MARCO IS COMING TO THE UNITED STATES!!!

Just a few days ago, I posted a blog about a new favorite chef of mine, Marco Pierre White. To my amazement, just as I'm watching one of my favorite shows, The Biggest Loser, I see an ad with none other than the great Marco Pierre White as I'm fast forwarding through the commercials! On the edge of my seat, I quickly rewound my DVR and watched the commercial from the beginning.

Afterward, I jumped up out of my seat and yelled gleefully about White's new show, Chopping Block. This is going to be an incredible show. Set up as a cross between Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef, Marco Pierre White is going to be the "devil in the kitchen" this time around.

This certainly is going to rival Gordon Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen". Ramsay is by far my favorite chef, but to tell you the truth, I know that Chopping Block will easily be better than Hell's Kitchen. On a side note, my favorite Ramsay show is easily the UK version of Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, but I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that Marco Pierre White is finally coming to the US.

Talk about excitement, White just looked incredible in the advertisement.


Here's a few articles:

Marco Pierre White to Host New Food Reality show Called The Chopping Block
Marco Pierre White Tapped For NBC's New Top Chef/Hell's Kitchen Killer
NBC puts White on 'Chopping Block'

Pesto Spelt Pizza

I've tried TONS of different pizza recipes and I'll tell you that simple is always the best. In Italy, they know this best, since most traditional pizzas from Naples are either marinara (just tomato) or Margherita (tomato and cheese).

This recipe is pretty simple, also. Growing up American, and having parents who would never purchase American cheese (and by American cheese, I mean cheese made in America, not the Kraft style American cheese you sometimes find on cheap burgers), I grew up with cheddar being a staple in my diet. And my parents bought sharp cheddar and NEVER mild. Whether it be on burgers, pizza, grilled cheese, tacos, cheddar does seem to have a sharp flavor that can cut through and add a little brightness and complexity to what it's being added to.

I really like the marriage of mozzarella and cheddar. I think they blend really well together and pair well together. I also really like the flavor of basil pesto with cheddar. I've even made this pizza with only pesto and cheddar to see if it was good, and it was. But nothing beats the melty-ness of fresh mozzarella, with it's beautiful subtle flavor.

Pesto Spelt Pizza

1 spelt pizza dough
1 ball fresh mozzarella
2 1/2 tablespoons pesto sauce
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

First thing you're going to want to do is preheat your oven to the highest temperature that it can possibly go up to, usually 500F+. Then you're going to want to take your fresh mozzarella and chop it into strips, rather than chunks (it melts easier). Then, place the mozzarella in a bowl and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Then add the tablespoon olive oil and mix the mozzarella in the oil to coat.

Next, take your pizza peel or cutting board and sprinkle it generously with white spelt flour. Take your pizza dough and lay it down on the peel. This is where things get pretty sticky. Try to rub the bottom of the dough in the flour so that it doesn't stick. Next, pick up the dough in your hands and try to press it with your fingers to make it a flat and level disc. Using the back of your hands (not your palms), gently pull the dough to stretch it out, laying it down against the peel/board covered in flour so that it doesn't stick to the back of your hands (or the peel). When you have a nice size, about 12" diameter, flour the board/peel and and lay the pizza on the board, floured side down.

Jerk the peel/board with your hand to make sure the crust slides around, not sticking to the bottom and also to re-flour the bottom of the crust. If the entire crust moves in unison without sticking, you've got it perfect. Next, place the pesto sauce directly in the middle of the crust and spread it out with the back of a spoon/ladle. Place the mozzarella on the sauced crust. Sprinkle shredded cheddar on top and bake in the oven for at least 6-7 minutes, 8 if you can, without having anything start smoking in the oven. Then voila, you have fresh pesto spelt pizza!

