Zucchini Blossom and Burrata Pizza

I started writing this blog yesterday. 

I failed. 

I tried again this morning. 

0 for 2. 

8 Hours and 2 Hangover Curing Meals Later...

I'm finally making it happen. But, I have to be honest, sometimes I just don't have anything to say. Which is ok, because sometimes I think Rich thinks I am prettiest with my mouth shut. So, silence really can be golden. Or ginger. 

So here it is... short, sweet, and to the pizza. A basic recipe for delicious, healthy(ish), homemade pizza! You can, of course, add toppings (and calories) as you see fit. My two favorite toppings are zucchini blossoms and burrata cheese. You can find zucchini blossoms at your local farmer's market and burrata cheese (the creamy middle of mozzarella) can be found at most grocery stores. And, if you think it's weird to put flowers on your pizza, you should just shut your mouth and try it.

Simple Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
4 cups of all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp dry active yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Method:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place a baking stone on the lowest rack to preheat with the oven for 1 hour.

Dissolve the yeast in warm water and set aside. 

Combine the flour,and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of olive oil and mix on medium speed until the dough forms into a ball.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball. Divide the dough into 4 equal balls and rub a small amount of olive oil onto each ball to keep them from forming a skin. Place the dough balls under a dish towel, on a lightly floured surface and let them rise for about 45 minutes. 
While the dough is rising, make the pizza sauce.

Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:
8-10 tomatoes, cut in halves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp water
Salt and Pepper

Method:
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, and water. 

Cover and bring to a simmer. 

When the tomatoes are beginning to cook down, about 20 minutes, remove the skins, they should slide off easily, and dispose. Once all of the skins are removed, remove and dispose the garlic cloves and crush the tomatoes until they are smooth. 

Continue cooking, uncovered for another 25 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the sauce is a deep red color. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

To Assemble Pizzas

Roll out dough onto a floured surface to desired shape and thickness. I suggest rolling your dough super thin to get a nice, crispy, Italian style crust. 

Place rolled out dough on a preheated pizza stone** and quickly spoon pizza sauce onto dough and top with cheese. If you are using burrata, do not put it onto the pizza until AFTER the pizza is cooked or you will end up with a runny mess. 

If you are adding zucchini blossoms (or any other toppings) arrange them on the pizza and then place the pizza stone on the lowest rack of in the oven. 

Bake the pizza for 8-10 minutes until the crust is browned and the cheese is bubbly. I generally think that a properly cooked pizza looks a little over cooked. 

Remove the pizza from the oven. If you are adding burrata or fresh basil, sprinkle them onto right before serving!

Makes 4 pizzas

**If you do not have a pizza stone, no problem! you can bake the pizzas on a cookie sheet, just make sure to lightly oil the surface.

Ginger in the Kitchen Featured on RACKED LA

Boots and fall sweaters
And Pretty wool dresses
Slowly braised meats
And warm roasted beats
There are a few of my favorite treats!
Lalalalalala I catered this week!

If you were sitting next to my sniffly self on the couch right now (where I have been planted for a solid 48 hours now... damn you, awful cold!) you would hear me humming the above to the tune of "These are a few of my favorite things." You know, the song in The Sound of Music? It's the best. (The Nazi's were my least "favorite thing" in that movie.) Any who, you wouldn't actually be able to hear that song because tunes are not something that I am skilled enough to carry, but you get the idea.

Fall is the best. Fall clothes and fall foods, alike. And I was lucky enough to get to be a part of both on Wednesday evening. I had the pleasure of catering the ultra chic Autumn Soiree at Beckley's Boutique on 3rd street (with none of the foods I mentioned in my song because hey, rhyming his hard!) It was full of inspiring fall fashion and delicious seasonal bites from your very favorite ginger. It was a lovely night and I even got featured on RackedLA.

See more photos from the evening on the Racked LA blog below:
http://la.racked.com/archives/2013/09/27/26_style_snaps_from_beckleys_bloggerfilled_shopping_soire.php

Rigatoni with Buratta, Summer Squash, and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

I have been on a serious carb fest lately. (That is a thing, by the way. See: I only want to eat carbs all day.) This makes sense with our Palm Springs vacation coming up in only a few short weeks. You see, I really love to be healthy and in shape UNLESS I have to be in a bikini for 4 days. As soon as it's time for me to start perusing for a new bathing suit, it's also time to start my carb only diet. (Is butter a carb?) The only thing that could make my life easier would be if there were a bikini shop next door to Terroni.

