I like to think that galettes are like lazy, messy, casual pies. You only sorta have to roll them out. You only sorta have to make them look pretty. But really, the messier the better. It’s about the easy.

I can’t really think of a meal of the day where easy is most welcomed than on a cold, hazy January morning.

Let’s have pie for breakfast. But let’s leave the fruit for the summer. It’s January. So, pie…with runny eggs, lots of cheese and salty bacon.

Too good!

Start it with a non-sweetened pie crust. Basic! Simple!

Roll it out. Spread on some ricotta. Sprinkle on some mozzarella!

Fold over the edges. You can try to make it look all cute. Or not. Who cares.

Brush on a little egg wash and stick it in the oven.

Take it out. (Do you like my step-by-step?) Add the bacon. Add the egg yolks. Back in the oven for a few more minutes, just until the egg yolks set, slightly.

When you take it out, it needs some salt, pepper and basil. Sprinkle on some red crushed pepper (I put it on everything!).

Serve it up with some coffee. Or some juice.

The buttery flakey crust is just too good with all the cheese.

And the salty bacon. Hi breakfast! And the runny eggs. Whoa!

Breakfast Galette

Print this recipe!

Crust:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed and cold
1/4 cup water, ice cold

Toppings:

3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded
2 slices bacon, cooked and cubed
3 large egg yolks
3 basil leaves
Salt and Pepper

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all-purpose flour and salt. Place flour and unsalted butter in freezer for 5 minutes to chill.

2. Combine flour mixture and butter. Mix until you’re left with what resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing until it just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough doesn’t hold together, add a little more water and mix again.

3. Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into a discs, being sure to not over-knead. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a floured surface, roll dough to a 10-inch circle with a 1/4-inch thickness. It’s okay if the edges are shaggy and it’s not a perfect circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Scoop ricotta onto the center of the dough, spreading out to make a large circle, stopping 1-inch from the edge of the dough. Sprinkle on grated mozzarella cheese. Fold edges of dough over the cheese. Transfer baking sheet to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

6. Whisk together yolk and water. Brush dough with the egg wash. Bake until crust is lightly golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Take galette out of the oven and gently place yolks atop cheese. Arrange bacon bits to your liking and place back in oven for 2-3 minutes, or until yolks set.

7. Garnish with basil and salt and pepper.

Pig candy is a real thing. Didyouknowthis?

I did not. Until last week when I had dinner at Lou’s, this wine bar in a random strip mall next to an even more random laundromat. In other news, I’ve been pronouncing the word “laudromat” like “laundry-mat…” up until, oh I dunno, like, yesterday.

Not sure if you knew this, but in Los Angeles things like kitchen floors that aren’t made from formica, a washer & dryer in your unit, and a parking space for your vehicle, are all considered luxuries. I have two out of the three and I feel lucky and rich.

Pig Candy. Let’s go back to that.

It’s really special. I’d even go as far as to say that it’s important.

Sure, I’ve brushed bacon with maple syrup…

I’ve even sprinkled a bit of brown sugar atop of it; but I’ve never added it all up and then thrown in cayenne for an explosion that’s so crazy and fun, that the only words I can find to describe it are crazy and fun.

It started with brown sugar and some cayenne. It shouldn’t be too spicy, just a kick. Take a note below on the cayenne amount. No bigs.

Throw it in the oven for 15 minutes or so. Take it out…

Brush on some maple syrup. Bake some more. Flip over the bacon slices, put more maple syrup on. Bake some more. And then refrigerate.

The bacon pieces will harden, and be all candy-like. They’ll be sweet with a small amount of kick. Put it on a couple scoops of ice cream. Serve it as a snack with some beer. Drink it with fancy wine. How ever you wanna enjoy it is cool.

Just remember this:

Bacon is important.

Pig Candy

Print this recipe!

10 slices of bacon (about 1 1/4 lb of thick-cut bacon)
*3/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cayenne.

*(Note: the cayenne I had was pretty dull. If yours is brand new, I’d recommend a 1/2 teaspoon vs. the 3/4 teaspoon I used. You want it to be a touch spicy; not straight fire, ya know?)

2. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment. (This will help with the clean-up.) Place a baking rack atop the lined baking sheet and lay bacon side-by-side.

