Idaho Matters

BrekLynn Pancheri, a senior at Nampa's Skyview High School, has had a busy year. She was crowned Miss Idaho Teen, she founded her own nonprofit, and she wrote a children’s book. Despite all this, though, she has no intention of slowing down.

The holidays are upon us, which means one thing: food and lots of it!

There's nothing better than sharing a meal with your loved ones, but with so many options to choose from in the Treasure Valley, it can be hard to know where to go.

That's why we invited BoiseDev Eats editor Kara Jackson to join Idaho Matters! She's got a list of all the places you won't want to miss, as well as some festive activities to check out.

Many U.S. health officials are concerned by 53 confirmed human cases of a Bird Flu variant across seven states this year.

There is a new potential case in a California child without known contact with an infected animal, and a Canadian teen is still fighting for their life, in critical condition at a British Columbia hospital, after contracting the Bird Flu.

So how concerned do we need to be about another pandemic? Dr. David Pate, former CEO of St. Luke's Health System joined Idaho Matters to talk more about this issue.

Tens of thousands of people signed up to vote on election day in Idaho, and election officials have been auditing the voting process to ensure everything worked the way it was supposed to.

Because it’s a presidential election year, there’s been a lot of focus on not just who gets elected but also on how our election system works at both a national and local level.

To answer the questions that have come up this election season, we asked Idaho’s Secretary of State, Phil McGrane, to join Idaho Matters for a breakdown.

Idaho Matters will be talking about domestic violence and sexual assault, and some of what we’ll be talking about is hard to listen to. Listener discretion advised.

When police respond to a 911 call of domestic violence, they may find someone who has been slapped, punched, or kicked by their partner, and officers and doctors can see very clear physical evidence of the assault.

But there’s one form of violence that’s hard to spot and hard to prove, and it’s often a precursor to domestic homicide.

Choking or strangling someone often leaves little visible evidence, and if officials aren’t trained to look for the signs, the victim may end up back at the mercy of their abuser. Research shows that someone who survives being strangled once is 750% more likely to be murdered by the same person.

The city of Nampa is trying to change that statistic and recently held training for police, doctors, prosecutors and survivors to stop this cycle of violence.

Jeannie Strohmeyer, the executive director of the Nampa Family Justice Center, joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse, call (208) 475-5700 or visit the Nampa Family Justice Center.

“Isn’t it warm? Isn’t it cozy? Side by side … by side.”

Those famous lyrics from Stephen Sondheim might readily be borrowed each Thanksgiving Day, because while the turkey may be the centerpiece of the table, it’s the side dishes that see the most traffic.

“You want your plate to be beautiful,” said Joyce Doughty, celebrated chef and bestselling cookbook author. “And so, I always think we need something red on the plate.”

Which led a delicious conversation with Morning Edition, as they dove into cranberries, a holiday twist on coleslaw, green beans, a game-changing sweet potato dish, and a secret ingredient to add to her pecan pie recipe.

“I couldn’t believe how fantastic that pie was,” said Doughty.

The chef also brought along some items to taste and brought along a couple of recipes which we’re sharing below.

Combine milk and cornmeal in bowl and let sit for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In another bowl cream together the butter and the sugar, then add the beaten eggs and all the remaining ingredients, including the cornmeal mixture. The mixture will be on the thin side.

Pour into a 9x9 of 7x11 inch greased pan and bake in a preheated 350 oven until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This will become your go-to recipe for a quick bread.  The biscuits also make the perfect base for shortcake.  The recipe doubles easily.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients, PLUS any extras you may wish to include (see note below). Grate cold butter over dry ingredients (on largest holes possible) and toss gently to coat and separate butter with flour. Then add the cream cheese, breaking into small pieces. Work with fingers to break pieces down further and incorporate throughout the flour, creating a crumbled mixture with both larger and smaller crumbles. Do not overwork. Pour the buttermilk over the crumbled mixture and gently stir and work with hands in the bowl until the dry ingredients are wet and gather into a ball. Do not knead. Simply press firmly into a ball and then take to a floured counter.

For nine larger biscuits, shape the dough into a square about one inch thick. Press evenly across the thickness and try and create the squarest corners possible. Cut the square into thirds (both lengthwise and crosswise) to create nine portions. For 12 portions shape into a slightly larger rectangle and cut 3x4 strips.

Place onto baking sheet and brush with some melted butter or cream. Bake in the center of the oven for 12-15 minutes depending on the size of the biscuit you have cut. Try not to over bake.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container and serve at room temperature. Biscuits can also be frozen but be sure and bring to room temperature before serving. They can also be warmed gently in the microwave.

Herbed biscuits:  Add two tablespoons of fresh herbs, finely minced) to the dry ingredients.  Thyme and parsley are my favorites.  Rosemary is nice as well but use a little less and make sure it is very finely minced.  

Feta and green onion:  Add ½ cup thinly sliced green onions (or ½ cup minced chives) to the dry ingredients and ½ cup crumbled feta cheese when adding the cream cheese.  

The grated rinds of oranges and lemons can be added to the flour mixture.  Cranberries and nuts are a festive change, and all should be added with the dry ingredients first.  

Combine parmesan, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and garlic in small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Wash and dry the sweet potatoes (peeling is optional). Slice into 1/8-inch rounds, discarding ends. Shingle on parchment-lined baking sheet, overlapping slightly. Brush with melted butter.

Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly over the potatoes and then drizzle with the maple syrup.

Take to preheated 400-degree oven and bake for 15 minutes. While that is baking for the first period, cook the bacon pieces in a small pan and cook maybe halfway (enough to remove most of the fat) and drain off the fat. After the potatoes have cooked for the first period, remove from oven and sprinkle with the bacon bits. Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Transfer shingled potatoes to a shallow serving dish, stacking layers of shingles on top of each other as needed. This can be made ahead and then reheated in an air fryer or oven.

Find reporter George Prentice @georgepren

Copyright 2024 Boise State Public Radio

Thanksgiving means turkey, football and family gatherings, and it also means the start of the holiday travel season!

Close to half a million Idahoans will travel this weekend, and a record amount of people will be on the road this year around the country.

Matthew Conde, the Public and Government Affairs Director with AAA Idaho, joined Idaho Matters for more on what to expect on the roads this holiday season.

For 30 years, Edward S. Curtis photographed Native Americans living in the early 20th century.

His pictures, which documented the daily lives and customs of many tribes, would later leave him with a complicated legacy: some claiming that his portrayal of Native American life reduced his subjects to a stereotype.

Today, Diné photographer Will Wilson, who is a citizen of the Navajo Nation, is offering a new lens through which to view indigenous communities in an ongoing project known as the critical indigenous photographic exchange, which is currently on view at the Sun Valley Museum of Art.

Wilson joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

It’s been a year and half since the Treasure Valley Institute for Children’s Arts, better known as TRICA, moved into its location in an historic church in Boise’s North End.

So what’s been happening at TRICA since the big move?

TRICA’s CEO, John Swarthout, along with Helene Peterson and Lisa Arnold with TRICA joined Idaho Matters to talk more.

Residents of East Boise looked on with trepidation as last month’s Valley Fire burned through more than 10,000 acres of the Boise foothills.

Some homes were told they might have to evacuate, and Warm Springs Road was closed for a time before firefighters knocked down the flames. More and more homes are springing up in and along the foothills, in what’s known as the Wildland-Urban Interface.

The Boise Fire Department is actively working to make sure those homes can survive a wildfire. They are testing a new app that creates a plan for each individual property.

Assistant Boise Fire Chief Romeo Gervais joined Idaho Matters to tell us more.