Just wanted to post a few iPhone pics from our trip back home to Grammy’s. Despite the flooding and near constant cloud cover, I cannot even express how much I missed this place!  Thanks so much for the great visit Grammy!

The view from up home.

Country bacon cooking in a proper country skillet.

Farm fresh produce out on the back porch.  Those tomatoes were unbelievable!!

The remnants of Grammy’s legendary chocolate angelfood cake.  Firat took down 80% of this by himself.

An entire fridge drawer full of perfect peaches!  I made a quick peach cobbler for dessert.

Another Bon Appetit cover recipe!  This is a portion of Husk Restaurant’s Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Farro and Herb Pistou.  But quite honestly, the farro risotto was so incredibly delicious and well-balanced, it completely stands up on its own as a dinner for two.   And after a decadent night of spaghetti and meatballs in my house, my fiance and I were craving something wholesome and healthful.  Boy did this hit the spot!  At first bite I totally understood why BA was so enamored with this dish.

Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash and Kale
Adapted from Bon Appetit’s Farro with Acorn Squash and Kale
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

4 tbsp butter, divided
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut in 1/2″ cubes
Small bunch red Russian or other kale, stems removed, leaves torn into 2-inch pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup farro
1/2 small sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 dry white wine
2 cups vegetable stock mixed with 2 cups water, warmed (I kept mine in a small saucepan on the back burner)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375°.  Melt 1 tbsp of butter in microwave and pour over butternut squash on a roasting pan.  Toss with your fingers, season with salt and pepper.  Roast, turning squash about 3 times through the baking, until tender and slightly browned at the edges, about 35 minutes.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet (preferable stainless steel) over medium-high heat.  Add farro and toss to coat.  Wait until you hear the farro start to sizzle in the pan, about 1-2 minutes, then transfer skillet to the hot oven until toasted.  You won’t necessarily see too much of a color change, but you’ll smell the toastiness.  This will take about 6 minutes, and you’ll want to give it a stir after 3 to make sure both sides get evenly toasted.  Transfer to a bowl and wipe out skillet.

Melt 2 tbsp butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and stir until cooked, about 2 minutes more.  Add wine, increasing heat to high and deglaze the pan.  Stir until the wine is almost evaporated, about 2-3 minutes.

Add farro and 1/2 cup warm stock mixture.  Stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes.  Continue cooking farro, adding broth by the 1/2 cupfuls and allowing broth to be absorbed between additions, until farro is tender, about 45 min – 1 hour.

Meanwhile,  cook kale in a  large pot of boiling water until wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes.  Run under cold water in the sink to cool, then drain and set aside.

Add kale, squash, remaining 1 tbsp butter and parm cheese, stirring gently until butter and cheese are melted and vegetables are heated through, about 2 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve!

The oppressive heat of summer is upon us.  And by us I mean those crazy kids that live in the valley, like Kim.  So in honor of those brave souls that bear the three digit temperatures, here’s a speedy weeknight dinner or side dish you can make ahead of time.  This is great for picnics or bringing to work as leftovers as no heating is required!

Cold Orzo Salad with Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Makes 6 servings

For the Salad:
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
1/4 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, roughly diced
A handful of basil leaves, chiffonaded
8 oz of fresh mozarella, 1/2 inch dice
1/8 cup of toasted pine nuts (optional)

For the Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 shallot, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
Small handful of basil
Small handful of parsley
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup reserved orzo cooking broth, or water
2 tsp tomato paste (get the tube, rather than the cans and keep it in your fridge for occasions like this)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

In a large saucepan, bring broth to a boil over high heat.  Add orzo and cook according to package directions until just al dente (usually 1-2 minutes shy of the recommended cooking time).  Strain the orzo, reserving 1/4 cup of the broth, rinse it under cold water, then spread out on a sheet pan to cool.  Give this a drizzle of olive oil to prevent the orzo from clumping.

While the orzo cools, make the dressing.  In a blender or food processor combine all the ingredients except the olive oil.  Blend until smooth and then drizzle in the olive oil as the blender is running to create a thick, bright orange, emulsified dressing.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Depending on your tomatoes, you might be inclined to add a little sugar for balance.  Prep your other salad ingredients as the orzo finishes cooling.

