William Sonoma Grilling Seminar

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09June2013_1_William-Sonoma-Class_OverviewA good seminar tonight. Next time I’ll remember (1) To take my other camera, and (2) Bring my notes home with me!!! Duh! Overall, a good evening and very well attended. I’m glad I went a little early. Food was good of which I liked the shrimp the least – way to salty for me; It was cooked on a Himalayan salt block. The pulled pork was good, but the pork tenderloin was the best. I will get another copy of the recipes tomorrow and post them. But for now, here are some photos from tonight. I did sign-up as an alternate, for their late June 2 hour seminar. Enjoy these photos.

Chef Chad roats spices.

Chef Chad roasts spices.

Searing the pork loin.

Searing the pork loin.

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork

Cooking shrimp on a salt block. Personally, I think it is way too much salt.

Cooking shrimp on a salt block. Personally, I think it is way too much salt.

Shrimp plated.

Shrimp plated.

Pork Loin. I'll post the recipe for the sauce tomorrow.

Pork Loin. I’ll post the recipe for the sauce tomorrow.

Comfort Food Dinner

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05June2013_1_Captain's-Shack_Fried-Chix_Slaw_CornOh yes! Push the season! Fried Chicken, Corn on the Cob and our own Slaw. It was a yummy dinner, even if the slaw had apples in it. Not high on my Enjoyed That Salad list when it has apples in it! But this one was good. I’ll make it again. Must have been the dressing. 1 c Mayonnaise, 4 T Dijon mustard and 1 T Celery Seed. Blend all together and pour on the slaw. Mix, chill and eat. Slaw is 1/2 head medium Red Cabbage, 1/2 Head medium Regular Cabbage, 4 or 5 Carrots and 1 Pink Lady Apple. Run through the grater on the blender. Mix with dressing. That’s it. Quick and easy! Serve with a 2011 Canoe Ridge Expedition Chardonnay and you are set for a relaxing, start of the summer meal. Grab a fork and Left-Click to see this dinner enlarged. Cheers and please VOTE above. Thanks!

Breakfast at the “Triangle Inn” in Sweet, Idaho

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02June2013_1_Triangle-Sweet_Sign78 degrees! Light, puffy, Big Sky clouds. Light winds. Great company! We met Barb and Terry Knivila at the Triangle Inn in Sweet, Idaho. (Just go there and smell the sweetness of the wild Rambling Roses.) A fun place to visit and to have a meal. We had a great breakfast as pictured below. Friendly people; all had smiles! And they came to our table and talked to us. A good experience. And the food was good, too. From Boise, take Hiway 55 to Horseshow Bend and the Hiway 52 to Emnmett. The Triangle Inn is at the Sweet/Ola intersection. Just look at what we had and please VOTE above. Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged. Thanks and Cheers!

Breakfast Burreto

Breakfast Burrito

Basque Omelet

Basque Omelet

And they make an awesome Pineapple, Coconut and Banana Jelly along with a super good Buttermilk Syrup that goes well with pancakes and on the Homefries!

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie

On my! I think I was in Heaven. Pecan pie! Bourbon! Bacon! That is a tripple yum.

Look at this wonderful menu. It is only part of what they offer. Let them know you saw this information on this blog.

Look at this wonderful menu. It is only part of what they offer. Let them know you saw this information on this blog.

WHIP Night At The Buzz and Lobster and Potato Salad

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30May2013_1_The-Buzz-Whip_Bob-SelfPoitraitThe last Thursday of each month will be WHIP Night at the Buzz here in Boise. There is more information on the previous post here on the Foodie Blog. Attendance was low so maybe there will be more folks next month. Mark Your Calendars – Thursday June 27 from 5:00pm – 8:00pm. Different topics each month. Fun time. Good food and great wines.
This month – and repeated in June also – we talked about digital photography. The photo to the left is a self portrait. People say I don’t take enough photos of people. Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged and please VOTE above. Thanks. Here is some food that we had. Enjoy!

Asian Tacos. Yummy!

Asian Tacos. Yummy!

Cristi is learning to make cheese. Here is one she made and it was good!

Cristi is learning to make cheese. Here is one she made and it was good!

And then Friday night, Robin and I made a wonderful Lobster and Potato Salad. Click the link to get a recipe in PDF format.

Lobster and Potato Salad. Loved it!

Lobster and Potato Salad. Loved it!

Lobster and Potato Salad with Acme Bakery (Boise) Rye Bread.

