Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Whole wheat pizza crust has a nutty flavor and real nutritional value. Since the crust is what pizza is primarily about, this is a good thing. But a crust made with too much whole wheat flour can be heavy, dry and tough. I've found that this formula, which combines whole wheat and all-purpose flour, makes a crust that is both delightful to eat and full of whole grain nutrients, especially fiber.

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing the pizza crusts

1 1/4 cups stone ground whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional if necessary for kneading

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1. Combine the yeast and water in a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Add the sugar, and stir together. Let sit two or three minutes, until the water is cloudy. Stir in the olive oil.

2. Combine the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse once or twice. Then, with the machine running, pour in the yeast mixture. Process until the dough forms a ball on the blades. Remove from the processor (the dough will be a little tacky; flour or moisten your hands so it won't stick), and knead on a lightly floured surface for a couple of minutes, adding flour as necessary for a smooth dough.

3. Shape the dough into a ball, pinched at bottom and rounded at top. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and leave it in a warm spot to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When it is ready, the dough will stretch when it is gently pulled.

4. Divide the dough into two equal balls. Put the balls on a lightly oiled tray or platter, cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave them to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Afterward, the dough balls can be placed in a wide bowl, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to three days. Alternatively, you can wrap them loosely in lightly oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate them in a resealable plastic bag. When you are ready to roll out the pizzas, you will need to bring the balls to room temperature and punch them down again.

5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven. Roll or press out the dough to a 12- to 14-inch circle. Lightly oil pizza pans, and dust with semolina or cornmeal. Place the dough on the pizza pan. With your fingers, form a slightly thicker raised rim around edge of the circle. Brush everything but the rim with a little olive oil, then top the pizza with the toppings of your choice.

6. Place the pizza pan on the stone. Bake as directed.

Yield: Two 12- to 14-inch crusts.

Advance preparation: The pizza dough can be refrigerated after the first rise for up to three days (see step 4). The rolled out dough can be frozen. Transfer directly from the freezer to the oven.

Vietnamese Beef, Green Papaya, and Noodle Salad

Chef: Victoria Blashford-Snell, Brigitte Hafner

Cookbook: The Illustrated Kitchen Bible

Publisher: DK

Information

• Course: main course
• Total time: under 1 hour
• Skill level: Moderate
• Cost: Moderate
• Yield: makes 4 servings

Notes

Green, under-ripe papayas make a refreshing addition to many southeast Asian salads

Ingredients

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp Asian fish sauce
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 tbsp chopped mint
• 2 fresh hot Thai red chiles, seeded and minced
• 1 tsp finely minced lemongrass
• 1 tsp peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp light brown sugar
• 12oz (350g) filet mignon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 7oz (200g) cellophane (mung bean) noodles
• 9oz (250g) green papaya, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

Directions

Prepare ahead

If desired, broil the steak up to 2 hours in advance and slice it just before adding to the salad.

1. To make the dressing, mix together the lime juice, fish sauce, cilantro, mint, chiles, lemongrass, ginger, and brown sugar.

2. Preheat the broiler. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Broil for 3–4 minutes on each side, until medium-rare. Transfer to a carving board and let cool. Carve into thin slices.

3. Soak the noodles in a bowl of very hot water about 10 minutes, until softened. Drain well and rinse under cold running water. Cut into manageable lengths with kitchen scissors.

4. Heap the noodles, papaya, and steak in a platter. Add the dressing and peanuts and toss. Serve immediately.

Mini Paris Cupcakes

Mini Paris CupcakesEpicurious | February 2008

Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison
Party Confidential 

Yield: Makes 12 cupcakes Cupcakes 3/4 cup self-rising flour 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Frosting 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 drop red food coloring 3–4 cups confectioners' sugar For cupcakes Line 12 mini muffin tins with mini muffin papers. In a small bowl, combine flours. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, beating until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add half flour mixture and beat well, then add milk and vanilla and beat again. Add remaining flour mixture and beat until completely incorporated. Fill muffin papers about 3/4 full. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool. For frosting Place butter, milk, vanilla, food coloring, and 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually add remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Ice tops of cupcakes with pink frosting. Serve on a beautiful tray or tiered cake plate.

Shopping List Beads

Tue: Pappardelle with Asparagus, Walnuts, and Speck

Wed: Siam Sq.

