"Sticky pizza"

When I make pizza at home I usually make the typical dough, stretched thin by hand and cooked on the pizza stone.  Recently I was asked to make a thicker pizza.  In the past I have prepared Sicilian-style deep dish pizza and it is very good.  It takes a bit of time.  So I decided to test a new dough based on the typical one but with more water and more flour.  It worked right away and since then I've been enjoying "sticky pizza."

The main idea, besides creating a thicker pizza, was to cut the prep time where possible.  You can make "sticky pizza" dough after work and cook the pizza the same day.

Ingredients for the dough:

4 cups all-purpose flour (500 gr), 2 cups water (500 ml), 3 teaspoons granular yeast, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon EVOO (extra virgin olive oil).

Procedure:

Measure the lukewarm water and put it in a glass bowl.  Add the yeast, EVOO, salt, and the flout two cups at a time, mixing vigorously in between.  This is the demanding procedure: stirring with a wooden spoon the sticky mass quickly until well mixed.  It does not have to be perfect and the dough will look sticky and somewhat uneven.

Let the dough rise covered in a warm area of the kitchen for at least 1.5 hours until nicely risen and puffy.

As shown by the picture above the dough will not be smooth and even like for typical pizza dough.  Do not worry. This dough is ready and will soon turn in wonderful pizza.

Ingredients for basic topping:  1 large can whole tomatoes crushed through a vegetable mill, 10-12 fairly thins slices of your favorite melting cheese, salt, olive oil and oregano. Anchovies and other toppings are optional.

Final steps:  turn the oven to 205-215 F (400-420 C) depending on the oven.  Crush the canned tomatoes through the vegetable mill.  I find this is the best pizza sauce as it remains simple, light and juicy.  If you try to blend the whole tomatoes they will turn orangy and look funny.  If you buy crushed tomatoes they are super dense and need an infusion of water until they become more saucy.  Even then, the sauce will be quite thick.  If that's your preference, go for it.

Take two 12" (30 cm) round pizza pans and oil them. (I know in the pictures you see a rectangular pan - it was a test but I will go back to the round ones - pizza is such a "round" food.) Divide the sticky dough in two.  This part is kind of messy but somewhat fun.  Smooth the dough on the pizza pans with your fingers and the help of the back of a spoon if needed. Cover the pans evenly.  The dough will be sticky and a bit unfriendly but that's the way it is.

Put a few drops of oil on the dough, add a generous amount of tomato sauce, the cheese slices, salt and a nice oregano sprinkling and anchovies, if you like them.  I love them!  If you fancy other toppings go ahead but don't bury the dough too deep.  Before placing the pan in the oven drizzle some olive oil over the pizza (not too much.)

Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes until cooked evenly on the top and underneath. If you use real mozzarella cheese or prefer the crust extra brown add the cheese halfway through the cooking.

Notes:  Coke goes wonderfully with pizza. Otherwise a cold, light beer or a glass of rustic red wine.
"Sticky pizza" is not as glamorous as traditional pizza and the dough is not as fun to work with your hands and stretch.  However, it is quick to make and equally effing good.  It has a nice spongy thickness and softness that is very addictive.  If you make extra it is great cold for lunch.  Try it!

Reflect-ology pt.2

Just a clarification for the previous "Cooking reflect-ology" post:
The 5 ingredients should be seen as a basis for a dish or two or three.  You don't need to make a whole elaborate menu with them. For example a great salad has 5 ingredients.  Or you could make a rice dish with the five ingredients.  Or a fish dish and a vegetable dish using the 5 ingredients. Using the ingredients together in one or two dishes is probably the most fun and simple way to approach reflect-ology.  It's also more realistic for everyday situations when preparing many plates requires too much time.
I can give you an example using the following ingredients:

Vegetable: red cabbage
Starch: brown rice
Fish, meat or legume or eggs or cheese: ling cod (local white fish)
Condiment, herb, spice: fresh red chili peppers
anything you fancy from the supermarket: papaya

The fish can be steamed or baked wrapped in the red cabbage leaves.  It would be served with the brown rice and a fresh salsa made with the papaya and chili peppers.

