Wow have I been slacking or what I did on my 4th of July!! (includes Pizza recipes)

She said, "Baby, Its 3 am and I must be lonely"

everyone is in bed except for me and Toby

and he is no company cause he is sacked out too.

just so you know Toby is the recipient of all my overages when cooking

and experiments

     Hello my little foodies... It is I, June of Doug and June fame (or infamy as the case may be).. I have been lax at blogging however not really..there was a good reason... 4th of July, Independence Day in the US..as all of you celebrating stuffing yourselves full of burgers, dogs, salads, barbequed everything that didnt move fast enough...yours truly was preparing for a hospital test...magnesium citrate (hence forth known as human draino), clear fluids and of course NPO  (nothing by mouth) after 6 pm..  (everyone say awwww together...).   Luckily, I had my family for comfort : Nicole in the morning..Diane in the afternoon and Doug all evening and night and early morning (when I was feeling particularly punky)...poor Doug.. so the last thing on my mind was actually food.  The test was an IVP..uncomfortable but fine (the worst part was the prep)...results forthcoming.. ( I am such a baby when it comes to hurting... luckily I had loving and caring babysitters..Thank you Nicole, Diane and Doug)..

    Now, I am back to thinking about, planning, discussing and occasionally lusting after food.  Interesting, Bob had brought me home a slew of cookbooks...the most interesting being 365 ways to cook chicken.  Imagine that!! Chicken EVERY FLIPPIN DAY for a YEAR!!  What a nightmare... pinches herself to wake up.  As I perused the said cook book..I noticed...they really didnt say 365 "different" ways to cook chicken now did they...as some were common sense..roasting a chicken..and others close copies..chicken francaise and lemon chicken for example.  I wonder if Bob is secretly telling me something. 

     Yes Yes Yes, Diane...I will include recipes.  Diane thinks I write too much..she says..blah blah blah blah.  Well, some of love writing about things that make life interesting... of course food and sex and music being at the top of the list. 

      As I was writing this I thought of what I ate yesterday....ohh boy..when I go to Subway (the sub shop, not the train station) I should just buy a 6" sub..it's all I really want..but when I was ordering my sandwich (chicken terriyaki with lettuce, spinach, tomato, pickles and olives)...the subway lady asked me what kind of bread and adult June said..honey oat..and when she asked me 6" or foot long, the 5 yr old screamed out FOOTLONG..before I could shut her up.  I ate 1/2 for breakfast and 1/2 for lunch..ok not too bad.... I would love to say the pizza we bought later in the day was for Ty, but he ate maybe 1 slice, and I ate 3.  It was cheese pizza from Rod's in Brockton...and we all know pizza is the crack cocaine of the food world.  I really wonder sometimes...but onward and upward.  Regret nothing...because in the end...it was what you wanted to do.  Besides I got my daily chicken in today..lol.  Doug is to bacon, as June is to Pizza...and let's not even discuss Bacon Pizza.

By the bye.. A submarine sandwich, also known as a hero sandwich, Italian Sandwich, sub, hoagie, torpedo or grinder amongst many regional naming variations, is a sandwich that consists of a long roll of Italian or French bread, split lengthwise either into two pieces or opened in a "V" on one side, and filled with a variety of meats, cheeses, vegetables, seasonings, and sauces. The sandwich has no standardized name, and many U.S. regions have their own names.The terms submarine and sub are widespread and not assignable to any certain region, though many of the localized terms are clustered in the northeast United States, where most Italian Americans live. (racial profiling??? hmmm??)
The use of the term submarine or sub is widespread. One theory is that it originated in a restaurant in Scollay Square in Boston, Massachusetts (home of moi) at the beginning of World War I. The sandwich was created to entice the large numbers of navy servicemen stationed at the Charlestown Navy Yard. The bread was a smaller, specially baked baguette intended to resemble the hull of the submarines it was named after.

Other names (ok..I thought this was interesting...)

