Neapolitan-Style Pizza Crust

Servings: 2 16″ pizzas or 4 12″ pizzas
Preheat: 550
Prep Time: 12 hours rising. 20 minutes topping prep. 30 minutes baking
Source: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/neapolitan-style-pizza-crust-recipe

Recipe is doubled from King Arthur amounts. Makes two 14″ pizzas.

Start first thing in the morning for making pizza for dinner. A 12-hour rise is sufficient. The yeast will be exhausted if left to rise 24 hours.

For a shorter-rise version of this recipe, proceed as follows: Increase the yeast to 1 teaspoon. After mixing the ingredients into a rough but cohesive dough, cover and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes. After this rest, grasp one edge of the dough, pull it up and out, and tuck it into the center. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat three more times, until you’ve gone all the way around. Cover and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for at least 8 hours; this can be done before leaving for work. When you’re ready to bake pizza, follow the recipe above starting with preheating the oven and then dividing the dough in half.

Ingredients: 

4 cups (464g) King Arthur ‘00’ Pizza Flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons (16g) table salt
1 1/2 cup (340g) water, lukewarm, (105° to 115°F)

Directions: 

Sprinkle yeast on top of water and let dissolve. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt, then add the water with dissolved yeast. Stir until just combined, making a rough but cohesive dough. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise at room temperature overnight, for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

Set pizza stone 8-10″ from broiler. Preheat oven to 550F with pizza stone 45 minutes in advance. Turn on broiler about 10 minutes before shaping pizza dough.

To shape the dough: Divide the dough in half (about 400g per piece). Working with one piece at a time, transfer the dough to a well-floured surface. Stretch and fold it, as follows: holding onto the dough at both ends, pull one end away from the other, then fold it back onto itself. Repeat on the other side. The dough will likely be sticky — don’t worry about it looking neat as you fold. Be sure to keep your hands floured as you work. Repeat this process on the other side of the dough, so that all four corners of the dough have been stretched and folded. Next, pull the ends of the dough towards the middle, then turn it over. Using your fingers, pull the dough under itself to make a smooth, round ball with the seams tucked into the bottom. Repeat with the second piece of dough, and place each ball seam-side down into a floured bowl. Cover the bowls and allow the dough to rise for 45 minutes to an hour, while your oven preheats.

Generously flour a wooden peel, rubbing flour into the board to completely coat.

Scoop the risen dough onto a well-floured work surface seam-side down (a bowl scraper is helpful here), using care to shape it as round as possible for easier stretching. If the dough feels wet, use a generous dusting of flour on top. For dough that feels drier, use slightly less flour. Use your fingertips to gently depress the dough, being careful not to touch the outer edge of the crust. This step is important — leaving the circumference untouched at this stage will result in a beautiful bubbly outer crust post-bake. Again, using care to not touch the outermost edge of the crust, lift the pizza from the work surface and use your knuckles to gently stretch the dough into a 14″ circle. If the dough is at all sticky, use more flour. Use two hands at once to gently move the dough in a circle, allowing gravity to perform the stretch. Let gravity do most of the work for you, as pulling will stretch the center more than the edges. If you find your dough is difficult to stretch, set it down on a floured surface for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Move the dough to the floured peel and adjust it so none is hanging off the edge. Remember — if the dough is sticky when you put it on the peel, it will stick to the peel! Make sure it’s well-floured. Lightly sauce the dough, then top with the cheese of your choice. Add additional toppings as desired.

Jiggle the uncooked pizza back and forth until it moves easily on the peel.

Turn off broiler and turn oven on again to 550. Slide pizza from peel on to stone and bake for 5 minutes.

Turn on broiler again and broil for about 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted, the crust is golden, and there are spots of char. Remove from oven and add any fresh greens like arugula, basil, lox, etc.

If you are going to make a second pizza, slide stone out of oven and wipe off burned flour and cheese, return to oven, and reheat stone surface under a broiler for a few minutes.

New York-Style Pizza Sauce Recipe

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Servings: Makes enough for 2 to 4 (12-inch) pies, depending on how much sauce you like
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/print/new-york-style-pizza-sauce.html

This creates a slightly sweet, intense tomato sauce typical of New York-style slices. It’s also good served with pasta.

Ingredients: 

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium cloves garlic, grated on microplane grater (about 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
2 (6-inch) sprigs fresh basil with leaves attached
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and split in half
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions: 

Process tomatoes and their juice through food mill, pulse in food processor until pureed, or puree with hand blender. Puree should not be completely smooth, but should have no chunks larger than 1/16 of an inch. Set tomatoes aside.

