I have no idea about the rice question. For moving pizza dough around I use a cookie sheet. Like this one, mine maybe thinner.

I also use a cookie sheet in place of a pizza peel. I once cooked a package of rice a roni and no matter how long I cooked it, the rice was hard in the center and just would not cook. I suppose it was old. To this date, that's the only total FLOP(went in the trash) that I've ever cooked...until today when I messed up a pot of chicken noodle soup...well I salvaged it so it's not a total flop. How do you mess up soup that you've been making your whole life?

I use a wooden peel, with cornmeal to act as the "ball bearings".

No answers for the rice (I hardly ever eat it), but for pizza, I transfer the prepared dough onto a peel coated with corn meal, then onto the stone.

I also use a cookie sheet. Mine are all rimmed, so I just turn it upside down and sprinkle with cornmeal.

I store our brown rice in the freezer.

I also use a cookie sheet but I put the corn meal on the pizza stone.

I have made watery pizza before, and I think it was the mozzarella. I found a web site that said mozzarella has a high water content, so they recommend slicing it, then setting it on paper towel for several minutes (10-15?) before using, and also putting the cheese on only in the last few minutes of baking. So you'd mostly bake your pizza then put the cheese on to warm up and get a bit melty. That worked better, however, I tend to like my mozzarella a little more well done than that. I have also found that certain ingredients can make for a watery pizza, like onions, green peppers and mushrooms, so now I sauté those before putting on pizza. We don't make large pizzas, we tend to make personal size that are tailored to individual preferences, so we use a small pizza peel for that. Not sure on the rice! I know I've had rice in the cupboard for more than a year and used it (because we don't make much rice) - I've never not had it cook through.

You just made me go check the expiration date on my Carolina Long Grain rice. Phew, I've got a few months left. I have never refrigerated it and it doesn't mention that on the package. Can't help with pizza dough, but fresh mozzarella is runnier than not fresh. However, whenever I get a Margherita Pizza, it certainly has fresh mozz, so who knows.

Rice does go bad so I store it in the freezer. There is a definite art to the use of a pizza peel and I don't have the knack. Although they are handy for removing pizzas. I preheat the stone at 550 for 1 hour. During that time, the dough is made and ready, all toppings assembled and ready to place on pizza dough. I remove the hot stone from the oven, and in 30 seconds, place dough and all toppings on pizza and back in the oven to cook. While a hassle, it is much less of a hassle than cleaning up uncooked pizza toppings and cornmeal all over the place.

I do make large pizzas so that may be part of the issue and I like thin dough and heavy toppings.

Fresh mozzarella varies widely in moisture content depending on brand. Did you use fresh tomatoes also? They are usually watery. I would dry mozzarella with a paper towel and press between paper towels for a few minutes.

For the pizzas, I use parchment paper when I make it and just slide it right on to the baking stone. I think there is a max temperature with the paper (maybe 425 or something?) so it's not one of those things you can do with a 500 degree oven. Or I have sprinkled cornmeal on the peel and it slides onto the stone. As far as the sogginess goes, I buy the mozzarella that is not soaking in the water; it is still called fresh mozzarella but it is packaged without the water. Plus, squeeze out the tomatoes and other watery toppings before putting on the pizza.

hmmm.now I'm hungry again.

I use a stainless peel and parchment so the parchment with the pizza on top slides right off. At first I was apprehensive that the parchment would burn, but while it discolors it doesn't burn, and getting the cooked pizza is easier with the parchment in place.

I store all varieties of rice in the freezer. I have always thought of it like flour. If there are heebie-jeebies living in it, they will die in the freezer. Plus I don't have to think about expiration dates.

In re the rice; when I googled storage times for rice, the results I got said "indefinitely", which is what I always thought. Live and learn! I was just glad it was not operator error, and once I learned what the issue was, we just had to use more stock (luckily I had made a lot) and to keep stirring.

In re the pizza, I was disappointed I could not use the stone, as I had it warming in the oven for quite some time and I know it would make for a far better crust. I used tomato paste and diced tomatoes (drained), to which we added seasonings and cooked it down a bit. I used fresh mozz but not in water. I think I like the idea of adding it a bit later in the process. I also may add some fontina, asiago, or parm. The toppings were on the side; I know from making other things that veggies release a lot of water if not sauteed up first.

Looking forward to my next try, which will be with parchment for transfer and at 450!

I don't make pizza, but do use the parchment transfer method when baking bread.

I also have lundgren rice and didn't know it needed to go in the fridge-- I don't make rice all that often so I will definitely move it. Thanks for the tip!