3. Coat both sides of bacon with the brown sugar mixture, pressing it into the bacon to be sure it adheres.

4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Take bacon out of the oven and coat one side with maple syrup. Place it back in the oven and bake for 5-7 additional minutes. After the 5 minute mark, flip bacon over, coat with maple syrup and return to oven for the last 5-7 minutes.

5. Place in refrigerator to harden for an hour. Cut into pieces and eat atop some ice cream or by itself. Maybe with a glass of beer. That’s pretty good.

Hi Jalapeño. Hi Bacon. Hi Cheese.

It’s kind of crazy to think that all those glorious things can exist in one bite…but they do. They totally do.

If you want to see how this is done, jump over to the Tasty Kitchen blog where you’ll find: step-by-step pictures (by me), and a the recipe. This is all so you too can create these bites of awesomeness.

This week mini-life lessons were just flying all around me. Wanna hear ‘em?! Of course you.

1. If you go to the movies with a boy and he ends up eating ALL of your Sour Patch Kid–that you specifically wanted to buy yourself so you didn’t have to share–and you find yourself annoyed, he’s not the right dude for you. You should WANT to share your Sour Patch Kids, you know?!

2. I just watched Clueless for the bajillioninth time and just realized it came out in 1995…WHAT?! That’s SO long ago. How is it still so amazing?! How are the clothes still relevant?! How do I STILL know practically every line in that movie?!

3. I call my mom too much. The woman has been out of the country for a week and I’ve reached for my phone to text/call her, like, a million times. It makes me feel like an orphan. So now I just email incessantly. And I’ve tried to call my dad to talk…but he just presses ignore, I think.

4. Don’t get addicted to those San Pellegrino Aranciata orange soda things. I’ve bought two six-packs in the past two days and now I’m kinda poor. Don’t go poor because soda. That’s just silly. Everyone knows if you’re gonna go poor because of anything it should be because of shoes.

5. Sweet potatoes aren’t yams. But yams are sweet potatoes. WHAT?! Good gracious, USDA, do you understand how confusing you’re making me/the entire country?

C’est la whatevsies!! I say we give them a new name.

Sweet potato is kinda boring and obvi, no?

Clementine potato? Tangerine potato? Creamsicle potato? OMG! I have it:

Aranciata Potato.

It’s like if my San Pellegrino orange drink obsession and a sweet potato did it in the back of a car. And had a child. It would totally be a Aranciata Potato.

Now that we’ve settled on the future of sweet potatoes/yams, let’s talk this hash.

This magic starts with lardons. Basically lardons are slab bacon cut up into 1/4″ cubes. They’re kind of like bacon bits. But bigger. Kind of. Not really. Why is life so confusing!?

No but really, lardons are just slab bacon cut into thick bits. That’s all.

It’s starts with them getting crispy and well cooked.

I then cooked the sweet potato and onion and added a few spices. That cooked up in about 20 minutes. I added the red pepper and garlic and lardons back, poached a few eggs…and BOOM! delicious breakfast.

Pro tips:

If you wanna make it veggie, leave out the bacon.

If you wanna make it vegan, leave out the bacon AND egg.

If you dig spicy, add a dash of cayenne or hot sauce. I bet it’d be major.

Anyway you choose to spin it, it’s super easy and amazing.

And P.S. That whole Sour Patch kids didn’t happen to me. It happened to my best lady friend. I would never eat Sour Patch Kids. Those things create too much saliva and I start gleeking involuntarily. #disgusting

Sweet Potato and Lardon Hash

Print this recipe!

1/2 pound slab bacon, sliced into 1/4-inch sticks
Olive oil
1 sweet potato, cubed
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 eggs, poached

In a cast iron skillet (or any skillet), over medium-high heat, add the lardons and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Using a slotted spoon, remove the lardons and transfer to a paper towel to drain. Set aside.

Add a tablespoon of olive oil and when hot, add the sweet potato and yellow onion. Add the cumin, paprika, to the sweet potato mixture and mix. Stirring regularly, cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are cooked. Be sure to give the largest cubes of sweet potato a taste to make sure they’re thoroughly cooked.

Add the red bell pepper to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes. Next, mix in the minced garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant. Taste for salt and pepper and add what you think it necessary.

Place over low heat to keep warm while you poach the eggs. Add the lardons back to the hash and toss. Top with 3 poached eggs and serve.

Serves 2

Hiiii Abby!!!

