Home Style Pizza
Contrary to popular belief, there have been occasions where I have actually been at home cooking a meal! During shelter-in-place is one of those times.
It’s true, however, I do spend a lot of time, probably 90% of my time, either on the road doing travel eating, or hanging out locally at bar-restaurants eating and drinking! Oddly enough, I rarely drink at home.
I’m a social drinker and for the most part, a social eater. I love being in the company of friends and I like meeting new people. Sometimes, I will sit alone and observe people, especially in Las Vegas! It’s free entertainment! And a source of writing material for me.
I love eating pizza! And when I’m not in a restaurant eating pizza, I’m making pizza at home. Cold pizza for breakfast is super amazing to my taste buds! I have a couple of home recipes for pizza dough. Sometimes, just because I’m lazy, I will buy pre-made dough or packaged dough in a powder form.
One pizza I like making at home is the oyster mushroom pizza and It’s simple to make. On the skin (pizza dough) I put down olive oil. I spread the oil over the entire skin. Then I add a hefty layer of smoked mozzarella cheese, thin slices of garlic and a spread of chopped oyster mushrooms. It’s the smoked cheese that makes this pizza taste amazing! No sauce involved with this pie.
Now, you might be asking yourself, Paul, what the hell do you know about making pizza. Well, back in the days before my law enforcement life, I worked for a pizza company for 2 years. I was the guy who did all the food prep, including making the pizza skins every morning. I prepped and cooked all of the sauces for the pizza, spaghetti, meatballs and lasagna. I cooked chicken, ribs, spaghetti, meatballs and lasagna dishes. And, yes, I made and cooked pizza. So there you have it!
Here is one of my dough recipes:
1 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast, 1 tps honey, 1 cup warm water, 2 1/2 cups flour (your choice of flour), 2 tbsp oil (your choice), 1 tps salt. If you don’t have or don’t like honey you can substitute it with sugar or leave it out all together.
In a bowl: mix yeast, honey and warm water. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes, until frothy. You can use a dish towel as the cover.
Add flour, salt and oil. Mix and knead until dough is well mixed. Shape into a ball and let it rest again for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Using a roller, or your hand, flatten and shape the dough into any shape you want and any thickness you want. To prevent the dough from sticking to everything you can dust flour on the dough, on your roller and hands. If you are skilled at tossing the dough (which I’m NOT) then go for it! You can use a pizza pan or a cookie sheet to cook your pizza. If you need more dough (this recipe is for one 12″ skin) then double or triple the ingredients.
Now you are ready to put your toppings and sauce mix on the skin. First on the skin is the sauce followed by mozzarella cheese. After that I add the salami, sausage, artichoke hearts, mushrooms and olives (in that order). The final toppings are cheddar and parmesan cheese.
Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees and bake your pizza until skin is brown and your toppings are cooked.
My other favorite pizza to make at home is a more general combo style pizza. Salami, sausage, portobello mushrooms (you can use any type mushroom), artichoke hearts, black olives, red pizza sauce, regular mozzarella, sharp cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese.
For my red sauce: one 16 oz can of tomato sauce, one 6 oz can of tomato paste, dry Italian spices such as oregano, thyme and basil. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix thoroughly, making sure the lumpy tomato paste is smoothly incorporated with the tomato sauce. That’s it! Now you are ready to apply the sauce to the pizza skin.
You can also buy pizza sauce at your local grocery store if you are not into making it yourself.
Meat Sauce Lasagna
Good old fashion meat sauce lasagna was a dish common in my family growing up. At least once a month we had homed baked lasagna.
3 layers of ricotta cheese, lasagna pasta, mozzarella and the meat sauce. Mozzarella, cheddar cheese and parmesan on top. Bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes or so…until the center is done.
In the pan or glass baking dish, I put a spread of meat sauce on the bottom. I add my first layer of pasta and cover the entire bottom. I spread meat sauce on top of the pasta followed by a drop (teaspoon full) of ricotta cheese spaced out evenly until the surface is covered. Each ricotta drop should be spaced out about 1″ to 1 1/2″ from each other. Add a layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat this process 2 more times. When you get to the top add sauce, mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan cheeses.
