Make & Bake Pizza

Everyone likes the thought of tossing pizza dough high up in the air. You must try it at least once. Today I have an easier method and you can still be creative while having fun tossing on your own toppings like grilled veggies, seafood, meats and nuts. The choices are endless, I encourage you to make your own designer pizza pie. 

Solution: When you just don't have the time for making a dough, Fabulous Flats makes an excellent substitution. Their Tandoori Naan and Stone-Baked Pizza Crusts are authentic and truly fabulous. The flatbreads are preservative-free and contain no hydrogenated oils and no trans fats. I really like making it with their whole wheat variety which has a made-from-scratch taste because of the hearth baked nutty flavor. I’ve mentioned before, I admit I'm a pizza snob who will travel 50 miles for a great pie, so I won't steer you wrong!

When the Gorgonzola melts, it becomes creamy and gives the pizza a nutty flavor. Top with pecans for additional nuttiness that is ideal with the creamy cheese. Ideal for luncheon entrée or dinner appetizer served a tossed green salad.

Grilled Three-Cheese Naan Pizza

(Adapted from Grilling with Chef George Hirsch with Marie Bianco)

Makes four appetizer servings
 

1 pre-baked Naan Bread Crust
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
1/2 cup goat cheese or feta
6 fresh basil leaves, lightly torn
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Pre heat grill to medium or an oven to 400 degrees F.

Brush Naan on both sides with olive oil. Top Naan on one side with cheeses leaving a half-inch border around crust. Place Naan on grill top shelf or bake on a pizza pan for about five minutes until crust is crisp and cheese is melted. Remove top with fresh basil and pepper, serve immediately.

image, © Kristen Johansen | istock

KYFF, Grilling Italy

What to grill this weekend? How about some bread? Bruschetta is one of my most popular recipes and is so simple to prepare. It is an ideal snack to enjoy while you are waiting for the main dish on the grill to be finished. 

Ideally, use day old or very dense thickly-sliced bread. The addition of the smoke from the grill adds magical flavor to the crust and it’s toppings. There is no limit in toppings for your bruschetta, just let your imagination run free. Think of your bread crusts as an artist’s canvas. 

Join me for a bruschetta tour through Italy. Which, BTW, the variety in bruschetta toppings vary from region to region. 

When canal-side in Venice, I must have my bruschetta with Baccala' Mantecato, that is topped with whipped salted cod. This cod is making me thirsty! Vino prego!

While in Siena, I’ve enjoyed grilled toasts di fegato, that's made with garlicky chopped liver.

The southern part of Italy is the region to feast on the superior quality of fruits from Italy's fertile soil, particularly Naples. Ahh, delicioso pomodoro. This is the bruschetta most people envision - crowns of sweet ripened tomatoes, basil and olive oil.   

Before you take your first bite, let me transport you to my favorite place in Positano; Trattoria La Tagliata where Bartolo is the family's grill chef. He will take really good care of you - while you nibble on his bruschetta, enjoying the priceless view of the Amalfi Coast and await his grilled specialties.

Something wonderful happens to country-style bread when it’s brushed with olive oil and grilled. It’s smoky flavor adds another layer to olive oil, fresh tomatoes with lots of caramelized garlic, parmesan cheese, and capers. Dry day-old bread makes the best bruschetta, so this is a good way to use up yesterday’s loaf of Italian, French, or sourdough bread. Serve bruschetta with salad or soup, or as a snack with a chunk of sopressatta.

This recipe is from my first book, and to pass along just how much everyone enjoys bruschetta from the grill it’s my very first recipe in the book, page 14.

Bruschetta

From Grilling with Chef George Hirsch | The cookbook By George Hirsch with Marie Bianco © 1994

Makes 6 

3 cups seeded and diced plum tomatoes

24 cloves caramelized garlic

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon capers, rinsed

Salt and pepper, to taste

12 slices round country- style bread, sliced 3/4 inch thick

1/4 cup olive oil

6 basil leaves, chopped

Grated parmesan cheese 

To make the topping, combine the tomtoes, garlic, parmesan cheese, capers, salt and pepper.

Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and grill 10 to 15 seconds on each side. Press down on the bread with a spatula so that the bread picks up grill marks.

When the bread is grilled, top off the slices evenly with the tomato mixture and place them in a foil pan on the grill. Close the hood and heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan and sprinkle each bruschetta with basil and parmesan cheese.

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Dishin' Up Gameday

Ravens VS. 49ers

LOCATION New Orleans—Super Bowl XLVII and it's time to plan your Gameday party for the biggest sporting event of the year is taking place. Why not plan a buffet-style party as a fun way to celebrate this year's Super Bowl. 

In New Orleans they'll sure love the flavor of the grill; so whether your party is indoors or out, plan a menu with a little outdoor style for ultimate flavor! 

A good game plan to consider is serving finger foods such as Hush Puppies, Sausage & Artichoke Calzones, Pork Sliders and steaming bowls of Crock of Beer Chili. There's a whole lot of corn in the midwest so be sure to have my Pecan Cornbread ready before the pre game action. But, don’t forget to honor the host city with my favorite Grilled Schweinefilet Sandwich. I’ll be serving it myself on gameday – so you know it’s got to be good. 

