how to feed a horse.

Soon after May Day, I realized another holiday was quickly approaching: Derby Day.

Now, who doesn't love the idea of the Derby? I, personally, always associate it with the horse race scene in My Fair Lady--a scene which is engraved in my memory, thanks to The Brother watching the movie some 1,000 times in the course of our youth. It's a hilarious moment, involving big hats and hoity-toityness.

Back in the day, when I lived in Cincinnati, we took a family trip to Kentucky. It was a fun trip. FYI, the grass in Kentucky really is blue.

sidenote: some Ohioans may tell you that Cincinnati is Kentucky. They are wrong: Cincinnati is in Ohio...but, the Cincinnati Airport is, regretfully, in Kentucky. I happen to have fond memories and a sweet taste in my mouth when I think of Cincinnati. Fair enough, I only lived there for the first five years of elementary school...


At some point during that trip we stopped at a horse training center, where they horses prepared before racing at Churchill Downs. It was a huge place and, I guess you could say, it was beautiful. Of course, it was well manicured, like a baseball field, and ringed like a NASCAR track. But, the real dirt and the real grass and the smooth ellipse of the track gave the place a sense of elegance that is lost in those other stadiums. It felt antique inside, like you had stepped back to a time when horses were respected and regal beings. I don't remember seeing ads or billboards, which spurred on that sense of warped time. One equivalent might be Wrigley Field, another place that keeps you in 4th dimension limbo.

Given that this place was merely a training ground and museum, I can only imagine what Churchill Downs must be like!

Granted, I was young when I saw it...maybe 8 years old? So, it's quite easy to paint my memories with an overly rosy patina. But, I'm pretty sure I'm remembering it truthfully.


On our way back home from the training center, we stopped at a farm that led trail rides. I was psyched to go on a trail ride, but we didn't end up having enough time. I remember it was starting to get dark and cloudy. So, instead of going on the grown-up trail ride I did that whole silly sitting-on-a-horse-while-being-led-in-a-tight-circle bit. I was disappointed, and to make up for it the Papadukes bought me a stuffed Clydesdale horse. I subsequently named it Clyde S. Dale during the ride home. I was so clever back then. Sigh...what happened?!

And so began my love of horses and horseback riding. When I left home for college, I moved to The Big City and no longer had easy access to a horse farm. So, seven years of weekly riding suddenly dropped to nothing.

It made me a bit melancholy to no loner ride, but at least the Kentucky Derby continued to harbor a special place in my heart. I was thrilled when I eventually found another KD lover and she decided to have a Derby Pah-ty. Dress code, of course, was spring dresses and big hats, despite the still chilly Chicago air. Eventually, though, she graduated and no one else cared about the derby enough to have a party again.

So, it's been awhile since the last time I really celebrated the derby. This year, though, I was determined to bring it back.

Unfortunately, it was to be raced the day I was to leave for Nevada. So, not one to be deterred, I decided to jump the gun and celebrate the night before the race.

A Derby Day meal is a great time to highlight the freshness of spring and good ol' Americana. Ham and asparagus are particularly traditional, as are mint juleps and anything involving Kentucky Bourbon.

In this case, I didn't have a lot of time to prepare. I also didn't want to make a whole lotta leftovers since I was leaving for the week. So, in building my menu, I tried to incorporate traditional elements of Derby Day into a meal based primarily on things I already had around the house.


Today's Menu

Rose Winning Balsamic Mustard Chicken
Asparagus, Peas, and Basil
Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie Bread Pudding
Rice

I've always loved mustard and, for some reason, I associate it closely with my ideas of America, despite the fact that it's not really American. Dijon mustard, in my opinion, is one of the most elegant condiments around and can bring a simple dish to a whole new level. So, when I was developing ideas for dinner, I immediately considered what I could do with mustard. I've always loved it paired with chicken, but when this is done I usually find the harshness of Dijon needs to be tempered by something sweet.

Eventually, I decided that balsamic vinegar, another elegant pantry item, would provide the necessary sweetness and really compliment the mustard. Also, I thought this combination would produce a beautiful color once the chicken was baked.

