Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Lemon and raspberry were meant to live under one roof-- or in one dessert, as the case may be.  I made this as one of the Easter desserts over a year ago, and it was marvelous.  (Yes, I like lemony desserts for Easter, in case you noticed a theme here.)

Lemon Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Crust:

3 cups crushed graham crackers

1 tsp. ground cinnamon 
1/3 cup butter, melted
 
Combine and mix well in a bowl, then press across the bottom and up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes and then cool completely.

Filling:

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
2 tbsp. flour
5 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tsp. lemon extract

about 6 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest (for batter)

an additional 1-2 tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest set aside for garnish, if desired

Topping, if desired:

sour cream (an 8 oz. container is enough)

vanilla extract (start with 1/4 tsp.)

lemon extract (start with 1/4 tsp.)

granulated sugar 

1-2 tbsp. freshly grated lemon zest, previously set aside, for garnish

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in butter and flour, and then add the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined. Mix in both extracts, the lemon juice, and the zest.  *Don't overbeat the mixture once you've added the eggs. This beats air into the cheesecake batter, which will cause the cheesecake to fall and crack while baking.

Pour cheesecake batter into graham cracker crust and bake in a 350 degree oven for about one hour or until the center is almost set. (Sides should be puffed and set, and center will move slightly when shaken.) Cool in a cracked-open oven for ten minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the crust. Cool for one more hour and then refrigerate overnight to let the flavors ripen.

For topping, mix together sour cream, vanilla and lemon extracts, and granulated sugar, to taste, until the sugar dissolves.  Set aside with the reserved lemon zest.

 

After cheesecake has completely cooled, spread with the sour cream mixture and sprinkle with lemon zest.  Spoon raspberry sauce over individual slices.

Raspberry Sauce

1 bag frozen raspberries or several cups fresh raspberries 

sugar, to taste
about one tablespoon corn starch dissolved in a small amount of cold water.

Puree the berries (if using frozen, you can just smush with spoon), place in small saucepan, and add the sugar and corn starch. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens.
Note: If you want to be proper, the pureed or smushed berries should be strained to remove the seeds BEFORE you put them into the saucepan, but I've always just left them in. Cool and refrigerate.

Chunky Zucchini Relish

This chunky zucchini relish is SO good and much prettier when you add red peppers, per the recipe. I usually prefer dill relishes to sweet relishes, but I can eat this from the spoon, anyway.  The reason that this stands out from other relishes is that the zucchini stays firm and crunchy due to the preparation and processing method.

You'll notice that the relish won a BLUE RIBBON AT THE ALASKA STATE FAIR.  Yes, indeed.  I'll be quiet now and just let that speak for itself.

Here's the recipe.

Chunky Zucchini Relish

yield: 5 pints

-  10 cups chopped, unpeeled zucchini (about 7 medium)

-  4 cups chopped onion (about 4 large)

-  1 large, sweet red pepper, chopped (or if you're lame like me and have none, just use a green one from the garden, but it won't look as nice)

-  1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chiles (I didn't have any of these, either.  If you're lame like me, just add a bit of diced hot pepper, ground cayenne, or red pepper flakes for a touch of heat, to taste.)

-  3 tbsp. canning salt

-  3 and 1/2 cups sugar

-   3 cups vinegar

-  1 tbsp. ground turmeric

-  4 tsp. celery seeds

-  1 tsp. black pepper

-  1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

In a large container, combine zucchini, onion, pepper, chiles, and salt.  Stir well to combine and chill overnight.  (This removes moisture from the zucchini, helping the crunch!)  Rinse thoroughly in cold water and drain. (This removes excess salt, helping the taste!) In a large kettle, combine remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Add zucchini mixture and simmer for 10 minutes.  Ladle hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.  Adjust lids.  Process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes and let cool before storing..

Balsamic Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

This dressing doesn't look as nice on a bed of plain old lettuce as it did on the strawberry spinach salad for which I made it, but since I didn't take a picture of the strawberry spinach salad (because, you know, I was too busy scarfing it), here's the dressing, at least.

