La Frasca

You know those moments where you're scrolling through your phone pictures, searching for that one you wanted to send or upload, and you happen upon something that completely slipped your mind?
Well, that happened to me today. And what I found was something I meant to blog about weeks ago.
Remember when I said that Emily joined me in Chicago for the summer? Well, a few weekends ago she invited me for an impromptu dinner up on the north side to watch the Blackhawks game. She promised the restaurant we were going to would bring back joyous memories of scrumptiously authentic Italian food. It was called La Frasca, and I was happy to see that it was a short train ride away.

I also brought my friend Neha with me, but she was difficult to catch on-camera. 

I tend to snap when people least expect it. My bad.

We started with some Sangrias, which came in a generous serving for only $6.

I quickly perused the menu for the tastiest options. It was difficult to choose when the pizzas all looked scrumptious and the pasta menu included mouthwatering gnocchi.

We decided to start with some appetizers. La Frasca has an extensive and generous bruschetta menu. For $8, you pick 3 types, which gives you plenty of wiggle room to sample different flavor combinations.
We went with the traditional (basil, mozzarella, and tomato), mushroom & goat cheese, and apple with brie. They were even kind enough to cut the bruschetta into three pieces for us.

The grand finale, however, was the pizza.

Emily was exceedingly happy about her beautiful pepperoni pizza.
Neha kept it classic and went with a simple but chic margherita pizza.

As for me, I went with a fantastically delicious-sounding pizza called the rustica. Authentically Italian thin and crunchy crust covered with smoked cheese, prosciutto  pesto, and tomatoes. 

Let me just say it took all of my willpower to not eat the entire delicious concoction in one sitting. Just look at that fresh flavor.

If you find yourself in Chicago with a craving for real pizza, not the pounds-of-bread-deep-dish staple usually found in this city, I cannot recommend La Frasca enough. 

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Asolo, Italy

I must apologize profusely for abandoning this blog for 2-3 weeks now. But, I promise, I have a very, very, very good reason.

For the past two weeks, I've been in Italy taking a short course on Intellectual Property Law. And, of course, eating everything in sight.

My lodgings didn't have a very strong internet connection, so blogging while I was there was a bit out of the question. BUT, I'm back now to relay the culinary adventures of the Veneto region.

This is the stunning view from my dorm room. Yes, I know, the mountains look photoshopped. To be completely honest, they looked photoshopped in real life too. I promise they're real, and they happened to be extremely clear during my first full day in Italy.

Since jet lag had everybody pretty much out of commission on our first day, we didn't have many plans other than exploring the campus and the surrounding town of Paderno del Grappa. 

The second day, however, we went to the nearby town of Asolo for some exploring and pizza making.

The view from the undergraduate campus building in Asolo. If you hadn't already guessed, it's a medieval city on a high mountain.

Me and my friend Emily enjoying the view. You'll be seeing a lot of her on here for the next couple of days.

We had some free time before the pizza making class started, so we all headed into the town square and visited Caffe Centrale, the congregation spot for locals and tourists alike. If there's gelato involved, me and Emily are there.

After we got our gelato fix, the whole group headed down the road to Astoria Lounge for some prosecco and introductions by the owner.

We had some quick instructions on how to prepare the best quality dough.

And then it was time to get down to work.

Me and Patricia had our game faces on.

First you roll...

Then add your toppings...

And then pop it into a stone oven for 3-4 minutes until you get something like this little beauty.

Fresh pomodoro sauce, pepperoni, ham, grilled zucchini, arugula, and onions. Pour a little spicy oil on top and it's the closest you'll get to heaven on earth. This pizza here is the reason I can't look at Domino's the same way again.

*sigh*

One day I'll try to re-create this beauty....if I can ever get my hands on a stone oven.....

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Tower Inn

You may remember my Pizza Blanca recipe I posted about a month ago. Homemade crunchy crust, alfredo sauce, garlic, onions, chicken, bacon, etc. If you do, you probably also remember me ranting and raving about the recipe's source material, a dish from a restaurant in Ypsilanti called Tower Inn.
Well, this weekend, me, Maria, and Matt met up at Tower Inn for some delicious munchies.

I grabbed a Mai Tai while I perused the menu.

Can you believe these come in pint sizes?? Of course, if you're really in the mood for a drink, grab one of their Tower beers - I don't have any pictures of one, but imagine a mug like the one I'm holding blown up so it's the size of my torso and filled with beer.

Yeah.