Then, of course, there was the traditional asparagus. However, I wanted to try something new with it--I didn't just want roasted or sauteed asparagus. So, when I randomly came upon this asparagus recipe, I knew it was just the thing.

Dessert was easy. Originally, I wanted to go for the traditional bourbon pecan pie, but I didn't have time to make a pie crust. Then I remembered that I had leftover egg mixture from making French matzo that I had been wanting to use up. It was also Shabbat, so I had some challah bread lying around. And ta-da, the choice was clear: next thing you know, I was making bread pudding!


All the dishes turned out perfectly. The cooking times fit together just right and the flavors were perfect compliments to each other. It was an elegant meal, made all the more lovely by a couple of Shabbat candles and some good company.

What a delightful Derby Day celebration!

sidenote: I was saddened to hear the results of the race upon my return. RIP Eight Belles. It was truly tragic. I'm kinda glad I wasn't there to see it after all.










Rose Winning Balsamic Mustard Chicken









2 chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on
4 tomatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
1/2 c dijon mustard
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2-inch piece ginger, sliced


directions:

1. marinate chicken
a. place chicken in a plastic bag.
b. mix the mustard, vinegar, garlic, and ginger together in a measuring cup. pour into the plastic bag and shake. let marinate at least 20 minutes or as long as overnight.

2. bake the chicken
a. preheat oven to 375.
b. place chicken in a baking dish and place tomatoes and carrots around the chicken.
c. pour the remaining marinade over the chicken. bake for 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden. every so often you can flip the breasts and spoon marinade over top.








Asparagus, Peas, and Basil



[note: this recipe is adapted from one found in Gourmet, April 2008. it's quick and delicious and highly recommended]




1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil [if necessary]
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/4 c frozen peas, thawed
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
a small handful of fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces


directions:

1. cook onion in butter in a large skillet until onion is tender but not brown. if you need more fat in the pan, use olive oil.
2. add asparagus, peas, salt, and pepper. cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are cooked but not soft.
3. stir in basil. add salt and pepper to taste.








Kentucky Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie Bread Pudding


[note: this recipe is adapted from one found in Bon Appetit, December 1997. I used some leftover French Toast egg mixture, but it's easy enough to just mix together an egg and some milk to replace that]



2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 c chocolate chips
1 c French Toast egg mixture or 2 eggs + 3/4 c milk + 1/4 tsp vanilla extract mixed together
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp Kentucky Bourbon
1/4 c chopped pecans
4 thick slices challah bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes



directions:

1. put butter and chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. microwave in 15 second increments, stirring after each, until butter and chocolate have melted completely and mixture is smooth.
2. whisk together egg mixture, sugar and bourbon in a bowl. slowly add chocolate mixture, whisking constantly. if chocolate begins to harden up, it's ok.
3. add the pecans and mix together.
4. add bread cubes to egg mixture and stir to coat. pour into a baking dish and bake at 350 until set, about 25 minutes.

this ain't no carrots 'n' oats, folks!




Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

May Day melee

Well, like it or not, I'm back.
Actually, it's probably more my loss given that the weather in Nevada/Arizona was surely better than it is here.






I must admit, I was dreading the trip a bit, but it turned out to be unexpectedly great. I saw some super neat rocks, learned a lot of stuff, finally understand a lot more about the rocks I'm studying now, and, of course, enjoyed the beautiful springtime desert immensely.



While there, we had some super animal sightings...and non-sightings, like when we heard the intense rattle of a rattlesnake but couldn't find it hidden in the rocks.

Interesting animal fact: when desert turtles are spooked, they empty their bladders. Unfortunately, this rapidly and severely dehydrates them...and then they are more likely to die. In other words, this is a bad thing.

How that can be deemed a "defense mechanism" is something I will never understand.

We saw lots and lots of cactus, too. Unfortunately, it was near the end of spring flowering season, but we were able to catch a few magenta beauties.









Speaking of cactus, I am now the proud owner of an incredible self-made photolog of The Barrel Cactus. Perhaps I'll create a coffee table book, it will be called The Barrel Cactus Compendium.











Another highlight: dinner in Oatman.








