Good Way To Start A New Year!

03 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by Bob and Robin in Lamb, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes, Vegetables, What's For Dinner?

≈ 3 Comments

So now he new year has started. And today, we made our first “from scratch” dinner. Not your traditional fried chicken, potatoes with gravy and peas; Not your Sunday, Old Folks dinner. Rather, Lamb Chops with a Cream and Mustard Reduction, Whole Baby Beets and a Carrot/Parsnip Vegetable Medley.

This might be the year of the sauce. Be fun to work on them this year. The cream and mustard reduction was not hard. In the pan that you slowly cooked the lamb chops, with an sea salt, fresh pepper, olive oil, rosemary, garlic and pomegranate vinegar marinade, deglaze the pan with a good white wine and reduce to 3 Tablespoons. Pour in 1 cup of heavy cream mixed with 3 Tablespoons of mustard. I used a Löwensenf Bavarian Style Sweet Mustard. Over a medium flame, reduce until the sauce is thickened. Spoon over the chops.

The vegetables Carrot/Parsnip Vegetable Medley is shredded carrots and parsnips, olive oil and sunflower seeds. Steam until soft. Here is a photo of the dinner. We enjoyed it.

Braised Lamb Chops
with
mustard cream reduction

Whole Baby Beets

Carrot/Parsnip Vegetable Medley

2007 Davis Creek Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

A Note From "The Buzz"

31 Friday Dec 2010

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

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Bob and Robin,

We hope that Santa was extra nice to everyone this past week. We are looking forward to a wonderful and safe 2011. We will be celebrating New Year’s Eve at the Buzz starting at 6:30 we will be featuring an all you eat buffet with a variety of foods. There will be wine tasting featuring two cavas and fun red wines. The games will be out for challenging each other and as always it will be fantastic company and great fun. Hope to see everyone, whether its for the entire evening or just stop by for a toast with friends as you are heading home or away from home. We are wishing you a safe and fantastic 2011.

All the best to you and your family,
Cristi and Tom Takeda

Buzz Coffee and Wine

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Thank-You Tom and Cristi. We have thoroughly enjoyed the past several years at the Buzz and we are looking forward to the program again in 2011. To you and the entire staff at the Buzz, we wish you a great 2011 and we will see you next year! And with that, I leave you with this:

“A hangover is the wrath of grapes.” — Author unknown

“May I always have the strength to enjoy all my weaknesses! — Robin’s Mother

Happy New Year Everyone!

Fagiolini alla Panna

30 Thursday Dec 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Anthropology of Food, Italian Food, What's For Dinner?

≈ 2 Comments

On one of the blogs I read, Memorie di Angelina, I received this recipe. Very timely. Robin has a pot of green beans on the stove. This really looks good. And for those who need a translation, Fagiolini alla Panna translates as Green Beans In Cream Sauce, I think. Anyway, here is the copied recipe and the Original Recipe.

Fagiolini alla Panna

Source: http://memoriediangelina.blogspot.com/
Servings: 6
Notes: When most people (myself included) think of Italian style green beans, fagiolini in umido (green beans in tomato sauce) is likely to come to mind or perhaps fagiolini all’agro, a simple green bean salad. Here is a less well known but perfectly delicious dish from Lombardia that I recent came across while perusing a little cookbook called La cucina lombarda by Alessandro Molinari Pradelli: green beans simmered in cream. I can almost guarantee that once you try this, it will become a regular part of your repertoire!

Ingredients:
1 kg (2 lbs.) green beans
A shallot, fine chopped
50g (3 Tbs) butter (or more if you’re feeling indulgent)
2 dl (3/4 cup) cream (or as much as you need)
Nutmeg
Salt and pepper
A handful of parsley, finely chopped

Directions:
Trim off the ends of your green beans, then plunge them into a big pot of well-salted boiling water. Cook them until they are quite al dente, remembering that they will cook some more later. This should take no more than 5 minutes or so, depending on the size and quality of the beans.

While the green beans are boiling away, gently sweat your chopped shallot in the butter in an ample skillet or sauté pan until soft but not browned.

