Grilled Flatbread

I have a flat bread recipe on my blog already and it was cooked in the kitchen, on a grill pan.  This time I actually grilled it on our infer red grill, (not my favorite grill for this sort of thing), but tasty just the same.
Making dough takes practice and what eventually happens is you don't really follow a recipe, you just know what to do.  I have arrived at that point.  I will attempt to say what measurements I used, but humidity makes an impact on dough, so I will also tell you what you are looking for to attain a good dough and you can aim for that.  Dough is forgiving to a point while it is being kneaded, so the adjustments should be made during that time.
I made this on a school day in the morning and brought it to my friend, Big T's house, for a tennis party get-together.  I should add, the team I play on won our division in a local league so it was a fun day.  T's husband, J, char-grilled oysters for us and we ate the flat bread with the oysters.
I began running the mixer around 6:30am and like I mentioned, brought the grilled bread to her house at 11am.  First, warm your mixing bowl by rinsing it in hot water.  Dry the outside.  Then measure 1/2 Cup Warm Water (around 110F) and add 1 package of Rapid Rise Yeast plus A Few Pinches of Sugar.  Stir with a wooden spoon and let it activate for about 10 minutes; you will see bubbles form.  Place the mixing bowl on the mixer and using a dough hook, begin mixing on the #2 setting.  Add 1 Cup 110F water, 2 Tbl Olive Oil, 1 1/2 Tbl Sugar, and begin adding Flour- 1/2 Cup at a Time.  (You can use All-Purpose, Bread, Wheat or a combination of any and all).  In all, I added Between 4-5 Cups Flour.  Once you have added a few cups of flour, add 1 tsp Kosher Salt.  Continue adding flour until dough is compact but soft and ever so slightly sticky to the touch.  If it is too dry, add a few Tbl Water now.  Once it feels right, knead for about 15-20 minutes until it feels springy and seems to have strands when pulled apart.  Remove the dough and shape into a ball.
Oil a large bowl.  Coat the dough with oil and cover the bowl with a damp cloth.  Let rise for 1 hour in warm place.  I turn on a heat lamp on my hood and place the bowl on a back grate location so the light shines on the cloth.
Remove dough from bowl and using a dough cutter, cut the desired size pieces.  Shape these by pulling the dough from the center, down the sides and under until it appears you have dough that is slightly sticky.  Place these on a floured cloth lined sheet pan to rest.  Cover them with the damp towel and place back under the light or in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.
To busy yourself, cleanup, preheat grill, and get oil ready.  You can see, I used Fresh Rosemary and Olive Oil.  When you are ready roll out the dough, shingle the disks on the sheet pan.  Oil and add Kosher Salt the dough and place on the hot grill, oil side down.  Oil and Salt the upward facing side.  Turn the bread over when it releases from the grill and cook the second side.  Turn again and cross mark the 1st side and then the second.  When it comes off the grill, Oil and add a Pinch of Kosher Salt to the upward facing side.
Cover the bread so it doesn't dry out and serve with your favorite meal.  If hosting at home, I would opt to grill while the bread is being eaten, straight off the grill.  Let me know how it goes for you!!

Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Here is one of the ideas I have used in the past for the Sweet Treat Day.  I provide all the dry ingredients plus Madagascar Vanilla to bake something.  In this case, I like to use my Goo-Goo Bar recipe.  The Sugars are in 1 bag, the Flour, Salt, and Baking Soda is in 1 bag, and the Chocolate, Nuts, and Coconut is in 1 bag.  I include a recipe and all they need is 1 stick of Butter and 1 Egg.



My son writes a message to the teacher on the back of the recipe.  I buy small handled bags and I glue the recipe onto scrapbook paper.  I top it with colorful tissue to make a simple festive gift.  The Vanilla is the most expensive part at $8 at World Markets, but my guess is the entire gift is around $12 each.  This price allows me to thank more than just his teacher and recognize their endless efforts.  Once the Goo-Goo Bars are gone the teacher can still enjoy the Vanilla!
FYI- Goo-Goo Bar recipe is in my dessert section!!

