Pizza Competition

I'M BACK!

Tis been a year, and this blog is veritably gathering dust!
But now that I'm at the Culinary Institute of America, there is so much to blog about! I will commence a weekly newsblast, about goodness-knows-what-I-guess-we'll-just-find-out-eh?

For starters, today there was a pizza competition!




Announced over a month ago, many students have been practicing their recipes for the Sunday where they'll be churning out around 20 pizzas to feed the sampling multitudes! There were 6 contestant teams, each with an individual recipe, and a different marketing approach, it was so neat!
The grand prize is a $1000 scholarship, so everyone's best foot is forward in this!
All the tasting students vote for one group each, and democracy crowns the victor!

When you entered into Farquharson Hall (the CIA's grand eating hall), there was Italian bistro music going in the background, accordion and all. The usual tables were cleared away to have lots of very tall bistro tables with the red checkered cloths!
Bistros are you know, those little restaurants beside the roads with the little round tables outside?

When you entered, to have your appetite going, there were fruit and cheese upon

Behold the wheels of aged goodness! (Namely the Gorgonzola!)




Now, to pizza!
The first team were going a Paris Bistro style.



Their pizza was delicious, definitely the most sweet due to the summer vegetables, and they drizzled it with some flavoured oil mixture just before serving, so it was quite a juicy little bite!
Before even tasting theirs, I was very inclined to vote for them because of their beautiful thematic framing of their little stage.
And no, not just because they had my Remi on their menu!



The next group, Napoli, had a margarita sauce on a thin crust with fresh basil and a little mozzarella. Their sauce was the most outstanding of them all, and won them constant comments (not the tea) from my friends whenever I asked them which was their favourite of those tasted so far. (None of us tasted them in order, just go wherever the lines are shortest!)

Group 3 were the Italians. Very vivacious and laughing, with whoever hadn't grown a moustache was wearing a fake one. They had collages of photos of famous people through time with moustaches, and that was their team name too.
They had a pizza similar to Napoli, but their crust was phenomenal. They had pizza-dough-making down flat. And that matters a lot with pizza, the crust more than the topping for many people.

The 4th group had deep dish pizza, little tart-shaped pizzas and some big ones they sliced up. I found them too bready and in the filling there was too much sausage to tomato sauce, so that made it feel even drier to chew.

The 5th group, with whom I had previously watched make try-outs two weeks before,
had the same delicious pizza I remembered sampling at midnight a fortnight ago.
Very complicated topping, with homemade spicy Italian sausage, a delicious sauce, spicy pesto, with shaved parmiggiano-reggiano on top. If that's not enough, they then put little dollops of ricotta mixed with mint and honey here and there to freshen the palate. Scrumptious is the perfect word.



I know, wow! Imagine having a good bit more to go round! So much pizza everywhere here! And when the competition was over, these blokes still had another four going through the oven!



Yum.

The last one went Pacific I believe, because they were dressed hula-hula style.

They had an artechoke and pancetta (an Italian cured bacon) pizza, with a bechamel (a thick white) sauce and provolone on top. It was a very rich pizza, I must say, quite a wholesome mouthful!

When it came to voting, I had to go for my friends. It was stiff for me between them and the Ratatouille (because of their delicious topping and great ambiance!)
But I went for Group 5.

When it came to the end, guess who the winners were?
The Italians!
Not only did they receive first place ($1000), but they received an award for best presentation and attitude ($250) and another People's Choice award! ($300)
It was truly a sunny day for them!
Ratatouille came in second, and my friends received third place, ($250). But they were happy about it, it was their first go at a competition, and they left with a good bit!

And then Ratatouille received special recognition for their professionalism and their demeanour well respresenting the college. So bravo for them!



Oh, and just before the judgings, there was a pizza dough working competition. Three groups of two students gave a shot at who could roll out the best pizza dough in three minutes with their bare hands!
It was fun to watch!


And then everyone dissipated gradually to do their homework for Monday.

Don't forget some cheese and grapes on the way out, though!

Aussie Sausage Rolls

These are a very popular snack in Australia and New Zealand, so for me, it's a bit of home!

Everyone loves homemade sausage rolls and these ones taste extra good, especially with a good dollop of tomato sauce.

They are the easiest things to make, and you can to whatever to the filling. Add Worchestershire sauce, perhaps chilli, anything!



Enjoy!



Cooking Time
20 minutes

Makes
16

Ingredients
300g beef mince
1 small brown onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled, grated
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
1 tablespoon milk
tomato sauce, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine mince, onion, carrot, egg, parsley, dried herbs and pepper in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Cut pastry sheets in half.
Shape one-quarter of the mince mixture into a sausage and place along 1 long edge of pastry. Roll up pastry to enclose mince mixture. Cut roll into 4. Place, seam side down, on prepared tray. Repeat with remaining mince mixture and pastry.
Brush sausage roll tops with milk. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and puffed. Allow to cool on tray for 5 minutes. Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Boeuf Bourguignon

The signature dish of Julia Child, or at least one of her most famed dishes, this is a masterpiece of beef cuisine. I've made it several times to date, and it always comes out smashing!

This fabulous French beef stew has the strong flavours of red wine, mushrooms and onion. It should be prepared a bit in advance of the meal, so the beef is nice and tender. It's very hard to go wrong with this meal, because of the strength of the flavours.

Very filling and very delicious; the aroma is ridiculously irresistable!




Yield: Makes 8 servings
Active Time: 1 1/4 hr
Total Time: 4 1/4 hr

1/4 pound thick-sliced bacon
3 pounds boneless beef chuck
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brandy
1 (4-inch) piece of celery
4 fresh parsley stems (no leaves)
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves (not California)
2 cloves
2 onions, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine (preferably Burgundy or Côtes du Rhône)
1 pound small (1 1/2-inch) boiling onions or pearl onions
1pound mushrooms, quartered if large

Accompaniment: peeled boiled potatoes tossed with butter and parsley

Cook bacon in boiling salted water 3 minutes, then drain.
Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Divide flour and beef between 2 (1-quart) sealable plastic bags, seal, then shake to coat meat.
Heat 1‚ tablespoons oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown beef well on all sides in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding, adding remaining ‚ tablespoon oil as needed. Transfer to a bowl.
Pour off any excess oil from pot, then add brandy to pot. Deglaze by boiling over high heat 1 minute, stirring and scraping up brown bits, then pour over beef.
Tie celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and cloves together with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni (tuck cloves into celery so they don’t fall out).
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in cleaned pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté bacon, stirring, 2 minutes. Add chopped onions, garlic, and carrots, then sauté, stirring, until onions are pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, meat with juices, and bouquet garni and simmer gently, partially covered, until meat is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
While meat simmers, blanch boiling onions in boiling salted water 1 minute and drain in a colander. Rinse under cold running water, then peel.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saut
 boiling onions, stirring occasionally, until browned in patches. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups water (1 1/2 cups if using pearl onions), then simmer, partially covered, until onions are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat remaining tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saut
 mushrooms, stirring, until golden brown and any liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir onions and mushrooms into stew and cook 10 minutes. Remove bouquet garni and skim any fat from surface of stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Cooks' note:
·Boeuf bourguignon may be made 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, then chill, covered (it tastes even better made ahead because it gives the flavors time to develop). If making ahead, it's easier to remove fat from surface after chilling.

Bruschetta!

Viva Italia.



Bruschetta (broo-skeh-tuh) is the delicious Italian of lightly sauteed vegetable on crusty bread.
So easy and so delicious!
Can be served as little appetisers, or bunched together into a delicious meat-free main course!

Using fresh ciabatta is optimal, but I'm relaly big on whole-wheat bread, so when I made this, I used what was on hand, as you can see. Still tasted grrreat!

An even simpler version is merely having the fresh veg on the bread dressed with olive oil.
Simpler than that, apparently the original original bruschetta is only tomato.

