Foccacia Pizza

Thought I'd try making a Pizza with my Foccacia Bread Recipe and Score!!!!

Too bad I didn't have a beer with it.

This week at a glance

Well I haven't really ignored the blog.  I'm busy with work right now for an upcoming event for pre-foreclosures in Sta. Rosa next weekend.

But now I am home for the moment and I updated last weeks dishes and today.

Yesterday was hubbies birthday and today I will take him today as he was at work.  Dining at A/V/E on the Avenue.  After reviews I heard I am anxious to check it out.

Have a wonderful weekend out there and I will post about A/V/E later on.

BLT with Fresh Foccacia with a surprise

Okay okay ......so you make a pan of 13 x 9 Foccacia then what?  Besides cutting piece after piece after piece and putting butter or none or dipping in Olive Oil and Good Balsamic what do you do?  Hah!

We we had breakfast this morning then I had extra really good bacon.....so

BLCT on Foccacia

I had Butter Bib lettuce, Heirloom tomatoes small ones that are so sweet, I had dungeness crab.

I made a spread of mayo dijon and sandwich spread, then I mixed the dungeness crab with mayo and pepper.

Slice the tomato and layered it up. Winnahs!  Hubby loved it and to go along a Nathan Kosher Dill Pickle amazing had a nice flavor.

Crab Stuffed Cucumbers

Not too sure I had posted this or not and it didn't look like it.  This was appetizer for dinner Thursday.

Adapted from Sandra Lee food network. I altered the recipe though.

I took one regular cucumber, and peeled of sections of skin to leave some of the skin.

Cut into one inch sections  using a melon baller or rounded teaspoon take out 2/3rds of the seeds leaving a bottom and place on paper towel a few minutes on each side to drain the water off from the cuce's.  You can salt each side and it will pull the moisture out

I mixed dungeness crab, chive, capers, a little parmesan, little mayo and dijonnaise salt and pepper and stuff the cucumber pieces and voile nice salad.

Wednesday last week Pasta 7/14/2010

This was a quick dinner 22 minutes I think.

I had some ground beef and garlic italian sausage from Podesto's 1/2lb of each

I browned the meat then rendered down added garlic and cippolini onion.

Then I added on can of italian tomatoes (I blended with onion and garlic and italian herbs)

let it saute' a bit to cook out the canned taste.  I added 2 good squirts of Tomato Paste.

1 good squirt of Anchovy Paste, I crunched up a couple of procini mushrooms,

and 1-2 cups of beef broth and let simmer for 20 minutes. I added some fresh basil chopped up. 

 During this time of simmer

I cook 1.5 cups of the mini Bow-Tie or Mini Penne pasta al dente about 7 minutes.

Drain and add some fresh Parmiggiana Reggiano and toss the pasta so the cheese sticks then throw into sauce to finish  off then in 20-22 minutes it's done.

Dinner Thursday

Okay this was skirt steak stir fried set aside, the  fried Cippolini Onion/Shallot/Garlic

then fried broccoli and tossed in bamboo shoots and added back in meat.

Add Oyster and Lobster sauce and some shoyu and add corn starch slurry.

Ready to eat with brown rice

My dinner last night

My dinner last night piece of Skirt Steak about 6oz and a cup of Brown Rice and some fresh corn cut off a freshly picked cob.

I'm loving making this Foccacia Bread who thought that it's so easy

My recipe is for a small pan for convection oven.  This can be doubled and you can add any herbs and flavors you like.

1/2 cup warm water 110 degrees

1 heaping teaspoon of yeast (make sure it's not expired)

1 teaspoon of honey and sugar and mix give it 5 minutes

Have a 1/2 cup of white wine on the side (not to drink)

1 cup a/p flour

1 cup bread flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1 Tablespoon Olive oil (the good stuff)

1 heaping teaspoon of fresh grated parmeggiano reggiano cheese

1 Tablespoon of snipped chives

1/2 crushed garlic into a paste with kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 Tablespoon basil chopped

Once the yeast is foaming, add to all above ingredients turn out to floured board and

knead for 5 minutes use an egg timer. ( You don't have to knead) But I prefer to do so.

You will need about 1/2 cup flour on the side to knead into dough and you'll know when it's done. It's no longer sticking.  I roll into a ball and place in a bowl with some olive oil on the bottom, sprinkle

some olive oil on top and cover bowl with saran wrap and cover with towel and let proof for an hour.

Punch down then turn out into a small round pan 9" prepared with olive oil, or square pan,

using your fingertips make dimples in the dough and spread out.  Cover with the saran wrap and towel and let rise for the 2nd time 30-40 minutes.  Sprinkle a little olive oil and then sprinkle flaked Kosher Salt all over.

In a preheated oven  400 degrees, bake 15 minutes then turn and bake another 13-15 minutes until golden brown. Voila!! Bon Appetit.

The above shot is the final subject so yummy the same day. Next make toast.

Made more Foccacia Bread

I love Foccacia Bread., I made one from a recipe however, I made a few changes.