Teacher Appreciation Week Gift Ideas

It's Teacher Appreciation Week for our school district.  It's nice to say thank you to your child's teacher without giving a coffee cup or a picture of your child.  I tend towards consumables because they can be enjoyed and in this case, re-created next year.  I like things that give lasting joy as well.
If you are stuck for a clever idea here's one you may like.  It's a Strawberry Pot filled with Herbs.  There are 2 sizes of pots and this one is the largest.  It has 9 holes and I like to finish the top with flowers.
To make this, begin planting the two bottom holes.  Place the roots on the inside and feed the herbs through getting them to stand upright.  Add dirt.  Plant the next herbs in the same fashion, adding dirt last.  Continue working your way to the top.  Add a 4" flower to the top.  Add dirt to fill it in and water well without a dish.
Here in the deep south where the sun is strong, I place mine on the steps to the kitchen from our carport.  This way it gets several hours of morning sun as well as several in the afternoon.   It needs to be watered each day and I rotate the pot 90 degrees upon watering.
What a treat it is to step outside the door with scissors and return with a fistful of herbs.  Some herbs that do well are chives, oregano, basil, parsley, lemon balm, thyme, sage, and lemon thyme.  See what's available and go for it.  You can even include a recipe using multi herbs with a note from your child on the back.

Parmesan Cheese Grater

If you need a gift for Mother's Day, this is an awesome idea!!  I use this tool, which resembles a file, to grate a fresh hunk of Parmesan Cheese over pasta dishes.  (I use it to grate Fresh Ginger, too.)  I typically wrap the cheese in deli-paper and bring it to the table, just like a restaurant.  It's absolutely delicious.  If you plan to get one, they can be found at local high end kitchen stores and Williams and Sonoma.  Don't forget the cheese to go with it; buy a fresh piece of real Parmesan Reggiano at the cheese counter.

Note:  This isn't a kids tool without strict training.  It will cut like a razor.

Mascarpone Filled Ravioli

This recipe was made up by me in 2004, after returning from a trip to Napa Valley.  I had something like this for lunch at Tra Vigne and tried to re-create what I ate.  I wrote a recipe after my return and decided to have it for my birthday dinner last night.  It was very tasty.  Recipe coming soon.

Fettuccine and Asparagus

This basic recipe comes from Martha Stewart Living, May 2004.  I have made this recipe several times.  The last time I made it, I followed the recipe in terms of preparing the asparagus.  The recipe calls for blanching the asparagus then peeling it.  Peeling it was very difficult because the asparagus tends to be a bit slippery.  
I prefer my original preparation for 1 lb Asparagus rinsed, tips removed, and stems peeled to create strands.  Blanch the tips and strands for about 1 minute in boiling water until bright green.  Remove from water and place in an ice bath. 
In large pot, boil 6 quarts of water.  Once it boils, add 2 Tbl Salt and cook 1 lb Fettuccine until al dente.  Before draining pasta, remove 1 cup of pasta water.  While pasta is cooking, finely chop 2 Large Shallots.  Zest and Juice 1 Lemon.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 Tbl Olive Oil.  Add shallots and cook until translucent.  Add 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream,  1/4 Cup reserved Pasta Water, and Asparagus Ribbons.  Bring to a boil.  Add cooked fettuccine, tossing until heated thoroughly.  If the sauce seems too thick or pasta seems dry, add additional pasta water.  Stir in Lemon Juice and Zest.  Season with Cracked Pepper and Kosher Salt.  Plate and top with generously with Shaved Parmesan Cheese.  Serve at once!!

Wedge Salad

What could be simpler and more cost effective than a wedge salad?  It's amazing that you can pay from $6 upwards to $8 for lettuce that costs about $1.25 a head.  I decided to make my own this week as the weather is getting rather hot. Certainly you can add to the cost with Crispy Shallots, Fragrant Toasted Nuts, and Crumbled Bacon but I used what I had plus my entree already called for shallots.
When ready to prep, whack the stem of the lettuce on the counter to break it away from the head and discard.  Remove any outside leaves that are either dirty or torn.  Rinse under cold water from where the stem was.  Empty the water and shake to remove excess water.   Place on a towel lined plate, stem hole down, and place in very cold refrigerator so it can drain.  This will ensure the lettuce is extra cold but not frozen.  (NOTE: one head will make 4 salads.)  I have mentioned before we have a man-frig, stocked with beverages, and it is on its coldest setting so I placed the lettuce in there for about 6 hours.  Also, chill the plates you plan to use for serving.
Dice Tomato removing the seeds first.  I actually cut grape tomatoes into 8ths and the seeds were so small, I didn't bother deseeding.  If I were using Roma's, I would've removed all the seeds and only diced the outer meat.  Finely chop Black Olives.  Crumble good quality Blue Cheese, I used Gorgonzola.  
Using a serrated knife, cut lettuce into 4 wedges.  Place on chilled plates so you can see all of the layers of the leaves of the 2 sides.  Top with good quality Blue Cheese Dressing, Crumbled Blue Cheese, Diced Tomatoes and Diced Black Olives.  Serve at one.