I really loved this dressing, and since none of the rest of my family cares for sweet vinaigrettes, I got it all to myself.  I ate it on lettuce with leftover almonds and feta for 2 days, then when the feta and almond supply ran out, I had it on plain lettuce.  I timed the lettuce shortage perfectly, because I ran out of dressing at the exact same time.  If I'd had leftover dressing, I would have slurped it from a spoon.

It's not overly sweet, but if you like your dressings wholly acidic, you'll probably skip this one. Otherwise, have at it! 

Balsamic Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup sugar (or less, to taste)

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I used more, to taste)

• a pinch of dry mustard powder

• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds

• 1 tablespoon chopped onion

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Whisk all ingredients together until well-incorporated.  Drizzle as desired.

Garlic Rosemary Dipping Sauce: A Non-recipe

Here's your non-recipe:

Take olive oil, about a cup.

Pour it into a pan and add loads of chopped garlic, chopped, fresh rosemary, freshly ground black pepper, sea salt, and any other spices you feel compelled to add.  Heat over low-medium heat until the garlic is soft, oil is hot, and spices are infused.

NOW, here's the important part.  Take a giant loaf of crusty bread, tear off hunks of it with your fingers, and dip them into the still-warm oil.  Tear, dip, eat; tear, dip, eat; tear, dip, eat; and repeat until the bread is gone, the dipping oil is consumed, or you feel sick, whichever comes first.

Gooey Hot Fudge Sauce

I don't remember from where I copied this, but I'm willing to bet it was a Martha Stewart cookbook from the library when Millie was a baby, and I'm not just saying that so you'll trust me when I say it's divine.

It's divine! (Even Martha thinks so.)

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Combine cream and syrup in a pan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until incorporated and smooth.

Spoon warm (but not hot) over ice cream, cake, or straight into your empty mouth. The unused sauce can be stored in the fridge and will harden enough to be eaten in large, chewy spoonfuls. (Even Martha does this!)

Here's Another Idea! Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Pizza (with Garlic and Basil, Because It's a Pizza)

Here's what it looks like before it's baked, when the basil looks green and inviting instead of dark and withered. (My cookie sheet is loaded with cornmeal because it's my pizza peel; it works like a charm, thank you for asking.)

Anyway, prepare your favorite pizza dough crust. I use this one, because a thin crust couldn't handle the boatload of toppings. This time, as I often do, I substituted whole wheat for half of the flour.

Now, you should also prepare your favorite pizza sauce. Do you want my recipe that's not a recipe and that changes according to my mood or the weather? Here you go.

1 quart of home-canned tomatoes, drained
1 small can of tomato paste
a healthy splash or two of white cooking wine
1-2 tsp. salt
2-4 tsp. sugar
a whole mess of freshly minced garlic (and I do mean a WHOLE MESS-- usually at least 1/2 a head of garlic)
depending on the pizza, I add one or more of the following, to taste
red pepper flakes
whatever fresh or dried herbs I desire (basil, rosemary, oregano, parsley, etc.)

The End.

Oh, wait. I was showing you a pizza with toppings, wasn't I?

Continuing...

So now you should have your favorite dough prepared and your favorite pizza sauce prepared. On to the toppings:

-Roast about 2 red peppers, then remove the ribs, seeds, and skin, before cutting into strips. (I broil mine to roast them. If you've got a gas oven, you can roast them directly over the flames. If you've never done this, please google a real cook who isn't too lazy to give you a tutorial in pictures.)

-Cut an eggplant into slices, about 1/4-inch thick.
Toss the slices in a bowl with some drizzles of olive oil, and then roast in your oven until soft and nicely browned, about 15 minutes, turning once (I quickly broil mine to cut down on time spent.)

-In a pan over medium-low heat, pour a few tablespoons olive oil, a few cloves freshly minced garlic, and a few shakes of red pepper flakes, if desired. Warm until heated through and set aside.

Okay. Shape your pizza dough, top with red sauce, sprinkle with mozzerella cheese (and parmesan cheese, if desired), and then layer on the eggplant slices. Layer the roasted red pepper strips on top of the eggplant, and then drizzle the olive oil/garlic/red pepper (if desired) mixture on top. Place 10-12 fresh, torn basil leaves on top and slide off of your cornmeal-dusted fake pizza peel onto a five-dollar pizza stone (it works like a charm; thank you for asking). Bake in a preheated 500-degree oven for as long as it takes. If you've made pizza before, bake according to your oven's quirks, taking into account the fact that this is a thickly loaded pizza. I have a quirky oven and hesitate to give baking times, for fear that I'll ruin the meal for people with normal ovens.

Enjoy!


The End. For Real This Time.

Streusel-Topped Rhubarb Cake with Vanilla Sauce

I am a lover of rhubarb.

There, I've said it.

Instead of applesauce, every spring I'd eat fresh rhubarb sauce that my mom would spoon steaming into bowls and onto plates. She made rhubarb crisp and rhubarb pie and rhubarb this and rhubarb that, and I loved them all. I'd even munch it plain with a puckered mouth.

This, though, even non-rhubarb lovers can enjoy, 'cause the rhubarb is mixed with enough Other that it loses some potency. And can I just say how weird it is to post pictures I took two summers ago?

Weird.

My mom made this for us when we were living in the off-grid trailer for the summer, so I couldn't immediately make it myself, but if we'd had a wood cookstove at that point, I would have tried. The cake itself is standard-- sweet cake, tart rhubarb, and moist-- but the streusel topping pushes it up a notch, and then the vanilla sauce pushes it right over the edge.

Oh, and the best part of this recipe is its original name-- Special Rhubarb Cake. There's rhubarb in the fridge, and I think I'll make some tonight. Go and do thou likewise. Serve it to someone special today!

Special Rhubarb Cake
adapted by my mother from an unknown (to me) source

Cake
-2 tbsp. butter, softened (no substitutes)
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 c. buttermilk (Again, I'm cheap resourceful and always use sham buttermilk. Add 1 tbsp. vinegar to enough milk to equal one cup, let sit for five minutes, and use as you would buttermilk.)
-2 c. chopped fresh or frozen (and thawed) rhubarb.

Streusel Topping
-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
-1/4 c. sugar
-2 tbsp. butter, melted


Vanilla Sauce
-1/2 c. butter, melted (no substitutes)
-3/4 c. sugar
-1/2 c. evaporated milk
-1 tsp. vanilla extract

*When my mom gave us some of this Special cake, she was out of butter and substituted cream cheese for the butter and some of the evaporated milk, with stellar results. I usually do the same.
Mom's version of "vanilla sauce":
-4 oz. cream cheese, softened
-1+ cup confectionery sugar
-1/4-1/3 c. evaporated milk
-1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract.


In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating just until moistened. Fold in rhubarb. Pour into a greased 9" X 9" pan.

Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

For sauce, melt butter in saucepan. Add sugar and milk. Bring to boil, and cook for 2-3 minutes while stirring until thick. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and drizzle over servings of cake.

For Mom's version of vanilla sauce (a.k.a. Cream Cheese Sauce), beat together cream cheese and confectionery sugar until blended. Beat in evaporated milk and vanilla extract and drizzle over cake.

Cherry Tomato Salad with Feta and Red Wine Vinaigrette

Looking at these pictures makes me miss summer's bounty. Ah, well. This is a fresh tomato salad with a light vinaigrette. And, for heaven's sake, be generous with the feta. When you're treating yourself to feta, you may as well go all out.


Go to the garden (sob!) and pick a generous amount of sweet sungold and cherry tomatoes and some oregano. Slice the tomatoes in half and toss them in the desired amount of the following dressing. Let sit for a bit, top with crumbled feta, and eat. I haven't tried it with dried herbs, but if you do, remember that every tablespoon of a fresh herb is roughly equal to one tsp. of the dried herb.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 cup oil (I think I used a mixture of canola and olive oil)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
finely chopped fresh oregano, to taste, about 1 tsp. (next summer, I'm trying it with basil)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste
pinch of sugar, to taste (about 1/2 tsp.)

Combine all ingredients and let sit for a few hours.

Killer Dill Dip

At least I think so. (And it's perfectly safe to eat, you literalists.)

I made this for Millie's birthday party. Maybe I think it's excellent because I'm a sucker for dill dip, or maybe it's because the crispy, chewy bread Titi brought and with which I pared the dip was tippety-top, or maybe, just maybe, this is a killer dill dip. I dunno which is the truth, but I loved it even so.



