Hardwood and stone
Sausage and Apple Pizza
I don’t cook very often because my days are often occupied with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and frozen meals. But today, as the grocery stars realigned so that all the ingredients I needed would be cheap this week, I made a Sausage and Green Apple Pizza. It is so good and I now that I’m about to burst right now.
The recipe (a splice of two Internet recipes) and it is the following:
1/2 pound hot sausage
1/2 pound sweet sausage
1 refrigerated pizza dough
2 pats of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of tomato sauce
3 handfuls of mozzarella cheese
2 Granny Smith apples, sliced into wedges or strips
Blend of seasonings (optional)
Preheat over at 415.
Under medium heat, brown sausage with 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 8 to 10 minutes. Set meat aside. In same pan, add butter and cook apples until golden brown on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
Unfold pizza dough and drizzle olive oil on top. Place in oven for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, cheese, sausage and apples to top of crust. Place in over for 10 minutes at 415. Set stand for 2-5 minutes. Drizzle additional oil and seasonings. Yields 8 servings or 16 slices.
permalink | Comment | food | 06/11/2008
No beef for you
Fate is preventing me from having red meat. I love red meat, but my freezer has only chicken and turkey. I am very thankful for having money in order to buy food, but I only buy meats when they are on sale. This last week has been about being within reach but not having it.
It started when I purchased two packs of ground beef on a Saturday. I had to run over a mother and two kids to get to the meat display of my local grocery store in order to get them. I could just imagine what I could cook with it when a few days later the same beef was recalled for an e. coli breakout. I sent it back, but luckily not only did my grocer refund the money, I got an additional $5 gift card to use in the store.
Then, I went to another grocer to buy steak. Well, this grocery store was in the midst of moving to a newer, bigger property in two weeks and got rid of all the fresh meat and produce. No steak for me.
Finally, yesterday I ventured to McDonald’s for dinner, all white meat out and wanting to see red. I ordered my meal to find that it had cheese on it. It was not what I wanted (I don’t eat cheese, but I can photograph it.) I gave my burger to one of my newest co-workers and called for a refund. Hopefully when I go there today to pick up my free meal that I will have what I want. Red meat would be just fine.
permalink | Comment [1] | food | 05/17/2007
Taste of childhood
The following is my account of indulging in the new “Bubble Yum Original” Ice Cream by Breyers:
“Wow, it’s bubble gum ice cream!”
“I haven’t had this since I chased after ice cream trucks!”
“Oh, boy! It’s on sale!”
“I won’t buy chocolate this week!
“Yum, this is like childhood!”
“Yikes, it really tastes like bubble gum!”
“It’s really sweet…”
“The gum is really tough…”
“Gosh, have I finished this bowl yet?”
“It’s still in the freezer.”
“Ugh, it’s still there.”
“Darn, it should be my 9th birthday.”
“It’s lacking sheet cake.”
“I wish I had chocolate.”
permalink | Comment [2] | food | 03/11/2007
Cravings are bad
My taste buds and stomach have been doing all the thinking recently, and unfortunately, they’re not the ones driving me to these places where I am to quench them.
It started on Wednesday when I just wanted Reese’s Pieces. It was so bad that I almost got out of my six-year boycott of Dairy Queen so that I could get a Blizzard with the sweet candies. By Thursday, I had the time and the money to buy my object of desire. However, at my store of choice, it stopped taking debit cards (silly me for not carrying cash). I didn’t have another chance until Saturday to get the candy, but it was worth the wait.
With that little monster gone, a new one emerge — anything that was grilled and wrapped in a tortilla. I planned for that to be my Sunday dinner, but the food station where I would usually order was closed. I went to Quizno’s next door, but it wasn’t the same. There were toppings missing from the sandwich and there was tortilla involved. I just hope that this craving will fade away, but then again it’s Monday and it still exists!
By the way, yes, this is a very slight, buggy redesign, but my creative juices stopped flowing once the Reese’s Pieces hunt was started.
permalink | Comment [1] | food | 02/05/2007
Marco Polo
It’s festival season around here, and I have already taken in some of the fanfare my region has to offer. After hot dogs and fried Oreos, I’m ready for the annual Greek festival. The baklava and everything leaves me without funds for weeks. However, this week, I’m in an interesting situation.
The festival is near two institutions that my city—a newly opened Thai restaurant and Dunkin’ Donuts. For my mother’s birthday, I will pick up the doughnuts, but I don’t know if I’ll have the funds (and the tummy space) to have that.
I feel so international and fat just thinking about it.
permalink | Comment [1] | food | 10/18/2006
An unlikely vice
At work Tuesday, one of my co-workers made flavored coffee—my favorite thing of my work day but the subject of debate for others. To help out and to savor the treat, I drank two large cups of the java. Now, I am not a coffee drinker. I drink about four cups of coffee a month, and I would rather drink soda for the caffeine rush than coffee.
However, I knew that I would be up all night from the shock to the system. I wasn’t prepared for the 36-hour chaotic marathon that followed. I probably spent 10 hours on the Internet chasing airline fares and searching for old Luscious Jackson music videos on YouTube. I’m operating on four hours of sleep, and everyone thinks I might be nuts.
Perhaps I’m going addicted to caffeine. There was the time a few weeks ago when I would buy cheap caramel lattes for the neighborhood gas station for three days straight. On Monday, I made a chilled vanilla and caramel cappuccino with ice cream.
Maybe staying off of it will do me good.
permalink | Comment | food | 09/22/2006
Imported
While picking up lunch yesterday at Captain D’s, I was standing in front of two men who had just entered the restaurant. The franchise now offers shrimp pasta bowls that are available in three varieties. One of the men reacted, “Where do they get these crazy names from? Shrimp Alfredo?” I sometimes forget that my current dwelling place is more rural than urban, more conservative than liberal, more country than progressive.
permalink | Comment | food | 03/31/2006
Sensible
Excerpts from a conversation I had with myself while at work:
“I did pretty well for myself. I only ate a Healthy Choice meal today and some crackers. I can eat some chocolate when I go home tonight.”
“No, you were bad. You just ate a philly cheesesteak sandwich and deep-fried, homemade potato chips.”
This post was written while eating frosting out of its can.
permalink | Comment | food | 01/10/2006
Tempura
During my last day in Boston last week, I had to pleasure of eating at a Korean/Japanese restaurant in Cambridge. It had a quiet atmosphere and was loaded with different entrees and styles of sushi. I love sushi, but I wanted to eat it at a new joint that opened in my neighborhood. Therefore, I thought I was safe with ordering shrimp tempura, one of my childhood favorite dishes.
Well, it was much more than I could handle. There were six side dishes. I recognized two of them: kimchi (my favorite) and bean sprouts (nutty in flavor and very tasty). The other four varied in degrees of spiciness and tartness, creating a culinary experience I’ll never forget.
Then, the waiter brought out the shrimp tempura. Actually, it was more of a tempura mountain. Besides the shrimp, there was vegetable tempura with zucchini, carrots and broccoli and a side bowl of rice. If I only had a large stomach and hadn’t eaten at all that day, this feast would have been fully devoured. Very good food.
For dessert, I ate these ice cream bites—strawberry and mango ice cream wrapped in bean curd. It may sound not so appetizing, but they were so refreshing.
I’ll be lucky to find a place like that again.
permalink | Comment | food | 11/23/2005
Munchies
Yep, I’m back from vacation. Thanks to all who have sent birthday greetings. I had a lovely birthday thanks to a terrific set of host and hostess during my New England trip. I had never eaten so much great seafood, and I certainly enjoyed the great company.
And speaking of food, this was the theme to all my birthday presents this year. From a collection of associated beverages like cocoa and tea to the sweets like fine chocolate and all the ingredients to a perfect sundae, my taste buds and stomach are overjoyed about reaching the 26th year mark.
The only difficulty that I’m having is figuring out where to begin. I still have Halloween candy left to devour.