good Idaho 2008 Indian Creek Winery Pinot Noir and now you have one super dinner. Have a good time with this one and serve it to someone special. Cheers!

Shige

14 Saturday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Things To Do, Thought For The Day, What's For Dinner?

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Robin had to go back into St Luke’s Hospital today for an out patient procedure. (She is fine!) But she has been on a clear liquid diet since Wednesday. She is hungry! So, she said she wanted to go to Shige. And that we did! Such a treat! Out of 5-Stars, I think they well deserve 4-Stars and maybe 5-Stars. I will have to dwell on that one.

My one mistake tonight? I left my camera at home so I have no photographs of the presentation. And it was awesome! Guess I’ll just have to go back for the photos and while I’m there, probably eat something.

It can be pricy. Ranging from $10.00 to $51.00. You can choose from any of their 3 menus no matter which restaurant you are in – the Economy Room, the Sushi Bar or the Main Dining Room. We sat on the “veranda” on the second floor of the Eastman Building. Very open and cool tonight. (I saw one falcon at the box!) Actually, it can be breezy. But seating is also available inside. Here’s what we had:

Lobster Bisque ($8.00)

Miso Soup

Shige House Salad ($6.00)

Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass ($23.00)
with
Shitaki Mushroom Sauce

Tempora Sashimi ($18.95)
with
Carrot, Zuchinni, Brocolli, Cabbage Slaw, Diakon, Romaine Leaves, Scallops, Tuna, Jalapeno, Sweet Potato

Salad with Daikon

Green Tea Ice Cream

Grilled Carmelized Pineapple and Vanilla Ice Cream

All I can say is, if you are in Boise and you want some very top notch Japanese food, try Shige! It is well worth the trip. Service is superb and extremely friendly. Cheers.

Grilled Lamb and Nasturtium Blossom Vinaigrette Recipes

12 Thursday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Food Prep, Lamb, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Salad, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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I have been asked to post the recipes for the Grilled Leg of Lamb in Mustard Sauce and the Nasturtium Blossom Vinaigrette. So here they are. Do enjoy and let us know how you liked them. Cheers!

Grilled Leg of Lamb in Stone Ground Mustard Sauce

The recipe can be found at Grilled Leg of Lamb

Nasturtium Blossom Vinaigrette

The recipe can be found at Nasturtium Blossom Vinaigrette

If you Left-Click on the photos, you can get a larger view. Do enjoy these recipes. They were fun to do!

Bolillos – Mexican Rolls

11 Wednesday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Bread, Food, Recipe By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

The other day while I was looking for the Mole Recipes that are listed below,I came across this recipe for Bolillos,
Mexican rolls. One of the recipes, has bolillos (the double “ll” is pronounced like a “y”) mentioned. I had no idea what they were, so I searched for these also. From the photo, the bread looks like it has a fairly open crumb. And from the recipe, the bread might be soft, yet sweet and maybe a little heavy from the lard. I would not try anything else except lard, at least for the first batch. That way, you will know what the rolls are supposed to taste like and I might ask for them at the next Mexican restaurant we go to.

At the end of the recipe is a short discussion on the history of the bread. The photo to the left and the recipe comes from The Fresh Loaf, a baking blog that I subscribe to. Do try these rolls and let us know how you like – or dislike – them.

Bolillos – Mexican Rolls

Source: Adapted from The Freshloaf, http://www.thefreshloaf.com

Ingredients:
1 pkg (1/4 ounce or 7 g) Active Dry Yeast
1⅓ c (330 mL) Warm Water (105 to 115°F or 40 to 46°C)
3 T (15 mL) Tupelo Honey
1 T (15 mL) Lard or vegetable shortening, melted and cooled
1½ t (7 mL) Sea Salt
3¼ to 4 c (810 mL to 1 L) Bread Flour
¼ c (60 mL) Cold Water
1 t (5 mL) Cornstarch

Directions:
1. Sprinkle yeast over the warm water in large mixer bowl; stir to mix. Let stand 5 minutes.

