New York Style Pizza ニューヨーク スタイル ピザ

This is my attempt at making a New York-style crust Margarita pizza. My focus was mostly on the crust. The topping was just what I usually use to make a Margarita pizza using my regular Marinara sauce. This was cooked in our Pizzaiolo Pizza oven on New York Pizza mode which is a lower temperature and longer cooking time  (550F and 7 minutes) as opposed to Neapolitan style pizza (700F and 2 minutes). 

The crust was bread-y and much sturdier than Neapolitan style crust. (Meaning you can fold the pizza wedge in half and the center is stiff enough to hold the topping and cheese). As a result it is not as light and soft in texture as Neapolitan style. Do we like this crust better? I am not sure. But I think that we prefer the pizza crust I usually make which is a modified Neoplitan-style with “00” flour but with the addition of olive oil. In any case this is a very good pizza for sure.

This version was based on recipes by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (serious eats) and in the King Arthur “Book of pizza”. In both recipes, New York-style pizza crust is made with bread flour, oil and sugar. I modified the amount to make enough dough for four 10 inch pizzas. I chose the primary fermentation at 86F for 1 hour and then slow fermentation in the refrigerator for 1 day or up to 5 days. I used enough of the dough for 2 pizzas and froze the rest.

Ingredients for the pizza dough (makes four 10 inch pizzas)
520 grams bread flour, plus more for dusting 
12 grams granulated sugar 
1 grams kosher salt 
1 grams active yeast 
340 grams water
36 grams extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients to top a Margarita style pizza 

I just used my usual Marinara sauce
5 tbs of olive oil with crushed garlic
Slices of low moisture Mozzarella cheese 

Fresh basil leaves

Grated Parmesan cheese topping on the pizza

Directions for the pizza dough 
Combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in the bowl of the food processor fitted with a kneading blade. Pulse 3 to 4 times to incorporate. Stream in the olive oil while running the food processor. Then stream in water until the mixture forms a ball that rides around the bowl above the blade. Let it sit for 5 minutes to let the moisture distribute evenly. Run again to process for 15 seconds longer.

Transfer the dough ball to a lightly floured surface and knead briefly by hand until a smooth ball is formed. In a large enough bowl, add and spread a small amount of olive oil. Place the dough ball in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it ferment at 86F for one hour (we use a bread proofer). 

Divide dough into four even portions. In the bowl used for the primary fermentation, add a small amount of olive oil and coat all 4 dough balls with the oil. Place each in a ziploc bag. Place the bags in the refrigerator and allow the dough to slowly rise at least1day or up to 5 days.

At least one hour before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a well floured surface, form the dough ball into pizza shape.

Transfer the formed pizza dough to a wooden pizza peel lightly coated with corn meal (so that the dough will not stick and the pizza can easily slide into the oven and onto the pizza stone).

Brush the surface of the dough with garlic infused oil, place on slices of cheese in a single layer and spread the sauce on top of the cheese. Distribute hand torn pieces of fresh basil leaves on the surface.

Test to make sure the topped pizza slides on the peel. Then slide it onto the pizza stone in the pizza oven. Bake at 550F or on New York Pizza mode for 7 minutes.

After sliding the baked pizza out of the oven on the peel, brush the edge of the pizza with the garlic infused oil, grate the Parmesan cheese on the top and add more hand-torn fresh basil leaves.

Tomato-Spinach Roulade Bread トマトとほうれん草のルラード

This is another one of my wife’s baking projects. This is based on a recipe in the “Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook”. When I made “no-cook tomato sauce” and “marinara sauce” using “Cento San Marzano Tomatoes” for Neapolitan-ish pizza, we ended up with extra tomato sauce. Since the bread recipe called for canned Italian tomatoes and we had left over tomato sauce made with canned Italian tomatoes, my wife saw an opportunity and asked if she could use the left-over sauces. I, of course, said “By all means”.  This is a very complicated bread recipe and I would not even consider trying it but my wife is not deterred by complex baking recipes. In any case, the pic shows the bread she produced. This is a very soft tender bread with lots of flavors. The spinach and ricotta cheese spread does provide a nice color and texture contrast to the surrounding bread but it didn’t bring much additional flavor to the show. In my humble opinion, the bread could be made with the marinara as a simple loaf omitting the spinach spread, especially since this would make this bread much easier to make. (Wifey’s comment: In my humble opinion I agree.)

Here comes my wife to continue.

Ingredients: 
For Bread
14 ounces (half 28-ounce can) Italian plum tomatoes (We used the marinara sauce we made for pizza)
2 packages active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried basil (We didn’t include this)
1 tablespoon dried oregano  (We didn’t include this)
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds (We didn’t include this)
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup grated Swiss, mozzarella, or Fontina cheese (We used mozzarella)
5 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

For spread
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 cups finely chopped fresh spinach (We precooked the spinach)
½ cup Mascarpone or ricotta cheese (We used ricotta)
1 tablespoon Marsala
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
For bread 
In a saucepan sautee the onions and garlic. Purée the tomatoes with their liquid in a blender. Add to the onions and garlic, Stir in the sugar and salt. Then add the grated cheese and stir to mix and melt the cheese. If you are using them stir in the basil, oregano, and celery seed. (We just used the left-over marinara sauce we made for pizza. We used the same amount as the tomatoes called for in the original recipe.) Cool to room temperature. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the yeast and 3 cups of flour to start. With the machine running add the tomato mixture. Stir in enough additional flour, 1 cup at a time, to make a firm dough. Knead in the mixer for 7 to 10 minutes. Turn out onto a floured surface and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary (#1). 

