Juggling Motherhood Chef Style....

Juggling Motherhood and Management~ Chef Style..

   Well it has been well overdue for a blog post. Many things have happened since my last post. My life has changed many folds over. I am a dog owner now, of a wonderful Boston Terrier named Dibbit, which incidentally was named for my father-in-law's best friend. Wish I could have met my father-in -law, it might explain the ticks and quirks of my boys that leave me scratching my head.

Look Easy?

     Beyond that, my life has entered the surrender and transformation phase. Wow, wish that my older self could have told me that when I was walking around with rainbow leg warmers. There is a tremendous amount of truth to the statement " Hindsight is 20/20" this applies to me, five minutes after I have opened my mouth, in the present tense. All I can say is, that I am human, a work in  progress.


   Learning the Cooperative Way is like thinking outside of the box as a chef. Chefs are used to butter, cream, shanks ,sugar ,fine cheeses and artisan wines. So when we are presented with tempeh, tofu and nutritional yeast we learn fast how to make a feast! Somehow I don't think it has anything to do with food at this point. but more to do with the people. I am learning people at this stage in my life.

      For those of you who have no idea what it is like to work in a professional kitchen it is not like my present situation. A professional kitchen with a brigade is nothing short of a shark tank. There are people who are ready to step on your head literally, to get the attention of the Executive Chef, and the Chef relishes in that twisted power. This was how I learned to function for many years. Now, I am working in a Cooperative situation, where my voice, LOL my voice suddenly matters.

      Managing humans has been a huge learning curve, because each human comes with a different set of needs, and trying to fulfill those needs eventually leads to productive happy humans. The conundrum lies between that point and the outcome? Someone once told me that managing people, in a way is like teaching a kindergarten class. At first I wasn't so sure that I agreed with the idea but now I understand. Kindergarteners are full of excitement, energy and ideas and imagine 25 of those powerhouses moving in 25 different directions! Where's the Tylenol?

     In August my oldest son will be going away to college. I was very fortunate to have him home for a year, post graduation in June of 2014.  They call that a gap year,  my father called it farting around! (sorry Dad). I can honestly say that I am excited for him, but when I turn off the lights at night. I am sad to see him go, I have taken care, nurtured and looked over him for 19 years and somehow it is hard to turn that emotion off. Life at some point sped up, maybe when I stopped to smell the roses, or perhaps it was when I was distracted by boo-boos, fights or laughing fits either way as I stare at that picture to your right I am humbled by how fast time goes by.

     There is a cake that I would like to share with you, one because I live in the apple capital of the USA, and just recently I have read posts of friends whom have started the intricate process of pruning and two because I always end my posts with a recipe and a quote.


Heirloom Apple Cake 

8oz of softened cream cheese
4oz softened butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg5.
1/2 tsp ground allspice
3 apples (Cortland) peeled, cored and diced
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts

 In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients and whisk to combine, set aside. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter, until light and fluffy, gradually add the sugar, scrape the bowl down and add the eggs combined with the extracts, scraping the bowl down again, add all the flour mixture and mix on low to combine. Stir in the apples, cranberries and walnuts and pour into a well greased 10 inch cake pan and bake in a 350 oven until when pierced with a toothpick the pick comes out clean, approximately 45 minutes. Cool and invert and garnish with powdered sugar.

  “First rule of leadership: everything is your fault.” – A Bug’s Life

    

 

Strawberry Picking is Nigh, Let's go Make a Pie

    

     Getting back into blogging is like getting back into your clothes from the 1980's. Try as you might, it just gathers wrinkles and dust in the farthest recesses of your closet. It really is quite sad since, I work at the The Putney Food Coop and there is an abundance of fodder for me to write about. So, I decided to dust off my rainbow legwarmers and digital camera and set out on the blogger trail again sharing my misadventures from the Green Mountain state.

     It is quite hilarious if you knew me personally. I, now work in a very health conscientious atmosphere and I had to replace my old loves like flour, butter, beef and sugar with gluten-free, soy butter, tofu and sucanat.. Oh the travesty of it all....Hold on.......

