Stromboli

Have I told you how much I make pizza? I make it a lot. Sometimes as much as once a week. On average, about three times a month. The dough is so easy, it makes great leftovers for lunch, and it's a good way to use up bits and pieces of things in the fridge like leftover veggies or different kinds of cheese.

Like all recipes I get really comfortable with, it was time to play around a little with this one. Stromboli apparently started in Philadelphia, but how does anyone really know these things... All you need to know is that it's pretty much a pizza rolled up. It's a baked roll of dough traditionally filled with pepperoni (or other Italian cured meat), cheese, peppers, onions, and olives. But my inner Kevin McAllister wanted it plain. Ok, not plain cheese, but just cheese and pepperoni.

I'll give you the pizza dough recipe here again, instead of just linking to it, because seriously - if you haven't tried making this dough yet you need to. It's from Smitten Kitchen.

1 1/2 cups flour (can replace up to half of this with whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more)
1 tablespoon olive oil
cornmeal
1 egg (not for dough, for eggwash to brush on dough)
pepperoni, cheese, or whatever you want for filling

Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball.

Knead it for just a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl where you had mixed it, dump the dough in, turn it over so all sides are coated, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.

Dump it back on the floured counter, and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes. ( If you want 2 strombolis - or pizzas - just double the recipe and cut the dough into 2 equal parts here.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the dough until about 1/4 inches thin, and approximately 8" x 13". I didn't roll it out as thin as I do to make a regular pizza, but close. Layer whatever ingredients you want for your stromboli onto the dough, leaving about an inch border on all sides.



When you roll out the dough it doesn't have to be a perfect rectangle, but try not to make it a totally irregular shape so it's easy to roll up. Brush eggwash along one of the borders (I put it on the long side at the top of the photo). Start rolling with the side opposite the eggwash. Roll evenly but not too tight. Seal the end with the eggwash.



Bake on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal for 20 minutes. That's a mini baking sheet, the stromboli isn't really that big. Remove from oven, brush more eggwash over the top and sprinkle some grated cheese on top - parmesan, asiago, mozzarella, whatever - and bake for 5 more minutes. You could even put it under the broiler for a minute to get it extra crispy on top.



As you can see, mine busted open. It doesn't really matter, it all gets sliced up anyway. Not sure if I rolled it a little too tightly, or if there was an air pocket in there. Let it cool for a couple minutes then slice it up.



Perfect for an appetizer. Dip the slices in a little marinara sauce...delish. Maybe next time I'll add more than pepperoni and provolone. Or maybe not.

Arugula Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is modeled after one of my favorite salads from Patsy's. Mmmm, a pizza with mozzarella, basil, and tiny pepperonis and one of these salads. The perfect delivery order.



Serves 4
1 package baby arugula
about 8 sundried tomatoes, cut into small pieces
about 8 slivers of Parmiggiano-Reggiano

dressing:
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

To make the dressing mix all ingredients except olive oil. Slowly pour in the oil while whisking to create an emulsification. Pour over the arugula and toss to mix. Add tomatoes and cheese on top.

The basic rule of making a vinaigrette is 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar. So if you want to make a lot more dressing, or any other type of vinaigrette, just remember the 3:1 ratio.

The salad at Patsy's also had endive and radicchio, which I forgot about until just now while looking at their menu. So add those if you want...or not. I had to buy a new package of sundried tomatoes and bought a bag of them instead of a jar with oil. I think the ones kept in oil are better, but it's a personal preference.

The Cupcake Chronicles

Add one more to the list. Caramel apple. Spiced apple cake studded with Granny Smith apples and a caramel cream cheese frosting. Actually, add two. I had another carrot cupcake earlier in the week.



Am I really supposed to be able to resist these seasonal flavors? Especially when they put cute "Boo" stickers on the bag.

Sweet & Salty Sticky Ribs

Are there any better words to describe ribs than sweet, salty, and sticky? I had never made ribs before, but slow cooking something in the oven just sounded so delicious yesterday. I'm not going to claim these are the "best ever" or "authentic bbq" or anything like that, because I'm sure people in parts of the country like Memphis, Kansas City, and Texas where bbq is a religion would say otherwise. But they were really good and without a classic bbq sauce which is what I was aiming for. This recipe is adapted from Alton Brown.

