Cacio e Pepe Pizza

Despite this October masquerading as some kind of summer vacation, I have innately been craving warmer, more comforting foods.  The heat can be punishing during the day (so I am still consuming incredible amounts of salad for lunches), but by evening our little cabin is cold enough for a piping hot bowl of stew and a fire dancing in the fireplace.  Or no fire if we're making pizza.  Much to Daniel's discontent, I insist upon preheating the oven for at least an hour before making the pizza, just to ensure that our stone is piping hot.  The pizza is really great, so he just has to deal with a 100 degree house for the evening.  It is a small sacrifice to pay for an excellent homemade slice, in my opinion.

Our newest pizza obsession is a riff on the classic cacio e pepe pasta dish that we fell in love with recently.  I had never thought of putting black pepper (let alone spoonfuls) on my pizza, but Daniel suggested it, then aced it, and now it is our new go-to.  Pizza parties are frequently enjoyed in our home.  If you come over for dinner, chances that we're serving you pizza or a roast chicken are extremely high.

The beauty of this pizza is that it is actually rather light.  It isn't bogged down with lots of cheese and sauce, but it still feels rich and indulgent.  Mushrooms add pleasant earthiness, which is balanced by the sweet onions and spicy black pepper.  Taleggio and parmesan add savory and intense cheesiness.  We always serve our pizzas with a zippy arugula salad, which generally is thrown on top of each slice as we eat.

And the wine!  This pizza is uber wine friendly - anything from a brooding Nero d'Avola to some spicy French Syrah will keep you happy, but our pairing was a lovely surprise.

Domain Rolet in the Jura region of France is family-operated and is lauded for their exquisite attention to detail and general respect for the land.  They make traditional, rustic wines and are proud stewards of their vineyards, which are planted in valuable limestone and clay soil.  This bottle of their 2010 Rouge Tradition (Poulsard, Trousseau, Pinot Noir) was an unexpected winner.  I personally love all of the lighter reds from the Jura region, but this particular bottle was more complex and earthy than I was expecting.  It had lovely deep cherry and plum notes with a good hit of black peppery spice, but still remained light and airy on the palate.  Herbal and soft.  For me, it is a near perfect red wine - it lingered in the nose and on the tongue, but wasn't overwhelmingly fruity or tannic.  With every sip or sniff a new flavor presented itself, adding layers and layers of exciting complexity.  And, even more wonderful is the price is square in my wheelhouse - just over $20. 

CACIO E PEPE PIZZA
makes one pizza

1 pizza dough (see my recipe here)
1/2 lb - 1 lb mushrooms, sliced (I always like more mushrooms on my pizza, your pick)
1 onion, sliced
taleggio
parmesan
2 - 3 tablespoons coursely ground fresh black pepper

Preheat your oven as hot as it will go, making sure to place pizza stone on the bottom rack.

Saute your mushrooms and set aside.  Saute the sliced onions until soft and sweet, set aside. 

Roll out your pizza dough.  Top with onions, mushrooms and black pepper.  Cover with grated parmesan and slices of taleggio.  

Slide into oven and cook for about 8 minutes, until crust is browning and the cheese is melted.  Let cool for a minute, then slice and serve!

Banana-Fig Smoothie with Kefir and Cinnamon

Hello fair friends!  This little family has successfully made it through the toughest, gnarliest part of harvest in wine country yet another year!  A round of applause and much cin-cining is in order.  But first, can I brighten your morning with a gracefully healthy smoothie recipe?

Since Daniel has been waking at the daunting and dreary 6am hour, I too have been rising earlier to get my coffee and breakfast in before work.  Not quite as early, don't fret.  I'm talking more like the very very civilized 7:30am.  Turns out this ritual is actually a luxury and I'm hooked.  The house is mine, the coffee is sipped with purpose, and smoothies just taste better when they are freshly smoothied (??).  You know.  I peruse all of my online haunts, catch up on emails (email me people!), and try to gear up for the day without rushing about too much.

The smoothie changes based on whatever I have/what is about to turn, but this new one is a keeper.  It is my first foray with kefir, the hip fermented milk drink that has all of the champions of pro-biotics going gahgah gulp.  (I originally typed bro-biotics there and think that would make an excellent title to a short film in which frat boys discuss the benefits of healthy gut bacteria.....)

KEFIR.  It's real weird tasting alone.  I can't recommend it.  Bubbly, sour, viscous milk does not a tasty beverage make.  But!  When blended with a ripe banana, a date, a few figs and cinnamon, you have a balanced and tasty breakfast smoothie.

Fun kefir fact straight from wikipedia: Traditional kefir was made in skin bags that were hung near a doorway; the bag would be knocked by anyone passing through the doorway to help keep the milk and kefir grains well mixed.

