In this podcast interview with manager Amy Svancara (Swan-sarah), you’ll learn the story behind the European-style bistro located in downtown Boise’s historic Idanha Building. From its start as a bakery just three years ago, La Vie en Rose has expanded its menu to include breakfasts and lunches that deliver the “linger effect” that make it a place where people love to connect as well as dine.

It’s safe to say that by the time this interview is over, a London Bleu Frittata with cheesy hashbrowns is going to sound mighty appealing — no matter what hour of the day you’re listening!

La Vie en Rose is located in the Idanha Building in downtown Boise at 928 West Main Street.  For information, call (208) 331-4045

Janie Burns of MeadowLark Farms

In keeping with the latter objective, we bring you this podcast interview with Janie Burns — a local food personality who many people know from the Capital City Public Market as the owner of Meadowlark Farms.  But Janie also wears another hat as a member of the Treasure Valley Food Coalition (TVFC) — a “network of community members working together to create a sustainable local food system.”

In this latest Au Pair episode with John Berryhill, John manages to work sex into the conversation in record time as we explore the yin and yang of pairing a Sawtooth Vineyards’s tempranillo with a new herbed chicken dish on the Berryhill & Co. menu.

Thanks to Mr. Berryhill’s brilliant culinary insights, we now have a new brand to introduce to our friends at the Idaho Wine Commission: Tranny-nillo. Some how I suspect Moya Shatz, the Commission’s director, will be less enthused than John and I, but you never can tell.  We just might be on to something…

Click here for a Behind the Menu profile on Berryhill & Co.  Be sure to join Behind the Menu on Facebook for a daily conversation about the Treasure Valley culinary scene.

In this Idaho Vines podcast episode, we talk with one of the pioneers of Snake River wines about his serrendipitous foray into what has become Bitner Vineyards, and about his thoughts on the past, present, and future of our local wine making scene.  You’ll also find out just why that little bee appears on the wines of Ron and Mary Bitner.

If you were able to attend this event, which puts some 20 restaurants under one roof, then you know what a great showcase it is for our local culinary talent. If not, spend the next 12 minutes with Behind the Menu as we walk the floor to the strains of big band music and talk to the culinary stars of the evening about what they’ve brought to the table.

Warning, this podcast could make you very hungry!

In this Idaho Vines podcast episode, we’ll sit down with Neil Glancey, general manager Wisti Rosenthal, and sales representative Rod De Armond to talk about the history of Woodriver Cellars and its approach to wine making. We’ll also discover how, as an entertainment venue, Woodriver Cellars has tapped into the third most popular lifetime sport.

We hope to see you at this year’s Savor Idaho, where you can get up close and personal with Woodriver Cellars and their wines.

The Brick Oven Bistro has been serving wine for as long as it has served food, and owners Stephanie Telesco and Jeff Nee are pretty picky about what they stock. At the same time, however, they don’t brook any snobbery toward appreciating good wines, and for many years now they’ve been hosting wine classes at their restaurant to share their love of vino with their customers.

Their latest series, Tour of the World Wine Classes, is hosted by wine distributor and former chef, Brad Cowan, of BRJ Distributing in Boise. Every month, beginning April 27, Brad will be showcasing wines from different parts of the world. The wine classes will be held at the Brick Oven Bistro, and $15 not only gets you an outpouring of vino and knowledge, but hors d’oeuvres as well.

See you there!

Intrigued?  Shake ‘n bake, followers.

Thank the Culinary Gods that we’ve evolved.  But even in whilst stuck in the middle of Teenage Wasteland, there was a part of the world that had an entirely different concept of the fish sandwich.  It was pronounced, “bake ‘n shark”, and you found it at little beachside shacks in places like Trinidad.  In the Treasure Valley, you’ll find it at Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone.

In this Behind the Menu podcast, we sit down with Sweetwater’s owner, Sue Zimmerman, and listen to her describe her restaurant’s new Spring/Summer menu.  It’s a  menu that features some dishes that make the bake ‘n shark seem almost prosaic — until, of course, you take that first bite.