1 slab pork baby back ribs
4 tablespoons light brown sugar, tightly packed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Braising liquid:
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
2 cloves garlic, chopped

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Place the slab of baby back ribs on a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Sprinkle each side with the dry rub and pat it into the meat. Pile most of the rub on the top side of the ribs. Refrigerate the ribs for a minimum of 1 hour.




Preheat oven to 250 degrees. In a microwavable container, combine all ingredients for the braising liquid. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Place the ribs on a baking sheet. Gently open the foil on and pour the braising liquid into each foil packet, under the ribs.



Tilt the baking sheet in order to equally distribute the braising liquid. Braise the ribs in the oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.



Transfer the braising liquid into a medium saucepot. Bring the liquid to a simmer and reduce by half or until of a thick syrup consistency.



Brush about half the glaze onto the ribs. Place under the broiler just until the glaze caramelizes lightly.



Pour the remaining hot glaze over the ribs. Slice into 2 rib bone portions.



I served the ribs with braised kale, and mac & cheese. Kale recipe to come later. And I cheated with the mac & cheese. The ribs were really, really good. The spice rub made a nice sticky crust that and was a little spicy. They were so easy because there's really not a lot of labor involved, and you can leave them in the oven from 2 1/2 hours up to 4. I did a little over 3 hours and they were pretty perfect. Definitely use heavy duty aluminum foil, it's obviously stronger and much wider. The regular stuff wouldn't have held up. You could also finish the ribs off on the grill instead of under the broiler. This recipe would definitely make for a great Sunday afternoon football meal.

Planning for Paris

Ok people (all 3 of you reading this), I need your help. I'm going to Paris in 2 months! I'm so freakin excited. I literally think about this trip every 5 minutes. It's my happy thought before I fall asleep...picturing myself walking down the street in a very cute and fashionable outfit, speaking my perfect French. Ok, well I still have a couple months to work on that last part. I can't believe I was a French minor and now I can barely squeak out "Je voudrais un pain au chocolat, s'il vous plaît".

So here's where I need the help. As you might have guessed, the thing I'm most excited for - the food! I'm deep in the throes of restaurant searching. When we went for our honeymoon last year, it was a bit of a hectic time leading up to the trip. Planning a wedding and a cross-country move while working 10 hours a day didn't allow for much time for in-depth restaurant research. Of course I didn't go into our week in Paris completely unprepared. We made a couple reservations in advance, including Chez L'Ami Jean which did not disappoint. Some other favorites were L'Enoteca, Le Petit Marché, and L'As du Falafel. I would gladly go back to L'Ami Jean, but I want to try some new places this time.

I've been doing lots of studying with this:

And this little guy has been helping too:

And Chowhound, and a couple other sites.

Here are some I've got on my list. If you've got any feedback on any of these places, give it to me straight - good or bad.

• L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (I've already booked a Saturday night res. Thinking this will be our one blow out meal).
• Le Chateaubriand (working on getting a reservation...fingers crossed.)
• Le Comptoir du Relais (I know, I know...everyone and their mom wants to go here. I tried and failed at reservations so I'm hoping to go for lunch one day.)
• Josephine - Chez Dumonet
• Spring
• Les Papilles
• Le Troquet
• La Régalade
• Huîterie Régis
• La Pâtisserie de Rêves

I don't want to make reservations every night, but just a few. But I do want to have lots of places in mind so when dinnertime comes around we're not aimlessly wandering the streets. There will be 5 of us so it's going to be a little harder to just walk in and find a table than if we were a group of 2.

So, love or hate any of those restaurants? Any other places I shouldn't miss? Got a favorite patisserie I need to know about? Besides Pierre Hermé and Ladurée...those are a given. And the cheese. Oh, the delicious French cheese. That may be what I'm looking forward to the most.

Ok now, don't all leave comments at once. The site may get overwhelmed.

Stuffed Peppers

The farmers markets are coming to an end. This makes me want to cry a little. When I made my usual Tuesday lunchtime stop at the Streeterville farmers market I asked the woman at Scheeringa how much longer they would be there. "Hopefully 2 weeks." Noooooo! Because "hopefully 2 weeks" also means "maybe 1 week". I'm really going to miss my weekly dose of fresh local produce, and croissants from La Provence. See you again in June... I really need to look into a CSA for this winter.

