Pre-Race Pizza

You'll soon realize this blog could've easily been titled "Pizza and Other Things We Made When Not Making Pizza."  The fact is, we love pizza.  It's versatile, easy and (when you make it yourself) healthy.

I ran the Bolder Boulder 10k this morning, so last night's dinner was pre-race pizza.  For a runner, there's nothing better than pizza.  Except maybe pasta.  You'll see a lot of that here, too.

And I ran a course PR (personal record) at the Bolder Boulder today.  So if you want to run fast in your next race, you should make this pizza and drink this wine because they obviously have performance-enhancing qualities.  (Note: This claim has not been approved by the FDA.  Your results may differ.  Side effects may include . . .  blah, blah, blah.)

Pepperoni Pizza with Shiitake Mushrooms, Red Onion and Brocollini
Brad and I wandered around Whole Foods yesterday afternoon in search of pizza toppings and came up with a great combination.  We wanted something with a bit of crunch, and the brocollini was perfect.  And I just love the buttery flavor of shiitake mushrooms, but you could use whatever kind of mushrooms you prefer.

Wine
We drank one of our favorite rose's, Vin Gris of Pinot Noir from Robert Sinskey Vinyards.  This rose' is so good, and the vineyard makes it in such small quantities, that as summer goes on our friends begin to ration and mete out their Sinskey rose'.  As a result, it becomes a sort of social currency.  Those who are known to have a bottle or two left on hand are never without an invite to a party or dinner.

You heard it here first, the key to being popular is Sinskey rose'.  Forget money, forget good looks, forget a sense of humor.  When the days get long and hot, people want the pink.  If you see it in your local liquor store, buy it.  It probably won't be there the next time you stop in.  Especially if you live near us.

Pepperoni Pizza with Shiitake Mushrooms, Red Onion and Brocollini
If you made the Salami pizza last week like we did, you'll have that second pizza crust in your freezer.  You will also need some simple tomato sauce; here's the recipe for both.

For the pizza toppings:

2 oz pepperoni, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/2 bunch of brocollini, chopped into about 1 1/2 inch sections
1/8 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup finely shredded asiago cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
extra virgin olive oil

Assembly and Baking Instructions

Place pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450.  Ideally you should let the pizza stone heat for 45 minutes to an hour, but we've heated it for less time and still had ok results.

Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a pizza peel or large rimless baking sheet and place the ball of dough in the center.  Coat your fingers with olive oil and press the dough from the center outward into a 12-inch round with a slightly raised edge.  If the dough springs back, it is not quite ready to work.  Cover it with a clean kitchen towel, pour yourself a glass of wine, and let it rest a few minutes before continuing.  Patience is key here, as the thinner the dough is, the cripier the crust will be.  And the dough will not let you work it until it is good and ready.  It's kind of stubborn that way.

Brush the raised edge of the dough with a light coating of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.  For this pizza we used rosemary sea salt.  You don't want to put a lot of salt on the crust, think about how much salt you'd sprinkle on a soft pretzel.  Spread the dough evenly with the tomato sauce, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered.  Combine the Asiago and cheddar cheeses and scatter about half over the sauce, then top with the pepperoni, shiitake mushrooms, red onion, brocollini and the rest of the cheese.

Carefully slide the pizza-topped parchment paper from the peel or baking sheet onto the hot pizza stone.  Bake until done.  Just kidding.  Bake until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 9-12 minutes, sprinkling the parmesan cheese on top after about 5 minutes.  Using the pizza peel or rimless baking sheet, remove the pizza from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board to slice.

Dip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah

My, oh, my, what a wonderful day.  We didn't have plenty of sunshine, in fact it rained buckets, but dinner at our friends Robin and Mark's house is always a treat.

Our contribution to their fine meal was a series of dips with crudite and homemade crackers.  This month's Bon Appetit magazine includes a "Summer Cooking Manifesto" that declares crudite and dip a standard best left in the last century.  I see no good reason for such banishment and neither does chef and cookbook author Maria Helm Sinskey, for in our recent RSV Glutton and Gourmand wine club shipment she declared the omnipotent dip is back.  Maria Sinskey is the culinary director of a top Napa vineyard and was named one of the "Best New Chefs in America" by Food & Wine magazine, whereas the Bon Appetit issue in question . . . has  a picture of Gwyneth Paltrow on the front.  Enough said: Maria Sinskey, one; Bon Appetit, zero.

