Two Charlies Tackle Taco Pizza

My husband Charlie would eat pizza seven nights a week if I made it for him.  He is always ready and willing to go off his diet and ‘take one for the team,’ when I ask him to taste and evaluate one of my new pizzas.  He is equally willing, however, to simply savor and enjoy one of his old favorites should the opportunity present itself.  Last night was one of those too good to be true opportunities; I offered to make him a pizza to share with one of his friends. 

Normally, I would be right in there looking for my fair share, but I want to test a lobster pizza on Sunday and cannot justify eating pizza twice in one week.  Yes, I know Sunday could be considered a new week since I began Weight Watchers on a Saturday; trust me, I mentally ran through all the justifications for eating that pizza numerous times.  But I am getting stronger in my resolve to focus on a long term weight loss goal and not so much on instant gratification.  Hold on, I think I need a ‘Bravo’ sticker!    http://www.weightwatchers.com/

Charlie invited his friend Charlie over to share the pizza with him and I decided to make them a pizza named for our daughter, the Jenny Loves Tacos Pizza.  Jenny always had a deep and abiding love for tacos.  Given a choice, she would choose tacos over any other food and argued it was suitable for any occasion from celebrating straight ‘A’s on yet another report card to choosing a theme for her next birthday party.  Most kids brought cupcakes to school on their birthday to share with classmates; not Jenny, she brought tacos.  Jenny is now all grown up and friends and colleagues know her only as Jennifer or Attorney Groves, but there is a piece of little Jenny who is still very much alive and she confessed to me quite recently that she still loved tacos and could probably eat fifty if given the chance.

When this pizza comes off the grill or out of the oven, each slice is like a taco shell that is filled with perfectly seasoned meat and gooey cheese.  What it becomes after that is entirely up to the individual. 

Toppings are set out allowing each person to craft his or her own perfect ‘taco’ pizza. It was great fun watching the two Charlies as they each chose their toppings and ever so carefully layered them onto the pizza slices, smiling in anticipation of tasting the finished product. 

Here is my recipe – have fun customizing your own perfect taco pizza slice.

Ingredients:

1 recipe	Taco Seasoning Mix (recipe follows)
1 pound	Ground beef, 80% lean *
½ cup ½ cup	Water Tomato sauce, divided – recommended brand – Hunt’s
8 – 9 ounces	Prepared pizza dough at room temperature
4 ounces	Shredded cheddar cheese, or smoked cheddar cheese
6	Scallions, white and green parts thinly sliced
4 ounces	Monterey Jack or Jalapeno Jack cheese, shredded
1	Small sweet white onion, minced
½ cup	Black olives, sliced
1	Large, ripe tomato, seeded and finely chopped
	Sour cream
	Taco sauce
	Shredded iceberg lettuce

Directions:

1.   Prepare taco seasoning mix and set aside.

2.   Heat a 12” skillet, over medium-high heat.  Add beef and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until beef is cooked and lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Drain fat from beef mixture. Add water, ¼ cup of the tomato sauce and Taco Seasoning Mix, stir to combine.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove lid and simmer 5 minutes longer or until most of liquid is absorbed.  Set aside to cool.          

3.   Roll, stretch and shape dough into an unrefined circular or rectangular shape approximately 12 to 14 inches according to basic directions.  Spread ¼ cup tomato sauce on the dough then sprinkle with the cheddar cheese leaving a border of approximately ½ inch.

4.   Spread cooled taco filling over cheese – I recommend that you use only one half of the mixture, but feel free to load it up if you so desire.

5.   Top with scallions and Monterey Jack cheese.

6.   Bake on a preheated Pizza Grill or on a pizza stone in a preheated 500 degree oven, rotating pizza after 4 minutes to prevent sticking.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is firm and golden and topping is bubbly.  You may need to bake for an additional few minutes if you used all the beef taco mixture; and you will definitely need to use a fork and knife to eat your pizza once you add your toppings.

