Mama Mia! Pizza, Pizza, Pizza!!!!

So I felt that it was necessary to blog about my upcoming cooking class at Glass Bazaar on Wednesday, September 1, 2010.  In this specific class, I will be teaching the dish that is one of my favorites to make:  PIZZA!!!!!  Who doesn’t love pizza, right?  But the great thing about making pizza is the versatility of the dough.  You can do so many creative dishes with the dough itself, and make everyone at your party or the family happy at the same time!  For example:

Calzones
Breadsticks
Pizza Bites
Classic Pizzas
Dessert Pizzas
Cheezy Bread
Etc., etc, etc.!

So, to give you a little taste at home, here is a great and basic recipe for some killer dough for your next pizza pie.

Pizza Dough

Makes 2 12” Pies

Ingredients:
2 3/4 - 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (sifted preferred)
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water ( approx. 125 degrees)
2 tablespoons cooking oil (EVOO preferred)
1 tablespoon honey (optional - to make a more savory dough)

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups of flour with yeast and salt.  Add warm water, oil, and honey (if using).  Beat with paddle attachment on low for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl constantly.  Beat for 3 minutes on high.  Using a dough attachment (or a spoon) mix in as much of the remaining dough as you can.  Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic (roughly 5 - 7 minutes).  Divide in half.  Brush with oil, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Storage:  Can be stored in refrigerator up to 4 days or freezer for 3 months.  Thaw in refrigerator overnight.

To bake:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Turn dough out on lightly floured surface.  Roll out dough in a circle up to 12 inches.  Once rolled out, place dough on a pizza pan or stone.  Poke holes throughout dough with a fork.  Place in oven and let cook for 10-14 minutes.  DO NOT LET RISE!!!!

Take dough out of oven.  Top with favorite sauce, cheeses, and other toppings.  Place back in the oven for 12-14 minutes.  Enjoy!

Reliving Childhood

When I think of my childhood, I remember the amazing meals that I would be guaranteed to receive when going to my grandparents’ house.  But the thing I looked forward to the most were the sweets that would be waiting for my cousins and me when we visited.  But other than banana pudding, peach cobbler topped my list of favorite desserts.

So this week I was shopping around and found a baking dish, and immediately called my “Mamaw” to borrow the recipe to make.  It’s fun, easy, and really turns out great in the end!  So here it is:

Country Cookin’ Peach Cobbler
8”x8” Pan Recipe

5-6 Large Peaches, Peeled and sliced
5 Slices of bread, cut into finger strips (crustless)
1 ½ cups sugar
1 stick melted butter
1 egg
2 tablespoons flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour and sugar together.  Beat eggs and melt butter.  Combine flour, sugar, eggs, and butter to a batter consistency.  Place peaches in a buttered pan and place bread over top.  Pour batter over top evenly.  Bake in oven for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown.

This time I used whole wheat bread, since it was laying around my kitchen and needed to be used.  This worked great, but I would personally suggest white bread, especially since white bread has a sweeter taste.  When you take a bite of this cobbler, it will amaze you at how great this simple recipe is!  And no cobbler is complete without a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Here is a link to pitting a peach:

http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to/pit-a-peach.aspx

Please, please, I beg you please do not try to cut through the pit of a peach.  It will destroy your knife, and might even hurt you!  Peach pits are very strong, and do not budge, SO DON’T TRY IT!!!!

Lastly, if you would like to substitute peaches with any other cobbler filling of your choice, try it!  No recipe is set in stone, and experimentation is always welcome!  Recipes are only limited by the imagination, so happy cooking!

The Beginning

Wow, it is amazing how fast a business can really take off.  After mulling over the idea of creating a personal chef company that would help families get back to the dinner table and enjoy great and delicious meals, I have hit my stride starting this morning!  The biggest part of this whole process is the basic task of deciding on the company name!  Who knew something so small could result in something so time consuming.  After weeks of searching, “Sizzle!” seems like a wonderful fit!

“What is the reason you choose this name for?” you ask... Well, it’s quite simple.  Sizzle is a word that creates excitement and wonderful feelings when cooking.  One sound of sizzle, and you know that there will be a great meal in the end!  It creates a sense of down-home cooking that you would always get when going to a holiday dinner with the family, or simply a cozy meal after a long day at the office.  It is the sound that puts spunk in any cuisine!  And after the sizzlin’ has silenced, indulgence is required!

This is an exciting part of this journey, and I hope to make many families and people happy through home-cooked meals.  Plus, this blog will also be my main communication portal for anything food-related.  So get excited!  I know I am!