Author: jeff

We’re on TV in Phoenix with Grilled Pizza: Thanks KPNX-12News (NBC)

jeff 6 Comments

We are ready for warmer weather (50 degrees yesterday in Minneapolis!), and that means grilled pizza.  There’s no better place for that than Phoenix, which is Minneapolis’s alter-ego– it’s pretty hot for indoor pizza-baking in the summertime (which is coming!).  So we journeyed south a couple of weeks ago to do a  demo of grilled pizza on the NBC affiliate down there– and soak up a little sunshine.  We also taught again at Barbara Fenzl’s Les Gourmettes Cooking School.  Thanks for an appreciative group, Barbara!

One thing to explain though, hostess Destry Jetton said that this was cracker-crust pizza on the grill–it’s not.  Everything we showed in Phoenix was Neapolitan-style thickness, about 1/8 to 1/4-inch.  We do have lots of directions for both kinds of pizza in Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day.

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Pizzette

jeff 28 Comments

The concept for these little pizza/tarts came from a family recipe. My cousin, Riad Nasr, is a world class chef and quite often the source of inspiration in my kitchen. He practices his craft in New York City at a line-up of crazy-popular restaurants including Pastis, Minetta Tavern and Balthazar. Several years ago he wrote the Balthazar cookbook and included a savory tart with herby caramelized onions and goat cheese. I made it and fell in love. When Jeff and I decided to write our Pizza book I knew this flavor combo would be fantastic as a pizza. I’ve made it in several classes that we’ve taught to rave reviews, so I thought I would make it with you here.

The key to this pizza is caramelizing the onions. You can speed up the process by using a slightly higher heat and adding a touch of sugar, but for this recipe we’re going the old fashion route and doing it slow. I admit this may take a few more than 5 minutes, but I think it’s worth it. For those of you looking for a speedier version you can find one on page 108 of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Read More

My Co-Author the Celebrity!

jeff 4 Comments

(photos by Hubert Bonnet) Just this week Zoe appeared in Lavender Magazine here in the Twin Cities– in a terrific article on Minneapolis-St. Paul’s rising young pastry chefs.  Above, she’s showing off her signature desserts, created for Tilia in Minneapolis, now one of the hottest tables in town.  Zoe was showcased as “best-selling author, blogger, [and] rising celebrity chef…” (click to view the full article).

Fougasse, stuffed or plain: New how-to video

jeff 21 Comments

Thanks for being patient with my roasted red pepper obsession.  Above, dropping the scorched peppers into a bowl to steam (see last week’s post on roasting your own peppers).  But now the embarrassing part:  I shot the video on a different day from pepper-roasting time, so I stuffed the fougasse with with tomato and cheese.  So it’s really fougasse in the pizza margherita style.  But you get the picture, or at least, the video: