Pizza

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7CS3-332NAlaFV2AXPrV2tFyUthoL9-s-RZvBE2iiY5zBUXublWKASaL4V5O6w7TnO3GZvIR7fFvVubxgWbYT1k9nFaEhtnKnkkUJwlSdP89NDF9w6zCLdxGewt4nN5JRuDYay_w8cmd/s1600/pizza0323.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706094245803426290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH7CS3-332NAlaFV2AXPrV2tFyUthoL9-s-RZvBE2iiY5zBUXublWKASaL4V5O6w7TnO3GZvIR7fFvVubxgWbYT1k9nFaEhtnKnkkUJwlSdP89NDF9w6zCLdxGewt4nN5JRuDYay_w8cmd/s400/pizza0323.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />Americans ate pizza yesterday -- one estimate, 4.4 million pies. Why should we be different? Well, for one thing, we weren't watching the super bowl, we went to see "The Iron Lady" with Meryl Streep instead, <a href="http://maetravels.blogspot.com/2012/02/iron-lady.html">as I wrote here</a>. But I did make pizza, using my old recipe and my new cookbook stand. I have now stored my recipes on the iPad, and the plexiglass stand keeps splatters away, at least so far. Much better than splashing tomato sauce on the back of the large screen of the desktop computer, which is now upstairs. Plus the screen is right where I need it, not facing some other direction. The result was our cheese pizza with Newman's Own Sockarooni sauce, crushed garlic and extra herbs and fennel seeds, and good imported French and Swiss cheese:<br /><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrhlFDg8R1_XH3h4NMevA1w7t_39piXCSXse65BsNaG9lES7P-AHNr3D3RB2JvqklaKVuOEoWbrm6NFLsb_sVvlqcGb8uz8Cvg-D5hQWxkizWrHVWpNKKa9gnN31QWzfE9-k1lcFXbNab/s1600/pizza9105.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706094244698200578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigrhlFDg8R1_XH3h4NMevA1w7t_39piXCSXse65BsNaG9lES7P-AHNr3D3RB2JvqklaKVuOEoWbrm6NFLsb_sVvlqcGb8uz8Cvg-D5hQWxkizWrHVWpNKKa9gnN31QWzfE9-k1lcFXbNab/s400/pizza9105.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></div><div>As far as I can see, I've never posted my pizza recipe, and if I can't find it here probably no one can. So here it is.<br /><br /><b>Pizza Dough</b><br /><br />Mix and let stand for 10 minutes:<br />1 package dry yeast<br />1 cup water at 105 degrees (test on forearm -- same temp. as baby's bath water)<br />1 tsp. sugar<br />Place in food processor, using metal blade:<br />2 and 2/3 cups flour: up to 2/3 cup can be whole wheat flour<br />Pinch salt -- optional<br />1/2 tsp. oil<br /><br />With food processor running, add the liquid slowly . Process until dough forms a ball and pulls away from sides of bowl. Add more flour if necessary to make this happen. This is a very sticky dough. Knead in more flour if you like, and place in large oiled bowl. Allow to rise for 1 hour at warm room temperature or several hours in refrigerator (if you want to make the dough in advance and go see a movie).<br /><br />After the dough has risen, oil a round pizza pan and pat dough into place. It will rise a little again while you are placing the toppings on it and heating the oven to 425 degrees F. When the oven is hot, bake for 15 minutes, check for nice brown done crust and browned cheese on top; bake slightly longer if necessary. Allow pizza to firm up for 5 minutes before you cut and serve it.<br /><br />If you want twice as much pizza dough, make two recipes separately in food processor, do not double recipe.<br /><br />Alternate proportions for dough: use the same method with 1 and 1/4 cups water, 1 pkg. yeast and pinch salt. For dry ingredients, use 3 and 1/2 to 4 cups flour, no oil. Makes a heavier dough. Allow this to rise 1/2 to 1 hour at warm room temperature, more in refrigerator.<br /><br />As I said, I topped yesterday's pie with Newman's Own sauce, garlic, herbs, and freshly grated cheese. Other possibilities include using whatever other sauce you prefer (even your own); adding lots of vegetables like onion, olives, sliced tomato, or cooked eggplant; adding salami, meatballs, or ham; or making white pizza with 3-4 oz. goat cheese, herbs, and an egg instead of red sauce and hard cheese.</div>

Pizza

Americans ate pizza yesterday -- one estimate, 4.4 million pies. Why should we be different? Well, for one thing, we weren't watching the super bowl, we went to see "The Iron Lady" with Meryl Streep instead, as I wrote here. But I did make pizza, using my old recipe and my new cookbook stand. I hav…

