How you doin’? This week’s blogs are a celebration of County Fair Food no matter where you live. There is nothing better than munching your way through the fairgrounds. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles County Fair has been cancelled this year—sob, sob, weep, weep—I am shedding real tears. I don’t think they even closed the fair during World War II. This is a real tragedy. But alas, why should this be any different from other events that have closed? Schools are closed, graduations were cancelled, weddings postponed… you can’t even get a haircut! But taking away my sin-a-mon buns is the real sin… more or less the last straw for me.
 
Whenever I go to the fair, I always start at the beginning. There is one particular stand that makes humongous cinnamon buns that look as big as flying saucers.  We like to develop recipes that bring us back to happier times and back together. This is just one of those great midway recipes that match the giant cinnamon buns for the county fairs across this fine land.
 
Read all instructions completely before beginning. Make sure to measure all ingredients and have them at your side before you start mixing.
 
Prep time:  40 minutes
Proof time:  1 hour + 1 hour or overnight
Bake time:  30 to 35 minutes
Yield: 12 large cinnamon buns
 
Ingredients
For the cinnamon bun dough
1/4 cup warm water (no warmer than 110⁰F)
1 package active dry yeast (7 grams)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4-pound unsalted butter, chilled (1 stick)
3 large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
Butter (to grease the baking pans—2 cake rounds or 1 rectangle)
 
For the powdered sugar icing
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoons milk or half & half
 
Directions
To make the cinnamon buns

1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and stir. Allow the yeast to dissolve for 5 minutes.
3. Stir together 1/4 cup of sugar, the flour and salt.
4. Cut the stick of butter into small pieces and add to the flour. Mix until there are coarse little lumps of butter throughout.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the yeast mixture, egg yolks and milk. Beat until blended.
6. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Knead until a smooth dough forms.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment until dough has doubled in size; about 1 hour.
8. Butter your baking pans, both bottom and sides… either two 9” cake rounds or one 9” x 13” rectangle.
9. Punch down dough and knead for two minutes to pop all the air bubbles. Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes.
10. Divide dough in half and roll out each ball to a 10 x 12-inch rectangle.
11. Cut remaining 1/3 cup of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and place evenly on each piece of rolled out dough.
12. Sprinkle half of the granulated sugar, cinnamon and brown sugar over the first dough rectangle.  Reserve the remaining granulated sugar, cinnamon and brown sugar for the second one.
13. Roll the dough up. With a think sharp knife, cut into 1”-1-1/2” slices.
14. Place the slices of dough in the baking pan, cut side down, leaving space between the buns to allow for rising.
15. Repeat steps 12-14 with the second dough rectangle.
16. In a warm draft-free place, allow the dough to rise in the baking pan(s) until doubled (about 1 hour or you can let the dough rest overnight in the refrigerator) (see the ChefSecret below).
17. Preheat an oven to 350ºF. If you have refrigerated the dough overnight, allow it to come to room temperature before putting it into the pre-heated oven (about 2 hours).
18. Bake the buns for 30 to 35 minutes.
19. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out of the pans

To make the powder sugar icing

1. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients until smooth, adding enough milk for desired glaze consistency.
2. Drizzle the cinnamon buns with powdered sugar icing. Serve and enjoy!

ChefSecret:

• Allowing the dough to proof a little longer overnight will develop more flavor in the dough.
• If you have refrigerated the dough overnight, remember to pull the pan(s) from the refrigerator and allow the dough to come to room temperature before baking. If the dough is cold when put into the oven, the rolls will only be baked on the outside but will be doughy and under-baked on the inside.

 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: Do you remember when you were a little kid and all your underwear had the days of the week on them. Those would be helpful right now.
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.

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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading,

#Baking #CinnamonBuns #CountyFair  #CountyFairWeek #FairFoods #Breakfast #Brunch #Dessert #Snack #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                           ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

How you doin’? Two of my favorite desserts in the world are doughnuts (if you consider a doughnut a dessert—I think of it more as a morning life-starter) and custard-filled éclairs. The one thing these two pastries have in common is the chocolate coating.

Around here, we fondly refer to that donut shop chocolate glaze as cheap and crappy chocolate. To tell you the truth, as the ChocolateDoctor from Choclatique, I am not ashamed to say, “I love it.” There is something about the flavor and texture of this inexpensive coating that works for me every time and sometimes I really crave it.
 
