Baked Spaghetti Squash

In attempts to reduce the amount of pasta we eat (we like it too much!) I usually throw a spaghetti squash in my shopping cart & hope I remember to make it. Spaghetti squash is great because you can really treat it like pasta but feel better about eating it. This time I made our spaghetti squash like I would baked ziti & I’ll be making it like this again. It was easy & delicious while being familiar but new at the same time.

How do you make your spaghetti squash?

Garlicky Pretzel Pizza Rolls

On a day when it’s semi-cooler I suggest you make these. Perhaps a great snack for watching the World Cup. I made these for Easter - yes I know that was a while ago but they are timeless snack worthy of a post even if it comes in mid-June.

I started off with visions for replicating this recipe. Things didn’t work out as planned. I tried to make the dough suggested in the recipe that is supposed to be like Auntie Anne’s pretzels (I LOVE AUNTIE ANNE’S PRETZELS). Alas, the milk I used was too hot & I’m pretty sure that I killed the dry active yeast because although it was Easter, it did not rise again. Being that I was making these rather last minute I had to use what I had - so I used pizza dough i had in the fridge.  I used the same method as making pretzels (remember these yummies?) so I think they were pretty close to the initial recipe. The result was tasty & I don’t think anyone (but me) missed the Auntie Anne’s pretzel dough. The next time I make these I will try that recipe again (I WILL!!!). 

Hope you have a fabulous weekend :)

Better Home Cooking Basics: #17 Cut Fresh Mozzarella with a Serrated Bread Knife

Fresh mozzarella used to be a treat that we would get a couple times a year. We would pile in the car (a giant suburban) & drive down to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx & bring home what seemed like piles & piles of cheese that was usually gone in the blink of an eye. This was usually around the holidays or when my parents got the itch to visit our "Little Italy" in the Bronx.

I've lived in the other "Little Italy" in Manhattan & now Hoboken & have since been spoiled by fresh mozzarella that seems to be homemade & better in each deli I walk into. Hoboken is basically a square mile of cheese & I'm not complaining. You don't have to live in Hoboken or a "Little Italy" these days since most grocery stores carry their own fresh mozzarella.

So now how to cut it. It's soft, kind of wobbly & challenging to get a knife in it & come out with a  straight line. That is unless you use a serrated bread knife. It seems to grab hold of the slippery cheese & cut right through.  If you don't have a bread knife you can try the trick that my husband swears by: stick the cheese in the freezer for about 10 minutes & it becomes firm enough to cut with a sharp knife.

Check out more better home cooking basic tips here. 

Pomodoro Pizza

Fillippos on First, our favorite pizza place in Hoboken sadly was not able to recover after Sandy so we've been trying out other pizza places in the neighborhood but lately our favorite has been the one right in our kitchen.  I've been whipping up my own pizza dough as of late with Bobby Flay's recipe but I also use the store bought stuff too - I don't discriminate.  Our newest pizza stone has been a great replacement to the one that we broke earlier last year. Per the recommendation of my girlfriend of Amanda the William-Sonoma pizza stone doesn't stick - well if you use cooking spray or olive oil is what i've found. Now that I've figured out how to use it we  (the pizza stone & I) work well together.

Since it's still pretty chilly (spring where are you?!?!) it's still nice to heat up the oven & make the house smell like fresh pizza.

Click through for my simple method of how you can make your own pomodoro (tomato) pizza at home with the multi-purpose tomato sauce that I posted about yesterday.

Mozzarella, Avocado, Tomato, Arugula & Mustard Toast

I really love toast. I think toasted bread  makes every sandwich better.  My brother is actually the one who schooled me on toasting my bread for sandwiches & layering the topping just so, so that when you cut through it there is a pretty cross section to display. This also feeds my need to make all of my food pretty. Chris will call it "fancy" but really I think it's just an  occupational hazard because I'm always picturing how it would look in (well) a picture.  I also think every meal deserves attention to how it looks, therefore breakfast, lunch & dinner may take a few minutes longer in our house.

Find out how you can start a toast addiction with this gateway version after the jump!

Pizza at Home

Homemade pizza is quick & delicious as well as a staple in the repertoire of dinners at our house.  We always through some fresh pizza dough in our cart when doing our weekly grocery shopping.  Last night I used our pizza stone which is best on the grill in my opinion - but we were out of propane - so to the oven i went!

This time I cut a piece of parchment paper to line my pizza stone with  hopes of not cleaning it. (Note: I still had to clean it.) If you don't have a pizza stone I read somewhere that you can use an inverted baking sheet - who knew!  Since I'm never convinced the dough gets cooked enough (as it does on the grill) I opted to cook my crust twice. First, with just some olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper & fresh garlic. Then, I cooked it once more after I topped it with sauce, baby portobello mushrooms & mozzarella cheese. It was still delish sans the grill.

What are your favorite toppings for homemade pizza?

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend. xo

(Check out more pizza making pics after jump!)

Tomato Stacks

Have you ever had an heirloom tomato? What about a kumato tomato?

If you've never seen or heard of them they're the tomatoes that look nothing like the traditional red tomato.  These tomatoes are uniquely different in color and in taste. They're green. They're brown. They're red.  They're orange. They're sometimes yellow and more often have a funky shape.  Sounds weird right?  It's not. Actually the more tomatoes don't look like the iconic round red tomato the tastier they are. 

This week I was able to spend some QT with one of my oldest gal pals (since first grade!),  Dawn.   We caught up over dinner this week. We started the night with some tomato stacks. They're super easy to make and go down well with wine. 

Make'em yourself!

Ingredients:

• 4 kumato tomatoes
• 1 ball of mozzarella cheese (who knows how much it weighs!?!?)
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• handful of mini heirloom tomatoes
• handful of wild arugula
• salt & pepper

Make it:

1. In a small sauce pan heat balsamic vinegar and sugar together until it is reduced to half the original amount. Let cool.
2. Slice tomatoes and cheese so that they match in thickness.
3. Chiffonade the basil.
4. Make a stack alternating between tomato, mozzarella and basil until each stack is a few layers high.
5. Spear a toothpick with a mini heirloom tomato.
6. Spear the entire stack with the tooth pick to hold it all together.
7. Arrange stacks on a bed of arugula. 
8. Halve remainder of mini heirloom tomatoes and arrange around stacks.
9. Season stacks with salt and pepper.
10. Drizzle balsamic reduction and olive over each stack and the surrounding arugula.