Pizza

I somewhat consider myself a "spelt pizzaiolo". To call yourself a pizzaiolo is obviously almost a sacrilegious term unless of course you've spent at least 10 years in Naples, making pizza hundreds of times a day (okay, maybe less). But I do think that when I add the word spelt to the title, I take it to mean that I have a real lifelong dedication to making authentic spelt pizza. Plus, it's okay because I'm treading in an area that hardly anyone's ever treaded in before.

Sure, you'll find a handful of spelt pizza recipes on-line, but nothing headed in the direction of the D.O.P. Neopolitan style authentic Italian pizza.

Having said all this, you have to realize it's pretty hard for me to try authentic style Neapolitan style pizzas because I have food allergies. So every pizza place I go to, I have to go with my wife and rely on her palete or with some of my friends or my brother. One place we happened to go to was A16, a pizza restaurant in San Francisco, headed by chef and honored pizzaiolo, Nate Appleman. Here's the restaurant...



He was actually on an episode of Iron Chef, where he faced off against newest-comer, Michael Symon. Too bad he lost...

Anyway, if I could go anywhere in America to have pizza though, it would certainly be Pizzeria Bianco, widely considered the greatest pizza in the United States. Here's a video of the great Chris Bianco making a pizza... More on him later!

Marco's Great British Feast

I must admit, I've not had much experience with British chef, Marco Pierre White, until yesterday. Sure, I've seen (and purchased) his Beka copper cookware at the greatest store of all time, TJ Maxx, and I've seen him interviewed, talking about Gordon Ramsay, but I've never actually seen him in his element, the kitchen.

I must say that I have come to realize that White is a complete enigma. I've been watching episodes of his show, Marco's Great British Feast and it's an absolutely incredible show. It really encompasses the best portrait of the person that Marco is today.

His brutal honesty is definitely comparable to his protege, Gordon Ramsay, but you'll notice that Marco really doesn't swear very often. He's also not as confrontational as Ramsay, but certainly has his moments. One moment in particular is when he receives frozen smoked eel on his show and begins to lose it. He immediately demands that the cameras are turned off as the camera crew keeps filming. "Do not film what I say, do not film me. Have some fucking respect. Do not push me. I don't think you understand what I am, I control myself very well", White warns. This, coming from the man who made Gordon Ramsay cry, seems like a pretty viable threat.


Anger aside, White is absolutely electric on the television. His personality is so eccentric, that his brilliance is absolutely magnetic, drawing you into the show. As soon as I started watching, I couldn't tear myself away from the show.

Lastly, the recipes are extremely varied. White cooks everything from fish n' chips to squirrel pie. A couple of my particular favorites are venison tartare and celeriac salad that he pairs with an aged ham that hangs in sacks from an ancient oak tree with a cage around it, to keep out the squirrels. In the show, White goes over great British classics, but makes them feel fresh, new and vibrant.

You can watch episodes of his show for free on Youtube:

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3
Episode 4

And to see a particularly interesting portrait of White (and Ramsay) from quite a while ago:

Marco Pierre White Cooks for Raymond Blanc

Roasted Cauliflower Quinotto

What exactly is a quinotto (pronounced "kee-no-to")? It's basically a risotto of quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah"). As I'm allergic to rice, I obviously can't have risotto, so I decided to go ahead and start experimenting with a grain I could have, which is quinoa. I've often thought of quinoa as a cross between corn and rice. This is usually how I explain it to people when I have to explain I have food allergies and that I can only have quinoa, which most people have never heard of.

Quinoa is actually the only natural grain on planet Earth that has protein. This makes it great for vegetarians and vegans alike, as it can be a nutritional staple in meat-free diets. It has a slight nutty flavor, which you can smell when you toast it. It can also be ground and made into a flour, which lacks gluten, so isn't very good for breads, but is definitely good for crepes and pancakes, etc.

There's two varities that I've seen here in the states, which is normal (white) quinoa and then red quinoa. Red quinoa, to me, has more of a bolder flavor. I usually stick to the basic color rule: Red wine, red meat, red quinoa. Red quinoa is more nuttier and needs deeper, heartier flavors. I've actually been working on a quinotto recipe where I use red wine and beef stock, but more on that later.

