How to Throw a Pizza Crust

Pizza may be my favorite food in the whole wide world. It's also the great equalizer when one's considering what to feed a mixed crowd of vegetarians and non-vegetarians. It's rare that anyone is ever disappointed in a pizza no matter what's on top, so serving it to a crowd is usually a no-brainer. 


I like to par-cook my homemade pizza crust. It allows me less time in the kitchen when friends and family are over, and it assures a good product. All you do is throw the dough, slide it undressed onto the stone, and cook it for just a few minutes. When it's time to eat, top your par-cooked crusts with sauce and cheese and slide 'em into the oven to crisp up.




Beer Pizza Crust:

(Special equipment: stand mixer, 3 rubber bands, and 3 seven-inch round plastic containers.)

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon Fleishmann’s active dry yeast*

9–12 ounces of your favorite beer

olive oil

1.    Pour beer into a microwave-safe glass and heat for 1 minute. 

2.    Bloom the yeast in a few tablespoons of the warm beer.

3.    Place flour, salt, and honey into a stand mixer, turn it on low, and add the bloomed yeast.

4.    Slowly add the beer until all the dry flour has been incorporated. (You will have beer left over.)

5.    Mix for 5 minutes 'til dough looks smooth.

6.    Roll dough into a nine-inch log; cut the log into three equal three-inch pieces.

7.    Roll each piece into a ball; place each in its own round airtight container

8.    Set containers out on the countertop. Leave the dough alone for 8 hours.

9.    Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°

10.  Turn the dough ball out on to a lightly floured pizza peel. Begin to dimple the dough using three 

       fingers. Leave a half-inch on the outside undisturbed—this will become the crust. Turn dough over    

       and repeat the process.

11.  Pick up the dough and let it stretch over your fists until it is about 12 inches in diameter, or toss it in  

       the air like a pro—your call.

12.  Make sure your have enough flour on the peel so that the pizza can slide around and into the oven.

13.  Spread about 1⁄3 cup of tomato sauce over the crust, and then top with ½ – 1½ cups of cheese. Add   

       any other topping that you like at this point.

14.  Using the pizza peel, slide the raw pizza onto the hot stone and let it cook for about 7 minutes.

15.  Remove the pizza once the top starts bubbling and it begins to brown around the edges.

16.  The best part: cut and serve.

* For a faster crust, use "rapid rise" yeast and cut the proofing time down to one hour.

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

We're trying to get back to making more salads with dinner around here, and it's got to be easy to do if I'm going to make one at the last minute in addition to the main dish. This past weekend, I put together a simple salad of arugula, strawberries, and toasted almonds and shook up this basic vinaigrette in a jar to go with it. It was the perfect salad to complement grilled pizza with lots of smoked provolone, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and the like.

I think it's definitely is worth taking an extra couple of minutes to make your own dressing; here's what's in our go-to balsamic vinaigrette.

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
juice from half a lemon
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1/2 tablespoon honey
sea salt
cracked black pepper

Pour all ingredients into a jar and shake or whisk them together in a small bowl. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad right before serving.

P.S. You can learn more than you ever wanted to know about me at the I Love Memphis blog if you are so inclined.

A French Toast Pancake

One of us looks forward to a savory weekend breakfast, and the other clamors for either pancakes or French toast. So an agreement has been reached via the invention of the French toast pancake, which is super-fast to make. There's no agonizing wait for the egg-and-milk mixture to soak into the bread, it's very hands-off since it cooks in the oven, and the whole thing is done in two quick steps. (I love the addition of orange zest and vanilla, which somehow makes it taste fancier than it really is.) 

French Toast Pancake


2 cups torn bread
6 eggs
zest of one orange
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whole milk
a pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon cane sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons butter


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put everything except the butter in the food processor and pulse until there are no big chunks of bread left. 


Heat a 10-12 inch frying pan over medium-high heat. Place butter into the hot pan; allow it to melt completely and coat the pan. Pour egg and bread mixture into the pan. The hot pan will help the pancake to start cooking and should prevent it from sticking. 


Place the pan into the oven for 10 minutes or until the center is set. To serve, cut pancake into wedges and top with macerated fruit, butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. 