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Eating Out in Aspen

The restaurants in Aspen are all very good. Some are famous, and some are known for their famous clients. I've already described how we also like quietly eating simpler things in our condo -- tuna and vegetable salad, chicken strips, seared lamb chops with broccoli, and always cereal for breakfast. <br /><br />The first time we ate out, we tried a very nice but unremarkable Mexican restaurant called Palapa, which didn't seem very photogenic. I'd be surprised if it's frequented by the Aspen elite either, but one never knows around here.<br /><br />Last weekend, we bicycled to the very quirky Woody Creek Tavern, around 6 miles down the extraordinary Rio Grand Trail. Woody Creek Tavern is known for home-style food in an eccentric atmosphere. The walls are entirely covered with trinkets, photos, notes from customers, and posters -- such as one of their most famous customer, the late Hunter Thompson, who ran for sheriff in 1970.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5864672776/" title="aspenrestaurants14 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="aspenrestaurants14" height="180" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3284/5864672776_690908b95c_m.jpg" width="240" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5864634842/" title="aspenrestaurants 11 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="aspenrestaurants 11" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5271/5864634842_957894975c_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><br />We also ate dinner one night at the famous Ajax Tavern at the foot of the Gondola which carries skiers in winter and hikers in summer. I suspect that celebrities do come here but I'm not much good at spotting them. Ajax Tavern's green gazpacho was delicious.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5864631748/" title="aspenrestaurants 6 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="aspenrestaurants 6" height="180" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5107/5864631748_8a227e755e_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><br />Here's the Ajax Tavern kitchen/staging area:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5864078481/" title="aspenrestaurants 5 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="aspenrestaurants 5" height="375" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/5864078481_49e5778639.jpg" width="500" /></a><br /><br />The Ajax Tavern has a lot of trendy dishes, such as truffle-oil-flavored french fries and reimagined ice cream bars:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5864078385/" title="aspenrestaurants 3 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="aspenrestaurants 3" height="180" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2701/5864078385_1b4fb3810c_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><br />For lunch one day, right near our condo, I tried Mezzaluna, a small cafe with a very nice patio and very appealing menu. I love the way the trees cast shadows on the big cafe awnings. My salad was very good, and I hope to go back and try their pizza.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5864631532/" title="aspenrestaurants 2 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="aspenrestaurants 2" height="480" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5279/5864631532_355a8d958e_z.jpg" width="640"></a><br /><br />For access to the entire Flickr photo set -- lots more photos of each place -- click on any photo here.

Eating Out in Aspen

The restaurants in Aspen are all very good. Some are famous, and some are known for their famous clients. I've already described how we also like quietly eating simpler things in our condo -- tuna and vegetable salad, chicken strips, seared lamb chops with broccoli, and always cereal for breakfast. …

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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5546174505/" title="pizza-ella by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="pizza-ella" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5136/5546174505_bf985af0f5.jpg" width="448" /></a><br /><br />Across from the National Portrait Gallery and American art museum is <a href="http://www.ellaspizza.com/">Ella's Wood-Fired Pizza.</a> Its website claims to have the best wood-fired pizza in DC. It was good but I've never been to the competition.<br /><br />After seeing the portraits of many famous Americans -- especially the newest ones, including those of film stars and directors, music stars, designers, current writers, artists and many others, we went to lunch at Ella's. Then back for the famous portraits of George Washington, Lincoln, many other presidents, Chuck Close's portrait of Bill Clinton, portraits of famous civil rights leaders, and many more. I especially liked Ben Shan's portrait of martyrs Goodman, Schwerner, and Chaney.<br /><br />The museum was exhilarating!<br /><br />Finally, a special collection of wire portraits by Calder, whose ability to visualize and sketch in 3-D lines is amazing. He drew many art-world figures, including Ben Shan.<br /><br />Here's an example of Calder's work: a 2D and 3D portrait (1929) of an art historian named Hans Curlis who made a film about Calder:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5546174549/" title="calder1 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="calder1" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5053/5546174549_d102b0cee5.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/5546756870/" title="calder2 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="calder2" height="500" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/5546756870_7435c29a5d.jpg" width="429" /></a>

Across from the National Portrait Gallery and American art museum is Ella's Wood-Fired Pizza. Its website claims to have the best wood-fired pizza in DC. It was good but I've never been to the competition.After seeing the portraits of many famous Americans -- especially the newest ones, including th…

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Analyzing the New Food Guidelines