Oatman is an old Route 66 tourist town that is known for it's burros [donkeys]. It's packed with washed up 65-year-old "biker dudes" and has bartenders that are sticklers for i.d. With a population of so few, maybe 10?, Oatman's policies shocked and appalled us. Poor Fairy Lover left hers at camp, so I ordered beers for her and she made sure I had a steady supply of H2O. Apparently, covert beer drinking = not much fun.



Burros are a big deal in Oatman and, really, all they've got going for them. We didn't see any burros hanging out while we were there, but we did discover that Oatmanites are acutely aware of baby burro well-being.










They also sell shirts with pockets in Oatman. Boy oh boy, what a special place!








At the Oatman Hotel we gorged after a long day at the Peach Springs Tuff [where Fairy Girl and I were traumatized as we were forced to watch a man pee while we were being given lecture]. The meal was good: Burro Burgers with Burro Ears aka buffalo burgers and homemade chips that look like donkey's ears. However, nearly everything in town was closed by 5 pm, which meant no ice cream!!!!


But, back in Bull Head City [crazy border town!! they have a gas station chain named Terrible's! a casino lined river (but only on the Nevada side)! crazy! crazy!], we got ourselves some 32 Flavors. Ironically, that was the day Robbins died. No one told me until I got back home, so I, unfortunately, couldn't start an impromptu memorial service at the Baskin Robbins store.






Of all the nights, my last night in Bull Head City was probably the best. The weather was beautiful and sleeping outside was epic. The crescent moon shone brightly in the sky. And behind Terrible's, an unexpectedly perfect shot.

The last day was cool too--lots of obsidian. Say yesssssssssssssss to volcanic glass! Woo!





However, despite all the goodness of my trip, there was a not-so-good part too: while I was gone, I missed a pretty fantastic week for cooking!



May is probably the perfect month for cooking.
Not only is it the best month for spring produce, but it's filled with all sorts of great "holidays" that just beg for some thematic cooking.


I mean, the month starts off with a bang--May 1st or May Day.


May Day is actually quite a big deal in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul's Taksim Square. Historically, May Day brings people from the trade unions out to the square for big rallies and demonstrations. On May 1, 1977 one such rally turned quite bloody and is now known as the Taksim Square Massacre.

This year, the trade unions were banned from rallying and demonstrating in Taksim. Official word of the bans came nearly a month before May Day. Of course, written bans weren't going to deter demonstrators and they showed up to...rally for the right to rally...?

Unfortunately, yet again, things turned nasty in Taksim and grew to an unexpected point. Of course, the police were ready, pulling out the big guns: tear gas and 20,000 policemen at the ready.

And yes, the tear gas was used. People were forced to stay indoors. Policemen surrounded the square...

All for just 200 demonstrators.

A bit excessive, no?


When I read the news, I had been trying to think of a good May Day meal. True, I was thinking more along the peaceful, uncontroversial lines of maypoles and flowers, not labor and immigration. But, upon reading the story I started thinking about Turkey and Turkish foods. Suddenly the perfect May Day meal popped into my head--a meal to include both the ideas of May Day and a love of Turkey/Turkish food at the same time! [Granted, my logic behind this idea was kinda skewed and will be explained later]


Today's Menu:

Everyone Works, Everyone Wins Kumpir
Un Kurabiyesi


Kumpir is Turkey's take on the stuffed baked potato. However, Turks take it to a whole new level, bringing in some incredible add-on possibilities. My favorite place for Kumpir is the Ortakoy port, in Istanbul. At Ortakoy, there's a small plaza next to the Bosphorous, lined with gozleme, waffle, and kumpir stands.

Kumpir potatoes are huge, but making a delicious meal is simple. Each potato is first baked to bits. Then the hot insides are scooped out and mixed with butter and kasar cheese until you have a smooth and cheesy mass. This mixture is returned to the potato and you are given the option to add anything you want.

The kumpir buffets are lined with filling choices: ketchup, mayonnaise, black olive tapenade, cabbage, pickles, mushrooms, corn, peas, bulgur, hot dogs, green olives...

And, of course, a baked potato isn't kumpir if it doesn't have a dollop of Rus Salatasi [Russian Salad] or Amerikan Salatasi [American Salad]--potato salad on a potato!!!!

Genius.