7.   Remove from the heat and cut into squares or wedges.  Set out taco sauce.  Place onion, olives, tomato, sour cream and lettuce in small bowls. Allow each person to top his or her own taco pizza piece with toppings of his/her own choice.  As Jenny would say, ‘this is a very personal matter.’

*Tip:  You can use the heated leftover taco mix and the condiments for a tasty “Taco Salad” the next day.   Guess what Charlie is having for dinner tonight!!!

Taco Seasoning Mix   Yield 2 Tablespoons (approximately)

Ingredients:      

2 teaspoons     instant minced onion (dehydrated minced onion

½ teaspoon     instant minced garlic (dehydrated garlic flakes)

1 teaspoon      kosher salt          

1 teaspoon      chili powder         

½ teaspoon     cornstarch

½ teaspoon     crushed dried red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon     Mexican oregano (crushed)           

½ teaspoon     ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and spoon mixture into a small airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.

 

Successful Weight Loss and Pizza Testing - Oxymoron?

“Never trust a skinny chef,” is a saying many people, myself included, whole-heartedly believe.  Chefs who carry a few extra pounds just seem more believable as one would assume the weight is there because they continually taste food they are preparing until it is properly seasoned and texturally balanced. When someone approaches calorie intake with reckless abandon so he or she could pour heart and soul into preparing the perfect meal, how could you not trust that person?  In my case, though, most of the weight I have gained over the last 40 years has not been from the necessary tasting of foods to determine if they were properly seasoned, rather from indulging in eating excessively large portions of all that fabulous food. 

Nearly two years ago I began writing Pizza Memoirs, have created nearly 100 recipes and have tested and retested more than half of those recipes.  That’s a lot of pizza!  Since the testing began, my weight has not been creeping up gradually; it’s been more like a marathon.  Before I knew it, I had 60 pounds to lose!  What?  How did that happen?  It wasn’t that long ago that I promised myself I would lose the 40 extra pounds I was carrying.  I was officially depressed and convinced myself that I had two choices; I could finish testing recipes for my book or I could lose weight.  I remember the day I was discussing this dilemma with my daughter and she stopped me in the middle of one of my ‘poor me’ sentences.   “Not for anything, Mom” she said, “but you can tell if a pizza is good without eating an entire half.”  Shortly thereafter I went back to Weight Watchers. 

Pizza testing has resumed and I did perfectly well with eating a single piece of the zucchini pizza I tested.  Being a little obsessive about not going over my allotted daily points, I counted one slice as 10 points and reserved my extra 49 points that week just in case that slice was more than 10.  This sounds a bit silly now that I see it in writing.  I have yet to calculate points for each of my pizzas as that would be a bit too time consuming, but it can be done. The pizzas I have created have good, healthy ingredients and can fit nicely into any healthy eating plan – in moderation! 

The next pizza up for testing is the Fabulous Fortieth Anniversary Pizza; shallots, lobster and manchego cheese.  How bad can that be?  Check back next week for the recipe.  Thanks, L. 

Equipped for Successful Pizza Making

When my mother made dough for her wonderful yeast breads, she had a measuring cup, a bowl, a big wooden spoon (which doubled as a paddle when we did something she didn’t like!) and a board on which to knead and shape her dough into breads and fantastically fragrant cinnamon rolls.  Even though you can make an amazingly good yeast dough with only a few of the simplest kitchen utensils, having some basic tools of the trade can make life so much easier when it comes to making that dough and turning out a perfect pizza every time.  Think of this as your wish list, adding tools as your enthusiasm for pizza making grows.

• Gas Grill / Oven that heats to 500 degrees Fahrenheit

• Pizza Grill / Quarry tiles or a pizza stone for the oven when baking pizzas indoors. I recommend the Charcoal Companion PizzaQue Stone Grill.

• Scale – I find that weighing ingredients is much more accurate than using measuring cups when making my pizza dough, as flour can be compacted in its container.  If you must use measuring cups, fluff the flour first then spoon it lightly into the cup and level it off with the back of a knife.  I also find it easier to use a scale for weighing topping ingredients like cheese.

