Pizza on the Grill & Recipe

I recently saw an episode of Alton Brown's "Good Eats" where he grilled pizza.  I knew I had to try it.  He used a pretty specific pizza dough recipe but hubs just whipped up a batch of pizza dough in the bread machine, same formula we usually use. 

Recipe: 
1 1/4 cup warm water
2 cups white flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t yeast
2 T oil

Place the ingredients in the bread machine in this order, put it on the dough setting.  Watch it to make sure that it mixes everything together properly.   (Course you can just go pick up a ball of ready made pizza dough at Wally's for 99 cents.)

After the machine was finished with the dough, I took it out, divided it and worked it into two balls and let them raise on the counter under a towel.  Then I stretched them out into pizza shapes.  I preheated the grill and put some olive oil on a paper towel to wipe the grill.  I used a bit of cornmeal between the dough and a cookie sheet so that it wouldn't stick and just slid the dough on to the hot grill.  I adjusted it a tiny bit once it was on, but for the most part the heat of the grill will start to make the dough into crust pretty quickly.

I poured on some olive oil and brushed it out into a nice even coat.  I flipped it over and while the fire was browning the other side, I put olive oil on the baked side and brushed it around to an even coat.  I put some garlic through the garlic press and tried to evenly distribute that over the surface, I followed that with thin sliced onions, peppers and fresh chopped basil.  Then some cheese, mozzarella and some extra sharp cheddar.  I had to work quickly because the fire was browning the other side of the crust in a hurry.   


Then I closed the lid for a bit for the cheese to get a chance to melt.  When I decided it was done, I slid my cookie sheet under it and took it off the fire.  I cut it with scissors and got a very satisfying sound of crunchy crust along with the melted stringy cheese.  Yum!

I'm looking pretty pleased with myself, I'll tell ya.. I hadn't tasted it at that point but I had certainly smelled it!  I helped myself to a slice while I started the second one - YUM!

Believe me, you want to have everything you need right there beside you because it doesn't take long to put this together and you don't want it to burn while you're running back to the kitchen to get the cheese.

The second one was more of a rectangle... a very ugly rectangle... but I added some pizza sauce (highly over rated) and pepperoni to this one.  It took a little longer for the cheese and pepperoni to warm so I ended up getting it a little dark on the under side.  Oops... but still yummy!

It had a very satisfying crunchy crust and the kiss of the flames had worked their magic on the flavors.  The crust cooks quickly and it can't be over loaded with toppings.  It's all about texture and flavors!  It was thin, crunchy and smokey... yum yum yum!

You have got to try this!!  Make sure to gather everything you need around you while the grill is heating.  Here's a list,
Hmmm... let me see:
Pizza dough.
Olive oil and a pastry brush to distribute it all over the crust.
Tongs for flipping the crust when it's half way done.
All the toppings, thin sliced veggies, pressed garlic, basil, good cheese, salt and pepper.
Cookie sheet or a pizza peel.
Scissors or pizza cutter.
Plates,and or napkins.
Something cold to drink.

Is there anything I missed? 

With the size of my grill and the size of the recipe of dough, next time I think I'll divide it into three instead of two.  That way maybe I can have two side by side on the grill and just do them one right after the other.  That may work to serve more people at once, can't you just see grilling up a bunch of these for guests?  I can, that would be FUN!

We may never make pizza indoors again.

Fire up the grill and let me know how it goes, ok? 

Yummm....

Savor the flavors,

-Carmen Rose

Cooking with Ina Garten

I was hungry today for curried chicken salad and I looked up Ina Garten's recipe and tried it again. The recipe can be found here and it's very simple (and VERY good!)

 Roast the chicken with salt and pepper.  That's easy, I roasted it at 350 and left it in until my meat thermometer comes out at 150 degrees.  I saw that Emeril Lagasse cooks chicken until 140 and most places say 165 (just a liability issue) but Emeril said he liked his chicken moist.  I can't stand underdone chicken but 150 was perfect for this and the meat really did retain it's moisture.  No more over-cooked chicken for me! 