4 oz. mayonnaise
4 oz. salad dressing (Miracle Whip kind)
8 oz. sour cream
several tablespoons finely chopped onion
at least 2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
3/4 tsp. sea salt
about 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
about 1/8 tsp. lemon pepper
celery seed, crushed in a coffee grinder, to taste (or, if you're smart and have celery salt in the house, just use that!)

Mix all together until smooth. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight to let flavors meld. Serve with veggies, crackers, etc.

Tomato Spinach Spread

Yes, this is a funny picture. The dip looked so pale and blase that I grabbed a red pepper from the windowsill to add some color to the picture. Just pretend the spread is wearing a giant, red hat.



This is a good vegetable spread and is delicious on well-baked, crusty bread, pita, or veggies. I won't rave over it like I did the dill dip because I prefer the dill dip. Just think of this as the dill dip's shy, little sister sitting in the corner wearing a bright, red hat. Cute, but for those who love ol' Dill, just not as eye-catching.

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 oz. sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne, plus more to taste
dash cumin
dash garlic powder, to taste
a generous tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning
3 giant roma tomatoes, or 2 regular tomatoes, chopped (let juice drain off before adding to the spread)
1 package (10 oz.) frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.
1 small onion, finely chopped

Beat cream cheese, sour cream, milk, and seasonings until smooth. Stir in tomatoes, spinach, and chopped onion. Chill for a few hours to let flavors meld.

Fresh or Canned Salsa

I've given the recipe for Garden Salsa before, but this is a more typical salsa. We love it, and our family (okay, it's mostly just John and I) can easily go through almost a full quart in one night.

When it's fresh, we eat it from a spoon, but we prefer it on chips if it's cooked and canned. (These pictures are of pre-canned, fresh salsa in wan, electric light.)



Salsa

About 12 cups chopped ripe tomatoes (I used a mixture of red and sweet yellow)
About 1 and 1/2 cups finely chopped bell peppers
3 large onions, chopped
about 1/3 pound jalapeno peppers (remove seeds) finely chopped -- Use rubber gloves to avoid burning your hands (Use more or less depending on your tastes and the heat of the peppers. Heat can vary from pepper to pepper, so you might want to add these, to taste.)
about 8 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup white vinegar
fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste (I probably used about 1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons salt (I used coarse ground)
About 1 and 1/2 - 2 tsp. cumin powder
A few hearty shakes chili powder
*additional cayenne powder, to taste
two 8 oz. cans tomato paste, to thicken salsa

If eating as fresh salsa, John and I like less cumin than we like for the cooked. Let your taste buds guide you. (I sound like a culinary Yoda.)

If eating as fresh salsa, which John and I could eat all the livelong day, just make sure the peppers and onions are finely chopped into very small pieces. We used a food processor for this part to make it easier. Also, chop the tomatoes first and let them sit by themselves for several minutes in a large bowl. Then drain off all the extra fluid. I did this several times to avoid a really soupy salsa. If you want to can the salsa, first drain the tomatoes in the same way, and then combine all the ingredients in a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then turn heat to low. Simmer for ten minutes before ladling into hot jars. Leave 1/4 inch head space at the top, adjust caps, and process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. The jars should be covered with water by about an inch, if possible.

Yield: about 7 pint jars

Cardamom Fruit Dip

Sorry. I have no picture of this easy, yummy dip. We used it on apple slices when we had company over, and it disappeared pretty fast. Next time, perhaps...

4 tbsp. cream cheese, softened
liberal dashes of ground cardamom, to taste (1/2 tsp.?)
lemon or vanilla extract, or both, to taste
granulated sugar, to taste
sour cream, about 8-12 oz.

Blend together the softened cream cheese and the sour cream. Stir in the sugar until incorporated, and then add flavorings, to taste. We've only used this on apple slices, but I think it would be equally good on grapes and bananas.

Sour Cherry Sauce for Ham

This is a most excellent fruit sauce for ham. My mom's been serving it to us every holiday ham dinner since I can remember, and the tart sweetness of the sauce combined with the salty sweetness of the ham is heavenly. I'd love to give you her exact recipe, but I can't, because she doesn't have one. Here's the basic idea, though, thanks again to the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

A jar of sour cherries, canned by Mopsy, pitted and drained (Okay, I guess the cherries don't have to come from my mom)
3 tbsp. brown sugar
4 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash of ground cloves
1 cup apple juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
a few drops of red food coloring, opt.

