Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Sixty Three (On Ushering in A New Season and Flavors)

I missed the entire month of June! My intentions were there, but I simply did not have a speck of time to express myself in this semi-public forum. And, then, there are the emotions. The ones that made it too painful to write. The ones that force me to face the realities of love, life, and loss. The lingering void of knowing my beautiful niece no longer graces this earth; the non-linear episodes of time experienced by my 86 year old mom; the constant pull between self and non-self. The impenetrable feeling that there is so much more to do, but never never enough time or resources.

And, then I am thankful, just for the times when I can cook, create memorable flavors, and feed my family. And, the tastes bring life into the present. And, everyone who takes a bite experiences it - the love, life, and satisfaction - even if only for a moment.

Here is pizza that welcomes in summer - It's made with my awesome Spelt Right Pizza Dough, extra virgin olive oil, onions, sauteed summer squash, sauteed mushrooms, crushed garlic, and fresh mozzarella from Little Italy - Arthur Avenue in the Bronx.

Make sure the dough is fully risen (in bag) before use. Gently work to a pizza shape on a well oiled stainless steel baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes on 450, then top with all the toppings, and put back in the oven for another 10-20 minutes.

Enjoy, reflect, savor the memories of those gone by, and enjoy the moments with those here and now.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Fifty-Eight (Test Question: To Diet or Not To Diet?)

Oye! Dieting. I haven't dieted in years. And here I am dieting. Little Ms. Thin has gained weight. Could it be the dreaded middle-age or too much imbibing or too many treats or perhaps, just not enough exercise? Or maybe, as they say in multiple choice tests, "All of the above." Despite my multiple choice test status, I still manage to make the family some pretty tasty meals that for now are in my category of eats as "None of the above."

Tonight's dinner choices?

a) Spelt Right Right Pizza made with Spelt Right dough on a perforated pan and topped with EVOO, blended with fresh garlic mashed with salt (with a mortar and pestle), topped with sauteed onions, steamed broccoli, fresh hand made mozzarella, and fresh sliced tomatoes. Soo good, but soo not the right choice for this dieting mom.

b) The side adornment is green salad with EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

c) None of the above

d) All of the above

Guess, I could modify my test answer to selecting, "b" rather than "c" and still pass the diet test. Let's see how long this lasts.

As for the directions, pre-heat oven to 450F, oil pan, gently stretch dough on pan, bake dough for about 5-7 minutes, remove dough from oven and top with all of the toppings. Bake at 450 for 15-20. Serve to your family and shut your eyes as they take their first luscious bite, and block your ears as they quietly say "yumm!"

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Fifty-Seven (Pizza Rustica)

I recently made a few recipes that clearly were not my typical fare. They were ladened with fat and all sorts of unthinkables – full cream homemade ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and parmesan reggianno. One recipe, Pizza Rustica not only had the cheeses, but Italian sausages of all varieties. The other recipe, eggplant rolotini, was made with fried eggplant stuffed with the cheese mixture. Each is the subject of separate sinful post.

Neither recipe is something that I would make or eat often for fear that my back-side might start to expand beyond recognition, but these meals were good and worth making at least once.

Pizza Rustica, a traditional Italian Easter dish, was recommended to me by Mike at Teitel’s (of Arthur Ave in the Bronx fame). Mike was way too busy on Saturday to write down a recipe, but he grabbed all the necessary ingredients and tossed them on the counter for me: fresh strained ricotta, fresh mozzarella, parmesan reggiano and a pound or so of a variety of meat ends (various sausages the likes of which I am unfamiliar and fearful to know the ingredients) and said to me slightly miffed “Pizza Rustica, you haven’t heard of it?” “Look it up on the internet; you’ll find a recipe!”

So, that’s what we did. Tim did a quick search and came up with a recipe that I modified to suit the ingredients that I had purchased.

Ingredients

1.5 lbs of mixed Italian meats (go to your l0ocal Italian grocery and ask your personal “Mike” for a mix of the meat ends)

1 lb- ricotta cheese- (get the fresh strained variety and strain again so that the mix won’t come out too wet)

12 ounces-fresh mozzarella cheese- (medium diced)

5-6 eggs- room temperature

1 tablespoon-Italian flat leaf parsley- chopped fine

1/4 cup-fresh Parmesan cheese ( freshly grated)

1/2 teaspoon- salt

15-20 turns- ground black pepper.

