January in Iowa!
The weather started out mild this past week giving the guys an opportunity to cook outside on Tuesday. By the next day it was frigid with below zero wind chills.
Over the Coals with Roy & Matthew: Dutch Oven French Pot Roast with potatoes, carrots and onions. The roast was marinated in French Salad Dressing, hence French Pot Roast. The guys did a great job.
I started a new series this week: 52 Styles & Variations of Pizza in the U.S. A few will be repeats from the past year. I started the year with my husband’s favorite.
Friday Night Pizza: Detroit Style Pizza…48 hours of cold fermentation of the dough results in a light airy crust baked in a blue steel pan.
Saturday was the inaugural use of the pasta maker. It was a learning curve with the extrusion of the pasta. But we plan to try it again next week.
In the Kitchen with Matthew: We made a pound of spaghetti. The sauce simmered in the crockpot overnight for 10 hours. And, a copycat Olive Garden Salad completed lunch.
Growing up one of my favorite comfort foods was pork chops & mushroom gravy. (Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, of course.) So, when my hubby suggested putting it on a pizza, I said I can do that! I baked the pork chops with the soup first…
Sunday’s Creation: Pork Chops & Mushroom Gravy Pizza…my pan crust topped with cream of mushroom soup, gruyere, Parmesan, baked pork chops, mushrooms, yellow onion, mozzarella and garnished with chives.
Back to the weather in Iowa…a heat wave this week will bring temps in the 40’s. And in the kitchen, I have had a special baking request from a friend.
See you next week…
~Peggy Palmer-Johnson