Fresh Tomatoes over Pasta

I accidentally made this up when my sister D visited me in SF back in the 80's.  We bought fresh pasta and topped it with fresh tomatoes and herbs cooked in hot olive oil.  I made it a few years ago and haven't stopped.  My son and I eat this every time my husband is out of town, not that my husband doesn't like it but we both love it!!  It is super fast and I will never grow tired of these flavors.  I can easily eat this every week!  It's a perfect dinner when you have about 20 minutes to get it on the table.  It can be the entree or a side dish.
These quantities made 3 portions.  First, get the water on the stove.  Fill an 8 quart pot with 6 quarts of water and heat over medium heat, with the lid on.  Next, get the prep done.  When everything is laid out you actually look (and feel) like a chef.  Quarter, 10 perfectly ripe Cherry Tomatoes and place in a bowl.  Place 2 Cloves of Garlic in your garlic press.  You need a few Tbl of Fresh Herbs and you can substitute dry, but take note that dried herbs have a more intense flavor.  This time, I used 1 Tbl Fresh Parsley and 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano and 1/4 tsp Dried Basil.  Place on the counter, Bottle of good Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Red Pepper Flakes, Kosher Salt and Pepper Mill.
Once water is boiling, remove lid, turn heat to high and add 1 Tbl Kosher Salt.  Measure out Angel Hair Pasta add it to the pot.  Cook uncovered.  I have a gadget that has holes and each diameter represents the portion size.  So I used the 2nd hole (1 1/4" round) and then added a bit extra.  It may be approximately 1/4 pound per person.
Heat an empty saucepan over medium heat.
When hot, add 1/2 Cup Olive Oil.  Once hot, add Tomatoes.  They should sizzle.  Stir for about 1 minute.  Press Garlic straight into the pot.  Add 1 1/2 Tbl Balsamic Vinegar and swirl for about 30 seconds.  Add Herbs, 4 or 5 pinches of Salt, 4-5 grinds of pepper, 1 shake of Red Pepper Flakes and swirl.  Turn off heat.  Add 1 Tbl Butter without doing anything.
Drain pasta and plate.  Swirl Butter into the sauce and ladle over hot pasta.  Top with Parmesan Cheese. Indulge immediately with a salad and warm bread.

Home Made Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Being a yankee, I have never been one to mess with LA favorites.  I have circled around flavors without actually making traditional dishes.  The last time I ate Jambalaya I concluded that it was sorely over spiced and even though I hydrated the rice with savory chicken broth, I couldn't cool down the heat.  It was then that I decided this dish had to be simple enough to make from scratch.  There are many combinations of protein and I choose Chicken and Sausage.

Here's how I made my own Jambalaya from scratch.
First the prep.  Dice 1/2 Large Red Bell Pepper to 1/4" dice.  Cut 1 Medium Onion, ciseler.  Wash, peel, and dice 2 Celery Stalks to 1/4" dice.  Have 4 Cloves of Garlic ready to press.  Rinse 1 1/2 lbs Chicken Drumettes and let dry on a paper towel lined plate.  Season the chicken with S&P.  Cut 1 1/2 lbs Smoked Sausage (I used D & D mild sausage) down the middle and then in 1/2" lengths. Chop 1/4 Cup Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley.

Heat a thick bottom pot over medium heat.  Add 2 Tbl Canola Oil.  Once hot, add the Chicken.  Sear on 1 side before turning.  Continue to cook until all sides are golden brown.  The chicken shouldn't be cooked all the way through as it will finish later.  Remove from the pan and place on a clean plate.

