I don't think I know anybody who won't eat pizza. My best friend in high school, who had strange eating habits anyway, ate pizza more creatively than anybody I have ever seen. She would only eat thin crust pepperoni pizza with extra sauce, first of all. She would blot each piece, individually, with enormous amounts of paper towels, so that not a single visable speck of oil remained. Then she would peel off each piece of pepperoni and pile them on the side of her plate. Then she would eat the cheese with her hands, using torn-off pieces of it to scrape up the sauce. Then she would use her fingers to scrape off and eat the sauce. Then she would tear off bites of now totally denuded crust, dip them in more sauce, and eat them. Then she would eat the pepperoni. Watching all this was frustrating beyond all belief to me, for some reason.
When I was 16, I went to Finland, Russia and Estonia for two weeks. In St. Petersburg, a great-looking Russian photographer directed us to a tiny restaurant around the corner from our hotel. After living for a week on brown bread, farmer's cheese, some kind of cream-of-wheat-like porridge, and massive quantities of cabbage--I was too afraid to eat the mystery meat that all the restaurants served--my roommate and I were beside ourself to find a pizzaria, where they served us thin-crust cheese pizza with olives. It's a pizza I've never forgotten, because I ate it in Russia.
Pizza is great, and it's getting even greater for me as I become more proficient at making it at home and more creative when it comes to toppings. The Terrible Diet 2008 continues at Chez Kitchen, however, and pizza is hard to fit in there. To be honest, I feel like a hooker who's taken a pledge of chastity.
Unless. Unless I get really crazy with the toppings. Pizza, if you ask me, isn't meant to be wildly decadent; once upon a time it was good food eaten by poor people who had to stretch their food budget a long way. Italian piadina, for example, was a way to use up odds and ends of bread dough, greens, and meat that were getting close to spoiling.
I've heard of flatbread baked on hot stones, then topped with olive oil, parmesan cheese, arugula, and lightly dressed with vinegar. Sounds wonderful. Every veggie pizza on earth, as long as you don't go too crazy with cheese (a major challenge for me) is relatively healthy.
So, below is my favorite recipe for pizza crust, and below that is a list of my favorite pizza toppings that will probably not cause a stroke. When you bake pizza at home, you know exactly what's in it--you can eliminate what you don't want, leave in what you want more of, and stop paying your bad neighborhood chain whose name rhymes with Pizza Slut to provide you with bad food that is edible but not really enjoyable. This crust is easy, versatile, and great with just about every topping there is. It can be left thickish, rolled out thin, or wrapped around a topping or two for calzone. I've included the notes that America's Test Kitchen made about baking this, and a revision they made on their own recipe.
Please let me know in the comments what you like on your pizza. If you're nice to me, I might invite you over and cook something for you.
Pizza Dough
This dough can be used for any size pizza with thick or thin crust; simply adjust the cooking time to fit the pizza. Make sure you heat the oven to 500 degrees for thirty minutes before you start cooking. Your tiles or stone need at least that long to heat up; if they’re not properly heated, your pizza crust will be thin, blond, and limp. Once the dough for the crust has been topped, use a quick jerking action to slide it off the peel and onto the hot tiles or stone; make sure that the pizza lands far enough back so that its front edge does not hang off. For a cornmeal-flavored dough, substitute three-quarters cup of cornmeal for three-quarters cup of the bread flour. Editor's Note: This recipe was updated in 1997, when we found that adding more water resulted in a tastier pizza. This recipe contains a total of 1 3/4 cups water, while the original that appeared in the magazine in 1995 contains 1 1/2 cups.
INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups water, divided, 1/2 cup warm, remaining at tap temperature
2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast (1 envelope)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing dough
4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
vegetable oil (or cooking spray) for oiling bowl
1. Measure 1/4 cup of warm water into 2-cup measuring cup. Sprinkle in yeast; let stand until yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/4 cup warm water plus remaining 1 1/4 cups tap water and olive oil. Meanwhile, pulse flour and salt in workbowl of large food processor fitted with steel blade to combine. Add liquid ingredients (holding back a tablespoon or so) to flour and pulse together. If dough does not readily form into ball, stop machine, add remaining liquid, and continue to pulse until ball forms. Process until dough is smooth and satiny, about 30 seconds longer.
2. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface; knead by hand with a few strokes to form smooth, round ball. Put dough into medium-large, oiled bowl, and cover with damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
3. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and use chef’s knife or dough scraper to halve, quarter, or cut dough into eighths, depending on number and size of pizzas desired. Form each piece into ball and cover with damp cloth. Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape as desired. Brush dough very lightly with olive oil before topping and cooking.
4. Use the following guide to determine cooking time for pizza crust with topping but without cheese. All pizzas need to be cooked an additional two or three minutes after adding cheese, or until cheese is completely melted.
THIN CRUST
14-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 2) - 7 to 8 minutes
12-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 4) - 5 minutes
8-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 8)- 3 minutes.
MEDIUM-THICK CRUST
12-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 2) - 9 to 10 minutes
8-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 4) - 5 minutes
6-inch pizzas (Master Recipe makes 8) - 4 minutes
My favorite combinations of toppings and sauces
Spicy garlic oil: Gently warm 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil over medium low heat. Stir in 10-12 cloves pressed garlic, 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Simmer over low heat (should not sizzle or brown) for 4-5 minutes. Brush thickly on pizza dough, sprinkle with romano cheese. Refrigerate leftover oil (it's also delicious over pasta or brushed on chicken or pork in the last minute or so of grilling.)
White pizza: Mix 1/2 cup ricotta cheese with a handful of chopped fresh herbs (I like basil, rosemary, and thyme) and 2 cloves of pressed garlic and spread over pizza dough. Sprinkle with mozzerella, provolone, and fontina and bake.
Tomato sauce, Italian sausage & bell peppers, provolone cheese, a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Tomato sauce, proscuitto & capers, Italian fontina.
Olive oil, diced fresh tomatoes, pressed garlic, and small cubes of fresh mozzerella. Sprinkle with fresh basil, torn into small pieces, after baking.
Whole roasted garlic cloves smashed with olive oil and spread over pizza, cubes of sauteed eggplant, zucchini, and sliced mushrooms, fresh mozzerella.
Pesto sauce, quartered artichoke hearts, diced yellow tomatoes, parmesan cheese.
Thinly sliced, very ripe tomatoes, slivered red onions, very thinly sliced cold smoked salmon and capers (the dough can stand to be cooked for a few minutes before you put the toppings down on this pizza.)
Tomato sauce, crisp-fried bacon, onions, black olives, and mushrooms with mozzerella. Put the mozzerella over everything last so that the bacon doesn't burn in the heat of the oven.
Olive oil, spicy hard salami or sopresetta, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzerella.
Tomato sauce, leftover thinly-sliced grilled chicken breast, diced ripe tomatoes, smoked provolone or mozzerella.
Fresh spinach, sliced mushrooms, and slivered garlic sauteed in olive oil, crumbled feta cheese.
Thinly sliced ripe pears and crumbled bleu cheese. Throw a handful of toasted, chopped walnuts over the top before serving.
Olive oil, slivered red onion, fresh thyme, coarse sea salt, a light sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
My parents' favorite: tomato sauce, sliced pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, and sliced green pimento-stuffed olives. Extra shredded mozzerella cheese. Nothing spicy, please; they are old and delicate.
Showing posts with label Pizza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pizza. Show all posts
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
February 5: Cheddar Soup
One small administrative note: Dan and I stopped at a small Italian restaurant in a strip mall in College Park tonight. It failed miserably in atmosphere and fell far short in service. However, it had by far the best pizza that I've tasted in years. I promise to review Mamma Lucia's in more detail later this week, but I am just really mezmerized by American Idol right now.
Great cheddar soup is silky, elegant enough for company, and rich. This is a great lunch with a loaf of good bakery bread and a big crunchy salad and some kind of a fruity-berry tart for dessert. The bad news: this isn't a soup that holds well. The good news: it's simple and delicious and also, it's ready in 20 minutes.
