7.17.2013

my new favorite pizza.


you know jenny from dinner: a love story? the lady who makes making dinner for her family seem effortless? {which i know that if she read this would roll her eyes right now.} she professes many a time that she is not the GURU we are all making her out to be but simply a mom trying to feed her family and enjoy their company at the same time.

something i think we all aspire to do ourselves.

for my birthday i was fortunate to get her book which i then preceded to devour page by page like it was a novel, not a cookbook. but it really is a novel but also a cookbook. maybe more of a biography....i guess what i am trying to say is that it's relateble.
yes...that's the word.
completely relateble.{is that even a word?...hmm...}

she shares her family experiences with her recipes woven through them that makes you want to make that one thing then and there.

when i hit the pizza section i knew i was going to try them all. i never knew, though, that i was going to stop at one and make that one over and over - changing it slightly as i go. it's so delicious that i can proudly say it's my new favorite. a hawaiian lover right to the ground since forever, my tastes have evolved over the years slightly to accommodate others but now...never having another slice - other than this one - suits me just fine.
this, coming from a former cooked mushroom hater, is a pretty big endorsement.

just sayin'.

my new favorite pizza
now this is a hybrid of my wants and jenny's original recipe. i'm not going to tell you which is which though...you have to buy the book and figure that one out yourself. ;)

one recipe whole wheat pizza dough
1 cup of your favorite tomato sauce {optional}
4 tablespoons of olive oil plus more for brushing
1 medium onion, sliced
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, halved and sliced
leaves from two sprigs of fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
a good pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1 8 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced or at least 2 cups of freshly grated mozzarella {i like a little more} - not from a bag please!!! it really doesn't take too much time to shred your own!
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 to 2 cups chopped ham {optional}
chopped bacon {optional}

preheat oven to 425 degrees.

brush your pan with a tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. now start stretching your dough. this will take a little bit. just keep working it out slowly and you will be amazed that it will fill the pan.

in a medium bowl, toss together the onion, mushrooms, thyme, pepper flakes, nutmeg, and salt and pepper with the remaining oil.

top the dough with either: the tomato sauce or a brushing of olive oil - depending on your mood and what you have on hand. top this with your cheese, covering as much of the surface as possible. top with the ham and/or bacon, if using {i do this sometimes and if i don't have any meat or leftover bacon on hand i will make it without - just as amazing!} brush your outer exposed crust with olive oil, stolen from the bottom of the pan, to achieve a beautiful golden crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is bubbling and golden.

Add parmesan cheese just after it comes out, just before serving.
enjoy with your favorite movie and an ice cold beer.
perfect friday night.


{above is the non-tomato sauce version.}



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