• Glass measuring cup – 2 to 4 cup size. 

• Instant read thermometer – This is very useful when dissolving yeast granules in water that needs to be 110 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit.   It is important not to guesstimate the optimal water temperature because if the water is too hot, it can kill the yeast; if it is too cool, it will slow down the development of the yeast.  Since I leave nothing to chance, I always have my instant read thermometer handy.

• Mixing bowls – I like earthenware bowls, but you can use glass, stainless steel or whatever you have on hand.  It is helpful to have a large bowl for dough rising and several small bowls for preparing and storing your pizza ingredients in advance.

• Electric mixer – with a paddle for mixing and a dough hook for kneading.  My heavy duty Kitchen Aid mixer is a true work horse that has never let me down.  I must admit though, I now make all my dough with my food processor.  http://www.kitchenaid.com

• Food processor – These machines never cease to amaze me.  I recommend a heavy duty, large capacity machine with a dough blade, like the Cuisinart 14 cup food processor http://www.cuisinart.com/ .   It takes only minutes to mix dough ingredients and one to two additional minutes to knead the dough.  This is truly revolutionary – especially to anyone who has ever tried to make dough using only a bowl, wooden spoon and good old-fashioned elbow grease.

• Mezzaluna – This versatile kitchen utensil has a single or double, very sharp,  curved blade with a handle on each end.  The curve of the blade resembles a half moon, or ‘mezzaluna’ in Italian.  Mezzalunas come in varying sizes; small ones are great for chopping herbs and the large ones are sometimes used to cut pizzas.  The ideal chopping surface is a concave board, but any wooden cutting board will suffice. To safely use your mezzaluna, grasp firmly by both handles and carefully rock the device back and forth across your herbs or vegetables. Although I do have a rather large cutting board, I prefer using the mezzaluna when chopping herbs to avoid permanently staining the board. 

• Rolling pin – Pizza dough can be flattened with your fingers and stretched into shape all by hand.  Should you prefer to roll your dough into shape, I recommend using a long French rolling pin which is a thin, hardwood cylinder with tapered ends that has some good weight to it.  A standard rolling pin can also work if that is your preference.

• Pastry brush – An indispensable tool for evenly distributing oil over pizza dough before baking and for brushing the outer rim of crust after removing pizza from grill or oven; a simple step that assures a beautifully glistening crust. 

• Grater – Microplane graters are quite versatile for finely grating anything from hard cheese and citrus zest to ginger and nutmeg.  I limit my use of box graters to using the large holes for shredding softer cheeses like mozzarella.

• Pizza peel – This tool facilitates transferring your assembled pizza to and from the grill or oven.  You can also use a rimless baking sheet for this job, but the absence of a handle can make transferring you pizza a bit tricky.

• Pizza cutter – Whether you use a wheel type or a mezzaluna as described above, be sure to purchase something that is sturdy and that fits well in your hand.

This list may seem a bit overwhelming to a novice pizza maker, but keep in mind that you can make fabulous pizzas with only a handful of the tools listed above.  You can use purchased pizza dough and eliminate the need for a mixer, food processor - well - most of the items listed above.  For years I purchased my pastry brushes in a hardware store buying the 2 inch disposable ones that come packaged in cellophane. The bristle brushes, not the foam applicators!  A good sharp knife can do the work of the mezzaluna and pizza cutter if you are careful and if you have a bottle of wine in the house, you can cross the rolling pin off your list.  As you can see, where there's a will, there's a way.  And do get a pizza peel; they are such fun and you look so accomplished as you jerk that peel from under your pizza planting it smack in the middle of your smokin' hot pizza stone.  Enjoy the process.

