Week #33: Maryland - Old Bay Crab Dip Pizza

State:  Maryland

"Maryland! Avenge the patriotic gore, That flecked the streets of Baltimore, And be the battle queen of yore, Maryland!  My Maryland!"

This is part of the state of Maryland's song, which was written by James Ryder Randall in 1861 and was enacted as the state song in 1939.  I am living in Florida, but Maryland will always be my home.  I was born there in 1975, in a town called Havre de Grace.  It is a town adjacent to the water, which reminded General Lafayette of the port city in France named La Havre.  Maryland is a state full of history and beautiful landscapes.  You can see the mountains to the west, the ocean to the East, and the valleys in between.  Maryland is known for its seafood, especially the Blue Fin Crab.  Marylanders cook crabs different than Floridians and the neighboring states in the Gulf of Mexico.  The key to cooking crabs is to steam them with the famous Old Bay and some beer.  Eating crabs is a very social and group oriented meal. You will see people at a picnic bench with newspaper, eating crabs and drinking beer.  It's a great time to be with family and friends, telling stories while you’re eating.  Eating Maryland crabs is a tradition that goes back for generations and is a part of our culture.  It is much more than just eating food.  In Maryland, eating crabs is a way of life.

For this challenge, I knew what I wanted to do right away and waiting until I went to visit family for the 4th of July to make this pizza.  Most people when they think of crab, they think of the crab cake.  In any bar, tavern, or restaurant in Maryland, you can find some version of a crab dip.  I love eating Crab Pretzels, which is crab dip smothered over a soft pretzel.  Yum!  So, to pay tribute to my home state, to my family, and my friends, here is the Old Bay Crab Dip Pizza!  Enjoy!  

Ingredients:

1 dozen crabs picked or 1 pound lump crab meat

1 pizza crust

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

2 teaspoons of old bay or if you are like me, 2 tablespoons

1 cup of mayo (I didn't use this much, so start with 1/2 cup and work your way up on taste)

1 package of softened cream cheese (8 oz.) 

Crab Dip:

Combine the mayo, cream cheese, and spices together.  Stir until thoroughly mixed together.  Taste to see if you need more Old Bay or Mayo.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of mayo, but I am not a big mayo fan, so I added it to taste and consistency.  Set aside for later step. 

Meat:

To make this pizza, my dad and I picked 10-12 crabs, focusing on using the lump crab meat for the pizza.  When you eat a crab dip, you want to taste the lump meat.  There is a difference between the leg and lump or body meat.   Picking crabs is a lot of work, but it is VERY worth it.  I did not steam the crabs from scratch, so I bought them from a local seafood dealer.  For my Havre de Grace peeps, these came from Prices Seafood.  I prefer Gibby's Seafood East out on route 40, but these did the trick. To learn how to pick crabs, I would go out on YouTube to find out.  If you don't want to do this, than I would recommend buying Maryland crab meat and not that Thailand farmed stuff.  Maryland crabs are ideal, because they come from the Chesapeake Bay and have a different taste due to the salt/fresh water mix.  They are sweeter and taste much better than salt water crabs. 

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 450.  Cook crust for 7-10 minutes or until slightly browned.  Take out from oven and set aside.  Spread crab dip all over the pizza, ensuring to get all areas of the crust.  Next, add a layer of cheddar cheese, but don't overdo it.  You don't want to overpower the taste of the crab dip. 

Pairing:

With crabs, a good pale ale or IPA is a great choice.  The common standard is a pale ale with eating crabs, because the Old Bay is can be very salty and you need a good balance.  There are a couple of great craft beer companies in Maryland that I would go with, such as Flying Dog, Heavy Seas, Evolution, DuClaw, or the infamous Natty Boh!  This is going to sound horrible, but I am not a fan of Natty Boh when it comes to taste.  Natty Boh or National Bohemia is as good as Natural Light, Busch, or one of the other horrendous $3 six packs.  Natty Boh is more of a nostalgic beer for Baltimore, but I would highly recommend avoiding it if you love good tasting beer.  I would go with a Heavy Seas Loose Cannon IPA for this pizza.  For a wine, go with a Mt. Felix or Boordy Chardonnay or a Pinor Noir.  

Learning Moments:

This is actually the first time I made crab dip, because I usually just eat the crabs or make crab cakes.  It turned out very good and I really enjoyed making this pizza, mostly because I was able to make it with my dad.  My stepfather has always been my dad and has always played a large part in my life. I was very honored and humbled to have picked crabs with him.  My mom has always been my rock in my life and she was able to see me make this pizza as well.  My parents mean the world to me and I very happy the Lord has brought him in my life.  This has been my best pizza yet and I hope you enjoy!!

Week #35: Ohio - Cincinnati Skyline Chili Pizza

State: Ohio

Ohio is known for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Lebron James, and Cincinnati's Skyline Chili.  The difference between this chili and other chili’s, is that this is more of a sauce that you would use on spaghetti.  Apparently, Skyline already makes a pizza, so I decided to give it a try.  I am glad I did, because it came out very good.  This is a must try pizza!!

Ingredients:

1 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 cup of water, or amount to cover meat

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate

1/4 cup chili powder

1 teaspoons salt or to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon allspice

1 bay leaf

Other:

1/4 cup diced onions

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1 pizza crust

1 package of cream cheese  

Chili:

Place the ground beef in a large pan with a little oil and cook until brown. Add around 1 cup of water or enough to cover meat, and bring to a boil.  Add tomato sauce, vinegar, seasonings, chocolate, and bay leaf.  Cover and cook for another 10 minutes or so. Water should thicken a little.  Remove from heat and allow to cool before putting on pizza.  

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook crust for 5-7 minutes or until browned slightly.  Remove from heat and allow a few minutes for the crust to cool down a little.  While the crust is still warm, add a layer of cream cheese to the base of the pizza.  Next, cover the cream cheese with a layer of the chili.  Be careful putting too much liquid on the pizza, as you don't want this to overflow onto your hot oven floor.  After you spread the chili along the base, add a layer of onions and then cheddar cheese.  Put back into the oven and cook for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Remove from heat and allow pizza to cool before eating.

Pairing:

When pairing a chili, you need a good pale or tart ale to counter the acidity of the sauce.  I decided to go with a Rivertown Brewing Company Sour Ale from Ohio.  This beer was terrible and horrible by the way!  I am not into sour ales and unfortunately, this beer was very sour.  I would go with an IPA or a pale Ale in this case.  This was the only beer I could find from an Ohio Brewery.  For a wine, go with a nice sweet wine like a Riesling or a Pinio Grigio.  Cheers!

Learning Moments:

So I have never at Cincinnati chili before, but I really enjoyed it.  This Chili is definitely different from a Texas or Colorado chili, because it is more of a sauce for pasta.  The chili with the cheddar and cream cheese tasted amazing!  I would highly recommend making this pizza at least once.  Enjoy!

Week #34: North Dakota - Fargo Knoephla Pizza

State:  North Dakota

When it comes to North Dakota, I had no idea what to do for this challenge.  All I know about ND is the movie Fargo and the University of North Dakota's mascot is the Bison.  A few years ago the mascot was changed from the "Fighting Sioux" to the Bison.  So when I started researching the food, I was anticipating Bison meat to be used somewhere.  I found out that Bison is actually more popular in South Dakota versus the northern state.  So after researching the state, I found out that there are a lot of Scandinavian, German, and Russian immigrants who settled here.  A popular Russian dish called Knoephla soup is very popular, so I made it a pizza.  I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

Soup:

1/4 cup butter, cubed

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 shallot, grated

1.5 cups milk

2 cups water

1 carton chicken broth or stock

Knoephla:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

5 to 6 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Minced fresh parsley, optional

Other:
1 Pizza Crust
1/2 cup of Mozzarella cheese
2 Bratwurst or Kielbasa sausages (diced into bite sized pieces)

Pasta:

Combine the first four Knoephla ingredients together forming a stiff dough. Roll into a 1/2-in. rope. Cut into 1/4-in. pieces.  I used rice flour for my wife who has an allergy to gluten.  If you also want to go gluten-free, try the same, but add canola oil to the rope on both sides. This will allow you to cut the rope without it tearing.  Set aside.

Soup:

In a large pan, melt the butter.  Then cook potatoes and onion for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Next, add the milk and cook through, but do not boil. Set aside. In a medium soup pot, bring water and chicken stock to a boil.  Once broth/water turns into a rolling boil, drop Knoephla into the pot.   Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the potato mixture and heat through.  Set aside and allow to cool.

Meat:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook on on both sides till temperature reaches 180 or higher.  I like to get mine right at 190 or 200 to cook thoroughly.  Make sure both sides are browned and remove from heat.  Allow to cool and then cut into bite sized pieces.

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 450.  Cook crust until slightly brown, which varies on pre-made and scratch.  Once crust is cooked, remove from heat and get ready to make your pizza.  With a ladle, reduce the amount of liquid and add onto the crust.  The liquid should cover the pizza, but not overflow off of the crust.  You do not want liquid running over the pizza in a hot stove or it will smoke up your house. Ensure that all of the ingredients in the soup are spaced out on the pizza. Add the sausage and a light layer of cheese.  Cook for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Then, add the parsley and allow to cool before eating.  Enjoy! 

Pairing:

This pizza is great for the cold months, which is why they eat it in North Dakota and Russia. I was not able to find a beer from ND, so I just went with another brand.  I would go with a nice stout or Scotch or Bourbon-aged ale.  It would bring out the flavors in the soup.  For a wine, a full bodied red would be great.  Cheers! 

Learning Moments:

I really did not know what to expect, but the sausage helped bring out the flavors in this soup.  Also the fresh parsley with the cheese made it zing as well.  This was a great pizza, but I am not sure if I would order it in a restaurant.  I would recommend a few additions to give it a world of taste.  Maybe some onion or celery and some smoked cheddar would really enhance this.  Also, I would put more flavor into the Knoephla as well.  I could add some cheese into the dumpling.  It would make it really tasty.  This is definitely helping me grow as a amateur chef.  I love this challenge and insist you to try your own version of this pizza!! 

Week #32: North Carolina - Carolina On My Mind Pulled Pork Pizza

State:  North Carolina

I have only been through North Carolina a couple of times, which was from driving from Maryland to Florida or vice versa.  My experience has been rest stops and gas stations, so that's all I have on NC. I know that North Carolina is good for tangy BBQ and southern cooking. So for this challenge, I decided that the pulled pork favorite would be most ideal choice for this state. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Meat:

1 (5 pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast

1 tablespoon salt

 ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

Carolina Tangy Sauce:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Coleslaw:

1 bag of fresh coleslaw mix

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

2 tablespoons or so white vinegar

1 tablespoon of sugar

Pepper to taste

Other

1 pizza crust

1/2 cup of Mozzarella cheese

Coleslaw:

Mix all ingredients together and adjust ingredients to taste

Sauce:

In a small sauce pan, bring all of the ingredients to a boil. Whisk until ingredients are completely dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow sauce to cool to room temperature.  Set aside.

Meat:

In a slow cooker, place the pork shoulder into the center and add salt & pepper to your taste. Pour the vinegar around the pork.

Please note: The recipe calls for a low setting of 12 hours to allow it to become tender on it's on.  I only had a few hours to work with, so I did the following:

Cover and cook for 5 hours on high.  Take it out and cut into long pieces, then pull it apart with a fork. Allow meat to cook for another hour and it will become very tender.  Drain and remove pork from the slow cooker. Strain the liquid and save 2 cups. Discard the rest and add meat and liquid back into the crock pot.  Add brown sugar, hot pepper sauce, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes into the crock pot. Cover and keep on Low setting until serving. 

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook crust for 5-7 minutes or until slightly browned.  Add a layer of the sauce until all the pizza is covered.  Next, add a layer of cheese and then a layer of pulled pork.  Place back into oven and cook for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.  Then, add a layer of the coleslaw.  Serve and eat.   

Pairing:

The pizza has an acidic taste, so I would go with something that has a strong base or fullness to it.  I decided to go with a Dale's Old Chub Scottish Ale.  Although the company is in Colorado, this beer is brewed in North Carolina.  I could have gone with Highland, but Dale's is making some great beers in North Caca-lacki!  For a wine, go with a Merlot or Cab to balance out the acidity. 

Learning Moments:

This pizza challenge has allowed me to make so many different types of pulled pork.  Before this challenge, I have made anything with a pork butt or roast.  I usually do not eat a lot of pork, unless it is sausage or bacon.  This challenge has opened my eyes to some great food and has expanded my cooking style.  I hope you enjoy Carolina on my mind!  

Week #31: New York - Buffalo Wing Pizza

State:  New York

I used to live 4 hours away from NYC and have only visited one time in my life, which happened when I was living in Tampa.  It makes me wonder why I didn't go so much when I lived in Maryland.  I was originally going to do a traditional NY style pizza, but I do that all the time.  NYC pizza is my favorite style, so it would have been easy for me to do this version.  I debated between a Ruben style pizza or the Buffalo Wing Pizza.  I love making a buffalo chicken pizza, but not like this.  My goal was to focus on the wing itself, which is big in Buffalo and then I can pick apart the meat for the pizza.  When making the other version, people use meat from the breast.  I wanted to exclusively focus in on the wing, which is why this pizza was different.  In addition, the blue cheese base for the pizza was amazing.  I hope you try this pizza and make it your own.  Let me know what you think!  

Ingredients:

Buffalo Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup bottled hot sauce (Louisiana, Crystal or another brand) or more depending on your preference

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon of sugar or you can use 1/4 cup of honey

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Blue Cheese Sauce:

1 cup crumbled blue cheese

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 lbs of Chicken Wings

1 Pizza Crust

1/2 cup of white cheddar cheese

2 stalks of celery - diced into small pieces

salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:

Blue Cheese:
Mix all ingredients together and stir together.  Set aside


Buffalo:

In a sauce pan, on medium heat melt the butter.  Next add in the hot sauce and seasonings.  Cook until sauce is mixed thoroughly and alter according to your own taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meat:

Preheat oven to 450.  Allow the wings to get near room temperature. In a mixing bowl, add the wings and 2 tablespoons of canola oil.  Salt and pepper wings to your taste.  On a greased pan or baking sheet, cook wings for 45 minutes or until 170 degrees.  I like my wings a little crispy, so I try to sear both sides of the wing.  After cooked, place into a new mixing bowl and add sauce.  Whisk around in the bowl until all wings are covered in the sauce.  Allow to cool.  After chicken has cooled, pull the meat off the bone and set aside. 

Don't be afraid to gobble down a couple of wings while you are doing this! :)

Pizza:

Preheat oven to 400.  If crust is from scratch, cook first at 450 for 7-10 minutes depending on size.  Next, add blue cheese sauce and coat the entire base of the pizza.  Add a layer of remaining sauce across the bottom of the pizza and then spread out the celery accordingly.   Spread out the chicken pieces across the pizza.  Add mozzarella cheese and bake for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted.  Set aside and allow pizza to cool before eating.

Pairing:

When pairing a wing pizza, you have to have a nice pale ale or IPA.  The spicy flavors of the buffalo sauce and a pale ale make it go down very easy.  I decided to go with a double IPA from Brooklyn Brewery called the Blast IPA.  I love hoppy beer, so this made the pizza much more enjoyable.  When drinking wine, you need a nice Pinio or Riesling to balance out the spice.  Enjoy!  

Learning Moments:

This pizza is very similar to a traditional Buffalo chicken pizza.  The difference is the meat is actually from the wing and not the breast and the blue cheese base.  I really enjoyed this pizza and it was very tasty.  I know when people think of New York, they think of traditional pizza.  If you love wings, this is your pizza.  It is very tasty!  I hope you try it and enjoy it.  Let me know!

Week #30 : New Mexico - Carne Adovada Pizza

 State:  New Mexico

 Going into this challenge, I was very excited to use some of the flavors or staple dishes to this pizza.  New  Mexico brings the flavors of Mexico and Native American together in some amazingly great tasting food.  For  this dish, I decided to take on the Carne Adovada, which is basically a pork dish with a red New Mexican chili.   The chili is very mild, but has some really robust flavor.  

 Ingredients:

 1 tablespoons canola oil

 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

 2 tablespoons New Mexico red chili powder (Whole Foods, Walmart, etc)

 1 ¼  cups warm water

 1 tsp of minced garlic

 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

 ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

 Salt to taste

 1 pound of pork shoulder cut into bite sized pieces

 1 Pizza Crust

 1 can of refried beans or 1 cup of homemade refried beans

 ½ cup of Mexican style cheese blend (Preferably freshly grated unless limited on time)

 Meat:

 Add oil to a medium frying pan and turn on medium heat.  Add pork to pan and brown on both sides or until  cooked.  

 Sauce:

 In a skillet or frying pan, heat oil over medium heat.  Stir in flour and brown until light golden brown. Blend in  the chili powder, then slowly add in the water.  Stir until all lumps are removed and the flour is mixed in.  Add garlic, oregano, cumin and salt, stirring until mixed in.  Add cooked beef to mixture, cover and simmer  on medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

 Pizza:

 Preheat oven to 450 for "from scratch" crust.  Coat the pizza crust with a thin layer of olive oil and bake in  the oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and lower oven down to 400.  Add a layer of the refried beans  and then add the meat, but ensure to space out along the pizza to ensure all slices will have meat.  Top with  a little bit of Mexican cheese.  Put in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Remove from heat  and allow to cool.

 Pairing:

 I tried searching for a New Mexican craft beer, which is nearly impossible in Florida or at least Tampa.  For  this pizza, I would go with a pale, IPA, APA, or an amber ale.  I believe, a stout or porter would dilute the  spicy and acidity of the pizza.  For a wine, a Pinio Grigio or Chardonnay would pair well.  Go with a wine from  Chili, South Africa or Argentina for this pizza.  

 Learning Moments:

 Creating this pizza, I discovered a new love for the chili sauces of New Mexico and even in Colorado.  I have  changed the way I make chili and plan on changing the way I make stewed or pulled pork.  This challenge has  really stepped up my game and I hope it inspires you to do throw it down in the kitchen.  Cheers!