Mix water, sugar, yeast and oil together and let set.  In a large bowl, or on the counter sift out flour and salt.  Make a well in the middle.  Slowly mix flour into liquid.  Once dough is cohesive, knead until dough is smooth and elastic.  Cover, let rise in a warm place for one hour or until double in size.  Knead briefly, cut into 6-8 pieces, depending on what size pizza you want.

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I’ve tried this recipe a million times, and it always works best for me when I use the 00 flour with the semolina.  This recipe makes a ton of dough, but I like making large pizzas, so I usually only get four pizzas out of it, six if I roll them super thin.  I usually roll out the pizzas about 15 minutes before they will be going in, and I cook them at 450 for about 15 minutes, on a pizza stone or the back of a baking sheet if I am making a huge one.  Sprinkle some corn meal or semolina on whatever surface you are cooking them on and they will slip right off.  You can freeze this dough really well, just take it out of the freezer and toss it in the fridge the night before you want to make pizza.

• 2 lbs. butternut or calabaza squash
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 stick butter (4 T.)
• 2 cups bottled clam juice (mmm…Clamato) or shell stock
• 3 T. coarsely grated peeled fresh ginger (about a three inch piece) (have you seen those fancy tubes of ginger in the produce section of the grocery store?  They are awesome!  No more withered pieces of ginger in the vegetable drawer making me think that someone left a dessicated finger in my refrigerator!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 T. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 lb. fine-quality crab meat, checked for shell and pieces of cartilage
• Chopped basil, cilantro and croutons for garnish (optional)

Halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, and peel with a vegetable peeler.  Cut the squash into 1/2 in. cubes; there should be about 5 cups.

Cook the onion in the butter in a heavy pot over moderate heat for five minutes. Add the squash and cook, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes, or until the squash is easily mashed with a fork.

Puree the soup (really, don’t.) in a blender or food processor in batches (it is so messy, and really, what is the benefit?) and return to the pot.  (Have you ever scraped squash puree off the ceiling?  So unfun.)  Stir in the lime juice and crab.

The soup can be made a day ahead, covered and refrigerated, or frozen for 3 months.  (Let cool, uncovered, before freezing.)

Serve the soup hot.  (Really?  Hot soup?  Wha?)

Makes about six cups. Serves 4 to 6.

• 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 package Fleishman’s dry yeast
• 1 c. very warm water (120-150 degrees)
• 2 tsp peanut oil
• 2 c. whole wheat flour
• Pam spray
• 1 15 1/2 oz jar pizza sauce
• 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
• toppings of choice

Mix 1 cup flour, salt and yeast.  Add warm water, beat 2 mins at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally.  Add oil and 1/2 c. wheat flour.  Beat 2 mins at high speed.  Stir in remaining wheat flour and enough white flour to make a stiff dough.  Knead on floured board five minutes.  Spray a bowl with PAM.  Set dough in bowl, turn to grease top.  cover and rise in warm place 30 mins.  Spray 15x10x1 pan with PAM.  Punch down dough.  Roll and stretch to 17×12.  Place in pan making rim at edge.  Bake at 450 for 8 mins.  Spread with sauce, cheese and toppings.  Bake 10-12 min more or until brown.

This recipe originally came from the No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner blog, which you should check out some time if you like odd cupcakes. My husband wants me to try her corn dog cupcakes next time, since these were such a hit. Seriously. Bacon. Cupcakes. drool. Use realllly good bacon. The thick smokey appley kind that makes your house and your hair smell like wood smoke for four days. I took these to a BBQ, and they were scarfed up pronto. AFTER the parents gave them to their children and watched their reactions. Which was chocolate smearing, bouncing off the walls glee. So good. If you aren’t up for putting bacon in your cupcakes, because you are some sort of lame ass apex predator who doesn’t eat meat, then the cake is really good just by itself. In fact, I am going to make it right now for my cupcake order which is due tomorrow….

Dark Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes

Originally from: No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner

• 2 c. flour
• 2 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder + cocoa for garnish (which I did not use)
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs room temp
• 1 c. cold brewed coffee (i did this room temp too)
• 1 c. buttermilk
• 1/2 vegetable oil
• 12-20 slices super awesome super thick super smokey, still in my hair and i made these things on Monday kind of bacon. drroooool. (I used 14. I started with 15, but I ate one)

Preheat the oven to 375

I did this by cooking the bacon in the oven. Put the bacon on a wire rack on a sheet pan and put it in a cold oven. Turn the temp to 400, and when you hear the oven go “BEEEEP I am at 400 degrees”, go and check on the bacon and check it every couple of minutes until it is done. Put the bacon on some paper towels, turn your oven to 375 and TADA!