This blog post is dedicated to Abby.

Abby emailed me a few weeks ago requesting a recipe that could be made in the microwave. You see…Abby is shacking it up in a dorm this year with only two kitchey-type tools at her disposal: a microwave and a mini-fridge. And since she wants to spend her money on more important things like booze, shoes textbooks, she wanted it to be budget friendly.

No biggie, Abby; I got you, gurrrrl!

Meet the Twice Baked Potatoes. They meet the criteria, for sure. They’re perfect for fallish, chilly weather; they take barely any effort/money; and they can be made in either a microwave OR oven. #thricebingo

I made ‘em two ways: decadent and amazing (bacon, cheddar, jalapenos, sour cream) and healthy and good (yogurt, chives, zucchini).

I’m not even gonna pretend the healthy way tastes better. It just doesn’t. BUT it is healthier …so there’s that.

You’re gonna start by forking the potatoes.

Now, pretend you’re in a video game. This is the part when you’re at a fork in the road. And your little animal/person has a choice: go left (microwave) or go right (oven).

If you’re going right (oven), then put them on a baking sheet, season them with salt, pepper and olive oil and bake.

If you’re going left (microwave), you’re going to place them on a microwave safe plate, season them with salt, pepper and olive oil and nuke.

(Directions for both are below!)

This is what potatoes look like when they come out of the oven/microwave.

Thrilling picture, isn’t it?

HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS, everyone….because it’s about to get all cheesy/yogurty/exciting up in this place.

Take a knife and slice off the top of the potato. Using a spoon, scoop out the potato guts and add them to a bowl. This is the healthy way.

Add the yogurt and mash. You want it to be smooth. If you need to, add a splash of milk/almond milk.

P.S. I bet you could just take ALL of these ingredients from your school cafeteria. I took cereal ALL the time. They didn’t miss it.

Add the chives. Add the cooked zucchini and mix. Place the mixture back into the potato shell.

If you’ve chosen the fun/cheesy/bacon-ey path in the video game you call life, do the same as above: slice off the top of the potato, scoop out the insides and then add bad/fun stuff. Like a dollop of butter, a splash of milk and mash, until smooth and creamy.

Add the cheese, jalapeno and mix. Add it all back to the potato shell and top with some more cheese and the chopped up bacon.

It should look like this:

Bake that. Microwave that. Whatever path you chose, follow through.

Because if you do…you’ll be met with this. And this, my friends/Abby, is what delicious is.

Twice Baked Potatoes, Two Ways

Print this recipe!

Healthy Way:

1 large russett potato, scrubbed clean
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons of greek yogurt
Splash of milk (optional)
1/2 tablespoon of chives, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped

Microwave Instructions:
Using a fork, puncture several holes all over the potato. This will ensure that it won’t explode as it cooks. Place the potato on a microwave-safe plate and rub with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Cook, on high, for 10 minutes.

While the potato is cooling, add the diced zucchini to a microwave-safe bowl, a teaspoon of olive oil and salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes.

When the potato is slightly cooled, using a knife, slice off the top, lengthwise and scoop out the potato guts into a small bowl. Add the yogurt and splash of milk and mash until nice and creamy. Fold in the chives and zucchini. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Note: I added a good amount of salt until I was satisfied.)

Add the mixture back to the potato skin and cook in the microwave for another 2 minutes.

Oven Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400F. Using a fork, puncture several holes all over the potato. This will ensure that it won’t explode as it cooks. Place the potato on a baking sheet and rub with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. You can tell when the potato is cooked if a fork easily enters.

While the potato is cooling, cook up the diced zucchini. In a small skillet add a tablespoon of olive oil, diced zucchini, salt and pepper. Should be done cooking in 3-4 minutes. Set aside.

When the potatoes are slightly cooled, using a knife, slice off the top, lengthwise and scoop out the potato guts and into a small bowl. Add the yogurt and splash of milk and mash until nice and creamy. Fold in the chives and zucchini. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Note: I added a good amount of salt until I was satisfied.)

Place in the oven for another 5-7 minutes.

Cheesy/Bacon-ey Way:

Print this recipe!

