hey everyone, happy november! i went and disappeared for a few weeks again, but i’m back again with a delicious fall recipe. i’m actually writing this post from a bus on my way back from nyc where the girl and i celebrated our 4 year dating anniversary by eating delicious food and walking pretty much every square block of the city. friday night we hit thomas keller’s bouchon bakery, followed by dinner at 3 separate places in chinatown (mei li wah is AMAZING). saturday, despite being full from dinner the night before, it was burgers at shake shack, including a “pumpkin pie oh my” shake, which is a shake with a pie of pumpkin pie INSIDE OF IT. the future is here, people. later that night, we were lucky enough to dine at kefi for some awesome greek food. there was more food along the way, but i’m getting dizzy thinking about it. in any event, it was our kind of anniversary.

but now it’s time to head back home to beautiful washington dc, the land of, as i found out this past week, about a million food bloggers. we were finally able to make it to one of the food blogger happy hours last wednesday and had the pleasure of meeting some people we’ve been fans of for so long (check out the dc section of the links page – i love these people). if you haven’t made it out yet, it’s a great time with an incredibly warm and inviting bunch of people who are obsessed with food and drink, and it’s a great opportunity to pick everyone’s brains for their favorite restaurants as well.

whew, i’m kind of all over the place with this post and i haven’t even gotten to the muffins yet. i guess it’s been a busy few weeks (and i didn’t even get into me getting SWINE FLU for a week – seriously). anywho, the recipe is from the always great pinch my salt, whose recipe index i’ve relied on more than once. the fact that they are whole wheat bears special relevance to me right now, since the girl has been slowly influencing my baking since we moved in together – namely by turning every recipe into a whole wheat recipe. i was skeptical at first, but i’m slowly coming around (whole wheat waffles are actually REALLY good). these muffins can be frozen and are great to grab in the morning for the walk to work. hopefully the reported pumpkin shortage this year doesn’t hurt your chances of making these (or any of your pumpkin favorites). good luck!

whole wheat pumpkin muffins
from pinch my salt.

2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 c pumpkin puree (canned, libby’s)
2 Tbps oil
3/4 c honey
2 eggs
2/3 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chopped walnuts

1. preheat oven to 375 F. lightly grease a standard size 12 cup muffin tin.

2. in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; set aside. in a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, honey, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. fold in the chopped walnuts.

5. divide batter evenly between 12 standard sized muffin cups. bake 20-23 minutes in a preheated 375 F oven. muffins are done when they spring back lightly to the touch or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

ok fall, you win. it just dropped about 15 degrees here in dc, the leaves have changed color, and it’s dark by 6pm. even though i’m counting down the days until the fireflies return to our front porch, i’m excited about the prospect of months of warming comfort food. sweaters and soups and…PIES.

granny smiths are pretty much the reigning champ of baking apples. i usually go 100% granny smith in my recipes, but you can mix it up with whatever you can get at the market.

this is probably the best part of the whole pie process. you mix the apple slices with sugar and cinnamon in a big bowl. then, you sit around and eat a bunch of the slices and pretend like it never happened before arranging the rest in a pie crust. at the bottom of the bowl, the apple juice, along with the sugar and cinnamon, forms a delicious syrup. it’s really tempting to just drink this syrup, but if you’re feeling less gluttonous, you can just pour it over the apple slices.

ooooh, pretty.

the best part about this pie is not having to worry about a fickle top crust. the crumb topping is easy to make and crisps up perfectly. it’s like having an apple pie and an apple crisp at the same time.

it’s been fall for less than a month and i’ve already made this pie twice. and i see another one coming in the near future. you can whip one of these up in about an hour and have it ready for some vanilla ice cream. it’s a good thing.

apple crumb pie

filling
6 cups apples (i like granny smith)
1 9″ frozen pastry shell (or make your own dough)
1/2 c sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon

crumb topping
1/3 c sugar
3/4 c flour
6 Tbsp butter, cut into chunks (chilled)

1. pare, core and slice the apples thinly. mix the 1/2 cup sugar and 3/4 tsp cinnamon and mix with apple slices. arrange the slices in the pastry shell.

2. in a separate bowl, combine the 1/3 cup sugar and 3/4 cup flour. cut in the cold butter chunks until crumbly. you can do this with a few quick pulses in a food processor or just using your hands to combine. sprinkle the topping over the apples.

