We haven't had a "50 People Try to..." video from Epicurious for a while, so let's head back into the kitchen. Today, we'll watch 50 people try to toss pizza dough. I was particularly interested in this one because for the past couple years I made pizza from scratch every other week. ("Every other" because I make enough for two meals, and freeze half.) A big reason that I make it myself is because much as I absolutely love pizza, it's so high in fat -- not just from the cheese, but oil in the dough -- that it's too much for me (as I try to cut down on my fat intake). So, I've come up with a recipe that's extremely low in fat. I keep experimenting with it, though I've stuck pretty close to the current recipe for a while. No oil in the dough, no oil in the sauce (or next to none) light on the cheese, and a very low-fat cheese. To be clear, though tasty, this is not "good pizza," by any professional pizzeria comparison, nor even alongside most well-crafted homemade pizza. But, I think, it's extremely good, very low-fat pizza. And that's the whole point. Until I started making it, I'd have pizza 2-3 times a year -- and I love pizza. Now, I have it every week, which is a joy. And it's very good -- it's just not very good compared to going to a pizzeria. But I rarely go to a pizzeria, and when I do those are 60-80 grams of fat, and mine is just about 8 grams of fat. And I only eat half. What's helped my recipe is that Trader Joe's fairly recently introduced a very low-fat mozzarella. Before, I'd been using their shredded soy cheese or almond cheese -- they were fine, and exceedingly low-fat, though not much flavor and didn't really melt well. The low-fat mozzarella is a touch higher in saturated fat, but still very low, is actual mozzarella, has an okay flavor and melts fairly well, even getting stringy. And with the toppings I put on, those are the bulk of the flavor, along with sauce and nice fresh, yeasty dough taste. The one thing I haven't been able to get right is tossing pizza dough. Which is why I wanted to watch this. It turns out that the Epicurious chef at the end of the video mainly stretches the dough with only a very slight toss. As it happens, I use some of the technique he shows, though not all. I've tried that "other" part but don't do it well. Watching the guy here, I'll give it another go. Since I made pizza last night, though, it won't be for a couple weeks. Buon giorno.
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We haven’t had a “50 People Try to…” video from the folks at Epicurious for a while, so let’s rectify that. Today, it’s 50 people trying to make scrambled eggs. And you’d think making a dish which at hear is mushing everything up would be pretty close to fool-proof. But it turns out, no, it’s not. One of my regular treats during the pandemic is that I bought a waffle maker and make waffles every weekend. I don't make them "officially" -- that would require keeping stocked with a variety of perishable ingredients that I not only didn't always have around, but was too problematic to always have around during a pandemic. So, I've made my basic version...and find them very tasty, especially with the toppings and syrup I add. All this is a way of saying that here's another of those "50 People Who Try to..." videos from the kitchens of Epicurious.com -- this time on....well, I'm guessing you figured it out by now...waffles.
On this week’s ‘Not My Job’ segment of the NPR quiz show Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me!, the guest is food expert Sam Sifton, creator and editor of New York Times Cooking for the paper’s app and site. He and host Peter Sagal have a very personable conversation about the world of restaurant reviewing, which he did previously, before getting into recipes. Though their talk about recipes is fun, as well.
Here's another of those "50 People Try to..." videos from Epicurious. Today's is about tossing pizza dough. I figured that this would be a good time to post it, since it's Pizza Night. One of my treats during the pandemic is that I make pizza every week from scratch, happily using my pizza stone and pizza paddle. The one caveat is that the reason I used to rarely have pizza is I try to keep my fat intake down -- and pizza simply has only a rare place in that world. But I make it close to non-fat. No oil in the dough (though more spices) and Trader Joe's has a variety of very low-fat shredded cheeses. They don't have much flavor or melt well, but they add a proper texture that you want. Then I add a lot of toppings like onion, olives, chopped tomatoes, jalepenos, and bell pepper and whatever else hits my fancy. Often anchovy paste, which I love but wouldn't put on for guests... And all that is where the flavor comes from, not the cheese. Is it good like a real pizza? No, not even close. But is it tasty? Yes, very much so. The dough has fresh, yeast flavor, there's a nice tomato sauce, and all the toppings are delicious. It's just not a "real pizza." But for someone who loves pizza but rarely eats it, this has been a treat -- and especially so during the pandemic, when one tends to need a treat. Unlike the video here on tossing the dough, I mainly stretch it flat, and occasionally use the “droop” method. Not only am I not good as spinning, but it sends flour all over the place. I was intrigued by the expert at the end, but I won’t say more about that, other than I was glad to know that I come pretty close. Also, I use a pizza peel (paddle) and put corn flour on it that acts as sort of like ball bearings, so the pizza dough slides off easily onto the pizza stone I use. I know a lot of friends have been periodically ordering takeout from restaurants during the pandemic. And I understand why, and that they've been safe. And I understand the interest