Homemade Pizza

I made a pizza today and it was damn good. Now, it's not that I've never tried to make a homemade pizza, I have and they usually turn out to be failures, but not this bad boy. This was pizza yumminess.



Ingredients:

• 2 cups All-Purpose flour (3 Cups if you’re only using All-Purpose)
  
• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat flour
  
• 1 tablespoon dry-active yeast
  
• 1 cup warm water
  
• 1 tsp Salt
  
• 1 tsp Sugar
  
• 2tsp Olive Oil
  

Recipe:

1. Combine the Warm Water (105-110 degrees farenheight) sugar and yeast in a bowl and let activate for 5-10 minutes
   
2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour and salt. Pulse a few times until flour and salt is well combined.
   
3. With the food processor running, add your water and yeast mixture and let it continue to work until it forms a ball and the sides of the bowl are clean.
   
4. Knead a bit and don’t forget to dust your working area with flour (I used the whole wheat flour for the dusting)
   
5. Coat a bowl with the olive oil, place your dough in the bowl, and let rise for 1.5-2 hours
   
6. When the dough has doubled in size, go ahead and punch it down. At this point I like to roll out the dough and put it in the pan I’m going to bake it in (I rolled it out with a rolling pin, which worked out fine but be sure that you flour everything well, that includes your rolling pin). Also, don’t forget to oil your baking pan.
   
7. Let rest and rise for another half hour to 45 minutes
   
8. Pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees (I know it’s high, but it guarantees a crispy crust)
   
9. Par-bake the crust for 5-7 minutes, the bottom will have cooked a bit and will not be stuck in any way shape or form.
   
10. Add your favorite toppings and finish baking until golden and crusty!
    
11. Wait for it to cool a bit before you dig in.
    

A Trip to Eataly and the Shake Shack

So, a couple of weeks ago I decided to take my cousins to the Shake Shack. It appears that the Shake Shack has become some kind of phenomenon where people wait an hour on line for a burger, so of course, I had to go and figured having company wouldn't be that bad either. Well, since there's a Shake Shack in Madison Square Park, I figured it was also my duty to go and visit Eataly on 23rd St and 5th Avenue. For those of you who haven't heard of Eataly, allow me to explain; This is Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich (son of Lidia Bastianich) new venture. It's basically a huge food emporium with things all imported from Italy (hence the name) as well as mini-food stands(restuarants) scattered through out the building. After trying to figure out the way in to the place, we were in awe. Seriously, this place is awesome, but I do have a few complaints. First of all, it's way too crowded and very difficult to navigate. But all in all, it was fun time and the products are quite beautiful. Of course, in NYC there are plenty of places that offer the specialty food thing, and here's just another one to add to your list. Since it was so crowded, I wasn't able to get plenty of pictures, but I did get one that pulls at my heart strings: PASTA!


Then it was on to our next venture: The Shake Shack


They weren't kidding when they said the line would be long. It was definitely long.


But the question is: What is worth the wait....lol I have no pictures of the actual food, so you can take a guess on that. I had Shack Stack, which is a burger and a deep fried portabello mushroom stuffed with cheese piled on top of each other.... mmmmm. And then I sampled the Shack-ago dog which is a lovely beef hotdog piled with relish, onion, tomatoes, and pickled hot peppers (SO GOOD!). Oh, and cheese fries, can't forget the cheese fries! For dessert, we had fig and honey frozen custard. It was all awesome! So, go ahead and give it a try the next time you're in NYC!

My Trip to The Farmers Market

If there's anything I love about summer time, it's the farmer's market. To be a bit more specific, it would have to be the Union Square Farmer's Market right in the heart of Manhattan. On a gorgeous Saturday, you'd be surprised and in awe of all the gorgeous items you can find to eat!
There are Peaches and Nectarines that make you want to drool.

Look at those apricots!

Of course an erray of peppers.


But perhaps the most beautiful thing available at the farmer's market are the gorgeous array of tomatoes.




So, of course I had to bring some of these bad boys home and make something delicious. What to make? What to make? And then it hit me, Tomato and Mozarella Tart. If you've never tried this, I guarantee you'll fall in love at first bite.


This recipe is super simple and super delicious. It starts with a savory version of your basic pie dough and then a simple layering of really fresh and savory ingredients. I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients For Tart Dough:

• 1 and 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour
  
• 1 stick (8TBS) cold butter
  
• 1/4 cup Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
  
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
  
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water
  

Recipe for Tart Dough:

1. Using a food processor, add the flour, cheese, salt, and butter and pulse until the butter and flour resemble course sand.
   
   
2. Slowly add the ice water until the dough comes together.
   
   
3. Form the dough into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap and refridgerate for at least 1 hour.
   

Ingredients for Tomato Tart:

• Tart Dough (Recipe Above)
  
• 2-3 Heirloom Tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick
  
• Fresh Mozarella sliced 1/4 inch thick
  
• Fresh Basil Leaves
  
• 2 TBS Parmigianno Reggiano
  
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
  
• Drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  

Recipe for Tomato Tart:

1. Preheat your oven to 375º Farenheit
   
   
2. Slice your tomatoes approximately 1/4 of an inch thick. Lay out on paper towels and lightly salt both sides of the tomatoes. Cover with more paper towels and lightly press to draw out the moisture in the tomatoes. Keep them covered until ready to use.
   
   
3. Roll out the pie dough to approximately 9" and gently lay it in your tart or pie pan. Place a piece of aluminum foil and pie weights or dried beans on the foil and blind bake the dough for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
   
   
4. Arrange your tomatoes, mozarella, and basil into your pie crust. Salt and pepper to taste, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parmigianno reggiano and place back in the oven until the tomatoes are warmed through and mozzarella is melted.
   
   
5. Enjoy!
   

Hello and Welcome

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my blog where I hope to share wit you all the things I love to do, hence the name. Here we'll discuss some of my favorite crafts, which include knitting and cooking. I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures as much as I will enjoy sharing them with you. So, sit down, relax, and enjoy the ride... I know I will!