BBQ Pizza, BBQ Everything

For dinner tonight, I made BBQ "chicken" pizzas and they were pretty delicious. For the "chicken," I rehydrated Butler Soy Curls and seasoned them with thyme, garlic powder, onion powder and a little BBQ sauce. For the sauce, I used my new favorite which is the hickory flavor from Garland Jack's Secret Six made in Garland, TX right outside of Dallas.  It is delicious on everything and I suggest that if you cannot find a bottle in your store, you should order some online. They don't stock the "squealin' hot" flavor here, so I think am going to order some of that.  So, started with the special sauce, added thinly sliced red onion, a mixture of Daiya cheeses, soy curls and them topped them with fresh cilantro when it came out of the oven. Of course, I had to spice mine up with a little Sriracha sauce, but I have to do that regardless of what kind of pizza it is!

Pizza

One of my favorite finds at the HEB (here, everything is better) in Midland has been the house brand thin and crispy pizza crusts. Perhaps they have a regular brand at your store, but HEB stocks three different varieties in the larger size, including whole wheat, plus a three pack of individual sized crusts in original and whole wheat. If you love a thin pizza crust--and I do!--then these are for you. Just top with some sauce, your favorite toppings and bake for 10 minutes. Since they are par-baked, that's all it takes. Include some veggies and a green salad on the side, and you have a quick and pretty healthy dinner on the table in just a few minutes.

We had some leftovers seitan, so tonight we experimented with a BBQ chick-un pizza topped with sauce, garlic and thinly sliced onions. It was messy, like BBQ is supposed to be, but it was quite delicious!

Downtown Pizza Lives Again!

Ever since the closure of Jeshua's last year, many (including moi!) have been mourning the passing of downtown pizza: mourn no more!

Tonight we tried Wise Pie's Pizza & Subs which just opening at 9 South 6th Street in the TH DT.

The facts:
--> Thin crust New York-style pizza by the slice or whole pies!
--> Open, Tuesday through Sunday, including late nights on Friday and Saturday.
--> Lots of topping choices, salads and calzones.
--> Beer & wine, eventually, but none right now...

I ordered a slice of cheese and a slice with artichoke and spinach. I will admit, I love simple flavors like cheese pizza, but I also think its the best way to judge not only the crust, but the sauce. Result: the red sauce is rich with a slight, sweet edge and the crust is crispy and perfect. The second slice was just as good!

The interior of the place is simple and classic, the waitstaff warm and personable. There is plenty of space inside and lots of tables on the sidewalk--just in time for summer!

If you want a whole pie instead of a slice, they have plenty of toppings including three of my favorites: asparagus, broccoli and ricotta! I can't wait to have another piece...and I'm so glad to have a pizza joint just around the corner again!

Recipe: Tortilla Pizzas

I guess say this a lot: this isn't so much as recipe as a suggestion, use tortillas (flour or whole wheat) to make easy pizzas topped with whatever you have one hand. Last week I made two:

• One classically topped with tomato sauce and cheese, plus some fresh basil
• Another topped with white gravy, mashed potatoes, Parmesan cheese & tarragon
  

Mashed potato pizza? What? Yes, it's great and not that original. I think we had some, or saw some, on a trip to Madison, WI a couple of years ago where we some great pizza at a place that presents some very interesting pizzas by the slice--but it didn't make the blog. Anyway, the one I made was delicious and a wonderful way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.

Here's how:

Recipe: Thin & Crispy Personal Pizzas

• Preheat over to 425 degrees.
• Spray both sides of the tortilla or wrap of your choice with cooking spray and place on a large, rimmed cookie sheet.
• Use the topping of your choice to adorn the tortillas.
• Bake for 15-25 minutes until the 'crust' is crispy, the cheese is melted and everything else is warm and bubbly.

Mangez!

Entertaining: Pizza Party

I often give tips on how to entertain at home, from simple dinners to carefully staged productions, and I would say I live that scheme in my own entertaining ventures. It's been a busy couple of weeks around the house and at work, but we wanted to have a few people over, to relax and enjoy some time with our Terre Haute friends. But, I didn't think I was up for a full-fledged day of shopping, cooking and arranging, so I devised an easy plan for a pizza night with ten friends.