· Cut the meats into small pieces, place in frying pan and brown lightly. Set aside and cool.

· In a large bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, salt and pepper; add eggs one at a time, beating with a wooden spoon after each addition.

· Add cooked meats, chopped parsley and grated cheese to ricotta mixture. Blend well.

Make it easy on yourself (and add the only bit of nutritional value to this recipe) and use ONE Spelt Right Pizza Dough – fully thawed and risen.

Cut the dough in two – making one piece slightly larger than the other.

Lightly coat a pie dish (I used a stoneware pie dish) with olive oil. Stretch the larger piece of dough and form to the bottom of the dish all the way to the edges.

Line the pastry crust with a nice single layer of the sliced meat, all around including the edges. Bake at 400 for about 5-10 minutes. Take out of oven.

Take the crust out of the oven and fill the dough lined pan with the ricotta and diced meat mixture.

After filling the dough lined pan, stretch second piece of dough and place over the filling, pressing the edges closed. Be careful not to tear the dough. The top must be sealed.

Pierce dough with a fork several times.

Bake in oven preheated to 375°F, 45 minutes to an hour. We took ours out too soon and cut a piece. It became liquidy, so we drained some of the liquid and popped it back in the oven. .

Pizza Rustica, can be served warm or cold. It is actually pretty tasty and certainly pleased the folks at work who hail from a range of ethnic backgrounds, Italian, Polish, Lebanese, Puerto Rican, and Taiwanese.

Regardless of the great taste and broad appeal, this meal should be followed by a full hour of exercise of your choice.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Fifty-Six (On the Need for a Clean-Up Crew and Roasted Rosemary Chicken)

So, on this most recent Sunday, I did one of my all out baking bashes. The big difference, however, was that my husband was not home. He was traveling back from Maine with the kids. I foolishly thought to myself “What an opportunity! Cooking without distraction.” Indeed, I was without distraction, but I was also without my most faithful clean-up crew of one, my husband, Tim.

I expected the brood to be home 2 hours later than they arrived, but with a combination of no traffic and free sailing on their trek south, they traveled from Maine to NYC in a record 4.5 hours. When I heard the knock on the door, I was convinced it was a neighbor seeking spelt bread. But, no!! It was the family ready to be nourished after a long, but not long-enough trip.

“Yikes!” I said, “DO NOT go in the kitchen. It is a disaster!” My creations for the evening included meatballs, homemade sauce, farro pasta, Spelt Right Pizza Dough stuffed with the meatballs, and chicken stew. Definitely too much even for this mult-tasker.

I managed to trip over the table and chairs (which I moved for a food photo op) and meander around the pots, pans and half opened ingredients in order to throw together plates of homemade madness for the kids.

I was so exhausted from the making of the meals that I could barely partake in the eating of it. “Jees,” I said to Tim, with my feet up on the couch, “I don’t usually make such a mess!”

He gently corrected me. “Umm, maybe you do, but I’m usually right behind you cleaning up.”

By George! Tim is right! And, despite being exhausted from his trip from Maine (and his 2 hour round-trip within Maine to bring Emma back to college), Tim rolled up his sleeves and went to work unwinding the disaster I had created. There are many reasons to love this man and this is one of them.

Bon Appetit. Here is the recipe for chicken stew, one of the recipes of the night. Recommendation: do not attempt this without your clean-up crew.

Roasted Chicken

One Chicken Cut-Up

2 Potatoes cut in chunks (or in 1/4 longs)

2-3 Carrots cut in 3” pieces

1-2 Celery Stalks cut in 3” pieces

1 onion – cut in 1/6 wedges

Lemon juice (juice of 1-2 lemons)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup of liquid (chicken stock or red or white wine)

3 gloves of garlic chopped finely and blended with sea salt

1/4 bunch fresh Italian parsley

rosemary, salt and pepper to taste

Place all solid ingredients in roasting pan. Cover with EVOO, hand rub seasonings. Add garlic. Add liquid (I had only red wine in the house and it worked fine, though I would have preferred a chicken stock or white wine).

