tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91668439057187227172024-03-06T01:20:32.662-08:00Pizza PassionSusan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-86000093645554971382012-12-08T16:19:00.003-08:002012-12-08T16:33:34.543-08:00Fiery Focaccia <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wCIzcSs_gtw/UL98ZtXh9uI/AAAAAAAAA8c/iDWjIZEq4QA/s1600/DSCN0224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wCIzcSs_gtw/UL98ZtXh9uI/AAAAAAAAA8c/iDWjIZEq4QA/s1600/DSCN0224.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>The name of this bread made me think it might be too hot to handle, but it had just the right amount of heat and was absolutely worth every bit of the time and effort it took. I started by mixing up my basic focaccia bread dough in the breadmaker, but varied it by adding 1/4 cup of tomato paste. When the dough was ready it was very loose and sticky, so I ended up adding 2 to 3 cups more flour than the recipe called for until it had it the consistency of normal dough. I rolled out the dough and sprinkled on 6 cherry peppers that been chopped, 2 roasted bell peppers that had been chopped, 2 1/2 ounces of cubed emmental and 3 1/2 ounces of chopped chorizo. All the ingredients were gently kneaded into the dough. The dough was then divided between two 8-inch cake pans and allowed to rise for an additional 30 minutes before I carefully drizzled on some pizza oil and ground some sea salt over the top. The foccacia was then placed in a pre-heated 400 degree oven and baked for 25 minutes. I have never knowingly tried chorizo before and I was expecting it to be spicy, but it wasn't spicy at all. <br />
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Both the cherry peppers and the red bell peppers were from a jar, and I thought perhaps the cherry peppers would be spicy, but they were not. The pizza oil was the only thing that really added any heat to this bread. The recipe does suggest using salame piccante instead of chorizo, provolone piccante instead of emmental , and Peppadews rather than cherry peppers; you might consider using those if you want to kick it up a notch. This bread received rave reviews from my dear hubby, but the fact that we didn't eat until 8:30 that night and were both very hungry might have had something to do with that. Your family will always appreciate your cooking if they're about starved by the time you feed them! Seriously, this was delicious, and the recipe said it even freezes very well. I was intending to do just that with one of the loaves I made, but as I said, we were both VERY hungry!<br />
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<br />Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-17940035441316423352012-11-24T14:42:00.000-08:002012-12-08T13:49:03.328-08:00Stuffed Focaccia Mini-Muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oYIq2xMq624/ULAKwwgP5ZI/AAAAAAAAA8A/n4a6FW9f5KU/s1600/DSCN0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oYIq2xMq624/ULAKwwgP5ZI/AAAAAAAAA8A/n4a6FW9f5KU/s320/DSCN0207.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0AkOsr-X3GE/ULAKt-1rlnI/AAAAAAAAA7o/aAyKW1hmbms/s1600/DSCN0203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0AkOsr-X3GE/ULAKt-1rlnI/AAAAAAAAA7o/aAyKW1hmbms/s200/DSCN0203.JPG" width="200" /></a>It has become our family tradition that on Christmas Eve I make an abundance of appetizer-type party food. In years past we've thrown a birthday party for Jesus complete with balloons and streamers and cake and punch. Since our children have moved away, it has morphed into a film festival of classic holiday films such as <em>It's a Wonderful Life</em> ,<em>The Grinch</em>, and <em>The Nativity Story</em>. I tell you all this to explain that the first time I made these muffins it was part of this past year's Fountain Family Christmas celebration. Since I had not started blogging at that time, I decided to revisit this recipe. Perhaps it was the Christmas advertising starting WAY too soon that put me in a holiday mood!<br />
<a name='more'></a> This recipe starts with focaccia dough that as I've mentioned before is very similar to basic pizza dough except that it seems to use quite a bit more oil (1/3 of a cup as opposed to 2 Tablespoons) and for this recipe I also added a teaspoon of Italian Seasoning. When the dough was ready, I rolled it out and then cut out circles with a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Into the center I spooned about a teaspoon of pesto. I added more on my first attempt and it all oozed out and made a mess, so I learned to be cautious about the amount of pesto. On top of the pesto I placed a small cube of mozzarella cheese, half of a grape tomato, and half of a kalamata olive. The recipe doesn't call for the olives, but Mike and I both agreed they were an excellent addition to this recipe.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEROYTLo6jUsxJFwHSc8NCmvmMaLcY7GZXLobQfLdPnSoXkpgXFs66IDFJ7Z4vZknv4pWSc-Ke1UE6brfGib1HujEn18NMCiQ1b3ltYZOehyphenhyphen4pVqOEA1XMQBvLqfcS9af6u7lscq2c7Xd/s1600/DSCN0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEROYTLo6jUsxJFwHSc8NCmvmMaLcY7GZXLobQfLdPnSoXkpgXFs66IDFJ7Z4vZknv4pWSc-Ke1UE6brfGib1HujEn18NMCiQ1b3ltYZOehyphenhyphen4pVqOEA1XMQBvLqfcS9af6u7lscq2c7Xd/s320/DSCN0205.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dREzWx0RVjA/ULAKu35jLdI/AAAAAAAAA7w/3XraLx1y-v0/s1600/DSCN0204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dREzWx0RVjA/ULAKu35jLdI/AAAAAAAAA7w/3XraLx1y-v0/s200/DSCN0204.JPG" width="200" /></a> I then pulled up the edges of the dough forming a sort of sack and pinched the top shut. Each little focaccia "sack" was then placed into a greased mini-muffin pan. The tops of the muffins were brushed with the pizza oil to give them a bit of heat and then a bit of sea salt was sprinkled on each. After garnishing with a sprig of rosemary, the pan of muffins was baked in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. These muffins received rave reviews from my husband, and I suspect they'll be on our Christmas Eve menu again this year. While we devoured these delicious delicacies, we watched <em>Iron Man</em>, a film that chronicles the adventures of a super hero played by Robert Downey Jr. I think Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in some of his other films is fascinating, and I have to say that his was probably my favorite character in <em>The Avengers</em>. Since I am not familiar with the comic book characters, I enjoyed the focus on this super hero from <em>The Avengers</em> and discovering just what motivated Mr. Stark as he developed into Iron Man.Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-41185139134831826002012-11-17T17:46:00.000-08:002012-11-24T14:19:33.893-08:00Ricotta and Prosciutto Focaccia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is another recipe that turned out to be very much like a quiche. I think it had trouble deciding if it wanted to be Italian or French! Then I really confused it by adding cilantro and giving it a Southwestern United States flare. Boy, no wonder this dish has an identity crisis! My sweet hubby was starting the focaccia dough, and I had mentioned to him that it used quite a bit more oil than our normal pizza dough. He had that on his mind when he was putting the ingredients into the breadmaker and accidentally added a full cup of oil! <br />
<a name='more'></a>When he realized his mistake he decided to dump the mess that was in the breadmaker and start over. After his do-over he noticed that the breadmaker didn't sound quite right right though, and discovered the kneading blade was missing. He found it in the trash with the original attempt! I must say how much I appreciate his help and support as we continue our pizza journey. We both enjoy our Friday night pizza hobby, and I couldn't do it without him. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFH_X7QB4RD1xofptvRkH3_sID-2DNAy3qr752ghp8lhFPyJHM1id3dSnb3iO3psFDHq-Hs_j7rf7mN747EWlLXTB1SGcqtXKt3XoggteXWu4CxFqFrQ8-NPv1Frh5JO5hs9AhBZ38QPI1/s1600/DSCN0195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFH_X7QB4RD1xofptvRkH3_sID-2DNAy3qr752ghp8lhFPyJHM1id3dSnb3iO3psFDHq-Hs_j7rf7mN747EWlLXTB1SGcqtXKt3XoggteXWu4CxFqFrQ8-NPv1Frh5JO5hs9AhBZ38QPI1/s1600/DSCN0195.JPG" height="183" rea="true" width="200" /></a> In spite of the glitches, the dough was just about done when I got home from work that evening. I quickly mixed up a filling of eggs, ricotta, cilantro (the recipe called for parsley or arugula) in the blender. Some parmesan cheese was stirred in; I then intended to season the filling with salt and pepper, but I must confess I forgot. I'm beginning to think it's a miracle we're ever able to create a pizza around here! The next part of this focaccia is very much like making a Thanksgiving pie. I took two thirds of the dough and rolled it out until it was about 13 inches in diameter. I then carefully laid it into a springform pan. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwbcSWVIaNE/UKLDS30YHeI/AAAAAAAAA68/MvpBjvXtPN0/s1600/DSCN0196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwbcSWVIaNE/UKLDS30YHeI/AAAAAAAAA68/MvpBjvXtPN0/s1600/DSCN0196.JPG" height="150" rea="true" width="200" /></a>The crust was then filled with alternating layers of prosciutto and the egg filling. The remaining third of the dough was rolled out and carefully placed on top of the filling. Unfortunately it didn't go quite as well as I had hoped and some of the filling seeped through the edges, which I had attempted to seal. I brushed on some olive oil and baked it for about half an hour in a 425 degree oven. The recipe call to bake for 20-25 minutes, but the egg filling still looked pretty runny, so I baked it an additional 8-10 minutes. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W39EnMmgsc8/UKLDUPndDQI/AAAAAAAAA7E/SuzGnWonHRg/s1600/DSCN0198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W39EnMmgsc8/UKLDUPndDQI/AAAAAAAAA7E/SuzGnWonHRg/s1600/DSCN0198.JPG" height="240" rea="true" width="320" /></a>We watched <em>P.S. I Love You, </em>a tear jerker tale of a young widow whose husband helped her deal with her grief by leaving letters for her that he had written before he died. The movie stars Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler and is very well done. I especially liked the Irish influence on the film owing to the husband's Irish heritage and the widow's visit to Ireland to revisit the couple's courtship. Some of the scenes are a bit steamy and the language is a bit coarse so I have to put a parental advisory on this movie, but it is a great date night movie for a married couple. The idea that the death of a loved one is a very real possibility tends to encourage us all to appreciate the moments we have together.</div>
Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-10945407749534037362012-11-10T16:33:00.003-08:002012-11-17T17:36:51.374-08:00Egg and Spinach Pizza Pies<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2YR2AE0Z14c/UJBPm6EtWdI/AAAAAAAAA5w/cqgjizzeV3Y/s1600/DSCN0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_mpU2F3zO4I/UJBPuO938MI/AAAAAAAAA6g/TXoDR7iauGU/s1600/DSCN0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2YR2AE0Z14c/UJBPm6EtWdI/AAAAAAAAA5w/cqgjizzeV3Y/s1600/DSCN0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_mpU2F3zO4I/UJBPuO938MI/AAAAAAAAA6g/TXoDR7iauGU/s1600/DSCN0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>I had been noticing the picture of these pizzas in my cook book for quite a while. They just looked too cute and I have been anxious to try them! Mine didn't turn out looking as pretty as the ones in the book, but I was pleased with the outcome. I imagined these little pizzas might end up being similar to a quiche, and I was right. They actually would be excellent for a fancy brunch. <br />
