Menu #6 - The menu this week salutes the city of Chicago, Illinois which has given the world much to be proud of -- pizza, brownies, and a President-elect.
Pizza is very much a part of Chicago's food history and culture. Although this pizza dough and sauce are adapted from Martha Stewart, I've always have good luck with the dough, and that's a big help for making it at home. The sauce is so easy and provides a nice flavor base for the toppings of your choice. Because pizza includes all the food groups, it is one of nature's most perfect foods, so all this meal needs is chocolate to make it complete!
I'm not sure whether the story is true that brownies were invented at the Palmer House in Chicago, but this brownie recipe is from my mother-in-law, and she was from Chicago -- and they are my very favorite brownies. I always frost them and cut them really big, just like Lorraine always did when she made them.
From my home in Illinois, to you -- Enjoy!
PIZZA
Makes two round pizzas 12 to 14 inches in diameter
1 cup warm water (about 110°)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 package dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
2 3/4 to 3 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil plus more for oiling the bowl
Coarse-grain cornmeal
Pizza Sauce (recipe follows)
12 ounces sliced or shredded mozzarella
Pizza toppings of your choice - pepperoni, Italian sausage, roasted chicken, peppers, onions, olives, tomatoes, mushrooms, Parmesan, goat cheese, etc. Note: all meats should be ready-to-eat or pre-cooked.
1. Pour the warm water into a small bowl. Add the sugar, and sprinkle in the yeast. Using a fork, stir the mixture until the yeast is dissolved and water has turned a tan color. Let yeast stand until creamy and foamy, about 5 minutes. In a food processor, use blade to combine the 2 3/4 cups flour and salt, and pulse 3 to 4 times. Add yeast mixture and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse until the dough comes together, adding more flour as needed until dough is smooth, not tacky, when squeezed. Transfer to clean surface; knead four or five turns into a ball.
2. Brush the inside of a medium bowl with olive oil, and place the dough in the bowl, smooth-side up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 40 minutes OR place dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight for best results. Remove from refrigerator about 10 minutes before rolling dough out for pizzas.
3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place pizza stone of lowest rack or place rack in middle of oven is using a baking pan.
4. Dust rolling surface with flour and roll and shape dough to desired size(s) - two thin crusts, 4 smaller thin crusts, 1 thicker crust. Transfer dough to a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal to transfer to a pizza stone for baking or place dough on a pizza pan or baking sheet. For deep dish pizza, grease a baking pan or cast iron skillet before adding pizza dough.
5. Cover the dough very lightly with pizza sauce or olive oil and then with cheese and toppings.
6. Place pizza in oven and bake for 5 - 10 minutes, depending on size. Deep dish pizza will take longer to bake. Cheese should be melted, but should not be too brown.
PIZZA SAUCE
Makes enough for 2 pizzas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 two-pound can whole Italian peeled plum tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet, and place over medium heat. Using your hands, squeeze the tomatoes to crush them. Add to the warm olive oil, along with the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is thick, 40 to 50 minutes.
LORRAINE’S BROWNIES with VANILLA ICE CREAM
4 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate
1 c. butter
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 c. nuts
Grease a sheet pan and line with parchment paper, extending it over the edges of the pan. Melt chocolate and margarine. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time and mix. Add in flour and nuts. Pour into a large prepared sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 35 minutes. Cool in pan, invert pan to remove brownies, peel parchment paper and turn right side up again to add frosting. Spread frosting over brownie before slicing to desired size.
Frosting:
1/4 c. butter
2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. lemon juice
1/8 t. salt
1 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar
Melt chocolate and blend with remaining ingredients. Smooth on top of brownies, which have already been sliced in pan. Frosting is not stiff, so brownies lift out of pan better if already sliced before frosting. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
SHOPPING LIST for MENU #6
Pizza
Lorraine's Brownies with Ice Cream
Produce
pizza toppings, your choice - peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes
Pantry Staples
dry yeast - 1 pkg.
sugar - 2+ c.
confectioner's sugar - 1 1/2 c.
flour - 4+ c.
corn meal - 1/4 c. (opt.)
salt - 3 tsp.
pepper - 1/8 tsp.
dried oregano - 1 tsp.
vanilla - 1 tsp.
lemon juice - 1 tsp.
unsweetened chocolate - 6 1-oz. squares
pecans or walnuts - 1 c.
olive oil - 4 tbsp.
whole Italian tomatoes - 1 large can
pizza topping, your choice - olives
Meat
pizza toppings, your choice - pepperoni, sausage, roasted chicken, etc.
Frozen Foods
premium vanilla ice cream - 1/2 gal.