Place the dough in a buttered large bowl and turn to coat with butter. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 1 to 1½ hours.

For the spread
While the dough is rising, melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent. Stir in the spinach and cook 5 more minutes. (We precooked the spinach). Stir in the cheese, Marsala, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate covered until firm enough to spread.

Assembly:
Punch the dough down and divide it in half. Roll each half into a rectangle about ¾ inch thick and spread with the spinach filling (#2). Roll up each rectangle like a jelly roll (#3) and place on greased baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F. 
Bake until the loaves are lightly browned (#4) and sound hollow when lightly thumped, 40 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.  
Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.



The bread had a very soft tender texture. The flavor was very complex melding together all the flavors of the tomato/marinara sauce and cheeses. The filling made a nice texture contrast but despite the many varied flavors that went into it, particularly the marsala, their flavor didn’t really come through. It is a very unique (in a good way) bread.

Neapolitan-ish pizza ナポリ風ピザ

I have been making  home-style pizza for some time first using the regular oven and a pizza stone, then, more recently, using the “Pizzaiolo” pizza oven. Although, in general, we like the pizza I make, I am always looking for ways to improve it. Recently, we got a new pizza cookbook from King Arthur called  “The Book of Pizza”. This is quite an encyclopedia on pizza. It covers pizza from classic Neapolitan and other Italian styles to American regional versions. This inspired me to do some experiments/improvements.

With is experiment version I had three goals in mind. #1. try to make the dough/crust as close as I could make it to “authentic” Neapolitan style. #2. determine wether Italian canned plum tomatoes (I got “Cento San Marzano” canned tomatoes) are better than the domestic canned ones? If so, are they worth the cost? #3. Compare “no-cook” tomato sauce (to make a classic “Pizza Margherita”) to the Marinara sauce I make using the same tomatoes for both sauces. (Rest assured that I am not going to make a classic Neapolitan cheese-less “Pizza Marinara”. We like cheese on our pizza.)

I made a pizza half with the  no-cook tomato sauce (left side) and the other half with the Marinara sauce (right side) (picture #1).  I did this so that both sides are identical except for the sauce. For both, I used low-moisture Mozzarella cheese and fresh basil from our window-sill garden.

It appeared I succeeded in making classic “cornicione” on the edge of the crust (pictures #1 and #2).

Just for my own record of what I cooked, I will post the recipe.

Pizza dough:

Ingredients: (makes 4 small pizza with dough weighing about 215 grams each with hydration of about 65%)

520 grams “00” flour (from King Arthur)

340 grams water

8 grams of salt

1/4 tsp active yeast

Directions:

In a food processor fitted with a kneading blade, add the flour, salt and yeast and mix. While the blade is turning on low speed, add the water in a steady thin stream until a dough ball forms above the blade. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes (for even distribution of moisture). Turn the food processor to low speed again to knead for another minute or two. Turn the dough out onto a flour dusted kneading board and knead for a few minutes. Then make the dough into a tight ball. 

In a large enough mixing bowl, add a small amount of olive oil to thinly coat the inside. Add the dough ball, turn to coat all the surface with the olive oil. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it ferment (bulk fermentation) for about 1 hour (I use a Brod and Tylor bread proofer at 86F). 

Fold and deflate the dough and make 4 dough balls (about 215 gram each). As with the bulk fermentation add a small amount of oil to a bowl and coat each of the 4 dough balls with the olive oil. (I generally use the bowl in which I did the initial bulk fermentation to save on the number of bowls that have to be washed.) Then put each ball individually into a small Ziploc bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal the bag. I place the Ziploc bags in the refrigerator. I will keep the dough at least over night or a couple of days. After that if I do not use the dough, I move it to the freezer.

The next day, I take the Ziploc bags with dough balls in them out of the refridgerator about 1 hour before cooking to warm them up to room temperature.

Sauces:

1. No-cook pizza sauce (“No-cook”  is not quite accurate since the tomatoes were cooked during the canning process but we do not cook it):

Ingredients and directions:

Canned tomatoes, hand torn or cut, drained. (Retain the juice that was in the can.) Place the tomatoes in a cylinder-shaped container and blend using an immersion blender. Add salt to taste. (The Cento brand we used contained sea salt and basil leaves so we did not add salt).

2. Marinara sauce:

Ingredients: 

28oz can of  Cento San Marzano tomatoes, hand crushed and liquid separated but retained 

1 medium shallot (or small onion), finely diced

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 tbs olive oil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

Directions:

Add the olive oil in a sauce pan on medium-low flame. When heated, add the shallots sauté for a few minutes. Then add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and the juice reserved from the can, oregano and bay leaf. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Taste and season with salt if needed. (When I use the domestic canned tomatoes, I usually add some sugar and baking soda to compensate for the tomatoes excess acidity. This was not needed at all for the Italian canned tomatoes.)

