Chicago Deep Dish Pizza... fail

Well, I began by following the recipe very carefully because I really wanted this pizza to be just right-- like the pictures of Lou Malnati's pizza. But first I researched the dough recipe thoroughly and to my chagrin there must be a hundred different ways to make this remarkable dough! And everybody thinks their recipe is the right one-- I found out that's not so. I'm still searching... in the meantime, though, this is what I came up with on my first try. Looks ok but it was a fail. Boo Hoo.

The toppings were good; I used the original ones, mozzarella slices, raw Italian sausage next, canned tomatoes (with basil), and Parmesan cheese. But the crust was too thick, too oily, dense, and just did not taste good! So I'm trying again. Next time I will add cornmeal to the dough recipe (I know, everyone says no cornmeal!), and not so much oil. Wish me luck!

It's been a long time

Wow! I can't believe how time flies-- really flies. I haven't been here for a couple of years and I've been missing writing and posting food. But sometimes life does get in the way of doing other things; in my case, first of all, we moved! But before we could move we needed to get rid of stuff-- a lot of stuff! Downsize is the word. So, we took one year to go through everything we owned and had accumulated for the past 30 some years, and divvied it all up between boxes (lots of boxes): keep, sell, give away. This was very emotionally difficult-- so many memories, stories, pictures, and lots of tears. But we got through it and now we are settled in a new, small townhouse which we both love! Our forever home.

So, I was ready to begin my new life in our sweet home and nice neighborhood conveniently located to all our favorite shopping areas, when I fell. Fell hard. Broke my hip and had to have a total hip replacement. This was not fun. Do not try at home. I'm still recovering but I'm anxious and ready to begin anew with lots of cooking and also taking a Gordon Ramsay online cooking class. Lobster ravioli looks amazing! And that Beef Wellington... all I can say is Wow! And hope I can do it. But first, I'm back to developing the best pizza I can make! After not having an oven for 2 years, this is so satisfying, I just can't tell you. I will be back to thin crust pizzas, but for right now, I'm researching everything I can about the Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. Friday, I will try a copycat Lou Malnati recipe (why don't they just give us the real recipe? :) ). Let's see, no cornmeal, AP flour only, and corn oil, oh, and a very long rising time. I can do this.

More of Everything Grilled!

I love to grill food! It brings out the best flavors whether you are grilling meat, veggies or fruit. Plus you don't have much clean up--and that's always good. 

Grilled sirloin steak kebabs with red onions and colored bell peppers taste so good and smell yummy while cooking. Neighbors agreed!

Grilled boneless, skinless chicken thighs with yellow onions. The thighs have all the flavor and they are very juicy--don't dry out like chicken breasts. I marinated them with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper. 

Sliced French baguette dipped in homemade garlic butter, then placed on the grill for a very short time. Crunchy good with a hint of smoky flavor. Yum!

Baby squashes, portabella mushrooms, red bell peppers, yellow onions, and caprese tomatoes slathered in olive oil and salt and pepper, then grilled in a vegetable grill pan (see the holes?) rounded out the "everything grilled" scrumptious dinner! Easy and delicious!

Dog Days of Summer! Everything Grilled!

These hot summer days inspire me to go outside and fire up the grill to cook some really tasty food that leaves the neighbors drooling!

These are double rib lamb chops that I stuffed with a marinara, ricotta, breadcrumb and fresh mint filling. Then I brushed them with a little olive oil, sprinkled them with salt and pepper, and grilled them outdoors to perfection! The Caprese salad made with Buffalo mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes went well with the lamb.

This is a Mom's Takeout everything grilled meal. Succulent smoky-tasting rib-eye with rich melt-in-your mouth scallops, and grilled fresh veggies. Perfectly Paleo, too!

Another one of Mom's Takeout everything grilled meal. Fresh tuna with pineapple, jalapeno, onion salsa, and grilled baguette slices. Yum!

This is summertime perfection! Grilled chicken legs seasoned with salt, pepper, powdered garlic and paprika--that's all. I served them with grilled veggies, including portabella mushrooms, and a side of grilled garlic toasts. I had to grill extra chicken legs for Collin because he really loves these bad boys!

And last but not least, who can resist juicy, sweet watermelon to top a delicious grilled meal? Perfect.

More Refreshing Summertime Salads!

The weather here in the Springs is finally getting warmer--still lots of rain, though, and with plenty of green grass and beautiful flowers. And, I'm still hooked on discovering new ways to use those fresh vegetables and luscious salad greens.

Where I grew up in California there was a French restaurant that used to make this navy bean salad made with lots of fresh parsley, onions, lemon juice, celery and olive oil. It tastes so good and cool. 

This salad is made with various grains, corn, sprouts, green onions, cherry tomatoes, peas, and feta 
cheese tossed together with a vinegarette. Add hot slices of French bread and you have a whole meal!

Mmmmm, endive leaves are so yummy stuffed here with goat cheese, chopped dates and orange segments. Top them off with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle chopped chives and freshly ground black pepper. Delicious as a side or appetizer.

This is a baby spinach salad with dates and almonds that I found in my cookbook Jerusalem. This Arabic salad seems to be the counterpart to the Italian panzanella. This one uses crunchy torn pitas sauteed in butter and olive oil along with almonds that are mixed with chile flakes and salt. So good!

Oh man, this was good! Definitely will make again. This is a grilled panzanella salad that I found in my magazine Cook's Country. Grilling the veggies and baguette slices first gave extraordinary flavor to this salad. Winner!

Summer Salads I've Been Making

I love to eat fresh salads in hot weather made with interesting ingredients, some raw veggies, nuts, and greens... and grains.

I may have posted this before but it's so darn good, I'm posting it again just in case you missed it! I baked on-the-bone chicken breasts, shredded the meat and placed it on top of a variety of fresh lettuces. The best part of this salad is the amazing avocado dressing that's a zip to make in the blender using avocado, olive oil, a little honey, salt and pepper. So yummy for a paleo breakfast!

This is a really good Asian salad made with coleslaw mix, grapes, apples, celery and oranges.

Tabouli is one of our all time favorite salads! I added black olives to this one just because it sounded good that day! I just love the lemony, tomatoey, parsley, garlicky flavors all mixed together with good olive oil.

Make this great corn and black bean salad when fresh corn is at its best! This has diced red onion and parsley in it, too. Delicious!

This is one stinkin' good salad made with fava beans, garbanzos, red kidney beans, red onion, garlic, all mixed together with a vinegarette. Yum!

Those little heirloom summer tomatoes are so good on a simple bed of butter lettuce, topped with blue cheese and drizzled with balsamic vinegar and evoo. Just right for hot summer days.

Just realized how many different salads I've made!! This panzanella is another one of my favorites, and is made with homemade croutons, red onion, red and yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and I added kalamata olives because I like them in this salad--gives it a nice kick.

Hey! How'd this get in here? Well, this year I'm growing my herbs in planters on the front porch in hopes that those pesky squirrels and deer won't find them. We'll see. I like to use lots of fresh herbs for salad making and cooking in general.

It's Been a Long Time but I'm Back!

Well, after such a long time gone from posting on my blog, I'm not sure where to begin... hmmm, the month of May was a gully-womper of a rain show! Every single day it rained. And it rained so much that we broke the record for the most rain in May set back in 1935! So, needless to say, I didn't cook much outdoors. Seemed that every time I got everything ready to grill, down came the rain. Oh well, stuff happens. Now that we're into June, though, I'm sure I'll be posting more grilling outdoors pictures. Just not yet...

I'm still cooking without a "real" oven, just using my roaster oven. (Why does that remind me of when I was kid?) It does a decent job, except for baking, most of the time. And I really miss not being able to make pizza since a while back I was on the search for the perfect crust, and was just about there (if you recall) when "poof" my oven decided to just give up. Anyway, this is a picture of tilapia I baked in the roaster oven. I cooked it with butter, lemon, paprika and capers. It was good.

This is a very (and I mean very) easy recipe for peach cobbler that I cooked in my roaster oven. I know, I said baking doesn't go well in the roaster oven, but this turned out pretty well. The problem is that it got a little burned around the edges. I'm experimenting with baking in this oven... This cobbler is made using Bisquick and canned peaches! 

And this is called "Gemista," a Greek stuffed tomato recipe that is made with uncooked rice, zucchini, fresh mint, garlic, onion, chopped tomatoes, and breadcrumbs. Stuff the tomato then place it on top of chopped potatoes, salt and pepper it all and drizzle with olive oil; then bake it in the oven. My roaster oven worked very well for this dish. It was delicious!

These are stuffed sweet potatoes I made for the vegetarian in my family. First, I cooked the potatoes in the roaster oven (works very well for cooking potatoes), then I cut them in half and scooped a little of the potato out, added black beans, cheddar cheese and put them back in the oven to melt the cheese. Then I topped them off with a homemade pico de gallo.