23 Monday Nov 2009
Posted in Photos By: Bob Young, Recipe By: Robin Young, Recipes, Things To Do
Here is a Rainbow Chard Mediterranean Style Salad. Rainbow chard, pine nuts and raisins. Serve this salad warm
The Bok Choy and Pomegranate Salad is full of bok choy, avocado, pomegranate seeds and with a pink grapefruit dressing. Serve this one cold. Of the two, I preferred this one.
23 Monday Nov 2009
Posted in Celebrations, Food Trivia, Rudy's Twin Falls, Thought For The Day, Trivia
It is great to get these food trivia articles from Rudy’s. Here is the latest one for Thanksgiving week. Enjoy!
November 23, 1921: President Harding signs the Willis Campell Act, which prohibits doctors from prescribing beer or liquor.
November 24, 1762: The first written record of the word ‘sandwich’. Edward Gibbons Journal, 11/24/1762: ‘I dined at the Cocoa Tree… Twenty or thirty of the first men in the kingdom…supping at little tables…upon a bit of cold meat, or a Sandwich.’- I’ll give a toast to Mr. Gibbons when I snack on a turkey sandwich this Friday.
November 25, 1884: John Mayenberg, of St. Louis, Missouri, patented evaporated milk.
November 26, 2009: Happy Thanksgiving!
November 27, 1924: The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was originally called a Christmas Parade.
November 28, 1863: Thanksgiving was first celebrated as a regular American Holiday.
November 29: National Chocolate Day
Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving!!
22 Sunday Nov 2009
Posted in Buy Idaho, Lamb, Local Farmers Markets, Things To Do
There seems to be a lot of traffic on this blog looking at the Lamb recipes. Also, several weeks ago, I had some folks asking where to buy lamb in the Boise area. Here are three suggestions.
Here is the first local business that specializes in lamb and lamb products. Before Robin and I started to buy our lamb from a 4-H student we know, we bought it from Meadowlark Farms. This is very good lamb.
We have had some of their lamb and, from what I remember, it was good. Actually, I think that either of these suppliers will give you an excellent product. It will probably be personal choice from here.
If you live out of the area, you will probably have to contact them directly and I think they will do you well. But for now, let’s clear something up. If you notice, at each card description I stated that the lamb was “good”. 
By “good” I mean that there is No gamey taste. No old mutton taste. I do believe that if you say you don’t like lamb, it is because what you have eaten in the past was mutton. Yes, mutton is strong flavored. No doubt about it. But like goat and wine, “It’s a matter of time”. (There’s a strange comparison) The older the lamb or goat, the stronger the flavor of the meat and it does change over time.
Another good source of food information is Guy Hand’s NPR program NW Food News. Check out his web site.
And finally, another source right here on the Internet is Michael Boss’ Behind The Menu site. Michael is trying very hard to bring the consumer an educated choice on where to eat and general information about food, food products and food producers. Both he and Guy Hand are also firm believers in the Buy Idaho program. Look at the Behind The Menu web site by clicking the link. You can also find it on Facebook. Hope some of this information helps. Have a great lamb meal and don’t forget the wine!! Cheers!
Thanks to Susan Ettesvold for sending another link for Idaho Lamb. This link is for Lava Lake Lamb, just a little South East of Sun Valley. There are some wonderful photos of the ranch on their web site and ways to contact them and order lamb.
21 Saturday Nov 2009
Posted in Classic Sauces, Food, Main Dish, Restaurants, Things To Do
When it rains, it pours! Oh how2 I love this “job”!
Hope all is well with you and yours. Our much awaited Shellfish Dinner is days away. To reserve a spot, reservations need to be made by Monday, November 23rd to ensure the freshest seafood order. Dinner is $39/person and includes a fresh salad, five seafood entrees, and a fabulous dessert surprise! Live Music by the Frim Fram Fellas and some great wines to pair with these fabulous dishes.
For those who have been to our previous shellfish dinners, there are a few changes to the menu, which I am sure you will enjoy! We hope to see you all here for this delicious event. Bon Appetit!
A Bientot!
Mathieu
Maybe we’ll see you there? Cheers!
