Thursday, November 16, 2006
Good Earth Zucchini Bread
.
Growing up in LA, going to the Good Earth restaurant, a vegetarian mecca, meant one thing...really amazing tea.
I know, that seems silly, but for some reason their private blend tea was just plain better than anywhere else. Almost like chai today, it was heavily spiced and sweet and the smell could send you into a daydream for sure. It transports. No sugar needed.
While the smattering of Westside outposts closed awhile ago, there are still some open, noteably one in just over the hill in North Hollywood (and a few in Minnesota)...only trouble is, I try not to ever go to the Valley.
So as luck would have it, they sell their tea in the market, and when I brew a cup, I inhale deeply filling my mind with the steaming, swirling perfume of a singularly happy childhood.
Since I’m not a regular tea drinker (as my still pearly whites can attest) I have found that using the tea in baking is a spectacular way to bring that otherworldly aroma home.
Not being the strongest baker, I usually stick to my tried and true favorites, but for some reason, yesterday, I could not for the life of me find my recipe for zucchini bread. So I went on line.
Oops.
See what happened? It was beyond inedible. Man oh man was that dreadful. Kind of like a (raw on the inside, burnt on the outside) squash flan, I was super bummed out, I mean, what a waste of perfectly good ingredients. (Should I include a link to the recipe that created that? Nah...why be cruel.)
Refusing to accept defeat, I made it again. Adjusting with my limited knowledge, I am proud to say, I managed a sinfully delicious toatally original, quick-bread.
It comes together in about 10 minutes (minus baking) and the smell from the oven as it bakes will have you floating on air.
Try, and enjoy!
1 ½ cups flour
1 teabag worth of Good Earth tea (or cinnamon)
½ teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup canola oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon molassas
3/4 pound zucchini, shredded
1/4 cup golden raisins
Preheat your oven to 325F
Spray a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray (over the sink, you don’t want your floor getting slippery!)
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, tea, salt and baking soda
In another bowl, combine the oil, sugars, eggs and molasses. Stir to combine. Add the zucchini and raisins and stir.
Add the zucchini to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 1:15, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool a few minutes in the pan and then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
Will keep, wrapped in plastic, for about five days.
Makes one loaf
_______________________________
The Good Earth® Restaurants & Bakeries originated in 1975 with a commitment to healthy, fresh, & delicious foods which are prepared "better for you".
Looking for something to do? November 18, 2006, from 6:30pm – 11:30pm at the Hollywood Palladium 6215 Sunset Blvd. at Argyle. The French American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles invites you to take part in the time-honored tradition of welcoming the 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau to Southern California. Be part of the West Coast’s largest Beaujolais Wine Festival as corks go popping around the world in celebration of a remarkable harvest and one of the best vintages to come out in years. A worldwide selection of gourmet food and premium wines will be available to accompany the tasting of the new Beaujolais. Tickets are all-inclusive and can be reserved in advance by calling FACCLA at (323) 651-4741.
I know, that seems silly, but for some reason their private blend tea was just plain better than anywhere else. Almost like chai today, it was heavily spiced and sweet and the smell could send you into a daydream for sure. It transports. No sugar needed.
While the smattering of Westside outposts closed awhile ago, there are still some open, noteably one in just over the hill in North Hollywood (and a few in Minnesota)...only trouble is, I try not to ever go to the Valley.
So as luck would have it, they sell their tea in the market, and when I brew a cup, I inhale deeply filling my mind with the steaming, swirling perfume of a singularly happy childhood.
Not being the strongest baker, I usually stick to my tried and true favorites, but for some reason, yesterday, I could not for the life of me find my recipe for zucchini bread. So I went on line.
See what happened? It was beyond inedible. Man oh man was that dreadful. Kind of like a (raw on the inside, burnt on the outside) squash flan, I was super bummed out, I mean, what a waste of perfectly good ingredients. (Should I include a link to the recipe that created that? Nah...why be cruel.)