Practical tips for preparing your biggest sports party of the year: 

Pre-Gameday

• Every winning team has key players. Select your team of key players for your “GameDay Party” who can assist in menu planning, preparation, and clean up. And don’t forget to assign the grill chefs.

• Consider a buffet. Serving your main foods buffet style takes the pressure off of timing in respect to the game action. 

• Include in your party plan mix; preparing some foods from home and buying some prepared foods from a local restaurant or specialty food market to remove GameDay party pressure off the home chef. 

•  If part of your party menu includes catered or prepared ready-to-eat or take out foods from your local restaurant or market make sure you instruct them if you want your food ready hot or cold; so you won’t be getting your ribs hot at 11AM - when not serving until 3PM.

• Create the party shopping list several days before the Big Game and be prepared to do your shopping three to four days in advance, except breads.

• Take inventory of your bowls, dishes, silverware, glassware, coolers at least three days in advance (or just go with eco paper products for easy cleanup). Short on glasses? No sweat, use mason jars.

• You’ll need about 1 pound of ice per person for drinks, and chilling soft drinks, wine and beer. BTW, craft beer is huge in Indiana, so you may want to set up a micro brew bar in lieu of standard brew. 

• It may be chilly outside the Stadium, but a batch of margarita or sangria will add a tropical warmth to any crowd. Serve it in a large glass infusion jar - served up with a ladle into mason jars for a fun beverage option.

• Prepare hot foods a day ahead and keep in the refrigerator for easy heating on Gameday. 

Game Day Recipes

• Recipes w/ Game Day Plan
  • BBQ Pork Sandwich
  • George’s ’60 Second Guacamole
  • Tomatillo Sauce
  • George's Salsa Fresca
  • Grilled Schweinefilet Sandwich
  • George's Mac & Jack

Game Day 

• Kick Off is approximately 6:30 EST PM, but you need to ready all the party foods early in the day so you do not miss any pre-game action 

• Prepare all dips, finger snacks and foods by 1pm or earlier if your party includes watching pre-game shows.   

Set up the bar one hour before guests arrive 

• Have all cold finger snacks out before guests arrive. 

Pre-Game

• Serve finger snacks such as nuts, cheese, crackers, assorted chips and dips. If serving hot hors d’ oeuvres, stagger heating so guests will enjoy them while they are still hot. 

• Now’s the time to cook-up any grilled foods so the grill chef doesn’t miss the coin toss. 

•  Heat hot foods one hour before game time and serve before kick off.

• I’m not much for betting, but a fun wager could be for the losing team’s fans to assist in party clean up. Washing cars?

1st Quarter 

Load up your plates & enjoy the first quarter action. 

Half Time

• Serve sandwiches and cold foods for half time. If serving hot foods have them fully prepared prior to the game. This makes no fuss serving, and you will not miss any game activities. 

3rd Quarter 

• As 3rd quarter closes it’s time to close the bar and put out desserts and coffee. 

4th Quarter 

• Two minute warning- a close game will keep everyone glued to the TV set. Serve finger sweets such as cookies and candies. Make extra George’s Chocolate Brownie Cookies and Blondie Bars the day before the GameDay to send home with party guests.

Gameday Dip

Hummus might just be the "original dip". Versions of it date back to biblical times. Chickpeas, the main ingredient in hummus, were plentiful in Southeast Turkey—thought to be the place of the chickpeas origin. Hummus has made itself into a household name..not so widely known when I first became a chef. 

The Chickpea, as it known around the world: Bengal gram (Indian), Chickpea (English), Garbanzo (Latin America), Hommes, Hamaz (Arab world), Nohud, Lablabi (Turkey), Shimbra (Ethiopia)

Whether you are rooting for New York or New England this dip will make the fans happy!

BTW- Tahini, included in my Hummus Recipe is a paste made from sesame seeds and is a good source of zinc and calcium.

George's Hummus 

makes four servings | Recipe by Chef George Hirsch 

Serve as a dip or spread. Either way, it's a great healthy way to snack!

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained
3 cloves Caramelized Garlic (get this recipe)
1 Tablespoon tahini paste (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon hot sauce
juice of 1/2 a lemon
3 Tablespoons plain lowfat yogurt

Puree chickpeas in a food processor. Add garlic, tahini, cumin, hot sauce, lemon, and yogurt. Mix all ingredients well. Allow to set for 30 minutes prior to serving.

Serve with toasted pita and raw vegetables.

MORE DIP: Caramelized Garlic and Tomato Dip

Deviled Eggs

What's equally as good with high tea, sparking wine, or frosty beer at a tailgate?

I have an egg of an idea - the deviled egg. It's one of those hors d'oeuvre platters that spans the occasion ladder from high brow to low brow; which always empties fast, because it is so difficult to have just one. The name deviled implies hot, but need not be. It is simply hard boiled eggs chilled and halved with the yolk whipped into a flavorful filling of a wide variety of flavors such as; mayonaise, sour cream, yogurt, Dijon mustard, etc. You can even spice it up with a touch of cayenne, hot sauce or wasabi. Use a touch of fresh herbs like dill, cilantro or chives, it's a nice touch. Make special occasion up-end garnishes such as chopped proscuitto, crisp chopped pancetta or with a sliver of smoked salmon, sour cream and caviar.

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