Recipe Archives - Page 2 of 2

December 31, 2020January 3, 2021

(Not Too) Spicy Grilled Tuna Steaks with Salad Greens

If you don’t like fish, this is the fish recipe for you. If you do like fish, especially tuna, this is definitely the recipe for you. It was published by the great Pierre Franey (1921 – 1996) in the New York Times and Chicago Tribune in August of 1992. It may well be the greatest tuna recipe ever written. (Yes, Rob, even better than canned-tuna noodle casserole.) I have made it many times over the years, something I rarely do. Hell, I almost never make anything more than once.

Photo: Nancy Young

Spicy Grilled Tuna Steaks

Serves 4

1/4 cup sesame seeds (toasted is better, but not necessary)
1 Tbls curry powder
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp anise seeds
Salt to taste
4 tuna steaks, about 1″ thick, 1-1/2 lbs. total, the fresher the better
olive oil

1. Preheat a grill, or oven broiler. Mix sesame seeds, curry powder, black pepper, anise seeds, and salt in a small bowl.
2. Lightly oil tuna with olive oil. Sprinkle steaks evenly on both sides with sesame mixture, and press down so mixture adheres well to steaks. Cover and let stand for 15 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, prepare Mixed Salad, below.
4. Place steaks on hot grill or under broiler for two minutes per side for rare. (For greater doneness, you can cook a little longer, particularly if you are grilling outside in the winter, but otherwise I don’t recommend it. Trust me on this.)

Mixed Salad with Vinaigrette

6 cups mixed salad greens (readily available preboxed, for convenience)
2 Tbls each: Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
8 Tbls olive oil

1. Wash and dry greens thoroughly in a salad spinner. If large, tear leaves with your hands; if you buy them in a bag or box they will probably be small enough that you can leave them whole.
2. Put mustard, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir well. Add oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly until well blended. Adjust vinegar to taste (I like my dressing with a little more zip).
3. Add greens and toss well with vinaigrette.

To serve, place dressed mixed green salad in center of plate. Cut tuna into slices on the bias and place slices on top of greens.

Since the grill is already on, if you’d like more food, this goes really well with mixed vegetable kabobs (zucchini, onion, red bell pepper, mushroom, etc). Double the vinaigrette, and use half to marinate the veggies. They will need about five minutes per side to cook, so start them before the tuna. Alternatively, a side of plain white rice would work, also.

Serve with one of these Pinot Noirs. Yes, a red, not a white. Unless it is a sparkler.

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June 8, 2020July 10, 2020

Coq au Vin (Chicken with Wine Sauce)

Coq au Vin is a classic French dish of chicken in wine with onions, mushrooms, and bacon. It is usually made with red wine, but I think white wine makes for better color and flavor. In France, the only side is usually parsley potatoes, but you can add buttered green peas as well. This recipe comes from volume 1 of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Serves 4 to 6

4 oz. bacon
Cut bacon into 1/4″ x 1″ rectangles. Simmer for 10 minutes in 2 quarts of water. Rinse and dry.

2 Tb butter
Saute the bacon in a large skillet on low heat in butter until very lightly browned

A cut-up frying chicken
Brown in the fat used to cook the bacon

1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Season the chicken. Return bacon to skillet, cover and cook on low for 10 minutes. Turn chicken once.

1/4 cup brandy or cognac
Uncover, and pour in the brandy. Carefully ignite the brandy. Shake skillet for several seconds until the flames subside.

3 cups of dry white or rose wine
1 to 2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 Tb. tomato paste
4 cloves mashed garlic
thyme (I like to use about 2 Tbs. fresh)
1 bay leaf
Pour the wine into the skillet. Add just enough stock to cover the chicken. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and herbs. Cover and simmer on low for 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken registers 165 degrees. Remove the chicken and keep warm.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare:
12 to 24 brown-braised onions
https://www.food.com/recipe/brown-braised-onions-julia-child-446699
1/2 lb. sauteed mushrooms
https://www.food.com/recipe/sauteed-mushrooms-julia-child-446721

Boil and reduce the liquid to about 2-1/4 cups. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf.

3 Tb. flour
2 Tb. softened butter
Blend the butter and flour together into a smooth paste. Beat the paste into the hot liquid with a whisk. Simmer for a minute or two.