Refusing to accept defeat, I made it again. Adjusting with my limited knowledge, I am proud to say, I managed a sinfully delicious toatally original, quick-bread.
It comes together in about 10 minutes (minus baking) and the smell from the oven as it bakes will have you floating on air.
Try, and enjoy!
1 ½ cups flour
1 teabag worth of Good Earth tea (or cinnamon)
½ teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup canola oil
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon molassas
3/4 pound zucchini, shredded
1/4 cup golden raisins
Preheat your oven to 325F
Spray a 8.5 x 4.5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray (over the sink, you don’t want your floor getting slippery!)
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, tea, salt and baking soda
In another bowl, combine the oil, sugars, eggs and molasses. Stir to combine. Add the zucchini and raisins and stir.
Add the zucchini to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 1:15, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool a few minutes in the pan and then invert onto a rack to cool completely.
Will keep, wrapped in plastic, for about five days.
Makes one loaf
_______________________________
The Good Earth® Restaurants & Bakeries originated in 1975 with a commitment to healthy, fresh, & delicious foods which are prepared "better for you".
Looking for something to do? November 18, 2006, from 6:30pm – 11:30pm at the Hollywood Palladium 6215 Sunset Blvd. at Argyle. The French American Chamber of Commerce of Los Angeles invites you to take part in the time-honored tradition of welcoming the 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau to Southern California. Be part of the West Coast’s largest Beaujolais Wine Festival as corks go popping around the world in celebration of a remarkable harvest and one of the best vintages to come out in years. A worldwide selection of gourmet food and premium wines will be available to accompany the tasting of the new Beaujolais. Tickets are all-inclusive and can be reserved in advance by calling FACCLA at (323) 651-4741.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Purple Potato Pizza
.
This past weekend was a kaleidoscopic blur. Two parties on Sunday alone (a brunch that I spontaneously hosted for my most lovely lady friends, the other a family friend bash that went to the wee hours. Hee) neither of which helped with my rapidly diminishing brain cells, but it did prompt me to make yet another (I know, I know, what a bore I am!) right-from-the-pantry extravaganza.
It was late Sunday morning and while I dutifully had the pitchers of Bloody Mary’s mixed and ready to go, food wise, I was at a loss and time was too short to head off to the market…so what could I whip up with 2 hours to spare?
Veggie rolls were easy enough, then I baked off some chips and made a smooth and spicy bean dip, there was my classic mango, cucumber delight and a few other oddities that didn’t exactly scream brunch, but were tasty treats none-the-less, including this extra fun purple potato pizza.
Like pretty much everyone else who comes across purple potatoes, I am intrigued, but always sort of at a loss for what to do to really accentuate their flashy hue. This pizza (a starch-a-holics dream) is the best answer I have come up with so far…and lemme just say, it’s a dandy delight indeed. I also didn’t have any cornmeal, something I normally include in my dough, so instead used a bit of masa flour, and the results were seemingly identical. Go figure. The results are fab-u-licious and worth the time to make. My only change, should I make this again, would be to layer the potatoes much closer together. They overlapped on the uncooked dough, but when it baked and puffed up, they seemed a bit sparse. So when you make it, be generous! Try it, and enjoy.
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 packet yeast (1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 cups thinly sliced potatoes
Salt
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons corn meal or masa flour
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, yeast and water, stir to combine and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the potatoes quite thin and toss in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil, a hearty pinch of salt and the rosemary
In a mixer add the flour, a tablespoon of the oil and 1 cup of water, and knead with the dough hook for four minutes on medium speed. Remove from the mixer, form into a large ball, coat the dough with some oil and place in a bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rise for 45 minutes.
Coat the bottom of a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides.) with the remaining oil. When the dough has risen, remove from the bowl, and shape into a long rectangle in the pan. Layer with the potato slices and bake in a 400F oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool. Slice into squares and serve.
