Saturday, January 22, 2011

I heart pizza!

Tomatoes and Pizza dough
Took a trip down to SLC today!!  Yippee!  Went to a few of our favorite spots.  One of them being Caputo's Italian market downtown.  I finally purchased some 00 flour to make real Naples style pizza.  Sure I've tried to make it before with not much success....for any of you that have read "Eat, Pray, Love" or even seen the movie, or been to Italy (especially Naples) understand the amazing, almost religious experience that is true Italian pizza.  I've researched it, read about it, scanned recipe after recipe, and still haven't managed to get it quite right.  Today is a new day, and I finally got the fine milled flour that is a must for this type of undertaking.  Canned Italian plum tomatoes, not the Hunt's ones you buy at your Safeway, the real deal Italian ones, it's an acid thing....real Italian plum tomatoes canned at the right time are virtually acid free.  Last but not least real, fresh mozzarella!  I don't have an outdoor pizza oven, so a stone in my gas oven that is preheated to 500 degrees for an hour will have to suffice.  Well got the first one out of the oven....looks pretty good.  Topped that pie with an spicy arugula salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic and sea salt.  So the verdict; Pretty darn good but not quite there yet....maybe you have to be in Naples?  Ill keep trying, definitely better then anything I could get at a local joint or chain pizza place.

Ava putting on the cheese
Pizza Margarita with Arugula Salad. 

Homemaking in the 21st century

Ava In Maui
Jarom and I

I love cooking, hate cleaning, and love my family.  There are a lot of blogs out there that try to portray perfection.  This is not one of those....hope that doesn't disappoint.  This is a look into the things I like and how I live, its not meant to change your world view, but if it does....even better ;)  I love cooking!  I try to do everything...wedding cakes, beef roasts, jello!  Anything! I live with my husband and nearly four year old daughter, and one on the way!  We live in Ogden, Utah and we are not Mormons.  People figure that if you live in UT you are Mormon well we aren't, LOL, we have family and great friends which are.  I am not her to talk religion or politics, I want to focus more on lifestyle and living a more self reliant less consumer conscious existence.   Oh and of course share my food and living philosophies and my hope to get people back in the kitchen to cook for their own family and friends.  My family is Greek and Norwegian and food has always been a big part of who we are and I hope I can share my culture with you!
A family favorite Classic Baklava
My friend Emily's Wedding cake I made