New Year's Eve Pizza

For years now our family has had a New Year’s tradition of congregating at Thierry and Julie’s, our brother and sister in law in Montpellier, Vermont, for a few days of skiing, reunion, skiing, snowballing, skiing, sledding, skiing singing, and lots and lots of cooking. Home of the New England Culinary Institute, there was plenty of good cooking vibes in the air, which we flavored with smoke from the pizza oven Thierry built in his driveway.

On New Year’s Eve, Chef Peter – now crafting specialty flavors for an ice cream concern in the area – would be responsible for pounds and pounds of dough, while I worked with numerous brothers in law to dress the pizza rounds Peter would toss us. With dozens of toppings we created untold new varieties of pizza each year. We prepared the pizzas in the garage with both doors opened (no matter the temperature!) on a ping-pong table – the only surface big enough for the job. We’d then transfer the prepped doughs to Thierry’s pizza peel for delivery to the oven outside. There he would cook them, holding court in the driveway as friends and neighbors poured in to enjoy fresh hot cooked pizza on blistering cold Vermont first nights. On our best night we cooked over 60 pizzas!

All year long this inspired me to cook pizza, and Friday nights became pizza night for many, many years in our family. We first used a bread making machine to prep the dough, but then found that a great dough can be made by hand or with a Kitchen Aid mixer very, very quickly.


There is no end to the variety of pizzas you can come up with, with or without red sauce, and we even invented interesting desert pizzas. Here’s a start with a simple dough recipe, that I often spice up with a tablespoon or so of dried diced onion, or minced garlic or a teaspoon of dried herbes du Povence – or all of the above! The only advice I’ll give is to keep the amount of sauce under control, cook at high heat (at least 450F) and either use a pizza stone (I usually don’t) or a pizza pan with large holes throughout the bottom – this is my favorite for a nice browned crust.

Pizza Dough
4 cups bread flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp breadmaker granulated active dry yeast
1½ cup very warm water (about 105F)
1 Tbsp olive oil

In a mixer fitted with a dough hook and set on medium, mix together the first four ingredients (and any herbs you night wish to add). Add the water and then the olive oil. Allow the dough to form a ball that has taken up all the flour. At that point, knead on medium-slow speed for 5 minutes. Place 1-tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Form dough into a ball and turn into the bowl. Roll dough ball around to assure all surfaces are coated and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit about 2 hours in the kitchen. I don’t find that a ‘warm, dry’ spot is necessarily needed. I have never had a problem simply placing the bowl on the counter top and walking away – and we live in New England! Makes enough dough for two 14-inch large pizzas.

Comfort Stews to Warm the Holiday

Christmas holidays are a time for comfort food and beef stew fits that bill – especially after a long winter walk or on returning from a day of skiing. A slow-cooker simmering after a hard day’s work or play can be a welcome friend as the door swings opened and the fragrance sweeps over tired bones. But sometimes stews are better done in a Dutch Oven, or as the French call a Daube, under a watchful eye. Here are stews appropriate for both a Daube and slow cooker. Choose your tool and warm your soul.

Beef Stew with Barley, Sage, Rosemary and Wine
2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1½ inch pieces
2 onions, sliced
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
6 fresh sage leaves
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary
1 can diced tomatoes
¼ cup pearl barley
1½ cup red wine
1½ cup white wine
2 small cans mushrooms

In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, sear the beef over medium-high heat in a bit of canola oil. Cook beef in at least 2 batches, browning well. Set meat aside.

In same Dutch oven sauté onions until onions are softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and rosemary for the last minute. Set onions aside with the beef. Then in the same Dutch oven brown the carrots for about 5 minutes, until just beginning to caramelize. Set carrots aside on their own. Return the beef and onions to the Dutch oven along with the remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Braise for 1½ to 2 hours covered. Add the carrots and cook another half hour.