*For the kids, make a bunch of silver dollar French toast pancakes by pouring the batter into silicone muffin tins instead.

Indian Nachos with Mint Raita and Black Mustard Seed

Our raised bed garden's still going strong, so we made some nachos from the tomatoes, mint, okra, and peppers that we grew. I thought, why not try this barroom classic with a little twist...Indian flavors! Crazy, sure, but good. Think of it like this: a simple veg curry on a tiny papadum with a fragrant, creamy sauce. You just load up papadum chips in a single layer onto a plate and microwave for one minute to get these going.


This would make a great unexpected appetizer or a casual main course. Try subbing the vegetables you have available from your farmer's market or garden for a unique take on this unusual dish.


Indian Nachos with Mint Raita and Black Mustard Seed


1 shallot
2 garlic cloves
1 small jalapeño
1 small piece of ginger (peeled)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup potatoes (small dice)
1/8 cup okra (thinly sliced)
1/8 cup tomatoes (small dice)
1/8 cup English peas
2 dozen papadums (approx.)
Mint Raita*
black mustard seed


Finely chop the first four ingredients in a food processor. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the coriander, cumin, and curry. Once the spices become fragrant, add the chopped shallot, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger mixture. cook for two minutes. Add the coconut milk and stir. Set sauce aside. In the same pan over medium high heat sauté the potatoes in the canola oil until golden and tender. This should take about 4 minutes. Add the okra, tomatoes, and peas and heat through. Add the sauce and remove from heat. Arrange papadums on a platter and top each with about a teaspoon of the vegetable curry. Garnish with mint raita and a pinch of black mustard seed.


*Mint Raita

1/4 cup mint
1/4 cup yogurt
Lime zest
1/2 tsp sugar

1 tablespoon water

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until mint is finely chopped.

5 Quick Questions for Sandra A. Gutierrez

Recently, I got ahold of Sandra Gutierrez's The New Southern-Latino Table, just out this month; immediately after paging through it, I knew I would have to start working on making her amazing desserts and then work my way through the rest of the sections, too. When I make a dish from a new cookbook and it turns out well, I know the book's a keeper. After making the Chile-Chocolate Brownies one Friday night and then the Squash and Chile Cake with Cayenne and Ancho Chile Icing and New World Chocolate Cake for a family's get-together last Sunday night, I decided I needed to connect with Sandra in order to ask a few burning questions. She was so kind to allow me to share a couple of her great recipes with you. 

1. We grew up in Mississippi and Tennessee, and we love Southern food. We wondered what your favorite dish from the South might be these days and/or the one you first really liked early on?

Early on I quickly fell in love with pimiento cheese. I mean, what's not to like? The mixture of creamy mayonnaise with sharp cheddar cheese, speckled with blushing pimientos...it was love at first bite! It's hard to pick a favorite Southern dish--there are so many favorites, including fried chicken, deviled eggs and biscuits--but if I had to pick just one, I'd probably pick grits. Although I had never heard of grits before I arrived in the South as a young bride, I quickly became enamored of its nutty flavor, which immediately reminded me of masa for tamales (after all, both are made of nixtamalized corn). Give them to me mixed with chiles or served simply with a pat of butter; make me a cheesy-grits casserole or give them to me shaped into cakes! I'm there! I'm happy!

2. What are some of your go-to ingredients or spices, the kinds of things you think others should be sure to try out in their cooking?

In order to cook the New Southern-Latino way, I suggest you revamp your pantry a little bit and incorporate all sorts of dried chile powders, which I use in everything from sauces to desserts, such as my Chile-Chocolate Brownies. Try these powders the next time you make a pot of vegetarian chili and you'll understand why I love them so much; a little ancho chile powder will add hints of chocolate, chipotle chile powder will add both smokiness and a spicy kick, and a sprinkle of aji amarillo powder will take it to new levels. Mexican cinnamon is another one of my favorite spicest. Called "canela" this is cinnamon from Ceylon (not the Cassia variety mostly used here in the U.S.) and it's very brittle, which makes it ideal to grind for use in cakes and other dishes. I even add canela to my stews and gravies. Annatto or "achiote" is also great to have around. You can find this spice and natural food coloring in many stores in the South. You've probably had it all your life and didn't even know it because it's what gives its orange hue to cheddar cheese. In Latin America, annatto is used to add color and flavor to lots of dishes from rice to pastries. Tamarind extract is sour; it's also the perfect addition to barbecue sauces and salad dressings.These are all easy ingredients to find in the South nowadays and some that are well worth experimenting with in your own kitchen.

