New Jersey Tomato Pie

Ingredients for pizza dough (you will need to make your own dough since the pie will need to be very thin)
1 package of quick dry yeast
1 cup of lukewarm water
pinch of sugar
1 tsp salt
3-3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

Method for dough
Step 1. Warm a medium mixing bowl (I prefer glass since I speed up the rising by putting the bowl in a warmed oven) by swirling some hot water in it. Drain. Place the yeast in the bowl and pour on the warm water. Stir in sugar, mix with a fork and allow to stand until yeast has dissolved and starts to foam (5-10 min)
Step 2. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the salt and about one third of the flour. Mix in another third of the flour, stirring with the spoon until the dough forms a mass and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Step 3. Sprinkle some of the remaining flour onto a smooth work surface. Remove the dough from the bowl and begin to knead it, working int the remaining flour a little at a time. Knead for 8-10 min. By the end the dough should be elastic and smooth. Form it into a ball.
Step 4. Lightly oil the mixing bowl (assuming you’ve cleaned it already). Place the dough in the bowl. Stretch a moistened and wrung-out dish towel across the top of the bowl and leave it to stand in a warm place until the dough has doubled in volume (if you do not have a oven that does proofing, turn the oven on to medium heat for 10 minutes before you need the dough. Turn the oven off and place the bowl with the dough in it in the turned off oven with the door closed and let it rise there) To test whether the dough has risen enough, poke 2 fingers into the dough. If the indention remain the dough is ready.
Step 5. Punch the dough down with your fist to release the air. Knead for 2 minutes.
Step 6. If you want to make 2 medium pies divide the dough into 2 balls. This recipe will freeze nicely if you don’t want to use all of the dough at one time. Just wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.
Step 7. When you roll out the dough, lightly oil the pan

Ingredients for Tomato Pie
1 16-20 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp of fresh minced garlic (the kind you can get in the jar & have to refrigerate)
2 cups of mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes, not shredded
4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for the top of the pie)
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Method for Pie
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 470 degrees for at least 20 min before baking. In a blender or food processor add the whole can of tomatoes (and minced garlic if you like). Blend for about 5-10 seconds (you will still see chucks of tomato)
Step 2. Roll out dough onto your pizza pan as thin as you can and the add tomato sauce onto the dough with a spoon.
Step 3. Sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella. Dot with basil if you like. Sprinkle with Parmesan and finish it off with a drizzle of olive oil.
Step 4. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese melted and bubbling

My favorite Red Sauce

Ingredients
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion chopped (I just put it in my food processor)
1 clove of chopped garlic (I just use a half spoonful of the minced garlic in the jar…this stuff is a time saver!)
1 can (14oz) of diced tomatoes (don’t drain)
2 tbsp of chopped parsley (dried or fresh…dried of course is faster)
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp of tomato paste (I usually do half a can and put the other half in a small container for another batch later)
1 tsp sugar
1 can of HUNTS traditional sauce (yes it does matter that it’s hunts…it’s about a dollar at walmart)

Method
Step 1. heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan and fry the onion for 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and fry for 1 min
Step 2. Stir in diced tomatoes, parsley, oregano, tomatoe paste, sugar and (salt and pepper to taste if you want)
Step 3. Bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes. Pour HUNTS tomatoe sauce in and bring to boil

In the last step if I’m in a rush, I will just add the Hunts sauce after I bring my base to a boil. But the idea is to reduce the base and then add the hunts sauce

Meatballs!
Just my standard meatball recipe that I use for meatball subs and spaghetti & meatballs

Serves 8
Prep Time 15
Cooking Time 15
Ingredients
1 small can of drained chopped mushrooms (food processor works great)
1 lb of ground beef
2 cloves garlic (again the jar of minced garlic works great. this would be a full spoonful for 2 cloves)
4 tbsp dried parsley
3 tbsp dried basil
1 egg
6 tbsp plain breadcrumbs
2 tbsp of grated parmigiana cheese (I get mine from Costco and freeze it. And use as needed)
salt and pepper
4 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped (love that food processor!)