In a large bowl, stir together the orzo, sun dried tomatoes, basil, mozzarella, and about 3/4 cup of dressing, reserving some mozzarella for topping.  Stir to combine and taste.  Now’s the time to adjust your seasoning and dress to your liking.  I ended up with a generous cup of dressing on mine.  Tuck this in the fridge to get nice an chilly, at least 30 minutes.  When ready to serve, top with reserved mozzarella and toasted pinenuts.

Enjoy!

So I just wrapped up a fabulous two week visit with my Mama.  Since I had the time off from work, we did a lot of cooking and canning.  My first request was strawberry jam, as we had just killed our last jar of that from her previous visit last summer.  But my second was her marvelous mango chutney.  I grew up eating this alongside my dad’s Orange Curried Chicken, although it was an acquired taste at the time, I really appreciate its deep, complex flavors now that I’m an adult.  The vinegar makes this very assertive, so use it as a condiment alongside Indian food, like my Lamb Tikka Masala, or stir some into your curry chicken salad.  It’s also delicious as a condiment with grilled meats and veggies.  The secret to this recipe is the long, slow cooking that takes place over 3 days to really meld the flavors and create the jam-like texture.  It’s wonderful for canning and makes about four 8-oz jars.

Mama’s Mango Chutney
Makes about 4 cups
3 cups peeled mango, 1/2 inch dice
2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup lime juice
1 cup golden raisins, either whole or roughly chopped
1 cup red onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp dried mustard
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garam masala spice blend

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan or dutch oven (that you won’t miss for 3 days), combine all ingredients and mix well.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to the lowest setting possible and simmer very gently for 1 hour, stirring occaisionally.  Your chutney should look a little something like this.

Allow to cool to room temperature, then move the pan into the fridge overnight.

The next day, return the pan to the store and again, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat very gently for 1 hour.  This is how your chutney should look after the second day.

Again, cool to room temperature and return to the fridge.

Repeat the process one more day.  There will be much less liquid left on the third day, so stir your chutney frequently to assure that nothing is burning.  If the heat seems too high, you can create  a ring of crumpled aluminum foil to set your pot on over the burner for a less intense heat.  By the end of this hour of simmering, the liquid should be all but evaporated and the chutney should have taken on a more uniform golden-brown hue.

From here you can serve as is, keep it in a sealed container in your fridge for up to a month, or can the chutney and it’ll last for years.

Delish!!  Thanks Mama!

Ok, so depending on your tastes, this may not be ideal for the summertime, but thanks to my hectic work schedule this poor recipe has been sitting around for about 4 months waiting to be posted.  Nevertheless, it’s something I absolutely couldn’t wait any longer to share with you.  Vietnamese isn’t the most familiar cuisine, in fact it was something I had never eaten before moving to Los Angeles, but I was immediately taken by it.  Like most asian cuisines, there are complex, deep and clean flavors.  But where it differs is its bright use of fresh herbs and crisp raw vegetables, making it amongst the lightest and freshest of the region.

By far the most famous Vietnamese dish is pho, a lovely noodle soup with a deep beef broth topped with handfuls of  bright herbs.  So you can imagine my delight stumbling across a recipe to make this beautiful soup in my crockpot while I’m at work!

Slow Cooker Pho
Serves 6 – 8

2 sweet onions, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups boxed chicken stock
4 cups boxed beef stock
2 cups water
1/4 fish sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp sugar
2 stalks lemon grass, brusied with the back of a knife
4 star anise pods
4 whole cloves
2 lbs beef blade steak
Salt and pepper
8 oz fine rice noodles
1/2 lb beef tenderloin, sliced paper thin  (optional)

Garnishes:
2 cups bean sprouts
1 cup Thai basil (or regular basil) torn by hand
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions sliced thin on a bias
Lime wedges
1 fresh Thai, serrano, or jalepeno, seeded and stemmed and sliced paper thin
1/2 sweet onion, sliced paper thin
Hoisin Sauce
Sriracha sauce

The night before, in a medium skillet, saute the onion over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes.  Add in the garlic and continue to cook until the onions are softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes more.  Transfer contents to the insert of your crockpot.  Stir chicken broth, beef broth, water, fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and lemon grass.  Secure star anise and cloves in either a small cheesecloth pouch or teabag and add to the soup.  If you have difficulty finding the whole spices, you can substitute with 3/4 tsp each of ground or 1.5 tsp of chinese five spice seasoning.  Season the blade steaks with salt and pepper and nestle it down into the broth.  Cover the pot and place in the fridge overnight.

In the morning before you head out the door, place your insert directly from the fridge into the crockpot and set to cook on low for 9-11 hours or on high for 5-7.

