Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Pizza--the Joy of Adam

This is basically the Joy of Cooking pizza dough recipe tweaked by me based on my dude-in-law Adam Shopis' research and teachings.

Mix 2 1/4 tsp. yeast in 1 cup hot water.

In Kitchen Aid bowl:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Mix with wooden fork or paddle attachment on low.

Add yeast/water. Add between 1/4-1/2 cup more water. Mix with fork until it starts to come together.
Then use bread hook attachment and mix on medium low for 10 minutes. Dough should stick to bottom of bowl but not sides. Add water or flour accordingly if necessary.

Coat large bowl with oil. Form dough into a ball and put in bowl. Cover tightly with lid or plastic wrap. Let rise 60-90 minutes in a warmish place. Sometimes I start the dough in the oven for 10-15 minutes with the oven light on, but you will have to remove it in order to:

PREHEAT THE OVEN TO IT'S HIGHEST SETTING FOR ONE HOUR. If you have a convection oven, use that setting. Make sure the pizza stone is in there on the lowest rack.

Make your pizza as usual, but if you've preheated properly, the pizza should only take 4-7 minutes so WATCH IT VERY CLOSELY until you know how quick your oven is going to cook your pizza.

The great thing about this dough is you really can't screw it up too badly (and believe me I've tried). It's going to be soft, crispy brown on top with crust bubbles and it is always delicious. Mangia!!!!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Sardines with Capers and Pasta

I bought a package of sardines in olive oil a couple months back after having read that they're a safe and sustainable source of Omega 3s (not to mention cheap). But, they lingered in my cupboard because I did not know what the heck to do with them. I looked for recipes online, and the majority of them were dips, not something I'm overly interested in. So, I decided to try the following, and really really liked it. My husband liked the taste but not the smell. My 21 month old daughter liked the flavor of everything together, but wasn't a big fan of the fish itself. I'm going to make it a couple more times, and fully expect everyone to be on board by the third try. Let me know what you think!

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Sardines in Olive Oil, Lemon, and Capers over Pasta

Saute a chopped onion or a few shallots over low heat in a generous amount of olive oil. After the onions have softened a bit, add a clove or more of chopped garlic. Continue to saute over low heat until the onions are translucent. Add the capers, with some of the pickling juice, and the juice of one lemon, and allow it all to heat up together. Add two or more cans of sardines packed in water or olive oil, and allow them to heat through. I recommend the olive oil packed sardines. They have a better look and texture. Add your cooked pasta, salt and pepper to taste, and toss them all together, breaking up the sardines a bit. I used whole-wheat angel hair pasta. The sauce was definitely able to stand up to the whole wheat. You may want to add some of the saved pasta water here. I didn't the last time I made it, but will the next time since I think it'll improve the "sauciness." Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and Parmesan and serve!