Gnomicon

Monday, May 28, 2012

Homemade Sand/Water Table

To keep the Wee Bairn entertained this summer in our Wee Backyard, I cobbled together a sand and water table out of an old planter and some bins from IKEA.

Now I've got a space between the two bins that won't fit another bin, but looks a little sad.

Any thoughts on what should go there? The gap is about 14 1/2 inches deep and 10 7/8 inches wide.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

I have no pictures to share because we ate these up so fast, but if you have strawberries, they are worth making. Recipe for Shortcake Biscuits 2 cups AP flour 2 T sugar 1 T baking powder 1/2 t salt 8 T cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 cup heavy cream Stir dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture until butter is pea sized. Add cream and mix until moist. Kneed gently. Roll out until about 1 inch thick. Cut into biscuits. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Serve with strawberries and whipped cream. Delicious.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Challah

Back in September of 2008 I read an article in the New York Times Magazine's Recipe Redux column about challah. Four years later, I finally made it. Not the 2008 version, which, much like the article, is offensive on a lot of levels. I made the 1976 version. Well, I made my food processor version of it. In fact, I've made it about seven times in the past three months, and I think I've perfected it.

The original recipe from Sarah Schecht of Brooklyn appeared in an article by Craig Claiborne in 1976. I’ve divided it in half, given food processor directions, and braided like a sane person instead of in an eight-strand braid. However, the pictures you see in this post are actually of a double batch following the instructions below (literally, I made it once, then made it again . . . otherwise it doesn't fit in the food processor, or in any bowl I own to rise) and then following Ms. Schecht's instructions for braiding, which even I could follow.

I highly recommend using Penzeys Ceylon cinnamon, which has a heavenly, ethereal taste, unlike the heavy ground bark you get from your average grocery store cinnamon. I used Penzeys cinnamon blend this last time, and while it is leaps and bounds better than grocery store cinnamon (which is probably stale China cinnamon), it might have resulted in challah too breakfast-y to use for lunch sandwiches.

If you are planning to use your challah for sandwiches, allow the second rise (the one after you braid it) to continue a little longer. On cold days, I let it rise more than an hour. The challah pictured here rose for two hours and 15 minutes in a kitchen with an ambient temperature around 71 degrees. The reason traditional challah might fall apart when you cut it for sandwiches is because it is supposed to be easy to pull apart to share on Shabbat, like a loaf of dinner rolls.

2012: Challah

4 1/2 C unbleached flour, plus additional flour for kneading
1 t dry active yeast
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 C plus 2 T plus 1/8 t sugar (save the 1/8 for the egg wash)
1/2 t vanilla extract
3 large eggs (save one for the egg wash)
1/4 C plus 2 T canola oil
3/4 C lukewarm water

Procedure:

Place the flour, yeast, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar in the food processor bowl. Pulse to combine.
Add the vanilla, 2 of the eggs, and the oil and run on bread setting for 20 seconds. Add 3/4 c lukewarm water and run again for 20 seconds. The dough is ready when it doesn’t stick to your hands. Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then lay a clean towel over that, and let rise for at least an hour.
Turn the dough onto a flat surface and knead briefly. Cut off 1/3 of the dough, knead quickly, shape into a ball, flour lightly and let rest for 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining 2 pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a 12-to-15-inch-long rope. Continue with remaining balls.
On a baking sheet lined with a Silpat non-stick baking sheet liner (or analog), align the ropes, side by side. Gather the tops together, one at a time, pinching down to seal. Braid them. When braided, gather the bottom ends of the ropes and pinch them together.
Cover the loaf with a towel and place in a warm spot until the loaf is doubled in size, about an hour. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Beat the remaining egg with the remaining 1/8 t sugar. Brush the loaf with the egg wash. Bake until puffed and golden, about 45 minutes.

Makes 1 loaf.

