Mastering the Art of Pizza…so much to learn

 

As in the last few years, Mackenzie has celebrate her birthday at the pool. The pool is generously shared by our friends, the Kropp’s. They have a lovely home and a great outdoor kitchen with a top of the line gas pizza oven. We have been great friends for well over 40 years. After the home was completed, we were invited over and I made pizzas. Not the greatest but every year I make pizza, it gets a little better. It’s all about the dough, always about the dough.

Once again, this year, Nicholas rolled and tossed the dough into rounds which I dressed and baked, turning frequently and watching like a hawk. This oven achieves temperatures of greater than 800 degrees so things cook in a hurry. We made 15 finished pies and par baked 3 crusts for the freezer. 

So let’s discuss this dough. The first years I made a high hydration dough, 75% or more. It was sloppy and sticky and made a nice crust that was hard to get off the peel. I used parchment paper and let it burn off but what a mess. I lowers the hydration last few times but this year I hit the sweet spot. Dough that was rested and easy to shape. Bubbled and puffed like a dream and had a nice flavor and chewy texture. Jackpot! 

The Dough

Working 3 days ahead for flavor and texture is a must.

500 gms bread flour

2 gms yeast active very

16 gms salt

350 gms water

I used my Kitchen Aid mixer dough hook and made the dough. Mixing first the yeast and flour. Dissolve the salt in the water, add it to the flour and mix away. It will pull away from the bowl so knead it a few minutes then place in a container you can put in the fridge. First let it rise on the counter and stretch a fold after 45 minutes. Rise and stretch and fold again. I use wet hands to keep the dough from sticking to me. 

Cover and place in the fridge till baking day. 

Early on baking day, divide the dough into 240-250 gm portions. Flatten slightly and fold over pressing the dough into the fold then turn, doing  this in all directions about ten times making sure the surface stays taught and smooth.  After the final fold, pinch the seam shut and form a ball with a taught surface by rolling on the counter. Set aside and finish with the rest of the dough. I placed this in a large flat container with a tight fitting lid and allowed my dough balls to fully proof for several hours till forming and baking time. As you can see each batch of dough made about 3 balls and I made 6 batches. 

The sauce was Marcella Kazans super easy recipe using canned Marzano tomatoes, and onion halved and 5 tablespoons of butter. Simmer for 15-20 mins breaking up the tomatoes. Remove the onion then I added a tablespoon of Italian seasoning before hitting it with the immersion blender. 

Eating Omaha…Vidlak’s Brookside Cafe

 Sunday post church breakfast with John and Debbie on our quest to sample local Omaha fare, we stopped at Vidlaks for breakfast. Just a nice little neighborhood place that is always busy and for good reason.

Brenda and I don’t eat a great deal at one sitting and every time we share an entrée, these nice folks bring it to us split on 2 plates. No up charge, no eye rolling, just a big portion cut ,down for 2 people. I love this place! 

I talked Brenda into the chicken fried steak breakfast with eggs and hash browns. Too much for me alone but perfect portions for each of us. Our favorite breakfast is the Cheesebuger Omlet but we have that a lot so time for a change up. It delicious, lots of coffee refills and great company. 

Eating Omaha…Stoking Goat

 Being our anniversary this weekend and needing to use a gift card to this family of restaurants that includes Taxis and Stokes, we ventured out to eat at Stoking Goat in northwest Omaha. Listed and casual dining and being in a casual mood, we went about 5ish and found all day Sunday Happy Hour. 

The menu includes all sorts of interesting combo sandwiches, moderately priced and discounted drinks. We started with a very well made Kentucky Mule. Balanced and tasty it went well with dinner.

For starters, on the happy hour menu, we tried the onion dip with house made chips and Parmesan Crusted Chicken Thigh. The chips were crisp and delicious and the dip was great with a roasted onion flavor.

The chicken thighs, sliced thin and very crusty and crisp served with a sweet sauce were delicious. 

We split a Horseradish Steak sandwich that came on a Demi baguette with cheese and a side of truffle fries. Delicious medium rare Rib Eye that was melt in your mouth tender with a nice horseradish bite to it. 

The service was attentive and while not a busy place on a Sunday evening, it’s a beautiful place to grab an inexpensive meal. 

Townline BBQ sauce.

 

Townline BBQ Sauce

1/4 pound butter

3/4 cup minced onion

1/2 cup minced garlic

2 lemons, zested

5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 1/4 cups ketchup

1 cup tomato juice

3/4 cup light brown sugar

6 tablespoons molasses

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup chili powder

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle puree

Eating Omaha….Capri.

 We had company Sunday and Mat had watched a newscast about a new Italian eatery very close to us. On Tuesday we were able to visit with our good friends, John and Debbie Birge and maybe resurrect the Eating Omaha blog at the same time. No reservations except for 6 or more. Very tiny place and we got there at 6 and snagged a table for four. Several later customers were turned away due to very limited seating. 

This venue is actually in the back of a sports bar called Tanners. The owner has several venues in town and Capri shares a kitchen with the sports bar out front. Cool idea to fly a new concept with minimal risk.

