Earth Pan Hard Anodized is rated one of the top Non-Stick Cookware sets! It sells for a fraction of the price of the others in the top spots. Check it out here at CookProStore.com.

Grilled Pizza

Warmer weather reminds me of having pool parties and cooking outside. One meal that guests really appreciate is grilled pizzas.  I think there are a couple of reasons for this. First, they taste really good!  Second, your guests can personalize them to their own taste.  For the host, this is a great make ahead idea.

Here's what I like to do.  I make the dough ahead of time - usually the day before. If you put the dough in a large zipper bag in the refrigerator, it will rise overnight just fine.  Then, you can just punch it down and roll out individual pizza rounds.  I'll include a recipe at the end for pizza dough. I will typically roll out the dough into about eight-inch rounds and grill them lightly- at a medium temperature - on one side. Then, I stack them between paper towels after they're cool.  The grilled side is where toppings go.  Put the assembled pizzas on cookie sheets dusted with cornmeal for easy transport to the grill.  5 minutes on the grill should cook the raw side of the dough as well as the toppings.  A good tip is also to crumple up two or three paper towels and pour a bit of vegetable oil on them.  Use a tongs to rub this over the grate on your grill to help prevent sticking.

Some ideas for toppings include bowls of cooked Italian sausage, pepperoni, chicken breast pieces, Mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Parmesan, basil leaves, sage leaves, Italian parsley, thinly sliced tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, pizza sauce and whatever ingredients you may prefer.  These are some that I use.

Keep in mind these are thin pizza crusts, so the more advanced prep you do for the toppings, the better result.  For example, you would not want to put raw sausage on them because there isn't enough time to cook it through before the crust would burn. Likewise for the onions and mushrooms.  It would be difficult to fully cook them on the grill, so sauteing in advance is a good idea.

If you set up an assembly line of sorts for the ingredients, it is easy for guests to put together their own pizzas.

Kids especially like making their own pizzas, so this is a fun party idea.

If you prefer not to make your own pizza dough, you can purchase it in the refrigerated section of the grocery store - or, you could use flour tortillas.  But, I think the dough gives a more authentic flavor to the pizzas.

2 tsp. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 2/3 - 3 c. all-purpose white flour
1 tsp. salt

Sprinkle yeast over the water in a bowl. Stir until dissolved.  In the mixing bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 2 2/3 cups of the flour and salt.  Pour in the wet yeast mixture. Gradually mix it into the flour, adding a little more warm water, up to 1/3 cup. Allow the mixer to knead until very smooth, soft, and no longer sticky, about 2 minutes. You may need to add additional flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.  It should still be fairly wet.

Oil the dough and put it back into the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. If you prepare the dough the day before, lightly oil it and put it in a large zipper bag. It will rise in the refrigerator overnight. Punch dough down and turn it onto a floured surface. Use a pastry cutter or a thin sharp knife to divide the dough in half. Divide each half again, and each piece one more time, so that you have 8 portions. Roll each piece out into 8 inch rounds.

You may keep the dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or you may freeze it up to 2 months. If frozen, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before preparing.

Thanks for stopping by CookProStoreBlog.com.  For great Cookware, Cutlery and Gourmet Foods, visit www.cookprostore.com today!

What's For Easter Dinner This Year?

I haven't decided yet, but I usually rotate the main course between lamb, ham, beef tenderloin.  This has been such a cold and LONG winter that I'm thinking something really 'Spring-y' sounds great.  What are you planning? Are you having a large group of guests?  Something a little smaller and more intimate?  Kids involved?  That last question is a real menu challenge at times.

Considering I will have given up my favorite thing for several weeks during Lent, my mind is completely focused on dessert - and chocolate.  I think I consume more chocolate on Easter than any other holiday - and maybe all of them together!  As much as I love cooking and making desserts, it's extremely difficult for me not to raid my kids' Easter baskets for the Bliss chocolates, Cadbury candy coated chocolate eggs, and, of course, Reese's eggs.  I think they're even better than the typical Reese cup.

Okay, since I started writing, I've convinced myself that it's going to be lamb this year.  The Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday memories remind me that ham and beef tenderloin made the list.  So, with friends John and Marsha's Roasted Spiced Leg of Lamb recipe in hand, that's the plan.  The rest isn't as important as determining that chocolate dessert!  Marsha and I used to joke about how appetizers and dessert would be perfect, and the rest between was just filling time and placating dinner guests.

Well, I think I can make one variation on that theme for Easter.   Everything between Easter baskets and dessert could be optional!  Let me know what you're planning.  And, here is that excellent Lamb recipe.   And, by the way, this works well on lamb chops, too.  I just season them with the rub and allow to sit all day, or overnight is best.

Happy Easter, Everyone!