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Monday, April 02, 2012

April's Mozzarella del Mese: Nodini

Last month I made my first batch of mozzarella using New England Cheesemaking Supply's 30 Minute Mozzarella & Ricotta Kit. It was pretty firm. Definitely sliceable. Well nigh shreddable. This month I wanted to go for a more delicate consistency, like the light and airy fresh mozzarella I've had at fancy restaurants. The best example of this locally is available at the Cheese Cave in Claremont. On one of my many cheese buying binges there, the owner saw my we bairn and suggested she might like some nodini, which means "knots" in Italian. Nodini are just little knots of fresh mozzarella.

I owed four quarter-pound batches of mozzarella to some colleagues who helped me out with a little class project (in case you're wondering, according to Fullerton's zoning ordinances, the incoming CSUF president could keep chickens at her official residence). When asked what form they would like, the only one with an opinion requested nodini. The recipe in the booklet that comes with the kit yields approximately 3/4 lbs mozzarella. So instead of using one gallon of milk I increased it to 1 1/2 gallons of milk and increased all of the other ingredients proportionally, except for the salt. I also modified the original instructions to maximize moisture retention and tenderness. They turned out light as air and delicious, so I'll be returning to this interpretation of the recipe again.

For those of you playing along at home, I used Straus Family Creamery's whole, organic, non-GMO, creamtop, pasteurized milk which I purchased from Mother's Market in Brea.

Nodini adapted from Ricki's 30-Minute Mozzarella recipe in the booklet accompanying the 30 Minute Mozzarella & Ricotta Kit.
Yield: Approximately 1 1/8 lb. cheese

Ingredients:

1 1/2 gal whole, non-ultrapasteurized milk (I used pasteurized milk. The directions vary slightly in terms of times and temperatures for raw milk.)
1/2 C cool, chlorine-free water
1/2 tablet (or 1/2 t if you're using liquid) rennet
1 1/2 C cool, chlorine-free water
1 1/2 t citric acid
1/2 t cheese salt

Implements:

2 gal stainless steel pot or any non-aluminum or non-cast iron pot.
slotted spoon
thermometer
long knife
large microwave-safe bowl
powderless nitrile gloves

Procedure:

Put a large bowl of chlorine-free water in the refrigerator. Put another large bowl of chlorine-free water in the freezer.
Dissolve rennet (tablet or liquid) in 1/2 C water. Stir and set aside.
Affix the thermometer in a readable position on the pot.
Dissolve citric acid in 1 1/2 C water. Pour into the pot.
Pour all of the milk into the pot and stir vigorously.
Heat the milk to 90 degrees Fahrenheit while stirring.
Remove the pot from the burner and slowly stir in the rennet solution with an up and down motion for approximately 30 seconds.
Cover the pot and leave it undisturbed for 7 minutes.
Check the curd. It should look like custard, with a clear separation between the curd and the whey. If the curd is too soft or the whey is milky, let set for a few more minutes.
Cut the curd with a knife that reaches to the bottom of your pot. Cut cubes no smaller than 1 inch square.
Place the pot back on the stove and heat to 100°F while slowly moving the curds around with your spoon.
Take off the burner and continue slowly stirring for 2 minutes.
Pour off the floating whey.
Ladle your curds into a large microwaveable bowl and drain off as much of the whey as you can without pressing the curds too much. Put on your gloves.
Place the bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Meanwhile, take the large bowl of water out of the refrigerator and set it next to where you'll be tying your nodini.
Remove and drain off the whey as you gently fold the curds into one piece. Add 1/2 t salt.
If it's not warm enough to stretch, microwave for another 30 seconds. But if it's already starting to stretch, try to keep the microwaving to a minimum.
Stretch the cheese by pulling it into one long rope. Try to work it as little as possible to maintain the delicate texture.
Tie a knot at the end of the rope and pull it off from the rest of the rope. Immediately drop the knot into the large bowl of cold water. If the rope cools off too much to work with, pop it back in the microwave for a few seconds. Continue to do this until you've run out rope and have a bowl full of cold water and little knots of cheese.
Put your bowl full of cold water and nodini into the refrigerator for five minutes.
After five minutes, use the slotted spoon to transfer your nodini from the bowl of refrigerated water to the bowl of water in the freezer. Put your bowl full of really cold water and nodini in the freezer for 15 minutes.
You can wrap these in waxed paper and store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Alternatively, you can float them in brine (just salt and water) in an airtight container for a similar length of time. Really, you'll end up eating them WAY before two weeks is up.