     Did I mention the Cheese, the Glorious Cheese that comes with my job!! The Cave to Co-op program this month rocks  ,with Roger's Robusto a cheese akin to chevre. This cheese is made from the milk of Dutch Belt and Holstein cows, and then rolled in herbs with a touch of zesty hot peppers. My thought is a super Alfredo finished with Roger's Robusto !

      I really live a dual life kinda like James Bond 007, I grew up on the Twinkies side of the tracks, and now I am rubbing elbows with the Soy Boys, who knew???    I would like to describe myself as the "Roseanne Barr" of chefs ( no ill will Roseanne, I quite adore you!!!). What I mean by this is..when I cook you a plate, you don't need a weed whacker to get to it, or someone to translate it for you, while you eat. Just plain old comfort food.

     Unfortunately, I am not here to talk about cheese, although I could go on for months about good cheese. Not the framunda kind, you know the kind that smells like it came directly from your gym shoes, after working out for 12 hours in a fish cannery, on a 90 degree day with no socks, Haha icky!

     What I want to talk about is Strawberries!!!  This time of the year, strawberries are the earliest most coveted fruit, and when combined with rhubarb, it is the season's most prized combination.
  

     Rhubarb is a a very misunderstood conundrum, kinda like jicama it just creates more questions. But in case you were confused or rather inquisitive, rhubarb is a member of the buckwheat family and is not a fruit at all, but rather a vegetable, it's leaves are highly toxic and because of it's considerable tartness it is combined with ample amounts of sugar. In the USA it is commonly combined with strawberries in the UK you can see it paired with ginger. Here I give you Strawberry Rhubarb pie.

If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance.  ~Bern Williams
 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie                                                                                  
1 pound well washed diced rhubarb
2 pints quartered strawberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp orange extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs butter
1 recipe pie dough
1 egg combined with 2 tbs water for wash
2 tbs butter

In a clean bowl combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, flour and extracts and mix well. Let stand for 30 minutes so that it gets all happy. Roll 1/2 your pie dough out and line a 9 in deep dish well greased pie shell, add the strawberry rhubarb mixture, dot with the butter and top with the other half of your dough, crimp and cut steam holes in the center of the pie, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar and bake in a 350 degree oven until golden brown.
Pie Dough                                                                                                            2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1/2 cup cold water

In a standing mixer combine the flour, sugar and salt, add the cubed butter with a paddle mix on low until the mixture resembles cornmeal, add the cold water and mix until dough comes together, Wrap and chill before rolling. 

Back On the Trail

     It is nice to get back into the driver's seat again with respect to blogging. My life sometimes resembles a hamster, spinning around on a hamster wheel. Somehow when you are younger you focus more on the fun aspect of life, rather than the mundane duty of paying bills, carpools and how to creatively disguise hamburger in 4 out of 7 meals.

     Which brings me to my next thought, the economy! I was thinking that just yesterday you could escape the grocery store with spending 50 bucks and score a good size pile of loot. Now it averages 70 to 80 bucks and there isn't a whole lot there.

     My husband and I are saving our pennies to give our youngest son(the dog whisperer) a puppy for his 10th birthday. I have to say he certainly does have a way with the canines. This weekend we are going to meet the newest addition to the Gould clan, a little Boston terrier preordained with the moniker Dibbit. 

     The only creature that might raise a stink, would be the dear Giggle, the Siamese/Persian cat. I am sure we will be playing referee for at least a month or two. But Giggle should look on the bright side, not only will he have his dry food to eat but Dibbit's dry food as well. The little garbage gut!

     Working at the Putney food co-op has been a great experience. I am a huge vitamin junkie and now I can add additional vitamins to my already overkill daily regime. I should be banned from the Wellness aisle and Web MD as well. In a single afternoon I can convince myself that I am dying of some really rare disease, when really I should just take an Advil.