Assembly and cooking:

I assembled the pizza as usual but payed particular attention not to deflate the edge.

I cooked it in “Neapolitan pizza” mode (it is called “Wood Fired” or about 700F) on the Pizzaiolo oven for 2 minutes.

We reach three conclusions concerning the goals I mentioned earlier:

#1. Compared to domestic canned tomatoes, the Italian Cento brand canned tomatoes we tried were much better. It is worth the higher cost.

#2.  Both of us liked the marinara sauce side of the pizza better than the no cook tomato sauce side. The marinara sauce has much more flavor. Although classic “Pizza Marinara” has no cheese, as you can see in the picture we broke with tradition because we like cheese on the pizza.

#3. The crust was soft, pillowy, and chewy. Did we like it?? We’re not sure. This sort of confirms what we said previously that “00” flour without oil in the dough was too chewy for us.  Actually, we preferred the left-over pizza we made for this experiment reheated in a toaster oven because the crust became much crisper. Lesson learned? We like a bit more crispy crust.  I may try to make New York style next.

Lemon Ricotta Cake レモン、リッコタチーズケーキ

This is another one of my wife’s baking projects. She saw this recipe on the King Arthur web site. She thought the use of “00” flour, (which I use to make pizza dough), was intriguing. Being the generous man I am, I gave her access my stash of  “00” flour. This was a good investiment on my part, the cake was very light and fluffy and the “Fiori di Sicillia” flavoring gave a nice lemony flavor. The cake was not too sweet and perfect for our dessert.

Ingredients:
Cake
1 1/2 cups (174g) “00” flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
zest of 1 lemon
3 large eggs, separated
1 cup (227g) ricotta cheese, whole preferred
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon “Fiori di Sicilia”, optional

Glaze (We did not use)
2 tablespoons (28g) lemon juice
3 tablespoons (43g) coarse sparkling sugar or 3 tablespoons (34g) turbinado sugar
1/2 cup (57g) confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center. Line the bottom of an 8" cake pan with parchment and grease the bottom and sides.

To make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the egg yolks, and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Add the ricotta, extracts, and dry ingredients and beat on low until no dry streaks remain.

In a medium bowl, whisk the whites until very frothy, 1 to 2 minutes (no need to reach soft peaks).

Scrape down the sides of the bowl with the batter and pour in the egg whites. Mix on medium speed, scraping down the sides as needed, until the batter becomes smooth (it will be quite gloppy at first). Finish mixing by hand if necessary to make sure everything is incorporated.

Transfer the thick batter to the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. (A small offset spatula is a helpful tool here.)

Bake the lemon ricotta cake for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply golden, then tent with foil and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. The cake is done when it’s set, has pulled away from the sides of the pan slightly, and springs back when lightly pressed. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. (#2)

If using the glaze: In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice and sugars until no dry confectioners’ sugar remains.

Turn out the lemon ricotta cake onto a wire rack and set the rack atop a plate or parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour the glaze evenly over the top of the cake, encouraging it to reach all the way to the edges.

Let the lemon ricotta cake cool until the glaze is set, about 30 minutes. Serve it slightly warm or at room temperature, with macerated fruit if desired.

This is one of the most elegant cakes we’ve made. It is extremely light, slightly sweet with a rich lemon flavor. The method of using the mixer to stir the egg whites into the batter was a first. My wife was surprised at how well it worked and that the egg whites did not deflate. She said she will keep this method in mind for other recipes using whipped egg whites.

Baked Spaghetti (angle hair) Cup with meatballs オーブン焼きスパゲッティカップ

My wife saw the original recipe for this dish on the Washington Post website but she made substantial changes. She really was sold on the idea of making pasta cups and stuffing them with something. We usually do not keep spaghetti on hand but we do keep angel hair pasta in the pantry. I had just made pork meatballs with ricotta cheese as well as some marinara sauce to use on pizza. So my wife came up with the idea of taking the angel hair pasta we had, tossing it with the marinara sauce I just made and using it to make “spaghetti” cups. Then since we already had the meat balls, using them to stuff the spaghetti cups and topping them with cheese. (In the original recipe, the pasta cups are made with spaghetti are stuffed with ground turkey and broccoli). In any case, her idea worked well.  We were expecting the pasta cups to be crispy outside but it did not happen and they tasted like regular pasta with marinara sauce. This was basically pasta with meatballs in marinara sauce in compact basket form.  I served this with chicken wing simmered in black vinegar (I happened to make this dish for other reasons) and small green salad with cucumber and Campari tomato. I ask my wife to continue.

Ingredients:
6 ounces cooked angle hair pasta 
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, (or to taste)
12 meat balls cut in half (if cooking in mini muffin tins that make 24 small muffins or 24 if using whole meatballs). 
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup (3/4 ounce) grated parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
various cheeses to top the pasta cups (we used smoked gouda and sharp cheddar 
Salt to taste

Directions:
Cook the angle hair pasta according to package instructions. After it is drained toss it with the homemade marinara sauce. Add the egg and toss until the egg is incorporated. Add the grated parmesan cheese and toss until fully mixed with the pasta. 

