Easy Homemade Pizza

Home made pizza is the best in the world.Nothng beats a hot chewy crust with your choice of favorite toppings.However many find making it a chore, thanks to the labor intensive prep. that doesn't have to be.There are shortcuts to make a pleasant home made meal more pleasant.

Suzanne Lenzer, new to writing to today's Wednesday New York Times Food section, explored this in her article on home baked pies.This is slightly different than the thousands of other recipes.For one it's Ms. Lenzer's recipe and she has been tweaking for almost twenty years so that it has become a fuss free , almost work free dough She is a pizza connoisseur, having authored the book Truly,Madly Pizza (Rodale Books Publisher) which is not only a good read for pizza lovers but also for home chefs wanting a variety of different pie recipes. Unlike traditional recipes , Ms. Lenzer uses a food processor.This cuts out the kneading and punching, with the machine expertly blending and pounding the dough. Afterwards she recommends giving it a few quick folds, then dimple it like focaccia, letting it rise for only twenty minutes.That's it. No waiting overnight for the dough to rise, no table to mess up. Just a neat way of creating a versatile dough.

Another excellent facet about this dough is that you can freeze it. Usually most home bakers
stick pizza dough  in the fridge if there's left over. It only lasts  really a day or two and then it has to be thrown out. The better way, as Ms. Lenzer suggests is freezing it for future use. When it's ready to be used, it just has to be thawed out . This reactivates the yeast which allows for a double rise. This also helps to develop the flavor as well, resulting in a tangy base and crustier crust. several batches can be made so pizza can be eaten two or even three times a week much to the delight of family pizza lovers. The dough itself is the basic one , made with bread flour , water and olive oil along with medium milled corn meal. This last is  used when the dough is being kneaded a second time  to get it into the pie shape. The dough can also be used for calzone too., those socklike treats, filled with ricotta and ham,Home bakers will enjoy having this quick dough for experimenting with different topping and styles of pizza They can try a pizza Bianca or a margherita one week , while trying a variety of focaccia and little  pizzas the next.

Homemade pizza is always a treat. Imagine baking it two or three times a week.It can be done thanks to an easy recipe that takes away that dreaded an messy prep time

Cheese Lesson

Cheese is so common you would think the average foodie would know it inside and out.Surprisingly this age old food has several varieties.They come in all sizes, from wheels to wedges and flavors ranging from sharp to mild. used the right way with the right accompaniments, they can be just heavenly.The question is do most people know their cheeses? Suzanne Lenzer asked this in her column in today's New York Times Wednesday Dining section.Luckily she has expert help thanks to Liz Thorpe , a cheesemonger and author of the 2009 book "The Cheese Chronicles". Ms. Thorpe breaks this fermented casein down into six categories.They are fresh, bloomy rind , washed rind, pressed,cooked and blue.Ms Lenzer decided to first try the bloomy kind so called because the soft mold or yeast rind blooms on the cheese's exterior.She selects a creamy Brie first and uses it for a dressing.It works well with emulsions such as salad dressings and dips.A fresh cheese such ricotta or mozzarella softens rather than melts in direct heat ,which makes it an excellent topping for pizza. Ms.Lenzer also discovers some misconceptions about cheese too.Most. Think that cheddar is the perfect cheese for melting.It is not.Thanks to its high acidity( which gives it that sharp bite of taste) the texture only melts into small oily globules or nubbins.If you want a melty cheese go with a Gruyere which is the backbone of any good croquet Monsieur sandwich.For a perfect wedge that compliments fruit ,think about ones with a washed rind,.These hold up really well as just slices.For another good melting cheese consider the cooked kinds, such as Parmesan and Gouda. Everyone's fave ,blue cheese should have fewer blue veins which signifies a sweet taste.Blue cheese with huge pockets of blue are best for crumbling over soups and salads. Cheese is as complex as wine.It has different varieties and flavors, textures and properties.Like a good Merlot ,it should be taken with seriousness.