1 large russett potato, scrubbed clean
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 small dollop of butter
Splash of milk
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 handful of cheddar, grated and divided
1 strip of bacon, cooked and chopped
1 tablespoon jalapeno, diced

Microwave Instructions:
Using a fork, puncture several holes all over the potato. This will ensure that it won’t explode as it cooks. Place the potato on a microwave-safe plate and rub the potato with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Cook, on high, for 10 minutes, or until completely cooked.

While the potato is cooling, take a microwave-safe plate and cover with 2 paper towels. Add the bacon strip to the center and top with one more paper towel. Cook, on high, for 3-4 minutes.

When the potatoes are done and slightly cooled, using a knife, slice off the top, lengthwise and scoop out the potato guts and into a small bowl. Add the butter, milk and sour cream and mash until nice and creamy. Fold in the cheddar and jalapeno. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the mixture to the potato skin, top with a small handful of cheddar and chopped bacon. Place in the microwave for another 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Oven Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Using a fork, puncture several holes all over the potato. This will ensure that it won’t explode as it cooks. Place the potato on a baking sheet and rub with olive oil and top with salt and pepper. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour. You can tell when the potato is cooked if a fork easily enters.

While the potato is cooling, cook up the bacon in a small skillet, until crispy.

When the potatoes are slightly cooled, using a knife, slice off the top, lengthwise and scoop out the potato guts and into a small bowl. Add the butter, milk and sour cream and mash until nice and creamy. Fold in the cheddar and jalapeno. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the mixture to the potato skin, top with a small handful of cheddar and chopped bacon. Place in the oven for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Hi! I have biscuits this morning…with bacon…and some sort of glaze situation! Can we talk?

Since I’ve lured you with the smell of sizzling salty bacon, I’d like to share three incredibly significant boring things that happened to me yesterday:

1. Two five-year-old girls (separately) complimented my new leopard ankle boots. I think this might mean I’m a trendsetter. OR it just means that these little girls want shoes that look like their fav stuffed animal. Either way, I’ll take it.

2. I had TWO dinners. Yes, last night I sat down to a 7-course tasting menu to only then find out that was the appetizer. Hello!!! Amazing!! I’ll tell you all about it on Monday, but in case you’re even nosier than me, keep up with my Sonoma food and wine thrills on FB & Twitter.

P.S. If you’re lucky, I might post a pic of me voming on the scheduled helicopter ride. (Can we say….schmexy!!!)

3. I packed a few biscuits in my bag to the airport. And since I’m a loser and always try and get away with bringing stuff I shouldn’t (read: hair spray), I always have to show the security dude the guts of my suitcase. It always feels violating. Always.

Is he judging my folding techniques? Are my bras and underwearz gonna fall out onto the floor for the world to see? Terrible! Embarrassing! Also, kinda gross. Seriously. That floor’s disgusting.

Anywhatever…as he was rummaging through my things, he came across a Ziploc of two of these bacon biscuits that I packed for myself. He asked me about them, I explained, he freaked, I offered him one, he declined…something about terrorists. I dunno. Kinda sad that he can’t even accept a biscuit, right?! Geez.

Or maybe he just used that as an excuse. Probably because he didn’t want to admit that taking food from a stranger–and one who folds clothes like a 10-year-old boy–is a really bad idea. Whatever the case, he missed out.

These biscuits are flaky, salty (obvi), buttery and the maple glaze situation gives just the perfect amount of sweetness. Helllloooo breakfast!

I wish that security dude could’ve tried one; I bet if he did, he would’ve let me keep my can of Elnett. #ugh

In other news: I’m totally obsessed with painting my nails with gradient sparkily nail polish. I’m sure this isn’t a total shocker, but just wanted to let you know in case you were wondering.

Love you, per usual.

Adrianna

Maple Bacon Biscuits with Maple Glaze

Yields 8 biscuits

Print this recipe!

Biscuits
5-6 slices of bacon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks of very cold butter (or 6 ounces), cubed
1/2 cup cold and shaken buttermilk
1 large egg
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg, beaten with a tablespoon of milk or water (egg wash)

Maple Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Cook up the bacon! To cook bacon you have two options: fry or bake. I prefer the baking technique. To bake, preheat the oven to 400F, line a baking sheet with parchment. Next, place the bacon side-by-side and stick it in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy. Drain the bacon on paper towels to expel excess grease. Chop it up into about 1/2-inch pieces, let cool and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Working quickly, add the cubed butter and break it up with your hands until all of the butter is broken into bits and resembles small peas.