I unfortunately do not have a skin bag full of kefir at my door for knocking, but I do have a natural grocery store down the way with a whole fridge shelf dedicated to the stuff.

BANANA-FIG SMOOTHIE with KEFIR AND CINNAMON
serves one

1 ripe banana
2 figs
1 date
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup plain kefir
ice

Blend. 

Sprinkle with more cinnamon.  Serve.  

Best with coffee and the morning's news.

Sourdoughing

It has been ages since I've been inspired to dive into the fermented goodness that is sourdough.  My excuses ranged from "it just takes SO long" to "I cannot keep refreshing my starter - it is too expensive to go through all of that flour and I am broke" and "there are lots of people that do it WAY better than me and I'll just buy that pretty loaf over there".

But it turns out that making your own bread is just so much goddamn fun that I couldn't help but get back in the game.  An avid baker friend of mine assured me that you really really really do not need to keep feeding your Ferment every couple of days like the books say.  Just keep it in the fridge and scrape away that top layer of nasty and you're good to go.

Sorry, let's back up here.  I'm not going to give you a recipe for making your own sourdough - there are plenty of experts out there that have written books about it and have it nailed down.  This is merely a small piece in the breadosphere to hopefully give you enough confidence to seek out said experts' recipes and try this for yourself.

The essentials: 

How it works.  The basic principal of sourdough is that unlike most breads, you're not going to add commercial yeast.  Instead, you create a "Starter" of just water and flour (and sometimes honey), which when left in the right environment for long enough will start to ferment.  It draws naturally occurring yeasts from the air, starting to bubble and stink after a few days.  Yeast + sugar = CO2, which makes your bread rise.  Science!  After a couple of days, your Starter should be all sorts of pungent and fermenty and somewhat disturbing.  Now is the time to make your Ferment (often called Leaven).  This is just a mixture of flour and water and some of your Starter.  Leave this in and out of the fridge to develop more depth of flavor for a few more days.  When ready, finally time to make your dough.  Mix some of the Ferment with more flour and water and salt and kneed kneed kneed and rest and kneed and let it proof (rise) until it is springy to the touch and nearly doubled in size.  Turn out (carefully) onto a hot tray, slash the top, pop in the oven.  It is ready when golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.  Wait wait wait until it is cool to slice.  You just gotta.  Trust.

Vocabulary lesson!  There are SO many words thrown around when it comes to making sourdough.  Don't fret, they pretty much all mean the same thing.

• Flour - you got this one.  
• Starter/Sponge/Ferment/Leaven/Mother/Etc. etc. etc - these all mean some combination of flour+water+natural yeasts.  It all depends on who you're talking to as to which words they use for which stage of the process.  Just go with it.  
• Fermenting - the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions.  That is official.    
• Proof/Proofing - why it was essential to assign another word when rise/rising ALREADY exists for this exact purpose I just don't know but it is fun to say.
• Kneed/Working the dough - youtube that shit and put some elbow grease into it.  Sweat it out, making bread isn't for wimps.
• Refresh - this is the term used for kickstarting your Starter.  It lives in the fridge and remains dormant (too cold and fermentation cannot happen).  In order to get it going again, you need to refresh it by adding more flour and water for the yeasts to feed off of.  

And the tools:

• A kitchen scale - this is absolutely necessary when baking.  I cannot stress this enough.  They are not that expensive and do not take up that much room.  And for christ's sake get a digital one.  (Side note - mine is totally hating me right now because I often leave it on a wet counter and the battery doesn't do well when even slightly damp, so don't do that.)

• The right flours.  Bread Flour (or Strong Flour) has a higher gluten content and better for rising.  Do not attempt this with All-Purpose Flour, it just won't be as good.  Other flours are usually called for (probably not ESSENTIAL, but will improve your loaf) - Spelt and Rye Flour seem to work really well and add a lovely depth and flavor.  I'm sure you could play around with other unusual flours, but I suspect the best results will come from flours with gluten (no Rice Flour here).  

• Dough scraper.  For mixing, cleaning, and you know, scraping.  Wonderful, under appreciated kitchen tool.  Mine is just a plastic piece, but there are much prettier and more effective ones out there.  Also really useful when making pastries/cookies/anything involving dough that needs scraping.

• Water that isn't too hot nor too cold.  Too hot and you'll kill your yeast.  Too cold and nothing ferments.  It should be just above luke warm.  If you have a thermometer, bless you and you're going to be just fine.  If you don't, wing it - you're going to be just fine. 

• Patience!  This single loaf took me TWO goddamn weeks from ferment to oven, but the anticipation is totally worth it.  Pulling out that beautifully risen, golden brown, beloved loaf is one of life's grand rewards.  Bakers get it.  Work slowly.  Fermentation takes time.  Flavors need to develop.  Science! This is not slap dash; this is calculated and time consuming, but don't we all deserve a few minutes to dedicate to the art of sourdoughing?  You're making bread, how cool is that?  