My pan is a 9 X 13 inch pan you can use a square 9 X 9 pan as well.



2 Cups Flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (for the dough)

½ warm water 110 degrees add 1 scant teaspoon yeast (don’t use the whole packet if you use that, so measure it out)

½ cup water by itself

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon italian seasoning (crush it through your fingers into bowl)

1 teaspoon fresh crushed garlic (I finally chop 2 cloves and smear on cutting board with salt and chop chop)

1 Tablespoon Parmigianno Reggiano cheese the good stuff from the Deli

1 Tablespoon good olive oil ( this is for the dough)

Whisk the flour, salt and sugar

Add, the oil, all the water and yeast. Best mix with your hand turn out to your board lightly flour and knead the dough just until it comes together you’ll know it no longer sticks to board.

I lightly grease a bowl and place the dough and brush some olive oil and let proof. (per the recipe you can proof 1 hour to overnight) Today I did it when I went to work and it was fine.

Punch down. Prep your baking pan with 1-2 tablespoons of EVOO to coat the bottom, press and stretch the dough to fit your pan it will look like there’s a lot of EVOO on the bottom don’t worry it will soak up. Make the dimples on your loaf or prick with a fork, at this point you can season here, I brush lightly some EVOO on top and put some crushed Italian herbs and garlic and some salt on the top let it proof for 30 -45 minutes and bake 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees. I like the flaked Kosher salt that’s what I used on top.

Bon Appetito!

.

Mini Biscotti with Sesame Seeds

Dessert for dinner tonight

My sister in law and her husband are in this weekend.   She is cooking entree', and I went ahead and made dessert and salad.

Salad is one I've posted before Heirloom Tomatoes with Mozzarello (fresh) with Basil/Chive.  Dressing
Chateau St. Jean Pomegranate Vinaigrette.

Fresh Fruit Salad with White and Yellow Nectarines, White Peaches, Apricots, Mango, Clementines and Cherries.

Snuck a little Mango in with the regular Panna Cotta and in the Mango Gelee, inspired by one of my favorite blogs Evan's Kitchen.

My take on Frittata

I don't really know how to make this.  My sister in law makes a delicious one.  So I came across a recipe and followed along.  I have a big cast iron skillet so I don't have the height on this but came out good.
I saute'd some cippolini onions (I love these) and zucchini with some pre cooked Pancetta fried to a crisp.

Chain of events

Hello everyone, been bad about the blog I think but past few days have been weird hectic.

Anyhow here goes.

Chicken Wings My Way

Easy, 2-3 cloves garlic finely minced, 1 green onion sliced thin

1 package party wings rinsed patted dry

Get one measuring cup here we go using this cup Use the one that holds 1.5 cups

Add:

1/4 cup Dark Shoyu... See More

1/4 cup Oyster Sauce

1/4 cup mirin

1/4 cup chinese cooking wine

1/4 rice wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Salt and Pepper

2 Heaping Tablespoons of honey

Stir and pour over chicken wings and soak overnigh.

I use a turbo broiler so if you don't have that you need to bake 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes turning halfway point you can baste with the marinade.

While baking I reduce down the marinade and add a little more honey until sliightly thickened then I pour over when they are done in the bowl
 
 

Cellophane Noodles (Saifun) with Wood Ear/Shitake, Blue Lake Beans and Crab.

 

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 to 6 with 2 or 3 other dishes.

Cooked meat and tomalley and fat from a 2-pound Dungeness crab (about 1/2 pound crabmeat and 1/4 cup tomalley and fat)

1 egg... See More

1 tablespoon water

1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

1 1/2 Tablespoon Abalone Sauce

½ to ¾ teaspoon black pepper, and white pepper

2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil

1/2 Diced Shallot and 1/4 Sweet Yellow Onion Diced

3 dried wood ear mushrooms, reconstituted, stemmed, and cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips (about ¼ cup)

3 Shitake Mushroom Fresh or reconstituted sliced thin.

¼ pound cellophane noodles, soaked in hot water until pliable, drained, and cut into 10-inch lengths

1. In a bowl, combine the tomalley and fat, egg, water, fish sauce, pepper, and chopped cilantro and mix well. Measure the mixture; you want about ¾ cup total. Add water if needed. (If you are using crabmeat prepared of course cost more, then I made 1 cup of lobster broth and cooled down)

2. In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot /onion and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, or until soft. Add the crabmeat and mushrooms and stir-fry for about 1 minute, or until aromatic. Add the noodles and continue to stir-fry for about 2 minutes, or until they begin to soften. The noodles will look a bit dry.

3. Give the tomalley mixture a good stir and pour over the noodles. Quickly work the mixture into the noodles to ensure an even distribution of flavors, lowering the heat if the noodles begin to clump. In about 2 minutes, the noodles will become translucent and lightly golden.

4. Remove from the heat and taste and adjust with extra sprinkles of fish sauce and/or pepper. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately

I added sliced green beans it needed color as I don't like celery really so put this in no 2.


 
 

Wagyu Rib Eye for lunch today

No Recipe on this one not needed right?