Roasted Red Pepper Crostini

This is Barb's signature appetizer. This orignial recipe is a can't miss dish. Sorry for the poor photo - it looks like a slice of pizza, it's really a small piece of bread. I will update the photo next time we make it.


1 - 7 oz. jar roasted red peppers – drained and blotted dry
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. Capers
3 cloves garlic
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
Greek seasoning

1 - loaf French bread
1 - 6 oz. container Alouette garlic and herb spreadable cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Coarsely chop roasted red peppers
Add parsley, capers and 2 cloves pressed garlic
Add olive oil 1 tbsp at a time to mixture until ingredients are nicely blended but not runny. Sprinkle w/Greek seasoning to taste.

Slice French bread into 1” rounds on place on cookie sheet.
Cut remaining garlic cloves and rub cut side on each of French bread rounds
Place bread rounds in oven for approx. 4 min.

Remove bread and spread Alouette cheese spread evenly over each round.
Place bread topped with Alouette back in oven and bake 4 min. longer or until cheese is bubbly.

Remove bread and place on a serving dish. Top each round with red pepper mixture and serve, or keep separate and allow for topping each round individually with desired amount of red pepper mixture.

Makes approx 30 pieces.

Mama Mia That's Some Damn Good Pizza

As a native New Yorker, I have been chasing the pizza holy grail a long time. Finally, I think I have unlocked the combination to quality pizza at home. First, let's get the dough out the way. Cooks Illustrated has nailed it with a "secret ingredient;" cake flour. The cake flour gives the crust the right amount of chew when cooked at high (500F) temperatures. I use a pizza stone and pizza peel to manage the process.

Here is the recipe for the dough:

1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup water (8 ounces), room temperature
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces), plus extra for dusting work surface and peel
1 cup cake flour (4 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons sugar

Now for the toppings - of course because we live in barbecue country, I have tried the grilled pizza thing a hundred times - forget about it. I've seen enough burnt crust and uncooked toppings to last me a life time. Tonight I had an inspiration - forget about grilling the pizza, grill the toppings!

Check this out, I had some fresh mozzarella and you know what happens when you put that on pizza - the water works. So, I took a foil pouch of wood chips, sliced the mozzarella and placed it on some foil, greased with olive oil. My idea was to slightly smoke the cheese and drive the water out of it at the same time -it worked. Since the grill was hot, why not throw some tomato and Vidalia onion slices on too - brilliant! As far as the toppings go - let your imagination run, that's the fun.

Adjust oven rack to lowest position, set pizza stone on oven rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. In liquid measuring cup, whisk yeast into water to dissolve. Mix the flours, salt, and sugar until combined. Slowly add liquid; continue to process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of work bowl. Divide dough in half and shape into smooth, tight balls. Place on floured counter or baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart; cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

When dough balls have doubled in size, dust dough liberally with flour and transfer balls to well-floured work surface. I use a rolling pin to from a 12-inch circle. Lightly flour pizza peel; lift edges of dough round to brush off any excess flour, then transfer dough to peel. Spread thin layer of tomato topping (about 1/2 cup) over dough with rubber spatula, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Slide onto stone and bake until crust begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove pizza from oven with peel, close oven door, and top pizza with half of cheese chunks, spaced evenly apart. Return pizza to stone and continue cooking until cheese is just melted, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to cutting board; sprinkle with half of remaining basil, 1 teaspoon olive oil, and pinch salt. Slice and serve immediately. Repeat steps above to shape, top, and bake second pizza.

Smok'n Forth of July Ribs

Jordan and I had a great day on the golf course. He had three pars in a row and was hitting it really long. Nothing builds the appetite like a good walk on the course. Barb made a patriotic cake with white frosting, blue berries and cherries.

When it comes to ribs, I use a combination of cooking methods. I start them on the grill and finish them off in the oven. In fact, they will spend the majority of the time in the oven, which gives me the most temperature control.

Start by peeling away the membrane that covers the bones. Then apply your rub. Make a tin-foil pouch for your wood chips.

Rub the ribs with love. Place ribs on grill away from the chip pouch. Cook on the gas grill for about an hour at a very low temperature. The only burner I have on is the one directly over the wood chips.

In the oven, I place a 9x13 dish filled with boiling water on the bottom rack. My ribs go on top. I place them onto of cooling rack, on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Set the oven to 220 degrees and forget about them for about three hours.

In the last half hour of cooking, I bast them with sauce and crank up the oven heat. You can also place under the broiler or finish them off back on the gas grill. But be careful not to burn the sauce.

This rub recipe is from Cooks Illustrated:

Dry Rub
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons table salt
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
3 tablespoons celery salt
3 tablespoons garlic powder