Elk Roast Dinner With Friends

Thanks to a good friend and her generous uncle, we made a great dinner built around this 2.5 pound elk roast.  This was such fun to prepare, and the sides were well-suited to a game roast.  I was so excited to make this for my friends and family, because I do believe Elk Tenderloin was the best piece of game I have ever had.  So, I had high hopes for this cut of meat as well.

In this entry, you'll see photos of the roast in progress, along with the sides of

Roasted Parsnips and Green Beans, Bruschetta with Herbed Tomatoes

Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette and Goat Cheese baked in Herb Crumbs

Wild and Brown Rice with Golden Raisins and Slivered Almonds

French Baguette

Chocolate Souffle with Warm Vanilla Sauce

A Robert Mondavi Reserve Cabernet was perfect with the meal.

After a good sear, we chose to slow roast the Elk  in the oven with Shiitake mushrooms, onions and aromatics, and a Sherry herb sauce.

Although, we chose to adjust this recipe, the basis for the Elk Roast  is  found here at Cooks.com: http://tinyurl.com/4aq5j4g.

What a perfect meal with great friends and family!  Thanks to Pam Schmalenberger for her excellent photography skills, as well as, the all-important Elk Roast!

Stainless Steel Cookware Review

There are several advantages to cooking with Stainless Steel Cookware, but it depends on the type of stainless you choose.

Cleaning is no problem. You can clean Stainless Steel Cookware by just soap and water.  There is no special cleaning solution or paste required to keep it shiny.  In fact, you could put Stainless Steel Cookware through a dishwasher cycle.

Stainless Steel Cookware will not tarnish, change color or add a strange taste to food. It is durable and will last many years if you choose a high quality set.  Stainless Steel Cookware stays shiny with minimal effort, and is lightweight.

Cooking with stainless is great, as long as you choose a quality product.  Basic Stainless Steel Cookware does not have the inner core necessary to distribute heat well. This will result in food sticking and hot spots. Good quality Stainless Steel Cookware will have an inner core of aluminum or copper.  This added core will enable the cookware to distribute heat evenly for even cooking and will eliminate hot spots.  Some varieties even have an extended core which goes up the sides of a pan. These sets are more expensive, but really do shake the negative reputation of Stainless Steel Cookware.

For good quality Stainless Steel Cookware, it is important to check out the specs on the set you're considering. In order to not have to repeat this purchase decision again in the near future, it is advisable to buy the best quality you can afford for your cooking needs. Following are two options to check out at CookProStore.com.

New Chicago Cutlery Groupings

We've added 7 new items that group Chicago Cutlery Knife Block sets with Chicago Cutlery cutting boards and other accessories.  Please check it out.  Great  Christmas gift ideas for your Chef!

Earth Pan with Sand Flow is a great nonstick GREEN cookware set.  You can find it now at CookProStore.com.  Best Price and FREE cookbook with your order. 

Chicken with Pesto Penne Pasta

Basil season is in its prime right now, so this is a great time to make your own pesto.  Homemade Pesto  is so much better than purchased variety, and it's easy and quick.  Toward the end of the summer, I will make various types of pesto and freeze so that I have a taste of summer all through the winter.

Because the olive oil in pesto prevents it from hard freezing, it is easy to  scoop some out of a container that you have frozen whenever you need it.  That said, I recently put together this recipe made from my abundance of basil!  I hope you enjoy it.

Pesto

1/2 c. Toasted Walnuts (you may use only walnuts or pine nuts in this recipe)

1/2 c. Toasted Pine Nuts

5  Cloves of Garlic (or more if you like prefer)

6 c. Basil Leaves (make sure you pack the leaves when you measure)

1 2/3 c. Parmesan or Romano Cheese

1 1/2 t. Sea Salt

1 1/2 t. Freshly Ground Pepper

1 3/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth - or the consistency you prefer for pesto.  Taste a bit after you process your pesto.  You may choose to add a little more cheese or garlic, salt, etc.  This is the time to adjust for your specific taste.

The pesto will last for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator, but will freeze well for several months.

Chicken and Pasta

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, pounded between plastic wrap until 1/4" thick

2 t. Salt

1 t. Pepper

1 t. Garlic Powder

2 T. Olive Oil

1 lb. Penne Pasta

Bring salted water to a boil, and add pasta.  Cook pasta until al dente while you prepare the chicken.

Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Heat 2 T. olive oil in skillet (grill pan, if you have one).  Brown chicken in oil on both sides, cooking for about 3 minutes per side.  Remove from pan and allow to cool a bit.  Chicken will continue to cook as it is cooling.

Drain pasta and toss with  3 T.  Pesto.  You may choose to add more or less, depending on your taste.

Slice Chicken in to strips and arrange on top of pasta.

Grate fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese over and serve with warm slices of Italian or French bread.

