Two Recipes for the Holiday Season


Here are two – now three, I added another – recipes that I think you will like. And just in time for the holiday season. The first one is Banana Cream Pie that is awesome. Rich banana flavor in a light and smooth banana cream custard.

The second one is a Spinach Bacon Onion Dip. Full of bacon. Great combination of the onion/spinach and bacon. Topped off with a lightly browned cheese. This will go fast! Enjoy!

And for turkey or chicken? Try this Robin’s Cranberry Orange Relish. It is a good alternative to the stand-by canned cranberry jelly. Tart, yet sweet.

Yeast


Here is an interesting study of yeast and a great resource link. I got this information at one of the food blogs I read, My Best German Recipes. (Sign-Up for their weekly posts.) The complete article can be found by following this link: All About Yeast. There is a good recipe for making a sponge starter, poolish, or levain.

Yeast Dictionary

German Baking is using a lot of yeast and some recipes require fresh yeast. In any case you should have questions about yeast, this post will clarify it.
Source: Leaven Yeast, the Cooks Thesaurus. (This link will give you the same information as the link above, just a different site.)

Yeast Notes: Yeast is a one-celled fungus that converts sugar and starch into carbon dioxide bubbles and alcohol. This has made it a useful ally in the production of bread, beer, and wine. There are many varieties of yeast. Bread is made with baker’s yeast, which creates lots of bubbles that become trapped in the dough, making the bread rise so it’s light and airy when baked. A small amount of alcohol is also produced, but this burns off as the bread bakes. Beer yeast and wine yeast are used to convert sugar into alcohol and, in the case of beer and champagne, bubbles. You should never eat raw active yeast, since it will continue to grow in your intestine and rob your body of valuable nutrients. But once deactivated through pasteurization, yeast is a good source of nutrients. Brewer’s yeast and nutritional yeast, for example, are sold as nutritional supplements, and Australians are fond of yeast extracts–like Vegemite, Marmite, and Promite–which they spread like peanut butter on bread.

Read the complete article by following this link: All About Yeast. Enjoy!

Pairing Wine with Red Meat


Among my several blogs I read, here is an article from Snooth – Find Better Wines about the right wine(s) to serve with red meat. This can, at times, be very controversial. Here is but one discussion on the subject,

“The holidays are a time for sharing and celebrations, so it’s just natural that we want to create something special for the table. Large roasts and premium cuts of meat are often the centerpiece of holiday meals, and rightly so. They’re relatively easy to prepare and serve to hordes of hungry friends and family.

Just as we think carefully about the cut of meat and method of preparation that would best suit our event, we also need to consider what wine might work best. Ultimately, there is no one singular wine that is definitively the best with any one recipe, but there are certain styles of wine and attributes of grape varieties that make for more pairings that work.

Check out these great, festive recipes and see if you agree with the wines I’ve chosen for each. Hopefully, I can inspire you to make this holiday meal one of your best ever!”


To read the full article, Click Here. Enjoy and have a great Holiday Season full of great wines and great food and superb friends! Cheers!

Wine Club Special at the Buzz


I received this information from Tommy and Cristi at the Buzz. Such a deal!! (That’s their scan code to the left. Use your smart phone and go directly to their web site.)

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY SALE

Small Business Saturday Offering. Get your wine club coupons for next year. For only $75.00 for 6 wine club dinners, That’s buy 5 and get one dinner free. The coupons are to be used throughout the whole year so give them as a gift or buy some for yourself. They are transferable but nonrefundable. The coupons are dated and each one is good for two months. Come by and have lunch at your favorite local small restaurant and pick up your Wine club dinner coupons.

Also, with the purchase of any bottle of wine on Saturday you can purchase a silk gift bag for only $2.00 that is 75%off our retail price.

We hope that everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving and hope to see you on small business Saturday.

Sincerely,
Cristi and Tom Takeda
Buzz Coffee and Wine

Our Thanksgiving Dinner


What a great Thanksgiving Day and Dinner we had! Robin made this chocolate turkey and it turned out great. Thanks to everyone who joined us for this celebration: Robin, Chris, Madison, Sophia, Mac, Marnie, Margaret and Buddy. Our blessings are many!

Thanksgiving Prayer

– Iroquois Prayer, adapted

We return thanks to our mother, the earth, which sustains us.

We return thanks to the rivers and streams, which supply us with water.

We return thanks to all herbs, which furnish medicines for the cure of our diseases.

We return thanks to the moon and stars, which have given to us their light when the sun was gone.

We return thanks to the sun, that has looked upon the earth with a beneficent eye.

Lastly, we return thanks to the Great Spirit, in Whom is embodied all goodness, and Who directs all things for the good of Her children.

Here are some photos from our Celebration.

Robin and Chris making the fresh Cranberry.

Robin and Chris setting up the wines.

The dinner wines:
1990 Bollinger Grande Annee Champagne (not pictured), Backyard Bubbly (not pictured), 1989 Swan Zinfandel, 1976 Ravenswood Zinfandel Polsen Vineyards, 1976 Ravenswood Zinfandel Vogensen Vineyards, Rex-Goliath Pinot Noir, 2006 Kestrel Late Harvest Chardonnay (not pictured)  and 2010 Ravenswood Zinfandel Suite. Great selections! The two 1976 Ravenswood wines were the first releases of Ravenswood wines that Robin and Joel Peterson made. (Robin helped to start Ravenswood Winery)

Mac, Marnie (holding the chocolate turkey) and our friend Margaret.

Robin, Chris, Madison and Sophia.

So there you have our day and what a great day it was. We do hope yours was as good. Cheers! The full menu is posted on the previous blog post.

