61. Connecticut

GRINDER

Italian bread

extra-virgin olive oil

oregano

deli ham and turkey 

Provolone cheese

Romaine lettuce

tomato

red wine vinegar

salt 

black pepper

A grinder roll closely resembles Italian bread, but the inside is chewier and the outside has a nice crust on it. Finding the perfect bread is a must then the rest of the sandwich will fall into place. 

Slice the roll so that it’s open but not all the way; you want all of the ingredients to stay in the sandwich instead of all over your lap. Liberally coat the bread with oil, then add a light sprinkle of oregano. Some people like mayo instead, but I prefer extra-virgin olive oil. 

Add the cheese and  the deli meat.

Now it’s time for the lettuce and tomato. One of the important parts of a true grinder is to shred the lettuce.   I use romaine lettuce, but you could use iceberg if you prefer. If using romaine cut off the dark green leafy top and set it aside for a salad and thinly slice the lighter, more crisp lettuce closest to the core. 

Once you’ve added your lettuce and tomato, drizzle the top with more extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar, then sprinkle more oregano, salt, and course ground pepper.

White Clam Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

1 (14") Roman style pizza crust

3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cornmeal

36 raw Littleneck clam meats

1/2 cup freshly grated real Italian Pecorino Romano cheese

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced fine

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons dried oregano

About the clams. Pepe's uses whole, live fresh Littleneck clams from Rhode Island and shucks them on site. You can do this too, but it is a lot easier to get pre-shucked fresh or fresh frozen clam meats. Whole shucked clams cook at about the same rate as the crust, but if you can only find chopped clams, they'll do, they just be a little chewier. I'd advise against minced clams because they are so small and will get rubbery. Canned whole clams are cooked in the canning process and have an inferior flavor and they can be very chewy, but in a pinch, they work.

For this recipe I try to find fresh shucked clams first, fresh frozen second, and sometimes, I buy live clams and then I cheat. I put them in a pot with about 1/4" of water, cover the pot, turn the flame on high, and in about 3 minutes they pop open. I watch them carefully so they don't cook. I want them as close to raw as possible, but this step makes shucking the sooooo much easier. I let them cool for a few minutes, and pop them open easily with my fingers. If Frank Pepe knew I did this he would ban me from his establishment for life, but it works fine, and there is no Meathead blood in the pizza.

Quahogs, Cherrystones, and Littlenecks, are all Quahogs of different sizes, in descending order. You need Littlenecks to be authentic, but the bigger clams can be used. If you get large Quahogs, cut them in half so they cook properly. Topneck, Longneck, Wellfleet, or other small clams can be used. Geoduck are too large. Some species have a thin black stocking over their "foot" that must be peeled before you put them on the pizza. To learn more about your options, and how best to shuck live clams, read my article on the Science of Clams.

Salt. I know you want to add salt, but it is not necessary. The clams and cheese are salty enough.

Optional. If you want, a few flakes of red pepper are nice, and if you absolutely must, a few chunks of chopped of tomato are good, but heretical.

Method

1) Preheat the grill or oven to at least 450°F. If you can get it hotter, do. If you are using a stone, put it into the cold oven and let it heat at least 30 minutes.

2) You can use a frozen dough from the grocer, just not a precooked dough. But I strongly recommend you try making your own by using the simple Roman style no knead pizza crust recipe you will find by clicking this link. It has the right amount of oil in it for the same kind of crispy crust you find at Pepe's.

Toss the flour on your work surface and spread it thin. Place the dough in the center and begin working it outward and roll it thin, less than 1/4". Move it to a peel if you are cooking on a pizza stone or to an oiled pan, either works fine. Throw some cornmeal on the peel or pan to help the dough slide on and off, and for a bit of flavor.

3) Pat the clams dry and place them on the dough, spreading them out evenly, and take them to within 1" of the edge. Then sprinkle on the garlic, then the cheese, then the oregano, and finally drizzle on the oil. The oil will pool but don't worry, it will spread out in the oven. I like to take a brush and paint a little oil on the edges of the dough.

4) Bake until the dough on top and the bottom is tan to golden. If you wish, push your luck and let it go until there is a slight blackening on the bottom, but beware, too much char can ruin your pie. Whatever you do, don't pull the pie until the clams are cooked through. Raw clams, although they are popular on the half-shell, are susceptible to contamination and a common source of food-borne illness. You will notice what looks to be a lot of oil on the surface while it is cooking, but don't worry, it will be absorbed. You will also notice a strong garlic smell. It will keep away the vampires.