Éclairs are time consuming to make. First, you have to make the choux-pastry dough. Bake it, scoop it, fill it and finally prep the chocolate and dress it. My Éclairs Bars recipe is much easier to make and perfect for a large party.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  20 minutes
Cool time:  4 hours
Yield:  24 servings
 
Ingredients
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent dough sheet
2 boxes (3.4 oz each) Jell-O™ vanilla-flavor instant pudding & pie filling mix
3 cups cold half-and-half
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
 
Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with food release cooking spray.
2. Unroll crescent dough, press into the bottom of the pan. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown and baked through. Remove from oven to cooling rack; cool 20 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, beat dry pudding mix and half-and-half with whisk about 2 minutes or until thick. Spread over cooled bar base.
4. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and whipping cream uncovered on HIGH 1 minute; stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer; stir until smooth. Carefully spread mixture on top of pudding layer. Refrigerate about 4 hours or until cooled completely.
5. When ready to serve, using a sharp knife and up-and-down sawing motion for cleaner cuts, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

ChefSecret: If you want a crisp, more éclair like pastry, you can substitute the crescent dough with 1 sheet of Pepperidge Farms puff pastry following the direction on the package.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “I never thought the comment ‘I would never touch her with a 6-foot pole’ would become a national policy, but here we are!”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America.  Thanks for reading.

#Baking #EclairBars #Dessert #Snack #Doughnuts #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                             ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

How you doin’? When I lived in Dallas there was this neat little food outlet in one of the malls that just sold muffins. I used to go there once a week and pick up a half dozen of their great muffins and have them for breakfast throughout the week. I thought this was the start of a new national franchise chain and then, POOF, it was gone.
 
I won’t be coy… I love muffins! There are so many wonderful flavors and textures—savory and sweet—you can eat them every day. This includes the addition of different toppings and different inclusions (chocolate chips, blueberries, etc.).
 
When developing our chocolate muffin mix for Choclatique our R&D team was baking muffins by the hundreds daily. We knew a lot before we started, but I must confess everyday was a new learning experience. 
 
Why muffins? Well for starters they are very easy to make and bake—it can be one of the first baking lessons you can share with your children. Muffins are very portable—toss them in Ziploc bag or wrap them in food film. Because they can be baked in a paper muffin cup you can throw them in a lunch bag or and maybe even backpack— depending on what else is in there—without crushing them.  
 
Why are muffins so easy to make? There are relatively few ingredients, you don’t need an electric mixer, and you really don’t even need a muffin tin—you can bake muffins in a muffin cup (made out of paper with the foil liner divider). You can bake mini-muffins or giant muffins with the same recipes—just a little longer or shorter bake time. In other words, muffins are very forgiving.
 
What are some of the best ChefSecrets for baking beautiful muffins?

• Do not over mix the muffin batter. Generally, you just mix to combine the ingredients together.
• Have all the ingredients ready to go. Fold them with a wooden spoon until just combined—some lumps and streaks are okay.
• The easiest way to make sure your muffins don’t stick is to give them a heavy spritz of food release including the flat top part of the pan where the muffin tops sometime overlap. 
• Some muffin recipes (even boxed mixes) call for using oil instead of butter--DON’T DO IT! By using oil you’re missing out on the great buttery taste. You can also use a combination of butter and unsweetened applesauce if you’re cutting down on calories.
• Make your muffins moister so they last a little longer by adding an extra egg or by using a little more fruit filling. Don't add too much fruit or your muffins will be soggy.
• Keep your particulates in the middle of the muffins by dredging them in a little flour before adding them in. This will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin cup. This is also a great way to keep blueberries from blue streaking the batter or creating an all-over blue muffin.
• Making great crumb topping is easy when your butter is right consistency—not too cold or melted. As with the batter, don’t over mix the crumb ingredients. Use two knives, a pastry cutter or your fingers. It is supposed to be a crumb topping, not a second batter. Test it… if you can squeeze it in your hand and have it hold together, you got it right. And remember, don’t add too much topping to your muffins or you may get that sinking feeling.
• If you love filled muffins you can achieve the best results by adding the filling before baking—fill the muffin cups part way with muffin batter, add the filling and then put another scoop of the batter on top. You can also fully bake the muffins and after they cool, cut a cone out of the top of the muffin and add filling using a pastry bag.

