Homemade Pizza

Who loves a good pizza? Everyone! It's the perfect bang for your buck, great for lunch, dinner, a midnight snack, the morning after, AND believe it or not, if you make it yourself I think it tastes better than when ordered in, is far less greasy, and can arguably be healthier.

Let's say you're in a rush and/or you either don't want to deal with or don't have time to make the dough and allow it to rise. No sweat. Most grocery stores sell pizza dough balls. We get ours from Trader Joe's and I always go with two, not only because the leftovers are tasty but because two pizza dough balls are the perfect size to make a Sicilian pie on one of our 9x13 baking sheets.

Let the dough sit at room temperature for about twenty minutes before spreading it out and attacking it with your ingredients. This is a great time to preheat your oven to 400 degrees and get your toppings ready. Before rolling out your dough, toss a loose handful of flour across your workspace and spread it about. I like my dough a little thick so I don't use a rolling pin but rather stretch, toss, and spread it out with my hands (Don't get too excited; I look nothing like people in Italian commercials working with dough). I work each ball separately, pinching them together in the middle of the baking sheet and pinching a good size crust around the edges of what will be the pie.

Sauce. Any Marinara will do - homemade or otherwise. I use about 13 ounces, spread out not too thickly, not too thinly, but just right across the dough with the back of a spoon. Cheese. Mozzarella. Grated and sprinkled across the top. I use about 1 pound. Parmesan. Grated. Sprinkled around the edges and on the crust. Herbs. Oregano. A definite must have.

At this point you can add any other toppings you wish - fresh veggies, sausage, pepperoni, anchovies, whatever - and then pop it in the oven. Give it about 15-20 minutes, depending on how you like your crust. We like ours crispy, so I'll generally lower the oven to 350 degrees and cook it for about 20-25 minutes to ensure the crust is the way we like it and the pizza doesn't burn (Very Important. Burnt pizza is such a disappointment).

Let it sit for about 5-7 minutes before cutting it, either with a pizza slicer, medium sized non-serrated knife, or a good pair of kitchen scissors (I do not jest - scissors are great for pizza), serve, and buono apetite!

Gathering, Sowing, and Waiting

It's that time of year again and My Librarian and I commenced our spring time gardening by starting with our two large containers in the front of our building a couple of weeks ago. We tilled and enriched the soil with some mulched organic plant material that we have been adding to before checking on our gladiola bulbs from last season. No worries there as they have more than doubled in size with multiple baby bulbs, which is really exciting. Since we had such an overwhelming number of gladiolas in one container, we decided to move one of the bulbs - as carefully and delicately as a surgeon mind you - into the second to reduce crowding once they come up. In picture on the left you can see the rhinoculous flowers we found at a local market for a steal AND a very happy, thriving aloe plant. There are three in each container for now, though since they don't last through very warm weather, they'll be short lived but very easy on the eye until then. The aloe is flourishing indoors under our skylight.

The seed packets of veggies and herbs on the right are to be started tomorrow; fortunately we did not put them out for when we had aimed, which was about a week ago when the night time temperatures dipped into what could have a been a dangerous frost for the tender seedlings. As with last year, our herbs and veggies and any other smaller starter plants will take up on the small roof of our downstairs neighbor's bay window, which is about a 5'x4' space. It worked pretty well for strawberries, tomatoes, and assorted herbs and this year we are broadening our selection with carrots, lavender, cucumber, california peppers, green onions, arugula, radishes, and chives. We will most likely get more rosemary and mint, as the former died before I remembered to bring it inside and the latter, as most of you know, will come back as oregano.

After the seeds are on their way we have a few other plants in mind that we wish to add to both the roof and the street level. We're excited and there will be more to come as our garden grows.

Butternut Squash Risotto & Pork Chops with a Rosemary-Vinegar Sauce

This dish is the perfect plate of chilled weather comfort food and the risotto itself will yield enough to feed a small country. The butternut squash risotto can also be served by itself as a yummy vegetarian entree without the pork tenderloin or, if you really want to go all out, with a tofu cutlet drizzled in the rosemary vinegar sauce. The undertaking of this dish is a bit laborious although totally worth the time.

Starting with the risotto, bring 7 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (I prefer the chicken broth) to boil in a large saucepan. Cover. Reduce heat to low. In another large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat, adding 1 1/4 cup of finely chopped onion, sauteing until tender. Add your 2 pound butternut squash - peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into about 1/2 inch dice - with 1 1/2 teaspoons of chopped fresh rosemary.

Once the squash is coated with butter and rosemary and slightly tender, add 2 cups of arborio rice and stir for about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of dry white wine and simmer until it evaporates. Add your 7 cups of broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the risotto is creamy and slightly soupy. If needed you can add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls to maintain the consistency, stirring occasionally.

Once it has the proper consistency, stir in 4 cups packed baby spinach,1/2 cup of heavy cream, and 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a large bowl, sprinkling 1/2 teaspoon of fresh rosemary on top before serving.

Right about now is when you're probably wondering at which point will you have time to make the pork chops and the rosemary-vinegar sauce. I recommend prepping the pork chops while prepping the squash dish and cooking in a large skillet at the point where you are bringing 7 cups of broth to a boil for the risotto. It seems to work out pretty well, time-wise, and neither dish sits for longer than necessary.

Sprinkle 4 large boneless pork tenderloins on both sides with 3/4 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. Coat each with flour, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cloves of sliced garlic. Saute. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Add pork to skillet, sauteing until brown and cooked through. Transfer to plate tented with foil.

Add 1 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup dry white wine, 1/3 cup heavy cream, 4 teaspoons of raspberry or red wine vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon of chopped fresh rosemary. Bring the sauce to a boil until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, stirring often. Season to taste with salt and pepper, pouring any collected pork juices from plate back into skillet to stir into sauce before serving. Spoon over tenderloin, serving with risotto.

The Case of the Missing Foodie

Like Max, I too have sailed to the Land of the Wild Things. While enjoying the wild rumpus, I have still been cooking and documenting my many culinary adventures, though I'm sure you know that while one is in the Land of the Wild Things one may not have the immediate resources to update one's blog. Fear not, fellow readers; I have not given up, nor have I forgotten my zester. Many delicious meals are soon to follow, and I promise you, that you will once again discover, like Max did upon his return to home that "... it was still hot."

Copyright Maurice Sendak," Where the Wild Things Are"