An Ode to Roquefort

   
     The smell of Roquefort, that notorious salty blue fungi speckled French cheese, baking in the oven is heady. I feel almost drunk as I sit and write this, all off that smell. Man oh Man. So rich and salty and tempting me with things to come. That is only one of the good smells that came out of the oven today.

     The first, only half an hour ago, was of roasting acorn squash. That was slathered in balsamic vinegar and honey and olive oil and pepper and laid on a foil lined pan, placed in the oven, and yum. But you see, I couldn't eat it all off the pan - I stopped myself after only two pieces. Because today I made a flatbread.

     What is the difference between a pizza and a flatbread? I don't know why I feel the need to call this a flatbread, but can we let it slide? Because pizza or flatbread, this is just pure deliciousness. It came out of the oven by the way. I ate almost half of it standing over it telling myself I still need to save some to photograph tomorrow in the morning light. Do we all understand how this flatbread is a conglomeration of many good things together?

   
     Roasted acorn squash. Check. Spinach that was mixed up with lots of Roquefort and a little honey. Check. Then globs of Roquefort on Top. Oh My God. The sweetness of the squash against the saltiness of the Roquefort is more than divine. The spinach became almost creamy in its Roquefort bath and biting through the cheese and tender squash and spinach to the crunchy crust....Heaven.

    
     The irony behind all this is that before this summer you couldn't have paid me to touch blue cheese. Yet, post the most awesome trip to France with the loveliest people who I miss so so so much, I am a blue cheese person. But most specifically, a Roquefort person. The Roquefort eating (orgies) we had this summer were definitely inappropriate in the amounts of Roquefort sometimes consumed per day.

     Be warned that this recipe is an ode to those moments, and the taste of the cheese really comes through here. If you are not a blue cheese person, I would cut down on the amount you mix with the spinach, and just sprinkle less on top. But this recipe, the way I made it, is dedicated to my France trip companions....you would like it.

Roquefort, Spinach, and Acorn Squash Flatbread
Adapted (a lot) from Smitten Kitchen

1 1 pound Acorn Squash
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Honey
1 tbsp Olive Oil
A generous grinding of black pepper
A light sprinkle of salt
1 cup Spinach
1/2 block Roquefort (about 1/4 cup, plus more for sprinkling)
1/2 Trader Joe's Pizza Dough OR enough dough for an 8'' Diameter Thin Crust Pizza

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut your acorn squash in half, scoop out the middle, and then cut it into half-moons. Peel these, then cut the half moons into chunks (about 1 inch, they can be rough).* In a medium bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp of the honey, olive oil, black pepper, and salt. Dump in the chunks of acorn squash, and mix them around, until they are all thoroughly coated. Lay them flat on a baking tray (covered with foil if you don't want it to get dirty). Pour any remaining liquid over them. Place them in the oven and let them roast for about 20 minutes until they are just fork-tender. Take them out and let them cool while you finish the rest of the steps. Raise the heat of the oven to 425 degrees.

Shred your spinach and place it in a bowl with the Roquefort, crumbled up, and the last tablespoon of honey (I used the same bowl again to get those last drips of marinade). Massage the spinach into the cheese, until it looks almost like a spinach dip.

Stretch out your pizza dough (I generally just drizzle some olive oil on my baking tray and stretch the pizza dough until its as thin as possible, without tearing, and fits in the middle of the tray) or roll it out to an 8'' diameter pizza. Top it with the spinach and cheese mixture and the pieces of acorn squash. Dot with some extra crumbles of Roquefort cheese if you would like, and place it in the 425 degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is crispy and the cheese is golden on top. Let it cool on the pan for ten minutes, transfer to a cutting board, cut and eat!

*Note: You can tell by my pictures that I forgot to peel them. Peeling all those little chunks when they were hot out of the oven? Painful.

Real Life

    

     In real life, I have lots of papers. I have lots of exams. But, I also love to go dance. I love to dress up. I just discovered makeup (it's a late bloomer thing?) and it makes me happy. In real life, there is time for school and work and fun and dancing...but just barely. That is probably why I spend half my studying time dancing around the kitchen...mostly to LMFAO because they are awesome.