This is just an example of the many possibilities.  With the same ingredients you could stir fry the chilies, red cabbage and fish and use them to season the brown rice.  The papaya could be caramelized in a pan and used on top of the rice dish for presentation.

You could add other ingredients like butter and olive oil to cook the fish and the rice or to bread the fish, etc...

The ingredients and combinations are limitless!

Kitchen reflect-ology

Sometimes we feel we had enough of the city and work and scream: "I need a holiday!!"  We get sucked right into the routine.  Unfortunately we can't head to some exotic destination whenever we feel like.  Most of the time we can't even sit back and relax in our own home.  We are too stressed, busy and full of schedules and deadlines that we forget to give ourselves a little time-out.  In these situations our eating habits can make things even worst.  We start skipping lunch, eating out too much, cooking the same things all the time or stop cooking altogether.

It's time for some kitchen "REFLECTOLOGY" - stretch, imagine, chop, enjoy.

Try this exercise to get you back into the fun of grocery shopping and cooking for yourself.
Save some time after work for shopping and one hour for cooking.  If you think you need more time, first try the exercise on a Saturday morning.
The idea of this exercise is to break from the rules and habits.  At first it might seem difficult but think about it, don't do what you are used to and feel compelled to, do what you feel like doing.

Let me explain things more clearly.  The exercise has a few simple rules:

- Choose one ingredients from each of the 5 categories below.

- Stray from the ordinary: choose only ingredients that you have not used for a while or that you have never tried.

- Avoid choosing something obscure and totally strange: the ingredients should inspire and create a cooking adventure and discovery - not a nightmare.

These are the 5 categories:
- Vegetable
- Starch
- Fish, meat, legumes, eggs, cheese
- Condiment, herb, spice
- Anything you fancy from the supermarket

Naturally, you can use the basics from your pantry without restrictions: oil, butter, salt, pepper, basic spices, flour, etc.  It's not survival camp!
Don't take too much time shopping.  It should be natural and partly impulsive.  Keep in mind that the ingredients will end up in the same pot or plate.
You have one hour to cook, including 10-15 minutes to research the ingredients and come up with a menu plan.

Adventure and cook. Try new techniques or cooking styles you had ignored or forgot about.  For example if you think steaming is boring - try it!

The point of the exercise is to think about the variety and fun that's ready for you to explore on a daily basis. Cooking can become a necessity but should always be creative and enjoyable.  Don't start thinking that you have to follow the rules every time you cook.  The exercise should be done once in a while when you think you are getting repetitive and need to brainstorm.  It will help you adopt new ingredients, techniques and add "new" to your best recipes and menus.

wine tasting - Passion of Portugal

The label of this wine is a bit plain and the name is cute but somewhat cheesy/cliche' for a wine. These are all adjectives that luckily do not apply to the wine itself.  The wine is a bit like passion: dark colorful purples, seductive softness and warmth.

WINE: 2008 Passion of Portugal, Vinho regional Lisboa, Casa Santos Lima.

Price: $13.10 - $13.99 at local BC stores

Grape varieties: Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barocca, Pinot Noir



Color: dark, intense, very lively to be a 2008 bottle

Nose: generous, spiced vinous berries, hint of barrel ageing

Mouth: well-balanced, luscious, fruity trending to spicy.

About the grapes: Portuguese red wine is usually a great deal because for the price it offers honest wines with rich flavors that always please. This wine is a blend of three outstanding varieties. The Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo in Spain) is a noble grape that produces full-bodied, intense wines that can show aromatic, herbal fruit and silky texture. Tinta Barocca is an old Portuguese variety also used for making Porto. It is thin-skinned, dark and colorful, plummy, with sweetness, berry fruit aromas and good ageing potential like Tinta Roriz. Pinot Noir (probably the smaller percentage used in this blend) is an elegant, smooth floral/fruity grape not usually associated with Portugal. "Passion of Portugal" combines these varieties wonderfully creating a wine that has the color and sweetness of Tinta Barocca, the intense herbal fruit of Tinta Roriz and the balance of Pinot Noir. If sometimes Portuguese wines at this price point can be a bit 'winy" and angular, this one is silky and rich.

