I love to cook, and I love to try new recipes. It's not often that I make the same recipe repeatedly. I don't work to perfect recipes, I just try something new. But there is one recipe that Matt and I have been attempting to perfect since 2005 to master, and in the last year we have finally mastered it, and that is pizza on the grill. We have had soggy pizza, we have had burnt pizza, we have had pizza that took hours to cook.... but we finally figured it out, and it is something that we are proud of, and happy to serve company. If you come to visit us and we want to make something good for you, we probably will make pizza on the grill, because we have it figured out, and it is always good.
So I thought I would share our perfected recipe and technique. (The recipe came from Martha Stewart Everyday Food).
1 teaspoon sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (plus a little more to grease the bowl)
course salt and pepper
2 1/4 cups bread flour (all purpose flour also works)
Pour 1 cup warm water in to a bowl, add sugar and yeast. Let stand 5 min (it will get foamy and smell yeasty)
Whisk oil and 1 teaspoon salt into yeast mixture. Add flour and stir with wooden spoon until liquid is incorporated. Turn onto a floured work surface. Knead until dough comes together (2 min or so). I sometimes just do all of this in the Kitchenaid mixture.
Transfer dough to oiled bowl, brush lightly with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm draft free place and let rise 45 min (or until double is bulk).
Punch down, and cover. Let rise another 30 min (Start charcoal during this time). Charcoal should be on 1 side of the grill.
Turn out dough onto lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4 pieces. Roll dough out. It should be about 10 inches oval. Brush one side with olive oil and sprinkle with pizza seasoning, salt and pepper.
PLace the dough on the grill over the coals (I wrap the doll around a rolling pin to carry it to the grill). Grill on each side 1-2 minutes. Slide dough to cooler side of the grill, and top with your desired toppings. Cook 2-5 minutes, until cheese is melted.
This is how we perfected our pizza making.
I am really proud of it.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Fourth of July!
Happy fourth of July everyone! I am a bit of a traditionalist and I love the tradition of fourth of july. Outdoors, being with your community, eating good food, listening to good music, watching things explode. It's a great holiday really. So many holidays celebrate family.... christmas, thanksgiving, etc... for me the fourth of July celebrates community.
I love community celebrations it brings people together, and I think we lack that as a society sometimes. Today Matt, Josie and I went to a community fourth of July parade. We laid our blanket down in some strangers yard under their tree. A family we had never met sat down next to us, and their kids came over to pet Josie. I had a good time talking to their kids. It was your traditional parade; fire engines, bands, queens, politicians, boy scouts, shriners. Just what you would expect from a small town community parade. The people behind us (who weren't from the United States) were learning about an American tradition. Pretty classical 4th of July. Made me smile.
As I said earlier, I am a bit of a traditionalist. So I love having traditional food on a occasion like this. So tonight we are having coleslaw, corn, watermelon, and hot dogs. Just what I picture for this day. Can't wait til this evening when we can do some cooking/eating.
I have great fourth of July memories. When I was younger, my grandpa had an army jeep. So on the fourth of July (I don't remember when..... I was younger than 10) we piled into the jeep with super soakers, and we went to Milo, IA, and we were in the fourth of july parade. Much like the parade I went to today. Great memory.
One of my other great fourth of July memories is with my grandma Jeanne. After my grandfather died she moved to Table Rock lake missouri. We would take our boat down for the fourth of july and we would spend the weekend on the water water skiing, and being on the water as a family. This in itself is a great memory. But on the night of the fourth of july we would go on uncle ralph's boat, and the town would like off fireworks over the lake. What an awesome sight. The fireworks reflect on the lake, and all the boat lights bob on the water. It is incredible, and something every year this time of the year I crave. One of the greatest experiences.
This year is the first year, that I have lived in a state where fireworks are legal (and it is the first time in decades that they have been legal in this state). Last night I went out on our deck, and there were huge fireworks in every direction. It was a pretty incredible site. I look forward to it again, this evening.... I even bought snacks to sit outside and munch on tonight while I watch fireworks.
So happy birthday america.... thanks for the traditions, and the community that you provide.
I love community celebrations it brings people together, and I think we lack that as a society sometimes. Today Matt, Josie and I went to a community fourth of July parade. We laid our blanket down in some strangers yard under their tree. A family we had never met sat down next to us, and their kids came over to pet Josie. I had a good time talking to their kids. It was your traditional parade; fire engines, bands, queens, politicians, boy scouts, shriners. Just what you would expect from a small town community parade. The people behind us (who weren't from the United States) were learning about an American tradition. Pretty classical 4th of July. Made me smile.
