White Pizza

Back in the ’80′s and ’90′s I was the General Manager of Geppetto Restaurant in Bethesda MD. I was young at the time, in my 20’s when I took on that role. It was a formative experience. Yes, that’s cliché to say, but I learned more about people, leadership, management and myself in those years than I probably did anywhere else. I didn’t know that at the time. I figured it out later.

Another thing I didn’t know at the time: I absorbed a lot of knowledge about cooking and food. I guess you can’t stand next to a sauté cook day after day without picking something up.

We were known for our pizza. It reigns in my mind as some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. Ever. There is nothing like a Sm Neo roni on mush – all my old Geppetto chums know that’s a small thin crust with pepperoni, onion and mushroom. It remains the pizza of my dreams.

But a rival to that Sm Neo was our Pizza Bianca. We had the best imported (and aromatic) Fontina cheese. It stunk in a good way.

While I was working at Geppetto our white pizza recipe was published in Gourmet’s “I had a delicious dish, can you get the recipe” column. Since I was a longtime Gourmet subscriber, I still have the clipping from the magazine.

The crust isn’t nearly as good as the Geppetto crust, but we had advantages at Geppetto: a guy whose full-time job was making the pasta and pizza dough, semolina in the flour mix, and a long rise for the the dough. Even though it’s not the same crust, it turned out better than I expected. Some of the center pieces could be a bit crispier but my choice of pan could have caused that. The topping (sauce and cheese) tasted just like my memories. I’m very pleased and can’t believe it took me this long to make.

Geppetto White Pizza

You’ll need a heavy duty mixer (or you can knead for a longer time by hand), mixer bowl and dough hook, clean dish towel, food processor (or blender, or you can finely mince and mix ingredients by hand), spatula, rolling pin and two pans. The recipe says to use a cake rack or flat perforated pan. I used what I had: a cookie sheet and a sheet pan.

Dough:

• 1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
• 1-1/2 packages dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-1/2 cups (plus) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large shallot
• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley – I didn’t have dried, so I used about 1-1/2 teaspoons of fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound Fontina cheese, grated — Imported is best, the stinkier the better, but use what you can find.

Sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water in mixer bowl. Stir to dissolve. (I like to let it sit for a few minutes before adding anything else.) Add salt, mix to blend. Add 2-1/2 cups flour and oil. Put bowl on mixer and mix with hook at low to medium speed about 5 minutes until dough forms ball and cleans sides of bowl, adding more flour, one tablespoon at a time, if necessary. Continue mixing until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

Note: This is the part of the recipe where you’re on your own. The amount of additional flour you’ll need will depend on the humidity level in the house and the dryness of your flour. The time it will take to arrive at the desired “smooth and elastic” stage varies as well. Here’s some advice from Alton Brown about what that stage looks like: “Tear off a small piece of dough and flatten into a disc. Stretch the dough until thin. Hold it up to the light and look to see if the baker’s windowpane, or taut membrane, has formed. If the dough tears before it forms, continue to knead the dough.”

Cover the bowl with a dish towel and let it rise in a warm draft-free area for 1 hour. I usually heat the oven to 150 and then turn it off and let it cool down a bit. Then I put the bowl in and shut the door or leave it ajar if it still feels too warm.

Mix all the sauce ingredients (not the cheese) in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides every now and then.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Pat each half into a round. Let stand 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475. On a lightly floured surface, roll each round into a 1/8” thick circle (or rectangle depending on your pan shape). Transfer to your pans. Spread with sauce. Sprinkle with Fontina cheese. Back until edges of pizza are lightly browned. The recipe said 10 minutes; mine took about 14 minutes, so keep an eye on them. Cut into squares and serve immediately.

We usually served these plain, but I had a couple of regulars who always asked for prosciutto on theirs. Many of us topped the slices with chopped pepperoncini. I’m happy to just eat it plain. Swoon.

Chipotle Hummus and Homemade Pita Chips

Despite what Bon Appétit says, I make my own hummus every once in a while. They tested homemade hummus against store-bought hummus to see if homemade was worth the effort. They decided it wasn’t.