Lasagna Pizza Oozes Love

During my childhood, holiday dinners at our house were always somewhat chaotic.  We were a family of six so the kitchen table was quite crowded already, and with company added to the mix, things became really tight.  Before Thanksgiving dinner, my father would go into the cellar and bring up ‘the board’ while my sister and I set the table.  Then the arguments about who had to sit on the dreaded board began.  This narrow board was placed on two chairs, bridging the space between to create and extra 'chair' for the loser.  The second of four girls, I was a shy and skinny kid, quite invisible at times.  As you might guess, I was always the loser who sat through those special dinners, feet dangling, being ever so careful not to lean backwards.  There was only one extra chair in the house that would fit at the table, a little antique ice cream parlor chair with a poorly padded seat; that was my mother's chair since most of her time was spent running back and forth serving people and, for her, comfort was not an issue.

The traditional Thanksgiving meal at the Sorrentino house never varied; it began with individual antipasto plates, then turkey soup, followed by a huge pan of my mother's homemade lasagna.  She worked for days preparing all the ingredients, from the perfectly seasoned meatballs to the fresh crepes that she used in place of packaged lasagna noodles, and every year she would call my Aunt Lena to ask her the exact same question, "What goes on the top layer?"  By the time we finished the first three courses, no one really wanted the turkey with all the trimmings.  Most years, the turkey was put on hold for a few hours while we lazed around, too full and tired to do much more than watch our tiny TV.  Lin’s Labor of Love Lasagne Pizza is a tribute to my mother's labor intensive lasagna which was only prepared twice a year.  I prepared this pizza with freshly made dough, home made marinara sauce and freshly baked meatballs.  You, however, can cut the labor and keep the love by using purchased dough, sauce and meatballs when making this pizza.

                                           LIN'S LABOR OF LOVE LASAGNE PIZZA

We were amazed at this pizza's sheer deliciousness.  It had the depth of flavors one would expect from a nicely baked square of lasagna, yet was not overly heavy as lasagna
can sometimes be.  The ricotta melted enough to soften all the way through, yet held its shape and browned perfectly.  My only suggestion would be to have enough ingredients on hand to make two of these pizzas, especially if you are feeding them to a hungry group of Italians as I did for the initial testing!  One bite of Lin’s Labor of Love Lasagne Pizza brought me right back to the ‘good old days’ and I had to resist the temptation to say, “Get the board!”

You may have noticed a discrepancy in the spelling of the word 'lasagna' throughout this blog.  The word as I have spelled it in the name of this pizza is the accepted Italian spelling - which is the way I learned it.  The accepted American spelling is lasagna.  I am torn since I feel a greater pull to use the spelling I learned as a kid, but did not want to offend my non-Italian readers; whether you spell it with an e or an a at the end, it still means the same thing - Italian comfort food at its best.

Testing the Zucchini Zippady Doo-Dah Pizzah

The testing of my Zucchini Zippady Doo-Dah Pizzah was probably the most highly anticipated event at our house since our last pizza testing session nearly two months ago; the longest stretch without pizza baking since I began writing Pizza Memoirs nearly two years ago.  One might think it would be great fun to test and eat pizza several times a week, but the reality is, it is hard work; the hardest part for me being not devouring half of every pizza I test.  What can I say – I love eating good food!  My decision to test the Doo-Dah Pizzah was deliberate as I wanted to stay with something on the healthy side and what could be healthier than nice, fresh green vegetables and a bit of fresh cheese? 

When we lived in Connecticut, I had a friend who would gift me with an abundance of zucchini squash from her garden each summer.  She and her husband grew tomatoes and basil in addition to the zucchini – the perfect combination for a summer stew.  Each time I prepared the fresh zucchini I would adjust the ingredients or add something new; sometimes more garlic, more basil, chick peas, and even cooked macaroni.  By summer’s end, there was no end to what I could do with those blessed zucchini.  It is amazing how creative one can be when faced with a profusion of garden fresh vegetables. 

This pizza is comprised of ingredients that at one time or another found their way into my summer zucchini stew.  The zip in this doo-dah pizza has many sources.  The crushed red pepper in the crust, the arrabbiata sauce, the peppered zucchini slices and the rings of pepperoncini scattered about all add to the ‘zip factor’.  Once you taste this pizza, you may find yourself singing… “My, oh my, what a wonderful day!”