Since this was a new endeavor the interior space was not much to talk about. Clean and utilitarian with a bar and friendly bartender and a single waiter the night we were there, all the tables were full. 

The menu boasts traditional Italian fare, large portions and very well executed. We sampled the Chicken Piccata, Lasagna and Chicken Parmesan. All very tasty and large portions. The Lasagna had a bit of heat to it, the ladies loved the piccata and the Chicken parm was crispy and loaded with cheese. The pasta was a bit over cooked but the sauce was a nice compliment to the dish. Great prices and included a delicious salad. I had Ceasar and the rest had the house salad with various dressings, all good. Nice list of cocktails but I had a beer. The waiter started us to 2 loaves of crispy garlic bread. All in all a great place to grab a bite and not break the bank. The 2 of us was $58 including tip. Can’t complain. Great food, great company. 

Curried Shrimp

 I need new flavors in my Lenten life. Today is Thai Curry with shrimp.  Completely vegetarian except for the shrimp which is allowed during our fast. I used the recipe link below and made my own red curry paste from pantry stores. Yum! 

https://www.foodiecrush.com/shrimp-in-thai-coconut-sauce/

Red Curry Paste

https://www.thespruceeats.com/thai-red-curry-paste-3217309

Rack of Lamb

I had a bit if an issue Fruday. The freezer popped open and a lot of meat thawed. I cooked, roasted, grilled all morning. 

One of the thawed packages cas a full rack of lamb. I pulled up Ina Gartens recipe and followed it to the letter. It did not disappoint.

I made a rub of 1 1/2 tablespoons salt, 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup dijon, 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary ( I used 1 tbls of dry) and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. I crushed everything into a paste in my mortar and then smeared it on the top side of the racks and roasted at 450 degrees for exactly 25 minutes. Removed, tented with foil for 15 minutes and had the most succulent medium rare lamb I could ask for. Sadly it was about 7 am when these came out but I had a chop for breakfast anyway. Honestly they are delicious cold as well. 

Sourdough Recipe I liked….

 https://www.theperfectloaf.com/beginners-sourdough-bread/print/10711/

Great thing about this recipe is that 3 flours are used in the bread giving great texture and tooth to the final product. My starter was super active when I began this morning and resulted in nice rises, a nice overnight ferment and sizable loaves. I only have one Dutch oven so the second loaf had more time to grow. I might just leave them to rise longer as more airy pockets and less dense loaves. Honestly, these were fantastic with a slight tang to them. I’m sure that will get better as my started matures. 

Corn Chowder revisited.

 I planted corn this year and our rabbits had a feast, destroying every sprout except for the 10 or 15 I threw in the raised beds. It grew and produced but I was too late to harvest and it dried up a bit. Got 9 nice ears but not for regular consumption. I made chowder instead or re hydrate the kernel and then pulverize them with the immersion blender. I planted white corn and I used the silage to put into a new raised bed. Everything in the chowder today came from the garden except the dairy of course. 

Corn Chowder

6 ears corn cut off the cob

1 medium onion chopped

1 jalapeño, diced fine

1 clove of garlic

1 tbl butter and olive oil

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

2 cups of milk

1 cup veggie broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup buttermilk cause I had it leftover

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste. 

I sautéed the corn, onions, jalapeños and garlic in the butter and oil till the onions started to become translucent. I added the thyme, milk and broth next and let the mixture come to a simmer for 15 minutes. I ran the immersion blender through after removing the thyme leaving it still a bit chunky then added the cream, Parmesan and buttermilk to finish. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Swiss Chard....

 So this year we have an abundance of tomatoes, radishes, beets, basil, sage and Swiss Chard both a rainbow and regular variety. Leafy and verdant green with colorful stems I made a meal of it tonight. So tasty and fresh. The nice thing about this is cutting a few leaves,  it comes back in days. 

So...what to do with it? Tonight is a meatless night so I used shrimp as my protein and went to town. This recipe served just the 2 of us perfectly. I had mine with a few tablespoons of rice to sop up the delicious liquid. 

Shrimp and Swiss Chard

1 pound of shrimp, raw, shelled. I used 20-24 per pound.

A bunch of chard. It cooks down so pick more than you think. Shred the leaves and chop the stems. 

2 cloves of garlic, chopped coarse

1/2 red onion or sweet yellow onion, diced

2  T olive oil

1T butter

Red pepper flakes 

Salt and pepper

1/2 lemon zested and juiced

Optional: 1/4 cup crumbled Feta cheese

3 T heavy cream. 

1/2 cup of rice per serving. 

In a large skillet, melt the butter and heat the olive oil. Add the onions and chard stems then the garlic and red pepper. Sauté till the onion is translucent and the stems are tender then add the shrimps and cook till just done. 

Add the shredded chard leaves and turn with a pair of tongs until it wilts a bit. Salt and pepper to taste then add the lemon zest and juice. Stir till everything is coated. 

Add the cheese and cream and a lovely sauce will form. Serve over rice if you like.