Soil and region: the vineyards are in Alenquer, not far from Lisboa and the ocean.  The vines are grown on clay and limestone rolling hills. Until 2009 the Lisboa region used to be called Estremadura. The Alenquer area is a bit warmer and less wet and can produce very good wines.

We really liked Passion of Portugal for its welcoming warmth and lusciousness and would suggest pairing it with roasted eggplant, grilled lamb or as a party ice breaker with nibbles.

Ageing potential: the wine has the grape variety pedigree, color and intensity to be aged for a couple more years but don't overdo it.

Notes: according to the producer the wine won various awards (for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 vintages.)

 

Tomato debate

I know a couple of people that don't like tomatoes -weird I know. But taste is different for all.
You could say as a general statement that tomatoes are the most popular vegetable/fruit.  They are easy to prepare, good for you and quite versatile. Here in Canada due to the cold climate and short summer they cannot be grown very easily.  for most of the year we need to rely on greenhouses.
I ask myself: is it more energy efficient to grow a tomato in a greenhouse here locally or to use the energy from the sun to grow tomatoes in California and Mexico and then transporting them all the way here?  I could not find a clear answer.  A similar research from Sweden found out that growing tomatoes in Spain for sale in Sweden needed less energy use than a local greenhouse.  However Canada and California/Mexico are much further apart than Spain and Sweden.  You can find more info about this study at http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6064

Other things to consider are the lower use of pesticides in greenhouses and possible higher water needs to grow vegetables in more arid places.

 It's a bit of a dilemma.  I would suggest to limit your environmental footprint by eating more tomatoes in the summer months when local tomatoes are available. If you have a sunny spot on your balcony or garden you can grow  tomatoes easily.  For us here in British Columbia tomatoes are growable if a small plant is purchased in early May and placed outdoor with lots of rich soil under a homemade greenhouse - a tight clear plastic screen will suffice.  Your home-grown tomatoes will show you what a good tomato should taste like. It is not worth to buy bland watery tomatoes in the cold months.

We should enjoy food and prepare it with care but also remember that it comes from somewhere and that within the scope of "reasonable" we should try to buy food that is safe to eat, grow and transport.

I personally prefer regular field tomatoes grown in fields.  I find they have a more solid texture and usually better flavor.  If I buy local greenhouse tomatoes it's the sweet grape tomatoes.
What do you think or know about the energy-efficiency of tomato growing? Feedback is very welcome!

Asparagus time

It's the awakening of things (at least here in British Columbia)
         It's springtime and the air is getting slightly warm - sun shines through the clouds a bit more often.
And the local supermarket flyers are bombarding us with big giant "asparagus sale" signs! Annoying? Maybe - yes - sure.  But where they come from (mostly Mexico or USA) those asparagus on sale are fresh in season  and delicious!
   The other day I had some - quite thick, soft, flavorful, super green gems - so good!  If you think asparagus is a snobby and expensive food now it's the time to prove yourself wrong.  Go grab a bunch right now.  The asparagus will prove fantastic at the first garden/patio outdoor luncheon of the year.  It will be the protagonist together with a nice Pinot blanc.  Have crisp white linen, a fresh baguette and a chevre together with the asparagus and you are set.  In this case I would suggest cooking the asparagus in salted boiling water until tender but not soft - otherwise they will absorb too much water and loose texture.  Drain the asparagus and let them cool on a plate.  I like them best with a simple lemon-olive oil vinaigrette and a bit of black pepper.  Or you could make a mayo and that would be another wonderful match.  This is super basic but always very good.  Tip: at this time of the season the asparagus are very tender so there is no need to cut too much off the stalks and no need to peel them.