Previous Mozzarella del Mese:

December's Pizza del Mese: Pizza Margherita with Homemade Mozzarella

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Monday, March 05, 2012

December's Pizza del Mese: Pizza Margherita with Homemade Mozzarella

Back in January 2011 while introducing the Pizza del Mese, I mentioned Mark Bittman's admonishment that pizza dough is too simple not to make yourself. This pizza honors that inspiration by using Mark Bittman's pizza dough recipe. It takes it a step further and provides a nice segue to one of our 2013 blogects by using homemade fresh mozzarella.

Arrivederci, Pizza del Mese! Buon giorno, Mozzarella del Mese!

I used Mark Bittman's Pizza Dough from How to Cook Everything, Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition: 2,000 Simple Recipes for Great Food. Super simple. I let it rise, transferred it to a ziploc bag and refrigerated it overnight, then let it get to room temperature before shaping it on the Lodge Pro Logic Cast-Iron 14-Inch Pizza Pan. Then, I let it hang out for about 30 minutes before proceeding. All of this contributed to this turning out to be the most awesome pizza crust EVER. How did I gain all of this rising wisdom? Well . . . that has to do with another 2012 blogect to be revealed shortly.

I followed Ricki Carroll's 30-minute Mozzarella recipe and used her 30 Minute Mozzarella & Ricotta Kit. Super easy and the transformation from milk to cheese is really satisfying. Much more satisfying than many of the Au Lait du Mois which were like, "Look, after two days I can make milk turn into . . . slightly thicker milk." This is like, "In less time than it takes my pizza dough to rise, I can make milk into stretchy, melty, fantabulously cheesey cheese!"

For those of you playing along at home, I used Clover Organic Farms whole milk with a sell by date eight days after I made the cheese. I bought it from Mother's Market in Brea. Also, there's some sort of something about not making cheese while you make bread or where you make bread or something like that. I ignored it and it all worked out fine. Then again, I made my mozzarella and ate it within 24 hours. So whatever "yeast contamination" took place, didn't have time to rear its ugly head. Right? I don't know. I'll try to find out more about this whole "yeast contamination" thing and get back to you.

Once I had Mr. Bittman's dough and Ms. Carroll's mozzarella, I followed the recipe in January's Pizza del Mese: Pizza Margherita adapted from Pizza: Grill It, Bake It, Love It! by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough. Between the four of them, they're like the Justice League of Pizza.

Previous Pizza del Mese:

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It Wasn't Just a Dream

Check out my guest blog appearance on the New England Cheesemaking Supplies blog. Wow, I'm so shiny and talking in that picture. It's so huge. You can totally see my pores. Eek. And this is why I avoid posting pictures of myself on this blog.

And is our blog named for something involving computer games? Bob, did you trick us into being geeky cool? Well, Jeri at New England Cheesemaking Supplies thinks so. That's cool with me.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Adventures in Dairyland

Yes, it's February 2012. I know. But no matter how well we plan, sometimes busy parents have to let some things slide, and in our case, the blog, and along with it, Au Lait Du Mois slid most easily. So it took us 14 months to complete all twelve fresh cheese and dairy treats from the Gourmet Home Dairy Kit and post about our experiences, but we finally did it. Guess why we suddenly finished at the end of February 2012 instead of, say, the beginning of March or 2013?

Check out the last comment on my Panir post. Yup. Being asked to be a guest blogger by the New England Cheesemaking Supplies folks is to amateur cheesemakers, as an Oscar is to an actor. Ooo . . . now I want to carve a statuette out of cheese.

Unlike an Oscar winner, who gets a dust collector which technically, they can't even sell to the highest bidder when things go south, I won a 30 Minute Mozzarella & Ricotta Kit with which I can make up to 30 batches of mozzarella. Take that Meryl Streep.

