First Look, Then Cook

British Flapjacks

Published on May 11, 2010May 11, 2010 by Dawn3 Comments

Who knew that granola bars started in Great Britain? I for one certainly didn’t. Also, I thought flapjacks were pancakes? These are definitely not pancakes – but yes, they are made with syrup! Golden syrup to be specific – and this was a new ingredient for me. I love when I cook with a new ingredient, and the final product blows you away.

I read about these British Flapjacks in Bon Appetit a few months ago. Molly Wizenberg wrote about this tasty treat that she just loves. The recipe seemed ridiculously simple that I was sure I would make it within a matter of weeks. Months went by though, and it continued to sit in my pantry, in the pile of recipes to try. The problem was that every time I had the urge to bake – I was missing the key ingredient – the golden syrup. I finally wrote it on my shopping list – and found it at Whole Foods. If you don’t have a Whole Foods near you, try a specialty food store, they are sure to have some. Golden syrup is Great Britain’s version of Karo syrup – with a deeper and richer flavor. It is delicious.

These flapjacks were amazing. They start out very crunchy, but I stored them in a glass container, and they turned really nice and chewy – they are perfect with a dish of vanilla ice-cream, or just by themselves. The best part – there are endless ingredients you can add – nuts, raisins, dried cherries, sunflower seeds, the sky is the limit! Go out and get your golden syrup today so you can make these – you will not be sorry.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup*
2 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant or old-fashioned)
Pinch of salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Add oats and salt; stir until coated. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread out in even layer.

Bake until top is golden (edges will be darker), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut into 4 squares; cut each into 4 triangles (mixture will still be soft). Cool completely in pan before serving.

* A type of syrup popular in Great Britain; available at some supermarkets, specialty foods stores, and British import shops.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: British Flapjacks

Curried Zucchini Soup

Published on May 9, 2010May 10, 2010 by Dawn3 Comments

My grandmother is great at cooking healthy foods. My grandfather was diabetic, so I think that had something to do with it. Desserts are a different story, but when it comes to pretty much everything else, there is not a lot of butter or cream in her cooking.

When I was growing up, they had a wonderful garden in their backyard. They had lots of fresh vegetables whenever I would come to stay with them – especially tomatoes and zucchini. I didn’t know it then, but in a location that gets very hot and sunny in the summer – these are two of the easiest vegetables to grow – and you get a lot of them. My grandmother would make this cold zucchini soup that I just loved – I am pretty sure it only had three ingredients – zucchini, onions and chicken stock. She would cook the zucchini and onions in the chicken stock until they were soft, and then put them in a blender. It was almost too easy.

I was looking at the 6 zucchini I had accumulated with my CSA market basket, and the potatoes and onions in the pantry – and decided it was time to make soup. Instead of making my grandmother’s recipe though, I decided on a recipe I saw in the Martha Stewart Cookbook – Good Food Fast. This recipe had a potato to make it creamy – and curry to give it a little kick. I adapted the recipe slightly below – and I loved it. The soup was silky with a nice mild curry flavor – when I warmed it up the next night, I actually added some additional chicken stock since it had thickened so much. Adding just a spoon of yogurt and chives on the top was the icing on the cake. For a healthy soup, this cannot be beat.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
coarse salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), sliced 1 inch thick
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups chicken stock
yogurt for garnish
chives, chopped for garnish

Preparation

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sprinkle with salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and curry powder; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the zucchini, potato, and 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat, and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

In batches, puree the soup in a blender (do not fill more than halfway) until smooth; seanson with salt and pepper then serve immediately, or let cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled. Garnish with the yogurt and chives.

Serves 4

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Curried Zucchini Soup

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Published on May 6, 2010 by Dawn6 Comments

Every year for my husband’s birthday, he requests a chocolate cake. This chocolate cake has a long history, long before we met. He grew up in a household where his mother was not a baker. All the sweet packaged foods that I longed for during my childhood – he had in his kitchen. I’m pretty sure his mother would have purchased just about anything he expressed interest in eating. He was definitely one of those very skinny kids growing up that couldn’t gain weight even if he tried. To a certain extent…he is still like that. So, back to the cake – his Aunt actually was the baker of the family – she made wonderful banana cake (not bread, cake – a dense and delicious cake that begs for chocolate ganache on top) and my husband’s favorite – the chocolate cake with pudding in the middle.

