Jaialdi was first celebrated in 1987

30 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Celebrations, Things To Do, Thought For The Day, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

Cristi and Tom from the Buzz always send some very interesting and timely information. I thank them for sending this information on Jaialdi celebrated by the Basque Community here in Boise. This is really interesting and you may get some insight that you did not have before. Cheers!

Jaialdi 2010

Jaialdi was first celebrated in 1987 as a one time celebration in which the old and new, local and international would celebrate in an educational, cultural, traditional, and entertaining fashion. It was held at the 100 plus year old ex-Idaho State Penitentiary, that is now a state park. Jaialdi ’87 attracted approximately 30,000 visitors who thoroughly enjoyed the location, enthusiasm and high quality entertainment. The festivities included a parade, symposium, mass, street dance, sports exhibitions, dance-song-musical exhibitions, souvenir booths, food, drink, and rekindling of old friendships.

During the Idaho Centennial, Boise requested that the Basque Community once again celebrate with Jaialdi. Therefore Jaialdi ’90 was celebrated. It was then decided that Boise should celebrate Jaialdi every five years. It is always the last weekend in July to coincide with the Boise Basque communities celebration of their patron saint, San Ignacia of Loyola.

The purpose of Jaialdi is to celebrate. Jaialdi describes a week of gathering and celebrating. At Buzz this weekend we will be celebrating by enjoying some good Spanish wines, some tapas, and the music of Mountain Fever. So if you are on your way to the Fairgrounds or back down to the Basque block downtown, stop by and enjoy a Calimoto or a glass of wine with us at the Buzz.

Sincerely,

Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine

Tupelo Honey Source

28 Wednesday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Hard To Find Foods, Things To Do, Tupelo Honey

≈ 1 Comment

Thanks, Mac, for finding this on your trip to Virginia.

Yes, folks, it’s well worth the trip. Tupelo Honey is really very unique to the South and South East. The blossom of the Tupelo tree is full of nectar and a sweetness and aroma that is unmistakable. It makes an awesome honey. One can not find it in the mid-Atlantic or New England states, much less west of the Appalachians. If you would like to see their web site and store, Click Here. They have more things online than just honey. However, they do have a wide selection of honey. I have also placed a link in the sidebar. If you decide to purchase some, please do enjoy it and let us know how you like it. I know, the jar of honey pictured here says Wildflower and not Tupelo. But I checked the order page of their site and Tupelo is what you order. Looks like they did not have a copy of the Tupelo label when they made the web page. Cheers!

OK. So I couldn’t stand the possibility of misleading you on the bottle labels. On the right is the label of the bottle that Mac brought us.

From the The Virginia Touch, an online distributor, website:

The Virginia Touch is dedicated to bring you the best that Virginia has to offer.

We are constantly searching out new products to make your month water and to give you that touch of Virginia in your own home!

"the Buzz" – Forgeron Wine Dinner

26 Monday Jul 2010

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

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On 24 July we had a Forgeron Wine Dinner at the Buzz. Like I said in another blog post, I think all we did all weekend is eat and have a glass of wine or a Hendrick’s Gin and Tonic, whatever the situation called for.

All of the dinners/events were definitely fun and generally good! This wine dinner at the Buzz was a quarterly dinner – a very special event each quarter. There were some empty seats, so if you were not there, you could have been.

Here are the photos of the evening. The wines we had are also listed, with my score in (score). Just one thing to note: I messed up and did not photograph the Gazpacho Nuevo, a really delicious cold dish with cream, cucumber, water cress and some other things. So sorry!

Taco Circles

Salmon Snow Peas
Sweet and Sour Sausage Kabob
Old Bay Grilled Shrimp
Wine: 2005 Forgeron Syrah 12.5% (18) $27.00

OK. The Gazpacho Nuevo should have gone in here!
Wine (With the Gazpacho): NV Walldeaux Smithie Red 14.1% (19) $18.00
The best wine – in my opinion – of the night!

Painted Desert Roasted Salad
Wine: 2007 Walldette White 14.1% (17) $17.00

Brisket
Summer Fruit Chutney
BBQ Black and White Beans
Calabaeitas
Wine: 2005 Forgeron Zinfandel 14.2% (17) $32.00

Pear Zinfandel Ice
Berry Chocolate Meringue
Wine: 2005 Forgeron Cabernet 14.2% (16 – The nose on this was all alcohol) $27.00

Bailey – The Bell of the Ball!

See you at the next Buzz event!!!

