Rife with Holiday Recipes

Note: Andy's staff Christmas potluck is tomorrow.  Last year he brought home the recipes which were well received by you readers.  I hope he brings home the goodies tomorrow too, so stay in touch.

One thing about the holidays, all the recipes that have been( and hope to be) appear or reappear.  They may be twisted and redressed with a little something- something added to make a tad of difference, but here they are again. The Ebooks have not totally taken over and lush offerings appear on Amazon.com. and the remaining bookstores.  A blog that I follow by David Lebovitz reviews a list of cook books he wants but also shows stacks and stacks of cookbooks that he owns.  Like the rest of us, he can't resist a cookbook, especially one that has stories that go along and read like a novel in many cases. And, like the rest of us he can never really do them justice because he could not possibly cook through them all. It's the thrill (and then at times, the let down) one gets curling up to read a new cookbook from cover t o cover. You can follow his blog or visit his list of cookbooks at http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/12/best-favorite-cookbooks-of-2011/.  David lives in Paris and seems to know his way around and is usually realistic about Paris and its people.There's a lot of things that don't make sense in Paris... for instance: The waiter who tells you they are out of something when it is sitting in plain view for sale (which means they have the item, but you can' have it); a bank teller who tells you they have no change that day (unless you have a tip for her); or why, on the Metro, it is perfectly okay to stick  your finger up your nose but it is not okay to stick a sandwich in your mouth. I agree, there is  more to  Paris than learning to tie a pretty scarf, but there is no place like home as far as I'm concerned.

David Lebovitz has a pizza recipe that looks to be out of this world.  I have made a pizza or two with potatoes and I have made them with blue cheese, but not in combination.  His picture which I hope to show is from his blog and so is the following recipe.

For the pizza dough:
4 cups (560g) bread flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (see Notes)

1 1/2 cup (375ml) water, at room temperature
OR BUY THE DOUGH or the bare crust

For the topping:
2 medium onions, peeled
1 pound (450g) small, firm potatoes, such as Yukon golds or fingerling
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, plus a handful of thyme branches
6 to 8 ounces (170g-225g) blue cheese

Garlic oil:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil

Additional ingredients you’ll need:
Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To make the dough:
1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and yeast.
2. Stir in the water until well-blended, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dishtowel and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.

To make the pizza toppings:
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
2. Sauté the onions in a large skillet, stirring frequently over moderate heat, seasoned with salt and pepper, until soft and translucent. They will take about eight minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, add the fresh thyme leaves. Let stand at room temperature until ready to use.
3. Slice the potatoes in a little larger than 1/8-inch (.30cm) slices and toss them with a just enough olive oil to lightly cover them, a few teaspoons, along with salt and pepper and sprigs of fresh thyme.
4. Spread the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through.

To bake the pizzas:
1. Heat the broiler in the oven and set the oven rack so it’s 5-inches (12cm) from the heating element.
2. Set a cast iron skillet on the stove top over high heat and let it get very hot.
3. Shape the dough into 8-inch (20cm) rounds on a lightly floured surface, then working one-by-one, overturn the cast-iron skillet and carefully put a round of dough on the upturned bottom of the skillet, using your fingers to nudge the dough to the edges and being careful to avoid touching the very hot skillet.
4. Bake each round of dough individually under the broiler until each is lightly browned and “set” – they will only take a minute or two, so watch them carefully. As they come out of the oven, pry the dough off the pan (you may need to use a spatula if they stick a bit) and set each one on a wire cooling rack.
(You can also put the toppings on the raw dough, right before step #4, and bake the pizzas off to finish them.)
5. Brush each round of dough in the center with garlic oil, making sure to get some of the minced garlic on each round. Divide the onions over each round of dough, leaving a border, then top with potatoes and crumble blue cheese in large pieces over each pizza.
6. Run each pizza one-by-one under the broiler, on the overturned cast-iron skillet, then serve immediately.

There are close to 8,000 hits on this blog.  Along side the graph that shows the blog's progress is a set of pictures of your favorite entries.  Andy's (staff ) Christmas potluck with its recipes was one of your favorites who ever you are. LOL  The 13th is the next staff potluck and I plan to send fresh fruit with the three product dip.  The recipe is on the blog a bite before the concert. Three ingredients: small package of vanilla or lemon instant pudding, 1 can of crushed pineapple including all the juice, 1 cup of sour cream OR one cup of Cool Whip whisk together and chilled then let the dipping begin.

Dorie Greenspan has a show of Paris Christmas yule logs that are so beautiful it is difficult to believe someone could create these items.  Stunning. Play if you're hungry. LOL
http://doriegreenspan.com/2011/12/video-buche-it.html