Yesterday I did my dip picks for the Super Bowl, today we have the real contenders. I failed to mention on yesterday’s post that light cream cheese may be used in each and every one of the four dips, with virtually no taste difference. Please just don’t use the non-fat disgusting cardboard thing they call cream cheese. That stuff should be illegal! There are a plethora of lovely non-fat dairy products, but non-fat cream cheese is not one of them.

Thinly sliced and lightly toasted French bread, baguette, or sourdough work perfect for both dips.  For the pizza dip, the bread simulates a pizza crust and for the clam dip, it reminds me of enjoying clam chowder in a sourdough bowl on Pier 39 in beautiful San Fran. Which coincidentally, is where I am headed later today to visit my sweet Marissa – for a food and shopping filled weekend!

Happy Super Bowl Weekend!

New England Patriots Clam Chowder Dip

4 slices bacon, diced
5 green onions, thinly sliced
8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
2 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams, drained
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and set aside.

In a medium skillet, fry the diced bacon until crisp, transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but about 1 teaspoon of the bacon dripping and cook the green onions in the same skillet of medium heat for about 1 minute.

Add the bacon and the hot green onions to the cream cheese and using a fork, combine well.

Stir in the drained clams, Worcestershire, Sriracha and garlic salt. Taste and add more of any of the seasonings, if needed for your taste.

Serve with toasted French bread slices, or serve in a hollowed out sourdough bread round (as you would clam chowder) and cube the bread pieces you take out of the round and use as the “dippers”.

May be made up to one day ahead, bring to room temperature before serving.

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NY Giants’ Pepperoni Pizza Dip

12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
1/3 cup pizza sauce
1 1/2 ounces pepperoni slices (about 15 slices), halved or quartered
2 green onions, thinly sliced.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Use a fork to combine cream cheese with the Italian seasoning and garlic salt.

Spread cream cheese in 9-inch glass pie plate.

Top with 1 cup of the Mozzarella. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over cheese, then sprinkle with the remaining cup of Mozzarella on top of sauce.

Arrange pepperoni on top and sprinkle with green onions.

Bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot with toasted thin slices of French bread or bagel crisps.

*Please note: I ran out of  green onions just before I made this dip, so I topped mine with some leftover caramelized onions I had in my fridge. And as much as I love caramelized onions… green onions would have been better.

… is kinda like red and green, which makes this very pretty appetizer or brunch pizza perfect for Christmas.

Naan can be found on the bread aisle at most grocery stores, at Trader Joe’s, or at Costco. And smoked mozzarella with other specialty cheeses. But if you can’t find the mozzarella, substitute smoked Gouda.

Smoked Salmon Pizza

4 Naan bread rounds
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 lemon, zested and divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh minced dill
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded smoked mozzarella cheese
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 tablespoon capers; rinsed, drained, and spread on a paper towel to dry
1/4 cup small dill sprigs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the Naan on a baking sheet and brush the rounds with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle each with salt and place in the oven for 10 minutes, until the bread is just slightly crisp.

In a mixing bowl combine the remaining olive oil,  cream cheese, garlic, half the lemon zest, lemon juice, minced dill, and the black pepper; mix well.

Spoon one-quarter of the cream cheese mixture evenly over each of the Naan rounds.  Sprinkle the smoked mozzarella over each round. Arrange salmon and red onion on top.

Return to oven and bake 5 minutes or until edges of the crust are crisp and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining lemon zest, then top with capers and dill sprigs.

Slice each round into 4 wedges.

Makes 16 slices

While I may be on the road in a U-Haul, towing a VW beetle behind, I still want to share with you some more of the fig recipes I created to use up the harvest from my tree.  The figs for this recipe and another one coming up tomorrow, were all that I had left after I fought off the birds to get the last few.  While I was out picking, there was this one little finch who was mighty angry that I was stealing his figs.  I’m serious, he was acting like he planted, waters, and prunes the darn tree… and I was stealing from him! The nerve!  OK, honestly I don’t prune the tree, my yard man, Tony, does.  But hey, I am the one who pays Tony, so take that you selfish (and pretty darn cute) little bird!