Transfer the green beans from the boiling water right into the skillet and mix them well with the butter and shallot soffritto. [NB: If you like, you can ‘refresh’ the green beans in cold water before adding them to the skillet, which will help them retain their color, but being a bit lazy I often skip this step.] Raise the flame just a bit and let the green beans braise for a few minutes, stirring frequently, so they can absorb the flavors of the soffritto.

Now add your cream, enough to just about cover the beans. Season with salt, pepper and nice scrape of nutmeg. Raise the flame a bit more so that the cream bubbles fairly vigorously. Continue stirring from time to time, and simmer until the cream has thickened into a saucy consistency. Taste and adjust for seasoning if need be.

Mix in the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

NOTES: The great thing about this dish, as for any braised vegetable dish, is that you can use green beans that may have been around for a while without much trouble. That is, in fact, what I did this time and I can tell you the results were more than satisfactory.

This makes for a fine contorno for grilled meats, in particular. I would not serve it, on the other hand, with a braised meat dish. And I actually had it as a vegetarian lunch one day, with a nice chunk of crusty bread.

All About Caviar

29 Wednesday Dec 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Caviar, Special Information, Wine and Food

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Caviar! That mysterious, fishy treat from the Caspian Sea. “Too expensive for me!” “I hate fish.” Maybe this article from About (dot) com will help to dispel some of the “bad rap” that caviar gets. Bet you never knew it was served in the saloons of the Old West, did you? Hmmm. Rough, tough cowboys eating caviar. Wonder if Billy The Kid or Kit Carson or Wyatt Earp ever ate caviar?

All About Caviar
By Brett Moore, About.com Guide

Caviar was once served as an appetizer in saloons of the Old West. In another time it was considered extremely valuable and only suitable to be served to royalty and the upper class. But what exactly is caviar? Why is it so highly prized and so expensive? Here are the facts on where caviar comes from and what all the fuss is about. Definition
Caviar refers to the salted eggs (roe) of the fish species, sturgeon. Caviar comes from the Persian word Khaviar which means “bearing eggs”. Some eggs from other species ( such as salmon, paddlefish, whitefish, and lumpfish) may be labeled caviar if the name of the fish is included. The three main types of caviar beluga, sevruga, and osetra, refer to the sturgeon species the caviar comes from. …

To read the rest of the article, look at Caviar Facts. It is really an interesting article and one worth reading. Cheers!

Party Time!

29 Wednesday Dec 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

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Quite often we are at a loss as to what to bring to a New Year’s Eve Party. And too, we are often asked to bring some champagne or other sparkling wine. Here are some suggestions: (1) Crispy Udon Noodles with Nori Salt paired with a NV Jacques Lassaigne Les Vignes de Montgeux Blanc de Blancs, (2) Hush Puppies with Remoulade served with a NV Alfred Gratien Blanc de Blancs Brut or (3) Potato Pancakes with Smoked Salmon, Caviar and Dill Cream served with a well-structured, Pinot Noir-dominated Champagne: Lamiable Grand Cru Brut.

All of these recipes, photos and champagne suggestions, and more, can be found at Food and Wine Champagne Parings. Have fun with these treats, drink responsibly and be safe.

Have A
Happy New Year Party
and a
Great 2011!

Ode To A Fruitcake

28 Tuesday Dec 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Cakes, Dessert, Recipes

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There have not been many fruitcakes that I have thoroughly enjoyed, but here is one! And besides that, the comments on the recipe are great! This is definitely a Holiday Treat, but be aware that it takes some time to make it properly. Take your time and use a good rum or whatever you choose. Cheers!

Gail Says …. I am going to put this recipe in my Family Cookbook with Robin’s poem included. That is such a super poem—what a talent!

And then there are some great comments by Robin:

Robin´s Comments and Poem: Your Fruitcake is “The Redeemer” of all the fruitcakes I have ever tasted – Yours brings a quality of respectability that resurrects my faith in fruitcake. Yours being an honorable substance – worthy of lingering and analyzing – and then writing at least a salute if not a sonnet.