Then let it cool and chunk it up.  It crumbles some as it gets stirred up so there is no point in going overboard on this step. 

Then ya throw in the good stuff:  Mayo, Major Grey Chutney, curry powder, and celery for crunch.  Oh, and don't forget the salt and freshly ground black pepper.  I had red wine but no white wine, so instead I just included the rest of the broth from the pan I baked the chicken in.  A good vinegar would work here also.  Ina puts this all in the food processor and makes it all smooth before adding it to the chicken.  And that is ideal.... however...  Life is short, and I just threw it all right in and gave it a gedge.  (That's a Rachel Ray term for stirring, can you tell I had Food Network on in the house yesterday?) 

Ina Garten's recipe called for scallion, raisins and cashews... I garnish it with grapes (instead of raisins) and spring onions (close enough.)  I sprinkle those on top mostly because they look lovely, but also because these ingredients don't hold up so well if there is some left for the next day so I prefer to have them separate.  I ate all the cashews in the house, so sadly I could not pile those on top yet.  They really are wonderful in this recipe.  If you want to know how much of something to throw in, consult Ina Garten's recipe.  I tend to dump till it looks right and then make adjustments as needed.  Which reminds me, I should add curry powder and cashews to the grocery list.

This would make a lovely main dish for a picnic, then add veggies, crisps and other fun picnic foods.  This time I just served it as a one dish wonder.  (With iced tea made from garden mint and lily of the valley from the poison ivy patch on the table.)  The only comment from the peanut gallery was that it "needs bread or something."  (G, think he's spoiled?!)  It would be good in a wrap or as a chicken salad sandwich, no doubt about that.  I love the combination of the sweet Major Grey Chutney against the curry flavors... YUM!  And yeah, I meant to make fresh biscuits to go with it and just didn't get it done.  But I have leftovers, so there is still time for that.

Best Dishes, (with a nod to Paula Dean)
-Carmen Rose

It Came Today

This was my Christmas present to myself and it finally came today.

And it is beautiful! The photography is amazing! It's like a coffee table book about food. Glorious, beautiful food.

I don't think I've ever purchased a real cookbook before. Most of the ones I have were given to me by someone or inherited from someone. I tend to look on recipes as suggestions, however, all the recipes of Ina's that I've tried have been excellent. And if you're going to start with someone's recipe and change a few things to make it your own, it might as well be a fantastic recipe to start with! And so I'm a fan of the Barefoot Contessa, and the happy owner of a beautiful book of food that happens to include some directions.

My birthday is coming up. I think I'll add another to my collection.

Happy Creating,

-Carmen Rose

Harlot's Sauce

In my opinion, food with really wonderful flavors is one of life’s small perks. And sometimes the small things are the best.

It was like a vacation day in Studio B today. I straightened a few things up around the house and a friend of mine came to visit. She’s never been here before so I gave her the tour of the kitchen project that is in process, plus I showed her around the house and each of my studios and we talked lots about different processes. By the time we finished the complete tour, it was time for lunch.
While she peeled shrimp, I cut up some veggies and boiled pasta. We made Harlot’s Sauce with shrimp with toasted French bread and it turned out to be quite good. We even made chocolate molten cake for dessert, then curled up on the couch and petted the puppies as we talked. What a treat that was! (The border collies didn't seem to mind!)

I called our lunch “Harlot’s Sauce” because I’m not sure what it was other than a combination of shrimp, pasta and veggies… Harlot’s Sauce is the title of a book written by an acquaintance of mine, who I am absolutely smitten with. Check it out here. It’s a memoir, and a friend of mine read it and he kept telling me that I needed to read this book. So finally I did. And I was transfixed by her story, part here in the US, and part in Greece. I laughed and cried with her and she became a real inspiration to me. There is a recipe in the back of the book for Harlot’s Sauce, or “Salsa Puttanesca.” To quote the book, it is “a tomato sauce invented by harlots in Naples, Italy, many years ago. The sauce had to be quick to fix – between clients (wink) – and economical. Nonetheless, those women made something delicious out of a limited choice of ingredients.” And isn't that what we are all trying to do these days? Make something delicious in spite of the limitations?