This is plenty of soup for at least four as a centerpiece. You might stretch it to six for a starter.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, minced (about 1/3 cup)
1 small rib celery , minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 medium clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 bay leaf
pinch cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons dry sherry
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper
1. Heat butter in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until foaming; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and garlic; cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring to coat vegetables, until mixture begins to brown on bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and half-and-half and add bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Off heat, add cayenne and sherry; cool soup for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in cheese and thyme; season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Great cheddar soup is silky, elegant enough for company, and rich. This is a great lunch with a loaf of good bakery bread and a big crunchy salad and some kind of a fruity-berry tart for dessert. The bad news: this isn't a soup that holds well. The good news: it's simple and delicious and also, it's ready in 20 minutes.
This is plenty of soup for at least four as a centerpiece. You might stretch it to six for a starter.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1 medium carrot, minced (about 1/3 cup)
1 small rib celery , minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 medium clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 bay leaf
pinch cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons dry sherry
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
Table salt and ground black pepper
1. Heat butter in large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat until foaming; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add carrot, celery, and garlic; cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring to coat vegetables, until mixture begins to brown on bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and half-and-half and add bay leaf. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
2. Off heat, add cayenne and sherry; cool soup for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in cheese and thyme; season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Friday, January 18, 2008
January 18: Here Comes the Superbowl
And here come Superbowl parties. You can count on things like chips and dip, salsa, maybe chile con queso, chili, maybe Buffalo wings. I have been to Superbowl parties where the spread has been as predictable as Thanksgiving dinner, and sadly, I've thrown parties where the spread has been exactly this predictable. And it's not that there's anything wrong with that, if that's what you like but I like the getting-together-with-friends and the talking and the drinking of beers just really so much more than the football, which, now that I'm married to a football-indifferent guy, I no longer feel so obligated to care about as long as the Cowboys are losing.
So all I'm saying is, shake it up a little. We're not throwing a Superbowl party because we live in a condo that's just a tiny bit larger than a shoebox, and we haven't been invited to any as of yet, probably because we don't have a huge number of local friends, but if we were throwing a party, I'd position it this way: it's a party, on Superbowl Sunday, with a television and maybe even a couple of pools or some other sort of betting related to the game, with great, twist-on-a-theme food.
Here's what I would serve--maybe not all of this, depending on the crowd I was expecting, but a selection--if I were having a Superbowl party.
Asian-Spiced Chicken Wings
Four-Cheese Pizza
Pepper-Parmesan Popcorn
Deviled Eggs
Tortilla Chips with Tomato Salsa and Guacamole
Ancho-Cinnamon Sugar Cheese Straws
Blue Cheese-Walnut Cheese Straws
Curry-Spiced Nuts
Cheddar-Beer Spread
Crudites With Two Dips: Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Dip and Lemony Feta Dip
German Chocolate Brownies
Easy Apple Snack Cake
Many of these recipes have the benefit of being well-suited to being made ahead of time, frozen or stored tightly sealed, and reheated at party time. I think this is a really good thing when it comes to party food, so that you're not stuck in the kitchen as guests arrive and people start having fun.
I promise to give you all these recipes between now and the Big Game. In fact, I am guessing that these recipes will tie up much of my time in the next two weeks.
Tonight, I give you Asian-Spiced Chicken Wings and Four-Cheese Pizza.
Asian Spiced Chicken Wings
Ingredients
3 Pounds chicken wings, separated at the joins, wing tips discarded
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons Tabasco
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro (optional)
1 garlic clove minced
1 to 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, mirin, Tabasco, rice vinegar, ginger, cilantro, and garlic in a large bowl and set aside.
Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Heat 2 1/2 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven, with a candy thermometer attached to the side, over high heat until it measures 360 degrees.
Mix the cornstarch and cayenne together in a large bowl. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then toss evenly with the cornstarch mixture. Add half the wings to the hot oil and fry until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels and keep warm in the oven while repeating with the remaining wings.
Toss the fried wings and the soy sauce mixture together in a large bowl. Let soak for about 1 minute before serving.
Keep these warm in a chafing dish or in a Crock pot, set on low, with the cover off.