Click here to listen to our original podcast interview with Sue Zimmerman on the story of Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone

In addition to describing the menu in tantalizing detail, Mathieu brings us up to date on some other activities going on at Le Cafe de Paris. Just in time for the restaurant’s 8th anniversary…a wine club. Mathieu will explain.

To learn more about Le Cafe de Paris, read their profile on Behind the Menu.

Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwich and Sweet Potato Star Anise Cream Soup

As a soup lover, I always enjoy being exposed to a new recipe…but I have to admit that the concept of combining sweet potato and star anise was a bit of a stretch. So in typical fashion, I made it my personal mission to not only get “behind the menu”, but also to the bottom of the bowl of the aforementioned soup.

In this podcast update with Brick Oven Bistro owner Stephanie Telesco, you’ll not only learn about the making of sweet potato and star anise cream soup, but about a couple of “culinary anthropologists” whose travels along the Mekong River inspired this Brick Oven Bistro recipe.

The Solomo Sandwich

Last week, one of our UFOs was that of some pork loin marinading in a pepper sauce, on its way to becoming a Bar Gernika menu classic: the Solomo Sandwich.

In this podcast episode, Bar Gernika owner Jeff may takes us through the history and process behind the solomo, and why in the case of this particular menu item, less is more.

We also have a cameo appearance by Dave Kam, a personal chef from McCall who likes to stop in at Bar Gernika for a lamb grinder when he’s visiting Boise. How ya gonna keep ‘em down on the farm, after they’ve had croquetas?

To learn more about Bar Gernika, read their Behind the Menu profile.

The Deli George Reuben

In this installment of our on going series, “Where’s Reuben?”, we visit Deli George on Fairview in Boise along with Sylvie Ryan.  Sylvie’s Alsace sensibilities fit nicely with George’s European background when the subject of sauerkraut comes up…and it’s this particular item that, along with a few other deft touches that we’ll discover, makes the Deli George reuben a sandwich not simply deserving of its own podcast episode, but a tribute to one man’s family of origin.

Tug in that napkin…this could get messy!

If a signature steakhouse in a Holiday Inn sounds like a culinary anamoly, then let us introduce you to Castle Ranch Steakhouse — a concept hatched in the City of Trees by a restrauteur with credentials stretching back to resorts in California, the McCormick & Schmick Seafood restaurants, and the Hilton Corporation.  Meet Ron Unruh.

Just one year ago, Ron assembled a culinary team to create a restaurant concept to rival high end steakhouses, but at an affordability that wouldn’t compromise the experience.  The keys to achieving this have been local relationships, a focused menu, and a mission to make what Ron describes as “Boise’s best kept secret” into a dining destination.

In this podcast interview, Ron relates the history of Castle Ranch Seakhouse, describes the menu, and introduces us to Chefs Jack Charles and Steven Forrest — the men responsible for serving you not just the perfect steak, but a memorable dining experience.

Castle Ranch Steakhouse is located at the Holiday Inn on 3300 South Vista Ave., Boise.  For information, call (208) 343-4900.

High school acquaintances Pat Robbins and Kris Thompson

If the concept of fresh caught salmon from Sunnyslope seems a bit incongruous, allow us to introduce you to Pat Robbins — the man who brings Alaska’s Alsek River to Caldwell, Idaho…and to The Orchard House restaurant.

When Orchard House owners Kris Thompson and Sheri McCoy were looking to upgrade their menu, they decided that NOT knowing where the items on it came from was unacceptable — especially with regards to their highly popular honey glazed salmon. Their decision to find a “local” source led Kris to an old high school acquaintance whose family had fished Alaska’s Alsek River for many years.

In this Behind the Menu podcast episode, we’ll learn about Pat Robbin’s family-run fishing operation in Yakutat, Alaska, and what it takes to get a wild salmon from the largest glacier-fed river feeding the Pacific Ocean from net to plate in 48 hours.

Welcoming a new chef into our culinary community may not be breaking news for your average local media — but at Behind the Menu, we find this to be pretty heady stuff.  After all, if we’re going to “celebrate the Treasure Valley culinary scene from pitchfork to plate”, you have to know who the players are, right?

In this Behind the Menu Update, we’ll meet the new chef at Ono Hawaiian Cafe and Kanak Attack Catering — and man who shares not only Michael Mohica’s love for Hawaiian cuisine, but the same hometown origins.

Oh…a warning: if you’re feeling a mite peckish at the moment, the visuals with this podcast are NOT going to help the situation…so don’t come whining to me if you start jonesing for some Kulua  pig at 10 am.  Blame Michael and Roger.

But no. The man who in my heart will always be the “Mayor of Boise” continues to work his culinary concept of “Near East” fusion, as well as experiment with new venues such as Opa and, more recently, Opium.

In this podcast episode, the boys of “Behind the Treasured Menu” (Chris Oates, Scott Nicholson, and me) let Cazba do the ordering, then strap on the old feedbag with a combination of Egyptian, Greek, and Lebanese inspired dishes while we talk with Max about the history of his restaurant, its place in the community, and Max’s undiminished political ambitions.

This podcast goes great with a cup of “Orient Espresso”, by the way…but more about that in the podcast.

Cazba is located in downtown Boise at 211 North 8th Street; (208) 381-0222

In this Behind the Menu update, we talk with Joe and Melanie about their upcoming Spring Release Party, where they’ll be pouring their 2008 Syrah, 2009 Viognier, and 2009 Dry Rose. We’ll also get an overview of Cinder highlights from the past year — and trust me, there are quite a few!

For more information about Cinder, call (208) 407-4347, or visit the Cinder website at www.cinderwines.com

Leah Clark

In an era when “rant radio” hosts make a very comfortable living trashing government, the Idaho Preferred program is a reminder that when government as “we the people” reflects our best collective aspirations, it can bring together “the best and the brightest” to serve causes that the private sector might never champion as a bottom line priority.

This is certainly the case with Idaho Preferred, which currently represents more than 180 culinary business ventures that reflect our state’s agricultural diversity, from fruit and vegetable growers to specialty food makers and farmers markets.

In this Behind the Menu podcast interview with Idaho Preferred manager Leah Clark, we’ll learn how her program goes about its mission to “promote Idaho food and agricultural products” by connecting consumers and producers through efforts ranging from partnerships with local grocery stores and school cafeterias to culinary celebrations.

You can learn more about Idaho Preferred, and where to go for local, seasonal foods, by visiting their website at www.idahopreferred.com. You can also read our Facebook post on the program’s annual membership meeting for additional insight into Idaho Preferred’s activities.

In this retrospective interview with Peter, we learn that the concept of “locavore” comes fairly easily to a person trained in the classic culinary traditions of Europe. After all, starting with whatever was locallly and seasonally at hand was the first, and one might argue the most critical, step in creating a memorable dining experience.

Over the past ten years, the Cottonwood Grille has expanded its repetoire of menu items based on local relationships, from the restaurant’s signature “Tomahawk Chop” to its wine list and side dishes. As we acknowledge an important anniversary for Peter and Hilary, what we are truly acknowledging is the vibrancy of our own local culinary scene…a scene that the Cottonwood Grille has done so much to define.

You ain't seen the "half of it"!

In this latest installment of our series Where’s Reuben?, we sit down with Behind the Menu follower Tina Caviness and her fellow Department of Tourism cohorts to nosh on Tina’s favorite version of the iconic sandwich at Moon’s Kitchen Cafe.

As Moon’s owner Bob Dempsey explains in this podcast, the restaurant’s Colossal Reuben is one of three reuben choices on his menu, but Tina’s fave has its roots in Moon’s past…with a little tweak by its current owners.