Makes enough for 10 people
_____________________________________
The Spanish introduced the potato to Europe in the 1550s
More than half of the estimated 140 pounds of per capita potato consumption in the United States is in the form of fast or snack foods
Burger King Holdings Inc.'s shares rose less than 3 percent by the end of its first trading day on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. The highly anticipated public offering began late Wednesday, when Miami-based Burger King sold 25 million shares of common stock at $17. The shares opened Thursday at $18, rose to $18.24, then fell back to close at $17.50. Chipotle, formerly a unit of McDonald's Inc., went from $22 to $44 when it went public Jan. 26.
It was late Sunday morning and while I dutifully had the pitchers of Bloody Mary’s mixed and ready to go, food wise, I was at a loss and time was too short to head off to the market…so what could I whip up with 2 hours to spare?
Veggie rolls were easy enough, then I baked off some chips and made a smooth and spicy bean dip, there was my classic mango, cucumber delight and a few other oddities that didn’t exactly scream brunch, but were tasty treats none-the-less, including this extra fun purple potato pizza.
Like pretty much everyone else who comes across purple potatoes, I am intrigued, but always sort of at a loss for what to do to really accentuate their flashy hue. This pizza (a starch-a-holics dream) is the best answer I have come up with so far…and lemme just say, it’s a dandy delight indeed. I also didn’t have any cornmeal, something I normally include in my dough, so instead used a bit of masa flour, and the results were seemingly identical. Go figure. The results are fab-u-licious and worth the time to make. My only change, should I make this again, would be to layer the potatoes much closer together. They overlapped on the uncooked dough, but when it baked and puffed up, they seemed a bit sparse. So when you make it, be generous! Try it, and enjoy.
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 packet yeast (1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 cups thinly sliced potatoes
Salt
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons corn meal or masa flour
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, yeast and water, stir to combine and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the potatoes quite thin and toss in a bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil, a hearty pinch of salt and the rosemary
In a mixer add the flour, a tablespoon of the oil and 1 cup of water, and knead with the dough hook for four minutes on medium speed. Remove from the mixer, form into a large ball, coat the dough with some oil and place in a bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rise for 45 minutes.
Coat the bottom of a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides.) with the remaining oil. When the dough has risen, remove from the bowl, and shape into a long rectangle in the pan. Layer with the potato slices and bake in a 400F oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool. Slice into squares and serve.
Makes enough for 10 people
_____________________________________
The Spanish introduced the potato to Europe in the 1550s
More than half of the estimated 140 pounds of per capita potato consumption in the United States is in the form of fast or snack foods
Burger King Holdings Inc.'s shares rose less than 3 percent by the end of its first trading day on the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday. The highly anticipated public offering began late Wednesday, when Miami-based Burger King sold 25 million shares of common stock at $17. The shares opened Thursday at $18, rose to $18.24, then fell back to close at $17.50. Chipotle, formerly a unit of McDonald's Inc., went from $22 to $44 when it went public Jan. 26.
Labels: Bread, Entree, Vegetarian
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Banana-Date Bread
.
Many, many years ago in a not so far away land there were some maidens who wanted to earn some extra cash to fund their leisurely lifestyles. They were clever and crafty young things and oh yes, they had the drive to succeed. All that held them back from their riches was the perfect idea. They had the will, the skills, the determination and let's just say it, the deadication to really do something outstanding when they got down to it.
For a short while they dabbled in hand-made custom order apron-dresses, (Kinda like this. Actually, exactly like that. Hmm. I must have issues because I still think they look sort of cute. Yikes.) but that proved to be excessively time consuming. Next up, they thought they could break into the fimo dough bead market, but alas, that was well covered. Then one starry night as they lay in a field somewhere in the middle of nowhere Indiana, staring up at the stars with the strains of music lingering in their ears it came to them like a bolt from the blue. The way to their financial freedom was as simple as whipping up that tasty tropical treat, banana bread.
