Eating Omaha…Williamsburg Pizza

 A bit of hype a round this new pizza place out here in West Omaha so had to give it a shot tonight. There were no prices on the online menu but we gave it a go anyway. 

The menu boasts 2 styles of pizza, a Brooklyn round and a Grandma Square pie. With some ‘make your own’ toppings in addition to several pre made pies we chose a medium Italian sausage pizza called the ‘Paesano’, an order of meatballs and garlic knots. 

The bill came to $40 and the pizza was large enough for 4. Garlic knots made like cinnamon buns filled with cheese and garlicky butter, were delicious and the meatballs, nearly tennis ball sized, topped with cheese and swimming in marinara. Also quite good. 

A lot of talk about crust here in the press release, our square pizza had almost a Detroit style crust, fried crispy and tender inside. The toppings were adequate but I could have used a bit more sausage honestly. 

While there are a few booths inside, we weren’t sure there would be a seat so we ordered carry out but you can only call in, no online in Omaha…yet. 

Not sure what I was expecting. I grew up on Sgt. Pfeffers, LaCasa and Don Carmelo and this fit in there somewhere. 

Stuffed Squash

 For years I have made stuffed vegetables either peppers like Hatch Chilies or squash like zucchini and yellow squash. This year I planted a variety of zucchini that was smooth and yellow. Picked at about 10 inches, split and stuffed they are perfect for dinner for 2. 

Depending on the day of week, the stuffing varies from meat (mostly burger and sausage) to seafood ( mainly shrimps)

It always begins the same way and may include bread crumbs or rice/orzo and a variety of cheeses, depending on what I have in hand. Moistening the filling usually entails a bit of broth if I have some open or milk or cream. I like the filling creamy and cheesy. 

Basic filling

1 medium onion, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 pound of hamburger/sausage or peeled deveined shrimp (raw)

1 tbl flour

1/4 + cup bread crumbs, usually Italian or a cup of cooked rice/orzo. I rarely use rice because of the carbs. 

2 cups of raw spinach

3/4 c milk

1/4 cup of cream

3/4 cup shredded cheese, whatever’s on hand.Monterey Jack, pepper Jack, mozzarella. 

For assembly:

10 inch squash

Extra cheese

Sauté the onion a few minutes then add the garlic. Cook till fragrant and add you meat or shrimps. When the protein is cooked, sprinkle on the flour and cook a minute then add the milk. You can add the spinach if using and allow to wilt. Season with salt and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs, cheese of choice and a bit of cream. If it looks too dry add a little more milk or cream. 

Trim the ends of the squash and split down the middle lengthwise. Scoop out the seedy flesh and season with salt and a drizzle of olive oil. I have a ceramic dish 10 x 8 which holds the halves side by side. Make sure the dish is greased and bake the squash at 375 for 20 minutes by itself. 

When times up, spoon the filling in the halves and top with more shredded cheese. Bake at 375, covered for 30-40 minutes, then uncover and bake until the cheese is bubbly. Test for doneness by piercing the squash with a fork. 

Eating Omaha…Acadian Grille

 

Today we went to a matinee concert at a local bar, Stocks n Bonds to see the Danielle Nicole Band and had a late dinner at the Acadian Grille. Thanks to Mike and Cindy Baumer for finding these gems for us to attend and letting us come with. So much fun! The concert was from 4 to 7 and most of the folks packed into the place were our age or older. The music rocked and the band has quite a following. We were fortunate to snag a stage side table after the owner herself offered us the spot. Then, it was time to eat. 

The Acadian Grille serves a variety of Cajun treats and with this still being a fasting period for us we had a great choice of seafood on the menu. We all ordered something different and we were all very happy with our meals and the price. 

Brenda had the Crawfish etoufee and since the hour was late I opted for the Acadian Salad of mixed greens, crunchy fried onions and blackened shrimps. I tried  a bit of Brenda’s dish which was spectacular, the essence of New Orleans. Mike had fried catfish and a side of Gouda Mac n cheese. Cindy had shrimp and grits which looked delicious but had some meat in it so we did not sample that. 

This unassuming little strip mall eatery was just perfect for a nice dinner and the menu boasted some really great dishes I can’t wait to try again soon. 

Cilantro Lime Black Bean Shrimp

https://juliasalbum.com/cilantro-lime-black-bean-shrimp-and-rice/

Great potluck recipe for PreSanctified. Easy and quick to make.

Eating Omaha…Backlot Pizza. Who knew?

 Today was my birthday so we went to dinner at the movie theater. Honestly, who knew. A lovely little restaurant right off the theater filled with lots of ambiance and great Detroit pizza. We were there in time for happy hour. 