The recipe in the book looks like this: olive oil, an onion, 4 cloves of garlic, water, 2 anchovies and 8 roma tomatoes plus whatever herbs and veggies are in season. Lots of big flavor - Delicioso!

And here are the instructions for my lunch version:
Put water on to boil for pasta, have a good friend peel one pound of medium shrimp. Toss them in fajita seasoning.

Cut up one onion, half a red or orange bell pepper, two roma tomatoes, one small tender yellow squash, one small tender zucchini.

Sauté four cloves of garlic in extra virgin olive oil, when it is lightly toasted add the other veggies and sauté.

Throw half the box of seven grain angel hair pasta in the pot when it comes to a boil.

Add freshly grated nutmeg, cracked pepper and sea salt to taste.

When the veggies are done, remove them from the heat. When the pasta is perfectly al dente drain it and return it to the pot. Throw in the veggies and combine, careful not to bash up the pasta.

Turn up the heat and quickly sauté the shrimp, this doesn’t take long at all. And you want to have them slightly under-done when they leave the sauté pan because they will continue to cook as long as they are hot. And overcooked shrimp are… well… a complete waste of calories.

When the shrimp are finished, combine them with the pasta and veggies. I deglazed the pan with the only citrus I had handy, an orange. It would have been better with a lemon or lime, add the juice to the pasta and stir. I topped it with good freshly grated Parmesan and served it.

I thought this was pretty good, and I served it this way. But it needed something. So when supper came around and I was still hungry for more of the same, I added a few things that took it right over the top for me.

So here’s what I added: A small handful of chopped fresh cilantro. I added about a teaspoon of sriracha hot sauce (not for the faint of heart!) (to the whole pot, not just my serving!) and to my serving I added half a perfectly ripe avocado and some sea salt. Omygoodness! Now THAT… was GOOD!

I’ve really come to enjoy cooking for friends, but mostly I enjoy the process. I’m still a little timid about putting kick in food I serve other people, I don’t think everyone enjoys that the way I do. But even if I can’t make it as spicy as I like, that doesn’t mean it can’t be full of great flavors. And there is something so very satisfying about a meal of great food, even if you don’t eat much. The sensory experience makes it so much more satisfying. Good fresh ingredients make a big difference and I have developed a little attitude about fake food. The hydrogenated this and that is one example, anything that is trying to pretend to be butter, cream or sugar has been banished from my kitchen - silly impostors! (Trix are for kids!) These days I prefer to make my own scratch salad dressings, sauces and gravy instead of using a mix, condensed soup or ready-made stuff from a jar. I'm really becoming a food snob. And… I like my friends like I like my food, absolutely authentic and free of chemical additives! *chuckle*

Here's to authentic food and authentic friends,
May you always have all you need of both!
-Carmen Rose

PS... once more I was too busy living to document the experience. You try smelling that food and then see if you remember to get the camera... I was hungry!

Julie and Julia!

I’m a blogger, I watch Food Network almost religiously and I have a fantasy of some day finishing my book(books) and having it(them) published. And when I was a kid I would pretend I was cooking for an audience, no kidding! Sometimes I think I still do cook as if people are watching. (When I cooked professionally, people were watching.) And I LOVED the movie Julie and Julia! It touched nerve after nerve after nerve in my life and I laughed and cried. I got this copy of the movie from blockbuster but I’ll get my own copy, promise. And I’ll watch again and again because I need a reminder that it’s important to do what you love even when there isn’t much support. That’s ok, I still adore creating something delicious, I still love to create anything artistic and I still love to write. And right now, that’s all the important stuff. Oh, and making some music along the way. And Julia loved well, and was so beautifully loved, and what an amazing miracle that is when it happens. That about covers it. Bon Appétit!

While I’m writing, let me tell you about a little dessert I created this week. I fought this one the whole way because I could NOT make up my mind what I wanted the finished product to be and I’d been to the grocery once and had decided that I was NOT going back. I wanted strawberries, the ones at the store were mauve, not red. (I hate mauve) I wanted to do the strawberry, herb and spice combination that I saw a French guy do that was DIVINE, but there was no yum to be found in those berries, so I kept on going.