My red sauce: two 16 oz cans of tomato sauce, 12 oz of tomato paste. Typically, that would be two 6 oz cans of tomato paste. Italian dry spice trio: thyme, oregano and basil. Salt, pepper, fresh chopped garlic and chopped onions (prior to adding the garlic and onions, throw them into a pan, cook until they sweat, then add them into the mix) Add a lot of red wine! If you need a measured amount of wine start with 1/2 cup. Need more? Go to 1 cup etc.
I add 2 lbs of ground beef (optional). In a pan, brown the ground beef with salt and pepper. Drain the fat and add it to your sauce.
For my vegetarian friends, you can turn this meat sauce into a veggy sauce. Skip the meat and have at it!
Mix all the ingredients together and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool it down. Now you are ready to apply it to your lasagna. Don’t forget to boil your lasagna pasta prior to baking or it will be a horrible experience for you! I know people who had that experience. Don’t be one of those people! I use 1 box of lasagna pasta for this dish.
Meat Sauce Spaghgetti
Spaghetti was more frequent in my house growing up. My dad was the main maker of spaghetti dinner in the household. I suspect it was his favorite dish only because we ate it once a week. I took his version of it and added other ingredients overtime. My dad’s version was very basic in flavor: Oregano, salt, pepper and tomato sauce. That was it!
My spaghetti red sauce: Two 16 oz cans of tomato sauce, one 6 oz can of tomato paste. The trio of dry Italian spices: oregano, thyme and basil. Fresh chopped garlic and chopped onions (prior to adding the garlic and onions, throw them into a pan, cook until they sweat, then add them to the mix). Add salt, pepper and 2 tbsp of freeze dried coffee. This helps balance out the acidity.
I add a lot of wine. If you need a measured amount of wine, start with a 1/2 cup, need more? Try 1 cup of wine. Still not enough, pour as much as you think you want!
I add 2 lbs of ground beef and 3 beer bratwurst sausages (optional). In a pan, cook the 3 sausages until done. Add it to your sauce either cut into large pieces or whole. Using the same pan, brown the ground beef, add salt and pepper, drain the fat and add to your sauce.
Mix ingredients together and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or more. My recipe is not an all day simmer recipe. But if you feel better about letting it simmer for a longer period of time please do. Again, for my vegetarian friends, leave the meat out!
My dad loved the regular sized spaghetti pasta. Me, not so much. I like the thin spaghetti or the angel hair pasta. You decide! I use 1 lb of pasta for this dish. You can use more if needed.
Cream of Mushroom Casserole
The last pasta dish I want to share with you is a recipe my grandmother used back in the 50’s. I don’t know where she got the recipe or if she created it herself. Either way, I like it!
It’s a basic recipe: three 10 oz cans of cream of mushroom soup, 20 oz of milk, 2 lbs ground beef, fresh 1/2 onion chopped, 3 stalks celery chopped, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1/2 cup vinegar and a lot of cheddar cheese. About 4 cups of cheese.
Cook the ground beef, add salt and pepper. Drain the fat, add onion, celery, brown sugar. Heat until the vegetables have sweated. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar, stir and heat for about 5 minutes. Add cream of mushroom and milk. Heat until milk and cream of mushroom blends and becomes creamy. Add one 1 cup or more of cheddar cheese and mix thoroughly until cheese melts into the sauce.
Boil the rotini pasta until al dente (firm). I use a box and a half of rotini (1 1/2 lbs) Drain the hot water. Add cold water and let the pasta sit for about 5 minutes. Drain and add the pasta to your sauce. Mix the pasta into the sauce until the sauce has covered all of the pasta and then some. Add cheddar cheese on top covering the entire surface. You might have some cheese left over, which is fine, store it for another day.
I use a 9 x 13 casserole Pyrex baking dish. You can use any size. Bake in the oven for about 40 to 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Or until the center of the dish is done.
I know our days of shelter-in-place are long and crappy. And we have a ways to go yet with the extension of sheltering days. Staying home is not easy to do, but it’s the right thing to do! So join me in taking a shot of crap and try to smile during these difficult times! Cheers!
Is there anything you can’t do Paul?
Lol…I can’t seem to hit the jack pot in Vegas!