Hard Work and Pizza

Busy weeks like this are not meant for dinner parties!  At least not dinner parties of my own, anyways.  I’m catering a humongous party this weekend, my biggest one yet.  So lately, all my dinner party energy has been focused on this one event.  I can’t wait - It’s going to be fabulous!

Anyways, I’ve had just a little time over the last few days to throw together a quick blog-worthy dinner party.  And as in busy-weeks past, it may be a stretch to call it an actually dinner party.  More like a dinner meeting.  I had Katelyn – my sous chef /angel straight from heaven – over the other night, mainly to go over our game plan, but also mainly to make and eat pizza! 

Pizza Margherita: Tomato, Basil & Fresh Mozzarella Pizza with Radicchio, Prosciutto & Rosemary    Shaved Asparagus Salad with Parmesan    Strawberry-Rhubarb Semifreddo Tart

I wish I had the time to elaborate on my fondness for pizza.  Perhaps that’s fortunate though - An ode to pizza could easily become quite trite – for who doesn’t love pizza!?  Rather than going on and on about how much I love the stuff, I’ll simply share with you my favorite recipe.

I definitely should tell you, as far as I have ever been able to tell, the only way to make good pizza at home is with a pizza stone, a pizza peel (you know, a large wooden paddle/spatula thingy) and a wicked hot oven.  I usually shy away from recipes that require special equipment or ingredients, but pizza is definitely an exception.  A hot, hot pizza stone is the only thing that’s going to give you a crisp but tender, thin, blistery crust. 

Speaking of crust (well I suppose not crust, per se, but the dough responsible for the crust).  So, speaking of dough…  Having experimented in the past with lots and lots of pizza dough recipes, we tried the one below – from one of my favorite chefs, Deborah Madison – a few years ago, and came to a quick conclusion that it was our absolute favorite.  And it’s the only one we’ve used since.  It calls for a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour.  The whole wheat lends an extra touch of texture, without taking away from the tender lightness of the crust.  And don’t worry, just because there’s something healthy in there, doesn’t make it ‘health food’.  It’s still pizza, for goodness sake!  If you weren’t told about the whole grain, you’d probably never even guess it was there. 

Crust, check!  Onto the sauce.  I like to whip up a quick and easy tomato-basil sauce, with just a few simple ingredients – onions, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, canned whole tomatoes (best brand ever!), lots and lots of basil, and of course, salt and pepper.  It’s a breeze to make, and the results are fabulous – subtly sweet and packed with bright flavor, with rustic chunks of tomato and onion and bright flecks of fresh green basil. 

Crust, check!  Sauce, check!  Now, onto the toppings.  For a classic Margherita pizza, a few slices of fresh mozzarella, a few whole leaves of basil, and a sprinkling of grated parmesan.  What could be better than this?! 

Maybe not better, but equally delicious, we topped a couple other pizzas with some finely chopped fresh rosemary, some thinly sliced radicchio, a few ribbons of shaved prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and parmesan.  Truthfully, this was a use-up-the-left-overs kind of pizza.  But just because we’d already had all this stuff, lingering in the fridge, doesn’t mean this a pie was second rate.  On the contrary, it was awesome!  Next time we make pizza, I’ll probably go out and buy these ingredients especially for the occasion. 

I’ve been on a thinly-sliced vegetable kick for a while now, and I’ve been waiting all winter to thinly-slice me some asparagus!  This salad, made from raw, thin ribbons of fresh asparagus, lightly dressed in a lemony parmesan vinaigrette, is so lovely I think.  And absolutely tasty too.  The crunchy, delicate shavings of asparagus taste of subtle earthiness and new green life, a true embodiment of spring itself.  The parmesan adds a touch of salty complexity, the extra-virgin olive oil a bit of fruity smoothness, and the lemon a sunny jolt of bright acidity.  Together, these few ingredients compose a dish that is at once simple yet surprisingly complex, subtle yet certainly sensational. 

For dessert, a strawberry-rhubarb semifreddo tart.  Semifreddo is an Italian sort of frozen custard.  It’s similar to ice cream, but not reliant on an ice cream maker for its existence.  Which is good, because our ice cream maker sadly kicked the bucket a while back.  The recipe for this tart, I found on Epicurious.com.   Thinking it would be a beautiful dessert for springtime catered events, I’ve been wanting to give it a try for a while.  It turned out wonderfully, with its crumbly shortbread cookie crust  and lovely pink frozen filling.  A deliciously elegant twist on ice cream cake.  And a perfect springtime dessert for any occasion. 