When you return home, move the beef tenderloin into the freezer for 15 minutes.  This will help firm it up for slicing.  Meanwhile, pull the meat out of the crockpot and place on a cutting board and when cooled slightly, shred gently.

Strain and skim the fat off the broth and return it to the crockpot, discarding lemongrass and spice pouch.  Stir in noodles and cook on high for 20 minutes.  Now’s a great time to prep your garnishes.

Also while the noodles are cooking, slice the beef paper thin.  When noodles are finished, stir in the shredded beef and dish out into serving bowls.

Top the hot soup with the paper thin slices of beef tenderloin.  They will poach very gently, cooking just slightly in the hot broth, offering a completely different and authentic texture to compliment the slow braised shredded beef.  This might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I really encourage the you to try it!

Throw on your favorite herbs and toppings and swirl in hoisin and sriracha and a spritz of lime to flavor the broth exactly to your tastes.

Ahhhmazing!

First of all, apologies for the absence, it was still Spring last time I posted! Now Summer is majorly upon us, so what better way to kick off the season here on iheartyum than with a simple dessert highlighting the beautiful fruit from the farmer’s market. Living in a small household, I’m always looking for desserts that are convenient to scale down (which customarily appear in my favorite single serving 8 oz ramekins). So when I tasted this dessert at Campanile last weekend, I couldn’t wait to hit the market this morning and find some late season apricots and strawberries and whip together my own take.

The marvelous thing about this recipe is its versatility. This dessert can be made from just about any combination of stone fruit and berry. As you’re pairing them up, try to pick one fruit that’s a bit more tart and one that’s more sweet. I can imagine this crumble would be brilliant with blueberries and nectarines or sweet cherries and plums. By all means pick your favorite flavors, just try to stick to the weight of the measurements, allowing a slightly higher ratio of sweet fruit to tart.

Strawberry Apricot Crumble
Makes 2 individual 8oz ramekins

For the Filling:
10 oz strawberries, hulled and chopped into 8ths
3 apricots (about 6 oz), 1/2 inch dice
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

For the Crumble Topping:
1/2 cup AP flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
pinch of baking powder
2 tbsp butter, melted
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the strawberries, apricots, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and salt. Stir gently to coat. Divide between two 8 oz ramekins and set aside.

In another medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.  Stir to combine, then stir in the melted butter. With your fingers, mix thoroughly, occasionally squeezing the dough together to create crumbles. Top the ramekins with the crumble, pressing down the first half and then sprinkle the second half more gently.

Bake in a 375°F oven for about 25 minutes until the fruit is bubbly and the crumble is golden brown. Remember to slide a sheet of foil underneath to catch any drips.  Allow to cool on a wire rack and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla icecream.

Happy Summer Everyone!

I’ve been in a rut with my roast chickens of late.

Growing up, my family took roast chicken seriously.  I lovingly recall spending weekends at my Grammy’s, where on Sunday the farm fresh chicken would hit the very low oven early in the morning and slowly roast while we attended church.  By the time we got back, the house could not have smelled more welcoming and our early supper could not come soon enough.  Sometime in the 90s we got a Ducane grill with a built in rotisserie.   It only took my parents about 2 months to perfect their chicken, and from there on out Robson’s Rotisserie was a monthly occasion.  We put Boston Market (heck, back then it was still called Boston Chicken) to shame.  My dad would lovingly baste the bird and my mom would whip up mashed potatoes, stuffing and veg.   And for me, this became the epitome of a family dinner.  Even in high school, when schedules became crazy and spending time out of the house become a priority over family time, when my brother and I heard it was a Robson’s rotisserie night, we dropped everything and stayed home.   At least until the table was cleared.

So you can see that this is a very serious matter that my roasted chickens haven’t been tremendously exciting of late. I’ve been rummaging through recipes, experimenting with new techniques, stuffings, brines, rubs, herbed butters under the skin… and somehow I’ve moved away from what makes roasted chicken so good: simplicity.  Simultaneously, a new vendor showed up at the local farmers market with not only some of the most beautiful, fresh eggs I’ve tasted on the west coast, but with lovely farm-fresh, free-range chickens.

