What the Kids Won’t Eat
(OK readers, this should have bigger, more detailed photos. They’re from facebook, though, so they won’t get past a work firewall; sorry!)
Sometimes, I wonder why I try. G Grod mentioned he’d like to make pizza. I found a recipe in Cook’s Country, used it as an excuse to finally buy myself a set of 9″ pie pans, and we made this:
Drake loved it and ate three pieces. Guppy wouldn’t eat it at all. I may try again without pepperoni, but making yeast pizza dough from scratch is an undertaking.
Pepperoni Pan Pizza from Cook’s Country
Makes two 9-inch pizzas serving 4 to 6
Dough
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup skim milk plus 2 additional tablespoons, warmed to 110 degrees
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for counter
1 package instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Topping
1 (3.5-ounce) package sliced pepperoni
1 1/3 cups tomato sauce (see related recipe, “Basic Pizza Sauce”)
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1. To make the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray. Coat each of two 9-inch cake pans with 3 tablespoons oil.
2. Mix milk, sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in measuring cup. Mix flour, yeast, and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, about 5 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter, gently shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. To shape and top the dough: Transfer dough to lightly floured counter, divide in half, and lightly roll each half into ball. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll and shape dough into 9 1/2-inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm spot (not in oven) until puffy and slightly risen, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.
4. While dough rises, put half of pepperoni in single layer on microwave-safe plate lined with 2 paper towels. Cover with 2 more paper towels and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Discard towels and set pepperoni aside; repeat with new paper towels and remaining pepperoni.
5. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Ladle 2/3 cup sauce on each round, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browning around edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let pizzas rest in pans for 1 minute. Using spatula, transfer pizzas to cutting board and cut each into 8 wedges. Serve.
Our box from our Community Supported Agriculture share had yellow squash and beets. It’s was nearing the end of the week, so I steamed the former, roasted the latter, then pureed
to make the Yellow Cake with Raspberry Swirl from Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious.
I added cream cheese frosting and fresh berries.
The kids were not fooled. The raspberry puree, while lovely, did not disguise the flavor of the beets enough. It got more pronounced after baking. So the boys wouldn’t eat this. Note to self: beets are not disguise-able. If I’d just made the yellow cake with squash I think that would’ve worked.
Then I found myself with leftover lemon cream cheese frosting. What to do; what to do?
And since the boys didn’t eat the cake, I didn’t bother to offer them these.
Mine. All mine.
August 17th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
I’m not a big fan of prepared foods generally, but in specific instances I certainly think they have their place. I have not even dreamt of making homemade pizza dough since I started buying Trader Joe’s refrigerated pizza dough. About $1.25 for a pound, and you have your choice between regular white, whole wheat and spinach. Yum.
That cake looks delicious, sorry about the beets.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:25 am
Well, Guppy may not want that pizza, but can I have some? Seriously, that photo looks soooo good, I want some right now! But I have a fear of working with dough (I won’t even make my own pie crusts… it seems too messy or something)… oh but it looks so good! We had pizza last night for dinner and it looked nowhere near as good as that!