Q & A: Corn

I recieved a call last night from my dad and his friend about how to prepare corn on the grill.

I had made some the other night while visiting and it was a real hit i guess.

I like to put the corn directly on the grill. Husk the corn and drizzle with a little oil and salt and pepper. Cook on a hot grill, turning every few minutes so that it cooks evenly. It should be charred but not burnt to a crisp.

I like to top with honey chili butter. To make, soften a little butter and add some honey to taste. Add some "hots"... you can use any chili sauce or fresh hot pepper, just enough to add a little zip. Season with salt and pepper.

Q & A: What do I do with the ton of Basil (cilantro) I got at the market

My brother called the other night and asked what he should do with the massive amount of basil that he got from his CSA. I also, got a similar question from our neighbor, she wanted to use fresh cilantro but never finishes it before it goes bad.

The easy answer is puree it with oil and freeze it.

Place the herb in the blender with a little oil and puree. Add enough oil to make a paste that is not too oily. This can be stored in the refrigerator in a squeeze bottle or frozen in an ice cube tray.

Then when you want a splash of fresh herbs, drop in a cube.

Q & A: Mashed Potatoes

My brother called last evening asking what to do with over-mashed mashed potatoes. Thinking he could use an immersion blender to get creamy potatoes, ended up with a gluey mess. He had two questions; 1. can they be fixed, and 2. if not, what to do with them.

The answer to the first is: NO. When you over whip potatoes, the starch in the potatoes comes out turning them into a gluey mess that is unfixable.

This leads me to the second: now what. The two things that came to mind were to make cakes out of it or soup. To make potato cakes, cool the potatoes then mix with an egg and flour to form a nice texture. Then flavor with cheese or fresh herbs and salt and pepper. Pan fry a couple minutes on a side until golden on each side. Serve with some dressed greens.

To make soup, start by sauteing vegetables in some oil until soft. Add the potatoes, and stir to combine. Then thin with milk or stock.

Q & A: Scallops

My brother called last having picked up scallops, pineapple and avocado at the store. What to do with them.

I suggested making a salad with the pineapple and avocado. Dice the pineapple and avocado, toss with a touch of red onion, a splash of lime juice and EVOO and salt and pepper.

Then grill the scallops with a touch of dry jerk seasoning and topping with some of the salad.

Q & A: Grilled Pizza

So I was asked about how to grill pizza. It is quite easy, actually. The biggest issue is that it cooks quickly and you have to be prepared before you start.

Make sure to have all you toppings ready and near by when you start. Also, have a brush with some oil to brush on the pizza to help prevent sticking.

Roll out the dough and brush the top with a little oil. Make sure the grill is hot, keep the lid on as this will help to create a hot environment to melt the cheese.

Flip the pizza onto the grill. DO NOT TOUCH IT. The dough will take a minute to crisp on the bottom, if you try to move it before that, it will stick to the grill and tear. Brush the top with oil.

Once the bottom is nicely charred and cooked, flip it over and IMMEDIATELY put the toppings on and close the lid.

If after a couple of minute the cheese is not melted but the bottom is done, you can cook for a minute under the broiler to finish melting the cheese.

Grilled pizza was essentially invented by George Germon of Al Forno, in Providence, RI, as he was trying to replicate the pizza he had enjoyed while living in Rome. If you go to the restaurant, which I highly recommended, order the cookies...its worth it.

Q and A: Whole Wheat

So I was asked about whether you can use whole wheat flour in the pizza recipe from yesterday.

Ah the issue of WW. I too prefer using WW flour whenever possible, but if you want pizza to have the great light flaky crust and the wonderful texture, you have to use bread flour. The extra gluten in the flour helps give it that great elasticity. You could experiment with adding a little, but you won't likely get the same results.

My goal it to reproduce restaurant quality at home and this recipe has done me well. I can give you another one that is simpler that does ok with WW, but its not the same flavor in the end.

Here is another recipe for pizza that will work ok with WW, It won't have that same great lightness and crunchiness that the No-Knead does, but it is MUCH better than anything store bought.

1 packet yeast
6 Tbs warm water (about 100 Deg)
pinch sugar

6 Tbs milk
2 Tbs EVOO
1 Tbs corn meal
salt
about 2 cups flour (i suggest not using more than about 50/50 WW, unless you like crackers)


Dissolve the yeast in water with the sugar, let stand about 10 min until frothy
In large bowl, mix milk, EVOO, corn meal and salt, add the yeast.
Mix in the WW flour, then the white flour until the dough comes together and is no longer sticky
Let rise at least 30 min (I usually prep the the toppings and by the time I'm done the dough is ready)