February At "the Buzz"

03 Thursday Feb 2011

Posted by in Special Dinners, Special Events, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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I received this from Cristi and Tom. Looks like an interesting upcoming schedule. We will probably be there for the Super Bowl Party! Cory Hall – Glens Ferry, Idaho – will be playing for Green Bay. Here’s what Cristi and Tom had to say.

Winetasting and Event Schedule

Hope January has been wonderful for everybody. It has been a very nice month for us. Lots of fun things planned for the month of February. Just a short note to let everyone know what is going on. As the festivities begin this weekend. Also stop in and see shat special treats we have for your valentine.
Sincerely,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine


Todd Palmer
Dr. Palmer will playing Friday and Saturday January 28th and 29th. He will be playing from 7 to 9 both days. Wine tasting will feature Syrah. Dinner specials both nights.


2999 N Lakeharbor Lane, Boise, Idaho 83703

Superbowl Sunday
Join us for a beer tasting Sunday February 6th starting at 2 PM. We will have the game on and be open during the game. We will have “teaser and proposition” games to entertain during the game. We will have a taco bar and baked potato bar during the game with other special tailgating foods. Please let us know if you plan on attending so we will have plenty of beer, food, and of course wine.


Wine Club
February 8th and 9th will be our wine club event this month. Both nights we will be hosting Indian Creek Winery from Kuna Idaho. This will continue our focus on family owned wineries from around the world. For $15.00 per person you will have a presentation from Indian Creek Wines, tasting of five different wines and a five course meal. This is a fun and educational event. Please make reservations early. Email us at Buzz Wine or call (208) 344-4321, Thanks. Seating is limited.

Hope to see you there. We will be there for the Super Bowl Party and the Indian Creek Winery tasting. Cheers!

Valentine’s Dinner At Home!

03 Thursday Feb 2011

Posted by in Celebrations, Main Dish, Seafood, Special Information, Thought For The Day

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Here is a great Valentine’s Dinner suggestion from the Wednesday February 2, 2011 Komo News in Seattle, Washington. This looks delicious! But first, an article explaining the dinner.

Wine and Whip Cream and Thoughts that Count
Valentine’s Day Sure Thing

TASTE – January 26, 2010


By Teri Citterman


Love it or loath it, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. And like New Year’s Eve, it’s often an expectation waiting to unravel. But take note BOYS! Minimal effort can reap you maximum reward.


This year’s trend is about intimate, at-home dining – where most importantly, the thought DOES count. The year that the German (affectionate tag for my husband) whipped up the inaugural Valentine’s Day dinner, he won points for scallops, which showed sophistication and bacon, which needs no explanation. He sautéed the scallops to butterscotch golden-brown, sprinkled salt, pinched some red pepper, threw in some white wine and whipping cream, added spinach and –Voila!


HOLD IT RIGHT THERE! Unquestionably, when wine and whip cream enter the picture, you’re looking down the barrel of an almost-sure thing. But the personal touch came when he wrapped the little globules with a bacon bow and presented the tiny love packages on a bed of balsamic-dampened mixed greens (yes, I said dampened). And the lettuce was his idea.


Uncork an elegant German Riesling, and the opportunity becomes yours to lose. If your sweetheart is anything like me (issues, and plenty of them), she won’t feel an ounce of remorse eating the little, meaty morsels, which seem more like mushrooms than a shellfish that once frolicked in the ocean. That alone is a thought worth counting. You’ll win her over, and dessert will likely be what’s for breakfast.


Chop chop!

The photo of the dinner above comes from the Komo News website. And so here is the recipe for Four Star Scallops. And try to match the dinner with one of the suggested wines. Good Luck, Guys!! Enjoy dinner.

Energy Boosting Stuffed Bell Peppers

23 Sunday Jan 2011

Posted by in Anthropology of Food, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?

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A couple of days ago, we were watching the Dr. Oz show on the local NBC station. (Robin used to babysit him!) He was showing this delicious recipe for Energy Boosting Stuffed Bell Peppers. I do love stuffed peppers. Robin can not eat them. She especially dislikes the green bell peppers. (They are not ripe, yet. They turn red or orange or yellow when ripe.)