Speaking of Terroni....I really love it there. Have you been? If not, you should go. In this humble Ginger's opinion, you won't find better Italian food anywhere in Los Angeles than at Terroni. This is a pretty big statement seeing as I have only had one dish there. I have been at least a dozen times, but the first time I went I ordered the homemade rigatoni with burrata and zucchini. Now, if you know me, this will come as no surprise because if there is ever ANYTHING on a menu that has burrata in it, I will order it with out question. Burrata and I are in love. Hard. (Don't tell Rich, he thinks we're just friends. He's so naive.) No matter how many times I go, I just have to order this pasta. It is perfection.

So, after our pizza grilling party the other night (yup, it was a party) I started thinking about my next meal immediately (I am such a fat kid) and I could not get this pasta out of my mind. I even dreamt about myself taking one cheesy bite at a time in slow motion. I used to have dreams about my wedding and nice romantic things like that... now I have them about pasta. Maybe it's because Rich is still on the couch being all old and injured (his back... STILL! Ugh, poor handsome boy. I guess while you're incapacitated, I'll leave it to cheese to please me). But with Rich stuck on the couch, I couldn't bear to leave him and take myself on a pasta binge date.... so I decided to make it at home.

Just a note: I am watching The Today Show right now, as the Mr. and I do every morning because we are old and married (well, he is old and I am married) and Al is at the Iowa state fair (why on earth!!! I know....) and they just did a segment on a bunch of kids in a pie eating contest and I thought to myself "Sarah Keith, you could totally kick those 8 years olds asses in a pie eating contest..." This statement is F'd for many reasons, but mostly because it is 9:36am and now all I want is a pie....to myself. Ok. Back to Pasta.....

This pasta. 

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of rigatoni pasta, cooked to al dente, of course
2 pints of cherry tomatoes (or about 2 pints....)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp basil, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Yellow squash, sliced (Zucchini would also be great!)
Burrata cheese
Kosher salt

Burrata is my soulmate. Don't tell my husband.

Method:
In a baking dish, combine cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, olive oil, and basil. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, giving the tomatoes a stir every now and then.

Cook the rigatoni to al dente. While the rigatoni is cooking, sauté the squash or zucchini until just browned.

Combine the rigatoni, roasted cherry tomatoes with their juices, and squash. Top the pasta with burrata cheese, season with kosher salt, and top with fresh basil if you so please... which I always do.

Enjoy, because.... how could you not?!

Penelope approved.

Summer Grilled Salad & Join a CSA!

Summer how I love thee. Let me count the ways:

Barbecues (Rich concurs)
Bikinis (Rich loves the even more than me)
Sun dresses (Rich may know what these are)
Self tanner (please note: not sun bathing. I am a ging after all.)

And of course peaches, plums, berries, watermelon, corn, 'maters (southern husband, I can say this) summer squash...... actually..... ALL SUMMER PRODUCE!!!

garden harvest!

Oh, summer produce. We are so lucky to live in California where our summer is year round and our produce is extra wonderful and easily accessible. However, if you love summer produce, but hate getting up early on Sunday morning, grabbing your hand woven reusable hemp bags, and braving the unkempt masses who keep trying to hand you a flyer so you'll "come check out their band, do what Richard and I just did... We joined a CSA!  And it has been seriously awesome. What is a CSA you ask? It is community supported agriculture. Every Thursday morning we wake up to a box filled with organic and seasonal fruits and vegetables right on our doorstep. Even better, the farmers know they can count on you to make a purchase, so you're helping lower the cost of seasonal organic produce, all without having to go see anyone's "band." The company that we go through is called Farm Fresh To You. Unlike a lot of CSA's there's no long term commitment, so can cancel at any time, let them know what you like, and if you are the tenth caller, we'll throw in a snazzy watermelon phone (Rich says that joke is funny to people who are old enough to remember the Sports Illustrated football phone. I am not one of those people). Seriously though, if you go to their website and enter the code 6164 you'll get $10.00 off when you check out! That's it. Infomercial over. (I'm obsessed.)

Between our CSA and our garden we have been super spoiled this summer. And with all of this bountiful produce we've had to get creative with what we eat so that it doesn't all go bad! This grilled salad is perfect for that! You can pretty much take whatever veggies you have in your fridge and add them to my super simple (sibilant) salad recipe!