Homemade Crackers and Crudite with a Trio of Dips
So back to our lovely dips, which included a Herbed Cucumber Dip, a Smoky Lemony Chickpea Dip, and a Carmelized Two Onion Dip with Nigella Seeds.  The crackers were RSV Farmstead Cheddar & Nigella Seed Crackers, which we modified a bit by sprinkling them with rosemary sea salt.  Maria Sinskey's recipes for each are below, and are also currently on the Robert Sinskey Vineyards website.  Be warned, once you try her version of onion dip, you will never again be able to mix a packet of dried onion soup mix into sour cream and call it good.  You'll know you can do better.

Wine
With these dip and cracker recipes the vineyard sent a half bottle and a magnum of their Pinot Blanc, reasoning that Pinot Blanc is a great way to start a meal or a phenomenal wine for a party.  In the words of vineyard owner Robert Sinskey, "instead of braggadocio, Pinot Blanc is happy to be clean and pure, elegant and balanced . . . and one of the most flexible culinary wines money can buy."  It was outstanding with the dips, and it's always fun to show up at someone's house with a huge bottle of wine!

Herbed Cucumber Dip
Yields about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup grated cucumber, peeled and seeded before grating
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 small clove garlic, pressed
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the cucumbers in a medium bowl and add 1 teaspoon salt.  Toss well and place in a strainer to drain over a bowl for about 20 minutes.  Squeeze out excess water into the bowl, discard the liquid, then place the cucmber shreds in the bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the black pepper, and mix well.  Season to taste with salt and black pepper.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving, ideally overnight.

Smoky Lemony Chickpea Dip
Yields about 2 1/2 cups

2 cups cooked chickpeas (high quality canned chickpeas work fine)
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon smoked hot pimenton
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 medium garlic clove, pressed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients except olive oil in food processor and process until smooth.  With the motor running, add the olive oil slowly to emulsify.

Place in bowl and season to taste with salt.  Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.  Serve at room temperature.

Carmelized Two Onion Dip with Nigella Seeds
Yields about 2 cups

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely diced sweet yellow onion
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 green onions, trimmed, sliced thinly
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon Nigella seed, toasted (see Sources page)
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil and then the onions.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions are sweet, carmelized and just barely moist.  Turn out onto plate to cool.

In a medium bowl, mix the cooled onions with the remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving, ideally overnight.

RSV Farmstead Cheddar & Nigella Seed Crackers
Yields . . .  a lot

1 cup warm water
1 Tablespoon yeast
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Nigella seed (see Sources page)
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
Extra virgin olive oil
Fleur de Sel or kosher salt for sprinkling (we used rosemary sea salt)
Semolina or corn meal for dusting sheet pans

Place the warm water in a small bowl, sprinkle yeast evenly over the top and allow to sit for about 5 minutes to allow the yeast to "bloom."  Whisk the yeast into the water until smooth.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast.  Using the mixer's dough hook, mix until the dough is roughly combined.  Add the cheese, Nigella seed and soft butter.  Knead the dough until very smooth, about 5 minutes.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.  Punch the dough down and divide into 3 pieces.  Cover the pieces of dough with plastic wrap to keep moist.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare sheet pans by sprinkling very lightly with semolina or corn meal.

Remove one section of dough at a time and roll thinly with a rolling pin on an unfloured surface.  Lift the dough and turn it several times, continuing to roll the dough until very thin.  You can also use a pasta machine to roll the dough thinly, but I found the dough to be very easy to work with using just a rolling pin.

Brush the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle very lightly with salt.  Prick the dough well with a fork, then using a sharp knife cut the dough into desired cracker shapes.  Transfer to prepared sheet pans and let sit for 10 minutes before baking.

Bake until done (about 15-20 minutes), turning once until the crackers are bubbled, golden and crisp.  Cool and store extras in an airtight container.  Maria Sinskey says they'll store for up to two weeks; I don't think they'll last that long.  They're addictive.

Hello, Fava

I confess, I've been obsessed with fresh fava beans this spring.  It took a really long time for favas to hit our menu and for this I blame Hannibal Lector.  Hearing "I ate his liver with fava beans and a nice Chianti" just didn't make me go "yum."

But let me tell you, these little beans are awesome and so versatile.  And I've read Jack's magic beans were likely favas.  How cool is that?  Who couldn't use a little magic in their life?

Fresh favas involve a bit of prep work, but they are so worth it.

Pasta with Favas, Tomatoes and Sausage
Of the various dishes we've made with fresh favas, this pasta from the May 2008 issue of Bon Appetit is my favorite.  We made it as written, except we used dry campanelle pasta instead of making fresh pasta.  We've also made it with ham instead of sausage and that was really good too.

I like to shuck the beans while catching up on DVR'd episodes of Gossip Girl, but shucking would go well with pretty much any mindless activity.