Lobster and Potato Salad with Acme Bakery (Boise) Rye Bread.

Actually a great end to a weird week. The holiday Monday, got everything all messed up. Timing was weird.

June Events at the Buzz

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02Mar2013_1c_The-Buzz-Concert_Southwest-Sandwich 
This just in from Cristi at the Buzz in Boise. There are some interesting events going on this month. I will be presenting on May 31 at the Whip Night photography ideas.
 

 

I hope everyone had a happy holiday weekend giving thanks to those that gave their all for us. There are some great opportunities coming up to enjoy food, wine, and fun. June is Idaho wine month. Each weekend we will have an Idaho wine with our weekly wine tasting. Join us on Friday or Saturday for wine tasting, our weekly dinner special focusing on “slow food”. There will be dessert specials and appetizer specials as well.

Whip NightsWe Help Inspire People. This is a casual evening at the Buzz. Each month we will have a member of the community with great passion and knowledge related to a hobby or pastime. May 30th we invited Bob Young to answer our questions about digital photography. Come down enjoy a flight of wine (featuring female wine makers) and our small bite specials for the night. No reservations needed, just stop by between 5 and 8 on May 30 and bring your questions.

Wine Club – We will continue our journey through the world of wine by learning about the wines of Australia and New Zealand at our wine club this month. 6:30 PM on June 11 or June 12 . The cost is $15.00 per person including dinner and wine tasting. All wines will be on sale 10% off after dinner. Reservations are required. Buzzwine@cableone.net or 344-4321.

Music in June
Many talented muscians will be entertaining us in June, at the Buzz. May 31 Dr Todd Palmer
June 1 Jean Cardena
June 7 Wayne White
June 14 Jack Brown/Jean Cardena
June 15 Classical Jam Session
June 21 Dr Todd Palmer
June 28 John Cazzan
Music from 7-9 except classical jam night from 6-8. (This event is sooooo much fun!

Quarterly Dinner/Special Bottle Sunday June 23 Quarterly Dinner. This is an amazing 5 course meal with each course paired with 2 different wines. This is a great way to learn about wine pairing. Come learn about wine pairing. Cost is $30.00 per person with all wines being 10% off the day of the event. Dinner starts at 6:30 with reservations required. buzzwine@cableone.net or 344-4321.  Special Bottle Sunday is inspired by the by the Wall Street Journal columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher’s who wrote Open That Special Bottle Night, Special Bottle Sunday- is just what it sounds like: an evening to invite over your friends to share special wines you’ve been saving. The wines will be fun bottles to share and the food will be based on recipes from the newspaper.

We anticipate everyone is enjoying the beginning of summer and hope to see you all soon for one of the great summer events we have planned at the Buzz. Watch for menu changes over the next few weeks.
Sincerely,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine
344-4321 or buzzwine@cableone.net

Not Your Standard Memorial Day Dinner

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Lamb Ribs and Chop Morel Mushrooms in Dry Sherry and Leek Fondue Spring Bounty Potato Salad Acme Bakery Baguette 2004 Sawtooth Winery Petit Verdot

Oh my. Who could ask for more? So much fun to put together and prepare. Enjoy! We did. Here is the recipe for the Potato Salad. Left-Click these photos to see enlarged and please VOTE above.

27May2013_1a_Captains-Shack_Spring-Potato-Salad

Spring Bounty Potato Salad

Source: Sunset Magazine, May 2013

Ingredients:
2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes
1 cup shelled fresh peas
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise $
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 spring onions* or green onions, thinly sliced
5 hard-cooked large eggs*, peeled and roughly chopped
About 3 tbsp. chopped tarragon

Preparation:
1. Bring 1 in. water to a boil in a large saucepan. Set potatoes in a steamer basket and steam in pan, covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Cool in ice water, then pat dry. Cut potatoes into chunks and put in a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, bring some water to a boil in a saucepan. Add peas; cook until tender, 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to ice water, then drain again.
3. Whisk together vinegar, mayonnaise, and salt in a small bowl to combine. Add onions, peas, and half the dressing to potatoes and gently stir to coat. Add eggs and 3 tbsp. tarragon and gently stir to coat.
4. Spread remaining dressing on bottom of a wide bowl, add salad, and sprinkle with more tarragon if you like.

Note: Look for spring onions (regular onions picked young) at farmers’ markets in spring and at Latino markets year-round. They have a fatter bulb than green onions–which have less crunch but make a good substitute. For perfect hard-cooked eggs, cover them in cold water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand 12 minutes. Plunge cooked eggs into ice water, crack all over, and let sit in the water for a few minutes before peeling.