Fig & Gorgonzola Pizza

Prepared pizza dough (ala Trader Joe’s)
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 peeled and minced garlic clove
2 cups Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
12 heirloom cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
6 fresh figs, ends trimmed and then cut into 6 to 8 pieces each
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup fresh arugula leaves
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 thin slices prosciutto, cut into long strips

Place a pizza stone on the center rack of oven. Preheat oven and stone to 500 degrees.  Dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or flour.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a thin round, about 7-inches in diameter.

Place 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic into a small bowl and using a pastry brush, brush the top of each round with oil.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.

Divide the Gorgonzola equally between each pizza, leaving a 1/2-inch border of each clear.  Arrange the tomatoes, olives, figs, and walnuts on top of the cheese.

Transfer one or two at a time to the pizza peel and then to the stone in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling.

While pizzas are in the oven, toss the arugula with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar; season with salt and pepper.

Remove from oven with the peel and top each pizza with the dressed arugula and thin strips of prosciutto.  Cut each into 4 wedges and serve immediately.

Makes 4 individual pizzas

And now for a little easy-breezy summertime pizza.  This comes together quicker than all the ingredients might lead you to believe – especially if you buy the cheeses already shredded.

Stuffed French Bread Pizza

2 loaves French bread
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1  1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
4 ounces sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded provolone cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Split each loaf of bread lengthwise and hollow out.  Cut each half in half crosswise, making a total of 8 shells.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, add sausage, brown and crumble with a spatula as it cooks. Add red bell pepper, onion, and garlic.  Cook 3 to 5 minutes, add spinach. Remove mixture from heat and season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Transfer to a bowl.  Mix in ricotta and Parmesan. Fill bread shells and top with sliced pepperoni, mozzarella, and provolone cheeses.  Place on baking sheets and  into the preheated oven; bake until the cheeses melt and bubble at the edges and the bread is very crisp, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from oven, cut each piece in half on a diagonal. Sprinkle tops of pizzas with oregano and hot pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

Makes 16 pieces

Here we have another recipe installment for the 1931 themed upcoming birthday celebration for my dad…

Although the television was already invented by 1931, regular commercial network television programming did not begin in the U.S. until 1948.  And it was many more years until it was commonplace for families to own a black and white television.  So it is not so much the television, but black and white photos that these pizzettas are meant to represent from the year 1931.

Black & White Pizzettas

Dough
1 tablespoon or 1 package active dry yeast
2 cups flour, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

White Sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and very finely diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Cornmeal for dusting peel

Topping
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked and shredded chicken breast meat
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained well
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 1/4 cup lukewarm  water, the yeast, and 1/4 cup of the flour.  Let stand for 20 minutes, this is called the sponge.    Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water, the olive oil, milk and salt and mix thoroughly.   Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic, and a little bit tacky to the touch, about 8 minutes.

Place the dough in a very lightly oiled bowl and turn the dough over to cover with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.  Place a baking stone on the middle shelf of the oven and preheat on the highest setting for at least 1 hour.

White Sauce: In a heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 or 6 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute longer. Add the cream, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the cream thickens and reduces slightly.  Remove from the heat, stir in the thyme, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool completely before using.

Portion the dough into golf ball size rounds. Using a your hands or a rolling pin, flatten the dough balls until they are 1/4-inch thick and slightly thicker toward the edges. Transfer the dough rounds to a peel or an inverted sheet pan that has been dusted with cornmeal.  Cover with a tea towel and let rise slightly while you get the toppings ready.

Topping: In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, salt, thyme, and pepper.

Spread the white sauce over the surface of the dough, leaving a slight border uncovered.  Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the sauce. Top with shredded chicken, mozzarella, and black beans.

Carefully slide the pizza from the peel onto the baking stone.  Bake for about 12 minutes. When it is done, the crust should be crisp and slightly charred on the edge and the cheese should be bubbling and just beginning to caramelize. The underside of the crust should be brown and crisp.  Remove with peel and let cool for about 2 minutes before serving.

Makes about a dozen

Friday, January 7, 2011

7:30 AM – Awake, shower, dress, eat breakfast, and put up blog post for the day.

