The BEAST has been TAMED!!!!!!!!!! At least for now.

We sparred for a bit.........finally I won. 520 searing degrees......oooh I love the glowing coals........my seasoned pizza stone (aint she a beaute).....finely stretched dough, fresh tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, fontina, parmesan, romano and thinly sliced pepperoni. Four 9 inch beauties were created last night. They were amazing. Cooked to perfection in 4 minutes. Ever so crisp outside w/slightly chewy tenderness inside and not too thin, not too thick. Just what wet dreams are made of.......at least mine hahaha. I am soooooooo relieved I am back in control of this monster. He was making me look bad and I don't like to look bad. We are having friends over tomorrow night for PIZZA on the BGE. I will post more later. My Hubby and I are off to the Tran-Siberian Orchestra this evening. Yes, my life is rough, I know.

Things that make you go hmmmmmm

I recently have been using FAT FREE Half & Half in my coffee. Now I always thought the purpose of half & half was that it was half cream and half milk so it wasn't as bad as heavy cream. So if it is Fat Free......what is in 1/2 or the other 1/2 of this half & half??????

Tonight...............WE TANGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or Grill Pizza on the BGDE

So for Christmas a friend gave me the CPK (california pizza kitchen) cookbook. I spent today making pizza dough. It is currently resting in the fridge. I made a double batch so if this Guapo pulls a Garcha on my arse and sends me packing back to me Barrio I can give him the Dedo and come back packing with another pie. I will not be defeated!!!!!! I am taking the lead in this dance. Aaaaacarrrrrrummmmmbaaaaaa!!! (yes I am wearing a puffy sleeved shirt, kind of like the one on that Seinfeld episode).

Translation in Tango terminology: I made a double batch so if this Guapo (handsome green egg) pulls a Garcha (to screw one over) on my arse (ass) and sends me packing back to me Barrio (neighborhood), I can give him the Dedo (finger) and come back packing with another pie.

Just Chew Me Up and Spit Me Out You EGG BEAST

The BGE is cruel, cruel, cruel. It has chewed me up and spit me out. I feel like I have gone 7 rounds with a welter weight champion and been knocked out. After much encouragement from my husband (and the Jennings heheheh) I will trudge forth and conquer this beast. It might outweigh me but it will not outegg me (I guess we will find out). I can see it peering at me now as I write this......mocking me through my french doors out to the deck. Trying to psych me out. Sitting in its egg nest all green and shiney w/its black racing stripes. My ever so cool thinking husband tried to explain to me last night that there would be a learning curve just like anything else and I would eventually get the hang of it. Learning curve??? I hate learning curves. I just want a huge flying egg to come in the night.....drop its big suction probe from the sky........attach it to my head and electronically transfer the eggknowledge to my head so I can wake up and be a master griller....... kind of like a UFO abduction where they find you laying naked 47 miles out of town on a dirt road curled up in the fetal position and you swear you were abducted by aliens and probed anally for hours. Minus the probed anally part preferrably. Oh and minus the naked on a dirt road for hours part also.......it is a bit chilly here.

I did manage some boneless chicken breasts last night that turned out on the BGDE. This is the best marinade for chicken. I swear by it. It really imparts the chicken itself w/flavor. Just not the outside of the chicken. At least a 4 hour marinade or 8 is better but 4 works really well. I put it all in a ziploc bag and stick it in the fridge. 1/3 c. of extra virgin olive oil, 3 T lemon juice, 1 1/2 t. fennel seed toasted on stove top and then crush it inside a plastic bag, 1/2 t salt, 1/2 t pepper. You also don't need to toast the fennel that is just my anal cooking thing. This chicken is great just alone or used in BBQ chicken quesadillas (email me for the recipe if you want it). I serve it alone with risotto alot. Last night we made the chicken into sandwhiches. I loaf Ciabatta bread, spread one side w/sun dried tomato pesto, other side with light caesar dressing, sprinkle on good paremesan, arrang sliced chicken on bread, load up on shredded romaine lettuce and top w/other side of bread, serve w/sweet potato fries. YUM!

Big Green Dud or Operator Error

Quite frankly the BGE (acronym for Big Green Egg) is pissing me off. I wanted to desperately bake bread in my egg. This is what I have been waiting for. I have been hinting for a year. I love artisinal breads and brick oven pizzas. The BGE was to make all my culinary dreams come true. Now it is just pissing me off. I started at 10:00 pm last night......I had to make a "sponge" for my ciabatta bread that had to proof for 12 hours. At 10:00 am I started the rest of the bread and started the 60 minute rise and then another 90 minute rise. Then I whisk the loaves outside in the 39 degree pouring down rain and get 2 on..........they don't turn out. I think I know my problem. I whisk the other 2 out.........they burn on the bottom. )&^%_+^%#@#?":>{}!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am all out of dough:(
I know it is "operator error" but for now I am going to blame it on the BGDE (big green dumb egg). I will spend the night regaining my composure and I will conquer this 200 lb. beast. It will not defeat me!!! Plus it is too heavy for my husband to return hehehehehehehe.

Christmas Miracles DO Happen!!!