cheese please!

If you are as much of a cheese fanatic as I am, I highly recommend checking out this article in NYMag about the 50 cheeses to eat now.  It's pretty all encompassing and includes some of the most interesting domestic and international cheese on the market.  

I've already had the Dunbarton Blue (cheese #2 in the slideshow) and the Beecher's Flagsheep (#4) and I've got to say, they are both absurdly awesome. 

Next on my list of cheeses to try will be the Tomme Dolce.  I see a cheese party in my future.  




Image via NYMag.  

breakfast pizza, take 2.

This is the breakfast pizza I've spent most of my life dreaming about.

I know some people are apprehensive about the idea of an egg on a pizza.  But in my eyes it's an utterly genius addition, up there with the combination of peanut butter and miso (don't knock until you try it on soba noodles with thinly sliced peppers and carrots and diced chicken with a sprinkle of scallions and sesame seeds, divine).

An egg does not belong on every pizza, I can't imagine adding one to Paulie Gee's Hellboy, that one is perfect just the way it is, but it does pair brilliantly with any pizza involving aged cheddar cheese.  Here a personal pie is topped with a single egg, barely cooked so when your fork pierces the center, molten yolk oozes out over the whole pizza.  Combined with chunks of avocado, a (heavy) sprinkle of cheddar, and some Sriracha for some heat, and you basically have the most perfect open-faced breakfast sandwich/pizza hybrid ever.

Just bring napkins, this is not a neat dish in the slightest.

Breakfast Pizza, Take 2
Recipe inspired by an Instagram Photo

This is absurdly adaptable so have fun (some bacon wouldn't be a bad idea..).  And my pictures don't accurately show the egg.  I may have over-baked mine.  It was a sad day and I don't want to talk about it.  

Makes 4 Pizzas

1 recipe of my favorite no-knead pizza dough (here!)
4 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided plus more for greasing the pan.
Salt 
Pepper
1 cup packed sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (optional)
1/2 - 1 avocado (depending on your level of avocado love), cubed 
Sriracha for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.  Divide the pizza dough into 4 pieces and stretch the rounds into 7is-inch rounds.  (No need to be perfect!)  Place the dough on your greased sheet pan (I can usually fit 2 on a sheet pan) .  Drizzle the dough with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Bake for 5 minutes.  

Remove the pan from the oven.  Carefully top each round of dough with an egg.  Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 2 minutes.  

Remove the pan from the oven again, top each round with a quarter of the cheese and return the pans to the oven to bake for another 3-4 minutes or until the egg white is set and the cheese is melted. 

Top each pizza with 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper, some cubed avocado, additional salt and pepper to taste, and a generous drizzle of Sriracha.  

black beauty.

This is everything.   Black, pink, gold, and green.  Romantic yet chic.  

Obsessed is an understatement.  

Image via Pinterest.  

homemade pita bread.

Let's preface this post with the statement that homemade pita bread is awesome.  Really awesome.  

Not only is it awesome but it's absurdly fun to make.  The breads puff up in the oven, inflating like little bread balloons which makes the whole thing feel as if you're making magic.  (And even if yours don't puff up completely they are still utterly awesome as flatbreads so don't fret!)  

I love serving them with hummus (duh) but they also make for an excellent vessel when it comes to eating turkey sandwiches with avocado.  Or they are divine when stuffed with egg salad or chicken salad or chickpea salad! So many possibilities.  

To note!  If you are new to bread baking, well this is the recipe for you.  No excessive kneading, no special equipment, no unique ingredients.  Just the simplest of pantry ingredients and a bowl are the only things required.  Yay! 

Homemade Pita Bread
Recipe via the NYTimes 

Yields 8 six-inch diameter breads

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

½ teaspoon sugar

35 grams whole-wheat flour (1/4 cup), preferably freshly milled

310 grams unbleached all-purposed flour (2 ½ cups)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl. Add yeast and sugar. Stir to dissolve. Add the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk together. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Add salt, olive oil and nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve 1/2 cup). With a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass. Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough.

Turn dough onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth. Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist. (At this point, dough may refrigerated in a large zippered plastic bag for several hours or overnight. Bring dough back to room temperature, knead into a ball and proceed with recipe.)

Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Heat oven to 475 degrees. On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile. Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces of equal size. Form each piece into a little ball. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes.

Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into a flat disk with rolling pin. Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)

Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more. The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles. Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.

Note: Some measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.

hibernate.

Gearing up for another weekend of polar vortex like temperatures and Monday's onslaught of snow by baking pita, assembling the baked pasta of my dreams, and tackling these dishes from two of my favorite food bloggers. (Morning Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel from my imaginary best friend Deb and the winter version of the classic BLT from Not Without Salt.)  

Looking forward to hibernating.  

(This kitchen/dinning room/open floor pan is killing me.) 

Image via Pinterest. 

whole wheat and rye cranberry scones.

Tyler and I have a very specific Saturday breakfast ritual (we are creatures of habit).  In a nutshell it involves a visit to our favorite French bakery for a loaf of multi-grain bread and a chocolate-almond croissant to share. (We may be known there as the people who bring the most pathetic reusable bag ever.  Each week they comment on how it still lives on and they finally felt so bad for us that they gifted us our own Choc-o-pain tote!  I feel so special.) From there we return to the apartment where we eat cheesy scrambled eggs, toast, and drink coffee while watching the Food Network.  I love nothing more then those lazy mornings.  

Sunday's on the other hand, are a mess.  Some times we have a proper breakfast, other weeks it's a weird mash up of avocado toast and grapefruit, occasionally it involves an assortment of refrigerator leftovers (the worst).    I'm been trying to make an effort to improve things because eating a bad breakfast does not bode well if you are trying to have a superior Sunday.  These scones are my first attempt at upping the breakfast ante and I have to say I really brought it in week 1.  Scones are a brilliant cross between biscuits and muffins and these are the best of the best.  Despite the inclusion of both whole wheat and rye flour, the manage to remain tender and delicate.  The cranberries add a bit of tartness and the zest a little acidity which is especially welcome during the winter months when it feels as if nothing excites your taste buds.  Slathered with some butter and orange marmalade and served with tea, you've got breakfast.  Really good breakfast.  

Also, in a weird twist of fate, the NYTimes published an article on scones today which is an excellent read.  

Whole Wheat and Rye Cranberry Scones

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen The Cookbook

Deb mentioned in her cookbook that the dough was really damp for her.  My dough I actually found to be on the dry side.  Not sure if that was because I used both farmer’s cheese and cranberries (2 items that are less moist then ricotta and raspberries).  Regardless of how your dough ends up, keep your counter and your hands well-floured and you won’t have any trouble.

1 cup (120 grams) whole wheat flour

3 tablespoons (25 grams) rye flour (optional)
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (100 grams) all-purpose flour (if you want to omit the rye flour do 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Zest of 1 orange
6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter
1 cup (136 grams or 4 3/4 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped
3/4 cup (189 grams) whole milk ricotta or farmer cheese
1/3 cup (79 ml) heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bottom of a large, wide-ish bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, sugar, salt, and orange zest together.

With a pastry blender: Add the butter (no need to chop it first) and use the blender to both cut the butter into the flour mixture until the biggest pieces are the size of small peas. Toss in cranberries.

Without a pastry blender: Cut the butter into small pieces with a knife and work the butter into the flour mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add chopped cranberries and stir them into the butter-flour mixture.

Both methods: Add the ricotta or farmer cheese and heavy cream together and stir them in to form a dough with a flexible spatula.  Using your hands, gently knead dough into an even mass, right in the bottom of the bowl.

With as few movements as possible, transfer the dough to a well-floured counter, flour the top of the dough and pat it into a 7-inch square about 1-inch tall. With a large knife, divide the dough into 8 or 9 even squares. Transfer the scones to prepared baking sheet with a spatula. Bake the scones for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges. Cool in pan for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack. It’s best to cool them about halfway before eating them, so they can set a bit more

Do ahead: Scones are always best the day they are baked. However, if you wish to get a lead on them, you can make them, arrange them on your parchment-lined sheet and freeze them. If you’re prepping just one day in advance, cover the tray with plastic wrap and bake them the day you need them. If you’re preparing them more than one day in advance, once they are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or container. Bring them back to a parchment-lined sheet when you’re ready to bake them. No need to defrost the frozen, unbaked scones, just add 2 to 3 minutes to your baking time.