Thu: Morel/steak salad

Fri: R Bistro/Somewhere

Sat: Tarragon Chicken Paillards

PRODUCE

Tarragon

scallions

new potatoes

parsley

green peas (hulled)

garlic

cherry tomatoes

lemons

dill

MISC

Pappardelle

Walnuts

Garbozo Flour

Dijoin

DAIRY

Parmesan

Milk

Butter

GOOSE

1 cup ++ Fava beans

Mascarpone

Asparagus

1/3lb speck?

1 med. morel

5-6oz small morels

1/2-2 1/2lb sirloin

4 half b/s chicken breasts

2 cups wood chips (oak?)

MARKET

Lettuce

3 tomatoes

Balthazar's Tarragon Chicken Paillards

Chef: Steven Raichlen

Cookbook: BBQ USA

Publisher: Workman

Information

• Course: main course
• Total time: under 2 hours
• Skill level: Moderate
• Cost: Moderate
• Yield: Serves 4

Notes

If I had to pick a single place for Saturday lunch in Manhattan, it would be Balthazar in SoHo. This jam-packed bistro has it all: a vintage decor, a star-studded clientele (on a recent visit our co-diners included Bono, Yoko Ono, Donna Karan, and ex-mayor Ed Koch), and a menu of solid bistro classics prepared exactly the way they should be and served without the least bit of pretension. You don't normally come to a bistro for barbecue, of course, but Balthazar grills its chicken paillards, and it's easy to see why this is one of their bestsellers. A paillard is a piece of meat that's been pounded paper-thin, so it buries the plate. Besides providing an opportunity for the obvious chest-thumping theatrics of wielding a scallopini pounder or cleaver, pounding tenderizes the meat. The accompanying salad makes this a complete and healthy meal. Here's my rendition of a Balthazar classic.

Ingredients

• 2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts (each 12 to 16 ounces), or 4 half chicken breasts (each half 6 to 8 ounces)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea)
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup grape or baby cherry tomatoes (cut cherry tomatoes in half)
• 6 to 8 cups mesclun, rinsed and spun dry (see Note)
• 4 fresh tarragon sprigs, for garnish
• 4 lemon wedges, for serving
• You'll also need: 2 cups wood chips or chunks (optional; preferably oak), unsoaked

Directions

30 minutes for marinating the chicken

1. If using whole chicken breasts, cut each breast in half. Trim any sinews or excess fat off the breasts and discard. Rinse the breasts under cold running water, then drain (don't blot dry with paper towels; the breasts should be damp). Place a breast half between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound it out into a broad flat sheet ¼ to 1/8 inch thick, using a scallopini pounder or the side of a heavy cleaver. Repeat with the remaining breast halves. Place the pounded breasts on a rimmed nonstick baking sheet.

2. Place the garlic, salt, black pepper, and hot red pepper flakes in the bottom of a large nonreactive mixing bowl and mash to a paste with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the mustard, 1 tablespoon of the chopped tarragon, and the lemon juice and vinegar and whisk to mix. Gradually whisk in the olive oil; the mixture will thicken. Pour a quarter of this vinaigrette over the chicken breasts, patting it onto the chicken with a fork. Turn the breasts over, pour another quarter of the vinaigrette on top, and pat it onto the chicken with a fork. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes. Set the remaining vinaigrette aside. You'll use it to dress the salad.

3. Just before you set up the grill, place the tomatoes, mesclun, and the remaining chopped tarragon, in that order, in the bowl with the remaining dressing, but don't toss them together.

4. Set up the grill and preheat to high. If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips or chunks, if desired, in the smoker box or in a smoker pouch and run the grill on high until you see smoke. If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to high, then toss all of the wood chips or chunks, if desired, on the coals.

5. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the paillards on the hot grate, placing them on a diagonal to the bars. Grill the paillards until cooked through, about 2 minutes per side, rotating each a quarter turn after 1 minute to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks, if desired (use a long, wide spatula to rotate and turn over the paillards). To test for doneness, poke a paillard with your finger; it should feel firm to the touch.

6. Transfer the grilled paillards to a platter or plates. Quickly toss the salad and mound it on top of the paillards. Garnish with the tarragon sprigs and serve at once with the lemon wedges. 

Steak Salad with Vegetables

Chef: Christopher Idone

Cookbook: The Best of Christopher Idone

Publisher: Stewart Tabori & Chang

Information

• Course: main course
• Total time: under 4 hours
• Skill level: Moderate
• Cost: Moderate
• Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 medium morel, cleaned and chppped (about ¼ cup)
• 1 cup imported peanut oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 heads bibb lettuce, trimmed, washed, and thoroughly dried
• 1 small head red Boston lettuce, trimmed, washed and thoroughly dried
• 1 cup hulled green peas (about ¾ pound)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 cup shelled fava beans (about 1 pound)
• 1 bunch scallions, cut 2 inches long and trimmed (include some of the green)
• 16 tiny new potatoes, washed
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 5 to 7 ounces fresh small morels, cleaned and trimmed just before cooking
• 3 ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), blanched, peeled, seeded, with juice removed and reserved
• 1 cumin seed, peeled and finely crushed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• ½ to 2½-pound boneless sirloin (with fat), at room temperature
• Kosher salt. and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup chervil sprigs, stems removed and very loosely packed

Directions

In a small pan, combine the chopped morels with oil and llheat over low heat until oil is warm to the touch. Set aside to steep for two hours, then remove and discard morel pieces. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix thoroughly. Gradually whisk in ¾ cup of the morel oil, or more, depending on acidity of the vinegar. Set aside.

For the salad: tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces, wrap in paper toweling, and refrigerate. In a small pot of lightly salted boiling water, add the peas and a little of the lemon juice and cook the peas for 6 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain under cold running water and drain again. Set aside.

Repeat the same process for the fava beans, adding the remaining lemon juice and setting aside; the scallions, simmering them for 1 to 2 minutes, draining them thoroughly and setting them aside on paper toweling; and the potatoes, cooking them for about 12 minutes, or until tender, draining thoroughly, and setting them aside in a covered pot. (If the potatoes are larger than the size of a quarter, halve or quarter them.

In a small saucepan, heat the stock over medium heat. Add the small morels and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Drain and reserve, saving the stock for some other use.

Prepare the relish: chop the tomatoes very fine or pulse once or twice in a food processor. Add the cumin, oil, salt, and pepper. If too thick, add a little of the reserved juice of the tomato and chill. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large skillet, heat about one tablespoon of the remaining oil. Season the steak with kosher salt and pepper and raise the heat. Sear the steak for about 5 minutes on each side, until lightly crusted and browned. Transfer steak to the oven and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or to liking. Let meat rest while you cut the greens.

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with enough vinaigrette to coat, then divide among four plates. Repeat the process with the vegetables and morels. Trim the fat from the steak and slice the meat into thin strips. Arrange the slices over the greens and vegetables in a lattice fashion and sprinkle with chervil. Add a little relish to the side of each plate and serve.

Pappardelle with Asparagus, Walnuts, and Speck

Chef: Wanda Tornabene, Giovanna Tornabene

Cookbook: 100 Ways to Be Pasta: Perfect Pasta Recipes from Gangivecchio

Publisher: Knopf

Information

• Course: main course
• Total time: under 1 hour
• Skill level: Moderate
• Cost: Inexpensive
• Yield: Serves 6

Notes

If you find fresh fava beans at the market, they are great instead of or in addition to asparagus in this dish. We are not used to steaming vegetables; we boil them. If you are used to or prefer steaming, of course you could steam vegetables, like these asparagus, when we call for boiled.

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 fresh sage leaves
• ½ pound asparagus tips, cut in half and boiled until just tender
• ½ pound mascarpone cheese
• 2-4 tablespoons whole milk
• ¼ pound walnuts, minced
• 1/3 pound speck, cut into cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Soybean oil (or other mild-flavored oil) for the pasta water
• ¾ pound pappardelle
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter with a spoonful of water in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the sage and cook about 1 minute to flavor the butter. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and remove and discard the sage leaves.

2. Use a fork to mash the mascarpone with 2 tablespoons of the milk in a medium bowl. Add more milk if necessary to make a loose sauce. Stir in the walnuts and pour into the pan with the asparagus. Put the pan back on low heat, add the remaining butter, and cook until the condimento is creamy.

3. In a small frying pan, fry the speck for a few minutes until golden and slightly crispy. Add the fried speck to the pan with the mascarpone and asparagus. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a pasta bowl.

4. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Stir in a small fistful of salt and a splash of oil. Add the pappardelle and cook, stirring often, until tender. Reserve a cupful of the pasta water and drain the pappardelle in a colander.

5. Quickly transfer the pappardelle to the pasta bowl. Mix the pasta with the condimento until it is coated, adding enough pasta water so the condimento is a nice, smooth consistency, coating the pappardelle. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately with more Parmesan on the table.