Lonely Lady's Pizza

I have been super busy lately and I realized that I forgot to tell you all about the pizza I made TWO WEEKS AGO.  I was home with the kids, the husband working, and I would rather have been out with friends, but couldn't get a sitter.  Boo.  So I made myself a Lonely Lady's Pizza.

I have tried many pizza dough recipes, but my favorite, by a landslide, is Jaime Oliver's.  His dough rolls really easily, and bakes to a nice crisp with a desirable chew.  I simply dissolve one packet of dried yeast in one cup of warm water with a couple glugs of olive oil and a pinch of sugar.  Then I break out my baking sheet  - one that has edges, so I don't make a huge mess, sift together 3 1/2 cups bread flour, 1 1/2 tsp salt, make a well in the center and pour in the yeast once it is foamy.  Then I stir gently, incorporating the flour into the yeasty water until I have a doughy mess.  Then I knead, form into a ball and put it in a bowl, dusted with flour, to rise for about an hour.  This makes enough for two pizzas, perfect for a night spent home with the kids.

 Dough ready for rolling.

Meanwhile, I make the sauce, which is also Jaime Oliver's, and involves heating olive oil in a pan with 2 cloves of garlic, sliced.  Throw in a handful of fresh basil and one 28 oz can of whole tomatoes.  I squeeze the tomatoes as I put them in to break them up more easily.  Season with salt and pepper - and I also put in either a squeeze of Agave or a pinch of sugar.  Mash up the tomatoes as best as possible, then bring to a boil and strain through a sieve.  This part is kind of a pain, because you really have to press hard to get the stuff through the sieve, and keep wiping off the back of the sieve where the good stuff is, a task best accomplished with a rubber spatula.  Someone should really invent an easier tool for this process.  If they already have, please let me know.  Pour the sauce back into the pan and simmer until it seems as thick as sauce should be.

Sauce simmering.

Achievement of a fairly standard shaped pizza, thanks to Mr. Oliver.

This particular pizza was made fancy by the use of a cheese purchased at Lucy's Whey in Chelsea Market.  I can't recall what it was called exactly, but it was something like "Whackadoodle."  You could use Talleggio.

Also on this pizza were spinach, sauteed with garlic and chili flakes, and Gruyere, who is my best friend.

Sorry, kid.  Get your own.

I'm sharing this song with you, because it is perhaps the best song ever written for someone feeling lonely.  Try and find the live version, on an album called "Never Mind the Quality: Feel the Soul"

Pizza for the Worst Day of the Year

Dear Reader,

Oh the sadness that overwhelms me on this day! I am full of melancholy and malaise. It is as though a dark curtain has descended upon the nation and there is no sunshine in sight. I’m not talking about the death of Michael Jackson, nor poor overshadowed Farrah and Ed McWhatshisname. I’m talking about the actual worst day of the year. Yes, today is the last day of school.

Of course my children are overjoyed that summer vacation is beginning. I’m sure there exist parents that are also thrilled, but my guess is that their kids go to sleep away camp. Mine will be here. Every day. For seventy six days.

And so, I offer you today a super delicious pizza just for grown ups to enjoy on their last day of freedom. Enjoy.

Pizza for the Worst Day of the Year

You will need:

Wine
Pizza Dough
Taleggio cheese – a lot
2 cups sliced mushrooms
Butter
Brandy
White Truffle Oil
Grated Parmesan cheese – one handful
Activities

Drop kids off at school with huge bags to fill with stuff that you will throw away later when they are not looking. Once home, pour yourself a glass of wine to relax yourself for the endless bickering that will begin come 3:00 and end at 8 AM September 8th. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. About the temperature it is inside their classrooms right now. Toss in the mushrooms. When they are soft, pour in a swig or two of brandy. Don’t drink the brandy, as you still have to pick the kids up later and you don’t want to smell too strongly of booze! Not again! Cook mushrooms until all liquid is absorbed and set aside.

Turn the oven all the way up to as hot as it is going to be in August when your air conditioner breaks. Stretch pizza dough and place on an oiled cookie sheet or pizza pan. Brush the entire top of pizza with white truffle oil and top with globs of Taleggio. Sprinkle on the mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. Dab a little white truffle oil behind your ears because it just smells so damn good.

Cook on lowest oven rack until crust is crisp and cheese melted. Enjoy, listening to the beautiful sound of a quiet house, and coming up with eighty or so activities that will occupy your kids until tomorrow afternoon.