Mario's Weekend Cooking Challange: Grilled Pizza with Fontina, Tomatoes & Basil

Mario's Weekend Cooking Challenge is a Facebook Group for people to get together, once a month and cook the same recipe, compare notes and discuss outcomes. It is put together by Mario Bosquez host of "Living Today" on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112 & XM 157

This month's weekend Cooking Challenge was Grilled Pizzas! Something I've never done before, pizza on the grill, was not only scrumptious, but quick and easy! Try this at your next cookout and get your guests, including the kids, involved in making pizzas to their liking!

The recipe for this month's cooking challenge was provided by Chef Jamie Gwen and can be found here: Grilled Pizza with Fontina, Tomatoes and Basil.

Because I was pressed for time, I did use a pre-made pizza dough bought from one of my favorite Italian Markets, Nino Salvaggio. Shape the dough as thin as you like and the point here is to make the pizzas look rustic and hand-made. If you prefer that perfect round shape, use the inside of a "Cool-Whip" lid as a template and also remember, when working with pizza dough, always pull from the center out underneath the dough and not stretch from the top or else the dough springs back to it's original shape.

Remember, the recipe is just a guide. Any and all of your favorite pizza toppings will work with this recipe. Be creative! I used minced garlic, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, green bell peppers, basil and fontina cheese.

Brush the tops of your pizza dough lightly with olive oil and place, oil side down, on the hot grill. The dough will begin to get puffy, lightly brush the tops with olive oil, and when you see a nice light browning and grill marks on the underside, using tongs, flip the pizza crust over, onto the coolest part of the grill.

Scatter the garlic and cheeses over the crusts and top with your topping choices. Using tongs, rotate the pizzas around the grill so different sections receive high heat. Check the underside often to see it's not burning. The pizzas are done when the top is bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Sprinkle the tops with torn fresh basil leaves and serve immediately!

Savory Coeur a la Creme with Parmesan Crackers

Recently, I was invited to an outdoor party and was asked to bring an appetizer. Me always wanting to introduce something new and unique to my friends, I found this recipe for a Savory Coeur a la Creme.

French for "heart with cream", Coeur a la Creme is normally served as a dessert, and made in a special heart shaped basket or mold with small holes. Cream cheese is mixed with sour cream or whipping cream (and sometimes sugar) and placed into the cheesecloth-lined mold. The dessert is then refrigerated overnight, during which time the whey drains out through the basket or perforated mold. To serve, the dessert is unmolded and garnished with fresh berries or other fruit.
This recipe is for a savory version which was delicious and very well received.

Before making the Coeur a la Creme, I needed something to serve it with. Regular store bought crackers are just plain boring and it's usually expected of me to come up with something a little bit "out of the ordinary." so I thought this wonderful Parmesan cracker would do most wonderfully and were so simple to make.

To make the crackers, you'll need:

1 stick (1/4 lb) unsalted butter
3 oz. freshly grated Parmesan-Reggianno Cheese
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teas. kosher salt
1 teas. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teas. freshly ground black pepper

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined


Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 13-inch log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden.

Cut the log, crosswise, into 1/4" to 1/2" thick slices. Place the slices on a sheet pan and bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 22 minutes.

Allow the crackers to cool on a wire rack before storing them in an airtight container.

To make the Coeur a la Creme, you'll need:

12 oz of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 lemon, zested
1 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teas. kosher salt
1/2 teas. freshly ground black pepper
1 bottle "Major Grey's" Chutney, such as Cross & Blackwell brand.

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip until it is firm like whipped cream. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Beat on high speed until the mixture is very thick.

Line a 6" coeur a la creme mold or a 6" fine sieve (all I had was a sieve) with a few layers of cheesecloth, allowing the excess to drape over the sides. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the cheesecloth and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Fold the excess cheesecloth over the top of the cream. Suspend the mold over a larger bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
There should be some liquid in the bowl that has drained from the mold.

When ready to serve, unmold the creme, upside down, on a plate and pour the chutney over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides. Serve chilled with the Parmesan crackers neatly arranged around the creme.

A Frozen Treat To Make Your Taste Buds Pop!

Nothing refreshes in the summer better than a tasty frozen treat on a stick! Here's a delicious ice pop that's not only great tasting, but also a healthy alternative to those boxes of artificially colored sugary water pops you find at the grocery store!

These Mango-Lassi pops combine the summery taste of fresh mango, with yogurt, buttermilk and a small amount of fresh honey!

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, blend 2 cups of ripe mango chunks (can be fresh or frozen) until it becomes a very fine paste.

To that, add 1/2 cup of plain yogurt, 1/2 cup of buttermilk, 1 tablespoon of honey and a pinch of salt. Blend until pale orange and very smooth.

Fill popsicle molds to about 1/4" from the top.

Cover and freeze for about an hour. Then insert the popsicle sticks and freeze for another 8 hours.

Dip the mold in warm water for a few seconds to help dislodge the pops! Enjoy!!

Mario's Weekend Cooking Challange: Mexican Chocolate Cake

Mario's Weekend Cooking Challenge is a Facebook Group for people to get together, once a month and cook the same recipe, compare notes and discuss outcomes. It is put together by Mario Bosquez host of "Living Today" on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112 & XM 157

This month's weekend Cooking Challenge we were given a choice of 2 desserts to prepare. A Mexican Chocolate Cake or Magnolia's Famous Banana Pudding. Since I had already made the Banana Pudding a month back, I chose to make the Mexican Chocolate Cake.

This simple cake is easily put together and what makes it different from your regular chocolate cake is the addition of cinnamon which comes through nicely and compliments the chocolate very well!

The recipe is courtesy of Mario Bosquez, himself, creator of the Weekend Cooking Challenge, and can be found here: Mario Bosquez's Mexican Chocolate Cake

Please note: the recipe calls for 1 stick of margarine and 1/2 cup oil. I substituted 2 sticks of unsalted butter and the cake turned out perfectly. Other ingredients include cocoa, flour, sugar, buttermilk, eggs, cinnamon & vanilla.

Start out by preheating your oven to 350 degrees. Combine your butter (or margarine & oil) along with the cocoa and some water in a sauce pan and heat until melted.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Combine that with the chocolate mixture and pour into a buttered 12" x 18" cake pan or a nice ceramic baking dish. I've used this lovely fluted oval "oven-to-table" baking dish.

Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cake cool on a wire rack while you prepare the icing.

The icing, again another quick recipe, combines cocoa, butter, milk, vanilla, chopped pecans and confectioners sugar.

In a saucepan, combine your butter, cocoa and milk on medium heat just until the butter is melted and small bubbles form around the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.

Stir in vanilla and pecans, then your confectioner's sugar. As recommended by Mario, use only about 3/4 lb of the sugar and it won't be overly sweet.

While the cake is slightly warm, pour the icing over the cake and spread evenly. Decorate the edge with pecan halves, if desired. This cake is best enjoyed still slightly warm or at room temperature!

Bananas Foster Meets Upside-Down Cake!

I found this recipe while thumbing through a recent newspaper insert. I love bananas and this recipe is adapted from the rich New Orleans dessert of flaming bananas served with vanilla ice cream.

Visitors to "The Mixing Bowl" may remember when I made the actual dessert of Bananas Foster. That was so enjoyable that I knew this cake was to be just as good and it did not disappoint!

The recipe can be found in the book "Burger Parties" by James McNair and Jeffrey Starr.

First step is to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" round cake pan and set aside.

Combine, in a saucepan, 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup dark rum and 3/4 teas. cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the butter and sugar are melted, about 3 minute. Pour into the prepared cake pan.

Arrange enough banana slices to fit, snugly, in one layer over the sugar/butter mixture. About 2-1/2 cups of 1/4" sliced bananas.

In a separate bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1-1/2 teas. baking powder and 1/2 teas. salt, whisk together. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together 1 stick of softened unsalted butter and 3/4 cup of granulated sugar on medium speed, for about 5 minutes. Add 2 eggs and 1 teas. of pure vanilla extract, mix until well combined. On low-speed, add about 1/3 the flour mixture, then 1/4 cup of milk, another 1/3 of the flour, another 1/4 cup of milk, the remaining flour. Mix until combined after each addition. Do not over mix! Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan (scraping the bowl well) and spread evenly over the bananas.

Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for about 2 minutes.

Run a paring knife around the inside on the pan to loosen the cake sides. Invert the cake onto a wide serving plate, and lift off the pan, the sauce should run down the sides of the cake.

Cut into wedges and serve with scoops of the best vanilla ice cream! Serve this at your next barbecue or if you're just feeling like you need a lift!