How To Make Pizza at Home

 

How To Make Pizza at Home

Makes two 10-inch pizzas

What You Need

Ingredients
1 pound pizza dough, store-bought or homemade
1/2 to 1 cup sauce: tomato sauce, white sauce, or other spread
2 to 3 cups other toppings: sautéed onions, sautéed mushrooms, pepperoni, cooked sausage, cooked bacon, diced peppers, leftover veggies, or any other favorite toppings
1 to 2 cups (8 to 16 ounces) cheese, shredded or sliced: mozzarella, Monterey Jack, provolone, fontina, or any other favorite.
Cornmeal or flour (optional)
Equipment
Pizza stone or baking sheet
Pizza peel or baking sheet
Parchment paper (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 550°F or higher: Don't be afraid to really crank the heat up to its highest setting. The high heat will help make a crunchier and more flavorful crust. Let the oven heat for at least half an hour before baking your pizzas. If you have a baking stone, place it in the lower-middle of your oven.
2. Divide the dough in half: One pound of dough makes two 10-inch pizzas. Slice the dough in half and cover one half with an upside-down bowl or a clean kitchen towel while you prepare the first pizza.
3. Roll out the dough:
Method #1: Pizza Baked on Parchment: Tear off a large piece of parchment paper roughly 12 inches wide. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the parchment paper. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick or less. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.
Method #2: Pizza with Cornmeal or Flour and a Baking Stone: Sprinkle a handful of cornmeal or flour on a pizza peel or the back of a baking sheet. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the peel. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick or less. Shake the peel or baking sheet frequently as you shape to make sure the dough isn't sticking. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.
Method #3: Pizza Baked on a Baking Sheet: Brush a thin film of olive oil on a baking sheet. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, form it into a large disk with your hands and lay it on the baking sheet. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick or less. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then continue rolling.
4. Top the pizza: Spoon a few tablespoons of sauce into the center of the pizza and use the back of a spoon to spread it out to the edges. Pile on all of your toppings.
5. Bake the pizza: Using a pizza peel or the back side of a baking sheet, slide your pizza (with the parchment or with the cornmeal) onto the baking stone. If you don't have a baking stone, bake the pizza right on the baking sheet. Cook for 5 minutes, then rotate the pizza. Slide the parchment out from under the pizza, if used. Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese looks toasty.
6. Slice and serve: Let the pizza cool slightly on a cooling rack, just until you're able to handle it. Slice it into pieces and serve.

How To Make Bacon-Wrapped Dates

 

 

How To Make Bacon-Wrapped Dates

Makes 20 to 24 bites

What You Need

Ingredients
20 to 24 Medjool dates (12 to 16 ounces)
4 ounces goat cheese or blue cheese
12 to 16 ounces bacon, preferably of medium thickness
20 to 24 toasted almonds, optional
Equipment
Baking sheet
Parchment or nonstick baking liner
Paring knife
Soup spoon
Toothpicks
Paper towels

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a baking liner and set aside.
2. Cut open the dates: Use a paring knife to cut a slit in the side of the date. Use your thumbs to open the date slightly. Remove the pits if your dates still have them inside.
3. Stuff with goat cheese: Use a spoon to stuff a little goat cheese or blue cheese into each date. Use the back of the spoon to press the cheese into the date. If you're adding almonds, press an almond or two into the cheese. Press the date closed.
4. Wrap the dates with bacon: Cut the strips of bacon in half. Wrap each date with a half-strip of bacon. Secure the end of the bacon with a toothpick.
5. Arrange the dates on the baking sheet: Space the dates a little apart and lay them on one side.
6. Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip the dates to the other side.
7. Continue baking for another 15 to 20 minutes: Keep an eye on the dates and remove from the oven as soon as the bacon is as crispy as you like it.
8. Transfer the dates to a plate with a paper towel to drain. If the dates seem greasy, blot the sides as well as the bottoms.
9. Serve warm or room temperature.

Recipe Notes

• The dates can be prepped and refrigerated for up to a day before baking. Keep covered.
• Recipe can be doubled or tripled as needed.