Combine butter and oil in medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and large pinch salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil sprigs, onion halves, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to lowest setting (bubbles should barely be breaking the surface), and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 1/2, about 1 hour. Discard onions and basil stems. Season to taste with salt. Allow to cool and store in covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Black-and-White Cupcakes

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Servings: 12 cupcakes
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Source: Dorie Greenspan https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019058-black-and-white-cupcakes

There’s a lot to like in a little cupcake. There’s the joy of having a cake all to yourself. The pleasure of getting creamy frosting and tender cake in every bite. And the fun of decorating, or not: Plain is good, too. This cupcake has two more things going for it: It’s easy enough to make with kids or to have kids make themselves, and it’s both childishly appealing and sophisticated — the cake is not very sweet and the chocolate frosting is deep and rich. There’s enough frosting for each cupcake to be finished with a few thick swirls. If you have turret-type topknots in mind, multiply the recipe. Whatever you do, keep mixing the frosting after the cold butter goes in so that it thickens enough to spread.

Ingredients: 

FOR THE CUPCAKES:
1 ¾ cups (238 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 tablespoons (133 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
3 large eggs
1 large yolk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ cup (180 milliliters) buttermilk, shaken
1 cup (170 grams) mini chocolate chips

FOR THE FROSTING:
9 ounces (255 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter
Sprinkles, optional

Directions: 

TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES:
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds, and heat to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with cupcake papers, or grease the tins.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Working with a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the whole eggs and the yolk one at a time, mixing well after each goes in. Beat in the vanilla.
On low speed, mix in the dry ingredients in three additions and the buttermilk in two, scraping the bowl, as needed, and beating until the batter is smooth. Mix in the chips.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake for 20-22 minutes — rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back after 10 minutes — or until the tops feel springy to the touch (they won’t color much) and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature. Frost, and cover with sprinkles, if you’d like, before the frosting dries.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and fit it into a saucepan of simmering water — don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat, whisk in the sugar and let rest on the counter for 3 minutes. Bit by bit, whisk in the cold butter, mixing until smooth and thickened just enough to spread. Use immediately.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Servings: 12 biscuits
Preheat: 425
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Source: BON APPÉTIT October 2000

“My boyfriend and I were vacationing in Boulder, Colorado, when we discovered Dot’s Diner, a cozy place that serves wonderful breakfasts,” writes Kimberly McClain of Harris, Iowa. “The biscuit that came with my meal was baked to perfection. I would drive all the way to Colorado just to go to Dot’s again.”
This classic recipe produces biscuits with a lovely light texture.

Ingredients: 

3 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup buttermilk

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425°F. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Using fingertips, rub 3/4 cup chilled butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and stir until evenly moistened. Gently knead no more than 10 times. Pat out to 1/2″ thickness. Using 1/4 cup dough (juice glass) for each biscuit, drop biscuits onto baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until biscuits are golden brown on top, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

Celery Soup with Horseradish Cream and Ham Chips

Servings: 6
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 1 hour
Source: My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz

The recipe calls for crème fraîche because its sturdy richness stands up well to to the soup, but you can use heavy cream instead. If you do use heavy cream, whip it very stiff, to the point where it just about turns to butter.

Ingredients: 

Horseradish Cream
1 1/2 cups crème fraîche
Generous pinch of sea or Kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish

Ham Chips
6 slices prosciutto

Soup
4 large leeks, cleaned
6 Tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or Kosher salt, plus additional if needed
1 1/2 pounds celery root
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
Minced fresh chives, for garnish

Directions: 

Prepare the horseradish cream. Whip the crème fraîche in a metal bowl with a whisk until it thickens. It should hold it’s shape when you remove the whisk from the bowl. Whisk in the salt and lemon juice. Stir in the horseradish. Let the mixture chill for an hour to allow the flavors to meld. (It is best make 3 to 4 hours in advance.)

Prepare the ham chips. Preheat the oven: 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the slices of prosciutto on the paper, evenly spaced. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the slices midway through. Watch the ham carefully as the thickness determines how quickly they crisp up. When they feel dry and firm, remove from the oven and let them cool until crisp. Store the chips in an airtight container until ready to use.

Prepare the soup. Slice the leeks into 1/4-inch slices, white and light green parts, only. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and cook for 10 minutes until the leeks are completely soft. Add salt midway through cooking.