I'm a little into fine dining, so I can't help throwing in the multi-coloured peppers, capers

***

Sweet Pepper Medley Bruschetta

1/4 medium red onion, diced
1 sweet red capsicum (aka bell pepper), diced
1 sweet yellow capsicum, diced
1 green capsicum, diced
3 garlic buds
1 T capers
1 small tomato (or 1/2 large one), diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
a drizzle of lemon juice
8-10 slices of ciabatta , may use baguette or any form of bread
Garlic buds for bread flavouring
oil
salt
Fresh basil

Sautee the onion until soft, about 5 mins, then toss in the coloured peppers.
Sautee until peppers are little soft. Not squishy, mind you.
Add the garlic, capers and tomato, then take it off the heat. (Or the tomato may go a-smush)
Remove all and place in a bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of salt (to taste).

Brush both sides of each baguette slice with oil and brown in a skillet over low-medium heat until golden brown on each side.
Take garlic bud and rub the bread to give it a good flavour.

Dice up garlic bud remnant and toss into mixture.

Top baguette with diced vegetables. Sprinkle with a little more oil (if desired) and a smackerel of fresh basil (irreplaceable). Enjoy!

Indian Tomato Soup and Chapati Breads

A warm and soothing supper, very light and completely healthy!
Perfect for a cold winter night, as it was tonight for us!

If you weren't previously aware, I'm really into wholesome and healthy eating; it's such a better way to live. Sure you can consume sugars and all, but it's just kept to a minimum. Life is good this way, full of colour and flavour, and free of guilt, that extra midrift padding and you're simply chipper!
Ahem... anyway! Moving on!

The tomato soup is nice and light, no cream or anything, just good tomato flavour.
The chapati is usually half-white half-wholewheat flours, but I just replaced both with white whole wheat. Haha!

The way I organise it is I make the chapati dough, and when it is setting (it takes 30-45 minutes), I make the soup. When the soup is finished simmering, I fry up the bread as I blend up the soup.

CHAPATI BREAD

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour *
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup hot water or as needed


METHOD

1. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and salt. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the olive oil and enough water to make a soft dough that is elastic but not sticky. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until it is smooth. Divide into 10 parts, or less if you want bigger breads. Roll each piece into a ball. Let rest for 30-45 minutes. (This is when I make the soup; then set it on the simmer. I fry the bread when the soup is ready.)

2. Heat a skillet over medium heat until hot, and grease lightly. On a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out the balls of dough until very thin like a tortilla. When the pan starts smoking, put a chapati on it. Cook until the underside has brown spots, about 30 seconds, then flip and cook on the other side. Continue with remaining dough.


INDIAN TOMATO SOUP

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. of ripe tomatoes remove seeds, peeled and chopped*
2 tbsp of Olive Oil
1 Onion chopped
1 Clove of garlic crushed
1 Small red pepper chopped (optional)
4 Cups of chicken or vegetable stock
2 oz of tomato paste
1/4 cup of Basil

*I used a 28 oz. can of diced tomato


METHOD

Heat the oil in a heavy pan, cook the onion, garlic and red pepper till soft.
Add the tomato and cook another 10 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool slightly and put the mixture in a blender until it is smooth.
Return to the pan and heat gradually.
Add the fresh basil to the tomato soup, cook 2 minutes and serve.

Enjoy together, yum yum!

Cucumber Cups with Smoked Trout Mousse, Lemon and Dill

These are the most refreshing hors d'oeuvres I know of and have used them on multiple occasions. The cucumber cups are the easiest thing to make; half the time I don't even do the scooping from the centre of the slice, which at times they may be termed more appropriately 'Cucumber Platters' than 'Cups'.



I loved it whenever people saw these green circles topped with the beige, gold and green being set out on the hors d'oeuvres table and asked what they were.
The mere sound of 'herring mousse' sent 'oohs' and 'aahs' through the room.
It sounded so bourgeois. But it's so incredibly simple! It's all in the name, as I frequently say.

The herring mousse has a strong flavour, so I would lend this recipe towards a more adult reception. Especially if there are spicy appetizers available nearby, or people are having relatively strong drinks, these are fit in as truly lovely and soothing.

When making the mousse, add the herring in ever so gradually, tasting it to ensure you don't ruin the mousse by too strong a flavour. Yes, I did just that! Thankfully with a further addition of lemon juice and cream cheese it evened out, but I had far more mousse than I needed! Fortunately we had two other occasions coming up, so I was able to use it then. It keeps quite well in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I'd recommend, to make things easier, to make the mousse up to 1 day in advance. Cover and refrigerate it of course, and fill the cucumber cups up to 1 hour before serving.
The cucumber cups themselves can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Call me strange, but I never liked cucumber until just recently I did; and for no reason either. It was the oddest thing; all my life they've made me awkwardly nautious, but then suddenly one day a few months ago I tried them and "Delicious, this is more refreshing than watermelon!" And I haven't let it go since.
It must have been my Mother's cuisine and use of it, I'm sure; she can make anything taste delicious. Honestly, until I tasted her peas-bacon-cashew-and-gruyere salad, I thought I would never appreicate blue cheese. I love my her!



CUCUMBER CUPS WITH SMOKED TROUT

Makes 20

1/4 lb smoked herring
1/2 Cup cream cheese
1/2 t grated lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
cayenne pepper

1 recipe cucumber cups (recipe below)
1 tsp paprkia for dusting
20 super-thin lemon peel slices to garnish
20 dill sprigs to garnish*

ESSENTIAL EQUIPTMENT
piping bag with a large star tip

*I used dried dill from my spice cupboard instead; we didn't have sprigs available, and it still gave a nicely added texture.


Method

Place cream cheese, zest and juice in a food processor or blender; pulse to a smooth paste. Add herring gradually, not using all of it, or using more to taste.
Add cayenne pepper to taste.
Fill piping bag with mousse and pipe into cucumber cups.
Dust with paprika and garnish with dill sprigs and curled lemon peel.



CUCUMBER CUPS

Makes 20

1 cucumber

ESSENTIAL EQUIPTMENT
1 1/2-inch fluted pastry cutter, melon baller

Cut cucumber into about 20 3/4-thick slices. Cut each slice with the pastry cutter.
Using the melon baller, scoop out the soft centres to make cups, leaving a 1/4-inch layer as a base.

You can make these cups up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Phyllo Tartlets with Spicy Cilantro Shrimp

Sweet, spicy, easy to make and with a cooling little crunch!


Invited to an hors d'oeuvres party at a friend's home, choosing to bring this recipe was sure to be pleasantly spicy variation to the array of fancy nibbles.

This has a delicious main flavour of sweet chilli sauce, with a touch of refreshing cilantro to help soothe the tang. We had no sweet chilli sauce available, so I made some fresh. It carmelised and failed miserably, so I tried again with the help of my Mother, and consequently it came out beautifully. She has such incredible talent, the way she can turn things around!

I assembled these tartlets upon arriving at my host's home otherwise the sauce would have soaked the phyllo tartlets. And that wouldn't have been very good.
If you are using frozen cooked shrimp, as I did, defrost in a colander. When defrosted, squeeze out water with your hands and pat dry with paper towels.

You'd want to make the filling a day in advance, covering it and leaving it in the refrigerator. Then fill the tartlets up to 45 minutes before serving.


FILO TARTLETS WITH SPICY SHRIMP

Makes 20

Ingredients

2 t sesame seeds
1/4 lb medium shrimp, cooked and peeled
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
5 T Thai sweet chilli sauce
20 phyllo tartlets *

*I admit I purchased them from the store. Extremely handy and there's a library of fillings to choose from for them!


Method

Toast seeds in a dry pan over low heat until golden brown, 3 minutes.
Combine shrimp, cilantro, and chilli sauce.
Spoon into tartlets and garnish with toasted seeds.

So simple.
Enjoy!