Cheese Calzone with NY Style Dough

1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
pinch of black pepper
NY Style Pizza Dough

Preheat oven to 500F. Take a 6 oz. dough ball and place on floured surface. Spread,
with finger tips, to a 6 inch circle. Place 2/3 cup cheese mix on one side and fold over other side. Seal with finger tips making sure no cheese mixture is in the seal.

Pinch the edge to assure a tight seal. Pat calzone to even filling inside. Check seal again for leaks. Repeat with the others. Place calzones on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cut a 1 inch slit in the top of each for venting while baking.

Place in center of oven and bake for 10−12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with your favorite tomato sauce, warmed, either on top or on the side for dipping.

NY Style Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water (105F)
4 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbls. olive oil
2 1/2 teas. sugar
2 1/2 teas. salt
1/2 teas. yeast

In a large bowl, mix water with sugar and salt until dissolved. Add oil, and then flour. Stir with heavy spoon for 1 minute. Turn out to a floured board and press into a circle (it will be quite dry). Sprinkle yeast evenly over dough and knead for twelve minutes.

Divide dough into portions:

6 oz. for Calzones, 10 oz. for 9 inch, 18 oz. for 12 inch, 25 oz. for 15 inch
(This recipe makes about 34 oz. Adjust ingredient amounts for your purposes)

Shape each portion by sliding your palms across the top portion of dough while curving your fingers inward toward each other and "tucking" the dough into the center. You want a dough ball without visible seams except the bottom. Set formed dough balls on plate, cover with plastic, and allow to proof for 1−2 hours at room temperature to use the same day, or store in refrigerator to use the next day. To stretch dough, place dough ball on lightly floured surface, and lightly flour the top. Use fingertips to evenly flatten out the dough ball. Work from the edges to the center. Place both hands within the shell edge and stretch with fingertips and palms maintaining an even pressure. Or, use a lightly floured rolling pin to stretch to desired shape.

Cooking pizzas with this dough should be done on a baking stone. Using a pan will produce a very soft "doughy" crust. The stone in the oven should be preheated to 500F for an hour prior to baking, and should be placed in the middle of the oven. After stretching the dough, liberally sprinkle cornmeal or semolina on pizza peel (a wooden paddle with a handle to slide the pizza in the oven) or a cutting board. The cornmeal allows the pizza to slide onto the stone easily. After topping the pizza, when you are ready to cook it, pick up an edge of the dough and lightly blow air underneath. This will loosen any sticky areas under the dough and redistribute the cornmeal. Shake the peel or cutting board to make sure none of the dough is sticking. Carefully slide the pizza into the oven.

Apple Smoked Barbecue Ribs

2 slabs baby back ribs, or spareribs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup Apple Wood Chips

barbecue sauce (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 400F. Rub cinnamon, cloves and pepper into both sides of ribs. Place ribs on wire rack on baking pan. Bake for 3 hours until tender.

Soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Prepare grill. Place apple wood chips directly in the center of hot barbecue coals. Baste ribs and place on grill above wood chips. Cover, grill and cook for 10 minutes. Turn ribs, baste again and cook another 10 minutes or until ribs are browned but still moist.

Barbecue Sauce:
2−15 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup molasses
10 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons dry mustard
fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients except vinegar in saucepan. Simmer, covered, on low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar to taste and simmer for another 15 minutes. Chill at least 24 hours, or until ready to use.

Jack Daniel's Grilling Sauce

1/2 cup pineapple juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1−1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup Jack Daniel's Whiskey

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Dip meat in sauce and place on grill
over hot coals. When meat is turned, brush with sauce. Grill to desired
degree of doneness. Just before meat is removed from grill, brush again
with sauce. Makes enough for 8 servings.

Honey Spiced BBQ Sauce

1 1/4 Cup Catchup
2/3 Cup Salad oil
3/4 Cup Vinegar
5 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Cup Honey
2 Tablespoon Dry mustard
3 Teaspoon Ginger, fresh grated
1 Lemon, sliced thinly
3 Tablespoons Butter

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat to blend together.
Remove lemon peel before basting.

Adapting Standard Recipe's to a Crock Pot

Here are some suggestions for best results when taking a standard recipe and using it in a crock pot.

• Remember that liquids do not cook away like they would if on the cook top. Use half the amount of liquids called for in the standard recipe. Also, add liquids last, after meat or vegetables have been placed in the cooker.
• It is not necessary to brown larger pieces of meat unless you need to cook off some of the grease before adding the remaining ingredients. For example, browning ground beef, sausage or bacon first and draining the fat is recommended.
• Milk, cream and sour cream should be added during the last hour of cooking to prevent curdling.
• Do not remove the lid except to add ingredients. It takes up to 20 minutes for the heat to build back up to the proper temperature.
• Spices intensify during long cooking times so use half the amount and add during the last hour of cooking.
• To thicken sauces after cooking the meat, you can add quick-cooking tapioca or a paste made of flour or cornstarch and water and cook on HIGH an additional uncovered 10 minutes.
• Most vegetables should be thinly sliced or placed near the sides or bottom of the cooker. They cook slower than meats.
• Cut whole chickens and any meats in half that are over 2 lbs to be sure they cook thoroughly.
• For safety, always cook meat and poultry dishes on HIGH the first hour to speed up the time it gets to get to a safe cooking temperature for meats. Then reduce to LOW for the remainder of the cooking time.

My Favorite BBQ Sauce!

You won't find a much better line of BBQ sauces and spices than Cookies. They have perfected the right blend!

We ordered a case of 4 GALLONS of the original and split it between ourselves and my son. It was his idea! He came over one day and asked me "Mom, where can I buy Cookies bbq sauce around here?". Well we live in PA now and its not out here, so we hit the net and found the website for Cookies. Voila, we placed an order and in less than 5 days we had a huge heavy box of 4 gallons of our favorite bbq sauce on the doorstep!

Give it a try! You'll love it too.

The Original Devonshire Sandwich

Cream Sauce:
3/4 stick butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 pound Cheddar cheese, grated
1 pint chicken broth
1 pint hot milk
1 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in deep pan and add flour, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and then hot milk, stirring all the while. Add cheese and salt. Bring to boil, then cook slowly for 20 minutes, still stirring. Cool to lukewarm. Beat with wire whip until smooth before using. This makes enough sauce for 6 Devonshire sandwiches.

For each sandwich:
1 slice toast, crusts trimmed off
3 slices crisp bacon
5 thin slices cooked turkey breast

Cream Sauce, recipe above

Melted butter
Parmesan cheese and paprika

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In each flat, individual oven-proof casserole dish, place 1 slice of toast and top with 3 slices bacon. Add 5 thin slices of cooked turkey breast. Cover completely with cream sauce. Sprinkle with a little melted butter, then with the combined Parmesan cheese and paprika. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Oriental Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef - lean is best
1/2 pound ground pork
3 slices bread, broken up into small pieces
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Topping:
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup

In a large bowl, mix together the beef, pork, bread crumbs, eggs, onion, and celery. Add the soy sauce, ginger, and 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce. Pat mixture into a shallow 2 quart baking pan.

Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Drain grease from pan.

In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup hoisin with 2 tablespoons ketchup. Spread over top of meatloaf. Continue baking for 20 minutes or so.

Remove from oven, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.