You see kids, in those days there was a fantastically popular band who roamed the globe with a merry band of followers, and if nothing else, that lot tended to be hungry. Very, very hungry. They pretty much seemed to subsist on a diet of burritos and grilled cheese, cookies and stir fry, popcorn balls and something a little more tricky called goo-balls. They ate tofu-jerky and quesadillas, and as our young heroines learned, they also craved banana bread, and could eat lots of it. So with that solid information, all our puerile misses had to do was hawk it at 1 slice for $3.00 or 2 for $5.00 from sweet little ribbon festooned wicker baskets in parking lots all over the nation and watch the money roll in.
Tweaking a recipe from the outstanding and infallible Joy of Cooking, they brought their banana bread forth, (six varieties in all) and it was good. Oh heavens was it good. So good in fact, they ended up making a tidy bundle of cash, and one of them (your narrator, I fear) ate so many gosh darned 'nanas she developed an allergy to them that persists to this day. Happily, that does not stop the former little chicky from baking her cosmically delicious bread from time to time, the scent of which brings her back to a long forgotten place, where "everybody's dancing in a ring around the sun."
Try this, and enjoy.
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons butter (or shortening)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 large, completely ripe (brown) bananas, mashed
1/4 cup dates, diced
Preheat your oven to 350F
In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, wheat germ, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Cream throughly (when you think you are done, keep beating for another minute) then add the eggs and bananas. Beat together completely. Fold in the dates.
Pour your batter into a well buttered loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes to one hour, or until a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Cool in the pan. Slice and serve.
Makes one loaf or about 10 slices
________________________________________
A Short List of Bands/Singers with Food Names:
Meatloaf, Bread, Moby Grape, Jelly Roll Morton, Ice-T, Spice Girls, Cream, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Salt 'n' Pepa, String Cheese Incident, Smashing Pumpkins, Leftover Salmon, The Cranberries, Black Eyed Peas, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Phish, Skankin' Pickle, Vanilla Fudge, Hot Chocolate, Blue Oyster Cult, Cake, Korn, The Lemonheads, Flying Burrito Brothers, Electric Prunes and Ray Anton and the Peppermint Men
Remember the Chiquita Banana Song?
"I'm Chiquita banana and I've come to say - Bananas have to ripen in a certain way- When they are fleck'd with brown and have a golden hue - Bananas taste the best and are best for you - You can put them in a salad - You can put them in a pie-aye - Any way you want to eat them - It's impossible to beat them - But, bananas like the climate of the very, very tropical equator - So you should never put bananas in the refrigerator." Music © 1945 Shawnee Press Inc.
For a short while they dabbled in hand-made custom order apron-dresses, (Kinda like this. Actually, exactly like that. Hmm. I must have issues because I still think they look sort of cute. Yikes.) but that proved to be excessively time consuming. Next up, they thought they could break into the fimo dough bead market, but alas, that was well covered. Then one starry night as they lay in a field somewhere in the middle of nowhere Indiana, staring up at the stars with the strains of music lingering in their ears it came to them like a bolt from the blue. The way to their financial freedom was as simple as whipping up that tasty tropical treat, banana bread.
You see kids, in those days there was a fantastically popular band who roamed the globe with a merry band of followers, and if nothing else, that lot tended to be hungry. Very, very hungry. They pretty much seemed to subsist on a diet of burritos and grilled cheese, cookies and stir fry, popcorn balls and something a little more tricky called goo-balls. They ate tofu-jerky and quesadillas, and as our young heroines learned, they also craved banana bread, and could eat lots of it. So with that solid information, all our puerile misses had to do was hawk it at 1 slice for $3.00 or 2 for $5.00 from sweet little ribbon festooned wicker baskets in parking lots all over the nation and watch the money roll in.