A Thanksgiving Feast at Our House


Here is the menu as it is right now. Probably will not change much. Cheers and have a great day! This is just sooooooo much fun!

For the Birds Menu for Thanksgiving Dinner 2011

1990 Bollinger Champagne

2009 Backyard Bubbly
2011 Criterion Apple Cider for Sophia
Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Juice for Sophia

Appetizers – Spinach Artichoke Dip – Marnie
Carrot and Celery Sticks
Mixed Olives and Nuts – Robin

1976 Ravenswood Zinfandel Polsen Vineyard
1976 Ravenswood Zinfandel Vogensen Vineyard
1989 Swan Sonoma County Zinfandel

Roast Turkey – Bob
with Wild rice Apple, sage stuffing
Giblet Gravy – Bob
Mashed Potatoes – Mac
Dried Corn – Bob
Green Bean Casserole – Margaret
Cranberry Orange Relish – Robin / Chris
Wilted Lettuce Salad – Robin
Mom’s Rolls – Marnie and Mac
Pear butter – Robin
NV Rex Goliath free range Giant 47 pound Rooster
Vin De Pays De L’herault Pinot Noir
Mincemeat pasties – Robin and Bob

2006 Kestrel Late Harvest Chardonnay from Prosser, WA
2010 Ravenswood Suite – a port-like Zin

Dessert by Madison and Chris
Big Gobbler chocolate – Robin
See’s Turkey Truffle Chocolates – Bob

Tagine of Duck


We do like duck. No! We really like duck! And when you combine it with a Mediterranean style recipe and cooking process, you end up with absolute estacy. If you have a little time and can get a tagine cooker – they are comparatively  inexpensive and come in different sizes. Ours is large enough for four servings and cost in the neighborhood of $25.00 online. 


Here is our recipe for our meal tonight. Serve with a minted green tea and you’re in for a treat. Pictured here from left to right – Bok Choy Salad with Mandarine Orange and Avacado, Couscous and Duck. Enjoy the recipe.

Tagine of Duck

Serves: 4

Note: Tagine refers to the type of dish used to cook this type of meal it is a round earthenware dish with a conical lid that is placed on top of an open flame and allowed to cook long and slow. Using an ovenproof dish with a lid will yield the same results.

Ingredients:
4 Duck Legs and Thighs, separated
4 med Garlic cloves
1 lg Onion, diced
2 lg Carrots, diced
1 T Ras el Hanout
½ c Pitted Black Olives
1 slice of preserved Lemon
2 t Pistachio nuts
1 Pomegranate – seeds
1 Bay Leaf
8 dried Apricots, sliced
2 cups Duck stock
Fresh Coriander Leaves to garnish

Directions:
Heat a fry pan and season the duck legs with a little salt and pepper.
Place skin side down in the fry pan and allow to brown turn over and cook for one minute.
Remove from the pan and place into the tagine or oven dish.

Pour off excess duck fat, put the pan back onto the heat and add the garlic and onions to the pan and allow to cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Add the carrot and the Ras el Hanout allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Add the bay leaf, apricots and stock and bring to the boil.

Pour over the duck legs and cover and place and scatter the olives and preserved lemon then into the oven for 1½ hours at 350ºF (180C). When cooked remove from the oven skim off any excess duck fat that may have come to the top.

Scatter chopped pistachio nuts, pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves over the top.
Serve with couscous and flat bread.

Shellfish at Le Café de Paris


I just received this from Le Café de Paris in Boise. We will be there at 6:30pm if you care to join us. It will be a great meal! Cheers!

Bonjour Mes Amis,

Our annual Fresh Shellfish Dinner before the holidays will be Wednesday, November 22nd, and is a great event to bring out of town friends and family to before the Thanksgiving festivities. Come out and enjoy some great shellfish dishes with some fabulous wines paired by our resident sommelier Christian Lamotte. The dinner itself is $39/person and includes a five-course tasting menu of some classic and innovative dishes that celebrate the best of les fruits de mer. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made by calling (208) 336-0889 or by emailing Le Cafe de Paris.

A Bientot,
Mathieu

Le Soupe du Jour
Lobster Bisque
brandy creme, butter poached lobster

Fruits de Mer
Bouillabaisse
herb scented tomato broth, varietal fruits des mer

Pesce Spada
sicilian style swordfish steaks, caramelized onions, red chiles, and kalamata olives

Pernod Steamed Mussels

Dessert
Croissant Bread Pudding

Homemade Pizza on Gameday!


It must be gameday, because we had a special pizza! Plus BSU won, 52 – 35 over San Diego State.
Our own made fresh sour dough crust (from scratch), onion, Italian sausage, German brats, black olives, mozzarella cheese,  fresh, from our garden, chopped red, yellow and green Zebra tomatoes, herbs and spices and mixed cheeses.

Add to this a great and aged Chimay Ale, some Blue and Orange M & M’s and we’ve got a party! Hope next week is as good with the Broncos. Hope so!

Locavore Lamb Dinner


OK. BSU lost to TCU, 35-36. They dropped 6 points on the BCS scale, from number 5 to number 11. Go figure! That means, one really needs a good local dinner. Look what we had. Sorry you missed it. Yea! Right!











Roasted Leg of Lamb 
(Felzien Farms and herbs from Our Garden)
Hendricks gin, pear vodka, olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, garlic


Steamed Baby Turnips and Carrots 
(Boise Saturday Market)


Green Salad with Fresh Tomatoes 
(Our Garden)

2008 Riverwoods Winery Magnafique
50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec



It was an awesome dinner. Sorry that you missed it. The lamb was the first that we have had from this years’ crop and it was delicious! The fresh and local vegies were a delight and the wine went very well with this dinner. Cheers!