Hodgepodge takes a Roman holiday

 

 Wednesday again, and time for the Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond, where Joyce asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers.  Here we go ...

 1. It's March 15th and as the saying goes-"Beware the Ides of March". Have you read or studied much Shakespeare? Do you have a favorite Shakespeare play? 

I studied some Shakespeare in high school -- I think we studied something by him every year, but the ones I remember are The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, and Macbeth.  I really can't say that I have a favorite Shakespeare play.

How do you feel about a Caesar salad? 

I don't care for anchovies, so I don't love a traditional Caesar salad.  But years ago I found this recipe: Lemon Artichoke Romaine Salad, and it has been a favorite ever since.  It is close enough to a Caesar salad for me.

2. Have you ever been to Rome? If so what do you love about the city? If not, any desire to go?

I have never been to Rome and really have no desire to go there.   Possibly another Italian city, like maybe Venice, but not Rome.

3. What's your favorite place to 'roam'? 

Hmmm ...  Well, I would say either the Maine coast or various regions of New Hampshire.   We have a dream of renting a convertible some beautiful autumn day and taking time to explore a number of back roads all over the state.  We also love exploring hiking and walking trails anywhere we happen to be in this beautiful region.  Read about the photo below, from roaming much closer to home,  here: Mental health day.

Photo above is from a fine spring day and a "mental health" hike we took a few years back with our daughter and family.

4. Do you like pizza? Thick or thin crust? Red sauce-white sauce-other? Your favorite toppings? How do you feel about pineapple on a pizza? 

I do like pizza and prefer it with a thicker crust, though thin is fine -- especially if cooked in a wood-fired oven.  I like it with red sauce, but my favorite sauce for topping a homemade pizza is pesto.   My favorite toppings for a pesto-sauced pizza include roasted vegetables, Italian-blend cheese, and freshly ground Italian seasonings from one of those spice grinder jars.

I first got the idea, though, from this recipe: Pesto Vegetable Pizza.  It's yummy, so if you'd like to try this concept without winging it as I so often do, there's the link back there in green.

I do like pineapple with ham on a pizza.  I also like a barbecue chicken pizza, in which case I will spread barbecue sauce on the pizza and top with colby jack and/or cheddar cheese, plus cooked chicken and sometimes red and green pepper strips.

5.  'Rome wasn't built in a day'...tell us how this expression applies to something in your home-life-job currently (or recently)? 

Trying to get a start on another round of decluttering and downsizing. Three boxes are ready for the thrift store, but that's only making a very small dent.  Still, it's a beginning.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Why is it so difficult to get rid of books? (Speaking of decluttering, as we were above.)  I'm sure I've mentioned more than once in cleaning out the old homestead, that my parents had hundreds of books, shelved or stacked in nearly every room in their house, including the cellar.  As you might guess, this experience made Mr. T and me decide that we would downsize our own books.  (I will admit that they are mostly mine.)  I had a goal this past week to get rid of 20 books.  I managed to get rid of more like 30 books, but it's so hard!  I'm doing better, though, and will set a goal for another 20 books this week.

And that wraps up the Hodgepodge for this week!  Why not head on over to From This Side of the Pond and snag the questions to answer on your own blog?

From the November archives, part 2

Taken in Nevada, October 2010

As promised, I'm back with a second post from the November archives.  Two recipes and a more thoughtful post concerning time. 

Fiesta Sweet Potato Soup is a big favorite at our house.  Black beans, spicy sausage, tomatoes with chilies -- it's a great combination of flavors.  It's a very warming soup just perfect for winter evenings.

Best Gluten Free Pizza Crust  may not be everyone's idea of the very best, but we like it a lot.  A good gluten free pizza crust isn't easy to find.  We often make a veggie pizza with pesto sauce and it's great with this crust.  It's an adaptation of a gluten free focaccia bread recipe.

