Sauerkraut, Part I

11 Sunday Apr 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Recipes, Restaurant Reviews, Sauerkraut

I made 2 pints – 4 half-pints – of kraut back around the first of the year and gave some to a few people to try. It was OK if they did not like it, but I had to know why. I now have 14 lbs in “getting happy” with some minor changes. (Robin gave me a great Kraut Crock for Christmas) Here is the first reply to the tasting so far. Two more to go.

Hi, You Two,

I have just eaten the best, most delicious sauerkraut I have ever tasted in my whole life—a mere 29 years—and I’m sure you can guess who made it. Wow! That is terrific; absolutely wonderful. I am running out of superlatives, but, no kidding, it was the best. Can I get on your Sauerkraut Donation list? Here is how I made it: boiled red potatoes until just barely tender, drained water, added hot Louisiana sausages, your sauerkraut, a bit of brown sugar and a sliced apple. To die for. Our stomachs are bulging, we can barely move, but Bob and I are happy campers—we ate the whole thing.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful sauerkraut with us—I need to return your jar. See you next Wednesday—I’m sure I will still be raving.

Hugs,
Gail

Once I get the recipe down and the technique corrected, I will post the results here. Until then, think Pork Mit Kraut! Cheers.

Boise Sourdough Starter, Part I

09 Friday Apr 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Bread, Food Prep, Sourdough

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I have been asked to keep everyone informed about the progress of the Sourdough Starter I am making. The technique comes from the Boudin Bakery in San Francisco. Just the technique – not the starter. The photo here is at Step #4 in the directions as listed below. It looks like I will not be able to start any bread until 12 or 13 April. Maybe I’ll call it Celebration Sourdough Starter in honor of 15 April. You know, “Read it and weep.” At anyrate, here is the proceedure as of now. Enjoy!

Boise Sourdough Starter
or
Celebration Sourdough Starter

Directions: (See Notes Below)
1. (04/06/10) In a mound of flour, make a small well and add the water.
2. Slowly mix the flour and the water, bringing more flour into the center of the well. The mixture will gradually transform from a paste into a small piece of dough.
3. Knead this small piece of dough with your fingers for about 5–8 minutes, until it becomes springy.
4. (04/09/10) Place the dough in a small bowl, cover it with a damp towel, and let it sit in a warm spot for 2 or 3 days.
5. When it’s ready, the dough will be moist, wrinkled, and crusty. If you pull off a piece of the crust, you’ll find tiny bubbles and smell a sweet aroma.
6. Throw away any hardened crust. “Refresh” the remaining piece by mixing it with twice the original amount of flour and enough water to make a firm dough. Set aside as before.
7. (04/11/10) After 1 or 2 days the starter will have a new, fresh look. Remove any dried dough and mix with about 1 cup of flour. (See photo on Left Above)
8. Once again, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place for another 8–12 hours.
9. When the starter is ready, it will appear fully risen, and a small indentation made with a finger won’t spring back.

Notes:
1. The (Dates) represent the days that I performed the stated tasks.
2. Step #4 (04/09/10). I added 1 c King Arthur flour and 10 T of water. I placed the starter in a bowl and covered it with a warm, damp towel.
3. This starter is the same starter that Boudin Bakery in San Francisco uses. They have had theirs since 1849.

Maharajah’s Mince Lamb Curry (Bhēra karī), Part II

09 Friday Apr 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Indian Cooking, Interesting Information, Lamb, Things To Do

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Here are our completed dishes for Maharajah’s Mince Lamb Curry (Bhēra karī). If you look for the post, by the same name, earlier today, you will find the recipe.
I was amazed at how delicious this is! The spices were balenced just right. I did adjust them somewhat, and I did add the Red Pepper Flakes.

I also used fresh garlic and ginger and raised that amount a little. The Curry powder and the Garam Masala were also increased. I think this is an awesome dish and I will make it again.

The top photo is the meal cooking. The bottom photo is the meal plated. I used a good Basmati rice. Cheers and if you make this, please let us know how it came out for you and how you liked it.

April In Paris …….

08 Thursday Apr 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Pizza, Things To Do, Wine and Food

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Ahhhh. At least at the Le Cafe de Paris in Boise. Here is their April schedule. Left-Click on the graphic and get a Full Screen view. Enjoy!!

Check out these specials!!