Serves 6 to 8.
Four Cheese Pizza
4 1/4 cups bread flour, plus extra for the counter
1 envelope rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 cups water, warm
Pulse 4 cups of the flour, the yeast, and the salt in a food processor (fitted with a dough blade if possible) to combine. With the processor running, pour the oil, then the water through the feed tube and process until a rough ball forms, 30 to 40 seconds. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then process for 30 seconds longer.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to forma smooth, round ball, about 5 minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured conuter, cut into three pieces, and cover with plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape into a smooth, round ball, cover again with the plastic wrap, and let rest 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Uncover one ball of dough and stretch the dough into a 12-inch round on a piece of parchment paper. Brush the edge of the dough with oil. Sprinkle the oiled dough with shredded mozzerella, shredded provolone cheese, grated parmesan cheese, and crumbled blue cheese.
Slide the parchment paper onto a rimless or inverted rimmed baking sheet, then slide it onto a hot baking stone, if you have one--if you don't, simply slide the whole baking sheet into the oven. Bake until the cheese is golden in spots and the crust edges brown, 8-12 minutes.
Repeat with the other two pizzas. Cut, with a pizza cutter, into eight wedges each.
Serves 12.
So all I'm saying is, shake it up a little. We're not throwing a Superbowl party because we live in a condo that's just a tiny bit larger than a shoebox, and we haven't been invited to any as of yet, probably because we don't have a huge number of local friends, but if we were throwing a party, I'd position it this way: it's a party, on Superbowl Sunday, with a television and maybe even a couple of pools or some other sort of betting related to the game, with great, twist-on-a-theme food.
Here's what I would serve--maybe not all of this, depending on the crowd I was expecting, but a selection--if I were having a Superbowl party.
Asian-Spiced Chicken Wings
Four-Cheese Pizza
Pepper-Parmesan Popcorn
Deviled Eggs
Tortilla Chips with Tomato Salsa and Guacamole
Ancho-Cinnamon Sugar Cheese Straws
Blue Cheese-Walnut Cheese Straws
Curry-Spiced Nuts
Cheddar-Beer Spread
Crudites With Two Dips: Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Dip and Lemony Feta Dip
German Chocolate Brownies
Easy Apple Snack Cake
Many of these recipes have the benefit of being well-suited to being made ahead of time, frozen or stored tightly sealed, and reheated at party time. I think this is a really good thing when it comes to party food, so that you're not stuck in the kitchen as guests arrive and people start having fun.
I promise to give you all these recipes between now and the Big Game. In fact, I am guessing that these recipes will tie up much of my time in the next two weeks.
Tonight, I give you Asian-Spiced Chicken Wings and Four-Cheese Pizza.
Asian Spiced Chicken Wings
Ingredients
3 Pounds chicken wings, separated at the joins, wing tips discarded
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons Tabasco
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro (optional)
1 garlic clove minced
1 to 2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Whisk together the soy sauce, honey, mirin, Tabasco, rice vinegar, ginger, cilantro, and garlic in a large bowl and set aside.
Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Heat 2 1/2 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven, with a candy thermometer attached to the side, over high heat until it measures 360 degrees.
Mix the cornstarch and cayenne together in a large bowl. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then toss evenly with the cornstarch mixture. Add half the wings to the hot oil and fry until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels and keep warm in the oven while repeating with the remaining wings.
Toss the fried wings and the soy sauce mixture together in a large bowl. Let soak for about 1 minute before serving.
Keep these warm in a chafing dish or in a Crock pot, set on low, with the cover off.
Serves 6 to 8.
Four Cheese Pizza
4 1/4 cups bread flour, plus extra for the counter
1 envelope rapid-rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 cups water, warm
Pulse 4 cups of the flour, the yeast, and the salt in a food processor (fitted with a dough blade if possible) to combine. With the processor running, pour the oil, then the water through the feed tube and process until a rough ball forms, 30 to 40 seconds. Let the dough rest for 2 minutes, then process for 30 seconds longer.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to forma smooth, round ball, about 5 minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured conuter, cut into three pieces, and cover with plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time, shape into a smooth, round ball, cover again with the plastic wrap, and let rest 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Uncover one ball of dough and stretch the dough into a 12-inch round on a piece of parchment paper. Brush the edge of the dough with oil. Sprinkle the oiled dough with shredded mozzerella, shredded provolone cheese, grated parmesan cheese, and crumbled blue cheese.