Barb Mills (ham and provolone cheese, baked)—North Central Pennsylvania, Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania in the 50's and 60's
Blimpie- from Hoboken, New Jersey–founded chain, Blimpie.
Bomber—Upstate New York
Continental Roll—Australia
Cosmo (cosmopolitan)—North Central Pennsylvania near Williamsport: a hot hoagie or a grinder
Dagwood
Filled Roll / Salad Roll—New Zealand
Gatsby-Cape Town, South Africa
Grinder (Italian-American slang for a dock worker)—New England. Called grinder because it took a lot of chewing to eat the hard crust of the bread used. In Pennsylvania, the term grinder refers to a sandwich that has been heated. In eastern Massachusetts a grinder is a toasted sub, for example the sub is toasted in a pizza oven.
Hoagie—Southern New Jersey, and South-East and Central Pennsylvania—usually denotes lettuce, tomato and onions included.
Italian Sandwich—Maine and other parts of New England.
Poor boy—St. Louis
Po' Boy—Louisiana
Rocket —various areas.
Sous-marin—a variety popular in Montreal (also a literal translation of "submarine" into French)
Spuckie (Italian-American slang for a long roll)—Boston, Massachusetts (used particularly in Italian immigrant neighborhoods)
Sub— Massachusetts, New York, Michigan, Ohio
Torpedo—New York, New Jersey, other areas.
Tunnel—Various New England areas.
Wedge (served between two wedges of bread)—Prevalent in Yonkers, New York and other parts of Westchester County, New York, The Bronx, Putnam County, New York and other portions of Upstate New York, as well as lower Fairfield County, Connecticut
Zeppelin or Zep—Various New England areas.)

ONTO RECIPES.......
SO..I was searching for pizza recipes using bacon and I found this one by Bobby Flay and since I LOVE broccoli rabe...and fontina cheese..I HAVE to include it.  Looks intimidating...but its easy...would I lie to you, after all we have been through together???

Deep-Dish Pizza with Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2008

Ingredients

Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Filling:

• 1 large bunch broccoli rabe, washed and coarsely chopped
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (hot pepper flakes work equally well)..(optional for me)
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound hot Italian sausage links, casings removed (I don't like spicy..so use sweet if you want)

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (32-ounce) can plum tomatoes coarsely chopped, no juice
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dough:

• 2 packages quick-rise dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water (90 degrees F)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more to oil the pans
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened

Assembly:

• 1/2 pound aged provolone, coarsely grated
• 1/2 pound fontina cheese, coarsely grated
• Sausage and Broccoli Rabe filling
• Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

For the filling:

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the broccoli rabe and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and run cold water over. Drain well again and squeeze out excess liquid.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, chili flakes and garlic in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Add the broccoli rabe, salt and pepper and cook until slightly tender, about 5 minutes.

In a separate large saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the sausage links and using a wooden spoon, gently break up the meat into coarse pieces. Cook until deep golden brown. (You do not need to cook all the way because it will continue to cook in the oven.) Combine the sausage and the broccoli rabe and let cool slightly.

For the tomato sauce:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and oregano, bring to a boil and cook until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.

For the dough:

Dissolve the yeast and water in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the oils and mix for 30 seconds. Add the cornmeal, 3 cups of the flour and salt and  beat for 5 minutes. Switch to the dough hook and mix in the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour and knead, using the dough hook for 2 minutes. Add the butter and knead until incorporated. The dough is a very moist dough so do not add more flour unless absolutely needed.  (have no dough hook...hell..I don't...knead by hand babies...it get out all that pent up agression!)

Place the dough in a large bowl lightly oiled with vegetable oil, cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towels and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Punch down the dough and allow to double in size again.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place 2 pizza stones into the oven to preheat as well (I have no pizza stones..skip this step).

 Generously oil 2 (9 or 10-inch) deep dish pie pans with olive oil (about 2 tablespoons for each pan).

Divide the dough in half and press the dough out slightly on the counter top. Place the dough in the prepared pans and push out to cover the bottom and up the side of the pans. (If using the 9-inch pans, pinch a 2-inch ball off each dough to make a better fit.)