The plan:

• Some simple nibbly-items to start (bread sticks, olives, little stuffed peppers, and pickly things)
• A big salad with thin slices of blanched asparagus and little, spring carrots in a spicy, citrus vinaigrette
• A selection of pizzas from La Familia de Jeshua across the street
• A killer dessert

This menu takes advantage of a natural resource, right at our doorstep: some of the best pizza I have every eaten. Anywhere. Hands down. I know, you're saying, "Some of the best pizza you've ever eaten is in Terre Haute?" Don't be a hater, I said the same exact thing. But, it's true. So the plan revolves around some purchased items to which I add a few homemade touches. Easy enough. The lesson is: use what you have and what you love. Great Chinese or Thai around the corner? Get several orders of your favorites, make a big salad and dessert, and call it done. Tamales by the boatload? Margaritas, chips and salsa and you are set. Wherever it is you love to eat, there is a way to incorporate that into your entertaining. Think semi-entertaining, but not semi-homemade with Sandra Lee. (Ugh.)

Just because you are ordering pizza, doesn't mean you can't set the scene. I realize I went
a little overboard, but I was just trying to be inspirational to you, dear reader.

Since I was planning on the essence of simplicity for dinner, I knew I would have time to spend on a great dessert. This idea came to me on the long drive to Omaha over Easter: tiramisu sundaes. What? Bear with me: the flavors and concept of tiramisu, but in a sundae form. This requires the creation of two ice cream/gelato recipes; some ladyfingers; chocolate sauce; and whipped cream. I think I was recalling the frozen tiramisu Michael made years ago and was thinking about how I could use my ice cream maker to do something similar. The results? Divine. The recipe for marscapone ice cream is something I developed and the coffee gelato is variation on a recipe I use for chocolate. Either would be good on their own or with a couple of cookies on the side, but the combination of the two with some homemade chocolate sauce was....killer.

Recipe: Marscapone Ice Cream

I developed this recipe using a couple of others I've enjoyed. The marscapone makes a rich, indulgent ice cream that is just amazing all by itself. You could also layer in some jam or pureed fruit before you ripen the mixture in the freezer, but as I said, "just amazing all by itself."

16 ounces marscapone, room temperature
1 1⁄2 cup sugar
2 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla
a pinch of salt
1 cup heavy cream

Combine the marscapone, sugar, milk, vanilla and salt in blender. Process until smooth. Depending on the size of your carafe, you may have to do this in two portions. Stir in the heavy cream and chill completely. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

Recipe: Coffee Gelato
This gelato is rich and has a strong, coffee flavor. Use less if you want a more subtle result, and remember to use decaf if you're serving it late in the evening and are worried about keeping your guests up all night. The recipe I used before, which I couldn't find, utilized whole coffee beans which are steeped in the cream to develop the flavor. This version is much simpler and just as delicious.

3 cups milk
2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups sugar

In a small bowl whisk 1/2 cup of the milk, scalded, into the espresso powder or instant coffee, whisking until the powder is dissolved. In another small bowl stir 1/2 cup of the remaining milk into the cornstarch, stirring until the cornstarch is dissolved. In a large heavy saucepan combine the remaining 2 cups milk, 2 cups half-and-half and the sugar and bring the mixture just to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Stir the cornstarch mixture, whisk it into the milk mixture, and simmer the mixture, whisking, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the coffee mixture. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, chill it, covered, until it is cold, and freeze it in an ice-cream freezer according to the manufacturer's instructions.

To make sundaes:

Add a scoop of marscapone ice cream and a scoop of coffee gelato to each individual serving dish; place two or three ladyfingers on the side; pass your favorite chocolate sauce, homemade whipped cream, and cacao nibs, allowing your guests their choice.

Recipe: Stuffed Pickled Peppers

The other thing I made (besides the salad, which is more assembled than made) was my favorite little stuffed peppers. I like to serve these as part of tapas menu, but they make a good starter for just about any Mediterranean menu. You can usually find the little peppers on the salad bar at good groceries, or jarred with the olives and other pickly things. Whole Foods often has a red and orange variety, which makes for a colorful presentation.

