Christmas 2013 Dinner Prep

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25Dec2013_1a_Christmas_Rib-Eye-Roast-PrepWell, at least our part. This Rib-Eye Roast, 12 lbs, will – should – serve the group of us. Eight? This does not cook long, just at a high temperature. 500 degrees for 1 hour. I have put the recipe below. The beef is from Homestead Farms. A local producer and there is a link to them in the sidebar. The house smells so wonderful! The stove heat is high enough that the fire alarms went off. Just checking them! To see the photos enlarged, Left-Click. There will be more photos posted here later. But for now ……….

Rib-Eye Roast with thee rub on it and getting happy!

Rib-Eye Roast with thee rub on it and getting happy!

And of course, there is  always a well chosen wine for dinner, too. Here are some from our cellar. Cheers!!

And of course, there is always a well chosen wine for dinner, too. Here are some from our cellar. Cheers!!

And of course, as promised, here is the recipe that I promised. Enjoy it!

Roast Prime Rib of Beef

Source: Chef Ron Luck, http://chefronlock.com/recipes/roast-prime-rib-of-beef/

Step 1: So, my roast is 5.75 lbs. x 5 minutes = 28.75 minutes. I will round up to 29 minutes and add 1 minute for the heat lost when opening the oven door. Keep this in the back of your mind for future reference.

Ingredients:
1 5.75 pound prime rib roast of beef (2 bones)

The rub. There are no measurements here. Just generous amounts of the following:
Butter at room temperature
Herbs de Provence
Fresh cracked pepper
Kosher salt – a generous amount
Chef Ron Lock’s Spicy Horseradish Sauce – See below

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (this MUST be an accurate temp)

Put roast, rib side down in roasting pan. Mix the pepper and herbs in the butter until well combined. Spread the butter mixture over the entire surface of the prime rib. The more the better.

Put the kosher salt over the entire surface of the butter. Be very GENEROUS. Use more than you think you should here. Most of the salt will run off and very little will remain on the meat. I can’t stress the “generous” enough.

Put the roast in the 500 degree oven for 30 minutes as outlined in step 1. The time will be according to the size of your roast. After the 30 minutes, simply turn the oven off and walk away from it for 2 hours. Yup, just walk away. Do NOT open the door, fiddle with it or anything else. Pretend the roast does not exist.

After 2 hours, remove the roast and LET SIT at least 15 min to allow it to rest before carving!

Slice and serve. You can remove the rib bones for easier slicing and it also makes it easier to get 4 generous servings from the roast. Save the bones! Serve with au jus or Chef Ron Lock’s Spicy Horseradish Sauce. Whatever you like. You will surely love this method. You will get a succulent, moist roast between rare and medium rare. Perfect!

Chef Ron Lock’s Spicy Horseradish Sauce

Ingredients:
2 T Prepared Horseradish
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t dry Mustard
3 T Mayonnaise
½ c Sour Cream

Directions:
Combine all ingredients until well blended. Taste and adjust as necessary. Chill until ready to use.

5 Hour Roasted Goose

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22Dec2013_1_Captains-Shack-5Hour-Goose_Just-Out-Of-OvenYup! We’ve done it again! We have now done 5 Hour Roasted Duck, 5 Hour Roasted Chicken and this 5 Hour Roasted Goose. Of the three, we like best the duck, then the goose and finally the chicken. I think it all depends on the amount of fat in the bird. And it looks like water fowl do the best in this style of preparation. All are done essentially the same way, which is why we only have one recipe as linked above. Just change the type of fowl, not the process. The duck, chicken and goose are all Idaho products as is the polenta. Eat Local! Remember: Eat 20% Local foods by 2020. Enjoy these photos and be sure to Rate this blog post above. Cheers!

Roasting is complete and the goose is now resting.

Roasting is complete and the goose is now resting.

Idaho Florini Polenta Housemade Cranberry Sauce 5 Hour Roasted Goose Layered Russian Salad (the recipe will be posted above) 2002 Ridge California Dynamite Hill Petite Sirah

Idaho Floriani Polenta
Housemade Cranberry Sauce
5 Hour Roasted Goose
Layered Russian Salad

(the recipe will be posted above)
2002 Ridge California Dynamite Hill Petite Sirah

Boise Foodies Party On!