More and more critics and writers are commenting on the new food guidelines, some constructively, some not so much. I haven't read them: they are enormously long. However, I found this article on the constructive side: <a href="http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/71280/">The War on Pizza<span style="font-weight: bold;">: </span>The federal food police single out the sacred slice—and pick a smart fight</a>.<br /><br />Author Jane Black points out that "pages 25 through 27 of the USDA’s report" explain that pizza "is Americans’ No. 2 source of saturated fat and solid fats, .... Pizza is also the No. 3 source of sodium, beating out cold cuts and even bacon. After 'grain-based desserts' like cakes and doughnuts, it’s the second-biggest source of calories for children and adolescents in a generation that has so far distinguished itself only on the scales."<br /><br />So, she concludes, pizza deserves to be criticized, and it's far from unamerican to suggest that we could do well to reduce our pizza portion size. Her conclusion: "This isn’t a White House plot to take away your pizza. It’s an effort, and an uphill one at that, to save us from ourselves."<br /><br />Lenny has been making a delicious version of pizza with thin crust, feta cheese, and just a smear of tomato paste and olive oil on the crust. It's closer to the yuppie pizzas that were at one time trendy in LA -- I think originally introduced by Wolfgang Puck when he was more a chef and less a big-food personage. Sadly, even this delicious though spartan version has loads of calories.<br /><br /><blockquote>Dear government,<br />It's just too easy to eat more pizza instead of less.<br /> Respectfully, Mae</blockquote>

Analyzing the New Food Guidelines

More and more critics and writers are commenting on the new food guidelines, some constructively, some not so much. I haven't read them: they are enormously long. However, I found this article on the constructive side: The War on Pizza: The federal food police single out the sacred slice—and pick a…

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A Never-Ending Domestic Drama

From four stories by Jhumpa Lahiri's collection <span style="font-style: italic;">Unaccustomed Earth</span>, four Indian mothers express themselves by serving Indian food:<br /><blockquote>"... I would find [my mother] in the kitchen, rolling out dough for luchis, which she normally made only on Sundays for my father and me." ("Hell-Heaven," p. 63)<br /><br />"The dining table had been set since the afternoon. This was my mother's way when she gave parties, though she had never prepared such an elaborate meal in the middle of the week. An hour before you were expected, she turned on the oven. She had heated up a panful of oil and begun to fry thick slices of eggplant to serve with the dal...." ("Once in a Lifetime," p. 231)<br /><br />"A single place had been set for me ... with translucent luchis piled on a plate, and several smaller bowls containing dal and vegetables arrayed in a semicircle..... I was no longer accustomed to Indian food." ("Year's End," p. 259)<br /><br />"When Akash [age 3] was younger she had followed her mother's advice to get him used to the taste of Indian food and made the effort to poach chicken and vegetables with cinnamon and cardamom and clove. Now he ate from boxes." ("Unaccustomed Earth," p. 23)</blockquote>Lahiri has a talent for describing the domestic scenes in Indian immigrant homes in American college towns. In almost every story well-educated and well-paid doctorate-holding fathers, whose careers were established in approximately the 1960s, live with their arranged wives and one or two quickly assimilating children. The children resist their parents' ways, though they rarely make a self-destructive choice. Their pizzas and donuts illustrate their feelings about their silently and servilely cooking mothers who are rarely fulfilled by life in American suburbs. In most of the stories, we learn about both the adolescence and the adult lives of these children, especially about their relationships with lovers -- mainly not Indians. Frequently we learn a bit about their own children, often born when they are far older than their mothers were.<br /><br />Every story varies a little from the others (and one has a seriously different plot), but when I finished this book and compared it to my memories of the author's other books, I feel as if I was stuck in a repeating trap something like the day that would never end in the movie <span style="font-style: italic;">Groundhog Day</span>. Each iteration just a little different, but somehow the whole never quite changes. Lahiri is a talented writer and I hope she finds a way to use her talent for something new next time.

A Never-Ending Domestic Drama

From four stories by Jhumpa Lahiri's collection Unaccustomed Earth, four Indian mothers express themselves by serving Indian food:"... I would find [my mother] in the kitchen, rolling out dough for luchis, which she normally made only on Sundays for my father and me." ("Hell-Heaven," p. 63)"The dini…

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We eat our mistakes

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/4925171928/" title="pizza by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="pizza" height="484" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4925171928_95f9ba2507_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br />We are experimenting with pizza made on the grill. The first try didn't work very well. The crust was hard to manage, though the toppings were great, and I included them in the photo. Tonight we did better. We made the pizzas smaller so they were easier to handle. Just a few more tweaks and we should really have it nailed.<br /><br />Toppings on the first try: onions, tomato, olives, arugula, capers, and more. Second try: eggplant, tomatoes, sauteed red peppers with garlic & capers. Both times: mozzarella and shaved parmesan cheese. Lots of olive oil. We had all toppings ready to eat before adding them to the pizza, as they don't stay on the fire for long.

