Dough -a-Dear Me!

i have a bit to catch up on, but we'll start with foods from a few weeks ago!
i have to admit that in the summer months i really don't like to cook as much, because it's hot and sticky, and because we're off doing activities and i don't want to stop playing. some of my fave things to eat in the summer are fairly simple and require little prep. salads are great, if you don't mind the choppping. i adapted a couple different pasta recipes to make this fabulous orzo pasta salad, my version is on the side, but i used a bit from giada and the barefoot contessa. i love to have corn on the cob with a loaf of bakery fresh bread, and serve some amazing fruit and maybe a little cheese on the side. also, i love the "treat" dinner, and so do the kids! usually, that consists of ice cream in some variety and occasionally it means a trip to dq or other local soft-serve location. sandwiches are one of my all-time favorite things to eat, but glenny makes them better! let's see, so many ways to eat them: definitely start off with good bread, or toast regular sandwich bread, then we are a complete mayo family (be gone ye zip of the m. whip!) and we use a variety of mustards depending on the innerds of the 'wich, and quite often we don't use (or have) "lunch meat" so we veg up our bread with avocado, tomato, red onion, and a good cheese. i love fontina, smoked gouda (not so much the regular, what's up with that?), maple-infused cheddar, seriously aged white cheddar, and for fun monterey jack WITH the peppers. i like to put sliced tart apples on mine, and usually a bit of balsamic vinegar or try champagne vinegar--very tasty! i made this uber-delicious pork sandwich and it's sooooo good! definitely use individual rolls instead of the loaf of bread. and glenn is anti-horseradish so i used dijon, and skipped the lettuce. this is a messy meal, but amazing! and also try the simple pork recipe on its own with some good crusty bread and fresh fruit and a spinach salad. now let's talk dough! i have a really good white bread recipe that i got from liz, and i use it to make scones, and rolls and even wheat bread, of course i use half wheat flour then, and it's so moist! look for it on the side. and bread dough brings me to my discussion topic: pizza. i use a pretty decent dough recipe (not liz's, although she says i need a better one), and par-bake it with some basting oil on the dough-- on my pizza stone (a must for certain), then i use a homemade sauce, some diced FRESH mozzarella, and parmiggiano-reggiano, and i top it off with choppped tomatoes (sometimes) and a sprinkle of italian seasoning and finish the cooking process. we like our pizza, and it is definitely better than the pizza they sell here in buffalo--not to offend those buffalonians who like the pizza here--but it just seems like everything is about the same, mostly tomatoey tasting, fairly cheap (or really cheap), with poor quality toppings. we like the cheap, but it's not worth it. we miss pizza from home! the organic and amazing hot lips hawaiian with the FRESH pineapple, the perfect pizza a fetta pepperoni with the sauce i am trying to duplicate (at cannon beach), the amazing wheat crust (and regular too) and the most amazing pepperoni's ever at flying pie, and the all-around yumminess from pizza schmizza. oh, the pizza envy we have for you still at home! but until i can afford to fed-ex a pie or 2, i'm looking for some good sauce tips. we like fresh made and with layers of flavor! give 'em to me folks!

Just a Minute....

ok, so i've been in my own little non-blogging world, but i have been cooking! and as soon as i relearn how to post a link i'll put up all the new tasties! you'll have to wait a day or so, until the kids go to sleep, and i finish my "vacation" laundry, but i promise you'll love all the new stuff when i get going again! just you wait....