The first year we were together, I tried to recreate this cake – so I bought a package of chocolate Jello pudding, and instead of frosting between the two layers of cake, I spread on the pudding. It was very thick, and the cake was very tall – but delicious. Over the years, I have branched out and tried lots of different cakes – and this year was no different. The original recipe from Bon Appetit was for a Praline Chocolate Cake – but I decided to bag the praline, and make it into a double layer cake, instead of just one. The cake was so moist with a nice chocolate flavor – and not too rich, just the perfect consistency. The ganache on top – oh my goodness – what a combination with the cake. The frosting was not too thick, but there was just enough to give you a good tasting with every bite. I also liked the size that this cake ended up making – because it ended up being a 4.5″ x9″ cake, I was able to slice it easily into either really thick or really thin pieces. I highly recommend this for anyone asking for a chocolate birthday cake – you cannot go wrong.

Ingredients

Cake:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, room temperature
1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Preparation

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch cake pan with nonstick spray. Line with parchment. Spray parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out any excess.

Place butter and cocoa powder in medium bowl. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over; stir. Let stand 2 minutes; whisk until blended. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and coarse salt in another medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in large bowl. Gradually whisk cocoa mixture into buttermilk mixture; whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, whisking to blend between additions (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Run knife around pan edges to release cake. Invert onto rack; remove pan and parchment. Cool completely.

For ganache:
Place chocolate and cream in microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Stir in butter. Let stand until spreadable, about 30 minutes.

Cut the cake in half. Spread some frosting on the top of one half – then place the other cake half on top of the frosted piece. Spread over top and sides of cake. Transfer cake to plate. Chill 2 hours and up to 1 day.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Scrambled Eggs with Leeks, Fava Beans, Crispy Breadcrumbs and Parmesan

Published on May 4, 2010 by Dawn2 Comments

Breakfast for dinner – I love it. In fact – I make it a point to serve breakfast for dinner one night each week. My kids just love it. Most of the time I serve egg sandwiches – occasionally I make pancakes – and every once in a while I find a recipe that I want to make that takes us in a completely different direction.

Last month in Bon Appetit I saw this recipe and all I could think about was spring. Fava beans and leeks just remind me of spring – one of the most memorable dishes I remember eating before my older daughter was born (and she was born at the end of may) was a risotto with fava beans. The funny thing is, I saw my neighbor who helps out at the local farmers market and asked him if there were a lot of fava beans at the market – and he said it was too early! He did have some extra leeks for me – but I had to head to the regular market to find the fava beans. So maybe in the Pacific NW, fava beans are more late spring.

This dish was delicious – although I would have much preferred fresh from the farmer’s market fava beans. The crunchy breadcrumbs on top were a great combination with the eggs – and 4 of us almost completely devoured this. It is not too often that I eat 3 eggs for dinner, but when it is so good, you can’t stop.

Ingredients

Crispy breadcrumbs:

1 1/2 cups coarsely torn French bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
Fine sea salt

Eggs:

1 cup peeled fresh fava beans or frozen (double-peeled)
12 large eggs (preferably organic)
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; from 2 large)
Wedge of Parmesan cheese

Preparation

For crispy breadcrumbs:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place bread in medium bowl. Drizzle oil over, tossing to coat. Scatter bread pieces on small rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake until bread is golden brown, stirring often, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on sheet. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm 3 minutes in 350°F oven before using.

For eggs:
Cook fava beans in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until tender, about 14 minutes. Drain. Whisk eggs, crème fraîche, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt in large bowl to blend.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over low heat. Add leeks. Sauté until tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Mix in fava beans. Increase heat to medium-high. Add egg mixture. Stir with heatproof spatula until eggs are almost set but still creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with pepper.

