Detroit-Style Pizza

I read an article in the Detroit Free Press recently that talked about how pizza from this area is starting to get recognition around the country. Everyone knows the famous New York City foldable slice that I grew up eating, the Chicago deep-dish pie, and the unconventional and quirky toppings of California-style pizza.

But pizza from Detroit? Huh? Don't they call that Little Caesar's or Domino's, both of which were founded here in Michigan?

Not exactly.

The newfangled pizzas were apparently first made in this area at Buddy's Pizza (then called "Buddy's Rendezvous") in 1946. The unusual style, and its immense popularity, inspired others to copy it and perfect it. The pizza has subsequently evolved and become very distinctive and unbelievably good. It really is its own unique, savory entity.

So, after all of this preamble, what, precisely, is Detroit-style pizza???

Well, here are its characteristics:

• It's square, not round. Corners are prized.

• It's baked in a deep pan, so it's very thick.  But while the interior of the crust is soft and light, the exterior is crisp.

• The toppings and the cheese are distributed over the entire crust, without leaving a bare edge. This allows the cheese that touches the pan to become chewy, crunchy, and caramelized as it bakes.

• Most of the sauce is spread over the cheese, rather than lying under it. This makes it less liquid, and thus better integrated with the toppings rather than being a separate layer that the cheese will just slide off of.

Brandon Hunt, co-owner with his brother, Zane, of VIA 313: Authentic Detroit Style Pizza in Austin, was quoted in the Free Press article: "When you grow up in Detroit, you just think that's pizza ... that everybody knows it. But it's really a Detroit thing. It's great, and we thought people should be able to experience it."

Shawn Randazzo, of the Detroit Style Pizza Co., won the 2012 Las Vegas International Pizza Expo with a Detroit-style pizza, a first for the competition. Jeff Smokevitch, raised in a Detroit suburb but now making his hometown's unique pizza at his Brown Dog Pizza in Telluride, Colorado, came in 2nd overall in this year's contest.

To see if Detroit-style pizza is available near you, or to learn more about this growing phenomenon, check out Shawn Randazzo's DetroitStylePizza.com.

Or make the pizza in the picture at the top of this post. You know you want some!


Detroit-Style Pizza

Crust:

• 2 packets quick-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1-1/2 cups warm water, divided
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3-1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and 3/4 cup water; let proof for 10 minutes. Stir in remaining water, salt, 3 cups flour, and garlic powder. Mix well. Turn dough out onto a countertop and knead in the remaining 1/2 cup flour until a soft dough forms.

Place the oil in another large mixing bowl. Place the dough into it, turning to coat the dough thoroughly with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a dish towel; let rise for 1 hour until doubled.

Punch down dough and place into a greased 9"x13" metal baking pan (the darker the better). Press dough to edges of pan, cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel; let rise for 1 hour until doubled.

Sauce:

• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons pesto
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• generous sprinkling of red pepper flakes
• pinch of kosher salt

Combine all ingredients.

Toppings:

• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 4 ounces ham, chopped
• 4 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped
• 8 ounces mozzarella, shredded

Preheat oven to 425F. Spread a very thin layer of the sauce over the dough.

Sprinkle each of the toppings over the sauce, spreading all the way to the edges. Drizzle just a bit more sauce over the toppings.

Sprinkle both cheeses over the top of the pizza, all the way to the edges.

Spread the rest of the sauce over the cheese and mix the sauce and cheese together just a bit.

Bake for 30 minutes until cheese is melted and golden, and edges are caramelized and crisp. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting.

Makes 8-12 generous slices.

Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I have a number of skills, but sleeping isn't one of them; anyone who checks emails that I send will see that time stamps can range from 12-4 a.m., which is when I can be very productive since I'm unfortunately not unconscious.  So occasionally I sit down in my favorite comfy chair and doze off when the sleep deprivation catches up with me. Not good, especially when deadlines are looming and I have a lot of work to do some evenings.  Gotta keep moving, to stave off the naps!

But one evening, it was inevitable; I'd been up in the middle of the night for several rounds in succession. However, instead of bemoaning my lack of productivity, for once this was actually inspiring! I woke up with the proverbial start, and immediately a notion flashed in my brain: pizza grilled cheese sandwich. I had bread ... I had marinara sauce I'd bought on sale at the grocery store (not my usual m.o., but apparently I was piecing this together unconsciously before it rose to the surface) ... I had both Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses ... oooh. Dinner!

I debated whether to make a cheese sandwich and then offer a dipping sauce, in a riff on the pairing with tomato soup - one of the great culinary combinations ever! But I decided to go for the full ooey-gooey factor and schmear the sauce onto the bread with a generous helping of cheese. It's not pretty, but you already know it was rich and melty and fabulous! Grilled cheese isn't supposed to be proper and tidy, after all.

I kinda feel like I've seen this before, so I'm not claiming that this is my own divinely-inspired creation. But in doing a very brief search, I'm not seeing it anywhere else, either. So I offer it as my post-doze epiphany, but also offer apologies if it turns out that I'm absconding with someone else's brilliance.

I'll also apologize for the vagueness of the directions; they're more guidance then precise instruction. We all know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, after all! So I didn't measure anything, I just dipped and swiped and schmeared and plopped and grilled ... and devoured ... :)

Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwich

• 4 slices bread
• butter, at room temperature
• marinara sauce
• shredded Mozzarella cheese
• shredded Parmesan cheese

Lay the bread slices on the countertop and schmear one side of each slice with some of the butter. Place 2 slices butter-side down in a large skillet. Spread some marinara sauce onto each slice of bread, then top with the cheeses. Drizzle a bit more sauce on top, then cover with the remaining bread slices butter-side up.

Cook over medium heat until the underside is golden brown, then carefully flip and cook until both sides are toasted. Cut, eat, enjoy!

Makes 2 sandwiches, serving 1 or 2 people. It's good, you might want seconds ....

Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

Fresh mozzarella was on sale at the grocery store recently, so I thought I'd buy a container and then figure out what to do with it.  This is often how things work here - I don't head to the store with a plan, but rather find out what's on sale or being offered as a Manager's Special (on the verge of its "sell by" date and thus discounted).  I bring the loot home and then write about whatever concoctions I've devised with my stellar deals.

This is an elegant and sophisticated dish which gives no indication at all of being inspired by a sale item.  An assortment of pantry staples such as bread crumbs, olive oil, and canned tomatoes were combined with some fresh vegetables and wine already on hand.  The result was a spicy sauce and some tender meatballs filled with melting cheese.  It was exceptionally good!

I'm proud of both my shopping skills and also of how wonderful this meal was!  And I'm trying to win a contest that would offer cookbooks, other goodies, AND a phone chat with the fabulous Lidia Bastianich herself as a prize - would that make a great item for the blog, or what???  So please go to this link and vote for me.  Many thanks!!!

Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Meatballs

Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine

Meatballs:
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
6 3/4" cubes fresh mozzarella
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes, garlic, onion, peppers, fresh tomatoes, salt, and peppper; cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add the wine and the crushed tomatoes; bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and continue simmering.

Make the meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine the turkey, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and bread crumbs; mix well. Form 6 meatballs. One by one, flatten the meatballs into small patties; place 1 cheese cube into the center, then wrap the cheese in the turkey, making sure to seal it well. Repeat until all of the meatballs have been stuffed.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 5 minutes, turning them frequently to brown them all over.

Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

The meatballs and sauce can be served "as is" for a traditional Italian "secondi" ([seh-GON-dee] = second course), or they can be served over rice or pasta. (In Italy, a first course offers pasta, rice, or soup; the second course would offer meat, and then subsequently there would be vegetables, salads, and dolci - [DOHL-chee], sweets.)

Serves 2-4.

Greek Spinach Dip for the Michigan-Michigan State Game

I'm a proud graduate of the University of Michigan; my ex-husband, Stuart, attended medical school at Michigan State University. Needless to say, the intra-state rivalry has always been a lot of fun for us! When Stuart and I were married, we hosted a party each year in honor of the big Michigan-Michigan State football game.

After we met, Stuart used to follow me around, offering to take me to the game. It didn't happen that year, 'cause the tickets are extremely popular and hard to come by ... and expensive.

Stuart did get tickets for the game in 1990, when we were expecting Jeremy. I had to buy a large sweatshirt to wear to the game, to go over the "baby bump". We still consider it Jeremy's first Michigan-Michigan State game, even if he didn't get to see anything that time.

So, what to serve this year in honor of the game? My family's traditions have changed, as has the family unit itself; but the need for appropriate food for this important occasion remains a constant.

Michigan State's mascot is a Spartan, named for the famous warriors of the ancient Greek city of Sparta. So it only made sense to make a spinach dip - which would feature MSU's team colors of green and white - and to give it a Greek flair with oregano and lemon and feta.

This is gooey and rich, with a vibrant lemon flavor that is distinctive and shines through. And if you serve it with maize- and blue-colored chips, you've got Michigan's team colors invited to the party, as well!

Greek Spinach Dip

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
5 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 lemon
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
8 ounces mozzarella, shredded
5 ounces feta, divided
chips or crackers, for serving

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a flat 3-cup baking dish.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, salt, pepper and oregano; saute until the vegetables are translucent. Add the spinach; saute until wilted.

Zest the lemon, then juice it. Add the zest and juice to the spinach, then place the spinach mixture into a large mixing bowl.

Stir the yogurt, mozzarella, and 4 ounces of the feta into the spinach mixture; place the spinach into the prepared baking dish, then top with the remaining feta.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top is starting to brown and the dip is bubbling. Serve hot, with chips or crackers.

Serves 4.