Well, that’s it for now.  I’ve gotta run.  Back to work!  Wish me luck this weekend!

Pizza Margherita Method adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison Makes 1 10-inch pizza     1/4 recipe pizza dough (see recipe below) semolina or cornmeal, for dusting the pizza peel 1/2 cup rustic tomato-basil sauce (see recipe below) 8-10 basil leaves 4 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced 2 Tbl parmesan, grated about 1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste   Adjust an oven rack to the top-center position in the oven.  Place a pizza stone on the rack, and preheat the oven to 550°F.  (Allow about 1/2 hour for the oven to come to temperature.)   Roll and stretch out the dough into a 10-inch circle, pressing up the  sides to make a slight rim.  Liberally dust the wooden pizza peel with semolina or cornmeal.  Place the dough on the dusted peel, and give it a shake back and forth, to make sure the dough is loose.  (If it isn’t, remove it and dust with more semolina/cornmeal.)  Cover the dough with a thin, damp towel and allow it to rest about 10-15 minutes.   Spread the tomato-basil sauce over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the rim.  Arrange the basil leaves evenly over the sauce, then arrange the sliced mozzarella evenly over the sauce too.  Sprinkle the grated parmesan evenly over the pizza.   Using the pizza peel, put the pizza directly onto the hot pizza stone, giving the peela jerk to slide the pizza onto the stone.  Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly and browned, about 7-10 minutes.  Slide the peel under the pizza and lift it off the stone and out of the oven.    Season the pizza with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil around the crust.  Slice into 6-8 pieces and serve hot.

 

Pizza with Radicchio, Prosciutto & Rosemary Method adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison  Makes 1 10-inch pizza     1/4 recipe pizza dough (see recipe below) semolina or cornmeal, for dusting the pizza peel 2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 tsp finely chopped rosemary 1/4 cup finely sliced radicchio 4 very thin slices prosciutto 4 oz fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced 2 Tbl parmesan, grated kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste   Adjust an oven rack to the top-center position in the oven.  Place a pizza stone on the rack, and preheat the oven to 550°F.  (Allow about 1/2 hour for the oven to come to temperature.)   Roll and stretch out the dough into a 10-inch circle, pressing up the  sides to make a slight rim.  Liberally dust the wooden pizza peel with semolina or cornmeal.  Place the dough on the dusted peel, and give it a shake back and forth, to make sure the dough is loose.  (If it isn’t, remove it and dust with more semolina/cornmeal.)  Cover the dough with a thin, damp towel and allow it to rest about 10-15 minutes.   Drizzle 1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil onto the dough and rub it lightly over the surface with your hands.  Sprinkle the chopped rosemary evenly over the dough, then do the same with the sliced radicchio.  Arrange the sliced prosciutto and sliced mozzarella evenly over the dough, then sprinkle evenly with the grated parmesan. Using the pizza peel, put the pizza directly onto the hot pizza stone, giving the peel a jerk to slide the pizza onto the stone.  Bake until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbly and browned, about 7-10 minutes.  Slide the peel under the pizza and lift it off the stone and out of the oven.    Season the pizza with a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and drizzle the extra-virgin olive oil around the crust.  Slice into 6-8 pieces and serve hot.

 

Pizza Dough Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison Makes enough dough for 4 10-inch pizzas     1 1/2 cups warm water, divided 2 tsp active dry yeast 2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour 2 3/4 – 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour   Pour 1/2 cup warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer, then stir in the yeast.  Allow to rest for 10-15 minutes.  Add the remaining 1 cup water, olive oil and salt.  Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed to combine.  Mix in the whole wheat flour, then enough of the all-purpose flour to form a wet dough.  (A dough on the wet side makes for a thin and crispy crust.)  Transfer the dough onto the counter and knead until smooth, adding just enough flour to keep it from sticking.    Rub a small amount of olive oil over the dough and place in an oiled mixing bowl.  Cover with a damp towel and set in a warm place.  Allow the dough to rise until it’s doubled in size, about 1 hour.    Transfer the dough onto the counter and cut it into four equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a ball, set on a lightly floured countertop, and cover with a damp towel.  Let the dough rise for another half hour.   Wrap each portion of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed, up to 24 hours.  (I’ve found that the quality of the dough actually improves with a good few hours’ rest in the refrigerator.)