• If making extra-large muffins, reduce the heat a bit and increase the bake time by 10 minutes or so longer. If you’re baking mini-muffins, you’ll only need about a 15 minute bake time. You should check them often to make sure you don’t over-bake them.

 
                          The Chocolate Doctor’s Chocolate Corn Muffins
 
Our top bakers test recipes all day long to add to our blog. While in the elevator going down to the car I asked, “Have either of you ever heard of Chocolate Corn Muffins?” I got a couple of wrinkled noses and a look of “Are you crazy?” Then they said, “Well, why not?” So here for the first time anywhere is our version of Chocolate Corn Muffins. Why not?

Prep time: 10 minutes
Bake time: 12 to 15 minutes
Yield: 12 to 15 medium muffins
 
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup medium cornmeal
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1-1/3 cups whole milk
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 ounces dark chocolate (64%+), chopped, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 cup dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons crystalline sugar for topping.
 
Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
2. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Spray with food release.
3. In large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vanilla extract, honey, melted butter, chocolate and eggs. 
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon hand-stir until they are just blended. Do Not Over Mix.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Scoop the batter into the paper liners, filling each one 3/4 full.
8. Evenly sprinkle the crystalline sugar over the tops of each muffin.
9. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops are crisp and a cake tester comes out clean.
10. Cool slightly and remove from the pan.
11. Serve warm.

ChefSecrets:

• You can melt the butter and chocolate in the same bowl at the same time.
• Slather the muffins with butter (you can never have enough butter) and enjoy or cut in them half and turn these chocolate corn muffins into strawberry “corn” cakes piled high with plenty of whipped cream… like a strawberry short cake only much better.

 
                                          Basic Crumb-Topped Muffins
 
This is as basic a muffin recipe as you can find. It will become your go-to recipe every time.
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Bake time:  20 to 24 minutes
Yield:  12 standard-size muffins
 
Ingredients

For the crumb topping
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1-3/4 cups cake flour
 
For the muffins
Cooking spray and/or paper muffin liners
2-1/2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar (for dusting the baked muffins)
 
Directions

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. 
2. Line a standard 12-well muffin tin with paper liners and coat with food release cooking spray; set aside.

To make the topping

1. Using a food processor or pastry cutter mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl. Add in the butter until combined. Stir in the flour until the mixture just resembles wet sand; set aside.

To make the muffin batter

1. In a large bowl, sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the butter, buttermilk, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla together until combined.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined; some lumps and streaks are okay.
4. Using a scoop, deposit the batter among the prepared muffin wells, filling each one 3/4 of the way full.  Divide the crumb topping among the muffin wells and gently press them into the batter.
5. Bake until the muffins are golden-brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes.
6. Cool the muffins in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. Dust the muffins with powdered sugar before serving.

Storage: The muffins will keep at in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months, then thawed at room temperature.
 
                                                  Honey-Bran Muffins
 
This is Honey-Bran Muffin is like the ones sold at Du-pars Bakery in the Los Angeles Farmer’s Market.
 
Prep Time:  15 minutes
Bake Time:  20 to 25 minutes
Cool time:  20 minutes
Yield:  2 Dozen
 
Ingredients:
 
For the glaze:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
5 tablespoons honey, warm
3 tablespoons boiling water
 
For the muffins
3 cups raisins, dates, dried cherries or prunes, pureed in food processor (measured before processing)
1/2 cup honey, warm
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup wheat bran
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
 
Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 375°F.

To make the glaze

1.  Cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. 
2. Beat in honey and water.
3.  Using a brush, coat bottom and sides of muffin tins.

To make the muffins

1. Mix fruit, honey and oil until smooth. 
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the buttermilk and bran.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
4. Add to wet mixture and lightly mix until just combined.
5. Fill muff tins 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until springy to the touch.
6. Cool for 2 minutes then invert on rack to cool completely.

 
                                             Perfect Blueberry Muffins
 
Around this time every year I like to bake blueberry muffins. They have a high dome and a thick batter (more of a dough) and they’re pretty as a picture.
 