     I am learning things that I never new existed like a PLU machine. What a cool and annoying machine . Cool because who doesn't like sticking labels on things and pushing buttons. Annoying because you have to have some sort of ninja touch with reloading the labels. A ten minute job turns into three monkeys surrounding the machine and slapping it into submission, when all it required was Dona and her ninja touch.

     The other cool part of my job is the cryovac machine, again the button aspect lures me in, and the machine does not disappoint it sucks the air out of anything. I really should keep away from it, because I don't thing is was made for my button fetish. I wonder what would happen if you put bubble wrap in it?

     Cooking vegan is a challenge because my number one priority is making it taste good. But really it is the old switch-a-roo game. The term vegan was invented in 1944 by Donald Watson and quite simply means "that man should live without the exploitation of animals". It has come to be more of a philosophy, lifestyle and a set of principles than merely a diet.

Vegan Trail Cookies

2 1/2 cups Pamela's Gluten-free Flour
1 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoons  baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup earth balance 
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
3 tsp egg replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons warm water
1 bag vegan chocolate chips
1/3 cup toasted pepitas
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 dried cranberries

In a bowl combine the gluten-free flour,cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt set aside. In a cup measure combine the egg replacer and warm water mix well and set aside. In a standing mixer combine the earth balance and both sugars and cream, add the vanilla and egg replacer and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and scrap the contents from the bottom of the mixing bowl with the top to pull the unmixed sugar up. When well mixed add the last five ingredients and mix well. With a #12 ice cream scoop which is about 1/3 cup (for home use, in the restaurant we use #8 or 1/2 cup) scoop the cookies on a pre sprayed sheet tray and bake in a 350 oven until golden brown.

The way a team plays as a whole determines its success.  You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.  ~Babe Ruth

  



    

Objects are Closer than they Appear

     Life is a journey, and my cooking career could resemble at times a switch back mountain trail. A switch back trail is rough and unpredictable but the foundation is strong. My faith has carried me through the many hallways of culinary arts.

  

     The single most difficult thing to any new job is morphing yourself into the quilt of people that already exists in your new world. One thing I know is food, this is evident by my inability to turn my back on my longtime friend butter and cream. Hey, when you've ridden in a Cadillac it is hard to switch to a Prius. But those outnumber the Me's. Namely little ole' me.

     She said, "Can you make a gluten-free Cinnamon Bun"?,  and then another someone said, "Can you make a Vegan Gluten-free Cinnamon Bun"?,and when those two questions were digested, still another female someone said "Hey, I am a diabetic why can't I join this happy Lalala party"?. Wow, my hair is going grey at the temples and I need to get to my hairdresser, and I am keeping myself up late researching things that 5 years ago would seem blase.

     If it was not for my ultimate favorite food host Paula Deen, whom sadly found out that she was diabetic, I would still be riding the butter, cream, sugar party train. But I do have a soft heart, and I do adore Paula with diet restrictions and all. It was a Wild Toad's ride wasn't it?

     Anyone that meets me, knows that I enjoy a good challenge and perhaps God wanted in on the action. Moving to the Co-op, I have learned to think differently. I have never worked with tempeh and now I could perhaps sneak it in to my family's diet and only get a small riot. Tofu wow!!!, I am just grateful that I am able to make it somewhat palatable.

     It is nice to finally put my job on like a well worn slipper that you refuse to throw away. It took a while but we all know good things take time. During the transitional stage Sarah A and I perfected the Ultimate No-No-No Cinnamon Bun.

