Tag Team eG Foodblog: Light My Fire!

[snowangel]

I'm still on for grilling. I'm assuming that I should grill the ramps before topping the pizza with them. Saute the pepperoni ahead of time?

Wish me luck. I'm going to need it. I'm normally so confident about new ventures, but this one...oh, well. Fingers crossed!

[Marlene]

A lull in the rain. Grill lit. Fingers crossed. i don't even care if it turns out anymore. i just want to get through this without catching pnuemonia.

[Teri319]

A lull in the rain.  Grill lit.  Fingers crossed.  i don't even care if it turns out anymore.  i just want to get through this without catching pnuemonia.

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Marlene, I am currently sitting home recovering from pneumonia (with a lovely two night's stay in the hospital). Don't take any chances please! Retreat indoors!

[lancastermike]

A lull in the rain.  Grill lit.  Fingers crossed.  i don't even care if it turns out anymore.  i just want to get through this without catching pnuemonia.

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I am home greeted by a tornado watch. The super doppler guy is hyperventilating. I may have to defer as my grilling area is uncovered.

[snowangel]

Grill lit. We just listened to the weather report. The "S" word was mentioned. Yikes!

[lancastermike]

A lull in the rain.  Grill lit.  Fingers crossed.  i don't even care if it turns out anymore.  i just want to get through this without catching pnuemonia.

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I am home greeted by a tornado watch. The super doppler guy is hyperventilating. I may have to defer as my grilling area is uncovered.

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Good luck fellow bloggers, but tonights pizza is going in the oven here. I made six dough balls and am holding four in fridge for later in this blog. I thought of bringing toe grill into the garage. My wife, smart woman that she is, advised me if I planned grilling in the garage I should consider sleeping there as well. I ain't the fraidy-scared type. However, I am officialy whimping out tonight. It is ugly out there.

[Marlene]

The BBQ sauce recipe comes from Wolfgang Puck on the food network Scroll down a bit.

Sucessful pizza grilling. Pics to follow shortly.

[lancastermike]

The BBQ sauce recipe comes from Wolfgang Puck on the food network Scroll down a bit. 

Sucessful pizza grilling.  Pics to follow shortly.

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Hooray Marlene!

[snowangel]

Good luck fellow bloggers, but tonights pizza is going in the oven here.  I made six dough balls and am holding four in fridge for later in this blog.  I thought of bringing toe grill into the garage. My wife, smart woman that she is, advised me if I planned grilling in the garage I should consider sleeping there as well.  I ain't the fraidy-scared type. However, I am officialy whimping out tonight.  It is ugly out there.

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Grill lit, preps ready. The fact that my grill is on the deck (read other side of the house) is making this a lot of work.

No, Mike, don't grill in the garage. We grilled NY strips in the garage once, and my car smelled like stinky steak (and don't get me wrong -- I love the smell of a grilling steak) for the rest of the winter. And, although I've never done it, I don't think that sleeping in the garage is a good idea.

BTW, Mike, I have had a disaster during every blog. There was the basement flood. There was the camera that died. I think during one I also had a really sick kid.

Takeout is a good idea, as is bacon and eggs, pancakes, or waffles. Or, just grazing and snuggling on the couch (or in the storm cellar!).

[Marlene]

Well that was an adventure. I'd made the dough, rolled out three rounds oiled and covered in parchment paper. Then into the fridge:

Fired up the grill and oiled it. Would someone please remind me to oil the grill before I turn it on, not 10 minutes after it's been heating up?

As per Abra's advice, I pre cooked our toppings, and had grated cheeses and sauce ready to go. For Ryan, Italian sausage and green peppers, for me, pepperoni and bacon.

In between downpours, I managed to get two rounds onto the grill. It was about that time I realized I was going to need a second pair of hands. Oh Ryan!

Fortunately he had come upstairs by this time and was staring at me through the screen door while rain dripped down my face. The ensuing conversation:

"Um Mom. What are you doing?"

"Singing in the rain, what does it look like I'm doing?"

"Oh. Would you like some help singing?" (as I'm trying to figure out how to get both rounds off the grill and into the house to top)

"Well, that would be nice. But only if you'd like to eat in the near future"

He was out the door in about 2 seconds. We slid the rounds onto to the backs of cookie sheets and carried them inside. Working together nicely, we sauced, topped and scattered cheeses about.