In our previous Where’s Reuben? episode with Amanda Wight, she described the experience of biting into a reuben sandwich as “tastes like Christmas”. Department of Tourism’s Diane Norton adds her own bit of poetry: the Moon’s Colassal Reuben, she says, “oozes with yummy!” How about that, Lord Byron?

Behind the Menu follower and local food blogger, Amy Milione

When you contrast large urban centers with smaller ones, the difference generally isn’t so much the quality of the restaurant scene, but more the diversity of available foods overall. Local markets are a prime example. Where, for instance, can you find the equivalent of a Pike’s Market in the Treasure Valley?

But despair not, followers, there are some hidden market gems in the City of Trees, and in this podcast episode of To Market, To Market, we go shopping with follower and local food blogger, Amy Milione, at Boise’s Orient Market, near the corner of Orchard and Emerald.

Sit back, pop the top on a can of Grass Jelly, and conjur up exotic images of a farmers’ market in China or Thailand as Ms. Milione walks us through a Saturday morning shopping excursion.

Click here to follow Amy’s adventures on her blog, Mundovore: Eat the World!

Meet the man responsible for global climate change!

Dave Krick, owner of Bittercreek Alehouse and the Red Feather Lounge, takes climate change personally…and professionally.

As a member of our community, Dave feels compelled to bring the issues of climate change to a local level.  And while it would be easy to point fingers at political impediments to realizing a more sustainable planet, Krick ultimately holds himself responsible — and ths sense of reponsiblity carries over into his role as a restaurant owner.

In this interview we learn not only how a local activist feels about the events that recently transpired at the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change, but also about the steps that a local business person and restaurateur has taken to, as Gandhi would say, “be the change you want to see.”

Click here to read the story that the New York Times wrote about the Bitterreek Alehouse’s “Low Power Happy Hour”.

The answer to that question, according to Scott Graves, owner of Parrilla Grill in Boise’s Hyde Park, is a resounding “Claro que si!” Of course you can! Nothing against Tex-Mex, mind you, but why limit ones definition of the classic burrito or wrap to a particular geography?

Understanding this is the key to what Scott Graves ikes to call a “fusion grill”. How about the Bombay Bomburrito, with a ginger banana chutney smear with cilantro lime rice, bamboo shoots, purple cabbage, and a green chili sauce to go with your choice of carne? Or for that matter, why not a Buffalo Gypsy Salad with Asian marinated buffalo and gorgonzola cheese?

In this Local Food, Local Voices episode, we’ll sit down with Scott and learn about the history of his restaurant and its culinary take, and his move toward more locally sourced ingredients. La comida en este ristorante is muy bueno…or should we say tres bien…or hun hao…or kheli khoob…

Oh…a word to the wise: Thursday is $1 taco day!

Parrilla Grill is located in Boise’s Hyde Park at 1512 North 13th Street (208) 323-4688

Who wouldn't want to sit down over a glass of wine with this man?

In this first of our new series with John Berryhill, “Au Pair”, John pairs the Bitner Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Reserve with a Snake River Farms’ Kobe beef ”eye of rib eye”, lovingly topped with mission fig and gorgonzola.

As an added extra, we ask John about “sexed up foods” for this Valentine’s Day.  I have to admit, I would never have equated inversions with “sexiness in the air” — but with John’s February 11 cooking class, I can see where there would be a lot of funk trapped in the atmosphere along with all that ozone.

By the way, John is probably the only local culinary celeb who can artfully work “sweaty balls” into a conversation about fine food and wine. A parental advisory: sections of this podcast do include “adult content”.

The Cucina di Paolo Reuben

In this, the first in our series “Where’s Reuben”, we sit down to enjoy this sandwich classic with a veritable neophyte: Behind the Menu follower, Amanda Joy Wight — hence our episode title (our apologies to Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan).

As one of the reuben venues identified by our followers, Cucina di Paolo was the location for this Be Our Guest encounter. In addition to Amanda sharing her “first time” (blush), we’ll hear Mary Jean and Paul Wegner describe how they pay omage to an icon. As you’ll learn, it’s something of a culinary trans-gender approach, fortified with a big ol’ dollop of love.