Arrange the chicken in the skillet, surround with onions and mushrooms, and baste with the sauce. Cover and simmer on low for 4 to 5 minutes to reheat the chicken and serve decorated with sprigs of parsley.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

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May 2, 2020February 20, 2022

Camarena Tequila

Winter is behind us for yet another year, and even under quarantine, thoughts turn to relaxed evenings on the deck or patio, steaks or shrimp sizzling on the Weber, and something cool and refreshing in the glass. A crisp Chardonnay or ice-cold beer are nice, of course, but it’s hard to beat a well-made Margarita (no sweet-and-sour mix!) when the weather gets pleasant. And, of course, Cinco de Mayo is just a couple of days away as I write this.

A good Margarita is only as good as the tequila it’s made from, and the best tequila is 100-percent blue agave. Blue agave is a smooth-leafed succulent plant (a cactus-type plant with no needles). The unique blue cast of the plant’s leaves gave it its English name. Agave is native to the central Mexican state of Jalisco; it was there in 1761 that the Spanish-immigrant Camarena family co-founded the town of Arandas (approximately 280 miles east of Puerto Vallarta). In 1860 the Camarenas began cultivating blue agave for tequila, becoming one of Mexico’s top growers. Today, the family grows more than three million agave plants, some at an altitude of 7,700 feet, in the Los Altos Highlands, the world’s highest agave fields. Here, the mineral-rich volcanic soil, low rainfall, and temperate climate support plants of greater flavor maturity.

In 1938, the Camarenas began making their own tequila. The process starts when the seven- to ten-year old plants are hand-harvested by the field workers, the jimadores. The jimadores use sharp spades called coas to remove the spiky leaves from the agave. What remains is a trimmed central piña, often weighing more than 100 pounds.

The piñas are then slow-roasted for two days in ovens made of volcanic sandstone, to convert the agave’s fructose to fermentable sugar. Next, the cooked agaves are passed through a shredding mill to separate the juice from the pulp. A special wine yeast is added to the juice, or wort, to create a mildly alcoholic liquid called mosto. The mosto is then distilled using traditional, small pot stills. Apparently, Camarena goes a step further. According to their Web site, “we use a proprietary method which blends traditional ovens and modern techniques. This allows us to consistently produce one of the smoothest and best-tasting tequilas around.” Indeed, both of Camarena’s tequilas are exceptionally smooth and appealing, and they are excellent values. (There is also an Anejo, which I didn’t have a chance to try.)

E.&J. Gallo (yes, that Gallo) inked an exclusive deal to distribute Camarena in the U.S. in 2010, which is why the brand appeared nearly everywhere seemingly instantly.

To help get your summer started, here’s my personal Killer Margarita recipe: combine 4 oz. tequila, 2 oz. triple sec, and 3 oz. Rose’s lime juice with 1 cup crushed ice. Stir or shake until ice is nearly melted. Pour into salted-rim (I like to use a mix of 3-parts kosher salt to 1-part tajin seasoning) glasses half filled with ice cubes. Garnish with a fresh lime slice.

Camarena 100% Agave Silver

Camarena 100% Blue Agave Silver Tequila rests for several months after distillation to integrate flavors before it is bottled at 40% alcohol. This unaged tequila is completely clear, and exhibits hints of sweet vanilla and black pepper. Substitute it for vodka in a Bloody Maria.

Camarena 100% Agave Reposado

Camarena 100% Blue Agave Reposado Tequila is aged for two months in American oak barrels. The wood aging imparts a golden color, and brings out additional roundness to the flavor, as well as the natural agave sweetness. Substitute it for bourbon in a Mexican Manhattan.

https://www.tequilacamarena.com/

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April 13, 2020January 31, 2024

Cline Nancy’s Cuvee (with tuna souffle)

As you enter Sonoma county from the south on California 121, one of the first wineries you encounter is Cline Cellars, and there could hardly be a better introduction to the Carneros AVA.

Even as a young teenager, Fred Cline learned to make wine from his grandfather, Valeriano Jacuzzi (yes, he of the hydrotherapy tub, as well as many other innovations). With a $9000 inheritance from Valeriano, in 1981 Cline founded the eponymous Cline Cellars in Oakley, California.

Continue reading “Cline Nancy’s Cuvee (with tuna souffle)”

March 26, 2020February 10, 2021

North Wisconsin Brandy

Steeerike Three! Yer Out!

