Category Archives: Recipes

Food for Thought

Mexican Pizza

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Mexican Pizza

A few weeks ago, a neighbor’s teenage offspring was present during a recent pizza night at Miguel’s Kitchen (My house) and made the comment. “So, do you just throw anything on a pizza dough and see what sticks?” After a brief silence, and a giving him well placed hip check into the living room wall, I explained that this was certainly not the case, and it’s hard to chew pizza with no teeth. The nerve.
Anyway, this may sound like a “see what sticks” pizza, and I assure you it is not, but rather a well thought out , meaningful recipe of gourmet quality and south of the border zest. This is easy to make and tastes great!

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Ingredients:
Everything you had left over from Taco Night.
chopped onions
chopped Tomatoes
Taco seasoned ground burger
slice jalapeño peppers
shredded Jack or cheddar cheese
salsa or hot sauce
sour cream
1 cup Mozzarella cheese per pizza
pizza dough

*Make your favorite pizza dough. Mine just happens to be the exact same recipe as the pre-made down at Trader Joe’s. So…..do I do ALL the work?
Again, I think not. Buy package and divide into two. You can make 2 skillet pizzas from one TJ package. If you want a scratch pizza dough recipe, my friend Maria sent me a great one. (Bottom of post)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spread dough out in preheated 12 inch skillet. (heat skillet on top burner for one minute, wait a few more before spreading dough) Spread mozzarella cheese on dough. Add taco night leftovers, as much or little as you see fit.
Bake in oven for 17 minutes. Remove from oven,  Let rest 2-3 minutes until mozzarella sets.  Slice and add sour cream to individual slice. Enjoy!
Word to the wise.
That skillet gets real hot, have a care when handling it!

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PIZZA DOUGH
•    2 cups flour
•    1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
•    1 cup warm water
•    2 tablespoons olive oil
•    2 teaspoons white sugar
•    1 teaspoon salt
Blend yeast in water and add  the sugar and olive oil. Put 2 cups of flour in large glass or plastic bowl then add the wet ingredients and stir with a fork. , when the flour is wet then add your 1 tsp of salt.  (In Italy we say salt is added far away from the yeast)
When you have a ball you can put it out on your counter dusted with flour and begin to knead the dough until it is pliable and not sticky,  add flour if need be. (This should only take a few minutes) put back into bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in your oven with just the oven light on. Let rise until double the size.

Mono Lake Dip

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monosunrise-1When I was a young man I had the opportunity to visit a dear friend who lived in the countryside of Santa Cruz County. I had brought my new family, which included my two year old daughter Katie. As we were engaged in thoughtful conversation, I noticed the young one at the living room window sill, eating flies from a small spider web. A jaw dropping experience for my wife, our hosts did not flinch, as they had raised a small brood on the ranch. They had seen this before, and maybe worse. As my wife screamed in horror, I was drawn into deep contemplation on the subject. I recalled that the indigenous peoples of the Mono Lake basin, in the Eastern Sierras of California, had made a dish of this same ingredient. Well , maybe not whole dead flies, but alkali fly pupae from the lake’s shore.

The alkali fly was an important source of food for the Kutzadika’a tribe during the summer months in the norther Owens Valley. Somewhat related to the Northern Paiute peoples, the Kutzadika’a (pronounced Kootz-a’-di-ka-a’) lived part of the year in the Mono Basin hunting and gathering fly pupae, or anything else they could get their hands on.
The pupal stage of the alkali fly was collected in shallow water along the lake shore. Since the pupae are rich in fat and protein, they were an excellent source of food that were dried and used in stews, or just eaten on the spot.No catch and release here my friend!

The Kutzadika’a even traded this delicacy with neighboring peoples.
Kind of like Jack and the beanstalk to the neighboring peoples. Trade some venison or the family cow for a handful of maggots.
Kutzadika’a means “fly eater” in their native language. People have been called worse.
To acquire said delicacy, just travel to Mono Lake in summer and scoop the pupae from the shore. Be wary of State Rangers, as they frown on poaching, and do not like to share natures bounty. Just try hunting in Yosemite!

Mono Lake Dip

Ingredients:

Handful of Alkali fly pupae

Blend pupae in a inexpensive food processor or blender. Why inexpensive? If your spouse finds out what you are up to, she will throw blender or food processor out after only one batch! You could go “Old School”, and simply crush in a mortar.
Serve with your favorite chip or cracker. Enjoy!