<a name='more'></a>While my breadmaker was working on the basic pizza dough, I made the filling for the pizzas. I started by sauteing a chopped onion in some olive oil and allowing it to cool. The recipe called for using fresh spinach, but it needed to be chopped and wilted anyway so I decided to use a package of frozen chopped spinach instead. </div>
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The next ingredient the recipe called for was arugula, which I always have trouble finding. Does anyone else have that problem? I was able to find a prepackaged arugula and spinach salad which I thought just might fit the bill. A little over 2 cups of the salad was chopped and combined with the thawed (and drained) spinach, the onion, some ricotta cheese, and some parmesan cheese. This mixture was then seasoned with tarragon, nutmeg, salt </div>
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and pepper. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cN8UZ0sYeOE/UJBPqWFVXnI/AAAAAAAAA6I/IeCibU1pSmE/s1600/DSCN0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" rea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cN8UZ0sYeOE/UJBPqWFVXnI/AAAAAAAAA6I/IeCibU1pSmE/s1600/DSCN0073.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A_wvMtH7E1E/UJBPoTRj8iI/AAAAAAAAA54/EQ3GSbdUBpI/s1600/DSCN0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" rea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A_wvMtH7E1E/UJBPoTRj8iI/AAAAAAAAA54/EQ3GSbdUBpI/s1600/DSCN0070.JPG" width="200" /></a>When the dough was ready, I rolled it out and cut 8 circles that were approximately 6 inches in diameter. Each circle was placed in a section of a muffin top pan that I had sprayed with olive oil spray and the spinach filling was then generously spooned onto the dough. Using a spoon, an indentation or "well" was created in the filling of each little pizza into which I carefully slipped an egg yolk. I once saw a book title which said,<em>All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten</em>, and now came the time to put that into practice! I took the scrap dough and made little snakes like I did when I was 5. Pieces of my snakes were cut off and placed across the little pizzas to form a cross. I then place the muffin top tins on pizzas stones that had been heating at 425 degrees for half an hour. I baked them for about 15 minutes and then enjoyed! If I do these pizzas again, I believe I will add some garlic to the filling and work a bit harder to make mine as pretty as the ones in the book!</div>
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Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-27292852342107091572012-10-30T13:31:00.000-07:002012-11-03T07:48:37.441-07:00Goat Cheese and Pesto PizzetteThis was an opportunity to try yet another cheese that was somewhat unfamiliar to me. <br />
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Goat cheese, or chevre (from the French for <i>goat</i>), is cheese made out of the milk of goats. Goat's milk cheese has a characteristic tart, and I thought a bit gamey, flavor. Although the West has popularized the cow, goat milk and goat cheese are preferred dairy products in much of the rest of the world. Because goat cheese is often made in areas where refrigeration is limited, aged goat cheeses are often heavily treated with salt to prevent decay. As a result, salt has become associated with the flavor of goat cheese.<br />
<a name='more'></a> Goat cheese has been made for thousands of years, and was probably one of the earliest made dairy products. In the most simple form, goat cheese is made by allowing raw milk to naturally curdle, and then draining and pressing the curds. Other techniques use an acid (such as vinegar or lemon juice) or rennet to coagulate the milk. Soft goat cheeses are made in kitchens all over the world, with cooks hanging bundles of cheesecloth filled with curds in the warm kitchen for several days to drain and cure. If the cheese is to be aged, it is often brined so it will form a rind, and then stored in a cool cheese cave for several months to cure. </div>
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I decided to make little mini-pizzas to showcase the goat cheese. After rolling out the basic pizza dough, I used a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut out my pizzas. I spooned basil pesto on each, and then topped with a slice of goat cheese. It was hard to get nice slices of the cheese because it is fairly dry and crumbly. My granddaughter helped by cutting out the pizzettes and placing cheese on each, although while doing so she made certain <strong>her</strong> pizza had no pesto or goat cheese but only traditional mozzarella. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bhyH-ZrJ-D8/UIL3AjhA0-I/AAAAAAAAA40/h5PO_hh_Nok/s1600/DSCN0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" oea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bhyH-ZrJ-D8/UIL3AjhA0-I/AAAAAAAAA40/h5PO_hh_Nok/s200/DSCN0048.JPG" width="200" /></a>These pizzettes were delicious, although the cheese has a strong flavor and I would probably use a bit less if I were to make it again. This particular evening we watched more episodes of <em>The Office</em>, but I want to tell you about another movie we just watched that was well worth our time. <em>October Baby</em> is the story of a young woman's discovery that she was adopted by her parents and her subsequent struggle to emotionally handle that information and find answers to the many questions she now has. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w6kB-9Vo_yY/UIL3CTpJomI/AAAAAAAAA5E/h79bO03Ni3E/s1600/DSCN0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" oea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-w6kB-9Vo_yY/UIL3CTpJomI/AAAAAAAAA5E/h79bO03Ni3E/s200/DSCN0051.JPG" width="200" /></a>The story is well told and the movie stars Rachel Hendrix, Jason Burkey and John Schneider. We had the joy of building our family by adoption, and I would say this is a wonderful film for anyone, but it is a must-see for adoptees and adoptive parents.</div>
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Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-62348012236647470592012-10-20T13:16:00.000-07:002012-10-30T13:39:07.189-07:00Provencal Pizza<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xpmC83PWZ28/UHBEorKBGiI/AAAAAAAAA3U/is9FzFYWrhg/s1600/DSCN0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" nea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xpmC83PWZ28/UHBEorKBGiI/AAAAAAAAA3U/is9FzFYWrhg/s320/DSCN0015.JPG" width="320" /></a>This pizza highlights Emmental, one of the other unique and hard-to-find cheeses I have been eager to try. Emmental or Emmentaler is a cheese from Switzerland. It is sometimes known as Swiss cheese in the United States,Canada, Australia and New Zealand, although Swiss cheese does not always imply Emmentaler.<br />
<a name='more'></a> The cheese originally comes from the Emme valley in the canton of Bern. Unlike some other cheese varieties, the denomination "Emmentaler" was not protected ("Emmentaler Switzerland" is, though). Hence, Emmentaler of other origin, especially from France and Bavaria, is widely available and even Finland is an exporter of Emmentaler cheese.</div>
Emmentaler is a yellow, medium-hard cheese. It has a savory, but not very sharp, taste. In the late stage of cheese production a bacteria, <i>P. freudenreichii,</i> releases carbon dioxide gas, which slowly forms the bubbles that make holes. Failure to remove CO<sub>2</sub> bubbles during production, due to inconsistent pressing, results in the large holes ("eyes") characteristic of this cheese. Historically, the holes were a sign of imperfection, and until modern times, cheese makers would try to avoid them. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f7C_ZA52o58/UHBEwUFH6xI/AAAAAAAAA3c/OFYYi0iyjhE/s1600/DSCN0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" nea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f7C_ZA52o58/UHBEwUFH6xI/AAAAAAAAA3c/OFYYi0iyjhE/s200/DSCN0010.JPG" width="200" /></a>We purchased some Emmental at Murray's cheese shop when we were in Atlanta visiting our daughter. I did a google search for pizza recipes that used emmental, and found this one that was a definite winner. I used my basic bread dough which I rolled out onto a pizza stone that had been sprayed with olive oil spray and dusted with corn meal. I then baked it in a 425 degree oven for 5 minutes. While the dough was rising, I took a sweet onion that I had sliced very thin and caramelized by sauteing it in olive oil over a medium heat. When I pulled the crust out of the oven, I brushed it with some olive oil and topped it with the caramelized onion. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mBB2TQYuGIE/UHBEx-A3uOI/AAAAAAAAA3k/Fu8dudCuHhs/s1600/DSCN0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" nea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mBB2TQYuGIE/UHBEx-A3uOI/AAAAAAAAA3k/Fu8dudCuHhs/s200/DSCN0011.JPG" width="200" /></a>I then sprinkled on some fennel seed; the recipe called for thinly sliced fresh fennel, but I wasn't able to find it. I realize that fennel seed is nothing like fresh fennel, but I thought the distinctive fennel flavor would be an interesting addition to this pizza. I then arranged halved grape tomatoes and halved kalamata olives over the pizza. Over this I shredded the Emmental, which did prove to be similar to a Swiss cheese (only without the holes!). I then baked the pizza for an additional 13 minutes. The cheese was rich and creamy and melted very well on the pizza. The flavor was a perfect match for the fennel seed which I had added earlier. We watched some episodes of "The Office", season 8. Still funny, but not nearly so much as when Steve Carell was part of the show. Jim still plays practical jokes on Dwight though, which always gives me a good laugh!</div>
