Pizza can often be a last minute, grab and go decision. Pizza is always a crowd pleaser and there’s no question that it can be an ordinary meal, but make no mistake; a pizza can be the start to a decadent meal, able to impress the most sophisticated palette.

You can elevate your mealtime by pairing and selecting your ingredients with purpose and by upgrading how, and what you use, to make and bake your pizza.

Our choices of ingredients are a refreshing take on some of the classic elements of an ordinary pizza. The prosciutto and provolone are sophisticated twists on the classic choices of pepperoni and mozzarella. By adding arugula and figs to our combination, our recipe provides a unique experience for your taste buds that ensures a savory and sweet note in every bite.

You can upgrade how you make your pizza by baking it on a pizza stone. A pizza stone turns out a better tasting, more delectable pizza. The difference is particularly with the pizza crust. Pizza stones produce a perfectly evenly baked pizza crust from the edges to the center of the pizza and guarantee golden brown crispy dough. The evenly baked and crispiness of the crust is key; delicious pizzas are never soggy in the middle and a pizza stone makes sure of that.  For this recipe, our Mamma Mia Pizza Maker is essential to cooking and serving our absolutely mouthwatering fig and prosciutto pizza.

Ingredients

1 pound room temperature, fresh pizza dough

2 cups of cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

4 fresh ripe figs, cut into quarters

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

6 ounces of provolone cheese, thinly sliced

8 thinly sliced pieces of prosciutto

2 cups of fresh arugula, washed and rinsed

2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon of crushed dried thyme

3 ounces of grated Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup flour

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 500⁰F and place our pizza stone in the oven. The stone should be in the oven as it preheats.
2. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface and pierce entire surface liberally with a fork.
3. Combine olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Brush on olive oil and garlic mixture with our thinkkitchen brush.
4. Cover surface of pizza dough with slices of provolone cheese, leaving ½ inch of the crust edge free of cheese and place halved cherry tomatoes on top.
5. Carefully remove pizza stone from oven. Sprinkle flour over pizza stone and place dough on top of stone. Bake pizza crust until it is golden brown on top and on the bottom, roughly 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Remove crust from oven using our thinkkitchen silicone mitts and place on the metal rack and immediately drape prosciutto slices over the pizza. Arrange fig slices atop of prosciutto.
7. Bake until figs are just heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer pizza to cutting board.
8. On top, add arugula and Parmesan cheese sparingly. If you like, you can drizzle on a touch of extra virgin olive oil or a balsamic reduction before serving. Evenly sprinkle with crushed thyme, salt and pepper to taste.
9. Cut into slices using our pizza scissors, serve and enjoy with a light and delicate tasting Italian wine like a Barolo or Barbera D’Alba, which will pair well with the prosciutto and won’t overwhelm the light, sweet taste of the figs. These wines are best enjoyed in our Riedel Assiago drinkware collection.

Here to help you take your pizza night to the next level! If you want to share your pizza with us on social media, please tag us on Instagram @stokesstores and use the hashtag #StokesMoments.

The Classic Ways

If you’re making a big batch of corn, boiling your corn is the easiest and quickest way. First, shuck the husk and silk from the corn then bring water to boil water in a stockpot. Leave it for 5-8 minutes depending on how fresh the corn is. If you’re only making a few ears of corns, simply microwave them. Keeping them in their husks, microwave two at a time for 4-6 minutes on high. Before shucking them, wait a few minutes until they cool down then enjoy!

Grill Em:

You’ve probably made sweet corn in a pot and the microwave before, but what about the grill? If it’s nice out, take advantage of the weather and bring out the grill to make smoky flavored corn. It’s a few extra minutes, but it is definitely worth it!

There are two ways to grill corn that will bring you different results. The first is to leave the corn in the husk or remove the husk and rewrap it in aluminum foil. Grill it directly on hot coal or on top of a grate that’s set over coals, make sure to turn occasionally and cook for about 15 minutes.  This method will bring you a less charred/ grilled taste but will be juicier. It’s also harder to see whether or not the corn is ready.  The second method is to place the ‘naked’ corn directly on the grill for 10 minutes. If you want a grilled and also sweeter flavor, this method is preferred however, it will be less juicy.

Spice it up:

You have such a limited time with corn and because butter and corn go so well together, we never thought to explore other flavoring possibilities. Instead of butter, sprinkle smoked paprika after or even rub barbecue sauce while they are grilling. But our favorite is treating sweet corn like it’s a baked potato. Once the corn is cooked, drizzle sour cream, sprinkle diced green onions and cheddar cheese, you can even crumble some cooked bacon, or anything else that you love on a baked potato. Make sure to not over-do the toppings or else you will forget what you’re eating; put just enough to enhance the experience but still be able to taste the sweet corn.

If you love sweet corn but hate eating it off the cob, our corn stripper is for you. You can eat fresh corn on the cob without the hassle. You can bring the corn to the table in our Amanda II rectangular plate and place the corn on your guest’s individual corn dishes.

Do you have any other tips for cooking or favorite toppings for sweet corn? Let us know in the comments below!