Pizza thread made me crave. Anyone know anything about Feta?

baloneysmom

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I hate bought pizza (its so greasy where I live, Toronto had GREAT pizza) but I LOVE pizza, nummynumnum! I decided to make my own pizza since I havenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t eaten Pizza in over a year!! I found a great sauce (Ill cut and paste below) from my favorite chef Emeril that I want to use. Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]m not going to use the rest of the recipe and instead build my own to my liking.

Being that I have a wonderful Italian Mother who insisted on stuffing our faces with home made food all the time I have only just learned how to cook in the last two years. So any advice on a great pizza would be great.

So, with the sauce I want to add broccoli…thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s where I am stuck hahah. Question 1: If I sprinkle crumbled feta on the pizza, is that the cheese? Or I still need to add other cheese? Does Feta do well in an oven? Or do I put it on after itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s cooked. What compliments feta? My uncle, who works for “milk†just gave me a 25-pound block of cheese, I need to use it. Does Gouda and feta go together?

I think thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s it. I am deciding between hot sausage and chicken and the topping, maybe sundried tomatoes.

Any suggestions would be great… I miss pizza!!!

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the herbs (Basil, Oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes) salt, and black and red peppers, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, wine and sugar, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely before using.
 

twstychik

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Feta, Chicken and sun dried tomato would make a great combo. Typically, I think it's mozzerella that you put on a pizza but you really can do what every you want. I don't think that Feta and Gouda would work that well together but try them together before you put them on the pizza and see how you like it. Feta would be fine in the oven. It doesn't melt really well... as in it won't spread or anything... but it heats just fine and may even brown a little on top.

What I love about home made pizza is that you really can do what ever you want with it.

Are you going to make your own crust too?
 
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baloneysmom

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I had a feeling Feta and Gouda didn't go well together. I was hoping though! I hear Gouda is awesome on pizza and melts really well.

I am not going to make my own dough, i am horrible at that kind of stuff. Instead i will buy the premade dough at the grocery store, its not as good, but still almost like a homemade taste.

Mmmmm feta, chicken and sundried tomatoes sounds super yummy! Any trick to sundried tomatoes? I know i love the taste but have never cooked with it.
 

twstychik

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I bet the gouda and the sausage would go really well together. Gouda does melt really well and it has a very nice smokey flavor. Sun dried tomatoes have a pretty strong flavor so I'd probably cut them into smaller pieces and keep them close to the sauce so they don't get too dry.

We usually use the prebaked stuff from the store. We've tried the store bought box mix stuff that's like almost home made and it never turns out. I don't know what we're doing wrong but next time we might try to make dough in the bread machine.
 

rockcat

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So, make 2 pizzas! Comeon, you haven't had pizza in a year. You owe it to yourself!
 

catlover19

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I love pizza with chicken and feta cheese. I put the feta on when the pizza is almost cooked and then throw it back in the oven for a few minutes. It doesn't melt, but it makes it so the cheese doesn't fall right off when your eating it. When I make my own pizza, I buy the store bought pizza crusts (it comes in a 2 pack) and shredded pizza cheese (its mozzarella and cheddar mixed).
 

twstychik

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Originally Posted by Rockcat

So, make 2 pizzas! Comeon, you haven't had pizza in a year. You owe it to yourself!
Now why didn't I think of that! Which is really handy when you buy the crust in a 2 pack!
 

rockcat

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Originally Posted by twstychik

Now why didn't I think of that! Which is really handy when you buy the crust in a 2 pack!
There ya go! Leftover pizza for breakfast is yummy, too.
 

jcat

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Originally Posted by twstychik

We usually use the prebaked stuff from the store. We've tried the store bought box mix stuff that's like almost home made and it never turns out. I don't know what we're doing wrong but next time we might try to make dough in the bread machine.
A bread machine is great for kneading pizza dough.

I've been using this pizza dough recipe for decades - it's virtually fool-proof:

1 cup warm water
1 pkg. dry yeast
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cooking oil

Melt yeast in water, add 1/2 cup flour. Add sugar, mix well. Add salt and oil. Add remaining flour. Knead 10 minutes. Let sit 1 1/2 hours, covered by warm damp towel.

This is enough for two (thin) pizzas. You can freeze half the dough for later (thaw at room temperature, let sit again).
 

fastnoc

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Feta is BY FAR my favorite cheese. it is SO good. I crave it sometimes and make sandwiches just so I can use it. No kidding. Greek food has lots of feta!

Also, cucumber sauce is the perfect compliment for feta's sharp taste too


P.S. i have feta in my fridge and put it on pizza just like others do Parmesan.
 

weldrwomn

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feta goes great with kalamata olives and chicken and pepperoni and garlic sauce and marinated artichoke hearts
 

darkmavis

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I love feta on pizza! I think it's fine to put on before you bake it. Tomatoes- fresh or sun-dried, olives, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, oregano, bell pepper, garlic, onion, spinach (yeah i'm saying it again), I think it all goes well.

