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But after 30 days of 100+ heat, we're over cow. Seriously.

So Bon Appetit has a great, quick single-pot clambake recipe this month! A quick trip to local Quality Seafood, and a quick trip to Williams-Sonoma, and we're on the steam. Hardware is essential here - as it's really steamed, and not boiled. 

Hardware -

30 quart steamer (got enamel for this time around, $40)

Lobster zipper/crackers

Newspaper

Ramekins for melted butter

Software - 

Bon Appetit August 2011 - One-Pot Clambake

Bon Appetit August 2011 - Chili-Thyme Seasoning

Additions to Recipe -

Bell's or Old Bay Seasoning

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning Salt

Shrimp

Crab

Once tossed on the paper, easy to serve - most of the 'time' was spent cracking the lobster to split between 4 (I quartered the recipe.). The delightful surprise was the tenderness of the potatoes, which were really delicious being at the bottom closest to the water/wine mix, and received whatever dropped from the steaming liquids from the top items. 

The Chili-Thyme Spice was amazing - absolutely tossed over the spilled-out food and some on the table to sprinkle during dining. It was salty-spicy, and the zest was a great brightener. It settled into the butter each time you dipped a food - so the individual ramekins of butter was filled with the spice as the meal went on. Definitely a keeper, easy to make, and stores in a jar.

The mussels were stunning dipped in the spicy butter, so was the corn - almost like Mexican corn, with the level of chili-thyme spice in the melted butter. 

The additional Tony's and Bell's did avoid it being wholly dependent on the chili-thyme spice - I think it would have been bland if I had not tossed those mixes into the steamer pot.

Last tasty surprise - the garlics were SO soft, they melted, and were filled with flavor. Spread easily on the corn or potato, or simply eaten as they were - they were not overwhelming. Steaming muted the harshness, but it was still garlicky. And with the butter - they were incredible.  The lemon and orange were ideal - squish those over the pot at the end before serving. They fall apart in your hands.

And the egg as a way to test the doneness of the lobster - pure old school genius. And great to eat with the food.

Total time - since a first time to make - 45m.

Serve - tossed out on paper, chili-thyme tossed on, lemons/oranges squeezed out, dig in. Ramekin of half-stick butter each, melted, chile-thyme jar on the table. Add a side of crisp, fresh cole slaw, and a big glass of tea or beer. 

And a PILE of napkins.

I mean - how many steak photos can I show you?

However, got a new one this week.

The key was finding a dough that would work quickly. While the meat and ingredients had to be tasty, it was the dough that'd be the lynchpin, particularly as pizza is often a last-minute thought. I'd have no time to really get a dough, get it to rise - did I even have any yeast to begin with - rise again, and then roll out? And knowing me, I'd kill the gluten and end up with crappy dough anyway. (Working on my dough skills is another blog project altogether.)

  

Turning to my trusty resource - le 'Net - I found a few quick dough recipes that still called for yeast but no rising. Here was the difference I found:

1) mix all dry, including yeast, then put in warm water at the mixer. supposedly yields slightly breadier dough.

2) bloom yeast with water and sugar first, then put into the rest of the dry. supposedly yields crispier 'tuscan' style.

I optioned 1, figuring I could roll it out super-thin, to get the best of both worlds. Chewy, but thin. And with a stone for hot cooking, it'd be awesome. I did have a bit of time, so it did rise for maybe 30m.

Honestly, it was ok. My mom wanted her side cooked more, so it stayed in longer. I think it was overcooked as a result, since it's going to cook on the stone more. She saw the tomato on her side as a little soft, and to 'cook it more'  that meant the pizza got overdone.

Not bad for in the moment, but made it difficult to have leftovers. Bread was chewy and toppings dried out. 

Next time, separate pizzas. She can burn hers up if she likes. :P

Bread -

- 2 c flour, tsp salt, yeast, 2 tsp sugar.

- 1 c water, 2 tbl olive oil

Mix dry in mixer with dough hook. Add in water slowly to let it gather. Push down with spatula. Add rest of water and oil as needed to form. Let mix for 4 mins or till ball forms and is glossy. Put into oiled bowl and let sit for a few if you have time, covered, then roll out onto your stone. If not, then roll it out ont your stone. Option - use unbaked, or you can bake for 8-10m, pull out, and then top.  You'll have enough dough to do one large or 3 individuals, depending on your crust depth.

Assembly -

Whatever you want on it. Adjust baking time based on whether the crust was baked once or not. 

Next. Adventures with Pigs?

Getting down to the end of the first two weeks of Farmhouse Delivery bin, and I had to have a soup. With a bunch of kale, some random potato in the fridge, and easy access to ground beef, one of my favorite soups came to mind - the so-called Italian Wedding Soup. 

Now, I'd never made it before. There's always a first time. Can't be too hard, right?

With a bit of help from the Internet, and a joint effort from @jonetkins, we created a pretty good first-timer's soup. 

- 1lb ground beef

- salt, pepper, parsley, cilantro

- carrot, garlic, onion (mirepoix trifecta!)

- kale (ok, normally this is escarole or something similar, but hey, kale was in the FD box)

- 10-12 cups chicken broth

- 1 potato

- 1 egg

- 1 c of grated parmagiana-reggiano cheese 

- 1-2 slices white bread, shredded to crumb

- 1 tbl bacon fat