                                               ZUCCHINI ZIPPADY DOO-DAH PIZZAH

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons	Freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon	Kosher salt
¾ teaspoon	Crushed red pepper flakes, divided
1 tablespoon	Fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 clove	Garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon	Freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons	Extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 medium 2 tablespoons	Zucchini squash, approximately 1 pound Lemon zest, divided
8 to 9 ounces	Prepared pizza dough at room temperature
1/3 cup	Simple Arrabbiata Sauce, recipe follows.  Use up to ½ cup if desired
4 ounces	Whole milk mozzarella, shredded  (approximately 1 cup)
2 ounces	Prosciutto di Parma, very thinly sliced and julienned*
1 – 2	Pepperoncini, drained, seeded and cut into 1/8 inch rings.
2 tablespoons	Pine nuts
1 ounce	Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated on a microplane plus additional for shaving as garnish

Directions:

1.   In a medium bowl, make vinaigrette by combining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of the red pepper flakes, basil, garlic and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl.  Wisk in 4 tablespoons of the olive oil.  Let flavors blend while preparing the zucchini. Wash and dry zucchini; cut off both ends then cut zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices.  A mandolin slicer works well here.  Toss zucchini slices with the lemon vinaigrette.  Grill zucchini slices over medium-high heat for approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side or until they have grill marks and are slightly softened.  Set aside for topping.

    

            

2.   Knead remaining ½ teaspoon of the crushed red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest into the pizza dough by slightly flattening the ball with your fingertips and scattering ingredients over dough.  Fold edges of dough toward center over ingredients, pressing and rotating dough one quarter turn, knead to incorporate ingredients.

Roll, stretch and shape dough into an unrefined circular or rectangular shape approximately 12 by 14 inches, according to basic directions.   Leaving a ½ inch border spread arrabbiata sauce evenly over dough and scatter mozzarella over sauce.                                                 

3.   Separate prosciutto ribbons somewhat as you scatter them over the cheese. Top with grilled zucchini slices; do not lay the zucchini slices flat on the pizza, instead lift and twist them a bit to give them a ruffled look.  Scatter pepperoncini rings and pine nuts over zucchini and top all with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

4.   Bake on a preheated Pizza Grill or on a pre-heated pizza stone in a 500 degree oven, rotating pizza after 4 minutes to prevent sticking.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until crust is firm and golden, zucchini slices are lightly browned and cheese is melted.

5.   Remove from heat and garnish with remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon zest.  Shave Parmigiano-Reggiano with a vegetable peeler over top of pizza as desired and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil.  Cut and serve.

*Tip:  To julienne prosciutto, tightly roll slices and cut crosswise into thin ribbons.

Foot Surgery Yields Mediterranean Pizza

Scheduling foot surgery for December 3^rd was not the brightest thing I have ever done.  From the surgeon’s description of the operation, it seemed like a simple enough procedure so I assumed I would be up and running before our daughter’s visit for Christmas and our trip to Florida for a New Year’s celebration with friends.  I admit that I freaked out a bit when the doctor began describing how he was going to insert a pin lengthwise into my toe; that’s when I cut him off.   Hind sight is wonderful and now I realize that telling my surgeon not to give me details, just do what he had to do, was probably not the best idea.  I clearly did not ask enough questions and my surgeon, who took me at my word, did not volunteer additional information, especially about the recovery period.  Painfully slow, is the best way I can describe that process.   