For assembly:

Combine the cheese in a bowl. Place half of the cheese of the bottom of each pie crust. Divide the sausage filling over the cheese and then top with the remaining cheese, patting the cheese firmly down over the filling. Spoon some of the sauce over the top of the cheese to cover completely. Place the pans into the oven on the pizza stones and bake in the oven until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the top with Parmesan. Let the pizza rest on a baking sheet for 5 minutes before slicing.

And eat till you can't move... wait bad advice...bad June!

Pizza with Caramelized Onions and Crispy Bacon

this recipe is from Wolfgang Puck.. so la di dah

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 6-8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small onion, peeled, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup farmer's cheese (or cream cheese)
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces Pizza Dough, recipe follows (or use store bought dough..cheat I know)
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Directions

Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

(really??? am I gonna have to buy a pizza stone???  no keep reading!) In a medium size saute pan, add olive oil and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the bacon and cook until the bacon is very crispy and all of the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan and discard. Place the pan over high heat. Add the onions to the hot bacon fat and cook until the onions are well browned, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

In a small bowl, combine the mascarpone and farmer's cheeses. Season with nutmeg and black pepper. Reserve.

On a lightly floured surface, stretch or roll the dough as thinly as possible, about 14 to 15-inch circle. Evenly spread the mascarpone mixture over the dough. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, bacon, thyme, and sauteed onion. Bake until the pizza crust is nicely browned, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove pizza from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, cut into slices and serve immediately.

Pizza Dough:

• 1 package active dry or fresh yeast
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 cup warm water, 105 to 115 degrees F
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup warm water.

In a food processor, combine the flour and the salt. Add the oil, the yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water and process until the mixture forms a ball. (The pizza dough can also be made in a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low speed until the mixture comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and starts to climb up the dough hook).

Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand 2 or 3 minutes longer. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a cool spot for about 2 hours. (When ready, the dough will stretch as it is lightly pulled).

Divide the dough into 4 balls, about 6 ounces each. Work each ball by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let rest 1 hour. At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.

Yield: dough for 4 small pizzas

 (or use bread dough bought from a bakery)

Pizza Making Hints & Tips

How To Use Pizza Stone - How To Use Unglazed Tiles - How To Clean Pizza Stones

 

Pizza Stones - How To Use Pizza Stones:

A baking or Pizza Stone should be placed on the lowest oven shelf and preheated with the oven. Once pre-heated, the stone evenly transfers intense heat to the food being cooked, ensuring a particularly crisply baked base. I have a large stone that fits on top of an oven rack. Either this stone or some unglazed terra cotta tiles are usually in my oven most of the time as they are also great for bread baking.

As to if it might crack, this I do not know, as I have never had it happen. I always place the cold pizza stone in a cold oven. I then turn on the oven to preheat oven and stone. Once the stone is hot, I do not remove it from the oven. I place the pizza on the hot stone in the oven.

 (June did not write this..author unknown..but pretty smart none the less)

How To Use Unglazed Terra Cotta Tiles:

 You must make sure that they are "unglazed" tiles only. They are very cheap to buy (You can find them at any hardware/home store..like your local Home Depot). You can even leave them in your oven when using the self-cleaning cycle. Buy enough to line the bottom shelf of your oven. Most of the time, you can just leave them in the oven all the time as these tiles don’t effect the oven’s performance and are great to help stabilize the heat when cooking or baking.

 

Hints from Shelley Booth of Phoeniz, AZ: For bread and pizza baking I use inexpensive unglazed terra cotta tiles. From experience as a potter I know that terra cotta is food safe when unglazed and not for storing liquid. Terra cotta in general is fired at a lower temperature when not glazed and has not vitrified, thus it is porous, which makes it ideal to use as plant pots but not for liquid storage.

I preheat the oven for one hour, tiles on lower rack, where it stays unless something bulky is baked. Dust the tiles with cornmeal and slide the pizza skin or bread and bake until done. I often pre-bake the pizza skin to a point where the skin is done and just starting to brown. Cool and then add whatever desired and baked again until brown and cheese bubbly.

