by Sharm | Apr 18, 2017 | Food & Drink, Kansas City, Local Restaurants, Recipes, Restaurants, What You're Missing KC!
The pizza crust at Pizzeria Locale is perfectly crispy and chewy thanks to the unique wood-fired oven used in the restaurant.
This method of cooking ensures the classic Neapolitan style pizza found in Italy.
Pizzeria Locale is the brainchild of Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson and Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey, who own Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder, Colorado. The name Frasca comes from Italy where Frascas are what Italians call their neighborhood restaurants.
With the success of Frasca, Patterson and Stuckey opened Pizzeria Locale next door to Frasca and it became a successful full service restaurant as well. With the help of friend Steve Ells, founder of Chipotle, they figured out how to make it a fast casual concept while still preserving the old-world flavor.
Kansas City has benefitted from the success of the local Boulder chain as they have expanded by opening three locations in the KC metro. Two are in Overland Park and the other is in KC close to Waldo.
There a few secrets to getting the perfect Neapolitan style pizza in just minutes and the first starts with the pizza crust.
I was lucky enough to attend a dough making class at the135th Street location in Overland Park and had a blast.
Chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson was there himself teaching us the tips and tricks to the perfect dough.
You will want to plan ahead for pizza night as once the dough is made it needs to sit overnight. You can find the pizza crust recipe here.
If you want to make homemade pizza but just don’t have the time to make made-from-scratch dough, just give the Pizzeria Locale that is closest to you a call and tell them you want some dough balls. They will hook you up with fresh pizza dough. If you get your dough to go, get your favorite pizza toppings together and follow steps 11 through 16.
I highly recommend grabbing some Nutella and take a stab at recreating their Nutella dessert pizza. It is so good!
The second secret to the amazing pizza at Pizzeria Locale is using top quality ingredients. They even have in house slicer that slices fresh prosciutto to order.
There are classic pizzas on the menu to order and mine is the spicy chicken, But with fresh basil, tomatoes, mozzarella and other fresh veggies and meats your choices are endless, allowing you to build your perfect pie!
Pizzeria Locale Menu
Lastly is the oven and method of baking. To achieve the wood-fired brick oven bake in just minutes, takes Pizzeria Locale’s state-of-the-art oven, engineered specifically for them. It simulates the cooking experience of old-world Italy, but in a way that meets the needs of a fast casual concept restaurant.
Pizzeria Locale’s Oven
The oven works by sending your made-to-order pizza on a journey around a center flame on a rotating hearth. This bakes the pizza on all sides and in three and a half minutes, your pizza is done!
Spicy Chicken Pizza
I was in Italy a few months ago and had my share of pizza. I have to say, the pizza at Pizzeria Locale is just as good as some I had in Florence and Pisa.
If you have not had the chance to check it out, I encourage you to stop in and create you perfect pie. Then take a stab at pizza night at home using their fabulous crust recipe.
Locations in KC include:
11875 W. 95TH STREET, OVERLAND PARK, KS
11AM-10PM DAILY (913) 438-9262
6455 W. 135TH STREET, OVERLAND PARK, KS
11AM-10PM DAILY (913) 851-5975
505 W. 75TH ST, KANSAS CITY, MO
11AM-10PM DAILY (816) 523-1161
In Good Taste,
Sharm
by Sharm | Apr 12, 2017 | Food & Drink, Health, Recipes
This Peanut Butter and Strawberry Smoothie uses powdered peanut butter which cuts down on calories without sacrificing that yummy peanut butter taste.
Peanut butter powder can be found pretty regularly anymore. Some common brands are PB & Me, PB2, PB Fit and Honeyville.
Packed with protein this smoothie will jump start your day and make you feel like a kid again with it’s classic PB&J taste! I like making it after I work out. It is so yummy and makes me feel like I am eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
I use almond milk but you can use any kind of milk you like. Fresh strawberries can be used as well, just throw in a few ice cubes.
Peanut Butter and Strawberry Smoothie
Peanut Butter and Strawberry Smoothie
Makes 16 ounces
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1 Cup Almond Milk or Milk of Choice
1/4 Cup Water
1 Cup Frozen Strawberries
1 Serving Protein Powder of Choice
2 Tablespoons Powdered Peanut Butter
Pour liquids into blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Enjoy!
Peanut Butter and Strawberry Smoothie
by Sharm | Mar 20, 2017 | Entertaining, Food & Drink, Home & Living, Recipes
I love creating cheese plates and boards and make them all the time, no matter what the season. I wrote about creating the perfect cheese board here. I sometimes do get in a rut with using the same cheeses with Dubliner and goat cheese being a favorite.