So what does this fiasco have to do with Mediterranean pizza, you ask?  It was the morning of my surgery, I was at the surgery center, prepped and waiting for my doctor’s pre-op visit.  As the minutes dragged on, I became more nervous and began to wish I hadn’t scheduled this surgery.  Before long, he approached the cubicle in which I was waiting.  I was hooked up to an IV and having a mini nervous breakdown by that time.  He looked over my chart, examined my foot, reassured me and was about to return to the operating room to ready himself for my surgery when he caught a glimpse of the book I was reading.  Welcoming any distraction, I told him it was research for a pizza cookbook I was writing.  Within seconds, he was at the side of my bed; elbows perched on the bed rail, talking about what he would consider to be the perfect pizza, weaving in details of his heritage and describing some of the amazing Mediterranean dishes his mother prepared.  On the spot, he conjured up a pizza containing fresh figs, chicken, olive oil, almonds and lemon; no doubt a combination of foods he had enjoyed before.  I imagined the sweetness of figs complimenting the seasoned chicken coupled with the added complexity from the crunchiness of the almonds all being brought together with a drizzle of fruity olive oil and a splash of fresh lemon juice.  Needless to say, I was duly impressed with his ability to instantly and effortlessly create a pizza, a simple diversion from a surgeon’s hectic and demanding schedule.  Thus was born the Surgeon’s Diversion Pizza.   The testing of this pizza will take place as soon as I can get my hands on some fresh figs, which will be late summer or early fall.   I am confident it will be good and promise to share the recipe after testing is completed.   

The Guys Taste-Test A 'Manly' Pizza

                                                              JOHN'S 'JUST PIZZA' PIZZA

John loves the simple things in life…sipping a cup of coffee on the dock as the sun rises, fishing, and hanging out with family and good friends on the Indian River in Florida. As you might guess, John also loves simple foods; his favorite food – Italian food!  When asked what kind of pizza he likes, John said “just pizza.”  He went on, “you know the kind loaded with sauce and sausage and meatballs and thick cheese.”  Then he tipped his head back and raised an imaginary slice of pizza to his mouth while describing the awesomeness of biting into that slice and pulling all the stringy cheese into his mouth.  How could I not make this amazingly simple pizza in his honor? 

My husband, along with the husbands of two of my original pizza taste-testers volunteered to taste a few of my pizzas; the only preference voiced was for a meaty/manly pizza.  When it comes to choosing pizza toppings, some people just have difficulty thinking beyond basic.  With this in mind, I decided to test John's 'Just Pizza' Pizza which contained the most basic of pizza ingredients - sauce, sausage, meatballs and plenty of fresh mozzarella and Parmigiano cheese.  The pizza tasted as good as it looked; delicious slices of meatballs packed with Italian flavor and sweet sausage settled into a bubbling bed of marinara sauce.  The slices of fresh mozzarella that topped the pizza browned lightly and melted just enough so as to hold their shape, yet became supple enough to stretch into the perfect gooey string of cheese tethering each bite in our mouths to the remaining slices of pizza in our hands.   Perfection!  I thank Charlie, Charlie B. and John for their willingness to taste a first run pizza and for the comments and compliments they shared that evening.  I can't wait to get to Florida to make this pizza for it's namesake, John Quoka.  I hope he enjoys it as much as did those of us who tested it. 

We also tested Arlene's Pizzagain Pizza the same night.  For those of you who do not know, Pizza Gain is an Italian Easter Pie that contains about three pounds of sausage and Italian deli meats - prosciutto, Genoa salami and capicola- to name a few.  These meats are then layered with a ricotta mixture similar to that found in good Italian lasagna.  The result is a dense, sumptuous 'pie' that is consumed in small pieces.  Now, I'm not saying how many small pieces each person would consume, but it was usually more than one.  This pizza contains all the ingredients found in Pizza Gain, except the eggs and the result was a fantastically savory pizza that was not overly salty or dense; yet it captured the essence of the traditional dish.  We cut it into small squares and the taste-testing began, each of us taking one piece.  Since it is not fair to judge a pizza from one small taste, we each had another.  This went on for several minutes, my husband cutting the pieces smaller and smaller as we all swore we couldn't eat another bite.  Well, as you might have guessed, we stopped only when the pizza peel sitting in the center of the table was empty, but for a few bits of crust and grains of cornmeal.  Another success.  I will be making this pizza at Easter time, knowing that it is a much lighter version of the traditional Pizza Gain and, without a doubt, telling myself this will make me feel better about eating multiple pieces.  This pizza makes an amazing appetizer any time of year - enjoy!