Silver City Party – Dinner

26 Monday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Grillin' and Chillin', Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Salmon, Silver City, Things To Do, What's For Dinner?

≈ 5 Comments

That was a great weekend! High in the mountains to the south of Boise; there were little patches of snow! Absolutely perfect weather; Clear skies; Night time lows in the low 50’s made for great sleeping; Good friends; Good food, which brings me to the point. Garry Scholz, President of the Treasure Valley Wine Society, did a nice job in preparing the Saturday night dinner. Greg Barnes, Idaho Wine Merchant, did an awesome job in matching the perfect wine with each course. Well done! There were some glitches, but that is to be expected. The menu is to the left and then check out the photos of the dinner below.

Garry and Donna Scholz

Garry checks the Cornish Game Hens

Homemade Sangria

Passed Appetizers
Roasted Red Bell Peppers and Tomato Brochette

Passed Appetizers
Seasoned and Seared Scallops on Cucumber
Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Sweet and Hot Peppers
Wine: Cinder Viognier

Summer Salad
Strawberries and Baby Spinach
with
Fruit Vinaigrette and Cougar Gold Cheese
Wine: Domains des Grand Bois Rosé, Côtes du Rhone

Palate Cleanser
Raspberry Sorbet with Champagne Jelly

Main Entrée
Smoked Cornish Game Hens with a Blackberry-Port Reduction Sauce
Mixed Mushroom Risotto
Balsamic Roasted Garden Vegetables
Wine: Morgan 12 Clones Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands

Dessert
Double Dark Chocolate Tarte with Raspberry Glaze
Wine: Smith Woodhouse 2007 Vintage Port

And at 10:30 at night and as the moon rose over War Eagle Mountain, we all said, “Good night” and went our separate ways. Our tummys were full. Our hearts were happy. Our spirits were high.

"the Buzz" BBQ and Wine Dinner

23 Friday Jul 2010

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

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This just in from Cristi and Tom:

A quick note about fun things at the Buzz!
There are still a few seats available for the Forgeron BBQ dinner on Sunday night at 5:30pm. The cost is $35 per person and seating is limited. Five wines with five courses. Patty from Forgeron will be here to present the wines and everyone goes home with a Riedel glass. Call 344-4321 for reservations.

Friday and Saturday we will feature Sokol Blosor wines and Gayle Chapman will be blessing us with her fantastic music. Join us for the great wines and fantastic company. See you there.

Sincerely,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine
2999 N Lakeharbor Lane
Boise, Idaho 83703

"Farm and Wine Night" At Le Cafe de Paris

23 Friday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food Festivals

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Oh, yes! Another delightful evening for food, fun, friends and wine at Le Café de Paris and their Farm and Wine Night. The wines this time were presented by Rod de Armond of Woodriver Cellars. With our dinner, we had a 2008 Woodriver Cellars Chardonnay, which “… delivers aromas of mango, citrus and honeydew melon with hints of French oak rounded out to a crisp, elegantly balanced finish.” (Woodriver Cellars description)

Our dinner was awesome, as would be expected from this restaurant. However, there did seem to be some “floor” confusion. I think I recognized some new faces joining the waite staff. They were good, don’t get me wrong, but one could tell that they were not precisely accustomed to the routine. They missed our salad, which was brought a little later and in more of the European style of salad after the main entree. Will this keep us from returning? Not hardly! Enjoy the photos!

Ron de Armond, Woodriver Cellars, and Robin savor the intricacies of the wine. How serious are they?

On the menu it said, “Smoked Salmon”. Actually this was lox, but just as good.
Smoked Salmon
Dill Crème Fraîche, Lemon and Croustini

Local Organic Field Green Salad
Confited Cherry Tomatoes and Lemon-Tarragon Vinaigrette.

Pork Roulade
Assorted Squash, Fried Squash Blossoms and Morel Mushroom Demi-Glace

Huckleberry Shortcake
Woodriver Red Wine and Caramel Reduction and Huckleberries

Such a great evening! If you missed this, you missed a good one. And it must be noted: We did not leave the restaurant empty handed. You see, they have a bakery on the premises. We have our breakfast pastries. Can you say Chocolate and/or Almond? Cheers!

Wines For The Silver City Party

22 Thursday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Appetizers, Recipe By: Robin Young, Silver City, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food

≈ 1 Comment

Just thought I’d let you know that we hit the cellar and came up with three delightful wines to take to Silver City.