Another suggestion is to pair the asparagus cooked as mentioned above with other vegetables in a nice salad.  This spring I'm keeping in mind Provence as a theme for menus - trying to steer away from cliches and creating plates take hints from that region.  I suggest a grilled eggplant and asparagus salad with pistou and citrus dressing.  It's super easy.  Grill the eggplant cut in medium-thickness slices on your bbq or stove top griddle: give them nice marks and make sure they are tender.  Prepare a pistou: a blend of basil leaves, a bit of garlic, olive oil, salt&pepper, and a few drops of lime/lemon juice - typical of Provence.  Cook the asparagus as above and wash some romaine lettuce leaves.  Prepare a citrus olive oil dressing (tip: add a bit of sugar in the dressing to bring out the lemon essence.)  Assembly: place the lettuce leaves whole on a flat plate; toss the eggplant in the pistou and create a circle of eggplant slices in the center and top with the asparagus. Finally, drizzle the asparagus and lettuce with the citrus dressing - add cracked pepper if you like it.  You will be amazed. The usually assertive flavors of the eggplant and asparagus don't clash but are brought together by the citrus and basil undertones - magnifique!

With some of the same ingredients you can whip up a light and elegant asparagus risotto for a nice dinner.  Make a vegetable broth with half a carrot, half celery stalk, the asparagus stalks cut off, and a small piece of onion.  Use olive oil to sweat some white onion - add the pieces of asparagus and proceed like you would for a risotto - keep it vegetarian, light and clean tasting.  Add a few drops of lime juice instead of wine, add minimal amounts of cheese at the end, no pepper and finish off with a thin julienne of basil! Risotto made this way is spring-ready and quite different from the richer versions we crave on cold, rainy winter days.

Interesting approach:  at the Eden Roc in Ascona, chef Rolf Krapf's spring menu (great menus!) proposes asparagus perfumed with elder flower.  Wow - would love to try but not sure where to get elder flowers here.  I will see.

Welcome to spring!

Mussel Fest!

What a great way to celebrate the almost ending shellfish season!  You can enjoy fruits de mer all year round but they are really best between September and April, especially in the Winter months.
And you really can't beat the small old fishing town charm of Coupeville where the festival takes place.  It's a simple and well organized event with the town's restaurants and mussel farm (Penn Cove Shellfish) getting together to prepare mussels in a variety of ways, one better than the other.  There's local beer, rustic bread to soak up all the flavors of the mussels, live music, sunshine and a great laid back vibe.

Of course the superstars were the super fresh and delicate mussels and the aroma of shallots + butter + wine all around you.
One place in town served them with a concasse of tomatoes and fresh basil.  Another place had an equal winner: jalapeno & green grapes. Effing good!

I know mussels are not for everyone.  As a kid I did not trust them because of their soft and weird appearance.  But one bite was all that I needed to be convinced.  It's one of those simple foods that need only a nudge of seasoning to turn into something much more complex.  Make sure they are fresh! There's nothing worst than a dead mussel.  Any mussels that are open before being cooked or that refuse to open once cooked should be tossed.  If you see a semi-open one and are not sure just smell it and you will know if it is not edible.

The festival is every year at the beginning of March in Coupeville, on the Washington coast above Seattle. It's easy to reach through a scenic detour from highway 5.
It's great.  You can buy a plate of mussels right on the street from the various restaurant stands.  I'll be back - can't wait!

TIP - Did you know that if you are in Brussels (one of the capitals of mussels) you can find outstanding moules frites right in the Grand Place? At a decent price (20 euros for 1kg mussels + fries)! In a place that is like a cave? Yes, at the Cave du Roy - http://www.caveduroy.com  The place is a bit cramped but what an effing atmosphere and mussels!  But more on Brussels later on - such a gastronomical city.