In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir in apple juice, vinegar, and, if desired, food coloring. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in as many of the drained cherries as looks right (the cookbook recommends 16 oz.). Heat through. Serve warm spooned over ham. Makes 2 and 1/4 cups sauce.

Spiced Honey Glaze for Ham

The glaze I used for the ham this year couldn't be simpler, and it's yummy, to boot. Any amount of brown sugar, honey, butter, and cloves could be used, depending on which flavor you want to be most pronounced, and a bit of ground mustard could also be added.

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp. cloves, plus more to taste
a few smidges of ground mustard
dash nutmeg

Increase these amounts depending on the size of your ham, and before placing ham into the oven, stud it all over with whole cloves.

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, while stirring, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

Baste the ham with the glaze before placing in the oven and continue to baste about every fifteen minutes until the ham is done. (I wasn't home to do this, so I just basted it once at the beginning and then liberally slapped more on when I got home for the last 1/2 hour of cooking.) The heat may be turned up for the last ten minutes or so of cooking time if the glaze hasn't caramelized sufficiently.

Blueberry Sauce

Clarence Scrivner of Hartsburg, Missouri sent this recipe into a cookbook and called it Blueberry Sauce Supreme. Thanks, Clarence. It has a hint of orange due to the concentrate, and it works well over the crepes. Reduce the sugar if you desire, perhaps to 1/4 cup.

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

In a saucepan, combine sugar, orange juice concentrate, and cornstarch; stir until smooth. Add blueberries and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Spoon over crepes and serve.

Chiles Rellenos

*Edit: We've since made this using hot peppers AND regular ol' green garden peppers, which pleases the younger set of the family enormously. It's a yummy way to use up a bounty of peppers and is received better than the more common and infamous "stuffed peppers."


Not only does John think my chiles rellenos are better than those of the fancy-schmancy Mexican restaurant in the city, but this is one of his most favorite meals now. The humdinger is that I found myself surprised by the fact that it is now also one of my favorites. I've been craving it, and if we had hot peppers hiding in our snow-shrouded garden and if I was excited about gaining 20 more pounds in the next two months, I'd eat this meal a few times a week.

These really are delicious, and the sauce is so good, I could happily eat it plain. The batter around the peppers is an unusual one for me, made only of eggs. It is light and airy, with an almost spongy consistency, rather than the thicker coating that one usual finds in fried foods. The sauce is a heavenly mixture of spicy and sweet. (I'm hungry just thinking about it.) And the rice? Well...it's rice!

@ 6 Poblano and 4 Anaheim peppers (or the equivalent amount of others), roasted and seeds and skin removed
6-8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese (we just use part of an 8 oz. block from Aldi), cut into sticks nearly the length of the peppers
6 eggs, separated
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
canola oil, for frying

Remove the stems and seeds from the peppers and roast before removing the skins. Mix the flour and salt in a small bowl. (Meanwhile, prepare rice and sauce. I usually cook up 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups dry rice.) Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold in yolks. Heat canola oil in fryer or in deep pot on the stove, to a two-inch minimum depth. When oil sizzles when a pinch of flour is dropped into it, it is hot enough. Wrap peppers around cheese, roll in the flour mixture, and carefully coat with the egg batter. Drop in the oil and fry until golden brown on each side. Drain on paper towels and then set aside on a wire cooling rack on top of a rimmed cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven to remain hot until all peppers are done.

Serve over rice and top with sauce. Eat immediately, and then scoop out seconds.

* The first time I made this, I used jalepenos from our garden. Too hot! The last two times our garden was barren, and we bought Poblano and Anaheim peppers. Some were too mild, perhaps the Anaheim. For ease of preparation, Poblanos are best, because they are the biggest and easier to wrap completely around the cheese.

* I find the easiest way to roast peppers is to simply broil them close the the heat until the skin is charred and bubbly. Turn them for even roasting, and then the skin is easy to remove. (There are internet tutorials with pictures somewhere, too; I'm just not good enough to provide them!)

