Noel Barnhurst - Photographer

It's a cold week in San Francisco, so it's time to break out those warm comforting recipes. After a coming home from a cold commute from work, the last thing on your mind is eating healthy- you deserve a break. This pizza recipe includes two classic comfort foods: potatoes and bacon.

Ingredients
6 Ounces Fingerling Potatoes (see Note)
Salt
3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons minced red onion
6 slices smoked bacon, cooked crisp, drained, and chopped
1/4 cup finely grated asiago cheese
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 pound (8 ounces) phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Put the potatoes in a small saucepan, cover with water and add a little salt. Bring to a boil and cook until fork-tender. Drain, cool, and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Set aside. Put the thyme, onions, bacon, and cheeses in separate small bowls and set aside.
Unwrap and unroll the thawed phyllo dough, placing the stack on a work surface. Put a 6-inch plate on top of the phyllo and cut around the plate and through the stack of dough with a small sharp paring knife. Continue cutting until all the dough is cut into circles. Discard the scrap dough and stack all the circles together. Lay a lightly dampened clean kitchen cloth over the top to keep the dough moist.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats. Place three phyllo circles on each prepared baking sheet.

Lightly brush all six circles with melted butter. Place another circle of dough on top of each of the first circles and brush again with melted butter. Continue until all six pizza circles are stacked with six layers of phyllo and butter. Put three to four slices of potato on top of each pizza stack. Sprinkle thyme, onions, and bacon over the potato slices, and top lightly with the two cheeses. Season to taste with pepper. Bake until medium golden brown, making sure the centers and bottoms of each crust are also golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut each pizza into 4 wedges using a sharp chefs knife or pizza wheel. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Recipe courtesy of Savory Baking by Mary Cech

The answer to any next-day-leftovers from a big meal: make it into a panini. For example, if you're tired of eating leftover roast beef for days after your dinner party, use a panini press to create a whole different meal. Paninis are also an excellent way to have a fun and interactive meal, much like a "DIY Pizza Night" or Ice Cream Sundae Nights. Williams-Sonoma's French Dip Panini recipe is a perfect example of adding a twist to standard ingredients. Think about cheeses, meats, veggies, sauces, and types of bread to customize your sandwich.

Don't forget about sides dishes- Salad, onion rings, french fries (even wine) are acceptable sides!

These hot sandwiches are also a fun way to get creative- all you really need is bread, a panini press, and your fillings! 

Happy Fourth of July everybody! This post comes a day early for all of those bakers that are looking for a delicious holiday recipe, courtesy of Driscolls.

INGREDIENTS

Cake
3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 large egg yolks

Filling
3 cups Driscoll's Blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons water
5 teaspoons cornstarch

Frosting
12 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), at room temperature
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Topping
1 1/2 packages (6 ounces or 1 1/3 cups each) Driscoll's Raspberries (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces or 1 1/4 cups each) Driscoll's Blueberries (about 2 cups)
INSTRUCTIONS

Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease bottoms and sides of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Line bottoms of each pan with a round of parchment paper. Grease paper and dust each pan with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Set aside. Combine buttermilk, lemon zest and vanilla in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Set aside. Beat butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, with mixer on low speed, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture in several additions, starting and ending with flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

Spread batter into cake pans and bake 35 minutes or until golden and cake tester or toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks. Remove and discard parchment paper and let cake layers cool completely.

Filling
Bring blueberries, lemon juice, sugar and lemon zest to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes or until blueberries have burst and mixture thickens, stirring frequently. Combine water and cornstarch in a small cup. Stir cornstarch mixture into blueberry mixture and return to a boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and let cool completely (refrigerate if necessary).

Frosting
Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until blended. Add confectioners' sugar and mix on low until combined.

Assembly

Place one cake layer on a cake plate or stand. If cakes have rounded top, gently trim with serrated knife to make flat. Spread cooled blueberry filling on cake layer. Place other cake layer on filling, with flat side up and press down gently to secure. Frost top and sides of cake with frosting. Using blueberries, create large star on top of cake. Fill in remaining white space with raspberries. Line bottom rim of cake with blueberries, pressing gently into frosting to secure. If not serving cake immediately, refrigerate until ready.

For more Driscolls holiday recipes, click here