Pizza

Pizza is always perfect, especially when pressed for time or fridge space

August 27, 2016 by Steve

We have several go-to meals in Gourmandistan, often emulating take-out or delivery dishes. (Our usual remote location makes these options impractical.) While some may swing in and out of rotation, something that almost never goes unmentioned as a quick and easy meal option is pizza. Sure, sometimes “quick” means Steve has to spend part of his day making pizza dough. But we usually have a couple of chunks sitting in the freezer, as Steve makes more than we need each time because […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Pizza, Recipes

Pork, potatoes and kale stage a battle between tacos and pizza

January 16, 2016 by Steve

The principal duelists: simple roast pork carnitas and a pan of sautéed kale and potatoes (both by way of Rick Bayless), a bag of corn tortillas and a ball of pizza dough. Seconds: tomatillo salsa, basic white sauce and some grated habanero Monterey Jack cheese. Winners? Michelle and Steve. We started with the idea of carnitas tacos, as Steve had bought a piece of locally-raised pork shoulder that was a bit too gnarly to simply roast. As potatoes and kale are some of our main […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Kale, Mexico, Pizza, Pork, Potatoes, Recipes

Rabe and Pizzage

February 10, 2012 by Steve

While desperately awaiting the arrival of local spring greens, we’ve been buying broccoli rabe at our Whole Foods because Michelle can no longer tolerate the taste of the usual bland broccoli flown in all winter from god knows where. The stuff comes in giant bunches, and we were faced with a pile perilously close to becoming chicken food. Thinking about the rabe’s bitter green flavor and seeking a simpler way to get the potato-like taste she got from Jerusalem artichokes […]

Categories: Broccoli rabe, Cooking, Food, Jerusalem artichokes, Pizza, Recipes, Vegetarian

Knights in white pizza.

August 5, 2011 by Michelle

Cold hearted orb, that rules the night. Its passage has removed almost all tomato sauce from Gourmandistan’s sight. And before the arrival of San Marzano season we need every bit of sauce for an eggplant parmigiana we plan to have on the next family visit. But alas, a block of mozzarella was in danger of reaching the end—so we breathed deep the gathering gloom, and decided to use the cheese in a white pizza. Actually, white pizza sauce often rivals […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Pizza, Recipes, Vegetarian

Precipitation, Parties and Brioche “Pizzas”

April 23, 2011 by Michelle

People will tell you Gourmandistan is a lovely place, but it can be difficult to visit. Michelle had planned to entertain a couple of friends on Saturday for a multiple birthday lunch, and thought she’d found the perfect casual (and vegetarian!) idea—Yotam Ottolenghi’s brioche “pizzas.” All that was needed was the cooperation of Steve and Mother Nature. But before Michelle had decided whether the “pizzas” should be the appetizer or the main course, the ominous weather forecast caused her to […]

Categories: Appetizers, Cooking, Food, Pizza, Recipes, Vegetarian, Yeast breads

And dough-two: Pizza

July 16, 2010 by Steve

We’ve had a few requests for our pizza dough recipe. Since Steve can’t stand to knead (for reasons reaching from his carpal-tunnel-raddled wrists to his brain’s general hatred of things that are boring), the mixer’s dough hook is essential for him. Those made of sterner, less easily distracted stuff can hand-knead to their hearts’ content. Alice Waters (on page 60 of The Art of Simple Food) is right—letting the dough rise slowly overnight in the refrigerator makes it extra tender. […]

Categories: Basics, Cooking, Food, Italy, Pizza, Recipes, Vegetarian, Yeast breads

April 13, 2010 by Steve

There will undoubtedly be more posts on pizza, as it is appearing more and more frequently in Gourmandistan meals. One reason is Alice Waters, whose dough recipe in The Art of Simple Food (page 60!) produces a crust that is reliably tender yet firm enough to handle just about any topping. A second reason is that Michelle was smart enough to buy a couple of pizza stones and a peel. Cooking the pizza on super-hot flat ceramic disks makes the […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Pizza