As the leeks are cooking, peel the celery root. To peel the celery root, cut off the top and bottom ends of the root and set it on a cutting board, flat side down. Cut away the coarse skin, slicking it with a curved motion to match the curvature of the root. Conserve as much flesh as possible. Slice the root into 3/4-inch thick slices. Cut the slices into cubes. Add the cubes to the pot along with the water, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Decrease the heat so that the mixture is at a simmer. Cover with the lid askew. Cook the mixture for 30 to 40 minutes until the celery root is tender. Pierce some cubes to check for tenderness.

Remove the bay leaf and the thyme. Let the soup cool to tepid. Add the white pepper. Blend the soup until completely smooth. A hand blender or processor may also be used. If using a blender and the soup is still warm, only fill the container halfway. At this point the soup may be stored covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To serve the soup, reheat and ladle into serving bowls. Add a generous dollop of horseradish cream and then crumble the ham chips over the top. Sprinkle chives over the top and serve.

Raspberry Streusel Muffins (The Silver Palate)

Servings: 12 muffins
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Source: The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook

These are beautiful muffins for a lazy summer brunch or holiday buffet table with the pink tint of fresh raspberries and the yellow hue of lemons.

Ingredients: 

FOR BATTER
1 1⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1⁄4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
1⁄2 cup milk
1 1⁄4 cups fresh raspberries
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

FOR STREUSEL TOPPING
1⁄2 cup chopped pecans
1⁄2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1⁄4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

FOR GLAZE (unnecessary)
1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°F and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

To make the muffin batter, sift the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together into a medium-size mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
Place the egg, melted butter and milk in the well. Stir with a wooden spoon just until ingredients are combined. Quickly stir in the raspberries and lemon zest. Fill each muffin cup three-fourths full with the batter.

To make the streusel topping, combine the pecans, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of each muffin.

Bake until nicely browned and firm, 20 to 25 minutes.
To make the glaze, mix the sugar and lemon juice. Drizzle over the warm muffins with a spoon. Serve the muffins warm.

Traditional Creamy Coleslaw

Servings: 4
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 10m
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/232311/traditional-creamy-coleslaw/print/?recipeType=Recipe&servings=12&isMetric=false

A traditional creamy coleslaw.

Ingredients: 

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
28 ounce shredded/grated cabbage and carrots

Directions: 

Shredding disk on Cuisinart produces too fine a shred. A mandoline or narrow Cuisinart slicing disk works better.

Whisk mayonnaise, sugar, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, horseradish, onion powder, dry mustard, celery salt, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl, stirring to dissolve sugar. Fold cabbage and carrot mix into dressing. Cover bowl and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Drain off excess liquid.

Pasta with White Wine and Porcini Mushroom Sauce

Servings: 2
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 20 minutes,
Source: Spoon University, April 12, 2012

The “Pappardelle ai Funghi Porcini” is one of my favorite pasta dishes. It’s the perfect, elegant plate to present on a special occasion. The sauce is light and flavorful and the mushrooms add a wonderful, meaty texture. Though there are many variations to this dish, most add white wine to the mushroom sauce to compliment the porcini flavor perfectly. If available, try this recipe with a bit of truffle oil to add an amazing aroma and a unique flavor to an already incredible dish. Bring out the candles, and with this meal, it’ll be a night to remember.

Ingredients: 

7 oz of Pappardelle pasta or Tagliatelle
2 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup dried porcini mushrooms (equivalent to 1 packet found at Whole Foods)
2 tablespoons chopped shallots (or onions, if shallots are not available)
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups Beef Broth
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley (optional)
1/2 cup grated parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. To rehydrate the mushrooms, place them in a bowl with two cups of water and let them soak for about 15 minutes.
Tip: They are ready when they are soft, have changed shape, and are moist2. Drain the water and wash mushrooms as you would with lettuce. (Since mushrooms grow in the ground, they can be very dirty. As you drain the water, you will see the dirt you are removing.)
2. Drain the water and wash mushrooms as you would with lettuce. (Since mushrooms grow in the ground, they can be very dirty. As you drain the water, you will see the dirt you are removing.).
3. In the microwave, heat the beef broth for about a minute.
4. Remove from microwave and add the mushrooms to the beef broth.
5. While the mushrooms are marinating, heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Lower heat if butter begins to boil or brown.
6. Once butter has melted, add the garlic and shallots.
7. When garlic begins to brown, add white wine to pan and bring to a simmer.
8. Add the beef broth (without the mushrooms!) into the pan and let simmer, stirring occasionally.
9. When the sauce has been reduced to half the original amount, add the mushrooms, and lower heat.
Tip: The sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat the pasta. If you feel like your sauce is too thick, add some water to the mixture.
10. While mushroom sauce is setting, boil a pot of water and add pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente.
11. Drain pasta and add it to the pan with the mushroom sauce. Toss pasta in pan, coating it in sauce. (Optional: add about 4 tbs of truffle oil to the pasta in this step)
12. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with the parmesan and chopped parsley.