When you cook quinoa, you want it to have the bright grain shining through. This is usually when you can see that it's al dente. Some people may find it to be a bit too grainy at this point and it's easier to digest when it's been cooked longer. But it definitely has the best texture at the bright grain point.

The other thing you need to know about quinoa is that it may or may not need to be rinsed, because some quinoas have a bitter outer coating around the grain. I've learned this through trial and error, as I've cooked quinoa out of the box and been perfectly fine with certain brands but with others, I haven't been so lucky. I used to buy the 365 brand quinoa but they stopped carrying it at the WholeFoods I went to. Can you believe that? I've had to start purchasing other brands. The most obvious brand is the Ancient Harvest Quinoa, which I've found that you usually don't have to rinse. The other brand would be the Alter Eco quinoa. Mostly, this is the brand that I buy for red quinoa. With Eden quinoa, I find you DO have to wash it, otherwise it will be very bitter. Then, of course, I've also tried Bob's Red Mill quinoa also. All of them are basically the same, although they may or may not have to be washed.

Now with this recipe, we used an '07 Valley Oaks Fetzer Chardonnay as the wine in this recipe. My wife and I found that it was lovely in the quinotto and that it's light fruityness also complimented the flavors of the quinotto as well. It's easily the perfect pairing.


Roasted Cauliflower Quinotto

1 small head cauliflower, stem cut off, florets chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup whole milk
2 slices chopped bacon
2 3/4 cups unsalted chicken stock
2 large shallots, chopped
1 cup organic quinoa
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450F. Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a roasting pan and heat in the oven until almost smoking. Add in one half of the head of cauliflower and 2 tablespoons fresh chives and toss to coat in the oil. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until nicely browned.

Then saute one half of the cauliflower head and the chopped cloves of garlic in a pot over high heat in a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter. Season with salt. When the cauliflower starts to brown, add the cup of milk. Let boil for 5 minutes. Drain into a blender and whiz gradually for 30 seconds until smooth. Return puree to the pot it was roasted in and let sit over low heat, not letting it boil.

Heat a dry frying pan over high heat and when hot, fry the bacon until browned and crisp. Drain on a paper towel and set aside. Heat the chicken stock to a gentle simmer in another pot.

Add one tablespoon olive oil to the bacon pan drippings and sweat the shallots for about 5 minutes. Stir in the quinoa and cook for a further 2 minutes to toast the grain. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced.


Now pour in one-fourth of the stock and season with salt and pepper. Stir until the liquid has been absorbed, then stir in another ladeful of stock, seasoning with salt and pepper. Continue cooking and stirring, gradually adding the stock and seasoning wiht salt and pepper, until the quinoa is tender, with a bright white grain. This should probably take close to 15 minutes.

Reduce last ladeful full of stock until it is almost half evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in a ladeful of the roasted cauliflower puree, and continue to stir for another minute. Then stir in the oven roasted cauliflower, sour cream, Parmesan, and 1 tablespoon butter. Taste to see if seasoning needs adjusting, then serve in plates or shallow bollows.

Garnish with fried bacon and remaining fresh chives.

Spelt Pizza Dough Recipe

This is somewhat of an adaption of Peter Reinhart's Napoletana recipe from his book, American Pie. But it's an entirely spelt flour version. I've made many variations of this dough, as I've had to tweak it because spelt flour is obviously different than wheat flour.

Some people who are allergic to wheat itself, like me, rather than allergic to wheat gluten (celiac disease), can tolerate spelt. Luckily, I'm one of those people. Also, fortunately, spelt is becoming increasingly available to the average Joe. AS one of the rare cases of people who developed food allergies later in life (in my late teens), I've obviously had pizza before I developed my food allergies. I actually loved it probably more than any other food.

To have pizza now, I can't have a pizza crust with any type of wheat or rice flours or cornstarch. So this is why I started working on an all spelt pizza crust. After the past two years of tinkering around with various recipes, I stumbled on a post on 101 Cookbooks about Peter Reinhart's book, American Pie. I immediately got the book and read it cover to cover. After reading it, I've spent a lot of time tweaking the Napoletana recipe a bit to fit the spelt flour.

I've also added some tablespoons of rye, quinoa, millet, tapioca, and teff flour to see how it changes the flavor of the dough. I also have used a tablespoon here and there of whole spelt flour. The only real tweak that I've liked is to minus out two tablespoons of white spelt flour from the 5 cups and drop in one tablespoon of whole rye flour and one tablespoon of whole spelt. This seems to add some good "country french" taste to the dough, although I like it with just white spelt flour most of the time.

Also, this is my current spelt dough recipe, as I'm still even tweaking this one, as I've been experimenting with Nate Appleman's (who recently was on Iron Chef America!) recipe for the pizza dough at A16, from his cookbook, A16. In the book, he mentions how one of his favorite pizza restaurants in Naples incorpated dough from the day prior into every batch of dough for superior flavor, so I'm trying to also implement this concept. Anyway, I'll re-post the recipe if I find a new successful recipe.

You'll notice that I use milk in the recipe also, which is definitely against VPN regulations, but I think it makes a lot of sense considering that we're making a spelt pizza rather than a wheat pizza. I find that a little bit of whole milk tends to keep the dough together a lot better than just plain water.


(Napoletana-Style) Spelt Pizza Dough

5 cups white spelt flour
3 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon instan yeast
1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup whole milk
Olive oil for coating the dough balls

Fit your electric mixer with a dough hook. Pour in all the ingredients into the mixer and mix on your mixer's lowest setting for 4 minutes. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Then mix on your mixer's secon to lowest setting for an additional two minutes. The dough should be sticky in the mixing bowl and on your hands, but should come out easily in one piece.

Turn your dough out onto a cutting board that you've dusted with white spelt flour. Roll the dough in order to cover the oustide with a thin layer of flour so that it no longer sticks to anything and form into one big ball, pulling the corners under so that you have a nice, smooth top. Dust this top with some flour and lightly rub it around the top.

Now I either split the dough into 4ths or 5ths, depending on how large and thick I want my pizza crusts so be. Form these split pieces of dough into smaller balls and coat with flour, similar to the process earlier. After that, I usually place one ball of dough into a bowl with some olive oil, roll the dough in the bowl to coat it with the olive oil, then put some plastic wrap on it and let it sit at room temperature or a few hours, so that I can bake the dough that day.

With the other dough balls, I usually place them in small, sandwich-sized plastic bags that I put about a teaspoon of olive oil in. I rub the olive oil around in the bag and then place a dough ball in the bag, and toss it into the refrigerator for the next few days to allow the yeast to slowly develop in the dough.

After letting the dough sit at room temperature, or taking the dough out of the fridge (from overnight or a few days ago), I preheat the oven to 500+ degrees for at least 20 minutes, preferably 30, depending on just how hungry I am. Then, I place the dough in my hands and began to stretch it and pull it. This is actually more difficult than you'd think, because spelt flour dough likes to stretch thin in the middle and clump on the sides and too much pulling can result in either holes in the middle of he dough or having the dough so paper thin in the middle that it instantly burns when put in the oven.

Once I seem to have the dough stretched and pulled enough, I lay it down on a floured pizza peel. This is where spelt dough can also be tricky. Often times, the spelt pizza dough will stick to the peel. I try to maneuver the dough on the peel so that flour covers the dough so that it doesn't stick, even turning it over a few times and sprinkling excess flour on both sides because as you stretch the dough, it can absorb the flour and become sticky again.

After this, I dress the pizza and bake for 8 minutes.