Fennel and Sausage Pizza

This is my latest creation, a braised fennel and sausage pizza inspired by 1) leftovers from our CSA box last week and 2) a pizza at Delancey in Seattle that features fennel-flavored sausage. See here, Delancey is amazing and the best pizza we've had in Seattle, or in a long time:

www.delanceyseattle.com.

Also I tried out a new dough recipe and am really happy with it. The overnight rise really helps the dough to be more stretchable and easier to work with, also better for small hands (like J's) to play with without tearing!

The dough recipe can be found here, reference to Peter Reinhart:

http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001199.html

Trappist Whole Wheat Bread

So its been a while, but last week I had an excuse--a trip to Salt Lake City for a national conference.

Part of that was an excursion to the Trappist monastery in Huntsville, Utah. Before I left I did some research, since I've always loved about monasteries that they tend to have some sort of culinary art--chocolate, bread, beer, something they make by hand. I wondered about this monastery and found out they were known for bread and creamed honey.

R, J and I were looking for a good whole wheat sandwich-style bread, and there was the recipe! Gave it a try and was really pretty happy with the results. You can find the recipe here:

http://www.holytrinityabbey.org/recipe.htm

Lots of snow when I visited, but admired the monks for how they are present to their losses (average age of community is 81, so they are grieving frequently) and for seeing how deep, compassionate presence and care can be expressed even when I totally am not in the same place theologically.

They have lived in temporary quonset huts since the founding of the abbey in the 1940's, and have a very simple but beautiful chapel with one stained glass window.