Putney Co-Op's No No No Cinnamon Buns

Apple Filling
3 large apples, peeled cored and diced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Dough
1 1/2 cups soymilk
1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1/2 cups Pamela's Amazing Gluten-free Bread Flour
2 tablespoons dry active yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 teaspoons Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup warm water.
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Earth Balance margarine
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Vegalene vegetable spray

In a medium bowl combine peeled cut apples with orange juice, sugar, spices and cornstarch and set aside. In a small saucepan combine soy milk, Earth Balance and vanilla and bring to a scald making sure the margarine is melted. In a standing mixer with a dough hook attachment combine 4 1/2 cups of Pamela's Amazing gluten-free bread flour with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup granulated sugar and two tablespoons dry active yeast. With mixer turned on low combine the flour mixture with the soy milk mixture. When well combined add the Egg replacer and water, and the final cup of gluten-free flour. Turn the dough out on a well gluten-free floured surface and knead for at least 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise at least 90 minutes. Combine the brown sugar, Earth Balance and ground cinnamon until it resembles a paste. When the dough has risen, roll out on a well floured surface. Spread the dough with the brown sugar mixture and layer all the apples evenly. Roll up and discard the ends. Cut the log in half, cut each half in half and then in half again, so you have eight rolls. Layer evenly in a well greased nine inch cake pan and bake in a 350F oven until golden brown. Turn out and glaze with a mixture of powdered sugar and water.

You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.  ~Mary Manin Morrissey

    

    

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

     The holidays came and went very fast and transitioning into a new job during the hullabaloo was a challenge in itself, never mind feeling lonely and wishing that I could be one of the guys sooner than later. But like everything, things take time and I would just have to be patient. Sometimes I want to bang my head against the counter, the statement "There is nothing common about common sense" has been my anthem these days.

     I ventured on my own very early in life, at 20 I was responsible for pretty much everything that a young adult should be responsible for. I was grateful that I could rely on myself to provide the things that I needed, not wanted , but needed. I ate a lot of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese in those days.

    One of my bosses told me early in my career, that I would take a lot of lumps in life. This was in order to build character, humility and integrity. I never questioned that lesson, and it has taken me far in life. Yes it sucked, to clean kitchen hoods after a 10 hour shift, the greasy water running down my arm and soaking my uniform. Sure I wanted to complain, but I never wanted them to see that I could not handle the lessons they were dishing.

     2011 was a complicated and difficult year. We saw a flood and the garden that I was so proud of receded with the water. People that were special passed away and left a somber hole for those that were left behind. In spite of all that, I lost my job. Yes 2011 was quite a year. But like the seasons, things change.

     I have been settling into my job the last few months, with the dips and valleys along the way. But staying the course has been my number one motive. The kitchen is extremely small and you could feel claustrophobic all of the time. However as small as the kitchen is, the ingredients and the freedom to be creative is far more valuable than having someone step on my toes.

     What I have been learning lately is the fine art of removing all that is good (hey, I am a chef..I can't help it) and morphing it into tasty items for our customers with restrictions. This is has been a super pain in the arse challenging aspect of my job, because no butter is a foreign country to me. Once I got over my hissy fit, I am quite enjoying this adventure.

     Who knew that you could make a cookie taste good without butter, cream or eggs. Hell, I lived in Alaska by myself and that was easier than this task. I would like to introduce you to some great products that I have been working with the past few months. First, every gluten-free cookie needs Pamela's Gluten-Free Flour. I have worked with this product in every aspect possible and I have made some really awful interesting things. It is a very perplexing product. Thanks to Sarah A. I am still in the game.

     Then Alex brought up a box of Egg Replacer that had a lot of Chinese looking writing on it. I thought "Oh Boy, another baffling product to add to my already amassing list of baffling products. To tell you the truth, I placed it at the back of my supplies and hoped it would go away. Then like a crack of lightning Alex the Busy reappeared and the jig was up! "People need Dairy-Free, Gluten Free and what about the Vegans"? The law had been spoken it was time to unpack my surplus of free this and free that products and use them. God help me, or rather God help the customers.

     Butter oh my lovely butter had to move over for Earth Balance and Vegan Buttery Sticks , and milk and cream needed to make room for Soymilk Creamer and Coconut milk creamer. I had all the machinations for a good cookie.  Putting it together is an entirely different hustle. But I did it!