Method
Step 1. take mushrooms and chop them up (the finer the better). Combine the meat with the mushrooms, garlic and herbs. Stire in the egg. Add the breadcrumbs and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper if you like (I usually don’t). Form the mixture into small balls 1 to 1 1/2 inches
Step 2. In large heavy frying pan, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook over low heat until soft (I actually like to add a half spoonful of minced garlic too). Raise the heat to medium and add the meatballs. Roll them often to brown evenly. Typically takes around 10-15 minutes for them to be done.

Baklava
Greek dessert

Cooking Time 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 lb. Phyllo dough.
4 to 5 cups walnuts, chopped in food processor. You can also use pistachios
½ cup sugar.
¼ tsp. ground cloves.
1 tsp. cinnamon.
¾ lb. sweet butter. (3 sticks)

The filling
Step 1. Combine nuts, cinnamon, cloves, and sugar.
Step 2. Melt butter in a saucepan.
Step 3. Use pastry brush to brush inside of a 14 X 10 ½ inch pan with melted butter.
Step 4. Line bottom of pan with one piece of Phyllo dough. Fold under excess Phyllo.
Step 5. Alternate sides with each piece of Phyllo, brushing the top of each layer with melted butter.
Step 6. Repeat six (6) times, making six layers.
Step 7. On the 6th sheet, sprinkle evenly with nut mixture.
Step 8. Continue layering butter sheets until all nut mixture is used and use 6-10 more buttered sheets of Phyllo to form top crust.
Step 9. Use a sharp knife to cut into diamond shapes. (basically you’ll cut it like you would brownies but then divide them in half to form a diamond)
Step 10. Bake at 300° F for about 1 ½ hours or until lightly brown.

The Syrup: I eyeball how much of the syrup to pore so not to flood the baklava. The syrup will be liquid (not very thick) after it is done boiling.
1 1/4 cups of water.
1 1/2 cups sugar.
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice.
1/2 tsp. vanilla.

Step 1. Combine syrup ingredients. Boil syrup for about 5-7 minutes and then allow to cool. (the syrup can be warm just not boiling)
Step 2. Pour cooled syrup over hot pastry.
Step 3. Each individual Baklava slice can be served on a bake paper cup (cup cake cups).

The following is a small tutorial to help you sift through the privacy settings (in plain English) Of course the screen-shots may change over time (depending when you find this post) but from what I can tell once they are set up Facebook won’t mess with them.

First thing you will need to do is go to the Friends page (top left) and decide what kind of friend groups you want to create. Notice if you haven’t already you should create a Limited Profile Friend group (we’ll assign permissions here in a sec) After you have all of your groups created you will need to go through all of your friends and assign them to 1 or more groups (yes I know this will take some time, but once it’s done you will be much more organized)

After you have set up all of your friend groups. Go to Settings -> Privacy Settings -> Profile Information.

From here choose any Facebook area, such as Basic Information and click Custom in the drop down box. You will see the option to exclude groups and for me that group is titled Limited Profile. One thing I would like to bring attention too is the Posts By Me category. I believe this is a new category with the new Facebook policy and thus it is defaulting to have Everyone see what you post. This means all of the following will be seeing by people that are not your friends (ie search engines, companies, old boyfriends, you get the idea): Default setting for Status Updates, Links, Notes, Photos, and Videos you post. So you will need to go into your privacy settings and set this to My Friends or whatever category you have created to limit access to what you post. By the way this was very seeky of Facebook to do this…bad facebook bad!

After you have set all of your Privacy settings up, check out your home page. You can click on each friend category to see only the status updates from those people you’ve organized in your friend groups.

