Truffle Butter Sauteed Pheasant and Chukar

06 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Idaho Wild Game, Local Harvests, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Special Dinners, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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castle rock winery, food, Idaho Wild Game, potato and leek soup, tomato and cucumber salad

Another delightful dinner. A change from the “Old Peoples” Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Peas Sunday fare. This was awesome!

Cream of Idaho Potato and Leek Soup
Truffle Butter Sauteed Idaho Wild Chukar and Pheasant
with
mustard cream sauce
Mashed Garlic Carrots and Potatoes
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
with
kumquat dressing
2010 Castle Rock Winery Mendocino Pinot Noir
2010 Castle Rock Winery Sonoma Pinot Noir
2010 Castle Rock Winery Monterey Pinot Noir

Cream of Idaho Potato and Leek Soup

Truffle Butter Sauteed Idaho Wild Chukar and Pheasant
with
mustard cream sauce
Mashed Garlic Carrots and Potatoes
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
with
kumquat dressing

Steamed Idaho Trout For Dinner

05 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beans, Captain's Shack, Cinder Wines, Food, Green Beans, Idaho, Idaho Trout, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Salad, Seafood, Sliced Carrots, Things To Do, Viognier

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Carrots, dinner, fresh water fish, Green Beans, Idaho Trout, spinach salad, Viognier

Such a great dinner tonight. I don’t particularly like fresh water fish, but this was great!!

Wine Steamed Idaho Trout
Green Beans with Garlic and Sliced Carrots
Rice and Spinach Salad
2007 Cinder Viognier

Such a yummy dinner!

January At “The Buzz”

04 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by Bob and Robin in Bistro, Boise, Food, Friends, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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Buzz Bistro, food, restaurants, Wine Dinners

Yes, it’s that time again. The start of a New Year. And the events at The Buzz in Boise are off to a fantastic start. Here are the latest words from Cristi! Hope to see you at these events! Cheers!

Events at the Buzz
January 2013

We, at Buzz, hope that everyone had a safe and fun filled holiday season. We look forward to getting together with all of you in the new year. Some fun events planned to kick off 2013 in style. Music on January 4 is Tomorrow Never Knows, Wine Club Jan 8 and 9, and Blaze and Kelly January 11. Carter Freeman will be joining us January 18 and we will Celebrate our 6th Anniversary that night. Saturday nights will be game nights at the Buzz with a new game featured every week (always a big choice of games to play), bring some friends down enjoy wine tasting and learn a new game. Bountiful Baskets starts again on January 12 (orders to be placed on the 7th and 8th), and Grab Your Groceries is now open for business.

Don’t forget we have a large selection of catering ideas for any size gathering drop us a line or an email and lets talk about how we can help take the stress out of entertaining for you.

Hope to see everyone soon.
Sincerely,
Cristi and Tommy Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine

Wine Club
As many of you know, we do not just send you a shipment of two bottles of wine which you know nothing about. We all get together on the Second Tuesday or Wednesday of the month at 6:30, and learn about the wine and food. This is a dinner and wine tasting, with an educational component with all the wines being on sale after dinner. The cost is only $15.00 per person and Reservations Are Required. It is a plated meal so please let us know of dietary issues when placing reservations. This year we are going to focus on the wine regions of the world. Starting with Argentina. Reservations can be made at buzzwine@cableone.net or (208) 344-4321.

About Us
Thank you for your continued support of the years and we look forward to an exciting and event filled 2013.

