16 Tuesday Jul 2013
Tags
Comfort Food, corn cakes, corn fritter, dinner, food, sawtooth
It may have been National Corn Fritter Day, it really was, but we decided on a family favorite – Corn Pie. Here was our menu:
Scallop Cakes
Sliced Red, Yellow and Zebra Tomatoes
2009 Sawtooth Petite Sirah
This was a YUM dinner! Comfort food. Left-Click to see the photo enlarged. The recipe for the Corn Pie is in the recipe file above. Enjoy!
16 Tuesday Jul 2013
Tags
Robin came across this delightful resource for grains, a Grain Glossary. In part, it says, “Most people know brown rice when they see it, but what about all the other grains? It’s one thing to rattle them off, but it’s an entirely different matter to know their various nutritional profiles and how to cook them. Then there’s the confusion of defining or classifying grains, as some grains that we call grains are not. True grains belong to the cereal grass family; for this glossary, however, I include edible seeds that share the nutritional properties of whole grains (quinoa, buckwheat, wild rice).
The bulk bins can be bewildering; even when you’re familiar with a particular grain, it’s mind-boggling to make sense of all the names it may go by. Groats, grits, steel-cut, rolled, puffed, pearled, cracked, flakes, and flour are the most common references, and all describe how the grain has been processed.” [Culinate (dot) com]
They have listed some of the more popular, and somewhat confusing grain types, in a good chart that also shows you what the grain looks like, much like the photo above from their website. For instance, for polenta they state that, “Polenta
Polenta and grits may sound as disparate as Italy and the South, but they’re both ground corn, as is cornmeal. They differ in how they’re ground (both the method and the fineness of the grind). Avoid de-germinated cornmeal (the germ has been removed to increase its shelf life), as it’s not a whole grain. Polenta makes a delicious base for sauces (ragu, mushroom, gorgonzola) and sausages; it’s also good grilled or layered into lasagne-like dishes.”
There is more listed in the article. A good read! Enjoy the information. Cheers!
16 Tuesday Jul 2013
Robin asked the other night for crab cakes, plus she found a recipe for Maryland Crab Cakes on FB. We did not have any Blue crab in the house, although it is available at Costco. So I asked if it would be OK to try the cakes with bay scallops. The result is what you see here in this photo. They were very good and a nice substitution for crab cakes. Basically the same recipe, but altered in places. Click Here for the recipe in PDF format. Serve these with a nice green salad with fresh tomatoes, homemade tartar sauce and a 2009 Sawtooth Winery Petite Sirah, the wine goes quite well with the scallop cakes. I will also post it in the recipe file on this blog. Cheers and we hope you enjoy these.
The tartar sauce that we make is pretty basic. Here is the recipe.
Homemade Tartar Sauce
Yield: abt 1 1/2 cups
1 c Mayonnaise
3 T Pickle Relish
1/2 c Chili Sauce
2 T Kosher Horseradish
1/4 t Sriracha Chili Sauce, use cautiously … It is hot!!
Juice of 1/2 LemonMix all together and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Serve with these Scallop Cakes, Crab Cakes or most any seafood. Enjoy.
13 Saturday Jul 2013
And we’re off! The start of a beautiful weekend …. Our 30th Wedding Anniversary. Friday night, Robin wanted Cheese Steaks. Make our own. Anyone remember “Steak-Ums”? Can’t get them here in Boise, as far as I know. Are they even made any more? Albertson’s Markets says, “No.” OK. Slice down some bottom round really thin and then chop it. Grill up some onions, and you get what is pictured here on the grill. Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. Please VOTE above. Thanks and enjoy!
Cheese Steak plated. Add a 10 Barrel Brewery Apocalypse IPA and you’ve got an awesome dimmer.
Saturday morning breakfast. Sauteed Crimini and Royal Trumpet mushrooms with scrambled eggs and Acme Bake Shop toasted rye bread. Add a good glass of orange juice and yum!
Two scrumptious meals. But wait …… There will be more. I promise. Cheers and keep watching!
11 Thursday Jul 2013
Here is another fascinating “spice” article from Malaysian Delacacies on Facebook. (If you look, Facebook does have some interesting posts. But only some.)
Turmeric is named as the ’Golden Spice of Life’.The botanical name is Curcuma longa, and the plant is a member of Zingiberaceae or ginger family. Turmeric has color similar to that of sunlight. Therefore, it is considered to be sacred in India as in ancient times such natural forces were believed to have supernatural powers. It is used in auspicious ceremonies and rituals.
Studies have shown that two teaspoons of turmeric contain 1.88 milligrams of iron, 0.08 milligrams of vitamin B, 0.96 grams of dietary fiber, 114.48 milligrams of potassium and 0.36 grams of manganese.
Turmeric is an essential spice in Indian cuisine. This warm and aromatic spice with bitter undertones is also used extensively in Southeast Asian and Middle-Eastern cuisines. In Indian cuisine turmeric is added to nearly every dish, be it non- vegetarian or vegetarian. Its bright yellow color imparts an orange yellow hue to curries. It is widely used in Moroccan cuisine to spice meat, particularly lamb, and vegetables. It is also used in spice blends in the Caribbean, North Africa, the Middle East, and Indonesia. Turmeric is also used to give a yellow color to some prepared mustards; it gives ballpark mustard its bright yellow color.
Listed above on the graphic, are the benefits of Turmeric. Left-Click to see enlarged.
11 Thursday Jul 2013
Posted in What's For Dinner?
Bet you didn’t know it comes from grapes, did you? Little pieces of trivia like this always amazes me. Guess that’s why I post the information. This I found on Facebook, of all places, by a lady from Okalahoma, Renee Hollis Brooks. I really think it’s interesting. I hope you do also. Cheers!