* When working with hot peppers, one should use gloves, as the acid from them can burn fingers and hands. I know from experience that this is no old wive's tale...



Red Sauce

About 20 small romas, peeled and seeded (The first time, I used our garden goods, but the last two times, I used the equivalent of home-canned tomatoes-- perhaps a quart and a half-- with excellent results. I left in some of the liquid so that I could simmer the sauce down and let the flavors meld.)
one onion, chopped
8 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
olive oil
1 tsp. salt.
@ 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I've noticed the last several times, I've added more than this, to taste)
several shakes ground cloves
ground cayenne, to taste
a few shakes of garlic powder, to taste

Saute onion in a bit of olive oil until tender. Add garlic and spices and saute for about 30 seconds to a minute. Add tomatoes, break them down with a spoon, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until sauce is reduced to your liking.

* If using fresh tomatoes- ah, summer!- then pop the tomatoes in boiling water for about one minute before slipping them out of their skins. I don't bother with the seeding for either fresh or canned tomatoes. Just dump 'em in; no one will notice except Martha, and I doubt she's eating at any of our places on a regular basis.

The Best Home-Baked, Thin-Crusted Pizza Yet

This is completely and totally not an original recipe, and I'm so glad I stumbled across it. Many thanks to Deb of Smitten Kitchen!

John grew up eating really, really good thin-crust pizza from local Italian places on Long Island. The puffy, thick-pepperoni-ed upstate NY pizzas were a new experience for him, and, honestly, having now tasted those really, really good downstate pizzas myself, I can say there's no comparison. Upstate pizzerias aren't necessarily bad, and some are downright wonderful (Mama Guiseppa's, we laud you for your upstate presence!), but the yummy dough and tomato sauce that most serve doesn't compare to thin-crust pizza with from-scratch sauce.

This isn't really like that pizza, either, but it's the best homemade pizza I've ever made, and I'll keep making it until (if) something better comes along.

We double/triple the following. If you have more than two people living in your household, you'll have to do the same.
*My notes in italics

[Deb's] Pizza, Updated

Yield: One small, thin-crust pizza

Dough
6 tablespoons warm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more water)
2 tablespoons white wine (I use white cooking wine)
¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
½ teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups flour

Assembly
Cornmeal for sprinkling
Flour for dusting counter
½ pound torn-up buffalo mozzarella (as much as I'd like to do the same, we use the cheapest, regular mozzarella available in bulk. For shame!)
Few leaves of torn-up basil

Of course, top this as you would any other pizza, with your choice of favorites.

Whisk wine, water and yeast in a medium bowl until yeast has dissolved. Add honey, salt and olive oil and stir. Add flour and no matter how dry it looks, work it with a spoon and your fingers until it comes together as a dough. Add more water one tablespoon at a time if you need, but in my experience, this is almost never necessary.

Sprinkle some flour on the counter and knead the dough for a minute or two.

If you’re like me and always trying to reduce the number of dirty dishes left at the end of the night, wash the bowl you made the dough in, dry it and coat the inside with olive oil. Put the dough in, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for an hour or up to two, until it is doubled.

[Easiest way to tell if a dough has risen enough? Dip two fingers in flour, press them into the dough, and if the impression stays, it’s good to go. If it pops back, let it go until it doesn’t.]

Meanwhile, make some sauce [recipe below].

Preheat your oven to its highest temperature. If you have a pizza stone, sprinkle it with cornmeal and put it in the oven. Otherwise, sprinkle a baking pan with the same.

Once the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a floured counter and gently deflate the dough with the palm of your hands. Form it into a ball and let it rest on a floured spot with either plastic wrap over it (sprinkle the top of the dough with flour so it doesn’t stick) or an upended bowl. In 15 minutes, it is ready to roll out.

Do so on the floured counter until pretty darn thin, then lift it onto a cornmeal-sprinkled baking sheet or pizza paddle. Add the sauce, torn-up mozzarella and slivers of fresh basil.

Slide the pizza from the paddle to your preheated pizza stone, or just put the baking sheet in the oven as is.

Bake for about 10 minutes, checking at 7. Slice and serve immediately.