In my recipe hunt, I noticed a particularly well reviewed roast chicken recipe on Epicurious.  This is worth a looksie alone because the foodies on Epicurious are quite critical.  Then I saw Thomas Keller’s name attached to it.  For the uninitiated, Thomas Keller is a legend of American cuisine.   He is the chef that is revered by chefs.  His restaurant, The French Laundry, is one of the most highly sought-after reservations in the states, serving food that is at once decadent, pristine, whimsical, and pure.  And his chicken recipe has four ingredients.   Like Julia Child, this is a chef whose recipe you just trust.  You don’t adapt it and you certainly don’t paraphrase it.  Because it’s perfect.

My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken
Recipe by Thomas Keller
Makes 2 – 4 servings

One 2- to 3- pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450°F.  Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out.  The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird.  Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it’s a good technique to feel comfortable with.  When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out.  Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken—I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon).  When it’s cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin.  Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven.  I leave it alone—I don’t baste it, I don’t add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don’t want. Roast it until it’s done, 50 to 60 minutes.  Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan.  Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Remove the twine.  Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately.  Remove the legs and thighs.  I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I’m cooking with.  But I take the chicken butt for myself.  I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip—until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself.  These are the cook’s rewards.  Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each.  The preparation is not meant to be superelegant.  Slather the meat with fresh butter.  Serve with dijon mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad.  You’ll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it’s so good.

The only thing that could make this recipe better is watching the man prepare it himself.

He does things a tiny bit differently in the video than he does in the recipe, mostly just when he adds the thyme.   Pay close attention to the amount of salt that he uses.  This is crucial for the flavor.  He also makes an important point about tempering your meat.  Leave your chicken out on the counter for about 30 minutes before you get started cooking.  This takes the chill off and, like the trussing, allows the meat to cook more evenly.   Needless to say, with only four ingredients at play, you have to skip the supermarket chicken and get a farm-raised bird.  It just won’t compare.

The meat is the juiciest, most succulent I’ve had in years.  The skin is salty and crispy.  It carves up like a dream and makes it impossible not to go back for seconds.  Or thirds.  Yup, rut resolved.

Do you know how challenging it is to find desserts that serve just two?  This is something that’s bugged me for a while now: it’s late on a weeknight and you’re craving a lovely bit of homemade dessert but lamenting over how much time, effort and guilt it will involve.  Thankfully Paula Deen had an easily adaptable cake recipe that was up to the challenge.  Is this the best cake recipe I’ve encountered?  Nope, but I can get it from the pantry to my mouth in 20 minutes and make exactly enough to satisfy a craving without having a gigantic caloric cake leering at me from the kitchen for 4 days.  You know what I’m saying.  We’ve all seen that sassy cake leer before.

Late Night Molten Chocolate Cake
Makes 2 perfect portions

2.5 oz bittersweet chocolate
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 – 3 tsp coffee or orange liquor

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave, about a minute.  While the chocolate is melting, butter two 8oz ramekins and set aside.  Whisk the heated chocolate butter mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg and egg yolk together, then pour into the melted chocolate, whisking quickly as the chocolate is still a bit warm.  Whisk in the flour, confectioner’s sugar, and a pinch of salt.  When smooth, add in the vanilla extract and your optional liquor of choice.  We grabbed the Starbuck’s cream liquor from the cabinet, which has a nice smooth coffee flavor, but this would be delicious with Kahlua, Bailey’s, Cointreau, Grand Marnier… ok, most anything.  At 2 tsps, we found the flavor just a liiittle bit overpowering for the chocolate, so next time I’ll take it down to 1.  If you like your desserts boozy, go for a full tablespoon.  Then divide the batter evenly between the two ramekins.

So this should have taken you all of 4 minutes, excluding the long decision-making process on how best to booze your cakes.  Pop those two lovelies into the preheated oven and bake for 13 – 15 minutes.  If you like your molten cake really oozy, give the ramekin a shake at 13 minutes.  The edges will be set but the center will still be a bit jiggly.  I like mine a little more done, almost no jiggle to the cake, the center isn’t completely set, but it doesn’t run, which takes about 15 minutes and is conveniently illustrated in the following picture.

When they come out of the oven, immediately run a sharp paring knife around the edge just to make sure there’s no sticking and invert onto a dessert plate.  Dust with powdered sugar and a bit of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if you have that on hand.  Warm, soft and infinitely moist, it’s a clever cake with its fudgy frosting all cozy on the inside.  Yup, don’t mind if I do one bit.