8 oz. of cream cheese at room temperature
8 oz. of goat cheese at room temperature
2 tbsp of butter at room temperature
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 to 2 tbsp of half-and-half or heavy whipping cream
24-30 red, Peppadew peppers (rinsed, drained and dried with a paper towel)

Using a hand mixer, cream together all of the ingredients through 1 tbsp. of the cream until smooth and light. Add the additional tablespoon of cream, if necessary. Place the mixture into a large, sealed bag. (A one-gallon bag works best as you want more bag than contents. Alternately, you can use a pastry bag with a tip, if you prefer.) Snip one corner of the bag and pipe the filling into each little pepper. Chill until the cheese has firmed up, at least an hour, but overnight if you wish. Serve.

Salty, buttery marcona almonds are a great accompnaniment to the peppers.

Mangez!

Holiday 2007 Rehash

This year, we did the tour of the 'ahs' for the holidays--Wichit-ah, Omah-ah and Tuls-ah. Here are some dining highlights from the long, long....LONG (but fun) trip.

Wichit-ah
In Wichita, we saw lots of friends. It was a super-fast visit, but we squeezed every bit of friend-time in we could. Sorry if I missed you this visit, but you're top of the list next time I'm in town! Wednesday night we went to N&J Bakery which is one of the best Lebanese restaurants in the city--and there are many. I think they have the tastiest fattoush salads in Wichita, crisp and perfectly seasoned. Barb was planning on having a few people over on the following night and ordered their hummus, homemade pita and pistachio cookies. I love the pistachio cookies, but more on that later.

When we got back to Barb's, we kept her company as she began some of the prep for her Thursday night menu. One of the sweet treats was 'crispy crackers' which involves baking club crackers that have been topped with nuts and a buttery caramel. They are like crack, once you start you are hooked. Barb and I are carefully watching them in the over as they bake.

Thursday morning, Mitchell and I had breakfast at the Beacon Restaurant with an old friend from work and his new bride. The Beacon is the greasy spoon of all greasy spoons. It's located right next to the newspaper office (Which used to be the Eagle-Beacon back in the day) and is decorated with a lighthouse theme. Many of the very artistic items are for sale. If you eat meat and find yourself 'dining' at the Beacon, be sure and order the Beacon Traditional which is an open-face, lightly toasted English muffin topped with 2 eggs cooked to order, your choice of bacon or ham, and cheese melted over the top.

Thursday night at Barb's was fun and we got to hang out with many of our Wichita friends. I even got to have Molly sit in my lap, which is something I really miss being so far away from her. Barb made tons of delicious treats and served her wonderful mulled wine, but I think everyone enjoyed the pumpkin biscuits more than anything else. They're a classic and even better served with the maple pumpkin sauce which Barb had never tried before. Make them, but don't even think about serving them without the sauce!

Recipe: Barb's Pumpkin Biscuits with Pumpkin Maple Sauce
Biscuits 2 ½ cups all-purpose baking mix (like Bisquick) 1/3 cup instant non fat dry milk ¼ cup packed brown sugar 1 ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice ¾ cup 100% pure pumpkin 1 tablespoon water

Sauce
1 cup maple syrup 1 cup 100% pure pumpkin ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine baking mix, dry milk, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl. Stir in pumpkin and water until just moistened.
• Knead 10 times on lightly floured surface.
• Roll dough to ½ inch thickness; cut into 12 biscuits.
• Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Heat syrup, pumpkin and cinnamon in a small saucepan until warm.
• Spoon sauce over warm biscuits.

Of course, no visit to Wichita would be complete without a trip to the Nifty Nut House. They have all of my favorites, so I stocked up. Plus, it's always fun to be there during the holidays because there is so much electricity in the air. People are crazy for nuts! I bought:

• Double-dipped chocolate covered peanuts (the size of gum balls)
  
• Dark-chocolate covered pistachios
• Bridge Mix (with fruits)
• Yogurt-covered pretzel Christmas trees. (I swear their's are the best!)
  

Omah-ah
Old Town Omaha is filled with lots of great shops and restaurants, and we were sure to hit several of our favorites. We stayed at the Magnolia Hotel (which is in a converted office building and very nice if you're looking for a place to stay in Omaha) and it was easy walking to breakfast or dinner. Plus, the Magnolia has a complimentary continental breakfast, cocktails in the evening and a milk and cookie bar at night. Not kidding. Milk and cookie bar.

