While at work I generally have one screen in some sort of adobe program and my other screen filled with delicious photos of food that I salivate over all day until I get home and in the kitchen. About a week ago I found this: http://saltbird.com/2009/11/pear-pizza-with-blue-cheese-and-caramelized-onions/

Immediately I tweeted “I think I’m in love” It wasn’t until tonight that I would actually find out how amazing this pizza really was. I know most peoples’ initial reaction would be “huh?, pear pizza no way that will be any good, sounds kind of like a disaster waiting to happen” You sir would be wrong. The tanginess of the blue cheese plays off the sweetness of the pear so beautifully. Another nice bit is that the pear still has a bit of crunch after coming out of the oven and is a nice contrast to the smoothy creamy cheeses that have wonderfully melted together. Drooling yet?

Anyways here’s the recipe from salt bird – all credit goes to the blogger. I substituted bosc pear for the asian pear and it was quite possibly the best pizza I’ve made at home yet.

Pear and blue cheese pizza

INGREDIENTS:

Crust: (modified from Mario Batali)

1/4 cup light red or white wine

3/4 cup warm water

1 1/2 ounces fresh yeast

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups flour + extra for dusting the counter, etc.

Toppings:

1 package of shredded mozzarella

¼ cup of blue cheese

1 small yellow onion chopped

2 thinly sliced asian pears

olive oil

2 large cloves of garlic

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For the crust, combine warm water, two packets of instant yeast, and wine, until the yeast dissolves. Next, add honey, olive oil, and salt. Gradually add in flour a little at a time, using the spoon as long as possible and then your hands once it gets drier. This may take some muscle, but knead it for about 5 minutes. Place in a covered, oiled bowl for an hour to rise in a warm part of the kitchen.

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Braise the onions in a couple tablespoons of olive oil and water for about 20 minutes, until transparent and soft. Feel free to add more oil or water as needed. Once they are almost ready, add two cloves of pressed garlic and turn the heat up until you can smell the garlic smell – about 1-2 minutes.

Sprinkle a pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal or flour and knead the risen dough into a circle. Work from the inside moving outward to insure an even and delicate crust. Lightly brush the dough with olive oil and spread the onion and garlic mixure evenly. Layer on the pear slices next. First, sprinkle generously with mozzarella cheese and then sparingly with blue cheese, just a few crumbles here and there (or more, depending on how much you like blue cheese).

Throw it in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes at 500° F.

Results:

Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Ingredients
1 onion
4-5 cloves of garlic ( I used a whole bulb bc garlic makes everything better)
4 sprigs thyme
1 (28 oz.) can of tomatoes
Olive oil
Pinch of salt… Or more. Just to taste ( look at me being all culinary)

Slice the onions and Caramelize / sweat for 15 minutes over medium heat with a little oil. Cover, being sure to lift and stir every once and a while.

Mince garlic

Open tomatoes and cut stems off. You can use crushed tomatoes… But where’s the fun in that. Be a lil authentico and get those hands dirty.

After the onions are done caramelizing add the garlic, letting it cook for a minute or so until it’s aromatic and browned. Be careful not to burn.

Add the tomatoes and be sure to crush them up with a wooden (so not to scratch your pan) spoon. Add the thyme and salt.

Once simmering give a lil taste because that’s the benefit of being the cook! Adjust salt to your liking, but it shouldn’t be too much, you don’t want to have super salty sauce.. Pretty sure I’ve never seen that label in the grocery store for a reason

Cover. Turn down the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure to remove the thyme. The flavor has already been infused and no one wants to be chewing on twigs.

So impress your friends and throw out that premade crap. it’s really only 10 minutes of active work. The rest can be spent talking yourself up in front of your peeps for making your very own sauce. Even more impressive memorize the recipe (not that hard) and act like you didn’t find it in a cookbook or online… I won’t tell.

I like to toast a bit of bread drizzle olive oil on top, sprinkle a bit of aromatic sea salt and top it off with this sauce. yum.

here it is on top of an asparagus and  brussel sprout pizza. Yes I made the pizza crust myself pretty simple actually. Plus a little olive oil and aromatic sea salt you got a winning pizza.

