Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough is probably the most hassle free bread item one can make. A few simple ingredients, a few trials and a few errors should be enough to get a damn good dough routine down. Like all breads, keep track of the process to make corrections for the next preparation. Recipes are abundant, the one listed here is from the notoriously perfection obsessed Rose Levy Beranbaum, the master of the baking domain. My personal twists and comments are included at the end. Note that this recipe is a slightly simplified version of hers (lacking some of her attention to detail found in her "Bread Bible").

Ingredients

3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour (don't be afraid to start w/ bleached if you have it in the cupboard)
1/2 tsp. instant yeast (a.k.a. rapid rise)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup water @ room temperature (slightly cool to the touch)
4 tsp. olive oil (vegetable oil if you are a poor grad student....)

Procedure

- Combine dry ingredients (minus salt) in a mixing bowl and whisk together
- Whisk in salt (keeps salt from murdering the yeast)
- Mix in the water with a wooden spoon just until it comes together, careful not to overmix or it will become sticky
- Put into a tupperware container to let it rise to ~ double the size (~1 hr. @ room temp., or overnight in the fridge + 30 min. @ room temp.)
- Preheat oven to 475, preferably w/ a pizza stone for good heat distribution.
- On a lightly floured surface shape the dough as you wish (I like ~ 1 cm thick), let rise 45 min.
- Put the sauce and toppings on the pizza dough**
- Toss the dressed pizza in the oven and bake for 5 min.

*From what I understand there are two options when mixing the dough. One, just mix it until it's incorporated. Two, mix it a long time (10 min.) until it redevelops structure, no in betweens here. I've had better results with the second, though occasionally just go with the first out of laziness.
**More importantly, perhaps due to an insufficient oven, I find it necessary to pre-cook the dough until it's pillowy and golden just before the last step. Not forcing it to rise w/ ingredients on top of it seems to incorporate a more pillowy structure.
***Brushing the crust with olive oiled that has been sitting with roasted garlic makes for an insanely good crust. Brush before the pre-cook, after the pre-cook and finally after the final cook.
****My pizza recipe uses an olive oil base. For a red sauce use you favorite marinara. I like to use Emiril's Red Pepper pasta sauce. You can find it in the market for cheaper than the link.

Socrates' Revenge Pizza

This pizza is a replica of my favorite pizza found at Deweys, an excellent pizzeria found in Cincinnati. It's made with an olive oil base and a mixture of feta, fontina and mozzarella cheeses. Tasty spinach, olives and red onions seal the deal.

Ingredients

2 batches of pizza dough
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 cup of Mozzarella-Fontina blend cheese
4 oz. of Feta cheese, chopped or crumbled
1/4 cup each of green and black olives, chopped
1/2 pkg of frozen spinach, thawed
1 small or 1/2 large red onion chopped
1 small tomato chopped
Chopped Parsley for garnish

Procedure

- Follow the recipe for pizza dough with the above ingredients

Curried Thanksgiving Leftovers

This a quick and easy recipe using thanksgiving leftovers (not necessary) and mixed with some some green curry paste left over from the pineapple chicken curry recipe.

Ingredients

2-3 cups leftover stuffing (or small box of prepared stove top)
(1 1/2 cups water for stove top)
(3 tbsp. margarine for stove top)
8 oz. leftover turkey (or grilled chicken breasts seasoned with season-all and cut into chunks)
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 tbsp. green curry paste
1/2 cup green peas

Procedure

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
-If not using leftovers prepare stuffing and chicken
-Combine curry paste and soup, heat on medium heat
-Pour soup into baking dish small enough to have the soup cover the turkey
-Line top of soup with stuffing and green peas
-Bake 30 min.

Asian Rice

This rice is meant to accompany most asian dishes. Note this is neither sticky rice nor indian rice, though both minor variations to this recipe. Sticky rice would contain both slightly more water and sugar, while indian rice slightly less water, no sugar and additional spices.