When ready to make the spaghetti cups, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Put the paper liners in the small bite muffin tin. Distribute the pasta into the wells of the muffin tin, creating a divot in the center of each to hold the meatball (#1). Distribute the meatballs among the spaghetti cups (it’s okay if it comes above the top of the wells) (#2). Cover the meatballs with the gouda/cheddar cheeses (#3). Bake until nicely browned, 20 to 30 minutes (#4). Let cool for 5 minutes then serve. 

These make very nice bite-sized appetizers. They taste very savory and satisfying. This was a great variation on the theme of spaghetti and meatballs.

Table of Contents 2026

January 2026
January 1     Happy New Year 2026 明けましておめでとうございます
January 2    “Ozoni” New Year’s Soup お雑煮 2026
January 5    Osechi from Sushi Taro 2026 すし太郎のお節
January 8    Chocolate Brownie Pudding チョコレートブラウニープディング
January 11    Japanese “Kabu” Turnip Simmered in Broth 蕪の煮物
January 14    Japanese Sweet potato Blini さつまいもビィリニ
January 17    Simmered “Satoimo” taro with squid 里芋とイカの煮物
January 19    Grilled Beef Tongue 牛タンの焼肉
January 20    Persimmon in Tofu Dressing 柿の白和え
January 23    Cauliflower-puree Blini カリフラワーピュレー　ビィリニ
January 25    Gingerbread Pancakes with Date Sauce ジンジャーブレッドパンケーキ
January 26    “Bento” Lunch Box 弁当
January 29    Chestnuts and Apple Blini 栗とリンゴ味のビリニ

February 2026
February 1    Warm sake on a cold night 寒夜の燗酒
February 4    Cranberry sauce muffins クランベリーソースマフィン
February 7    Appetizers; one with Shad Roe 酒のつまみ
February 10    Custardy Apple Cake カスタードアップルケーキ
February 13    Salted “Kabocha” 塩かぼちゃ
February 16    Fried “Renkon” Lotus Root with “Aonori” dried seaw...
February 19    Valentine‘s day sashimi dinner バレンタインデイ刺身ディナー
February 22    Valentine’s day cake バレンタインデイケーキ
February 25    Crispy Cheese Rice Puffs チーズライスパフ
February 28    Persimmon and “Kabu” turnip salad 柿と蕪のマリネ

March 2026
March 3    Peanut butter pancake ピーナッツバターパンケーキ
March 6    Cold Jade Eggplant in broth 茄子の翡翠煮
March 9    Cream Cheese Biscuits クリームチーズビスケット
March 12    Roasted Red Pepper Sauce V2 赤パプリカのソース
March 15    Pan-fried Oyster Mushroom 平茸の洋風ソテー
March 18    English Muffin Loaves イングリシュマフィンローフパン
March 21    Honey Oatmeal Roll 蜂蜜とオートミールのロールパン
March 24    Shrimp and Grits with Poached Egg 温玉のせ海老とグリィツ
March 27    Sweet potato gnocchi さつまいものニョキ
March 30    Japanese Fluffy “Soufflé” Pancake (version 2) 日本風フ...

April 2026
April 2    Hanami 2026 花見2026
April 5    Hanami 2026 #2 and #3 花見2026、二回目、三回目
April 8    Baked Spaghetti (angle hair) Cup with meatballs オー...
April 11   “Atsu-age “ Fried Tofu 厚揚げ
April 14    Mango Crumb Bars マンゴークラムバー
April 17    Vegetarian Buttermilk Cotta ベジタリアンバターミルクパナコタ
April 20    Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes 苺とクリームチーズのカップケーキ
April 23    Stir-steamed “Kimpira gobo” Burdock-root 蒸し炒め金平牛蒡
April 26    Mini Cheese Grits Casserole ミニグリッツキャセロール
April 29    Duck Leg Confit アヒルのもも肉のコンフィ

May 2026
May 2    Pan-fried Grits Cake フライパンで焼いたグリッツケーキ
May 5    Lemon Ricotta Cake レモン、リッコタチーズケーキ
May 8    Roasted Carrot Soup にんじんスープ
May 11    Shrimp and Scallop Rice Krispies Bites エビとホタテのライスク...
May 14    Rice Krispies Pancake ライスクリスピーパンケーキ
May 17    Walnut Cheddar Loaf くるみとチェダーチーズのローフ
May 20    Norwegian Lefse Flatbread ノルウェイのレフシイ フラットブレッド
May 23    Grape-puree Muffin ブドウのピューレのマフィン
May 26    Pork Vindaloo served in Soup Curry-style スープカレー風豚肉...
May 29    Honey Curry Bread 蜂蜜カレーパン