In my little world, items like cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate) are not simply a super way to stabilize eg…g whites but also scandalously inexpensive cleaning secrets.
This long-forgotten gem of a cleaning agent may be used with a little water or vinegar to lift even the most stubborn stains. Unattractive grout driving you batty? Mold and mildew stains got you reaching for the Prozac? Burner pans and casserole dishes giving you fits? Cream of Tartar is your new best friend.
Cream of tartar is one of nature’s best bleaching agents. Cream of tartar, a.k.a “crusted wine,” is mixed with baking soda to create baking powder (bet you didn’t know that.. okay, some of you probably did, you smartypants). While it is an acid, it’s not harmful. It’s an acidic salt which comes from grapes.
Use a few tablespoons of cream of tartar with hot water or hydrogen peroxide and clean any aluminum pans which have discoloration or any rusty drains, pans, or stains.
Do you have copper kettles? Mix some cream of tarter with lemon juice and rub the copper with it. Rinse and be amazed!
How about a porcelain sink, tub, commode? Rub the porcelain surfaces with cream of tartar and watch the stains disappear.
Fabric stains? No prob. Mix a few teaspoons of cream of tartar with some glycerin and use like spray-and-wash. The results? Well, I’m here to tell you that this stuff cured the ring around Joshua’s shirt collars.
Just need a great nonabrasive cleaner? Mix 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in a small dish (use 3 or 4 teaspoons of vinegar and 3 or 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar if you have more items to clean). Apply with your cleaning rag or scrub brush and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Scrub. Wash with hot soapy water.For more healthy recipes, tips, motivation and fun, join us here on Facebook at Renee and Friends Healthy Living.
11 Thursday Jul 2013
(Photo credit: Ryan Thorne, Boise Weekly July 10, 2013)
Mike Runsvold stood at a nearly empty table as the bell rang, signalling the end of a busy day at the Boise Farmers Market. Throughout the morning, his breads had gradually disappeared one by one, as customers came by to snag a slice of sourdough or a bite of boule.
“Everything that I make, I try to make like it would be an exceptional version of its type of bread,” Runsvold said…Runsvold’s breads are made with local and semi-local flours and ingredients.
“You can’t find bread flour that’s produced or milled locally, but the one I use is in Lehi, Utah, not very far away,” Runsvold said.
In addition to using unbleached white flour from Lehi Roller Mills (where Footloose was filmed), Runsvold also sources from Shepherd’s Grain. He procures other flours, including whole wheat and rye, from Caldwell and Donnelly, where they are grown and milled on the spot.
Acme breads quickly caught the eye of 10 Barrel’s chef Paul Faucher, who wanted local breads to complement the brewpub’s menu.
“When we were opening this place up, I asked Mike if he could do something special for us,” Faucher said. “We decided to incorporate our beer wort into our buns.”
Runsvold uses the wort to add sweetness and flavor to the buns. So far, Faucher has been impressed with the quality of Acme’s breads.[Ryan Thorne, Boise Weekly, July 10, 2013]
Read the rest of the article as linked above. It is a good one and then try some of Acme Bake Shop’s breads. Robin and I have some delivered to us each and every week at home. I also am prone to get some at the New Boise Farmer’s Market at 10th and Grove in downtown Boise each Saturday morning. Cheers!
10 Wednesday Jul 2013
Another great wine club dinner at the Buzz last night. A blind tasting this time. Interesting and fun! I know. In Boise during the summer months, folks have many adventures to follow and attendance at these events are low. Even when Robin and I were dancing, the summer dance events had extremely low attendance. But, everyone must still eat and have liquid refreshment. Why not at the Buzz for one of these events? $15.00 per person that includes 6 or so wines and a full, five course dinner, is a great price. And just think of all the new information you will gain and the new friends you will meet. Here is what we had and what you missed. Enjoy …. We did! Sorry for some of the photo quality, but I forgot my camera. Had to use my phone.
We started off with Cristi’s Choice, a 2007 Lan Rioja Crianza that was good, but not as good as the 2009 Alsace Classic Pinot Gris that she offered. You can find my review of these two wines on my Vivino page. Download it – it is free – to either your IPhone or Android and then follow me. It’s a great and fun little program that allows you to keep a record of the wines you try. I even use it to keep track of some of the beers I try, although the program is not setup to track beer. Vivino App for either IPhone or Android.
As a sample of a blind taste, Cristi had us work with this wine. 2010 Tin Roof Merlot 13.5% alc. not bad, as all the wines tonight were scored on the high side. This went well with the pizza – I saved a little. [18]
07 Sunday Jul 2013
Posted in Captain's Shack, Chicken, Comfort Food, Main Dish, Old Peoples Sunday Dinner, Photos By: Bob Young, Salads, Viognier, What's For Dinner?, Wine and Food
≈ Comments Off on “Old Peoples” Sunday Dinner
Baked Potato
Fresh Green Garden Salad
Baked Chicken
Homemade Gravy
2010 Fujishin Family Cellars
Viognier from the Snake River AVA, IdahoIt really was a good dinner. The breadcrumbs were awesome and added so much to the dish. And then we made a gravy from the “grameals” in the bottom of the pan where I cooked the chicken. Add a little Marsala, some finely chopped green onion and some chicken bullion with corn starch, and you have a great gravy. It was a yum dinner.
06 Saturday Jul 2013
It’s a warm summer evening on a link bound for nowhere that we decided to have a wonderful mixed salad. Easy to make, just use your imagination. Here is what we came up with and it was really satisfying.
Did you know that according to Bobby Flay on the Foodnetwork, that ciabatta means slipper? Interesting. Left-Click the photo to see it enlarged. Enjoy and make a different salad when the weather is hot and muggy! Cheers.