 

Rustic Tomato-Basil Sauce Makes about 2 cups sauce    2 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil 1 small onion, peeled and chopped 1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 1 28-oz can whole, peeled tomatoes 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped (from about 1 bunch) kosher salt & finely ground black pepper, to taste   Add the olive oil and chopped onion to a medium-sized sauce pot.  Season with a good sprinkling of salt and a good few grinds of pepper.  Slowly sauté over medium heat until the onion is fragrant and translucent, about 7 minutes.  Add the chopped garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes and their juices.  Crush the tomatoes into large pieces with a wooded spoon, or a potato masher.  Cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.  Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper.  Add the chopped basil and stir to combine.

 

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Parmesan Serves 4      1 pound thick-stemmed asparagus (about 1 bunch) 1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for garnish juice from 1 lemon 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper   To prepare the asparagus:  The bottoms of the stems are tough and woody but the tops are tender.  To determine where to trim off the ends, take one stem and holding the bottom of the stem in one hand and the middle in the other, bend the stem.  It will snap right at the point where tough turns to tender.  Line up the rest of the asparagus so their tips align, and slice off their bottom portions at the same point where the first one snapped.   Using a vegetable peeler, slice the asparagus length-wise into thin ribbons.  Rather than slicing from one side, then rotating the spear and slicing from another, work from top to bottom in one direction – This will ensure pretty green borders on both sides of each slice.  It helps to lie the asparagus spear flat on the surface of the cutting board.  When you reach the bottom of the spear, it’s a bit tricky to get the last few thin slices.  I found it helps to position the asparagus spear right along the edge of the cutting board, to make these last few slices.    To make the vinaigrette:  Whisk together the parmesan and lemon juice in a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking as you pour.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.    Toss to evenly coat the sliced asparagus with the vinaigrette.  Season to taste with a sprinkling of salt and a few grinds of pepper.  Using the vegetable peeler, shave some thin ribbons of parmesan over top the salad.  Serve immediately.

 

Strawberry-Rhubarb Semifreddo Tart Adapted from a recipe on Epicurious.com by Tracey Seaman Serves 10     10 oz shortbread cookies, broken into pieces 1/2 cup walnuts 1/2 stick butter, melted 1 # strawberries 1 # rhubarb 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup sugar 2 large eggs 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream   Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Add the shortbread pieces and walnuts to the bowl of a food processor.  Process until finely ground.  Transfer the shortbread-walnut mixture to a medium-sized mixing bowl, and add the melted butter. Stir to combine well with a rubber spatula.  Press this mixture evenly across the bottom and about 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform cake pan.  Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.   Rinse the strawberries under cool running water.  Remove the leaves and cut out the core.  Thinly slice the strawberries.    Rinse the rhubarb under cool running water.  Using a knife, trim off any leaves or blemishes on the stem.  Slice length-wise down the middle of the stem, cutting the stem into 2-4 long and equal pieces of about 1/2-inch width.  Then slice width-wise into half-inch slices.    Combine the sliced strawberries, rhubarb and 2/3 cup sugar in a medium saucepan.  Turn the heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat.  Divide into two equal portions, each about 2-cups in volume.  Set aside one portion to use as a sauce for the finished dessert.  (Refrigerate in an air-tight container.)  Set aside the other half to use in the next step.   Add the eggs and remaining 1/2 cup sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Whisk on high speed until foamy, about 3 minutes.  Add that second half of the strawberry-rhubarb mixture to the egg-sugar mixture, and whisk to combine.  Place the bowl over a medium-sized saucepan containing about an inch of simmering water.  Mix constantly with a rubber spatula until a thermometer reaches 140°F.  (This temperature just ensures that the eggs are safe to eat.) Remove from the heat and return the bowl to the stand mixer.  Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.  Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.    Combine the mascarpone, vanilla and 1/4 cup cream in a clean bowl of a stand mixer.  Using the paddle attachment, beat on low speed until combined.  Gradually beat in the rest of the cream, then beat at medium-high speed until the mixture holds stiff peaks.   Fold this mixture into the strawberry-rhubarb-egg mixture, mixing well to evenly combine.  Pour this mixture over the crust in the springform pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.  Wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze, at least three hours.   Before serving, remove the pie from the freezer, unwrap, and allow to stand at room temperature about 20 minutes, to soften.  Remove the sides of the pan and place the tart on a serving platter.  Cut into 10 slices, and serve with a dollop of the reserved strawberry-rhubarb sauce on top.