One of the goodies that's been at the market for the past few weeks is peppers. Green, red, multi-color, purple, hot and sweet. I actually planned (surprisingly) what I was going to make before going to the market, so I picked up 6 small peppers for this recipe. This one comes to you from Smitten Kitchen, with a couple little changes on my part. I'll give you her recipe straight up, then explain my additions.

vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 cup couscous
4 extra-large or 5 large bell peppers, mixed colors
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 oz zucchini, quartered lengthwise then sliced across thinly
6 oz yellow squash, quartered lengthwise then sliced across thinly
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 oz crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)
3 tablespoons tomato paste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan, add the couscous, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Cut the stems and top half inch off the bell peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place peppers upright in a baking dish and roast them for 15 minutes or so, until they soften, then remove them from the oven until the filling is ready.




Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add onion, zucchini, yellow squash, fennel seeds, oregano, and salt.



Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas and tomato paste. Using a fork, scrape the couscous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Stir in the crumbled feta.



Fill peppers with the couscous mixture. Bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.



I skipped the vegetable oil spray. Minor change, but the peppers were fine without it. I also made a whole box of couscous and used about half of it, which was still double what the recipe called for. But I meant to do this, I wanted to have extra filling. The zucchini and squash I had were bigger than 6 ounces so I used all of those, added a bit more fennel seeds and oregano, and I added more tomatoes and tomato paste but the same amount of chickpeas and feta. So all this equated to leftover filling, which I will eat for lunch today. I also added about 1/3 cup pine nuts. And I didn't mix everything together in a skillet, but just in a mixing bowl because I had way too much to fit in the pan.

The peppers were great and very pretty, but I think in the future I would rather just roast the peppers longer and cut them up and add them to the couscous mixture. They didn't really get as soft as I would like them. But all in all, I really liked this side dish. It was very easy and makes for great leftovers.

Le Colonial

I can practically see Le Colonial from my window. It's right around the corner and I've probably walked by it dozens of times. It's not that I thought it wouldn't be good, but it's in the direction where I won't walk after a certain time on weekend nights (the Triangle. shudder.) and we don't do a whole lot of dining out during the week. So finally, fates collided and Peter and I both had an entire day off together. Actually now that I'm remembering the day, it wasn't the whole day, but most of it. Still pretty darn good.

We decided to have a lunch date, and even though he really wanted to take me to Urban Belly I didn't feel like getting the car out and then worrying about all the check engine lights and impending inspections and failed emissions tests going on in our vehicular life right now, because I haven't had a car since 2004 and really don't know all these things you're supposed to do and rules you're supposed to follow and tests you're supposed to have done. Feet and subways are a much easier way to get around. So we walked a block to Le Colonial and took them up on their lunch deal.



That, my friends, is pho. "Hearty oxtail soup with rice noodles, beef tenderloin slices, and aromatic herbs." What is an oxtail you ask? Or maybe you don't ask. But I did. Unlike sweetbreads, oxtail is exactly what you think it is. The tail of the cow. It's most often slow-cooked or braised, or used for a soup stock (as it was here). The broth was really tasty, and I added about half of the hot and sweet sauces they gave us. Maybe a little more of the hot. The red is the hot one, and the dark is the sweet.



For the next course we shared three things. Soft salad rolls of shrimp, rice vermicelli, lettuce, bean sprouts, & aromatic herbs in rice paper, with peanut plum dipping sauce:



A salad of grilled salmon with pineapple, grape tomatoes, cucumber, & pineapple vinaigrette:



That was all we got with the lunch special, but I also wanted to try the fried rice because one of my coworkers sometimes has it for lunch and raves about it. So we ordered a side of chicken fried rice, which ended up being more like a huge pile. Fine by me, we had plenty of leftovers to bring home.



Everything was really, really good. We finished all the dishes except the fried rice. I loved the salmon and pineapple salad. Anything with pineapple in it, especially if it's a little bit warm...yum.

So here's the lowdown. Le Colonial is a French-Vietnamese restaurant. It's a little on the fancy side, mostly because of the neighborhood and the clientele. I'm sure it's a scene on weekend nights, but for lunch it was just perfect. We even got an outdoor seat in the front of the restaurant. Their lunch deal is $12 for two courses (choices of a couple different soups, salads, and spring rolls). A pretty good deal, if you ask me.

