Cooking with Crawford

I make the Sourdough Pizza crust in advance.  (I'll post that recipe later)   On a clean surface stretch the dough out using a little extra flour so it doesn't stick Place the dough on the Pizza Stone (made for grills)  Once the dough is able to be picked off of the stone I place it on the grill directly to get some char marks.  Grill both sides. Place the dough back on the stone (so it doesn't get burnt on the bottom) and then place fresh mozzarella, sliced tomatoes (close the grill)  check in about 2 minutes Wait until the mozzarella melts and tomatoes are warm then add the basil.   Drizzle a little olive oil and a touch of finishing salt.  (and some fresh ground pepper if you'd like)  

4 medium russet potatoes 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour 1 Tsp Salt 1 Tsp Pepper 1 Tbsp of olive oil (some people use an egg) Peel potatoes and cut in into uniform size Boil the potatoes until fork tender Mash the potatoes (if you like a little potato chunk in your Gnocchi then don't mash them completely) Let the potatoes cool a little (It'll be a little easier to work with) Place the flour on a clean surface make a little well in the middle and add the salt, pepper, oil and potatoes Mix until the dough is completely mixed and let sit for 15 minutes Roll the dough out to about a 1/4" (I didn't have a roller so I used an empty bottle (time to make more limoncello) Cut a piece of the dough off and roll into 1" wide by 1/4" thick strips (I have a hand crank gnocchi maker which makes the next step easier) Roll the dough into dowels and then cut approximately 1" strips Roll the dough on the back of a fork to get the indents (this is important so they will coo

 

Make the Dry Rub (I used Bobby Flay's recipe with my own little twist) 1 tablespoon spanish paprika. 2 teaspoons dried ancho chile powder. 2 teaspoons ground cumin. 2 teaspoons kosher salt. 1 teaspoon onion powder. 1 teaspoon garlic powder. 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar. 1 teaspoon black pepper. Soak woodchips in water for a few minutes Heat smoker or Grill I smoked the Pork for 12 hours over low heat on my Grill (with smoker box) at 225° (temperature fluctuated more than I'd like, but it was windy out)  I used a variety of hardwoods for the smoking (hickory, mesquite and apple)  Since I have a grill with a small smoker box I had to add wood chips multiple times Roughly 1¼ to 1½ hours per pound Shoot for around 195° internal temperature Let rest for 1/2 hour under aluminum foil  

 

 

2 cups ricotta cheese 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature 1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips Beat ricotta cheese and cream cheese together in a bowl until smooth; add sugar and vanilla. Continue to stir mixture until sugar is completely incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips until well-blended. Cover the bowl and let sit for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Serve with Graham crackers or broken broken Sugar cones (sometimes I use Cinnamon graham crackers just for a twist)  

Add Pork Roast to Crockpot Add 1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning and 1 packet of au just gravy mix on top of roast Add 1/2 to 1 Jar of pepperoncini with liquid (depends on your taste) Place the lid on top and cook over low heat for 8 hours I placed the pork over buttered noodles

Prepare the Ditalini Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil Add 1/2 pound of Ditalini pasta to boiling water (cook according to instructions on box/bag) Prepare the Shrimp Heat 2 Tbsps. olive oil and 2 Tbsps. of butter over medium heat Add ¼ cup finely chopped onions (or shallots) Add 1 clove crushed garlic (more if you don't want vampires or your date too close) Dash of hot pepper flakes Sautee for about 4 minutes (onions will be translucent) Add ½ cup white wine (or chicken stock - or a little of each) Add 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (add a little salt and fresh ground pepper to shrimp prior to cooking) Cook until the shrimp are pink Combine the pasta and shrimp Strain the Ditalini and place in a serving bowl Add the Shrimp and remaining liquid from the pan into the bowl Sprinkle a little parsley and parmesan on top Enjoy!

  Cooking on a Cold Snowy Day Pasta e CeCi with Bacon 1 Can Chi Chi beans 1 Can Diced tomatoes 8 oz Ditalini pasta 1 Clove Garlic 1/4 of small onion 8 oz Chicken broth 1/2 Tsp Parsley 1/2 Tsp Oregano 1/2 Tsp Basil Red chili flakes (to taste) Parmesan Salt & Pepper White  Wine (to taste – I used a couple of oz) -Cook 3 slices of bacon and save some of the fat -Heat bacon fat and add 1 garlic clove, Onion, red chili flakes over medium heat 2-3 minutes -Add can of tomatoes, parsley, oregano, and cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat -While cooking add salt and pepper to taste -Add Chicken stock and a couple of oz of wine (I used a dry White since it was open) -Add Chi Chi beans and Ditalini -Let cook until Chi Chi beans and Ditalini are soft (about 12-15 minutes) -Finish with a little parsley and parmesan cheese (you can also add a drizzle of good olive oil)

Shrimp Risotto with White Wine Sauté (in 1 Tbsp butter and oil) 1/4 cup of finely chopped onions and a 1/2 tsp of garlic for a couple of minutes over medium heat Add about a cup of Arborio rice – cook for about 2 minutes – stirring to coat the rice Add 1/2 cup of white wine and continue to stir. As the liquid absorbs add a 1/2 cup of chicken broth at a time. Stir frequently. Repeat until for about 15-18 minutes until rice is Al dente but starting to look creamy. Add 1lb uncooked large shrimp and another 1/2 cup of broth stir until shrimp are almost cooked and add another 1/2 cup if it’s too thick – cook 2 more minutes Take off heat and add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (to you liking) and stir If you like it a little creamier- add a dollop of butter and stir until mixed in. Plate and sprinkle a little chopped parsley and Parmesan if you’d like. Don’t forget to pour yourself some of the leftover wine!