Ladies and gentlemen, secure your napkins and prepare to tuck in.

Robin and Bob Young of the Boise Foodie Guild

They’re the foodie blogging power couple that I once described in a Facebook post as “so cute, you just want to put them in your pocket.” I’m talking about Bob and Robin Young of the Boise Foodie Guild — and in this Local Food, Local Voices podcast, we sit down over lunch at Pizzalchik and get to know them a little better.

It’s no wonder I like these guys. Not only do they do a wonderful job celebrating our local culinary scene, but it also turns out that our karma paths intertwine in a number of waypoints that stretch from India to San Francisco…and now, of course, the Treasure Valley culinary scene. And as you’ll also learn in this podcast interview with Robin and Bob, the Youngs boast some serious culinary chops.

You can follow Bob and Robin at boisefoodieguild.blogspot.com

Fortunately for us, our guest chef and restaurateur, John Berryhill, has been doing just that for many years. Now, close your eyes, and let John take you through a meal to die for. We’ll pick up the tab on this one, OK?

Bar Gernika is synonymous with great lamb dishes, but up until now most of its lamb has come from a source we will only refer to as “down under”. Recently, however, Bar Gernika owners Jeff and Stephanie May selected a more local source for their lamb: Lava Lake Ranch.

In this Behind the Menu update, we’ll let Jeff May explain the reaons for his decision to “go local”.

Meet Rick Boyd

Rick Boyd knows from beer. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that even if I didn’t like beer, reading a beer reveiw by the man who created Brewforia, an online and more recently brick and mortar source for craft beers, would be enough to make me want to pour a tall, frosty one.

In this Local Food, Local Voices podcast interview, Rick Boyd talks about the concept behind his unique retail venture, why we should look at beer as a “food” rather than an “intoxicant”, and his thoughts on the state of craft beer in Idaho.

By the way, I’d recommend an oatmeal stout with this episode, but I’d happily defer to Rick on that one. Like I said, he knows from beer.

And while it’s not for me to tell you how to celebrate Valentine’s Day, at $10 per class ($36 for the series), this just might be the gift that not only tells that special someone just how much you appreciate his or her companionship, but also says “I’m one classy dude/chick” — just in case they need some reminding after your recent pairing of salmon and Annie Greensprings.

The Impeccable Mr. Ickes

In this Be Our Guest episode, we sit down with Mark Ickes of Think Boise First to a Caribbean lunch at Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone. We leave steeped in goat curry, red peas and rice, ginger beer, and garlic blue crab. In the process we learn about everything from the importance of goat to the Caribbean diet to the making of Sweetwater’s own beverages and hot sauces. We also discover Mark’s soul connection to Creole inspired cuisine.

As we often warn our Behind the Menu followers, it’s a good idea not to listen to this podcast if you’re already hungry. On the other hand, if you are, we guarantee you’ll emerge on the other side of this 14 minutes of auditory stimulation with a good idea of how to satisfy your appetite. Jah love, mon!

In this Local Food, Local Voices podcast interview, we’ll hear from four different chefs and restaurant owners on how they plan to say, “I love you” from their very own kitchens. And if you pay close attention, you might just pick up on some alternatives to leftover turkey if you’re thinking about what to eat between now and New Year’s Day.

Even though The Gamekeeper discontinued its daily operation in June 2009, Owyhee Plaza manager John May continues its tradition of wine dinners, with menus from Chef Owsley that preserve old favorites from The Gamekeeper menu along with new inspirations — while introducing domestic and foreign wines paired with each course.

This New Year’s Eve marks (no pun intended) not only a new year but also a new opportunity to get reacquainted with a century-old hospitality icon in downtown Boise. Just say to Frank, Dean, Joey, and Sammy for us.

In this Local Food, Local Voices episode, we’ll sit down with Boise Fry Company co-owner and co-founder, Blake Lingle, and learn the story behind the little restaurant that has made big waves since the first day it opened its doors. You’ll never think about french fries the same way again.