     In dream life, I have time to eat healthy food everyday in between all the working and dancing. I never ever eat batter for dinner (it only happened once! I had no food! I was making banana bread! and it was leftover batter not alll the batter...but really, is there an excuse?). In dream life, three of my meals in a row Never consist of - generous slices of - said banana bread - toasted with butter on top - . In dream life, there are balanced plates of meats and veggies.

     Sometimes, on rare occasions, dream life and real life collide! Suddenly, I Do have a balanced meal. Mostly, this happens because I recently went to Trader Joe's. That place is my little heaven. My home away from home. The place to find all the things that make me happy and take me away from Organic Chemistry Land: the one nice cheese I allow myself to buy (last week it was Manchego, this week a 1000 day old Smoked Gouda), the frozen bibimbap which is almost like being at Super 88 back in Boston and eating it out of the stone bowl, and my brother's favorite gnocchi with tomato sauce.

     On these occasions, real life tastes dream life good. On this occasion, this happened because my Trader Joe's visit led me to buy asparagus and pears...because they seemed seasonal...and it was only when I got home that it struck me: Asparagus and Pear Pizza. Asparagus and pears go great together (I found this out when I googled 'Asparagus and Pear' and found tons of recipes...score!), and Deb on SmittenKitchen had made asparagus pizza long ago....and it just seemed like a good idea. And as I discovered while standing over the baking sheet trying not to burn my fingers as I pulled away slices of this pizza and shoved them into my mouth....pears crunchy and slightly sweet, asparagus all green and fresh and slightly sharp, and deep, nutty Smoked Gouda make a pizza worthy of dreams.

Asparagus and Pear Pizza
Loosely Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Shaved Asparagus Pizza

1/2 Trader Joe's Pizza Dough Ball OR Enough Pizza dough for a 6'' Pizza
10 Asparagus Stalks
1 Pear (I used a Green Anjou pear...I don't think you can really go wrong here)
1 tsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Honey
Three to Four Generous Grindings of Black Pepper
1/4 cup Shaved Smoked Gouda (or Pecorino Romano if you have that on hand instead)

Pre-heat your oven to 500 degrees.
 
Then, shave your asparagus stalks. I took Deb's example and held the asparagus stalk by its thick end, using my vegetable peeler to shave off thin strips, and then discarding the end. You should get about 3/4 cup of shaved asparagus. Next, cut your pear into thin strips (cut into thin slices, then cut them into strips).

Get a large bowl, and dump in your asparagus and pear. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and the black pepper mixing it together thoroughly (I used my hands - you want everything coated nicely). You can taste this and flavor it further to taste (for example adding salt, if you like salt, or red chili).

If you do as I do, grab half the Trader Joe's dough and roll it into a ball. Then, rub olive oil all over your 9 by 11 baking sheet and stretch out your dough really thin (this is Thin crust pizza) until it covers the majority of the baking sheet. Or, if you use a pizza stone, roll out your dough into an approximately 8'' diameter circle, it should be very thin, and then lay it on the stone to bake.

Either way, once your dough is all rolled out, top it with the asparagus and pear mixture, spreading everything out so you have a nice flat layer covering the majority of your dough. Grate, or use your vegetable peeler to shave into small pieces, your gouda or other cheese and then sprinkle it all over the top of the pizza.

Stick the baking sheet into the oven and let it bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crispy. Take it out, and allow it to cool for 10 minutes (if you can), transfer to a cutting board, cut and serve!

Breakfast

   

     Breakfast is a very important meal. I've already talked about how much I love brunch. I mean I loooove brunch. But what is brunch but breakfast foods? And breakfast foods are what you need to start the day out right. To be energized and full of life. To be able to face the world.

 

     So, what I'm saying is: sometimes you should treat yourself to breakfast. Move past the cereal...because some days cheerios just won't do. Mix it up a little bit and especially if you have people to share it with (have a breakfast brunch happy food party!) make Breakfast Pizza.

     Breakfast pizza is something I've been fascinated with. Its something I bookmarked when Deb made it on SmittenKitchen. And then again when Joy the Baker made it. But then I finally did it. I invited a friend over to brunch and made this lovely pizza (using that ridiculous Trader Joe's Pizza Dough...I swear I'll make my own crust some day but it only costs a dolllllarrr and I can't resist...). I cracked eggs directly onto a pizza! It was empowering.

     More importantly, it tasted so good - the whole thing, eggs included. Breakfast can taste delicious. And filling. And healthy and vegetable-y. But also goldenly cheesey. Breakfast can wake you up and make you go out and grab the day. So someday, maybe not today because I know you're busy, but someday - you should think about making Breakfast Pizza. Then you can go conquer the world.

Breakfast Pizza
Loosely Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Note: The simplicity of this recipe is alarming, you just throw a bunch of stuff onto rolled out pizza dough. This is why you can make it any time!

1 Trader Joe's Pizza Dough Ball or enough pizza dough for a 12'' diameter pizza
Olive Oil
1/2 cup White Button Mushrooms, sliced 
1 cup Baby Spinach
2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1/2 cup Chedder Cheese, shredded
3 Eggs

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees and grease your baking sheet (if you are using a baking sheet and not a pizza stone) with a little olive oil. Roll your ball of dough into a 12'' diameter circle or into a rectangle the size of your baking sheet (alternately: stretch it out, place it on your baking sheet and continue pushing at it until it fills the entire baking sheet - try not to tear). Drizzle the dough with olive oil and rub it in. Lay the spinach leaves down, then the mushroom, then sprinkle the oregano, salt, and pepper over everything. Top with the cheese, spreading it evenly over everything and creating a flat surface for the eggs. Crack the three eggs on three different parts of the pizza (making them a little more far apart than I did would probably be helpful) trying to keep the yolks intact. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the crust is golden and the eggs are just cooked (I overcooked my eggs a little as you can tell by the yolks, but really it tasted great anyway). Take out, allow to cool for 5 minutes, transfer to a cutting board, and eat!

PIZZA!!!!!

    

     I love pizza. It makes me happy. The gooey cheese strands suspended in air as you hold up a perfect slice of Domino's (yes, Domino's!)...just the thought of it makes my mouth water. But you cannot have Domino's all the time. Especially if you are eating dinner by yourself on a week night, there are some limits to one's pizza eating capabilities- or mine at least.

     So what do I do on such weeknights? I make my own pizza! And why is this possible? Because I went to Trader Joe's and bought the amazing pizza crust! I am such an ad for their pizza dough. I've used it three times, in every one of my pizza recipes. I just can't help it, it's so convenient, and so good, and only a dollar! (Definitely also the third time I've said that.)

     I also had lovely fresh vegetables. There's something about a pizza loaded with tons of veggies but also some fresh mozzarella cheese that is just irresistible to me. It is so healthy! Obviously that's not why its irresistible though, sigh, that would be because of the lovely golden cheese. If things were irresistible to me based on healthiness life would be so easy. Instead my mom keeps telling me both sides of my family have diabetes, and I better watch out on the sugar. The desserts will be back though. Don't worry. I was healthy today, I can be unhealthy tomorrow!

     But for today, we are going to stick with my lovely mushroom, spinach, and tomato pizza. I didn't even use pizza sauce! Once you break out of the tomato sauce / cheese mold of pizza making, pizza can not only get a lot healthier, it can also come in endless forms. So, I just sauteed up my veggies, cut some nice slices of tomatoes and dried them out on the pan (otherwise you will get soggy pizza, I am sad to say), then dumped them all over my lovely pizza crust - which was off course brushed with olive oil. That makes up for a sauce all by itself. Then it baked. Then I ate it. And it was delicious. But that's redundant, you knew that already. How could it not be! So if you are staring at those fresh veggies with tired eyes, put them on pizza and everything will be OK again.

Mushroom, Spinach, Tomato Pizza

1 16 oz ball of Trader Joe's Pizza Dough
OR Enough Pizza Dough for a 12'' diameter thin-crust pizza 
2 tbsp Olive Oil 
1 Large Tomato, Cut into thin round slices 

1 cup Baby Spinach Leaves
1/2 cup White Button Mushrooms, Sliced
1 tsp Oregano 
1 tsp Basil 
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt 1/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese (I used half of the Ball of Mozzarella cheese you can get at TJ's)

If your pizza dough is in the fridge, make sure to take it out 20 minutes before you plan to use it. And pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.

