Recent Additions

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Pino’s style grinder bread

Grinder bread loafs similar to one of our favorite restaurants, Pino’s.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Yeast
  • 1/2 cup Warm Water
  • 2 cups Hot Water
  • 3 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons Salt
  • 1/3 cup Oil
  • 6 1/2 cups Flour
  • 1 Egg for brushing on bread

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, dissolve your yeast in ½ cup warm water. Make sure that your water is warm (not too cold, not too hot). Let proof for 10 minutes.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour and mix together. Add the yeast mixture to a bowl.
  • Add the remaining 3 ½ cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Watch for it to start pulling away from the bowl to know it’s ready. Once all of the flour is added, let sit for 10 minutes.
  • Separate your dough into 3 pieces. On a floured surface roll each piece into a 9×12 rectangle. Roll it up like a jelly roll. Shape into a french bread loaf and smooth out edges.
  • Place the dough on a greased baking pan or a Silpat, seam side down. Using a knife, make 3-4 diagonal cuts about ¼ inch thick in bread. Brush with your beaten egg.
  • Let dough rise uncovered for 30-40 minutes in a warm place.
  • Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.
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Mac Sauce

Burger sauce popularized at McDonald’s from their employee handbook from the 1980’s. Very similar copy cat recipe.

1/4 cup kraft miracle whip
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 heaping tablespoons of WISHBONE deluxe FRENCH salad dressing
1/2 Tbls HEINZ sweet relish
2 heaping tsp VLASIC dill pickle relish
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried minced onion
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp ketchup
1/8 tsp salt

mix well and refrigerate for a couple hours.

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Ceasar Sallad Dressing

We have made a lot of different Caesar salad dressing, ranging in difficulty from mashing anchovies to a mortar and pestle to emulsifying our own mayonnaise. This creamy recipe tastes just as good without all the pain in the ass steps. Enjoy:

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 small garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I like the brand Maille)
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s Real
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking. The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week.
  2. Note: Anchovy paste can be found near the canned tuna in the supermarket.
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Russian Sauce

Epic sauce for breakfast burritos or sandwiches

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Mayonnaise
  • ½ cup Chile Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Smoked Hot Paprika
  • 1 tablespoon prepared Horseradish or horseradish sauce for a less horseradishy (is that a word?) finish
  • 1 teaspoon Pimentos Canned or jarred
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 10 small chives chopped, dash of cayenne

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender (or in a mixing bowl using an immersion blender); pulse into a smooth mixture.
  • Transfer into a sealable container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
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Mexican Crema Sauce- Tamale/Enchilada Sauce

Tangy sour cream sauce with a hint of jalapeno and Monterey Jack cheese. Perfect for enchiladas or tamales

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese , shredded
  • ½ cup chicken broth , low-sodium
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup corn starch , for thickening slurry
  • 1 cup water , for thickening slurry
  • 2 tablespoons jalapeno juice , from a jar of pickled jalapenos
  • salt , to taste
  • 1 jalapeno , sliced (optional)

Instructions

  • Add chicken broth and sour cream to a large saucepan on medium heat; combine with whisk or fork½ cup chicken broth,1 cup sour cream
  • Add shredded cheese to mixture in handful increments: stir until cheese melts12 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese
  • Make a cornstarch slurry: ( combine ¼ cup cornstarch and 1 cup water: mix well); pour half of this slurry into the cheese mixture; turn the heat up a little and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until sauce begins to thicken1 cup water,¼ cup corn starch
  • Remove from heat and whisk in jalapeno juice (or vinegar);continue to stir2 tablespoons jalapeno juice
  • Let the sauce cool a little; if you want it thicker, put the pan back on the heat, add the remaining slurry; turn the heat up a little; stir and remove from heat and allow to cool a bit
  • Add salt to taste and serve; garnish with sliced jalapenosalt,1 jalapeno

Notes

IMPORTANT:

After you’ve added the cheese and jalapeno juice; make the slurry and follow these instructions:

Why? The sauce thickens when it starts to cool; by working in steps and removing the pan from the stove, you can a better idea of the texture and thickness of the sauce. 

Cornstarch thickens at a higher heat, so turn the heat up a little after you add the slurry.