Zio's pizza is always a special treat and by the slice. You can order whatever toppings you wish and they're happy to oblige with piping hot slices right to your table. We had broccoli and onion (I won't apologize. I love broccoli on pizza.) and tomato and spinach. They have so many topping choices it will boggle your mind.

Even though we live right smack dab in the epicenter of Indian culture in Austin, TX, that doesn't keep us from ordering it when we're out of town. The Indian Oven, also in Old Town, serves all of your favorite Indian treats and has a great wine list to boot. Cold night? Fresh curries and a glass of wine will warm you right up.

Reader, are you eating your lunch at your desk while you catch up on my blog? Are you using a plastic spoon? I thought so! Do you know how it's made? Well a visit to the Omaha Children's Museum will cure you of that ignorance. Push a single button and moments later, a fresh plastic spoon emerges from the injection machine. Like magic.

Sammy and Jakalee (two and three respectively) were more interested in the car and the balls and the millions of other things you can do at the Museum.

Of course, I had to stop and pay me respects to Quan Yin while I was in Omaha. Driving down the Sorrenson Parkway, you just kind of come across her, perched on a hill and surveying the white, snowy world. The gate was locked, but I hopped it easily and trudged up the snow-covered steps to the top. I guess there were rabbits nesting behind because when I reached the top they ran quickly away in that breathy, panicked rabbit sort of way. I left Quan Yin an offering of four pistachio cookies that Barb had sent us away with, piled at the base of her feet. I didn't stay long because I thought since the gate was locked, some angry Buddhists might come after me from the temple in the distance. I spent the rest of the day with the Smith's song Stop Me if You've Heard This One Before running through my head. "And the pain was enough to make a shy, bald Buddhist reflect and plan a mass murder."

Tuls-ah

In Tulsa we ate and gorged ourselves on Christmas fare at the parents, including our traditional dinner of fried chicken. It's a long story, but tasty nonetheless. We still found time to join Paula, Brennan and Loren for a little pizza at the Hideaway. Probably the best pizza in Oklahoma, the Hideaway is a Stillwater/OSU tradition, but we don't hold that against them. Good pizza is good pizza!

SoCo Treats

Saturday, Katie and I bummed around South Congress doing a little shopping, looking and eating. We popped into Cissi's Market which has all kinds of yummy treats, including some garish sugar cookies that are actually divine. They served them at the docent holiday party last week, and I would say they are possible the best I've ever had.

After walking up and down the street, we decided that a slice from Home Slice would hit the spot. I love Home Slice and I think it's some of the best pizza in town. (Queen of Pies!) I know I'm not alone with these thoughts or any sort of foodie prophet. My only complaint is that everyone KNOWS it's great pizza, so it's always super crowded. Oh well, worth the wait for cold beer and hot pizza. I had a slice of cheese and a slice of margherita.

On the way back to the car, we checked out Big Top Candy Shop, the new candy destination from folks who run Monkey See Monkey Do. What will you find at Big Top? Piles and piles of every kind of candy you could possible want. Piles. I resisted, but I'll be back. AND they have a soda fountain.

Mangez!

Somebody Say Pie?

If you want good pizza in Austin, it's not hard to find. I'm personally very partial to Mangia's Chicago-style stuffed crust. Usually, I choose wheat crust and get a spinach pie which has just a touch of nutmeg. Other times, it might be tomatoes with onion. Delicious and divine, a small will yield leftovers. I feel lucky too, because the one up north delivers to the house.

If I want to go out for pizza then I head to Home Slice Pizza, the queen of pies, on South Congress. HS serves up delicious slices, beer and tiramisu. Their waitstaff is great with lots of personality and I am always happy to sit at a big table with friends, fold up a slice and munch away.



This past week I purchased a nice-sized bucket of Italian-made buffalo mozzarella. Creamy and smooth, I made a caprese salad and was wondering what else I might use it in. Well, combined with the basil I'd bought to make the salad, a pizza seemed more than obvious so I stopped at Central Market and bought a pizza crust from the bakery for a whole TWO DOLLARS. I think it might be the cheapest thing in the store. Anyway, I topped the crust with tomato sauce, crushed red pepper and slices of the cheese and baked it for about 10 minutes. The crust came out perfect perfect, a thin crispy bottom with lightly textured top. Dinner was ready in no time and the CM crust is now my kitchen secret...but go ahead and use it.



Mangez!