Pizza Night!

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

We didn’t think these words would ever come out of our mouths but…we’re officially sick of pizza.  That’s what not one, but TWO pizza nights in the matter of days will do to you.  But what else were we to do when faced with a long weekend and a new pizza stone? Now for the break down of all the necessary pizza night components: dough, a few words on technique and of course – toppings!

The dough:
Don’t be intimidated by making your own dough – we promise, it requires the same amount of time and energy as buying a pre-made bundle from your local pizza shop or grocery store.

Hillary opted to make her old stand by, classic hearth pizza dough:
Ingredients:
2 cups lukewarm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon or packet active dry yeast
6 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Amy, a quick beer-crust dough:
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
2 t instant yeast
1 t baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
2 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups room temperature beer

Other ingredients needed:
various toppings (see our creations below), olive oil, salt & pepper, cornmeal and extra AP flour for rolling.

The procedure is the same for both doughs.  Gather the ingredients together and mix and/or knead together until a smooth ball is formed.  Have flour handy to use as needed to prevent sticking when kneading by hand.  Loosely cover the dough (with plastic wrap or kitchen towel) and allow to rise for at least 30 minutes.  For a thick crust allow the dough to rise another 30-60 minutes.

Now for a little technique:
We managed to snag a few pizza baking tips from the most recent issue of Bon Appetit that appropriately features a D.I.Y. pizza party (seeing that we had already begun preparations for our pizza making extravaganza when we received our copies we couldn’t help but feel a little ahead of the curve).

Preheat the oven to its highest setting, or 500 degrees.   If you are using a pizza stone position it in the top third of the oven when you preheat.  Using a baking sheet is also completely acceptable – no need to preheat that however.

Portion the dough (we got 4 – approximately 10″ pizzas out of each dough recipe).  When you’re ready to assemble and bake, roll out the dough into a roughly 10″ circle.  Place a good sprinkle of cornmeal on a baking sheet and place the rolled out dough on top.  Drizzle olive oil on the dough and then go crazy with toppings!

Here is the run down of our favorite combinations:
(ok, so maybe we aren’t sick of pizza just yet… these look too tasty to pass up!)

Inspired by Motorino’s recipe, this was exceptional — shredded brussels sprouts, crisp pancetta, fresh ricotta, parmesan, and a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella. Our take on the classic white pizza — fresh ricotta, fresh mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, thinly sliced garlic, red pepper flakes and a drizzle of garlic oil was perhaps the best slice either of us had ever tasted….truly.

As we dove into this mushroom masterpiece we both wondered why smoked mozzarella isn’t a more prominent pizza topping…sauteed baby bello mushrooms, smoked mozzarella, shredded mozzarella, and a drizzle of truffle oil made for an earthy and delectable pie.Up for something a little different?  Try this sweet and spicy combo: classic pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella, pineapple, jalapeno and pepperoni. A surprisingly delicious pairing.Ready for more? How about tangy and pungent tallegio paired with spicy dried copa — so. much. flavor.And what would a pizza night be without the classic margherita – fresh mozz (and lots of it) basil, and cherry tomatoes on a thick crust. Once you’ve topped your dough with plenty of fixin’s season it with salt and pepper and increase the oven to broil.  Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone (or place the baking sheet in the oven) and you’ll have a hot n’bubbly pizza in about 5-7 minutes.

Note: once you’ve retrieved your pie be sure to turn the oven back down to 500 degrees or else the pizza remnants and cornmeal left on the stone may literally burst into flames (true story, this happened to us on Tuesday night but not to worry, no kitchens or pizzas were harmed.)

Any way you slice it (or top it!) pizza night is both fun and incredibly delicious for all. So come on now, and get yourself a pizz-a the action!

Posted in Bread, Pizza, etc., Brussels Sprouts, Mushrooms | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Doh!

Posted on February 22, 2012 by

Pizza dough that is… and who doesn’t love pizza?! In honor of Fat Tuesday, the 2 kitchens will make far more than an appropriate amount of pizza for two people. And eat all of it.

Check back later this week for our favorite topping combinations and technique tips!

Posted in Bread, Pizza, etc. | Leave a comment

French Onion Soup

Posted on February 17, 2012 by

Hillary and I both looked towards France for a little onion inspiration this week.  Hillary to Chef Soltner, I to Julia. Opening Mastering The Art of French Cooking to the well worn page in which soupe a l’oignon resides will always take me back to the first time I used my big beautiful blue Le Creuset which is now my most cherished item in my kitchen.  Each time I make the soup I seem to tweak it a little but its always a version of Julia’s – pure, simple and oh so satisfying.

While it’s a very straight forward soup, the onions do take quite some time to reach full carmelization so don’t go trying to rush the process.

What you’ll need:
1 1/2 -2 lb. yellow onions (8-10 onions)
2 T + butter and/or oil
2 T sugar
1T + salt
1/2 – 1 cup dry vermouth
thyme
1-3 cloves garlic
2 T Worcheschire sauce
2 T flour
3 quarts brown stock – i.e. veal or beef (confession: I happened upon some great veal stock from an unnamed source where I may or may not be attending classes/cook in their restaurant but for those with limited stock hook-ups here’s a recipe for brown veal stock.)
good bread
grated greyere cheese

Cook the thinly sliced onions low and slow in butter and oil with the lid of your stockpot on.  Cook for about 15-20 minutes until the onions are translucent.  Uncover, raise the heat and stir in sugar and salt (this will help the carmelization along).  Cook for another 45 minutes or so, stirring often.  Add in thyme and garlic cloves about half way through.  Cook until the onions have reached a deep, golden brown.  At this point season the with salt and pepper. 

Meanwhile bring the stock to a boil in a separate pot.  Once the onions are carmelized sprinkle in the flour and stir.  Next add the hot stock and bring to a simmer.  Add vermouth and worchestshire sauce. Taste and season.  Let the soup simmer, covered for at least an hour (the longer the better really!).  Once you’re ready to serve, put a generous amount of cheese (and maybe a dab of butter if you’re feeling naughty) on a piece of bread and place it under the broiler to melt and become crisp. Top the soup with the cheesy crouton and in the words of Julia, bon appetit!

Posted in Onions, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alsatian Onion Tart

Posted on February 16, 2012 by

Onions will always remind me of Shrek trying to explain the complexity of his character to Donkey: “There’s a lot more to ogres than people think, ogres are like onions, they have layers.”

SO instead of creating some a horrible ogre-shaped, onion-flavored heap, what better way to showcase the delightfully complex flavors of onions than a classic Alsatian onion tart. And what better recipe to use than one crafted by a true Alsatian — so here is my take on legendary André Soltner’s recipe, originally published in the New York Times.

This tart is quite simple and comes together very quickly once the shell is ready to go.

Begin by making a basic pate brisee — this will make enough dough for one 9″ tart shell:

Put 1 1/4 cups of flour and 1/2 tsp salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it is thoroughly mixed.

Add in one stick of very cold butter, cut into small pieces. Try to pulse only 8-10 times — the butter chunks should be the size of small peas in the flour.

Slowly pour 1/4 cup of cold water through the feed tube while pulsing the dough, add more water if necessary 1 tbsp at a time until you can squeeze the dough together without it crumbling apart.

Shape it into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.

After it has chilled, take the pate brisee out of the fridge, roll it out, and press it into a 9″ tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and pop it back into the fridge.

Next for the filling.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Peel and thinly slice 1-1 1/2 lbs of yellow onions — this is about 2 large or 4 small onions.

Heat up 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large sauce pan, add the onions and saute until they are tender and just starting to caramelize. Remove them from the heat.

In a small bowl (or measuring cup) combine 1/2 cup of cream, 1 large egg, two pinches of salt, and a pinch each of pepper and ground nutmeg. Whisk together and pour over top of the cooled onions.

Pour the filling into the chilled tart shell, and bake for 25-30 minutes until the onions and crust are just starting to brown.

Serve warm.

For so few ingredients, this tart is incredibly flavorful — each bite is a perfect combination of sweet and tender onion, creamy custard, and flaky pastry. Such a treat!

Posted in Eggs, French, Nutmeg, Onions | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Onions

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

What’s that you say? You’re crying? There’s no crying allowed in cooking! Especially if you cut an onion with a sharp knife and a little know-how.

These bulbous root veggies are everywhere so we’re going to scoop some up and make something tasty out of them. Check back next week for our tear-less treats!

Posted in Onions | Leave a comment

Chinese New Year Feast

Posted on February 10, 2012 by

After an entire evening huddled together in Hillary’s kitchen, (we would not file this meal under “quick & easy”) it’s safe to say we’ve sealed a years worth of good fortune after the New Years feast we put together.

Our menu: dumplings for prosperity, noodles for longevity and scallion pancakes because well, they’re just so darn good.  They’re also Amy’s favorite thing on a dim sum menu and therefor had to give them a try. It was quite the process (but so worth it!) so grab a bottle of wine, a sous chef (aka friend) and settle in.

