thai red curry duck pizza

Growing sleepy as the rain falls

As children draped in flowers form a chain

They sing a song with jelly jars and bird calls

As night falls into dust and it’s day again

I’m not afraid of a love parade in my daydream

Old men with kazoos and beating drums

But I awake and I see the streets are ice cream

It’s just you and me and oh dear, our life has just begun

“Everything Is” by Neutral Milk Hotel

I lived in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland for about four years.  I loved that neighborhood, there was a great coffee shop, an awesome butcher, and some great restaurants. One of my favorite restaurants was Soi Four Bangkok Eatery, a thai restaurant that was about 500 feet from my front door.  While the whole menu was solid, I almost always got the same dish, Kang Ped.  Kang Ped, which is duck in a red curry sauce, was served with plenty of curry that I liked to mix with jasmine rice to make a sort of stew.  This is my homage in pizza form.

Pizza Ingredients:

Pineapple, cut into ½ inch chunks
Red Pepper
Cherry tomatoes, halved and squeezed of juice
Duck breast, seasoned with salt and pepper,fat side sliced in ½ intervals about ½ inch deep
Pizza Dough
Red Curry Sauce
Mozarella, pre-shredded is better because it is a little drier
Basil

Red Curry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 can coconut milk
3 tablespoons red curry paste
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Juice of one lime
6 sprigs of cilantro
1 tablespoon of cornstarch, diluted in a little cold water

Directions:

1. In a small pot combine coconut milk, curry paste, brown sugar, fish sauce, and lime, whisk to combine
2. Bring to a simmer, add cilantro, cook for 5 minutes
3. Remove and discard cilantro, add cornstarch mixture, cook until well thickened, about ten minutes

To Assemble the Pizza

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat, sear duck breast fat side down until dark brown, flip and put in the oven until cooked through
3. Remove duck, let rest for five minutes, and then slice, raise oven temperature to 500 F
4. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add red pepper and pineapple and cook until the red peppers slightly soften, about 2-3 minutes
5. Stretch out dough, add sauce, sprinkle with cheese, top with red pepper and pineapple
6. Cook pizza until dough is fully cooked
7. Add the duck and basil and cook for 1-2 minutes

waffles

I’ve seen the world with a five piece band

Looking at the back side of me

Singing my songs and one of his now and then

But I don’t think Hank done ‘em this a’way

No I don’t think Hank done ‘em this a’way

“Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” by Waylon Jennings

Waffles are my son’s favorite breakfast item, I try to make these for the little dude as much as I can.

Makes 8 (7.5 inch round) waffles

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon table salt
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups milk
1 stick of butter, melted
2 egg whites

Directions:

1. Preheat waffle iron to 4 out 5 setting (you will have to do some practice on your waffle iron)
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together in a medium bowl, making a well in the center
3. In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg yolks while stirring in the milk and the butter
4. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mix until just combined
5. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks
6. Fold the egg whites into the batter until combined, but don’t over-mix
7. Spoon the batter onto the hot waffle iron, use an overflowing half cup measure for waffles, spread out slightly with bottom of measure and press waffle maker down firmly, let go and wait for go light on waffle maker then wait ten extra seconds
8. Serve warm