Dairy
mozzarella cheese - 12 oz.
pizza toppings, your choice - Parmesan, feta cheese, goat cheese
eggs - 4
butter - 2 sticks
Pizza is very much a part of Chicago's food history and culture. Although this pizza dough and sauce are adapted from Martha Stewart, I've always have good luck with the dough, and that's a big help for making it at home. The sauce is so easy and provides a nice flavor base for the toppings of your choice. Because pizza includes all the food groups, it is one of nature's most perfect foods, so all this meal needs is chocolate to make it complete!
I'm not sure whether the story is true that brownies were invented at the Palmer House in Chicago, but this brownie recipe is from my mother-in-law, and she was from Chicago -- and they are my very favorite brownies. I always frost them and cut them really big, just like Lorraine always did when she made them.
From my home in Illinois, to you -- Enjoy!
PIZZA
Makes two round pizzas 12 to 14 inches in diameter
1 cup warm water (about 110°)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 package dry yeast (1 tablespoon)
2 3/4 to 3 1/4 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil plus more for oiling the bowl
Coarse-grain cornmeal
Pizza Sauce (recipe follows)
12 ounces sliced or shredded mozzarella
Pizza toppings of your choice - pepperoni, Italian sausage, roasted chicken, peppers, onions, olives, tomatoes, mushrooms, Parmesan, goat cheese, etc. Note: all meats should be ready-to-eat or pre-cooked.
1. Pour the warm water into a small bowl. Add the sugar, and sprinkle in the yeast. Using a fork, stir the mixture until the yeast is dissolved and water has turned a tan color. Let yeast stand until creamy and foamy, about 5 minutes. In a food processor, use blade to combine the 2 3/4 cups flour and salt, and pulse 3 to 4 times. Add yeast mixture and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse until the dough comes together, adding more flour as needed until dough is smooth, not tacky, when squeezed. Transfer to clean surface; knead four or five turns into a ball.
2. Brush the inside of a medium bowl with olive oil, and place the dough in the bowl, smooth-side up. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and place in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 40 minutes OR place dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight for best results. Remove from refrigerator about 10 minutes before rolling dough out for pizzas.
3. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place pizza stone of lowest rack or place rack in middle of oven is using a baking pan.
4. Dust rolling surface with flour and roll and shape dough to desired size(s) - two thin crusts, 4 smaller thin crusts, 1 thicker crust. Transfer dough to a pizza peel dusted with cornmeal to transfer to a pizza stone for baking or place dough on a pizza pan or baking sheet. For deep dish pizza, grease a baking pan or cast iron skillet before adding pizza dough.
5. Cover the dough very lightly with pizza sauce or olive oil and then with cheese and toppings.
6. Place pizza in oven and bake for 5 - 10 minutes, depending on size. Deep dish pizza will take longer to bake. Cheese should be melted, but should not be too brown.
PIZZA SAUCE
Makes enough for 2 pizzas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 two-pound can whole Italian peeled plum tomatoes
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet, and place over medium heat. Using your hands, squeeze the tomatoes to crush them. Add to the warm olive oil, along with the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat, breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is thick, 40 to 50 minutes.
LORRAINE’S BROWNIES with VANILLA ICE CREAM
4 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate
1 c. butter
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 c. nuts
Grease a sheet pan and line with parchment paper, extending it over the edges of the pan. Melt chocolate and margarine. Stir in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time and mix. Add in flour and nuts. Pour into a large prepared sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 35 minutes. Cool in pan, invert pan to remove brownies, peel parchment paper and turn right side up again to add frosting. Spread frosting over brownie before slicing to desired size.
Frosting:
1/4 c. butter
2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. lemon juice
1/8 t. salt
1 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar
Melt chocolate and blend with remaining ingredients. Smooth on top of brownies, which have already been sliced in pan. Frosting is not stiff, so brownies lift out of pan better if already sliced before frosting. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
SHOPPING LIST for MENU #6
Pizza
Lorraine's Brownies with Ice Cream
Produce
pizza toppings, your choice - peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes
Pantry Staples
dry yeast - 1 pkg.
sugar - 2+ c.
confectioner's sugar - 1 1/2 c.
flour - 4+ c.
corn meal - 1/4 c. (opt.)
salt - 3 tsp.
pepper - 1/8 tsp.
dried oregano - 1 tsp.
vanilla - 1 tsp.
lemon juice - 1 tsp.
unsweetened chocolate - 6 1-oz. squares
pecans or walnuts - 1 c.
olive oil - 4 tbsp.
whole Italian tomatoes - 1 large can
pizza topping, your choice - olives
Meat
pizza toppings, your choice - pepperoni, sausage, roasted chicken, etc.
Frozen Foods
premium vanilla ice cream - 1/2 gal.
Dairy
mozzarella cheese - 12 oz.
pizza toppings, your choice - Parmesan, feta cheese, goat cheese
eggs - 4
butter - 2 sticks