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Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-11394758368820093402012-10-13T11:47:00.002-07:002012-10-20T12:47:44.411-07:00Pear, Pecorino, and Taleggio Pizza-Part 2!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the aspects of this pizza hobby of mine that I never anticipated was the exploration of a vast variety of unusual cheeses. Some time back my darling husband did some research on the Internet and discovered that there is a cheese shop at selected Kroger stores called Murray's Cheese Shop. They have many of the more exotic cheeses that are difficult to find; and they will even ship if there is not one close to you! We happened to be in Atlanta last week end visiting with our daughter and discovered a Kroger store near her neighborhood that has a Murray's Cheese Shop. I purchased some emmental and some taleggio and decided to revisit the pear, pecorino, and taleggio pizza I made several weeks ago and see what it would be like with real taleggio rather than substituting fontina. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfu3MlplntU08OsChHPC_9eDLNToZLp1E14LYm5ZYmhpEHAw-lBft1s_TEwEpLujfE2i0kt5PUWyd-5xGrEP2oq2J927AAZe2wXVNJ4NhnnxfoGQmBuOIFDJqqeFduEEJFGiqEWOJpGboB/s1600/DSCN0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfu3MlplntU08OsChHPC_9eDLNToZLp1E14LYm5ZYmhpEHAw-lBft1s_TEwEpLujfE2i0kt5PUWyd-5xGrEP2oq2J927AAZe2wXVNJ4NhnnxfoGQmBuOIFDJqqeFduEEJFGiqEWOJpGboB/s200/DSCN0004.JPG" width="200" /></a>Taleggio got it's name because it was traditionally ripened in the caves of Val Taleggio, and the kind woman behind the counter at Murray's explained that taleggio is a rind-washed cheese which means that during production the cheeses are repeatedly wiped or brushed with, or dunked in a liquid such as saltwater brine or an alcohol (including beer or brandy). This process helps to limit which bacteria will grow on the cheese and to produce a firm, flavourful rind around the cheese. The process requires regular "washings", particularly in the early stages of production, making it quite labor intensive compared to other methods of cheese production. That may be why it is so expensive! There was a sign above the taleggio which said "Stinky Cheeses". That was a bit disconcerting, but the aroma of the cheese didn't prove to be objectionable. As I prepared the pizza this time, I rolled out the basic pizza dough onto parchment paper. I then brushed on some olive oil. Small cubes of taleggio were arranged over the crust and thin slices of Bartlett pear were added. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T3sU1luBEPQ/UGdyS4IgA3I/AAAAAAAAA2w/cf6sIUQuqQM/s1600/DSCN0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" nea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T3sU1luBEPQ/UGdyS4IgA3I/AAAAAAAAA2w/cf6sIUQuqQM/s200/DSCN0005.JPG" width="200" /></a>The "must have" ingredient for this pizza is the fresh sage that was added next. . .the fragrant flavor of the sage blends beautifully with the sweetness of the pears. I don't care much for pecorino, so I topped off this pizza with some shredded parmesan before I baked it on a hot pizza stone that had been preheating in the oven at 425 for 30 minutes. The taleggio has a fruity tang and melted very well. . .in fact, beware and be sure to put the cheese in the center of the pizza or it will melt off the edge and you'll have a mess in your oven! I'm afraid this didn't prove to be the prettiest pizza on the block, but it was delicious!<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iaIDEyqjBcg/UGdyV-5GzJI/AAAAAAAAA3A/KuJi95_9aw0/s1600/DSCN0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nea="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iaIDEyqjBcg/UGdyV-5GzJI/AAAAAAAAA3A/KuJi95_9aw0/s320/DSCN0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-80612220809714041272012-10-06T12:23:00.000-07:002012-10-13T11:11:55.073-07:00Tuscan Chicken on Foccacia<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I friend of mine posted a recipe for Slow-Cooked Tuscan Sandwiches on her Facebook page. It looked absolutely delicious, and I thought it would be even better made on freshly baked foccacia bread. I made the chicken in the slow cooker following the recipe. It was basically chicken thighs, garlic, and sliced roasted red bell peppers (from a jar) that I had going in the crock pot all day. <br />
<a name='more'></a> <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7EYUG__oJKQ/UF5qFK9L1xI/AAAAAAAAA1U/0rtA2z9wRNE/s1600/DSCN0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" mea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7EYUG__oJKQ/UF5qFK9L1xI/AAAAAAAAA1U/0rtA2z9wRNE/s200/DSCN0001.JPG" width="200" /></a>I used the breadmaker recipe for foccacia dough which used quite a bit more olive oil than the recipe for pizza dough. After the first rising in the bread maker, I put the dough in two 8-inch cake pans, dimpled it with my fingers and allowed it to rise for 30 minutes. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rnGmuJ_EKIY/UF5qIEQYyOI/AAAAAAAAA1c/qVcKI-PGhbI/s1600/DSCN0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" mea="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rnGmuJ_EKIY/UF5qIEQYyOI/AAAAAAAAA1c/qVcKI-PGhbI/s200/DSCN0002.JPG" width="200" /></a> I sprinkled on additional Italian seasoning and dimpled it again before baking at 400 degrees for 20 minutes on pizza stones that had been heating for 30 minutes. I sliced one of the loaves in half horizontally and spread the bottom half with a mixture of olive oil mayo and basil pesto. I topped it with the shredded chicken and then sliced tomatoes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WsLGIOKreBxtoxS-H8LCsCPitoWBvc_W3p6_aCnvG0GpmherT7ZqIuA9mG9NssqkLAsJ95Si49mj5Q43LIBiVDAQ5-RkiXqQ7eVS56IlyKPx4uNgFKobMrvylvkCnen34j-YsAEh7Pw9/s1600/DSCN0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WsLGIOKreBxtoxS-H8LCsCPitoWBvc_W3p6_aCnvG0GpmherT7ZqIuA9mG9NssqkLAsJ95Si49mj5Q43LIBiVDAQ5-RkiXqQ7eVS56IlyKPx4uNgFKobMrvylvkCnen34j-YsAEh7Pw9/s200/DSCN0003.JPG" width="200" /></a>We both thought the bread was so delectable, we would have been perfectly happy without the chicken! I also decided that half the chicken would have been plenty; next time I'm going to freeze half and freeze one of the loaves of foccacia and I'll be set for another meal! </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcdQYfIcuf4/UF5qKTd-yMI/AAAAAAAAA10/-bCpAAiPxy4/s1600/DSCN0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" mea="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcdQYfIcuf4/UF5qKTd-yMI/AAAAAAAAA10/-bCpAAiPxy4/s200/DSCN0006.JPG" width="200" /></a>We watched <em>Letters to Juliet, </em>a very sweet and romantic movie starring Amanda Seyfried and Gael Garcia Bernal. It is the story of a young American woman on a trip to Italy with her fiance when she happens upon the courtyard of Juliet Capulet (of <em>Romeo and Juliet</em> fame) where heartbroken women stuff letters filled with their sorrows into the courtyard wall. I always love films with scenery of Italy, and especially so when I am enjoying luscious foccacia. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5GtZRR1vaso/UF5qNdJ6SCI/AAAAAAAAA18/zAmffqiU2gY/s1600/DSCN0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" mea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5GtZRR1vaso/UF5qNdJ6SCI/AAAAAAAAA18/zAmffqiU2gY/s320/DSCN0007.JPG" width="320" /></a>There is a story within the story that is also very touching, but which I won't tell you because it would spoil the fun for you when you watch it yourself. Definitely a chick flick that will leave you feeling good.</div>
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Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-28875240499286263942012-09-29T14:02:00.003-07:002012-10-06T11:58:58.175-07:00Palermo Pizza<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For some time Mike has been wanting to me to do a pizza with a thicker crust, and this was definitely the pizza! I could not find durum wheat or semolina flour to make sicilian pizza dough, so I once again used the breadmaker and my stand-by basic pizza dough. <br />
<a name='more'></a>This time I patted the dough out into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, letting it rise for about 30 minutes. While the dough was rising, I put the pizza stone in the oven at 425 so it would be nice and hot when I was ready to bake the pizza. I also made a sauce by heating some olive oil and then adding some chopped onions. When the onion was soft I added chopped tomato, dried oregano, and chopped anchovies. I didn't mind the anchovies in this recipe because they pretty much dissolve in the sauce and I wasn't even really aware they were there.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lzxU_d0bk_M/UFTpl85V17I/AAAAAAAAA0g/6RWAphYMr5w/s1600/DSCN0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lzxU_d0bk_M/UFTpl85V17I/AAAAAAAAA0g/6RWAphYMr5w/s200/DSCN0036.JPG" width="200" /></a> In another pan I heated some olive oil to toast some bread crumbs. I was using the last of a container of Italian Seasoned bread crumbs; just in case you were unaware, bread crumbs left to toast in a pan of olive oil will burn if the cook gets distracted and forgets about them! Okay, on to "Plan B", quickly throw some hot dog buns into the blender and make more bread crumbs! It's always a good idea to throw that last hot dog bun, hamburger buns, or any bread into the freezer to use for bread crumbs when you're in a pinch. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52whwunohEo/UFTpnMDCIWI/AAAAAAAAA0o/sLEDFCdIa8E/s1600/DSCN0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52whwunohEo/UFTpnMDCIWI/AAAAAAAAA0o/sLEDFCdIa8E/s200/DSCN0039.JPG" width="200" /></a>I was able to toast these bread crumbs without burning them and all was ready for the dough. When the dough had risen, I dimpled it lightly with my fingers and then topped it with half of the sauce before baking for 25 minutes. After it had baked, I topped it with the remaining sauce, the bread crumbs, oregano and a drizzle of olive oil. The recipe then calls for scattering Emmental over all, but Emmental is one of those cheeses that is difficult to find and pretty pricey, so I topped it with mozzarella and baked it for an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese and give it a nice golden top. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2niIdp2LWRA/UFTpo6TuHLI/AAAAAAAAA0w/2Xf4DtIKmzg/s1600/DSCN0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2niIdp2LWRA/UFTpo6TuHLI/AAAAAAAAA0w/2Xf4DtIKmzg/s200/DSCN0040.JPG" width="200" /></a>While we were indulging in this repast, we watched <em>Rudy, </em>the inspirational movie based on the real life story of Daniel E. Ruettiger (played excellently by Sean Astin). As a child, Rudy dreams of playing football for Notre Dame. The film shows us the tremendous hurdles in the way of reaching this dream, but through perseverance and hard work Rudy sees his dream come true. This would be an excellent movie for the entire family, especially for children and teens that are struggling to achieve their dreams and are tempted to quit. Even though I'm not a college football fan (which is blasphemy here in South Georgia!) I found this movie very positive and encouraging and well worth my time.</div>
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Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-8714951612050319822012-09-22T18:00:00.000-07:002012-09-29T13:44:23.417-07:00Greek-Inspired Stromboli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VY1NqcW42t0/UEtyeL44AVI/AAAAAAAAAz8/DNcmhwiVFjQ/s1600/DSCN0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VY1NqcW42t0/UEtyeL44AVI/AAAAAAAAAz8/DNcmhwiVFjQ/s320/DSCN0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I saw a recipe for stromboli in the pizza cookbook, but it called for fiery-red pesto which I was definitely not going to do again! (See my post on "Pizza con Pancetta") The recipe gave me inspiration, though, to try and create my own stromboli. My first question was, what is the difference between stromboli and calzone? <br />
