Cooking for company: Today's lunch menu

We were blessed to have guests for lunch today! Joshua made a new cheesecake recipe, which was an orange and vanilla swirl cheesecake... it turned out just like he had hoped, which was exciting! When he gives me the instructions and I get some pictures taken, I'll share the recipe. :)

We also served the Double Chocolate Italian Cheesecake for dessert, to the delight of our guests, who said they loved cheesecake and described it as "decadent" and were amazed at Joshua's cheesecake-making talent! We didn't tell that how many calories are in each piece! ;)

Actually, they didn't eat much cheesecake, because they had filled up on pizza! Before we headed out the door to go to church, I turned on the bread maker and it kneaded the dough for pizza. I made my Easy Pizza dough recipe, and we had one regular pizza, with mozzarella cheese and homemade pepperoni on top (I made more pepperoni this week, since we've been using from our freezer stash every time we make pizza!) and a second Homemade Taco Pizza.

On the side, I served mixed fruit, and our guests brought a lettuce salad and a creamy cherry fruit salad.

It was a simple meal, but very filling, and it was fun to share it with others. I needed something that could be finished up quickly upon arriving home. Early in the morning, I shredded cheese and got my toppings prepared, and washed any dishes that were dirtied. When we got home, I greased the pizza pans, spread the dough out onto the pans, and started sprinkling toppings on while the oven pre-heated. It was a relaxing afternoon! :)

This was also my first time trying out some new pizza pans, ones that have little holes across the bottoms. The crusts got a little darker on the very bottom, but were still soft and very good. With our "normal" round steel (not stainless steel) pizza pan, it seemed like the bottom of the crust would get condensation on it shortly after baking unless we immediately removed the pieces (like bread will do if you cool it in the pan). And, since we only had one pizza pan before, now we can make several pizzas and in different sizes. :)

Ahhhh, pizza making! Do you make homemade pizza? If so, do you ever have difficulties making it, or does it turn out perfect for you? I think I'll make a new poll on this topic! :)

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I feel like pizza now...:)

Submitted by Lindsey on Mon, 2007-01-08 00:29.

I use a make-a-mix recipe for the dough although I want to try Erin's recipe sometime soon since I haven't tried that for pizza dough yet.
Our bakery carries fresh deli meats and that is where we always get the pepperoni. I broil the pepperoni in the oven before putting on the pizza since everyone likes it crisp.
We use Delissio cheese which is the absolute best cheese to use for pizza! :)
We have a couple stone pizza pans which I don't see how I ever lived without. :) We love how they brown the crust. We also bought some Pizza Hut pans from a restaurant sale last year which also cook the pizza nice. Most of them are small (8"??) though so we haven't used them a lot. Another guy had bought the bigger pans so Graham traded him some smaller ones for a couple big ones. :)

Pizza Hut pizza pans

Submitted by Tammy on Mon, 2007-01-08 00:41.

Lindsey,

Thanks for sharing your tips!

From what material are the pizza hut pans made?

Also, please tell me how you use a pizza stone! Do you have to heat up the stone first? How do you get your pizza on a hot stone? Does it make crispy crust?

Delissio... is that a brand of mozzarella or a type of cheese? We had a lot of trial and error with mozzarella cheeses for our pizza. We have decided that very dry mozzarella works best.

I was getting Kroger mozzarella, and sometimes it would be good (bright white, stringy, and almost "squeaky") and sometimes not (clear-ish, mushy, not stringy at all)! Currently we've been getting our mozzarella at Aldi's, and theirs is really good for pizza. Probably the best we've found around here!

I also think that when mozzarella ages in the fridge, even if it isn't getting moldy or anything, it tends to lose it's squeaky stringy-ness. So I freeze my mozarella blocks and just thaw when needed. The 8-ounce block packages take just a few minutes to thaw in a bowl of warm water.

Do you guys freeze your cheese ever? It tends to crumble rather than shred afterwards.

We got our pizza stones from

Submitted by Lindsey on Tue, 2007-01-09 01:07.