It was super simple, just had to break away the husks, clean them so they’re not sticky. Sliced em up like normal tomatoes then breaded them with breadcrumbs and red chili powder. Took some good old bread and baked it with some pepperjack cheese til it’s got that nice little bubbling going on. Fried up the tomatillos added some mayo and red onion… deliciousness ensues. It’s a little spicy and a little tart with a nice crunch, I had to stop myself from making another.

Every once in a while I stop in on a sunday before or after the gym. Upon seeing the Tomato  Mozzarella Pesto Sandwich I had to give it a shot. I asked for it to be grilled extra long, and my taste buds were super happy with the results. I will say you need to get a piece of tomato with every bite or else it suffers. I’d also suggest eating the sandwich closely after it comes off the press as the cooler it got the less effect the mozzarella had. At least for me as I like the cheese stringing from sandwich to mouth.

I Dig

Disclaimer: This is the first time I’ve seen the sandwich so maybe its a weekend thing?

To burn off some calories for our next gelato outing we decided to climb to the top of the town and see a beautiful view over a church and the valley. Slowly making our way up the top and stopping to catch a breath we were passed by four grandmas…. putting us to shame. They must be some fit four-foot tall ladies because they weren’t even breaking a sweat making the climb. After putting our bodies to work and resting at the top we traveled back down… much easier by the way, and took another gelato break. Why not?

And what to do after you eat desert twice well then its time for dinner. With sixteen people its always a surprise when you can come to a decision. This lead us to another small town which seemed to be the length of one street.

Now I’m not one to overeat but the formality of this restaurant required that we order in a required manner. First we select a wine. Then we are told the first plates…. we’re not allowed to hear the second plates until we’ve all ordered a first plate. This woman was serious and didn’t seem to amused by the two italian speakers making a translation after every plate was named. First and second plates ordered now comes time for table plates to share. About 20 minutes after orders are taken the piles and piles of food begin to come out of the kitchen. First comes the pasta faggioli soup, it was the creamiest soup I’d eaten. Really savory and just hit the spot, dabbing pieces of bread into it made it even better.

I thought I was full until my picci picante showed up. To be honest this was a fairly modest dish. Not a lot to it really simple and ok, so I decided to pour some spicy olive oil on it to take it up a notch. There was also a plate of frites and beans. The beans were killer, and I had a hard time not taking the whole tables portion.

Next were the desserts. At this point I’m really not hungry but we order a few panna cottas. Deliciousness ensues, especially the berry one.

The next day we made our way to Panzano, to see a famous butcher. This is the guy who Mario Battali’s dad, owner of Salumi’s in Seattle apprenticed to learn how to cure meats. It was a party. The guy has a table of snacks including bread drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with a salt mixture he makes. While you’re looking around he’s dancing to music and chasing you with a bottle of wine making sure you have enough. Sip on your glass a little and the next thing you know a giant guy is standing in front of you pouring you more. Even for being a vegetarian its a lot of fun.

Not only does Panzano know how to throw a party. It also knows how to make some nice clothes. I’m a slight sucker for fashion and we decided to stop in this little shop called verse x verse. They had this awesome coat and outfit…. unfortunately it was lacking in the mens department. If only they had an equivalent for these.

If only everything wasn’t 400 euro plus….

Next we donned the aprons and for the rest of the day we were referred to as chefs but we all knew who was running the show. He began preparing the pasta with flour and eggs on a board he had made. This is what everyone dreams of when it comes to Italy. Freshly made pasta from and artisan who truly cares about the craft. The best part was he let us help every step of the way; rolling the pasta cracking the eggs cutting tomatoes. Well maybe he wad just a really smart executive chef. Ivo also brought Marta who was in charge of the sauces.. Oh and checking out Ivo’s progress on the pasta and shaking her head. In italy there is no different way to do anything it’s either right or wrong and everyone else is always wrong. Marta was also joking about how famioso Ivo would be because we couldn’t stop taking photos. Not only were we chefs but paparazzo.

Back to the pasta. First the flour is sifted on the table, then bowl is created. Next about 14 eggs, you measure with your eyes, are cracked in The center. A little olive oil and salt and mixing begins by hand on the table. Afterwards the dough is masterfully kneaded and covered with towel. After Ivo checks it, Marta then checks it, then Ivo checks it again to see how she was wrong… then she checks again to tell Ivo she knows better. It’s a game between the two that’s quite hilarious to watch.