In this Behind the Menu podcast, we talk with a number of different wine makers about the vintages they’re serving up, and over a much needed glass of hot mulled wine, we even chat with a chestnut grower from Nampa.  Who else but Behind the Menu could bring you something like this? No one, you say?  Aw…shucks!  Just doing our job.

Included in this podcast are Coiled Wines, Pend d’Oreille Winery, Fraser Vineyard, 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards, Davis Creek Cellars, Woodriver Cellars, St. Regulus Wines, and Holesinsky’s Vineyard and Winery.  So…get yourself some brie, some crusty bread, and your best crystal and get ready to “pore” over this podcast.

In this Behind the Menu audio update, we’ll talk with Kris Thompson of The Orchard House about how their annual Christmas at Sunnyslope came to be, then we’ll visit with the 8-foot, 2,000 pound star of the show…that Elvis of dromedaries, Clyde the Camel.

We love Chris…and not just because he publishes all of our Behind the Menu stuff on his site. He is one of a cherished pantheon of advocates for our local culinary scene who, like Guy Hand and Bob and Robin Young, bring a wonderful voice to the celebration of all things food and Treasure Valley.

In this episode, Chris and I are joined by Bar Gernika owner Jeff May, who gives us a “behind the menu” insight into a few of his eateries’ customer faves — and we even get a cameo appearance from my culinary cohort, Scott Nicholson, along with a couple of Bar Gernika groupies with an interesting personal anecdote to share.

What more could you ask for…except maybe more croquetas?

Homestead Natural Food’s “beeves” are free of the antibiotics, hormones, and herbicide or pesticide residues associated with grain. What they have is a higher concentration of omega-3 fats, more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA is credited with cancer fighting properties), more beta-carotene, more vitamin E, and less total fat and calories than conventional beef. Grass-fed beef, like wild salmon, also tastes better than its factory farm alternative.

“Our steers look like they came right off the feed lot, with good marbling in the fat,” sixth-generation Idaho rancher Ed Wilsey points out, “but the fat tastes more like a fine olive oil, and the meat has an excellent flavor and tenderness.”

Homestead Natural Food’s approach to a more sustainable and healthy food supply is to begin with the soil itself. “We’re all of us grass farmers first, and beef is the by-product,” says Wilsey. “My granddad always said, “take care of the land and it will take care of you. We’ve cut our soil erosion down to practically nothing – the cows don’t take anything out that they don’t put back in.”

In this Local Food, Local Voices podcast episode, we’ll meet the ranchers and farmers who have joined together to create Homestead Natural Foods, and we’ll learn the reasons they’ve turned they’re back on the commercial beef industry to return to pasture-raised livestock.

To read our Behind the Menu Profile on Homestead Natural Foods, click here.

Meet Martha Moon

Celebrating the Boise Valley culinary scene from pitchfork to plate is about more than just the food (as much as we love that aspect of it). It’s also about the people who grow it and serve it. Telling those stories is also telling the history of the Boise Valley…and today’s history lesson comes to us from the original owner of Moon’s Kitchen Cafe, Martha Moon herself.

We caught up with Martha at…where else…Moon’s, and we managed to get her to slow down long enough to share her memories of a Boise that few of us have lived here long enough to remember.

How does it work?  Simple. We select a Behind the Menu follower with a passion for a particular food or cuisine, then match them up with a local culinary personality who can scratch their itch. We comp them a meal…and then talk food.

If you’re a dedicated local foodie, the results will bring a smile to your face, as well as give you some insights into our local culinary community that you’d never get from your average food review.

Starring in our pilot episode is our very own Justin Boggs, a man on a mission to cook him some authentic Cajun recipes. It all starts with the “Holy Trinity”, as you’ll learn in this Local Food, Local Voices podcast co-starring Stephanie Telesco of The Brick Oven Bistro.