Transfer egg mixture to platter. Sprinkle with crispy breadcrumbs. Grate Parmesan cheese over and serve.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Scrambled Eggs with Leeks

Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Published on May 2, 2010 by Dawn15 Comments

Food fads come and go – it is fun to watch people go nuts over certain “popular” foods. Molly Moon’s Ice Cream opened up a couple of years ago with a bang, and people are still lined up outside – waiting to try the artisan ice-cream inside. Just the other night we drove by at around 6:30pm – the line was around the corner, and it was freezing outside. Whoever said that ice-cream was only good when it’s warm outside certainly didn’t live in Seattle.

When I first learned about Molly Moon’s – it was the salted caramel ice-cream that people were raving about. Of course I had to try it, and I understood exactly why people were going nuts. The salted caramel ice-cream was unlike anything I had ever had before – it was ultra creamy, sweet and delicious, with a deep caramel flavor – yet the salt added this extra dimension that I did not expect. It was almost like dipping a pretzel into your bowl of caramel sauce – and boy was it incredible.

I saw this recipe in Cooking Light – and I immediately put my ice-cream bucket into the freezer to prepare. I couldn’t wait to try this. The only problem was (and I don’t often critique other people’s pictures, since I am by no means an expert) the picture actually didn’t look that good. The ice-cream looked very icy, and not so creamy. If you have read other posts, you know that I can’t pass up a good challenge. So – I attempted to make the recipe, and the goal was to make it look and taste as creamy as possible. I think I succeeded. It was fantastic. And the fact that it used mostly 2% milk made it even better – doesn’t that mean it is actually good for you? I will keep telling myself that, as I go grab another scoop.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
3 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon flake salt (optional)

Preparation

Place milk in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge of pan (do not boil). Place egg yolks in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Gradually add half of hot milk to yolks, stirring constantly. Return yolk mixture to pan.

Combine sugar, cream, and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar melts. Cook 3 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat; stir in sea salt. Gradually add caramel mixture to yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Return pan to low heat; cook until a thermometer registers 160°. Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl until completely cooled, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture into the freezer can of an ice-cream freezer; freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Scoop about 1/2 cup ice cream into each of 10 dishes; sprinkle evenly with flake salt (optional).

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Salted Caramel Ice Cream

Poblano, Potato, and Corn Gratin

Published on April 30, 2010 by Dawn5 Comments

I love poblano chile peppers. I love their intense flavor without all the spice – it is a deep rich chile flavor that I just crave. They are the perfect chiles for kids – especially if your kids are not into spicy foods – which mine are not. I have been reading Matthew Amster-Burton’s new book Hungry Monkey – and he talks about how his daughter LOVED spicy food as an infant! I couldn’t believe it. I remember the first time we gave my older daughter something spicy (because when they are babies, they have to eat what you are eating…or else – which he also covers in his book) and the expression on her face was priceless. Then she stuck out her tongue and tried to wipe off whatever was in her mouth (which was nothing at this point). We finally just gave her some milk and it calmed her down. We were hysterical.

Bon Appetit recently started a section every month called Sunday Suppers – they create a menu that is perfect for the entire family to enjoy. That is always my mission – create a very tasty meal that all of us will love – and so I have been very interested in this section every since they started it. This month they roasted a chicken and served it with tortillas – and this gratin. The roasted chicken was delicious, and lasted us the entire week – and this dish was incredible. The flavor of the peppers infused the potatoes, and the corn gave it a slightly sweet flavor. In fact, after we had already finished everything – I realized that it would have been excellent to shred up the leftover chicken and mix it with the leftover gratin for a one dish casserole dinner. Next time!