After the checking game it’s time to roll out the pasta and then let it dry out before being cut into thick slices. 4 hours after the session begins the pasta is ready to boil and plate with meat sauce, a little won’t hurt Ivo says to the vegetarians, or olive oil with garlic and tomatoes. Pair that with a 94 bringing and you’ve got some serious eats. But as is tradition in Italia you can always eat more. Sherry and I served up and almond cake we made to celebrate DJ and Ronnie’s birthday. This may just be the most fun I’ve had cooking if only I always had 18 people to cook with and for. Oh and yes the pasta was muy deliciouso as was the almond cake.

We made our way to Pienza one day and I was determined to find some affogato. Sure the Duomo was gorgeous and the piazzas were nice but all I wanted was a little gelato drowned in espresso. Not that I really need the caffeine, every day I tend to have 4 cups of espresso… It’s an Italian thing.

Smoothest espresso you’ll ever have and I have to believe it’s due more to the Barista than the beans. After 3 hours of being in town I finally found what I was looking for. I decided to play it safe and go with the stracciatella affogato. The bitterness of the coffee plays of the creamy sweetness of the gelato so well. They also let the espresso sit for just a minute so you don’t end up with soup right away. It made my day, even more than the cute Italian Bella at the lingerie shop.

Another day we visited a mountain town known for it’s pride in wine. At the very top sat a castle of wine! Really just a castle with wine. Innotechas existed around every corner of the town and after wandering the streets for a bit we wound up at a castle. This was no ordinary castle but one that serves some of the most expensive in the area. Walking in you’re presented with bottles that range from 400 to 2900 euro a pop. We strolled through the shop checking out all the bottles, truffles, and decided we were going to do a tasting. I’m not a wine connoisseur in the least bit so some of the qualities of the wine are lost on me, but we took our time swirling, smelling and comparing. It was a great experience especially being around people who have some semblance of knowledge of wine. The best part about the tasting was the fact that we were sipping on 400 euro bottles. Something I could never afford to drink back home. Then again it is just a small pour.

While the wine was great I also fell in love with some orange cookies that Rhoda pick up for the table. They have a great flavor and aroma of orange and the consistency in the middle of fig. Covered in powder sugar they may just be one of the best cookies made. That night we also made it out to one of the local restaurants where I had the most delicious spinach gnocchi topped with oil and truffle shavings. It was so delicious it, just melted in your mouth. I’ve never been able to make good gnocchi myself so any time I find a place that has it I can’t help but order. When done right it can’t be beat. A little more wine, a little more desert and that’s all there is to say. Definitely ate and drank my way through italy.

A donut and Americano later I found myself arriving at the SeaTac airport. 15 hours into the future I land in Rome searching for DJ and Aleks. After successfully meetin up we hopped in the smallest car ever and cruised the beach side in search of food. I hadn’t eaten in 15 hours, I mean who can eat plane food? We stopped at this little seaside joint drank some complimentary Prosecco, got some sun and ordered some pasta. The next plate to sit on front of me was a glorious dish of pasta aglio e olio. It was cooked perfectly al dente and smothered in olive oil and garlic. The flavors just combined so perfectly in your mouth I couldn’t help but lick the plate clean. So simple too. A little vitamin d and a few glasses of vino later we were played out by the star wars completely satisfied. They must know I’m a fan of pasta and star wars best combo ever.

Next we picked up Chris and headed to the country to spend the night in the most beautiful hotel ive stayed at. We did happen to lose our way and made it a few hours later than anticipated. Important note: asking Italians for directions is like asking three different people what their favorite song is. Your likely to get multiple different answers and an argument. After following our instincts / driving up and down a mountain then abandoning our instincts we pulled up the dirt road to Relais villa d’assio. It was absolutely gorgeous tucked away from any major city, modest and classy, exactly what you dream of Italy being.

The next day we played errr attempted a game of basketball and then headed to our destination of Casa de la Flourdelisi.
Here we met up with friends family and wine… And wine… And wine.

We finally realized it was probably time to go eat. So we rolled down to cafe paradiso one of only two restaurants in the town and ordered… You guessed it. Wine, oh and pizza. I ordered the marinara. Just a simple pomodoro sauce with garlic and basil on the most delicious crispy chewy thin crust I’ve eaten. To top it off they had this little bottle of olive oil infused with red peppers. Pour a little on the pizza and it create just the nicest hint of spice and the end of the bite. I need to buy some when I get home.