Event planner from Belton learned from the pros how to cook, serve delicious dishes

Sherie Howell is a meeting and event planner. She and her husband, Bill Howell, have two adult children and live in Belton.

Q: Who has inspired your journey into the kitchen?

A: My career and my family have inspired me. In my job, I have often worked with chefs, so I observed what was happening behind the scenes in kitchens as we planned meetings or events for clients. When someone had a special request, such as food allergies, I spoke with the chefs and learned much from them. I saw how to serve the food attractively, garnishing it and arranging it so it was beautiful. This inspired me to start taking cooking classes.

My love of gardening came from my mother. I raise lots of vegetables and fruits, preparing them in a variety of recipes. I often make pesto sauce or serve watermelon from our garden as a part of a salad or appetizer. I have 12 chickens and two ducks, so I always have fresh eggs. I named my two ducks Cheese and Grits and while they could fly away, they know a good thing and stay here.

I watch cooking shows on television. Alton Brown is one of my favorites and it is fun to try his recipes then put my own twist on them.

Q: Based on your career, can you offer tips to make entertaining easy?

A: While you want to serve a variety of foods, you don’t have to make it all yourself. Buy some items ready-made.

Q: How did you start baking pizza outside in a pizza oven?

A: My husband barbecued a lot and especially enjoyed competition barbecue. My outdoor pizza oven, which uses propane heat, was a Christmas gift to my husband. It was fun to experiment and perfect baking pizza in it.

Q: Do you make your own sauce and crust?

A: During the summer, it is great to use fresh tomatoes and Anaheim peppers to make your own pizza sauce. I make my own dough, but you could make your own dough or purchase dough, whichever you prefer. I bake the pizza outside in my pizza oven, but of course, you could bake your pizza inside in your oven or outside in your covered grill, if you don’t have a pizza oven. To make the pizza especially pretty, I top it with fresh basil leaves and twist thin slices of ham rolled into florets.

Spicy Homemade Pizza Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

6 Roma tomatoes

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 to 2 Anaheim peppers, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon dried basil leaves, crumbled

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Cut an “X” on the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water for about 30 to 45 seconds. Remove the tomatoes and place them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds. Dice the tomatoes into small pieces and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring frequently, until they are translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. (If you burn the garlic, it is best to start over as the burnt garlic will make the sauce bitter.) Add the vegetable broth, whisking to deglaze the pan. Cook, uncovered, until the liquid reduces by half. Add the diced tomatoes, Anaheim peppers, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to blend the ingredients.

Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring often. Use the sauce on your favorite pizza.

Tips:

If desired, substitute 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes for the fresh. As canned tomatoes are salted, take care not to over-salt the sauce. You can also substitute a can of green chilies for the fresh Anaheim peppers.

Substitute Italian seasoning for the oregano and basil. Reduce the level of spice by omitting the red pepper flakes, or for a spicier sauce, increase the red pepper flakes or add a diced jalapeno pepper.

For a thinner sauce, add additional vegetable broth or water. For a thicker sauce, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of tomato paste.

Thin Crust Pizza Dough

Makes 4 (10-inch) pizzas

1 3/4 cups warm water (105 to 115°F.)

1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

Stir together the warm water and the yeast in a small bowl. Whisk gently, then let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

Combine the remaining ingredients in the large mixing bowl for a large stand mixer. Add the creamy yeast mixture and knead with the dough hook for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until the dough is soft and elastic, approximately 5 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for an hour.

Once the dough has doubled in size, place it on a floured surface and cut into four equal sized pieces. Gently form each piece into a ball, dust with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 20 minutes. Roll or pat each portion into a thin crust.

Making the pizza

Pat or roll your favorite pizza crust dough, homemade or purchased, into a thin crust. For an extra crisp crust, bake the crust for 5 minutes before topping. Top the pizza with the homemade sauce and any of your favorite toppings, including sliced salami, pepperoni and ham (rolled or twisted into florets) or fresh mozzarella cheese and shredded Parmesan cheese.

Slide the prepared pizza into the hot pizza oven using a pizza paddle. Bake in the pizza oven, following the manufacturer’s directions; in a hot, covered grill; or on a pizza pan in a hot oven (450 degrees) until the crust is brown and crisp. Garnish, as desired with fresh basil or additional dried basil leaves.

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Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore are cookbook authors and food consultants that make up The Electrified Cooks. They have published more than 14 cookbooks and thousands of recipes. They are members of Les Dames d’Escoffier and blog at pluggedintocooking.com.

This story was originally published July 6, 2020 at 7:00 AM.