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Is there any food better than pizza?  I'll go out on a limb and posit that pizza may be the best food type on the planet.  Pizza has everything: incredible texture, rich flavor, it's cheap to prepare, it's filling, and, in general, is one of the rare food types that contains both complexity and simplicity.

My beloved Aunt Giovanna (pictured on the left) owns a small wood fired bakery in Calabria and both the bread and pizza she bakes each day is the best I've tasted.  The bread is airy with incredible texture and flavor.  My favorite daily ritual, when in Calabria, is to head to the bakery early in the morning and enjoy a breakfast of fresh baked bread with extra virgin olive oil.  Aunt Giovanna's pizza contains the same properties of her bread, but with traditional Calabrian toppings (including olives, sardines, sea salt, basil, grated Pecorino Romano, and coarsely chopped plum tomatoes).  One of the wishes I have is to reproduce My aunt's pizza here in States, but it would be nearly impossible given that I lack the wood fired oven, high quality and ultra fine Italian flour, and the water from the region.  So, what's a pizza loving guy to do - adapt of course! 

In turn, here's my classic, homemade, pizza dough recipe (and, please, stop giving your hard earned cash to the local Pizza guy who drives the fancy imported car, you deserve better pizza!):

Ingredients

- 1 cup of warm water

- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

- 3 cups of all-purpose (or unbleached) flour (you can also try Molino Caputo Tipo 00 Pizza Flour, imported from Naples, Italy)

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1 teaspoon of salt

- 1 teaspoon of sugar

Mix the "wet ingredients", including the water and olive oil with the dry yeast (you're looking to dissolve the yeast).  Thereafter thoroughly mix the remaining dry ingredients and combine with the wet ingredients.  Place the mixture in a Kitchen Aid and mix for 2-3 minutes.  Remove the dough and knead with your hands for 4-5 minutes; you're looking for a fluffy/not too dense dough.  Remember to make sure your workspace has plenty of flour so the dough does not stick when kneading.  Form the dough into a ball and coat the exterior with a bit of olive oil and place in a large bowl, covering the bowl with a kitchen towel.  The dough should sit (I like to place the bowl in my oven, with no heat of course) for 30-45 minutes or until it doubles in size.     

Next, add a tablespoon of olive oil to a 10 by 15 inch cookie sheet and thoroughly coat the bottom with the oil. Take your dough and cut it in half and stretch the dough on your cookie sheet.  Add a bit more olive to the dough and spread it with your hands.  You're now ready add your toppings!

My favorite type of pizza is the "Pizza Margherita" which is comprised of tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil.  Start with the sauce and then add shredded mozzarella. 

Preheat your over to 400 degrees F. and bake your pizza for 20-25 minutes depending on how thin or thick your dough is.  Once you're ready to remove the pizza lift one side of the dough and make sure you've got a nice brown color (the cheese should be bubbling as well).  After removing the pizza, add the hand shredded basil and a bit of olive oil.  If you have some Parmigiano-Reggiano you could also grate a bit ontop of the pizza!

Some of my other favorite toppings include:

1. Sautéed red onions, black pepper, and Parmigiano-Reggiano
2. Sautéed mushrooms and Parmigiano-Reggiano
3. Dried rosemary, seal salt, red pepper flakes, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and extra olive oil

In my view, espresso is the greatest representation of coffee on the planet.  I do enjoy a cup of French Press coffee each and every day but when I crave pure coffee taste, I brew up a batch of stovetop espresso.  True espresso aficionados head for a coffee bar or own their own equipment, but I can't justify both the cost of a high end espresso machine and grinder nor the daily expense of buying from a bar or café.  In turn, I've been using a 4 cup Bialetti stovetop espresso maker since my college days.  The stovetop machine is inexpensive (about $25.00) and produces a good cup of espresso (it's not a true representation of espresso but it's just fine given time to brew, cost, and clean up time).  Here's a quick description of how to use your Bialetti stovetop espresso maker:

- Unscrew the top portion of the espresso maker from the bottom portion and remove the metal filter/coffee ground holder.

- Fill the bottom of the unit with fresh, filtered, water (to the top of the bolt on the inside of the base).

- Fill the metal filter with ground espresso, making sure not to pack the grinds but simply filling the filter with enough ground coffee where a small mound is produced.

- Insert the metal filter into the base and tightly screw the top unit to the bottom portion of the maker.

- Place the maker on your stovetop and set on a low burn (it's important not to use a high flame).

