[Italiancook]

Aaron, do you remember what your family didn't like about par-baking the crusts?

I made KAF's Now or Later Pizza Crust today. It's only my third homemade pizza, and I still find them daunting. Prepare the topping, after shopping for the toppings. And, I'm not the least creative with food, so I agonize over the toppings. Make the dough if there's none in the freezer. Turn the dough into a crust. Bake, in this case, par-bake and bake. Take it out and cut it. By the time I eat it, I'm worn out.

When I made the first two pizzas, I chalked it up to the learning curve. After today, I think I'm still near the base of the curve, far away from the peak.

The good news is that I really liked this crust. It was thinner than the other 2 KAF crusts I made and didn't like because they were too thick. And, the crust itself had flavor because of olive oil in it. What worries me is that part of the reason I liked the crust is the semolina flour in it, and I'm guessing that's not good for me medically. Won't know for sure for a few weeks when I see dietician.

I made a 3 cheese pizza -- mozzarella, fontina & Parm Reg. I used garlic olive oil as the sauce. My husband and I both enjoyed that sauce with the cheeses.

[Italiancook]

Thanks for the sacrifice, Mike.

[Italiancook]

And I'll check the organic apples that I buy. I didn't know there was a special seal. Thanks, Mike.

[Italiancook]

For the first time, I made KAF's "Now or Later Crust." It has semolina, which I probably can't have but don't know for sure. It yields 2 pizzas. It led me to a question:

(1) What do y'all do when you want to freeze half the dough? Do you let it have the first rise with all the dough before dividing it? Or, do you cut the dough in half and put one-half in the freezer without the rise, thinking it'll get plenty of rise thawing out in the refrig?

This recipe calls for par-baking the crust for the freezer, but that isn't practical with my freezer.

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/now-or-later-pizza-crust-recipe

[Italiancook]

BakerAunt, does "concentrated" beef stock mean it has to be diluted with water?

[Italiancook]

I had it right, but that's only because my guessing skills are becoming better.

[Italiancook]

Mike, the recipe I used, from Cook-Ahead Cookery, calls for a cup of wine & a cup of beef stock. I don't make my own beef stock -- I use it rarely. Like you, I use Merlot for cog-au-vin.

Glad to hear I didn't waste my time or ingredients with the Merlot.

I don't drink alcohol, so I'm happy you mentioned white wines. When I need one for a recipe, I never know what to buy. Usually, I use Sauvignon Blanc, because I heard it used on a cooking show. But I know nothing about what type of wine it is -- dry or not.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by Italiancook.

[Italiancook]

I have tomorrow's dinner in the oven. Beef Merlot. That's Boeuf Bourguignon gone wrong. It's impossible to buy burgundy wine in this area, except in giant bottles. So I use Pinot Noir, which is readily available. When I was planning out my day last night, I discovered that my husband had purchased Bordeaux instead of Pinot Noir. I Googled and found out Bordeaux has red and white wine. So, I Googled to find out what substitutes for Pinot Noir. Merlot is one substitute, and we had a bottle of Merlot. So today I'm making Beef Merlot. I hope the finished product tastes alright.

[Italiancook]

I also guessed 10. My first thought was correct, but I decided to go with 10. I even debated with myself the high school teaching to go with your first guess when taking a quiz and you aren't sure of the correct answer. I threw that teacher's advice out the window even though it had served me well in college. I've never baked with corn syrup, but even if I had, I probably still would have clicked on 10.

[Italiancook]

I haven't wanted to cook or bake for the last 2 weeks, so I'm saying I was on a staycation. But this afternoon, I felt hungry with no suitable food. I had one red pepper, onions, and mayo. I made an onion dip and enjoyed it with sliced red pepper. I suppose this means my staycation is over.

[Italiancook]

Because "pome" is so close to pomodoro, I decided that must be the answer. I would never have guessed berry. Good question and choices, Mike!

[Italiancook]

It surprised me to learn carrots have more Vitamin A than sweet potatoes.

[Italiancook]

Chocomouse, I use grated zucchini only for zucchini bread. I'm not accomplished enough as a baker to try it in other baked goods. Thanks for sharing how you deal with the liquid from frozen zucchini. I guess I'll give frozen bananas another try, because I could also use that liquid to eyeball the batter. Thanks!

[Italiancook]

Chocomouse, when freeze zucchini, do you squeeze it dry first? If not, when you thaw it, do you add the thawed zucchini water to the recipe? I've never frozen zucchini, because I know it thaws out watery, & I wasn't sure what to do with the water. I quit freezing peeled bananas for the same reason. Thanks!

[Italiancook]

I made Irish Soda Bread a few decades ago. I don't think I had the best recipe. My husband is a big bread-eater, and he didn't ask me to make it again. I'm sure there are now better ones on the Internet, probably at KAF.

[Author]

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