Another popular combo is ketchup and mayo, which may sound gross, but it's actually quite good. I mean, if you just add a bit of relish to that all you have is Russian dressing...so, it's not that strange.

Kumpir is delicious and definite comfort food. It's easy and fun to make and you can feed a lot of people on the cheap.

Oh, and then there are the Un Kurabiyesi [flour cookies], which are made by many cultures in various forms. Most popularly known as Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican Wedding Cookies. Again, simple but delicious.

Ta-da! A delightfully easy and tasty meal for a peaceful May Day!


So, now you're probably wonderign what this actually has to do with May Day. Well, bear with me and try to follow my construed logic. Granted, the association is a strech and only works if you wanna pull in the old Communist connotations buuuuuut...

1. When everyone works under the same fair conditions then everyone ends up with tasty gruel?
2. From simple ingredients and hard [or not so hard] work comes a glorious glorious meal?
3. One version of the cookies has the word "Russian" in it?
4. I made the meal on May Day and it's all Turkish and May Day is big in Turkey? So yay solidarity?


Ok, ok...so, maybe my logic is just totally shot. I promise that next year i'll stick to the maypole and flowers theme.

Whatever the logic, though, this meal was delicious!

Happy May!



Everyone Works, Everyone Wins
Kumpir
[note: I decided to try and healthify my kumpir this time around, but you surely don't have to do that. In this case, I was inspired by My Husband Hates Veggies and made the filling into a mixture of potato and cauliflower. If you want an easier version or don't feel like doing the cauliflower bit, just leave it out and use only the potato. In that case, your filling will likely fit in the potato, unlike my gluttonous version which seeped over the sides]

2 large baking potatoes
1 small head of cauliflower
water
1 tbsp butter
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese
salt
pepper
toppings: ketchup, mayonnaise, olives, tapenade, potato salad, guacamole, eggs, salsa, chili, beans, peas, corn, mushrooms, tomatoes, chives, bulgur...whatever your heart desires!


directions:

1. prepare the potatoes
a. preheat oven to 450. prick potatoes with a fork and place in the oven. bake until soft, about 40 minutes.
b. remove from the oven and cut a slit down the center, but do not separate the halves.
c. scoop out the insides and mash.
d. return empty potato skins to the oven and bake 3-4 minutes longer.

2. prepare the cauliflower
a. bring a pot of water to a boil.
b. cut the stem off the cauliflower and separate the florets.
c. cook florets in boiling water until tender, 5-10 minutes.
d. remove the cauliflower from the water and mash.

3. prepare the kumpir
a. add the potato innards to the cauliflower. add the butter, grated cheese, salt, and pepper.
b. continue mashing [I suggest using your hands for this] until the mixture is smooth.
c. spoon the filling back into the potato skins. return potatoes to the oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes.
d. serve with toppings!







Un Kurabiyesi




[note: there are so many versions of this cookie out there and this is an amalgamation of many recipes. mix it up a bit and try some different nuts or, if you don't like nuts, forget them altogether!]





2 sticks butter
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c ground walnuts


directions:

1. cream together butter and 1/2 c powdered sugar.
2. slowly add the vanilla, flour, and baking powder and mix until combined.
3. add nuts and mix until nuts are distributed throughout the dough.
4. chill dough at least 30 minutes.
5. roll 2 tsp of dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. repeat this process until all the dough is used up.
6. bake at 350 until bottoms become golden, about 20 minutes. remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. toss cookies in 1/2 c powdered sugar to coat.

no need to shout mayday on this May Day!




Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

leftovers righted--part III

I have to say that my favorite weekend meal is breakfast. No contest.

I don't usually have enough time on weekday mornings to do anything elaborate for brekkers, so I relish the opportunities the weekend brings.

I love waking up early in the morning and making breakfast while everyone else is asleep. I love the quiet of the house and the crackles in the pan. I love the slow evolution of smells that are so much a part of what I believe a weekend breakfast is.

I also love waking up to find breakfast waiting for me. Better yet is waking up because of breakfast smells and crackles.

I love eggs and pancakes, hash browns and bacon.

But, more than anything else, I Love French Toast.


