Dinner Tonight: Pizza Margherita

 

Stone Fire's Naan is an excellent and tasty base for our summer pizza obsession.

 

 

CA's decided he likes his Naan brushed with EVO, but I stick with low-fat mayo. Both help seal the crust and keep the grated quesadilla cheese in place.

 

 

 

I decide to use thinly-sliced tomatoes on my pizza, but CA chooses tomato chunks. We're lucky to still have Beefsteak tomatoes from PJ's neighbor in Bayview Gardens.

 

I bake the two Naans at 400 degrees, usually for 10 minutes, but with this pizza I assemble in layers and bake twice.

After 6 minutes, I add the fresh Mozzarella to both and return to the 400 degree oven for 5 more minutes. NOTE: The fresh Mozzarella exudes water, so next time I'm going to bake the chunks on foil first, drain, and then add semi-melted Mozzarella to pizza.

 

 

After the second baking, I top mine with the freshly-julienned Basil and salt the tomatoes. CA's gets fresh tomato chunks and Basil.

 

 

We both drizzle Balsamic reduction over our pizzas. Excellent!

 

Pizza Knives

 

 

Used these all over Southern France and Paris, but had never seen them in U.S. We scoured the kitchenware shops in Paris, finally buying the final four available in a shop near E. Dehillerin.

 

They came with the cork enpointe. (O.K., I know that's not the right word for this usage, but I can't resist.)

 

Great for safety in the kitchen drawer scramble

 

 

Found these online:

 

 

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Or, this crazy contraption that looks not only worthless, but dangerous, too.

-source-

 

Summer Pizza

Started today at the gym, but soon visited the Woodstock Farmers' Market with best friend RvH.

 

Which transated into tonight's dinner...

 

We've been making Naan bread pizzas all summer. Quick. Easy. Delicious.

Brush Naan with either olive oil or low-fat mayo. Top with grated quesadilla cheese and favorite ingredients, i,e., heirloom cocktail tomatoes. To-die-for sweet and delicious. Each color has a unique flavor.

 

Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.

Grind a bit of pepper, drizzle on balsamic reduction sauce, sprinkle top with julienned fresh basil.

 

Absolutely delicious. Somewhere between dinner and dessert.

 

Time Flies

strawberry-rhubarb pie; martha stewart's pâte brisée

 

 

 

Days and weeks of house guests and travel. Dinner party Sunday night on the porch, and then a lull... Looking forward to it.

 

CA's sister, husband, and daughter were visiting only one night, so we had to move fast, talk fast, laugh fast. From here CA is accompanying the New Orleans group to visit his mom in Central Illinois--3 hours from here. I get 3 days home alone. Bliss.

 

Yesterday, I only took one phone call. No other conversations. No expectations.

 

While our guests were in town, we had Chicago-style pizza (they requested Chicago food) at Georgio's in Crystal Lake, preceded by our favorite anti-pasta salad. Did not disappoint!

 

Once back home, I baked the Scottish shortbread I'd started earlier in the day (for my dad's caregivers), and a strawberry-rhubarb pie for them to take along to GG's. I craved a piece of that pie!

 

 

 

Then, yesterday after a leisurely early morning (translate: once teen-aged HL awoke) we took a short drive to the Woodstock square and had a great brunch at Angelo's. They really have their act together now. We window-shopped a bit before heading home so that the 4 travelers could get on the road by noon.

 

I spent my afternoon reading and sleeping. My evening may have included a carton of Ben and Jerry's and/or Bravo...

 

 

BLT Pizza

Start here...

One Republic Naan

8" x 5-1/2" each/3pack

 

 

BLT PIZZA

#Spread a thin layer of lite mayonnaise; completely cover crust.

#Sprinkle quesadilla cheese over mayo.

#Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden.

#Cut Naan pizza crust into quarters

#Sprinkle cooked and crumbled bacon over cheese.

#Top with seeded and diced Roma tomatoes.

#Generously add Shredded Romaine lettuce

#Drizzle mayo over lettuce. I used a squeeze bottle of Hellman's Lite.

#Salt and pepper to taste.

 

EATING PIZZA

Spent another night in the city. This time joined by CA, DM, JE & the little squishy guy. Gino's East pizza is one of the best Chicago-style. YUM! You really can't go wrong having pizza in Chicago. We didn't invent it, but the deep dish twist was born here.

Many years ago the Chicago Tribune published an article on the foods various cities claim and included a deep dish pizza recipe that was a family favorite for years.

DEEP-DISH CHEESE AND SAUSAGE PIZZA

[Chicago Tribune]

1 pkg. Dry yeast
1 Cup Warm water
1 T. Sugar
1-1/2 tsp. Salt
1 T. Olive or vegetable oil
2-3/4 Cups Flour
1/4 Cup Cornmeal


12 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 lb. Pork or Italian sausage
28 oz. can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably Pomadoro),
drained and crushed.
2 tsp. Oregano, dried and crushed
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Fennel seeds, crushed with mortal & pestle
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar--mixture should bubble up
if yeast is active. If not, start with fresh yeast.
2. Add salt and oil to yeast mixture in a large mixing bowl.
3. Stir in flour to make a soft dough. Turn out onto lightly floured surface.
4. Knead until dough is smooth and elastic, about 7 - 10 minutes.
5. Place dough in well-oiled bowl with tall sides--turning dough to coat all sides.
6. Cover dough bowl with plastic wrap and then a clean towel.
7. Put in a warm place [inside oven with a pan of hot water on lower shelf] and
let rise until doubled (@2 hours).
8. Punch dough down and cover again with towel.
9. Brush broiler pan or 14" diameter 2 " deep pizza pan with oil.
10. Sprinkle oiled surface with cornmeal.
11. Press dough in pan and 1" up sides. Cover again with plastic wrap and towel.
12. Let rise @ 20 minutes while preheating oven to 500 degrees.
13. Line dough with cheese. Arrange sausage on top of cheese, add tomatoes.
14. Combine seasonings and sprinkle over pizza. Top with parmesan.
15. Place pizza in oven and immediately lower temperature to 450 degrees.
16. Bake 35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Don't want to wear out my welcome, so this is probably the last overnight during this temp job. What a gift to be able to crawl early into bed mid-week, sleep an extra hour in the a.m., and get to work in less than an hour. And, a chance to play with the effervescent Sophie!

The weather is turning, the rains are more often, and the northside walkways are crunchy with drying leaves. I love it! Who knew I was really a city person? And, I love seeing the lakeshore with crashing waves reminiscent of the sea. I have known for a very long time that I am an ocean person vs. a mountain person. Lake Michigan is a suitable stand-in when time and distance keep me from the seashore. Where else can you get the city and the sea twice a day every day?