Wine
We drank a Fiano di Avellino by Feudi di San Gregorio from the mountainous Irpinia region of Italy, about 40k outside Naples.   Fiano di Avellino is a dry, white wine that was delicious with this pasta dish but would also pair very well with seafood or a simple pizza margherita.  Or just drink it all by its yummy self; it's a perfect summertime wine.

I am just a Po' Boy though my story's seldom told. . . .

Ever since I received Brad's text yesterday afternoon asking if open-faced blackened catfish sandwiches sounded good for dinner, I've had The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel stuck in my head.  So it may as well be stuck in your head also.  You're welcome.  No, this sandwich is not technically a po' boy, but it was a super easy and delicious cajun treat.  And the best part?  It's adapted from a Cooking Light recipe, so we can all atone for that sinful s'mores cake.

Open-Faced Blackened Catfish Sandwiches

Based on a recipe from the June 2011 issue of Cooking Light, our version is below.  Brad tweaked the recipe a bit to suit our taste, and used the full amount of spice mix and slaw for our two servings.  He also cooked ours on the grill instead of the cast iron skillet used in the original recipe.  And we skipped the okra and tomato side recipe; we found the sandwich was plenty filling for dinner and left room for the very last of the s'mores cake.

Wine

We drank a riesling from Chateau Montelena in Calistoga, California.  You may recognize Chateau Montelena from the 2008 movie Bottle Shock, which tells the story of the 1976 "Judgment of Paris" where Montelena's Chardonnay beat out all the french wines in a blind tasting.  More than 30 years later they're still making fantastic Chardonnay, and it will show up in this blog at some point. 

A word about riesling.  Although I sense a shift, I think riesling is still a very underappreciated wine.  Many sommeliers will list riesling among their favorites, yet many people still say "no, thanks," thinking of riesling as only a sweet wine.  Dry riesling is wonderful paired with food.  Try it!

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Open-Faced Blackened Catfish Sandwiches

1 3/4 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon mace

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 catfish fillets

1/3 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt

3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 Tablespoon honey

2 cups packaged cabbage-carrot coleslaw

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 chopped green onion

2 slices sourdough bread

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a small bowl, sprinkle on both sides of fish, and let rest while you prepare the slaw.

Combine the yogurt, juice and honey in a medium bowl.  Add cabbage, cilantro and green onion; toss well to coat and set aside.

Heat the grill.  Brush both sides of bread with olive oil.  Grill bread on both sides to your preferred degree of doneness; we like some charred marks on the bread.

Grill the fish until done, about 4 minutes per side.  (Time needed on your grill may vary.)

To assemble, place a slice of bread on each plate, top the bread with about 1/2 cup slaw and 1 fish fillet, and put remaining slaw on top of that.

Easy Peasy Asian Kebabs

Kebabs are great, they're so easy. Take some meat, some veggies, a little sauce; grill it all up and dinner's ready. Too cold/rainy/windy to grill? Broil them under the second highest rack in the oven. If using wooden skewers, soak them for about 15 minutes so they don't catch fire. That's a little more flame-grilled flavor than anyone needs.

Asian Pork Kebabs
We used pork for these kebabs, but you could easily use chicken, beef or shrimp, or skip the meat and just load up the skewers with a bunch of veggies. And for the veggies, again use whatever you like. Just be sure to either cut everything the same size so it cooks evenly, or make separate skewers for the various ingredients so they can be grilled for different lengths of time.

Wine
We drank a pinot noir from Robert Sinskey Vinyards, another of our Napa favorites. We buy the Los Carneros pinot in half bottles, which for us is perfect for weeknight dinner. On our recent visit to the vinyard we learned the vinyard owner began bottling the pinot in half bottles when his wife, Maria, was pregnant. That way he could have wine with their dinner and not worry about finishing an entire bottle. It's nice to know that someone who owns a vinyard, and has almost unlimited access to great wine, also worries about finishing the bottle.

Asian Pork Kebabs
2 Tablespoons oyster flavored sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch piece)
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chili paste (or to taste)
3/4 pound pork tenderloin
1 bunch green onions
1/2 pound snap peas
1/2 yellow bell pepper

Combine first 5 ingredients to make glaze, and set aside.  Cut the pork tenderloin into 3/4 inch slices, the green onions into 2 inch pieces, and the bell pepper into about 1 1/2 inch chunks; trim the snap peas.  Thread all onto skewers and grill, turning occasionally, until pork is cooked through and the veggies are charred, about 9 minutes.  Brush kebabs with glaze and grill for another minute, turning once (and brushing again with glaze after turning).