Major League Baseball’s 2020 season was supposed to open today. As of this writing, that’s been pushed out to at least mid-May due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Once the season does begin though, at Milwaukees’ Miller Park, home of the Brewers, the official brandy served at the ballpark will be Central Standard distillery’s North Wisconsin Brandy. Your opening-day celebrations can include an iconic Wisconsin-style brandy Old Fashioned made with a spirit produced right there in town.

North is the first-ever brandy produced by a Milwaukee company. Made at Central Standard’s Clybourn Street distillery, the small-batch brandy is aged and finished in their bourbon barrels. (By the way, North Wisconsin debuted as North 40, but was quietly rebranded shortly thereafter.)

“North is a recipe we’ve been working to perfect since we opened our doors more than four years ago,” notes Central Standard Craft Distillery co-founder Pat McQuillan.

Photo: J Matt

Photo: Mitchell Metcalf

All well and good, and more than 40,000 people will be potential customers for North Wisconsin every game day. Unfortunately, the brandy is mediocre at best. It is pale amber in the glass, perhaps a sign of not enough time in those bourbon barrels (a quirky choice on its own). There are distinct whiffs of acetone on the nose, often indicative of a lower distillation temperature. The taste is hot and one-dimensional. And at about $20 a bottle, there are a number of better values out there, often at about half the price, including Korbel.

“Wisconsin is our number one state,” says Margie Healy, director of public relations for the California-based Korbel. “We export 385,000 cases a year, and 139,000 go directly to Wisconsin. That’s one-third of our total production.”

But perhaps a classic Wisconsin Old Fashioned will mask enough of those flaws for you to give it a try. Here are three recipes:

Old Fashioned Sweet

1 orange slice (never an orange twist)
1 maraschino cherry
1-1/2 ounces maraschino cherry juice
1 teaspoon bitters
1/4 to 1/3 cup ice cubes
1-1/2 ounces brandy
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon orange juice
3 ounces lemon-lime soda

In a rocks glass, muddle orange slice, cherry, cherry juice and bitters. Add ice. Pour in the brandy, water, orange juice and soda.

Old Fashioned Sour

1 orange slice
2 cherries and their juices
1-1/2 ounces brandy (or about one shot)
dash of bitters (1 dropper full – 10 drops)
1 teaspoon of sugar
Collins mix, or 50/50 or Squirt soda
ice cubes

In a cocktail glass muddle sugar, orange slice, cherries and bitters, add shot of brandy and stir. Add ice to fill the glass, then top it off with Collins mix, 50/50 or Squirt soda.

Old Fashioned Press

Press is short for Presbyterian, and refers to finishing the drink with club soda. So for a Press, simply substitute club soda for the sweet soda in either of the recipes above.

Listen to my podcast about brandy, Cognac, and Armagnac here.

https://thecentralstandard.com/spirits/our-spirits

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March 13, 2020

FOS Mastiha Liqueur

FOS Mastiha Liqueur The Mastiha tree is also known as the famous Crying Tree, since it “cries” teardrops of resin during the harvest period. It only grows and is cultivated on the small Mediterranean island of Chios. Nowhere else in the world has it been able to take root.

The island of Chios is the fifth largest island in Greece, with an area of 325 square miles. Its nickname is “the mastic island.” In the south of the island are the Mastichochoria, literally the Mastic villages, the seven villages of Mesta, Pyrgi, Olympi, Kalamoti, Vessa, Lithi, and Elata, which together have controlled the production of mastic gum in the area since the Roman period.
The villages, built between the 14th and 16th centuries, were carefully designed with fortified gates and narrow streets to protect against the frequent raids of marauding pirates.

Mastiha has been used for thousands of years by the Greeks, the Romans, the Ottomans, and many others. From this small Mediterranean island, In the 5th century BC, Hippocrates recommended Mastiha as an excellent digestive. It is said the Romans spiced their wine with it. During the Byzantine years, Mastiha became famous. It traveled across Europe and reached from east to west, including Constantinople, Damascus, Alexandria, Rome, Paris, London, and Florence.

To produce this unique liqueur, the Crying Tree is harvested once a year, usually at the beginning of summer. Experienced workers delicately slice the surface of the trees. The resin slowly seeps out of the bark and dries in the sunlight to form translucent golden crystals.. It takes several weeks to collect the resin .