Now, to be honest, prior to receiving this award, co-blogger Rebecca and I had planned to focus on mozzarella this year, as evidenced by my Hanukkah/Christmas/Solstice/Kwanzaa/New Year 2011 gifts to Rebecca: 10 Tablets of Vegetable Rennet, Cheese Salt, and Citric Acid. If you already have the butter muslin and dairy thermometer from following along on our Au Lait Du Mois adventure, those three ingredients are all you need to embark on our mozzarella journey.

For your consideration, here is a list of all of our Au Lait Du Mois posts:

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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

December's Au Lait du Mois: Kefir Cheese

So you've made kefir smoothies for the whole family and you still have a quart of kefir leftover? Make Kefir Cheese!

I drained the cheese overnight (about 8 hours) and it looks nice and creamy. I seasoned it with a little salt.

Buttermilk Cheese adapted from Ricki Carroll's Gourmet Home Dairy Kit
Ingredients:

1 qt. fresh kefir
Cheese salt (optional)

Implements:

Sieve
Bowl
Butter Muslin

Procedure:

Set the sieve over the bowl and line the sieve with butter muslin.
Pour the kefir into the muslin-lined sieve. Tie the corners of the muslin into a knot and hang the bag to drain for 12-24 hours, or until the cheese has reached the desired consistency.
Place the cheese in a bowl. Add the salt to taste if desired.

Previous Au Lait du Mois:

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Sunday, January 15, 2012

November's Au Lait du Mois: Kefir

We had a power outage a while back and my freezer contents suffered. I wasn't sure how my cultures did, but it seems like they weathered the heat. I made the kefir with a half gallon of whole milk and I let it sit for 24 hours. It turned out nice and thick.

I used half of the kefir in smoothies and I used the other half to make kefir cheese. The smoothies contained pineapple, strawberries and bananas along with the kefir. They were a hit.

There are two different ways to make kefir. One uses a kefir culture, as described below. The other, more authentic, method uses live kefir grains. The Gourmet Home Dairy Kit recommends contacting Marilyn, the Kefir Lady, to buy live kefir grains.

You can reculture the kefir culture at least once before it loses its kick. But the live kefir grains can be kept alive, at least in theory, in perpetuity. To re-culture the kefir culture, use 2 T of the prepared kefir in 1 qt of milk and follow the same directions set out below.

Kefir adapted from Ricki Carroll's Gourmet Home Dairy Kit
Ingredients:

2 quarts pasteurized whole milk
1 packet kefir culture

Implements:

2 qt. pot
Dairy Thermometer
Yogotherm yogurt incubator

Procedure:

Pour the milk into the pot and affix the thermometer in a readable position.
Put the pot on medium heat and stir occasionally until it reaches between 76 and 86 degrees.
Pour milk into the Yogotherm yogurt incubator
Add the packet of Kefir Culture and stir thoroughly.
After between 12 and 15 hours - or 24 hours is your a busy mom, check for a thick consistency.
When it is at the correct consistency, put the Yogotherm insert in the fridge

Previous Au Lait du Mois:

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Monday, November 21, 2011

November's Pizza del Mese: Winter Squash, Onion, and Pine Nut Pizza

Ironically, shortly after I made this pizza, Serious Eats posed this question:
Squash on Pizza, Way or No Way? After tasting this pizza, I am a firmly in the "Squash on Pizza, Way" camp.

The original recipe suggested Semolina Pizza Dough (see recipe in September's Pizza del Mese: White Clam Pizza). I used the Classic Pizza Dough because when I made October's Pizza del Mese, I just tripled the dough recipe, then divided into thirds, let them rise, and put two of the thirds in ziploc bags in the freezer.

