Sausage and Goat Cheese Pizza, with Balsamic Onions and Fresh Figs

Right now, I am back visiting my family in Ohio.  As I am writing this, it's nighttime so it is quiet, but I can still hear crickets chirping outside and other night critters making their evening noises.  Back where I live in San Diego, there isn't enough grass or trees or forests to even house these insects, so I miss out on their soothing chorus.  Here, the cool air is floating in through the window, and there are no fast cars or loud freeways or other disturbances.  The calm is wonderful.

When the sun comes up tomorrow morning, the light will touch each blade of green grass, each leaf on every tree, and the noise from the nighttime crickets might be replaced with morning bird songs or buzzing cicadas.  But fall is here and rain is always a possibility (unlike San Diego, there is actually weather here in Ohio), so the cool breeze might linger, and if I am lucky, we might even get a thunderstorm.  If we do, I am sure my mom and I will sit on the porch and listen to the rain pouring down while the wet air mists around us.  These are some of the best feelings of home. 

Sliced black mission figs.

I am sure it comes as no surprise when I say that one of my favorite things to do when I am at home is to cook for my family.  My dad is a budding chef himself, so he always likes to get in on the action, and we usually have grand plans.  This time, I went to the Westside Market with some friends, and picked up all the fixings for a fantastic fall-inspired pizza.  I found black mission figs, earthy sage leaves, local meats, and I got a great deal on a log of fresh chevre. 

Cut the goat cheese into medallions easily using a thin piece of thread or wire.

Guest Post: A Smarter Way to Make Brioche

Hey there!  I know by now you probably think I have fallen off the face of the earth, but the reality is that I have disappeared into the black whole known as "My Dissertation."  You think I'm kidding, but it's true.  I finally scheduled my Ph.D. defense for early September, so I am basically working day and night to get everything finished.  Right now, time is not something that I have, and my life has become completely consumed by science.  A sad story, I know.  But instead of cueing the world smallest violin playing the world's saddest song, I decided to bring in some friends to help me pick up the slack so that I can still bring you great recipes and beautiful food.  

Starting today through the middle of September, I will be featuring some guest posts from talented bloggers and wonderful friends.  I am thrilled that the first guest post today is from my good friend Marie, of Meandering Eats, a fellow San Diegian (and scientist!) whom I first met this year when we both attended a photography workshop by Todd and Diane of WORC.  We instantly hit it off, talking non-stop on the drive to and from LA, and we have been happily chatting ever since.  

I am really excited that Marie decided to share a recipe for brioche with you today, partially because I have never made brioche myself so I have something to learn too, but mostly because she brought me a loaf to try.  And it was amazing. Honestly, if it is possible to have bread-envy, I have it right now. Marie's brioche was so much better than any bread I have ever baked.  I told her she could bake four more loaves... and give them all to me. (Who says I have to share?)  But what I really love about this recipe is that Marie shares a smarter way to make brioche, by breaking down the recipe into easy steps that can be completed before and after a normal workday.  So you thought you needed to devote a whole weekend to making bread?  Think again.  And so, without further ado, I will leave you in the very capable hands of expert-bread maker Marie! 

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When Amanda asked me to guest post, I jumped at the opportunity, but little did I know I’d face a case of “photographer’s block”. No matter how I photographed this brioche, it didn’t come out quite as I hoped.


Great. It was like being asked to play in the New York Philharmonic and all I could manage was a kazoo.


At the 11th hour, I finally took the images I felt would showcase this lovely brioche recipe and its incredible flexibility. That’s largely thanks to the fact that you can mold the rise times to your schedule. With a busy workweek, I was able to keep the bread rising at home, come home and bake it, then photograph.
Brioche is fantastic at any time, but it’s especially good for breakfast. Pair it with Amanda’s Summer Strawberry Preserves or splurge on a high-end brand of butter. When it begins to stale, use it for French toast. The recipe’s from Baking With Julia, one of my favorite cookbooks by Julia Child and Dorie Greenspan based on the show by the same name. There were many bakers contributing recipes to the book and this one is from Nancy Silverton of the famed La Brea Bakery and Pizzeria Mozza.

The original recipe called for a 30-45 minute rise for the sponge, a 2-hour first rise for the dough, an overnight (at least 4-6 hours) second rise after the dough was deflated from the first rise, and a final two hour rise after the nanterre (the bumpy loaf shape) was formed. And as much as I love baking bread, it can be hard to manage the timing of all of these rises. I found that the dough worked really well if, after the overnight rise, the nanterre was shaped and the loaf pan refrigerated for the day.


My game plan:


Evening: Make dough, first rise, place in the fridge overnight (needs about 3 1/2 hours, with 30 minutes of that active preparation).


Next morning: Divide dough into segments, place in loaf pan, refrigerate, go to work.


Following evening: Come home from work, take dough out, give it a final rise, and bake.


With this plan, the brioche can be made as a side for dinner or saved for breakfast the following morning.

Spiced Pear and Cranberry Pocket Pies

When I was little, I remember eagerly waiting for my dad to come home from grocery shopping.  He would unload all the big bags full of fruits, vegetables, and canned goods, and I would always be peeking to spy the inevitable sweet treat that he had snuck in with the rest of the healthy groceries.  We didn't eat many 'gourmet' foods back then (this was in the pre-foodie era), so the sugary surprise might have been some Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies, or maybe some Swiss Rolls, and I can remember eating Entenmann's Raspberry Danishes on dozens of occasions.  I would usually gobble up a slice of Entenmann's danish after school, but those plastic-wrapped Little Debbie treats usually made their way into my lunch bag since they were perfectly portable.

And speaking of wrapped, lunchbox treats, I can't forget about all the Hostess Fruit Pies that I used to eat!  My memory of whether or not we had fruit pies at home is slightly foggy, but I do know that I could get them with my lunch if I ordered from the school cafeteria.  I remember I could never quite decide which flavor to get, but I could be sure that the filling would be super sweet, oozing, and not at all 'made with real fruit.'  The pie 'crust' was waxy, chewy, and also laden with sugar.  As a kid, this was exactly the way I wanted it.  

Nowadays, I prefer more adult-type treats, but that doesn't mean I need to completely shake off my childhood addiction to snack cakes.  For grown-ups and kids alike, a dessert that will give you the tasty goodness of a slice of pie in a compact hand-held form is delicious and just plain fun.  Plus, there is the added aspect that it is yours, and only yours; it is your own personal pocket pie and you don't have to share it with anyone.