How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven

 

How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven

What You Need

Ingredients
1 to 2 pounds bacon
Equipment
Aluminum foil
Baking sheet(s)
Tongs
Paper towels
Platter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F: Turn on the oven and preheat to 400°F. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. If you're cooking multiple sheets of bacon, position a second rack in the top third of the oven.
2. Arrange the bacon on a baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with foil (this makes cleanup easier). Lay the bacon on the baking sheet in a single layer. The bacon can be close together, but don't let it overlap or the bacon will stick during cooking. If necessary, use a second baking sheet.
3. Bake the bacon: Place the baking sheet of bacon in the oven and bake until the bacon is deep golden-brown and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Exact baking time will depend on the thickness of the bacon and how crispy you like it. Begin checking around 12 minutes to monitor how quickly the bacon is cooking. The bacon fat will sputter and bubble as the bacon cooks, but shouldn't splatter the way it does on the stove top. Pour off the bacon grease as needed so the bacon isn't totally submerged in grease.
4. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels: Remove the bacon from the oven and use tongs to transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels to drain and finish crisping. Serve immediately. You can also refrigerate leftover bacon for a week or freeze it for up to 3 months; warm the bacon in the microwave before serving.
5. Clean up: If you want to save the bacon grease, let it cool slightly, then pour it into a container and refrigerate. If you don't want to save the grease, let it solidify on the baking sheet, then crumple the foil around it and discard.

Recipe Notes

• Even crispier bacon: For even crispier bacon, set a metal cooling rack over the foil-lined baking sheet and lay the raw bacon over the cooling rack. Elevating the bacon allows it to cook from all sides and become extra-crispy.

Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

 

Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

Serves 6

For the filling
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, chopped
1 cup chopped onions, small dice
1 cup chopped carrots, small dice
1 1/2 cups green beans, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups hot chicken stock, preferably reserved from cooked chicken
1 cup whole milk, warmed
2 teaspoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (see note)
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the topping
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
Preheat oven to 425°F.
For the filling, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot on medium heat. Add the leeks, onions, and carrots and sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the green beans in a pot of salted boiling water until tender and bright green, about 5-7 minutes (see note). Drain the beans and set aside.Transfer the sautéed vegetables to the same bowl as the green beans, season with salt, and set aside.
Melt the butter in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until a thick paste forms. Continue stirring for a minute or so. Add the chicken stock and milk and cook, whisking constantly until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the sherry, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the vegetables and cooked chicken into the cream sauce. Season generously with salt and pepper. (Seriously, don't go light on the salt here, but taste as you go.) Pour the filling into a 2- to 3-quart greased casserole dish. Arrange the boiled egg slices over the top.
For the topping, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter and milk, and whisk until combined. (Just a warning, the batter will seem fairly runny. That's okay.) Pour the batter evenly over the casserole dish.
Bake the pot pie for 45 minutes, until the biscuit topping is light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

• I poached 4 pounds of bone-in chicken thighs with aromatics--carrots, celery, onions--until cooked through. I shredded the chicken and used the stock for the pot pie. (I also added the remaining bones and extra chicken back to the pot with more water to make additional stock for using later.)
• For extra flavor, blanch the green beans in the reserved stock from poaching the chicken instead of boiling water.

Cranberry Mors

 

Cranberry Mors

Makes about 1 quart (940 ml)
2 cups (224 grams) cranberries
5 cups (1175 milliliters) water
1/3 cup (113 grams) honey, or more to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon, or 15 milliliters)
Rinse and pick over the cranberries, discarding any stems or leaves.
Combine the cranberries and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until the cranberries burst. Remove from the heat.
Using a potato masher or the back of a large wooden spoon, thoroughly mash the cranberries in the pot. Return the pot to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the honey and lemon juice.
Cover and let cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a container; discard the pulp, or better yet, reserve it for another use.

Crunchy kenyan Slaw with Ginger-Tahini Dressing

 

Crunchy kenyan Slaw with Ginger-Tahini Dressing

Serves 4

For the Ginger-Tahini Dressing:
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, minced
1/4 cup low sodium tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the salad:
2 cups shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup shredded napa cabbage
2 carrots, coarsely grated
1 medium-sized beet, coarsely grated
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and cut into thin slivers
1 cup cooked, shelled edamame
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Prepare the dressing by whisking all of the ingredients together until smooth and well-combined. This works best with an immersion blender but a hand whisk is fine too. Taste the dressing and adjust seasonings if needed.
Place the red cabbage, Napa cabbage, carrots, beets, edemame, cilantro and jalapeño in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated. Add the peanuts, raisins, and sesame seeds. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

FOOD CREATIVITY: White Wine, Clementine & Vanilla Pitcher Cocktail

FOOD CREATIVITY: White Wine, Clementine & Vanilla Pitcher Cocktail:   White Wine, Clementine & Vanilla Pitcher Cocktail Serves 8 to 12 For the thyme syrup: 1/2 cup cane sugar ...