Homemade Pizza

I still remember the first time I made pizza at home--aside from tossing a frozen pie into the oven.  I excitedly purchased fresh pizza dough, gathered a variety of toppings and the assembly fun ensued.  I was a proud cook as the resulting pizzas (one red and one white) were admired and consumed by family.  It was a good day, and I knew a tradition had been born.  

That was just the beginning, however, because just when I thought it couldn't get any easier or more gratifying--it did.  A short while after that first homemade revelry, I became a culinary instructor at one of my favorite homes away from home, Williams-Sonoma.  And shortly after that, I was scheduled to teach a technique class on all things pizza, which included homemade--as in from scratch--pizza dough. Before teaching this class, I hadn't considered making my own dough, and after it, I've never considered not making it.  Reason being, as most devoted foodies will attest, the thrill of actually making something homemade--and making it well--somehow always trumps the alternative.

There are few recipes that are simpler and yield themselves to multiple interpretations as this pizza dough recipe.  With a few basic ingredients, and the kitchen work horse known as the food processor, you'll be set to enjoy as many varieties of this Italian classic as your creative tastes will allow.  Savory. Sweet. Grilled. Baked. The possibilities are endless--and that's just the way I like it.  I think you will, too.

Happy Eating!

Food Processor Pizza Dough

Williams-Sonoma Kitchens

Mixed in a food processor, this dough comes together quickly.  Be sure to check the expiration date on the yeast; if it is outdated, the dough will not rise properly.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar 

1 cup warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees F)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Method:

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.  

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade, combine the flour and salt and process with 3 or 4 pulses.  With the motor running on the dough speed, slowly add the yeast mixture, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding more.  Continue processing until the dough forms a ball and cleans the sides of the bowl, about 1 minute, then process for 1 minute more.  

Coat the inside of a large bowl with the olive oil and place the dough in the bowl.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1.5 hours.  Divide the dough in half and roll out on a floured surface.  Makes two 12-inch rounds.

 

   

Link Love: St. Patrick's Day Fare

Festive holidays have a way of getting us to think about good food and drink.  St. Patrick's Day, usually marked by its own unique fare that's centered around Irish tradition, is especially festive.  Known for classic dishes like corned beef and cabbage (my mom's is quite delicious), as well as eats accented with green goodness in keeping with the green-themed holiday, there's surely something for even the most fickle taste buds to relish.  

In today's linkery, I'm sharing the St. Patrick's Day love with a few delicious recipes from around the web for your enjoyment during the holiday--and beyond.

Happy Eating! 

Corned beef remixed with Grilled Corned Beef and Fontina Sandwiches (Bon Appetit)

Luscious, melt in your mouth goodness ala Zucchini Carpacio Salad and Green Tea Ice Cream (Epicurious)

And to wash it all down, Refreshing Lime Soda (Saveur) 
Image 

Foodie Vocabulary: Flavor Infusion

One of my personal joys in cooking is discovering a technique that totally elevates food and drink, giving big pay-off with minimal effort.  Enter: Infusion.  

The technique of infusing flavor into food is exciting to me--allowing for the building and layering of flavors that make the end results nothing short of wonderful.  From garlic oil to tarragon vinegar to cinnamon infused milk to vanilla cream to lemon syrup to seafood broth--all examples of flavor infusions--there's seemingly no end to the myriad ingredients that lend themselves to flavor enhancements through 

infusion.  Most often the result will be a subtle, yet even, flavor nuance, however you can increase the flavor intensity by allowing your ingredients to steep and immerse longer.  The longer the time of infusion, the stronger the flavor yield.  

To get you going on a flavor infusion journey of your own, I invite you try some of DMRFF's favorite "infused" recipes!  Enjoy--and let me know how you like to infuse added flavor into your dishes.

Mulled Cider 

Basil Lemonade 

Mussels in White Wine 

Spiced Milk Tea   

Happy Eating!

Image Source

Kitchen Basics: Getting the Right Measure

If you've ever wondered how many teaspoons make up a tablespoon or how many cups are in a pint, or been stumped by any other measurement equation when it comes to cooking and baking, then today's post is especially for you. 

I love this fun chart for use as a "cheat sheet" for volume conversions.  Keep it handy and use it to take the not-so-fun guess work out of getting the right measure--every time. 

Happy Eating!

HOW TO EAT: Potatoes

Potatoes are undisputed comfort food.  Whether you're enjoying them baked, mashed (somehow everything seems better with a bowl of luscious, mashed potatoes), roasted, fried--my personal favorite--or any other way you want 'em, there's so much to love.  

Potatoes bring heft to dishes like soups and stews, pair well with most poultry and meat, and can even stand on their own as main courses.  Beyond their yumminess factor, potatoes also offer up healthy doses of nutrition, such as the Vitamin A and beta-carotene laden sweet potato.  And the affordability of potatoes make them a staple in almost every kitchen.

So with all this goodness surrounding them, I'm excited to feature these versatile spuds in today's installment of our "how to eat" series.  Enjoy the tutorial and let me know your favorite way to enjoy potatoes.

Happy Eating!

Eating Potatoes:

Eat baked potatoes from the skin with a fork, and then eat the skin with a fork and knife.  Add butter by taking some from your butter plate with your dinner knife.  Do not mash potatoes on your plate.  French fries are halved and eaten with a fork.  Eat chips and shoestring potatoes with your fingers.  

Image Source

  

Welcoming the Weekend

When it comes to the weekend, no two are hardly, if ever, alike.  However, there are some constants that make those two-day hiatuses fun, refreshing--and delicious--no matter what's on the agenda.  

The luxury to sleep in a little longer, catching up on favorite reading, worship service, a mani-pedi, and magnificent food are simple pleasures that fuel my spirit, soul and body, leaving me refreshed and motivated to begin a brand new week of life.

So here's to the start of yet another.  May yours be filled with a few (or lots) of your favorite things.

Happy Week-ending!