3. bake the pie on a baking sheet in a preheated 400F oven for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. remove and cool on a rack for about an hour before serving.

this week, we all mourned the loss of gourmet magazine. so while this probably isn’t the best time to pitch a new food mag, i wanted to share with all of you one of my favorite pieces from my graphic design portfolio. just so everyone is clear, this is NOT a real publication. that said, if anyone is so inspired to get involved in the failing print industry…

our class assignment was to create our dream magazine and prepare some sample layouts. i immediately knew where i was headed. knead magazine is a baking magazine that caters to both experienced and novice chefs. the particular issue i created is a “special issue” focused on baking with, what else, BACON. i was really excited to get to use some real recipes and photos i had taken for the projects, and i’m really happy with how it came out. by the way, you can download a full-sized pdf copy HERE.

to answer a few questions before they are asked: it’s not a full issue of a magazine, just a few pages to show different layouts. additionally, the text of the article is just filler text (there wasn’t quite enough time during the course to write a real one). hope you enjoy! if you had the chance, what kind of food magazine would you create?

oh hello there. it’s been a while, huh? well, let’s get this out of the way – sorry for leaving you all hanging. thank you for the comments and emails asking if everything was ok, and when i’d be returning with more recipes and stories. i really hate going to a blog and finding that the author has stopped updating with no explanation, and i swore i would never do that, but it just sort of happened. a week off turned to two, which turned to just shy of 2 months. wow.

so where have i been? well, i have been cooking and baking, but a few other things have sort of conspired against my free time lately, namely: leaving my old job (sad to leave everyone there), starting my new job (as a graphic designer! scary and challenging but endlessly rewarding), and going into the homestretch of my graphic design certificate at CDIABU (amazing program). combine that with finding time for freelance work to support going back to school, and there just aren’t enough hours in the day anymore.

things are finally settling down though, and i think i can give this blog the time it deserves. so again, i apologize for disappearing without warning or explanation and neglecting comments and emails for a bit, but i love this too much to give it up. thanks for hanging around if you have, and if any of your friends have taken me off their feed readers, let them know i’m back – and i brought you all these cookies.

about these cookies – they are SO GOOD. we’re lucky enough to have fresh rosemary growing in the backyard, and combing it with lemon in shortbread cookie form is just a natural fit. the cookies are still great if can’t get  your rosemary right from the plant, but if you have a choice, fresh is definitely the way to go.

not too sweet, not too savory, and perfect with coffee or tea. this was actually the first time i had made icebox cookies from scratch, and it could not have been easier. basically, you make a simple dough (something else this recipe has going for it), roll it into a log and freeze it. when you’re ready to bake, just slice the log up into rounds and bake.

the logs were rolled in decorator’s sugar before slicing – totally optional, but also totally delicious. doesn’t this picture just make you want a tall glass of ice-cold milk right now?

it’s officially fall here in dc (just took the air conditioner out yesterday!) and i can’t wait to get back into all the seasonal recipes and ingredients. i believe apple and pumpkin picking are both in our immediate future, so get ready for that. see you all in a few days with another post (seriously!). it feels great to be back.

rosemary lemon cookies

1 c (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 c sugar
1 egg and 1 egg white (for brushing)
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt

1. beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer or with a spoon until pale, light and fluffy. add the egg and vanilla and mix until well blended. add the rosemary, lemon zest, salt and flour and mix well.

2. divide the dough in half and shape them into logs and place on a piece of parchment paper. roll the logs about 1 1/2″ in diameter. chill in the fridge or freezer for at least an hour (more is fine).

3. preheat the oven to 375F. take the logs out of the fridge, brush with egg white and roll in sugar. cut the logs into 1/4″ slices and place on a parchment covered baking sheet. bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. cool on a wire rack before eating.

when i was much, much younger, one of my sisters and i came across a bowl of what looked to be delicious cookie dough in a mixing bowl on the kitchen counter. with my mom out of the room at the moment, we took the opportunity to scoop up huge gobs and wolf them down, only to find out that what we thought was cookie dough was in fact cheese bread dough. i don’t care how much you like cheese, eating raw cheese bread dough is not a pleasant experience.

it didn’t ruin cheese as a whole for me, but i couldn’t bring myself to eat cheese bread for a long time. it wasn’t until years later that i accidentally ate an asiago cheese bagel and realized it can be one of the finer things in life. when i stumbled across this recipe last week for cheddar bread in Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, i decided to give it a shot. it happened to be the same day the girl brought home a whole mess of farmer’s market tomatoes to roast, so we figured, why not?