I’m all for picking up a container of hummus at the store if it prevents me from buying my version of crack: Helluva Good Dip bacon and horseradish dip or one of the many pimento cheeses available here in North Carolina. Once I start dipping, there’s no stopping me.

But sometimes on a weekend afternoon, I like whipping up my own hummus and homemade pita chips. Making your own pita chips is really easy and they taste so much better than packaged pita chips, plus they’re much less expensive.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know that this household loves chipotle. It’s no surprise that I make chipotle hummus more than any other. I know Jim will eat it. He’s never shown much affection for any other type of hummus.

I developed this recipe myself after taking notes from several recipes online. It’s truly a mutt whose parents are forgotten. It works for me and I hope it works for you.

Chipotle Hummus

You’ll need a saucepan and a food processor or blender.

• 15 ounce can chickpeas — don’t drain
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt to taste

In a saucepan, heat the chickpeas in their liquid until warm. Drain the chickpeas, reserving their liquid. Place chickpeas, tahini, garlic, chipotle, lemon juice, olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder and salt into a food processor or blender. Blend on high until it’s smooth, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved liquid to make it really smooth.

If you wish, add more garlic, chipotle, lemon or salt to your taste. The flavor will get even better if you refrigerate it overnight.

Homemade Pita Chips

You’ll need a baking sheet. You can toss the wedges in oil on the sheet or in a bowl. I eyeballed all the ingredients. I only used enough oil to glisten the wedges and allow the oregano, salt and pepper to adhere.

• Pita bread
• Olive oil
• Dried oregano
• Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. Slice each pita in half so you have two sides. Then slice each half into wedges, as big as you like. I usually split the wedges in two (top and bottom) so I have more chips.

Toss the wedges with oil then spread them out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt and pepper. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until toasted and golden. Serve the chips warm or at room temperature.

Maple Sage Walnuts

Late weekend afternoons are perfect for a book, a glass of craft beer or wine and a snack. I like to plan ahead and have the ingredients for a healthy snack recipe on hand, like Eggplant Caponata or White Bean Dip with Homemade Pita Chips. Otherwise, if I go to the supermarket with low willpower and a growling stomach, there’s a good chance I’ll grab a container of pimento cheese or bacon-horseradish dip. Not that there’s anything wrong with that every once in a while, but not every weekend.

I found this recipe for maple sage walnuts on the Food 52 blog. Plain nuts are a great snack, but when you roast them with herbs and spices, they’re fabulous.

Walnuts are good for you too. According to Eating Well magazine, walnuts have a high level of “an omega-3 fatty acid that can help improve arterial functioning. Their high mono- and polyunsaturated-fat content also helps reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels while maintaining healthy HDL cholesterol levels.”

So eat up! If you live in walnut country, I envy you. I still remember the walnuts I bought at farm stands outside Sacramento. I was amazed how much better they were than regular supermarket walnuts.

During the week I sometimes snack on plain walnuts between lunch and dinner, but this recipe is for the weekends. I adapted it a bit by adding a little heat (cayenne) and salt, and reducing the amount of maple syrup and brown sugar.

The walnuts will stick to the parchment as they cool, so give them a few tosses to keep them loose. We ate half of them before they made it to a container.

Looking for other good walnut recipes?

• Linguine with Walnut Pesto
  
• Walnut Rosemary Crusted Chicken
• Use walnuts instead of pine nuts in a pesto.
• Add walnuts to quick breads, like Cranberry Bread or Banana Bread.
• Add walnuts to dinner or side salads.

Maple Sage Walnuts

You’ll need a sheet pan (or cookie sheet), parchment paper, small bowl and cup.

• 2-1/2 cups raw walnuts halves or pieces
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
• 2 tablespoons egg white (about one egg white)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Toss walnuts and sage in a small bowl. Mix egg white and maple syrup in a small cup. Add to walnuts and stir well. Sprinkle the brown sugar, cayenne pepper and salt over the nuts and toss to coat the nuts completely. Spread the nuts out in one layer on the pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring a few times, until nuts are nicely toasted. Slide parchment off the hot cookie sheet onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Store any you don’t eat in an airtight container.