And here is her poem. It is awesome. Enjoy!

Ode To A Fruitcake
By Robin Young

Fruitcake, fruitcake, oh where have you been all my life?
Handmade maiden friend of a famed critic’s wife.
Golden and cunning with nuts barely tropical,
Aged in the juice of southern Caribbean,
Tender assortment of fruits once dried, now revived.
I know at last why I am glad to be alive!

Oh yes! Here is The Recipe. Thank you so very much Gail for sharing this. It is truely awesome.

Pork mit Kraut For New Years!

23 Thursday Dec 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Pork, Sauerkraut, Special Information

≈ 1 Comment

One of my several mailing lists sent this article. YUM-O!

Sauerkraut May Bring the Good Luck We Need
This New Year’s Eve and for 2011!

Eating sauerkraut on New Year’s is an old Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. It’s said to bring good luck. The traditional meal consists of pork and sauerkraut served together, with the sauerkraut representing luck and the pig representing rooting into the New Year.

Visit Sauerkraut Recipes to see a video recipe of the traditional Pork and Sauerkraut dinner.

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Here is a Pork mit Kraut recipe from the Sauerkraut Recipes site. Start the New Year right. Enjoy!

Pork and Sauerkraut, New Year’s Good Luck Dinner

Source: Josef Karst of Pittsburgh, PA

Ingredients:
5 lbs [bone in] Pork shoulder
4 lbs Snow Floss Sauerkraut, or your home made kraut
1 med Yellow Onion, rough chopped
4 med Apples
2 Bay leaves
1 T Juniper Berries
¼ cup Sugar
1 t Fresh ground white pepper
2 c Dry White Wine
1 c Water
2 T Sea Salt
¼ c Vegetable oil

Directions:
Split and season the pork shoulder with salt and pepper

Sear the pork shoulder on all sides in the hot oil [use a heavy 2 gallon sauce pot with a heavy tight fitting lid]

Move the seared pork on a platter and sauté the onion in the sauce pot. Add the sauerkraut to the onions, de core the apples and place the apples into the pot. Deglaze all with the white wine, add the sugar, bay leaves and juniper berries. Place the seared pork on top of the sauerkraut and add the cup of water. Cover all with the tight fitting lid and place for 4 hours into a preheated 325ºF conventional oven.

You are almost ready for dinner, set a nice table with fresh German rye bread, mashed potatoes, horseradish and mustard, do not open the lid until everybody sits down!

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Oh my! I can smell the kraut cooking and I can taste the sweet/sour taste of the kraut mixed with the potatoes. Smells of my Mother’s kitchen in the cool, fall air. Such a beautiful memory! Cheers!

Seasons Greetings!

22 Wednesday Dec 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Anthropology of Food, Food Trivia, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Events

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Robin and I take this opportunity to wish all of our readers of the blog

Happy Holidays

and

Seasons Greetings

And with that in mind, I thought it appropriate to add these articles to this page. Cheers and have a great season!

I received this information from Rudy’s – a cook’s paradise in Twin Falls, Idaho.

December 25: Merry Christmas!

Some interesting, not to mention downright gaudy meals that royal-types past have eaten on Christmas Day:

1213 King John of England ordered 3,000 capons, 1,000 salted eels, 400 hogs, 100 pounds of almonds and 24 casks of wine for his Christmas feasts.

1252 Henry III hosts 1,000 knights and nobles at York. 600 oxen are consumed.

1415 England’s Henry V orders food distributed to the citizens of Rouen who are trapped by his siege. Henry himself dines on roast porpoise.

1512 The Duke of Northumberland was served 5 swans for Christmas dinner.

1580 The Christmas feasts of Sir William Petrie includes 17 oxen, 14 steers, 29 calves, 5 hogs, 13 bucks, 54 lambs, 129 sheep and one ton of cheese.

1714 England’s King George I has his first Christmas pudding, made with 5 pounds of suet and 1 pound of plums.

1852 A 446 pound baron of beef was served to Queen Victoria and the royal family.

1805…and then we have American explorer Zebulon Pike. Pike celebrated Christmas by allowing “two pounds extra of meat, two pounds extra of flour, one gill of whiskey, and some tobacco, to each man, in order to distinguish Christmas Day.”