Add 1 Tbl Oil, if needed, and add the Peppers, Onion, and Celery.  Season with S&P and cook stirring often until they appear to be getting soft.  Press Garlic into the mixture and cook stirring a few times for a minute or 2.  (NOTE: This is optional.  I added 2 Tbl Butter at this time to add some creamy richness to the dish.)  Add 2 Cups Rice and stir to coat with oil.  Continue to toast the rice for another 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to Medium Low.  Begin adding 4 Cups of Chicken Broth, 1/2 cup at a time.  Stir to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  While you are adding the broth season the mixture with 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme, 1 tsp Dried Sage, 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper, 2 Bay Leaves, 1/4 tsp Tabasco, 1 tsp Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper.  Once you have added all of the broth, add the chicken back into the pot and stir to combine. The rice will not be done.  Continue to add 1/4 cup of Water at a time until the rice is cooked.  This may take an additional cup of water.  Taste the rice and adjust the seasoning to taste.  Add the sausage and parsley.   This dish is somewhat forgiving as long as you haven't over-cooked the rice to begin with.  You can easily re-heat and it will hold the heat fairly well.
From where ever you hail, Happy Mardi Gras!!

White Chocolate Coconut Cake

Remember the Dacquoise I posted in December? In it, I mentioned a pastry chef from the Atlanta Hilton and Towers?  Well, the cake I can still see (and taste) was done by the same guy and was sold in the coffee shop next door to the restaurant I managed.  It was a triple layer cake with a delicious white meringue icing and covered in fluffy white coconut.
Many years ago, I adapted a few recipes to create something similar using white chocolate layers.  If ever you are looking for an honest to goodness old time favorite you need to hunt down Junior League Cookbooks.  I have a few, California Fresh (Jr League of Oakland-East Bay), Connecticut a la Carte (Jr League of Hartford) , and Celebrations of the Bayou (Jr League of Monroe,LA).  Low and behold, I found a White Chocolate Layer Cake recipe that is already written for 3 layers in my Monroe book.  I made a few adjustments such as doubling the white chocolate and increasing the cake flour to make up for the extra moisture.  I omitted the pecans because I want a strictly white cake, white icing and white coconut.

For the white chocolate layers.  Using a cooking spray or Crisco, grease (3) 9" pans. Cut rounds of parchment by tracing the bottom of the pan and cutting out the circles.  Place on greased pan and re-grease the parchment so it completely sticks to the pan.   Measure 1 Cup Buttermilk into a measuring cup and add 1 tsp Baking Soda.  Place 8 oz White Chocolate in a bowl and place it in a pot of simmering water.  Once it melts, stir and remove from the pot of water.  Let cool slightly.  Measure out 2 3/4 Cups Cake Flour.  Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together 2 Sticks Butter with 2 Cup Sugar.  Separate 4 Eggs, the Yolks go in the butter mixture and the Whites go into a clean dry bowl for beating. Add 1 tsp Vanilla to the batter.  Continue to cream until it's combined.  To the batter add, 1/4 flour, 1/3 chocolate, and 1/3 buttermilk, begining and ending with flour, until it's all in the batter.

Whip Egg Whites until they are stiff.  Fold the whites into the batter, 1/3 at a time.   Divide the batter placing 1/3 in each pan.  Spread the batter until it touches the sides and is flat.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.  Let cool for 15 minutes then loosen the sides and remove from the pan.   Place upside down and remove the parchment paper.  Let cool entirely before you assemble the cake.

For the icing, I use a Gale Gand recipe.  It is really fun to make and even more fun to spread.  I made 1 1/2 times the recipe.  This is cooked in a double boiler.  You can make one by using a bowl that fits snuggly into a pot.  Fill pot 1/2 way with water and boil over medium high heat.  To the bowl add 3 Egg Whites, 9 Tbl Cold Water, 2 1/4 Cups Sugar, and 3/4 tsp Cream of Tartar.  Place bowl over the pot of water and reduce to either medium or medium low and using a hand mixer, whip the mixture until stiff peaks.  This will take about 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the heat and mix every few minutes.  Once the mixture begins to cool, add 1 Tsp Vanilla.  Continue to beat every few minutes until it is cool.  This will take an additional 15-20 minutes.  Using a spatula, ice the cake by first icing each layer, then the top, then the sides.  The volume of icing should allow you to generously spread the icing without getting crumbs all over it.  (NOTE: I used all the of the icing) Add Coconut to the sides and top while the icing is still sticky.  Enjoy with your family!!