Cover pan, and bake at 425 for 30 min – 1 hour until chicken is done and vegetables are soft.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Fifty-One (On Simple Things in Life and Turkey and Cheese in a Pocket)

OK, it's true. The more I try to simplify my life, the more I fill in the holes with more to do. It's just who I am. Things don't change that easily. And. one thing that hasn't changed and likely never will is my obsession with feeding my family and friends and colleagues and neighbors well (and looking for simple solutions for busy lives). Look out neighborhood! I might show up with basket of goodies or some warm soup!!!

Here's a simple recipe. Perfect for school lunches or an after school snack. Turkey and cheese in a Spelt Right pocket. YUMM!

TURKEY AND CHEESE HUGGED BY SPELT RIGHT DOUGH

Ingredients: One Spelt Right Pizza dough fully thawed and proofed. (That means that it should fill the bag after it has risen). Your favorite cold meats and cheeses. Mayonnaise or other dressing if desired. We used all natural turkey and cheddar cheese.

Lightly oil (with EVOO) a stainless steel baking pan. Preheat oven to 375-400F

Cut dough into 6-8 equal pieces. Stretch dough to about 1/8 inch thick in circle. Place a fair amount of turkey and cheese or other filling on half of dough. Gently stretch over berries and pinch on ends (see pictures).Place on baking sheet; bake for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom.

Can be served cold or reheated. My kids had these for lunch and after school snacks and loved them! As Olivia said, "this is not food; it is art."

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Fifty (On Sweet Things in Life)

OY VEH!!! Sometimes life just gets too complicated. That's when easy sweet recipes come to the rescue. Here is my rescue recipe.

LOW FAT SPELT BLUEBERRY/RASPBERRY TURN-OVERS

Ingredients:

One Spelt Right Pizza dough fully thawed and proofed. (That means that it should fill the bag after it has risen).

12-16 ounces of berries of your choice (either frozen or fresh). I used blueberries and raspberries.

1/4 cup VITA SPELT flour

1/4-1/2 cup organic cane sugar

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional)

Lightly oil (with EVOO) a stainless steel baking pan. Preheat oven to 375-400F

Mix berries, flour, sugar, and cinnamon (if desired) in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cut dough into 6-8 equal pieces. Stretch dough to about 1/8 inch thick in circle. Heap the berry/flour/sugar mixture on one half of dough. Gently stretch over berries and pinch on ends (see pictures).

Place on baking sheet; bake for 20-30 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom. Can be served warm or cold. As an additionally remedy, serve with natural vanilla ice cream.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred Forty Nine (The Go To Girl)

The Go To Girl

Sometimes the "go to girl" has to become the "gotta go girl"

Being the anchor, the fall back, the one on whom everyone relies comes with great rewards,

but also creates such a clamor that sometimes,

the voices, the calls, the requests must be muted.

Without the muting, all incoming signals become a deafening chaotic cacophony,

one that needs to be turned off,

even if only from one sunset to the next.

What good is the “go to girl” if

she hears only mumbles and sees only blurs.

And from the coveted one-day of silence and darkness emerges clarity in which

the “go to girl” returns for all but one day of the earth’s rotation around the sun, and

the “gotta go girl” slips away for her 364 day nap.

The “go to girl” has returned, refreshed, stronger, with a smile on her face and warmth in her heart, ready to be the “go to”

until it is time to “gotta go.”

This Go-to-Girl may need more than the just one day allotted in this attempt-to-be-poetic piece, but when she does "gotta go", she has left simple recipes for those whom rely on the next day's meal. Here is a simple "gotta go" recipe.

One Spelt Right Pizza Dough, fully thawed and risen. Gently work dough into a well oiled (with EVOO) stainless steel baking sheet (preferably with edges), cover with sauteed onions, garlic, and mushrooms (and whatever you have in the fridge). Top with fresh mozzarella and goat cheese and olives. Bake at 450 for 15-22 minutes, depending upon how brown and crispy you like the crust. Feed your loved ones, give them simple recipes, tell them you care, and then slip away just for a moment in time, so that you can return, refreshed, with a smile on your face, and ready to feed once again.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Thirty-Nine (Spelt Pizza So Good: It Must Be Censored)

Here are two incredible recipes for Spelt Right Pizza - split in half made on one special dough.  

