Deep Dish Pizza

Tags

Chicago food, chicago pizza, deep dish pizza, pizzeria uno

Last week I had the opportunity to go to Chicago for work. What do you do in Chicago other than shop on the Magnificent Mile? You eat deep dish pizza!

I went to Pizzeria Uno which opened in 1943. This was a first for me. I love NY style thin crust but I had to try it.

So what exactly is Chicago-style deep dish pizza? Chicago-style deep-dish pizza is up to three inches high at the edge, slightly higher than the ingredients, which include large amounts of cheese and chunky tomato sauce. It resembles more of a pie than a traditional pizza. I heard some people describe it as a pizza casserole. 🙂

The thick layer of toppings used in deep-dish pizza requires a longer baking time – usually 45 minutes total. Because of this, the toppings are assembled ‘upside-down’ from their usual order on a pizza. The crust is covered with cheese (generally sliced mozzarella), followed by various meat options such as pepperoni or sausage, the latter of which is sometimes in a solid patty-like layer. Other toppings such as onions, mushrooms and bell peppers are then also used. An uncooked sauce is added as the finishing layer.

The Verdict: Don’t get me wrong the taste was delish! But this pizza is too much of a pie for me. If I had to choose, I would pick NY style pizza every time.

Simple Roasted Beets

Tags

beets, fall dishes, local food, roasted vegetables, vegan

It is easy to love beets. Oven roasting beets seems to enhance their sweet nature. Oven roasting is also the easiest way to cook beets. If you roast them whole the skins will slip right off after cooking.

I used to be one of those people who hated beets, that is until I roasted them. Roasting beets give them a deep, sweet taste that can’t be accomplished in any other fashion. Serve these beets either as a side dish or as part of a salad drizzled with balsamic dressing. Delish!

Here’s what you need:

3 lbs of beets (I used candy candy and yellow) – peel them and diced them
2 tbs oil
2 tsp flaked salt
Freshly ground pepper

Roasted the beets in a 400 degree oven for approx 1 hour. Once cooked, devour. www.monicaskitchen.com

Atelier = Incredible!

Tags

Atelier restaurant, fine dining, gastronomy, ottawa restaurants

Atelier located in the heart of Little Italy in Ottawa is a gem. You get a 12 course tasting menu which will blow your mind! Book it today you will not be disappointed. It is an experience but it is not cheap. For 2 people without the wine pairing expect to pay over $300.00.

<a

How to make the perfect martini

Tags

cocktails, drinks, entertaining, martini, parties

I am new to the traditional martini. I would normally drink a Cosmo or wine or vodka sodas or beer… Hmmm there seems to be a trend here. 🙂

But I really wanted to try to enjoy a classic martini. They are super simple to make just make sure you use great ingredients. I can’t drink gin (we don’t get along) so I used vodka. Here is what you need.

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces good-quality gin or vodka (I use grey goose)
6/8 drops of dry vermouth
Ice Cubes
Olives (I used my favorite olives)
Lemon Twist

* 1 ounce = 2 tablespoons – 1 shot glass = 1 1/2 ounces.

Preparation

Chill martini glasses by placing in the freezer.

Pour gin or vodka into a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes. Either shake or stir until cold (your choice) at least 10 seconds.

Strain into a chilled martini cocktail glass that has 6 to 8 drops of vermouth in it. Serve straight up (no ice in the glass).

Garnish with either a couple of olives or a lemon twist. My preference is three large olives.

Makes 1 Classic Martini. Dinner is served! 🙂