In a measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and egg. Add the buttermilk mixture, maple syrup and chopped bacon to the flour mixture. Mix until barely combined. Lightly dust your kitchen counter with flour and dump the dough onto it. Knead a few times (maybe 4 or 5) until the dough comes together. Press or gently roll the dough into a 1-inch thickness. Cut out biscuits using a 2-inch cutter and place on lined baking sheet. Re-roll dough scraps to get a few more biscuits. Brush the tops of the biscuits with egg wash and bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, or until tall and golden brown.

For the maple glaze, add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and mix until completely combined. Serve biscuits warm with glaze poured atop.

Sometimes I do things I’m not so proud of. This is true.

Like…putting ice cubes in white wine. I’m impatient. I dunno…in the privacy in my own house I like “mom” wine. Gross.

I sometimes buy three bags of groceries and then decide I don’t want to cook and go out to eat instead. Total brat.

I’m also known to back out of Saturday night plans…because sometimes sitting on the couch internet stalking–for some reason–sounds like WAY more fun. Lame. Totally lame.

I’m really bad at returning library books. I found two under my bed. I’m guessing I now owe LA County Library like thousands of dollars for two $10 books from the 70s. I’m also pretty convinced that those fees are going to end up at the DMV. LA doesn’t play.

Sometimes though…sometimes I do really good things.

Like look at my friends dead in their eyes and tell them that I love them. This makes them super awkward and squirm in their seat. And then they usually just tell me to shut up.

I really dig telling strangers “bless you” when they sneeze. They’re always pleasantly surprised.

Whenever a boy, who I don’t know, opens the door for me, I look at them in their face and smile extra hard. And not in a I-like-you-let-me-make-you-eggs-and-bacon kind of way, but in a thank-you-for-being-a-damn-gentlemen way…now let’s get married!! JK.

No, no. I just like saying thank you the proper way, that’s all.

If I’m feeling particularly rich, I’ll put $2 (instead of $1) in my barista’s tip jar. They totally deserve more. Maybe more money and a hug? I’m a handful without coffee.

I can also turn a sandwich into a pizza. I think this qualifies as one of the good things I did recently.

Do you bake your bacon? (That sounds like a personal question, doesn’t it?)

But seriously it’s the only way to go. It’s easy, no mess. In the oven for 15-20 minutes. No bacon grease splattering all over the place–just perfect bacon every time.

I used Peter Reinhart’s pizza dough recipe again. It’s so SO good. It has a slow rise in the fridge.

General rule of thumb: the slower the rise, the more time flavors have to develop.

That’s why this slow rise in the fridge yields such delicious results. If you don’t have the time, I suggest just letting it rise for a few hours in a warm place in your kitchen. It’ll totally be better than most pizza doughs. Trust.

You’ll know when it’s ready to be baked up when it makes that adorable belly-button situation when you stick your finger in the center. If it bounces back, it’s not ready. If it keeps its shape, it’s ready.

Dough knowledge. No biggie.

My brain wanted to really turn this sandwich into a pizza. So I wanted to work the mayonnaise situation into this pizza, too. Since having a base of mayo would be just gross (wait, would it?), I swapped that out with a goat cheese alfredo sauce. Hello! Yum!!

There’s a little roux action, half & half (because we all have that in the fridge) and the goat cheese. Delicious. Rich.

When your pizza dough is all good, stretch it out into an oval or circle or a rectangle. Or the shape of dinosaur. I wanna eat a pizza the shape of a T-Rex.

So whatever shape you’re into is cool.

Spread around the alfredo sauce and stick it in the oven. We’re gonna par-bake this thang for 10 minutes or so.

Since tomatoes release so much water we only want to bake them for a little bit. We want them a little warm. And soft. If we bake them for the full 20 minutes, our pizza will be totally watery. Not cute. Totally not cute.

So 10 minutes in, I opened up the oven and put on the tomato slices, mozzarella and bacon. Baked it for 7-8 more minutes and tadaaaaaa….

That doesn’t look nearly as cute as it should. Let’s rev up the cuteness.

Time for the “L” part (in the BLT)…a.k.a. thinly sliced basil.

Crack some pepper all over it and sprinkle on some salt. Yum.

Sandwich in pizza form. Dooooo it!

Heirloom BLT Pizza

Print this recipe!

1 12-ounce pizza dough (I used this recipe, halved!)

