I cook lots of stuff

Friday Night Pizza Dough

  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon yeast
  • Eyeball fresh ground pepper
  • About 1 to 1 ¼ cups water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to blend.

Turn on food processor and add the water and oil, running the machine until the dough forms a ball. Add more water as needed if the dough doesn't form a ball after 15 seconds or so.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and kneed for a few moments, until dough is nice and satiny. Place dough in oiled bowl, turning the dough around to coat in oil. Let rise for a really long time. I like to start the dough in the morning and let it rise all day. You could also prepare the dough the night before and let it rise in the refrigerator.

When you are ready for pizza, preheat your oven to 500°. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and press into a disk. Let it sit and think for a while before you start working it. About five minutes should do. When the dough is nice and compliant, begin to press it into a disk. I usually do this by hand as a rolling pin rolls out all the air pockets. Transfer to a pizza stone or pan and top with your favorite toppings. Bake for about 10 minutes, but check on it occasionally until it's brown, bubbly and delicious.

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Sausage, Chickpea, and Potato Soup

  • 1 cup dried chickpeas
  • Salt
  • ½ pound fresh Italian Sausage (I use a pound)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, minced
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 small onion, peeled and sliced (½ cup)
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 14 ounce can crushed Italian Plum tomatoes (I use a 28 ounce can)
  • ¾ pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • Toasts of Tuscan bread, rubbed with garlic

If you are using dried chickpeas, bring water to a boil in a 4-quart pot and pour it over the chickpeas and 1 tablespoon salt (the salt is very important, helping the peas to soften). Soak overnight. Drain and pour boiling water over them. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until tender.

Remove the casing of the sausage and crumble the sausage with the rosemary and one garlic clove. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a 6-quart heavy-bottomed pot and add the sausage with the garlic clove. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring all the while. Transfer the sausage to a plate and discard the garlic.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in the pot. Add the onion and the last two crushed garlic cloves and the red pepper flakes; stir for 5 minutes occasionally. When the onion turns a rich tawny color, stir in the tomatoes. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once in a while. Add the chickpeas, potatoes, and the reserved sausage; sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt. Pour the broth in the pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook at a gentle boil for 40 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender.

Variation: If desired, mash several potato cubes in the soup to thicken.

Taste and correct seasoning before serving. Place a toast rubbed with garlic in each soup plate; pour the soup over the bread and dribble olive oil on top of the soup.

Serves 6-8

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Buttermilk Pancakes

Sift before measuring:

  • ½ cup all purpose flour

Resift with:

  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon double-acting baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda

Stir in:

  • 1 cup finely milled whole wheat flour

Combine and beat:

  • 2 tablespoons sugar, honey or molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups buttermilk or yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter or bacon drippings

Mix the liquid ingredients quickly into the dry ingredients.

If you have a non-stick griddle or pan, you may not need any fat. Nor should you need to grease a seasoned pan if you have at least two tablespoons of butter for every cup of liquid in the recipe. If you are using a skillet or crepe pan, you can grease it lightly and continue to do so between batches.

Before cooking, test the griddle by letting a few drops of cold water fall on it. If the water bounces and sputters, the griddle is ready to use. If the water just sits and boils, the griddle is not hot enough. If the water vanishes, the griddle is too hot.

To assure a well-rounded cake, don't drop the batter from on high but let it pour from the tip of a spoon. Make the cakes large or small. It will be two or three minutes before cakes are ready to turn. When bubbles appear on the upper surfaces, but before they break, lift the cakes with a spatula to see how well they have browned.

Turn the cakes only once and continue cooking until the second side is done. Cooking this side takes only about half as long, and the second side never browns as evenly. Serve at once.

Makes about fourteen 4 inch cakes

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Toffee Bars

Pre-heat oven 350

  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the ½ cup butter, sugar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium to high speed till combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 13X9X2 inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 15 minutes or till the edges are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a heavy medium saucepan, heat the sweetened condesned milk and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat till bubbly, stirring constantly. Cook and stir for 5 minutes more (mixture will thicken and become smooth). Stir in the 2 teaspoons vanilla. Spread over baked layer (best if the baked layer has had a few minutes to cool). Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or till golden.

For fudge icing, in a small saucepan melt chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in the powdered sugar and the 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough HOT water (1 to 2 tablespoons) to make an icing that is easy to pour. Spread the icing evenly over the warm cookie. Immediately cut into bars. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 36 (or 10 Mike and Ange size bars).

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