One half was made with the tomato meat sauce recipe provided in Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hunderd Thirty-Eight and topped with fresh mozzarella balls and shredded mozzarella/provolone mix.

The other half was adorned with fresh basil and fresh tomatoes from our neighbor and friends, Kendra (of Whimsy fame) and Will's phenomenal sprawling garden, plus garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh mozzarella balls.

This stuff was so crazy good that Will, also known as Billy Sweet the Chimney Sweep, described the pleasure of eating it in a term that must be censored from this blog.

But, I totally get it.  Sometimes, really good food, especially that made with your own hands (the pizza dough), and grown with your sweat (the veggies), and created by your own soul (the pizza), engenders such a sense of euphoria that the rest of the world melts away, and just for a moment, you are one with that culinary pleasure.

Quick Recipe - Thaw and Rise Spelt Right Pizza, Pre-heat oven to 450.  Lightly oil pan with EVOO.  Gently stretch dough on to stainless steel baking pan.  Top half with meat sauce and mozzarella.  Top other half with olive oil infused with crushed garlic and sea salt, sliced fresh mozzarella, slice fresh tomatoes, and cut leaves of fresh basil.  Bake until crust is crispy.

Eat slowly and enjoy every passing moment.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Thirty-Five (Spelt Right Pizza - The Perfect Time Traveler for Any Generation)

This is a collaborative piece from Gen Y’er (or millennial) and recent college grad, aspiring musician – Edward Sturtevant, Bates ’10, and Baby-Boomer – food entrepreneur, non musician, Beth George, Bates ‘85

         "The creation of a meal with new found ingredients is like composing a piece of music with new tones, notes, and tempo.

         You see, as a songwriter and band member for the Time Travelers, I am constantly pursuing what new, fresh, and effective elements to incorporate into my music.  Artists, whether in the recording studio, a painters loft, or family kitchen are constantly striving to find  “the next big thing” - the new captivating sound, the unique hue, or that subtle yet powerful taste that offers the audience a divine moment of perfection

         This creative spirit flows to all of our senses – including –our sense of taste.  When dancing with new (and healthful) ingredients, we are playing a song for our taste buds and harmonizing with needs of our bodies.

         On a mission to create art with food, I took the most basic element of the much-celebrated pizza: the dough, and replaced it with a new alternative: Spelt Right pizza dough, hoping (with a little trepidation) to open my eyes to more creative food choices, and my palette to a more nutritious, delicious dinnertime.

         This was a bit of challenge for my roommates and me.  The folks at Spelt Right Baking requested us to be to be mindful of the food we were consuming AND to create it ourselves.  In essence, were asked to be the composers of a symphony for Spelt Right dough – treating each topping as a member of an orchestra.

         Like a conductor with his baton, I started directing the ensemble – each ingredient an instrument in its own right – My roommates soon became the musicians playing the instruments.  Each new combination of toppings became a new song –

-       Goat cheese, tomato, red onion, and mozzarella (Gotta Get Your Goat)

-       Cheddar cheese, ham, broccoli, and mozzarella with tomato sauce (No Vegan For Me)

-       Mozzarella, red peppers, red onion, and bacon, with tomato sauce (Girl Put Your Pepper On)

As each pizza was carefully composed, and soulfully performed, we became more focused on the food and less on the process.   My roommates and I soon lost our roles as conductors and orchestra as we became distracted by the melodic aroma of baking spelt dough, melting cheese, savory onions, and sizzling bacon. We became focused on one thing only: devouring the pizza.

The results of the finished piece were delectable.  Dare I say, music to our taste buds?.  With each bite, I savored the  textured softness and wholesome sweetness of the spelt dough. 

Despite our original trepidation, the making of these pizzas was SO EASY. We simply switched the bland wheat dough for this incredible spelt dough. 

Great taste and good for you? How could the choice be any easier? 

My recommendation?  Indulge yourself, with the sumptuous symphony starting with Spelt Right Pizza."

- Edward Sturtevant

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Thirty-Two (Word of the Day: Anodyne)

Anodyne - one of the words introduced at a CLE - continuing legal education course I took this week.  (I still bounce between the dual worlds of lawyer and entrepreneur). 

Anodyne - n. a drug that relieves pain; analgesic; anything that alleviates mental distress; adj. capable of relieving pain or distress. 