June 2026
June 1    Morning Glory Muffin 朝顔マフィン
June 4    Three Eel Dishes うなぎの蒲焼料理3種類
June 7    Meatloaf ミートローフ
June 10    Air Fried stuffed Chicken Wings エアーフライ手羽餃子
June 13    Air Fried Chicken Wings エアーフライ手羽
June 17    Air Fried Eggplant エアーフライ茄子
June 20    Grilled Tofu-puff with Egg Yolk Miso 柚子胡椒入り玉味噌の焼き油揚げ
June 23    Goat Cheese Popover ゴートチーズ　ポップオーバー

June 26    Sausage Encased in Cookie Dough (Full Moon Pastries)
June 29    Raspberry Muffin Bites ラズベリーマッフィンバイツ

July 2026
July 1    Raspberry Muffin Bites ラズベリーマッフィンバイツ
July 4    Salmon Pate サーモンパテ
July 7    Chicken Liver Cooked in Ketchup and Worcestershire...
July 10    Air Fried Zucchini エアーフライズッキニ
July 13    Garlic Chive and Cucumber Salad ニラとキュウリの和え物
July 16    Blueberry Cream Cheese on Blueberry Muffin ブルーベリーチ...
July 19    Neapolitan-ish pizza ナポリ風ピザ
July 22    Tomato-Spinach Roulade Bread トマトとほうれん草のルラード
July 25    Pork and Potato and Goat Cheese Bites ローストポーク、ポテト、...
July 28    Mashed Potato, Roasted Pork and Cheese Bites versi...
July 31    Spinach Feta Cheese Frittata Bites ほうれん草とフェタチーズのフリ...

August 2026
August 3    Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins サワークリーム、ブルーベリー、マッフィン
August 6    Strawberry, Pretzel Cheese Cake いちごチーズケーキ
August 9     Blueberry Pudding Cake ブルーベリープディングケーキ
August 12    Air Fried Pork Tenderloin with Panko Crust エアーフライ...
August 25    Air-fried Spicy Tofu エアーフライピリ辛豆腐
August 28    Air-Fried Pork Tenderloin without Panko Crust エアー...

September 2026
September 1    Okonomi-yaki Vegetarian Version ベジタリアンお好み焼き
September 4    Seafood Okonomi-yaki 海鮮お好み焼き
September 7    Pork Okonomi-yaki 豚バラお好み焼き
September 10    Blueberry Yogurt Popsicle ブルーベリー ヨーグルト アイスキャンディー
September 14    Okonomi-yaki, Osaka-style Summary 大阪風お好み焼き総括
September 17    Okonomi-yaki, Hiroshima style 広島風お好み焼き
September 25    Take-out Sashimi 刺身テイクアウト
September 27    Condensed Sweet Milk Bread with mistake バターミルク、コンデ...
September 30    Ricotta Rolls リコッタチーズ入りディナーロール

White Pizza “Pizza Bianca” 白いピザ

We tried “pizza bianca” a few times before but we did not particularly like it. So we tried again with different cheeses; roasted garlic seasoned Ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese. We topped it with baby arugula dressed in honey mustard dressing (#1). We really like the creamy texture of the cheese toppings and pepper taste of arugula, however, despite used a liberal amount of garlic infused oil, we felt we need a bit more assertive flavor (maybe more garlic or slight “picante” flavor?). So we decided on the this batch to add the roasted garlic. This was about a whole head of garlic, cloves separated and cooked in small bowl of heated chicken broth in the toaster oven at 350 for 30 minutes. We added the roasted garlic to the ricotta cheese and left it in the fridge overnight for the flavors to meld. They became much stronger and this was a much better pizza.

The picture 2 is before the arugula topping.

Ingredients:
1/2 Ricotta cheese
About a head of roasted garlic (or to taste)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
(mix the above well)
10 or more thin slices of mozzarella cheese enough to cover the pizza leaving the rim
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil with crushed garlic
Pizza dough

Baby arugula
Honey mustard dressing

Directions:
Form pizza dough
Paint the dough with garlic infused oil including some crushed garlic in the oil 
Cover the center of the pizza with the mozzarella cheese
Spread the seasoned Ricotta
Sprinkle half of the parmesan cheese

Bake in the pizza oven at 700F (Neapolitan-style setting in “Pizzaiolo” pizza oven) for 2 minutes (#2)

Brush the rim with the garlic infused oil and sprinkle the reaming parmesan cheese
Top it with the dressed baby arugula (#10)

This a definitely better pizza bianca we made.

Caramelized onion pizza 飴色玉ねぎピザ

After we got the electric pizza oven “Pizzaiolo”, we have been making home-made Neapolitan-style  pizzas regularly. We usually make two kinds of pizza; one is the classic Margherita another is marinated baby artichokes with olives. Since we do not finish two pizzas in one meal, we have left-overs and enjoy one piece each as an appetizer in subsequent days. The left-over pizza heats up nicely in the toaster oven.  Interestingly, when freshly made, the crust is Neapolitan-style.  It is chewy but not “crispy”. After being re-heated in the toaster oven, the crust becomes very crispy like a New York-style pizza. 

We decided that we should get out of our pizza rut and make some other kinds of pizza. We used to make caramelized onion pizza キャラメライズドオニオンピザ in the oven long before we got the ‘Pizzaiolo’. But we have not made it recently. So we settled on making that pizza as one of the two we made recently one evening. This is a really tasty pizza. Creamy goat cheese and pine nuts added nice texture and taste. The caramelized onions added nice sweetness. The Neapolitan-style crust goes well with this topping.