Ingredients

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 large fresh poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, cut into 2 x 1/4-inch strips
1 1/4 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup coarsely grated Oaxaca cheese or whole-milk mozzarella cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups half and half
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub 9 1/2-inch-diameter deep-dish glass pie dish or cast-iron skillet with 2 teaspoons oil. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add poblano strips and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Arrange 1/3 of potato rounds, overlapping slightly, in prepared pie dish. Sprinkle 1/3 of poblano strips over, then 1/3 of corn and 1/3 of cheese. Repeat with 1/3 of potatoes, 1/3 of poblanos, 1/3 of corn, and 1/3 of cheese. Top with remaining potatoes, poblanos, and corn, reserving remaining 1/3 of cheese. Place pie dish on rimmed baking sheet.

Whisk half and half, flour, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in small bowl. Pour over potato mixture in pie dish; press potatoes to submerge. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle remaining cheese over gratin. Continue to bake gratin until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden brown, about 25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Poblano, Potato and Corn Gratin

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Published on April 28, 2010April 29, 2010 by Dawn13 Comments

My older daughter knows where I store my recipes in the pantry that I plan on making for the week – and every once in a while, she goes through the piles and points out recipes that she wants me to make sooner. This was one of them. She really loves coconut – which started an entire day devoted to coconut. First we made these cookies – then she decided she and her sister needed to have a smoothie with the very ripe banana on the counter. She found a can of crushed pineapple in the pantry as well – so we blended together banana, coconut, crushed pineapple, and vanilla yogurt. This smoothie was so delicious, I even had some – my only mistake was not taking a picture of it to put in the blog – oh well, that just gives me an excuse to make it again!

Ok – back to these cookies. I saw this recipe in Cooking Light – and I knew it would be a winner. I only changed one thing in the recipe (which I have adapted slightly below) – instead of sweetened coconut (which I can’t stand) I used unsweetened coconut, and the cookies were fantastic. They were nice and chewy, and the coconut and chocolate combination is a match made in heaven. They were plenty sweet – so I really recommend the unsweetened coconut if you can find it. The only other thing I would change is to add more chocolate next time. I used what I had in the house – which was about what the recipe called for – but if you like chocolate, please do yourself a favor and add some more – as my husband always reminds me, you can never really have too much chocolate, can you?

Ingredients

1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Arrange coconut in a single layer in a small baking pan. Bake at 350° for 7 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring once. Set aside to cool.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat in vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in toasted coconut and chocolate.

Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire racks.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Southwest Rice and Corn Salad with Lemon Dressing

Published on April 26, 2010April 27, 2010 by Dawn4 Comments

My family loves rice. There was definitely a time when I was making rice at least a couple of times each week. I always had to time things just right though because it is a good 25-30 minutes from start to finish – and then there is the clean-up. I hated when the rice would stick to the bottom of the pan…ugh!

Well – I was talking to my sister-in-law on the phone (who happens to be a food consultant) telling her about the rice I found at Trader Joes in the freezer section – and how easy it is to make – and how delicious it is. In 3-4 minutes, I have a perfect batch of rice – with absolutely no clean-up. Then she told me about the latest product she was working on – she said, if I liked the rice at Trader Joes – wait until I tried this. So I did – and not only does it taste amazing, it is ridiculously healthy. It is really the perfect rice – especially when using it in a recipe – when the recipe calls for a cup of rice – no problem, just measure it out, and put it in the microwave. In minutes, it is done. So – when I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit – I knew that the Brown, Red, Wild Rice Medley would be perfect. I was right. I served this to a bunch of moms at my daughter’s Book Club, and they loved it! It was definitely a hit. Half of them even thought their kids would love it.

Now, this new product is not available everywhere – so if you happen to live in an area where this rice is not available, go to their website and send them a message.

Ingredients

1 cup Brown, Red and Wild Rice Medley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 2 ears) or frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup chopped fresh poblano chiles or green bell pepper
1 cup diced seeded red bell pepper
1 cup 1/2-inch cubes yellow zucchini
1 avocado, halved, peeled, diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Cook rice using package instructions. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain again.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add corn, poblanos, yellow bell pepper, and zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are just tender, 6 to 7 minutes; scrape into large bowl. Add rice, avocado, green onions, cilantro, and dressing; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Southwest Rice and Corn Salad with Lemon Dressing

Cheddar, Bacon, and Fresh Chive Biscuits

Published on April 24, 2010 by Dawn5 Comments

There was a period in my life when I thought that biscuits were only made from Bisquick. Boy am I glad I was wrong about that. I just couldn’t understand why the biscuits I would make tasted so different from the biscuits I would get elsewhere. Then I made my first buttermilk biscuit, and I was forever changed. Biscuits made from flour and buttermilk can be so fluffy they almost melt in your mouth. I love when they get crisp on the outside, and so nice and tender on the inside. My favorite way to eat a biscuit is dipped in honey. Although, a biscuit stuffed with a fried egg and ham is also pretty fantastic.