The Happy hour menu had some great choices including the signature pizza at $9. What a bargain and what. Great little pizza. We had marinated olives, a generous portion, a marinara feta sauce with baguettes, beer and a cocktail. Everything was delicious. 

The happy hour is perfect for catching a show after or catching happy hour after a show. Love! 

By the way, you can’t fault the delicious popcorn smell when you enter the building. Bonus! 

Eating Omaha: Shahen Afghan

Our friends found this spot close to their home. Afghan food served fresh next to a Afghan grocer. I did not realize the region shares a spice palette with Indian and Pakistani foods. 

The portions were good sized and so we shared a combo plate. Brenda does not care much for lamb but there were chicken kabobs and a ground meat option in the combo, something for both of us.

Debbie and John had been here before and ordered appetizers for the table. A very nice young man waited on us a brought out our food. 

The eggplant was unusual, unpeeled and fried in thin rounds served with a yogurt sauce. Also an order of Manju, Afghan potstickers with ground lamb and red beans. Both were delicious but I found the eggplant skin a bit chewy.

The main course was delicious with saffron flavored rice bed and a selection of meats. Chicken, lamb kebabs and Shami. A ground spicy lamb. This photo was taken from their menu. 

We had a nice meal, great company and some unusual treats. What more could you ask? 

 

Eating Omaha: Cheeseburgers

 Wow. We took a chance and found a great burger close to our neighborhood. Cheeseburgers is a carry out/ eat in place on 168th Street just north of Harrison. You can order on line on in house. So far we’ve ordered online and picked up. Always ready when I get there and piping hot. 

So far we both ordered a burger, me with some fixings and Brenda just cheese, mustard and extra pickles. The fries are super crispy and tasty too. Last time we tried a order of chicken strips and they did not disappoint. Like homemade with a deep crunchy crust and tender chicken. Two thumbs up from us, our favorite burger so far. 

Crab Cakes

 

MARYLAND STYLE CRAB CAKES

COURSE: APPETIZER, MAIN COURSE

CUISINE: AMERICAN

KEYWORD: CRAB CAKE RECIPE, MARYLAND CRAB CAKES

 

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 10 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

 

SERVINGS: 6

 

CALORIES: 283KCAL

 

AUTHOR: JESSICA FORMICOLA

Maryland Crab Cakes are made with jumbo lump crab meat with little filler, Dijon mustard and Old Bay Seasoning plus secrets to making authentic Chesapeake crab cakes!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds jumbo lump BLUE crab meat
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoonWorcestershire
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning , plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1 large egg lightly beaten

INSTRUCTIONS

• Dab the crab meat with paper towels to get out excess moisture. Try not to break apart any of the large crab meat lumps. 
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, Old Bay and lemon juice. 
• Add the crab meat, panko and lightly beaten egg. Toss lightly using your fingers until just moist, again, trying to not break apart any crab meat lumps. If it isn't sticking, add more panko slowly until it binds. Carefully form 8 jumbo crab cakes or 16 crab balls.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease. Place the crab cakes on baking sheet. 
• Preheat the broiler to high heat. Place 4-5 inches from heating element. Broil until lightly brown on top, approximately 7-8 minutes. 
• Remove, transfer to serving plates using a spatula and then garnish with minced parsley (optional) and a sprinkle of Old Bay seasoning. Serve with your choice of dipping sauces. 

Pizza!

 Since our last foray into pizza making, mid July, I have bought a Ooni Pizza gas oven. We seasoned the oven last week and gave it a trial run. I made 4 250 gm dough balls out of dough I made 72 hours in advance. I made my own sauce, riffing off Marcella Hazan’s simple recipe. 

The dough is pretty basic. I used bread flour and I think the handling of the dough for 72 hours is what makes it great. I took it out of the fridge day of baking and proofed it for several hours before making the pizza. I am using the Baking Steel website and technique for the dough and it does not disappoint. 

The link to the dough recipe:

https://bakingsteel.com/pages/how-to-master-your-pizza-doughs?_pos=10&_sid=8fc5f6b7d&_ss=r

The sauce is also basic but this time I used a combination of fresh tomato and canned tomato sauce.the sauce came out incredibly smooth and a little sweet despite having just tomatoes, salt, onion and Italian seasoning in it. I have a variety of garden tomatoes this year so not sure who the culprit is that added the sweetness but I suspect the Italian Pear tomato I used, new this year to the garden. 

 

More to come as we experiment with new toppings and techniques. God help my Guinea pig friends and neighbors. 

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.