• Practice!  Some loaves are going to be weird.  Figure out why by doing this over and over again.  People keep their starters for years, making sourdough for generations.  This is a lifestyle.

As far as my favorite EXPERTS in this game with amazing books, check out Tartine's Chad Robertson and my favorite, Crust's Richard Bertinet.  I've met Richard Bertinet and watched him bake - he's extremely talented and an excellent teacher.  And British, which is delightful.

Get going guys, you can do this!  

Stoner + Rosemary-Watermelon Gin in a Jar

A U G U S T

I've been reading voraciously this summer.  I'll be the first to admit that most of it has been on the low-brow-beach-pool-beach end of the spectrum, but gobbling up pages and pages is extremely satisfying and one of the best ways to past the time, no matter the season.  On the nearly desperate recommendation from a good friend that I must must must check out this book, I picked up Stoner, opened to page one and dipped my toe in the water.  After mysteries and murders, a book about an aging academic in the 1930s wasn't really the speed I was going for, but her insistence that this was one of the most moving books she had ever read convinced me to give it a shot.  I waded in slowly - the water was mild and comfortable - and as I sunk deeper and deeper I realized I never wanted to get out.

Stoner is a strange exceptional book in that you've probably never heard of it.  Written by John Williams and released to minor critical acclaim in 1965, it never made it to too many shelves nor classrooms.  It just existed out there for years and years, unread, under appreciated, just floating along.  In 2003 it was rereleased and had a bit of a bump in sales, but it wasn't until a few years ago that it was rediscovered and loudly lauded by some of the best literary minds in Europe.  Stoner is now receiving the critical attention it deserves and is reaching a readership in need.

This is a book about a man and his love of literature and the classroom and academia.  It is about his life, his family, his struggles with success.  It is about a small town.  The human existence is so perfectly portrayed that I found myself in absolute awe.  It is a quiet novel, but it moves mountains.

                  "And suddenly, after he said the words, it was not important.  For an
                   instant he felt the truth of what he said, and for the first time in months
                   he felt lift away from him the weight of a despair whose heaviness he
                   had not fully realized.  Nearly giddy, almost laughing, he said again,
                   'It really isn't important.'"

And what to drink while savoring William's fascinating prose?  Probably scotch, or whiskey, or even a dark ale, but none of that appealed to me on a temperate summer evening, so let's blend up some watermelon!  And it really isn't important.

ROSEMARY-WATERMELON GIN COCKTAIL
serves 1

1 oz rosemary simple syrup (recipe follows)
1 oz lemon juice
2 oz gin
2 - 4 cups of watermelon, cubed (depending on how strong you want this cocktail)
rosemary sprig for garnish

In a blender or food processor, blend watermelon with lemon juice.  Add rosemary simple syrup (adding more to taste).  Add gin and a few tablespoons of cold water if mixture is too thick.  Pour over ice and garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig.

I suppose this could be served up as well - just cut back on the watermelon so you have a boozier version suitable for a dainty cocktail glass. 

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ROSEMARY SIMPLE SYRUP

4 sprigs rosemary
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.  Remove from heat, add rosemary and let steep for at least an hour.  Strain.  Will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.  Use to flavor teas, ice creams, other wonderful cocktails. 

Spaghetti with Pesto, Zucchini, and Just Burst Tomatoes

J U L Y

Tomatoes.  Summer.  Basil.  Zucchini.

This is the time folks, this is the time to throw together a most excellent dinner with neither fuss nor planning.  Summer is for adventuring and swimming and walking barefoot and drinking delightful cocktails and sweating gracefully and it is not for slaving away in the kitchen.  Which is exactly how I stumbled upon this amazing new pasta dish.

Over plenty of early-evening wine, a friend and I discussed the merits of summer squash.  She is a farmer and an excellent cook and has the most gorgeous of produce, summer squash included.  However, despite its eccentric shapes and sizes, stripes and speckles, neither of us are that jazzed on it as something worth eating.  We revisited the most common preparations - roasted, grilled, squash "pasta", soups.  Their water content is very high, sogginess is expected.  Soggy is never good.

We both agreed that the best way to prepare summer squash, specifically zucchini, is to grate it and then saute with garlic, lemon juice, salt and plenty of black pepper.  Now it is a totally new vegetable - savory and juicy and versatile and disappears by the forkful.  After our conversation, I craved my sauteed zucchini and scored a few beauties at the farmers market.  It became the focus of the meal when mixed with just burst cherry tomatoes and pesto, then all tossed with spaghetti.  Finished with fresh basil and parmesan, this is my new favorite summertime pasta. 