I don't make my own pizza often but when i do i throw on tons of veggies and go light on the cheese. I've never made my own sauce either- I might try that recipe sometime when i get back home to CA... yum.
 

twstychik

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Originally Posted by jcat

A bread machine is great for kneading pizza dough.

I've been using this pizza dough recipe for decades - it's virtually fool-proof:

1 cup warm water
1 pkg. dry yeast
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cooking oil

Melt yeast in water, add 1/2 cup flour. Add sugar, mix well. Add salt and oil. Add remaining flour. Knead 10 minutes. Let sit 1 1/2 hours, covered by warm damp towel.

This is enough for two (thin) pizzas. You can freeze half the dough for later (thaw at room temperature, let sit again).
Does it need to be prebaked before topping? I'm so printing this out for the next time we make our own. We recently discovered a really good pizza in town though so we've been ordering out instead.

Originally Posted by fastnoc

Feta is BY FAR my favorite cheese. it is SO good. I crave it sometimes and make sandwiches just so I can use it. No kidding. Greek food has lots of feta!

Also, cucumber sauce is the perfect compliment for feta's sharp taste too


P.S. i have feta in my fridge and put it on pizza just like others do Parmesan.
I'm a big feta fan too but it's on the list f no-no foods while pregnant. Only a few more weeks and I'm going to splurge on lots of things that I haven't had in several months... soft cheese is one of them.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by twstychik

Does it need to be prebaked before topping? I'm so printing this out for the next time we make our own. We recently discovered a really good pizza in town though so we've been ordering out instead.



I'm a big feta fan too but it's on the list f no-no foods while pregnant. Only a few more weeks and I'm going to splurge on lots of things that I haven't had in several months... soft cheese is one of them.
Just out of curiosity, why is feta not allowed while pregnant? I ate everything I normally ate while I was pregnant and usually more or it.
 

fwan

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I think its weird you cant have feta while pregnant, i presumed it was raw seafood and meat you could not have.

anyway feta goes great with anything, and it does go with gouda, as long as you grate the gouda, melt it on the pizza and add feta on top.

My favourite pizza is the tomato base, with sliced tomatoes, olives, spinach, melt the cheese on top then when you take it out add the rocket/ruccola leaves and crumbled feta.
 

jcat

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Originally Posted by twstychik

Does it need to be prebaked before topping? I'm so printing this out for the next time we make our own. We recently discovered a really good pizza in town though so we've been ordering out instead.
No, it doesn't. Just roll it out and add the sauce and toppings.

The kneading/rising goes faster in the bread machine, too. Sometimes I dump everything in and set the timer so that the dough is ready to go when I get home from work. It rises better in the machine because of the constant heat.
 

twstychik

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

Just out of curiosity, why is feta not allowed while pregnant? I ate everything I normally ate while I was pregnant and usually more or it.
Something about the bacteria cultures used in soft (unpasturized) cheeses.
Listeria is a type of bacteria found everywhere. Listeria can cause a food-borne illness called listeriosis, which is extremely dangerous for a pregnant women and her unborn baby. Listeriosis can cause premature delivery, miscarriage, and fetal death. A pregnant woman is more susceptible to Listeriosis because of the normal pregnancy changes that affect your immune system.
http://babyfit.sparkpeople.com/articles.asp?id=208

Because I'm never sure if what's being used in other places is pasturize dor not I just avoid it.

Originally Posted by fwan

I think its weird you cant have feta while pregnant, i presumed it was raw seafood and meat you could not have.
Undercooked meat is a no-no too BUT you CAN have raw fish (sushi) IF the fish has been frozen first. Something about freezing it kills the bacteria. You also shouldn't eat undercooked eggs (runny yolks).


Originally Posted by jcat

No, it doesn't. Just roll it out and add the sauce and toppings.

The kneading/rising goes faster in the bread machine, too. Sometimes I dump everything in and set the timer so that the dough is ready to go when I get home from work. It rises better in the machine because of the constant heat.
Fantastic! This has officially gone into my recipe folder.
 
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baloneysmom

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Thanks all for all of the advice! I used the sauce I had posted , Broccoli, yellow onion, chicken, sundried tomatoes, Mozzarella and a bit of feta. All of that would have tasted awesome but….. I didnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t cook the dough long enough!!! So basically it was an amazing tasting top with a nasty gooey bottom. I had eaten about a quarter before I decided I needed to put it back in the oven but by this time I was grossed out by the soggy doughyness that I only ate my salad lol. My boyfriend had two pieces though.

Next time I will use the dough that is already pre-baked LOL
 
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