Yes, I could use an anodyne.  

Being an entrepreneur is STRESSFUL.  My brain feels it; my neck feels it; my soul feels it.  But thankfully, there are some human anodynes in my life who make this peregrination (oooohhh, I love big words) more palatable.  

My anodynes are folks who say, "I might not get it, but I'm here for you" or "Yes, I get it.   I've been there.  It IS hard, but you can do it.  If it were easy, every one would do it."   But, they go one step further; they not only offer words of encouragement and inspiration, they act.  Not only do they say, "How can I help," they roll up their sleeves and get in the thick of it.  They brainstorm on ideas; they find suppliers; they find bakers; they find funders. They say, it is ok, because I believe in you.  

They are what differentiates well wishers from anchors.  They are the people I love.  And I hope that someday I can offer my personal anodynes ranging in age from 9 to 85, a little relief of their own.  I hope one day I can offer them the fruits of my labor - for the lack of a better word - a lasting legacy.

So, at the risk of being a little self serving, I offer this Spelt Right pizza recipe as an anodyne to the stresses of just being.   Whatta Pizza!   

Ingredients, one Spelt Right Pizza Dough, fully thawed and risen.  Sauce of your choice.  Shredded mozzarella and provolone, black olives, mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and garlic, onions, fresh tomatoes, and whatever else serves to ease your pain.   Work dough gently into a lightly oiled baking pan.  Assemble as you would any pizza.  Bake at 450 for 12-20 minutes..check the crust!    Let cool slightly.  Indulge.  Feel no pain. 

Lunch Box Chronicles Day One Hundred Thirty (Lord of the Flies 14 Year Old Birthday Party)

Themed birthday parties are the craze - My Little Pony for pre-schoolers, Glee Sing-a-Longs for Middle School Girls, 80s Rock Oldies for High Schoolers, but for middle school boys - YOU DON'T NEED A THEME....Chaos simply prevails - Dare I say, "Lord of the Flies" absent cannibalism was our unplanned theme for Spencer's 14th birthday.

I should have known that we were heading in that direction when Spencer mentioned that he simply wanted to invite friends to BURN their middle school homework.  And, Tim added fuel to the fire when he gifted Spencer a real CROSS BOW.   Mother Nature continued with the theme when she mysteriously planted a HORNETS NEST in a bush which the kids proceeded to trounce with pitch folks, hard rakes, and shovels.

It was chaos!

It was amazing to watch my young cake boss who expertly created his own spelt birthday cake earlier in the day transform into a member of a roaming gang within a few hours.  With flames rising, arrows careening, and angry wasps swarming, it was nothing short of miraculous that there were no major injuries.  At the conclusion of the chaos, there were only a few scrapes, loads of mosquito bites, and happy full bellies.

Luckily, these boys were not stranded on a deserted island with nothing to eat.  Instead, they had at their disposal endless amounts of Spelt Right pizza and the heavenly spelt chocolate cake made by a devilish kid.

It was a long three hours.  One that I do not wish to repeat, BUT....

as Shakespeare reminds us "All's well that ends well."

Spelt Right Pizza Dough - Perfect for Birthday Parties- Theme or No Theme

Heavenly Spelt Right Pizza for a Devilish Crowd

Someday we will convince Spencer to turn over the recipe for these divine cakes

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred and Twenty-Two (A Restraining Order to Protect Cake Batter - Happy Birthday O)

Turning 9 is monumental, especially if you were just 8 the day before.  Yesterday, I let both my kids play hooky.  It was supposed to be a stress reliever for all of us in honor of O's birthday - and the fact that Grandma's ER visit and brief stay at a nursing care facility the day before taught us what Dorothy learned some time ago "There is no place like home."

O had the privilege of going to her favorite Japanese restaurant and dragging her mom to Chuck E. Cheese for some 9 year old madness.  Spencer got to skip school in the name of making a cake for his sister's birthday.  My dear friend Kitty was relegated to Grandma watch duty - due to Grandma's sprained ankle.

Perhaps, Spencer should just give up school and start a restaurant.  He has contracted kitchen fever.  No longer is he the secondary sous chef or the kid who gets to crack the eggs. He is the 13 year old man in charge of the kitchen - reeling orders at anyone who dares to cross his path.  "Kitty, get me the onions please - time to make dinner."  "Mom, the cake pans please?"  "Olivia, outta my way....I'm in charge."  This sometimes does not bode well for the now 9 year old who also wants to be in charge.