Mushroom Dumplings:
1 lb Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
2 scallions
1 egg
Vegetable Oil
Soy Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Wonton Wrappers
Egg wash: 1 Egg beaten with 1 t H2O

Many people hate to drag out the food processor due to the hassle of, I don’t know…washing it? When in reality a food processor can be a HUGE time saver in the kitchen and honestly takes no longer than 30 seconds to wash out.   We highly recommend using it more if you should want to cut prep time in half.

Anyhow – make sure mushrooms are free of dirt and place in bowl of food processor along with the two cloves of garlic.  Pulse until mushrooms are at a small dice.  Be sure not to take too far or mushrooms with break down into a gummy mess.

In a saute pan cook mushrooms and garlic in oil and sesame oil.  Add scallions, S&P, soy and oyster sauce to taste.  Cook until the liquid has re-absorbed into the mushrooms. Now you’ve got your filling!  Once cooled a bit add in one egg as a binder.

Whisk together an egg wash – 1 egg mixed with a dash of water.

Brush the outside edges of a wonton wrapper with the egg wash, place a spoonful of the filling inside and fold over to seal. Brush just a bit more eggwash along the top and create a row of accordion folds.

Aren’t they lovely!

To cook them, pour about a half inch of water in a non stick pan and bring to a boil. Arrange the dumplings in an even layer and cover. They will cook in just a few minutes — take them out when the wontons are soft and slightly translucent.

Next for Longevity Noodles:

You will need:

1lb ground pork
Minced garlic
4 Scallions, sliced
4 cups sliced napa cabbage
1 lb fresh udon noodles
Various sauces

Heat a couple of tablespoons of peanut oil in a large pan. Add the pork and saute until it is cooked, seasoning with s+p. Add the garlic and the cabbage and saute until it is wilted and tender, season with salt. Add the noodles and stir to incorporate. Pour in a healthy amount of hoisin sauce — we also added red pepper flakes, some spicy sesame oil and oyster sauce — taste the sauces and seasonings until it is to your liking! Sprinkle in the scallions a couple of minutes before you take the noodles off the heat. The layers of flavor from pork, a nice crunch from napa cabbage and all those luscious udon noodles made complete with a smorgas of sauces was a delicious experience!
Scallion Pancakes
Lightly fried in vegetable oil, these doughy bundles are incredibly flavorful.

Be sure to use a flat bottom, non stick pan for frying.  Oh, and maybe you should just go ahead and double the recipe and freeze some…we sure wish we had a batch of these in the ice box for a rainy day…

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + more for rolling out
1 teaspoon yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water + 1 teaspoon sugar to activate yeast
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped scallions
1/2 – 1 cup boiling water

Place yeast, water and sugar in small bowl to activate yeast.

Sift flour into 2 equal portions into separate bowls. In the first bowl, slowly add the yeast-water, mixing with a spoon until a dough forms.

In the second bowl, sprinkle 1 t of the salt into the flour. Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the boiling hot water while vigorously stirring.  Add more water and keep stirring until a rough dough forms. (If you accidentally add too much water and the dough is too soft, add a little more flour.) Mix in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Roll the doughs out on a floured surface and knead them together (this is a very sticky dough, be sure to have lots of flour at the ready). Cover with a damp towel and let rise for about 40 minutes.

Once you’ve let the dough rise take it out and roll into a log about 2″ wide.  Taking a dough cutter or knife portion the log into small segments.
Roll into small circles about 4″ wide.  Brush with a little vegetable oil and place a good sprinkle of scallion on top.Next roll the circle up fairly tight inclosing the scallions.  Once rolled into a log roll that log into a small ball.Once you have your little spiral bundle of dough and scallions squish it down with the rolling pin and roll out into a small disk – it will try and shrink on you but keep at it.  Our pancakes were about 3″ in diameter.  Once rolled, brush off excess flour and fry in the hot oil- about 2 minutes on each side.  Scallion pancakes so light and fluffy they’re addicting!

I’d like to say that we have a recipe for the wonderful dipping sauce that went with all three of these dishes but it was sort of a lovechild of the following players:
fresh grated ginger
minced garlic
soy sauce
oyster sauce
hoisin
rice wine vinegar
sesame oil
join a few, whisk, taste, repeat.

And here, finally the full spread – sure it may have been 10:30pm by the time we all sat down to eat but it was well worth the effort!

Posted in Chinese, Mushrooms, Pork, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Chinese

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

In honor of the beginning of the year of the dragon (last Monday, 1/23), we are going to attempt to create some Chinese delicacies — this is definitely new culinary territory for the 2 kitchens, so wish us luck and Gong Hey Fat Choy!

Posted in Chinese | 1 Comment