The upper photo shows the peppers coming out of the oven. The photo to the immediate left shows the plated peppers. I think that when I make these again, I will use maybe 3/4 Teaspoon of the Chili Powder and maybe 1 1/2 Teaspoon of Cumin. But, if you like stuffed peppers, try this recipe. It is really that good. There is a link to the recipe above. Here it is listed for you to look at.

The Kitchen Diva’s Energy-Boosting Stuffed Bell Peppers


Yield: 8 servings, 2 stuffed pepper halves per serving

Ingredients:
8 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers or a mixture of all (about 4 lbs)
2 tbsp canola or olive oil, divided
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
16 oz fresh Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing or lean ground turkey (You can use pre-cooked turkey or slices of deli turkey cut into small pieces and use it in place of the turkey sausage, if desired.)
1 (16 oz) jar chunky salsa, mild or hot
2 cups fresh baby spinach, rinsed and chopped or 1 (10 oz) package chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove moisture
1 cup cooked quinoa (optional)
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese


Topping:
2 large avocados, peeled and pit removed, sliced
1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, slicing from the stem to the bottoms, leaving the stems intact. Remove the white pithy ribs near stem and down length of inside. Remove the ribs and seeds and discard. Place the peppers in a shallow 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Drizzle the peppers with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cover the dish with foil, and bake the peppers 15 to 20 minutes, until they start to soften.


Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cumin; cook until the vegetables are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a slotted spoon or potato masher, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the salsa and the spinach, and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the cooked brown rice and quinoa (optional).


Carefully fill the pepper halves with the turkey mixture. Cover the dish with foil, and bake until the filling is hot and the peppers are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove foil, and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the peppers. Return to oven; bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, about 7 to 10 minutes. Top the peppers with a heaping tablespoon of the yogurt. Place slices of the avocado on top of each pepper. Sprinkle with the basil. Serve immediately.

——————————
The second photo shows the plated peppers and the toppings and the original recipe is linked above. We hope you try and like these. A slight change from the standard hamburger and ketchup mixture. Cheers!

Mandelbrot Is Ready!

20 Thursday Jan 2011

Posted by in Dessert, Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes

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The Mandelbrot – recipe in the previous post – is ready to go into the oven. The large piece to the left of the pan, is after I took the batter from the refrigerator, divided it into 4 pieces and then flattened the piece to about 3/4 inch thick.

Close-up of the Mandelbrot after the first bake, sliced and cinnamon/sugar dusted. It is now ready to go back into the oven for it’s 20 minute drying cycle.

The finished product! Just waiting for a good, rich, strong cup of coffee or a cup of tea. I really like the almond extract in the batter and would probably add about another 1/4 teaspoon to take it to 1 3/4 t of the extract. In case you missed the recipe, Here It Is. And please, let us know if you liked them or not. If you don’t like them, you must say why. Cheers!

Mandelbrot

20 Thursday Jan 2011

Posted by in Dessert, Special Information, What's For Dinner?

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I posted a version of this Jewish dessert earlier on this blog. After doing some research on the dessert, I found that the recipe listed did not have any almond in it. I suppose that this is a family variation.

So I took the basic recipe – and the photo to the left – from The Shiksa and altered it slightly by using almond extract and course ground almonds. You can get a printable recipe by Looking Here.I have also posted the altered recipe below so you can see what was done. Enjoy! And if you do decide to try this biscotti-like dessert, please do let us know how you liked it and if you made any changes. I have some in the refrigerator now going through the 2-hour resting period. We should have some baked by about 2:00. Hmmmmm!

Mandlebrot



Yield: 35-40 mandel bread
Recipe Adapted From: http://theshiksa.com/blog/2011/01/12/bubbie-ruths-mandel-bread/

Notes: Mandelbrot cookies are an Ashkenazi Jewish dessert dating back to the early nineteenth century. Mandelbrot are closely related to the Italian cookies known as biscotti, which were first made in the Middle Ages. The word mandelbrot means almond (mandel) and bread (brot) in both German and Yiddish. In America, these tasty little cookies are known as mandel bread. Typically mandel bread are twice-baked, which makes them crispy and crunchy.

