Great Mushroom Pasta....

This pasta is the best!  It don't get any better than this. . .

Recipe for four:
1 packet good quality dried pasta
3 slices of pancetta, chopped up
1 c onion, chopped
3 shallots, chopped
1 big handful of baby spinach
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 package fresh crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 package shitaki mushrooms, sliced
2 three finger pinches salt and pepper
1 pinch chili flakes
1 pinch cayenne
1/2 c Stilton cheese, crumbled
1/2 c cream
3 T butter
3 T olive oil

Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil.  Cook your pasta.  While that's happening, heat up a large skillet over medium high heat, add the butter and oil, when the pan's hot add the pancetta and cook until crispy.  When done, remove the pancetta and set aside, now do the same with the mushrooms and set aside.  Using the same oil add the shallots, garlic and onions and caramelize.  At this time, season with salt and pepper and add cayenne and chili flakes.  Just before serving add the spinach and melt.

When finished put the heat on low, and add the cheese, cream, pancetta and mushrooms to the onions and stir.

Drain the pasta, and drizzle with olive oil, stirring with tongs as you do.  Plate the pasta onto warm plates, then add the mushroom mixture on top.    Grate a little parmesan cheese on top...

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Hobbes' Best Thin Crust Pizza - Quatro Formaggio with Oven Roasted Tomatoes

This is a KILLER, KILLER thin crust pizza recipe!

I made a lot of dough and portioned it into 2 oz pieces and put them in the freezer for a rainy day.  So you can cut the recipe in half if you want.  I ended up with about 20 pizza portions in the freezer.

Recipe for the dough:
2 c King Arthur flour
4 c semolina
31/2 c slightly warm water
2 t honey
1 t sea salt
1 packet yeast

Topping:
2 tomatoes
Stilton
Mozzarella
Parmesan
Sharp Cheddar
2 slices, pancetta

First thing to do is set your oven to 300* and place a pizza stone on the center rack.  Slice the tomatoes into thick slices and place them in an oven dish, season with salt and pepper and a good drizzle of olive oil.  Cook for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.  When finished, remove from the oven and set aside, now turn the oven up to it's highest setting, ours was at 500*

In a jug, add the water, honey, yeast and stir until honey has dissolved, set aside.  In a large bowl, mix the flours together with the salt.  When mixed, pour flour out onto a clean surface and form into a circle.  Pour the water into the circle and slowly incorporate the flour, drawing more flour into the center.  It will start to look like porridge.  I use my fingers but you can use a fork or spatula.  Soon you will have a big sticky lump of dough.  If it's too dry add a little more water, if it's too wet add a little flour.

Add some more flour to your working area and knead the dough for about 10 minutes, stretching and turning the dough as you go!  When it's done, flour the dough and place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  I put parchment paper on the dough first and then the plastic, to avoid toxins from the plastic going into my food...  Let it rest for about a half an hour at room temperature.

When the dough is ready, clean up your work area and re-flour, now shape the dough into a log, and roll out until you have a long log about 3" thick.  If it gets too long cut it in half and work with two pieces.  Now with pastry knife or scraper cut the dough into 2 oz bits, about 2"-3" pieces.  At this stage you can wrap what you don't need and pop them in the freezer.

Now let's make the best pizza!  Take a chunk of the dough and with your hands press it down and flatten it a bit.  Now you can use a roller to form a really thin crust, making sure to flour the dough as you go.
Take the pizza stone out of the oven and place the crust on it, now drizzle some olive oil on and smear it around with you hand or a spatula.  Then add the pancetta and cheeses that have been cut or crumbled up.  Don't add too much cheese because it will melt and run all over the place!  Finely grate some parmesan around the edges of the crust using a micro plane if you have one, this is the secret to a good crust.  Now place the tomatoes on top, and place the stone and pizza back into the hot oven.  It will cook quickly, like 5 minutes, so keep your eye on it.

I suggest having a nice pint of IPA with this!

Bon Appetit!   Chef Hobbes

A Healthy Snack For Kids...

For the most part our schools are doing a great job feeding our kids a healthy lunch, at least here on San Juan Island.  It's my opinion that kids are becoming unhealthy when they get off school, around 3:00pm.  This is when they're alone at home, or with their friends, and they tend to get stuck into the bad stuff, like candy, chips and cereal, which is highly processed.

Here's a healthy little snack you can prep in the morning so it's ready for when they get home!

Thinly sliced apple or pear, and Parmesan cheese, with a balsamic drizzle.  Deb's kids love this snack food, it just takes the edge off, while dinner is underway...

If you prep this in the morning, squeeze lemon juice on the apple or pear to stop it turning color.  Remember fruit is fructose (sugar), so avoid eating to much.

Bon Appetit!

Baby Leeks with Feta Cheese and a Balsamic Drizzle

This is a killer Fall lunch treat.

First set your oven to 350 degrees. Trim and clean your leeks -- with a knife take off the roots and the green tops, then lengthwise with your knife cut the leeks in half about 1" from the root end, which means you will have a leek that is cut in half but still attached! Holding the leek with root end or white end up, wash leek under running water so the dirt runs away from the attached end, then dry.

Place leeks in a roasting dish and drizzle with olive oil, then salt and pepper. Place in the oven and cook for about half an hour, turn if needed, you don't want too much color, just a little.

When done, place leeks on a plate and crumble room temperature feta cheese on top, then drizzle with Balsamic drizzle and serve...

To make Balsamic reduction/drizzle: In a pan bring one bottle of balsamic vinegar to a boil, then simmer until reduced by about two-thirds of the volume. When the vinegar starts to stick to the spoon, turn off the heat and add a big tablespoon of honey and stir. You may not get this right the first time, but when you do, well baby, this is liquid gold! You Will Have To Hide It!!!

Bon Appetit!