We had over some close friends last night – the kind where you don’t have to try to impress them, because they’re not impressed with you anyway! LOL! So, I decided to experiment with dinner – something I don’t generally do when I’m cooking to impress.
Anyway, I decided it was an opportunity to “try out” a pizza I’ve been wanting to make. It turned out AWESOME (in my humble opinion), and I’ve decided that it is my new “show off pizza” – to make when I really want to impress.
Of course, it was my own homemade pizza dough (I make pizza almost every Friday night, and making my dough has become a pretty simple procedure by now.) I started with a thin layer of mozzarella, portobello mushrooms (sautéed first in olive oil with salt & pepper), sliced pears, & toasted walnuts. I drizzled that with Olive Oil and then put it in the oven. With about 5 minutes of cooking time left, I pulled it out and crumbled bleu cheese over the top, then put it back in the oven just long enough for the bleu cheese to melt. When it came out of the oven, I topped it with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It was delicious! Sorry, I did not take a picture.
(I got the idea from this Irish pub called Eamon Patrick, that used to be across from the Becker Buildling on Jefferson in Peoria, it’s now out of business, but I remember liking this pizza. I think they might have used Gorgonzola instead of Bleu Cheese, and theirs seemed to tend towards being a little greasy.)
Twitter Updates
Hey Charlie, I have a question…
Do you have a good traditional pizza sauce recipe? Elise and I were just talking about how we need one, and haven’t been able to find one we like. Then we thought of you as someone to ask:)
So, do you?
@Zach – I don’t know if it’s traditional or not…I just kind of throw stuff together. But here’s the basic strategy:
I start by sautéing minced onion and garlic in olive oil, just till it flavors the oil. Then I add pureed tomatoes, and tomato paste. I simmer it for a long time, until it gets the thickness I like. Then I add some brown sugar (because I like my pizza sauce sweet) and fresh herbs (basil & oregano). In the winter, I add dried herbs during the simmer.
@charliedean – Thanks! I can’t wait to try it:)