pizza « (y)our food choices™

Yes, we’ve gone a bit batty for St. Patty’s day, but in truth, the pizza really is quite good. Given our low supply of pantry staples yesterday, Jason did a quick search keeping in mind a few things that we did have in our larder and this cabbage bacon pizza from epicurious popped up. We tweaked the recipe quite a bite, starting with the dough. Rye and graham flours give an earthy tone to our crust, a nice cheddar mornay sauce for the base, fewer pieces of bacon (we like bacon, but 8 pieces seems excessive), a dash of sherry vinegar over the cabbage, and a light touch with the gruyere cheese is all that is needed—no mozzarella necessary. A little Irish, a little Italian, and a little Swiss. This multicultural pizza is a perfect substitute for the usual corned beef and cabbage. However, Guinness is a must!

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Pizza Dough (adapted from Mark Bittman)

1 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed
1 cup rye flour
1 cup graham flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1 – 1 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add 1 cup water and the oil through the feed tube.

Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If it is still dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds. Process until the dough forms a ball.

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round dough ball. Put the dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. (You can cut this rising time short if you’re in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise more slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 6 or 8 hours.) Proceed to Step 4 or wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap or a zipper bag and freeze for up to a month. (Defrost in the bag or a covered bowl in the refrigerator or at room temperature; bring to room temperature before shaping.)

When the dough is ready, form it into a ball and divide it into 2 or more pieces if you like; roll each piece into a round ball. Put each ball on a lightly floured surface, sprinkle with flour, and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rest until they puff slightly, about 20 minutes.

Cheddar Mornay Sauce

1 cup whole milk
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
salt & pepper
optional: ground mustard, cayenne, and/or Worcestershire sauce

In a small sauce pan, warm the milk with the bay leaf. In another sauce pan over medium heat, add the butter and melt until bubbles form. Add the flour and whisk for about 30 seconds or until flour is slightly tan. Add the warm milk, minus the bay leaf, and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and add the shredded cheddar cheese, whisking until smooth. Set aside.

Bacon and Cabbage

3 strips of bacon
1/2 medium cabbage head, cored and shredded
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
salt & pepper

Add the bacon to the skillet, over low to medium heat, and slowly render the fat from the bacon until it is crisp. Flipping and turning as necessary. About 15 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel. Pour off bacon fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the shredded cabbage and sauté until wilted and slightly brown. Make a hot spot in the center of the pan and add the caraway seeds. Toast for 10-30 seconds then stir into the cabbage. Remove from heat and season with sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.

Assembling and Baking the Pizza

1/2 pizza dough
cheddar mornay sauce
bacon and sautéd cabbage
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Roll the dough or toss to form a circle.

Par bake the dough for about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and smear half to all of the cheddar mornay sauce; bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and crumble the bacon over the top, then add the sautéd cabbage, and top with shredded gruyere. Back for another 10-15 minutes or until top is slightly toasted and pizza crust is also toasted and crisp.

Spring is truly sprung when those miraculous shoots of asparagus push their way up and out into the fresh air. Imported organic asparagus is available year round, but we try to eat the local stuff instead, when it’s available, and then move on to whatever comes into season next. Asparagus is full of vitamins (especially K), minerals, dietary fiber and protein. Like most veggies, it’s great both raw and cooked. We eat lots of it at this time of year when it’s at its most tender.

More often than not, we roast it whole on foil-lined baking sheets, tossed in olive oil and sprinkled with a little sea salt. Asparagus tastes like nothing else, so however you enjoy it, you really taste it. A random search for asparagus recipes drummed up over 41 million hits, reminding us that people have been eating it for thousands of years. It seems to love cheese and cream and butter, but then again, don’t we all. It’s confusingly infamous for not pairing well with wine, but we haven’t found that to be true. A bottle of your favorite Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or sparkling wine is a nice accompaniment to this spring veggie.

As veggie prep goes, asparagus is a breeze to clean, but stems that have grown “woody” need to be peeled before cooking. If you cook asparagus for a blended soup, you may need to strain the stubborn fibers after pureeing. Most blenders just aren’t up to the task of breaking them down.

The asparagus pizza recipe that follows was inspired by a delicious, seasonal pizza on the menu at The Plant Organic Café on the Embarcadero at Pier 3. Our tasty iteration is nothing like it, but the beautiful spring asparagus on both reminded us of why we miss the season when it’s over.

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Roasted Asparagus, Arugula Pesto, and Feta Cheese Pizza

1/2 pizza recipe (see recipe below for pizza made with coconut flour or click here for our traditional pizza recipe)
1/4 – 1/3 arugula pesto (or homemade basil pesto, or gasp…store bought 😉 )
1 bunch pencil thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into half
2-3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 eggs

Optional items: raw walnuts, red pepper flakes, thinly sliced lemons,

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. After shaping the pizza on a baking sheet, spread the pesto over the pizza dough. Decoratively place the asparagus spears over the top, then add the crumbled feta cheese. Place in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Take the pizza out of the oven and crack the two eggs on top of the pizza on each side, place it back in the oven for another 7-8 minutes.

For runny eggs, you’ll want to prebake the pizza for a longer time 4-5 minutes then add the cracked eggs and finish baking for an additional 6-7 minutes.

For hard yolks, you can place the eggs on top of the pizza before you place it in the oven and bake for the full 10 minutes, or so.

Pizza Dough made with Coconut flour
Makes 2 pizzas

2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 ounces) coconut flour
1 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
2 teaspoons salt
1 – 1 1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon olive oil

Food Processor Method:
Add the flours, yeast, salt in the bowl of a food processor, pulse to combine. With the processor running, add 1 cup water and 3 tablespoons olive oil through the feed tube.

Process the dough for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The dough should come together as a ball. If the dough is too dry add 1 tablespoon of water at a time through the feed tube. The dough should be slightly sticky to the touch, and may look slightly textured and not completely smooth (this is due to the coconut flour).

Form the dough into a ball and place in bowl with the additional tablespoon of olive oil. Turn the dough to coat it in oil and cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel, or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in volume 2-3 hours, or less, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

When ready, divide the dough in two and proceed to form the pizza. At this point you can stretch the dough with your hands or roll the dough out on a floured surface. If the dough becomes too tight and does not stretch, cover with a lightly damped towel, or plastic wrap and let it sit for up to 10 minutes to relax before trying to shape it. This dough is great for a thin crusted pizza. The thinner you can get the it without tearing, the crispier it becomes.

Bake the pizza in a preheated 500 degree oven with your favorite toppings for 10-15 minutes. Don’t overload the pizza with a lot of toppings and cheese, a little goes a long way.

Stand Mixer:
In a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix the yeast with the flours and salt. Add the water, 1 cup to start, and olive oil and mix on medium speed for about five to seven minutes. If the dough is too dry add a little more water, a tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add a little flour, again a tablespoon at a time. Once the dough comes together, coat the dough with the additional tablespoon of olive oil, and cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rise until doubled.

By Hand:
In a large bowl, add the flours, salt, and yeast, mix with a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoons olive oil, mix until will combined. On a floured surface, turn out the dough and knead by hand for 5-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and comes together in a ball. Form the dough into a ball and place in bowl with the additional tablespoon of olive oil. Turn the dough to coat in oil and cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel, or plastic wrap, allow to rise until doubled, 2-3 hours.