At home, we usually have a little bit of leftover challah bread on Sunday mornings. Not always, that stuff goes fast. But, often there is just enough leftover to make some splendicious delicious French toast.

Of course, during Passover there is no challah and so, seemingly, no French toast.
Well, let me dispel you of that wretched myth! Right here, right now--I will prove it untrue!


Today's Menu:


French Matzo


Last Sunday was the final day of Passover.
Of course, that's when the cravings really hit...man-oh-man, I have never needed French toast as much as I did that morning.

Luckily, because it was the last day, I had good reason to use up my leftover matzo. I could have easily done another matzo brei, or an almond butter and jam sandwich. But, no. I wanted French toast.

So, I decided to give it a try...with matzo. I mean, how could it be bad, right? Sure, it's not gooey bread, but you can't really go wrong with the ingredients. Just marinate some matzo in a mix of milk and eggs, give or take some other flavors. Simple. I mean, French toast is notoriously known as The Easiest And Tastiest [cooked] Breakfast Food In The History Of The World...


From the pictures, French Matzo doesn't look much like anything but sheets of plain ol' matzo. But, these things were actually covered in eggy/milky/cinnamony/juicey goodness--they were anything but plain ol' matzo.

Suffice it to say, this stuff was good.

note: next time I'll try it with warm milk instead of cold--it might soften the matzo a bit more. As the recipe stands, it ends up being a finger food more than a knife-and-fork food...which definitely has its virtues.

The texture was, no surprise, quite different from regular French toast. But, French Matzo has its own thing going on and I wasn't disappointed. Served with a nice pour of maple syrup or a dollop of jam, this recipe is a hit in my book!



Series round-up: All in all, I have to say that, from a culinary standpoint, I am pretty satisfied by how Passover went this year. I came up with a few simple but delicious dishes--some takes on old favorites and some entirely new. It was a good challenge--after a few weeks sans inspiration, it was good to be reminded that sometimes I do have a creative cooking bone in me!




French Matzo

[note: the measures here are completely made up. I've never measured when I make French toast. Just crack a couple of eggs and add enough milk to thin it out, but be sure you don't make the mixture mostly milk. This is just a guide. Also, if you have leftover egg-milk mixture save it to make French toast or bread pudding some other time during the week!]


2 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of cinnamon
4 sheets of matzo
butter


maple syrup, jam, powdered sugar, whipped cream, etc.


directions:
1. mix everything but the matzo and the butter together in a baking dish.
2. place matzo in the mixture and let sit about 5 minutes. flip the matzo and let it soak 5 minutes more.
3. melt butter in a skillet or flat grill pan. take matzo out of the mixture and let the excess liquid fall off. place matzo in the skillet and let cook until it begins to brown. flip and let the other side brown.
4. serve with warm maple syrup, jam, powdered sugar...whatever suits you!

now that's the right way to start a Passover day!




Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.

leftovers righted--part II

There's nothing surprising in what I'm about it say:

Passover is rough for the kids.

I mean, being surrounded by constant reminders of untouchable favorites like pizza and mac&cheese, cookies and cakes...it can be unbearable! Matzo is just no substitute.

In many ways, Passover is a holiday of magic. We try and try to come up with new ideas of how to make "regular" foods into things that are Kosher for Passover. There's matzo cake meal and potato starch and egg noodles and all sorts of recipes that try to use these things as replacements for flour or yeast or cream of tartar.

Some people have an ideological problem with this. I don't.
I have a culinary problem with it:

For the most part, I've found that a lot of these recipe attempts are not successful. Sure, they may seem great during Passover, but that's because they are being compared with other disastrous attempts, or just the idea of being able to eat something like cake or cookies on Passover inherently makes them taste good. Oftentimes, I find that people actually try to over-Passover things: sure, Matzo Caramel Crunch is outstanding, but when made without the matzo--ie plain ol' English Toffee--is still K for P and just as good...if not better!

So, in my opinion, you just have to accept Passover for what it is and stick to the tried-and-trues. And, let me tell you, people give Passover a really bad wrap--there are lots of good Passover recipes that are good because they are good, not because they emulate something else!!

But, for the kids, sometimes that's just not going to work...and, sure, I can understand that. I mean, you get cravings even as an adult--by the end of Passover week you just want some darned spaghetti!