In a large frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil at medium heat. Once it is heated, add the spinach and mushrooms. Allow the spinach to wilt, then add the basil, oregano, and salt. Mix everything, cooking for about a minute. Then, place the spinach and mushrooms in a separate bowl. Take the thin slices of tomato and lay them on the bottom of the pan, allow them to cook for a minute on both sides, letting excess liquid run off the slices.

Take a large baking sheet and smear it with a little olive oil. Roll out the pizza dough a little and then put it on the baking sheet and press it down until it fills most of the sheet. Brush 1 tbsp of olive oil all over the top of the crust. Top it with the tomatoes, and then the spinach and mushroom mixture. Sprinkle the pepper over the top. Lastly, roughly shred the mozzarella if it was in a ball and sprinkle it liberally all over the pizza (if you want more than my recipe called for, go for it!) Then, bake it at 425 degrees for about 10 - 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is golden. Take the baking sheet out and allow the pizza to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer it to a cutting board. Cut and eat!

Healthiness

     

     I love having groceries. I love being able to open my fridge and pull out food. The simple pleasures of life are always the best, right? What I love most of all, though, is being able to cook my own meals again. (As though I was being Forced to not cook the past two weeks - I know it is my own fault I didn't grocery shop before...don't look at me like that.) Point being, I felt so unhealthy the past two weeks eating out all the time - I have had more Chipotle in these few days than I have had in my entire life combined before now. So, now that I have food, what am I making to make myself feel better?

     Pizza, apparently. Pizza doesn't even sound like a healthy food, but my pizza was as healthy as pizza can get (probably). Potatoes, kale, a little bit of cheese - I didn't even put a sauce! What else can you ask for? It is sitting in my bag staring at me, and I really want to have some even though these two pieces have to last me till 4:30 (when I finish class). Excuse me while I eat.

     Yum. Anyway, I still had a Trader Joe's Pizza Dough sitting in my freezer so I defrosted it along with the kale I boiled and froze a long time ago. Must make way for all the new groceries that are going into my freezer. I bought the potatoes yesterday, and I couldn't wait to use them - so of course they had to go on the pizza as well. Also, I like kale, and it's healthy and all, but I can't imagine eating a Just Kale pizza. That just sounds awful to me...

     Making pizza is so relaxing and easy. Especially when the most time consuming part of the process is waiting for the potatoes simmering away in a pot of water to become tender. It sure takes a lot of hands on work. (Sarcasm, just in case its not clear. Sarcasm and writing on the internet don't seem to always go together.) So, what does my pizza taste like? Crust thats crisp on the outside but has a little give on the inside, hurrah for Trader Joe's, soft potatoes, salty garlicky lemony Kale, and the nice crunch of cheese. What else can one ask for?

Kale and Potato Pizza


1 16 oz ball of Trader Joe's Pizza Dough
OR Enough Pizza Dough for a 12'' diameter thin-crust pizza 
3 mid-sized Red Potatoes 
1 tsp Salt 
1 tsp Pepper
2 tbsp Olive Oil 
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
1/3 cup Pre-boiled Kale (or you could use fresh kale) drained of water
1 Lime (or Lemon)
1/3 cup Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (or whatever kind of cheese you have) 

If your pizza dough is in the fridge, make sure to take it out 20 minutes before you plan to use it.

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Place the three potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water, adding a dash of salt. At medium heat, cover the saucepan and let the potatoes simmer for 10-15 minutes until you can easily stick a fork through them (it will take different times depending on the size of your potatoes). Meanwhile, cut the ribs off your kale if you have not already, and shred it into about 2'' by 2'' pieces.

Once your potatoes are done, pull them out of the hot water. While they are cooling, heat the olive oil up in a frying pan at medium heat. Add the garlic, and once it is lightly browned, add the kale. Stir everything together, cooking till the kale is limp, and then squeeze and mix in the lime (or lemon) juice. Turn off the heat, making sure the kale is thoroughly coated with lemon juice and olive oil. Then, slice the potatoes into about 1/4 '' slices. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on both sides of the potatoes, mixing them to make sure each piece is seasoned. Put the potatoes in the saucepan with the kale and toss everything a few times.

Take a large baking sheet and smear it with olive oil. Roll out the pizza dough or press it down until it fills most of that baking sheet. Top it with the kale, potatoes, and then the cheese. Bake it at 425 degrees for about 10 - 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Take the baking sheet out and allow the pizza to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer it to a cutting board. Cut and eat!