5) Remove, slice, and serve with a cold lager beer, a wheat beer, or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

STEAMED CHEESEBURGER

INGREDIENTSNutrition

• 12ounces ground beef, I used ground chuck
• 4ounces cheddar cheese, 2 slices (I use Cabot, seriously sharp vermont cheddar)
• 2slices onions
• 1teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2cups water

• DIRECTIONS

  1. divide ground beef in half and form into 2 six ounce patties.
  2. season with seasoning salt and pepper to your liking.
  3. place a metal rack in the bottom of the frying pan.
  4. add water to a level just below the rack.
  5. heat water on high heat until water begins to steam, reduce heat to medium.
  6. place burgers on rack and cover.
  7. steam for about 10 minutes.
  8. top with cheese, cover and steam an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute or until cheese is melted.
  9. top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

  10. WARM LOBSTER ROLLS

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INGREDIENTSNutrition

• 2(1 lb) lobsters
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1garlic clove, minced
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 3tablespoons dry white wine
• 1tablespoon chives, chopped
• 2brioche rolls (or hot dog buns)

• DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large stockpot, bring 2 quarts salted water to a boil.
  2. Drop live lobsters into the boiling water and cook 5 minutes. Drain and cool.
  3. Pick out lobster meat from the shells, cutting tail meat into large chunks. Remove claw meat from shells, but leave in whole pieces.
  4. In a large saute pan, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over medium heat until foam subsides, then add lobster meat and garlic.
  5. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  6. Stir 1 1/2 minutes and add wine and cook 3-5 more minutes, reducing liquid by half.
  7. Add remaining butter and swirl. Sprinkle with chives.
  8. Move lobster mixture to one side of the pan; toast rolls in the pan until golden.
  9. Place mixture on the toast and serve.

  10. APPLE PIE

  11. DESCRIPTION

      This recipe is a version of the first place winner in the Connecticut Two-crusted Pie final. The original used butter flavored shortening for the crust, instead of butter, and it only called for vegetable oil, instead of sunflower oil.

      INGREDIENTS

      3⁄4 t baking soda

      3 c flour (all purpose)

      1 c butter (+ 2 T to sprinkle over the filling)

      2 T brown sugar

      1⁄2 t cinnamon

      5 T milk (cold milk)

      1⁄2 t salt

      1 T sunflower oil

      1 c sugar

      1⁄4 c orange juice

      8 apple (half Cortland apples, half Golden Delicious, peeled and cut into pieces)

      1 egg white

      INSTRUCTIONS

      Crust

      Sift dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt - twice and set in a bowl. Cut butter in the middle of dry ingredients. Rub in with your fingers to mix, until it resembles crumbles.

      Sprinkle oil first then milk, 1 Tbs at a time, mixing well. Stop when a ball of dough forms.

      Wrap in plastic film or kitchen foil and let it stand in the fridge for 30 minutes.

      Divide it and roll out to make a top and a bottom pie crust.

      Filling

      Splash the apples with orange juice - to prevent discoloration - while you peel and chop.

      Mix normal sugar and cinnamon. Combine with the apple pieces.

      Pie

      Preheat oven to 375° F (180° C).

      Line a pie pan with the pastry. Fill with the apple and sugar mixture, packing firmly. Sprinkle butter dots on top.

      Cover with top crust, seal the edges with a little milk. Make holes for steam to escape. Brush egg white, beaten egg or milk on the top to give it a shiny glaze when cooked.

      Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour.

      NOTES

      When making a pie crust, the bottom needs more dough than the top. Approximately 2/3 for the bottom and 1/3 for the top.

      The number of apples depends on the size. Aim for four cups of peeled, sliced apples of each kind.

      you can cover the top of the pie with foil, to prevent excessive browning, after 20-30 minutes baking if needed.

      Using other varieties of apples brings subtle but delicious new flavors. For instance, keep Golden Delicious and use Granny Smith, English cooking apples or Spanish Reinetas instead of Cortland apples.

      Cortland apples are very appreciated for salads as they take longer to brown.

      8 servings

      1 hour, 30 minutes

• Old-Fashioned Root Beer Float

What You'll Need

• 2 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup chilled root beer soda

What to Do

1. Place 1 ice cream scoop in a tall glass. Pour in half the soda, then add the remaining ice cream and remaining soda.
2. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Make sure to use a straw and a long-handled spoon so you enjoy every last drop!

• For more ice cream float goodness, check out our recipes for Italian Ice Cream Soda and Rainbow Sipper!

(Good Eats: In a Cranberry Jam)

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