Tweaking a recipe from the outstanding and infallible Joy of Cooking, they brought their banana bread forth, (six varieties in all) and it was good. Oh heavens was it good. So good in fact, they ended up making a tidy bundle of cash, and one of them (your narrator, I fear) ate so many gosh darned 'nanas she developed an allergy to them that persists to this day. Happily, that does not stop the former little chicky from baking her cosmically delicious bread from time to time, the scent of which brings her back to a long forgotten place, where "everybody's dancing in a ring around the sun."
Try this, and enjoy.
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons butter (or shortening)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 large, completely ripe (brown) bananas, mashed
1/4 cup dates, diced
Preheat your oven to 350F
In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, wheat germ, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Cream throughly (when you think you are done, keep beating for another minute) then add the eggs and bananas. Beat together completely. Fold in the dates.
Pour your batter into a well buttered loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes to one hour, or until a knife inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.
Cool in the pan. Slice and serve.
Makes one loaf or about 10 slices
________________________________________
A Short List of Bands/Singers with Food Names:
Meatloaf, Bread, Moby Grape, Jelly Roll Morton, Ice-T, Spice Girls, Cream, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Salt 'n' Pepa, String Cheese Incident, Smashing Pumpkins, Leftover Salmon, The Cranberries, Black Eyed Peas, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Phish, Skankin' Pickle, Vanilla Fudge, Hot Chocolate, Blue Oyster Cult, Cake, Korn, The Lemonheads, Flying Burrito Brothers, Electric Prunes and Ray Anton and the Peppermint Men
Remember the Chiquita Banana Song?
"I'm Chiquita banana and I've come to say - Bananas have to ripen in a certain way- When they are fleck'd with brown and have a golden hue - Bananas taste the best and are best for you - You can put them in a salad - You can put them in a pie-aye - Any way you want to eat them - It's impossible to beat them - But, bananas like the climate of the very, very tropical equator - So you should never put bananas in the refrigerator." Music © 1945 Shawnee Press Inc.
Labels: Bread, Breakfast, Dessert
Friday, August 26, 2005
Harvest Foccacia
Turns out, I have always been a fan of Mr. Chiarello's Southern Italian-Californian cooking. Moons ago, when he still ran the restaurant Tra Vigne I had a few friends who worked for him, and would listen to them absolutly rave about what a swell guy he was, (pretty rare in the cook-to-boss world,) which left me quite impressed. And now he is an Emmy award winning TV personality with cookbooks and products and shows and who knows what else. (He has actually had the products for a decade or so too, so its not like the guy is some Johnny-come-lately) And I say kudos to him.
So after watching his intro schpeil on this, grape, raisin and herb topped bread, I went ahead and made it using my own recipe. The topping includes contrasting textures of the raisins and grapes. The milk in the dough makes the crumb softer and the olive oil adds a terrific chewiness and mouth-feel. There was a great sweetness and richness to it that I enjoyed whole-heartedly. Since I typically leave my foccacia plain, this was an inspired change of pace. Here is the recipe as I made it. I think adding black olives would be awesome too. Try it, and enjoy!
½ cup warm milk
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 packet yeast (1 tablespoon)
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
¼ cup raisins
½ cup red grapes, rinsed and halved
1 onion, sliced thin
2 cups all purpose flour
salt and pepper
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, yeast and warm milk, stir to combine and let sit, 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, gently heat the olive oil. Remove from the stove and add the grapes, raisins, onion, and oregano. Set aside.
When the starter is foamy (indicating the yeast is active) add the remaining flour, a tablespoon of the oil and 1 cup of water, and knead until elastic (or put in your mixer for three minutes on medium speed. Add ¼ of the grape mixture and mix in thoroughly. Coat the dough with some oil, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the dough rise for 45 minutes.
Using some of the flavored oil, coat the bottom of a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides.) When the dough has risen, remove from the bowl, and shape into a long rectangle in the pan. Using your fingers, create a few impressions (dimples) in the dough, then add the grape mixture on top.