<a name='more'></a>My sweet husband researched it and we found that calzone is a round sheet of dough with filling on one half and then the other half of the dough folded over and sealed. Stromboli is a rectangular sheet of dough with filling spread over all but the outer half inch or so. The entire thing is rolled, the ends sealed, and then placed on a baking sheet with the seam on the bottom. I kneaded some chopped black olives into my basic dough and then divided it into four. I rolled out each into a 7 x 10 rectangle on parchment paper. Since the recipe in the book called for fiery-red pesto, I thought I would try basil pesto instead. I spread the pesto on each and then scattered a bit of fresh rosemary. I topped this with some sliced black olives and then arranged some slices of roasted yellow bell pepper that I had prepared earlier. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ItCSMTP0psV72IkYpks7dRjaBkYr9afHgzVURHAicgNh5q98BeduJtkTBUBK2qor5g_6VJxvrtAZuecTD-aRFDbpY8xAdlqujvUEzlkFwdyxhsHKEQTvy_UWNuVNgiv7bnj8iDOypQQ6/s1600/DSCN0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ItCSMTP0psV72IkYpks7dRjaBkYr9afHgzVURHAicgNh5q98BeduJtkTBUBK2qor5g_6VJxvrtAZuecTD-aRFDbpY8xAdlqujvUEzlkFwdyxhsHKEQTvy_UWNuVNgiv7bnj8iDOypQQ6/s200/DSCN0002.JPG" width="200" /></a>I roasted the peppers by rubbing each with a small amount of olive oil and then putting them under the broiler, turning them often so the entire pepper was blackened. I then peeled off the skin, removed the seeds, and sliced the peppers. I was using basil pesto and black olives, and being inspired by the Greek theme I thought feta cheese would be the perfect complement to these flavors. After the addition of the cheese, I rolled each stromboli from the small end, ending with the seam on the bottom and placed them on a baking sheet. They were covered with plastic wrap and allowed to rise for 20 minutes before being baked at 400 for about 18 minutes. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHGnv2t7xsjI-jS90O610ogdEigThSBmAz-1VT0l2qcU5wXPjeosUTmzrwrMO481z7UWC8abZ_TCQB93HD7U-XtJfQ2NhVfvdX00gHwSu6Iw3ZEIJddjIpJYnmD_ysF7GRk7TKaIBEn3T/s1600/DSCN0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHGnv2t7xsjI-jS90O610ogdEigThSBmAz-1VT0l2qcU5wXPjeosUTmzrwrMO481z7UWC8abZ_TCQB93HD7U-XtJfQ2NhVfvdX00gHwSu6Iw3ZEIJddjIpJYnmD_ysF7GRk7TKaIBEn3T/s200/DSCN0005.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pGJzlWf-tBU/UEtyasdF1kI/AAAAAAAAAzc/Ti_-bgVZX5w/s1600/DSCN0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="129" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pGJzlWf-tBU/UEtyasdF1kI/AAAAAAAAAzc/Ti_-bgVZX5w/s200/DSCN0003.JPG" width="200" /></a>We watched <em>Larry Crowne</em>, a romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. It is the story of a man who loses his job and tries to start over by going to college. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-biGJNwq3i6M/UEtybdzhPPI/AAAAAAAAAzk/wlOF5QTvNNg/s1600/DSCN0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="164" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-biGJNwq3i6M/UEtybdzhPPI/AAAAAAAAAzk/wlOF5QTvNNg/s320/DSCN0004.JPG" width="320" /></a>In reality probably not an uncommon story given the state of our nation! It was a cute movie for a date night, but not exactly academy-award material.</div>
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Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-72387353872876058622012-09-16T13:33:00.000-07:002012-09-22T17:56:05.007-07:00Potato and Mozzarella Calzone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am running out of pizza recipes in Maxine Clark's book, so we are moving on to calzones. This was a very interesting recipe; I would never have thought of putting potatoes in a calzone. I started by making my basic pizza dough in the breadmaker. While it was rising, I heated the pizza stone at 425 for about 30 minutes. I also sliced a Yukon Gold potato very thin with my mandolin. I don't know what it is about Yukon Golds, but we think they are absolutely delicious. It may be partially psychological; the yellow color of the potato makes my mind think " Yummm, buttery and rich!" <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qofCCYfF54g/UEUTbz04S6I/AAAAAAAAAyQ/TZyV5uuVwBs/s1600/DSCN0095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="224" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qofCCYfF54g/UEUTbz04S6I/AAAAAAAAAyQ/TZyV5uuVwBs/s320/DSCN0095.JPG" width="320" /></a>The potato slices were then tossed with some olive oil, garlic, and fresh rosemary. When the dough was ready it was rolled out on to parchment paper that had been sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. Rolling it into a 10-inch circle, one half of the circle was spread with the potato mixture before folding the other half over the filling. The edges were then sealed very carefully to prevent the filling from escaping during the baking. I brushed a small amount of pizza oil over the calzone and then sprinkled on some shredded parmesan . </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxvzU0CsjIhZly06kwNlXwViAsy7w6YhlFQNzsVnDXMti1v8MytKu61_NN0OaNVeQPPmoIm2KIKQ577X36ljMHzcPx_P-Z_EjVLtt9ay2b7m49vUFy1I0aid3XPEclC7JTDID6R814EMt/s1600/DSCN0098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIxvzU0CsjIhZly06kwNlXwViAsy7w6YhlFQNzsVnDXMti1v8MytKu61_NN0OaNVeQPPmoIm2KIKQ577X36ljMHzcPx_P-Z_EjVLtt9ay2b7m49vUFy1I0aid3XPEclC7JTDID6R814EMt/s200/DSCN0098.JPG" width="200" /></a>The <em>piece de resistance</em> was now ready for the oven where it was baked for 10 minutes before carefully pulling out the parchment paper. The recipe called for baking an additional 25-30 minutes, but the crust started getting too dark after 13 minutes so I took it out of the oven. I thought the filling was very good, but in order for the potatoes to be cooked enough the crust would have burned. An idea for the filling might be to use it as a side dish baked on its own without the crust. If I wanted to make this calzone again I would precook the filling a bit before putting it on the dough. While we were eating we watched <em>Water for Elephants </em>with Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson. It was a very well done movie, but a little weird for my tastes. I found the violence to animals portrayed in the film very disturbing. I was also bothered that the main character has an affair with someone else's wife and it is portrayed as something heroic and good. Unfortunately I really can't recommend it; especially for families with children.</div>
Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-85150253340302079342012-09-02T13:20:00.000-07:002012-09-15T16:56:43.711-07:00Little Tuscan Pizzas-Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our daughter was visiting us and so for a treat I thought we would revisit the individual little Tuscan pizzas that Mike and I had made a few weeks ago. While the dough was rising I set out capers, anchovies, kalamata olives, sliced red onions, sliced tomatoes, some delicious smoked mozzarella, some regular mozzarella, Parmesan and fresh basil. I divided the dough into four balls, then rolled out each as thin as possible onto parchment paper that had been sprayed with olive oil spray and dusted with corn meal. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Toppings!</td></tr>
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Then came the fun as we each chose our favorite toppings to design our own pizza. I started with cheese and then added the other goodies that appealed to me. The pizza stones had been heating in the oven at 425 for about 30 minutes; I carefully placed each pizza on a stone and then baked it for about 10 minutes. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHhI024Yo3A/UD0rf4Sgo4I/AAAAAAAAAxU/2auojPWJHU4/s1600/DSCN0087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mHhI024Yo3A/UD0rf4Sgo4I/AAAAAAAAAxU/2auojPWJHU4/s320/DSCN0087.JPG" width="320" /></a>Over each pizza we drizzled either pizza oil or olive oil, depending on the level of heat we wanted. When Mike told us the movie that evening was <em>Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, </em>the story of a young boy's search to understand his father's death on 9/11, our daughter commented that she didn't want to see a sad movie. Mike assured us it was not a tear-jerker, but rather a feel-good movie. Let's just say my husband was mistaken and had to take some heat for his choice. To his credit though, it was an EXCELLENT movie. It stars two of my favorite actors, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock, but it is Thomas Horn as Oskar Schell that really carries this film. He does an outstanding job taking the viewer through the thoughts and emotions of a young boy struggling to deal with the senselessness of his dad's untimely death. Please don't let the heavy subject matter stop you from viewing this movie. It is a definite must-see!</div>
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Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-73910667899639871242012-08-25T11:28:00.000-07:002012-09-02T13:04:43.183-07:00Nutella and Mascarpone Calzone<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is another dessert pizza inspired by David Rocca. I had never tasted Nutella before and now am feeling very deprived to think I was eating peanut butter sandwiches as a child while other children were enjoying such a decadent spread on their bread!<br />
<a name='more'></a> Mike started the pizza dough before I had gotten home from work, and unknown to me he put pizza oil in the dough which added some heat. . .the chocolate and chilies made it a bit of a mexitalian dessert! About 20 minutes before the dough was done, I put the pizza stone in the oven at 400 degrees. When the dough was ready I rolled it out onto parchment paper I had sprayed with olive oil cooking spray and dusted with some corn meal. On one half of the dough I spread Nutella, and on the other half I spread the mascarpone. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Loa3IJTTZI/UDAeNINLKkI/AAAAAAAAAwY/RD_Bd-Fr8EQ/s1600/DSCN0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Loa3IJTTZI/UDAeNINLKkI/AAAAAAAAAwY/RD_Bd-Fr8EQ/s200/DSCN0038.JPG" width="166" yda="true" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PvkxCaU7o50/UDAePrQ5DuI/AAAAAAAAAwg/xr-xBVc1u_0/s1600/DSCN0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PvkxCaU7o50/UDAePrQ5DuI/AAAAAAAAAwg/xr-xBVc1u_0/s200/DSCN0042.JPG" width="200" yda="true" /></a> I folded one half over the other to make a large calzone and then pinched the edges together. When I make this again (notice I didn't say "if", I will definitely be making this again!) I would take greater care to seal the edges; they came apart during the baking and made a slight mess of the oven. </div>