Adapted from: Maple Sage Ice Cream with Maple Sage Sugared Walnuts, Food 52

Grape Focaccia

I used to be pretty handy with yeast. I would go through phases where I played around with baking breads, breakfast pastries and pizza. There’s nothing like the smell of bread or croissants baking in the oven. In Arlington I lived across the street from a really good pastry shop (the one I eventually worked in), and loved it when the wind blew those aromas onto my balcony.

It’s been a long time since I opened a package of yeast, but a few weeks ago I had the urge to make a whole wheat pizza. I was going to use my mixer to knead the dough because that’s been my habit, it’s how we did it in school and in the shop and it stuck with me, but my KitchenAid attachments were in the storage unit. I’m glad they were. It felt good to knead. A dough is really yours if you knead it. I know that sounds corny, but try it and see if you agree. And really, a mixer saves you what? About six or seven minutes? I rather knead.

The pizza came out great. I used a recipe from Eating Well. A whole wheat pizza dough that you make in a few hours will never be anything close to a regular dough that rises over time, but it was tasty, a different pizza experience, but a really good Friday pizza night dinner.

I saw this recipe in the local paper, a New York Times recipe from Melissa Clark. The same week I saw Giada De Laurentiis make grape focaccia on the Cooking Channel. She added shallots and garlic to hers. I followed Melissa’s recipe with Giada’s additions, but adjusted the topping ingredient amounts a bit. It made a delicious sweet and salty Sunday afternoon snack. And Monday morning breakfast. And Tuesday morning breakfast too.

I know yeasted doughs can be daunting, but if you use fresh yeast and follow all the instructions, you’ll do fine. No matter what happens, the focaccia will be delicious.

Grape Focaccia

You’ll need a small skillet, instant-read thermometer, large bowl, dough scraper (optional), clean dish towel and a 11×17″ sheet pan or cookie sheet.

• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for greasing and drizzling
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped, divided
• 2 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour, more as needed
• 2/3 cup fine cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 large shallot, cut into thinly sliced rounds
• 1 cup seedless black or red grapes, halved
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling.

Warm the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the rosemary leaves. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool.

Place 3/4 cup lukewarm water (105 to 115 degrees) in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over it. Let it stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Stir the olive oil mixture, 1-2/3 cups flour, cornmeal, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt into the yeast mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes, or knead in a stand mixer with a dough hook attached, for about 5 minutes. If using the stand mixer, finish the dough by hand, on a floured surface, for 1 minute. Add more flour if the dough feels sticky. According to the recipe, it could need as much as another 1/4 cup if the dough feels very sticky. You want damp but not unworkable dough.

At this point in the recipe I was wondering if I messed up measuring because the dough was really sticky and soft. It absorbed at least an additional 2/3 cup of flour as I was kneading. Did I forget to add the cornmeal? I’ll never know until I make it again. I used my dough scraper in my right hand as I kneaded so I wouldn’t gunk up two hands. But it all turned out well. The dough doubled in size during its rise and rose again when baked.

Oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat it lightly with the oil. Cover the bowl with a dish towel. Place the bowl in a warm place, and let it rise until the dough has doubled, about 1 hour. Good places for rising dough: gas oven with just the pilot light on, on top of the refrigerator, in a dishwasher a few hours after it’s run  and it’s still a bit warm, near a heat source (but not on or too close to it), or a sunny (but not drafty or too hot) window.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a large cookie sheet or baking pan with some olive oil.

Punch down the dough, then pat it into the pan, stretching it gently into a square or oval about 3/8- to 1/2-inch thick. It should not fill the entire pan. Sprinkle the dough with the garlic and shallot. Scatter the grapes over the dough, pressing them in lightly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon rosemary and flaky sea salt over the grapes. Drizzle all over with oil. Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Original recipe: Grape Focaccia, News & Observer

Eggplant Caponata

Here’s another wow-oh-my-god-I-looove this recipe. I made it last Saturday afternoon. We noshed on it while watching Cliff Lee (Phillies pitcher) hit a home run. Yes, I said pitcher, and yes, he hit the ball, and yes, it was a freaking home run! What a moment! Despite myself, I’m becoming quite a baseball fan. Who would’ve thunk it?

