Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Pizza

Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Pizza

Makes 2 12-inch pizzas

(America)

Many restaurants offer a variety of pizzas including pizzas topped with roasted red peppers.  My interpretation of this classically topped pizza is unique because the roasted red peppers aren't just incorporated in the sauce, they are the sauce.

                                                                    Pizza dough:  3 hours

                                                                    Roasted red peppers: 1 hour

                                                                    Roasted red pepper sauce: 20 minutes

                                                                    Pizza bake time: 12 minutes per pizza

                                                                    Total time: 3 hours 24 minutes

Ingredients

authentic pizza dough:

2½ cups Bread Flour, plus additional for work surface

1 cup Warm (105° F) Water

1 Envelope Active Dry Yeast

¼ cup Honey

¼ cup Extra-virgin Olive Oil

4 teaspoons Kosher or sea salt

roasted red peppers:

5-6 large red bell peppers

Extra virgin olive oil

1 large paper bag

roasted red pepper sauce*:

1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 cup sliced shallots

roasted red pepper (see recipe)

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups chicken broth

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

toppings:

1 yellow onion, peeled, ¼-inch diced

1 cup roasted red pepper sauce (see recipe)

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano  cheese, to taste

8 ounces sweet or hot Italian sausage, casing removed and fried until crumbly  (still a little pink) 

 Preparation

authentic pizza dough: 

1. In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the water and honey stir to combine and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes. If the yeast doesn't "proof" (get "foamy") pour it out and start again it is important to have a live yeast mixture.

2. Meanwhile place the flour and the salt into a sifter and sift it into the medium bowl of a stand mixer. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the olive oil and the "proofed" yeast mixture. Turn the mixer, fitted with dough hooks, to knead and turn on. Continue kneading (mixing) until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around the dough hooks (scrap the sides of the bowl to move flour into the path of the hooks as needed).

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky (add flour gradually as needed to reach the slightly tacky state), 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl with about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil the ball on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap cloth and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

5. After the dough has doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a 12-inch log. Divide the log in half and form each half into equally sized dough balls. Lightly oil a 2 large mixing bowl with about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place each dough ball into its own bowl and turn to oil the ball on all sides. Cover each bowl with plastic and set in a warm, draft-free place until the nearly double in size again, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While the dough is proofing, create the sauce and cook the sausage.

roasted red peppers:

1. Either (a) position the top rack of your oven as close to the broiler element as possible and turn on the broiler or (b) fire up your charcoal(or gas) grill or (c) turn the gas stove top element of your stove on.

2. Coat each pepper with olive oil.

3. If you’re using (a) the stove broiler method, place the coated peppers on a rimmed cookie sheet on the top rack and cook, turning as necessary, the peppers until they are well charred on all sides, remove them to a paper bag, fold the top of the bag over several times to seal the bag and set the bag aside for several minutes to allow the peppers to sweat or (b) if you are using the grill method, place the coated peppers on the grill and cook, turning as necessary, the peppers until they are well charred on all sides. After the peppers are well charred on all side, remove them to a paper bag, fold the top of the bag over several times to seal the bag and set the bag aside for several minutes to allow the peppers to sweat or (c)if you are using the stove top method, skewer the coated peppers (one at a time) on a long shafted fork and cook over the gas stove top element, rotating as necessary, until the pepper is well charred on all sides. As each pepper is finished charring, remove it from the fork and transfer to a paper bag, fold the top of the bag over several times to seal the bag. Repeat this process until all the peppers have been charred and are in the paper bag at this point, set the bag aside for several minutes to allow the peppers to sweat.

4. After the peppers have had several minutes to cool and sweat remove them, one by one, from the bag and remove and discarded the charred skin, the seeds and inner rib and cut the roasted peppers into strips and arrange them on a serving platter.

5. After all the peppers have been transferred to the serving platter pour marinate or dressing of your choice over the peppers and set aside to marinate or serve as is or use as required in your recipe.

roasted red pepper sauce:

1. Sauté shallots in the olive oil in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium-high heat until translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the roasted red peppers, stir in the sugar and sauté for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the chicken broth and simmer 5 minutes. Allow the broth and roasted red pepper mixture to cool slightly to avoid an unpleasant blender incident. When it has cooled and working in batches, puree the broth, red pepper, and shallots in the container of a blender until a smooth, creamy sauce is formed (if the sauce is too thick for your tastes, thin it by adding additional warm broth). Correct seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

construction and baking:

1. Place an appropriately sized pizza stone on the middle shelf of your oven and pre-heat the oven to 450° F.

2. Remove the risen dough ball from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface , flatten it into a thick disk and with your fingertips and palms, working from the center of the disk out to the edges, press it into a thin disk of dough approximately 10 to 12-inch round and about 1/8 inch thick (if necessary use a rolling pin to achieve the 1/8-inch thickness [don’t worry if the pizza isn’t perfectly round . . . that’s called “rustica” and it’s the way “real” Italian pizza looks in Italy]). If you're really brave you can try the spin and toss method of forming the pie (this dough is perfect for it) just remember to use your knuckles when spinning and tossing . . . fingertips can cause holes). Sprinkle flour over the surface of this thin disk (this will become the bottom of the pie when you place the pizza base on the peel in the next instruction).

3. Distribute some corn meal over the surface of a pizza peel (this will act as “ball bearings” and allow the dough rounds to move easily over the surface of the peel) and transfer the formed pizza base onto the peel insuring that the lightly floured side is on the bottom. Lightly spread ½ cup of the roasted red pepper sauce evenly over pizza base keeping a ½ to 1-inch border of the base uncoated to form a crust; sprinkle about 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano and ½ the grated mozzarella evenly over the sauce (maintaining the uncoated border). Evenly distribute ½ the diced onion and ½ the cooked sausage over the sauce and cheeses and again maintaining the uncoated boarder .

4. Finally sprinkle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the surface.

5. Gently shake the peel to insure the pizza moves freely (if it doesn’t gently lift the edges of the pizza and distribute additional corn meal until it does), using the peel slide the pizza onto the stone and bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 12 minute in a 450°F oven. Remove from the oven, slice into 8 wedge shaped slices and serve.

6. Repeat with the remaining dough, toppings, and cheeses.

*roasted red pepper sauce recipe makes 4 cups of sauce, any leftover sauce can be jarred and refrigerated for future use as a pasta sauce or the base of roasted red pepper soup

Lahmajoon

Lahmajoon

(Armenian Pizza)

Makes 3  12-inch pizzas

(Armenian)

                                                          Prep time: 3 hours

Pizza cook time: 12 minutes per

Ingredients

dough:

1 cup warm (105 ° F) water

1 envelope active dry yeast  (about 1 1/8 teaspoons)

¼ cup honey

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/2 cups bread flour, plus additional for work surface

4 teaspoon salt

topping:

1 ½  pound  lean ground beef  

1 cup drained petite diced tomatoes

¾  cup finely chopped onion

½  cup minced fresh Italian flat leaved parsley

½  cup finely chopped green pepper

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 ½  teaspoons dried mint

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon paprika, or to taste

1/8 to ¼  teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

3 lemons quartered

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

dough:

1.  In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the water and honey stir to combine and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.  If the yeast doesn't "proof" (get "foamy") pour it out and start again it is important to have a live yeast mixture.

2.  Meanwhile place the flour and the salt into a sifter and sift it into the medium bowl  of a stand mixer.  Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the olive oil and the "proofed" yeast mixture.  Turn the mixer, fitted with dough hooks,  to high (labeled  knead on my mixer) and turn on.  Continue kneading (mixing) until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around the dough hooks (scrap the sides of the bowl to move flour into the path of the hooks as needed).

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky (add flour gradually as needed to reach the slightly tacky state), 3 to 5 minutes.

4.  Lightly oil a large mixing bowl with about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil the ball on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap cloth and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

5.  After the dough  has doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a 12-inch log.  Divide the log in thirds and form each half into equally sized dough balls.  Lightly oil a 3 large mixing bowl with about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place each dough ball into its own bowl and turn to oil the ball on all sides. Cover each bowl with plastic and set in a warm, draft-free place until the nearly double in size again, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

topping:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 450° F.

2.  In a medium sized skillet over medium heat lightly brown the ground beef until it is crumbly but still a little pink.  Remove from  heat and allow to cool.

3.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onions, parsley, green pepper, tomato paste, mint, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, and black pepper.   When the beef has cooled enough to handle, crumble the beef over the mixture and mix well.

construction and baking:

1.  Place an appropriately sized pizza stone on the middle shelf of your oven and pre-heat the oven to 450° F.

2.  Place one of the dough balls on a lightly floured work surface and flatten it into a thick disk then,  with your fingertips and palms and  working from the center of the disk out to the edges, press it into a thin disk of dough approximately 12-inch round and about 1/8 inch thick (if necessary use a rolling pin to achieve the 1/8-inch thickness [don’t worry if the pizza isn’t perfectly round . . . that’s called “rustica” and it’s the way “real” Italian pizza looks in Italy]).  If you're really brave you can try the spin and toss method of forming the pie (this dough is perfect for it) just remember to use your knuckles when spinning and tossing . . . fingertips can cause holes).  Sprinkle flour over the surface of this thin disk (this will become the bottom of the pie when you place the pizza base on the peel  in the next instruction).

