Food TV

This is a guest post by Dominick Evans.

I decided to write two posts on Ashtyn’s Food Network Blog. This one is based on who can cook as opposed to who is hot. I’m sure you will find this list a bit different because I am actually including all chefs on the Network, not just the women! Essentially, these are the people I would let cook for me based on their skill and what they like to make.

So, without further ado, here is my top five chefs list. Let me know if you agree or disagree by making your own list in the comment section of this blog post.

5. Emeril

I think Emeril is an amazing chef. I would have placed him higher except for one little thing. Emeril likes to cook exotic food, a lot of which is fish. I am not overly fond of fish or fois gras or anything I can barely pronounce. That is the only downside to Emeril’s cooking. However, when he’s making steak, potatoes, and that famous Emeril cheesecake, he’s welcome to send me some any time.

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This is a guest post by Dominick Evans.

I brought up the idea of guest posting on Ashtyn’s Food Network Blog after reading her article on the Top Ten “Hottest” women on Food Network. Whoever chose that list was obviously smoking something because their choices were absolutely wrong. Do the vast majority of warm-blooded males agree with them or will they agree with my choices? Feel free to leave a comment letting me know whether you agree or disagree.

I chose the top five rather than the top ten because I cannot imagine naming ten hosts that I actually find hot on Food Network! I mean, I could name multiple chefs and hosts (both male and female) whose food I would eat, but when it comes to looks, I find that the amount of hot women on the Network seems to be lacking. Granted, you don’t have to be hot to cook, but it certainly does make a good show even more enjoyable.

That being said, lets get to the list.

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Pizza Rustica:

2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 (12-ounce) bunches fresh spinach, stemmed, coarsely chopped (about 12 cups), or 1 (10-ounce) package frozen cut-leaf spinach, thawed and drained
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta
12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, coarsely chopped
4 large egg yolks, beaten to blend
Pastry Dough, recipe follows
1 large egg, beaten to blend

Position the rack on the bottom of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and saute until golden brown, breaking the sausage into pieces, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the same frying pan over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach wilts and the juices evaporate, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Squeeze the spinach to drain as much liquid as possible.

Into a large bowl, add egg yolks and beat lightly. Stir in the ricotta, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. Add the sausage, the spinach and prosciutto to the mixture and stir to combine.

Roll out larger piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface to a 17-inch round. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch springform pan. Trim the dough overhang to 1 inch. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the dough-lined pan. Roll out the remaining piece of dough into a 12-inch round. Place the dough over the filling. Pinch the edges of the doughs together to seal, then crimp the dough edges decoratively. Brush the beaten 1 large egg over the entire pastry top. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the top. Bake on the bottom shelf until the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour.

Let stand 15 minutes. Release the pan sides and transfer the pizza to a platter. Cut into wedges and serve.

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Pastry Dough:
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup cold solid vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Blend the flour, the butter, the shortening and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in the eggs. With the machine running, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough forms. Gather the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into 2 pieces, with 1 piece twice as large as the second piece. Flatten the dough pieces into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to roll out, about 30 minutes.

Yield: 2 dough pieces (enough for 1 Pizza Rustica)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes