Holiday Season Wine Dinner

12 Wednesday Nov 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Beef, Buy Idaho, Cheese, Coffee, Dinner With Friends, Friends, Green Beans, Hamburger, Koenig Vineyards, Meatloaf, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Food Network, Recipes, Soup, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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Baked Alaska Meatloaf, Dill Pickle Soup, Mediterranean Green Olive Soup, recipe meatloaf, recipes

The Holiday Season was started last night at The Buzz and their monthly wine dinner. Many seasonal ideas were presented: Wrapping, fun gifts, culturally correct gift giving: Brazil – avoid giving gifts of black or purple or in South Korea – never anything made in Japan or North Korea. Just a few of the suggestions.
Good job in paring the wines with the dinner. The dinner was a surprise. Things we have never thought of or tried before, Dill Pickle Soup for instance. Actually, it was surprisingly good. (Here is but one recipe for Dill Pickle Soup.) Much like a Mediterranean Green Olive Soup, which is very good, but a Dill Pickle Soup is more of a Polish soup! And the Baked Alaska Meatloaf was a surprise. (Meatloaf baked, then cooled and mashed potatoes all over then broiled. Here is a Recipe for one variation. There are several.) Here is what we had and the wines to accompany the meal. Enjoy!

Wrapped Meatballs Quick Crackers A strange appetizer. I don't know what the cheese was. 2012 Koenig Cabernet Sauvignon 15.7% alc. high alcohol sometimes is a distraction. this is not. great with the main course and the meatballs. [19]

Wrapped Meatballs
Quick Crackers
2012 Koenig Cabernet Sauvignon
15.7% alc. high alcohol sometimes is a distraction. this is not. great with the main course and the meatballs. [19]
A strange appetizer. I don’t know what the cheese was.

Dill Pickle Soup 2010 Bastile use de Beauvert 13.5% alc. good sparkling wine and pared well with the soup. [17] This is a strange soup, but surprisingly good.

Dill Pickle Soup
2010 Bastille use de Beauvert
13.5% alc. good sparkling wine and pared well with the soup. [17]
This is a strange soup, but surprisingly good.

Orzo Squash Salad
NV Cruzat nu Brut Classico
12.5% alc. good, refreshing wine. went well with the salad. [19]

Baked Alaska Meatloaf
Green Beans
Twice Baked Potatoes
2012 Pinnacoli Primitivo
14% alc. good paring but the Koenig Cabernet Sauvignon went much better. [19]
We found the green beans under cooked and the potato was slightly under cooked, too. The meatloaf was strange.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Loaf
2008 Quinta Do Noval Port
19.5% alc. went well with the chocolate [18]
Good dessert.

And then there is always a good cup of coffee, if you so desire!

And here are some events that are coming to the Buzz. December 19 and 20: Buzz Wine Dinners – New Year’s Resolutions (get your reservations in!). Then on January 9, 2015, the return of Classical Jam Night! Do you play a string or wind instrument? Bring it and join in. This is always an awesome evening of some really great music. Order dinner at the counter – they usually have something special. Cheers and see you there at The Buzz, 2999 N Lakeharbor Ln., Boise (208) 344-4321!

3 Awesome Plates at The Captain’s Shack

11 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Breads, Acme Bakery, Buy Idaho, Captain's Shack, Chicken, Dinner With Robin, Photos By: Bob Young, Quinoa and Grains, Salads, Scallops, Seafood, Talapia, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

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braised, eggplant, Frencmans Gulch Winery, talapia

Really had fun preparing these three dinners. Some were better than others, but all were good. The quinoa in the Eggplant/Quinoa side dish, was under cooked and therefore still crunchy. Never did fluff.
The braise scallops and the braised tilapia were both very good. And the asparagus and onions were super. Here, take a look at these. No recipes available as these were put together “on the spot”. As the show says, open your baskets and make something from the ingredients. Really fun to work in the kitchen this way. Cheers!

Stuffed Chicken Breasts spinach, mushrooms and onion Acme Bake Shop Rye toast Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Stuffed Chicken Breasts
spinach, mushrooms and onion
Acme Bake Shop Rye Toast
Mashed Potatoes and Chicken Gravy

Chicken cut to show the stuffing.

Braised Talapia and Salsa Braised Eggplant and Onion with Quinoa

Braised Talapia and Pico de Gallo
Braised Eggplant and Onion with Quinoa
2012 Frenchman’s Gulch Chardonnay

Orange Braised Scallops Sweet Potatoes Green Salad with Bean Sprouts and Cucumber Asparagus 2013 Bedrock Winery Abrente

Orange Braised Scallops
Sweet Potatoes
Green Salad with Bean Sprouts, Heirloom Tomato Wedges and Cucumber
Asparagus with Orange Zest
2013 Bedrock Winery Abrente

From Scratch Meals with Local Products

29 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Acme Bake Shop, Acme Bake Shop Breads, Boise Artisan Bakery's, Boise Farmers Market, Breakfast At The Captains Shack, Breakfast With Robin, Buy Idaho, Canning, Captain's Shack, Classic Cuisines, Comfort Food, Heirloom Tomatoes, Idaho Beef, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Main Dish, Meadowlark Farms, Meatloaf, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, Recipes - Sauces, Relish, Rice Family Farms, Tomatoes, What's For Dinner?

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Boise Farmers Market, eat local, herbs and spices, Local products, Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Really not difficult to do and sooooo much more tasty! Beats any pre-packaged meal – I control what is in the dish: Salt, sugar, herbs and spices. You say you don’t have the time to make a “from scratch” meal? These two meals took about 30 minutes and they were on the table. Local products whenever possible – beef, potatoes, tomatoes, bread, gravy (made from scratch) and onions. And the Tomatillo Salsa Verde was definitely all local and made from scratch. 12 half pints made and canned! The end of the tomato season is upon us, so what better use than to make salsa. In this case, from tomatillos. Check with your local farmers market – that includes local produce stands – for locally grown and produced beef, potatoes, tomatillos, onions, peppers and herbs. It’s just so much better than commercially produced produce. The Boise Farmers Market moves indoors this week and runs through mid December. Then it closes until next Spring. Can and freeze those products and have “fresh” all winter. Here is what you can make for dinner and breakfast. Enjoy!

Scrambled Eggs
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Sausage
Acme Bake Shop Toast

The eggs come from Meadowlark Farms and the other products from various local farmers.

Housemade Meatloaf
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Peas
Sliced Heirloom Tomato

The beef was local beef; potatoes local; peas were frozen; tomato was local. Gravy made from Idaho products.

Take the time to Eat Local! Support your local farmer!

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?

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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.

Two Great Cookie Recipes

23 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Cookies, Dessert, Local Farmers Markets, Party Time, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe by: Robin and Bob Young, Recipes, What's For Dessert?, What's For Dinner?

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Basil Lime Cookies, cookie recipes, Pistachio Cookies

Robin found two really great and surprisingly different and good cookie recipes. These are really so very easy to make that you must give them a try. I ate one of the Basil Lime Cookies and immediately thought of a lamb dinner. Hmmmm. Oh well, make them and let us know what you think. Like them? Don’t like them? The recipe links are highlighted under the photos. I’m thinking that you might be able to get the herbs and maybe the flour too, from your local farmers market.

Basil Lime Cookies

Pistachio Cookies

W hat Is A “Turophile”?

22 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Cheese, Chevre, Classics, Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Locavore, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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cheese, cheese lover, cheese types, oenophile, turophile

A what? A turophile. Did you know Robin is Certified in Cheese? In other words, she knows her cheese types and flavors and what cheese goes with what food and/or wine. Yup! She is a turophile: One who is knowledgeable in cheese. A cheese lover. And Velveeta just does not enter into the conversation very much. (However we have had some in our refrigerator in the past 30 years – some.) The information printed here came from one of her subscriptions, “Word of the Day”.

Turophile – (TOOR-uh-fyle)
Definition: noun; a connoisseur of cheese : a cheese fancier

Surely the turophiles at our table can recommend some good cheeses to pair with our wine selection.
“For this dish you need a special cheese from Switzerland called Raclette. It’s expensive and hard to find where I live, and it smells terrible—or, to turophiles like me, divine.” — Patty Kirk, Starting From Scratch: Memoirs of a Wandering Cook, 2008

Discussion: Are you stuck on Stilton or gaga for Gouda? Do you crave Camembert? If so, you just might be a turophile, the ultimate cheese lover. From an irregular formation of the Greek word for cheese, tyros, plus the English -phile, meaning “lover” (itself a descendant of the Greek -philos, meaning “loving”), turophile first named cheese aficionados as early as 1938. It was in the 1950s, however, that the term really caught the attention of the American public, when Clifton Fadiman (writer, editor, and radio host) introduced turophile to readers of his eloquent musings on the subject of cheese.

A turophile ranks right up there with an oenophile, “…Oenophilia (/ˌiːnɵˈfɪliə/ ee-no-fil-ee-ə; Greek for the love (philia) of wine (oinos)) is a love of wine. In the strictest sense, oenophilia describes a disciplined devotion to wine, accompanying strict traditions of consumption and appreciation. In a general sense however, oenophilia simply refers to the enjoyment of wine, often by laymen. Oenophiles are also known as wine aficionados or connoisseurs. They are people who appreciate or collect wine, particularly grape wines from certain regions, varietal types, or methods of manufacture. While most oenophiles are hobbyists, some may also be professionals like vintners, sommeliers, wine merchants, or one who tastes and grades wines for a living.”

So, if you have a question about cheese or wine, contact her through this blog and she will be more that happy to answer your question. She just beams with excitement when someone asks her a question on the subjects. Cheers! (Now for a grilled cheese!)