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I brushed the calzone with some olive oil and sprinkled with some salt before putting it along with the parchment paper onto the hot pizza stone. <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzd2S1yuiq4/UDAeRR4M8RI/AAAAAAAAAwo/IFL-r-okPlk/s1600/DSCN0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mzd2S1yuiq4/UDAeRR4M8RI/AAAAAAAAAwo/IFL-r-okPlk/s200/DSCN0043.JPG" width="200" yda="true" /></a>I baked it for 15 minutes and then allowed it to cool for about 10 minutes before we indulged. Our entertainment for the evening was the movie, <em>This Means War</em> with Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy. It is a comedy about two CIA agents that are partners and happen to fall in love with the same woman. The plot was a great idea, and parts of it were amusing, but I'm afraid the crass language and references dampened much of the humor. It wasn't a terrible movie, but just mediocre and one I wouldn't care to see it again.</div>
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Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-18671324045920744362012-08-18T12:54:00.000-07:002012-08-25T11:03:20.341-07:00Crispy Olive Pizza<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPZB3ltzhXQ/UCq2b67cBWI/AAAAAAAAAvk/K7uEundbbAQ/s1600/DSCN0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LPZB3ltzhXQ/UCq2b67cBWI/AAAAAAAAAvk/K7uEundbbAQ/s320/DSCN0030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This pizza could more legitamately be called a flatbread. It had the added bonus of an olive relish to serve with it and both were absolutely delicious. For the relish I used sundried tomatoes. If you use the ones packed in oil, heat a bit of the oil in a saucepan and then add some chopped onion and garlic, cooking until tender. I couldn't find the sundried tomatoes in oil, so I used olive oil. The next time I prepare this, I will try Vidalia onions. I used red onions, but they were pretty strong even after they had been cooked. I also added about a teaspoon of sugar to the relish because it seemed to need a touch of sweetness. The Vidalia onion would be mild while at the same time adding the sweetness that was lacking. <br />
<a name='more'></a>Once the onions and garlic had softened, I added diced sundried tomatoes, a can of chopped black olives, and a bay leaf and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. After removing the bay leaf, I put the mixture into the blender and processed it with some fresh basil leaves. I added the juice of one lemon and a bit more olive oil along with some salt and pepper; continuing to process the mixture until it looked like a relish. I set the relish aside in the refrigerator to cool and marinate until the pizza was complete. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMY0Q91pw7NV8U15ya_q9nl5n15-8wDVT4bg2wRf7iZLcsTU9A6DTzHSgYsjO8Hnru5ONEEF4ty_p1H9d1GC00A7s5VysUwZttElFMUHmo6ForeEONfRNUFhYn83BOx1t9wiy2FbfElaA0/s1600/DSCN0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMY0Q91pw7NV8U15ya_q9nl5n15-8wDVT4bg2wRf7iZLcsTU9A6DTzHSgYsjO8Hnru5ONEEF4ty_p1H9d1GC00A7s5VysUwZttElFMUHmo6ForeEONfRNUFhYn83BOx1t9wiy2FbfElaA0/s200/DSCN0025.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Aeeaz7jRfo/UCq2cm0lZ0I/AAAAAAAAAvs/ISjXZZ7b8Pw/s1600/DSCN0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" mda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Aeeaz7jRfo/UCq2cm0lZ0I/AAAAAAAAAvs/ISjXZZ7b8Pw/s200/DSCN0031.JPG" width="200" /></a>For the pizza I used my basic dough that I had prepared in the breadmaker. While the dough was rising, I heated the pizza stone in the oven at 425 for about 20 minutes. The crust on this pizza should be very thin, so when the dough was ready I divided it in half and made two pizzas. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wuXR0d_UakE/UCq2WXx-2gI/AAAAAAAAAu8/bOC6iCsjiIc/s1600/DSCN0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wuXR0d_UakE/UCq2WXx-2gI/AAAAAAAAAu8/bOC6iCsjiIc/s200/DSCN0024.JPG" width="200" /></a> I rolled out each as thin as I could onto parchment paper, then sprinkled on some chopped green olives and fresh basil. After seasoning with some sea salt, I gently pressed the olives and basil into the crust. Using the parchment paper for support, the pizzas and parchment paper were then carefully placed onto the hot pizza stone. I allowed it to bake for about 10 minutes and it was worth every bit of the effort. Olives are not one of Mike's favorites, and I was shocked to see that he was enjoying this pizza as much as I was! The relish was an added bonus unlike anything I've ever tasted and it complemented the pizza perfectly. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iU5FSp9g4o0/UCq2YAjHxUI/AAAAAAAAAvM/sLZsfaPYIb4/s1600/DSCN0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iU5FSp9g4o0/UCq2YAjHxUI/AAAAAAAAAvM/sLZsfaPYIb4/s200/DSCN0027.JPG" width="200" /></a>While enjoying this unique treat, we watched one of my favorite movies of all time, the 1938 classic, <em>You Can't Take it With You,</em> with Lionel Barrymore and Jimmy Stewart. It is a hilarious tale that stresses the important life principle of knowing what is truly valuable. There are scenes that are extremely silly and make me laugh out loud while at the same time making me evaluate whether my priorities need some adjustment. This is just a plain fun movie that your family is sure to enjoy.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7U18p9IM-8s/UCq2aoTKSuI/AAAAAAAAAvc/zOs2mBX0XGM/s1600/DSCN0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7U18p9IM-8s/UCq2aoTKSuI/AAAAAAAAAvc/zOs2mBX0XGM/s320/DSCN0029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-5092518677412038912012-08-11T13:46:00.000-07:002012-08-18T12:17:57.491-07:00California Club Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was a great pizza for a hot South Georgia summer evening. It was almost like having a BLT on a pizza crust and we thoroughly enjoyed every bite. I prepared my basic pizza dough in the breadmaker. The recipe called for whole wheat pizza dough, but since Mike's favorite saying is "Fiber makes me sad," I caved in and used the basic dough recipe.<br />
<a name='more'></a> I rolled it out on my pizza stone and sprinkled some mexican shredded cheese and bacon bits over the unbaked crust. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkC_yWsRzYFkGsCszYHkGuZSR8yGijbLeIGD_bNWkgpiPl8PSyZKX3jmfFlPFXqVwt7wJ-rwDRl6e-xgNkzsVUkJECXrq0pngsBzrZwoPJ0zUqmMEyeIRzHP8WVr3QX4r-LK03pnJRNjim/s1600/DSCN0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkC_yWsRzYFkGsCszYHkGuZSR8yGijbLeIGD_bNWkgpiPl8PSyZKX3jmfFlPFXqVwt7wJ-rwDRl6e-xgNkzsVUkJECXrq0pngsBzrZwoPJ0zUqmMEyeIRzHP8WVr3QX4r-LK03pnJRNjim/s200/DSCN0017.JPG" width="200" /></a> You could buy bacon and cook it and crumble it, but I find it much easier to buy the pre-packaged bacon bits (NOT <em>Bacos</em>!) which you can find with the salad dressings at the supermarket. I baked the pizza at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, but then when I checked the bottom of the crust it wasn't quite as crispy as I like it so I left it in for another 2 minutes. </div>
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When I took it out of the oven Mike thought it looked good enough to eat like that, but there was more to do! While the dough was rising, I had chopped some romaine lettuce; then I made a dressing of Miracle Whip, lime juice, and cilantro. The recipe called for mayonnaise, but we are a Miracle Whip family. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-94dD1Juj9Io/UB7dQ4wwtlI/AAAAAAAAAuY/qaK10lTxtac/s1600/DSCN0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kda="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-94dD1Juj9Io/UB7dQ4wwtlI/AAAAAAAAAuY/qaK10lTxtac/s200/DSCN0019.JPG" width="200" /></a>I find that is a great divisive factor in society as we know it, some people are staunchly mayo advocates whereas others will use only salad dressing. I know very few people who don't have an opinion one way or the other! I can only encourage "tolerance"; if your brother wants salad dressing at the family reunion and you want mayo, I urge you to peacefully settle your differences! I poured the dressing over the lettuce and tossed it gently before arranging it over the warm crust. The recipe calls for putting alfalfa sprouts over the romaine, and that does sound delicious, but I journeyed to four different stores in Valdosta and was unable to find alfalfa sprouts. When I saw bean sprouts on the shelf at the last store, I finally gave up my quest and decided they would be an acceptable substitute. After topping the pizza with the bean sprouts, I finished up our masterpiece with thin slices of plum tomatoes and avocado. I must confess I wasn't sure how well we would like this pizza; there wasn't much to it and I thought maybe there wouldn't be a whole lot of flavor. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much Mike enjoyed it; he is a definite meat lover and I was afraid all the veggies might cause this pizza not to be his favorite. The film of the night was a sequel to the "Anne of Green Gables" which we watched a couple of weeks ago. That afternoon though, we went to see "The Hunger Games" (I know we are clearly behind the times!). It was a bit disquieting, but a very interesting story and a very well made movie. It is reminiscent of the "games" in Ancient Rome, and as we were walking out of the theater Mike made a comment that a few years ago he would have been sure that our modern society could never descend into such depravity; now he isn't quite so convinced. I must say I agree, and that is a very disturbing thought!</div>
Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-2395811310580883512012-08-05T13:15:00.000-07:002012-08-11T13:18:40.641-07:00Pizza with Grapes and Pine Nuts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This pizza was inspired by David Rocca, whom I happened to catch on the Cooking Channel one afternoon. He did a whole episode of pizzas and I was curious to see the way he did them. There was no confusion on this particular pizza as to whether it is a dessert pizza. . .it most definitely is! I started this pizza with a basic pizza dough that I had made in the breadmaker and then prebaked for 7 minutes. While the crust was prebaking I put some pine nuts in the oven with it so they could be toasting. Watch them carefully! They burn extremely fast, which I unfortunately learned while ruining my first batch! <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-usRmvx5OGWI/UBQg4NemECI/AAAAAAAAAtc/o2UVpYEhhBo/s1600/DSCN0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="173" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-usRmvx5OGWI/UBQg4NemECI/AAAAAAAAAtc/o2UVpYEhhBo/s200/DSCN0003.JPG" width="200" /></a>Over the crust I arranged green grapes that had been sliced in half. I then scattered on the toasted pine nuts. Over these I sprinkled some cinnamon sugar and drizzled a small amount of honey. I baked it for an additional 8 minutes. Mike and I thought it was very good, but slightly bland. The next day at lunch we drizzled some of the leftover pizza (leftovers? That was a clue that this pizza was lacking) with a powdered sugar glaze similar to what you would find on cinnamon rolls. That was much more to our liking. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRz8JjqmHDM49TIW6rtooHFJ3AgEezXvlNzDO6dCiRJz09PQhq62my_xpMhAabasscHeqLecXRpFdZ-iv2rCaaDTvHyceijnUOc9FppQUSsnCNjBpkjx59qoLnogUS4H3chl1qFcJTHOgs/s1600/DSCN0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRz8JjqmHDM49TIW6rtooHFJ3AgEezXvlNzDO6dCiRJz09PQhq62my_xpMhAabasscHeqLecXRpFdZ-iv2rCaaDTvHyceijnUOc9FppQUSsnCNjBpkjx59qoLnogUS4H3chl1qFcJTHOgs/s200/DSCN0001.JPG" width="200" /></a> We watched the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics while enjoying this treat. We thought the Queen being escorted in by James Bond was very clever, and Mr. Bean was pretty funny, but the smokestacks and the tribute to the industrial revolution left us a little flat. The fireworks at the end and the lighting of the torch were absolutely spectacular. I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics!</div>Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-19693548787178693012012-07-28T09:18:00.000-07:002012-08-05T12:52:13.101-07:00Pear, Pecorino, and Taleggio Pizza<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First of all, I must make a disclaimer. The pizza I made did not have taleggio, a cheese I had never heard of before much less tasted. I was looking forward to experiencing this new taste treat, but was unable to find it here in Valdosta. After doing some research on the internet, I decided that fontina would be a suitable substitute. The pizza I made also did not have pecorino romano. I have tried pecorino before and didn't really care for it; I thought it had an aftertaste that was somewhat disagreeable. Parmesan is more to my liking and is quite a bit cheaper. <br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m4JnLeS-FvQ/UAsH7EYC_xI/AAAAAAAAAsg/6fdWisZOO0g/s1600/DSCN0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" sda="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m4JnLeS-FvQ/UAsH7EYC_xI/AAAAAAAAAsg/6fdWisZOO0g/s200/DSCN0001.JPG" width="200" /></a>This seemed to me to be the most gourmet of the pizzas I have made; almost as though it should be served on china with fine wine! I built this pizza starting with a basic pizza dough. I prebaked it at 425 degrees for 6 minutes. Once the crust was out of the oven, I brushed it with olive oil and scattered on small cubes of fontina. Over this I arranged thin slices of bosc pear and fresh sage leaves. I shredded on some parmesan and then drizzled on a small amount of honey. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QTA6dJqbwZU/UAsH9SB6x4I/AAAAAAAAAsw/UCyLIo8CDNo/s1600/DSCN0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" sda="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QTA6dJqbwZU/UAsH9SB6x4I/AAAAAAAAAsw/UCyLIo8CDNo/s200/DSCN0004.JPG" width="200" /></a>After seasoning with some sea salt and fresh ground pepper, I drizzled on additional olive oil before putting it into the oven. I allowed it to bake for about 12 minutes and it came out looking beautiful! I had cut down on my usual baking time because the oven was at 425 rather than 400. I think perhaps the hotter oven made for an even crispier, tastier crust. When I decided to make this pizza I was a bit concerned that it would be a "dessert pizza" and wouldn't work for a meal. I didn't worry too long though; I have an incredible sweet tooth and having dessert for dinner didn't seem too much of a problem! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxE-wSyFkKyTyfQmuKV-bINydZAzmaL5s6QdDa5LhJorn_qaxl_92ExcyB7Uq3gSeQ4H-_eUcwBFM-neQ2mPAEREd31NecpI7a6AwwSgbMvPIKQxo3opcSwKh7Fb__0Pi9R8dxElFGWoi3/s1600/DSCN0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxE-wSyFkKyTyfQmuKV-bINydZAzmaL5s6QdDa5LhJorn_qaxl_92ExcyB7Uq3gSeQ4H-_eUcwBFM-neQ2mPAEREd31NecpI7a6AwwSgbMvPIKQxo3opcSwKh7Fb__0Pi9R8dxElFGWoi3/s200/DSCN0005.JPG" width="200" /></a>The pizza was not too sweet though, and did make an excellent meal. The combination of the cheese, sage, and honey was a unique taste that I had never experienced before, and I really enjoyed it. We delighted in watching <em>Anne of Green Gables</em> while savoring this sumptuous pizza. It brought back twenty-year old memories of enjoying this production with our daughter and her "bosom friend." After watching the series, the girls had numerous tea parties with our daughter playing the part of Diana and her friend as Anne. Kevin Sullivan did an excellent job on this series and Megan Follows will forever be Anne in our family's mind. The aesthetic beauty of this film makes me yearn to see Prince Edward Island in person! I encourage you to put this heartwarming tale on your Netflix queue; it's one your whole family will enjoy.</div>Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-80876446672307135202012-07-21T12:27:00.000-07:002012-07-27T06:48:58.092-07:00Calzone alla Parmigiana<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was my first time ever making calzone (pronounced "cal-zone-ay"; I had to look it up!) In all honesty, I must admit I don't recall ever having eaten a calzone before. . .huge mistake!! Preparation of calzone is a bit more involved than pizza, but it wasn't difficult and was well worth the effort. <br />
<a name='more'></a>I started by using the breadmaker to make the same basic pizza dough that I usually use. While the dough was rising, I diced an eggplant and peeled 6 cloves of garlic. I put them in a roasting pan and tossed them with about 1/4 cup of olive oil and then put them in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.</div>
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When I pulled them out of the oven, I put my pizza stones into the oven so they could heat for 20-30 minutes before I used them. The eggplant/garlic cooled for 15-20 minutes and then I added cubes of mozzarella, diced fresh tomato, fresh basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper. </div>
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When the dough was ready to use, it was divided into 4 balls and each ball was placed onto a sheet of parchment paper before being rolled into an 8-inch circle. I scooped some of the eggplant mixture onto one half of each circle and pulled the other half over the top of the filling before sealing the edges much as I would a pie crust. </div>
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Each calzone was then brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with shredded Parmesan. Using the parchment paper as a support, I was able to put them onto the hot pizza stones. The recipe said to bake them for 30 minutes and to rotate the calzone half way through the baking time. I rotated them after 15 minutes, but they only needed to bake an additional 5 minutes after the rotation. They would have burned had I left them in for the full 30 minutes. This meal not only made a lot of food, it was full of healthy fresh vegetables as well as being relatively low-fat with only the olive oil and cheese adding to the fat content. Most of all it was so delicious that even the pickiest eaters didn't realize they were eating healthy! </div>
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</div>Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-27990967331410889332012-07-14T11:01:00.000-07:002012-07-21T12:07:21.934-07:00Potato Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is a recipe that is popular in southern Italy and would be great if you have someone in your family that is on a gluten-free diet. It basically consists of using mashed potatoes as a base for the pizza rather than traditional crust.<br />
<a name='more'></a> I started by taking 2 large baking potatoes, peeling them and then cutting them into cubes. I then boiled them in salted water until they were tender. After I drained them I put them in a </div>
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hand-cranked food processor I have and processed them along with 2 tablespoons of olive oil , a teaspoon of dried oregano, and some salt and pepper. I tried to add fresh basil in with the potatoes, but they never really chopped well so I ended up arranging the basil leaves on top of the potatoes which I had spread on an ordinary pizza pan sprayed with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkled with a touch of corn meal. Before adding the basil though, I shredded on some Parmesan cheese. Then I topped the "crust"with plum tomatoes I had cut into wedges, halved Kalamata olives, capers, and red onion slices. I put some anchovies on one half for Mike and put extra olives on the other half for me! </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dV_B_R2WICs/T_ydVd8NFwI/AAAAAAAAAqs/DAQZJ-xpgzU/s1600/DSCN0161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dV_B_R2WICs/T_ydVd8NFwI/AAAAAAAAAqs/DAQZJ-xpgzU/s200/DSCN0161.JPG" width="200" /></a>I baked our potato pizza at 425 degrees for 23 minutes. I've often heard that a pizza is only as good as its crust, and this proved to be true. Mike and I both thought it was tasty, but we couldn't honestly call it pizza. On this particular pizza night we watched <em>5th Quarter</em>, a movie based on the true story of the tragic death of 15 year old Luke Abbate. The story gained extraordinary attention because Luke's older brother, Jon, was a football player for Wake Forest and even as he struggled through his grief was able to lead his team to a championship season. The emotions of Luke's family as they struggle to deal with his death are raw and it is uncomfortable to view their pain, but I can only imagine the portrayal is accurate and anything less would be dishonest. It is encouraging to see a story of a family working to turn tragedy into something positive for each of them individually as well as for their society as a whole. Luke's family has created a foundation to educate teens against reckless driving and to encourage organ donation. I've put a link at the bottom of this blog if you're interested in finding out more. </div>
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Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-3904246023673287572012-07-14T10:33:00.000-07:002012-07-14T10:33:58.252-07:00Chicken Taco Pizza<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Years ago our church published a cookbook with recipes submitted by different members of the church. In my experience, those are the most valuable cookbooks because the recipes are family favorites that taste good without using exotic ingredients and complicated techniques. Does anyone still use the Oscoda Baptist Cookbook? If you do, I'd love to know which are your favorite recipes! One of ours was a grilled taco chicken that was submitted by my friend, Marion Tripp. </div>
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To be honest, the page with the chicken recipe seems to have disappeared with the frequent use of the book. Consequently I had to rely on my memory, which is a bit risky at this stage of life! I marinated the chicken overnight in 1 packet of taco seasoning mixed with 1/4 cup olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon and enough apple cider vinegar to make 3/4 cup of liquid. We then grilled the chicken and shredded it. I pre-baked the crust at 425 for 7 minutes, which is a bit hotter than what I have been using but I wanted to see if the crust would crisp up better than usual. </div>
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We topped the crust with Colby Jack cheese, the chicken, some diced tomato that had been seeded, canned chopped green chilies (not the whole can), and then sparingly drizzled on some pizza oil to give it a bit more heat. I baked it for 12 more minutes and then sprinkled chopped cilantro over it before we ate it. <br />