making roasted tomatoes is staggeringly easy. here they are at stage one: the tomatoes are happy and healthy on a baking sheet, doused with olive oil, salt and pepper, and ready for a 300F oven.

stage two: 3 hours have passed, and the tomatoes are looking a little tired. you can see where this is headed. you could stop now, but we’ve only just started to see the potential locked inside these little beauties.

stage three: 6 hours have passed, and the tomatoes have become something else entirely, caramelized and flavor-concentrated beyond words. it’s amazing what a little time and heat can produce. eat them straight off the pan, toss with some fresh pasta or add to cheese bread dough and enjoy (once you’ve baked it, of course).

the bread is versatile, good enough toasted with a bit of butter, with hints of cheese and tomato throughout, but even better in sandwiches. the recipe below produces a bread with flavors that aren’t too overwhelming, but if you’re a cheese or tomato junky, adjust accordingly.

roasted tomato and cheddar bread
adapted from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. makes 4 1-lb loaves.

bread
3 c lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
7 c flour (unbleached all-purpose)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
about 10 slices roasted tomato (or more to taste) – see recipe below

roasted tomatoes
1 lb tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt and pepper for sprinkling

1. to make the roasted tomatoes: preheat oven to 300F. slice tomatoes, place on baking sheet. drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. bake for 6 hours, flipping tomatoes halfway through baking time.

2. mix the yeast, salt, and sugar with the water in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). mix in the dry ingredients and the cheese without kneading, using a spoon or stand mixer. cover, not airtight, and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

3. the dough can be used immediately after the initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. refrigerate in a lidded, but not airtight, container and use over the next 7 days.

4. on baking day, dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut off a  1 pound (grapefruit-sized) piece. dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 1 hour.

5. twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450F, with a baking stone (or unglazed quarry tiles) on the lowest rack. place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising bread. sprinkle the loaf liberally with flour and slash across the top, using a serrated bread knife. leave the flour in place for baking; tap some of it off before eating.

6. slide the loaf directly on the hot stone. pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler tray, and quickly close the oven door. bake for about 25 minutes, or until deeply browned and firm. small or larger loaves may require adjustments in baking time. allow loaves to cool before slicing and eating.

it’s been a little while since my last update, and i apologize – i just realized today that’s it’s already been august for a few days. things have been hectic around here lately, and to be totally honest, when i started blogging, i had a lot less going on in my life in general. my goal was always to post at least twice a week, but it’s clear that i haven’t really been able to sustain that kind of schedule – between school and work, there’s just been less time to bake, which is a shame, because it’s still one of my favorite things in life.

also, there are times i find myself wanting to bake or cook just to bake or cook. figuring out lighting, taking pictures and writing out recipes can be a bit of a buzzkill when there are crazy delicious things in the oven and you just want to eat and share them with other people. some days it’s all about making a perfect loaf of zucchini bread and eating the whole thing before anyone has a chance to snap a photo. those days don’t happen often enough.

but don’t worry, pete bakes isn’t going anywhere! in fact, i recently (sort of) made these strawberry cupcakes for the girl and myself. finally, after over a year, i’ve learned to halve batches of things when i’m not planning on taking them into work or having a cupcake party. i’m espcially glad i halved this recipe, because they ended up being a little disappointing. i’m perplexed because it’s a martha stewart recipe – what gives?

although there was a decent strawberry flavor, the cake was too dense and spongy. you can also see how the color changed from the batter to the baked cake – more gray than pink. the frosting, however, was pretty good. i would use that again in another recipe.

does anyone have a really awesome strawberry cupcake recipe they’d be willing to share?

strawberry cupcakes
from Martha Stewart. makes 12 cupcakes.

cupcakes
2/3 c whole fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1/4 c whole milk, room temperature
1 tspn pure vanilla extract
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 large egg whites, room temperature

frosting
1/2 c whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 c confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.

2. place strawberries in a small food processor; process until pureed. you should have about 1/3 cup of puree, add a few more strawberries if necessary or save any extra puree for frosting; set aside.

3. in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. in a small bowl, mix together milk, vanilla, and strawberry puree; set aside.

4. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.

5. with the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.

6. divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

7. place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed. in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy. reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners’ sugar; beat until well combined. add vanilla and 3 tablespoons strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended. do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

at some point in the future, we’re going to look back and realize how absurd it was to wrap everything in bacon. we’re not there yet though, so in the meantime, i’m going to indulge. these are strawberries. wrapped in bacon. and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. yes, they are delicious.

and oh boy, are they rich. the recipe is pretty straightforward, but i had a bit of trouble getting them to stay upright in the oven so they cook evenly. it pays to watch them really closely to make sure you’re not burning one side of the bacon and leaving the other side raw.

i wait all year for strawberries to be in season, just so i can do stuff like this to them. if you’re having a party during the summer, it’s really easy to make a huge batch of these guys. the only downside is that it’s way too easy to just down 5 or 6 without thinking, so you’ll run out before you know it.

for my vegetarian/vegan readers, you can still make this recipe minus the bacon. just toss some strawberries with a bit of sugar and balsamic vinegar and roast on a baking sheet. they’ll melt in your mouth and make you very happy.

bacon wrapped strawberries
from E Chronicles. make 1-2 servings.

6 fresh strawberries, washed and capped (stem removed)
6 strips bacon
2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar

1. preheat oven to 450F. wrap each berry horizontally with one strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

2. place on a baking sheet and put in the oven for about 7 minutes. check after 5, and if the bacon is browned, turn each piece with tongs. roast for another 2-3 minutes until all sides of the bacon are cooked and brown.

3. remove from the oven and immediately place each piece on a plate covered with two layers of paper towels to drain the grease. cool slightly, then plate and drizzle with the aged balsamic vinegar.

creating a sourdough starter is a lot like having a pet. you need to feed it, clean it, watch it closely and occassionally play with it to keep it happy and healthy. it won’t bring you the newspaper or fetch your slippers, but it will eventually become delicious bread that you can share with your whole family. and weirdly enough, you can keep a starter alive for much longer than a typical pet. that last fact may seem a little morbid, but the boudin sourdough bread company in san francisco has been using the same starter for over 150 years!

let me caution: when you look at the recipe, you’re going to be overwhelmed. don’t panic. at its heart, a sourdough starter is nothing more than flour and water. no expensive ingredients, no fancy kitchen gadgets needed, no big loss if you screw up. secondly, it takes a few days, especially the first time around, so it’s helpful to read the entire recipe before starting so you can plan accordingly. although most sourdough recipes set hours against the feeding schedule, you can be very flexible with timing and still end up with an incredible loaf of bread. above is my starter on day 1. just flour and water in a tupperware container loosely covered in plastic wrap. the tape is there to mark the height of the dough so i can see any changes that occur.

here’s my starter on day 2. no changes, but just a few small bubbles. let me try and explain in as few words as possible what’s going on when you make a starter. yeast is the thing that makes your bread rise, and it’s in air all around us, right now. this isn’t quite the same yeast you can buy in yellow packets at the grocery store (although those work wonders). the stuff in the air is wild yeast, the kind of yeast that doesn’t always do what it’s told and stays out past curfew. but despite it’s rogue nature, wild yeast still likes to eat, and leaving a paste of flour and water out is like a giant all-you-can-eat sign. the really cool thing about wild yeast is that bread made with starters from different environments (for instance, san francisco vs say, washington, dc) will have unique tastes based on the environmental conditions.

here’s day 3 (or 4, can’t remember). the yeast jumped into action overnight and left my kitchen a mess. however, this was a great sign for the starter. the bubbles were caused by the yeast feeding on the sugars in the dough and giving off carbon dioxide. feeding the starter fresh water and flour every day allows the flavors in the dough to develop more slowly, which gives them more depth. this is the way bread was made in the good ‘ole days (commercial yeast is a relatively new invention in the timeline of bread).

now before i embarrass myself anymore trying to explain how wild yeast works, let me give you a few helpful resources i used during this process. first, the fresh loaf is a great place to find common questions and answers about sourdough development. second, wild yeast blog is an endless source of information and inspiration for at-home bakers. susan has tons of delicious sourdough recipes and lots of tips that will really help you take the next step to great breadmaking. be sure to check both out.

i used peter reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, which instructed me on how to turn my starter into a “barm.” the barm is a piece of your starter plus a larger amount of flour and water than you’ve been adding to feed you starter. once you’re at this step, you can use the barm to make your final dough mix, or you can refrigerate it and feed it on a regular basis to keep it potent for use later. this barm is the “mother starter,” the basis for all of your future sourdoughs (and the thing that boudin bakery has kept going for so long).

so after a long labor of love, i finally baked my first sourdough loaf. the result? it was…okay. really not all that sour. although the starter and barm had really vibrant smells, the final bread was pretty underwhelming. i discovered that it’s actually a pretty common problem with the first loaf – the barm simply hadn’t had enough time to develop deep flavors yet. another possible issue could be the air in my apartment – it’s not quite the same as the san francisco sea air that fed the original boudin starter.

