Broccoli and Red Pepper

The red bell pepper in my organic box delivery stretched into two meals this week. Last night it starred in a side dish: sauteed broccoli and peppers. I added a bit of butter and seasoned salt. I'll be cooking this combo up again.

Omelette for Dinner

Cubed ham, diced onion and diced red bell pepper wrapped in an egg sandwich. A quick dinner last night. The first three ingredients were sauteed. I liked to flip my omelette so the inside is fully cooked. Then I stuff it. Cheese was added, too. This is a two-egg omelette. I think omelettes used to be more popular a few years ago than they are today.

Grilled Chicken

Chicken breast doused in a mixture of seasoned salt, paprika, brown sugar, pepper and a pinch of cayenne - and grilled. Simple, quick and yummy!

Good Eatin' at TableRock Brewpub and Grill

I've been battling a cold for a week or so, and this tomato bisque was just what the doctor ordered to make me feel better. This is the bisque offered at TableRock Brewpub and Grill in downtown Boise. We popped in for a late lunch Saturday. The free popcorn was a big hit with my daughter.
This was a spicy fish sandwich my husband ordered, along with a nut brown ale. Both got "thumbs up."

And let me tell you, their hand-battered fish was very much like my homemade version, except theirs was better. They use their Whitebird wheat ale for the batter.

Dessert at Delsa's

We popped into Delsa's Ice Cream Parlour on Ustick for a dessert over the weekend. As you can see, my daughter chose the bubble gum flavor to eat...and wear.

There was a toasted coconut that I wanted to try, but I got a butterscotch sundae, instead.
It's been interesting to watch the revival of Delsa's, as the place existed for years, and then faltered, and then re-opened...twice. The ice cream was good, but I fear for the business based on our experience with the service and atmosphere. Customers do not want to be ignored by staff chatting amongst themselves about boyfriends and other gossip, and even after being served, customers do not want to hear that kind of banter while they're enjoying their food. Also, music would be a nice addition for customers - something retro to match the decor?

Laughing Red Pepper

My husband sliced up some red bell pepper to put on his homemade pizza last night....and the pepper laughed at him.

Lemon Pudding Cake

My mom's cooking experiment - lemon pudding cake. This was the second one she made and I thought it was yummy...and so did my daughter. She sent along another version of the recipe today that I'll be trying out this weekend. The recipe above used a cake mix and lemon pudding mix. The recipe "to try" is more from scratch.

Mr. and Mrs. Beer

Part of last night's dinner, which also included guacamole and chips :) Aren't the Coronita's cute?

L'Amore Dinner

I think this was the best meal I had while on a recent trip to the Phoenix area. Crab ravioli, shrimp scampi and asparagus. This was one of the specials the night we dined at L'Amore.
It's a family-owned restaurant and a local "regulars" place. Reasonably-priced food that is excellent. Above is the cioppino.

A pretty caprese salad with spinach. Don't miss this magical place if you're in the Phoenix area.

Jalapeno Popper Shots

Yeah, we've all had jalapeno poppers before...but these are different. This is an appetizer at the Spotted Donkey Cantina in Scottsdale, AZ - as Eat Boise is still sharing food from a mini-vacation. These are fresh jalapenos stuffed with cheddar and bacon and encrusted with a light tortilla batter. They're dunked in a cilantro buttermilk sauce. If you know of any Boise restaurant offering something similar, let me know because I'd love to eat them again soon.

Guacamole "Bee Hive"

Guacamole at Oregano's in Scottsdale, AZ - where Eat Boise is on the road for a few days. Oregano's is a favorite of ours...wish they were local for us.
The Pablo Picasso salad with fajita chicken, romaine, lettuce, cilantro, other veggies, cilantro and tossed in a chipotle cream dressing.

Sushi in Scottsdale

"Surf n turf" sushi roll at Sapporo in Scottsdale. Eat Boise is on the road for a couple of days. Sapporo is the "place to be be, and be seen." The sushi I ordered wasn't as good as my favorite place in Boise, and it was twice the price.

Great Place for Milkshakes

When I used to work downtown, this was a popular jaunt for a milkshake: Fanci Freez. Recommend!

Early Grilling Season

After a day of threatening skies, the late afternoon turned rather nice in Boise yesterday. I fired up the grill for a rib-eye dinner. I set the grill for 300 degrees and warmed these extra-thick cuts up for about 20 minutes. Then I took the steaks off the grill and cranked up the heat to 400, seasoned the meat and made sure there were pretty grill marks by the time they were medium.