Le Colonial
937 N. Rush St., Chicago IL 60611

Orange Cranberry Cookies

Oooo I love baked goods with citrus. Hazelnut almond cookies (with orange), lemon olive oil cake, lime ginger cookies from Pistacia Vera, orange butter cookies from Amy's Bread, lemon cupcakes from Sprinkles...ok, you get the point.

This is all kind of funny because I do not like citrus fruit. Ok, actually I like clementines, but that's about it. Grapefruit, no thank you. I've never been an orange eater, which is really a shame because growing up we had a beautiful orange tree that gave us hundreds of oranges. My parents gave them away to everyone on our block, because who could possibly eat hundreds of oranges. Especially when your kid is a picky eater and won't touch them with a 10-foot pole. I was on a strict grilled cheese/Eggo waffle/buttered pasta diet when I was little. My mom likes to tell me sometimes how funny it is that I now eat everything, especially raw oysters.

Back to the cookies. Citrus lends such a delicate flavor to cookies and cakes, not at all sour but just a bit of something unexpected rather than a plain sugar cookie or vanilla cupcake. I saw the cranberries at the farmers market before I knew I wanted to make these cookies. I considered bread, muffins, and scones, but I hadn't made these cookies in awhile and thought they could use a little change with the addition of some seasonal fruit.



1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pint cranberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange juice and zest.



Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture.



Add cranberries and gently mix in with a rubber spatula, so to not break them.



Drop by heaping tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.



Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.



These cookies are really soft and cakey. So after about a day in an airtight container, they get a little bit moist and sticky. They are definitely best eaten the day they're made, but I've never been one to turn down a day-old baked good.

Orange glaze is a nice addition, however it's a bit temperamental. I found that out the hard way after bringing them on a 2+ hour train ride in a ziploc bag. The glaze doesn't fully harden, so they were kind of a mess at the end of the trip. If you're planning on transporting these anywhere I would skip it entirely, or if possible wait to glaze them until you're at your destination. Here's the glaze recipe:

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine ingredients and put into a ziploc bag. Cut a tiny bit of one of the corners off the bag and drizzle over the cookies.

So I didn't do the glaze this time. I wasn't bringing the cookies anywhere, but I wanted to just add the cranberries and call it a day. All this talk about citrus-flavored desserts is reminding me that I want to try making a key lime pie...

Sunday Breakfast

Sometimes, you don't need to write a lot. Pancakes with apple butter. Mmmm.

Peanut Butter Cookies (and Ice Cream Sandwiches)

I had this idea stuck in my head: peanut butter cookie ice cream sandwiches with concord grape ice cream. PBJ! I know there's a million peanut butter cookie recipes out there, but the one I really wanted to make was from a cookbook I had when I was little, that my golden retriever Emily chewed up and my mom had to throw away. I had pretty much given up on ever making that recipe again, but I happened to find a used copy of the book on Amazon!



$7 and 3 days later, it was mine. Ahh, the wonders of the internet. It was fun to flip through the recipes I hadn't seen in almost 15 years (eww, I'm old). Peanut Butter Capers are what I had in mind:



Since it's a recipe for kids it's easy, quick, and delicious. I actually cut it in half so I got 18 cookies instead of 36, but here's the full recipe:

1 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Turn oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl mix shortening and peanut butter with a wooden spoon. Add sugar and brown sugar. Stir until mixed.



Add eggs and vanilla. Stir until mixed.

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into peanut butter mixture until well mixed. Use your hands if you need to.



With your hands, shape the dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten with the bottom of a glass and make a crisscross mark with a fork.




Bake in the 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until light brown on the edges. Let cool on a cookie sheets 1 minute, then transfer to a cooling rack. Makes about 36 large cookies.



These cookies are great on their own...but I had something else in mind.



I scooped flat pieces of the concord grape ice cream and layered them to make the sandwich cookies.



Then I wrapped each one in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer.



But not before trying one!



Yum. My grape ice cream could have been a little more grapey, but overall I was pretty happy with the final product. Homemade ice cream sandwiches are so easy to make, and of course you don't have to use homemade ice cream which makes it even easier. Maybe next time I'll try peanut butter cookie and chocolate ice cream sandwiches...