Buzz Coffee and Wine
2999 N Lakeharbor Lane
Boise, Idaho 83703

Crockpot Sausage and Cabbage

29 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Brats, Captain's Shack, Comfort Food, Crockpot, Ethnic Foods, German Recipes, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Sauerkraut, Sausage, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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cabernet sauvignon, dinner, fennel seeds, food, red cabbage

It’s snowing outside. Started this afternoon. And Robin said she wanted to make Sausage and Cabbage in the crockpot. This was scrumptious!! We used 1/2 head of red cabbage large chopped, 6 Falls Brand Smoked Sausages, 1 cup of a good white wine like a chardonnay or pinot gris, 1 onion large chopped, 3/4 cup of a flavorful sauerkraut (we used what we made), 1 can of whole beets and 1 T Fennel seeds. Place all in the crockpot, except for the beets, and cook for 4 hours on high. At 3 1/2 hours, add the drained beets. Serve with a 2009 Bedrock Winery Cabernet Sauvignon and you have an awesome. Dinner. Cheers!

Feast of the Seven Fishes

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Celebrations, Christmas, Ethnic Foods, Food Trivia, Holiday Gatherings, Holiday Menu, Italian foods, Main Dish, Party Time, Seafood, Side Dishes, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, Traditional Food, What's For Dinner?

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christmas eve celebration, feast of the seven fishes, food, mario batali, vigilia di natale

OK. We have posted about Hanukkah and a while back about Kwanza and several other culturally diverse holidays. And it seems that this year, I have been hearing a lot about the Italian Christmas Eve celebration of the Feast of the Seven Fishes. As it turns out, there is quite a bit written about the feast, usually held on Christmas Eve. “The Feast of the Seven Fishes is an Italian Christmas celebration. Today, it is a feast that typically consists of seven different seafood dishes. However, some Italian-American families have been known to celebrate with nine, eleven or thirteen different seafood dishes. This celebration commemorates the wait, the Vigilia di Natale, for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus. It is unclear when the term “Feast of the Seven Fishes” was popularized.” (Wikipedia) And according to Mario Batali on Epicurious.com, “”It’s what Italians do when they say they’re fasting.” More precisely, the Feast is a meal served in Italian households on La Vigilia (Christmas Eve). In many parts of Italy, the night is traditionally a partial fast, during which no meat should be served. But in true Italian style, this proscription has morphed into something very unfastlike indeed: course after course of luxurious seafood dishes, often as many as 7, 10, or even 13. “No one’s quite sure of the significance of the number,” says Batali. “Some families do seven for the sacraments. Some do ten for the stations of the cross. And some even do 13 for the 12 apostles plus Jesus.” (You can read more at of this article, and get some recipes, at Batali Seven Fishes.)
And here is just one of many dishes that you can easily prepare for the feast. I may try it this year. It is called Cod with Tomato Cream Sauce and comes from Eating Well.
And finally, if you would like a little more information and maybe some recipes, look at the Seven Fishes Blog. Enjoy the recipes and the feast!

Two Super Dinners

21 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Food, Food Prep, Lamb, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Rice, Salad, Salads, Salmon, Seafood, Things To Do, Tomatoes, What's For Dinner?

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applesauce, copper river, dinner, food, lemon curd

Here are two super dinners that we had. Both can be made within 30 minutes and are very easy to do. Enjoy and don’t forget to Rate these articles. Just click the Stars!

Lemon Curd and Old Bay Broiled Copper River Salmon
Spinach and Applesauce Salad
Rice and Asparagus

Broiled Garlic and Rosemary Felzien Family Farm Lamb Chop
Steamed Spinach with Tomatoes
Buttered Corn

11 Dec 2012 – Buzz Wine Dinner

12 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Holiday Gatherings, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food, Wine Dinners

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holidays

December 11th found us at another fabulous Wine Dinner at The Buzz here in Boise. I think I enjoyed this monthly dinner as much as any that I have been to here at The Buzz. It was fantastic!
The crowd enjoyed themselves throughout the evening and really enjoyed the information that Cristi presented about Christmas around the world and some of the different customs associated with Christmas. For instance, did you know that the iconic image of Santa flying in a sleigh was created by the author Washington Irving in 1819 where he described St Nicholas soared across the sky in a dream?
Here are some photos of the evening and the wines that we had. Again, all are scored on the [20] point system. Enjoy and Cheers! Left-Click any of these photos to see view a larger photo.

Weisswurst
2011 Willamette Pinot Gris
13.0% alc, went very well with the spiciness of the sausage [17] $17.00

Tortellini Soup 2011 Zonin Montepulciano 12.5% alc, great with the tortellini [17] $17.00

Tortellini Soup
2011 Zonin Montepulciano
12.5% alc, great with the tortellini [17] $12.00

Pear and Pomegranate Salad (Awesome salad!!)
2010 Koenig Viognier
14.2% alc, loved this combination [19] $18.00

Honey Butter Ham
Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
Carrot Casserole
2009 Bastie Cotes du Rhone
13.5% alc, great paring with the entrée. [18] $12.00

Bûche de Noël
Gingerbread
2011 Plunger Head Zinfandel
14.5% alc. this was really great with the chocolates. [18] $22.00

That awesome salad had a dressing on it that was a great blend of Pomegranate Juice, Honey, Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. I’m going to make that again!
The wines that we had as “Cristie’s Choice” were a 2011 Layer Cake Chardonnay that rates an [18] and for $14.00, it was well worth it. The other one that we had was a 2010 Layer Cake Primativo. This one rated a [17] and again, for $18.00 it was well worth it. So all together we had 7 wines and a full 5 course dinner. And all of this for $15.00 per person. Such a deal!!

Robin’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake

19 Monday Nov 2012

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

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brown sugar mixture, cast iron skillet, dessert, food, ground cardamom

Robin found and made this awesome Pineapple Upside Down Cake, after she “tweaked” it a little bit. The original recipe says that the run is “optional”. Yea! right! She also added pecans in between the pineapple rings. I remember growing up (that assumes that the goal was net), my Aunt Peggy making this cake. Robin’s is just as good if not better! This was an awesome finish to a good BBQ Ribs dinner. Enjoy!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Source (Adapted): Robin Young
Ingredients:
¼ c Butter
¾ c Light Brown Sugar
2 T Pineapple Juice
3 T Dark Rum
½ small fresh Pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced
½ c Butter
1½ c All-Purpose Flour
⅛ t ground Cardamom
½ t Salt
2 t Baking Powder
½ c White Sugar
1 egg
½ c cold Milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C)
Melt ¼ cup butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar, pineapple juice, and dark rum. Cook over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is bubbling, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and spread pineapple slices in a layer over the brown sugar mixture, completely covering the mixture. Set skillet aside.
Melt ½ cup butter in small skillet over low heat until the butter begins to brown and release a nutty fragrance, about 5 minutes. Watch carefully, butter burns easily. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Whisk together flour, cardamom, salt, baking powder, and white sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in egg and cold milk until just combined. Pour in melted butter and stir to mix thoroughly.
Pour batter over the pineapple slices in the skillet; spread evenly to cover. Optional maraschino cherries and/or pecan halves between pineapple slices. Bake in preheated oven until the cake begins to bubble around the edges, the top is browned, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the skillet for 10 minutes.
Loosen the cake from the skillet by running a knife around the inside edge of the cake. Invert a large plate over the top of the skillet and flip over, releasing the cake to show the pineapple slices on top.

Dinner At Maggie’s Place

29 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Chicken, Comfort Food, Main Dish, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Salad, Special Dinners, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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chef maggie, gastronomic delight, huckleberry pie, stella artois

A perfectly delightful evening at Maggie’s Place on Sunday night. Chef Maggie did an awesome job with the Chicken and Dumplings, again! And as always, she served up the perfect chalice of Stella Artois. And Robin chipped in with a great Huckleberry Pie. I feel so lucky to have two super-duper Chefs. Well here, you be the judge and look at these photos. Be sure to Left-Click on the photos and see a larger view. Cheers and Goot Essen!

A good German Sekt wine to go with the chicken. Not too sweet and a little frizant – bubbly.

A super great and delicious salad. Who would have thought that avocado and sweet red onion would go so well together. (Go full screen on this one. The colors are so delicious.)

And the star of the show! Maggie’s Chicken and Dumplings. Yum-O!!!!

Huckleberry Pie fresh out of the oven. Another gastronomic delight! It is not often that one can get huckleberries.

Yum!!!

So there you are. Such a treat. Such a joy! And if you clean your computer screen and go Full Screen to enlarge the photos, you could probably eat right off the screen. Try it. You’ll like it! Mikey would, if we could find him.

The Buzz Quarterly Wine Dinner and Le Cafe de Paris Breakfast

22 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by Bob and Robin in Breakfast, Food, Main Dish, Meatless Monday, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Pork, Restaurants, Special Dinners, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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butternut squash, cameron hughes, carrot soup, food, mac and cheese, restaurants

Sunday, Oct 21, found us at another fantastic Quarterly Wine Dinner at the Buzz in Boise.Great event and great food and wines. Look at what we had and sorry if you missed this. Be sure to Left-Click for a larger view of the photos. And as a matter of record, Christi will not tell you the cost of these wines before the end of the evening. She wants you, and rightly so, to judge the wine on its attributes and not on the cost of the wine. Cheers!

Trio Bacon Potatoes
Butternut Squash Spread
Fried Mac and Cheese
2010 Toad Hollow Unoaked Chardonnay
13.9% alc. best with the Mac and Cheese [18] $14
2010 Barnard and Griffin Fume Blanc
12.8% alc best with the butternut squash [17] $12

Three Bean Salad
(I don’t normally like 3 bean salad, but this was awesome!)
2009 Blacksmith Syrah
14.4% alc hot! salad came through this wine. good food pairing [18] $16
2011 Alamos Red Blend
13.5% alc 50% Malbec, 25% Tempranillo, 25% Bernado great with the mushrooms in the salad [18] $13

Cream of Chipotle and Carrot Soup
(Great soup!)
2011 Tranche Rosé
12.9% alc Walla Walla great pairing with the spicy soup [19] $19
2007 Amador Foothill Red Blend
14.4% alc Grenache and Syrah blend in the Rhone style [18] $19

Pork Tenderloin
with
Whiskey Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Jalapeno Cornbread
(A superb main course!)
2009 Barton and Guestier Red Blend
13.5% alc [19] $13
2010 Tabali Pinot Noir
13.5% alc both of these wines were an excellent selection with this entrée [19] $20

Pistachio Tea Cake
Panna Cotas
(What a great way to end a superb dinner!)
2010 Mothers Milk Shiraz
14.5% alc best to open this one 24 hours before serving [19] $25
2010 Cameron Hughes Zinfandel
15% alc a little “hot” for the delicacy of this dessert; still a good Zin, though [18] $16

So there you have our great dinner and adventure at the Buzz. An awesome dinner as usual with some really excellent wines. If you missed this one, maybe we’ll see you at the next Quarterly Dinner or maybe at the monthly Wine Dinner. Cheers!

And then on Monday morning – Meatless Monday Morning – we went to Le Café de Paris to meet a friend of us from Homedale, Gina. There we had breakfast. Some great toast and jam, but no pastries! That’s almost a Cardinal Sin. Almost. Gina bought several and took them back to Homedale with her. But here is what we had for breakfast and it was good. Enjoy!

Robin had this really delicious looking
Fried Egg Croissant
Fresh Fruit Bowl

I had an excellent
Omelet
asparagus, Gruyère cheese, mushrooms
Fried Potatoes with Green Onion

So, as you can see, we ate our way through the weekend. Oh. I didn’t tell you? For the homecoming game at BSU (they beat UNLV, 32-7) we had a great meatloaf. See Comfort Food at Halftime on this blog. Super weekend. It’s salad tonight. Cheers!