my current favorite recipe

So it's taken me literally years to get to the point where I feel like I can cook comfortably in Asia. Especially where we live now, if it isn't from scratch, it won't get made. For the longest time I just tried to get by and made the same few things over and over. Or experimented and failed miserably. Thankfully my husband is not picky and eats whatever I make!

While I'm on this train of thought, I'd like to take this opportunity and go ahead and apologize to everyone who might have visited us in the early years and ate with us in our home here. I remember serving a few really bad meals in particular to the likes of Kristen and Mike and Josh C. Ha! Truthfully I'm still learning. My newest venture is learning the ins and outs of my pressure cooker. Who new it could make water buffalo edible?! (Well, truthfully sometimes it's still a bit tough. But it makes chicken taste so tender!)

Anyway, enough of that. There happens to be a fellow ex-pat named Sara Beth who has started a recipe blog and has given me lots of ideas for meals. What's great is that almost all of her recipes I can make because she lives in the same country and has access to mostly the same ingredients, more or less. (I won't post a link to her blog here but if you want it e-mail me and I'll send it to you!) I've made several of the recipes she has posted but my favorite is probably still her calzone recipe. It's one I'll still make when we are in the good ole' US of A. Hope you try it and enjoy!

Calzone Dough (makes 4 calzones)

1 Tbs. sugar

1/4 cup warm water

1 Tbs. yeast

3/4 cup warm water

3 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Combine first three ingredients in your bowl. Allow to stand for 5 minutes and let the yeast grow. Add the additional ingredients to the bowl, adding flour 1 cup at a time. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes. You can allow the dough to rest and rise for a while or you can go ahead and use it to make calzones. (You can also freeze the dough to use for later.)

• Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Pat out each piece into a flat round piece, about 1/4 inch thick. On one half, pile toppings (save sauces for dipping rather than putting inside). Each calzone can hold 3/4 cup to 1 cup of toppings. Fold the dough over the top, making a half circle shape. Seal the ends and pinch together as best you can. Slash 2-3 vents into the top of your calzone. Bake at 450 for 10-15 minutes.
• For filling, add anything you might like in pizza. Our favorites are tomatoes, onions, peppers, cheese and whatever meat we have available. We've had dinner parties with these a few times and it's lots of fun because everyone can make their calzone how they like it. (Oh, well, that and because I love it when the O fam brings over their homemade sausage!) Dip in sauces such as marinara, ranch, or bbq sauce.