I’ve had caponata on my weekend snack list for a while. In the early evening Friday while doing a little beer and wine shopping at my Lowes Foods, I checked out their discount produce rack. I love the treasure hunt aspect of this rack. Sometimes it contains really scary looking stuff or it’s bare, but occasionally I hit the jackpot.

Once again the produce buyer must have gone wild with the red bell peppers because they had a cart full of them – packages of three for $1.59. Score! I also spied a package of assorted skinny eggplants for less than a buck. At last, caponata!

I’ve only had caponata a few times but really love it. A restaurant in the DC area served it alongside homemade breadsticks to every table. Maybe Paolo’s? It has a strangely sweet yet hearty flavor. I could easily eat a bowl for dinner.

Next time I’m going to chop the vegetable even more finely so the caponata spreads more easily. I added red bell pepper to the recipe because I had so many in house and I thought they would add nice color and flavor to the recipe. And I added garlic because, well, just because. I also added fresh oregano because my oregano plant is growing ten times faster than I can use it. You could also add more olives (green or black). Caponatas I’ve had in the past were heavier on the olives than this recipe. I thought the rest of the original recipe’s ingredient ratios worked well.

Give this a try. It’s a healthy alternative to a creamy dip and just think of all the vitamins you’re getting. Pour a glass of sangria, grab a baguette and start chopping!

Eggplant Caponata

• Olive oil
• 1-1/2 pounds of eggplant, peeled, cut into 1/2” pieces (or smaller)
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano (or more), or ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 small red onion, chopped (almost 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup (or more) chopped red bell pepper
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 1-1/2 tablespoons (or more) chopped green or black olives (I used Kalamata black olives)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce or puree
• 1 tablespoon chopped basil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Baguette, sliced (optional – toasted)

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the eggplant, oregano and salt and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a bowl.

Add the onion, red bell pepper and more oil, if needed, to the skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until just beginning to golden. Return the eggplant to the skillet. Stir in the capers, olives and balsamic vinegar and cook until the vinegar has evaporated. Add the tomato sauce and cook over low heat, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl to cool. We ate it lukewarm because we couldn’t wait. It’s also fine just out of the refrigerator.

Serve the caponata on slices of baguette. It can be refrigerated for up to three days.

Original recipe: Eggplant Caponata Crostini, Food & Wine, January 2007

White Bean Dip with Homemade Pita Chips

In my mission to nosh on healthier snacks than Snyder’s Jalapeno Pretzels, I’ve come to rely on hummus with celery sticks. I love hummus but I’m getting tired of the same thing all the time, so I’m looking for easy alternatives. Have I given up my jalapeno pretzels? I wish I were that strong, but when they’re on sale and I have a coupon, how can I resist?

Bean dips (without cheese) are a good healthy choice. If you google “white bean dip,” you’ll see many variations with different herbs, spices or lemon. This version from Serious Eats is described as Provencal but I saw many others described as Tuscan. I honed in on this one because it mimics a dip the writer enjoyed at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, CA.

I’ve never dined in Keller’s restaurants – Bouchon, French Laundry, Per Se or Ad Hoc. Before I moved to California, French Laundry in Yountville was his only restaurant, yet I could never plan my trips west early enough to get a reservation. By the time I moved to California and could afford his restaurants, I was no longer into high dollar dining. However, I once indulged in many treats from his Bouchon Bakery.

When my brother turned 40, his wife took him on a surprise (blindfold and all) weekend trip to Napa. They took a hot air balloon ride, visited wineries and then had mud baths and massages in Calistoga Springs. Later that evening, a few of us surprised him by joining them for dinner in Yountville. Good times. The next morning I loaded up my front seat with Bouchon goodies for the drive back to Sacramento. Way too many pastries for the miles.

That was as close to Keller as I’ll ever get. I used to own his first book, The French Laundry Cookbook, but never made a thing in it. I appreciate his genius and wouldn’t think of turning down a meal at any of his places as long as someone else is paying. There’s a chapter in one of Tony Bourdain’s books about a night at The French Laundry that shows why dining can be more than just a meal. Crazy good food.

