Sopressata and Genoa Salami Calzones

Sopressata and Genoa Salami Calzones for Lunch!

As You have heard if you read my blog, a lot of cool things have been going on, Myself and 20 fellow food bloggers (see the complete list here) will be spending the next 3 weeks cooking our way through this book and sharing with you our experiences.  By following us you will get a sneak peek into the world of kicked-up delicious sandwiches.

Want a chance to win your very own copy of Emeril’s Kicked Up Sandwiches? Here's all you have to do.  Stop by my blog, Facebook and leave a comment, or Twitter me between now and Oct 11th.  Leave a comment on any or all of the Emeril posts (there will be 2 or more posts per week) let me know what you think of these sandwiches; which ones you'd want to try and you will be entered.  The winner will be announced on Oct. 11^th.

For additional entries:

Follow me on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me know

Follow Emeril on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me know

Follow Morrow Cookbooks on Facebook and leave a comment here letting me know.

Also don't forget that all the bloggers will be giving away copies of Emeril's Kicked Up Sandwiches cookbook over the next 3 weeks so be sure to visit all of them and visit often for more chances to win.

Here's your first glimpse of what's in store I made these for lunch at the Firehouse today ..........Sopressata and Genoa Salami Calzones.

Sopressata and Genoa Salami Calzones

(Kicked up Sandwiches, Emeril Lagasse)

1 recipe Semolina Pizza Dough (page 298)

1 cup Quick Tomato Sauce for Calzones (recipe follows) or your favorite jarred pizza/pasta sauce

1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

8 ounces mixed sopressata, hot sopressata, Genoa salami, and/or pepperoni, chopped

1 cup ricotta cheese, drained

8 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

¼ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Flour or cornmeal, for dusting the pizza peel

1. Place a pizza stone in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 500°F. (Alternatively, place an upside-down rimmed baking sheet on the rack in your oven.)

2. Halve one of the pieces of dough and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface to form two 8-inch rounds. Spread ¼ cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom half of each round, leaving a 1-inch border. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the basil and one-quarter of the cured meats evenly over each portion of sauce. Sprinkle one-quarter of the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and crushed red pepper over each portion of meat. Gently fold the top half of the dough over the filling, rolling and pressing the edges together with your fingertips to seal them, and crimping as you go along. Make 2 more calzones with the remaining ingredients.

3. Depending on the size of your oven, you may be able to bake only 2 calzones at a time. Cut several small slits in the top of each calzone to allow air to escape while baking, and transfer the calzones to a pizza peel that has been lightly dusted with flour or cornmeal (to facilitate moving the dough). Tilt the pizza peel to slide the calzones onto the preheated baking stone. Bake for 16 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the dough is cooked through. Remove the calzones from the oven with the pizza peel or a spatula, and serve immediately or at room temperature.

Quick Tomato Sauce for Calzones
1 3/4 c ups
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and pureed
1 sprig fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes, until soft. Add the tomatoes, thyme sprig, salt, and pepper, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the extra-virgin olive oil, discard the thyme sprig, and set aside until ready to use.

So there is the recipe from the book, I made them fairly easily and in a short amount of time, I cheated and used a pizza dough ball they sell at our grocery store, its fresh dough balls made every day, and cooking at the firehouse if I had the extra time I would have made the dough from scratch, but the dough balls at Tony's Finer Foods are awesome when time isn't on your side. 

I cut the dough ball in 1/2 add a little flour to the board

Spread some sauce and chopped the fresh basil and added it

Added the chopped Sopresseta and Genoa Salami's

Added the Ricotta Cheese and the mozzarella and folded them over
I pinched the edges together

I cooked them for the 16 minutes and the turned out great had a nice brown color, crispy shell, and I absolutely loved the way the oils from the salami's mixed with the sauce and enhanced it, the pop of the basil, this was a very tasty lunch. I'd make it again, and again, the ability to make these with individual ingredients is the best part, and it would be completely kid friendly,and a great meal to make with your kids... It was easy to make, very filling..

The completed Calzones!

I'm Lucky to not only love to cook, but I work with some of the greatest Cook/chefs in the firehouse..