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20Dec2013_1b_Boise-Foodie-Meetup-Party_Tina-Tree-RobinAnd a great party it was! Great to see so many people there and to talk to them. Thanks Kat for opening your home to all of us. And the decorations, as in this tree where Robin and Tina are chatting, were marvelous. And the food that everyone shared was fabulous. And if you are in search of Heirloom seeds, here is a list of Heirloom Seed Suppliers. Enjoy the following photos and Left-Click any of them to see enlarged. And while you are at it, please rate this article above and Follow us on this blog – there is a place to do so in the sidebar. Cheers!

Kat, Rick and Tina are chatting on the couch.

Kat, Rick and Tina are chatting on the couch.

Cathy

Cathy

Lance, The Elevated On, and Bernadette

Lance, The Elevated One, and Bernadette

Krista and "Louie's Pizza Maker"

Krista and “Louie’s Pizza Maker”

Kitchen workers

Kitchen workers

I don't know what to say here.

I don’t know what to say here.

Layered Russian Salad that Robin brought. I will have the recipe posted in the Recipe File above later today.

Seven-Layer Russian Salad that Robin brought. I will have the recipe posted in the Boise Foodie Blog Recipe page, listed at the very top of this page, later today. (Seven-Layer Russian Salad Recipe – PDF format)

Turkey Meatballs. Here is the recipe:

Turkey Meatballs. Here is the recipe: Cranberry Turkey Meatballs (This is a PDF file)

Curry, Thai food, different types of rice, chicken, pasta and much, much more. No one went away hungry!! There are some awesome cooks in this group. I like this type of Meet-Up just as well as visiting our local restaurants. As my Supervisor at the duPont Company would say many years ago, "Atta boy!!"

Curry, Thai food, different types of rice, chicken, pasta, chocolate bacon, egg salad bruchetta and much, much more. No one went away hungry!! There are some awesome cooks in this group. I like this type of Meet-Up just as well as visiting our local restaurants. As my Supervisor at the duPont Company would say many years ago, “Atta boy!!” A job well done.

Last Day For 2013 For the Boise Farmers Market

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26Oct2013_1_New-Boise-Farmers-Market_VeggiesCan’t say that we have not been expecting this – All good things must come to an end. The New Boise Farmers Market closed today. But don’t weep! They will be back in 2014. To be exact – The market will open again on April 5, 2014 at the 10th Street and Grove location. Yea! We look forward to this date! It can not come quick enough. We thank some of the vendors that we frequented: Acme Bake Shop, Meadow Lark Farms, Homestead Farms, Purple Sage Farms, Rollingstone Chevre and I know there are some that I have missed. You gave us such great products. We did pick up fresh eggs, an awesome Rib-Eye roast for 10 people for Christmas and a goose that we will make tomorrow in the 5-hour fashion and our weekly supply of Acme Bake Shop Sourdough bread. We are set! The photo above was taken at the market earlier this year. Today, we have 3″ of snow on the ground and it is 33 degrees right now.
But do enjoy the photos and remember:

The Boise Farmers Market re-opens on April 5, 2014
at
10th Street and Grove
in
downtown Boise!

Mark your calendars. Cheers.

Boise snowfall this morning.

Boise snowfall this morning.

21Dec2013_1a_Last-Farmer4s-Market_3in-Snowfall_B&W-Good

Boise Farmers Market Last Day

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I just received this information. And it has been a great saeson. I am so glad that they found an indoor venue for the market these past several weeks. We look forward to their return next Spring and maybe, just maybe, they will be able to continue year around. Hope so! Please do support them this last Saturday. Thanks.

New-Boise-Farmers-Market-Flyer_Dec-2013

Boise Wine Meet-Up Groups Party Hearty!

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19Dec2013_2_Wine-Meetu=Up-Tastings_Trey-BuschTwo of the Boise Wine Meet-up Groups met this past Wednesday. The first group met at Tastings Wine Bar in Boise with Trey Busch, pictured here, of Slight of Hand Winery from Walla Robin and I took these with her phone. Walla, Washington doing the presentation of his wines. As I did not have my camera with me, Robin and I took these photos with her phone. Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. There should be no small photos – except for the one above of Trey – so you may need to “Refresh” your screen. Cheers!