Prep time:  15 minutes
Bake time:  25 to 30 minutes (use a tester)
Cool time:  10 minutes, plus 15 minutes
 
Ingredients
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold is fine
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup plain unsweetened yogurt or sour cream
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 to 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (no need to defrost)
3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
 
Directions

1. Preheat and oven to 375°F.
2. Line a muffin tin with 9 paper liners or spray each cup with a nonstick food release spray.
3. Melt butter in the bottom of a large bowl and whisk in the sugar, zest, yogurt (or sour cream) and egg until smooth.
4. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda and salt until fully combined, then lightly fold in flour and berries. Batter will be very thick, like a cookie dough.
5. Divide between prepared muffin cups and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar for a perfect crunchy top at the end.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean (except for blueberry goo).
7. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then an additional 15 minutes on a rack after discharging from the pan.

ChefSecrets: 

• Dredge the blueberries in a couple of tablespoons of flour to prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the cups when baking. 
• These muffins are best to eat on the first day. We found if you them split them open run them under a broiler on day two with a pat of salted butter, it’s so good that you’re going to forever hope for more blueberry muffin leftovers.

 
Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Keep in mind, even during a pandemic, no matter how much you eat, your earrings will still fit.”
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Do you have a question or comment, want to share a favorite recipe or pictures? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. You can also find past blog posts at https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.

To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Baking #Muffins #BlueberryMuffins #BranMuffins #CrumbTopping #ChocolateCornMuffins #CornMuffins #Breakfast #Brunch #Dessert #Snack #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                           ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc. 2020

How you doin’? I really like the foods of the old South, especially dishes that can be easily adapted to restaurant brunch menus. This is a Southern country take on a French quiche from my Customs House Restaurant kitchens back in the 1980’s. I made it this weekend and it still stands up.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Cook time:  10 minutes
Bake time:  1 hour or so
Cool time:  10 minutes
 
Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion
12 ounces spicy ground breakfast pork sausage
4 large eggs
1/2 cup liquid Ranch-style salad dressing (you can use blue cheese dressing as well)
2/3 cup whole milk
5-ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon pepper sauce (Tabasco works well)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 (9-inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust
Old-Fashioned Country Gravy (see recipe below)
 
Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 425°F.
2. Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Sauté the onion until soft.
3. Add the sausage and cook until evenly brown.  Drain, crumble, and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, Ranch dressing and milk.  Stir in shredded Cheddar cheese and mix well.
5. Season with hot sauce, salt, pepper and sugar.
6. Put the unbaked pie shell on a foil-lined baking pan to prevent messing up your oven.
7. Spread the onion and sausage mixture in the bottom of the unbaked crust.  Cover with the egg mixture. Tap the pie pan lightly to remove air and to level the filling.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.  
9. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until filling is puffed and golden brown. If the crust starts to brown too early cover the pie with aluminum foil.
10. Remove from oven, prick top with a knife, and let cool on a rack 10 minutes before serving.

ChefSecret:

• About midway through baking, rotate the pie from front to back.

• Make it a real Southern Dish by topping it with a little Old-Fashioned “Heart Attack” Sausage Gravy (see recipe below).

                                              Old-Fashioned Sausage Gravy
 
Ingredients
6 ounces spicy ground breakfast pork sausage
2-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco)
1-1/2 cups whole milk
 
Directions

1. While the pie is cooling, make the gravy.
2. Crumble the sausage into medium skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink, stirring frequently.
3. Using a wire whisk, stir in the flour, salt, pepper and hot sauce. 
4. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly.  If too thick, remove from heat and stir in a little more milk.
5. Serve the Old-Fashioned Country Gravy hot over the warm egg pie.

Covid-19 Quip of the Day: “Maybe if we start telling people the brain is an app, they’ll start using it—please wear a mask and practice social-distancing to stop the spread.”
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Do you have a question or comment?  Do you want to share a favorite recipe or pictures with our readers?  Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com.  All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide.
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind—that’s the American way.  If you have a little extra in your pocket to share with others at this difficult time, please consider donating to Feeding America. Thanks for reading.

#Entree #Baking #Breakfast #Lunch #Brunch #LowCountry #CountryGravy #SpicySausage #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica

                                       ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, Inc., 2020

How you doin’? With some extra time on my hands I started going through old computer files. We use a program called Worldox. It is an excellent shareable filing system that tracks down even the oldest and most obscure files. When we first installed Worldox (over 20 years ago) we transferred all our files over to the new program. Last week I “rediscovered” all my old Pizza Hut files. Perspectives was a consultant to the company for many years.
 
Pizza Hut was founded in June 1958 by two Wichita State University students, brothers Dan and Frank Carney, as a single location in Wichita, Kansas. Six months later they opened a second outlet and within a year they had six Pizza Hut restaurants. The boys began franchising in 1959. Back then a pizza parlor outside of New York City was a rarity. They went to their mom and borrowed $600 renting a small building near downtown Wichita and purchasing secondhand equipment to make pizzas. The Carneys opened the first Pizza Hut and were off to the races. By 1966, Pizza Hut franchise units had grown to 145. Frank claimed that he and the Pizza Hut system had made over 500 millionaires.
 
In the early days of Pizza Hut, the pizzas—crust, sauce and topping—had a distinct New York halo. A lot has changed at the hut since the early days as the company grew and mainstreamed their offerings. The pizzas are not any better or worse, they’re just different. If you are still yearning for the flavor of the original red roof version… here is a hack of the crust recipe, circa 1959. It’s kind of easy to make and provides an excellent platform for a great pizza sauce, cheese and toppings—I have always been a double pepperoni guy, myself.
 
Frank Carney and I worked on several projects together—Applegate’s Landing (casual dining Italian anchored by pizza); Solo’s (a fast drive-thru mini 5-inch pizza concept), Chi-Chi’s (casual dining Mexican food) and China Rose (themed casual dining Asian food). This was always against the background of our relationship from the original Red Roof Pizza Huts. Frank… thanks for the memories.
 
Prep time:  30 minutes
Proof time:  60 to 90 minutes
Bake time:  15 minutes
Yield:  2 servings
 
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (previously sifted and measured)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper, find grind
1 packet dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water (no higher than 110⁰ F)
2 tablespoons lard, melted (that’s authentic)
1/4 cup whole milk
 
Directions

1. Sift together the flour, salt and pepper.
2. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and set aside.
3. Melt lard over low heat.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine milk, the dissolved yeast and the lard.
5. Add half cup of sifted flour and beat until very smooth with a wire whip.
6. Gradually add the balance of the flour.
7. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough has formed.
8. The dough will be somewhat moist.
9. Sprinkle the dough lightly with flour, form it into a ball and place it on a lightly floured board.
10. Knead it by folding toward you with your fingertips, and then press down with the heel of your hand.
11. Give the dough one quarter turn after each pressing.
12. Repeat action for 4-5 minutes. (or you can use the dough hook on your mixer) .
13. Placed in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp towel and put it in a warm place (90⁰F) for about 60 to 90 minutes or until the dough doubles in size. 
14. Punch it down on a lightly floured board.
15. Place the dough in a flat greased nine-inch pizza pie pan.
16. Dip your fingertips in olive oil and press the dough toward the rim of the pan then around the rim so that it forms a raised edge that will hold the filling.
17. Using the back of a spoon or ladle, spread your favorite pizza sauce to within 1-inch of the edge of the dough. Top with 3 to 4-ounces of cheese and the topping of your choice.
18. Bake in a preheated 450⁰F oven for about 15 minutes until the dough rises, the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly.

 
ChefSecret: You say you don’t have the time to make the crust—too much trouble; takes too long??? Try the following crustless short-cut recipe to make an entrée-worthy hot pizza dip.

                                                                    Short Cut Pizza Dip
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Yield:  6 servings
 
Ingredients
8-oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, divided
1-1/2 cups (6-oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup (4-oz.) finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup pizza or marinara sauce (I prefer Rao’s)
20 pepperoni slices (about 2 ounces, optional)
Stuff to dip with: sliced baguette, toast rounds, pita chips, flatbreads, crackers, bagel chips, or tortilla chips
 
Directions

1. Spray a 9-inch pizza pie pan with food release.
2. Cut the room temperature cream cheese into small cubes, place in the pie pan.
3. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
4. Add 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning to the cream cheese, stir to combine with a rubber spatula, and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup of the mozzarella, followed by 1/2 cup of the Parmesan.
5. Pour 1 cup pizza or marinara sauce over the cheeses and spread into an even layer.
6. Add 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning over the sauce.
7. Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Place 20 pepperoni slices in an even layer over the cheese if using.
8. Bake until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let the dip rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
9. Serve warm.

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Covid-19 Quip of the Day: Just a quick question… So, to enter stores now, do I need a face mask or a brick?  2020 is so confusing.
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