3.  Distribute some corn meal over the surface of a pizza peel (this will act as “ball bearings” and allow the dough rounds to move easily over the surface of the peel) and transfer the formed pizza base onto the peel.   Spread 1/3  of  the meat mixture onto the base to within 1/2 –inch  of the edge to form a crust.   Drizzle about 2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over the pizza.

4.  Gently shake the peel to insure the pizza moves freely (if it doesn’t gently lift the edges of the pizza and distribute additional corn meal until it does), using the peel slide the pizza onto the stone and bake the pizza until browned and crisp at the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes in a 450°F oven.

5.  Repeat with remaining dough balls and toppings.

service:

 As they come out of the oven, slice each pie into 8 wedge shaped slices and serve accompanied by lemon wedges to squeeze over the slices.

Armenian Flatbread Pizza with Cheese

Armenian Flatbread Pizza with Cheese

makes 3  12-inch pizzas

(America)

                                                                           Prep time: 3 hours

                                                                           Pizza cook time: 12 minutes per

Ingredients

dough:

1 cup warm (105 ° F) water

1 envelope active dry yeast  (about 1 1/8 teaspoons)

¼ cup honey

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/2 cups bread flour, plus additional for work surface

4 teaspoon salt

topping:

1 ½  pound  lean ground beef  

1 cup drained petite diced tomatoes

¾  cup finely chopped onion

½  cup minced fresh Italian flat leaved parsley

½  cup finely chopped green pepper

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 ½  teaspoons dried mint

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1/4 teaspoon paprika, or to taste

1/8 to ¼  teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

extra-virgin olive oil, to taste

Preparation

dough:

1.  In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the water and honey stir to combine and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.  If the yeast doesn't "proof" (get "foamy") pour it out and start again it is important to have a live yeast mixture.

2.  Meanwhile place the flour and the salt into a sifter and sift it into the medium bowl  of a stand mixer.  Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the olive oil and the "proofed" yeast mixture.  Turn the mixer, fitted with dough hooks,  to high (labeled  knead on my mixer) and turn on.  Continue kneading (mixing) until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around the dough hooks (scrap the sides of the bowl to move flour into the path of the hooks as needed).

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky (add flour gradually as needed to reach the slightly tacky state), 3 to 5 minutes.

4.  Lightly oil a large mixing bowl with about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil the ball on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap cloth and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

5.  After the dough  has doubled in size, remove the dough from the bowl and form it into a 12-inch log.  Divide the log in thirds and form each half into equally sized dough balls.  Lightly oil a 3 large mixing bowl with about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place each dough ball into its own bowl and turn to oil the ball on all sides. Cover each bowl with plastic and set in a warm, draft-free place until the nearly double in size again, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

topping:

1.  Pre-heat oven to 450° F.

2.  In a medium sized skillet over medium heat lightly brown the ground beef until it is crumbly but still a little pink.  Remove from  heat and allow to cool.

3.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onions, parsley, green pepper, tomato paste, mint, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, paprika, and black pepper.   When the beef has cooled enough to handle, crumble the beef over the mixture and mix well.

construction and baking:

1.  Place an appropriately sized pizza stone on the middle shelf of your oven and pre-heat the oven to 450° F.

2.  Place one of the dough balls on a lightly floured work surface and flatten it into a thick disk then,  with your fingertips and palms and  working from the center of the disk out to the edges, press it into a thin disk of dough approximately 12-inch round and about 1/8 inch thick (if necessary use a rolling pin to achieve the 1/8-inch thickness [don’t worry if the pizza isn’t perfectly round . . . that’s called “rustica” and it’s the way “real” Italian pizza looks in Italy]).  If you're really brave you can try the spin and toss method of forming the pie (this dough is perfect for it) just remember to use your knuckles when spinning and tossing . . . fingertips can cause holes).  Sprinkle flour over the surface of this thin disk (this will become the bottom of the pie when you place the pizza base on the peel  in the next instruction).

