Kasha Varnishkes, Deep Dish (It's not really) Pizza, and Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings - 3/13/11

My Grandmother's Kasha Varnishkes

1 cup of coarse kasha (buckwheat groats - I use Wolff's brand)
1 beaten egg
2 cups boiling water
4 chopped onions
1 - 7 oz. bag large egg bows (Manischewitz brand - yes, like the kosher wine)
kosher salt and pepper

Boil the noodles and drain well.  Put the kasha in a heavy skillet.  Stir in the egg, coating each grain.  Turn on medium-low heat and stir the kasha until just dry, with each grain separate.  Pour in the boiling water.  Cover and cook on low until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Fry the onions in oil (vegetable, canola, corn) until soft and golden brown.  To assemble:  in a very large pot or bowl, mix the egg bows and the kasha together.  Add in the onions and all of the cooking oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Mix everything together.  If the mixture seems dry, drizzle in a very small amount of additional oil.  Heat through and serve. 

Inspiration Nation's Deep Dish (It's Not Really) Pizza

2 lbs. fresh pizza dough (I get mine at the bakery in Publix)

6 slices Canadian bacon

8 slices sandwich size pepperoni

1 lb. hot bulk sausage (I like Publix own brand best)

8 slices provolone

6 slices mozzarella

1 large onion, cut into slivers

1 large green pepper, cut into slivers
6 large cloves garlic, cut into slivers

2- 3.5 oz. boxes shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, caps sliced

2 Italian "baby"eggplants, sliced

1 green tomato, sliced
1/2 cup self-rising flour

1-6 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts (I use Vigo brand), drained
1-14 oz. can "salad cut" hearts of palm (Vigo brand, again), drained

Half of a 6 1/2 oz tub of Italian seasoned large ripe (black) olives (Lindsay brand), drained, each olive halved the long way 

1 jar spicy marinara sauce (I use Barilla brand)

The day before, take two packages of pizza dough, punch down and combine them into one large ball.  Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with some olive oil, place the dough ball in, rotate to coat with some of the oil, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Cooking day:  take the mixing bowl with the dough out of the fridge and let sit on the counter while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.  First, cook and sausage in a large frying pan, breaking up the pieces (don't worry about crumbling).  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.  Reheat the sausage fat in the pan and add the onion, green pepper, and garlic.  Saute just until slightly softened.  Set aside off of the heat.

In a ziploc plastic bag, place the slices of eggplant and green tomato, the flour, and a big pinch of kosher salt. In a separate frying pan, heat olive oil and then brown the eggplant and tomato.  Do this in two batchs, then remove to a dish and set aside.  Let the pan cool, and discard any of the browned flour and oil.  Wipe it out, then add about 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and saute the shiitake mushroom slices until softened and slightly browned.  Take the pan off the heat and set aside.

Look, I know it sounds like a fussy pain in the tuchis, but it is worth it.  You can do all of the prep work the day before, and just let everything come to room temperature before assembling:

If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven, then preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  You will need one of those large deep dish pizza pans.  Hopefully you bought one before you got to this point.  Grease the pan lightly with olive oil and then start working on the dough:  punch it down and remove to a board over which you've sprinkled some yellow cornmeal.  Oil your fingertips, and start spreading out the dough, turning it over so there is cornmeal on both sides.  At some point you are going to have to use a rolling pin to work the dough to the size you need.  Place the rolled dough in the pan, and continue to work with your fingers to spread it out, while working around to create the sides.  Relax, this will take a while ... I watched RED with Bruce Willis while I worked the dough - it will take you about 15 minutes to get the dough the way you want it - watch the whole movie if you get a chance, it was awesome.

Start filling the dough, carefully placing the ingredients in this order:

Canadian bacon

pepperoni

mozzarella

cooked sausage

1/2 jar of the spicy marinara

artichoke hearts

black olives

hearts of palm

peppers and onions

shittake mushrooms

remaining sauce

eggplant and green tomato

provolone

Place carefully on the pizza stone in the oven and bake for one hour or until the center is hot.  I did rest a piece of aluminum foil over so the cheese and crust would not burn.  Remove and let rest at least 15 minutes.  Makes 12 servings.

Testing Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wing Sauce

3 lbs. frozen chicken wings (wingette and drumette pieces) defrosted overnight in refrigerator

garlic salt with parsley

black pepper

Emeril's Original Essence

1- 16.5 oz. bottle Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wing Sauce

Rinse and pat dry the wings.  Sprinkle both sides with garlic salt with parsley, black pepper, and Essence, and place on a plate.  Cover with a paper towel and let rest in the refrigerator at least one hour.  Then place the wings into a ziptop plastic bag, pour over the entire contents of the bottle of wing sauce, and place back in the refrigerator to marinate at least one hour - longer is better.  Shake the bag of chicken gently a few times while marinating.  When you are ready for the wings, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the wings on a rack set over a rimmed backing sheet and brush with some of the sauce. About 10 minutes before the wings are done, brush with some more of the sauce if you like.  Discard any sauce that you do not use.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the wings are done and a little crispy.

The results of the test were excellent, and the feedback very positive.  These are delicious, possibly the best buffalo wings I've ever had.  There is a very faint "bite" and warmth to the sauce, but these are not really spicy, just very flavorful.  I'm no chili head, and I simply cannot eat a buffalo wing that is coated in a sauce designed to make the top of my head pop off.  Even so-called "mild" wings are too spicy to my taste - this extra mild sauce is perfect.  Do not be put off by the color ... honestly, it is really, really good.

Texas Pete Extra Mild Buffalo Wings and My Grandmother's Kasha Varnishkes

Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.