Maharajah’s Mince Lamb Curry (Bhēra karī )

08 Thursday Apr 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Curry, Lamb, Main Dish, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes, Things To Do

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Having spent a year in India, Rajasthan to be specific, there are certain elements of Indian food that still entice the senses. Sight being one and aroma being another and, in this case, word association with a given recipe. Never, ever had beef in India. It was probably goat or mutton – which is old lamb and not the same!
But this recipe just triggered some of those responses. So …… tonight this is what we are having. I have everything here to make this – I just pulled some ground lamb from the freezer. If you want a printable recipe, just Click Here. In the meantime, here is the recipe. Enjoy!! I have converted the metric weights and measures to pounds and ounces where necessary.

Maharajah’s Mince Lamb Curry (Bhēra karī)

Sources: http://www.maharajahschoice.com/recipes.php?group_id=4, http://www.spice-india.com/2009/03/keema-mattar-keema-matar.html , http://www.spice-india.blogspot.com
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon of oil
500g minced lamb (1½ lbs)
½ cup of water
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1½ T curry powder
½ can of 400 ml (13.5oz) tinned tomatoes
1 large onion chopped (or equal quantity of Maharajah’s Fried Dehydrated Onion)
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon of stock powder – optional
½ cup of Frozen Peas
1 T Garam Masala
Small pinch Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:
Heat oil (to medium heat) and fry onions (if using fresh onions) until golden brown.
Add minced garlic and ginger, fry for about 1 minute then add curry powder and fry for approx. 2 more minutes stirring constantly. Make sure that heat is not too high and curry powder fries (not burns).
Add minced meat and water. Stir until mince is separated.
Add tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt (and or stock powder), garam masala and dehydrated onions (if fresh are not used earlier).
Cook on low heat for about 30 to 45 minutes.
Add frozen peas, warm through.
Serve with rice or bread.
This recipe makes very good filling for jaffles and is also delicious on toast.

Note: The appliance is known by various names around the world, including toasted sandwich maker or jaffle iron in Australia and South Africa, toastie maker or toastie pie maker in the United Kingdom. Breville, manufacturers of some of the earliest sandwich toasters, is sometimes used eponymously.
Typical toasted sandwiches are a grilled cheese sandwich, tuna melt, or patty melt. Toasted sandwiches are also known by various names. They are frequently called toasties in Britain, brevilles, jaffles in Australia (also brevilles in South Africa) or toasties in New Zealand. Jaffles are so named after the original jaffle iron (U.S. English: “pie iron”). Sandwich toasters are less common in the United States where grilled cheese sandwiches are more popular.
Sandwich toasters are notorious for being used relatively little, because of their specialised nature. A survey carried out in 2005 suggested that 45% of British adults owned but did not use sandwich toasters.

Rustic Sourdough Bread, Part II

07 Wednesday Apr 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Bread, Classics, Food Prep, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes

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OK, so here we go. I have posted this recipe before on this blog. But this version has some changes which I like much better. No necessarily different ingredients, but rather an altered technique. Here are some suggestions:
1). The 1st rise calls for 90 minutes. Don’t cut this short!
2). I divided the batch into two loaves at the 1st rise and placed them in a warm oven (the oven light on) to achieve the rise. Works extremely well.
3). I literally “poured” the dough
into 2 loaf pans and did not punch down between the 1st and 2nd rises. I just gently shaped the loaves and did not deflate.
4). The 2nd rise calls for 1 hour. Again, I did not cut this short. The loaves rose in their respective loaf pans.
I think the bread came out just fine. The crumb is what I am looking for. The taste is good, although not heavily “sour”. (Add 1 teaspoon of citric acid – vitamin C – if you want more sour or let your starter ferment longer.)

So enough of the “gibberish! I think the photos do the bread justice! Here is a direct link to the recipe, if you would like to print it out. Rustic Sourdough Bread Enjoy the bread and be sure to let us know how it comes out. And as a side note, my niece, Beth, tried the Cobb Salad the other day and her husband said it was the best salad he has ever had. Kudos to Beth!!

Rustic Sourdough Bread

Ingredients – Starter Feed:
1 c Starter, give away or make pancakes
½ c Water, 100°F
1 T Honey, use a light, floral honey. Tupelo is good.
1 t Active Dry Yeast
1 c King Arthur Unbleached All- Purpose Flour

Ingredients – Bread Dough:
12/3 c Water, 100°F
2 t Active Dry Yeast
2 T Honey, use a light, floral honey. Tupelo is good.
2½ t Salt
2 c Refreshed Starter
4 c King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Starter Feed:
1). Remove 1 cup of your starter and either give it away and let a friend start their own or make pancakes or waffles.