2. Stir honey, lard and salt into yeast mixture; add 2½ cups (625 mL) flour. Mix at low speed; then beat at medium speed until very elastic, about 5 minutes. Gradually stir in as much of the remaining flour needed to make soft dough, ½ to 1 cup (125 to 250 mL).

3. Knead dough on floured surface, adding just as much remaining flour needed to prevent sticking, until dough is smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Place the dough in greased bowl; turn dough over to grease top. Let rise, covered, in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

4. Stretch and Fold; knead briefly in a Cuisinart with a dough hook. Let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into 10 equal pieces; roll each piece into ball on floured surface with palm of hand.

5. Starting at center and working toward opposite ends, roll each ball on floured surface with palms of hands into oval tapered at both ends. Each piece should be about 5½ inches (14 cm) long and 2 inches (5 cm) wide at center. Place, evenly spaced, on 2 greased baking sheets; let rise, loosely covered, until almost doubled, about 25 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Mix cold water and cornstarch in small saucepan. Heat over high heat, stirring constantly, to boiling; boil until thickened and clear, about 2 minutes.

7. Brush risen rolls with warm cornstarch mixture. Slash each roll lengthwise with razor blade or sharp, thin knife to ½ inch (1.3 cm) from each end, cutting about ½ inch (1.3 cm) deep.

8. Bake until rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 min¬utes. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire racks.

Makes 10 rolls

Discussion:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mexican bolillos
A bolillo (English pronunciation: /bɵˈliːjoʊ/ bo-LEE-yoh) is a type of savoury bread traditionally made in Mexico, where it originates. It is a variation of the baguette, and is often baked in an horno de piedra.
It is about 15 cm (six inches) long, in the shape of an oval, with a crunchy crust and a soft inside, known as migajón. It is the main ingredient for tortas and molletes. A variation of the bolillo is the telera, which is very similar, though it has a more rounded shape, is divided in three sections, and is usually softer. Other variations include bolillos made of alternate ingredients such as whole wheat, wheat germ or flax.

Names:
The bolillo is a variation of the baguette, and thus often has names in the local language reflecting this. In Yucatán they are known as barras. In Guadalajara and Sonora they are called birotes which are often made with sourdough. In northern Mexico they’re known both as bolillos and pan blanco, whereas in Northeast Mexico it is known as pan francés. In Sinaloa, they are called torcido and birote. In Brazil, a similar bread is made and known as pão francês or pão de sal.

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So there you have something else to try. And to me, they look interesting. At any rate, if you do try these, please let us know what you think and if you had any problems. Cheers!

PizzalChik Entertainment

11 Wednesday Aug 2010

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

≈ 1 Comment

Once again, Robin and I were treated to a delightful evening out – Dutch Treat, of course. This time to hear the Alder St. All-Stars and The Harmed Brothers. Here are some pretty good photos of the two groups and Pizzal Chik.

Robin and Jan Beckwith – Mother to Jake Beckwith, Lead Violin of the Alder St. All-Stars.

Jan’s daughter Molly, center, and Jan. Sorry, I don’t remember the lady’s name on the left.

The Alder St All-Stars. Jake is on violin.

The fourth member of the group. Actually, if you get the chance to hear the group, they are on tour! It would be a good treat for you to hear them. A good selection of Bluegrass music and what I might classify as “Modified Bluegrass”.

And The Harmed Brothers. Their music? Light Bluegrass music with a twist of modern thrown in. Something different that seems to be appealing to all age groups, as is witnessed by the folks who were there.

Again, if you get a chance to hear this group, do so. Both groups have CD’s available.

Here is some of the crowd that was there. And of course, with good music, a good crowd and the makings of good food, we all just had to eat!

How about some fresh baked pizza?

Or a great Chicken Salad with Pickle Carrots.

Maybe a fresh House Salad.

And then as Willie would say, “Turn out the lights, The partys over …” It was a good night.

Chicken Mole

10 Tuesday Aug 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Chicken, Cinco de Mayo, Classic Sauces, Main Dish, Spice Blends, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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(Photo By: SB, Allrecipes.com)

Sometime ago, maybe a week or two, someone, I think it was Margaret, asked me about the Mexican Mole sauce. From various sources, including Allrecipes.com, the Foodnetwork.com, waymorehomemade.com and the travelblog.com, I have found the following recipes and some description of the sauce. It is a lot like Indian curry – it can, and usually does, change with the maker or creator or chef. Cheers and enjoy.