Tasting wine menu.

Tasting wine menu.

Pizza Crab Cakes Awesome pizza! Ham, pineapple, cheese, Chipotle sauce, Raspberry Sauce on Flatbread

Pizza
Ham, pineapple, cheese, Chipotle sauce, Raspberry Sauce on Flatbread
Crab Cakes

Awesome pizza!

Then after this tasting, we went to the 13th Street Pub and Grill for the second tasting and some substantial food.

19Dec2013_1a_W@ine-Meetu=Up-13th-St-PubAndGrill_Pub-LightsThey had the interior of the pub all decorated out for the Holiday Season. It was nice sitting around the fire that was situated in the center of the room and seating on all four sides. Definitely warm! In order to keep the wine cool, we placed a glass of ice water between the wine and the fire. The two glasses were touching. Yes, it does work! Enjoy these photos, even though some of them are a little “artsy”. Cheers!

Slight of Hand and a Tempranillo de Mancha on the right.

Slight of Hand and a Tempranillo de Mancha on the right.

The fire situated in the center of the room. We sat around this awesome and warm fireplace.

The fire situated in the center of the room. We sat around this awesome and warm fireplace.

Some of the people having a good time.

Some of the people having a good time.

19Dec2013_1a_W@ine-Meetu=Up-13th-St-PubAndGrill-Dr-Mock-Daughter

Claire, the Coordinator of the event and Robin are discussing the finer things in life - Wine!

Claire, the Coordinator of the event and Robin are discussing the finer things in life – Wine!

Joe, Cindi and Jan are enjoying the company and the party.

Joe, Cindi and Jan are enjoying the company and the party.

Robin had a BLT. I guess one must now ask for a golden brown toast. This toast was not.

Robin had a BLT. I guess one must now ask for a golden brown toast. This toast was not.

Bob had aa Pub Burger.

Bob had a Pub Burger.

Boise Foodie Meet-Up Group Meets

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16Dec2013_1_Boise-Foodie-Meetup_Mt-Everest-Momo-Cafe_SignSix of the Boise Foodie Meet-Up Group met at the Mount Everest Momo Cafe today for lunch. They specialize in Indian-Nepalese-Tibetan foods. And I was pleasantly surprised. This was really an interesting lunch. I spent a year in India, so when I enter a restaurant specializing in Indian, or even Nepalese, food, I want the spices of India to be present. As we walked into the restaurant, I did get that “smell of the Indian spice”. I know then that the entrees are not canned – they are made on location. It was nice that the owner, Rajesh Shrestha, took the time to talk about the cuisine and the dishes that they serve.
The hot link above will take you to their website and a complete menu with descriptions of the entrees and prices. The serving sizes were completely satisfying – Just the right size. Out of 5-Stars, I rate the Mount Everest Momo Cafe 4-Stars. Pictured below, are some of the dishes we had. Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. Enjoy! We did.

The menu cover.

The menu cover.

Curry Soup

Curry Soup

Chicken Momo Mint Sauce Curry Sauce

Chicken Momo
Mint Sauce
Curry Sauce

Basmati Rice Naan (Bread) Spinach and Cheese Vegetables Chicken Curry Potato and Cauliflower

Basmati Rice
Naan (Bread)
Spinach and Cheese (Sag Panir)
Chicken Curry
Potato and Cauliflower (Alu Kaoli)

I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. The spices were perfect and everything was done to perfection. I do like the Naan. Light. Fluffy. Yet somewhat chewy. Here is a direct link to the Mount Everest Momo Cafe Dinner Menu with more definitive descriptions of the entrees. They also have a menu for their Lunch Specials ($6.95 per plate Monday – Saturday, 11 – 2:30) and it is printed below. However, it is not on their website.