Ingredients

1 cup Jasmine rice
1 1/2 cup water
2 pinches salt
1 pinch sugar

Procedure

-Thoroughly rinse rice
-Combine ingredients and bring to full boil
-Reduce heat to medium simmer, covered
-Cook until light and fluffy ~20 min
-Fluff with fork

Spicy Sauteed Thigh Chunks

In my initial attempts at preparing curries I often found myself dissatisfied with dry, bland chunks of breast meat. It quickly became clear that marinating skinless boneless thigh meat was a tasty and cost effective method at solving the problem. One does sacrifice a bit of texture when using thigh meat in curries, and from time to time I use breast meat in this recipe to address this fact. I believe all chicken should be well flavored before adding it to any recipe, after all, any meal is just the sum of it's ingredients.

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thigh, cubed
1 tbsp masala spice
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black peppper
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp oil

Procedure

-Preheat skillet at medium high heat
-Sautee just until no longer raw if cooking further, else until fully cooked through ~15 min.

Pineapple Green Curry

This pineapple curry is quick and easy, yet decidedly complex in its melding of spicy and sweet flavors. The coconut milk base lends itself to just about any combination of meat and flavors. Shrimp, chicken, pineapple and mango are popular variations at my house, though I can imagine some more creative explorations.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. green curry paste
1 can light coconut milk
1/2 can pineapple chunks
8-10 fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup carrots chopped into sticks
1/3 cup bamboo shoots
2 tbsp. thai fish sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 lb. season and sauteed chicken, cubed

Procedure

- Combine ingredients in a small stew pot
- Bring to boil
- Reduce heat to slow boil
- Cook for 15+ minutes
- Serve over asian rice, steaming hot

Fried Pickles

Yup, fried pickles. This was meant to be an exercise in batters to determine the best for the rellenos recipe, being similar in weight and moisture. This batter is essentially unsweetened pancake batter. Fried pickles are served in local German beerhouses and the southern U.S. with ranch, as are fried kraut balls. Unexpectedly, they are quite good, then again I could dip a fried sock in ranch and it would taste good.

Ingredients

6 Dill Pickles
1 Egg
½ tsp. Baking powder
1 cup of milk
1 cup of flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
Vegetable oil for frying at medium high heat, enough to submerge pickles

Procedure

-Mix the batter ingredients just until they come together, retaining some texture
-Lightly coat the pickles in flour
-Dip the floured pickles in the prepared batter
-Fry until golden brown

Traditional Chile Rellenos

These restaurant style chile rellenos are a traditional New Mexican dish. Smothered in a green chile sauce and served with refried beans, spanish rice and corn bread they make an excellent ensemble. Garnish with sliced lettuce and chopped tomatoes.

Ingredients

5 Whole, Raw New Mexico Green Chile Peppers (Substitute any chile pepper)
4 oz. (1/2 small block) Chihuahua Cheese, sliced into small rectangles (substitute any meltable cheese, i.e. monterey jack)
1 tbsp. Corn Meal
1 tsp. Salt
2 Eggs, seperated
½ cup of flour
½ cup of milk
Vegetable Oil, enough to submerge rellenos at medium-high heat

Procedure

-Roast the Green Chiles
--Heat Broiler Oven to maximum heat, leaving the door open to keep the coils red
--Place peppers a few inches below heating element, rotating so that each side begins to blister
--Remove peppers and place in a plastic bag for 10 min.
--The skin will partially separate, finish the job by peeling it off
--Carefully make an incision lengthwise and remove most of the seeds
--Place on a lightly floured surface
-Prepare the batter
--Separate whites and yolks
--Beat whites until stiff peaks form
--Mix yolks, corn meal, milk, flour and salt
--Fold mixture into whites
-Fill each pepper with enough cheese so that they can still close
-Dip the stuffed pepper in the batter, carefully drop into the oil
-Fry until golden brown and crispy, submerging to ensure even browning
-Place on a wire rack and blot to remove excess oil
-Serve hot