Here’s to hoping your Christmas meal is exactly what you want it to be.

December 26: Kwanzaa begins (December 26th- January 1)

December 27: National Fruitcake Day. (Either beloved or despised… still a reason to celebrate!)

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Recipe of the Week:

Coffee Fruit Cake

Gourmet Magazine, October 2005

3 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 lb dried currants (3 1/3 cups)
1 lb raisins (3 cups)
1 cup lukewarm strong coffee
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs
1 cup molasses (not robust or blackstrap)

Special equipment: 2 (9- by 5- by 3-inch) loaf pans

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F. Brush loaf pans lightly with oil, then line bottom and sides with foil, pressing corners to help adhere.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg into a large bowl.

Toss currants and raisins with 2 tablespoons flour mixture in a bowl. Stir together coffee and baking soda in a small bowl until dissolved.

Beat together with butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in molasses. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and coffee mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just smooth. Fold in dried fruit mixture.

Divide batter between loaf pans and smooth tops by gently rapping bottom of each pan against counter.

Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of each cake comes out clean, 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 hours (cakes may sink slightly in center). Cool pans on racks 10 minutes, then loosen foil from sides of pans with knife and turn out cakes onto racks. Peel off foil and cool cakes completely, about 3 hours.

——————————
Ode to Fruitcake

Fruitcake, fruitcake, oh where have you been all my life?
Handmade maiden friend of a famed critic’s wife.
Golden and cunning with nuts barely tropical,
Aged in the juice of southern Caribbean,
Tender assortment of fruits once dried, now revived.
I know at last why I am glad to be alive!

So do enjoy these article and the holidays! Cheers!

Country Pâté – Pâté Maison Terrine

20 Monday Dec 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Special Information

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As Robin stated in her blog, Vignette, here is the recipe for Pâté Maison Terrine by Mathieu Choux of Le Café de Paris in Boise. This is an awesome pâté. Enjoy it!

Country Pâté
(Pâté Maison Terrine)

Source: Mathieu Choux, Le Café de Paris, Boise

Ingredients:
4 lb pork
4 lb pork back fat
4 lb chicken liver
1 cup chopped shallots
½ cup chopped garlic
100g (3.5 oz) salt
50 grams (2 oz) pepper

Directions:
Grind everything through a meat grinder. Mix everything together.

In a separate bowl mix:
2 eggs
½ quart milk
2 spoons of corn starch
2 spoons heavy cream

Mix both mixtures together. Wrap in plastic wrap and then put in a rectangular mold.
Put the molds in a pan at least 2″ deep. Fill up the pan with water and then put the pan in the oven at 350F. It is cooked when a knife stuck in the middle come out and feels hot to the lip. Usually around 45 minutes for an 8″ long pate

Take out of the oven. Make or buy chicken bouillon, add gelatine leaves (15 per quart)
Remove gently the plastic wrap. Pour chicken bouillon on pate, refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy with bread the next day. Bon Appétit … I hope this is not too confusing …

Have a good Christmas,

Mathieu Choux

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Thank-You Mathieu for sharing this recipe. It is really appreciated as this was an awesome treat. Enjoy! We did. For a printable recipe, look here: Pâté Maison Terrine.

Yes It Was Robin’s Day!

19 Sunday Dec 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Flying Pie Pizza, Food, Food Prep, Photos By: Bob Young, Pizza, Pizza and Brew, What's For Dinner?

≈ 1 Comment

And that it was at Flying Pizza Pizzaria on State Street in Boise. Margaret and Robin standing below the Flying Pie Pizzaria sign that announces her day! Even though it was rainning, 0.19″ per hour, it was a great party and we thank Flying Pie Pizzaria for the opportunity to make Robin’s Special Pizza. But here, look at the photos and see the fun all of us had. And when you are in Boise, stop in at Flying Pie Pizzaria for a pizza, salad and fantastic beer!