This simple bean dip is more my style. It’s a snap to make, although you do have to plan ahead because you’ll need an hour to roast a head of garlic. Adapt it to your taste: add lemon; drizzle it with olive oil; sprinkle it with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper or fresh herbs.

You could serve this with celery or other crudités, but I had a hankering for pita chips. Since I had time to kill while the garlic was roasting, I made my own instead of paying $4 for a little bag. Best pita chips ever! I’ll never buy them again. Jalapeno pretzels on the hand? I’m making no promises.

White Bean Dip

You’ll need a small baking dish and food processor.

• 1 15-ounce can cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 head roasted garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Leaves of 1 stem of fresh rosemary
• Leaves of 3 stems of fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste

To roast the garlic, slice off the top quarter of the garlic, drizzle a bit of olive oil into the head, wrap in foil and bake at 350 in a baking dish for 1 hour. Once it’s cooled enough to handle, unwrap and squeeze the flesh out of the skins.

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season to taste.

Original recipe: Provencal White Bean Dip, Serious Eats

Homemade Pita Chips

You’ll need a baking sheet. You can toss the wedges in oil on the sheet or in a bowl. I eyeballed all the ingredients. I only used enough oil to glisten the wedges and allow the oregano, salt and pepper to adhere.

• Pita bread
• Olive oil
• Dried oregano
• Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. Slice each pita in half so you have two sides. Then slice each half into 8 wedges. Toss the wedges with oil then arrange them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt and pepper. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until toasted and golden. Serve the chips warm or at room temperature.

Photo by Christine Leiser

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Attention food lovers! This is one of the best dishes I’ve made in a long time. I’m pretty good at picking winner recipes and making the right kind of adjustments for my palate. Every now and then I get a dud – you don’t hear about those – but usually I can make them work, work really well in some cases, like this one.

This delectable appetizer (or dinner) is the lovechild of a Rick Bayless recipe from Serious Eats and a similar but different recipe from Eating Well. I took the elements I liked from each and came up with my own version of Mexican Shrimp Cocktail.

I made this for dinner, not an appetizer, since there are only two of us. It would be a smart choice for one of those hot and steamy nights since you only need the stove to boil the shrimp for a short time. I ladled the shrimp cocktail into a small bowl and put that on a plate with Sauteed Kale with Smoked Paprika and cheese quesadillas. Jim had club crackers on the side and I had chopped avocado.

The leftovers were equally fantastic. At the end, after someone picked the shrimp out of the leftovers, I was left with a little leftover tomatoey liquid with diced veggies. It tasted like a really good gazpacho.

I used the full 1/4 cup of hot sauce. I did a mix of Texas Pete and Sriracha. It was pretty spicy so only use that much if you like a lot of heat.

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

You’ll need a medium pot with lid, colander and bowl.

• 1 pound small shrimp
• 1-1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 1-1/2 cups diced cucumber
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced red or sweet onion
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 2-4 tablespoons hot sauce (I used 2 tablespoons Texas Pete and 2 tablespoons Sriracha and ooh baby, it was spicy!)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 juicy lime)
• 3/4 cup clam juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Serving options:

• Avocado, diced
• Saltines, club crackers or tortilla chips
• Cheese (and salsa) quesadillas

Fill a pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp, cook until pink and firm, 10 to 30 seconds. Drain shrimp in a colander and then rinse under cold water until cool.

Stir together the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, ketchup, hot sauce, lime juice and clam juice in a bowl. Taste to see if it needs salt, pepper or more hot sauce. Add shrimp and stir well.

Serve immediately or, even better, chill it for up to 4 hours.

Serve with diced avocado, crackers or chips, and/or cheese quesadillas.

Adapted from: Coctel de Camarones, Eating Well May/June 2011 and Mexican-Style Shrimp Cocktail, Serious Eats

Spicy Cheeseburger Dip

How about some heart attack on a chip? No, no, no, it can’t be that bad, can it? I made this dip for the Super Bowl. I heard the Obamas were having burgers and wings. If the First Lady can take a day off from healthy eating, so can we. Everything in moderation, including moderation, Julia Child used to say.