Goat Cheese Alfredo sauce:
1 tablespoon of butter
4 teaspoons of flour
3/4 cup of half and half
1 oz. goat cheese
3/4 teaspoon of salt

Heirloom BLT Pizza:
2-3 heirloom tomatoes
3-4 slices of bacon, cooked
4 ounces of mozzarella (not water packed)
3-4 leaves of basil, thinly sliced

1. Prepare the pizza dough.
2. Pre-heat oven to 450F.
3. In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour in the half and half and stir until it comes to a boil. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minutes, or until thickened. Take it off the heat and mix in the goat cheese and salt. Set aside.
4. Stretch (or roll) dough into circular shape. Add a thin layer of goat cheese sauce on its surface and bake for 10 minutes.
5. While that’s baking slice up your tomatoes, bacon and mozzarella. And get ready. It’s almost game time.
6. At the 10 minute mark, open the oven and carefully (it’s hot!) arrange the tomatoes, bacon and mozzarella on the dough.
7. Bake for another 7-8 more minutes, or until dough is golden brown and cheese is melted.
8. Remove and top with thinly sliced basil and salt and pepper.
9. And then EAT. That step is obvious.

Summer’s totally in full effect. I haven’t watched TV in days, my nails are bright pink, I can’t leave the house without sunglasses, and all I want to do is sit outside while drinking pink wine and eating pizza.

And iced coffee. I’m eating that like crazy, too.

I’ve been playing with a lot of pizza topping combinations and I’m really digging the whole sweet fruit thing with cheese and some sort of salty meat. It’s a winner of a combo; made only better with a drizzle of this balsamic/honey reduction thing I made. Sounds fancy (meh)…nah! Totally easy.

I was going to use blackberries instead of the figs, but when I saw them perched, looking all cute in their pretty little basket, blackberries didn’t have a chance.
I’ve also been on this undeclared mission to find a whole wheat pizza crust that can compete with this current favorite of mine. Well…this thing below totally struck out–it almost makes me mad looking at the picture. Yes, it’s true, pizza dough has the ability to make me angry.

I’m posting a picture as evidence that I had the best intentions with it, but it was bland and way too fluffy, if that makes sese. Don’t worry. I’m determined. I totally have my I’m-gonna-figure-this-out face on. It’s scary.
Despite this super lame pizza dough, this pizza is kind of flawless. It’s a mouth full of summer flavors going on that can only be made better by an accompanied glass of ice cold pink wine.

And maybe some sort of icebox cake. I like things icey. So icey.
Fig Bacon and Goat Cheese Pizza

Print this recipe!

3-4 slices of bacon, cubed
12 ounces of store-bought (or homemade dough)
4 ounces goat cheese, softened
4-5 black figs, quartered
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 handful of arugula

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and heat up stone for 30 minutes.

In a medium fry pan–over medium heat fry bacon until crispy.

Gently pull pizza dough apart into a non-perfect circle. Place on a piece of parchment. Smear on a thick layer of goat cheese on the pizza dough’s entire surface. Top with figs and bacon. Place on the stone (with parchment) in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

While pizza is cooking, add balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan. Cook to reduce for 3-5 minutes, or until thick and syrupy. Remove pizza from oven and top with a handful of arugula and balsamic/honey reduction sauce.

Hi Shrimp & Grits, you look kinda cute today–with your gigantic shrimp, runny egg, creamy, goat-cheesy grits…ugh. You’re so cute I kinda wanna punch you.

I’d never had Shrimp & Grits with an egg involved until a few nights ago. Good heavens. Just when you thought the dish couldn’t get more awesome, a restaurant (in NY) throws a runny fried egg in the mix and turns my world upside down.

I wanna say it was the most memorable thing about my trip to NY. There was also the amazing view from The Boom Boom Room at the top of the Standard Hotel; the incredible arepas from Caracas (had one for lunch and then one for dinner); the PB&J and pickle tea sandwiches from Fatty Crab; and the salted caramel cupcake from Butter Lane. P.S. There’s a chance I might’ve gained a pound or two. Whatevs.

But for reals, the best thing from NY was seeing some of my best friends from college–some of whom I hadn’t seen in years. They looked a little older, sounded more mature, but after five minutes we were back to how we used to be.  Don’t you love it when that happens?