Bake in a 400F oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool. Slice and serve.
Makes enough for 8 people
__________________________________________
There are at approximatley 850 wineries in California. Roughly half of these wineries sell less than 5,000 cases and the largest 25 ship 90 percent of all California wine to markets worldwide.
"Toasted Sandwiches are hot. In January, The Subway sandwich chain armed itself with new high-tech ovens and began offering customers nationwide the option of toasting their sandwiches. McDonalds Corp. the world's largest restaurant chain, is testing deli-style sandwiches, some toasted, at about 400 of its 13,600-plus U.S. restaurants...Helped along by toasty offerings, sandwich shop sales grew by 9.5% last year, to $16.8 billion...Aside from the novelty of toasted subs made-to-order, customized foods are perceived as healthier" - Wall Street Journal
Does dairy help you lose weight? Doubtful. "It is not a case of drink milk, lose weight. It works only for people who eat a low-calorie diet and who are not already consuming three servings of dairy. That's a bit more nuanced than the "Lose More Weight" and "Burn More Fat" emblazoned across the packaging of a growing array of dairy products..."
Labels: Appetizer, Bread, Vegetarian
Friday, July 01, 2005
Pissaladière
.
The word of the day is Pissaladière. So chic! So French! And we all need a little continental in our lives sometimes, don't we? Mais oui! We do. (Which is why some of us still shop at E. Dehillerin, when most everything they sell can be found much closer to home. Oops.)
What it is exactly, is a take off on the pizza with caramelized onions, olives and anchovies. So let's see...deeply rich and savory onions, with the plump and sumptuous olives and scrumptious salty anchovies. Could this be more divine? I doubt it. And bonus! It tastes just as good room temperature too. (It's never made it quite to cold in my house, but I'm sure it is magnifique that way too.) Sure, sure, the picture isnt exactly glamour, but it was taken at night, so there.
You know what this is leading up to right? And you ARE right. I had a little time (about three hours to be exact) and I made pissaladière last night for cocktail hour (see earlier posts if you are unclear as to why I care so much about cocktail hour.), and it was a fete to be remembered. Salty, savory goodness. Served with Campari and soda, it is a perfect aperitif. Try it, and enjoy!
1/2 teaspoon molasses
1 packet instant yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cornmeal (optional. I like it for texture. Some black pepper works nicely too)
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup warm water
Olive oil
2 cups caramelized onions
1/4 cup minced herbs (I use thyme, parsley and rosemary)
1/4 cup nicoise olives, pitted and rough chopped
Minced anchovies to taste
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper
In a small bowl, combine the molasses, yeast and warm water, stir slightly to combine and let sit until the yeast foams, if the yeast does not foam, it is old and you should start again.
In your food processor (or stand mixer, or by hand if you are the type), combine the flours and cornmeal. Pulse once or twice to combine. Add the olive oil and pulse again. Slowly add the yeast then the water until the dough forms a ball. Continue to mix for 3 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. When done, remove the dough and coat it lightly with olive oil, put in a bowl and set aside (covered, and someplace warm) to rise, 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, punch down the dough. Preheat your oven to 550F (or as high as it will go) with your pizza stone on the lowest rack. This recipe works best with a pizza stone, pre-heated at least 20 minutes. If you don't have one, use a cookie sheet, or try this in a cast iron pan for pan pizza style.
Sprinkle a pizza peel (or a flat wooden cutting board, or a baking sheet with no sides) with coarse salt, pepper and some corn meal (this will help the pissaladière come off later) Form the dough into a disk, and place on the peel. Top with the herbs, onions, olives and anchovies. Drizzle with olive oil, paying particular attention to the exposed crust, then slide it into the oven. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove, slice and enjoy.
Serves four to six
____________________________________________________
The best anchovies are from the Collioure region of France.