5. While the mushrooms are marinating, heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Lower heat if butter begins to boil or brown.
6. Once butter has melted, add the garlic and shallots.
7. When garlic begins to brown, add white wine to pan and bring to a simmer.

Grilled Goat Cheese Crostini with a Tangle of Marinated Roasted Peppers

Servings: 8
Preheat: 0
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Source: Fine Cooking Issue 87

Goat cheese speckled with fresh thyme is the perfect creamy counterpoint to the sweet, tangy roasted peppers in this recipe. Serve these crostini as an appetizer or paired with a simple green salad for a light lunch.

Ingredients: 

3 medium bell peppers (1 red, 1 orange, and 1 yellow)
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe Grilled Garlic Bread
One 4-1/2- to 5-1/2-oz. container of soft, spreadable goat cheese (such as Chavrie), at room temperature

Directions: 

Prepare a medium-high grill fire. Grill the bell peppers, turning occasionally, until the skin chars all over, 15 to 20 min. Put the charred peppers in a heatproof bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 30 min.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, 1/2 tsp. of the thyme, salt, and about 5 grinds of pepper. Mix well.
Remove the pepper skins and seeds and cut the peppers into thin strips. Add the peppers to the vinegar mixture and let them marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. (Refrigerate if making more than a few hours ahead and return to room temperature before assembling the crostini.
Spread each slice of the grilled garlic bread with a generous layer of goat cheese, sprinkle with some of the remaining thyme, and top with a tangle of the peppers and a small grind of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Vegetarian Baked Beans

Servings: 8
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 24 hours
Source: http://awaytogarden.com/recipe-baking-up-some-heirloom-beans/

The way I cook is all about big pots-full of things, and freezing or canning for later: cook once, eat multiple times. For the price of 1 pound of dry beans and a few simple ingredients, the yield is enough for six or eight portions, most of which are frozen in small containers for later use.

This easy recipe takes very little active prep, but lots of waiting on each end for soaking and then baking.

Ingredients: 

1 pound dry beans (I like a Cranberry type, but a creamier-textured Navy-style small white bean is the traditional choice and cooks faster; in this batch I used ‘Yellow Eye’)
2 quartered medium onions
1/4 cup+ molasses
1/4 cup+ maple syrup
4 Tbsp. grainy mustard
4-6 Italian-style paste tomatoes, roughly cut up—alternatively use other tomatoes, canned tomatoes, or even some red sauce
boiling water, enough to cover an inch or so above solids in pot
small amount of olive oil

Directions: 

Soak the beans overnight; discard the water. Add fresh water and simmer beans briefly (maybe 30 minutes) to just barely tender while preheating oven to 350ish. The “right” temperature really varies with the size of pot you are using; you want the beans to bubble in the oven.

Put water on to boil.

Coat an oven-proof covered pot, such as a Dutch oven or large Pyrex casserole or ceramic bean pot, with a splash of olive oil. Lay the quartered onions in the bottom. (Note on selecting a pot: There must be enough headroom to put in all ingredients above, plus at least 1 inch of boiling water, plus clearance to prevent overflows.)

Drain beans; dress them with the other ingredients above (sweeteners and mustard and tomatoes). Pour over the onions.

Pour boiling water over the mixture until it’s an inch or so above the solids.

Cover and bake until done, between two hours and forever. Many recipes say to leave baked beans uncovered while cooking; doing so, with certain large beans, I have had it take six hours or more. I cover the casserole, and periodically check to see if water is receding. If so, I taste a bean; if not nearly ready, I add more boiling water, often a couple of times.

Once the beans reach an almost-ready tenderness, uncover and turn up heat to 375F the last hour (give or take) to reduce the liquid to a thick, dark brown syrup, turning the ingredients a couple of times to mix everything up.

If the flavor isn’t sweet enough, or tomato-ey enough, or wants salt, add it during this last phase. Or balance the maple-to-molasses ratio to suit your taste. This is a flexible process, not delicate chemistry. You can even make the beans soupier, with more sauce than I like, by not cooking down so long.

Again: The freshness of the beans you start with, how well you soak/cook them first, and the vessel you cook in really make the timing and temperature combination vary. Experiment.