9:40 AM – Open email and find this gem:

Happy New Year Linda!
Been following your blog and your bumper crop of citrus. I bought an ACME years ago when our landscape included many prolific citrus trees. It juices at lightening speed! Would you like to borrow mine? Let me know and I’ll drop it by ; )
Jeanie

9:43 AM - Immediately Reply:

Oh Jeanie, you are a lifesaver! YES, a thousand times, YES! Thank you so much, I was actually thinking of putting out a neighborhood search for a juicer I could borrow. I’ll have to show you the one I have, you will die laughing when you see it! Thank you! xoox
Linda

(that is my tiny little juicer in the background!)

9:44 AM – Go out the French doors and haul the crate of Meyer lemons inside. Thoroughly wash each piece of fruit. Zest and then cut in half the entire contents of the crate in anticipation of Jeanie’s arrival. Which she does, a mere 5 minutes after I have finished.

11:12 AM - Jeanie arrives with the Acme “Supreme Juicerator” in tow. After a quick tutorial of how to work the beast, Jeanie leaves and I set to work on the Meyer lemons.

11:45 AM – The Meyer lemons are all juiced! In only thirty minutes? It can’t be! It would have taken me at least 90 minutes with my infantile juicer, that would have included the time to let it cool down after it would have overheated repeatedly!

11:46 AM – Place 1 tablespoon zest in each compartment of mini muffin tins, top with juice and freeze for zest cubes. Pour juice in full size muffin cups (approx. 1/4 cup) and freeze for juice cubes. Once frozen, transfer to freezer quality ziplock bags, each labeled with type of fruit juice or zest and the date. Continue with the remaining fruit.

5:00 PM - With only a 15 minute break to eat a Subway sandwich Connor brought me, I have finished! My arms, shoulders and back hurt, plus my hands are raw and feel as though they have been soaking in acid for the last 6 hours… oh yeah, they have been! But it’s a great feeling – I can now look into my backyard, through those French doors, without dread and guilt.  Here is the bounty that my freezer now holds. Well, minus the amount that I brought to Jeanie, my angel neighbor, when I returned the rock-star Juicerator!

89 Meyer Lemons produced 29 cups juice and 48 zest cubes

12 Blood Oranges produced 2 cups juice and 10 zest cubes

117 Lemons produced 24 cups juice and 60 zest cubes

62 Oranges produced 42 cups of juice and 36 zest cubes

46 Pink Grapefruit produced 34 cup of juice

Although I did zest all of the Meyer lemons, blood oranges, and lemons; I gave up about 1/3 of the way through the oranges and didn’t zest any of the grapefruit, since there is still plenty of grapefruit on the trees (they aren’t at as great a risk of freezing as the other smaller fruits).

And yes, I have ordered a Juicerator of my own from HERE! Jeanie, I can’t thank you enough! You truly were my own personal angel yesterday. xoxo

Oh, and I did manage to make dinner for the family too! I know, I am amazing! What can I say, the Juicerator and the joy of not having the citrus hanging over my head gave me an extra surge of adrenalin. Plus, I really needed to use the fresh homemade mozzarella I made a couple days ago, while it was still fresh!

Caprese Pizza

1 pound whole wheat pizza dough (which Dave picked up at Trader Joe’s)
Pesto
3/4 pound Mozzarella cheese
Heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
Sea salt

Place pizza stone in oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees. Lightly dust a pizza peel with cornmeal.

Shape and stretch the dough into the desired thickness and shape on the peel. Spread with the desired amount of pesto. Thinly slice 2/3 of the mozzarella cheese and finely grated the remaining 1/3 of the cheese. Lay the cheese slices in an even layer over the pesto. Top with the sliced tomatoes. Season lightly with the sea salt. Sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Carefully slide off the pizza peel onto the preheated pizza stone. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is cooked through and the top layer of cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Remove with pizza peel and slide onto a cutting board. Slice and serve.

Makes 1 pizza

Today and tomorrow feature more recipes from the weekend with Marissa’s friends visiting from Tucson. When they arrived late on Friday afternoon, they promptly hit the pool to cool off and play volleyball and basketball.  There were also some wicked ping pong matches happening under the patio.  I took a dozen pictures of the guys doing the “jump shots” at one end of the pool… showing off for the ladies and for each other.  In every single photo, you can see the guys (John, Will, and Chris above – not pictured: Albert, Kevin, and Shoaib) totally enthralled with their moves – while the girls, (Paige, Astrid, and Marissa) at the other end of the pool, are completely oblivious of them… cracks me up!