I can't even guess the recipe Spencer used/created for Olivia's birthday cake.  It was a stunning ALL NATURAL red velvet spelt cake with real butter cream frosting (no confectioner's sugar here....I was completely baffled that he made frosting with granulated sugar...but it was awesome.)  I do know that after Spencer made this wonderful cake, we ran out of butter, sugar, and are now low on Vita Spelt.

Somewhere in the making of this grand cake, the intentions got lost....Olivia wanted a swipe of the batter on her finger: Spencer insisted that the only hands in the bowls would be his; I ran to my third floor office for cover, locking two doors behind me.  Alas, to no avail.  The kids know how to break in, and Olivia came up crying about the cruelty of not getting to eat batter, and Spencer followed later demanding a "restraining order" against his sister so the cake could be finished, or else there would be no birthday celebration at all.

A "restraining order" regarding cake batter?  Has this lawyer, turned baking entrepreneur had too much influence on her kids?????  Have we lost the meaning of the cake???

As the madness ensued, I attempted to maintain some sense of semblance as I was making business plans regarding something or other....I felt for my business partner on the other end of the telephone line, as I bounced between the concept of supermarket orders and the need for a restraining order to protect cake batter.

Olivia's Red Velvet Spelt Birthday Cake created by Spencer

Somehow, without a restraining order, the cake did get baked, and I managed to grocery shop for birthday fare, and make grilled chicken, seared steak, Spelt Right pizza and fitayers, salad, salad dressing and rice (thank you Kitty)....just in time for our expected guests - Kitty, Donna and her two kids and our unexpected guests, my brother and his adult daughter, Caitlyn.   My friends were in awe at the amount of food I made...."Way too much," they said..   I knew better...especially with Spencer, the chef, and Alan my brother in the house.   The dinner was devoured, plates wiped clean.  Thank goodness for the loving dad, spouse, son-in-law, brother-in-law and overall good mensch Tim who made the kitchen spotless after the celebration and all the shenanigans.

The Birthday song, along with the beautiful cake, topped off the evening, and reminded us the meaning of the cake - a family's love for a NOW nine year old girl with a little batter on her finger, and no retraining orders on her record.

Happy Birthday Olivia.  We love you.

The sweet end to a raucous day

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred and Twenty-One (Green and White Spelt Right Pizza - in honor of the coming of spring)

I was very lucky to be invited by my good friend Kitty to a performance by Jazz/Blues Great Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters at One Longfellow Square in Portland.   The music transformative...the pre-show dinner, divine!

We made a green and white pizza on Spelt Right dough.  This Spelt Right dough is absolutely the best savory dough on the market....I might be a bit biased because I created the recipe, BUT, seriously it is so darn good that once you have it, you will not want to go back to the boring pasty wheaty dough.  I promise!

Green and white in honor of a winter that won't quit and a spring that is fighting furiously to break through.  This is what we see as we peek out our windows in Southern Maine: green and white.

And, so we made a pizza in honor of the season of purgatory - neither here nor there, neither spring nor winter, just some white and green, or green and white, depending upon your perspective.

Ingredients: GREEN chard, mushrooms, fresh garlic, salt and pepper to taste, EVOO, WHITE mozzarella and provolone grated cheese.  One SPELT RIGHT pizza dough.

Instructions: Fully thaw and rise Spelt Right pizza dough in its bag.  Chop chard, mushrooms, garlic.  Saute in EVOO until slightly limp, but not soft.  Lightly oil a stainless steel baking pan.  Stretch dough on pan until it full covers pan.  Sprinkle cheese over dough, top with veggies.  Bake at 450F oven for 15 minutes or until done.

RESULT:  A divine moment in purgatory.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred and Eighteen (On Being GOOD)

Scanning world events, I remind myself that I have very little to complain about.  Japan and its honorable people have been swallowed by a big wave; the unleashing of nuclear radiation is an unimaginable horror; the turmoil in the Middle East continues with airstrikes against Libya and the unending wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The world is turning upside down.  Those of us sensitive to its woes feel the sting even if we are not personally experiencing it.


