Saturday, December 27, 2008

How to Make Stuffed Artichokes




This dish was one of my dad's specialties.
Pulling off the leaves of artichokes and dragging them between your teeth was fun!
Eating the stuffing was wonderful.
The absolute best taste was the "heart". (Life is like eating an artichoke...)


Ingredients
  • 4 artichokes
  • 1/2 Cup of Seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs (You can easily make your own by toasting bread, cursh bread, and add seasonings)
  • 12-15 chopped olives (1 can)
  • 12-15 chopped mushrooms (fresh taste better but use canned mushrooms if you must)
  • 2-3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
  • 1-2 Tablespoons of finely chopped Italian parsley olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions


  1. Bang artichokes on counter (leaves down) to loosen leaves. Rinse in cold water.
  2. Remove stems. Peel and put aside.
  3. Remove and discard small tough leaves from bottom. Use scissors to remove sharp tip from each leave.
  4. Chop stems and chop mushrooms. Sautee in olive oil until stems are tender and mushrooms have given up their water.
  5. In a bowl combine bread crumbs, olives, mushrooms, garlic, parsley, finely chopped stems and enough olive oil to moisten mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Spread center of artichoke and insert stuffing.
  7. Place artichokes close together in heavy sauce pot with 2-3 inches of water.
  8. Simmer covered over medium to low heat until leaves pull away easily. (About 45 minutes) Replace water if needed.
  9. After eating the leaves, be sure to remove the "hair" around the heart of the artichoke.
    Your efforts will be rewarded when you eat the "heart of the artichoke!"



Find more incredible artichoke recipes, here:



Artichokes, forever,

albert grande
Pizza for Deadheads
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Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Bulding A Pizza Oven

If you ever thought about building a pizza oven in your backyard this video is for you.

You will discover step by step the entire process. You will see how the pizza oven is built brick by brick.

It really is poetry in motion.

The owner explains the oven was built with help of his grandfather, Ronnie Swan, in 3days. He was able to get some assistance from local artisans who shared the workload.

This oven is used quite a bit to make pizza on a regular basis.



If you are interested in seeing the pizza oven in person you can go to:
17 westmoreland street, glasgow.

You can find the website at this address:
www.southsidestudios.org

I wonder if they know Master Pizziolo, Domenico Crolla?

Here is a very useful resource for learning more about cooking with an outdoor oven. A wood fired oven is the way to discover pizza perfection:




pizza on earth, and in your back yard,

Albert Grande
Learn to Make Pizza
Discover How to Make Pasta
Learn About The Legends of Pizza