Ingredients (for one 9 inch pizza)
For caramelized onion
1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 tbs olive oil
2 tsp sugar

For crust (makes enough dough for four 9 inch pizzas)
3 1/2 cups “00” flour (I used 00 flour I got from King-Arthur’s) or bread flour
1 cup warm water (more or less)
2 tsp active years
2 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil (optional)

For topping (amounts are arbitrary)
10 thinly sliced pieces of mozzarella cheese (enough to cover the crust leaving the rim) 
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated reggiano parmiziano
1 inch log of fresh goat cheese crumbled
1/4 cup roasted pine nuts

Garlic-infused olive oil to brush on the pizza crust. (I make this oil with 4 cloves of crushed garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil. I brush some this oil on whatever pizza I am making that night)
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat the pizza oven to “Neapolitan-pizza” temperature (about 750F)

For caramelized onions
Coat the onion slices with the sugar (to facilitate caramelization),  
Add the oil in a large skillet or frying pan. Sauté until nicely browned (do not constantly stir, leave for a few minutes until the bottom browns and then stir)
Set aside

For crust
Add all ingredients except for the water and oil to the food processor fitted with a dough blade. Turn on low speed to mix dry ingredients. If using oil, stream it in. Add the water in a thin stream until a dough ball forms above the blade without any dry ingredients left on the bottom. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Turn the food processor on low speed for a few minutes for a second kneading. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and hand knead it briefly shaping it into a ball. In a large enough mixing bowl, add a small amount of olive oil, add the dough ball and turn to coat all its surface. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let it rise for 1 hour or until doubled (I use a "Brod & Taylor Collapsible electric bread proofer“ set at 85 degrees). 

Turn the dough onto the kneading board. Deflate and divide the dough into 4 pieces. (I weigh the dough to make sure the pieces are equal in size). Knead the dough to make a tight ball. Coat the surface of the each dough ball with olive oil and place in a small Ziploc bag. Squeeze out any excess air, seal the bag and refrigerate overnight. (It can be refrigerated up to a few days. If I haven’t used it by then I freeze it.)
Take out the dough one hour before baking. Form the dough into a 9 inch pizza-shape (by stretching it using two fists under the dough leaving the rim intact)

Assembly
On a wooden pizza peel, sparingly spread cornmeal. (The cornmeal acts like a layer of ball bearings under the pizza dough making it easier to slide the pizza dough off the peel onto the baking stone)
Place the prepared pizza dough on the peel over the cornmeal. Paint the surface of the dough with the garlic infused oil along with some of the crushed garlic in the oil. Use the mozzarella cheese to cover the dough except for the rim. Spread half of the Parmesan over the mozzarella, then spread on the onion. Add the pine nuts. Sprinkle on the rest of the Parmesan, and distribute the small chunks of goat cheese.

To bake
Slide the pizza onto the pizza stone, close the door and press the timer (2 minutes)
When done take it out and paint the rim with the garlic infused olive oil.

The pizza oven creates perfect leopard spots on the bottom of the crust and nice charred rim on the top. The caramelized onion gives a nice sweet flavor. The creamy texture of the goat cheese is wonderful. We really like this pizza.

Yellow Squash Garlic Bites イエロースクワシュ、ガーリックバイツ

The other day, my wife picked up two yellow squash from Whole Foods. This led us to question, “What is the difference between “zucchini” and “yellow squash?*” Our conclusion is that both belong to the squash family and “yellow zucchini” exists but “yellow squash” is not “yellow zucchini”. We ate one of the squash sautéed for dinner which meant there was one left. My wife decided to use it before it went bad by making this dish inspired by the recipe she saw on-line called “Zucchini Garlic Bites”. As usual, she made some changes mostly due to what we had on hand. (For one thing we had “yellow squash” on hand not zucchini.) I helped by prepping the veggies. This came out rather nicely; with crunchy outer crust and soft, moist interior with subtle garlic and onion flavors. The cayenne pepper added a nice zing. Perfect nice bites. They actually got better with time as the various flavors melded together. Instead of making a dipping sauce, we just used the marinara sauce I made which we keep in the fridge mostly for pizza. This went very well.

*It appears that ”Yellow squash” is not a common vegetable in Japan. I see descriptions and recipes for dishes made of “zucchini” but not yellow squash.

Ingredients:
2 cups shredded yellow squash drained well** (The original recipe calls for zucchini)
1 clove garlic grated fine
2/3 cup breadcrumbs (used Panko)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh green onion (the original recipe calls for chives)
(the original recipe calls for 1 tbs chopped parsley)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried), we used dried
pinch of salt and cayenne pepper (1/8 tsp or more)
tomato sauce for dipping

** I use a potato ricer to squeeze out the moisture. This works better than other methods we tried.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Cover a baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper. Set aside.
Use a box grater to grate the yellow squash. Using a potato ricer, squeeze out moisture (in batches).
Mash the garlic using a garlic press.
Add the shredded squash, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, green onion, basil, oregano, salt and cayenne pepper to a medium bowl. Mix well to combine. 
Shape a tablespoon of the mixture into your hands, pat into small balls. (You may need to add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is too wet to hold its shape). Place on the baking sheet.
Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven until golden. Serve warm with marinara sauce. Recipe makes about 16 bites.

