Andre Soltner's Alsatian Pizza

Pin It

If I can make pizza, you definitely can make pizza.  Of course, I don't make the dough, I buy it.  Then I simply let it stand for 30 minutes until it rises, pound it as hard as if it were a letter from the IRS and roll it as thin as I can.  That is the hardest part, for pizza dough is a tough cookie to deal with.

I recently bought myself the Emile Henri Pizza Stone which I featured in my Christmas gifts post

and I have been making pizzas left and right.  This, aside from the Margherita, is by far my most favorite pizza. 

If you happen to have a Publix where you live, their pizza dough .which is sold in the bakery, is pretty good.

For those of you not familiar with Andre Soltner, he was the legendary chef/owner of Lutece, once considered the best restaurant in New York and where I was lucky to have many a memorable meal in the 80's.  It is long gone but his recipes and his reputation will live fovever.  Andre Soltner was born in Alsace, need I say more?

 

 Makes 4 Servings


Ingredients

1/2 pound frozen pizza or bread dough, thawed

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fromage blanc or fresh ricotta

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 pound thickly sliced smoky bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Directions

1.Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece to a 4-inch round; let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round out to an 8-inch round 1/8 inch thick.

2.Lightly oil 2 large baking sheets with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Transfer 2 dough rounds to each baking sheet. Fold each edge over onto itself to form a thin lip. Refrigerate the dough rounds until chilled, about 1/2 hour.

3.In a food processor, pulse the fromage blanc until smooth. Add the flour, crème fraîche and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and process until smooth.

4.In a medium skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until the fat is rendered, about 4 minutes. Add the onion and cook just until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.

5.Preheat the oven to 425°. Spread the fromage blanc mixture over the rounds to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle with the bacon and onion. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for about 12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve.

Notes

Cutting bacon is easiest when the slices are chilled and stacked. Make sure to use a very sharp knife or kitchen shears to keep the slices neat. Note: This recipe yields four servings as main course, but as an appetizer in this menu, it makes plenty for eight.

The stone should be warmed in the oven at 425 for at least 30 minutes.  I sprinkle coarse corn meal on the stone before I lay down the pizza.

Oscar Party Snacks- Truffle Butter Popcorn With Sea Salt And Chives!

Pin It

What would an Oscar party be without popcorn?

For 2 servings

Directions

1/4 cup black jewel popcorn

1 tablespoon black truffle butter

1 teaspoon black truffle oil

1/2 teaspoon black truffle  sea salt

Garnish with chives (optional)

Directions

Pop popcorn in hot air popper. Drizzle melted truffle butter over popped corn, tossing to coat. Follow with truffle oil and truffle salt, gently blending well.

You can skip the truffle oil and add more truffle butter and salt or do the oil and butter and substitute the truffle salt for regular sea salt.  That way you dont have to invest so much money!

 Simple and really really good.

You can find truffle oil, butter and salt at specialty gourmet stores like Dean & Deluca and online at igourmet.com

Photo credit http://www.tastewiththeeyes.com/

Churros With Hot Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Pin It

When I lived in Miami, I was lucky to have access to churros whenever I wanted them.  Now that I'm living in another state where the Spanish population is not as dominant,  it's a different story.  Here I have a lovely fireplace, tons of cold weather and no churros.  I guess  "You Can't Always Get What You Want....!"

Churros are not really that hard to make, just messy and, of course, there's all that frying.  It's okay to eat fried food if you are not doing the frying.  You just don't think about it, at least, I don't. It's another story to eat fried food when you are doing the frying and watching all the fat grams dancing in front of your eyes.  But don't let that deter you or you will be missing one of the greatest snacks ever invented!

 Finally tonight I bit the bullet and had my chocolate with churros from the most authentic source I could find... The Chocolateria San Ginez right in the heart of Madrid.

The Chocolatería San Ginés is a café in central Madrid popular with tourists and madrileños alike. It has served principally chocolate con churros (hot chocolate and churros) since 1894. Coffee and cakes are also available. The interior is decorated with mirrors and green wood panels, green velvet seats and marble tables. The hot chocolate is served in Spanish style - thick, dark and strong - and the churros - deep fried batter, similar to a light, crispy, linear doughnut, cut to length by the waitresses - are served hot and freshly cooked, ready for dunking.

Now, I have discovered something I really like...something that is new, at least to me.  I have always had churros either alone or with a nice cup of hot chocolate.  In this recipe, the chocolate is really a dipping sauce, something which makes it less filling, if only in our imagination. I have had it this way for dessert at a great restaurant in Miami called Sra. Martinez.  I was sold on the first bite!  Hope you enjoy them in these cold nights and perhaps make some for Santa on Christmas Eve.  I know he'll enjoy it!

Ingredients

Churros:

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs, beaten

Vegetable oil, for frying

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

Chocolate for dunking:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cups milk

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup sugar

Directions

To make the churro dough: Combine 1 cup of water with the butter or margarine and the salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour. Reduce the heat to low and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove the dough from the heat and, while stirring constantly, gradually beat the eggs into the dough.

To make the chocolate for dunking: In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 1 cup of milk and reserve. Combine the chocolate with the remaining cup of milk in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, melt the chocolate over medium-low heat. Whisk the sugar and the dissolved cornstarch into the melted chocolate mixture. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about 5 minutes. (Add extra cornstarch if it doesn't start to thicken after 5 minutes.) Remove the pan from the heat and whisk until smooth then reserve in a warm place.

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy, high-sided pot over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 360 degrees F. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon* on a plate and reserve.

Meanwhile, spoon the churro dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Squeeze a 4- inch strip of dough into the hot oil. Repeat, frying 3 or 4 strips at a time. Fry the churros, turning them once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked churros to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

When the churros are just cool enough to handle, roll them in the cinnamon-sugar* (in Spain churros are simply rolled in sugar.)

Pour the chocolate into individual bowls or cups. Serve the warm churros with the chocolate dip.

Pimiento Cheese Spread

Pin It
This is a traditional and very Southern recipe by Craig Claiborne. Although I've never been to Augusta National in Georgia, I understand that it is a favorite of golfers around the world and is served in the tents around the course during the Masters. It is great for a light lunch or afternoon snack, particularly if you are having your friends over for bridge. In these hot summer afternoons, I love to serve it on tea sandwiches with a big pitcher of freshly made lemonade or iced tea. I also serve it on Ritz crackers or celery sticks! Either way, it's addictive.


Ingredients


1/2 pound mild yellow Cheddar or longhorn cheese

1/2 pound white aged sharp Cheddar cheese

1 can (7 ounces) pimientos

1 cup chopped scallions, including green tops

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

6 drops Tabasco sauce

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Use a meat grinder, if possible, to grate the cheeses, using the cutterwith large holes. Otherwise, use the coarse side of a cheese grater. Put the grated cheese in a mixing bowl and add half the juice from the canned pimientos. Dice the drained pimientos and add them along with the scallions. Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and garlic, and add the cheese mixture. Add the Worcestershire, Tabasco, and pepper and blend well. Serve at room temperature as a spread for crispcrackers and raw vegetables or use as sandwich spread. Yield: 8 to 12 servings.



Top Photo: Wright Bryan NPR