If you’re an avid reader of our little blog (bless you), you may have noticed the array of mushroom soup pictures on the side that have gone without a recipe.  I figure its time to remedy this.  This is yet another perfect recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table.  Ok, near perfect, I made a couple tweaks to taste.  The thing that really sets this recipe apart from other mushroom soups is the beautiful raw salad that is served amid the warm, creamy soup.  The blend of textures, which subtly change as the salad spends time basking in the soup, is truly genius.  The ingredients are humble, yet they form a dish elegant enough to serve for company.  Ok, I’ve made you wait long enough as it is, on to the recipe!

Paris Mushroom Soup

Adapted from “Around My French Table”
Serves 4

For the Soup:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb white and brown mushrooms, sliced  (buy 2 lbs, you’ll need a few for the salad as well)
1/2 cup white wine
2 parsley stems
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small rosemary sprig
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream

For the Optional Salad:
6-8 mushrooms, sliced paper thin
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tbsps chives, snipped with kitchen shears into tiny rounds

1/4 cup crème fraiche or plain greek yogurt

In a large soup pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the onions for about 5 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms begin to soften and release their liquids.  Increase the heat to high and cook until the majority of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms being to brown slightly.  Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the lovely bits and cook until almost completely evaporated.    Season with salt and white pepper.

Add the herbs and stock and bring to a boil.   Lower the heat to medium-low and allow the soup to simmer 20 minutes.  Remove rosemary and thyme stems (the leaves will have fallen off at this point).

While the soup is simmering, let’s make the salad.  Slice your mushrooms wafer-thin.  Take your time and use a sharp knife.  In a small bowl mix together the herbs, scallions and mushrooms and season with a tiny bit of white pepper.  Don’t add salt until a moment before you’re ready to plate, otherwise it will begin to draw water from your veggies and soften their crisp texture.

Using an immersion blender (or working in small batches with your blender/food processor) puree the soup until its very smooth.  Time for the inevitable finicky portion of a french recipe: strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve for an optimal, creamy texture.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  Mine needed a good bit more white pepper and another pinch of salt.   Return soup to pan and stir in the cream, which I added just for the velvety mouthfeel only cream can provide and keep over very low heat until ready to serve.   Alternatively, you could stir in a few tablespoons of creme fraiche/ yogurt or just leave it out entirely.

To plate, pile up a bit of salad in the center of a low flat bowl.  Carefully pour the soup around the outside.  I’d recommend transferring some soup to a liquid measuring cup or gravy bowl and doing this right at the table for easy pouring and a lovely presentation.  Allow guests to top the soup with as much crème fraiche as they desire and an additional sprig of chive for good measure.  Très magnifique!

By far, my greatest discovery at Trader Joe’s has been their fresh pizza dough.   I know it’s not a super challenging task to make pizza dough, but when you’re teetering back and forth over whether to make your pizza at home or order out, that fresh, refrigerated dough from TJ’s is usually the straw that tips the scales in the favor of a homemade dinner.  And truly, I’m always so happy that it did.  Ok, obviously it requires more energy than dialing up pizza joint, but I get to control exactly the quality and quantity of ingredients on my pie.  And tonight, those toppings included a salad.

This isn’t really a recipe, more of a concept.  Build your pizza how you like.  Tonight ours was pretty straightforward.  After slowly shaping the dough, I started with some good ol’ TJ’s pizza sauce from a jar.  Topped it with a tasty layer of really good parm cheese for flavor.  Then some sauteed mushrooms (browning them up ahead of time prevents excess water from leaking out into your pie) and chopped marinated artichoke hearts.  These were followed by a serious layer of pepperoni and a generous sprinkle of low-fat mozzarella cheese (which I find makes the pizza less greasy).  Dust it all with some red pepper flakes and dried oregano and into the oven it goes!  Whoops, forgot to paint the crust edge with some olive oil.   Oh well, next time.

While the pizza is baking,  whisk together about 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice and an equal part of extra virgin olive oil.  Toss 3-4 cups of loosely packed baby arugula and then stare into the oven, waiting for the pizza to reach its golden brown and bubbly state of perfection.

When the pizza is ready to serve, quickly slice into portions and then top with the mound of zesty arugula.  Then finish it with a nice grating of good parm and some fresh cracked pepper for good measure.  Talk about some yum.

Seriously, why eat a salad on the side?   The crisp, bright and zippy greens are such a beautiful compliment to the rich, chewy pizza.  Also, forks on pizza night are for chumps.

Alas, the Oscar’s sadly turned out to be a huge bore, but the evening was redeemed by dinner!