sdtpasta

This was my first recipe to try with Barefoot Bloggers. I love Ina Garten. She can come off a bit pretentious. But, her recipes are always wonderful. I could look at her cookbooks all day long. The photographs of the food and table settings are always just stunning.

At any rate, we really enjoyed the pasta salad. I must admit, it isn’t something I would have picked out on my own to try. But, I’m glad this recipe was chosen this month because it truly is a keeper!

Mix in a chopped grilled chicken breast, a can of tuna, or even a bit of salami and it’s a great summer dinner. Or, it keeps well for a few days to eat for lunch through out the week.

panpizza

Pizza made at home used to scare me. Aside from a grill, it’s hard to get a hot enough temperature in your oven to get a decent, crispy crust. After a few attempts, I lost all hope and gave up. A few months later I saw an episode of The Cooking Loft with Alex Guarnaschelli. She was executing a technique for pizza that I had never thought of. Frying the dough in a cast iron skillet before topping it. Then, finishing off the baking in an oven. Genius!

This pizza is great. So great in fact, we rarely order it out anymore (not that we have a slew of great pizza shops around here anyway). This recipe makes 2 12-inch pizzas.Top it with whatever you like. Unlike many pizza crusts, this one can take a beating. So, pile the toppings on. She can handle it, I promise!