It's cold and raw and wet out today, people. Not a pleasant day to be out and about, as I had to be. So I made myself and a friend an easy pesto pizza for lunch. It goes together very quickly, so it's perfect for a meal on the run!
You'll need:
Pre-made pizza crust Olive Oil Pesto (I used my own which I make from my father's 4 cheese pizza blend cheese Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 450, then put the
crust on a cookie sheet and brush it with olive oil. Spread the pesto
evenly over the crust.
Sprinkle on the cheese, then pop it into the oven, turn the oven down to 425 and bake for 7 to 10 minutes.
I told you it was easy... Here's the finished product all ready to serve. It's featured here with my Gillian Floral Napkin, now on sale at Felix Populi.
My friend Jeffrey introduced me to these pizza crusts and they really are delicious and so versatile! Use your imagination and I'm sure you can find many ways to customize them for your own gourmet pizzas.
For my father's pesto you'll need:
4 cups fresh basil leaves neatly compressed 1 cup pine nuts 5 cloves freshly minced garlic 1 cup olive oil 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese Salt to taste
Begin by combining your basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor. Pulse a few times to begin combining them. With the processor running add the olive oil in a steady drizzle. Once it's all in, scrape the sides of the processor and add the cheese and pulse to combine. Salt to taste. Makes about 2 cups.
Hello people! It’s time for a new episode (I know, I know, it’s past time, this was the episode that almost wasn’t). This time out we’re making grilled cheese! Such fun, and so easy… We’ve chosen some delicious cheeses to feature, including Cotswold, Gruyere (our fondue sandwich) and aged farmhouse Cheddar. We’re using sourdough bread, which gives the sandwiches a nice tang. Here are a few grilled cheese tips:
- Grate your cheese: Grated cheese melts more quickly and easily than slices.
- Butter the bread, not the pan: That’s the outside of the sandwich, not the inside. Buttering the bread on the outside ensures that the sandwich will brown evenly.
- Cover your sandwich for the first few minutes: This will conserve the heat and melt the cheese more quickly. Flip the sandwich after about 4 minutes and then leave it uncovered.
Grilled cheese sandwiches are ripe for experimentation. Why not explore with cheeses and breads you find in your local gourmet store? How about a bleu cheese sandwich? Gouda or Fontina would be delicious melted up. As for breads, brioche would make a very tasty nibble! So would a rich hearty 7 grain with plenty of nuts and crunchy bits.
Just in time for the holidays, we have a new Brini Maxwell store! If you click on the “Shop” link at BriniMaxwell.com you’ll be directed to our new store featuring fun Brini Maxwell products, some you may be familiar with, some that are brand new! One of the new products is the Brini poster. It’s a fun, inexpensive way to bring me into your home. Have a look!
Cheese. It’s one of nature’s wonders, and one of my favorite foods. This week on the show we’re making toasted sesame cheese wafers. It’s a very tasty recipe that was originally featured in an episode devoted to the wonders of this delightful food.
For the wafers you’ll need:
5 oz processed cheese spread
3 Tbs. butter
¾ cup flour
¼ tsp paprika
2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 400. Sift the flour and paprika together, and then blend in the sesame seeds. Combine the cheese and butter in a bowl and cream together. Add the flour mixture and stir until well blended. The dough will be stiff. On a sheet of wax paper work the dough into a log about 6 and one half inches long and an inch and a half in diameter and wrap in the wax paper. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour and up to one week. When chilled, unwrap the dough, slice thinly and bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges.
Cheese, milk’s leap to immortality, is one of the most versatile foods in any cook’s arsenal. It can be used in savory or sweet dishes and has such varied flavors, as to confuse even the most devoted epicurean. Some of my favorites are:
Cotswald: This is a cheddar variation from England. It’s rich and robust with a delightful tang. I love it on hearty sourdough bread.
Saga Bleu and Cambazola: These are brie/bleu combinations – both delicious with French bread or fruit.
Gruyere: This is the prince of Swiss cheese. Its rich and nutty flavor are delightful in fondue or on crackers.
I love having people over for cheese tastings. Putting out several cheeses on a board and letting my friends become intimate with them is my idea of a delightful Sunday afternoon. Try it yourself and see how much fun it can be!