Another thought, when baking anything I will put the container on the preheated tiles. The concept behind this that ovens, especially electric cycle on and off in order to maintain the set cooking temperature without spiking. This result in a variable oven temperature and when baking bread this could effect the end product. The tiles store heat and thus help maintain a consistent temperature. A gas oven, which I use, does the same cycling but not as often and maintains the temp profile better.

How To Clean Pizza Stones: Think of your pizza baking stone as a sponge; it will soak up everything put on it. These "stones" are actually molded sand, tightly compacted under high pressure. Like sand on the beach, they will suck in any liquid exposed to the surface. Anything else in the water -- including soap -- goes right into the stone. Manufacturers warn you to use only clear, plain water to clean a baking stone.

First, completely submerge your baking stone in warm, clear, plain water for 15-20 minutes. This should thoroughly saturate the stone with clean water and dilute the soap residue. Next, remove the stone from the water and place it on a pie cooling rack on your kitchen counter. Allow the stone to dry completely overnight.

Repeat the same soaking and drying process five or six nights in a row. After the last round, bake some pizza dough on the stone. If the pizza stone still smells, I'm afraid your stone is destined for the trash.

Pizza Tips:

A helpful hint is to put a piece of parchment paper on the peel (A peel is like a big pizza spatula or shovel) instead of using cornmeal. Place the rolled-out pizza dough on the parchment paper and then add the toppings. The parchment goes into the oven with the pizza. This makes it easier to slide the pizza off the peel and onto the baking stone.

If you don't have a peel, an upside-down cookie sheet will do if you use parchment paper. Just slide the pizza onto the stone with the paper.

Does pizza have to be a circle? (what do you think?? seriously..do we even have to answer this??) - You can make them triangular, square, diamond, or anything else you can imagine. (How about 3D leaning tower of pisa?)

  

It's difficult to make pizzeria-style pizzas at home, simply because most of us do not have a wood-fired oven that can reach temperatures of 900 degrees F! But we can make a very good pizza with the equipment we have.

Tips for the Best Pizza

• Make sure the oven is hot. The oven should be at least 425 degrees F. The crust has to bake and brown very quickly. A slow oven will not force the moisture out of the crust, and the toppings will make the crust soggy.
• Use a pizza stone if you can. The stone will hold extra heat for a fiery hot surface that will start cooking and crisping the crust the second it touches the stone.
• When rolling out the crust, dust the pizza pan or work surface with cornmeal for a crisp finish.
• Be judicious with toppings. Many thin crusts simply cannot hold a lot of toppings. For an average 12" pizza, about 1/2 cup of sauce is plenty. A cup of vegetables and meats, and 1 to 1-1/2 cups of cheese will make a good thin crust pizza.
• Deep dish pizzas are different. They must bake at a slightly lower temperature for a longer period of time so the pizza bakes evenly throughout.
• A homemade crust is better than refrigerated pizza doughs. Those doughs are usually softer and wetter and almost never bake up crisp.
• When making your own dough, bread flour produces a superior crust. And be sure to knead (or beat, if the recipe is for a wet dough) the dough for a full 8-10 minutes.
• Many doughs are better if you refrigerate them overnight before baking. This is also an excellent way to spread out the work.
• Finally, have fun with your toppings. Experiment and listen to your taste buds. And be sure to write down the instructions for your successes.

Hash Brown Pizza

 (not technically pizza in my book...but hash browns and cheese..well, can you ever go wrong with hash browns and cheese?)

1 (30 ounce) package frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted

1 pound ground beef

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

 8 ounces aprox tomato sauce

 8-12 ounces of fresh mushrooms

1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

In a large bowl, combine the hash browns and soup. Spread into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30-45 minutes (depends on how crispy you like it).

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, celery and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Add the tomato sauce, mushrooms, chili powder, seasoned salt, garlic powder and pepper. Spread over the crust. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

The only problem I have with this recipe is the canned cheese soup...Experiment using just cheese.. regular old grated cheddar, fontina, montery jack, colby....I think it is better.  I have no problem using prepared stuff to save time and energy..BUT... canned soup?   ummmm NO.

Margherita Pizza

"A classic thin crust pizza generously topped with tomatoes, thinly sliced fresh mozzarella and basil all drizzled with fruity olive oil."

