The Lederman Kitchen

Okay, okay, we are pretty far behind on the blog so I am helping Michelle catch us up.  Who knows, maybe I will post more than twice a year...   First post in my return to blogging: Milan.  We decided to go to Milan because I was down on Dublin for one reason or another, came home from work and told Michelle that we need to book a trip somewhere.  After a quick search on Aer Lingus we decided to make a quick getaway to Milan.  After all, it's Italy, how bad can it be?  We left after work on a Friday night with the goal of getting to our Airbnb and getting sorted with time to find a local pizzeria.  After checking in we asked to owner where the locals go for pizza and he pointed us to a place right around the corner.  It couldn't have been better.  10:00 at night, one table left, no English anywhere and awesome pizza and beer.  The best part, since we are used to crazy expensive Dublin, we feel like we robbed t...

As I mentioned in my previous post , I owed Brian a good dinner when he returned from his work trip. We had a surplus of leeks and I was determined to use them up.  I came across a recipe for Potato & Leek Flatbread with Greens from Real Simple, and decided to give it a shot.  We hadn't made a pizza since we moved and it used to be a weekly staple. I admit, I was a little nervous based on the limited ingredients for a pizza, but it turned out really good.  And, since we've finally had a few warm days here in Dublin, we were able to eat on our patio and enjoy a glass of Rose!  Perfect. Ingredients: 1 pound pizza dough - I made mine from this recipe  (which is still my favorite homemade pizza ever) 2 small leeks, white and light green parts, cut into strips 2 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced (A mandoline would be really helpful with this!) 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil sea salt and black pepper 1 c...

I get it, not everyone likes seafood pizza.  It's so good though...  I had to make this one while Michelle was out of town because she doubts this one.  Trust me though, if you like clams and you like shrimp, then you'll love this pizza.   You will need: Pizza dough - store bought or homemade 2-3 cloves of garlic mozzarella cheese ricotta cheese small amount of bay shrimp (maybe 1/2 cup) can of clams, drained (or you can use cooked fresh clams) dried thyme dried oregano salt and pepper If you are making your own dough, then you'll need an hour or so to let it rest.  If not, just preheat the oven to 500 and start prepping the ingredients. Start by chopping up some garlic and slicing the cheese.  Fresh mozzarella has a lot of moisture so I like to slice it early and place on a paper towel to drain off some moisture so our pizza isn't soggy.  Drain the clams and add to a bowl with the garlic and shri...

This might be the best pizza I have ever made.  Period.  It certainly was the most fun I've had cooking in a while.  Our nephew Nate was over and decided to help me out.  We decided to make a BBQ Chicken Pizza for the adults and Nate made his own personal cheese pizza.  We all enjoyed a nice homemade cesar salad to round out the meal. Believe it or not, Nate was cleaner than his Uncle Brian... To make the most excellent BBQ Chicken Pizza ever, you need the most excellent roasted chicken.  There's no magic here. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with a paper towel.  Then season well with salt and pepper.  You can stuff the chicken with lemon and garlic (or anything else if you want).  I like to truss the chicken to ensure that it cooks evenly.  Place in a 400 degree oven for about an hour or until golden brown on the top and 170 degrees on the inside.  Make sure to let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before ...