Winter Squash, Onion, and Pine Nut Pizza adapted from Pizza: Grill It, Bake It, Love It! by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
Ingredients

Vegetable oil to apply to the cooking surface of Lodge Pro Logic Cast-Iron 14-Inch Pizza Pan
One recipe Classic Pizza Dough (see recipe in January's Pizza del Mese: Pizza Margherita)
2 T olive oil
2 med. yellow onions, halved through the stem, then thinly sliced (you can tell I used rings instead of cutting my onions this way . . . I also grilled them instead of pan frying them).
3/4 C winter squash puree (to make up for my onion transgression I made my winter squash puree from an actual winter squash)
1 t rubbed sage
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1/4 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
l 1/2 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Grana Padano, or Pecorino, finely grated
1 T pine nuts

Procedure

Position the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450.
Apply a thin coating of vegetable oil to the surface of the cast iron pizza pan. Lay the dough at its center and dimple the dough with your fingertips. Then pull and press the dough until it forms a 14-inch circle on the pizza pan.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then swirl in the olive oil. Add the
onion slices, reduce the heat to very low, and cook, stirring often, until soft,
golden, and very sweet, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, stir the squash puree, sage, nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until uniform. Spread this mixture evenly over the prepared crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border at its edge.
Top with the caramelized onions, then sprinkle the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
and pine nuts over the pie.
Place the pie on its pizza pan in the oven on the middle rack. Check it about every three minutes for the first nine minutes to pop any air bubbles that may blow up at its edge or across its surface. Bake until until the crust is somewhat firm and lightly browned, 14 to 16 minutes.
Transfer the pizza pan to a wire rack to cool for 3 minutes. Remove the pie from the pan, transferring it directly to the wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Previous Pizza del Mese:

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Friday, November 11, 2011

October's Pizza del Mese: Broccoli Cheese Deep Dish Pizza

October's Pizza del Mese, which was, I swear, actually made in October, was a super easy, yummy, relatively nutritious weekend dinner.

Broccoli Cheese Deep Dish Pizza adapted from Pizza: Grill It, Bake It, Love It! by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
Ingredients

Vegetable oil to apply to a 10-inch springform pan
One recipe Classic Pizza Dough (see recipe in January's Pizza del Mese: Pizza Margherita)
3 oz. Monterey Jack, shredded
3 oz. mozzarella, shredded
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 C diced red onion
1/2 cup Classic Pizza Sauce (see recipe in January's Pizza del Mese: Pizza Margherita)
1 1/2 ounces Pecorino, finely grated

Procedure

Position the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450.
Apply a thin coating of vegetable oil to the 10-inch springform pan. Press the dough into the pan, stretching the dough across the pan's bottom and then pulling the dough a bit up the sides, about 1 inch. Cover with a clean kitchen towel.
Sprinkle the shredded Monterey Jack and mozzarella evenly over the bottom
of the pie. Top with the broccoli and onion, making sure both are evenly distributed across the surface.
Dot the pie with the pizza sauce, then top with the grated Pecorino.
Place the pie in the oven on the middle rack. Check it about every three minutes for the first nine minutes to pop any air bubbles that may blow up at its edge. Bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling and a little thick, about 30 minutes.
Transfer the pizza pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Open the springform and remove the pie from the pan, transferring it directly to the wire rack to cool for another 5 minutes, then cut into wedges to serve.

Previous Pizza del Mese:

September's Pizza del Mese: White Clam Pizza

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Monday, October 31, 2011

October's Au Lait du Mois: Cream Cheese

I have learned that there are a whole bunch of ways to make cream cheese: the uncooked-curd method, the cooked-curd method, Swiss-style, Creole, French-style, and probably a few more I'm missing. I opted for the easiest way: the uncooked-curd method. The results were absolutely amazing. Of all the Au Lait du Mois I've done so far, this is the one that I'm definitely doing again, and probably soon.

I only let it drain for something like six hours and I didn't chill it at all. Before chilling, it was very light and spreadable, but still rich and creamy. We brought it along with some organic whole wheat artisanal bread to a dinner party. It was a huge success.

This is the bowl after two days in the refrigerator. You can notice two things. First, it's almost empty because it's so awesome. Second, it's very thick and almost crumbly without any whey draining out of it. I don't think you need to let it drain for the whole 12 hours recommended in the recipe. If it's not as thick as you'd like it, just pop it in the fridge. It will harden up to the consistency of a cold brick of Philadelphia cream cheese. But this tastes so much better.

The original recipe called for 2 quarts pasteurized light cream or pasteurized half-and half. Being a glutton, I opted for 2 quarts raw heavy cream from Mother's Market that recently opened in Brea. Yup, you can buy raw milk in grocery stores here. Unfortunately, there are still 11 states where raw milk is illegal and Maryland is one of them. Check out this post from New England Cheesemaking about the Maryland Raw Milk Freedom Riders event.

Cream Cheese: Uncooked-Curd Method adapted from Ricki Carroll's Gourmet Home Dairy Kit
Ingredients:

2 quarts heavy cream
1 packet direct-set mesophilic starter or 4 ounces prepared mesophilic starter (I used the buttermilk starter that came with the Gourmet Home Dairy kit)
Cheese salt (optional)

Implements:

2 qt. jar
Sieve
Bowl
Butter Muslin

Procedure:

Pour the cream into the jar and bring it to room temperature (72°F). Add the starter and mix thoroughly.
Put the cap on the jar and let set at 72°F for 12 hours. A solid curd will form.
When 12 hour is just about up, set a sieve over a bowl and line the sieve with butter muslin.
Pour the curd into the muslin-lined sieve. Tie the corners of the muslin into a knot and hang the bag to drain for up to 12 hours, or until the bag stops dripping and the cheese has reached the desired consistency. Changing the bag once or twice will speed the draining process.
Place the cheese in a bowl. Add the salt to taste if desired.
Place the cheese into small molds and cool in the refrigerator. Once the cheeses are firm, take them out of the molds and wrap individually in cheese wrap.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Previous Au Lait du Mois:

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Soda is Evil: And Makes You Evil, Too

Previously, I'd raised the specter of the health effects of soda. Now, I humbly share the results of a study about to be published in Injury Prevention:

Adolescents who drank more than five cans of soft drinks per week (nearly 30% of the sample) were significantly more likely to have carried a weapon and to have been violent with peers, family members and dates.

FYI, I found this via Prof. Berman's Sentencing Law and Policy blog.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Cool produce

I meant to post this ages ago and then forgot.

We tried some new to us produce this summer:
dried fava beans, purslane, burgundy okra, slip skin melon.

I soaked the fava beans and then I was able to easily remove the outer layer to reveal the edible bean inside. When they cooked, they basically disolved into a mush that, when seasoned and mixed with olive oil, made a delicious sauce for pasta.

The purslane is somewhat lemoney and was great in a salad with feta and tomatoes. Purslane is the land plant with the most omega-3.

I miss these tomatoes already.

The okra tasted like regular okra, but was pretty. We mostly eat it raw.

The melon was good. Not quite as good as really good honeydew, but we certainly had no problems finishing it.

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September's Pizza del Mese: White Clam Pizza

September's Pizza del Mese would be a great follow up to an overly generous summer clam bake. Chop up some of those leftover bivalves and make this delectable pizza. For those of us not so lucky, frozen chopped clams or even, gasp, canned clams will suffice. The fantastic garlic white wine sauce and the Pecorino cheese will more than make up for any shellfish shortcomings.

The recipe calls for fresh, not dried, parsley. I substituted cilantro as I have so much it's staging an Occupy Sarah's Refrigerator demonstration. It is, in fact, 99% of the produce in my house. I can see how fresh parsley would be good, but the cilantro worked well.
White Clam Pizza adapted from Pizza: Grill It, Bake It, Love It! by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough
Ingredients

Vegetable oil to apply to the cooking surface of Lodge Pro Logic Cast-Iron 14-Inch Pizza Pan
One recipe Semolina Pizza Dough (see recipe below)
2 T olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t red pepper flakes
12 oz. frozen chopped clams, thawed; or two 6- or 7-oz. cans clams, drained
2 T dry white wine
2 T chopped parsley leaves (or cilantro, in my case)
l 1/2 oz. Pecorino, finely grated

Procedure

Position the rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450.
Apply a thin coating of vegetable oil to the surface of the cast iron pizza pan. Lay the dough at its center and dimple the dough with your fingertips. Then pull and press the dough until it forms a 14-inch circle on the pizza pan.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Swirl in the olive oil, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
Stir in the clams, wine, and the parsley; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the liquid has reduced to a glaze, about 2 minutes. Don't let this go too long or there won't be enough liquid to counter the dryness of the Pecorino.
Spread the clam mixture evenly over the prepared crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top with the grated Pecorino.
Place the pie on its pizza pan in the oven on the middle rack. Check it about every three minutes for the first nine minutes to pop any air bubbles that may blow up at its edge or across its surface. Bake until until the crust is somewhat firm and lightly browned, 14 to 16 minutes.
Transfer the pizza pan to a wire rack to cool for 3 minutes. Remove the pie from the pan, transferring it directly to the wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

This Semolina Pizza Dough turned out really well. I substituted bread flour for the all-purpose flour due to my irrational fear of low gluten content. The crust really puffed up around the perimeter and the texture was relatively light and airy. I'm definitely going to use this one again. Semolina Pizza Dough adapted from Pizza: Grill It, Bake It, Love It! by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough Ingredients

3/4 C lukewarm water (between 105 F and 115 F)
1 1/2 t active dry yeast
1/2 t sugar
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 C bread flour
1/2 C semolina flour
2 T olive oil

Procedure

Fill the bowl of a stand mixer with warm tap water, drain it, and dry it thoroughly. Stir the water, yeast, sugar, and salt together in the bowl just until everything is dissolved. Set aside so the yeast can begin to bubble and foam, about 5 minutes. If it doesn't, throw the mixture out and start again. The water may not have been the right temperature or the yeast expired.
Add the flours and olive oil, attach the dough hook, and beat at medium speed until combined. Continue kneading at medium speed, adding more bread flour in 1 T increments if the dough gets sticky, until the mixture is soft and elastic, about 7 minutes.
Wipe a clean, large bowl with a bit of olive oil on a paper towel. Place the dough in the prepared bowl, turning the dough so all sides are coated with oil, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

Previous Pizza del Mese:

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Saturday, October 15, 2011

Take It Outside

October 16th through 22nd is Take It Outside Week according to Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (HSBS). Much in the same spirit as the Children & Nature Network's Let's G.O. (Get Outside)! month, which we participated in back in April, the goal of Take It Outside Week is "to encourage educators, families and caregivers to make time outdoors an important part of young children's daily lives."

We haven't found any formal activities in our area yet, but we're definitely contemplating an October Bonus Biome Tour on Friday. What are you going to do to get outside this week?

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

September's Au Lait du Mois: Buttermilk Cheese

So you've used 2 cups of your quart of buttermilk to make The Grit's 45 rpm Pancakes. What do you do with the other 2 cups? Make buttermilk cheese!

I made my buttermilk cheese into a veggie dip by adding a Penzeys Spices mix like Penzeys Spices Chip and Dip Seasoning like Rebecca added to the sour cream to make a dip back in June. The buttermilk cheese dip was much thicker.

Buttermilk Cheese adapted from Ricki Carroll's Gourmet Home Dairy Kit
Ingredients:

fresh buttermilk
Cheese salt (optional)

Implements:

2 qt. pot
Dairy Thermometer
Sieve
Bowl
Butter Muslin

Procedure:

Allow the buttermilk to set at 72°F for 24 hours. This will slightly sour it. (If you prefer a less sour cheese, omit this step.)
Pour the buttermilk into a 2 qt. pot and affix the thermometer in a readable position.
Heat the buttermilk to 160°F. At that temperature, the buttermilk should separate into curds and whey. (If not, increase the temperature to 180°F.)
Meanwhile, set a sieve over a bowl and line the sieve with butter muslin.
Once the buttermilk separates into curds and whey, pour the coagulated buttermilk into the muslin-lined sieve. Tie the corners of the muslin into a knot and hang the bag to drain for 3-4 hours, or until the cheese has reached the desired consistency.
Place the cheese in a bowl. Add the salt to taste if desired.
Store in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Previous Au Lait du Mois:

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

August's Au Lait du Mois: Buttermilk

In an effort to catch up on my Au Lait du Mois posts, I made buttermilk for August and buttermilk cheese for September. Stay tuned for the buttermilk cheese post coming tomorrow.