If your radishes are tied with a rubber band, remove it before you store them. They will last longer
Fact: After you overeat, your hearing becomes slightly impared
What it is exactly, is a take off on the pizza with caramelized onions, olives and anchovies. So let's see...deeply rich and savory onions, with the plump and sumptuous olives and scrumptious salty anchovies. Could this be more divine? I doubt it. And bonus! It tastes just as good room temperature too. (It's never made it quite to cold in my house, but I'm sure it is magnifique that way too.) Sure, sure, the picture isnt exactly glamour, but it was taken at night, so there.
You know what this is leading up to right? And you ARE right. I had a little time (about three hours to be exact) and I made pissaladière last night for cocktail hour (see earlier posts if you are unclear as to why I care so much about cocktail hour.), and it was a fete to be remembered. Salty, savory goodness. Served with Campari and soda, it is a perfect aperitif. Try it, and enjoy!
1/2 teaspoon molasses
1 packet instant yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cornmeal (optional. I like it for texture. Some black pepper works nicely too)
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup warm water
Olive oil
2 cups caramelized onions
1/4 cup minced herbs (I use thyme, parsley and rosemary)
1/4 cup nicoise olives, pitted and rough chopped
Minced anchovies to taste
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper
In a small bowl, combine the molasses, yeast and warm water, stir slightly to combine and let sit until the yeast foams, if the yeast does not foam, it is old and you should start again.
In your food processor (or stand mixer, or by hand if you are the type), combine the flours and cornmeal. Pulse once or twice to combine. Add the olive oil and pulse again. Slowly add the yeast then the water until the dough forms a ball. Continue to mix for 3 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. When done, remove the dough and coat it lightly with olive oil, put in a bowl and set aside (covered, and someplace warm) to rise, 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, punch down the dough. Preheat your oven to 550F (or as high as it will go) with your pizza stone on the lowest rack. This recipe works best with a pizza stone, pre-heated at least 20 minutes. If you don't have one, use a cookie sheet, or try this in a cast iron pan for pan pizza style.
Sprinkle a pizza peel (or a flat wooden cutting board, or a baking sheet with no sides) with coarse salt, pepper and some corn meal (this will help the pissaladière come off later) Form the dough into a disk, and place on the peel. Top with the herbs, onions, olives and anchovies. Drizzle with olive oil, paying particular attention to the exposed crust, then slide it into the oven. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove, slice and enjoy.
Serves four to six
____________________________________________________
The best anchovies are from the Collioure region of France.
If your radishes are tied with a rubber band, remove it before you store them. They will last longer
Fact: After you overeat, your hearing becomes slightly impared
Friday, April 15, 2005
Home Made Crackers
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I was young, I was green and I wanted a job. Somehow - considering at the time I didn’t know how to boil water - I managed to secure a little gig at the local cooking shop, where on my first day they assigned me the task of demonstrating an Atlas pasta maker. Needless to say it changed my life. I grew to love that funky little hand crank machine (despite the fact you have to clamp it to a counter top and in then six places I have lived since I got one, I have yet to come across a single countertop the durned clamp fits over!) especially when I realized you can make things other than pasta with it. For instance, crackers. Mmmm. Now I know, you are thinking crackers are just easier to buy, but trust me, these are simple, delicious and really fun to make. The variations are endless (I can not resist adding adobo sauce from a can of chipotles) and they keep for about a week. The main trick is to prick them with a fork a few times to prevent them getting all poofy, and use bulkier seasonings (any seeds or dried herbs like rosemary) as a topping (versus in the dough) so they don't cause tearing.
I adapted this basic recipe from Flatbreads and Flavors which is a seriously awesome book and overall fantastic resource. Oh, and as you can see, my camera came back to life, so there are some pictures of the process too! The strip of dough in the machine has the chipotle sauce mixed in, which is why it seems reddish. And, of course, ditzy me, I forgot to take a picture of the end product. Whoops. (And there certainly aren't any left to take a picture now. Whoops again.) Anyway, try this and enjoy!