  • Add half of the slurry; turn the heat up a little and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes; remove pan from heat and continue to stir.
  • Sauce will thicken slightly. If you want it thicker, repeat this step using the other half of the slurry. (Put the pan back on the stove burner; add remaining slurry; stir 1-2 minutes; remove from heat; stir)
  • If you want it thinner, whisk in a little more broth on low heat

Be sure to remove the sauce from the heat when you add the jalapeno juice

This sauce goes great over enchiladas or tamales because of the jalapeno juice. If you want a more universal flavor, substitute the jalapeno juice with either white vinegar or lemon juice. 

If you make this in advance, you may need to add a little water when you re-heat it

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Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

This recipe makes two deep dish 9-inch pizzas. Make them both if you have a family of 4-5 or are having friends over. If your family is smaller, freeze half of the dough per the make-ahead/freezing instructions in the recipe notes.

Ingredients

PIZZA CRUST (MAKES 2)

  • 3 and 1/4 cups (406g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
  • 1/2 cup (60g) yellow cornmeal
  • 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 Tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons (7g) Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast (1 standard packet)*
  • 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) slightly warm water
  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, divided (1/4 cup melted, 1/4 cup softened to room temperature)
  • olive oil for coating

TOMATO SAUCE FOR BOTH PIZZAS

  • 2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
  • 1 small onion, grated (about 1/3 cup)*
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • one 28-ounce can (794g) crushed tomatoes*
  • 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
    • 1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
    • Pinch of cayenne, some red pepper flakes

    TOPPINGS FOR BOTH PIZZAS

    • 4 cups (about 16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese*
    • 1/2 cup (45g) grated parmesan cheese
    • optional: 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, onions, mushies, onions, etc
    • optional: 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, sausage

    Instructions

    1. Please use my step-by-step photos below this written out recipe as a guide to making the pizza. For best results and ease of mind, read through the recipe completely before beginning. You will need two deep dish 9×2 inch round cake pans if you are making both pizzas at the same time. You can also use 9 inch springform pans.
    2. For the crust: Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment. If you do not have a stand mixer, use your hand mixer and a very very large bowl. If you do not have any mixer, you will do this all by hand. Again, use a very large bowl. Give those ingredients a quick toss with your mixer on low or with a large wooden spoon. Add the warm water and 1/4 cup of melted butter. The warm water should be around 90°F (32°C). Make sure it is not very, very hot or it will kill the yeast. Likewise, make sure the butter isn’t boiling hot. If you melt it in the microwave, let it sit for 5 minutes before adding. On low speed, beat (or stir) the dough ingredients until everything begins to be moistened. Continuing on low speed (or remove from the bowl and knead by hand if you do not own a mixer), beat the dough until it is soft and supple and gently pulls away from the sides of the bowl and falls off of the dough hook- about 4-5 minutes. If the dough is too hard (it will be textured from the cornmeal), but if it feels too tough, beat in 1 teaspoon of warm water. Alternatively, if it feels too soft, beat in 1 Tablespoon of flour.
    3. Remove the dough from the bowl and form into a ball. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil and place the dough inside, turning it around so that all sides of the dough are coated in the oil. Cover the bowl tightly with aluminum foil and allow to rise in a warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size.
    4. Once the dough is ready, lightly flour a large work surface. Remove dough from the bowl, set the bowl and aluminum foil aside (to use later). Gently punch down the dough to remove any air bubbles and roll the dough into a large 15×12 inch rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup of softened butter on top of the dough. Roll it up lengthwise per the photos below. Cut the dough log in half. Form the two pieces of dough into balls and place back into your greased bowl. Cover with aluminum foil and allow to rise in the refrigerator (not in a warm place) for 1 hour until they are puffy as you make the sauce.
    5. For the sauce: Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and allow it to melt. Once melted, add the grated onion, salt, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Once the onion has slightly browned after about 5 minutes, add the garlic, tomatoes, and sugar. Turn the heat down to low-medium and allow it to simmer until it’s hearty, fragrant, and thick- about 30 minutes. You’ll have about 2 and 1/2 cups of sauce at this point. If you have more than that, keep simmering until the amount has reduced. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to be used. You may store the sauce in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days if planning to make the pizza another day. You may freeze this sauce for up to 2 months as well.
    6. Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).
    7. Assemble the pizzas: After the dough balls have risen in the refrigerator, they should be puffy. Keep one ball of dough in the refrigerator as you work with the first one. Roll it out on a lightly floured work surface, working it into a 12-inch circle. Using your rolling pin as a guide (see photos below), place over a 9×2 inch deep dish cake pan. Using your fingers, press the dough into the cake pan. Make sure it is nice and tight fitting inside the pan. Trim any excess dough off the edges with a small knife. Repeat with 2nd dough. Brush the top edges of the dough with a little olive oil, which gives the crust a beautiful sheen. Fill each pizza with 1/2 of the cheese (about 2 cups/8 oz per pizza), then the pepperoni and bacon or your desired toppings. Pour about 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) of sauce evenly on top of each. If you do not like that much sauce, you can reduce to 3/4 cup (180ml) per pizza and have leftover sauce. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup (22g) of grated parmesan cheese.
    8. Place the cake pans on top of a large baking sheet, which will catch anything potentially spilling over the sides of the pans. (Nothing usually does.) Bake for 20-28 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Feel free to loosely cover the pizzas with aluminum foil after the 15 minute mark to prevent any heavy browning and uneven baking. Remove the pizzas from the oven and allow to cool in the pans placed on a wire rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, slice, serve, and enjoy. Place any leftover pizza in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.  Reheat leftovers in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 15-20 minutes or until hot.

    Notes

    1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Dough may be prepared through step 4. In the last part of this step, the dough needs to rise in the refrigerator for 1 hour. You may leave it in the refrigerator for up to 1 full day, making sure to punch it down to remove any air bubbles before rolling out as directed in step 7. You may freeze the pizza doughs after preparing them through step 4, and instead of allowing to rise in the refrigerator, simply freeze for up to 2 months. Then, allow the doughs to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to rise at room temperature for 1 hour before continuing with step 7. Make-ahead and freezing instructions for the sauce are written in step 5.
    2. Yeast: Platinum Yeast from Red Star is an instant yeast. You can use any quick rise or instant yeast in this recipe. You can also use active dry yeast in this recipe with zero changes. The rise time may be slightly longer if using active dry yeast.
    3. Onion & Tomatoes: Please see notes below the recipe in the step-by-step photos for details about the grated onion and the can of crushed tomatoes.
    4. Cheese: You can use sliced mozzarella or shredded mozzarella cheese.
    5. Toppings: Feel free to swap the pepperoni and bacon with cooked and crumbled sausage, thinly sliced green peppers and/or onions, sliced mushrooms, etc. Add enough toppings to suit your tastes.
    6. Adapted from: a mix of Food.com and Cooks Illustrated



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    Dill Potato Frittata

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb. russet potatoes, sliced
    • 3 Tbs. cider vinegar
    • 3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
    • 2 Tbs. dried dill weed, divided
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced (4 tsp.), divided
    • 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
    • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
    • 1 small onion, finely diced (1 cup)
    • 1 small tomato, diced (3/4 cup)
    • 2 large eggs, beaten
    • 3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
    • 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, optional

    Preparation

    Soak potatoes in cold water 10 minutes to remove excess starch. Drain and pat dry. Whisk together vinegar, 2 Tbs. olive oil, 1 Tbs. dill, 3 tsp. garlic, mustard, pepper, and salt in large bowl.

    Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling water 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and toss with dill mixture.

    Preheat oven to broil. Heat remaining oil in ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and tomato 5 minutes, or until soft. Transfer to bowl and fold in eggs.

    Spread potato mixture in same skillet, and reduce heat to medium. Cover, and cook 6 minutes, or until crust begins to form on underside. Pour egg mixture over potatoes. Cook 4 minutes, or until eggs are set.

    Combine yogurt, remaining dill, and garlic in bowl. Top frittata with cheese, if desired, and place under broiler 2 minutes. Slice into wedges, and serve with yogurt mixture.

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    Nashville Hot Chicken

    Best Nashville hot chicken, good by itself as tenders or on a sandwich with coleslaw. Made in an Air Fryer.

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb chicken tenders
    • ¾ cup milk
    • 2 Tablespoon hot sauce
    • ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • Oil for spraying Canola, Olive Oil, or any oil with a high smoke point

    Hot Paste

    • ½ cup peanut oil
    • 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1 ½ Tablespoon cayenne pepper
    • 1 teaspoon paprika
    • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    • Season tenders with a little salt and pepper. Set aside. Create a dredging station by whisking milk and hot sauce in one bowl. In a separate bowl, mix panko bread crumbs, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
    • Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Start by coating chicken tenders with milk mixture and drain off excess milk, then coat chicken in panko bread crumbs mixture, ensuring all of the chicken is coated.
    • Place chicken in greased air fryer basket or use a parchment sheet liner. Cook on 375 degrees for 14-16 minutes, flipping and spraying chicken halfway through cooking, until chicken is fully cooked and has reached a temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Meanwhile, when there are about 5 minutes left on the chicken, create the hot paste. Add peanut oil, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, paprika, dry mustard, garlic powder, and salt to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Once your mixture starts to bubble and simmer, remove from heat.
    • Once chicken tenders are done, remove from air fryer and add them to a large bowl. Pour the hot paste over the chicken and toss to combine, making sure hot sauce covers all of the chicken. Serve and enjoy.

    Notes

    • Be sure to pre heat your air fryer before you add your chicken, so that the tenders cook through evenly.
    • Place the tenders in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Cook them in two batches if you need.
    • This chicken is really really really hot. If you’d like a milder chicken, reduce the cayenne pepper.
    • Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them in the air fryer at 400F for 3 to 4 minutes.
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    Orange Chicken

    Best orange chicken, better than our panda friend can make…

    Ingredients:

    Sauce:

    1/2 cup (118 ml) oyster sauce
    1/2 cup (95 g) sugar
    3 ounces (90 ml) orange juice
    3 ounces (90 ml) rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
    1 tablespoon (7 g) cornstarch, mixed into the rice wine vinegar as a slurry
    2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
    1 tablespoon (15 ml) hoisin sauce
    1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
    1 drop red food coloring, optional

    Chicken:

    1 1/2 quarts (1.8 L) vegetable oil, for deep frying
    2 pounds (900 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
    2 1/2 cups (335 g) tempura flour

    Assembly:

    2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as canola or grapeseed
    1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
    1 1/2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
    Fried chicken pieces, from above
    2 to 3 scallions, cut on the bias into 2-inch lengths
    1/2 yellow onion, cut into large dice
    Orange Chicken Sauce, from above

    Directions:

    1:  For the sauce: Add the oyster sauce, sugar, orange juice, vinegar- cornstarch slurry, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, paprika and food coloring into a 1-quart saucepan, bring the heat up to medium. Whisk gently as it comes to a simmer. Allow to simmer, keep whisking for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and reserve.

    2:  For the chicken: Heat the oil in a 4- quart Dutch oven to 375 degrees F using a deep-fry thermometer. Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry. Sprinkle 1 cup tempura flour over the chicken cubes and toss to lightly dredge, shake off the excess. Mix the remaining 1 1/2 cups of tempura flour with 1 cup cold water to make a thin batter, it should look like pancake batter. Fry in batches until golden brown and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels or a rack.

    3: To assemble: Heat a large skillet on high and add the vegetable oil. When you see the first wisps of white smoke, stir in the garlic, ginger and fried chicken pieces and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Add the scallions, onion and Orange Chicken Sauce and allow to coat and simmer. Cook, folding all the ingredients until they are well coated, about 2 minutes

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    Dutch Baby

    This large, fluffy pancake is excellent for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dessert any time of year. And it comes together in about five blessed minutes. Just dump all of the ingredients into a blender, give it a good whirl, pour it into a heated skillet sizzling with butter, and pop it into the oven. Twenty-five minutes later? Bliss. It’s wonderful simply with sugar, syrup or preserves, but you also can serve it with fresh berries and whipped cream, apple slices cooked in butter and sugar or banana slices lightly cooked then dusted with brown sugar.

    Ingredients:

    • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
    • ½ cup all-purpose flour
    • ½ cup whole milk, at room temperature
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • Pinch of nutmeg
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • Syrup, preserves, confectioners’ sugar or cinnamon sugar- any other toppings. typically we do strawberries and whip cream or bananas cooked with brown sugar.

      Directions:
    • Step 1: Heat oven to 425 degrees.
    • Step 2: Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender jar and blend until very smooth. Batter may also be mixed by hand.
    • Step 3: Place butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn) add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake 5 minutes longer.
    • Step 4: Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve at once topped with syrup, preserves, confectioners’ sugar or cinnamon sugar.
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