although i was disappointed, i decided to keep working on the barm for a week and make another few loaves, one of which is above. i was thrilled to find out that the flavor did indeed improve over time. one change i made in the baking process was the keep the oven at a higher temperature for longer than instructed (10 minutes at 500F, then turn it down to 450F), and the result was a much more pronounced and tastier crust. i’m learning that i need to allow the loaves to get darker than i think they should before pulling them from the oven.

i don’t usually set a timer when i make chocolate chip cookies anymore, because it’s gotten to the point that i can tell when they’re done by the smell and look. i’m not anywhere near that confident with bread, but i’m finding out that it’s more about using all of your senses than sticking to the recipe. i’m going to keep this barm going for as long as i can and make as many varieties of sourdough as possible. i’m getting hungry just thinking about it now…

sourdough bread
from Peter Reinhart’s The Bread Baker’s Apprentice

seed culture
day 1
1 c flour (any type, preferably dark rye or coarse whole rye)
3/4 c water, at room temperature

days 2, 3 and 4
1 c flour
1/2 c water, at room temperature

day 1: mix the flour and water together in a bowl until they form a stiff ball of dough. press this piece of dough into a 4-cup measuring cup and place a piece of tape on the side to mark the top of the dough. cover the cup with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.

day 2: in a mixing bowl, combine the day 2 ingredients with the day 1 sponge, mixing with a spoon until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed. return to the container and mark the height of the dough with a new piece of tape. cover with plastic wrap and let ferment for 24 hours at room temperature.

day 3: there may be some rise in the dough. there may also be an unpleasant aroma (this will improve with time). discard half of the starter and mix the remaining half with the day 3 ingredients. return to container, re-mark the height, and let ferment at room temperature for another 24 hours.

day 4: the sponge should have at least doubled in size. if not, allow it to sit out for another 12-24 hours. if the sponge has doubled, repeat the steps on day 3. cover and let ferment until doubled (this could take 4-24 hours).

barm
3 1/2 c flour
2 cups water, at room temperature
1 c seed culture

stir together the flour, water and seed culture in a mixing bowl (you can discard the remaining seed culture or give to a friend). it will make a wet, sticky sponge. transfer this sponge to a clean plastic glass, or ceramic storage container twice as large as the barm. cover the container with a lid or plastic wrap and ferment at room temperature for approximately 6 hours, or until the barm is bubbly. the plastic wrap will swell like a balloon. when this happens, open the lid or release the plastic wrap to let the gas escape. replace the cover and refrigerate overnight before using. the barm will be ready to use the next day and will remain potent for 3 days.

starter
2/3 c barm
1 c flour
1/8-1/4 c water

1. remove the barm from the refrigerator and measure it out 1 hour before making the firm starter. transfer it to a small bowl, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and allow it to warm up for 1 hour.

2. add the flour to the bowl and mix together the barm and the flour, adding only additional water so that you can knead it into a small ball. lightly oil a small bowl and place the starter into the bowl or bag, turning to coat it with oil. cover the bowl.

3. ferment at room temperature for about 4 hours, or until the starter has at least doubled in size. then, put it in the refrigerator overnight.

4. remove the starter from the refrigerator 1 hour before making the dough. cut it into about 10 small pieces with a pastry scraper or serrated knife. mist with oil, cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour to take off the chill.

final dough
4 1/2 c flour
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 – 1 3/4 water, lukewarm
semolina flour or cornmeal for dusting

1. stir together the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. add the starter pieces and enough water to bring everything together into a ball as you stir with a large spoon (or in an electric mixer).

2. sprinkle the counter with flour, transfer the dough to the counter and knead by hand for 12-15 minutes. adjust the water or flour as needed. lightly oil the bowl and transfer the dough, rolling it around to coat. cover the bowl with plastic wrap. ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours, or until the dough has nearly doubled in size.

3. remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 equal pieces. gently shape into boules, batards, or baguettes. placethe dough on parchment lined sheets that have been dusted with semolina flour or cornmeal. mist the dough with spray oil and loosely cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap. proof the dough for 2-3 hours at room temperature (or overnight in the refrigerator).

4. preheat the oven to 500 F. remove the plastic wrap from the dough 10 minutes before baking. dust a pizza peel with cornmeal or semolina flour and gently transfer the dough to the peel. score the top of the dough with a serrated knife.