So with all of this work on The Wood Whisperer, I’ve also managed to start a few of my own projects. Both are audio podcasts, involving 2 of my favorite things; movies and video games. First is The Movielicious with Patrick Beja and Mark “Turpster” Turpin. Really Patrick makes Movielicious happen since Turpster and I just have to watch movies and show up for the call It’s not a serious review show, but we do have a lot of fun when we record. Since Patrick is in France and Turpster is in the UK, we don’t always get to see the movies that are out in the States right at the moment, but we make the best of what we can watch and make fun of each other in the process. Average run time of the show is 1 hour with 2-3 main movies reviews and 3 dvd recommendations and 1 awesome poster from photoshop queen Kichelle.

The second show is called Ladies of Leet and it’s also an audio podcast with myself, RandysMolly and GypsyGirl. The podcast is done every 2 weeks and we discuss whats happening in both consoles and pc gaming news and what games we are playing and our thoughts on those games. We also have a bargain buy section of the podcast were we discuss any great deals we find on and off the web. Average run time of the show is 1 hour and 15 min.

So if you’re interested in either topics please feel free to check out the websites and subscribe to the feed. You might even catch a live recording of The Movielicious if you subscribe to Patrick’s twitter

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Recipe for Crunchy French Toast

5-7 bread pieces
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp.vanilla
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp flour (all purpose)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp butter (for the pan)
1 1/2 cup of Honey Bunches of Oats with or without Almonds (crushed)

So why am I asking this question? Well until recently Marc and I have been plugging along with our little video podcast, The Wood Whisperer, growing our audience, building relationships with sponsors and advertisers and honestly just enjoying  the roller coaster ride.  Then all of a sudden the question was asked “Have you ever thought of doing TV?”  I don’t think Marc or I thought when we started our podcast over a year ago that we would even be saying the word TV and The Wood Whisperer in the same sentence.  But there it is, someone asking us if we would like to shoot a “sizzle reel” (I’ll get to the terminology in a sec) for potential networks and sponsors.

Now while that particular opportunity doesn’t seem like it will pan out, it got me thinking.  How many of us podcasters (specifically video) want to “make it” on TV?  I ask this because Marc and I have discussed this very topic in great length and to be honest I’m not sure there is a right or wrong answer.  On one hand we are forging our own destiny and producing content the TV networks only wish they could do at the fraction of the cost.   Think about it, we are in the golden age of internet content; anyone can create anything and distribute it at a low to no cost.   And with the success of iTunes and various other aggregators, podcasts are becoming more and more mainstream by the day. 

So if technology is continuing to advance and we are finding new audience members every day; why would we ever go to an ‘old media’?  To quote someone in the industry, “TV is king!”  Ah yes, but for how long? Wouldn’t you like to put all of your effort into something that will surely be the hot new distribution medium and secure your place in history as one of the firsts instead of busting your butt, following someone else’s rules, and sacrificing your creative desires just so you can hear, “maybe we’ll get picked up by a network”.

The process of getting on television is quite stressful too.  In the past few weeks, Marc and I have learned a lot about the business side of making a TV show.  The best advice I can give if you are considering the jump, is to get a lawyer and get the details in writing (even if it’s just email).  Now to create a TV show,  you need a production company.  While Marc and I could easily create our own pilot or sizzle reel (clips of your show showing the best parts), I doubt we would have the time to shop the footage around due to our current Wood Whisperer obligations.   

To be honest, Marc and I have only gotten through the discussion phase, but I know if we decide to do TV we will learn more as we go (being very cautious of course).  So until I can blog more about our experience I’ll give you a recommendation on an excellent book that is full of great advice.  The book is called Starring You! The Insiders’ Guide to Using Television and Media to Launch Your Brand, Your Business, and Your Life.  Actually parts of this book could also be used for video podcasts (I’m sure that is what the Media in the title is referring too). 

I guess there are pros and cons on both sides.  Of course TV (if you can get there) will give you more exposure, but how far behind is internet content?  There have been some viral internet videos with numbers that would make a TV guy’s head spin with jealousy.  And its international to boot!  So do you think the general population is really aware of the great content that can be found on the internet?   I think we are well on our way.  The folks with Tivo’s and Apple TV’s already get it; it is just a matter of time before integration of podcasts on the television is the norm.