Cooking Oils and Their Use; Food Truck Locations

21 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Captain's Shack, Cooking Oils, Oils, Report By Robin, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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cooking oils, grapeseed oil

Robin came across the good graphic on the different cooking oils and their basic uses. This is a good reference graphic if you want to keep it. Originally, the information came from World Market, Butlersguild.com, Martha Stewart, EmilyPost.com and Pinterest. Just one note: I have used the grapeseed oil, but you must remember that it will go “bad” – rancid – very quickly. Enjoy the graphic information!

And as a side note, if you are in Boise and want to know where the Food Trucks are today, check this link out Boise Food Truck Locations. But if you are out of the area and want to know where they are in your town or city, just Look Here.

5-Hour Duck For Dinner!

19 Sunday Oct 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in 5 Hour Duck, Buy Idaho, Cream Sauces, Dinner With Family, Dinner With Robin, Duck, Idaho Wine, Local Farmers Markets, Main Dish, Mirepoix, Photos By: Bob Young, Slow Cooking, Special Dinners, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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5 hour roasted duck, Baked Sweet Potato, Creamed Spinach, Grand Marnier, Idaho wines

Oh yes once again! We do like the duck done this way. Made Creamed Spinach with Grand Marnier Cream and Baked Sweet Potato and Duck Gravy. Certainly was delicious! And then top that off with a super good 1985 Rose Creek Winery Cabernet Sauvignon. That is still a super wine. On a scale of 1-20, easily a 19.7. So close to the perfect 29 year old Cab. Enjoy these photos. Cheers!

A perfect wine! Great job Jamie Martin, winemaker, now at Cold Springs Winery in Hammett, Idaho

5-Hour Duck resting after coming from the oven. Roasted some sweet potatoes with it. Yummers!

5-Hour Duck
Creamed Spinach with Grand Marnier Cream
Baked Sweet Potato with Duck Gravy

Cookbook Library, Part I

16 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Bob and Robin in Classic Cuisines, Classic Herb Blends, Classic Sauces, Cookbooks, Cream Sauces, Hard To Find Recipes, Recipes - Sauces, Scans By: Bob Young, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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basic sauces, cookbooks, Nathan Myhrvold, sauce variations, The Modernist Cuisine, The Sauce Bible

About a month ago, I was reading one of the food blogs I subscribe to, and they had an article on the cookbooks that they have in their library. There was only one article, and they gave their most used cookbooks. Sorry, but I can not find that article again. So I thought I would start a series on some of the cookbooks that we have in our library – which is extensive – and the ones we mostly use. These books are only offered as a suggestion and they are my/our opinion. I must say that we receive absolutely no reimbursement of any kind, although that may be fun, from any of these sources. This just sounded like a fun topic. So here I go.
First, I would be remiss if I did not mention The Joy of Cooking, Irma Rombauer and Ethan Becker (The Joy of Cooking). I will not bother you with an extensive review of the book. Only to say that this volumn is a must in any and all kitchens. If you don’t have one, get one and there are several printings. Check Amazon or Barnes and Noble. The other must addition to your kitchen is by Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, also available on Amazon and EBay.
The one book that we have, and it has been a blessing whenever I could not find the right sauce for a particular dish, was suggested to me by one of the Instructor Chefs at the BSU School of Culinary Arts and by Chef Andrae Bopp. This particular volumn is used by the CIA, Culinary Institute of America, and the BSU School of Culinary Arts.

The Sauce Bible – Guide to the Saucier’s Craft, David Paul Larousse, John Wiley and Son, 1993. ISBN 13:978-0-471-57228-2
The book starts out with a brief history of sauces, from Apicius to Petronius. The volumn includes chapters on stocks, thickening agents, foundation sauces, blond sauces, butter sauces and dessert sauces, to name a few. The book is quite extensive, but very clearly and precisely written.

Port Wine Sauce, pg 89
Here is an example of how these recipes are written. A variation of this sauce is also included, Yorkshire Sauce.

Mornay Sauce, pg 149.
An easy sauce to make.

One of our other absolutely fantastic reference books is The Modernist Cuisine at Home, Nathan Myhrvold. The Cooking Lab, Belleview, WA, 2012. ISBN: 978-0-9827610-1-4. You can find this reference on the web at Modernist Cuisine. Be sure to check the link. It’s worth the time.

The Modernist Cuisine, Nathan Myhrvold

This is the front cover. Look close. See how the sandwich is in an “exploded” view? Many of the views in the main book, there are two books to this set, have these exploded views, especially where they are talking about different kitchen appliances. Interesting! and fun! The second volume, is 2000+ recipes. Oh my!
Hope you have enjoyed these “basic” kitchen resources. Overload? Maybe. Depends on how much you want to learn. Cheers! The next post will probably be cookbooks of different cuisines, i.e., Bistro, Spanish, French, Italian, Tuscan, BBQ etc. Any suggestions?

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

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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!