2). Add:
½ c 100°F Water
1 c King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose flour
Pinch Yeast

Stir to completely blend and let sit 12 hours before using.

Bread Dough:
1). Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.

2). Allow the dough to rise, in a covered bowl, until it’s doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

3). Gently divide the dough in half; it’ll deflate somewhat.

4). Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

5). Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.

6). Make two fairly deep horizontal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.

7). Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it’s a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Preparation Time: 13 hours
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 14 hours

Rosemary Lamb Noisettes

06 Tuesday Apr 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Food, Food Prep, Lamb, Lava Lake Lamb, Local Harvests, Main Dish, Recipes

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Here is the recipe for Lamb using Lava Lake Lamb out of Hailey, Idaho. Now this reall looks good!!! The source for the recipe is Use Real Butter (dot) Com. Or you can get recipes directly from Lava Lake Lamb.

Lava Lake Land & Livestock, L.L.C.
P.O. Box 2249
Hailey, Idaho 83333
1.888.528.5253

Full Disclosure: I received a 9-ounce lamb tenderloin, 1-pound lamb loin chops, and 2-pounds of lamb shanks from Lava Lake Ranch with no obligation on my part.

Rosemary Lamb Noisettes

modified from Cooks Recipes

Ingredients:
16 oz boneless lamb tenderloin (usually 2), with silver skin removed
1 1/2 tsps fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (optional – I omitted this)
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsps olive oil
rosemary sprigs

Directions:
1). Trim any silver skin from the tenderloin and set aside.
2). In a shallow bowl combine the rosemary, pepper, and salt (I used freshly ground pink Himalayan salt). Add the flour if you are using. Coat the tenderloins on all sides with the mixture.
3). Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium flame. When the oil is hot, add the lamb and sear on all sides for 3-4 minutes. For rare, I let the internal temperature reach 115°F. For medium rare, I think you want the internal temperature to get to 125°F.
4). Remove from heat and let the lamb rest for five minutes. The temperature will continue to rise a bit. Slice the tenderloins into medallions and serve with rosemary garnish.

Serves 4.

"Rudy’s – A Cooks Paradise" Food Trivia

06 Tuesday Apr 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Anthropology of Food, Food, Food Trivia, Rudy's Twin Falls, Thought For The Day, Trivia

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By now, I suppose that you anxiously await each month the Food Trivia from Rudy’s – A Cooks Paradise in Twin Falls. This is an interesting month, because it includes an ancient delight – Twinkies!! Some of these trivia points of interest are amazing. I don’t know who keeps these “records”, but it would be interesting to see their library. Oh! There will be a surprise at the end of the trivia list. Cheers!

This Week in the History of Food & Drink

April 5, 1774: The Sugar Act passed in Britain, placing new restrictions on the import of molasses to America.

April 6, 1930: Twinkies go on sale for the first time. I wonder how they tasted back in 1930, before they had ingredients like this. The BBC article calls the ingredient list a “veritable who’s who of the chemical world”. Instead, why not try the Homemade Twinkie recipe below!

April 7, 1948: The World Health Organization was established.

April 8: St. Walter of Pontnoise’s Day, patron of vintners.

April 9, 1850: William Prout died. An English chemist, he was the first to classify food components into 3 main divisions – carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

April 10, 1633: Bananas were supposedly displayed in the shop window of merchant Thomas Johnson. This was the first time the banana had ever been seen in Great Britain. It would be more than 200 years before they were regularly imported.
In 1999 remains of a banana were found at a Tudor archaeological site on the banks of the Thames River. This would seem to date it 150 years earlier than Thomas Johnson’s banana. A classic food mystery!

——————————

And as promised, a “treat surprise”! Thanks to Rudy’s for the recipe and the photo.

Homemade Twinkies

Ingredients:
1 Cup Cake Flour
¾ Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Baking Powder
3 Eggs
¼ Cup Milk

Directions:
Whisk together the dry ingredients. Add eggs and continue to whisk to combine (or use a hand or stand mixer). Add half the milk. If the batter is too thick, gradually add the rest of the milk until the batter is thick, but easily pourable. Divide batter into nine mini loaf pans.Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes and invert onto wire cooling racks. Cool completely.