5. slide the dough onto your baking stones (or bake directly on baking sheets). pour 1 cup of hot water into a steam pan on the oven floor. after 30 seconds, spray the oven walls with water and close the door. repeat twice more at 30-second intervals. after the final spray, lower the oven to 450 F and bake for 10 minutes. rotate the loaves 180 degrees, if necessary and continue baking for another 10-20 minutes, until the loaves are a rich golden brown. transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 45 minutes before serving.

if you live in dc and you’ve never been to the maine avenue fish market (1100 maine avenue SW), for shame! you’re going to want to get there this weekend. people from all over the city come to get fresh seafood, or just pick up something there to eat. i’ll let the rest of the pictures speak for themselves, but i’ll say that the crab cakes are excellent, as are the hush puppies.

what are you waiting for? go! go! go!

we’ve gone totally crazy for the grill here in our new place. you know that feeling, on the very last day of school, when you know you’re done for the year, and you’ve got a whole summer of doing whatever you want ahead of you? having a grill makes every day feel like that. there’s nothing more relaxing than lounging in the backyard and cooking up hot dogs and hamburgers, or something a bit more sophisticated, like pizza (that’s right, i’m calling pizza sophisticated).

it’s a little nerve racking throwing pizza dough right on the grill for the first time. i was sure it would fall through the grate, but sure enough, it cooked right up perfectly. the charcoal gives the dough a smokiness you don’t get from a conventional oven, plus the perfect combination of a crispy crust with a soft chewy interior.

here’s an extremely rare shot of me actually cooking. and readers, meet the girl. ain’t she sweet? sorry, no pictures of us together – it was just the two of us, so we had to take shots of each other. she’s a amazing cook and i’m an extremely lucky dude to have her.

look at those grill marks. this crust is about to be topped and tossed back on the grill to finish cooking.

here’s the girl adding a bit of sauce with fresh basil.

as you can see, i’m not a master at making a perfectly round pizza. we’ll just call it “rustic.” this one was topped with barbecue chicken, caramelized onions, mozzarella and more fresh basil. if you’ve never grilled pizza before, or even ever made pizza at home before, it’s actually easier than it looks. have all of your friends over, tell them to bring their favorite toppings, and just keep cooking them up until everyone is too full to move.

it doesn’t hurt to have a few glasses of wine to make the meal complete.

here’s the grilled chicken we added to the pizzas. we’ve been in our new place for 3 weeks, and this is the second time we’ve made this chicken. the girl whipped up a really incredible bbq sauce that caramelizes perfectly and makes the chicken tangy and hot.

hmmm…sausage, caramelized onions, local fresh ricotta, and swiss chard. this one got a helping of mozzarella once it hit the grill a second time. these were so much fun to make (and incredibly delicious), i might do it again this week.

one last thing – the kind folks at washingtonian.com were nice enough to do a little interview with me for their “blogger beat” section, which you can read here. it was totally humbling to get to do it, so i hope you enjoy it. i think i successfully came off looking like a total dork (totally my intention all along). big thanks to washingtonian.com and thanks to all of you for continuing to read this blog and just being generally awesome.

grilled pizza
same crust as the first time i made pizza. find it here.

1.day one: make dough.

2. day two: remove the dough from the fridge 2 hours before making the pizza. dust the counter with flour, place the number of dough balls down you are going to use, and sprinkle with more flour. gently press them into flat disks (about 1/2 inch thick). sprinkle with a bit more flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap. let rest.

3. about 45 minutes before making the pizza, fire up your grill. get it nice and hot. we started a bit earlier so we could grill some bbq chicken to top the pizza. when you’re ready to cook the dough, get all of your toppings ready. you’ll need a place to work quickly.

4. stretch the dough as you normally would (either by tossing or by rolling) and lay it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel. it should be about 1/4-inch thick (the thinner the dough, the easier it is to cook fully). carefully slide the dough onto the grill. it takes a bit of practice, as working too slow causes the dough to bunch up and fall through the grate.

5. after 2-3 minutes, use a pair of tongs to lift up the dough and check to see if it’s baking. you should see some light grill marks. the top may bubble a bit as well. poke the bubbles with a fork. when it looks done on that side, pull it off the grill onto your pizza peel. flip it over so the uncooked side is down on the pizza peel.

6. quickly dress the cooked side with your toppings. slide the topped pizza back onto the grill to cook the other side. you can put the top on the grill to help melt the cheese. another 2-3 minutes later, check the underside of the pizza to make sure it’s done and remove from the grill. serve/eat immediately.