Slide the parchment paper onto a rimless or inverted rimmed baking sheet, then slide it onto a hot baking stone, if you have one--if you don't, simply slide the whole baking sheet into the oven. Bake until the cheese is golden in spots and the crust edges brown, 8-12 minutes.
Repeat with the other two pizzas. Cut, with a pizza cutter, into eight wedges each.
Serves 12.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Meatless Main Dish Monday: Pizza Margherita
My best friend is a vegetarian, although I'm not sure you can call it that. She had beef stew for dinner last night, and the last time we visited her in Kentucky, her husband fed us all burgers from the grill. I'm not sure what to call her: a carnivore in training? A whatever-the-hell-I-feel-like-eating-atarian?
Oh well. I come here to feed Kimberly, not to poke her. We were talking the other about how many "vegetarian" entrees are nothing but side dishes, and how at family gatherings she subsists on corn on the cob and bread. There are wonderful vegetarian main dishes out there, many of them coming from cultures where poor people make delicious food with what they have access to. Just ask the Italians or the Mexicans.
So, I pledge to you, my three-or-four readers, meat-free Mondays, and real food, not a side dish that you just eat more of.
I like pizza. I mean, I like making it, not ordering it--although there's something to be said for that as well. But I have a bread machine, a food processor, and a stand mixer, all of which have the capability of making up pizza dough with a minimum of effort on my part. There's a grocery store around the corner. I have an oven. Nothing's stopping me from making it myself. It's as healthy as you want it to be, or not. You can pretty much do whatever you want with it. In the summer, I love to make it on the grill. Invite friends over and they can make their own from a variety of toppings that you prepare. Serve it at a casual cocktail party as part of a small buffet of highly portable nibbles, or to your kids and their friends for a birthday party or sleepover.
This is a classic, named after an Italian queen. The authentic version of this involves an 800-degree oven, two days of proofing dough, and a pizza expert. It's really "just" plain old cheese pizza. Just? People are still eating it, like, a thousand years later is all I'm saying.
Oh, and: I don't use a pizza stone. They're heavy, impossible to clean, and eat up cupboard space. I know, it's sacrelige. Oh well. If you have one, use it. If you don't, a pizza pan or a sheet pan will be just fine. My pizza pans have a perforated bottom. It encourages browning.
From Cook's Illustrated again. Makes 2 12-inch pizzas.
Pizza Margherita
INGREDIENTS
Dough
1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup water, room temperature
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting work surface and peel
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons sugar
Topping
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Table salt
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, patted dry if packed in brine, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lowest position, set pizza stone on oven rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. In liquid measuring cup, whisk yeast into water to dissolve. In food processor fitted with metal blade, process flours, salt, and sugar until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, slowly add liquid through feed tube; continue to process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of workbowl, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (If after 1 minute dough is sticky and clings to blade, add 1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and continue processing. If dough appears dry and crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water and process until dough forms ball.) Divide dough in half and shape into smooth, tight balls (see photo 1, below). Place on floured counter or baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart; cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
2. FOR THE TOPPING: In clean bowl of food processor, process tomatoes until crushed, two or three 1-second pulses. Transfer tomatoes to fine-mesh strainer set over bowl and let drain at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to release liquids. Just before shaping pizza rounds, combine drained tomatoes, sugar, garlic (if using), 1 tablespoon basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in bowl.