I thrive on entertaining and cheese boards are my go to dish. I was thrilled that folks over at Wayfair sent me a link to a post about creating a cheese board for all seasons. I am pretty good at using whatever fruits may be in season to pair with the cheeses but never really thought about using seasonal cheeses.
Cheese Board
I loved that idea so much as well some ideas on different platters to use, I thought I might share it with you. You can read about their seasonal cheese boards here.
If you have any tips for creating cheese boards or have a favorite cheese you think I would like to try, please feel free to comment below.
by Sharm | Mar 17, 2017 | Food & Drink, Health, Recipes
This Green Kiwi Smoothie will get your St. Patricks Day or any other day for that matter off to a protein packed start. Enjoy this for breakfast or snack or any time of day when you need a boost of energy.
I promise you will want to ditch that infamous shamrock shake as this smoothie is as sweet and creamy and way healthier!
Green Kiwi Smoothie
Kiwi Green Smoothie
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Yield 2 – 16 oz Servings
Ingredients
1 Green Apple, sliced
1 Kiwi, sliced
2 Cups Mixed Greens
1/2 Avocado
2 Servings Protein Powder of choice
1 1/2 cups Almond Milk
1 Cup Ice Cubes
Method
Pour almond milk in blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Enjoy!
by Sharm | Mar 1, 2017 | Food & Drink, Health, Recipes
This Gorgeous Green Smoothie recipe is courtesy of Tosca Reno. She is the author of the Eat Clean Diet® series of books. I have been a fan of this lady for quite some time and just had the chance to meet her on a wellness retreat, which you can read about here.
The Clean Living® Experience with Tosca Reno
The avocado makes this shake smooth and creamy while the pear adds just the right amount of sweetness.
Here is the recipe. Enjoy!
GORGEOUS GREENS SMOOTHIE
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES | COOK TIME: NOT APPLICABLE | YIELD: 2 CUPS | NUMBER OF SERVINGS: 1
1 pear, cored
½ avocado
1 handful baby kale
1 handful spinach leaves
1 cup water or milk alternative of your choice
1 scoop vegan vanilla protein powder like Sun Warrior.
1 Tbsp flaxseed
METHOD:
1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add more liquid if necessary.
2. Serve chilled.
by Sharm | Feb 13, 2017 | Entertaining, Food & Drink, Recipes, Whole Foods Market
I love a great cheese board or plate and here are my tips for building the perfect one.
First, pick out the tray you would like to use. I prefer white, but any tray or even a wood cutting board will do the trick.
Start off with your favorite cheese. Right now mine are the Sartori line of cheeses. With flavors like merlot, rosemary, raspberry and balsamic it is hard to beat. Whole Foods Market carries most of their cheeses and I wish to thank Whole Foods Market for supplying me with a gift card to purchase the ingredients for this dish.
Once you have picked out the cheese it is time to build around it. Just like wine some cheeses pair well with other things but I am not that picky and really like an assortment of choices.
Add some fruit. Grapes are probably the most common but have fun with this and use what is in season. Apples and pears are divine in the fall while berries should be your go to fruit in the summer. Dried fruits work nicely year around. Try dried apricots or cherries.
Next add a little salt. I love Castelvetrano olives. They are slightly salty but also very mild and their bright beautiful green color is hard to beat. You could also add a few slices of cured salami or meat of choice.
Your going to want some crunch and that is where the nuts come in. I really like walnuts but any nut will do. You can also throw in some crackers for added crunch as well.
Lastly is chocolate, dark is best but you can put out whatever kind you like. That is the beauty of putting together your own.
Cheeseboards can be terribly romantic, especially this close to valentines day. Stay in this year and share a bottle of wine over your own cheeseboard creation. And then if you are still hungry, check out my recipe for Rosemary and Garlic Crusted Filet Mignon. With these two dishes up your sleeve, you may want to stay in for date night all the time!
The next time you are in charge of bringing dish to a party or hosting your own, cheese plates and boards could not be any easier, they look elegant and are absolutely delicious.
Below are some tips from Whole Foods Market on pairing the Sartori line of cheeses. Have fun trying different combinations and in no time you will have mastered your own perfect cheese board.
Sartori is a family-owned fourth-generation artisanal cheesemaker from Plymouth, Wisconsin. Each of the varieties below are based off of their BellaVitano Gold, a creamy, nutty, Parmesan-inspired Italian farmstead cheese.
Rum Runner – A Whole Foods Market Exclusive!
Buttery and slightly sweet, soaked in locally made rum.
Pairs with: Dark beers, smoked meats, and red grapes
Merlot BellaVitano
Berry and plum notes!
Pairs with: Crusty bread, dried fruit, and hoppy beer
Raspberry BellaVitano
Bright notes of raspberry combine with hazelnut and brown-butter flavors.
Pairs well with nuts, chocolate, or light Italian red wine