 Ingredients:
1 c Vegetable oil
1 c Sugar
3 Eggs
2 t pure Vanilla extract
1½ t Almond extract
3 c All-Purpose flour
1 t Baking powder
½ t Salt
1 c Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 c Almonds, coarsely chopped
Ground cinnamon and granulated sugar for dusting


Directions:
Mix together oil and sugar until combined, then add eggs one at a time. After the eggs are combined, add vanilla and almond extracts. Sift together all the dry ingredients and add them slowly to the sugar/egg mixture. Once the dough is smooth and sticky, pour the chocolate chips and chopped almonds in and mix. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for a few hours (at least 2) or overnight.


Lightly oil your hands and form 4 long rows with the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I line the cookie sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup). Bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes. While mandel bread is baking – In a flat shallow dish, combine ¾ cup of sugar with enough cinnamon to turn the mixture light brown. It’s best to eyeball this – it shouldn’t be too brown or too white.


Take the mandel bread out and turn the oven down to 250ºF. Slice the mandel bread into biscotti sized pieces. Carefully roll each cookie into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Put the pieces back on the cookie sheet on their sides.


Bake for another 15 minutes until they’ve achieved the texture you desire. The longer they stay in the oven, the crisper they will be. If the slices are big or wide, you might need longer than 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it and don’t over-bake, as this cookie tends to dry out quickly. Store in an airtight container.

Opening Day at "Salt Tears" In Boise!

17 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Restaurants, Salt Tears, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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Today was the Opening Day at Salt Tears in the Collister Strip Mall on State Street in Boise! It was great to see Andrea and Mitchell Maricich, although I didn’t see Mitchell there today, back in the restaurant business. And to rate this on opening day is a challenge. But our rating of 4-Stars out of 5 is well worth it. Yes, there are some bugs to fix, but that will be done. And as their advertising says, “… Salt Tears Coffeehouse and Noshery is about community, creativity, quality and comfort. Our cuisine will have a strong focus on straightforward, perfect offerings made by hand with love. Were going back to the basic dining, delicious food, featuring seasonal ingredients using local, natural and organic products whenever possible…” This was definitely achieved. The food was great. The prices were right in line and not over the top. Below are some photos that I took.It shows the openness of the seating, the bright colors and the bistro type ambiance. And Andrea told me that she will send me a schedule of events so that I can post them here. The events will be the same each day of the week, but with different musicians and specials. Look also in the future for wine tastings. Idaho’s own Angie Riff will be doing their in house wine selections. (Left-Click on any photo to get a larger view. The menus are printable.)

An overview of the kitchen area at Salt Tears.

The openness of the restaurant is obvious.

Order at the front desk as you enter. There are daily specials along with their unique menu items.

The general menu. Pricing is good.

The breakfast menu. From what I understand, breakfast is served all day.

12 oz coffee that is delicious!

Roasted Pork Shoulder Sandwich ($6.00)
roasted red onion, Kalamata olives, Dijon cream and greens

Poached Eggs Crostini ($5.00)
wilted spinach, bacon and Parmesan

Breakfast Pizzetta of the Day ($5.00)
scrambled eggs and tomatoes on puff pastry

So as you can see, dining here is an adventure … a good adventure. And look at the pricing of the entrees we had. We wish Andrea and Mitchell the best in their endeavor with Salt Tears. We will be back. (I owe Andrea some Sauerkraut!)

Happy Birthday To "the Buzz"!

16 Sunday Jan 2011

Posted by in Beef, Celebrations, Friends, Main Dish, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

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Although the fog came in on cat feet and created an eerie glow and a mysterious feeling of quiet, it was great to celebrate the 3rd Birthday of the Buzz! Congratulations to Chisti and Tommy!