Other than making buttermilk cheese, what does one do with buttermilk? I make pancakes. Specifically, I make 45 rpm Pancakes from The Grit Cookbook: World-Wise, Down-Home Recipes. The recipe follows the buttermilk recipe.

Buttermilk adapted from Ricki Carroll's Gourmet Home Dairy Kit
Ingredients:

1 qt whole milk (I used unhomogenized raw whole milk from Sprout's)
1 packet direct set buttermilk starter

Implements:

2 qt. pot
Dairy Thermometer
Slotted spoon

Procedure:

Pour the milk into a 2 qt. pot and affix the thermometer in a readable position.
Heat the milk to between 86°F.
Add the starter; let the milk set undisturbed at room temperature (72°F) for 12 hours, or until coagulated.
It is now ready to use, and will keep for up to 1 week stored in the refrigerator.

45 rpm Pancakes adapted from The Grit Cookbook: World-Wise, Down-Home Recipes.
Yields 6 to 8 seven-inch pancakes.
Ingredients:

1 C all-purpose flour
1 C whole wheat flour
2 t sugar
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 C melted butter
2 C buttermilk
1/3 C water
1 t pure vanilla extract

Procedure:

Preheat griddle or lo-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Sift flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
In a smaller bowl, stir together eggs, butter, buttermilk, water, and vanilla extract.
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until fully blended. (Batter can be somewhat lumpy. Do not overmix.)
Test the temperature of the griddle or skillet by flicking a few drops of cold water onto it—if drops bounce and sputter, rather than merely steaming or boiling, the griddle is ready for use. Lightly coat the cooking surface with butter, vegetable oil, or, if you're really gluttonous, bacon grease.
For each pancake, ladle 1/3 to 1/2 cup batter onto the griddle or skillet from a steady height of 2 to 3 inches.
When bubbles first appear on uncooked side, begin checking for proper browning on cooked side. When lightly browned, flip and finish cooking.
Serve immediately or keep warm in a preheated 20o°F oven while the rest are being cooked.

Previous Au Lait du Mois:

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Monday, August 22, 2011

Anonymous Overloads Fullerton's Servers

Don't know if you've heard, but a schizophrenic, urban outdoorsman named Kelly Thomas passed away after an encounter with six Fullerton Police officers on July 5th left him in a coma. The hacking group Anonymous, along with lots of other folks, has called for the City of Fullerton to take action. According to the L.A. Times "The effort by the group Anonymous in response to the deaths of two men was apparently thwarted in Fullerton." But I have some circumstantial evidence that indicates said effort was not thwarted. Specifically, I think the City of Fullerton server ipac.cityoffullerton.com has been experiencing a denial-of-service attack for at least the past two weeks. Read the following email chain, including the metadata headers. I redacted my own email address to avoid spam.

The following message to was undeliverable.
The reason for the problem:
5.4.7 - Delivery expired (message too old) 'timeout'

Final-Recipient: rfc822;reference@fullertonlibrary.org
Action: failed
Status: 5.0.0 (permanent failure)
Diagnostic-Code: smtp; 5.4.7 - Delivery expired (message too old) 'timeout' (delivery attempts: 0)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sarah------------------
To: reference@fullertonlibrary.org
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:40:02 -0700
Subject: Online Catalog Not Working?
Good afternoon,
I've been trying to search the Fullerton Public Library's online
catalog for about a week. Every time I try I receive the following
error message:
The connection has timed out
The server at ipac.cityoffullerton.com is taking too long to respond.
Is the online catalog not working or am I doing something wrong?
Thank you,
Sarah ------

I'm not saying the City of Fullerton is trying to cover up the fact that they've been hacked for covering up the fact that police killed a homeless man, I'm just saying . . . my kid's been without library books for two weeks and it's starting to get cahrazy up in here.

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Saturday, August 20, 2011

Soda is Evil: A Visual Aid

Via: Term Life Insurance
Over on the Kitchn yesterday I saw this fabulous graphic disseminated by termlifeinsurance.org, of all things, about all the ways drinking soda slowly kills you. If you haven't already foresworn carbonated chemicals, this might just convince you.

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