Candy Nostaglia: Zotz

I shared this candy from my childhood with my daughter this week, and unlike the Pop Rocks incident, she liked these! I thought I remembered watermelon and cherry flavors for this hard candy with a fizzy center. But the selection for our taste-testing was orange and lemon. I didn't know when I was a kid that these candies are made in Italy.

A Tale of Two Misos

My daughter loves miso soup at our favorite sushi place: Kyoto. So we're trying some home versions. On the left is a white "mellow" miso made from miso paste. It was close, but much sweeter than the version she likes. The one on the right was an instant miso. Two thumbs down. It tasted stale and strange. More experiments on the way. I'd like to find a base we really like that is convenient. Then we'll add goodies to the broth.

Strawberry Chicken Salad

Grilled chicken, strawberries, sliced apple and feta drizzled with a vinaigrette. This was a salad served at Goodwood in Meridian. Our friend who ordered said it was really good! It certainly gives me creative salad ideas.

Parmesan Hearts

From that sheet of baked Parmesan yesterday came this heart. I also cut out a star. I tried to use a cookie cutter, but the Parm was too hard, so kitchen scissors did the trick. Sprinkle shredded Parm on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees until there is some brownness around the lacy edges. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Gently slide a spatula under the cheese and it should peel off in one piece :)

Parmesan Experimentation

This is what I did this morning - baked a sheet of shredded Parmesan cheese. I hope these turn into those cute little Parmesan cheese crisps that I've seen served with salad in a few restaurants. I'll keep you posted.

Fortune-Telling Soup

A.k.a. alphabet soup. What a surprise to find a bag of letters and numbers pasta at Fred Meyer recently. I remember alphabet soup being a big treat when I was a kiddo. I made a simple chicken stock soup with corn for my daughter's dinner last night.

Deep Fried Pickles

On the left, juicy dill pickle chips dipped in a light batter and deep-fried. It's one of the menu items at Smashburger. I attended the social media preview last week at the newest store on Franklin near Milwaukee. The burger on my tray is a 1/4 lb with bacon, cheese and "Smashburger sauce," which has a mustard base. The burger is a "loose burger," not a hard-pressed, pre-formed patty. I'm not a big fan of hamburgers, however, I ate almost the whole thing! The generous slice of red onion is nice, too. We also sampled the sweet potato fries. I liked them better than the regular fries. Although the pickles were interesting, I really could only eat a few before the novelty wore off.

Easter Dinner

We enjoyed Easter dinner at the Helppie's house. New friends, old friends and good food!

Ready for Easter Dinner Showtime

Thanks for following along the semi-live blogging for this Easter dinner rolls adventure. I feel I'm ready for the show to serve these up for Easter dinner. My only tweak will be a few more minutes in the oven when I make a batch Sunday.

Recipe:

2 1/2 cups of warm milk (I warmed it in the microwave for 1 minute)

2 teaspoons of active dry yeast

1/2 cup of sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup of melted butter

2 teaspoons of salt

7 cups of all-purpose flour

Sprinkle yeast over milk in mixer bowl, and let sit until there is some froth. Add sugar, eggs and butter and whisk together. Use the dough hook and add flour one cup at a time - adding the salt while adding the flour. You may need a little more or a little less flour. Mix into a soft dough, and it might be slightly sticky. Let dough rise, covered, in a greased bowl for 1 hour.

Punch down and turn the dough, and let rise covered another hour. And then once more.

Shape dough into balls, tucking the seam under, and place into a greased pan. Let rise another hour, covered.

Heat over to 385 degrees. Bake on middle rack for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are nice and brown.

Headed for the Oven - Update on Easter Rolls Experiment #2

After three rises of dough, including after shaping the buns, they're ready for the oven. I made the rolls smaller this time. Fingers crossed that this will do the trick.

Easter Dinner Roll Experiment #2

The second batch of dough is rising for another try at Easter dinner rolls. The first experiment turned out pretty good, but I made the rolls too big. I need to get it right today because I'm expected to bring rolls to an Easter dinner Sunday. I'll post pictures later showing what happens.

King Crab Salad

Romaine leaves, chopped tomatoes and celery and King Crab drizzled with a dressing of mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce and white vinegar.