There are two ingredients here that you may or may not be familiar with. If you’re not sure what either Nduja or piquillo peppers are, just click on their name and a link will take you to a previous post all about them. With all the young men to feed, I of course, doubled the recipe.

Pool Time Pizza

Dough
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups flour

Pizza
1 cup marinara sauce
3 large balls buffalo mozzarella, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup crumbled Nduja
3 roasted piquillo peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Fresh basil leaves
6 slices prosciutto, thinly sliced

Dough: Place water and yeast in the bowl of a standing mixer and dissolve yeast. Add agave nectar, salt and olive oil stir well. Slowly add flour until dough forms. Remove from bowl and knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Place in an oiled bowl covered with a towel allow to rise for about 1 hour.  Divide dough into 8 balls. Let dough rest another 10 minutes before forming into 8 individual pizza crusts.

Place a pizza stone in an oven and preheat to 500 degrees for at least 20 minutes.

Pizza: Spread marinara sauce evenly over dough leaving a 1/4-inch border, sauce-free, for a crust. Distribute mozzarella cheese evenly over pizzas followed by the Nduja, peppers, and Parmesan. Drizzle the olive oil over the top.

Place pizzas on the preheated pizza stone and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese has melted and begun to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with basil and prosciutto.

Makes 8 individual pizzas

After yesterday’s post about “reading the recipe”, I thought I would show a couple (of the many) students who really do understand the importance of that very thing. We all know that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” For four full days these two cuties never needed a thing from me and sometimes you feel as if you’re ignoring such independent kids.  I just hope they know, that I know, how very competent and capable they are and that my goal is to make all my students be just like them! Great job, girls!

Ricotta-Spinach-Basil Pizza

1 pound frozen, homemade, or purchaed fresh pizza dough
(If using frozen dough, let pizza dough stand at room temperature 1 hour)

Pizza Sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
14.5-ounce can petite-cut diced tomatoes, undrained
6-ounce can tomato paste

Toppings
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1  1/2 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1  1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
2 plum tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced

Pizza Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; stir until well blended with a whisk.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Coat a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface; roll or pat into a 12-inch circle. Transfer dough to prepared pan, shaking off excess flour.

Toppings: Brush dough on top side with olive oil. Spread  about 1 cup of the pizza sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border. (Use the remaining sauce for pasta, if desired.)

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over sauce; top evenly with spinach leaves and minced garlic. Sprinkle mozzarella over spinach. Spoon teaspoonfuls of ricotta over mozzarella.

Bake for 12 minutes or until mozzarella melts and crust browns.

Let stand 5 minutes; top with tomato slices.  Cut into wedges.

Serves 8 to 10

Right # 1 – Pizza! It is one of the most popular foods for a huge majority of Americans. Why? Because it is packed with flavor; you’ve got the great bread, with melted gooey goodness, and tasty toppings. It can be eaten in hand and is the perfect food to share. It is fabulous eaten hot or cold.

Right #2 – Chocolate! Another all time favorite of people world-wide. Why? For starters, chocolate melts at about 98 degrees and not so coincidentally, our body temperature is about 98 degrees. The soothing quality achieved  by merely placing a piece of chocolate in your mouth and just having it melt away is simply luxurious and luscious. Plus chocolate is known to be a mild mood elevator, stimulating brainwaves and pushing your stress levels down. When your stress levels lower, you become more relaxed which in turn is beneficial to your health. Chocolate also raises antioxidant levels in the blood, which in turn help fight any foreign bodies that can cause illnesses. And of course there is the benefit your taste buds feel when consuming chocolate-which keeps you in touch with that happy little child within.

Excellent overall - combining Pizza and Chocolate! Sounds like the perfect food to me! You’ve got the great bread, the gooey melted chocolate, which not so coincidentally are also the tasty toppings.  You eat it out of hand either hot or cold, and you’ll want to share so your friends can ooh and aah along with you!