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I liked it, but I was a bit (just a bit) disappointed because I couldn't really taste much of the taco seasoning in the chicken. While we munched we watched "XIII", a series that is attempting to play off of the popularity of the Bourne movies. It centers around a man with amnesia trying to discover who he is in the midst of being suspected of assassinating the first female president of the United States. It was okay, but definitely not up to par with the Bourne movies. Lets just say we won't be setting our DVR to record the series! <br />
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</div>Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-57190625396371864892012-07-07T11:18:00.001-07:002012-07-14T10:33:18.893-07:00Patriotic Pizza<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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A few weeks ago Mike suggested we do a special pizza for Independence Day. I racked my brain to think of red, white and blue toppings that could be used on a traditional-type pizza. Red and white wouldn't have been too difficult, (tomatoes, mozzarella, red bell peppers, feta cheese, etc.) but I could think of absolutely nothing that was blue! The only blue I could think of were blueberries, and so we created a dessert pizza with blueberries and strawberries that was absolutely yummo. (Okay, maybe I have been watching a little too much of Rachel Ray!)<br />
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I started by checking out my cookbooks and the internet for recipes for fruit pizza, a treat which most of us have probably had before. Many of the recipes called for using sugar cookie mix as the base, and since I had a package of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix (17.5 oz.) in the cupboard, I decided to use that. I followed the directions on the package for the rolled cookies and then baked it on the pizza stone for about 12 minutes. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FZIKa6D8G2I/T-89hBfbl2I/AAAAAAAAAp0/2VorPL44rs0/s1600/DSCN0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FZIKa6D8G2I/T-89hBfbl2I/AAAAAAAAAp0/2VorPL44rs0/s200/DSCN0149.JPG" vca="true" width="200" /></a>I found the recipe for the frosting in one of my Healthy Cooking recipe books. </div>
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1 pkg. (8 oz.) reduced-fat cream cheese</div>
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1/2 cup confectioners' sugar</div>
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1/4 teaspoon almond extract</div>
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1 cup reduced-fat whipped topping</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B4Ibny0W6gI/T-89iPHNaGI/AAAAAAAAAp8/J9qzejFo8YQ/s1600/DSCN0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B4Ibny0W6gI/T-89iPHNaGI/AAAAAAAAAp8/J9qzejFo8YQ/s200/DSCN0152.JPG" vca="true" width="200" /></a></div>
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In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and extract until smooth; fold in the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust.</div>
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We really liked this frosting; it was light and fresh and a perfect complement to the freshness of the blueberries and strawberries I arranged on top. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fr77MgzUQbo/T-89jUuszyI/AAAAAAAAAqE/v7Lnaf8YYXA/s1600/DSCN0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fr77MgzUQbo/T-89jUuszyI/AAAAAAAAAqE/v7Lnaf8YYXA/s200/DSCN0153.JPG" vca="true" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0V2RqnzH-k/T-89kQwsH-I/AAAAAAAAAqM/e_FDt0PsshY/s1600/DSCN0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0V2RqnzH-k/T-89kQwsH-I/AAAAAAAAAqM/e_FDt0PsshY/s320/DSCN0154.JPG" vca="true" width="320" /></a>Without any intentional planning on our part, the movie we watched while we indulged in this treat (perhaps a bit too much indulgence!) was the HBO mini-series, <em>John Adams</em>, based on the best-selling book by David McCollough. I absolutely love the book and have read it through at least twice. The book is in a large part letters that John and his wife, Abigail, wrote to each other during their long separations. As I read the letters, I am struck by how much our current American English pales in comparison with the way they were able to use the language to express their every thought. It touches my heart to read of the great affection they had for each other and the bitter longing and distress they suffered at each parting. They sacrificed much for the sake of this new nation, and I can't help but wonder what they would think if they saw what our nation has become. Would they be pleased if they could see us now, or would they feel their efforts had been fruitless? Often movies based on books are disappointing if the book has been read first, but we thought HBO did a wonderful job bringing the book alive to the small screen. We thought the actors chosen, the storyline, and the dialogue stayed true to David McCollough's intention, and we would encourage every American to make themselves better educated about our nation's history by reading the book and seeing the movie!</div>Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-79414569144618936102012-06-16T14:33:00.000-07:002012-07-02T15:44:02.133-07:00Little Tuscan Pizzas<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nht4EUWimDc/T9etvhv9FuI/AAAAAAAAAng/z42iXI3PDzo/s1600/DSCN0028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" pca="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nht4EUWimDc/T9etvhv9FuI/AAAAAAAAAng/z42iXI3PDzo/s320/DSCN0028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Little Tuscan pizzas, also known as <em>schiacciate,</em> are little individual,rustic-style pizzas with crusts rolled as thin as you can possibly get them. This was an amazing pizza break-through for us. . .I had never before baked a pizza in quite this way and we absolutely loved it! This would be a great pizza to make with your family or a group of friends because everyone can get involved and make their own pizza according to their own personal taste . . . and have a blast doing it!<br />
<a name='more'></a> I prepared the dough in the dough maker using the recipe I have always used. About 20 minutes before the crust was done I put the pizza stones into the oven at 425 degrees and then began preparing the toppings. I set out a selection of zucchini, tomatoes, anchovies, prosciutto, caramelized red onions and capers that we each could choose from to make our own personal pizza. This was the first time Mike or I had been brave enough to try anchovies; they weren't as bad as I thought they would be but I've had them once and I think that is enough. On the other hand, Mike really enjoyed them. I think next time I would I would not caramelize the red onion but use thin slices and I would like to try some pancetta. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuvZQCbxjvQv09QjNzau2PMIfyhCYKTwERxFkgPB1_4k4bRFrrIYvdgYEtjc2iX8nMG_cz1IHJVK6FH3oZG1FYV3_JpZMdYBQtIDfl_1pLSw2REMnH39yqlgdVrVwHJW54Zn_BElFsLH4/s1600/DSCN0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbuvZQCbxjvQv09QjNzau2PMIfyhCYKTwERxFkgPB1_4k4bRFrrIYvdgYEtjc2iX8nMG_cz1IHJVK6FH3oZG1FYV3_JpZMdYBQtIDfl_1pLSw2REMnH39yqlgdVrVwHJW54Zn_BElFsLH4/s320/DSCN0019.JPG" width="320" /></a> Once the dough was ready, I divided it among four sheets of parchment paper that I had sprayed with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. I dusted each lump of dough with a bit of flour and then used a trick I learned from making pie crusts: I topped each one with a piece of wax paper (another piece of parchment paper would work fine, but I was running short on parchment paper so I decided to use the wax paper) and then rolled the crusts out between the two pieces of paper. This allowed me to roll the crusts incredibly thin, and when the top piece of paper is peeled off the pizza is much more manageable. </div>
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We topped the uncooked crust with shredded mozzarella and then the toppings of choice. Leaving the pizza on the parchment paper, I was then able to use a spatula and plate to move the pizza onto the hot pizza stone in the oven. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qe7tzMiB4CM/T9et4uPjENI/AAAAAAAAAn4/_y1eX6tKLbU/s1600/DSCN0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" pca="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qe7tzMiB4CM/T9et4uPjENI/AAAAAAAAAn4/_y1eX6tKLbU/s200/DSCN0024.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3SBAj2xPmk/T9et50iiT4I/AAAAAAAAAoA/LAD-e5jXj9I/s1600/DSCN0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" pca="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E3SBAj2xPmk/T9et50iiT4I/AAAAAAAAAoA/LAD-e5jXj9I/s320/DSCN0025.JPG" width="240" /></a>My mom keeps telling me I need a pizza paddle and I thought I would never really use one; but now I can see that one would be extremely helpful! I'm not sure how long the pizzas baked, maybe 10-12 minutes. I just kept an eye on them and pulled them out when the crust had browned. This crust was amazing! The lack of sauce, baking at a higher heat than I normally do, and placing the pizzas on the hot stones made for a beautifully browned and crispy crust. After we pulled them out of the oven we sprinkled each pizza with some fresh basil. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X6nXu925WLY/T9et3uJRbgI/AAAAAAAAAnw/D6muFEwifw0/s1600/DSCN0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" pca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X6nXu925WLY/T9et3uJRbgI/AAAAAAAAAnw/D6muFEwifw0/s200/DSCN0021.JPG" width="200" /></a>We watched <em>The Spiral Staircase,</em> a<em> </em>thriller set in 1916 about a mute girl in an old mansion faced with a serial killer. Have you ever had one of those nightmares when you wanted to scream for help but nothing comes out? This was not quite as scary; just suspenseful enough to be a lot of fun. It was made in 1945 and stars Dorothy McGuire, George Brent, and Ethyl Barrymore and is definitely well-worth the time.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eO_3E0nW5FM/T9et7N3sF8I/AAAAAAAAAoI/LtGQ00dLMsk/s1600/DSCN0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" pca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eO_3E0nW5FM/T9et7N3sF8I/AAAAAAAAAoI/LtGQ00dLMsk/s320/DSCN0027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-77937196714360053192012-06-07T14:56:00.000-07:002012-06-16T14:33:01.780-07:00Mediterranean Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG-ccM32rxYL-7MU38eMZWGoROyJ293AJqdewlCcwPrpgPLPEmfJUjXLzOWpmCNGbzH-zFaqZEWS2zvaxr4gzwWs7eRjrYHmBGsV2wWQvBEVK65om6YGI0JfcbckscKT7-NoZIUNflpcI/s1600/DSCN0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioG-ccM32rxYL-7MU38eMZWGoROyJ293AJqdewlCcwPrpgPLPEmfJUjXLzOWpmCNGbzH-zFaqZEWS2zvaxr4gzwWs7eRjrYHmBGsV2wWQvBEVK65om6YGI0JfcbckscKT7-NoZIUNflpcI/s320/DSCN0004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is one of my FAVORITE pizzas, one I have made many times. We prepared two pizzas that evening, one Mediterranean and one plain cheese for the younger, pickier set. This was the first time I had made two pizzas at once, and I wasn't completely happy with the way it turned out. It took much longer to bake with two pizzas in the oven, and it seemed the edges of the pizza were about to burn while the bottom of the crust never really crisped up the way I like. I did switch the positions of the pizzas half way through the baking time which helped them bake at the same rate; I think next time I will bump the oven temperature up to 425 degrees and see if that gives better results. If anyone has any other ideas, I sure am open to suggestions!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One plain cheese, and one Mediterranean pizza</td></tr>