Summer Grilled Salad

Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
 2 ears of corn
1 onion, sliced
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
A few leaves of kale
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup of cooked quinoa
Goat cheese (optional)
Chopped basil
Salt and pepper

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Juice and zest from 2 lemons
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
Salt and Pepper


Method:
Preheat your grill to medium high heat and prep your veggies! Slice the onion and squash. I kept the squash in large pieces for easier grilling. I left the peppers, corn, and kale whole. Toss everything with a little bit of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper.

Grill your veggies until everything is slightly charred. The kale grills super fast, the corn will take 10 minutes or so. Once everything is grilled, set vegetables aside until cool enough to handle. This is a good time to make your dressing.

To make the dressing, combine lemon juice, zest, shallots, garlic, and mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Once the veggies are cooled, chop the squash, bell peppers, and kale. Remove the corn kernels and toss all of the veggies together with the cooked quinoa and the dressing. To serve, top with chopped basil and goat cheese if you like.

Lazy Monday Peanut Butter Smoothies

A very un-happy Monday to all. 

This is going to be short and simple y'all* It's a Monday and you know how I feel about them. Not. Good. Why must the weekend ever end?! I wasn't a lush (as usual) yesterday, so being hangover free today is a plus, I suppose. But man... I have the Monday bug BAD. On top of it being the worst day of the week it's also hot as _________ outside, making me feel even more lazy! (You can fill in the blank as you please.)

* I can say y'all because I am married to a southern boy. He doesn't actually say y'all,  but that's not important. 

am I a fan of baseball or a fan of not washing my hair....???

Lazy is actually an understatement. Today I did my hair by putting on a baseball hat. That's right... dry shampoo was actually too much work. And that lunch I promised Richard...... is a smoothie. Yup. Wife of the year. Here's the good news: this smoothie is delicious. The fat kid in me thinks I'm drinking a milkshake (hooray!) and my inner health nut is also satisfied. A creamy peanut butter shake full of omega-3's and fiber. Are you sold yet?

Ingredients:

2 cups vanilla almond milk

2 frozen bananas

4 Tbsp all natural, chunky peanut butter. I buy Skippy because you don't have to stir it.

2 Tbsp chia seeds

1 Tbsp ground flaxseed

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

A couple of handfuls of ice.... because it's hot out.

Method:

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Yup. That's it. Lazy Monday. 

Makes 2 servings. 

Fresh Pasta Sauce & First Kisses

So in case you've been wondering, I had my first kiss in Kindergarden. It was with a boy named Sage (awesome foreshadowing for a young chef; I bet if I was into ladies, her name would have been Rosemary). I was 5 at the time and was attending kindergarten at Sacred Hearts Catholic School in Toronto, Canada. I haven't talked to Sage since, maybe because my family moved to another country, maybe because he was intimidated by my charming ways, maybe because we were five and he went on to marry a lovely woman named Lavender... I guess we will never know.

I'm not sure when Richard had his first kiss.... if I had to guess, he was probably 4 because he always has to beat me and he's always been a bit slutty. Either way, I know for sure it was not with his friend Caitlin, who he went to elementary school with at St. Patrick's Catholic School in Charlotte, North Carolina. How do I know this you ask? Because tonight she and her husband came over for dinner and I asked her. It wasn't awkward at all.

I know. My mind is blown, too... the ONE GILR EVER that Rich hasn't kissed!!!

In case you are wondering, Richard and Caitlin hadn't seen each other since elementary school, so when we found out she and her husband, Tommy, were moving to Los Angeles it was quite an exciting surprise. And you know what happens when this ginger gets excited... DINNER PARTY!

Reunited and it feels so good!

With it being peak tomato season and our garden producing quite an abundance of San Marzano tomatoes, a pasta night was absolutely necessary... and when we throw around the term PASTA NIGHT  in this house, we are not effing around. I'm wearing the engagement ring of Rich's dead Italian grandma so I have a pretty high bar to live up to, lest I find my self resting eternally next to her. So when we say "pasta" we're talking homemade pasta and homemade marinara.... with all the ingredients from our garden!

Fresh Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 pounds of ripe San Marzano tomatoes, blanched and peeled (Roma will work great, too)
1/2 an onion, grated
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, grated
3 cloves of garlic, minced
A splash of red wine
Lots of fresh basil
Lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
& lots of  FRESH PASTA (recipe here)

Method:
Begin by blanching the tomatoes. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Score the bottom of each tomato with a small "X" and then drop them into the boiling water for about 30 seconds and then put them into an ice bath to stop the cooking and let them cool. You will then be able to peel the skin off of them very easily. Do this with all of the tomatoes and then set them aside.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the grated onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until starting to caramelize. Add the minced garlic and cook just a minute until fragrant. Add a splash of red wine. I do this because I think it tastes delicious.... and lord knows I am rarely in the kitchen without a glass of it already in hand. Once the wine is reduced, add the tomatoes and bring everything to a simmer. Turn the heat to LOW and let cook for at least an hour.