SPAGHETTI with PESTO, ZUCCHINI, and JUST BURST TOMATOES
serves 2

1/2 pound dried spaghetti (I used whole wheat because I like it, but do as you will)
2 medium zucchini, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 pint cherry tomatoes
classic basil pesto
basil
parmesan

Heat your oven to 420 degrees. 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook your spaghetti.  Reserve about a cup of pasta water. 

When pasta is cooked and still warm, toss with a few heaping spoonfuls of pesto until all of the pasta is coated.  Add a spoonful or two of pasta water to loosen the sauce (if necessary).

Meanwhile, toss the cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil and salt.  Spread on a tray and roast in oven until they just begin to burst - about ten minutes. 

Heat a little oil in a skillet and add the grated zucchini.  When starting to soften, add the garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper.  Continue to cook until the zucchini is soft and the liquid has almost completely evaporated.  

Toss the cooked zucchini, burst tomatoes, and fresh basil with the pesto pasta.  At this point if you wanted to add a bucket of parmesan cheese, I wouldn't stop you, but I opted to keep mine a little fresher.  Mix everything together to incorporate all of the ingredients.  Serve immediately, topped with more basil and grated parmesan.  


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BASIL PESTO

2 healthy bunches basil
1 - 2 garlic
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil
salt

Combine the first five ingredients in a food processor and blend until a thick paste has formed.  While on, drizzle in the olive oil until you've reached the desired consistency.  More olive oil will make for a better dressing for pasta.  Adjust seasoning if needed. 

Cacio e Pepe with Peas and Mushrooms

I'm having a fling with Italy at the moment.  All sorts of cheese and pasta and pizzas.  It is simplicity and freshness, combined to create extremely satisfying, indulgent, wine-friendly meals.  Perfect early summer fare for those still chilly nights, when turning on the oven is actually kinda welcome but eating a piping hot stew seems wrong.

This pasta recipe is a new staple in our weeknight repertoire.  It is e a s y and takes about 30 minutes - last night I had dinner on the table before 8pm, to which Daniel insisted was too early for his internal clock to handle and he would need a few more minutes to work up an appetite.  He kids.  More after-dinner time for Orange is the New Black + wine is a grand accomplishment thank you very much.

I adapted this slightly from The New York Times recipe for cacio e pepe with fava beans and peas, but the essentials are still there.  Cracked black pepper, pasta, cheese.  Make sure to coarsely grind your peppercorns because nobody, Daniel especially, enjoys whole nuggets of pepper that disconcertingly crunch between your teeth.  And don't forget the pecorino or wimp out when it would just be so much easier to only have to buy classic parm.  I feel you, but I was once informed that it is the king of cheeses and it is absolutely necessary to add the punch and creaminess that parmesan cannot.  More importantly that begs the question, but what (who?) is the queen cheese?  I'm leaning towards some kind of feta for her sharp wit and easy going deliciousness, or maybe a creamy, stinky blue - either you can hang with that bitch or not but she couldn't give a shit.  Anyways.

Chives are an unexpected and delightful garnish, so don't skimp.

Finally, don't forget the wine!  The sharpness and heat of the black pepper beg for a fruitier, juicier red.  Sticking with Italy, we enjoyed Andrea Oberto's 2012 Dolcetto D'Alba from Piedmont.  While better known for their serious Barolos, this producer has the skills, experience and some damn good grapes, which are handled with the gentle adeptness of someone who has been in the vineyards his entire life.   The finished wine has a fresh, fruit-forward nose followed by subtle tannins, happy notes of plum and blueberry, and a faint earthiness.  A little kick of acidity kept it alive while still finishing with a lovely roundness and depth.  All in all, a wonderful weeknight wine for our wonderful weeknight pasta.  A meal to be played on repeat.

CACIO E PEPE with PEAS and MUSHROOMS
serves 3 - 4

12 oz pasta of your choice; spaghetti is most traditional
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated pecorino 
1/2 cup grated parmesan
olive oil and sea salt, for serving
clipped chives, for garnish

Bring a small pot of salted water to boil.  Add a pinch of sugar.  Blanch your peas for 2 minutes and immediately drain and transfer to a fine mesh sieve placed over a bowl of ice water. 

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until just 1 minute shy of al dente.  Drain, reserving 2/3 cup pasta water.

Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms in batches, making sure not to crowd the pan.  Season with salt as you cook.  Set aside. 

In a large skillet, melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter.  Add the cracked pepper and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Add about 1/3 pasta water and the rest of the butter, letting it simmer for about 30 seconds, or until slightly reduced and thicker.  

Add cooked pasta and cheeses, tossing until the cheese melts.  Add mushrooms and peas, tossing to coat, adding more pasta water if it appears dry.  Season with salt to taste.  Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, chives, and more grated cheese.