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Over the prebaked crust I spread some pesto I had made with the fresh basil I have growing on my back porch. Pesto freezes well and is a great way to use up any extra basil that may need to be harvested, and this recipe is very quick and easy. In a food processor or blender I put the fresh basil, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1/4 cup of pine nuts. After they are chopped well I add 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. The pesto is now ready to be frozen. Once thawed (or if you want to use it right away) stir in some shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese and a bit more olive oil to make it the desired consistency. Over the pesto on the pizza I arranged some thinly sliced tomatoes, halved Kalamata olives, and some roughly chopped artichokes. I topped the whole thing with some crumbled feta cheese and it was ready to go back into the oven. I think I enjoy this pizza so much because its flavors are unique compared to a traditional pizza, It has a Greek feel rather than the typical Italian, which is an appealing and most pleasant surprise!</div>Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-31332994946528119772012-05-29T13:26:00.000-07:002012-06-07T13:45:52.960-07:00Sicilian Shrimp and Tomato Pizza<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w6X8ozGiouM/T7fcdR3UTiI/AAAAAAAAAmg/3DTLsHff2CI/s1600/DSCN0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w6X8ozGiouM/T7fcdR3UTiI/AAAAAAAAAmg/3DTLsHff2CI/s320/DSCN0073.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you thought a topping of artichokes on pizza was strange, this pizza really goes over the top with an even more exotic topping-shrimp! <br />
<a name='more'></a>The recipe calls for beginning this pizza by spreading some Pizzaiola sauce onto the crust. I had some leftover canned pizza sauce in the freezer so I thawed it and used it instead of the homemade Pizzaiola sauce. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JBFXswnS_T0/T7fcV1ANCiI/AAAAAAAAAl0/HyUTjd0iPLU/s1600/DSCN0067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JBFXswnS_T0/T7fcV1ANCiI/AAAAAAAAAl0/HyUTjd0iPLU/s200/DSCN0067.JPG" width="200" /></a> I would encourage you to try each of them and discover which one your taste buds like better! Over the sauce I shredded some Pecorino Romano cheese and arranged some roughly cut fresh basil; neither of which were in the recipe. The recipe didn't call for any cheese at all; I guess I just have a hard time thinking of a pizza without any cheese so I had to add it to this pizza and was glad I did. With the basil growing just outside my back door, I thought it would also make a great addition to this pizza and again was glad I did. After the basil I scattered on about 3 cloves of sliced garlic and a small amount (and I mean small- maybe 1/4 of a teaspoon at most!) of red pepper flakes. Now it was time to add the shrimp. If at all possible raw shrimp should be used because precooked shrimp will become dry and rubbery after the additional cooking on the pizza. If you do use precooked shrimp, try adding it for the last 3-4 minutes of the cooking time-just long enough for them to be heated. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uX6lCJirKN_60l_G8JG7VhM7WuyDfrHpqasjzt5DfuR5pnTQhjr9WXhxINTAl329zFotfQDDW8HZfonhMaL9Na6PhDJxiUCgRlEBIAprZs0fZOR3Kf-vP1SxhyphenhyphendEIGcA7bFK2_s915d1/s1600/DSCN0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uX6lCJirKN_60l_G8JG7VhM7WuyDfrHpqasjzt5DfuR5pnTQhjr9WXhxINTAl329zFotfQDDW8HZfonhMaL9Na6PhDJxiUCgRlEBIAprZs0fZOR3Kf-vP1SxhyphenhyphendEIGcA7bFK2_s915d1/s200/DSCN0070.JPG" width="200" /></a>The first time I made this pizza I used jumbo shrimp with the tails on because it looked so pretty in the recipe book. Mike and I both decided it was a nuisance having the tails on the shrimp and that it would work better if we used smaller shrimp. This time I used medium raw shrimp with the tails off (about 12 ounces) that had been frozen but then thawed before I put them on the pizza and we liked it much better. Along with the shrimp I arranged some halved grape tomatoes and then drizzled on some extra virgin olive oil. I didn't use the pizza oil this time because I thought the red pepper flakes had already added quite a bit of heat. After I baked the pizza for an additional 14 minutes (I had already prebaked the crust for 8 minutes), I sprinkled on some chopped flatleaf parsley. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKEf0xEyQw-8kBUU5x1lJ5icxhOK8-z9770zWR2pki3yJFOtIcr2LfJi3VpRXXf6-jNNYA3ziCFAEKmmj32ED62IgDUNJafg2LhtIcI7otKayqWWKNGwER4YEaRQUcZNkFaOhP-NCqMlG/s1600/DSCN0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKEf0xEyQw-8kBUU5x1lJ5icxhOK8-z9770zWR2pki3yJFOtIcr2LfJi3VpRXXf6-jNNYA3ziCFAEKmmj32ED62IgDUNJafg2LhtIcI7otKayqWWKNGwER4YEaRQUcZNkFaOhP-NCqMlG/s200/DSCN0069.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basil, grape tomatoes, garlic and flatleaf parsley</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuyGyq4YHge-AV4zZPZm0KPvoECmcVHz5ws_iB-YYRTwVh-M0LjxOvZCL225KLqHfv5EH1Ge246VURKDzVYyLOhEByVOR226QodzjR3ifgTBVJ-_-SHBJW9C0L_0apodFxHurLFPytc4l/s1600/DSCN0072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWuyGyq4YHge-AV4zZPZm0KPvoECmcVHz5ws_iB-YYRTwVh-M0LjxOvZCL225KLqHfv5EH1Ge246VURKDzVYyLOhEByVOR226QodzjR3ifgTBVJ-_-SHBJW9C0L_0apodFxHurLFPytc4l/s200/DSCN0072.JPG" width="200" /></a>The recipe called to serve this pizza with lemon wedges so lemon juice can be squeezed onto the shrimp. Doesn't that sound delicious? I am sure it would have been had I remembered it! The movie we watched while enjoying this particular pizza was <em>Marley and Me.</em> It has taken us forever to see <em>Marley and Me</em> because we were both afraid our emotions couldn't handle it. I guess the trauma of seeing <em>Old Yeller</em> when I was a little girl has left permanent scars! Animal stories always seem to have a way of tugging at my emotional heart strings. I remember reading <em>The Incredible Journey</em> to my children when they were little and not being able to make it through without breaking into tears. As I was weeping, my children were looking up into my face like I was some strange alien from another planet. Mike and I did shed some tears at this story of a mischievous but lovable dog, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston also are not my favorites, but they were excellent in this movie and we had a very enjoyable evening.<br />
<img height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKEf0xEyQw-8kBUU5x1lJ5icxhOK8-z9770zWR2pki3yJFOtIcr2LfJi3VpRXXf6-jNNYA3ziCFAEKmmj32ED62IgDUNJafg2LhtIcI7otKayqWWKNGwER4YEaRQUcZNkFaOhP-NCqMlG/s200/DSCN0069.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 614px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 304px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" />Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9166843905718722717.post-63681912290676801692012-05-19T10:34:00.000-07:002012-05-29T13:19:35.576-07:00Pizza With Artichokes and Mozzarella<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oHdn_W9LUVE/T66-BNNs58I/AAAAAAAAAko/jidrR-FtwIA/s1600/DSCN0054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" kba="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oHdn_W9LUVE/T66-BNNs58I/AAAAAAAAAko/jidrR-FtwIA/s320/DSCN0054.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I get the impression that artichokes are one of those things that people either love or hate; it would be interesting to hear YOUR response to that supposition! In any case, Mike and I are artichoke lovers and they are one of our favorite things to have on a pizza. I normally buy the canned artichokes packed in water, but for this pizza I splurged on artichokes that had been marinated in oil. I cut the artichokes in quarters and tossed them with 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic and about 2 tablespoons of the oil from the jar of artichokes. The recipe called for using olive oil, but I saw no reason not to use the oil they had been packed in! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marinating the artichokes with garlic</td></tr>
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While they marinated for about half an hour, I shredded a good deal of mozzarella onto a partially baked pizza crust. I had prepared the crust by spraying the pizza stone with olive oil Pam and then sprinkling 2-3 tablespoons of cornmeal onto the stone. Onto this I rolled out the dough and then baked it at 400 degrees F. for 7-8 minutes. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QsDneODOfQs/T66985QHVUI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/UBeKNl5slak/s1600/DSCN0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QsDneODOfQs/T66985QHVUI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/UBeKNl5slak/s200/DSCN0051.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dWksrX3f5mc/T669-fr1P4I/AAAAAAAAAkY/PE_dneBuhXc/s1600/DSCN0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" kba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dWksrX3f5mc/T669-fr1P4I/AAAAAAAAAkY/PE_dneBuhXc/s200/DSCN0052.JPG" width="200" /></a>Over the mozzarella I arranged the artichokes and halved kalamata olives. I was going to add some of the fresh basil I have growing on the back porch, but I forgot. I did remember, though, to sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of roughly cut flatleaf parsley over it all. After drizzling on some pizza oil, our masterpiece went back into the oven for 14 minutes. Mike and I had a difference of opinion concerning the pizza oil. I thought regular olive oil would have been better, but he liked the spiciness of the pizza oil. Our movie of choice that evening was <em>The Unsinkable Molly Brown</em>. I was really looking forward to it because I have good memories of watching it with my mom when I was a little girl. I did enjoy it, and Debbie Reynolds was called America's sweetheart with good reason, but I'm afraid it wasn't quite as good as I remembered from my childhood.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE1MB9cqO3vWd-XOZ29IwxnEEltHhzwnIsqn1K5ljjTZMxVu1EEn8xspM2XrMNOyW6oTc-E0beluRk_lNfZVCTl8TKAKkkIEnjtp3tjiTXYrt8KPgT6TPiapjmUFASQWB4a_9MITgQV6Y/s1600/DSCN0053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaE1MB9cqO3vWd-XOZ29IwxnEEltHhzwnIsqn1K5ljjTZMxVu1EEn8xspM2XrMNOyW6oTc-E0beluRk_lNfZVCTl8TKAKkkIEnjtp3tjiTXYrt8KPgT6TPiapjmUFASQWB4a_9MITgQV6Y/s320/DSCN0053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the oven!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Susan Fountainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09560147566817259175noreply@blogger.com0