You'll begin to hear the espresso come up in about 8-12 minutes depending on the size of the Bialetti unit you've purchased.  And you'll know that the espresso is done when no more espresso is coming out of the top unit (simply open the hatch and have a look inside).  I like to stir the espresso in the maker before serving. 

A note on espresso beans: like any type of coffee preparation the fresher the bean the better tasting your coffee will be.  So, you can buy beans and grind them per use, but it can be a labor intensive and messy affair (espresso beans need to be ground very fine).  If you're going to go the "grind every day method", you'll need a high end burr grinder.

My preference is to buy pre-ground espresso from Illy or Kimbo.  After all, espresso is meant to be a "quick" cup of coffee and not a labor intensive process.

Beyond a perfectly roasted chicken and a plate of linguine with extral virgin olive oil and grated Parmigiano Reggiano there are few dishes that can come close to the texture and flavor of a gently poached egg with crumbled toast.

Here's what you'll need:

- 1 large egg

- Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

- Olive Oil

- 1 piece of toasted bread (this can be whatever bread you have around the house)

- 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar

Bring about two cups of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar (the vinegar will help keep the egg white from dispersing).  Place your heat on simmer and gently crack 1 egg into the simmering liquid (some folks use a ladle to lower the egg into the water).  Cook the egg for 3.5 - 4 minutes depending on the size of the egg.  Next, gently scoop the egg from the simmering water with a slotted spoon; making sure to get rid of as much water from the egg as possible.

In a large bowl, crumble your toast into bite size pieces and drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.  Give the mixture a quick toss and place your poached egg on top of the bread (drizzle some more olive oil over the egg and add a bit more salt and pepper).The egg should be runny and your toast should absorb the egg and olive oil. If you happen to have some prosciutto di parma in your fridge, hand shred some pieces over the mixture. Enjoy with a cup of steaming coffee or a glass of orange juice

As an ex-Philosophy major, I can tell you that my degree is invaluable and I would certainly study the same subject if I had to start all over again (I would maybe throw in a degree in Economics as well).  If we cut to the chase, a degree in philosophy provides the following benefits

1. How to read critically (i.e., a book, magazine article, newspaper, P&L statement, web traffic report, etc.).
 
2. How to write well. (this could be an email, letter, report, blog, or living will).

3. How to debate and speak in front of large audiences.

4. How to create impromptu arguments and analysis (this may be the number one business skill of all time and I'd hire someone with this skill set versus a Harvard graduate any day).

5. How to figure out what is right and wrong (ethics) and identify with different sorts of people and cultures (this is critical in the modern workforce, think how different your job is from what you see on Mad Men each week).

6. How to apply logic to any problem.

7. How to think strategically or see the "big picture."

8. How to think about a problem by deconstructing the big picture and looking at the details.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture.  A degree in philosophy is not a degree in electrical engineering; that is to say, the degree will not train you specifically to go out into the world and be an electrical engineer but it will equip you to do really well in the workforce by adapting to any work situation. 

Philosophy also provides excellent training for a professional degree.  Considering the benefits I stated above, philosophy majors score in the very top percentiles on the GRE, LSAT, and GMAT exams. "For example, in a recent GRE study, philosophy majors were ranked among the very top majors in their mean scores on the verbal, analytic, and quantitative components of the exam; in a recent LSAT study, philosophy majors had a higher mean score than even pre-law majors; and for recent GMAT tests, the mean score for philosophy majors exceeded that of any type of business major. Virtually no other major does this well on such a wide cross-section of standardized exams.(quote from the University of New Hampshire Philosophy Department web site http://www.unh.edu/philosophy/index.cfm?id=39F7EBE2-C029-7E5B-F1371DFC37778362)."

Did you study philosophy, let everyone know about your experience by commenting above.

I'm often asked what my favorite meals or recipes are and folks are shocked or confused when I say something like sautéed escarole or baked broccoli or that I treasure a ripe organic pear over a well marbled sirloin steak.  However, it's true, I like my food simple and fresh (preferring fish over red meat, raw nuts over processed snacks and chips, and sautéed green vegetables over friend potatoes). 