Lastly,  this post is a good reminder for me in this busy season.  I hope it encourages you, too.  A moment to catch my breath is an account of how God gave me just that, in a very unlikely place.  For tomorrow's Hodgepodge, one of the questions Joyce has posed concerns "me time."  This post sort of fits with my answer to that.

One more post from the November archives on Thursday.  Then, can you believe it, we're headed into December!  Yikes.

Pesto Vegetable Pizza

Photo from Taste of Home

I've mentioned how Mr. T and I are trying to eat more vegetables, less meat, etc.  One of his big concerns about this has been that he would still like to enjoy pizza.  Then he remembered how when we ate at Subway regularly a few years back, I would often order a veggie pizza.

I turned to my 2005 Light & Tasty Annual Recipes book and sure enough, they had this wonderful recipe: Pesto Vegetable Pizza.  This is far better than the one I used to order at Subway!

I haven't yet made this exactly according to the recipe as far as the vegetables go -- I've just used what I had on hand, which has been no mushrooms, sometimes grape tomatoes (sliced),  baby spinach or kale, and red peppers rather than yellow.  So far I've used homemade pesto because I had some in the freezer.  But that's almost gone, so I bought a jar of Classico®.  Much less expensive than the fresh pesto in the deli.

I used a homemade gluten free crust made according to this recipe: Best Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Ever.  I made this crust in a jelly roll pan (approximately 10x15") and  baked it for about ten minutes at 400º before adding the toppings and baking it according to the recipe. 

But you could also use a Boboli® pre-baked crust as the pizza recipe calls for -- or, use this recipe: Homemade Italian bread shells like Boboli®.

This pizza is so delicious!  We highly recommend it.  Mr. T does not miss the pepperoni one bit! 

Best Gluten Free Pizza Crust Ever!

Well, that is  only my opinion.  But I have tried several gluten free pizza crusts -- a cookbook recipe, a recipe from the King Arthur web site, and a crust from a local gluten free bakery -- and I have to say that -- to my taste anyway -- this one is the best of the best.  I should state right up front that I like a chewy, more bread-like, pizza crust.  I am not a fan of crispy, crunchy, thin pizza crust.

This is actually a focaccia bread recipe that I adapted somewhat from a great cookbook, Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus, by Carol Fenster.  I like the focaccia bread this recipe produces, and just thought I would experiment with putting it on a pizza pan and adding toppings.  It worked perfectly!

Here's the recipe:

GLUTEN FREE PIZZA CRUST
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour  (This is what I use: 3/4 cup brown rice flour; 1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon potato starch; 3 Tablespoons tapioca flour -- this adds up to 1 1/2 cups and to my mind is the perfect blend)
1/2 cup additional tapioca flour
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
onion powder to taste
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 Tblsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. cider vinegar

Sauce, cheese and preferred pizza toppings

Grease a standard 12-inch pizza pan -- or, if you prefer, a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan. 

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water.  Let stand 5 minutes or until foamy.

Sift the flours, xanthan gum, gelatin  powder, seasonings and salt into a mixing bowl.  Whisk the eggs, oil and vinegar into the yeast mixture and stir into the dry ingredients.  Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat the dough for 2 minutes.  The dough will be soft and sticky.  Use a rubber scraper to scrape the dough onto the prepared pan and spread it out.

Let the pizza dough rise in the pan for about 30 minutes, heating the oven to 400º during the last 10 minutes or so of the rising time.

Spread the pizza dough with your desired sauce; add shredded mozzarella cheese and your preferred toppings.  Bake the pizza for about 20 minutes, until dough is cooked through and cheese is melted nicely.  You know what a properly baked pizza should look like.

Cool the pizza for at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Makes 1 pizza.

(And, if you'd prefer, you can also make this into focaccia bread.  Use the pizza pan if you like it thinner; for thicker bread, use a greased 11 x 7-inch baking pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and add desired herbs, seasonings, shredded parmesan, etc. to your taste before rising.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 400º.)