21 Saturday Nov 2009
Posted in Food, Main Dish, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurant Reviews, Things To Do
Yes, in fact, we did take an impromptu visit to Seasons on Saturday 21 November. We were going to Caldwell, ID to join in on the Coyotes Group Grand Opening, and decided to stop in here. An awesome meal! Great food! Here is our Review We did rate the restaurant a 4-Star and it deserves every bit of that. The food is soooooo very good and it is a great place to take family and friends. They are even going to have some “special” nights where they feature specific cuisines. 17 December 2009 is a “Greek Dinner” and it will be awesome. Owner Rachel Hurn and Chef Eric Peterson do a fantastic job. I urge you to visit them. Be sure to check out our review as linked above. And they do use local products and they are expanding their wine selection to include most of the Idaho wines. And of course, here are some photos. Cheers!
20 Friday Nov 2009
Posted in Food, Thought For The Day, Wine and Food
OK. So I don’t normally do this, but I am looking at The Seasons in Eagle, ID. before I have even been there. It looks intriguing. I received this email from Rachel Hurn, “Bob I met you at Idaho Wine Merchant’s warehouse tasting. You really enjoyed our Corn Dip. We would love to have you come down to the bistro whenever you get a chance. Hope to see you soon.” Ah yes, I do remember that Corn Dip. It was awesome. I will have to make it a point to go to the Deli (939-6680 Seasons Deli and Catering, 1117 E. Winding Creek Ste. 150, Eagle, ID 83616) and try one of the sandwiches, which include:
Cajun 2 Step
Roast beef, smoked turkey, swiss and pepperjack cheeses and a layer of ‘Creole’ mustard, toasted to perfection on a New Orleans French bread
$9.50
Cow in the Garden
Roast beef, boursin cheese, spinach, tomato and a creamy horseradish sauce on a whole wheat
$9.50
Godfather
Grilled roast beef, melted mozzarella, fried onions and aioli on a toasted garlic hero bun
$9.99
………………………………..
Turkey & Chicken
………………………………..
Barb’s SpecialSmoked turkey, cranberry sauce, mayo and lettuce on rye bread
$9.50
GobblerTurkey, avocado, sprouts, lettuce, tomato, and swiss cheese with dijonaise dressing on whole wheat
$9.50
Muffuletta
A New Orleans tradition, oven roasted turkey, with provolone cheese smothered in a classic Italian olive mix on a sesame topped sourdough muffuletta bun
6.50 Quarter / $11.50 Half / $18.00 Whole
Slim Chick
Seasoned marinated chicken, topped with ranch dressing, roma tomatoes, lettuce and pepperjack cheese on a grilled whole wheat bun
$9.50
The White HenSeasons signature homemade chicken salad on a your choice of bread
$9.50
………………………………..
Ham
………………………………..
The Classic BLT
Three layers of apple smoked bacon, lettuce and tomatoes, all the usual stuff with a special Seasons Deli twist
$8.50
………………………………..
Vegetarian
………………………………..
Market BasketSwiss cheese, sprouts, avocado, tomato and lettuce, with dijonaise on wheat bread
$8.25
Petey’s SpecialFresh water mozzarella, sliced roma tomato, fresh pesto on a grilled ciabatta roll
$8.25
………………………………..
Combo’s
………………………………..
Seasons Club-triple deckerHoney ham, bacon, oven roasted turkey, lettuce, tomato, your choice of two cheeses and mayonnaise on an toasted wheat bread – bring your appetite!
$9.50
ReubenLayers of corned beef, pastrami or turkey topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and our secret Russian dressing on rye bread, one of our most popular!
$9.99
………………………………..
This is not the complete sandwich menu, but a start. It just looks interesting to me, especially after having the Corn Dip and some sandwich samples at the Idaho Wine Merchant open house this past summer. Just some thoughts and a place to explore. Cheers!
20 Friday Nov 2009
Posted in Celebrations, Classic Sauces, Food, Photos By: Bob Young, Restaurants, Wine and Food
(Left-Click on any of the single graphics to see full screen. Be sure to go full screen on the slide show) There comes a time in every year that is so very important to the worldwide wine industry. In the US, that is usually the Thursday before Thanksgiving. The arrival of the Beaujolais Nouveau – the arrival of the wine from Beaujolais and is supposed to reflect what the wines of France will be like in the release year. This year we were lucky enough to reserve a seating at the Le Cafe de Paris. What an awesome release party this was. The wines were a Georges Debouet Beaujolais Nouveau ’09. Young, fruity, flirty, dry, no wood and fun. The other was a 2009 Pierre Ferraud Beaujolais Villages. Light, fruit forward with strawberry and raspberry on the palate. Easy to drink. Good personality and character. A touch of oak. (Our favorite). We bought a bottle of the 2007 Pierre Ferraud Cote-de-Brouilly that went extremely well with the main course of the evening, a Beef Bourguignon with Chantrelle Mushrooms and Cippolini Onions.