As for homemade pizza (and bread)-- I always used a cookie sheet and cornmeal. A peel would be nice but I don't make either bread or pizza enough to want to deal with another kitchen contraption.

In my experience, wet pizza was always from my sauce. I had good experience with TJs pizza sauce .. but surely it's not as good as homemade.

Another thing I found when doing a little reading is that a wet pizza is almost always due to not using high enough heat. All the resources I trust say to cook pizza at 500 deg (or more). This makes sense to me--as the water will more readily evaporate in the high heat. The last pizza I made was on the big green egg-- temp was around 650/700 and it was perfect!

I would love fontina in the mix -- and asiago. The only veggie I've sautéed first were zucchini slices but it makes sense do mushrooms first also. I cut my onions or shallots VERY thin for pizza so I think I am ok with them.

What a fun family cooking activity! When my 4 oldest nieces and nephews were *very* young, I gathered them in the kitchen to make linguine (with the same hand cranked pasta maker you just purchased). It was messy and chaotic but such fun!

I think my oven only goes to 500. I have to look. Yeah Funky, can you tell I am trying to keep everyone busy? My middle one is off 2.5 weeks, the other 2 are off 2 weeks! Even with a skitrip, I've been tap dancing to keep us busy without killing each other. Lots of boardgames and lots of messes in the kitchen!

I use a peel with a cloth conveyor belt that someone recommended it on the kitchen forum years ago. I also use semolina flour on the peel to help transfer it.

https://superpeel.com

I use parchment paper to prepr my pizza crust, then a wooden peel to transfer onto my stone (which resides permanently in my oven) The oven is at 525; the parchment does get somewhat browned edges, but it doesn't burn.

I sometimees store brown rice or mixed types in the fridge because the oils in the hull can go rancid. Never had an issue with white rice. But I might have some aborrio in the pantry that should have gone into the fridge. Never heard that.....Sigh.

As for pizza, the difference in oven temp from 450 to 500 is very significant, even more so than the next 50 degrees to 550 in my mind.

You don't need parchment, and the higher oven temps are worth learning to work without it. Semolina or cornmeal is better than AP flour, but rice flour is even better (white or brown rice -- have used both and not noticed a difference). It absorbs less water than wheat flours (including semolina) and leaves less grit than cornmeal. Dust the peel and have some (just a little) on your hands as you pick up the ball of dough and start to shape it. I turn the dough on the peel as I shape it and if the dough is being sticky, I will add some more rice flour.

I brush or pat on a thin coat of olive oil before adding sauce -- helps keep the sauce from soaking into the dough and softening it or causing sticking issues. We make our sauce using crushed tomatoes.

I don't have a problem with cheese causing watery pizza, but we do precook any meat, use lean turkey Italian sausage and saute most veggies that can release water as they cook (peppers, mushrooms -- especially mushrooms).

We have bought pizaa dough from Trader Joe's a couple of times when we wanted to make pizza but didn't plan ahead. It works and makes a good pizza, but it isn't' my favorite. If you really get into making pizza, you will probably want to try making your own crust too -- at least when you can plan ahead. Our favoriite is sourdough.

I went to check out the super peel -- had never seen or heard of one before. My husband would probably like that, but I wonder if it will take the heat when cooking outdoors. We do have a steel. Those things are heavy! I don't really have a preference between it and the stone though.

We rarely make pizza, but when I do, I do get a crispy crust. I don't have a stone, but I have a perforated pan that has a lot of holes in the bottom so it lets the heat through. It's nonstick and I press the crust out right into the pan so no need for a peel. I've also found that just the barest skim coat of olive oil on the crust first is best. Too much oil will mean a soggy crust.

I've had this baking stone thing-y for at least 10 years (below), and the other day was probably only the 2nd or third time I have used it. I put no oil at all on the crust, I just seasoned the stone with it. I do think next time I will put a bit of oil on the dough and pre cook it a bit without anything on it.

The peel with the sort of conveyor-belt fabric is so interesting. I took a baking class at a local bakery and they had a big long rack of canvas, and they put the loaves in the oven using a similar roller sort of motion. So cool!

I would love the sourdough recipe someone mentioned above! I have made my own starter before, sourdough as well as biga. I stopped making breads though because we have excellent artisanal bakeries to frequent.

TBH, most of the time I made pizza the way the woman who cooked for us did. She takes a supermarket flour tortilla, sautes it briefly in a pan w/ a dot of EVOO to get some crispiness and prevent sogginess. Then she puts on the toppings and/or sauce and broils it. She would often do this for parties , cut in wedges, and people would go gaga. Very easy.

