Super Sized Pretzel
Whisk the yeast into warm water. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Whisk in salt, brown sugar, and melted butter. Slowly add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix with a wooden spoon (or dough hook attached to stand mixer) until dough is thick. Add 3/4 cup more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. If it is still sticky, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more, as needed. Poke the dough with your finger – if it bounces back, it is ready to knead.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough for 3 minutes and shape into a ball. Cover lightly with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes. (Meanwhile, I like to get the water + baking soda boiling as instructed in step 6.)
Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Silicone baking mats are highly recommended over parchment paper. If using parchment paper, lightly spray with nonstick spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 1/3 cup sections.
Roll the dough into a 20-22 inch rope. Form a circle with the dough by bringing the two ends together at the top of the circle. Twist the ends together. Bring the twisted ends back down towards yourself and press them down to form a pretzel shape
Bring baking soda and 9 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Drop 1-2 pretzels into the boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Any more than that and your pretzels will have a metallic taste. Using a slotted spatula, lift the pretzel out of the water and allow as much of the excess water to drip off. Place pretzel onto prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each with coarse sea salt. Repeat with remaining pretzels. If desired, you can cover and refrigerate the boiled/unbaked pretzels for up to 24 hours before baking in step 7.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and serve warm with spicy nacho cheese sauce.
Cover and store leftover pretzels at room temperature for up to 3 days. They lose a little softness over time. To reheat, microwave for a few seconds or bake in a 350°F (177°C) for 5 minutes.
Particle Fizz
In a punch bowl, mix together fruit punch, pineapple juice and ginger ale. Add scoops of sherbet into the punch. Wait for the sherbet to begin melting, approximately 10 minutes, stir gently, and serve.
Pym-ini
Trim the cauliflower stem, leaving the core intact, and cut into 1/4-inch slices. If they fall apart, try slicing them a little thicker. It’s OK if they don’t stay intact, but they need to have a “flat” side to crisp up.
Add the oil to a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. You want the oil to sizzle so make sure it’s hot enough before you add your cauliflower. I do this by wetting my hand and shaking some excess water into the skillet. If it dances in the oil, it’s hot enough.
Add the cauliflower steaks and let fry until really crisp and golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Season each side with a sprinkle of salt and pepper then remove from pan.
Add in the spinach and garlic, season with salt and pepper and let cook until just wilted. Set aside.
To assemble the sandwich: liberally apply romesco sauce to both sides of the ciabatta bread. Stack with cauliflower and greens.
Make the Romesco Sauce:
Rough chop almonds in a food processor or high-powered blender. Add peppers, vinegar, and garlic and process to a thick puree. Keep the motor running and slowly drizzle in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