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 ½ cups warm water
Olive oil
In a food processor, combine the salt and flour with a few pulses. Turn the machine on and slowly add the water until the dough forms a ball. The dough should still be a little webbed, (versus smooth) but not sticky. If it is sticky, add some more flour. Remove the dough and divide it into a few smaller balls and coat lightly with olive oil. Let the dough rest, covered for about 20 minutes. If you are making the crackers later, you can put the dough in the fridge for up to 8 hours. If you do that, let them come to room temperature before proceeding.
Using a pasta maker (or a rolling pin) roll out the dough to about an 1/16 of an inch thickness (I got to the number 5 setting on the pasta maker.)., using a little bit of flour to keep it from sticking to the machine.
Cut the strips of dough into any shape you like, as long as they are roughly uniform in size. Pierce each one a few times with a fork. If you like at this point you can brush them with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt (or sesame seeds or whatever).
Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes at 350F or until just browned. You will want to sample one to make sure they are crisp.
Makes about 4 dozen crackers.
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Major foodborne diseases — including E. coli, salmonella and listeria — have dropped dramatically in the United States since the late 1990s, the government said Tuesday.
The government attributed the decline to better food-industry practices.
The rate of E. coli infections has dropped 42 percent, to 0.9 cases per 100,000 people, since 1996-98, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Similarly, campylobacter infections fell 31 percent (to 12.9 cases per 100,000); cryptosporidium dropped 40 percent (13.2 cases per 100,000), and yersinia infections decreased 45 percent (3.9 cases per 100,000).The drop in salmonella was the smallest — 8 percent, to 14.7 cases per 100,000 — mainly because health officials still know little about the bacteria, the CDC said
I adapted this basic recipe from Flatbreads and Flavors which is a seriously awesome book and overall fantastic resource. Oh, and as you can see, my camera came back to life, so there are some pictures of the process too! The strip of dough in the machine has the chipotle sauce mixed in, which is why it seems reddish. And, of course, ditzy me, I forgot to take a picture of the end product. Whoops. (And there certainly aren't any left to take a picture now. Whoops again.) Anyway, try this and enjoy!
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 ½ cups warm water
Olive oil
In a food processor, combine the salt and flour with a few pulses. Turn the machine on and slowly add the water until the dough forms a ball. The dough should still be a little webbed, (versus smooth) but not sticky. If it is sticky, add some more flour. Remove the dough and divide it into a few smaller balls and coat lightly with olive oil. Let the dough rest, covered for about 20 minutes. If you are making the crackers later, you can put the dough in the fridge for up to 8 hours. If you do that, let them come to room temperature before proceeding.
Using a pasta maker (or a rolling pin) roll out the dough to about an 1/16 of an inch thickness (I got to the number 5 setting on the pasta maker.)., using a little bit of flour to keep it from sticking to the machine.
Cut the strips of dough into any shape you like, as long as they are roughly uniform in size. Pierce each one a few times with a fork. If you like at this point you can brush them with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt (or sesame seeds or whatever).
Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes at 350F or until just browned. You will want to sample one to make sure they are crisp.
Makes about 4 dozen crackers.
_____________________________________________________
Major foodborne diseases — including E. coli, salmonella and listeria — have dropped dramatically in the United States since the late 1990s, the government said Tuesday.
The government attributed the decline to better food-industry practices.
The rate of E. coli infections has dropped 42 percent, to 0.9 cases per 100,000 people, since 1996-98, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Similarly, campylobacter infections fell 31 percent (to 12.9 cases per 100,000); cryptosporidium dropped 40 percent (13.2 cases per 100,000), and yersinia infections decreased 45 percent (3.9 cases per 100,000).The drop in salmonella was the smallest — 8 percent, to 14.7 cases per 100,000 — mainly because health officials still know little about the bacteria, the CDC said