We eat our mistakes

We are experimenting with pizza made on the grill. The first try didn't work very well. The crust was hard to manage, though the toppings were great, and I included them in the photo. Tonight we did better. We made the pizzas smaller so they were easier to handle. Just a few more tweaks and we shoul…

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The Produce Station

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/4731533910/" title="produce-sta3139 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="produce-sta3139" height="480" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1395/4731533910_747da6ce32_b.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />Since I seem to be grocery shopping often these days, I decided to post pictures of some of the markets and supermarkets where I am spending my time. The Produce Station offers a wide selection of local fruit and vegetables, gardening plants, prepared meals, and quite a few other things.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/4730891037/" title="produce-sta3155 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="produce-sta3155" height="375" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1004/4730891037_cc37e57a50.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />Today the most exciting local produce was Michigan cherries.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/4731534490/" title="produce-sta3156 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="produce-sta3156" height="180" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1342/4731534490_0f2572d121_m.jpg" width="240" /></a>...but if you want something more exotic, it's available!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/4730891329/" title="produce-sta3159 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="produce-sta3159" height="328" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1439/4730891329_a27a1a38e8.jpg" width="500" /></a> Zingerman's bakehouse is marvelous -- the best thing the Zingerman's empire does, as far as I'm concerned. Driving to the bakehouse itself takes a little more time: The Produce Station has around half of the kinds of bread from the bakehouse.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/4730891801/" title="produce-sta3172 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="produce-sta3172" height="180" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1261/4730891801_d797c59b22_m.jpg" width="240" /></a>Plenty of vegetables...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/4730891981/" title="produce-sta3175 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="produce-sta3175" height="375" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1188/4730891981_81988434dc.jpg" width="500" /></a>... and cheese...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/4731534902/" title="produce-sta3169 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="produce-sta3169" height="240" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1358/4731534902_46eacf5f1a_m.jpg" width="212" /></a>...candy in packages and also bulk candy, nuts, fancy mixes, dried fruit, and even a small wine selection. I took photos of all this, but it's way to extensive to show.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/4731534738/" title="produce-sta3164 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="produce-sta3164" height="172" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1034/4731534738_59ffca95e0_m.jpg" width="240" /></a>pizza, quiche, macaroni and cheese, burritos, soups, a salad bar. So many temptations.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12003515@N05/4730890795/" title="produce-sta3143 by mesander2000, on Flickr"><img alt="produce-sta3143" height="530" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1404/4730890795_6e49bc87fe_b.jpg" width="640" /></a>Outside, you can buy lots of herb plants, flowers, tomato plants, cages to grow them on, beautiful flower pots, even small trees. The most amazing thing is that the store is so small that you can hardly get past the other carts.<br /><br />Thanks to Lydia at <a href="http://www.theperfectpantry.com/">The Perfect Pantry</a> for giving me the idea to write about my markets!

The Produce Station

Since I seem to be grocery shopping often these days, I decided to post pictures of some of the markets and supermarkets where I am spending my time. The Produce Station offers a wide selection of local fruit and vegetables, gardening plants, prepared meals, and quite a few other things.Today the mo…

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Billy's Pan Pizza

If you've read Stieg Larsson's second thriller <span style="font-style: italic;">The Girl Who Played With Fire</span>, you'll recognize the amazing character Lisbeth Salander's favorite food: Billy's Pan Pizza. In her millionaire's apartment, purchased with money she obtained in the course of the first thriller, she has a dream kitchen with "a shiny French gourmet stove with a gas oven as the focus" and a Jura espresso machine, "the espresso equivalent of a Rolls-Royce." But Salander shops at 7-Eleven and other convenience stores and she eats only ready-to-microwave food or ready-made cheese sandwiches while chasing nearly superhuman public enemies and working for truth and justice. When she has time, she makes coffee. Otherwise, a few gulps of water from the tap keep her going. And going.<br /><br />Living on odd bits of instant food, of course, is only one of Salander's amazing capabilities. She's a mathematical genius (including her achievement of the utterly improbable discovery of Fermat's own solution to the famous theorem). She has a photographic memory. She can hack into any computer on the planet. She's brave and honest and agile, out smarts the wiliest criminals, and wins hand-to-hand fights with men several times her size. But the fact that she eats a nerd's diet is indicative of how the late, great Larsson put together his portrayal of this remarkable character.<br /><br />PS -- It's a good read. Both of the books are. But I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">suspicious</span> of the mathematical elements of the second book.

Billy's Pan Pizza

If you've read Stieg Larsson's second thriller The Girl Who Played With Fire, you'll recognize the amazing character Lisbeth Salander's favorite food: Billy's Pan Pizza. In her millionaire's apartment, purchased with money she obtained in the course of the first thriller, she has a dream kitchen wit…

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