Cheese Straws チーズツイスト

We like small snack-y foods that go well with wine or sake. My wife, for some reason, decided to make these “Cheese straws” which are based on a recipe she found on the web. When she took out the frozen puff pastry sheets, however, she saw they were significantly past the BUD (best-used-by-date). After pondering a while and looking at what condition the puff pastry was in, she decided to take a chance and make this dish. She needed to modify the recipe mainly because of the cheeses on hand. She used smoked gouda and sharp cheddar. Despite the “passed BUD” puff pastry, this was quite good. Light, crispy and airy with cheesy flavors.

Ingredients:
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. light brown sugar
1 frozen puff pastry sheet
All-purpose flour, for rolling
4 oz. smoked cheddar cheese, finely shredded (about 11/2 cups), divided
1 large egg, beaten

Directions  
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and sugar in a small bowl until combined. Unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet on a floured work surface. Roll the pastry into a 16-by-12-inch rectangle, with long side parallel to edge of counter. Sprinkle about half of smoked paprika mixture over the surface of pastry. Sprinkle half the cheese over half of the rectangle lengthwise. Carefully fold the rectangle in half lengthwise over the cheese. Press the edges together to seal. Gently roll the folded pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the pastry into 16 (1-inch-wide) strips. Transfer the strips to the prepared baking sheets. Twist the ends in opposite directions to form spiraled sticks. Press the ends of the strips into the parchment paper, if needed, to help them hold their shape.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. (Cover with plastic wrap if refrigerating for more than 1 hour.). After removing from refrigerator sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and remaining smoked paprika mixture. Bake in 375 degree oven until cheese straws are golden brown and puffed, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating trays and moving between top and bottom racks halfway through.

Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Despite the fact the puff pastry was past the BUB date these were perfectly OK; spicy crunchy and flavorful. Perfect to have with a glass of wine. 

Table of Contents 2025

January 2025

January 2     Happy New Year 2025 謹賀新年2025
January 5     Sushi Taro Osechi box 2025
January 8     Sushi Taro New Year Soba 手打ち蕎麦
January 11    Grilled “Tai” Perch Seasoned Rice 鯛飯もどき
January 14     “Karasumi” Japanese Bottarga from Maruhide 丸秀の唐墨
January 17    Bottarga/Karasumi Taste Test 日本の唐墨とサルジニアのボタルガの味比べ
January 20    Apple Pie Muffin and Pan Cake アップルパイ　マフィン
January 23    “Endless” Konnyaku 無限コンニャク
January 26    Mock Tofu 擬制豆腐
January 29    Apple Fritter アップルフリッター

February 2025

February 1    Braised Eggplant with Ground Chicken 茄子のそぼろ煮
February 4    Sashimi Daikon Garnish 刺身の大根つま/けん
February 7    Wild Rice Salad ワイルドライスサラダ
February 10    Apple Pie Muffin Made with Juiced Apple アップルパイマフィン
February 13    Chocolate Milk Bread チョコレートミルクパン
February 19    Ricotta Lemon Cookie リコッタチーズ　レモンクッキー
February 21    Assorted Japanese Mini-pans 日本のミニ菓子パン各種
February 24    Quesadilla with Mini-corn Tortilla and Browned Cheese
February 27    Burdock Root Kelp Roll ごぼうの昆布巻き

March 2025

March 2    Anchovy Onion Cocktail Biscuit アンチョビイと玉ねぎカクテルビスケット
March 6    Shrimp Chicken Gyouza エビと鶏肉の餃子
March 9    Chickpea fries ひよこ豆フライ
March 19    Babka Cookie Muffin バブカ　クッキー　マフィン
March 22    Nappa Cabbage Cream Stew 白菜のクリームシチュー
March 30    Jubako for “hanami” cherry blossom gazing 花見用市松模様の重箱

April 2025

April 2    Hanami 2025 花見2025
April 5    Hanami #2 花見＃2
April 8    “Cotton Candy Grape Muffin” “わたあめブドウ” のマフィン
April 11    “Cotton Candy Grape” Panna Cotta “わたあめブドウ“ パンナコッタ
April 14    Carrot Salad Muffin 人参サラダ入りマフィン

June 2025

June 12    Tokyo Kyobashi Areas Izakayas (part 1) 東京の居酒屋　東京駅八...
June 15    Cream Cheese with Pickled Daikon クリームチーズ　沢庵入り
June 18    Tokyo Kyobashi Areas Izakayas (part 2) 東京の居酒屋　東京駅八...
June 21    “Renkon” Lotus Root in sweet vinegar 酢れんこん
June 24    Tokyo Kyobashi Areas Izakayas (part 3) 東京の居酒屋　東京駅八...
June 27    Lemon Crumb Bar レモンクラムバー
June 30    Tokyo Kyobashi Areas Izakayas (part 4) 東京の居酒屋　東京駅八...

