Pizza for lunch (with spicy chili oil!)

 

Is everyone in as big of a tryptophan coma as I am?  Pfew - that was a lot of turkey - and leftovers.  It was a great holiday (my favorite).  Hope you enjoyed yours too.  I thought I'd provide a little inspiration to move back into the kitchen with something simple, and not about turkey leftovers: homemade pizza.  Have you ever made pizza at home?  The trick is buying the dough - it makes cooking a snap.  Whole foods sells a wonderful refrigerated dough that comes in several varieties including multi-grain.  Unlike the others doughs you find in the market, this one doesn't need to be defrosted - it's fresh and ready to go.  Your local pizza store will probably sell you dough - and if they're nice, they'll even sell you one of their rolled out doughs which will save you even more time.  Top with some roasted garlic, fresh ricotta, a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella, some fresh grated Parmesan,  some fresh shredded basil leaves and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 450 degrees F on a hot pizza stone or the back of a cookie sheet for to minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling.  There are a couple of tricks: 1) once you roll out your dough, allow it to sit for 10 minutes sot that it settles and won't bounce back.  2) Pull it out or press it out with your fingers to stretch it back out if it shrinks back after your initial shaping.  3) Do this on parchment paper so that you just slide it into the oven when you are ready and 4) heat your stone for 30-60 minutes before you are going to use it - this will ensure the crust crisps nicely.

 

And what better to season your pizza than some spicy chili oil?  Heat olive oil (needn't be your best) in a pan with dried chilis, allow to cool, and then pour into sterilized jars.  It will get better the longer you let it sit.  This would make a nice little homemade holiday gift for someone who loves to kick it up a notch. 

First (annual?) holiday gift guide for foodies

I am not a big fan of shopping but I love thinking of gifts for people. It's always fun to think about what someone might enjoy and to try to be original at it. As long as I start long enough in advance, and relegate most of the shopping to the internet, I find the experience very enjoyable. A lot of my gift ideas are food-centric. This is partly due to the fact that I am a food-centric person, and partly due to the fact that something related to food gives pleasure to the recipient. In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, I thought I'd share a few thoughts and ideas.

Always reliable: a cookbook

The printed page might be suffering but it's still great to have a beautiful physical cookbook for reference and inspiration. There are many new ones on the market that your foodie likely does not yet own. Here are a few that I've been looking at:

Clockwise from top left: A16: Food + Wine, My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method, Momofuku, Ad Hoc at Home, Pasta Sfoglia, Tender: v. 1: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch

And for the new cook (or anyone who doesn't already have it), a broad reference like Mark Bitman's How to Cook Everything is essential.

For the gourmand (and gourmet), a food delivery

A gift of edibles is always appreciated. You can put together a gift that matches your passion and budget. A gift could be as simple as a nice olive oil and vinegar. Or, consider a few other ideas:

1. Order from an artisanal producer via Foodzie. Foodzie is the Etsy of food and a great way to support small purveyors and artisans.

2. Send a gourmet product directly from one of your favorite producers. Three I've sent from before include Niman Ranch, Salumi (the artisanal salumeria run by Mario Batali's father), and a true favorite, Rancho Gordo (also has a cookbook out that showcases their heirloom beans)




3. Support a local business by giving a gift certificate. In Manhattan, consider Manhattan Milk that sources from local Amish farmers and will accommodate with a gift delivery.

The Treats Truck will deliver an assortment of treats in their cute vehicle.

For your vegan foodie, Babycakes will deliver vegan-appropriate sweets both locally as well as ship.


4. Assemble a gift basket from a favorite retailer like Formaggio Kitchen in New York's Essex market.

For the gift that keeps on giving: a magazine subscription

Support the publishing industry by offering a unique magazine subscription that your recipient is unlikely to have, such as Donna Hay's wonderful, inspirational (albeit costly to order from the U.S.) magazine

or, at the other extreme, for the locavore on your list, a magazine from Edible Communities Publications (which products great local content for ~53 different areas in the United States, Canada, and Europe)

For the person who appreciates design: a beautiful kitchen item

Help someone upgrade basic kitchen items with something more pleasurable to use, like Cuisipro's gorgeous measuring cups and spoons.

Offer rustic luxe in the form of a hand-made wooden spoon from Live Wire Farm that is sure to put their old wooden spoons out of business . . .

. . . or a beautiful Irish linen apron from Teresa Green (she also has beautiful tea towels here)

If she/he already has everything - consider a Salter kitchen scale. I use mine constantly and don't know what I did without it.

For the foodie who has everything: something fun

Not an everyday item but tons of fun and well-priced, Kitchenaid's ice cream maker attachment is sure to broaden a culinary repertoire

For a gift that will allow you to spend time together: a cooking class

You could offer a gift certificate or class for two at your local culinary school, or, to get more extravagant, arrange for a cooking class (and dinner) in your home


For the neat freak: a special treat to clean with

While odd, I've had my eye on these snazzy artful sponges available at Korin trading.


Savon de Marseille's Liquid soap is a staple in my kitchen. Available in scents like grapefruit, fig and olive oil, they will fit right in on your counter.

And of course, how could I not mention:

For the art lover: a beautiful photograph from Sabra Krock photography

A limited offer for the holidays, any print from my portfolio, or photographs you've seen on my site, $55 for 11x17 (please inquire via email).

I hope this gives you some gift-giving "food for thought". I'd love to know what you are gifting this season.