i made pizza, and then i got distracted....

Sunday night's 'pizza for dinner' plan is quickly becoming a household tradition.  It's so easy, and it always hits the mark:  little to no prep, short cooking time, scrumptious results, minimal cleanup.   Tonight's version consisted of the obligatory Udi's Gluten Free Crust, homemade pesto ( recipe to follow),  sundried tomatoes, mushrooms and parmesan reggiano.  Everything except the fresh basil, which I used in the pesto, was already stocked in my pantry/ refrigerator/ freezer.  It doesn't get much easier than that.
My husband, Thor,  opened a yummy bottle of wine and that was that.  These are some of my favorite evenings.

As it always does, our conversation drifted quickly - from pizza crust,( Thor doesn't like gluten free) to french cookbooks. Eventually we found our way to Henri Babinski, an french engineer turned cookbook author.  He is better known in foody circles by his nom de plume, Ali Bab, under which he published the  Gastronomie Pratique, Etudes Culinaires, or as translated, the Practical Gastronomist - culinary studies.   In an effort to be brief,  I'd love to suggest a visit to fellow blogger's Lost Past Remembered, for both a more in depth account, and a beautiful recipe for Veal Chop with Paprika Cream......

As for me and my house,  we ate pizza, and puttered around until bedtime.

not your average pizza

This is a perfect example of how important it is to have a well stocked pantry (and refrigerator).  Tonight my husband and I both arrived home at 7pm,  tired and hungry.  I had leftover stew in the refrigerator, but somehow that didn't seem appetizing.

Thankfully, I had on hand the necessary ingredients for a perfectly decadent pizza.  Twenty minutes later,  I'm sitting here at my kitchen counter, snacking on pizza and sharing the recipe with you. 

Before I go any further, however, I must give credit where credit is due.  The inspiration for this meal comes from Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell, of Beekman 1802 fame, via Martha Stewart.  The Blaak Onion Jam is theirs and it is divine.  I highly recommend stocking your pantry with at least 2 or 3 of these jars as soon as possible.  You can also find the recipe for their fabulous jam here.