As I said earlier, I am a bit of a traditionalist. So I love having traditional food on a occasion like this. So tonight we are having coleslaw, corn, watermelon, and hot dogs. Just what I picture for this day. Can't wait til this evening when we can do some cooking/eating.
I have great fourth of July memories. When I was younger, my grandpa had an army jeep. So on the fourth of July (I don't remember when..... I was younger than 10) we piled into the jeep with super soakers, and we went to Milo, IA, and we were in the fourth of july parade. Much like the parade I went to today. Great memory.
One of my other great fourth of July memories is with my grandma Jeanne. After my grandfather died she moved to Table Rock lake missouri. We would take our boat down for the fourth of july and we would spend the weekend on the water water skiing, and being on the water as a family. This in itself is a great memory. But on the night of the fourth of july we would go on uncle ralph's boat, and the town would like off fireworks over the lake. What an awesome sight. The fireworks reflect on the lake, and all the boat lights bob on the water. It is incredible, and something every year this time of the year I crave. One of the greatest experiences.
This year is the first year, that I have lived in a state where fireworks are legal (and it is the first time in decades that they have been legal in this state). Last night I went out on our deck, and there were huge fireworks in every direction. It was a pretty incredible site. I look forward to it again, this evening.... I even bought snacks to sit outside and munch on tonight while I watch fireworks.
So happy birthday america.... thanks for the traditions, and the community that you provide.
Friday, July 1, 2011
My cup of Tea
This morning I woke up and knew that I had already scheduled a date with myself. I had seen a couple of jobs yesterday afternoon that I wanted to apply for, but by the time I saw them I was to stretched for time to apply for them yesterday. So I made a commitment to myself that this morning, I would get up, get out of the house, and apply for those two jobs. So I got up, and was headed to Caribou Coffee (I decided upon Caribou because they carry my favorite Chai Tea) to work on my applications (because well, I needed to get out of the house, I was feeling I was in a rut).
So I headed to 156th and Maple because that is where Caribou said there was a location in Omaha (their only location in Omaha). Got there..... NO CARIBOU! Sadness... because Caribou Chai Tea is my tea of choice. You may think that I am pretty focused on this cup of tea.... well, that is because I don't drink coffee, and at a coffee house my choices are them limited to chai tea, or hot chocolate. So chai tea is my choice.
I am trying to be frugal in my living in Omaha (at least until I get a job, and feel a little more financially secure), so going to get tea/coffee is a luxury, and an "outing" in my mind. I would make chai tea at my house, but for some reason it never tastes the same. I would love to learn how to make a good cup of chai tea at home. Though I should maybe I shouldn't indulge so much, as it is loaded with sugar, and not real diet friendly.
My first tea experience that was not chai related happened at Wartburg College. Anna D. served me some Tea Republic Christmas Tea (with lots of sugar), and I liked it well enough to consider drinking more tea. Another great tea experience I had was at an Amish vegetable auction where I had some excellent mint tea. I know have a collection of tea (mostly mint, chai, and christmas varieties) that I try to drink every now and again.
I did get one of the jobs applied for while drinking chai at one of Caribou's competitors store fronts. It took me almost 2 hours to apply for that 1 job. So I came home, and will apply for the other job in a little while drinking a coke zero.
You should have some tea, and drink it too.
So I headed to 156th and Maple because that is where Caribou said there was a location in Omaha (their only location in Omaha). Got there..... NO CARIBOU! Sadness... because Caribou Chai Tea is my tea of choice. You may think that I am pretty focused on this cup of tea.... well, that is because I don't drink coffee, and at a coffee house my choices are them limited to chai tea, or hot chocolate. So chai tea is my choice.
I am trying to be frugal in my living in Omaha (at least until I get a job, and feel a little more financially secure), so going to get tea/coffee is a luxury, and an "outing" in my mind. I would make chai tea at my house, but for some reason it never tastes the same. I would love to learn how to make a good cup of chai tea at home. Though I should maybe I shouldn't indulge so much, as it is loaded with sugar, and not real diet friendly.
My first tea experience that was not chai related happened at Wartburg College. Anna D. served me some Tea Republic Christmas Tea (with lots of sugar), and I liked it well enough to consider drinking more tea. Another great tea experience I had was at an Amish vegetable auction where I had some excellent mint tea. I know have a collection of tea (mostly mint, chai, and christmas varieties) that I try to drink every now and again.
I did get one of the jobs applied for while drinking chai at one of Caribou's competitors store fronts. It took me almost 2 hours to apply for that 1 job. So I came home, and will apply for the other job in a little while drinking a coke zero.
You should have some tea, and drink it too.
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