The first thing I did when I got to parent’s home in Fort Lauderdale, was make this dish. And watch lots of TV. There’s something about being home that makes it okay to be super lazy, right?

Let’s talk about this recipe! It’s pretty basic. Not to much too talk about, I guess.

Bye!

Juuuust kidding.

I halved this recipe since it was just for me and my momma. The original recipe is for four, so below it’s for four. Just so ya know!

There’s grits, which I spiked with some goat cheese to give it a little tang and creaminess.

Some bacon. And shrimp, of course.

And a fried egg.

It’s kind of a breeze; and honestly, it’d be delicious for breakfast or for dinner or for lunch…or for all three in the same day. It’s a free country!

Shrimp & Grits

Recipe slightly adapted from Bobby Flay

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4 cups water

Salt and pepper

1 cup stone-ground grits

3 tablespoons butter

3 oz. of goat cheese

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

6 slices bacon, chopped

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped parsley (I skipped this because I forgot to buy it at the store.)

1 cup thinly sliced scallions

1 large clove garlic, minced (I skipped this too.)

1 egg

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add grits and cook until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and cheese.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned; drain well. In grease, add shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, scallions and garlic. Saute for 3 minutes. In a separate pan, fry up egg over easy.

Spoon grits into a serving bowl. Add shrimp mixture and top with fried egg. Serve immediately.

Making these scones forced me to make five pieces of bacon. And just when I was about to take a picture of said five pieces of bacon, I tripped over my own weirdly small feet and dropped them.

It felt like that cliché moment when a little girl drops her ice cream cone.

It was just plain sad.

And since I’ll use any excuse I can get, I think this is a valid reason for me to get a dog soon because then it wouldn’t have gone to waste. That’d make grandma proud. She doesn’t like food to go to waste.  Grandmas put half drunk glasses of milk in the fridge for later.

Anywayz, these scones are sort of genius–they are full of cheesy and bacon goodness. I got a taste of this bacon breakfast geniusness on my way to the Rose Bowl Flea Market a few Sundays ago.  If you live anywhere near LA, I highly recommend. Lots of old cool stuff, and I saw Santino (from Project Runway. remember him?!) and Heidi Klum with a TV camera. Weird. Only in LA.

I digress…on my way, I stopped at Intelligentsia and saw some scones. At first I thought they were cranberry scones and was mildly excited, but then kinda giddy when I I found out that the little red specks were in fact bacon…a.k.a. salty gold.

I quickly ordered one and then paid $12!!!! for my latte and scone. Yes, $12. Weird. Ridiculous. Only in LA.

p.s. It’s still one of my favorite coffee shops. I’m crazy like that. Some people spend their money on other weird stuff, I do good coffee.

Let’s talk texture…tenderness…and scone love!

I had an almost expired carton of buttermilk in the fridge, so I searched for a recipe that utilized it instead of heavy cream.  I used Joy’s and it seriously is the best scone–bacon and gruyere aside–I’ve ever eaten.  It’s almost on the same line as a biscuit, which is a very good thing. I’m never going back to scones that use heavy cream ever again.

This recipe was a breeze, but I do have one tip that I think helps:

If you have to step away mid-way through making the recipe. Like, your phone rings, you have to take blog pictures, or you have Twitter to check–whatever the case may be, just put the scone/butter mixture in the fridge or freezer and then take it out when you’re to continue.

That is all.

Bacon and Gruyére Scones

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Recipe for buttermilk scone from Joy the Baker

Idea of genius Bacon and Gruyére Scone from Intelligentsia (or whoever makes their pastries)

5 pieces of bacon, diced

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold buttermilk

1/2 cup of Gruyére, grated

In a cast iron or medium skillet, cook diced bacon over medium-high heat, until brown. Transfer to a paper towel to drain and let cool.  NOTE: Do not add hot bacon to the scone mixture. This will melt the butter. Muy importante.

Place rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.  I use my fingers to rub the butter and dry ingredients together.    In another bowl, combine egg yolk and buttermilk and beat lightly with a fork.  Add to flour mixture all at once, stirring enough to make a soft dough.  Fold in bacon and cheese.

Turn out onto a floured board and knead a few times and form into a ball.  Roll out dough, using a rolling pin, into a 1-inch thick square.  Cut into 4 large or 6 small  squares.   Place on prepared baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. These are best when serve immediately with butter and jam.