Meryl Streep as Julia!

I’ve been wanting to try this divine looking chocolate shortbread. (By Alex Guarnaschelli) The original idea was a chocolate version of gingerbread, since I have a low tolerance for gingerbread and I’ve already had my fill for the year. I baked a double batch and don’t even ask how much butter is in there, they have the most WONDERFUL texture. Crunchy but not hard at all, it’s melt in your mouth shortbread, not biscotti. I cut them into rounds with a cookie cutter after the pan came out of the oven. However, I did not have the sour cream or white chocolate for the dipping sauce, and I didn’t have cream of tarter to do something with egg whites, or the time to let a mousse set up, so that wasn’t going to happen. And I thought back to the old days, one of my favorite creamy fillings was whoopie pie filling, so I pulled out an old Mennonite cookbook and made this light and barely sweet cream, added some peppermint and voila! A light fluffy mint cream for the shortbread. The whole thing required a chocolate sauce so I whipped up ganache to drizzle and crumbled some shortbread cookie over the top. Someone had mentioned peppermint ice cream a while back and so I picked that up while I was out. Now the interesting thing about the ice cream is that it is sweet. The shortbread wasn’t very sweet, kind of like eating crunchy buttery dark chocolate, the whipped filling was just barely sweet… the cold sweet ice cream pretty much brought the whole thing together. Or was it the rich velvety ganache? That might have done it. Whatever it was, in my mouth it was wonderful. And guests seemed to enjoy it, and so that was fun. PLUS: LEFTOVERS at my house! (YUM PERK!)

(Plating in someone else's kitchen on their plates)

Sometimes I think cooking is just another art media, one that I really enjoy. And it’s all about the process! And it’s a nice perk if the food turns out to be delicious in the end. Maybe I’ll treat myself to a copy of Julia Child’s cookbook this Christmas and try something loaded with butter with a French name. That sounds lovely! Bon Appétit, and if you haven’t seen the move… do so at once!

While Waiting for the Paint to Dry

I decided to try something a little different for dinner. I pulled a pork tenderloin out of the freezer and put it straight on the grill, seasoning it with garlic olive oil and lemon. I turned it very slowly so that each side got nice and brown.

As that was cooking we sliced up some potatoes thin, set them to rest in balsamic vinegar for a bit and then put them on the grill. I turned them once, brought them out and dusted them with sea salt and a little more balsamic vinegar. We ate those rather quickly while waiting for the pork to finish cooking. They were Good!

I cut into a pineapple and it was a good one. The first two slices were devoured on the spot before I realized that it might be good on the grill. I love serving fresh pineapple with a strawberry lime yogurt sauce, I love that. I cook with canned pineapple some, on pizza, in quiche and sweet and sour dishes, but I’ve never grilled fresh pineapple before. So I got some ideas from friends on Facebook and couldn’t make up my mind between sweet or savory, so I did both. First was a lime, jalapeño oil and fresh basil combination. The second was vanilla bean paste, brown sugar and fresh mint combo. A soon as we took the pork loin off the grill I popped the pineapple on. While the cheddar garlic bread was toasting the pineapple cooked, a few minutes per side.

I cut into that pork roast and sliced it up. Hubby wandered by and helped himself. “Da-Yum!” LOL! I think THAT is a compliment! =) The pineapple came off the grill and the toast came off at about the same time and we started in. Hubby liked the sweet one with the vanilla and brown sugar, I think I liked the one with the jalapeno kick a little better. I was really surprised how good it was. I would do the sweet version again with a desert, maybe served with something creamy plus something crispy. And I would do the spicy one again and figure out a way to ratchet up the heat a little more, it was a bit on the mild side for me but still lovely. Both were wonderful paired with the pork. And the crispy edges to the bread were nice also.

I looked at my plate and had to laugh, it was all kind of beigy yellow, which is totally not my thing. A meal should have color, but what this one lacked in color it more than made up in flavor. That was fun!