I suppose you could use any kind of hot pepper for this dish. I used a jalapeno; it’s a bit hotter than a poblano according to the Scoville (heat) scale. The original recipe called for 1/2 pound of ground beef, but I bought the smallest package I could find and used most of it. The elderly dog got a bit to make aspirin balls. You know that trick, right? Stick an aspirin (or heartworm pill) inside a ball of ground beef. Down the hatch!

I must confess another use for this dip. Toast some bread. Heat up the dip in the microwave. Spread on bread. Add some hot sauce or pickled jalapenos. Slice and serve for the most decadent cheese sandwich ever. That’s just theory, of course!

Cheeseburger Dip

You’ll need a foiled-line baking pan, small bowl and plate or a sealable plastic bag, medium bowl and large saucepan.

• 1 jalapeno, cut in half, stem and seeds removed
• 1/2 pound block American cheese from the deli counter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes or tomatoes with chiles, drained
• 5 oz evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon (or more) hot sauce
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• Optional: see ideas at the end of the recipe for variations involving mushrooms, green bell peppers, chipotle en adobo and smoked paprika, or horseradish.
  

Place jalapeno halves on a foil-lined baking sheet under the broiler or in the toaster oven, skin side up. Broil about 8 minutes. Transfer roasted jalapeno to a bowl and cover with a plate, or to a sealed plastic bag. Steam for 5-10 minutes. Peel off skin, chop finely and set aside.

Toss cheeses with cornstarch in a bowl until evenly coated.

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off some of the fat. Add cumin and pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, jalapeno and evaporated milk and stir. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and add cheese, all at once. Cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until cheese is completely melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in hot sauce and green onions.Taste for seasoning. Add more hot sauce if it needs more kick.

Serve immediately with crackers, vegetables or tortilla chips.

Variation: If I make this again, I’m tempted to add sauteed sliced mushrooms. If you’re a bell pepper lover, sauteed sliced green bell pepper would add some extra flavor and color — this is starting to remind me of a strange liquid Philly cheese steak.

Variation: You could go a different way with the heat. You could add smokiness by subbing chopped chipotle en adobo for the jalapeno, and smoked paprika for the hot sauce. Or, instead of using jalapeno and hot sauce, you could use lots of horseradish instead, and I mean lots.

Original recipe: Gooey Cheeseburger Dip, Serious Eats

Smoky Spicy Fried Chickpeas

My favorite store-bought snack is Snyder’s Jalapeño Pretzel Pieces. They’re addictive, especially when you’re drinking beer. Imagine hand to bag to mouth over and over and you’ll get the picture.

As much as I love my jalapeño pretzels, I rather snack on something a bit healthier and homemade. That’s why I’m over the top excited to have finally made this recipe. I remember long ago seeing Michael Chiarello cooking fried chickpeas on a PBS cooking show. At the time I thought, huh, that’s easy enough and looks really tasty, but I never made them until this weekend while watching the NHL All-Star red carpet show that preceded the Skills Competition.

My house is always Canes crazy but last weekend Raleigh hosted the All-Star game so the whole area was hockey crazy. Downtown streets turned into a pedestrian-only zone with bands, beer garden, artisan tent, food vendors and all kinds of other activities. The highlight for us was the free and fantastic Three Doors Down show in the downtown amphitheater.

If you’re looking for a quick easy and highly flavored snack for the Super Bowl this weekend, this is the answer. I like things a bit spicy, so decrease the cayenne pepper if you’re not a chile head. Our Super Bowl spread will include these chickpeas plus a sinfully delicious-looking Gooey Cheeseburger Dip from Serious Eats. If you’re still looking for recipe ideas, check out this list from the Providence Journal of Super Bowl party recipes from newspaper food sections across the country.

Smoky Fried Chickpeas

You’ll need a colander, paper towels, large skillet – a deep one will help prevent splattering, slotted spoon and serving bowl.