3. Do you have a favorite Southern-Latino dish that just happens to also be vegetarian?

Actually, I have many vegetarian dishes in my book. That is due to the fact that at home we eat at least two vegetarian meals every week. Also, Latin Americans have a tremendous array of vegetarian dishes. I have delicious salads in this book, as well as soups and amazing side dishes such as my Swiss Chard Frittata. One of my favorites is my Pimiento and Cheese Chilaquiles, which taste like an elegant lasagna. In this recipe I bathe fried tortillas with a coral-hued sauce and layer them with cheese; it's baked until bubbly, and warm, and utterly delicious! This is also one of my twists on pimiento cheese. I love to serve those with my Collard Greens, Oranges, and Pepita Salad with Buttermilk Dressing, which features raw collard greens. If you haven't tried raw collards before, you're in for a nice surprise. I also offer delicious vegetarian salsas and the best plantains north of the border! My Braised Lentils are scrumptious. I love to serve them over a bed of brown rice and then top them with my Chiltepin Gremolata (a citrusy, chile salsa that adds zing and contrasting textures). Of course, I also feature many delicious vegetarian desserts including a sweet soup made with corn and served with cinnamon-sugar coated hushpuppies, that's to die for!

4. I like that the dessert recipes you present are so creative and sometimes even a little spicy. Do you have a theory about making desserts stand out or a reason why yours are a little different?

I like to say that you're only as good as your last dish. That's where dessert comes in because that's what our guests will remember most after they leave. Therefore, I like to give my desserts subtle but definite twists. I had lots of fun creating new versions that both please and surprise the palate. The additon of chile and spices in some desserts is one twist; it's not as far-fetched as you may think because that is done throughout Latin America. I also try to incorporate a balance of textures and temperatures. For example, I serve crispy hot Sweet Potato Churros with a creamy, decadent chocolate sauce. I add a bit of crunch to the New World Chocolate Cake with the addition of ground almonds. And I offer an easy Buttermilk Ice Cream that is perfect to serve with a warm slice of pie or with my Mango, Peach, and Tequila Cobbler. Finally, I use ingredients that you wouldn't normally think to incorporate in desserts, such as the vidalia onions I use to make Empanadas de Viento, which are sugary fried pies. Another example would be my Sweet Tomato Cobbler, where tomatoes are treated in the same manner as cherries: first preserved with sugar and then draped with flaky pastry. I think that's a must-try dessert in this book. I guess my desserts are different because I dare to push the envelope just a little bit. But I wouldn't call them "extreme" desserts. They simply tease the palate, subtly. I love to surprise my friends and family with dishes like these, and I know I've succeeded when they ask for the recipe!

5. We especially love your Squash and Chile Cake with Cayenne and Ancho Chile Icing! How were you inspired to make this particular dessert?

Squash is another one of those ingredients that Latinos use in both savory and sweet dishes. I created this recipe years ago, for a cooking class in which I taught new ways to use dried chiles. Back then, I wanted a cake that yielded deep, comforting flavors but that wouldn't intimidate beginner bakers or take a very long time to prepare. And I wanted to create a dessert that would be ideal to serve during the cooler months of the year. Since I love making soups with butternut squash and chiles, I decided to translate this combination into a cake. It was a complete experiment and I was so excited to see that it worked so well. I was also pleasantly surprised that it became one of the most requested recipes by my students. I decided to include it in this book because it's one of my favorite cakes and also because it partners very well with hot drinks, such as spiced-teas, coffee, or hot cocoa. In fact, it's so easy to make, that I may very well go bake one right now. All this talk about food has made me very, very hungry!