Sunday Brunch at Cottonwood Grille

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26May2013_1_Cottonwood-Grille_Strange-FolksLast night Robin said she would like to go to the Cottonwood Grille for brunch. No problem! It’s always a party when we go there. A good treat, since we missed our seafood this week. And I still had my vegetables before 6:00pm. As we were going into the parking, one of “Boise’s Folks” was at the entrance (photo above). I have no clue as to what or who this is. Just interesting. A strange mixture of cultures here in the Mountain West. Interesting. Enjoy these photos of our breakfast, Left-Click any photo to see enlarged and please VOTE above. Cheers!

Bacon Vodka Bloody Mary Daily allowance of vegetables in a glass.

Bacon Vodka Bloody Mary
Daily allowance of vegetables in a glass.

Scandinavian Gravlox Poached egg and salmon with Hollandaise Sauce Robin had this. It really looked good!

Scandinavian Gravlox
Poached egg and salmon with Hollandaise Sauce
Robin had this. It really looked good!

Snow Crab Omelet I had this and it was delicious! Good Hollandaise Sauce.

Snow Crab Omelet
I had this and it was delicious! Good Hollandaise Sauce.

Grilled Lamb and Good Friends Start the Summer Season

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24May2013_1_Captains-Shack_Chantrill_GenoAndDebra_BestIt is always a “great start” to any event when you are joined by friends. Geno and Debra (pictured here) were in town, so we had them over for a grilled lamb dinner. The weather was super good and we ate outside. Most of the food was local, too. The lamb was and the onions and asparagus were from Washington. The wine was from California. Still, a delightful time. I even helped Debra with her blog. She is doing fine with it. So here are some photos of the food that we had. Enjoy and please cast your VOTE above. Thanks. Cheers! Left-Click any of these photos to see enlarged.

Asparagus Stuffed Walla Walla Onions getting ready for the oven.

Asparagus Stuffed Walla Walla Onions getting ready for the oven.

This wine was awesome with the lamb. We have more of the wine.

This wine was awesome with the lamb. We have more of the wine.

Robin made this super Wild Bird Pate.

Robin made this super Mousse d’Phaison and Chukar Pâté with Toasted Acme Bakery Rye Wedges (not pictured). Those are fresh chives from our garden.

Grilled Lamb Chops Fresh Green Salad Asparagus Stuffed Walla Walla Sweet Onion

Grilled Lamb Chops
Fresh Green Salad
Asparagus Stuffed Walla Walla Sweet Onion

Geno enjoys a lamb chop.

Geno enjoys a lamb chop.

French Vanilla Ice Cream with Idaho Peach Half and Chocolate Liquor Cup

French Vanilla Ice Cream with Idaho Peach Half and Chocolate Liquor Cup . What a great dessert!

Morel Mushrooms in Dry Sherry and Leek Fondue For Dinner Tonight!

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Wow! Poached Morel Mushrooms. Awesome dinner and then add some of the super Acme Bakery Baguette and some sherry, and ………………………………..
Here is the recipe. Enjoy! The mushrooms were fresh from the Boise Farmers Market. Left-Click the photo, grab a fork and enjoy.

Morel Mushrooms in Dry Sherry and Leek Fondue

Adapted from Chef Jon Mortimer, Boise, Idaho

Ingredients:
3 c Morel Mushrooms
1 c dry Sherry (1/2 Amontillado and 1/2 Dry Fino)
1 c Heavy Cream
3 T Dijon mustard
½ c sliced Leek (white part only, rinsed well)
1 T Canola Oil
½ t ground Black Pepper
Kosher salt to taste

Directions:
Carefully pick through the mushrooms, inspect them, brush any sand or grit off with a soft brush, remove any long stems with a pairing knife. In a thick bottomed non-reactive saucepan heat the oil and blanch the leeks, stirring frequently and cooking till soft (about 2 minutes).

Strain off any excess oil and return the leeks to the pan and the pan back to the heat. Add the sherry and allow to come to a boil. Reduce the heat and whisk in the cream and Dijon mustard.

Allow to reduce by ½ at a simmer. Add the morels and poach them in the liquid for 2 minutes or just until they begin to soften. Spoon the mushrooms and the sauce into bowls. Serve with crusty bread, like Acme Bakery Baguette (pictured below), Boise, Idaho.

20May2013_1_Captains-Shack_Morel-Mushrooms_Plated