Of course, every time I come to Tower and look over their enormous menu, there are so many delicious things that pop out at me. I'm tempted to order the burger, the chipati, and numerous other things. But I always fall back on the same thing - the original and award-winning Pizza Blanca. The one that inspired my homemade version.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to the Pizza Blanca. Ooey gooey white cheese, tomatoes, onions, garlic, bacon, chicken, and basil on top of a crunchy and delicious crust. It's my kryptonite. 

And I think you see why.

Also, if that didn't impress you, take a look at Matt's fries:

Also, please note his Pizza Blanca in the background. It's too good for us to pass up!

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Pizza Blanca

There's a lovely little restaurant in Ypsilanti called Tower Inn. Hordes of Eastern Michigan University students crowd its wooden booths every night, munching on enormous chapatis, delectable burgers and an absolutely AMAZING pizza called Pizza Blanca. 
I can personally attest to the fact that I've been to this restaurant multiple times, but never been able to wean my tastebuds off of Pizza Blanca to give anything else on the menu a try.
Naturally, I get my Pizza Blanca cravings every now and then, but don't have the time or willpower to drive to another city to retrieve it (and for some abominable reason, they don't deliver that far....)
Fortunately, I figured out how to make a homemade version that's just as delicious.

To make your own Pizza Blanca, grab these ingredients:

1 ball pizza dough (store bought if you're on a time crunch, or make your own following this recipe)

2 chicken breasts

1 broccoli crown

alfredo sauce

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 clove garlic, minced

fresh mozzarella cheese

salt

pepper

Italian seasoning

If you made your own dough using the link provided, preheat your oven to 430 degrees F. If you're using store bought dough, follow the instructions on the package.

Start off by chopping your chicken into 1-inch cubes and liberally seasoning them with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Saute them in a pan until golden-brown.

While your chicken is cooking, put your broccoli in a pot of boiling water and cook until bright green. Be careful not to overcook - the broccoli should still have some crunch to it.

Finally, microwave your bacon until crispy. Make an additional strip for yourself to munch on while you layer your ingredients.

Roll out your pizza dough into a square. Add enough alfredo sauce to cover the surface of your pizza, without being too overbearing. Grate a layer of mozzarella cheese over the top. Sprinkle your chicken, broccoli, bacon, onion, and garlic across your pizza, then top with an additional layer of mozzarella (you really can't go wrong with extra cheese - just sayin'). Top with salt and pepper.

Once again, if you're using the dough recipe provided, cook for 12-15 minutes, and follow the recipe of the store bought package if you're using store bought dough. But a helpful rule of thumb either way is to remove the pizza when the edges are crispy and golden.

Enjoy your salty cheesy pizza!
(And head over to Tower if you have the chance and want to try the original!)

 

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Meat-lover's Pizza

I love vegetables as much as the next 20-something girl who wants to stay skinny.
I recognize that they're important, contain vital nutrients, etc.

But sometimes, I'm really in the mood to stuff my face with something meaty and delicious.
That's where this pizza recipe comes in. 

The homemade dough is a recipe by The Londoner, and the toppings are my own concoction. Together, they make an absolutely delicious combination that could turn any hardcore vegan back to dairy and meat.

To make this pizza (or any variation, yes, even veggie), grab these ingredients:

2 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp salt
7g dried yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp olive oil

11 oz tepid water (neither hot nor cold)

To start, grab your bread flour. Again, make sure it's bread flour, not all-purpose. Otherwise, the dough won't rise!

Sift your flour and salt together in a bowl, then make a tiny volcano like you used to do with your mashed potatoes.

Combine your water, yeast, sugar and oil together. Pour the mixture into the whole in your flour (this water mixture is the gravy on the volcano).

Stir it around until you get a sticky dough. Then, flour a surface and need your dough until spongey and doughy.

Cover your dough with a wet towel and leave it somewhere warm for about an hour. Feel free to spend that time hunting for great topping options, or going out to the grocery store to buy the ones I used.
When you're ready to finish up, preheat your oven to 430 degrees F, 220 degrees C. This recipe should make enough for 4 pizzas, so chunk off a quarter and begin rolling it out over a baking sheet (feel free to throw the other quarters in the freezer to save for later).
Next, add your toppings. I slathered on some alfredo sauce, then covered the pie with freshly grated smoked mozarella cheese.
Of course, I had to add some fresh pepperoni...

Then I topped it off with freshly cooked crispy crunchy bacon pieces.

Pop your pizza into the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until dough is thin and crispy. Slice yourself some (or eat the whole thing) and relish in your homemade Italian decadence.

Does this pizza make me look fat?

Don't care.

:)

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