All in all, this was a fantastic evening! I will have to upgrade the Cafe de Paris rating. I had Andrae’s rated at a 5-Star, but they moved to Walla Walla, WA. So far, until tonight, I have not found a replacement at that level of quality. Now I have!!! This was a superb meal – delicate, tasteful, delicious.
The Fois Gras Torchon with Warm Gingerbread and Port Poached Pears was superb – rich, creamy and delicious! Even the Escargot with Parsnip Puree, Puff Pastry and Beurre Rouge were not overly garliced nor “rubbery”. The Truffled White Bean Soup was creamy and smooth, not whole beans. Little trails of truffle oil and shaved white truffles on the top. The Beef Bourguignon was superb. And the Apricot Glazed Baba with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream and White Chocolate Sauce was unforgetable! (All of these dishes are in the slide show) Definitely a 5-Star rating – they earned it! Chef/Owner Mathieu Choux is to be commended along with his staff! Congratulations!
19 Thursday Nov 2009
Posted in Food, Restaurants, Things To Do
Nope! Sorry to say we have not been here. It’s that new! But, it looks like it could be exciting. I asked about a web page, and here is the reply I received:
“Working on Web site. Located in the heart of downtown Eagle across from the old Orville Jackson’s. 83 E state St. Friday night is a great night to come down as we have our custom pasta bar and live music.”
Hmmm. A pasta bar. I remember a great one in Lake Tahoe several years ago. Now this is going to be a “must try” some Friday evening. Since they do not yet have a web page, maybe this Facebook Link will help you with information. It has some more information for you. Oh well. Just some thoughts. Cheers! Let us know if you are going, we’ll join you. It needs to be reviewed. Wonder if they have wine with the meals – Idaho wines.
19 Thursday Nov 2009
Posted in Food, Food Prep, Main Dish, Recipe: Bob and Robin Young, Recipes, Things To Do
So, what do you do with Brussels Sprouts? Boil ’em. Steam ’em. There’s gotta be more and there is.
1) You can take about 12 of the sprouts and boil until tender. Reduce 6 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar to one-half. Place the drained sprouts in the reduction. Stir and add salt. Serve hot. Serves 2.
2). Or take 12 medium sprouts and cut in half – see photo. Then take the juice of 1 lemon and add about 1/4 cup olive oil. Stir until emulsified. Place sprouts in a large bowl. Add the lemon mixture. Let sit for about 30 minutes stirring about every 10 minutes to coat the sprouts. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sprouts on a lipped cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Stir sprouts and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle lightly with gray salt – Celtic Salt. Serve hot. Serves 2.
We had these sprouts as a trial for Thanksgiving and we were surprised. They are good! No more of that “cabbage” taste, bitterness or smell. The black leaves can be removed – they do keep the flavors into the sprout. Dinner was a succulent braised Pork Chop with Orange Sauce, Applesauce, Chard Stems with Garlic, Raisins and Roasted Pine Nuts and the Roasted Brussels Sprouts. For liquid refreshment – you always have to have liquid refreshment – we had a 2007 Cinder Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Blend that went very well with the menu.
So there you are. Another Thanksgiving suggestion. Cheers!
18 Wednesday Nov 2009
Posted in Food, Interesting Information, Main Dish, Restaurants, Things To Do, Wine and Food
The last time Robin and I were here, it was a pretty good meal. We really need to go back. But if you are interested, Left-Click the coupons below and print them out. Take them with you and use them for coffee and/or a bottle of their house wine or a dessert for two! Can’t beat that!
Left-Click any of these graphics and print them out. Cheers and have a good meal! See their web site at 36th Street Garden Center and Bistro and check out their Fall Menu (PDF format).
Boise Foodie Guild 