My Madison Bistro

“Just cheese, please.”

That’s the response you’ll get from my brother and sister-in-law’s niece when asked what she wants on her pizza. In my family, we frequently make individual pizzas at parties, so everyone can pick exactly what they want. And we all get a kick out of that little voice, politely asking that we not add toppings to her pizza.

In my case, I’ll throw whatever vegetables are available on top of my pizza, I don’t discriminate.

This is a very basic dough recipe that you can play around with based on whatever flour you have in your pantry. For these particular pizzas, I was out of all-purpose flour and nearing the end of bread flour and whole wheat flour, but the dough still worked perfectly. Even better, you can bake these pizzas in the oven or grill them, so you can enjoy this treat year-round.

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Tags: Cheese, Italian Food, Pizza

Chili in June? When temperatures are below normal by a good ten degrees, slow-cooker chili is a great weeknight meal. It’s effortless, but it also freezes beautifully, so even if you only have one day of cool temperatures, you don’t have to worry that the chili will go to waste. And if, during the middle of summer, you’re blessed with a cool evening, you can always pull that chili out of the freezer!

Making chili in the slow-cooker was one of my first ventures into cooking. After college, I didn’t have many pots, but I did have a slow cooker. I learned that you can make a tasty chili simply by throwing all of the ingredients into the crock (no browning necessary), and letting it do its thing. After all, who doesn’t want to come home to dinner being ready?

I’ve come across a few people who don’t like the idea of leaving a slow-cooker turned on during the day, but really, that’s kind of the point of this little appliance: toss in the food and go. With the advent of the removable crock (that’s dishwasher safe!), utilizing a slow-cooker has never taken less time. Some folks really like the plastic crock liners, but I have some misgivings about them. I used one once, and it leaked, but not from a hole – it seemed more like the liner melted in places. I also do not like the idea of cooking food in plastic – who knows what exactly is leaching out of the liner into your food?

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Tags: beef, comfort food, tomatoes

I confess that I’ve held back on this recipe for a few months now, mostly because I’ve made this type of cake in several ways, with varying results. The orange pound cake is good (just swap orange juice and zest for the lemon), but the lemon cake lacked depth when I made it with Meyer lemons. However, with regular lemons, it’s a hit.

What I really enjoyed about these loaf cakes is the versatility in serving them. A plain slice with a cup of tea or coffee makes the perfect mid-afternoon treat. A slice of lemon loaf adorned with raspberries or a compote, or a slice of the orange loaf served with cranberry sauce make a wonderful addition to a holiday brunch menu.

If I were to throw an afternoon tea party for my girlfriends, I would certainly serve the lemon loaf cake. The sweet-tart combination is the perfect pick-me-up, and will tide you over nicely until dinner.

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Tags: Barefoot Contessa, lemon

In case you haven’t noticed, My Madison Bistro now has an index of recipes! This should make it easier to find your favorite recipes. As the site grows, new categories will be added, making it even easier to find what you’re looking for.