Authentic Mexican Food Recipe

If you are looking for an authentic Mexican food recipe you should try Mole. Mole comes from the Aztec times and it is a delicious sauce prepared with zippy chile and Mexican chocolate. Mole is known all over the world and it is not hard to cook. You can add some chicken or make some mole enchiladas. Two of the most popular places to get Mole in Mexico are Oaxaca and Puebla. Oaxaca is known as the Land of the Seven Moles and Puebla has also a great variety of Mole. When cooking Mole you need to add some Mexican chocolate so the taste is a little bit sweet and not as strong as the mole itself. Mole can be prepared in different ways, depending on the state or traditions of each family. Some of the ingredients include cloves, peanut butter, bananas and epazote. There are also different types of mole. For example you can find yellow mole, red mole, black mole, green mole and the famous one – tablecloth stainer known in Spanish as the ‘mancha manteles’. You can serve some chicken and rice to make a complete, perfect meal and enjoy it with some Crema Mexicana Mexican style sour cream, white fresh Mexican cheese, and bolillos.

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The Earliest Mole Sauce

Description:
Why wouldn’t the cooks of Cerén have developed sauces to serve over meats and vegetables? After all, there is evidence that curry mixtures were in existence thousands of years ago in what is now India, and we have to assume that Native Americans experimented with all available ingredients. Perhaps this mole sauce was served over stewed duck meat, as ducks were one of the domesticated meat sources of the Cerén villagers. Cerén, or Joya de Cerén, is the name of a village in El Salvador that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. Known as the North American Pompeii, because of its level of preservation, Cerén offers a fascinating glimpse into what life was like 1400 years ago.

Ingredients:
Makes 2½ cups
• 4 tomatillos, husks removed
• 1 tomato, toasted in a skillet and peeled
• ½ teaspoon chile seeds
• 3 tablespoons pepitas (toasted pumpkin or squash seeds)
• 1 corn tortilla, torn into pieces
• 2 tablespoons medium-hot chile powder
• 1 teaspoon achiote (annatto seeds)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 ounce Mexican or bittersweet chocolate

Directions:
In a blender, combine the tomatillos, tomato, chile seeds, pepitas, tortilla, chile powder and achiote to make a paste. In a pan, heat the vegetable oil and fry the paste until fragrant, about 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth and the chocolate and stir over medium heat until thickened to desired consistency.

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Traditional Mexican Food Recipe: Mole Sauce

Ingredients:
* 4 Dried Pasilla chilies, stems and seeds removed
* 4 Dried red New Mexican chilies, stems and seeds removed
* 1 med. Onion, chopped
* 2 Cloves garlic, chopped
* 2 med Tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed, chopped
* 2 T Sesame seeds
* ½ c Almonds
* ½ Corn tortilla, torn into pieces
* ¼ c Raisins
* ¼ t Ground cloves
* ¼ t Ground cinnamon
* ¼ t Ground coriander
* 3 T Oil; canola or olive are nice
* 1 c Chicken broth
* 1 oz Mexican Bittersweet Chocolate

Directions:
Combine chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, almonds, tortilla, raisins, cloves, cinnamon, and coriander. Puree small amounts of mixture in a blender until smooth.

Heat oil in a skillet and saute the puree for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chicken broth and chocolate and cook over very low heat for 45 minutes. The resulting sauce will be quite thick.

Traditional mole sauce can be either red or green, depending on which ingredients you decide to use and is normally served over chicken. Experiment!

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I do hope this helps with your question, Margaret. It goes quite well, and I think designed for chicken or turkey. But it can also go with pork or beef. I don’t think I would use a mole sauce with seafood. You can also find a Mole Sauce and Paste, to use as a starter for future recipes, at http://www.waymorehomemade.com/2010/04/mexican-mole-sauce-foodie-friday.html. Cheers!