To add filling (recipe follows), fill half a pastry bag & tip with the filling. Poke each loaf three times, squeezing out icing while pulling up and out. Stop pressure prior to pulling the tip out completely. If the cream overflows a little, use a butter knife/spatula to carefully scrape off.

For the Filling

Ingredients:
½ Cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
1 Cup Confectioners Sugar
2 Cups Marshmallow Cream Such As Marshmallow Fluff
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2-3 Tbsp. Milk

Directions:
Beat together all the ingredients in a bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto

03 Saturday Apr 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Recipes, Rice Products, Seafood, Things To Do

≈ 1 Comment

Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto and Fennel Salad

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups risotto)

Ingredients:
· 3 cups fat-free, low sodium chicken stock
· 1 cup water
· 2 teaspoons olive oil
· 2 3/4 cups chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion (about 2 medium)
· 1 cup Arborio rice
· 2 garlic cloves, minced
· 1 3/4 cups (1/2-inch) slices asparagus (about 8 ounces)
· 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces
· 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
· 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
· 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation:
1. Bring broth and 1 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 30 minutes total).
3. Stir in asparagus and shrimp; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and remaining ingredients.

Fennel salad:
Combine 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper in a large bowl. Add 6 cups torn romaine lettuce and 1 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb; toss well to coat.

Nutritional Information
Calories:426
Fat:8.9g (sat 3.6g,mono 2.8g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:33g
Carbohydrate:53.5g
Fiber:5.1g
Cholesterol:189mg
Iron:4.5mg
Sodium:668mg
Calcium:194mg

Cobb Salad Recipe

02 Friday Apr 2010

Posted by Bob and Robin in Classics, Party Time, Photos, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes, Salad

≈ 1 Comment

Last night at the Le Cafe de Paris in Boise, we had a wonderful Cobb Salad. I do not like a bleu, or blue, cheese, but this was an awesome salad. Here is the recipe and some information. Cheers!

“Cobb salad is the quintessential American salad, first pulled together on a whim by Robert Cobb of the former Los Angeles landmark Brown Derby restaurant when he needed to feed Sid Grauman late one night (1937). It was such a hit, movie stars started requesting “Cobb’s salad”, and soon its popularity spread. The original Brown Derby restaurant on Wilshire Blvd. was eventually torn down in the 80s, like so many downtown LA landmarks – Perinos, the Ambassador Hotel – leaving a swath of strip malls in their place. I fondly remember the Brown Derby. It was in the shape of huge brown hat (you couldn’t miss it) and within a few blocks of where we lived when I was a kid. Ah well, big brown hat gone, but thank goodness the salad remains, a legacy of the Golden Era of Hollywood.” (Simply Recipes, Cobb Salad Recipe)

Cobb Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
½ head of Romaine
½ head of Boston lettuce
1 small bunch of Frisée (curly endive)
½ bunch of Watercress, coarse stems discarded

All lettuces should be rinsed, spun or patted dry, and coarsely chopped

6 slices of Bacon
2 ripe Avocados, seed removed, peeled, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 whole skinless boneless Chicken Breast (about ¾ pound total), halved, cooked, and diced
1 Tomato, seeded and chopped fine
2 hard-boiled large Eggs, separated, the yolk finely chopped and the white finely chopped
2 T chopped fresh Chives
1/3 c Red-Wine Vinegar
1 T Dijon-style Mustard
1-2 t Sugar
Salt and pepper
2/3 c Olive Oil
½ c finely grated Roquefort Bleu cheese or Maytag Blue Cheese (This is the one I liked!)

Directions:
1) In a large salad bowl, toss together well the various lettuces and watercress.
2) Cook the bacon in a skillet on medium heat until crisp on both sides. Remove from skillet and lay out on paper towels to absorb the excess fat. Allow the bacon to cool. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
3) Compose the salad. Arrange the chicken, the bacon, the tomato, and the avocado decoratively over the greens and garnish the salad with the grated egg and the chives.
4) In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, the mustard, and salt and pepper to taste, add the oil in a slow stream, whisking, and whisk the dressing until it is emulsified. Stir in the Roquefort. Add sugar to taste, ½ teaspoon at a time. Whisk the dressing. Serve separately or toss in with the salad.

Serves 4.