Pizza Version 1.2

Made two more pizzas last night and they actually looked like "real" pizzas and not "mutants", lol. I used lots of cornmeal so it didn't stick to the pizza peel. The amount of time needed to make the pizza is also getting shorter and this can become another quick and cheap meal option.

The photo above was my second pizza and it is already kind of dried up. The flour and cornmeal are still making it a little messy to clean up. Overall, I am still happy at the way things turned out again. It is definitely an improvement from my version 1.0 pizza and the kids are really having fun making fun of my cooking. Having some fun with the kids, that is what really matters.

Pizza Version 1.1

I did my Pizza Version 1.1 for dinner tonight- two 12" pizzas. "Not bad," my wife said. I learned my lesson last week and used a lot more flour and cornmeal. With the cornmeal, the pizza didn't stick to the peel this time and it worked out much better.

The pizza dough was from Trader Joe's and I even baked some bread sticks with a garlic/spice dough. Overall, I am very happy the way things turned out today.

Oh, I still couldn't figure out how to use the fancy digital timer on the Dacor oven. Okay, plans for version 1.2 for next week:

• adding some herbs and garlic to the pizza sauce.
• I read somewhere you are suppose to poke the dough with a fork to get rid of bubbles. My second pizza tonight had a very large bubble. It was the size of a baseball!

Attack of the Mutant Pizza

My latest quest in life is to learn how to make a pizza from scratch. As with any tasks in life you must have the right tools and Amazon.com definitely has got my vote for the place to purchase all the required gadgets to make a pizza from scratch. Here is my list:

• pizza stone or pizza pan is a must. I purchased a cast iron pizza pan.
• a pizza peel to transfer the pizza
• a pizza wheel cutter
• a silicon mat to roll out the dough.

Well, I kind of cheated for my Pizza 1.0 version. I purchased a ready made pizza dough from WinCo Foods. After reading about 20 variations on dough recipes on the Internet, I think I may have to stick with ready made dough.

Once I have the pizza dough, pizza sauce, and some cheese, I thought to myself how hard can it be? Just put the pizza in the oven and a few minutes later, it is ready to eat. Actually, it was a lot harder than I thought. My version 1.0 pizza bombed. While trying to place the pizza on my new cast iron pizza pan, the dough stuck to the peel and didn't want to slide off. I tried desperately to keep the circular shape as I tucked and pushed on the pizza. The pizza kind of flopped upside down on the pan preheated to 425 degrees.

The end result was still edible, well, kind of, just a small portion of it. My kids ate 2 small pieces and the rest I had to trash. I was just too embarrassed for anyone else to see it. It was one ugly looking pizza. It was all twisted and looked liked a mutated tumor.

Version 1.1 of the pizza is coming this week, and I am planning some adjustment:

• I got to get some cornmeal. I read that is the thing to use to prevent the pizza from sticking to the peel.
• I am going to cook 2 small pizzas instead of one large one. In case I mess up the first small one, I still can try to make another.
• I needed a little more cheese.

Marinara Sauce

Ever since we came back from Italy in July, my daughter and I have been craving for spaghetti with marinara sauce. I just can't seem to copy the same flavor or texture of the sauce in Italy. It must be the type of tomatoes they use over there. I looked all over town and couldn't find any imported cans of tomatoes for sale; Trader Joe's does not have it either.

At the end of the meal in Italy, after finishing all the spaghetti, there is always lots of olive oil and sauce left over at the bottom of the plate. I have tried really hard to reproduce the same. Well, here is my version 1.1 today (version 1.0 was 2 weeks ago and it didn't turn out too good):

2 cans of Hunts peeled tomato each 14.5 oz.
4-5 cloves of garlic
1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
salt, pepper
1 tsp sugar

1. Chop up the garlic into little pieces. My kids like the taste of garlic but do not want to bite into a big piece.
2. Slightly brown the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat. In my version 1.0 of the sauce, I over cooked the garlic and it was slightly burnt and it had a funny smell, so don't over cook here.
3. Add the canned tomatoes
4. Add the basil. My fresh basil leaves left over from version 1.0 were kind of welted and I had to use the dried up ones today. (I used a "rounded" 1/2 tsp) The dried up ones turned out ok and it is easier to keep around.
5. Add the oregano. (I used a "rounded" 1/2 tsp)
6. Add some salt (I did two pinches today and it turned out ok) and some pepper.
7. Add the sugar (the tomatoes in Italy tasted sweet, my wife suggested it)
8. I added a little water (1/3 cup) today so the final sauce would not be too sticky.
9. Bring it to a boil and then simmer for 40-60 minutes over low heat. Stir and mash up the tomatoes as it simmers.
10. 1 lb. of spaghetti should be ok for my family of 4. I cooked too much today.
11. One trick I did today was to scoop up the olive oil on top of the sauce pan and add it to each plate first and coat the freshly cooked spaghetti, and then add the sauce later. This way each person would get similar amount of olive oil.

Feedback:

1. The taste was good, almost there.
2. Too little sauce (use 3 cans next time?)
3. Not enough olive oil left over at the bottom of the plate (use 1/2 cup of olive oil next time?)
4. They like the angel hair better than the thin or regular spaghetti
5. not much protein with this meal though
6. need to remember to get some bread

Overall I am happy with the version 1.1. It is getting close to the real thing. Oh, I need to buy the olive oil/ vinegar dispenser thingy. The one that has both oil and vinegar in one glass holder one inside the other.

Stir-Fry Nian Gao

Hey don't laugh, I'm not good at writing down recipes.

version 1.0 - 9/4/2007, my first try was not bad. It was a little salty and the Nian Gao could have been cooked a little longer and softer.

version 1.1- 9/5/07, modified by adding some more water to the final step, and took out extra added salt or soy sauce at the end

version 1.2- 9/10/07, pre-soaking the Nian Gao made them softer, increased the chicken to 3 pieces, and re-added the soy sauce at the end, just a little.

version 1.21- 9/18/07, added Chinese cabbage after taking the chickens out. Tried using 1 1/2 bag of the Nian Gao

Procedure:

• buy the Nian Gao that comes frozen or refrigerated and in a vacuum bag
• 1 bag can serve about 3 people. Use 1 1/2 bag to serve 4 with some left overs
• thaw the Nian Gao in cold water, make sure you kind of wash them a little because I found some hard brown stuff stuck to some. The thawing takes around 15 min
• pre-soak them in cold water for 1 to 2 hours
• defrost 3-4 pieces of frozen chicken thigh, microwave on auto defrost setting 3, turn, then auto defrost setting 3 again
• the chicken is still half frozen and easier to cut
• cut up 1 or 2 "stick(s)" of scallion or green onion into small pieces... *ok, there must be an official word for a "stick" of green onion*
• cut the chicken into small strips and marinate in soy sauce
• put some oil in the pan and stir-fry the green onion for a while, then add the chicken, cook until done
• take the chicken out and set aside but leave the juices
• add some Chinese cabbage now- cut them into thin slices
• add the Nian Gao into the pan and stir-fry a while
• add one can of chicken broth
• add another cup of water
• add a little more soy sauce if needed
• cook until the Nian Gao is soft and most of the liquid is gone
• add the chicken back into the pan and cook together for a short time

This is not an official Shanghai Stir-Fry Nian Gao recipe. It is just my version that can be cooked and ready to eat in 90 min. I like my Nian Gao soft since I don't like to chew.

I'm trying this again next week. Wish me luck.