While all that is happening, combine your flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the middle and dump in the rest of the stuff, except the bacon. Mix it all up until it is smooth. It is a fairly thin cupcake batter. Do not panic. Then take your bacon and chop it up, and add about 3/4 of it to the batter. Line your cupcake pans with pretty liners, fill them half full (about a scant 1/4 cup) and put them in the oven. Super fast turn down the oven to 350. Bake them for about 25 minutes. Although mine were done in about 17….so check them early. If you are nice I will post pictures tomorrow.

And there you go Sharky. A freaking recipe. Can I go back to work now?

bacon cupcakes

Technorati Tags: bacon cupcakes

Place meat in large bowl.  Add all ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Place 1 T. of mixture in parboiled cabbage leaves, or grapevine leaves, and fold over on all sides.

Place stuffed leaves in deep sauce pot, and cover with any meat or chicken broth or bouillon, to which 1/2 c. tomato paste have been added.  Cook over low heat for one hour.

Note:  Grapevine leaves may be purchased in any grocery store which specializes in imported foods.  They usually come in jars or cans, packed in brine, and should be thoroughly rinsed in boiling water before used.

–Helene Giftos Cape Elizabeth, Maine from the 1958 Maine March of Dimes cookbook

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I heart stuffed grape leaves.  I have never had the courage to try stuffed cabbage….cabbage and I don’t get along so well.

Simmer onions and garlic in wesson oil until limp.  Combine all ingredients and put in uncovered casserole.  Bake at 350 for 40 mins to an hour.

–from Christ Church Cookbook Savannah, GA

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“Cook in wesson oil until limp.”  Well doesn’t that just make you want to run out and make this recipe?  I can actually vouch for this recipe….I have made it many times, it is one of my husbands favorite foods.  In fact, he is sick and I am making it for him for dinner.  I do not use the wesson oil though.  I use butter.  About a tablespoon, and if the casserole doesn’t mix up all smooth like I add a glug of olive oil.  TADA!

Technorati Tags: casseroles, rice, cheese, comfort food

Combine all ingredients over medium heat.  Whisk until smooth.  When mixture comes to boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 mins, stirring often.  Remove pan and cover until cool.  Chill and store in a covered container.

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This is a recipe from my personal recipe file.  I have never actually tried to make it, because any time I try to make ketchup, I fail miserably.  I copied this recipe down because it seemed easy and straightforward.  Then I completely forgot about it, because that is what I do.  I’ll let you know how it turns out.

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Coat a 12 cup Bundt pan with cooking spray, and sprinkle wit 3 T sugar.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a large bowl; stir well.
4. Place 2 cups sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine milk and sake; stir into egg mixture. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until combined. Fold in chocolate. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Yield: 18 servings.

From Cooking Light Aug. 2007

Technorati Tags: chocolate, cake, sake, cinnamon, baking, recipes

Sift flour with baking powder, soda and salt.  Cut in shortening.  Stir in starter and water.  Knead out like biscuits.  Cut out and put in a greased pan.  Let rise one hour or until light.  Bake at 425 for 20 minutes.
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These things are seriously awesome.  I remember eating these by the fistful during the holidays when I was a kid and if I could ever actually make starter and use it in time, this would be the first thing I would make.  I will make starter today.  I will make starter today.  I will USE the starter when it is done!  I promise.

Place beans in heavy large saucepan.   Add enough water to pan to cover beans by 4 inches.  Let beans soak overnight at room temperature.

Drain and rinse beans, return to same saucepan.  Add 8 cups water, 1 T. oil. smashed garlic clove, rosemary, and bay leaf.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until beans are just tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Season to taste with salt.  (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.  Cool slightly, cover, and chill.)

Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid.  Discard rosemary sprig and bay leaf.

Head remaining 2 T. oil in heavy large pot over medium head.  Add onion, carrot, and celery.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Saute until veggies are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes.  Add chopped garlic and 1 tsp. thyme; saute 2 minutes.  Add 2 cups reserved bean cooking liquid, 4 cups chicken broth, and beans.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.  Cool soup 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute chorizo in heavy large skilled over medium high heat until cooked through, breaking up lumps with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to paper towels to drain.

Using slotted spoon, remove 1 1/2 cups bean mixture from soup, reserve.  Working in batches, puree remaining soup in blender until smooth.  Return puree to pot.  stir in reserved whole bean mixture, remaining 1 1/2 tsp. thyme, chorizo, and cream.  (Can be made one day ahead.  Chill uncovered until cold.  Cover and keep chilled.)  Rewarm soup over medium heat, thinning with more broth if desired.  Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 6 main course servings

Bon Appetit Feb 2006

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I actually made this last winter, because it was on the cover and it looked oh so tasty, and boy howdy was it.  I did not puree the soup though.  I never puree the soup.