I saw these biscuits in Bon Appetit, and they were calling out to me. Ok – biscuits made with bacon and cheddar – what could be better? Nothing. And these biscuits, they were amazing. Beautifully fluffy on the inside, and so buttery tasting, they didn’t even need butter. After I had one plain, I took another and dipped it in honey, and oh my goodness – what a treat.

This recipe makes 12 large biscuits – if you are looking for smaller biscuits, drop them by 1/3 cup instead of 1/2, and cook them for about 15 minutes or less. Also – I cooked the bacon in the oven using my convection setting – at 400°F. I left the recipe as is, since many people prefer to fry bacon up in a pan – but if you have a convection oven, I highly recommend that – it is easy, clean, and makes very crispy bacon.

Ingredients

6 thick-cut bacon slices
3 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus melted butter for brushing
2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk
Honey (optional)

Preparation

Position rack just above center of oven and pre-heat to 400°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter cubes. Blend until coarse meal forms, about 30 seconds. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Add cheddar cheese, fresh chives, and chopped bacon; toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).

Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.

Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature with honey, if desired. Makes 12 large biscuits.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Cheddar, Bacon, and Fresh Chive Biscuits

Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita

Published on April 22, 2010April 24, 2010 by Dawn3 Comments

For most of my life, I thought that pizza slices were always square. That’s because where I grew up, the pizza slices were square – except for the 4 tiny baby slices you would find on the corners of each pie. They cut the pizza in a cross-wise fashion, instead of cutting wedges. Ok, I am not doing a good job explaining this, so here is a visual:

We would always fight over the pieces with the crust – especially the baby triangles – and what novel concept, that people like their pizza in triangles! We never wanted to eat the inside pieces with no crust. The funny thing is my younger daughter would have loved growing up with pizza cut into squares – because she hates the crust! Let me tell you, it is very hard to eat a piece of pizza with no crust.

When I went to college and polled my friends, I realized that I was the only one that had strange shaped pizza in my town. Triangles were it – they were the preferred shape of pizza – and I definitely agreed. Everyone got a piece with crust – there was no fighting – and the triangles were big – not tiny baby pieces.

I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit – and since we had just come back from NYC where we feasted on the best pizza ever – I decided to give it a try. No, it was not as good as the pizza in NYC – but the cherry tomatoes and mozzarella topping were excellent. I thought about cutting it into squares, but I just couldn’t do it. I just love my triangles – even if I have to cut the crust off for my daughter.

Ingredients

1 13.8-ounce tube refrigerated pizza dough
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 12-ounce bag cherry tomatoes, stemmed
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed in plastic bag
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 4-ounce ball fresh mozzarella in water (ovoline), diced
4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella, diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves plus small leaves for garnish

Preparation

Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Unroll dough on heavy large baking sheet; pull to about 12×8-inch rectangle, pinching any tears to seal. Fold over edge of dough to make border.

Heat large skillet over high heat 2 minutes. Add oil, then tomatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until tomatoes are charred and beginning to break down, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Mix in garlic, fennel, and crushed red pepper. Using back of fork, crush tomatoes in bowl, leaving large chunks intact. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Toss cheeses and chopped basil in medium bowl.

Sprinkle cheese mixture evenly over dough, right up to border. Spoon on tomato mixture in dollops, leaving some cheese uncovered. Bake pizza until crust is crisp and brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Loosen pizza with metal spatula and slide onto board. Garnish with basil leaves.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita