My Culinary Blog

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Chopped Onions
1 Tablespoon minced Garlic
3 Italian Plum Tomatoes, Finely Chopped
3 oz. Tomato Paste
2 1/2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper
1/2 Stick Unsalted Butter, Cut in Pieces

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and saute 1 minute. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add butter pieces, stirring. When butter is half melted, remove skillet from heat and continue stirring until thoroughly incorporated.
Yield: 1 1/3 cups

(makes a 17 1/2″ X 11 1/2″ Pizza)
4 cups All−Purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 tbsps oil
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1 1/2 cups of warm water (105F)

Mix yeast, 1/2 cup flour, and 1/2 cup water in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Let rise for 15 minutes. Stir to deflate. Mix 2 cups of remaining flour with salt, 1 cup cool tap water, and oil. Add yeast mixture. Mix in remaining flour. Knead 15 minutes on a floured surface (10 minutes in a machine) until smooth. Place dough in bowl dusted with flour and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled (1 to 2 hours). Punch dough down and put in ziploc bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 500F.
Remove dough from refrigerator when ready to shape into crust. Punch down dough thoroughly and roll out dough on a floured surface.
Lightly oil (olive) a 17 1/2″ X 11 1/2″ X 3/4″ pan. Place dough in pan and push to stretch evenly leaving a lip up against sides of pan.
Let rest for 10−15 minutes (while you prepare toppings). Stretch out dough again (it will have receded) and place desired toppings.
Cook in center of oven until crust is golden brown.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Basic Ingredients for any of the recipes

3/4 C whole and unblanched almonds 1/4 pound butter 3/4 C sugar 2 eggs
2 1/4 C flour 1 1/2 t baking powder 1/4 t salt

For Orange Biscotti

Zest from 1 orange, grated or minced 2 T orange liqueur, or 1 T orange
extract 1 1/2 t cinnamon

For Anise Biscotti

2 - 3 t crushed anise seeds

For Lemon Biscotti

Zest from 1 lemon, grated or minced 1 T lemon extract, or 1 T lemon juice

Procedures for all recipes

Toast the almonds until golden, then chop by hand into 1/4 inch chunks. *Reduce oven heat to *325* degrees* Cream the butter until
light, add the sugar and beat till smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs until the mixture is smooth. Add the (orange, anise, lemon) specific
ingredients. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, beat until just mixed. Stir in the almonds. On a floured board, divide the dough in half and roll each half into a long roll about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and about 10 inches long.

Set the rolls on a baking sheet at least 3 inches apart, bake in the top third of the oven (*325*) for about 25 minutes, or until they are
set and lightly browned on top. Cool the rolls for 5 minutes or so, then slice diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Lay the slices flat
on the baking sheet and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
Turn the slices over and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool on a rack, and keep in a tightly covered tin - they keep for months.