3.  Distribute some corn meal over the surface of a pizza peel (this will act as “ball bearings” and allow the dough rounds to move easily over the surface of the peel) and transfer the formed pizza base onto the peel.   Spread 1/3  of  the meat mixture onto the base to within 1/2 –inch  of the edge to form a crust, distribute about ½ cup of cheddar evenly over the pie keeping the boarder free of topping.   Drizzle about 2-3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over the pizza.

4.  Gently shake the peel to insure the pizza moves freely (if it doesn’t gently lift the edges of the pizza and distribute additional corn meal until it does), using the peel slide the pizza onto the stone and bake the pizza until browned and crisp at the edges, about 10 to 12 minutes in a 450°F oven.

5.  Repeat with remaining dough balls, topping, and cheese.

service:

 As they come out of the oven, slice each pie into 8 wedge shaped slices and serve. 

Heavenly Pork and Noodle Soup

Heavenly Pork and Noodle Soup

serves 6

(China)

We first tasted this soup in  an Asian restaurant in Southern California, the restaurant had a different name for it but when my wife took her first taste she pronounced it "heavenly".  We developed this recipe from the restaurant's description of the dish.  Do not substitute anise for the star anise, the result will be disappointing.  As an alternative, if you don't have a slow cooking you can use a large pot adjusting the time appropriately.

                                                                                Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 3 hours 30  minutes

Total time: 3 hours  50 minutes

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder

3 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup dry sherry

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

4 cloves fresh garlic,  peeled and micro-planed

1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and micro-planed

2 pieces star anise*

1 head bok choy cabbage, roughly chopped

3 1/2 ounces dried rice vermicelli noodles

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

1.  Combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, star anise in a large pot over high heat.  Bring the liquid to a rolling boil.

2.  Place the pork shoulder to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker.   Carefully pour the  boiling broth over the pork, cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

3.  Remove the pork from the slow cooker and roughly shred the it. 

4.  Return the shredded pork to the broth and add the bok choy; cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

5.  Break the noodles in half and place them in a deep dish or mixing bowl and pour about 4 cups of boiling water over them.  Allow the  noodles to sit in the water until they are al dente, about 10 minutes.

6.  Divide the cooked noodles among six soup bowls and ladle the desired amount of soup over the noodles, sprinkle with some of the cilantro and serve immediately accompanied by chop sticks, soup spoons, and additional cilantro.

* do not substitute 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Makes 1 – 10 to 12-inch pizzas

(America)

Mom is always accusing Dad of being “too traditional” when it comes to pizza . . . “pizza is tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil, maybe a little ‘traditional’ toppings but no fu-fu stuff!” but this is another American adaption of the Italian classic that even Dad loves.  Dad uses KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce but any good sauce will do.

                                                                               Prep time: 3 hours

                                                                               Pizza cook time: 12 minutes

Ingredients

authentic pizza dough:

1 ¼  cups bread flour

½  cups lukewarm (105°F) water

2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 envelope active dry yeast

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

BBQ pulled chicken:

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 cup of your favourite BBQ sauce

Topping

1 small red onion, peeled, halved length-wise and thinly sliced

½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, to taste

1/2 cup of smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 teaspoons of fresh cilantro,  roughly chopped 

Preparation

BBQ pulled chicken:

1.   Poach chicken breasts in salted water for about 20 minutes.  Drain the liquid from the chicken and allow it to cool.

2.   Once the chicken cools,  shred and place it into a resealable plastic bag.

3.  Pour 1 cup of the BBQ sauce over the shredded chicken, seal the bag  and massage the bag to coat all the chicken.  Place the bag in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours.  Agitate the mixture every so often to make sure all the chicken gets thoroughly marinated. 

Authentic pizza dough:

1.  In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the water and honey stir to combine and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.  If the yeast doesn't "proof" (get "foamy") pour it out and start again it is important to have a live yeast mixture.

2.  Meanwhile place the flour and the salt into a sifter and sift it into the medium bowl  of a stand mixer.  Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the olive oil and the "proofed" yeast mixture.  Turn the mixer, fitted with dough hooks,  to knead and turn on.  Continue kneading (mixing) until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around the dough hooks (scrap the sides of the bowl to move flour into the path of the hooks as needed).

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky (add flour gradually as needed to reach the slightly tacky state), 3 to 5 minutes. 