3. TO SHAPE AND COOK THE PIZZAS: When dough balls have doubled in size, dust dough liberally with flour and transfer balls to well-floured work surface. Press one ball into 8-inch disk (photo 2). Using flattened palms, gently stretch disk into 12-inch circle, working along outer edge and giving disk quarter turns (photos 3 and 4). Lightly flour pizza peel; lift edges of dough round to brush off any excess flour, then transfer dough to peel. Spread thin layer of tomato topping (about 1/2 cup) over dough with rubber spatula, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Slide onto stone and bake until crust begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove pizza from oven with peel, close oven door, and top pizza with half of cheese chunks, spaced evenly apart. Return pizza to stone and continue cooking until cheese is just melted, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to cutting board; sprinkle with half of remaining basil, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and pinch salt. Slice and serve immediately. Repeat step 3 to shape, top, and bake second pizza.
Oh well. I come here to feed Kimberly, not to poke her. We were talking the other about how many "vegetarian" entrees are nothing but side dishes, and how at family gatherings she subsists on corn on the cob and bread. There are wonderful vegetarian main dishes out there, many of them coming from cultures where poor people make delicious food with what they have access to. Just ask the Italians or the Mexicans.
So, I pledge to you, my three-or-four readers, meat-free Mondays, and real food, not a side dish that you just eat more of.
I like pizza. I mean, I like making it, not ordering it--although there's something to be said for that as well. But I have a bread machine, a food processor, and a stand mixer, all of which have the capability of making up pizza dough with a minimum of effort on my part. There's a grocery store around the corner. I have an oven. Nothing's stopping me from making it myself. It's as healthy as you want it to be, or not. You can pretty much do whatever you want with it. In the summer, I love to make it on the grill. Invite friends over and they can make their own from a variety of toppings that you prepare. Serve it at a casual cocktail party as part of a small buffet of highly portable nibbles, or to your kids and their friends for a birthday party or sleepover.
This is a classic, named after an Italian queen. The authentic version of this involves an 800-degree oven, two days of proofing dough, and a pizza expert. It's really "just" plain old cheese pizza. Just? People are still eating it, like, a thousand years later is all I'm saying.
Oh, and: I don't use a pizza stone. They're heavy, impossible to clean, and eat up cupboard space. I know, it's sacrelige. Oh well. If you have one, use it. If you don't, a pizza pan or a sheet pan will be just fine. My pizza pans have a perforated bottom. It encourages browning.
From Cook's Illustrated again. Makes 2 12-inch pizzas.
Pizza Margherita
INGREDIENTS
Dough
1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup water, room temperature
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting work surface and peel
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons sugar
Topping
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Table salt
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, patted dry if packed in brine, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1. FOR THE CRUST: Adjust oven rack to lowest position, set pizza stone on oven rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. In liquid measuring cup, whisk yeast into water to dissolve. In food processor fitted with metal blade, process flours, salt, and sugar until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, slowly add liquid through feed tube; continue to process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of workbowl, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (If after 1 minute dough is sticky and clings to blade, add 1 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and continue processing. If dough appears dry and crumbly, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water and process until dough forms ball.) Divide dough in half and shape into smooth, tight balls (see photo 1, below). Place on floured counter or baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart; cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
2. FOR THE TOPPING: In clean bowl of food processor, process tomatoes until crushed, two or three 1-second pulses. Transfer tomatoes to fine-mesh strainer set over bowl and let drain at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to release liquids. Just before shaping pizza rounds, combine drained tomatoes, sugar, garlic (if using), 1 tablespoon basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in bowl.
3. TO SHAPE AND COOK THE PIZZAS: When dough balls have doubled in size, dust dough liberally with flour and transfer balls to well-floured work surface. Press one ball into 8-inch disk (photo 2). Using flattened palms, gently stretch disk into 12-inch circle, working along outer edge and giving disk quarter turns (photos 3 and 4). Lightly flour pizza peel; lift edges of dough round to brush off any excess flour, then transfer dough to peel. Spread thin layer of tomato topping (about 1/2 cup) over dough with rubber spatula, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Slide onto stone and bake until crust begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove pizza from oven with peel, close oven door, and top pizza with half of cheese chunks, spaced evenly apart. Return pizza to stone and continue cooking until cheese is just melted, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to cutting board; sprinkle with half of remaining basil, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and pinch salt. Slice and serve immediately. Repeat step 3 to shape, top, and bake second pizza.
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