We stood there together, in the rain, waiting for the cheese to melt. When he saw me using the pizza peel to move them about, nothing would do but he had to try. You have to understand. If you think I'm accident prone, meet my son. There's a reason I don't let him turn on the stove. However, the lad is a good 5 inches taller than I am and I tend to forget he's a teenager and not an uncoordinated little boy anymore. So I held my breath and handed him the peel.

Just as if he'd been doing it all his life, he caught the peel under the pizza, lifted and calmly asked for the baking sheet to slide it on. Slid it onto the tray and turned and did the other one. Those are the "mommy" moments. The ones where you realize they really are growing up faster than you can blink, and by the time I next turn around he'll be driving and off to college. Ack.

We made it back inside just as the next downpour hit. That's when I realized I'd left the grill on. Without a word, my newly grown up hero, went out, turned the burners off and shut the gas off. Where did he learn how to do that? I didn't even realize he knew where the gas tank was!

We both changed our clothes and devoured our pizzas.

All in all, it was good. The crust was wonderfully crispy and the toppings and sauce just right. It was fussy though. Watching the crust carefully, then in and out of the house to top and put back on. It's a lot easier to build a pizza on a peel and slide it onto a stone in the oven (which I had on with the third round in reserve, just in case ). I can't help but think though that there's got to be an easier way to bond with your teenager

[Marlene]

Mike, wait for another day! Its only pizza, and your wife is a smart woman.

I'm off to make a smoothie for Ryan. Somehow I convinced him that it could in fact be dessert!

[bavila]

Marlene, if you can add a splash of whipping cream to the smoothie, it really will taste like ice cream! Yum!

[Abra]

Lovely pizza, Marlene, and a lovely story to go with it. You're kind of confirming my upthread musings, that on a gas grill it might be more trouble than it's worth, since you don't get any smoke. Do you have a charcoal grill, or only gas?

I don't get why you refrigerated the dough after rolling it out. I always let it rise a little - maybe because I like a slightly thicker crust.

I have my newly cured tasso and a bunch of chicken thighs on the smoker now, in solidarity with you all. But for a minute there it actually did rain right on my smoker, and I was thinking that you guys were very powerful, to have sent your weather my way in total contravention of the forecast.

[Marlene]

Shhh. it's not like he needs whipped cream!

The banana strawberry smoothie (and yes, that's my dessert in the background. Apparently, I need a refill)

[Marlene]

Lovely pizza, Marlene, and a lovely story to go with it.  You're kind of confirming my upthread musings, that on a gas grill it might be more trouble than it's worth, since you don't get any smoke.  Do you have a charcoal grill, or only gas?

I don't get why you refrigerated the dough after rolling it out.  I always let it rise a little - maybe because I like a slightly thicker crust.

I have my newly cured tasso and a bunch of chicken thighs on the smoker now, in solidarity with you all.  But for a minute there it actually did rain right on my smoker, and I was thinking that you guys were very powerful, to have sent your weather my way in total contravention of the forecast.

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Why do I need smoke? I just wanted grilled pizza. I have a smoker, but I don't think it's for grilling. Although I could have used the smoker box for the gas grill too. I made the dough well in advance so I chilled it as per the recipe directions. It did actually rise some in the fridge,but then I tend to prefer a thinner crust anyway.

[maggiethecat]

All in all, it was good.  The crust was wonderfully crispy and the toppings and sauce just right.  It was fussy though.  Watching the crust carefully, then in and out of the house to top and put back on.  It's a lot easier to build a pizza on a peel and slide it onto a stone in the oven (which I had on with the third round in reserve, just in case ).  I can't help but think though that there's got to be an easier way to bond with your teenager

But is there a better way to bond with your teenager?

The pizza looks wonderful, and I suspect that the weather is the major factor for this being a PIA. In good weather, you can stash your topping on some kind of staging area near the grill, and after the flip (I use my hands) there's no dashing back and forth to the kitchen -- you can top your pizza as it languishes on the grill.

(Trust me: In ten years, when Ryan, future Society Member, is posting on the "How I Ate Growing Up Thread," he'll mention grilling those pizzas in the rain with his Mum.)

[Marlene]

I've taken my butt out to thaw so I can brine it tomorrow for smoking on Saturday. Moving right along to tomorrow's festivities, which I think involve kebabs, I'm looking for a few good recipes. I've got a great one for pork kebabs, but I'm looking for a good beef one. Teryaki or asian style. Anyone? Anyone at all?