In this Local Food, Local Voices podcast episode, Bar Gernika owner Jeff May recounts his own culinary history, Bar Gernika’s, the Basque Block’s — and how all of them have intertwined with great food over the years.

Chef Paul Faucher and Mathieu Choux of Le Cafe de Paris

The world premiere of the new Twilight movie? Beyotch…please! How can you possibly compare fuel injected hormone-driven teen angst to the arrival of a new beaujolais? And at Le Cafe de Paris, we’re going to celebrate that premiere in the only appropriate way: with a multi-course French dinner.

In this podcast, Le Cafe de Paris owner Mathieu Choux and head chef Paul Faucher talk about the Beaujolais Nouveau tradition, and discuss their November 19 celebratory feast in mouth watering detail. Don’t listen to this podcast if you’re already hungry. Or at least don’t hold me responsible if you do.

Moon's Guinness Milkshake

Moon’s Kitchen Cafe owner, Bob Dempsey, reveals the splendor that is the Guinness Milkshake. We doubt that Martha Moon could ever have imagined this being on the menu when she started serving breakfast in her dad’s fishing and hunting shop back in the ’50s in downtown Boise, Idaho.

Warning: this milkshake is not for the faint of heart. But if you love ice cream, Guinness Stout, and John Steinbeck, this may be just the cure for bumping your shins up against the hard surface your Calvinist work ethic…especially if you have one at 11 am, as I did in this Behind the Menu Drive By Moment.

We should mention that Bob also serves up a mean Apple Pie Milkshake for the teetotalers among you…or those who simply can’t bring themselves to mixing ice cream, chocolate sauce, malt, and fermented grain beverages.

At Life’s Kitchen, however, the kitchen is also a place where kids whose lives can benefit from a clearer sense of direction and the acquisition of job skills come to discover a sustainable career path.

In this podcast episode we’ll visit with Life’s Kitchen executive director, Kurt Alderman and student Andrew Settler to learn about the history and mission of Life’s Kitchen — and about what it’s serving up on Wednesdays through Fridays.

Life’s Kitchen is located at 1025 S. Capitol Blvd. in Boise, across from Boise State University. The Cafe is open Wednesday through Friday from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm and features a varying menu.  To contact Life’s Kitchen, call (208) 331-0199 or go to their website at www.lifeskitchen.org

Meet Sue Zimmerman

I’m a pushover for ethnic cuisine, so when a guy handed me a flyer at the Boise’s Public Market with the menu for a new downtown restaurant, Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone, my eyeballs were immediately drawn to “Trinidadian Curry Goat”.

A week later I was sitting down to a meal of said entrée with Sweetwater’s owner, Sue Zimmerman…and in this Local Food, Local Voices podcast episode, we’ll learn about Sue’s culinary past and influences, the cuisine of the Caribbean, and what you might want to order at Sweetwater’s Tropic Zone to get a sense of the region’s culinary culture.

Melanie Krause

Just the other day I was down at the Public Market in Boise where I happened upon the booth belonging to Cinder Wines.  It was a fortuitous encounter, since it gave me the opportunity to try Cinder’s new Chardonnay and Cab offerings, which they’ve just released this fall.

As I relished each sample, it got me to thinking about a Local Food, Local Voices interview that I recorded back in March, when Cinder’s latest wines had only recently been bottled.  In this podcast episode, you’ll hear Cinder’s winemaker, Melanie Krause, talk about her background in the winemaking business, Cinder’s history, and the origins of the Snake River AVA.

The Brick Oven Bistro Crawfish Etouffee

We recently ran across this blog item from the Brick Oven Bistro. It seems they’re committing the sacrilege of messing with their famous crawfish etouffee recipe. We decided that we owed it to our Behind the Menu fans to get down to the bottom of this rumor, so we cornered owner Jeff Nee to get his side of the story.

It’s hard to believe, but a quick glance at the Idaho Wine Commission’s promotional brochure reveals that nearly 30 wineries now produce vintages that are beginning to attract the interest of wine lovers the world over.