We got our pizza stones from Pampered Chef. They are a bit expensive(we were able to buy some of the pieces on sale so that was nice) but we've been super happy with the quality. I love how easy they are to clean as well. You just rinse them off while scrubbing with a scraper that comes with the piece. The oil from cooking soaks in and "greases" them so you don't have to season them after using them a few times. Mom doesn't like them as much because she loves to use lots of soapy water for dishes. LOL!
I don't heat up the stone since it is always kept at room temperature.
We love how it cooks the crust. It gets browned and crispy but doesn't burn. The stoneware evenly bakes(cookies, pizza, etc.) so it would have to cook for a long time to burn or char.
For my pizzas I just place the dough on like any regular pizza and cook it on the bottom rack of the oven for about 8 minutes or until it just starts to brown on the top. I add the sauce, cheese, meat, toppings, and a little more cheese and cook it for about 12 minutes more. We just leave the pizza on the stone and it is still warm when we go back for seconds. :) It doesn't get soggy either since the stone absorbs the grease.
I sound like a sales person for stoneware. Haha!
About the cheese...yes, Delissio is a type of mozerella. I just looked at the package and it is an "Italian Style Part Skim Mozzerella Cheese." It is a softer mozzerella cheese. One woman we knew that worked at a pizza place said that is the cheese they used.
As for freezing the cheese, we pretty much always freeze the Delissio because we can't use it up in time. We actually grate it first and then layer it on cookie sheets and stick them in the freezer. After the cheese is completely frozen, we put in the large freezer ziplock bags. It keeps for a long time that way and we can't tell any difference from when we use it fresh so that works good for us.
It was funny after reading your post last night. I felt like pizza so thought I'd get the deli meat from the bakery today in Butte since I had to go to the vet and then make it tonight. That was a great plan but then I forgot that the bakery is closed on Mondays. Grr...:P :D
I've rambled on for a while...

Pizza details...

Submitted by Tammy on Tue, 2007-01-09 23:39.

Thanks for all the great information, Lindsey! Now I know how to use a pizza stone! :) Your pizza sounds great! :)

About the Pizza Hut

Submitted by Lindsey on Sat, 2007-01-13 23:52.

About the Pizza Hut pans...Mom and I couldn't quite tell what they were made of so I looked it up online. This might be how you would describe them: "High strength aluminum pans with durable, dark gray, hard-coat anodized surface that will not interact with food." That does kind of sound like the same thing.

I just made the Italian Cheesecake. Not a big deal but, in the directions, it doesn't say to add the sugar. I figured out where it should be added but thought you might want to add that to the directions. :)

Interesting! Thanks for the

Submitted by Tammy on Sun, 2007-01-14 00:13.

Interesting! Thanks for the heads-up on that recipe, as well. :)

Pizza is wonderful for company!

Submitted by simplbrandy on Mon, 2007-01-08 15:13.

I'm so glad to hear that you've made pizza for guests. It can be the perfect meal for working to please picky eaters. I even made a heart-shaped deep-dish pizza for my father for Christmas.

As for the cheese, I've never frozen it. We buy the block of fresh mozzerella, which can be a bit pricey. The homemade pizza is so cost-effective that we can afford it. I slice it and then tear the slices into pieces to cover the top of the pizza. We use a little less cheese because I love sauce, making the cheese go further.

Pizza for picky eaters

Submitted by Tammy on Mon, 2007-01-08 22:32.

You're right, Brandy! It seems like pizza is a good choice for families with young children. Or anyone, actually! I also like the fact that pizza goes well with cold sides like salads and fruit. Some meals require sides like fresh bread, hot veggies, potatoes, etc. :)

Double Chocolate Italian Cheesecake

Submitted by joyfullyhis on Sat, 2007-01-13 18:36.

That looks SOOOO good! I have to try it! =)

pizza pans

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2007-01-28 13:02.

Tammy,
Thanks for your hints on hospitality. This year has been "the year of hospitality" for our family. I was raised in a home that only entertained at holidays. Re: pizza pans, I find that an old-fashioned cast iron skillet is great for deep dish. Each piece is very filling so you need fewer pieces per person. Cast iron is easily affordable at yard sales, auctions or second-hand shops. Lastly, cooking with cast iron actually adds iron to your food, which adds to the nutrtional content of your meal. One just has to remember to season your pan in the oven (or out on an open campfire, like my husband does)to insure superior cooking & non-stick properties.
Enjoy,
Leslie