I'm extremely blessed and lucky to not only love to cook, but I'm surrounded by other firefighters who ahare my passion for cooking, I started the #SeriousSandwich cook along with Emeril's new cookbook Kicked Up Sandwiches I sat down the last couple days and drooled over all the Sandwiches the book has to offer, made some notes to which ones to try first, second etc....tying them to a soup I make, My first Favorite is a Cuban, I saw that and knew we had to try it...All I can say is Delicious, its a simple yet extremely flavor complexity that is like magic on your pallette.

I learned something when I filmed with Sunny Anderson, she talked about mind making a recipe, and I have been doing that and thinking about flavors, and textures, and ingredients, and how this ingredient wll play off that ingredient and so on and so on....I was dead on with the Cuban....I love the simpleness the different texture, the burst of the different flavors....Simply amazing....Living in Chicago were knownfor our sandwiches, and with The Famous Italian Beef,  The meatball sandwich, combos. Italian Sausage, The different Subs, The Italian Breaded steak....The cuban by far is my favorite....

I work with some amazing cooks/chefs in the firehouses each bring something to the kitchen Ive learned so much from alot of them, Its an honor an pleasure to work, cook, and eat with guys who I canm truly call my brothers, I have had some of the most amazing meals in a firehouse that I know would easily compare to any professional chef, The Kitchen for us is the staple of our day, we live around the Kitchen cooking, laughing, telling stories....brings back memories of my dad in the firehouse doing the same things, it makes me feel like I made the right call following in my dads foot steps....

I still have days where I walk into the firehouse and the smell of the firehouse triggers some awesome memories of being in the firehouse as a little kid, the diesel smell of the appartus, food cooking....smell of smoked up fire gear....and I revert to being 5 for just a minute and I'm reminded easily of why I do this....I love every part of my job.....and Like I said i have the best of both worlds I help people and I make people happy...in more ways than one...I'm no hero, I'm following my calling...

This Morning the 8th grade class at our Catholic school made us breakfast and had a service in the honor of our fire and police, they started doing this after 9-11, and every year its an amazing service the kids do, you listen to there poems, and thoughts about what we mean to them, and then after they make us breakfast.....Thank You to the St. Cyprians School....You guys are amazing and it was really good the service, and the food.....Outstanding job!

Sorry busy at the firehouse yesterday

I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday, busy shift at the firehouse between calls and training, I'm luck I brought leftovers...otherwise I wouldn't have eaten...lol...

Looking through my new Emeril Sandwich cook book and trying to figure what sandwich to make for dinner tonight so many great choices ill blog later with the winning sandwich tonight....

Stay Tuned for #SeriousSandwiches

Guinness Shepards pie for dinner

1lb ground beef
1 onion diced
3 carrots diced
3 garlic cloves
1 bottle of Guiness
2 cups of beef broth
3 table spoons of all purpose flour
1 cup sharp cheddar
Salt and pepper
Tablespoon of beef base
Can of peas drained


5 large potatoes peeled and diced
2 tablespoons salt in the water
Boil until soft, drain

Add 4 tablespoon of butter
3/4 cup milk or half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
Whip with hand blender

Brown beef, and add carrot and onion sauté until soft add beef broth and beer and beef base cook to boil add flour add a little extra beef broth if your gravy dries up from flour I usually add peas place in 9x13 pan cover with cheese and then top with potatoes and sprinkle a little cheese on top bake for 30- min at 350 degrees.

Green chile Bacon Cheeseburger soup is what I'm making today!!!!

While looking at the various blogs Closet Cooking I came across a soup recipe that looked really good, but I like the SW spin so this is my adaption of the recipie....Its like a Green Chile Bacon Cheesburger and fries in a bowl....I'm a big soup and Sandwich Guy looking forward to getting my New Emeril's Kicked up Sandwiches Cook Book, for a good addition for this Sandwich to this Hearty Soup!

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 8 slices Maple bacon, cut into one inch pieces
• 1 cup Vadalia onion, diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 2 Hatch Green Chile, seeded and finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 cup  Guiness beer
• 1 large yukon gold or other boiling potato, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Emeril's Kicked-Up Horseradich mustard
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 2 cups lettuce, shredded
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
• Albukurky Green Chile Rub to Taste!
• 1 tablespoon bacon grease oil
• 2 hamburger buns, cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions

1. Cook the ground beef in a large sauce an over medium heat, about 8-10 minutes, and set aside.
2. Cook the bacon in the pan, about 5-7 minutes, and set aside on paper towels reserving about a tablespoon of the bacon grease in the pan.
3. Add the onions, carrots, celery and jalapeno and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute
5. Mix in the flour and cook for a few minutes.
6. Add the broth, beer, bacon, beef, potato, ketchup, mustard, worcestershire sauce and tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
7. Add the lettuce, milk and cheese and cook until the cheese has melted without bringing it back to a boil.
8. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper and enjoy!
9. While the soup is cooking, toss the buns in the bacon grease and bake in a preheated 400F oven until lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes, turning half way through.

Sunday Starting to be soup weather.....Hmmm

Well the weather is starting to get cooler, and Im pretty safe to say the summer is going on vacation and Fall s starting one of my favorite times of the year. The pumpkins, going back to long sleeves, Apple cider...the sights and smells of fall...the smell of fire places in the air....I know..I'm a firefighter..I love a good fire...Camp, Cooking..or building Fire....

Well I decided to make a Wisconsin Beer Cheddar Soup with Home made sesame parmesan croutons.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons margarine or butter
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, finely diced 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/2 Tablespoon of Emerils Essence 
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Large can or two regular cans of Old Style
• 2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar
• 2 Cups of 4 mix yellow and white cheeses 
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• Sesame Parmesan croutons , for serving, recipe follows

Directions

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, onions, mustard powder, cayenne and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sweat the vegetables until tender, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Pour in the stock, mustard and Worcestershire and simmer until the veggies are very soft, about 15 minutes. Add the ale, simmer, about 5 minutes, and then puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Add the Cheddar, yellow and white cheese and half-and-half and stir until melted through and smooth. Adjust the seasoning and top with the Sesame Parmesan croutons and enjoy....

Sesame Parmesan croutons

2 sesame bread sticks, sliced

• 3 tablespoons EVOO
• Sea Sale
• Parmesan Cheese 3 Table Spoons

in a Gallon plastic baggie add bread, EVOO, salt and cheese mix well. spread out onto a cookie sheet 10 min at 350 or until brown and toasted.

Request from a favorite firehouse this morning

One of my brothers called and asked for my green chili chicken enchalad casserole and NM cole slaw...

2-cans of cream of chicken soup
1-can of cream of celery soup
Half n half or heavy cream
1 rotisserie chicken get 2 if you want a lot of chicken
Kraft 3 Mexican shredded cheese
4-5 cans of diced green chile
2 packages of flour tortillas
3 tablespoons of albkurky green chile rub
Mix the soups and 2 cans of half and half and green chile and the green chile rub.

Debone and shred the chicken take off the skin,

Add some soup mix in bottom of 9x13 or larger lasagna pan
Add a layer of tortillas cover with soup mix chicken cheese start new layer of tortilla,soup mix chicken cheese cover with tortilla. Add remaining soup mix over the top add the rest of cheese

Bake for 40-45 min at 350 or the soup bubbles up sides and the cheese is brown and melted.

And my nm cole slaw that goes nice with it

Bag of coke slaw mix
Juice of 5-10 limes microwave for min to min 30 before you cut and squeeze triples the amount of juice you get
Add albkurky green chile rub to taste.
Cilantro diced up
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 cans green chile or a diced up roasted jalapeño or whatever pepper u like
Make early and let it gel in fridge all day to soften cabbage mix and permeate all the cabbage.

Just made my day that they called to ask me one of my recipes....Thanks Brothers!!!!

Im excited to be part of #SeriousSandwich Cookalong

 

September 21, 2012 · by Dewthedc

 

 

I know Ive talked about this already but I wanted to share it again....sorry can't help being on culinary cloud 9..........I’ll be joining a group of #SeriousSandwich bloggers to share the release of Emeril Lagasee’s new cookbook, Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches. What does that mean? I’ll be cooking up some great sandwiches that I’ll be sharing with you and even a cookbook giveaway!

When I think of Emeril Lagasee, I think of BAM! Why not? It’s his signature style!Let's kick it up a notch!!!!!!!!!!

I also think of well thought out dishes with tons of flavor that won’t leave you disappointed. Ive grown up watching him and feel he's been like one of my culinary instructors...via TV...

And now, I think of sandwiches.

Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches

Emeril’s new book, Kicked-Up Sandwiches, is packed with recipes that take the boring to the extraordinary, and I’m dying to try them out! You can pre-order the book now (official release date is October 16), but starting the beginning of October I’ll be sharing photos of my culinary adventures through the book making themm for the firefighters I work with and at home with My Family.

And, there will also be something special for my readers – a giveaway copy of Kicked-Up Sandwiches to one lucky winner! Stay tuned for info by subscribing to My Blog Big Dew the Firehouse Chef, through my Facebook Page and my Twitter Account . You can also follow all of the other #SeriousSandwich Cookalong bloggers by viewing the list of them here.
By the way, I applied to participate in the #SeriousSandwich Cookalong through Morrow Cookbooks, the publisher for Emeril’s cookbooks.

I was selected along with several other amazing food bloggers, and I couldn’t be more honored or excited to meet other food bloggers and learn from them this is a new chapter and journey in my life as a food blogger and Firehouse cook/chef. I love to make people happy with my food and what a better way to do that and share my recipies is to blog them.....

AlbuKirky Seasonings

Hey Everyone,

Being that I lived in Albuquerque for a few years, I love.....SW cuisine and I cook alot of it and few months back I stumbled off Facebook AlbuKirky Seasonings I have to say Its amazing!!!! Ive basically use it for everything from BBQ to everyday seasoning, living in Chicago until recently I have had to sparingly use my NM Green Chile for dishes, or I reverted to using the small cans that I can buy here...but its still nothing like fresh or frozen  HatchNM green chile.....So in the past I always had to bribe family and friends to ship me my contraband...I.E Red and Green chili...one of my best friends Mike goes back to Rio Rancho to visit friends a few times a year and I get stuff then...Ive been using alot of red and green powder which has been awesome....I get the flavor and heat I want...

But Back to AlbuKirky Seasonings....I won a gift pack on a FB Giveaway the that AlbuKirky does, I have to say Kirk the owner amazing guy...Avid BBQ/Foodie and has created this magical goodness and bottled it up. He has a line of BBQ Sauce, and rubs....All amazing!!!

This is the Spice I use in my Buffalo Chicken lasagna the green Chili Rub and the BBQ Rub, I know your thinking why a BBQ rub....Buffalo Wings...BBQ goes hand in hand and actually gave it an even better flavor profile than before, I started out using Emeril's essence and its awesome but This created a sw flare to my BCL.

I highly Recommend it!!!!!!!

Here is the information to order it

http://www.albukirkyseasonings.com/

https://www.facebook.com/albukirky/photos#!/albukirky

http://www.albukirky.com/

I got my Air Date for my Episode of Food Networks new show with Sunny Andersons Homemade in America

Hey everyone, I just found out today that my episode will air on October 27th, I'm working on a party to celebrate, and also cook for everyone, and raise some money for some charities. We can watch the show, I plan on making my Buffalo Chicken Lasagna, my meat lasagna, my green chili chicken enchiladas, My Bernalillo County Fire Slaw, my strawberry Twinkie taramisu and if anyone has requests let me know...Im glad to make it. Friends, food and fun, will make a day extra special. I had an amazing time with Sunny and I'm looking forward to seeing the show, I'm nervous I did ok....As soon as I get a place, time etc. I'll post information.......Thanks You again to all my friends I'm so blessed.

The Serious Sandwich Cookalong!

Chicago, IL. "The Windy City(TBD) – Rosemont resident David "Dewey" Atkocaitis, creator of the "Give me a 2-11 in the kitchen were cooking! blog, has been selected by William Morrow Cookbooks to participate in their “Serious Sandwich Cookalong” to celebrate the release of Emeril Lagasse’s latest cookbook.

Firehouse Chef Dewey and twenty-one other bloggers will receive advance copies of Emeril Lagasse’s upcoming cookbook, Emeril’s Kicked-Up Sandwiches (on sale 10/16), and will prepare at least two sandwiches a week for three weeks using recipes from the book. They will also blog about their experiences. Blogger participants will receive a supply of Emeril’s Kicked-Up Horseradish Mustard and Snapware plasticware from Chef Emeril Lagasse, which will aid them in the creation of the sandwiches.

Morrow’s cookbook blog, The Secret Ingredient (thesecretingredientblog.com), will showcase the bloggers’ featured posts and will provide Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest updates about the cookalong as it progresses. Emeril will also be engaging with the bloggers through Twitter and Facebook, following the #SeriousSandwich hashtag.

You can follow Firehouse Chef Dewey's progress at http://bigdewthefirehousechef.blogspot.com beginning October 1, 2012.