The 12 Days of Fork and The Cork

"Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out in the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?"

- Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation


Ah, the Holidays. There is a bit of Clark W. Griswold in all of us: we mean well, we have faith in ourselves and our loved ones, and we sometimes set standards no family event could live up to.

The key to surviving this time of year, besides a fair amount of alcohol, is to be prepared! Starting today, the 12th day of Christmas, Fork and the Cork will be bringing you a new recipe each day leading up to the 1st day of Christmas.

You'll find recipes for your holiday event/dinner, recipes for gifting, and quick and easy dinner recipes to feed the brood after a long day of shopping, tree decorating, or bar hopping.

I am not so naive to think 12 recipes will prevent a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency, but it will give the relatives one less thing to complain about...

On the twelfth day of Christmas, Fork and The Cork gave to me:


12 slices of pizza (if you cut the slices really small!)

Roasted Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza:



Ingredients

  • 1 (1- pound) acorn squash
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
  • 1 pound pizza dough
  • 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
  • 1 cup arugula (or 2 or 3, depends on your taste)
Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice the squash in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds. Slice the squash into 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide half moons and place in a medium bowl. Toss the squash with the syrup, olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the squash until tender and golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.


Keep the temperature on the oven at 375 degrees F. Roll out the pizza dough on a flour dusted piece of parchment paper to a 13-inch diameter. Place the pizza and the parchment paper on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the Gorgonzola on the pizza dough. Bake in the oven until golden and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes.


Peel the skins off the squash. Top the cooked pizza with the cooked squash. Top with arugula and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Slice and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis


What if it had been three Wise Women instead of three Wise Men?
They would have asked directions,
Arrived on time,
Helped deliver the baby,
Cleaned the stable,
Made a casserole,
And brought practical gifts.


 
















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