Once collected, Mastiha is packed in wooden containers and sent to a cool warehouse, where women of the villages pick the best quality Mastiha by hand.

The Mastiha is then mixed with fine-quality alcohol and is put in large bronze tanks. The mix is heated carefully over a wood-burning fire. It is finally blended with other secret ingredients and bottled.

This balanced sweet spirit has pronounced notes of cucumber, pine, anise, and herbaceous undertones. FOS Mastiha Liqueur is made out of 100% pure Mastiha and is not artificially scented. FOS Mastiha works well on its own or the rocks or as a mixer.

Here’s a recipe to get you started with this unusual liqueur:

MEDITERRANEAN COOLER

2 oz. FOS Greek Mastiha
2 oz. Cucumber Vodka
1/2 oz. Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz. Coconut Water

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass.

http://ambrosiagrp.com/

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March 5, 2020

Bakon Vodka

mmm…bacon

Whenever Homer Simpson wants to relax with something other than Duff beer, my guess is he turns to Bakon Vodka. Yes. Premium vodka infused with the aroma and taste of delicious smokehouse bacon.

People have been mixing savory ingredients with alcohol as long as they have been drinking alcohol. Writers from the 17th century, including John Locke and Samuel Pepys frequently imbibed and wrote about savory infused ales. It turns out that mixing sweet and savory in food and beverage is not a new idea.

The folks behind Bakon started developing the product in the fall of 2007 and worked on it for two years. The base spirit is quality Idaho potato vodka. It is smooth and slightly sweet, with the well-rounded flavor that you only get from a quality potato distillation. The vodka is column-distilled using a single heating process that allegedly doesn’t “bruise” the alcohol like the multiple heating cycles needed to make a typical pot-still vodka.

Next comes the infusion, to deliver the essence of a delicious, crisp slice of peppered bacon. This secret process creates a taste and smell that is surprisingly accurate. Before you do any mixing with it, first try it chilled and straight up, to maximize the “wow!” reaction.

Co-founder and Creative Director Chris Marshall notes, “Although today you can find plenty of sweet, fruity-flavored mixtures and infusions, we’re excited to produce a savory spirit that people can’t wait to try.”

Flavored vodkas are popular with trendy mixologists who want more versatility and options than mainline liquors provide. Like them, you can use Bakon vodka to whip up an excellent Bloody Mary, a Bacon Martini with a blue cheese-stuffed olive, or:

The Elvis Presley

2 oz. Bakon vodka
1 oz. hazelnut liqueur
1 oz. banana liqueur
a splash of cream.

Shake with ice and strain into a glass. Thank you. Thank you very much.

www.bakonvodka.com/

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February 29, 2020

Gabriel Boudier Saffron Infused Gin

In 1909, Gabriel Boudier took over the house of Fontbonne, founded in 1874, and renamed it after himself. He established the business at Boulevard de Strasbourg in Dijon, France, where it continued to thrive until his death in 1918.

In 1936, his widow sold the house to Marcel Battault, who decided not to change the trading name because of its high-quality reputation, He, in turn, handed the business to his nephew Pierre in 1941. In the years since, four more Battaults, Jean, Yves, Francois, and Claire have joined the firm and enjoyed the company’s penchant for nepotism.

Boudier makes a comprehensive line of Crème de Cassis de Dijon, for which they are most famous, Crème de Fruits, eaux de vie (unaged brandy), liqueurs, and the saffron-infused gin which we’re focusing on here.

Introduced in to the US market in 2008, Boudier Saffron Infused Gin is based on a artisanal colonial French recipe rediscovered in the Boudier archives. It is distilled in small batches using a traditional pot still.

The saffron in this dramatically golden-orange-hued gin is more subtle than its appearance suggests (it is artificially colored). The saffron adds a nuanced spiciness and slightly-honeyed balance to the traditional gin botanicals of juniper, coriander, lemon, orange peel, and fennel.

What to do with this unusual spirit? Here’s one idea:

Saffron Peach Cocktail

3 oz. GB Saffron gin
1 oz. peach syrup
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 oz. agave nectar
Shake and garnish with a fresh peach slice.

