Boise Food Stars ~ May 27-28, 2012

5/27 ~ A reminder we're staying in a guest cottage at friends. We toddle into the house for coffee this morning and Linda has created yet another, blow your socks off breakfast: sauteed pears baked into a puff pastry ~ the recipe has been requested and will be posted.

Today's a lazy day by choice. We drove over to Betty and Ken's for a visit and then took a tour of Boise: historical buildings, homes and neighborhoods, old town, parks, the river and of course the blue turf of the Boise State Stadium. Love the color of this Clematis on their patio in late afternoon sun.

All 8 of us gather at Trisha and Leland's for dinner. It's our first chance to cross paths with them this trip and see Annie the Wonder Dog. Leland fixed us his renowned paella. We spent most of the prep time in the kitchen at rapt attention watching the master at work. Linda brought watermelon salad, and Betty baked strawberry/rhubarb and lemon meringue pies. Lots of wine, conversation and laughter between courses. This trip to Boise has been food lovers dream tour.

A cautionary tale about tax dollars at work. Their home borders the sage brush sea at the outskirts of Boise. Leland tells us that in early June a wrangler will be bringing in 700 goats for a few days to "mow" the steep hillsides to rid them of noxious weeds and reduce fire danger.

 Before

After

A great concept in theory from the city of Boise and the Fire Department. It will reduce fire danger, but the hillsides were pretty much denuded which brings up erosion concerns. Leland is philosophical about it at the moment and will wait and see what grows back in the next couple of months. Best laid plans 101!

5/28 ~ Our turn to provide sustenance. The crew has heard of Rod's designer pancakes. He was the chef at the Sonoma State Children's School for eight years and every Friday he'd fix pancakes by request for the kids. Their job was to stump him, but they never did. We all met a Ken and Betty's for breakfast. Left to right: Betty's tulip, Pancake Boy and Trisha's Phoenix

After breakfast we headed back to Steve and Linda's to start putting the rig back together, do a little laundry and get Little Towed (Honda) leashed up. We've got a bug in our bonnet to head for Yellowstone so in the morning we'll head East once again on Hwy 20.

The last supper in Boise: another four star meal with our hosts and Ken and Betty. There has been rain on and off during our stay, but the weather turns perfect again so we're able to eat on the back patio and enjoy the evening breeze: BBQ salmon, corn on cob, Steve's potato salad, Linda's apple/spice bundt cake and leftover Betty pies for desert. It has been an amazing four days: we discover a new town, get to know new friends better, share stories, and a common love of food, the arts and the outdoors.

Your next assignment: Get off you duff and go see some of the world, even if it's just the next county over. Life is short and unplugging from reality is good medicine!