Crock-Pot alternative: for those of us who want great meals but sometimes can’t be around to watch them simmer, a crock pot is a fantastic alternative to a Dutch oven. Carry on as for the Dutch oven, but after browning everything, return the beef, onions and carrots and all the remaining ingredients to the Crock-Pot. Cook covered on low for 6 to 8 hours. The only difference with the Crock-Pot is that the carrots will be slightly softer – just make sure they are not cut too small. The worst mistake you can make with a Crock-Pot is not to brown the meat and vegetables beforehand – browning caramelizes and brings out a depth of flavor which braising on its own simply cannot.

Gingered Beef and Ale Stew with Apple, Sweet Potato and Peppers
I would advise against an unattended Crock-Pot for this recipe as the peppers and the sweet potato are too delicate for very long (6-8 hour) cooking. If you will be around, then you could cook the meat and onions in a Crock-Pot for 2 to 3 hours, then add the potatoes and peppers and cook another hour or two.

2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1½ inch pieces
2 onions, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 bottle beer – your favorite
1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into course 1½-inch chunks
1 red pepper, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 yellow pepper, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 green pepper, cut into 1½-inch pieces

In a Dutch oven or large heavy pot, sear the beef over medium-high heat in a bit of canola oil. Cook beef in at least 2 batches, browning well. Set meat aside.

In same Dutch oven sauté onions until onions are softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and rosemary for the last two minutes. Set the onions aside with the beef. In the same Dutch Oven, sauté the onions in a bit of olive oil over medium for about 4 to 5 minutes, until just beginning to brown. Set the peppers aside on their own. Return the beef and all accumulated juices back to the Dutch oven and add the beer and the apple. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Braise for 1½ to 2 hours covered. Stir the potatoes and the peppers into the stew and cook another half hour.

Two Roasted Chickens, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

One of my favorite chefs Nigel Slater, says that anyone who can brew coffee can roast a chicken. I agree with him that there is no excuse for not feeding yourself well if you want to. If you don’t that’s another story, but lack of experience is no excuse. Roasting a chicken is easy and ever so rewarding with its aroma pervading the household. Roasted chicken is the ultimate comfort food and goes on giving – especially if you use the leftovers, bones and juices to make soup.

Growing up in a French household we continued the French tradition of the Reveillon every Christmas Eve. We would return from midnight mass in a sleepy trance-like state, subdues by beautiful Christmas music and soft candle light. Our mother would have roasted 2 chickens earlier Christmas Eve, and let them cool for us to eat upon our return from service. After a light midnight snack of cold roasted chicken and Champagne, all six sleepy kids were whisked off to bed while my parents tended to Christmas present duties.

Herb Roasted Chicken
You can use whatever herbs you like – I dry mine from the garden and use them all winter. The important aspect of this recipe is the butter smear, which melts into the roasting vegetables below the chicken. These vegetables brown to produce the most rich, satisfying sauce (or jus) you have ever tasted. For this hungry family I always roast 2 chickens now - and have plenty of leftovers for soups and casseroles.

½ stick butter, room temperature
3 dried sage leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried mint

1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 roasting chicken, cleaned and patted dry
1 lemon, quartered
1 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 400F. Combine butter and herbs in a small food processor and blend well. Scatter vegetables evenly across an oiled roasting pan. Place chicken on a rack and put on top of vegetables. Make sure paper sack with neck and gizzards is removed from body cavity, and then make sure chicken is really dry. Smear butter evenly all over chicken then sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Stuff lemon inside chicken.

Roast chicken uncovered for half an hour. Pour wine into roasting pan, cover chicken, and reduce heat to 350. Continue roasting until chicken juices run clear when meat is pierced with a sharp object – when the meat reaches about 165F. Baste chicken from time to time with pan juices. If too much has evaporated to baste, add a little water to pan.

When cooked, let chicken rest for at least 15 minutes covered in roasting pan on the counter. Remove chicken from pan, allowing all juices to drip into pan. Carve and return any more accumulated juices back into roasting pan.

Meanwhile for sauce, heat roasting pan on the stove, stirring up all the fine brown bits and roasted vegetables. Adjust liquid to taste – adding a bit of water, if sauce is too strong. Strain sauce and separate fat (I use a spouted fat separator – very convenient). Serve defatted sauce alongside roasted chicken.