(now this is more like it)

Ingredients

• PAM® Olive oil No-Stick Cooking Spray
• 1 pound frozen bread dough (or fresh dough, or store bought fresh)
• 3-4 sliced tomatoes (depending on size and how much tomato you like)
• 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced, patted dry with paper towels
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 (2/3 ounce) package fresh basil, leaves torn



Directions

1. Spray medium bowl with cooking spray; add frozen dough. Spray dough with cooking spray. Loosely cover bowl with plastic wrap. Place on counter for 4 to 5 hours or until dough doubles in size. (Time will vary depending on temperature of kitchen). Punch down dough.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.               
3. Spray two 12-inch pizza pans with cooking spray. Lightly sprinkle each with cornmeal; set aside. Cut dough in half. Dust work surface lightly with flour. Roll each piece into a 10-inch circle. Place each on a prepared pizza pan.
4. Place tomato pieces evenly over both pieces of dough leaving about 1/2-inch of edge clear. Top each pizza equally with sliced mozzarella. Drizzle lightly with olive oil then season with fresh pepper.
5. Place each pan on separate racks in oven. Bake 15 minutes; remove from oven. Quickly sprinkle each evenly with torn basil leaves. Rotate position of pizzas in oven. Bake another 5 to 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown on top AND bottom. Cut each pizza into 8 slices.

Tip: Fresh pizza dough may be available in your market. Follow recommendations for handling dough accordingly. Many pizza pans tend to deflect the heat while baking resulting in a pale, underbaked crust. If possible, use dark pans. Or, if available, use perforated pizza pans to ensure a golden brown top and bottom crust. In a hurry? Use two ready-to-use thin crust pizza shells in place of frozen dough. Top as described above. Bake according to pizza shell package directions.

You may be wondering..WHAT is Margarita Pizza??.. or not

(Probably more than anyone wants to know about any pizza)

Margherita pizza is a special variety of pizza which originates in Naples, Italy. In Italy, this pizza is a protected food, meaning that it must be prepared in a certain way to bear the “pizza Margherita” label, and the Italian government actually certifies bakeries which produce it. This pizza is very simple, placing an emphasis on fresh, wholesome ingredients and high quality bread dough. It is also the basis for many pizzas served around the world; you can probably obtain a version of Margherita pizza from a local pizza establishment, and you can also make it at home.

Neapolitan pizza is traditionally made with a dough which utilizes flour, salt, and yeast. The dough is mixed, kneaded, allowed to rise, and formed into rounds which are covered in toppings of choice and then baked in a high temperature oven. The high temperature causes the dough to become very crispy; some Italians like theirs almost burnt, and it sears the ingredients used to top the pizza. After only a few minutes, the pizza is cooked, ready for slicing, serving, and eating.

The traditional toppings on a Margherita pizza are: fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, olive oil, sea salt, garlic, and mozzarella. Typically the tomatoes are sliced and scattered across the dough before finely chopped garlic and basil are sprinkled on, followed by rounds of thinly sliced cheese. The pizza is drizzled lightly in olive oil and sea salt just before baking, and when well made it is crisp without any trace of greasiness.


Variations on this pizza have been made in Italy for hundreds of years, but it acquired a special significance in the 1880s, when it was named for Margherita of Savoy, the Queen Consort of Italy. The colors of the pizza mirror those of the Italian flag, inspiring a Neopolitan baker to give the food a patriotic name. Authentic Margherita pizza can be found in Napoli today, as well as in many other parts of Italy.

If you want to make this Italian treat at home, you should ideally have a bread oven which is capable of reaching very high temperatures. Otherwise, the cooking time of the pizza will be too long, affecting the flavor and texture of the finished product. (the dreaded pizza stones do help) Use fresh ingredients, and go light on the olive oil; a delicate drizzle is all you need. If you can obtain buffalo mozzarella, use it, as this is the traditional Italian choice of cheese for this pizza.

There are some variations on this classic pizza. Margherita bianca is made without the tomatoes, while the addition of anchovies turns it into pizza alla Romana. (ohh no anchovies!!!)