Oh yes. Something else. If you need to re-supply your pantry or cookie jar with those scrumptious Girl Scout cookies, and everyone absolutely does need to re-supply your Girl Scout cookie supply, make your way to the Buzz, have Tommy make you a great cup of coffee and a sandwich, ask him for a pen and fill in Bailey’s order form for at least 12 boxes of your favorite case of Girl Scout cookies. That would make Bailey very, very happy. And if Bailey is happy …………. But for now, here is the Birthday Dinner! Thanks Cristi and Tommy for three great years.

2003 Marques De Ulta

Bœuf Bourguignon
risotto with butternut squash and potato leek soup

Chocolate Delight

And the Happy Birthday music was great!

New Restaurant Opening In Boise: "Salt Tears"

14 Friday Jan 2011

Posted by in Boise Adventures, Local Markets, Restaurants, Salt Tears, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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In the IdahoStatesman and Michael Deeds’ column Words and Deeds this morning, there was an article called Ex-Milkyway Owners Open Salt Tears Cafe and Noshery about Andrea and Mitchell Maricich, previous owners of the awesome Milkyway Restaurant in Boise, opening a new restaurant.

The good news for restaurateurs Andrea and Mitchell Maricich: They live just a few blocks away from their new cafe, Salt Tears Coffeehouse and Noshery, 4714 W. State St., so commuting will be a breeze.


The bad news? Salt Tears plans to open daily at 6:30 a.m. “I’m a night owl. It’s so scary,” Andrea Maricich admits with a chuckle. “I’m trying so hard. I set my alarm for 6 yesterday and I couldn’t even do it. I couldn’t get up. I slept till 7.”


Beginning Monday, Jan. 17, you can bet that Maricich’s kitchen-operating blood will have her bouncing out of bed. That’s when Salt Tears opens next to 20th Century Lanes bowling alley in Boise. It’s the first eatery the Mariciches have launched since closing their upscale MilkyWay restaurant Downtown in 2008. Salt Tears will not be a MilkyWay II, Maricich said.

And then from Salt Tears Facebook page,

Salt Tears Coffeehouse and Noshery is our café and coffee shop showcasing unique sandwiches, soups, salads, breakfast bites, as well as “snacks” or “noshes” (as we say) to accompany a unique selection of beer, wine and occasionally cocktails later in the day. Salt Tears will serve a simple breakfast, the best coffee in town and have an all day menu serving until evening. You are sure to find many “happy places” on our menus! The concept has been developed and brought to fruition by us, Andrea and Mitchell Maricich, formerly of The MilkyWay in Downtown Boise; our focus is on simple, high quality café food and coffee, at comfortable prices.


Salt Tears Coffeehouse and Noshery is about community, creativity, quality and comfort. Our cuisine will have a strong focus on straightforward, perfect offerings made by hand with love. Were going back to the basic dining, delicious food, featuring seasonal ingredients using local, natural and organic products whenever possible…


Breakfast will be easy and fun with five or six or maybe seven items that will hit the spot. For lunch the focus will be on lighter, delicious, homemade baguette sandwiches, fresh salads and daily soup specials. In the evening stop by for a small bite and something to wet your whistle or you can mix it up after breakfast, we have an all day menu.


We’ll have a small, but clever wine list, that will change frequently based on great values along with chalkboard offerings every day. We will be featuring house wines by local winemaker, Angie Riff of Periple Wines. Other awesome selections will be offered, by the glass, carafe, in-house bottles and retail to-go. We will also have a great selection of micro brews, domestics and imports, from near and far, and homemade sodas. The selections will be fun, interesting and reasonably priced too!


Great prices: we will strive to make wonderful food and beverages at reasonable prices. We will keep plate prices down while sticking to an exceptional level of quality, not leaving anything to be desired.


Fun Happenings: Salt Tears Coffeehouse and Noshery will be a hot spot in Boise. We will have a really interesting and ever changing calendar of events including beef cheek dinners, live music, guest featured bartender nights (yes, we will have a liquor license), wine fight nights and pairings, whole roasted pig nights (yep), cooking classes (maybe) and whatever else suits our fancy, or yours!