And despite all of these horrors and feeling the sting only from afar, I am thankful for a moment with a bit of normalcy, a moment when you feel the world is o.k., just because there are good people and good events and good things to eat.  


GOOD.  That is how a friend described me today, and that simple description made me smile, while temporarily placing my personal challenges aside and keeping the onslaught of world events at bay.


GOOD is GOOD.  It is important to reflect and appreciate that GOOD people exist even in the midst of world chaos and personal struggles.   The GOODNESS magnifies the more it is shared.


It is the GOOD in others that strengthens us during challenging times and the GOOD that we can offer others that can help ease their pain.


Today, I received two very special gifts from some very GOOD people.  One is a gift certificate for a massage with my favorite Masseuse from two folks in the banking industry who have watched as I have tried, sometimes with success, but mostly with many roadblocks, to build this passion I call Spelt Right Baking Co.   The other, a much bigger gift, was a life boat, and a line of oxygen, to help me stay afloat while I enter unchartered territory to grow this business that has become my obsession.  For all of these, I am thankful.

Today's very GOOD recipe.  Grilled veggies inside of a Spelt Right Pizza Dough Bun.   Fully thaw and rise a Spelt Right Pizza Dough Cut into 8 equal balls.  Slightly flatten balls, coat lightly with EVOO, and place on grill.  Once browned on one side, flip and brown the other.  Make sure bread is baked through through.   Grill vegetables to your preference, add  goat cheese. Yum.


And appreciate that GOOD FOOD is EXTRA GOOD when made with Spelt Right.  For the health benefits of SPELT, please check out this link. 

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred and Seventeen (On Saving the World)

In a world in which nothing seems predictable, from civil wars in the Middle East, to union busting in Wisconsin, rising oil and gas prices, and millions of kids going hungry, I often shut my eyes and wonder if I can, just in a small way, make the world a better place.  It sounds so trivial, but it is real...can improving just one life, once in a while, make the world just that much better?

I have to believe it is so, or else, the meaning of existence would not mean much at all...So, how is it that some of us have the curse that we feel compelled to make the world a better place, and other of us, can just exist, being satisfied that we survive day-to-day without harming anyone in our path?  I am one of the cursed...I am driven by the need to "do good" on some level in my life.

For many years, I represented 100s of kids, kids in trouble with the law, kids struggling in school, kids who parents tried, but simply couldn't withstand the rigors of parenting.   There was a lot of pain, a lot of lecturing, a lot of re-shaping, and too much disappointment.  There would be a team of social workers, psychologists, teachers, probation officers and lawyers working with these kids and families, but sometimes, the dysfunction was so hard wired, or the damage from the abuse so irreversible that, no matter our best efforts, the kids would fall through the cracks, and eventually become adults who also fell through the cracks.   I started to feel as if each child's pain became my own.   Ten years into it, I left to maintain my protective shell and to help my own family.

Years later, after leaving that world, I occasionally have a fleeting encounter with my past. Was that young victim a past client of mine?  Is so-in-so now in prison?  And, how many babies did she lose to state custody?  But, sometimes, a glimmer of what it means to make a difference walks through the door.

And, indeed that is what happened this week when I was sitting in the bakery.  After a steady stream of walk-ins, one tall well-dressed man walked in the bakery.  "Beth?" He said, "Yes?"  I answered.  He continued, "You may not remember me, but you represented my son several years ago when he was a teenager."  "Oh yes," I said, "How is he doing?"   He continued, "He is doing wonderfully; after the dark period in which you represented him, he turned himself around, got into college, did really well, and now works in finance.  I just wanted to say thank you and wish you good luck with your business ventures."  Slightly stunned, I said "You are welcome; and please tell your son, I say congratulations and if he ever wants to invest in his attorney, I have a great business."  We both said good-bye with a smile and a nod.

I guess one small gesture can make a world of difference, even if it just for one kid.

And, with this, I offer a way to help you make someone's life better, just for a fleeting moment....by making a damn good Spelt Right Pizza.   The way I prepared this crust was one of the best I can remember.

