Pizza

I make Pizza for Taylor every few weeks because it is something special that we can do together. There is a bit of a time committment but your efforts will be well rewarded so no whining.

All Good Pizza starts with the dough and there is no big secret to making it. The first step is to put a package of Dry Active Yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar in 1 1/2 cup of warm water. Set it aside and place 3 3/4 cups of flour in a large bowl. Add 1 tblspn of salt, 2 tblspns of olive oil.  After about 5 minutes add the yeast and stir the flour mixture with a spoon. It will turn into dough at this point. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and rub some on your hands. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Place one tablespoon of oil in bowl and roll the dough in the bowl until it is well coated. Cover loosely with plastic and set aside in a warm dry area to rise for about two hours.

After two hours break your dough and divide into two balls. Loosely cover them with plastic and let them sit for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes roll out one of the balls with a rolling pin. You can either make two pizzas or wrap the second dough ball and store in the refrigerator. It will store for about a week.

The toppings are personal and you should use your imagination. Tonight I put my homemade Vodka sauce on it and a mixture of Gouda and Parmesan Cheese. The meat is bacon and I also put some Chives on to finish it. I brushed the crust with Olive Oil and sprinkle a bit on top of the pizza before putting it in the Oven. This makes the crust golden brown and crunchy. Cook for about 13-15 minutes in a 450 degree oven on a stone that is dusted with corn meal.

Now if you really want to be creative you can cook your Pizza on the grill. To do this put your dough directly on the grill and lightly toast. Remove it from the grill and put on your board toasted side down. Add your toppings and return to the grill. Cook on medium heat for about 12 minutes. Lightly cover with aluminum foil for the last 5 minutes to ensure that the cheese will melt.

CHOPPED?

It's Wednesday night and I was just was not motivated enough to go the Store. Taylor was hungry and cranky so I thought maybe I could make something from the fridge rather than ordering pizza. Unfortunately, the fridge had that all too familiar look.

For some reason, I started thinking about Chopped, a cable show where the "contestants" are Chefs who are given a random series of ingredients and 30 minutes to create a spectacular meal. The ingredients are typically something crazy like duck, M &M's, plantains and potato chips. They inevitably come up with a chocolate and plantain reduction for the duck which is pan fried with a potato chip crust. It usually looks fabulous. But that's not my life.....not tonight anyway.

Food on Hand:

1/2 pound of frozen medium shrimp.
Brocolli
Asparagus
Garlic
1 Red Pepper
Carrots
10 apples
Chicken Stock
Jasmine Rice

You know what I am thinking right? Stir Fry. We all know that it is the thing to do when you have basically nothing to eat.

So I start the Jasmine Rice which takes 20 minutes to cook and start thawing the shrimp. In the meantime, I remembered a sauce that would be perfect for the stir fry: Combine in a bowl, 1/2 cup of chicken stock, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of Rice Wine Vinegar, 1 tablespoon of Canola Oil, 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon of ginger powder or fresh ginger if your fridge gives it up, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.  Stir and put aside. I did not have any corn starch but you could add a bit to stiffen the sauce if you have some on hand.

Dice the red pepper, carrot, 2 cloves of garlic. Cut up the brocolli and asparagus.

Heat some Canola Oil in a pan at medium high heat. Toss in garlic and cook for one minute or until tender and then add the shrimp. Salt the shrimp and saute it until it is pink. (2 -3 minutes). Remove the shrimp from the pan and add a bit more oil. Toss in the carrots for 2 minutes or so, add the other vegetables and stir fry for about 5 minutes or until the brocoli is just tender.

Throw the shrimp back in and add the sauce. Toss together for about a minute or two. Serve over your rice. If you are like me tonight and do not have any red wine, serve with Berry Juice.



I Made This

 I am on a roll now. So I think why not toss some apples in brown sugar and put them over ice cream?

I heated 3 tablespoons of butter in a pan and added about 1/8 cup of brown sugar. Once both had melted, I tossed in 2 apples, peeled and cubed. I added about a teaspoon of sugar, a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of cajenne pepper. I tossed the apples until just soft on the outside but crispy and warm when you bite in. I then poured the apples-sauce over the ice cream.  It was sweet, warm and spicy. A perfect finish.

After dessert, I anxiously wait for the Judge's verdict. Taylor looks up from her bowl and glances in my direction.  After contemplating my fate for a moment, she calmly informs me that I had not been "chopped."