So there you have it. We will be trying this out when it opens. Hope you will, too! It looks like they are goingt to have an adventuresome event list and maybe menu. Cheers!

Mandlebrot Cookies

12 Wednesday Jan 2011

Posted by in Anthropology of Food, Cakes, Side Dishes, Special Information

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Here is really different food blog, Shiksa In The Kitchen. There is an ethnology that goes with the blog and the blog writer. She divulges personal connections with food in an interesting style. Be sure to read it. And from that blog we get this Mandlebrot Cookie Recipe. So, you ask, what are Mandlebrot Cookies?
From the blog, “Mandelbrot cookies are an Ashkenazi Jewish dessert dating back to the early nineteenth century. Mandelbrot are closely related to the Italian cookies known as biscotti, which were first made in the Middle Ages. The word mandelbrot means almond (mandel) and bread (brot) in both German and Yiddish. In America, these tasty little cookies are known as mandel bread. Typically mandel bread are twice-baked, which makes them crispy and crunchy. They’re perfect for dipping in your tea or coffee. Because most of the moisture is baked out of them, they also have a fairly long shelf life.

The origin of Jewish mandelbrot is a bit of a mystery, though there are many theories on how and when the cookie was adopted by Ashkenazi Jewish cooks. In the wonderful book Jewish Cooking in America, Joan Nathan writes about the history of mandelbrot cookies and their similarity to other cookies made in Europe and Eastern Europe: “With a large Jewish population in Piedmont, Italy may have been the place where Jews first tasted biscotti and later brought them to Europe where they called them mandelbrot, which literally means almond bread. In the Ukraine, a similar cookie not necessarily with almonds but made at home, thuskamish, was served. In Italy they are often eaten as a dessert dipped into wine or grappa. In Eastern Europe Jews dipped them into a glass of tea, and because they include no butter and are easily kept they became a good Sabbath dessert.” (The Shiksa In The Kitchen blog)

If all of this sounds intriguing, then follow the link above to the recipe and some more information on the treats. Give it a try. It sounds good!

"the Buzz" Season Opener

12 Wednesday Jan 2011

Posted by in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine Dinners

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“For the most wild, yet most homely narrative which I am about to pen, I neither expect nor solicit belief. Mad indeed would I be to expect it, in a case where my very senses reject their own evidence.” (“The Black Cat”, Edgar Allen Poe)

And to that end, I submit this prose about the Torres Family Wine Dinner held at the Buzz last night. But first, I would be remiss if I did not tell you the schedule for the Buzz Wine Dinners and events. At least for January. The overall program this year will feature family run wineries.
(1) January 15 – 4th Anniversary Party. Happy Birthday to the Buzz!
(2) February 6 – Super Bowl Party with a Taco and Nacho Bar.!
(3) February 8 and 9 – Wine Club Dinner – Indian Creek Winery, Kuna, Idaho

But for tonight, we had some really fantastic Torres Family Winery selections. And Debbie did another awesome job of pairing the food with the wine. The photos below are of the dinner and the wines that paired with the selection. My scores are (20), 20 being the highest. Cheers!

Puff Pastry Salmon Buddies
2008 Torres Family Vina Sol, 11.5% alc, (17), $13.00

Shrimp and Sausage Cioppino
2007 Torres Family Sangre de Toro Tempranillo, 14% alc, (17), $13.00

Curried Cous Cous Salad
2008 Torres Family Vina Esmeralda, 11.5% alc, (19), $15.00

Stout Marinated Steak
Mom’s Vegetable Medley
Spicy Roasted Potatoes
2004 Torres Family Gran Sangre de Toro, 14% alc, (18), $16.00

Poached Fruit Over Ice Cream
2006 Torres Family Gran Coronas Cabernet, 14% alc, (20), $22.00

Hope to see you at the next dinner – don’t forget to call your reservations in – and/or special event. This will be a fun year with the theme of Family Wineries that Cristi has planned. Cheers!