Welcome!

A Sophomore in college, I've been reading food blogs while I should be paying attention to class for a good year now. There's nothing like pictures of freshly baked chocolate cakes or macaroons to make you forget the troubles of thermodynamics. Then, yesterday, I had an epiphany. I could write a blog myself! I was trudging home from the supermarket four blocks away, carrying two bags of groceries in each hand, my giant purse stuffed with two five-pound bags of flour and sugar respectively. Buzzing into my apartment, struggling with my keys, I finally felt like a twenty year old. I have my own apartment, I go buy my own groceries from far away-ish, carry them home, use them to cook. Wow. I feel like Julie from "Julie and Julia" (sadly, I've only seen the movie and haven't read the book or blog, so I'm comparing myself to Amy Adams' Julie here, not the real Julie - though I admire her a lot). And if she can write a blog, with all her meltdowns and her job, then I can create a blog with all my stress and school! So here it is.

Firstly, to introduce myself a little bit more: I'm Indian (hence the curries), and I love to bake (cakes!). I am pre-med, but I'm also an English major, so I do love to write. My family has moved rather a lot, so I've lived in England, Egypt, India, Boston, and am now in Philadelphia for school. Basically, this means I love all kinds of food and can't wait to get my hands on new foods and recipes all the time. Cooking is my therapy, my me-time at school. So, yesterday after all the trudging home with bags: I made pizza. Here's my first confession: I cheated. I used pre-made pizza dough from Trader Joes. In my defense: its only a dollar! Its delicious! And, I'll find you a good pizza dough recipe sometime soon, promise.

Its an ingredient party!

There was a reason for pizza making. I had the dough of course, but I also had a huge bag of onions. Unfortunately, these onions were from the grocery store across the street, which is not half as nice as the grocery store far away. I am scared for the longevity of these onions. Long story short, I had to cook them. So, I sauteed a ridiculous amount of onions (for me), used tomato sauce I had made the day before, chopped tomatoes, hard-boiled some eggs, cheese and hey presto! my pizza was born. Let me tell you, I really don't like onions. So the fact that I loved this pizza was pretty amazing. The crust was just crispy and chewy enough to offset the sweet, mushy, caramely onions and tomatoes, the egg added some necessary firmness, and the cheese was lovely, gooey and crisp by turns. A full and hearty meal all by itself for dinner and for lunches in the week of school to come!

I'm sorry about the lack of pictures by the way. I did take a bunch, and the realized my computer does not have a memory card reader! Will solve this problem for next time.

Look!!! I solved the problem! But, I did take pictures of leftover pizza, not pizza right when it was made. In its full glory, it was even more beautiful (and the cheese did not look so brown).

Onion and Tomato Pizza
Makes 9 servings

For the sauce: (will make about a cup)                
2 tbs Olive Oil  
1 Clove Garlic, minced 
1/2 Yellow Onion, chopped
1/4 cup Tomato Paste
3/4 cup Water
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Ground Basil 
1 tsp Ground Oregano 
Black Pepper 

In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, heat 2 tbs of olive oil. Add the minced garlic and chopped onion. Sauté them for a few minutes, until the onions are translucent. Stir in the tomato paste and the water until they are combined. Add the sugar, salt, and seasonings (the measurements are based on my taste - feel free to add more or less of anything, I like a lot of black pepper and basil, but just taste test). Bring to a boil, and then reduce to low heat, cover, and simmer for fifteen minutes.

For the Pizza: 
1 16 oz ball of Trader Joe's Pizza Dough
OR Enough pizza dough for a 12'' diameter thin-crust pizza
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
3 tbsp Olive Oil plus extra for smearing on baking sheet
2 Mid-Sized Yellow Onions, Thinly Sliced
2 Plum Tomatoes, Sliced
4 Hard Boiled Eggs, Sliced
1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. In a skillet over medium heat, heat 3 tbs of olive oil. Add the sliced onions and saute until they are slightly brown and very tender. Flour your work surface and roll your dough into a 12'' long, 8'' wide rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet smeared with olive oil. Cover with tomato sauce, top with sliced tomatoes, onions, hard-boiled eggs, and cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.