In those breakdown moments, I resort to the few recipes that fall into the category of Wannabes that I have found to not only be wildly successful during Passover, but are also things that I would eat any time of year.

Mostly, they are desserts: flourless chocolate cake, macaroons, meringue cookies...

Successful recipes for savory items are harder to come by, but that's usually because they aren't nearly missed as much as the sweet cakes and cookies, and so people don't focus on them. However, I do have one savory Wannabe that is one of my all time favorite Passover foods...


Today's Menu:

Matzo Pizza


I remember mom making toaster oven matzo pizza for me and The Bro. It was so good, much better than the bread based bagel bite...

When it's good, matzo pizza is great and tastes just like a good thin crust pizza. It's fast, it's easy, and it's a good way to use up some matzo. But, matzo pizza can definitely be bad and totally unsatisfying.

The key to a good matzo pizza is, in my opinion, getting the matzo crust soft. A hard, crunchy matzo pizza is bad news bears. So, my trick is to rub the matzo with some oil and let it warm in the oven for a bit before putting on the toppings. This way the matzo gets supple but doesn't fall apart into a useless mess.

Last week I served matzo pizza to 2.5 non-Jews who had never had matzo pizza before. I jazzed them up a bit, making a 3 cheese pizza and a roasted pepper-caramelized onion pizza. Served with a side of salad, it was the perfect meal for a lazy warm Friday evening in the spring.

The final verdict by the newly initiated Matzo Pizza Consumers was one of great satisfaction. Everyone went home happy, not missing normal pizza one bit!










Matzo Pizza











for crust:

3-4 plain unsalted matzo sheets
olive oil


for tomato sauce:

1 14-oz can of tomato sauce
6-8 leaves fresh basil, chopped
a few pinches of dried or fresh: oregano, thyme, rosemary, parsley
salt
pepper


for 3 cheese topping:

fresh mozzarella
parmesan cheese
soft goat cheese
whole basil leaves


for roasted pepper-caramelized onion topping:

2 bell peppers
2 medium onions, sliced into thin rounds
olive oil
parmesan cheese



directions:

1. prepare the crust
a. preheat the oven to 375
b. line a baking sheet with tinfoil. cover the tinfoil with matzo, breaking up sheets to fill in gaps.
c. brush the matzo with olive oil. place the tray in the oven and let it bake a bit, about 5 minutes. make sure it doesn't burn or begin to brown.


2. make the tomato sauce
a. place tomato sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and cook until it begins to bubble. lower the heat and let cook while you prepare the toppings. stir occasionally and test for flavor.


3. prepare the toppings
a. for the cheese topping:
i. shred the mozzarella, grate the parmesan, and break the goat cheese up into clumps. put in a bowl.
ii. pick off 10-15 whole basil leaves and reserve.


b. for the roasted pepper-caramelized onion topping:
i(a). light a burner if you have a gas range. place a pepper over the flame and let cook until the side blackens. rotate the pepper until all sides are black. place the pepper in a paper bag and close it. repeat with the second pepper. let the peppers sit in the bag for 5 minutes before discarding the charred outer peel. slice the pepper in thin strips.
i (b). preheat the broiler if you don't have a gas range. slice the peppers in half and discard the seeds. put them on a broiler pan, cut side down. drizzle with oil and broil until peppers soften and begin to blacken. you can peel off the blackened skin if you'd like.

ii. heat some oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. add the onions and stir. cover and cook, over medium heat, until onions have reduced significantly and become golden in color. stir occasionally, making sure the onions don't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. if they begin to stick, add some more oil to the pan.


4. assemble the pizzas
a. for the cheese pizza:
i. spread some of the tomato sauce on the matzo, covering it completely. sprinkle the cheese mixture over top. randomly place the whole basil leaves on top of the cheese. bake at 375F until cheese is melted.

b. for the roasted pepper-caramelized onion pizza:
i. spread some of the tomato sauce on the matzo, covering it completely. sprinkle peppers, onions, and some parmesan cheese over top. bake at 375F until cheese is melted.

perfect Passover pizza...puahahaha!





Comments, questions, and recipe alterations are always more than welcome.