My main interest in using the stone and making a more complex pizza that we have usually done was just as a project for the kids. But sourdough crust ...hmm, now we are talking!

I'm a Lundberg Rice user and store mine in the freezer....not sure if that's correct!

I've had the "old" problem with both rice and beans. They just never seem to get cooked through when they get old. This issue has been discussed on the Cooking Forum. Evidently old rice and old beans are not that uncommon.

Other whole grains and products made with whole grains can also go slightly rancid in storage, due to the oils in the germ of the grain. In less natural products, BHT is used to retard spoilage, but with the rage for "all natural" you need to be aware that you natural grain products have a limited shelf life. For example, I am going to have to throw out my steel cut oats, they have gone rancid.

Probably can't hurt, Arapaho.

BTW, I had more dough that I needed to use so I made another pizza. My gas oven goes up to 450, then "high"(?). I don't know what my electric oven tops out at, but the stone is too big for the electric oven side anyway.

I rolled it out on marble, put it on parchment paper (rated to, oddly, 428) and then put on the toppings. I slid the parchment onto a wood cutting board. The stone had been preheating for over an hour; we opened the oven and pulled out the rack. It was easy to slide the parchment and pizza onto the stone .

It turned out great. The parchment corners were burned but no issue really. Still a tad wet, since I was using up the same mozzarella (and it was nearly wall to wall fresh mozz). Next time I will use some hard cheeses and less fresh mozz.

Not sure if this was mentioned for pizza... I always olive oil pizza pan and sprinkle with cornmeal then add pizza crust. I tend to use grated Romano only, no mozzarella so haven't experienced moisture problems.

Anyone experienced at making your own flour tortillas for fajitas? DS wants tot try. I'm thinking it can't be too hard .... any tips?

In my experience flour tortillas need close observation - roll them thin and cook them in large cast iron skillet or on a griddle. And for your pizza - make sure to preheat the stone in the oven for a long while - much longer than you'd normally preheat the oven - at least 30 min. I have a peel now (King arthur flour sells them) but use to use parchment paper and a cutting board or upside-down cookie sheet to slide them into the oven onto the stone (keeping the parchment paper out of the oven. A stone & peel are also handy for making better boules or baguettes.

Flour tortillas are one of the very few times I use shortening. You can use oil but I think that the shortening truly is better (although lard would be most authentic). I think they come out best cooked on cast iron and when they are pulled off the hot griddle, place them into a clean dish towel. The steam inside will keep them soft. Homemade flour tortillas really are best the day they are made. Leftovers are edible but the texture is definitely not as good.

Before I went to the grocery store, I looked up the ingredients for making flour tortillas. Whatever recipe I saw, it had vegetable oil, so that is what I bought. When I got home I saw a lot of recipes with lard (prob would not have bought that in any event) and shortening. But I had neither.

So I used this recipe: http://thecafesucrefarine.com/2013/08/best-ever-homemade-flour-tortillas/

We all made them together; very easy and fun. The dough only rests 15 minutes. We cooked them in a hot, dry cast iron pan ... 1 min one side and 30 sec the other. (BTW, ALexa was great help for a hands-free timer you set every 30 and 60 seconds!)

They were quite yummy. Easy to keep warm and pliable under a dish towel.

We used them for steak fajitas, but one of my kids remarked ... isn't this the same as naan? They are quite similar (sure look similar) but naan is a bit more flavorful ( I see recipes w yogurt, honey, oil). We may make those next. I sure love my big white marble island for these projects.

If you try naan, this is a great recipe: http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017747-meera-sodhas-naan

brush w/ butter after cooking

Thanks, Spec, that recipe looks good.

Today I have the slow cooker on and I am trying the infamous Mississippi pot roast.

How was the Mississippi pot roast?

You know what, it was excellent.

Disclaimer: there are a few different versions. I had no au jus mix so I did what the NYT says to do instead of that mix (rub the beef with seasoned flour and sear it first). But, unlike the NYT version, I did not make my own ranch dressing, i used a packet. I also added carrots just because I have a lot of baby carrots left over from a crudite platter and I didn't want them to go bad.

I am not sure if I would make it as a staple, because I had a small serving and I have a touch of heartburn. But it is very tasty, yet it does not taste particularly of any of the ingredients .. it is just a very tasty pot roast, with a tiny bit of heat (ymmv) and a bit of tang.

I've always thought it sounded delicious. Thanks for the review. I'm going to try it.