So again I come back to the question, do we as podcasters benefit from creating a television show?  I really wish I knew the answer. Who knows, if Marc and I agree on a deal with a producer you could see a version of The Wood Whisperer on television.  Then again maybe we’ll continue to build The Wood Whisperer and become one of the best damn video shows online!  What I do know is 2008 will be a very exciting and interesting year J

So as part of my “day” job, I travel from time to time. Typically my travel happens in bursts, meaning traveling non stop for 1 to 2 months straight. Now while I’m thankful for the experience, I’m pretty much over the whole process. Ah I remember when I first started at my job and traveling to a new state was exciting to me. Heck I even had a cute little map that I kept track of where ever I went. I made a true effort to explore everywhere I traveled too (you would believe how many covered bridges there are in PA!) Sadly I think I’m jaded. The process now is so emotionally and physically draining for me, that the most I ever see of a town is local mall or Target and that only if I forgot something at home. I guess that is what 8 years of traveling can do to someone.

However I would like something to come from all of these trips. I have found through the course of 8 years, I’ve picked up a few tips that I assume everyone knows. But after a recent trip with my mom, I realize that isn’t the case. So here are a few things I’ve learned along the way. If you have any tips feel free to share them here.

Tip #1: Always, Always, Always check in online the day before. I have seen to many people get bumped from a flight because it has been oversold and they waited till they got to the airport to check in. Plus in most cases you’ll avoid getting the dreaded middle seat.

Tip #2: If you are connecting, make sure to have a change of clothes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had connections that either didn’t go out or in and I’ve been stuck in city X with nothing but what was in my carry on. One of my favorite hotels is the Hampton Inn because they hook travelers up with all the little extras that may still be in your bag. Speaking of bag, invest in a nice vertical wheeled bag like this (you want long not wide). It’s big enough to put everything you need including a change of clothes, plus it will fit nicely under any seat on the plane. Don’t mess with the bags for your shoulder. I have such a cute Coach laptop bag and within months I threw my shoulder out due to all the weight I was carrying.

Tip #3: Carry food with you. Now I don’t mean a sandwich or anything, but something like a granola bar or even a bag of pretzels. When I’ve sat on a runway for 5 hours, it’s those little snacks that have saved me from being a really mean hungry person. Right now my favorite snack to pack is from Kashi. Holy crap these are so good AND they are good for you? Someone must be pulling my leg.

Tip #4: If you travel a lot, invest in a good set of headphones and a video iPod. I waited way to long before I did this and wow I could never imagine traveling without both of these now. For me I choose to get the Bose Series 2 and have been extremely happy with them, however I know there are a ton of these types on the market…take your pick. Also if you use a program like DVDFab, then you can catch up on all the movies you don’t have time to watch since you’re traveling so much. When your sitting in the airport for 12 hours, you’ll thank me. Just be careful to not get too caught up in the movie and miss your connecting flight (yep that happened to me).

Tip #5: Designate your “travel wardrobe”. If I had to I could walk into my closet and pack for a 2 week trip in less than 30 minutes. It wasn’t until my mother-in-law told me she was amazed by this that I realized what I had accomplished. (she admitted it takes here a whole day to pack). Slowly over the years I’ve figured out what clothes worked well on the road. For me black and dark grey is key. I add color into my wardrobe in my tops, so I don’t look to dark. I also stay away from cotton. I know I hate to iron, so why bring clothes that you know you’ll have to iron. I make sure I pack 1 pair of shoes. Of course if you workout when your on the road this becomes 2 pair. I also keep a bag that always has my toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo and any extras ready to grab and go. And when you pack, always count the days you’ll be gone and pack enough underwear for all days plus 1. Seems silly, but you never know when you’ll get stuck somewhere or have to extend your trip.

So there are just 5 tips from me to you. Some you may already know, but hopefully it will make your traveling a little bit more enjoyable and you won’t become a jaded traveler like myself