My computer has been down since Tuesday morning, so I have been away from my site and yours for these past days. It is odd to be gone so long, and I feel as if I have missed your comings and goings and what you have been cooking. But I am back tonight for a little while as Hanna approaches the Lowcountry and hopefully does not take down the computer and leave me out of the loop once again. So with haste I make a quick post that was written on Tuesday and scurry to see what you have all been up to.

Birthdays are somewhat surreal when you get older especially when you have passed the 50 yr. mark. Reaching my 40’s was a blessing and the 10 yrs that followed were some of the best years of my life for many reasons. I must say that I hit the 50’s a few years back-kicking and screaming.  Well not really kicking, but if the arthritis in the feet hadn’t started I would still be kicking, trust me. Now I am hobbling and I don’t like it much.

So another year passed Tuesday as I celebrated my 54th birthday and part of the passing is choosing what I wanted to eat for the day. This tradition was established ages ago and I was most likely asked this question as soon as I was old enough to speak. We all with great thought, contemplated this most important question- days before the celebration, so that my mother could take the steps needed to prepare the meals and my father could make reservations if we chose to go out for dinner. 

Of course we always wanted to eat in, and through the years our favorite meal did change. Often the three meals had no rhythm to them except that they were important to us. A cake was made as store bought was never an acceptable option. I have always been a fan of the most glorious of cakes- the Coconut Cake. This is odd as it is a Southern dessert and I grew up North. I can’t remember the first time I had a slice of Coconut Cake and new it was the cake of my dreams that would remain so for all these years and I suspect will continue to be my birthday cake of choice.

The Coconut Cake is one of the grandest of all the cakes that has come out of the South. Charleston in particular is known for their Coconut Cake and is one of the top ten reasons that sealed the deal on my move here from Atlanta over 8 years ago.

Time did not permit the making of a Coconut Cake for this birthday so you will have to wait till Christmas time when I will partake in the custom of having a 7 layer Coconut Cake on hand for the holidays. I know we are talking months from now, but it is fitting that while I wait for God you will have to wait for me to share the recipe and beauty of a Coconut Cake. Besides, I’ll enjoy the company as it is much more fun to wait while others join you.

As much as I love Southern food, I have wanted pizza for months on end and chose last minute to have this for my birthday dinner. This was all after a picnic at the beach with one of my daughters, who made a lovely spread of sandwiches, fruit and some other treats which went with the sun and nice breeze that we enjoyed. It was my first time to the beach this summer, and freckles or not, I got crispy-crispy-crispy….but it was worth it.

I have made Virginia Willis’s Cornmeal Foccacio once before last week and haven’t gotten to posting about it. This was such a hit and enjoyed for days, that I decided to make the dough again but this time making pizzas with it. Fresh mozzarella, rosemary, sliced potatoes; goat cheese, ricotta, heirloom tomatoes and caramelized Vidalia onions were our toppings. The only thing I would do different is get a pizza stone, though in spite of not having one, the dough formed a nice crust.

The Cornmeal Foccacio is a splendid dough filled with chopped rosemary in it, and the texture of the cornmeal added a most interesting element to the bread. Becoming fond of cornmeal is an understatement and the stone ground cornmeal offers something beyond the ordinary. Add to this a layer of Heirloom tomatoes, sweet Vidalia onions baked till golden with a light shaving of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top and you will be in store for a treat; as it comes out of the oven hot and bubbly, the next day cold for breakfast and then reheated again as a snack.

If you are timid about making your own dough, I suggest that you forget that you are making dough and jump right in -because in no time you will have a splendid meal waiting for you. If you have a kitchen-aid it will be a cinch to make this dish. I went back to my local farmer and procured another batch of miniature assorted Heirloom tomatoes and sliced this on top. The colors and shapes were a sight and each bite gave me a different taste depending on which tomato I ate. I am a fan of fresh rosemary, so don’t skimp on this, buy some and top the Foccacio with fresh sprigs before baking.

I know for those of you that read this blog that I am a huge fan of Virginia Willis’s for a variety of reasons. There is a wonderful article written about Virginia in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, so take the time to check it out. Virginia has led me in the kitchen for some fine cooking with her book BON APPETIT, Y’ALL.  Y’all are missing out if you don’t follow my steps and give her a good try. Every recipe is on the money and leaves me hungry for more. Luckily-I have a way to go as I work my way through her book feasting on a fresh take of Southern Cooking.

Cornmeal Foccacio

Adapted-Virginia Willis, BON APPETIT, Y’ALL

2 cups warm water (100 to 110 degree F)

1 packet dry yeast

4 1/2 cups to 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneeding

1/3 cup white or yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 teaspooon chopped fresh rosemary (I used 1 tablespoon)

Fresh rosemary sprigs

1 red tomato thinly sliced ( I used 1 package of assorted Heirloom tomatoes)

1/2 Vidalia onion

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• Place the warm water in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the dough hook.
• Sprinkle the dry yeast over the water, stir. Let stand until the yeast dissolves, bubbles and proofs, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add 4 cups flour, cornmeal, salt and chopped rosemary and stir on low to combine.
• Add an additional 1/2 to 1 cup of the remaining flour and knead on medium speed until smooth.
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, 5 to 7 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.
• Place 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large bowl; add the dough, turning to coat, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm area, till doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Brush a 18 x 13 inch rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil. Punch the dough down and transfer to the prepared sheet. Using your fingertips, press out the dough to fit the pan.
• Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Let the dough rise, uncovered, in a warm place until puffy, about 30 minutes.
• Dimple the dough with your fingertips, forming indentations. Top with the sliced tomatoes and onions. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter the rosemary sprigs around and press lightly into the dough.
• Bake until brown and crusty, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperture.
• If you want sprinkle the top at the end of baking with some shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.