*Thanks so much, Sandra! Now, we can all enjoy two of her great recipes: see how to make her spiced-up brownies and pumpkin seeds below. -TCV

Chile-Chocolate Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons ancho chile powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped and toasted pecans (optional)

For the glaze:

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon coffee-flavored liqueur

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Place the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they have melted and are well combined. Lift the bowl carefully from the pan so no water droplets come into contact with the chocolate mixture; let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the sugar; add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; stir in the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ancho chile powder, and salt; gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, beating well until fully combined. Add the pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is set and the brownies begin to pull back from the sides of the pan. Cool brownies for 1 hour in the pan. 

To make the glaze: in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, butter, liqueur, vanilla, and chile powder; blend until smooth. Place the glaze in a pastry bag (or zip-top bag with a snipped corner), and drizzle back and forth over the brownies. Cut them into 20 bars.

Spiced Pepitas
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ancho chile powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon sugar 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, toss together the pumpkin seeds, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, cumin, pepper, coriander, chile powder, cayenne, garlic powder, and sugar. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes; remove the baking sheet and shake to redistribute the seeds. 

Return to the oven and bake for another 3 minutes; stop to shake the pan again. Finish baking for 1–2 minutes, or until the pumpkin seeds are crispy and golden, being careful not to burn them. Transfer to a cool baking sheet and cool completely before storing. (Makes 2 cups.)

From The New Southern-Latino Table: Recipes that Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors of Latin America and the American South. Copyright © 2011 by Sandra A. Gutierrez. Used by permission of the University of North Carolina Press. www.uncpress.unc.edu

Spicy Pickled Okra

Summer is slipping away. I sure can feel it this week, but thankfully, the veggies from my father-in-law's garden still continue to roll in by the bucketful. There's no room left in the freezer because it's jam-packed with shelled peas, roasted tomatoes, and sliced okra. I'm doing all I can to preserve the season. So, I decided to pickle a mess of okra that had just arrived.


The process of pickling is simple, and even if you don't properly can it, which is a huge production, pickled vegetables will still last up to 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Use this pickling liquid and spice mixture on anything from cucumbers to green tomatoes. 
The best part of pickling okra in particular is that is reduces its inherent sliminess. I brought these little beauties to Rocco's birthday party this weekend and they were a hit...even with the okra skeptics.


(My friend Kelly stuffs pickled okra with pimento cheese, batters them, and deep fries them. I'll see if I can't talk him out of the recipe for y'all soon!)




Spicy Pickled Okra

1 quart white vinegar
6 tablespoons salt
6 cloves garlic (smashed)
2 tablespoons chili pepper relish (or sambal)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon sugar
3 quarts small okra (stem intact, washed and dried)


Bring the first eight ingredients to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for five minutes. Pour hot pickling liquid over the okra and allow everything to cool. Place picked okra in the fridge for two days to allow the flavors to meld. Use okra within 2-3 weeks. 


To serve, rinse okra in a colander. Place two pickles on a bamboo pick. Stand picks up in a wide-mouth mason jar. In my mind, it's just the thing to bring to a three-year-old's birthday party.

Green Smoothies

I have been wanting to give mythical green smoothies a shot for a while now. The question is, could they possibly be any good? I wondered if I would really taste the spinach or the kale in these, but they're barely detectable since only a natural sweetness comes through. It didn't even beg for a shot of honey or agave.

Green smoothies, it turns out, aren't all that attractive-looking compared to the pleasing colors of typical fruit smoothies, but check out some of the simple ingredients pictured here. Fitting in an extra vegetable in the morning and getting an energy boost after drinking one of these couldn't be a bad thing, right? We might even commit to having one day for a while...

Spinach + Strawberry Green Smoothie

2 handfuls of spinach (about 2/3 cup)
1-2 frozen bananas (cut into a few pieces)
4 strawberries
juice from 3 oranges
ice (optional)

Blend until all ingredients are fully combined.


Kale + Berry Green Smoothie

1 1/2 cups curly kale
a handful of raspberries
a handful of blueberries
juice from 3 oranges
1-2 frozen bananas (cut into a few pieces)
ice (optional)

Blend until all ingredients are fully combined.