A few other ways to enjoy this unique gin are ‘up’ in a martini glass (skip the vermouth); on the rocks; mixed with tonic and garnished with an orange wedge; or to put a new twist on a Negroni. 80 proof.

www.boudier.com/en/produit/saffron-gin/

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January 31, 2020

Cinque Aperitivo

Ciao, Italia!

As you cocktail mavens may be aware, aperitivos and amaros are currently having a moment in bars across the U.S. The rest of you are probably asking, “A what and a what?”

An aperitivo (in Italian) or apéritif (in French) is a light alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and is therefore usually dry rather than sweet. An amaro (Italian for “bitter”) is an Italian herbal liqueur that is commonly drunk as an after-dinner digestif. It usually has a bittersweet and sometimes syrupy flavor.

Cinque is an aperitivo created following a traditional recipe developed in 1929. It is based on an infusion of 12 selected roots and herbs, highlighted by bitter orange and gentian lutea, selected for its bitter root (the overall bitterness level is an approachable “medium”). It’s perfect for fans of Campari and Aperol looking for something a bit different.

Although Cinque is labeled to look as Italian as possible, and the parent company, Don Ciccio & Figli, has roots to the Old Country going back as far as 1883, it is in fact produced in Washington, D.C.

Here’s a sample recipe: 1 oz. gin, 1oz. Cinque aperitivo, 1 oz. amaro, a splash of soda, and a dash of lemon bitters. Stir well and serve on the rocks with an orange twist and sweet cherry as garnish. Salute!

https://www.donciccioefigli.com/cinque-aperitivo

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January 9, 2020January 9, 2020

Lobster and Champagne Risotto

Serves 6

2 tsp. salt, plus salt to taste
24 oz. of lobster tails
3 cups dry champagne or sparkling wine
(Nothing fancy needed here; try Underwood in a can.)
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, minced
1-1/2 cups Carnaroli (preferably) or Arborio rice
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives, plus whole chives for garnish
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
ground pepper to taste

Fill stockpot with 6 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt. Add lobster tails and cook for 9 minutes. Using tongs, remove tails from cooking liquid and let cool. Remove meat from shells.

Add shells to the cooking liquid and reduce over high heat to 3 cups, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a saucepan; add the champagne or sparkling wine and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to keep the liquid hot.

In a large, heavy sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and saute over low heat until very soft, about 12 minutes. Do not let the onion brown. Add the rice and stir until white spots appear in the center of the grains. Add a ladleful of the liquid, adjust the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the liquid, a ladleful at a time and stirring constantly, until the rice is just tender but slightly firm in the center and the mixture is creamy, 20 to 25 minutes longer. With the final ladleful of liquid, stir in the lobster meat, snipped chives, parsley, lemon juice, and cream. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon into warmed individual bowls, garnish the whole chives, and serve.

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December 26, 2019December 31, 2020

Clos Pegase Pinot Noir Mitsuko’s Vineyard 2016 and a Salmon Souffle

A Christmas Souffle

There are few things as elegant, or as easy to make, as a souffle. My stepdaughter and her partner dropped by for Christmas, and he mentioned that, even though he is 45, he had never had a savory souffle, much less made one. I assured him it was really simple, so I whipped up one with salmon. The recipe is below if you want to make one as well. But first, the wine.

Clos Pegase Pinot Noir Mitsuko’s Vineyard 2016

This wine pours a jewel-like ruby red into the glass. The nose greets you with aromas of vanilla and ripe red cherries. Those cherries come forward on the palate, along with hints of cinnamon and clove. There is harmonious balance between the oak, acid, and tannins. It’s all rounded out by a nice medium finish. it paired quite nicely with:

Salmon Souffle 2019

I first learned to make souffles from The New York Times Cookbook by Craig Claiborne, and that was the starting place for this one.