Serve with brown rice.  For quick weeknight dinners, we keep frozen brown rice on hand.  A few minutes in the microwave and it's good to go.  Easy peasy.

Want S'more?

Brad and I went on a fantastic but somewhat grueling (for me) 50-mile bike ride today with some friends, on the heels of my 16 mile run yesterday.  Afterward we had a late lunch of burgers and fries at one of our favorite local joints, Park Burger. When dinnertime rolled around neither of us were very hungry so we decided to skip dinner and just have dessert. We're allowed to do that, right? Isn't that one of the perks of being a supposed grown-up?  Maybe after dessert-dinner I'll run through the house with scissors.

Last summer we spent a lot of time hanging out at our backyard fire pit making s'mores. I've been thinking about making a s'mores cake based on a cupcake recipe in Martha Stewart's cookbook, Cupcakes. Being me, I followed the cupcake recipe as written. Brad's influence on my kitchen style shone through in me baking it up as a layer cake and swapping out the chocolate ganache glaze for a more traditional, thicker chocolate ganache.

S'mores Cake with Chocolate Ganache and Marshmallow Frosting Filling
adapted from Martha Stewart, Cupcakes

Wine
Hmmm . . . what to pair with complete, utter exhaustion and disregard for a proper dinner?  In honor of the first truly nice, sunny day we've had here in a while, Brad and I decided to have some 2010 Pink from Frog's Leap in Rutherford, California. The winemaker describes it as a blend of ancient vine Valdigue and equally old Zinfandel that produces a “sunny-day” wine with bright aromas of peach blossom, strawberry and jasmine. I have to agree; perfect for our sunny day.


Don't be afraid every once in a while to skip dinner in favor of eating only cake.  Tell your mom I said it's alright.

Graham Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups graham flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
6 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray two 8x8 inch square baking pans with Pam with flour or similar baking spray.  (I prefer not to butter and flour the pans when the outside of the cake will not be coated with frosting.)

Whisk or stir together in a medium bowl both flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter, brown sugar, and honey until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to medium and beat in vanilla and eggs, one at a time.  Scrape down bowl frequently to ensure the eggs are evenly incorporated.  Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.  If you overmix, the cake may be tough.

Divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans.  Bake until done (golden brown and cake tester comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached), about 30 minutes.  Place pans on wire racks to cool for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting
1/2 pound good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (Ghirardelli chocolate chips save the chopping)
1 cups heavy cream
3 Tablespoons half and half
2 Tablespoons corn syrup

Place chocolate in a large heatproof bowl.  Bring cream and corn syrup to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Pour over chocolate and let stand, without stirring, until chocolate begins to melt.

Beginning near the center and, working outward, stir melted chocolate into cream mixture until combined and smooth.  Do not overstir.  Chocolate does not like to be worked too much.  If overworked, it will become grainy and you will need to start over; chocolate waste is a tragedy.

Refigerate the chocolate, stirring every 5 minutes, until it just barely begins to hold its shape and is slightly lighter in color.  Use immediately.

Marshmallow Frosting
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar

In a mixing bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water.  Allow gelatin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup water and the sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Once sugar is dissolved, stop stirring and clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan.  Boil syrup until temperature reaches the soft-ball stage (238 degrees F), brushing down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming.  (Note, if sugar crystals form they can burn and affect the flavor of the frosting.)

Remove from heat.  Add syrup to softened gelatin.  Use an electric mixer on low to whisk the mixture until cool, about 1 minute.  Increase speed to medium-high and whisk until soft, glossy (but not dry) peaks form, 8 to 10 minutes.  Use immediately or pour into a waxed paper-lined 8 x 8 pan until ready to use (frosting will harden).

Assembly
Place one cake layer on serving plate.  Spread thick layer of chocolate ganache over top, letting some drip down sides to simulate an oozy s'more.  Place layer of marshmallow frosting atop the chocolate.  Using a kitchen torch, brown top and sides of marshmallow.  Put other cake layer on top.  You can either serve the cake like this, which would most resemble a traditional s'more, or you can put another layer of chocolate ganache on top.

For the Love of Carbs

Last night's dinner was a fairly typical Friday night in our house.  I'm a few-marathons-a-year distance runner and Brad's an avid cyclist.  We both do our longest training distances on Saturday mornings, so we tend to eat a carb-heavy meal on Friday night.  And that's a-ok with me.  In a nutshell, I'm a runner because I love carbs; because I'm a runner, I need to eat a lot of carbs.  I love how that works.

Pizza with Salami, Fennel & Asiago Cheese
This is based on a recipe from Pizza and other savory pies by Brigit Binns, which is a fantastic cookbook to have in your library if you like to make pizza.