• 1 large can chickpeas
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 large garlic cloves, sliced
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1-2 lemons, zested into strips – I don’t think you can overdo the lemon because it will be countered by the heat
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme, divided
• 1 tsp smoked paprika – I used hot smoked paprika, but I’m sure sweet would be fine too
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Drain chickpeas and place on a paper towel-lined colander to dry. This can be done well in advance; refrigerate the peas in a covered container until you’re ready to use them.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large pan. Add garlic slices and sauté until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Add ½ cup olive oil to the pan and heat until the oil bubbles up around a test chickpea. In batches, add lemon zest, thyme and chickpeas. I did mine in two batches. Fry each batch about 5 minutes, until chickpeas are crispy and brown. Remove chickpeas with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander lined with paper towels.

In a bowl toss chickpeas with the garlic, smoked paprika, salt and cayenne pepper, adding more spices or salt, if desired. Serve warm.

Adapted from: Food 52, Smoky Fried Chickpeas

Shattering All Your Resolutions: Beer Cheese Soup

Yes, yes, it’s the first week of the new year and you all have resolutions about eating healthier, exercising and being the perfect you. However, sometimes you need to treat yourself, and those around you, to a warm comforting bowl of fat. Don’t worry, it has vegetables in it too!

Beer cheese soups have been taunting me for quite some time. I hit the jackpot by picking this one from Serious Eats. We enjoyed a big bowl for dinner along with beer brats and red cabbage (recipes coming Monday) before heading off to a hockey game. True confession: a late night craving forced me to dip pretzels into the cold soup. It was very very good.

I left my guy behind on Christmas morning (don’t judge!) and flew north to visit my family. While I was gone he made his way through the rest of the pot and said it got even better with age. He also reported that jalapeno corn crackers make an excellent topping.

It’s important to select the right beer for this soup. If you like light malty lagers (the industry giants) they will probably work well, but they won’t add much flavor. The recipe suggested Bass Ale, but I wanted to buy American so I chose Sam Adams Boston Ale. The soup was delicious but there was a slight bitterness in the background. Next time, I’ll probably use a dark malty beer like a porter or stout, or maybe a Scotch ale, and see how that works. I want to enjoy the flavor and depth of a good beer, without that hint of hoppiness or dryness in the background. I’d prefer a sweeter or maltier flavor to emerge.

Oh darn, it looks like I’ll have to make it again for experimentation purposes.

Beer Cheese Soup

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter – you could substitute oil for 2 of the tablespoons, but with four cups of cheese, will it really matter?
  
• 2 medium leeks, use only the white parts, diced – compost or save the green parts for homemade stock
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• ½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1-2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1-3/4 cups chicken broth – have more on hand if you wish to lighten the soup a bit when it’s done
• 12-oz bottle beer – something malty with deep flavor, avoid hoppy bitter beers
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• 4 cups extra-sharp cheddar, grated
• Optional toppings – bacon, green onions, pickled jalapenos, jalapeno corn crackers or your choice of cracker flavor

Add butter to a large heavy pot or dutch oven set over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the leeks, carrots, red bell pepper, celery, garlic and bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Turn the heat to medium-low and sprinkle in the flour. Stir well and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the milk, broth and beer in a slow stream. Turn heat to medium and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Add Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, ground pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir well. Add a handful of cheese and stir until it melts. Continue adding cheese, stirring and waiting until one handful melts before you add the next. Make sure the soup doesn’t come to a boil; turn down the heat to low if necessary — I had to do that. You only want a light simmer.

When you’re ready to serve your soup, fish out and discard the bay leaf. Serve it plain or garnish it with chopped cooked bacon, chopped green onions, pickled jalapenos, jalapeno corn crackers or your choice of cracker flavor.

If you want to make the soup ahead of time, keep it warm (on the lowest setting) in a slow cooker. It does reheat well after refrigeration and a good stir.

It’s also good for dipping pretzels, sort of like a chile con queso. I can also imagine, oh this is evil, combining it with pasta for a turbo macaroni and cheese. Or is that gross? Now you know how I think.

Original recipe: Cheddar Beer Soup, Serious Eats

Update: I was just reminded by my friend Thomas Vincent that The Session, a monthly beer blogging event, is featuring Cooking with Beer posts this month. Check out my “cooking with beer” tag for even more recipes that include beer.