3 Tbl butter
3 Tbl flour
4 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 C milk or half and half
4 eggs, separated
Salt and dry mustard to taste
2 Tbl teriyaki sauce
14 oz. can salmon

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and saute the mushrooms until lightly browned.
3. Stir in the flour and blend with a wire whisk. Meanwhile, drain the salmon into a 1 cup measure. Add enough milk to come to 1 cup. Bring the milk to a boil, and add all at once to the butter-flour mixture (aka a roux), stirring with the whisk until thickened and smooth. Let cool.
3. Beat in, one at at time, the four egg yolks. Season with salt, mustard, and teriyaki sauce.
4. Flake the salmon, and blend well into the white sauce and egg mixture.
5. Using a rotary beater or an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they stand in peaks. Do not over beat. Fold the whites gently into the salmon mixture with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, being careful not to overblend.
6. Pour into a 1-1/2 quart souffle dish, which may be greased or ungreased. Place in oven and bake thirty to forty minutes. Serve with Hollandaise sauce.

https://www.clospegase.com/

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November 17, 2019December 31, 2020

La Fea Selección Especial 2018 with Deep Dish Pizza

It’s pizza night, and that means homemade deep dish. Sorry DD haters, but that’s the way I roll. I paired up this hearty pie featuring Italian sausage, bell peppers, and onions with a 2018 La Fea Selección Especial Tinto Rojo. This is a fresh and bright tempranillo/garnacha blend from northeast Spain’s Cariñena region. It is named after the unfortunate nickname whispered behind the back of Queen Isabela; La Fea translates as “the ugly one.” But it pours a lovely dark cherry hue in the glass. There is a lively nose of dark fruit, with aromas of raspberry, black cherry, and violet on the palate. 40% Tempranillo, 40% Garnacha, 20% Syrah.

If you’d like to make this pizza, here’s how. Start about four hours before you plan to eat.

This California-style dough is from James McNair’s excellent New Pizza. There’s a link to the book at the end of this post.

1 cup water at 110 degrees F
2-1/4 tsp instant rise yeast
3-1/4 cup all purpose or bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
Optional: 2 tsp garlic powder and/or 1 Tbs Italian seasoning

Mix the olive oil into the flour, then add the remaining ingredients. Then knead by hand, stand mixer, food processor, or bread machine. Time and technique will vary, so I’ll leave that up to you. Lightly coat the dough with spray oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled.

1 Tbs olive oil
1 lb. hot and/or mild Italian sausage
2 cans of anchovies (trust me on this)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 poblano pepper, chopped
2 cups marinara or pizza sauce, homemade or store bought
1/2 cup green and/or black olives
6 oz. tomato paste
Optional: 8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
3 to 4 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbs dried oregano
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
10 – 12 oz. mozzarella or (even better) fontina, coarsely grated
salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, add the tablespoon of olive oil and saute the sausage. When lightly browned, transfer to a bowl. Add the anchovies with their oil to the saucepan. Once the oil has reheated, add all of the vegetables and cook until tender, five to eight minutes. Add the cooked sausage, 2 cups of sauce, tomato paste, oregano, and Worchestershire sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat as low as you can, and simmer uncovered for at least an hour, stirring occasionally.

About an hour and a half before you want to eat, heat oven to 450 degrees F. Thirty minutes after starting the oven, punch down the dough and add to the pan. I used a 12″ deep dish pan, but this would also work with two 9″ cake pans or a 16″ pizza screen. (For the deep dish, I like to fold the crust in and over for the last step after the filling has been added.) Brush the dough with olive oil and set aside. It will rise some more, intentionally.

After an hour of preheating the oven, cover the dough with the sauce (it should be off the heat for at least 15 minutes prior), the basil, and the cheese, in that order. Bake a flat pie for about 15 minutes, but check the crust for browning after 10. Bake the deep dish for 30 minutes, assess, and go another 10 minutes if necessary. Remove pizza from oven, rest for five minutes on a wire rack, and serve. Will serve six to eight.

If you make this pizza, let me know how it went. Click on the post title to access the comments section.

The wine is sometimes available at http://www.wineinsiders.com

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November 11, 2019January 31, 2024

Two Unusual Wines from Italy, and One of My Original Pizza Recipes

When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie, That’s Amore.

So sang famous Italian-American crooner Dean Martin. “When the world seems to shine / Like you’ve had too much wine / That’s amore.” In this post we’re going to have just enough of two somewhat unusual wines from Italy.

Elena Walch Gewurztraminer 2006

Geewurzawhat? Gewurztraminer [guh-VURTZ-trah-mean-er] is a white wine most commonly associated with Germany. The name is derived from gewürz (spice) + traminer, (variety of grape), from tramin (Termeno, Italy), where this white-wine grape is thought to have originated over 1000 years ago, although not widely planted there now. This is a wine that’s best drunk fairly young—even vintage Gewürztraminers rarely age well past five years.

Elena Walch is a former architect who became a wine producer in 1985 after marrying into one of the oldest established wine families in Alto Adige. Her two estates, totaling 67 acres, lie on the southern slopes of the Alps, where during the summer the central valleys become filled with warm, Mediterranean air. Under her care, the vineyards have been transformed with low-yielding but high quality-clones of both international and local grape varieties.

Her Gewürztraminer is just a tad more than slightly sweet, with a dry finish on the back of the tongue that has a hint of bitterness. The color is an attractive golden yellow. The nose is characteristically aromatic and flowery.
Serve lightly chilled as a full-flavoured aperitif and with a range of dishes, including savory first courses and grilled fish.

https://www.elenawalch.com/en/wine/gewurztraminer-3/

Boschis Dolcetto de Dogliani 2005

Traveling 290 miles southwest from Alto Adige across the top of Italy’s “boot” will bring you to Dogliani, where Dolcetto [dole-CHET-oh] may have originated and was harvested as early as 1593.

The Francesco Boschis estate started making and bottling wine in 1968, while previously grapes were sold to other producers in the area. Dolcetto is the main varietal planted, commanding a dominant 80% of the winery’s production. (Unfortunately, an extensive Internet search yielded no more information on this shy estate.)

This Dolcetto is what Boschis terms an ‘autumn wine,’ but I think it is more suitable to late spring or early summer. Although the color is inky dark, the body is remarkably light (rather too much so for my taste in reds) and refreshing with black cherry overtones. One taster detected a touch of brettanomyces, which is a yeast that grows on grapes and in wine. Some say this gives the wine’s fruit flavors a degree of gaminess; others say a degree of wet cardboard. Neither sounds appealing to me, but happily I didn’t taste the ‘bret.’

This wine will pair nicely with all things Italiano: a nice antipasto platter, pasta, grilled fish, and of course, pizza.

If you need a pizza recipe, here’s one of my originals you might want to try:

DOUGH\

Start dough at 4p for dinner between 8p and 9p
1 cup warm water
2 tsp instant-rise yeast
3-1/4 C bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil (EV not necessary)
2 to 3 tbs dried oregano or Italian herb
mix (optional)
Combine ingredients and knead by hand for 10 minutes or machine
for 2 minutes. Coat dough ball in a thin film of olive oil, cover in plastic wrap and let rise in warm place.

SAUCE

28 oz. can tomato puree
1 tbs dried parsley
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried marjoram (optional)
1/4 – 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
10 cloves minced fresh garlic, lightly sauteed in the olive oil above
1/4 cup red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, or a combination
1-/1/2 tsp salt
Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Makes about 6 cups, more than you will need. Freeze the remainder for the next pizza.

THE PIZZA

About an hour before service, turn the oven up as high as it will go.
Twenty to thirty minutes before service, roll dough out to 16” circle. [Or divide dough if you want to make two smaller pizzas.] Place on pizza screen if available, being careful not to press the dough into the mesh.

Half of large white onion, minced
As many garlic cloves as you like, minced
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
12 oz. Italian sausage, hot or mild
4 – 6 oz. pepperoni, casing removed, sliced thin
1 bell pepper, green (more authentic) or red (more flavorful), diced
1 can sliced pitted black olives, or 3/4 cup brined black olives if you want to kick it up a notch.
1/2 to 1 lb grated mozzarella or fontina

Add 2 tbs olive oil to large skillet. Over medium heat, saute onion, garlic, and pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, leaving as much oil in pan as possible. Add sausage and saute until browned, breaking up into coarse chunks.
Brush dough with olive oil. Cover evenly with all ingredients except mushrooms. Ladle on enough sauce to generously cover. Distribute
mushrooms on top of sauce.
Bake in oven until crust nicely browns, about 10
minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.

The dough for this recipe was derived from James McNair’s excellent New Pizza. Don’t be discouraged by the one-star reviews, they are bogus, imho. One dweeb complained that McNair didn’t cover such arcane techniques as cold fermentation. Geez. If you want a cold ferment, use room temperature water and let the dough rise in the refrigerator for 24 hours. But, you’re not going to have pizza tonight, and you won’t taste the subtleties a cold ferment brings to dough under all those toppings.

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