But…. before we get to the recipe of the day, I have to once again share a post from one of my favorite bloggers (heck one of my favorite writers) out there. Cheryl Sternman Rule of “5 Second Rule” has such talent, humor, humanity, and style that I just can’t help but share.  Sure, she’s on my Blogroll (in fact, right near the top) but you really must read her post from yesterday, please click this LINK, and thank me later.

You have a few options for the pizza crust. Frozen, purchased fresh and homemade.  If making your own, you’ll find my favorite dough recipe at the bottom.  Use it as is or feel free to stir in 3 tablespoons Nutella when adding the milk and olive oil, for a sweeter and chocolate-looking dough. Personally, I prefer the less sweet original crust and also the contrast of color provided by the golden crust. Also, feel free to mix it up and use butterscotch chips, or mint chocolate chips, or whatever sort of chips or chopped flavored chocolate floats your boat!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Pizza

1 pound pizza dough; homemade, frozen, or purchased fresh
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), melted
1/2 cup Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
3 tablespoons chopped toasted hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line large pizza pan or baking sheet with foil.

Roll or press out the dough on lightly floured surface into an 14-inch round.  Transfer dough to prepared pan.

Make indentations all over dough with fingertips.  Brush melted butter over.  Bake until pale golden, about 18 minutes.

Smooth the Nutella over hot crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border uncovered.  Sprinkle all three types of chocolate chips over top of Nutella.

Return to oven and bake until chocolate begins to melt, about 2 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over, slice into 12 wedges, and serve.

Serves 10 to 12

Basic Pizza Dough

1 tablespoon or 1 package active dry yeast
2 cups flour, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 1/4 cup lukewarm water, the yeast, and 1/4 cup of the flour.  Let stand for 20 minutes, this is called the sponge.

Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water, the olive oil, milk and salt and mix thoroughly.   Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic, and a little bit tacky to the touch, about 8 minutes.

Place the dough in a very lightly oiled bowl and turn the dough over to cover with oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Makes about 1 pound pizza dough

If you’ve been looking at restaurant menus for the past year or so, you’ve noticed that chefs are putting eggs on top of just about everything. Poached or fried eggs on top of pasta, salads, pizzas. The egg is the world’s most perfect food, it is economical and a great way to add protein and richness to just about anything. So take a crack at this current trend at the most natural time of day, for breakfast or brunch, but with an unconventional twist, breakfast pizza!

Small eggs work best if you’re making large pizzas to slice into wedges. The challenge – small eggs can be difficult to find. Try your local Asian market because most mainstream grocery stores only carry extra-large, large, and if you’re lucky, medium eggs. If you go with the medium eggs, remove about half of the whites before placing on the pizza, or the eggs will overflow and make a mess of the oven.  Or, divide the dough into 8 portions and make individual pizzas, then you can use the entire medium egg. You won’t get the same bang for your buck though, since you’ll get two large pizzas, or 16 servings if you follow the recipe as written. And the look of the large pizza is much more impressive than the individual, as you can see for yourself in these photos.

Side note: Almost forgot to mention – watch me at 4:30 PM on Channel 12 (NBC) Valley Dish tomorrow with Tram Mai.

Breakfast Pizza Topped with Sunny-Side Up Eggs

Pizza Dough
1 tablespoon or 1 package active dry yeast
2 cups flour, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh finely minced rosemary

Quick Sauce
28-ounce can crushed or whole Roma tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash red pepper flakes
1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce

Topping
2 cups shredded Fontina cheese, divided
8 to 10 ounces cooked breakfast sausage, divided
16 small eggs, as fresh as possible
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Fresh Herb Finish
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Handful basil, chiffonade
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pizza Dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 1/4 cup lukewarm  water, yeast, and 1/4 cup of the flour.  Let stand for 20 minutes, this is called the sponge.  Add the remaining 1  3/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup lukewarm water, olive oil, milk,  salt and rosemary; mix thoroughly.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, elastic, and a little bit tacky to the touch, about 4 minutes.  Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn the dough over to cover with oil.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Sauce: Pour tomatoes into a medium saucepan (if tomatoes are whole, use a potato masher to crush) heat through, seasoning with salt and pepper and a dash of red pepper flakes, simmer sauce for 5 minutes. Just before you are ready to spread on pizza, fold in the pesto sauce. Folding in at the last minute, off the heat, helps keep the pesto green. You will not use all the sauce for the pizzas, the rest is wonderful with pasta or as a dipping sauce for breadsticks and such.

