Belmont3

Never heard of Drakes, what about Entemans

I think both cities are big on bicycling, though Seattle is very hilly (like San Francisco) making it more strenuous to get around. That's the whole point, isn't it ? Riding on flat roads gets really boring after a while. One needs the agony of a nice hill to remind one that one is alive, - S Uh Boise!! You can ride from your office and be on dirt trails in our foothils(which have been ranked as the #1 trail system in the US) in no more then 15 minutes from anywhere in the city. Or you can be out on our open-noncongested roads in less time then that.

What about Boise?? #1 in the Nation for biking, ranked as one of the best places to live and move to in several national pubs, great tech base( HP, Micron, Crucial, Dell, Jabil) low living costs, major airport, great weather without the rain, major university, great downtown, scenic, not crowded and a great up and coming culinary area.

Oops........... Frederic Magnien

I had this wine over the weekend and it was fantastic, very well priced for the quality of the wine in my opinion. 1999 Morey St. Denis "Les Herbuottes" Res. NF Any info on this?

4 more for me: Sauces by James Peterson Salute to Healthy Cooking by the FCI Jacques Pepin Celebrates The Bread Bakers Apprentice

The above mentioned are all good, but I get this regional magazine called Northwest Palate. Great little mag for us Northwest folks. It has Oregon, Washington, B.C., and Idaho food and wine info in it. Worth checking out!! Here is the link; Northwest Palate

A good Alsatian Muenster. Double Wrapped and in a plastic container, it still managed to stink up my fridge. But man was it good with some crusty bread and a Trimbach Riesling

Isn't there a 120 minute IPA and a 90 minute IPA produced out of Connecticut or Delaware that is suppose to be the shit??

Does anyone have any links and or appetizers that originate out of this region. Obviously caviar is a main ingredient, but any regional recipe uses of this, or any other dish, would be appreciated.

After I posted that, it crossed my mind that, that would be an issue for you "Big City Folks"

With that criteria, you're going to end up at the Olive Garden or the Cheesecake Factory. Nice reply!!

Is the parking lot full or empty, does it seem like the place is busy, you know people waiting around outside.

My wife does no cooking here, its all up to me.

We eat out probably twice a week, do a nice meal 2 to 3 times, and what we call "fend fer yerself" (that is make what ever you want) twice a week.

I'd suggest you try Alesmith (Anvil and XPA), Allagash (Tripel Reserve and White), Ommegang Hennepin, North Coast (Old Rasputin and Red Seal Ale), Lagunitas Maximus, Hair of the Dog Fred, Brooklyn Brewing (Black Chocolate Stout, Blanche de Brooklyn), Victory Brewing (Storm King Stout, Prima Pils), Rogue (Shakespeare Stout, Dead Guy Ale). I have tried many of these and living near the West Coast where the majority of the specialty micro brews come from, tried quite a few others. Right now I am enjoying Bridgeport IPA out of Portland

We have 2 or 3 CSC here in the Boise area. Though my family loves them( i.e. 12 year old daughter) I do not. I make better ice cream at home. It is way over the top in fat content, I believe. Finishing a size small is a monumental feat. You can feel your arties clogging as you sit there. The mix ins, though novel, are a waste of time in my opinion.

Chilled Asparagus Soup topped with a dollop of Creme Fraiche and fresh Basil Breast of Chicken with Fennel served over rice Strawberries Marinated in Port served over homemade French Vanilla Ice Cream

Oh you can count on it!!!!!!!!! Thanks for the info early on as well!!

I am jumping into this conversation a little late. But I would like to add a few thoughts. I will be attending C-School in NYC in about 3 weeks. This has been a passion of mine for nearly 15 years. I owned a large Landscape and Sprinkler biz for 13 years and somewhat retired from that, went into sales and never felt fulfilled. Hard work, well I would say been there done that, long hours ditto. I first started looking into schools over a year ago, narrowed it down to a few and then made my final selection. I was given the advice "If you want to be a chef or be in the industry, you should go work in it for a while" Well, I have a friend that owns a little Boise 3-Star restaurant. He is a CIA grad, I told him what I was planning. He threw me straight into the line. So on top of my 8-5er, I was working evenings, in what we term "The middle man" , responsible for a little saute, grill, saucing, plating and setup. On a busy night we would do 70-80 covers. With only 3 guys, me being one of them. I loved it, it was hot, sweaty, highpaced and addrenaline filled. Actually I found I had a knack for this. He actually started letting me come up with some dishes for the menu, and they sold well. It seemed fairly easy. Well, I then heard about a Sports Arena here, that was looking for part-time help in prepping for large events, so I applied and got that job as well. So I could experience Large Scale Kitchen/Banquet work. We would do dinners for 60-2000, in a very large commercial kitchen. So I have seen it from both sides for about 8 months, and love it. I am 38 years old and do not know where this will end up going, but I am on for the ride. I have all the business skills, have a great work ethic and I am driven and passionate. I do plan on opening up my own place down the road, where I do not know. The money is out there, you can't afford not to borrow money now, I am paying some out of pocket and some out of loans. It will cost somewhere between 40-50k with living expenses. My family is very supportive as well,as that is a key. I would say if you are passionate, driven and willing to do what it takes..........GO FOR IT!!!

Dinner for 7 Saturday Night: Yukon Gold Blini with Eggplant Caviar and Roasted Pepper Confit (Yes, Yes, straight out of the FL cookbook but my wife loves it) Haricot Vert and Mussell Salad with Vinegarette Dressing The above were paired with : Albert Mann Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Furstentum Vielles Vignes 2001 Asparagus with Wild Mushroom(Morels and Lobster) and Truffle Oil Fondue The Fondue was made from homemade creme fraiche Paired with: Argyle Chardonnay 1999 Reserve Crispy Skin Sea Bass with Parsnip Puree, Orange Infused Baby Spinach and Vanilla Saffron Sauce (Another FL recipe, but REALLY GOOD!) Paired with: Cote De Nuits Villages 1999 Burgandy Apple and Lemon Oil Creme Br. with Lemongrass Sauce I have photos if I can figure out how to get them on here.

Monday Night: Grilled Sea Scallops served with a Boursin Cheese/Sundried Tomato sauce over angel hair pasta. Cappucino Cheese Cake

At a risk of repeating this "great read" thread, I would have to agree with Tony and the likes, I do not believe that these Chefs are out to "Fuck" anyone. This all boils down to a love of food and roots. Most chefs started off cooking for family and friends and having someone around to talk to while they are cooking, not just the employee they have to manage. Having someone in the kitchen with them, there to enjoy and observe and converse, is almost natural to some of these guys. I would only hope that sometime time the road that when I am in charge of my own kitchen, I could have a table in there for these reasons, not to stretch anyones asshole out of shape, but to enjoy the fellowship of what draws many into this grueling field THE LOVE OF FOOD!!

Do you have a date, a trip to Seattle would be nice.

I will make some dough then top with EVOO, Greek Olives, Fresh Basil, sliced Roma tomatos, Chevre, cracked Black Pepper and Sea Salt, then grill it.