Some more about food

I have been on a serious food kick this week, especially in the blogging world. However, it hasn't been all peaches and cream (see, chicken taco post). Also because I think Jeff has been suffering through his brown bag lunches. He even gave me a SUGGESTION about what he would like in his lunch which translates to me that he isn't enjoying the current states of affairs (his suggestion was a nacho kit, which I can understand wanting, I just don't want to grate cheese at 7 in the morning).

Tonight I am almost guaranteed a win. Why you wonder? Take out? No! PIZZA! Homemade pizza from a tried and true recipe that I make in batches and freeze. And for a bonus prize, tonight is one of the frozen ones so I have been defrosting it on the counter throughout the day and just popped it in the oven. It is a deep dish pizza so it takes awhile to defrost.

I promise to share this recipe with you but you have to PINKY swear that you will make the sauce and not use a bottled sauce. I PROMISE, it is that good, even when you leave the wine out like I do (I like wine, don't get me wrong, but I'm not going to open a bottle just for pizza). If you don't make the sauce, your results will be sub par. Also, you have to make the dough. Don't buy it unless you can buy fresh balls of it at the store or the pizzeria. Don't buy the rolls in the dairy section. Pie crust, sure, buy that it in the dairy section but NEVER pizza crust. If you do, just don't tell me. I promise not to judge.

Here is the recipe: Emeril's Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza

And as always, I make changes because I see recipes as guidelines or suggestions, not RULES, except when baking of course.

Ok, so the dough. I don't own semolino flour. I don't even know if they sell it at my store, I've never even looked. I just use regular flour in its place and it comes out perfect.

While the dough is rising, make the sauce. I don't use fresh basil or oregano, just dried. Maybe next summer I will when I have a garden (lofty ambitions, I know, especially when my tomato plant from this year just now has a tomato or two on it). Also, 1 tbsp of red wine? Not necessary unless you already have a bottle cracked open.

For the toppings, do whatever makes you happy. Jeff doesn't like mushrooms or olives, so we leave those off. So we stick to pepperoni (lots), hot Italian sausage, onions, and green peppers.

Cheese - the more the merrier. I use a combo of mozzarella, parmesan or asiago, and cheddar. Because if you haven't realized yet, the motto in our household is "If it doesn't cause heart attacks, it isn't worth eating". Seriously though, you would think that we all were morbidly obeast (Jeff's term for obese) with the glorious amount
of butter, cheese, milk, and other delicious and fattening foods that we consume, but we aren't. Sure, we could both stand to lose a couple of pounds each but I think we are attractive people and not disgusting.

The oldest monster is requesting some mama time and I have to check my pizza...but hopefully everyone is enjoying a delicious dinner of any nature.