Vegan Gluten-Free Molasses Crinkles( pictures coming shortly)

2/3 cup Earth Balance
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup Crosby's Molasses
2 tsp Egg Replacer mixed with two tablespoons of water
3 cups Pamela's Gluten-Free Flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 ground black pepper (for a kick)
1+cup of Demerara Sugar

In a small bowl combine the Egg Replacer with the water and set aside. In a medium bowl combine all the dry ingredients whisk and set aside. In a standing mixer cream the Earth Balance with the sugar until creamy. Add the molasses and mix well. Re-stir the Egg Replacer and add to the sugar mixture, mix well. Scrap down the bowl.  Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter constantly scraping down and pulling the batter from bottom of the bowl and recombining it with the top until all incorporated. With a # 12 ice cream scoop, scoop the batter and roll in the Demerara sugar place on a baking sheet and bake in 350 degree oven until the tops crack. Cool and serve.

 The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't.  ~Henry Ward Beecher

An Interview with Anna Deskins~A Fellow Bloggy Mom and Children's Book Author

Your children's book, The Adventures of Smitty looks magically. Tell us about it.

It's the story of a magical island of little creatures called Smilies and the mischievous little main character, Smitty. He's such a naughty boy. Haha!  All the moms and kids I've shared it with have been giving me such a wonderful reaction. I cannot believe it.  I have to tell you how excited I am to finally have a life-long dream come true. Writing The Adventures of Smitty was really about finding a story that I would want to read to my children at night. It has to be exciting but not scary so that my two daughters can go to sleep.  Basically, I was looking for that perfect blend to read to my kids at night and decided, "Why not try writing my own?"

We've had a lot of changes in our life recently, so I want to make sure that when I put my daughters to sleep that they feel safe.  I have short chapters because I know how busy we moms are but if you can just sacrifice 5 minutes at night reading to your kids, it makes a world of difference.  Your kids will never forget it. And although we're running around the whirlwind of life, our kids grow up so fast, and that time that we'd rather finish watching what happened in our favorite soap opera instead of reading to our kids will never come again.  I hope that The Adventures of Smitty and books like it help moms do exactly that.

And it's only 99 cents this week. That's what I love about it. Now, You are recently divorced. How have you been able to continue writing when going through such a change?

Yes, it is by far one of the most challenging points in my life. To see a marriage you thought would last forever to not last forever was difficult for the two of us. I really learned a lot about myself and most importantly, it's brought me closer to my daughters.  I think that's what really motivated me to finish this children's book no matter what. When you're going through changes in your life like this, you need something to hold on to. There's a part of you that wants to prove that you can make it, that you will be a success even if it's not with the partner you originally imagined building a life with.  I had to keep writing, for my kids. I want to show them that they have to keep strong, no matter what.

We as women, as moms really need to stick together to support each other and our dreams. We're living in an age when I think we're finally realizing, although we want love, the men in our life aren't the answer to everything. We have to stand up on our own two feet and keep going. True love will happen, but until then, we have to keep moving forward. Our children depend on us and we depend on us.

In addition to being a children's book author, you're also a small business owner. How do you juggle taking care of two daughters and at the same time running a business?

Yes, I am a fashion designer and have a retail store. Any type of creativity is what I'm passionate about. That's why writing The Adventures of Smitty was so important to me.  Let me tell you, running a small business in today's economy isn't easy especially when raising two girls at the same time. But somehow, it seems someone's watching over me because my dreams are coming true no matter what. To have that many moms glowing about my children's book, means so much to me. And I know my girls are proud.

When do you ever have time to write?

You mean, in between laundry, running a business, chasing my girls around the house, cleaning the house, and flying back and forth from Miami to New York? Haha? That's one thing I've learned, when you really want to do something, you find a way.  Things fall into place if you just go for it and that's what I want to encourage all the moms who are reading this right now. Whatever your goal is, you can do it. Don't let the challenges in your personal life stop you from going for your dreams.  Just go for it and it's almost magical how things fall into place.

Where can we get a copy of "The Adventures of Smitty"?

Right now, it's available online by going to: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/94655 You can also visit my website:http://www.AnnaDeskins.com where you can read more about my writing process, my recommendations for other books and my own adventures in Mommy hood.

