Posts Tagged: mozzarella

Food / Recipes — No Comments
27
Nov 09

Thanksgiving Leftover Meal

My my, what to do with a house full of Turkey! This evening was all about simplicity, so I made a delicious french onion soup, courtesy of an L.A. Times’ article, and paired it with deliciously simple turkey sandwiches. Again, simple was the idea:

Marble rye

Turkey (sliced thin)

Shredded mozzarella

Turkey gravy

caramelized shallots (2 shallots, cut in half,  sliced lengthwise, in a pan on medium-high heat for about 15 minutes)

Step 1: Toast the marble rye very slightly.

Step 2: Spread a bit of butter on one half of the bread (the side where you are going to pile on the goodies) and place thinly sliced turkey on butter.

Step 3: Place shallots on top of turkey, then gravy, then mozzarella cheese. Toast for another 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. One of my secrets here is to toast the other side of the bread with the stacked piece, so that both sides are warmed prior to serving.

Step 4: Cut sandwich in half and serve. Simple, but so good.

The shallots add a nice hint of garlic and onion, without the toughness of a traditional onion. Sorry there aren’t any photos for this one–we were just really enjoying ourselves :)

Happy Thanksgiving Leftovers Day!

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Around DC / Food / Restaurants — No Comments
31
May 09

Pizzeria Perfection

In my somewhat brief lifetime I have eaten enough pizza to know what I like. Pizzeria Paradiso of Washington, DC  (in Georgetown and Dupont Circle), has a small but well-crafted menu that ensures the quality of everything that they serve. They don’t do much, but it’s always delicious. 

Pizzaria Paradiso is not a place you would go to get your normal pizza take-out from. They don’t deliver and for good reason: their pizza is simply the best when it comes to you straight from their brick ovens. Their pizza is the perfect combination of ingredients: fresh vegetables and cheeses, tomatoes instead of a pre-made sauce, well-cured meats and just enough warm, soft crust that you won’t be able to stop eating, even if you’re like me and usually leave the crusts behind. 

pizzaria-paradisoI have tried many of the different pizza combinations on the menu: the Genovese with potato, pesto and parmesan, the Quattro Formaggi with four cheese and garlic. But my all-time favorite is the Bosco. Not being a huge fan of onion on my pizza, I substitute the red onion for the prosciutto. The combination of fresh mozzarella, large chunks of mushroom and tomatoes and spinach makes for a lighter, more mild pizza overall, however the prosciutto adds the saltiness that makes this pie irresistable. When it comes to the table hot from the oven I simply cannot help myself; I must have a few  bites while it is pipping hot and the mozzarella is still melted and stretches when you take a bite and try to pull the slice away from your mouth. The prosciutto gets crispy around the edges, and the mushrooms and spinach are always tender enough to take clean bites from, so you don’t find yourself sliding the toppings back onto your crust (like some pizza’s I’ve tried). When you’ve eaten through all of toppings and reached the usual no-man’s-land of useless crust, you can pour a little olive oil onto your plate and dip your crust into it like you would freshly served warm bread. Practical, and delicious. 

I’m usually an adventurous eater, but when it comes to pizza, I know what I like. When I visit Pizzeria Paradiso, I get the Bosco with prosciutto (I call it “LVK Style”) every time. I go there often, and I have never been disappointed. Bravo, Paradiso. You get an “A” from LVK.

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