This dish can be made very quickly for a week night dinner.  Just prepare the chicken to the point of adding seasoning and store covered in the refrigerator the night before - or in the morning, if you have time.  When you get home from work, all you'll need to do is boil pasta, saute the chicken and warm bread.

As much as I love chocolate, and rarely stray from making anything near a dessert that doesn't weigh heavily on chocolate, I have a huge affinity for oatmeal cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, oatmeal cookies with nuts......etc.  The softer and chewier, the better!  So, I have made countless recipes, hoping to find that elusive, "gourmet bakery-like" version. And, my success rate has been a big fat zero, until now.

My new find is full of flavor, soft, chewy, rich and amazing!  When I looked at the ingredients, it seemed like the recipe might just be what I've been seeking.   I couldn't wait for the baked version, and had to eat a bit of the cookie dough. YUM! My thought was if they taste as good baked as they do in dough form, I had a winner!

Well, I wasn't disappointed.  They were amazing!  My kids loved them, and I took a few to an Arts meeting. They loved them!  One fellow member asked if I would bake a batch for another organization's upcoming fall tour, and I did so yesterday.

As I said to my arts group, I think you could start a bakery with recipes like this.  Where did I find it? Hopefully, your newspaper offers a publication each month called Relish. It is such a great addition to the normal food section.  They have wonderful recipes, new food trend information, wine reviews, tips and a lot more foodie news.

Relish is where I discovered Vermont Maple Pecan Cookies.  Yeah, I know, oatmeal isn't even in the name!  But, to me, they are the ultimate oatmeal cookie.  Here is a tip, though, that I've learned from all of my oatmeal cookie baking experimentation.  Use rolled oats, instead of the normal quick cooking oats that are so commonly called for in baking recipes.  I think this makes a tremendous difference in the texture and body of the finished product.

Thanks, Relish, for allowing me to check this one off my list.  I can keep busy experimenting with other additions to this recipe all winter.  Now, on to the beef stew recipe that will end another lengthy search!

I would love to hear your comments if you choose to make this recipe, so please post and let us all know what you think.  If your newspaper doesn't carry Relish, just visit their website at www.relishmag.com.

Hard Anodized Cookware Review

The Cookware you choose should be a reflection of how you cook, aspire to cook, and your budget. If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and love to cook, you probably want to invest more into a cookware set. If you are a busy person who occasionally entertains, you may or may not want to invest in a high end cookware set. There is a type of cookware for every lifestyle and cooking interest.

That said, this article will focus on Hard Anodized Aluminum Cookware, with other articles focusing on stainless steel, cast iron, etc. coming in the future.  Keep in mind, if you have an opportunity to borrow a piece of friend's cookware to try, or ask your friends for their opinions about the cookware they use, it will help you greatly in determining which type of cookware suits you.  Also, consider purchasing one piece of cookware to test before you purchase an entire set, if the investment isn't too great.

Hard Anodized Cookware

is one of the best and most popular types of cookware for several reasons. For professional and home chefs, the primary benefit of using this type of cookware is the even heat distribution it offers. You'll find no hot spots on the surface of Hard Anodized Cookware. This is very important in that the food you are cooking  will cook at the same rate regardless where it is positioned in the pan or pot.

A characteristic of Hard Anodized Aluminum is that it has an extremely smooth, virtually non-porous surface.  The great thing about this is that food doesn't stick as easily as it will on other types of cookware with a more porous surface. Another benefit to this is easier clean up.

Hard Anodized Aluminum Cookware is very strong.  In fact, it is harder than stainless steel.  It resists abrasion and offers incredible durability for a long life.  It is not unusual for an owner to have this cookware for 20 or more years, and remain completely satisfied with its performance and durability.

Another benefit of this cookware is that it withstands very high temperatures, so that no transformation in the products occur. Again, Hard Anodized Aluminum is very, very durable. In fact, it's difficult to damage it.

There are even new Hard Anodized Aluminum Cookware sets that are available with a non-stick interior, which means very easy clean up and less fat required to cook food.  So, not only will this cookware offer superior performance and durability, sets with nonstick surfaces makes your cooking experience even more pleasant.

Professionals depend on the reliability of Hard Anodized Aluminum Cookware, and it is a very popular choice with chefs at all skill levels.  So, if you are interested in cooking with the same cookware many pros use, Hard Anodized Aluminum is a great choice.  Add the non-stick feature to this top performer, and you have the best of both worlds.

Thanks for stopping by CookProStoreBlog.com.  You will find a selection of Hard Anodized Aluminum Cookware at http://www.cookprostore.com/rachael-ray-10-pc-hard-anodized-non-stick-cookware. And, if you make a purchase, we will include a free cookbook ($19.95) value with your order, while supplies last.