So, when you host your next soiree or Superbowl party, a guest exclaims, “This dip is fantastic! Where can I get the recipe?”. You just look proud, and point to the window sill, “Why, it’s right over there”.

College Chili and Corn Bread

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College Chili and Corn Bread

My daughter Katie asked me the other day for a good recipe that can be made without any high highfalutin culinary equipment . Such as a can opener.
This is a recipe that can be made with the minimum of effort and skill, something that all college students and graduates can appreciate.
When you present this oven fresh dish from the oven, all your dinner guests will be in awe. Some in shock and awe.
You will need an oven and a frying pan.

dishes
Pick the cleanest all metal pan from your “science experiment gone wrong” sink. A cast iron skillet is the weapon of choice!
This will be the baking pan, and serving tray for this elegant meal. Make sure the pan has no plastic or rubber parts, as they will alter the flavor when they melt or ignite in the oven. Wipe off all preexisting debris from said pan.

Ingredients; Purchased with parents hard earned money

Two packages of instant Cornbread (one with add water only, god knows what happened to the milk in your fridge)
One can of Chili. (select one with a pop-top, why use a can opener?) Also, makes sure it’s a tin can, not some anodized can which may emit toxic fumes when heated.

Line skillet with foil. (less, if any clean up when your mom visits)
spray with canned oil.

Pre-heat oven to  400 degrees. Put skillet in oven to pre-heat it also for even baking temp.
In an adequate sized bowl, mix cornbread with required ingredients mentioned on the box.

At pre heat time, remove skillet, set can of chili in center, pour cornbread mix all around can, bake for 22 minutes or until your smoke alarm gives out.

Remove from oven, set on a towel on dining room table (unless you do not care about the table’s finish)

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Wa La! Dig in!
(use spoon used to mix cornbread, less to have your mom to wash, share with roommates)

Pizza Margherita

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Michael McCollum 6/24/13 Margherita PizzaSimple is better. And this pizza is great! I first had this pizza in Napoli (Naples) on a tour. Our guide told us that Pizza Margherita, was invented in 1889, when the Royal Palace of Capodimonte commissioned the Neapolitan pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito to create a pizza in honor of the visiting Queen Margherita. Of the three different pizzas he created, the Queen strongly preferred a pie swathed in the colors of the Italian flag: red (tomato), green (basil), and white (mozzarella). Supposedly, this kind of pizza was then named after the Queen as Pizza Margherita. This was later to be refuted, but not in Napoli!

This pizza goes well with a fine red wine, poor white wine, beer, or scotch, all depends what you have on hand.

Ingredients

Pizza Dough*
10 fresh romano tomatoes
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
6 garlic cloves
sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese

¼ cup fresh cut basil

*Make your favorite pizza dough. Mine just happens to be the exact same recipe as the pre-made down at Trader Joe’s. So…..do I do ALL the work?
Again, I think not. Buy package and divide into two. You can make 2 skillet pizzas from one TJ package. If you want a scratch pizza dough recipe, my friend Maria sent me a great one. (Bottom of post)Michael McCollum11/10/13Mix for Margherita Pizza

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Add one tbsp olive oil to 12 inch iron skillet.Spread dough out in said skillet.  Spread mozzarella cheese on dough.

Peel, and chop garlic cloves, mix with coarse chopped tomatoes (use out part only, discard all of the inside of the tomato) olive oil, add salt and pepper, mix, and spread on top of cheese. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, add fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. Let rest 2-3 minutes until Parmesan melts. Enjoy!

Word to the wise.
That skillet gets real hot, have a care when handling it!

PIZZA DOUGH
•    2 cups flour
•    1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
•    1 cup warm water
•    2 tablespoons olive oil
•    2 teaspoons white sugar
•    1 teaspoon salt
Blend yeast in water and add  the sugar and olive oil. Put 2 cups of flour in large glass or plastic bowl then add the wet ingredients and stir with a fork. , when the flour is wet then add your 1 tsp of salt.  (In Italy we say salt is added far away from the yeast)
When you have a ball you can put it out on your counter dusted with flour and begin to knead the dough until it is pliable and not sticky,  add flour if need be. (This should only take a few minutes) put back into bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and put in your oven with just the oven light on.  .   Let rise until double the size.

For Schiacciata
Take sheet pan and oil the bottom with olive oil (using your hands)  Then  with your fingers poke the dough to make dents.  Once you have done this drizzle ½ to ¾ cups olive oil letting oil go into dents and sprinkle salt on top.   Bake in 450° oven until brown
Buon appetito!

Ciao, Maria