in supporting restaurants. I haven't done so, though. It just wasn't worth the health risk to me. I knew it was likely safe, but I also knew I was fine cooking at home. I did order takeout once at the very beginning of the shutdown. There's a good pizza place a couple blocks from me, and I wanted to give them my business. So, I ordered a pizza and walked over to pick it up. But I think that was last February, and I haven't eaten restaurant food since, for over a year. Until yesterday. As I've written here, I've had my two vaccinations, and the two week waiting period has ended. And my friend, the inveterate Chris Dunn has had this two shots, as well, and passed the waiting period. And that set up the idea of getting together to order takeout at some place, and bringing it back to one of our homes and eating it there, perhaps outside. Therein lies the tales. Not long before the pandemic, Chris introduced me to a new restaurant, Hotville Chicken that was one of the leaders of a new style of food being introduced into the Los Angeles area. It's called "Nashville hot chicken," and basically is fried chicken served very moist and with a particular hot and spicy bread coating. Hotville has its direct history in Nashville, coming from the family that invented the style, rather than being just a local restaurant participating in the trend. And its reputation was high. Los Angeles magazine rated them as the best in the area. And the New York Times even wrote about the place -- very well, noting that "the result is juicy, seasoned to the bone, crisp and crimson.". And yes, it's hot. Hotville has four levels of heat, and double-check that you've been there before if you ask for just the second hottest level. (I think they may have a fifth level that's off the menu.) The New York Times article begins this way -- At the bar, a man insisted on Hotville’s hottest level of hot chicken (“Nashville hot”), though he hadn’t tasted medium or even mild before. The cooks had seen this a hundred times, and when the chicken came out — a large, gleaming quarter of a bird — a teasing call came from the kitchen: “Hot enough for you?” It was very good. Very friendly, as well. I got The Shaw sandwich, which is a chicken breast in a substantial bun, some pickles, a side of kale slaw -- and a mound of seasoned fries, for $12. I think I ordered it at the second level of heat -- fairly mild but with a good kick. But I also love chicken wings, so I ordered their small portion to take home. And tried the level three head. The "small" is four massive wings, and was absolutely wonderful. And definitely hot, but no uncomfortably so. But good to have water at hand. The place is a bit of a drive in the Crenshaw district of Baldwin Hills, located in a large shopping mall. But I was looking forward to going back. And then the pandemic hit. Fortunately, Hotville Chicken was able to survive because they have a small outdoor patio, and there's a big park nearby with tables. Plus, it's a food that travels well. By the way, this is The Shaw. To be clear, the photo makes it look like a small slider, so you get two. In fact, it's a big chicken breast, a bit larger than your fist, and you just get one. Anyway, after my second vaccination, and as I neared the two-week mark, I wrote to Chris about going back after he had his own second shot and two-week waiting period. His response was, "How about going next Thursday." Hey, good enough for me! The restaurant inside was blocked off, but they seemed to be doing respectable business. It was slow when we got there early -- which was the point of going early -- but by the time we finished eating on the patio, there were half a dozen people waiting for their orders. I ordered the same this time -- The Shaw sandwich and chicken wings to go -- although Chris and I both had now graduated to that third heat level (what they call Music City Medium). The heat level was great, it was definitely necessary to have water at hand, but not "burning." That said, Chris discovered one issue worth noting -- while dining on Music City Medium was fine, when you put your face mask back on (which also makes it really hard to drink water...), the lingering heat really kicks in. Fortunately, he finished first, so I learned my lesson from him, took my time, and drank a lot of water after the meal. All was well. For me, at least. And I look forward to the chicken wings for my next meal at home. (Again, I'm not sure if the photo does them justice, but each wing is about six inches across.) Anyway, going there -- or anywhere, for my first trip to a restaurant in a year -- was a total joy. On the one hand, it was a weird experience, actually ordering from a restaurant. On the other hand, I just fell right into it, and it seemed totally normal. Even Chris's legendary "four stories" (which he explains are the only four he knows, and so "Stop me if I've told you this one...") were a treat to hear again. And contrary to his insistence, he's added new stories, as well. What helped, too, was that it was delicious – and getting extra to take home. (Total digression. One new Dunn story came after our conversation moved to Billy Wilder. I mentioned having seen Wilder at a Writers Guild event for a Q&A after one of his movies screened, and I repeated a story he told about Sabrina that William Holden had co-starred in. Chris mentioned tracking down this video from the 1978 Academy Awards.) I have a few other friends who are also past the two-week waiting period after their second vaccinations, so more takeout is in the future. I know for many people who have been ordering takeout from restaurants the past year, this is no big deal. It was for me. |
AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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