I have a thing for pizza. It is endlessly entertaining and will always have an air of "forbidden junk food" to it. Rebellious, mmm.
Fridays are the only day I am gone all day and I didn't have time to make pizza dough Thursday. I picked up some frozen pizza dough on a lunch break (whole wheat of course) and let it thaw in the car. Normally in Maine it wouldn't have thawed at all, but we have had warm (read: over 30!) days lately.
Often James will make some delicious homemade tomato sauce while I finish up the dough. We are constantly working on perfecting our pizza (one day we will recreate Nicoitalia pizza), we never make the same dough or sauce twice. This time we used the artichoke pesto I made the day before. I give it an A-. The minus comes from a bit too much pesto- its strong stuff.
(the parsley garnish made absolutely no difference in taste.)
Artichoke Pesto, Approximately
1-3 cloves garlic, depending on how much you like garlic
1 small handful of nuts (walnut, pine nuts, pistachio)
1 can of artichokes, sans liquid
1/4 c feta cheese
pepper
enough olive oil to blend it (maybe 1/3 c)
enough lemon juice to satisfy your lemon desire
Blend till course. Taste, adjust, blend again. Use on toasted bread with spinach and tomato. Use on pizza. Use on crackers.
*once again, it is strong stuff. I lucked out and happened to buy, on sale, local vermont mozzarella that was so creamy it was almost sweet. Not salty. it complimented the pesto really well.
* MYTH BUSTERS!!! claim: pizza stones make a difference in pizza crust. result: TRUE. I went the cheap route and bought some quarry tile/unglazed terra cotta tiles at Home Depot for 50 cents each. I line one oven rack with them and heat them with the oven (at least 500 for pizza). Then I awkwardly transport the pizza to the stones for cooking. It really makes for a nice crunchy crust and chewy interior.
5 comments:
yum yum yum yum that looks SO SO SO GOOD! you are amazing!
Elton Brown uses unglazed terra cotta pot bottoms, also from the hardware store, you know the little dish things for under pots. It works good for a "bread pan" for round rustic type loaves.
Wynn,
I am so impressed. Not with you cooking silly, I can't even taste what you make. But with your writing! And your photos! You draw me in, make me there with you. The little details, the hardware stones, the talk about do it to your taste. It is so conversational and easy, I really feel like I am sitting there with you having a chat. Nicely done.
Daddio
Hi honey, the parsley may not have made a diff.(is nutritious) but it looks good. That is just as important and you do a great job at garnishing. Also, I assume you are toasting those nuts? Looks delish indeed. Time for a pizza stone. As far as transferring the pizza check the bread websites as there is the coolest device that you pick the pizza up with and deposit it right into the oven. I will try and find it again. Or buy a wooden paddle. I have one.
I love pizza! How close do you live to Portland? The best Whole Foods I ever went to was in Portland, Maine. In October...the whole city seemed gloomy and then I walked into the giant Whole Foods and the whole town came alive. Is your Whole Foods like that? Magical? and so expensive, but wonderful and magical?
Post a Comment