4.  Lightly oil a large mixing bowl with about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil the ball on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap cloth and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

construction and baking:

1.  Place an appropriately sized pizza stone on the middle shelf of your oven and pre-heat the oven to 450° F.

2.  Remove the risen dough ball from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface , flatten it into a thick disk and with your fingertips and palms, working from the center of the disk out to the edges, press it into a thin disk of dough approximately 10 to 12-inch round and about 1/8 inch thick (if necessary use a rolling pin to achieve the 1/8-inch thickness [don’t worry if the pizza isn’t perfectly round . . . that’s called “rustica” and it’s the way “real” Italian pizza looks in Italy]).  If you're really brave you can try the spin and toss method of forming the pie (this dough is perfect for it) just remember to use your knuckles when spinning and tossing . . . fingertips can cause holes).  Sprinkle flour over the surface of this thin disk (this will become the bottom of the pie when you place the pizza base on the peel  in the next instruction).

3.  Distribute some corn meal over the surface of a pizza peel (this will act as “ball bearings” and allow the dough rounds to move easily over the surface of the peel) and transfer the formed pizza base onto the peel insuring that the lightly floured side is on the bottom.  Lightly spread ½ cup of the BBQ sauce evenly over pizza base keeping a ½ to 1-inch border of the base uncoated to form a crust; sprinkle the grated ½ the mozzarella and all the Gouda  cheeses evenly over the BBQ sauce (leaving about the of uncoated dough around the edge uncoated.   Evenly distribute the shredded, marinated chicken over the cheeses.  Evenly distribute the thinly sliced red onions over the chicken.  Evenly distribute the remaining mozzarella over the red onions and finally evenly distribute the roughly chopped cilantro over the onions.

4.  Finally  sprinkle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the surface.

5.  Gently shake the peel to insure the pizza moves freely (if it doesn’t gently lift the edges of the pizza and distribute additional corn meal until it does), using the peel slide the pizza onto the stone and bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 12 minute in a 450°F oven. Remove from the oven, slice into 8 wedge shaped slices and serve.

Pulled Barbeque Pork Pizza

 Pulled Barbeque Pork Pizza

Makes 2 – 10 to 12-inch pizzas

(America)

In the southern United States what could be a more traditional pizza topping than  barbeque pulled pork , in our family this is how we use up leftover barbeque.

Ingredients

authentic pizza dough:

2½ cups Bread Flour, plus additional for work surface

1 cup Warm (105° F) Water

1 Envelope Active Dry Yeast

¼ cup Honey

¼ cup Extra-virgin Olive Oil

4 teaspoons Kosher or sea salt

BBQ pulled pork:

1 pound piece of pork butt or loin

1 cup of your favourite BBQ sauce

Toppings:

1 small red onion, peeled, ¼-inch diced

½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce, to taste

1/2 cup of smoked Gouda cheese, shredded

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro,  roughly chopped

Preparation

BBQ pulled pork:

1.   Place the pork in a slow cooker set to high with ½ cup chicken broth and slow cook for about 2 hours or until  the pork  shreds easily when pulled apart with 2 forks.  Remove the pork and set aside to allow it to cool.

2.   Once the pork cools,  shred it and place the shredded pork into a re-sealable plastic bag.

 3.  Pour 1 cup of the BBQ sauce over the shredded pork, seal the bag  and massage the bag to coat all the pork.  Place the bag in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours.  Agitate the mixture every so often to make sure all the pork gets thoroughly marinated. 

Authentic pizza dough:

1.  In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the water and honey stir to combine and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let sit until the mixture is foamy, about 10 minutes.  If the yeast doesn't "proof" (get "foamy") pour it out and start again it is important to have a live yeast mixture.

2.  Meanwhile place the flour and the salt into a sifter and sift it into the medium bowl  of a stand mixer.  Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the olive oil and the "proofed" yeast mixture.  Turn the mixer, fitted with dough hooks,  to knead and turn on.  Continue kneading (mixing) until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball around the dough hooks (scrap the sides of the bowl to move flour into the path of the hooks as needed).

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth but still slightly tacky (add flour gradually as needed to reach the slightly tacky state), 3 to 5 minutes.

