“On the Menu @ Tangie’s Menu: The Summer Cookbook”, is now on sale at Blurb.com

Dear Fellow Home cooks and Foodies…..

The End of Summer is near, and as promised, here is the First of the Seasonal Cookbooks, “On The Menu @ Tangie’s Kitchen: The Summer Cookbook”, that is now available at Blurb.com at the following link:
http://blur.by/1nccdeu

An electronic version (e-book) of the book will be posted soon.

In the meantime, use the “KICKOFF” Discount Code to receive 20% off of your purchase. The Discount Code will EXPIRE August 31, 2014 at 12 Midnight.

 

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Thank you for your interest and support of this endeavor.

Sincerely,
Tangie H.

 


The Food Diaries:Pizza Rock

 

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So this place was highly recommended. The owners of this joint had the vision of taking pizza to the next level, Pizza Rock was born from the creative minds of three best friends: George Karpaty, Tony Gemignani, and Trevor Hewitt. Combining George and Trevor’s nightlife expertise (Ruby Skye, San Francisco) with Tony’s pizza making expertise (11-time World Pizza Champion, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, San Francisco), Pizza Rock is pizza artisan meets nightlife energy. This is not your traditional pizzeria.

The owners brought this unique concept to Sacramento, California. Pizza Rock features gourmet pizzas in a variety of styles, hand-crafted artisan cocktails, and an extensive beer and wine list; all served up in an artistic and energetic atmosphere.

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The restaurant offers a variety of Italian and American pizza styles including Neapolitan, Classic Italian, Classic American, Sicilian, Roman, and Gluten Free.

All of the Sicilian pizzas are baked in a Marsal Gas Brick Oven and prepared with VINE RIPENED TOMATO SAUCE and mozzarella cheese.

I went for “The Butcher Shop” Pizza. A Sicilian Style Meat Lover’s Pizza dressed with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Salami, Pepperoni, Bacon, Linguica, Sausage, Mortadella, Hot Coppa, and Prosciutto.

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At about $23.00 for a medium pizza, it was enough for 2 people and very tasty, and all the ingredients were FRESH…..but the crust was very tough and too chewy for my taste and I believe it was due to the dough being overworked. Pizza Rock cannot compare with the pizzas of NYC….especially with John’s on Bleecker Street in the Village. As any one knows the secret to NYC Pizza is the water…..

As you walk into the establishment, you are greeted by a hostess behind a functional red steel craftsman cabinet.  Business cards for shift managers and menus are on full display for the customer. Baker shelves line the wall showcasing pizza cookbooks and Pizza Rock T-shirts for sale. There are also dining amenities,  a bowl for after dinner mints and pre- wrapped toothpicks.

The staff is young and friendly and hip. Service wDSC04268as great. The decor is whimsically Americana Gothic, but environmentally conscious using LED lighting. The highlight of the decor is a full trucker’s cab perched above the bar. There is a state of the art sound system that can support a DJ and live bands. There are booths, tall bar tables with chairs, and a patio with  outdoor tables to enjoy the view from the vibrant K Street.  The brick walls gives an air of authenticity of being a pizzeria and the ceiling over the brick oven is that of industrial steel. There are also plenty of big flat screen televisions for you sports fans. The bathrooms were spotless.

Pizza Rock is open for business for Lunch with Happy Hour and Live Music during the week. There are also weekly specials. And for the younger crowd, Pizza Rock is open until 3 am Fridays and Saturdays. The establishment also offers Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Overall, this is not your average pizzeria, but an experience. I would definitely come back here for another pie!


Zucchini Linguine with Shrimp

My backyard garden is just bursting all over with an abundance of Zucchini, as they are reaching their peak this summer.growing-zucchini-how-to-grow-zucchini-summer-squash2-1024x768

But did you know that zucchinis are actually fruits and not a true vegetable?

However, in the culinary world, it is treated as a vegetable. Like all squash, and being a member of the gourd family, zucchini has its ancestry in the Americas. More specifically, they are native to Central America and Mexico. The varieties of squash typically called “zucchini” were further cultivated and developed in Italy, many generations after their introduction from the New World.

As a food, Zucchini are so versatile. It can be prepared using a variety of cooking techniques, including steamed, boiled, grilled, stuffed and baked, barbecued, fried, or incorporated in other recipes such as soufflés. Mature (larger sized) zucchini are well suited for cooking in breads, similar to banana bread or incorporated into a cake batter. Even Its flowers can be eaten stuffed and are a delicacy when deep fried, as tempura.Zucchini can also be eaten raw, sliced or shredded in a cold salad, as well as lightly cooked in hot salads, as in Thai or Vietnamese recipes.

Zucchini has a delicate flavor and requires little more than quick cooking with butter or olive oil, with or without fresh herbs.] The skin is left in place. Quick cooking of barely wet zucchini in oil or butter allows the fruit to partially boil and steam, with the juices concentrated in the final moments of frying when the water has gone, prior to serving, making it a perfect base for gluten free or paleo dishes.

For this dish, you can use a mandolin or a juilenne peeler to make the zucchini noodles.tumblr_llj0cdP1j51qdei8m

There is even a new product on the market as seen on those late night infomercials. It is called the Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer.vegetti3 81p5zeYQufL._SL1500_

 

I prefer using the Paderno Spiralizer from Italy. Theimg32o spiralizer is available at Williams-Sonoma (www. williams-sonoma.com). Unlike the mandolin, the spiralizer will give you a continuous spiral that resembles cooked spaghetti, rather than a julienne effect that you would get with using  a mandolin or a peeler.

 

 

I gathered the ingredients I had on hand: Shrimp, garlic, fresh herbs, 1 small lemon,  1/2 small onion, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and butter.

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The  large  mature zucchini was taken straight from my back yard garden and washed. Using the spiralizer, the zucchini was cut.Paper towels were used to remove excess moisture. The zucchini was then placed in a glass bowl.

 

My recipe calls for the spiral zucchini to be “raw”,  seasoned with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper, chopped parsley and torn Thai Basil leaves. which were added to the zucchini and tossed well to mix and set aside.

For the shrimp, The shellfish were deveined, with the tail left intact. Two cloves of DSC03941garlic, roughly chopped and a small onion were added to a skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter. The garlic and onions were sauteed until the onions were translucent and the garlic was fragrant.The shrimp were added to the skillet, along with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and lemon zest. The shrimp were cooked until pale pink, about 2-3 minutes each side.

The zucchini linguine was swirled onto a plate. The shrimp.garlic and onions were arranged on top of the  zucchini noodles and a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese was sprinkled on the finished plate.

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From prep time to cooking time, the entire dish only took 25 minutes, with very little cooking involved. I am sure that you can add any mix of summer vegetables, like tomatoes to the dish.

Quick, light, and easy summer cooking……..as I enjoy the fruits of my labor from my back yard garden!