Wine

With this pizza we drank a malbec from hope & grace, a great little Napa valley winery with a tasting room in Yountville.  By the way, if you've not yet been to Yountville, you must leave this blog immediately and make plans to do so.  Trust me.  Just make sure you come back and tell me how you liked it.

Now, for the pizza you will need:

Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough
We like to make our own dough, but you could just as easily skip this step by purchasing pizza dough (Whole Foods sells good pizza dough), or use a pizza shell such as Boboli.  The recipe below makes enough dough for two pizzas, and it freezes very well.

Simple Tomato Sauce
Again, we like to make our own.  But if you're pressed for time, or just don't feel like making the sauce, feel free to substitute some good quality jarred sauce.

Toppings

Assembly and Baking Instructions


Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 3/4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 package (2 1/2 tsp) quick-rise yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp honey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees), plus extra as needed
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra as needed

In food processor, combine the flours, yeast, salt and honey.  Pulse to mix.  With the motor running, add the water and olive oil in a steady stream, and then pulse until the dough comes together in a rough mass, about 12 seconds.  If the dough does not form into a ball, sprinkle with 1-2 tsp water and pulse again until a rough mass forms.  Let rest for 5-10 minutes.  Process again for 25-30 seconds, steadying the top of the food processor with your hand so it doesn't jump off the counter to the floor.  The dough should be tacky to the touch but not sticky.  Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and form it into a smooth ball.  Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, turn to coat the dough with oil, and cover with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk and spongy, about 1 1/2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, punch it down, and knead into a smooth cylinder.  Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a smooth ball, dusting with flour only if the dough becomes too sticky to handle.  Cover both balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes before proceeding with your chosen pizza recipe.  If you are using only one ball of dough, place the second ball in a gallon-size zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 2 months.  (When ready to use, thaw the frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator or 3-4 hours at room temperature.  If thawed in the fridge, take out an hour or so before using so it can come to room temperature.)

back to list of what you need

Simple Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes (we prefer San Marzano)
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 - 2 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.  Add the garlic, onion, and red pepper, lower heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.  Be careful not to let it scorch or the garlic will taste bitter.

Add the tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, dried thyme, pepper, 1/3 cup water, and 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the vinegar to the sauce pan.  Bring it to a slow boil over low heat, then simmer, stirring occasionally until it reduces down to whatever thickness you prefer.  We simmered ours for about 30 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and additional vineger.  Use right away or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

back to list of what you need

Pizza Toppings
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus extra for shaping and brushing
1 small fennel bulb, quartered, cored and thinly sliced crosswise (reserve fronds)
2 oz Genoa-style salami, sliced
2 oz Asiago cheese, torn into bite-sized pieces
Kosher salt
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

In a frying pan over low heat, warm the 2 Tablespoons of olive oil.  Add the fennel and season lightly with kosher salt.  Cover and cook until softened, stirring only occasionally, about 14 minutes.  Remove the cover and cook, stirring frequently now, until much of the liquid has evaporated and the fennel is tender and translucent, 5-10 minutes ore.  Be careful not to let it scorch.

back to list of what you need

Assembly and Baking Instructions
Place pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 450.  Ideally you should let the pizza stone heat for 45 minutes to an hour, but we've heated it for less time and still had ok results.

Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a pizza peel or large rimless baking sheet and place the ball of dough in the center.  Coat your fingers with olive oil and press the dough from the center outward into a 12-inch round with a slightly raised edge.  If the dough springs back, it is not quite ready to work.  Cover it with a clean kitchen towel, pour yourself a glass of wine, and let it rest a few minutes before continuing.  Patience is key here, as the thinner the dough is, the cripier the crust will be.  And the dough will not let you work it until it is good and ready.  It's kind of stubborn that way.

Brush the raised edge of the dough with a light coating of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.  For this pizza we used Red Alae Hawaiian Kai sea salt.  You don't want to put a lot of salt on the crust, think about how much salt you'd sprinkle on a soft pretzel.  Spread the dough evenly with the tomato sauce, leaving a 1/2 inch border uncovered.  Scatter a bit of the Asiago cheese over the sauce, then top with the fennel, salami and the rest of the cheese.  Season to taste with pepper.

Carefully slide the pizza-topped parchment paper from the peel or baking sheet onto the hot pizza stone.  Bake until done.  Just kidding.  Bake until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is bubbling, 9-12 minutes.  Using the pizza peel or rimless baking sheet, remove the pizza from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board.  Let stand for 1 minute, sprinkle with some of the reserved fronds, and then slice and serve.

Mangiamo Pronto!