VIA Times – August 2014 Issue Vital News, Vibrant Views for Asian Americans in Chicago & Midwest
By: Sarah Lee
ike me, I am sure you love thinking of new themes and things for summertime gatherings and inviting friends over. Oh, throw an easy pizza pie party. I know, I know, of course, you get apprehensive with making the dough or crust. Make a test run of dough preparations using your food processor or heavy duty mixer (haha, you don’t even need them, really!), get comfortable handling and stretching the dough. It is easy, don’t worry, I recommend you getting your copy of Ruth Gresser’s Kitchen Workshop: Pizza (Hands-on Cooking Lesson for Making Amazing Pizzas at Home); it is a keeper and one book that you will use again and again. You’ll be so inspired, and you will for sure thank Ruth for all the compliments from your loved ones and friends. The book includes the what and how of making pizza, pizza basics (How to Proof Yeast is explained well) and classics, sauces, and toppings of proteins, vegetables and fruits. Ruth even gave recipes of 7 pizzas from her Washington DC’s Pizzeria Paradiso Restaurant. With pizza, you only need a great recipe for pizza dough and pizza sauce and then top with whatever you like. Now I know why I bought a pizza stone lately…I’m making pizzas all summer long. With Ruth’s help, we sure will be pizza experts in no time. Start with the basics and showcase the summer’s best produce of fresh tomatoes, bell peppers and basil. Or, you even can make thai chicken pizza (thai peanut satay sauce, cooked cubed chicken, shredded carrots, mozzarella cheese, fresh cilantro and fresh lime juice). Now how about Chicken Bacon Alfredo Pizza (cooked white meat chicken with bacon over jarred Alfredo Sauce). Oh yes, Taco Nacho Pizza (taco seasoned ground beef, crunchy corn chips, and jalapeno for heat). And perhaps if you are crazy about Pulled Pork, go ahead and use store-bought pulled pork, barbecue sauce, fontina cheese. Lastly, I have to admit, I am drooling over the photos of recipe creations from Ruth Gresser’s book, I am so re-inspired, I am making some pizza dough this weekend.
The Paradiso Pizza
Recipe provided and shared with permission from Quarry Books and Ruth Gresser. Recipe can be found in Kitchen Workshop: Pizza.
Paradiso Dough
Pizzeria Paradiso’s bready and robust pizzas rise from this dough. Both crispy and chewy, it can star in a pizza of few toppings or perform the supporting role for your elaborately topped pie. While you can make this dough in an electric mixer, food processor, or bread machine, I have chosen to teach you the simple method of hand mixing using only your fingers and a dough scraper as your tools. Makes dough for two 12-inch pizzas.
1 pound (455 g) white bread flour, plus more as needed
1 1/4 cups (285 ml) warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon (15 g) kosher salt
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1) Mound the flour on a clean countertop and make a large well (about as wide as your outstretched hand) in the center of the flour. Add the water and yeast to the well and let stand for 5 minutes to dissolve the yeast.
2) Using the index and middle fingers of one hand, mix the salt and oil into the water. Again using the index and middle fingers, gradually begin to draw the flour from the inside wall of the well into the water, being careful not to break the flour walls. Continue mixing the flour into the water until a loose dough is formed. Using a dough scraper, continue gradually mixing in the remaining flour until the dough forms a ball.
3) Using even pressure, begin kneading the ball of dough by pushing down and away with the heel of your hand. Next, take the far edge of the dough and fold it in half onto itself. Turn the dough a quarter turn. Push down and away again with the heel of your hand. Again fold the dough in half and turn. Continue kneading (pushing, folding, and turning), adding flour as necessary, until the texture is smooth and springs back when you press the dough with your fingertip, or upward of 10 minutes.
4) Place the dough in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
5) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Cut it into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball.
6) Place the dough balls on a floured plate and cover them with plastic wrap. Let them rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour at room temperature for room temperature dough or 2 to 3 hours at room temperature for cold dough. Or let rise in the refrigerator for 6 hours or up to overnight. (At this point, you may freeze the dough. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.) Allow refrigerated dough to stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using.
Tomato Sauce Makes 2 1/2 CUPS
cups (484 g) canned diced tomatoes (about one 28-ounce, or 800 g, can)
1/3 cup (60 g) canned crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
2 large fresh basil leaves torn into small pieces
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
½ teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1) Drain the diced tomatoes and place them in a large bowl.
2) Stir in the remaining ingredients.
3) Store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
The Paradiso Pizza Makes one 12-inch pizza
4 ounces (115 g) fresh cow’s milk mozzarella
1 ball Paradiso Pizza Dough Cornmeal, for sprinkling
3/4 cup (170 g) Tomato Sauce Kosher salt to taste Olive oil, for drizzling
1) Cut the mozzarella into 1/3-inch (about 1 cm) dice. You should have about 3/4 cup (115 g).
2) Place a pizza stone on the top rack of a cool oven. Set the oven to broil and preheat for 30 minutes.
3) On a floured work surface, flatten the dough ball with your fingertips and stretch it into a 13-inch (30 cm) round.
4) Sprinkle a pizza peel with cornmeal and lay the pizza dough round onto it. Spread the tomato sauce onto the pizza dough, leaving 1/2 to 3/4 inch (1.2 to 2 cm) of dough uncovered around the outside edge. Scatter the cheese on top of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with oil.
5) Give the peel a quick shake to be sure the pizza is not sticking to the peel. Slide the pizza off the peel onto the stone in the oven. Broil for 1 minute and then turn the oven temperature to the highest bake setting and cook for 5 minutes. Quickly open the oven door, pull out the rack, and with a pair of tongs, rotate the pizza (not the stone) a half turn. Cook for 5 minutes more.
6) Using the peel, remove pizza from the oven. Cut it into slices and serve.
You can also visit Ruth Gresser’s website: www.EatYourPizza.com. Share your recipe by email (celebreatylink@sbcglobal.net) and if published, I’m sending you a complimentary copy of THE CELEBREATY RECIPES COOKBOOK. Buy one, get 2nd copy at 50% off. Please make checks ($ 18.00 for 2 books) payable to: Glenn Turner, 127 N MAIN ST #1, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. Shipping is free.
Yes, we can make pizzas… don’t dream it, just do it! This year’s summer season is simply awesome. And everyone’s thinking of summer vacation….except me, mmm! FACEBOOK: Celebreaty Link and Via Times NewsMagazine BLOG: Celebr-EAT-y by Sarah Lee (hit subscribe to blog when you visit my blog) BLOG LINK: http://celebreaty4recipes.wordpress. com/