2002 Ridge Vineyard Dynamite Hill, Petite Syrah – AP: $42.00
2003 Ridge Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay – AP: $51.00
2004 Ridge Vineyard Stone Ranch Zinfandel – AP: $69.00. This is a blend of 88% Zinfandel, 12% Carignane

So there you go. This should really be a nice selection and especially for those of you who have never had a Ridge Vineyard wine. They are awesome.

To go along with this wonderful wine, Robin is, as I enter this news, preparing Oenophyle, Tyrophyle Bread Twists for the party. These little twists of bread are so very good, cheesy and spicy. Great with wine. Cheers!

Le Café de Paris – Farm and Wine Night

21 Wednesday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Main Dish, Restaurants, Things To Do, Wine and Food

≈ 2 Comments

I just received this. Hope to see you there. We’ll be there – 6:30pm.

FARM AND WINE NIGHT
Thursday, July 22

Bonjour Mes Amis!
The final produce list is in for our Farm and Wine Night (menu below). The four course gourmet menu is inspired from the delicious offerings by Sweet Valley Organics, paired with wines from Wood River Cellars, with live music to accompany dinner. Cinder Winery was previously mentioned as being our featured winery for this particular dinner, however scheduling conflicts have required us to move them to next month, where they will can be seen both at First Thursday for the book launch on Idaho Wineries, and also for our next Farm and Wine Night. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling (208)336-0889.

Bon Appetit!
Mathieu

Farm and Wine Night
Inspired By: Fresh produce/meats from – Sweet Valley Organics

Le Menu

First Course
Smoked Salmon
dill crème fraiche, lemon, croustini

Second Course
Local Organic Field Green Salad
confited cherry tomatoes, lemon-tarragon vinaigrette

Main Course
Pork Roulade
Sweet Valley Organics pork
assorted squash, fried squash blossoms, morel mushroom demi-glace

Dessert
Huckleberry Shortcake
Wood River Winery (ID) red wine and caramel reduction, huckleberries

Idaho Hotel, Silver City, ID, Weekend

21 Wednesday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Party Time, Photos, Photos By: Bob Young, Silver City, Special Dinners, Things To Do

≈ 1 Comment

Well, this weekend is the Yearly Trek To Silver City and the Friday Night Wine Party!! Supposed to be 100+ here in Boise. We’re off to the mountains. Here is the word from Jerri about the weekend. See you there!

It’s almost here!

Friday
July 23 at 7:00 PM
(6:00 PM for happiness hour!)

Wine Social in Silver City
at the Idaho Hotel

Bring a couple bottles of wine and a dish /snack to compliment the wine and share with everyone!

Remember to bring your own glass – decorate it for more fun!

Saturday – July 24 is our Wine Dinner – a delicious adventure in culinary delights and wonderful wines! Reservations are mandatory. It should be a wonderful evening!

If you have any questions, please give me a call. Remember – it takes about 2 hours to reach Silver City from Boise. Take care driving and arrive safe in Silver! Remember – no gas stations in Silver, so fill your tank before leaving Boise or Nampa. The road is in great shape and it will be cooler in Silver than Boise!

Looking forward to seeing you all in Silver!

Jerri Nelson
Idaho Hotel – Silver City
208-863-4768

And I had heard that the road was closed to Silver. I emailed Jerri and here is her reply:

Hi Jerri,
Rumor has it that the road from Murphy to Silver is closed. Is that correct? If so, how do we get there Friday? Hmmmm. Logistics.
Hugs,
Bob and Robin

——————————

Rumor! Meredith drove into Silver this morning…no problems, a few Mormon crickets on the road, but otherwise, clear sailing (or driving).
Jerri

Actually, I heard the rumor on Facebook when Jan said that she had heard it was closed. Cheers and see you in Silver City!!

Boise City Club – "Local Foods"

21 Wednesday Jul 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Local Farmers Markets, Local Harvests, Local Markets, Things To Do, Thought For The Day, What's For Dinner?

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On Tuesday, 20 July, Robin and I went to the City Club of Boise to listen to a program about Local Foods. Such a great program and it complimented the PBS program on Outdoor Idaho, Local Food. The panel consisted of Janie Burns, from Meadowlark Farms and Dave Krick, from the Red Feather Lounge and the Bittercreek Alehouse in Boise. The moderator was Marsha Franklin of Dialog on IPTV – Idaho Public Television.

Some very interesting points were brought our during the discussion:

95% of the food in Idaho is imported from other places. We only eat 5% of the foods grown locally in Idaho.
The 20/20 Program. By 2020 in Idaho try to eat 20% locally grown foods
2011 will be the Year of Idaho Food
Cities in the US that have Directors of Food (There are others)