I'm so grateful for your support and the support I'm getting from so many wonderful moms who dream of writing children's books one day too.  Writing The Adventures of Smitty has been such an emotional experience for me, a true journey as I was going through so many changes while writing it.  It's truly been a blessing in my life.  It, along with my daughters, and that guy upstairs have really pulled me through a challenging time.

Thanks for the interview, Anna. And let's go out and support a fellow mom by getting a copy of The Adventures of Smitty today. I know I will!

Sleeping With The Dishes

      Being the new girl is something that I am no stranger to. In fact, I do and can play the role very well. Funny when you become an adult, people rarely shed their defense mechanisms, those barriers that protect the real person that you are. We all could learn valuable lessons from going back to kindergarten.

     Walking into a new kitchen always has its pros and cons and this past week, I remained grateful to have a job and tried to only focus on that aspect. I am not going to say that it was all wine and roses and I am not going to say it was all a bad dream. It is a new chapter in my book and I welcome the blessings and challenges that it may bring.

     Change is scary, but fear is just that energy in motion, don't give it the fuel to move. Sometimes it is easier said than done. My fortitude has been tested these past two months, and at times it has been hard to see the silver lining. I knew going into a new kitchen, I would be on the outside looking in. It kind of feels like you are the last person being picked for a game of kickball. Been there, done that. Being a military brat I stood alone many times. It will just take some time.

     So now on to more exciting news than my popularity.  The Putney Co op is like a chef's Disney World, like Christmas everyday from a gastronomic standpoint. Sometimes, I can hardly contain my need to giggle and clap my hands like a hyper four year old on a sugar bender. I walked by a case of Maytag blue cheese and I just wanted to hug it.That is only the cheese. The possibilities are endless, and it seems my silver lining has just passed over like Haley's Comet.

     So I did tell you that is was not all wine and roses right? Here is the part that was like the customer that doesn't get the hint that it is time to go home. Gluten free!!! Many patrons of the Co op are, 1. very food conscious, 2. very food conscious and finally 3. don't mess with it. Lots of gluten free, and vegans. Yikes I feel that fear in motion. I have been working with all fat, added fat and a side of fat for so many years that gluten free never passed my lips.

     It will be a humbling learning experience. That being said, this is not the challenging part, the challenging part is baking a good product, in a wildly erratic oven, that only has one shelf reserved for you, and throw in a couple of people continuously opening and closing the said oven and right there folks is the "recipe for disaster". Yes ma'am that stings like salt in a wound. This little dynamic only gives those that are further up on the food chain than myself, fodder to run with. Murphy's Law should have been overruled.

Farewell to Fat Pepperoni Rolls

2 cups King Arthur All Purpose Flour
1 tablespoon Fleischmann's Dry Active Yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water(110F to 115F)
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound pepperoni, sliced or unsliced
1 cup mozzarella or parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon EVOO (like Rachel Ray says)

In a mixing bowl fashioned with a dough hook, add all the dry ingredients, including the yeast. Combine the warm water and olive oil and pour into mixing bowl.  Turn the machine on low and mix until the dough pulls cleanly from the sides.  At this point you might have to add more flour, just add a little at a time, like 1 or 2 tbs at a time. When the dough is elastic and no longer is sticky to the touch, oil the same bowl that you mixed the dough in, cover with a towel and set in a warm place, until doubled in size.  Punch down and your ready for cheese and your favorite toppings.  Good hot oven is the key to getting a good rise and browning, anything over 400F is a good starting point.

Now portion the dough into the size pepperoni rolls that suit you. Roll out your dough and brush with the olive oil lightly and sprinkle with cheese, layer with pepperoni. Wrap like a burrito and seal edges, and place on a cookie sheet seam side down. Repeat until all dough and ingredients are used up. Bake in a 400F oven until golden brown and serve with your favorite marinara sauce .

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.  ~Herm Albright, quoted in Reader's Digest, June 1995