[lancastermike]

For once in my life I think I let good sense win. Indoor pizza.

the pizza mis, grated montery jack, grated parmasan reggiono, chopped tomato, pizza sauce[canned], pepperoni, and torn fresh basil

mine, cheese, tomatoes and basil

Maggies, sauce, cheese and pepperoni

both ready to go in after a dusting of cheese and a drizzle of olive oil

out of the oven and ready to eat

note to Susan: That's the new dishwasher we self-installed the other week

The crust for these was from Peter Rienhart. It is his dough for grilled pizza. It has a much higher amount of oil than standard dough

However, it turned out nicely. The stone was good and hot and I only set off one smoke alarm tonight.

I'm out on the porch posting this. The wind is howling, dogs are barking in the night, not mine, and the fire siren is sounding.

If I believed in omens I minght think I am not meant to grill pizza. Never fear. It WILL happen this weekend. Of course the forecast is for rain everyday till next Wendesday. Not like tonight I hope

[Marlene]

Jesus Mike. Get back in the house! You don't want to be suddenly moving to Kansas do you?

[snowangel]

Mike, as I upload, I look at your dishwasher. Is it a KA? If so, I think it's the same one I have!

Uploading photos and you'll soon see and hear about my trials and tribulations!

[lancastermike]

Marlene,

Your pies were great. Your moments with you son were even better. If this blog produces nothing else, it has now already been a huge success for you and the big guy to share that wonderful time. I am so happy it made you smile.

[lancastermike]

I've taken my butt out to thaw so I can brine it tomorrow for smoking on Saturday.

On the way home from work I stopped and got a nice looking butt. Yes, the butt jokes can now commence. I also got some Lebanon bologna for Sandy and the others. Pics of that tommorow

[lancastermike]

Mike, as I upload, I look at your dishwasher. Is it a KA? If so, I think it's the same one I have!

Yes Kitchen Aid it is and I love it. It is very quiet

[snowangel]

This was not a smooth and seamless project. I'm sure glad I made twice as much pizza dough as I thought. I thought I'd be freezing some. I won't be freezing anything.

My first four dough "rounds" were way too thin, so this was the result:

Charred holes. Oh, well, I had more dough, and a nice hot fire.

So, back to the other dough balls. Thankfully, things had gotten busy enough that they were still on the counter under a Monday day-of-the-week dishtowel (wash day according to the towel).

But, before I even thought about putting a dough round on the grill, I got a half-sheet pan ready with the "mis" to set on the deck.

Oh, wait. Even before I did that, I had to open a can of one of my most frequently used kitchen staples:

(sorry for photo quality. Peter was practicing with the camera). I run thorugh two cans of these salt packed anchovies per year.

Back to the "mis"

Paul and Peter are commercial pizza sauce fans, Diana and I crused Italian tomatoes. The moz was from a block I bought at Costco (not the fresh stuff, which is usually too watery. More on that later.)

Back to the dough. I did not really have dough rounds. I had dough amoebae.

Cooking:

Those odd little things are my ramps. I trimmed the tops off this time before grilling.

Diana's pizza (crushed tomatoes, mozz and basil):

My pizza:

Diana didn't get the cheese on my pizza before I got the anchovies and ramps on, and got on way too much cheese.

The bottom of my pizza:

My thoughts:

Marlene, you were absolutely right to remove the crusts to top them. That was a big problem.

Crust thickness. Everything I had read stressed thinness of the crust. I know you don't want it too thick, but windowpane thin is way too thin.

Paul had better fix my Kettle tomorrow or buy me a new one. Not having the ability to totally shut down the bottom vents is a huge problem, and if it's not fixed by Saturday morning, I'm not smoking a butt. The top vents, feh. But, those bottom vents are the key. I just flat couldn't keep the temp and fire down enough.

Things I would do differently:

Make sure I could close the bottom vents.

Grate the cheese more finely.

But, Marlene, I, too, had a fab teen moment. She was with me every moment of the way, and when my too thin crust was clearly a problem, had suggestions to make and just flat got to work. We had fun, and Diana wants me to get off the computer so we can talk about our next pizza grilling experience.

Oh, other lesson. Don't try something that has potential to be this tricky after a huge lunch and a half a bottle of wine!

[Pan]

[..]

We had satay, lamb rendang, roti (filled with egg, onion and green chilis served with the curry sauce you see in the little bowl -- curry, potatoes and chicken)[...]

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Roti telur (egg roti).

I had Malaysian food tonight, too: Poh Piah and Curry Mee with Yong Tau Foo. Yours sounds better, though.

Marlene, you are really hardcore (could we say fanatical?) to grill pizza in the rain! (Sing with me, or at least my mind's ear: "I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain...")