4.  Lightly oil a large mixing bowl with about 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to oil the ball on all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap cloth and set in a warm, draft-free place until nearly doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

construction and baking:

 1.  Place an appropriately sized pizza stone on the middle shelf of your oven and pre-heat the oven to 450° F.

2.  Remove the risen dough ball from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface , flatten it into a thick disk and with your fingertips and palms, working from the center of the disk out to the edges, press it into a thin disk of dough approximately 10 to 12-inch round and about 1/8 inch thick (if necessary use a rolling pin to achieve the 1/8-inch thickness [don’t worry if the pizza isn’t perfectly round . . . that’s called “rustica” and it’s the way “real” Italian pizza looks in Italy]).  If you're really brave you can try the spin and toss method of forming the pie (this dough is perfect for it) just remember to use your knuckles when spinning and tossing . . . fingertips can cause holes).  Sprinkle flour over the surface of this thin disk (this will become the bottom of the pie when you place the pizza base on the peel  in the next instruction).

3.  Distribute some corn meal over the surface of a pizza peel (this will act as “ball bearings” and allow the dough rounds to move easily over the surface of the peel) and transfer the formed pizza base onto the peel insuring that the lightly floured side is on the bottom.  Lightly spread ½ cup of the BBQ sauce evenly over pizza base keeping a ½ to 1-inch border of the base uncoated to form a crust; sprinkle the grated ½ the mozzarella and all the Gouda  cheeses evenly over the BBQ sauce (leaving about the of uncoated dough around the edge uncoated.   Evenly distribute the shredded, marinated pork over the cheeses.  Evenly distribute the diced red onions over the pork.  Evenly distribute the remaining mozzarella over the red onions and finally evenly distribute the roughly chopped cilantro over the onions.

4.  Finally  sprinkle a little extra-virgin olive oil over the surface.

5.  Gently shake the peel to insure the pizza moves freely (if it doesn’t gently lift the edges of the pizza and distribute additional corn meal until it does), using the peel slide the pizza onto the stone and bake the pizza until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 12 minute in a 450°F oven. Remove from the oven, slice into 8 wedge shaped slices and serve.

6.  Repeat with the remaining dough, toppings, and cheese.

French Onion Cheese Burger

French Onion Cheese Burger

serves 4

(America)

My granddaughter, Becky has two loves (not counting me) . . . my French onion soup and hamburgers, this is my tribute to her favourites. 

Ingredients

the burger:

1 ¼ pounds ground beef

¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons dehydrated onion flakes

1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

French onion sauce:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced yellow onions

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups good beef broth

¼ teaspoon Kosher or sea salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, roughly chopped

¼ cup port wine

cheese toast

shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano, to taste

shredded Jarlsberg cheese, to taste

cheese toast:

4 ½-inch slices of Italian or French bread, sliced diagonally

2 tablespoons butter, softened

½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1 cup shredded Jarlsberg cheese

4 tablespoons shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preparation

the burger:

1.  In a large mixing bowl combine all the burger ingredients except the flour.

2.  Divide the ground beef mixture into 4 even portions.  Shape each portion into 1-inch thick, oval hamburger patties.

3.  Construct a dredging station by placing 2 tablespoons of the flour onto a flat, shallow dish and dredge, on both sides, each of the patties in the flour.

4.  Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  When the oil reaches the ripple stage add the patties and sauté them until they are nicely browned, about 3  minutes on each side.

5.  When the burgers are nicely browned removed them from the pan.  Leave the pan on the burner and proceed to prepare the sauce.

the sauce:

1.  Add the thinly sliced onions and the sugar to the same sauté pan and sauté them  for 5 minutes.  Stir in the granulated garlic and the tomato paste and sauté until the tomato paste begins to brown, about 1 minute.  Sprinkle the remaining flour over the tomato paste and cook for an additional minute. 

2.  Add the beef broth, port, salt, and thyme and stir to thoroughly incorporate all the ingredients.

3.  Return the burgers to the pan, raise the heat and bring the sauce to a boil.  When  the sauce comes to a boil immediately reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer for 20 minutes.

the cheese toast:

1.  Preheat your oven to 400° F.

2.  Place the bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet.

3.  In a small bowl combine the softened butter, garlic, and paprika.  When the ingredients are thoroughly combined spread ¼ of the mixture on one side of each of the bread slices.

4.  Evenly sprinkle ¼ of the shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on the buttered sides of each of the bread slices and do the same with the shredded Jarlsberg.

5.  Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of your oven and bake the bread slices until the bread is crisp and the cheeses are bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes.

the service:

Place some of the sauce on each serving plate and top with one slice of the cheese toast,  then place one of the burgers on each of the cheese toasts.  Top each of the burgers  with  shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano and shredded Jarlsberg to taste, ladle ¼ of the remaining sautéed onions and sauce over each of the burgers and finally garnish each dish with chopped parsley.  Serve immediately.