[Deb's] Moderately Easy Tomato Sauce

4 roma tomatoes
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced (I use more garlic than this)
Pinch of red pepper flakes (Ground cayenne, to taste, will also work)
Splash of white wine (again, I just use cooking wine)
½ teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt

Bring medium pot of water to a boil. Poach the tomatoes for one minute only, and then drain them. As soon as they are cooled off enough that you can touch them, peel them. The peels should come right off. If they don’t, make a slit in the skins. This always does the trick.

Drain and dry the pot. Put it back on the burner over medium heat. Pour in olive oil and let it heat completely before adding the garlic and stirring it for a minute with a wooden spoon. Add the red pepper flakes and stir it for anther minute. You do not want the garlic to brown. Put the peeled tomatoes in the pot, along with the wine, sugar and salt. Break the tomatoes up with your spoon.

Let the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down. Carefully taste without burning your tongue and adjust seasonings, if necessary.

Makes enough for one small/medium pizza.

Abby again with the italics:
* I love having extra sauce for dipping, and I hate not having quite enough for the dough, so I usually make one and a half or twice the amount of sauce.
* During the summer, I used fresh garden tomatoes, but this winter, I've used the equivalent of home-canned tomatoes, and it's just as yummy.

*** THE LAST TIME I MADE THIS, inspired by Mama Guiseppa's, I topped the sauce and cheese with very thinly sliced, fresh garlic cloves. John said it was the best pizza I'd ever made, and as I like garlic, I agreed.

Cumin-spiked Hummus

I created this at two in the morning the first time, and guests loved it. The second time, I made it a day ahead, and people still requested the recipe, so I assure you that you can make it at anytime of the day, and it will be tasty.

2 15-oz. cans garbanzo beans, juice reserved
4-5 plump cloves fresh garlic, finely minced or pressed
a few tablespoons tahini
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 and 1/2 tsp. ground cumin, to taste
@ 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
@ 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (in wonderful summertime) or a tsp. dried parsley.
a few pinches of sea salt, to taste
generous drizzle of olive oil
reserved garbanzo juice



Puree garbanzo beans until smooth. Add garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and remaining spices, and puree again. Add olive oil while pureeing and add as much reserved garbanzo juice as needed to make the desired consistency. Serve with crackers or pita wedges.

*I usually taste-test this before adding the reserved garbanzo juice, because sometimes it needs another splash or two of lemon juice first.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Feta

This past harvest, we had a bumper crop of peppers from all the seedlings that soaked up sun from the bathroom window, and I roasted a few boxes of red peppers for the first time ever, having an abundance of yummy looking recipes that I've never made because- heavens!- I certainly wouldn't buy the things in those expensive little jars! This dip is okay. I don't know if it's only okay because it's not a stunner or because the taste of roasted red peppers just isn't something I like best as a dip. We'll have to see as I use all the red peppers I froze in other recipes.



My one regret is using so much precious feta cheese in it. There are several things I drool over but only splurge on a couple of times a year-- heavy cream, mushrooms, bacon, and feeeeetaaaa. I love feta cheese and would rather have used it crumbled plain in a Greek salad than in dip. Now I know!

If you have had- and know you like- roasted red peppers in a dip, then let me know if this one is any good. I don't have enough experience to know better!

Slightly more than 2 cups roasted red peppers
@ 1 tsp. sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
@ 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, freshly pressed
@ 5 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
a few hearty dashes of ground cayenne
1 tsp. lemon juice
olive oil, if desired, for consistency

Puree all the ingredients together. Taste and see if it is good. If so, let me know; if it's only okay, let me know that, too, so that I can edit the title:
"Okay Roasted Red Pepper Dip with Feta"

Curry Dip

I tasted some curry dip at Zach and Sarah's wedding and couldn't get enough of it. I came home and made some of my own, and it's good, so here's the recipe. Please, though, if any of you know of a good curry dip, please share it in the comments! I'm craving some right now, and I'd love to try a tried and true recipe from someone.

This is great on steamed vegetables, raw vegetables (cauliflower, beans, carrots, broccoli, etc.) and is hard to resist on pretzel sticks.

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tsp. curry (add this to taste, depending on the strength of your curry blend)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. minced onion
1 tablespoon chopped green onion tops
@ 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
sugar, to taste (@1/2-1 tablespoon)

Stir together and refrigerate for a few hours until flavors have blended.