The longer you cook tomato sauce, the more caramelized and delicious it gets! Your tomatoes should pretty much break down from cooking, but if they are a little chunkier than you like, you can use an immersion blender to get your sauce smooth right before serving it. Season with salt and pepper, top with tons of fresh basil and parmesan cheese and serve!

One bowl, four hours of love, several hundred noodles of perfection

 Madness:

The dinner was amazing and tipsy. We even kept warm by a fire in our very own fire pit. Needless to say, we are so thrilled to have Caitlin and Tommy living in Los Angeles there will be many more amazing dinners to come! Cheers!!

Tommy: "Where's Caitlin!?"

Three Dog Night

Wine & Cheese. Happy Sunday

It's that day. The best day of the week. Happy Sunday everyone! Thank you DomaineLA for another fabulous tasting!

This post is worth 1000 words......

why yes, those are homemade pickles

advice.

domaineLA = the real deal.

rose for days

This bitch.....

the loves of my life (I am talking about their glasses, obviously....)

Cheers!

xx

Savory Fig Jam and a Cheese Board for Two

You know those days when you could sit outside all day long, wine in hand, and just eat copious amounts of cheese until your arteries literally stop working? That is every day for me. If I could only have one thing to eat for the rest of my life it really would be cheese. 

So, yesterday, due to whatever political argument was ailing me at the time, I was daydreaming that Richard and I (and the 4 dogs, of course) were moving to France.... when I really got to thinking....these people know what the F is up. They drink wine (maybe even more than I do) they wear horizontal strips (which are my favorite) and I am sure that they have probably given cheese it's own food group. French women never get fat, they always look classy, and I feel like they would be much more accepting of whatever shenanigans that second glass (bottle) of wine got me into. 

Need I say more?

No. Moving to France was officially the best idea I have EVER had (as of yesterday.) So before I started looking at apartments for rent, preferably right next door to a quaint boulangerie, it seemed only fair to inform my darling husband of our new life path. Unfortunately, let's just say he was less than thrilled with the idea. Even less thrilled than when I also explained to him why turning our deck into a sandy beach was an absolute MUST for our next BBQ.... but that's a whole other story.  Anyways, while he was a bit under enthused with us moving to France for silly reasons like our careers, money, and family....... being the absolute dreamboat that he is,  he ran to the market, got every kind of amazing cheese possible, picked a perfect bottle of french wine and we are calling it a day. Did I marry well, or what? 

I obviously put on my best horizontal stripes, thanked god I just cut my hair into a bob, and broke out my favorite cheese board. Now, trying to keep in theme with "fig week" I figured this the perfect time to make my absolute favorite fig jam. It's savory, delicious, and pretty quick to make. It also calls for dried figs, so you can make it any time of the year. I actually made this recipe for our engagement party (almost 2 years ago- gasp!) and it was quite a hit!

a modest cheese board for two with savory fig jam

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons minced shallots
2 fresh thyme sprigs plus 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 small bay leaf
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup dried black mission figs
3/4 cup port
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper


Method:
Cook shallot, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf in butter in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. Add dried figs, Port, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until figs are soft, about 10 minutes. If there is still liquid in saucepan, remove lid and simmer, stirring, until most of liquid is evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes more. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs and transfer jam to a bowl. Cool, then stir in minced thyme and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on toast, make crostinis, or put a dollop of it right on a cheese board like I did. 

Au revoir!

Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream

There are some really great things about getting older. You get a new sense of freedom and responsibility, you become more comfortable with yourself (which I think is a good thing, anyways...) and if you really want to- you can eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... which at this point, I am going to have to seriously start considering because our freezer is about to explode.

With this heat wave in LA I have pretty much deemed my oven out of order! It's hot outside.... and when you live in a charming 1940's building- it's even hotter inside, making our oven, stove, and even using hot water completely unacceptable. The good news? This ice cream is also no cook. That's right. So stay full and stay cool...

Ingredients:

1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled and halved

1 2/3 cups heavy cream

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt 

Method:

Combine everything in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth with just a few small chunks of berries in the mix. Scrape into your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Serve right away, soft-serve style, or transfer to a quart-sized container, cover tightly, and freeze until firm.