July 2025

July 3    Matcha Almond Pancake (again) 抹茶アーモンドパンケーキ
July 6    Izakaya in Kanazawa 金沢の居酒屋
July 9    Topping of Katsu-Don カツ丼のあたま
July 12    Kyoto Izakaya in Kyoto Station area part 1 京都駅付近の居...
July 15    Vinegar Cured Mackerel Sushi with Shiro-ita Kelp バッテラ
July 18    Kyoto Izakaya in Kyoto Station Area Part 2 京都駅駅付近付...
July 21    Pea, Ricotta ad Mint Gazpacho えんどう豆、リコッタチーズとミントのガス...
July 24    Tottori Izakaya and Shinkansen “Izakaya” 鳥取の居酒屋と新幹...
July 27    Pea, Avocado and Mint Blini グリーンピー、アボカド、ミント　ガスパッチョ
July 30    Izakaya in Sapporo Part 1 札幌の居酒屋パート1

August 2025

August 2    Chilean Sea Bass in Sweet “Saikyo” Miso メロの西京味噌焼き
August 5    Izakaya in Sapporo Part2 札幌の居酒屋パート2
August 8    Cream Cheese Muffin クリームチーズマフィン
August 11    Sapporo Lunch Places Part 1札幌の昼ごはん パート1
August 14    Pork Vindaloo with Baby Corn and Edamame ポーク “ビンダル...
August 17    Izakaya in Sapporo Part3 札幌の居酒屋パート3
August 20    Impromptu Eggplant Mushroom Stir-fry 茄子と椎茸のオイスターソース炒め
August 23    Sapporo Lunch places part2 札幌の昼ごはん　パート2
August 26    Cold Udon with Sesame Sauce 胡麻ソース和え冷製うどん
August 29    Izakaya in Sapporo Part 4 札幌の居酒屋パート4

September 2025

September 1    Savory Breakfast Mini Cheesecakes ミニチーズケーキ
September 4    Izakaya in Sapporo Part 5 札幌の居酒屋パート5
September 7    Mapo (sort of) Eggplant “麻婆風” 茄子
September 10    Izakaya in Sapporo Part 6 札幌の居酒屋パート6
September 13    Oyster Mushroom and Chiku-wa Stir-fly with Yuzu-ko...
September 16    Cheese Straws チーズツイスト
September 19    Small Dishes or “Sake-no-sakana” 酒の肴
September 21    Prosciutto, dates, and goat cheese bites
September 24    Cabbage and pork belly stir-fry キャベツと豚バラの炒め物
September 27    Scallop fry ホタテのフライ
September 30    Yellow Squash Garlic Bites イエロースクワシュ、ガーリックバイツ

October 2025

October 3    Green Yuzu, “Kinome” Japanse pepper leaves 青柚子と木の芽
October 6    Japanese “Mizu” eggplant Asazuke 水茄子の浅漬け
October 9    Spanish Mackerel dumpling Soup topped with “Kinome...
October 12    Cucumber with Miso Sauces 味噌胡瓜
October 15    Moon gazing 10/6/2025 月見
October 18    Dishes from Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi Block キハダマグロ刺身の柵
October 21    Scallion Cheese Pinwheels ねぎとチーズの渦巻き
October 24    Hiyaoroshi Sake and Matsutake ひやおろし酒 “如空”と松茸
October 27    Funny cake ファニーケーキ
October 30    Julienned vegetable salad 刻み野菜サラダ

November 2025

November 2    Salmon Shrimp Pâté with Shiitake 椎茸入り鮭とエビのパテ
November 5    Cheese Pennies チーズ (ペニー) バタークッキー
November 8    Japanese Cucumber with “Sudachi” Miso 酢橘味噌胡瓜
November 11    Indian Pudding インディアンプディング
November 14    Kabocha Blini かぼちゃビリーニ
November 17    Brioche ブリオーシュ
November 20    Caramelized onion pizza 飴色玉ねぎピザ
November 23    White Pizza “Pizza Bianca” 白いピザ
November 27    Vanilla Shoofly Pie バニラシュウフライパイ
November 30    Simmered “Ni-Yakko” tofu 煮やっこ

December 2025

December 2    Nutmeat Pate 木の実のパテ
December 5    Wood-ear Mushroom in Sesame Sauce キクラゲの胡麻和え
December 8    Lemon Sponge Pudding/Pie レモンスポンジプッデング
December 11    Scallops and Shrimp with Yuzu Galic Butter Sauce ホ...
December 14    Sweet Potato muffin with Dates and Cranberries サツマ...
December 17    Chili Crisp Cottage Cheese Flatbread カッテージチーズフラットブ...
December 20    Chilean Sea bass with Steamed with Japanese Turnip...
December 23    ”Boti Gosht” Indian style Meat Cubes インド風の豚肉キューブ
December 25    Roasted Bone-in Leg of Lamb 骨付き子羊脚ロースト
December 28    Lotus root salad with Yuzu-kosho Mayo 柚子胡椒マヨ蓮根サラダ