Place a pizza stone on the center rack of the oven and preheat to as high as oven will go, at least to 500 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Shaping the Dough: Using a pastry scraper, divide the dough in half. Set 2 pieces of parchment paper roughly 12-inches wide on counter. Work one piece of the dough in your hands and form it into a large disk. Lay the disk of dough on a one sheet of parchment.  Working from the middle of the dough outwards, use the heel of your hands or a rolling pin to gently press the dough outward until it’s about 1/4 of an inch thick or less. It will not be a perfect circle; free-form and rustic is what you want.

Repeat with the second piece of dough and parchment. Note: The dough will stick to the parchment paper, making it easier for you to roll out. You’ll bake the pizza right on the parchment paper. As it cooks, the dough will release from the parchment, and you can slide the paper out before serving.

Spread sauce evenly in a thin layer over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch crust. Top evenly with 3/4 cup of Fontina cheese. Scatter half of the sausage pieces evenly on top. Sprinkle with another 1/4 cup of the Fontina. Using a pizza peel or the backside of a baking sheet, slide the parchment and pizza onto the baking stone in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from oven.

Using the back of a large spoon, lightly make 8 indentations around the pizza, not too close to the crust. Crack the eggs into a cup and slip them into each depression (use fresh eggs since older eggs tend to have watery whites). Sprinkle salt and grind black pepper on each egg, and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the egg whites are set, but the yolk is still soft.

Remove pizza from oven, at this point, you can slide the parchment paper out from under the pizza.  Allow to set and cool slightly then slice and top with fresh herbs. Repeat with second pizza.

Makes 2 large pizzas

One week from today is St. Patrick’s Day!  Here are a few fun St. Patrick and St. Patrick’s Day facts from Wikipedia:

• Blue was the original color associated with St. Patrick, not green.
• St Patrick used the three-leaf shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit) to the Irish  people.
• St. Patrick died on March 17th 461 AD.
• The Irish Society of Boston organized what was not only the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the colonies but the first  recorded Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the world on 17 March 1737.
• The first parade in Ireland was not until the 1931 parade in Dublin.
• Chicago dyes its river green and has done so since 1962 when sewer workers used green dye to check for sewer discharges  and had the idea to turn the river green for St. Patrick’s Day.
• St. Patrick’s Day is a one-day reprieve from the forty days of fasting during the season of Lent. For many Christians this  includes indulging in ale.
• Saint Patrick’s Day is widely celebrated in America by Irish and non-Irish alike. Many people, regardless of ethnic  background, wear green-colored clothing and items. Traditionally, those who are caught not wearing green are pinched,  usually affectionately.
• And of course, corned beef and cabbage is the food most associated with St. Patrick’s Day in the United States.

According to Wikipedia, “Corned beef refers to a particular style of brine-cured beef. The “corn” in corned beef refers to the “corns” or grains of coarse salts used to cure it. The consumption of corned beef has become associated with St. Patirick’s Day. Although corned beef did not originate in Ireland, it has been an integral part of Irish-American culture. In Ireland, the closest traditional dish is Bacon and Cabbage (more akin to Canadian style bacon or ham). Corned beef and cabbage became popular in America after Irish immigrants in the eastern United States used corned beef instead of pork in their traditional dish.”

All that said, although I am 100% Irish, I cannot stand corned beef and cabbage! So when I volunteered to appear on Channel 12 Valley Dish for the St. Patrick’s Day show, I was expected to make something along those lines – yuck! So after mulling it over, I came up with the perfect solution – Pizza! Yes, pizza, a traditional Italian dish would solve all my issues with that Irish-American dish I so despise. I mean, what’s not to like; bread, cheese, potatoes (very Irish!), cheese, caramelized onions, garlic, and more cheese. With those stellar flavors to cover up the other two- I knew I couldn’t go wrong. And I was right!  This sauceless pizza is one they should be making and selling at Sauce! Although, the other 364 days of the year, I’d prefer it with crisp crumbled bacon (like a true Irishwoman!) rather than corned beef.  So get to the store this week, buy the ingredients and make it along with me at 4:30 on Channel 12 Valley Dish with Tram Mai on March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day… I’ll drink to that!

Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Potato Pizza

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium red onion, peeled, halved through the root end and thinly sliced
1 cup sliced green cabbage
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large or 2 small Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough (available at Trader Joe’s)
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
3 ounces thinly sliced cooked Deli corned beef, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the red onion and cook over medium heat until caramelized. Add the cabbage and garlic, season with salt and pepper and sauté until just soft, about 4 more minutes, set aside.

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500 degrees. Toss the potato slices with 2 tablespoons olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet in the preheated oven, until golden, about 12 to 14 minutes, turning potatoes over, halfway through.

Roll dough into a 14-inch round. Place the round on a pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal (if baking on a stone) or a large oiled pizza pan if you do not have a stone; drizzle dough with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Scatter the Fontina cheese evenly over the crust, leaving a clean 1/2-inch border all the way around. Top with onion-cabbage mixture, corned beef, and potatoes. Sprinkle the top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Carefully slip the pizza onto the hot stone, if using, or place the pan in the oven. Cook until golden and crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 1 large delicious Irish pizza

For whatever reason, it seems that most kids really like pineapple on their pizza, so let’s give them what they want! An easy thin-crust pizza with fresh pineapple, barbeque sauce, mozzarella, and bits of bacon.

If you make pizza (or bake frozen pizza) often at home, it would be wise to invest in a pizza stone.  The stones are available at all kitchen stores and produce the best “restaurant quality” crisp, thin or thick crust pizza. Without a stone, just bake on a pizza pan or cookie sheet, sprinkled with a little cornmeal to prevent the pizza from sticking.

When using a stone be sure to preheat your oven, with the stone inside, at the highest temperature your oven can be set at for at 30 minutes. I made one with and another without the bacon, delicious both ways, so go vegetarian, if you choose. Buon appetito or (E ‘ai ka-kou, in Hawaiian)!

oops, I forgot to sprinkle with the basil before snapping this picture!

Pineapple Pizza

Prepared or homemade whole-wheat pizza dough
2 tablespoons barbeque sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Very thin slices fresh pineapple
2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
Very thin slices red onion
4 –6 large fresh basil leaves cut into chiffonade, for garnish

Place pizza stone in oven and preheat oven to 500 – 550 degrees for 30 minutes.

Shape crust onto a sheet of parchment paper.

Spread the barbeque sauce out evenly to the edges of the crust. Scatter half of the cheese, pineapple, bacon and onions and then top with remaining cheese.

Slide a pizza peel or a cookie sheet under the parchment and slide pizza, (along with parchment paper) onto the hot pizza stone.

Bake 10 to15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly or brown. Garnish with fresh basil.

Serves 2 hungry kids

Today is my gorgeous girlfriend, Jen’s, birthday. I cannot begin to express how much I love this amazing woman; she is my rock, my soul-mate sister, my “on demand” comedian, my friend.  She can make me laugh like nobody’s business! She is there through thick and thin and is a loving friend, mother, wife, sister, aunt, and daughter. Whenever I have something to share, complain about, need help, advise, or just want to chat, Jen if the first person I call.

The one really awful thing about Jennifer? She lives 1,400 miles from me (as the crow flies).  Happy birthday Jenny Jen, I forgive you for that one awful thing and love you unconditionally!

For the rest of the week, I will highlight and share recipes from Jen, who is coincidently, a great cook, or recipes of mine that are favorites of hers. Today’s recipe is a fun and quite rich appetizer pizza that is perfect for upcoming holiday parties.

My girl, Jen

Jenny’s Sweet Ciabatta Pizza

1 cup pecans, toasted
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
8-ounce loaf ciabatta, halved horizontally
6 ounces Havarti cheese, thinly sliced
3 ounces thin slices prosciutto, cut into strips
2 pears, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1 cup arugula leaves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Blend pecans, oil, honey, and thyme in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped.  Season with salt and pepper.

Place bread halves on a baking sheet.  Spread each half with the nut mixture.  Top with Havarti and bake until bubbly and golden, about 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with prosciutto, pears, and Gorgonzola.  Tuck arugula around the pears, slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8