Lunch Specials Menu

Lunch Specials Menu

Old Folks Meals at “The Home”

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Actually, pretty good meals today. Found out too, that BSU is a 2.5 point underdog in the Hawaii Bowl on December 24 (6:00pm Mountain Time on ESPN) when they play Oregon State. We’ll see! Anyway, here’s what we had for breakfast and then dinner. Enjoy! And, I just thought of this, here are the products for these two meals that were local: Eggs, spinach, sourdough bread, jam, bacon, chicken, potatoes and the wine for dinner was a 2010 Cold Springs L’attraction White Table Wine, a Gold Medal winner in the 2013 Idaho Wine Competition.

Eggs Florentine Bacon Acme Bake Shop Sourdough Toast with Housemade Idaho Hucklenberry Jam Strawberry Fan

Eggs Florentine
Bacon
Acme Bake Shop Sourdough Toast

with
Housemade Idaho Huckleberry Jam
Strawberry Fan

Fried Chicken, Housemade Cornbread, Peas, Mashed Potatoes Chicken Gravy

Fried Chicken
with
Housemade Breadcrumbs
Housemade Cornbread
Peas
Mashed Potatoes
Housemade Chicken Gravy

Holiday Wines At The Buzz

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Silverware, A Menu and A Glass of Wine

Silverware, A Menu and A Glass of Wine

Such a good wine dinner tonight. Somewhat different. A good change. Comparing Old World wines with New World wines. Just to let everyone know, the monthly coupons are now on sale at the Buzz. These are prepaid coupons so you pay for 5 dinners and get one free. Robin and I always get some. And, Cristi told us all that she must raise the price starting in January. It will go from $15 a plate, to $20 a plate. Wine amounts and dinner courses will be the same. And in January? Asian food and wines that go with that style of cooking and food. Who is the Chef? Why our very own Chef Tommy Takeda! Yea! Let’s all get out and support Tommy in this endeavor, but I know he will do a great job. Here is what we had at this dinner. Enjoy!

American Salad Willamette Valley Pinot Grigio Altanuta Pinot Grigio

American Salad
2012 Willamette Valley
Pinot Grigio [14]
2012 Altanuta Pinot Grigio [14]

Split Pea and Ham Soup 2010 Vina Amalia Malbec  [15] 2011 Purple Malbec [17]

Split Pea and Ham Soup
2010 Vina Amalia
Malbec [15]
2011 Purple Malbec [17]

Shepard's Pie 2007 Snake River Tempranillo [17] 2009 LAN Rioja Crianza [19]

Shepard’s Pie with Wilted Spinach
2007 Snake River
Tempranillo [17]
2009 LAN Rioja Crianza [19]

Apple Pie and Pecan Tart 2012 Revelry Riesling [ 15] 2012 At Urbans-Hof Riesling [19]

Apple Pie and Pecan Tart
2012 Revelry
Riesling [15]
2012 At Urbans-Hof Riesling [19]

I guess you can see that I do favor the Old World wines. They are the second wines listed below each entree item. Hope to see you at the next Wine Dinner. Cheers!!

New Boise Farmers Market

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30Nov2013_1b_New-Boise-Farmers-Market_FB-ImageThe end of the Farmers Market is in sight. So sad! It has been a good season so far as we are concerned. Great indoor venues for these cold Boise, winter days. The new location for the summer months at 10th and Grove is also great.
We visited two new vendors today, Free Range Pizza (pictured here) and Neckar Coffee. Both were very good. Enjoyed the pizza – thin crust. Slightly crispy, but also a chewy interior. Good flavors and flavor combinations. Went very well with the coffee we had, a fresh ground, full bodied Guatemalan coffee. Great job to both vendors. If you are at the market or you see them at a function, be sure to get some of their product, either coffee or pizza or both. You will be pleased as were we. Cheers!

Free Range Pizza

Free Range Pizza

Really an excellent pizza as described above. We did like this one.

Really an excellent pizza as described above. We did like this one.

Great, fresh brewed coffee!

Great, fresh brewed coffee!

Great Ham and Cheese on an Acme Bake Shop Ciabatta Roll.

Great Ham and Cheese on an Acme Bake Shop Ciabatta Roll.

Looking for a parking space. Yup! Downtown Boise. No telling what you will see.

Looking for a parking space. Yup! Downtown Boise. No telling what you will see.