Ingredients:  One Spelt Right Pizza Dough, fully thawed and risen, stretched out on a stainless steel pan oiled with extra virgin olive oil.  Preheat oven to 450F.  Let dough rest in a warm place while on the pan.  It gives it a lighter crispier texture.   Top with your favorite toppings.  I used Frank's Pasta Sauce, made in Cranston, RI., Hannaford Mozzarella Cheese, sauteed mushrooms, and Trader Joe's Calamata Olive Tapenade.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending upon how you like your crust.

Critique:  A pizza that has the possibility to make the world a better place.  Enjoy.  Stop and smell the roses and the pizza.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One Hundred and Eleven (Egg and Cheese Fitayers with Spelt Right Pizza Dough)

Our camera is on the blitz so we are resorting to Blackberry photos for this blog.  Please bear with us.  At some point, a quality camera will appear - perhaps a gift from heaven??

In any event, this morning, the family seemed a bit at a loss for breakfast ideas.  I was slow to get out of bed, not really liking to face the cold (which is not good thing if you live in Maine in the winter), and as I dragged myself down the stairs, I heard the familiar mantra...."Maaaaummmm, I'm hungry!"  Soon, it seemed like there was a chorus singing those words even though there were no more than two kids in the house.

"Quick," I said to Spencer "Get out the eggs, milk, Cabot cheddar, salt, pepper, dried dill, and Spelt Right Pizza Dough."  The kid knows the drill, is pretty quick on his feet, and went right to work.  Spencer mixed the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and dill in bowl, while I cut and shaped the pizza dough(which had been thawing in the fridge for a few days) into eight equal rounds.  In a matter of no time, we had all of the fixins' ready to make egg and cheese fitayars.

Directions:  Preheat oven to 400-450.  Prepare scrambled eggs how you like them prepared.  We mixed eggs, milk, dried dill, salt, and pepper, and then added cheese.   Use a fully thawed and risen Spelt Right Pizza Dough, cut into eight equal pieces, place on lightly oiled stainless steel baking pan, stretch dough to about 1/4 inch thick, put egg and cheese mixture on it.  Fold into triangles.  Here are step-by-step directions for making fitayers. Bake for about 10 minutes.  Watch these carefully, because they are easy to over-bake.   We made two batches, so that we have enough for the week.  We froze the extras and will use them during the week.  They can be microwaved or put in a toaster oven to reheat.

These are great for busy mornings.  You will also see that we made one with just pizza cheese.  That is for an afternoon snack.  YUM.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Five: New Year's Resolution: "Give PEACE-ZA LaChance"

It's been a month since I have posted on Lunch Box Chronicles.  So goes my attempt to post a recipe a day.   The reality is that LIFE is just too busy; sometimes self imposed craziness; sometimes just random craziness.  But the beauty of this blog is that I make up the rules!  So, I am still going to post 365 Recipes or Rants, but it is definitely going to take more than a year.  Be patient!  Some great recipes and recipe ideas are yet to come.

Speaking of which....holidays are always a fun time to try something new and celebrating New Year's with friends is a good time to explore some great food combinations.....like mixing spelt pizza making with fondue creating.   My favorite of the evening was a chocolate strawberry raspberry fondue cheese cinnamon and hot pepper flakes fitaya pizza thing.  OMG!  The flavors were amazing.

Steve's face says it all.  Our New Year's Resolution?  "Give Peace-za LaChance"

Ingredients:
Spelt Right Pizza Dough - fully thawed and risen.  A dough ball can make 8 fitaya triangles or flat pizzas
Freshly cut strawberries
A few fresh raspberries
Milk chocolate Guittard all natural chips (with REAL...as opposed to FAKE vanilla)
Ground Cinnamon
Red Hot Pepper Flakes
Fondue Cheese (Swiss and Gruyere) - buy it premixed


Instructions:


Divide the dough into 8 equal sized balls. Stretch or roll out pizza dough to about 1/4 inch thick on a lightly oiled baking sheet, place about 8-10 chocolate chips on dough, about two sliced strawberries, two or three raspberries, sprinkle with cinnamon and hot pepper, and add a small amount of cheese.  Form into a triangle.  Here's a link for specific triangle making instructions.  Repeat until all doughs are filled.   Place on lightly oiled stainless steal baking pan.  Bake at 400-450 until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Let cool a little before eating!!  Enjoy the bursts of flavor!!!  And, GIVE PEACE-ZA LACHANCE.