Sneeze the Cheese (Don’t, please!)

For the first time in my life people around me, everywhere, are sick while I remain steadfastly healthy. Since Christmas.

It’s freaking me out.

Boyfriend – sick. Coworkers – sick. Family members over Christmas – sick. Me: healthy(?)

Okay what bizarro world have I stepped into? Should I be on the lookout for a backward S and have some blue kryptonite on hand? Should I be knocking on every piece of wood I see? In any event I’m certainly enjoying it.

I know I’ve said this in the past but a big part of my improved immune system the last year is Bikram Yoga. It hasn’t just been helping me either. My mother has started going to do Bikram regularly (three times a week) interspersed with Vinyasa Yoga, a slightly less hot but still warm practice. It’s been really good for her and in addition to getting healthier she has lost 40 pounds doing the practice with a low carb diet and the occasional walk.

Ideally I’d be going to Bikram every day. For a while I was on an ultimate yoga journey to do 10 days in a row and I made it to day 8 before getting interrupted in life. Of course that was when I lived 4 blocks from a studio and had a 5 minute work commute on my bicycle. These days it is much harder for me to get in to practice because of my job and 55 mile commute. Still I’m doing my best to get out of work timely enough to go at least twice a week. Eventually I’ll make myself go on weekends when I’m visiting the boyfriend back in Davis.

I suppose that for a post so focused on healthy, happy bodies I should share a skinny recipe but I so want to tell you about this pie. It’s pretty tasty and if you are a fan of Chicago Style Pizza you’ll go gaga for this. Personally I’m more of a New Yorker, despite being raised by parents who are California transplants from the Windy City. Despite my predilection for the superior New York style pizza, I have to admit I like this pie a lot. Maybe if I make it for the boyfriend he won’t mind that I slip away for two hours to go to Yoga when I’m supposed to be spending weekends with him….

Tomato and Cheddar Pie

from Bon Appétit August 2011

Crust

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut  into 1/2″ cubes
• 1 cup buttermilk

Filling

• 2 pounds large ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4″  slices
• 2 1/2 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar (8–9  ounces)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (1/2 ounce)
• 1 scallion, trimmed, chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal

For crust:  Whisk  first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in butter until  coarse meal forms and some small lumps remain. Stir in buttermilk and knead gently with your hands until dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for 1  hour.

For filling:  Lay  tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with 2 layers of paper towels. Place another 2 layers of paper towels on top of tomatoes. Let stand  for 30 minutes to drain.

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Roll out dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to an 11″ round. Remove top  layer of plastic wrap. Invert dough onto pie dish. Carefully peel off plastic  wrap.

Toss both cheeses in a  medium bowl until evenly incorporated. Reserve 1/4 cup of cheese mixture. Whisk  scallion, mayonnaise, dill, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Sprinkle cornmeal evenly  over bottom of crust, then top with 1/2 cup cheese mixture. Arrange 1/3 of  tomatoes over cheese, overlapping as needed. Spread half of mayonnaise mixture  (about 1/3 cup) over. Repeat layering with 1 cup of cheese mixture, 1/2 of remaining tomato slices, and remaining mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1  cup cheese mixture over, then remaining tomato slices. Sprinkle with reserved  1/4 cup cheese mixture. Fold overhanging crust up and over edges of tomato  slices.

Bake pie until crust is  golden and cheese is golden brown, 35-40 minutes (check crust halfway and tent  with foil if it’s getting too dark). Let pie cool at least 1 hour and up to 3  hours before slicing and serving.