Pizza

 You all know that I don't like going out to eat. That statement, when taken alone, isn't totally accurate. Here's the "rest of the story". Vince does not like to go to the places I like to go. There's a Greek-ish restaurant in town that I like. There's are a couple of Thai places I like. My feeling is that I cook almost every day. If I'm going out to eat, I want to go somewhere GOOD! I don't want fast food! I don't mind chicken strips every now and then but not often. I want good service - no buffet. I prefer quality over quantity! Let me sit and eat and have someone bring things to me. I'm happy to tip quite generously for that luxury. I want food I don't cook at home -- Greek, Thai - something special. 

That kinda explains why I'd rather eat at home. Whatever I cook, I try to cook enough that we will have leftovers for at least one more meal. More food on the table with less work.

Today I made pizza and I told Vince we're going to start having pizza once a week. He's fine with that. Pizza crust is pretty forgiving. I can make it ahead and freeze it (in a ball to defrost and let rise) or I can go through all the steps, get the crust in the pan, parbake it for about 5 minutes, let it cool, freeze the crust and then all I have to do is take out of the freezer the night before, leave it in the fridge, and make the pizza as usual OR, I can park bake a crust, make the whole pizza and freeze it. Then take it and pop it in the oven while still frozen. 

I'm sure anyone who is used to gourmet pizza may notice the difference but using any of those methods, I think the pizza is pretty good and homemade pizza compared to either pizza delivery or the type you pick up at the pizza place and bring home and bake it yourself - there's a HUGE difference. I think mine is better and definitely costs less . . and I know who's touched the ingredients and I know that person (me) has washed her hands and not coughed or sneezed on the pizza!

I can make three 16" pizzas - one for immediate use and two for the freezer and it probably doesn't cost me $20. Just for the heck of it, I added one bell pepper, 8 oz fresh mushrooms, 1 jalapeno pepper, 1 onion, 6 oz. Canadian bacon, 5 oz. turkey pepperoni,1 pound block of mozzarella and 12.3 oz. Rao's pizza sauce to my Walmart cart and it came to almost $16. I don't use store bought pizza sauce because I either use leftover pasta sauce if that's available or pizza sauce I canned from our tomatoes but assuming you're buying Rao's sauce, that comes to a little over $5/pizza for a 16" pizza. It does NOT include 4 cups of flour, 2 cups of whole milk and a bit of yeast and salt to make the crust but that amount makes FIVE pizza crusts. I usually make three pizza crusts and four calzones (two for the day I make them and two for the freezer).

This was my pizza, thought I don't mind if Vince eats some of it.

That's Vince's pizza with the anchovies.

We had a pizza oven in Texas and I'm sure it's here somewhere - probably in a storage building and we got another one that can be wood fired or use gas but it needs a table and I think I'll just give up on using an outdoor oven and make them in the inside oven. I only had the one pizza pan so Vince's pizza is made in a cast iron 9 x 13 cake pan. I did order two more pizza pans so I can make them for the freezer and not have to make one at a time and wait for it to freeze. Get everything out at once and make them all!