My favorite vegetable dish is sautéed escarole.  Escarole is a type of endive with very broad leaves, but without the bitter taste.  Escarole is incredibly hearty and stores well in your refrigerator crisper drawer.  Escarole is high in fiber, vitamin K and A, and folic acid.  It's also very difficult to overcook escarole; here's a time tested recipe, but first the ingredients:

- One head of escarole
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon of dry red pepper flakes (optional)

The best method for preparing escarole includes a light boil and then sauté.  Begin by cutting the bottom ½ inch of the escarole (removing the stem) so all of the individual leaves are exposed.  Next wash the leaves in a large bowl with water.  NOTE: You'll need to submerge and drain the leaves no less than 3X in order to remove all of the excess dirt and grit.  After you've thoroughly cleaned your escarole you can move the greens to a 6 quart sauté pan with about a ¼ of inch of water.  Place the lid on the pan and gently steam the leaves for about 5-10 minutes (the leaves will dramatically reduce in volume).  After the leaves have wilted, remove the excess liquid and add salt and pepper to taste as well as 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil.  Toss the ingredients well and add your thinly sliced garlic (you can the red pepper flakes at this point as well).  Finally, sauté the mixture for 8-10 minutes and serve in a medium sized bowl.  I like roast chicken and a nice glass of Aglianico with sautéed escarole. 

One of the most important life skills you can teach your child is how to save or, more specifically, why it's important to save.   My parents would often bring me to the bank as a small child and I observed my mother writing and cashing checks, depositing money, etc.  By the time I was 7 or 8 my parents told me about a little blue passbook they had opened for me when I was born.  The passbook (or savings account) contained some regular deposits and a healthy amount of money.  I had no sense of the value of the account or what the cash really represented, but I do remember my parents telling me:

- This is where you will (not can) save any money you should come across (birthday, holiday, etc.).

- Once you put money into the little blue book you really do not want to take it out (unless you need something).

- The bank will give you some money in return for keeping a little blue book full of money.

I love soup.  And pretty much every soup variety suits me just fine.  I like chicken, pea, vegetable, barley, onion, etc.  I do have a couple of pet peeves about soup, however:

1. Soup must be homemade (I'm actually vehemently opposed to canned soup).

2. Homemade soup must start with water and not chicken, beef, or vegetable stock.

3. If you're going to have soup for dinner you need to include a nice, as we say in Italian, "secondi" (a second dish or entree that can help fill you up and provide a complete meal).

Given the above prerequisites, the undisputed "king of soups" for me is Lentil.  Lentils are tasty, packed full of proteins, and fairly straightforward to prepare. 

Here's a simple Lentil soup recipe:

- Finely dice one medium onion, 2-3 medium sized celery stalks, and 1-2 medium sized carrots, and a single clove of garlic

- Sauté the above mixture (add salt and pepper to taste) for 8-10 minutes (depending on strength of flame) with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.

- Next, add one cup of dry lentils and about two cups of pureed canned tomatoes (not tomato sauce, but rather canned tomatoes).  You could substitute the canned tomatoes with tomato paste, but the flavor component will be completely different.

- Thereafter, add 4 cups of fresh water (filtered or purified water is best; remember water is the main ingredient in soups so it should be of good quality)

- Finally, cook ingredients for an hour and serve! 

That's it, there's no magic to preparing soup (other soup recipes vary, but the basic steps are the same for many soups).  Oh, I also like to add freshly grated Parmeggiono Reggiano just before serving!.

I received a recent email from Dee asking how to prepare real meals (i.e., not your standard sandwiches, tuna, and fast food items) in a practical way and I've been giving the question some thought. 

Cooking is not rocket science, but it does require that you 1., care about the quality of the food you purchase and 2., set aside the the time needed to prepare a meal.  I learned to cook by watching my mother; her meals, for the most part, were simple and prepared from scratch.  Some of my favorite meals included pasta with olive oil, garlic, and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, frittata with onions and potatoes, and baked flounder with bread crumbs and hot pepper flakes.  My mother made more elaborate meals for holidays or birthdays but her everyday style was more simple and fresh then fancy and exotic.

Given that most of you will likely be interacting with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day, I thought I would offer some "how to" tips on getting along with your dinner companions:

- Be nice. Getting along with people is not rocket science.  If you're coming across as cold, snobby, and unwilling to engage in a conversation, you'll most likely be sitting by yourself watching some bad football game.

- Have a glass of wine.  I'm not advocating funneling a bottle of Cote du Rhone, but grab a glass of wine when you arrive and it will help you engage people in conversation and just make you feel relaxed.

Coffee, in moderation, has proven to have some health benefits including:

- Coffee seems to protect men from Parkinson's disease
- Coffee drinkers may be half as likely to develop Diabetes
- Coffee might have anti-cancer attributes
- Coffee may not increase blood pressure as previously thought

(Source: Harvard Health Letter)

Regardless of health benefits most folks enjoy coffee because of 1., caffeine energy jolt 2., taste and 3. ritual.