Exploration 1: Pizza - Need I Say More?*

My dog eats vegetables! Did we talk about this already? I noticed it about two weeks ago when one morning I came outside and saw bits and pieces of vegetables scraps strewn across the backyard - broccoli stem here, carrot over there...you get where this is going. But, she also just likes to chew things. It's more than just being a puppy, it's something her breed is known to do when she gets bored and it doesn't take much for her to get bored. Her DNA has the dog version of ADHD.

About a week ago, however, when I dumped a good amount of kitchen scraps onto the compost I watched as she dove into it. The next morning, after feeding her I took a good look at her - she's getting plump; happily wearing her winter bod. (We haven't been walking lately because she somehow pulled off the metal ring her lease clips onto. I'm thinking it got snagged and she ripped it off. So I didn't notice how much weight she has gained recently.) 

That night I took to the Internet to read about vegetables and dogs after my sister expressed curiosity over it. If vegetables are GOOD for dogs seem to be a debated subject, but what seems evident is that it isn't necessarily bad. Many "experts" agree that dogs aren't straight-up carnivores, they are omnivorous, much like us. They just lean more towards the all meat end of the spectrum. Yes, my dog is turning vegetarian with me. ha ha

But there are a few items that are harmful such as grapes which are said to have the capacity to shut down a dog's kidneys on the spot and kill them. Then there was quite a bit of talk about carbohydrates and cabbage. As I read, I realized the pasta and the rice that we tossed out the night before was gone today. Shopai devoured it. As we all know, cabbage is something that I have been cooking with abundance. Initially I considered just discarding those items so Shopai couldn't accidentally eat them. However, then I'd be taking away from the compost and probably adding to the landfill conundrum that initiated my want to compost.

I ended up erecting two more walls to the compost, making it impossible for Shopai to access the compost. One side isn't "attached" (if you missed that post, none of the walls are nailed together, it stands because all the walls are set in the dirt. They're just standing there) I wrapped a rope around the entire thing to "close" it. It's important one side is able to open because every so often I need to turn the pile, stir it. I've been doing it at a rate about once or twice a week.

So that happened. But besides Shopai scattering the compost every chance she got, it's doing well otherwise. Again, it is starting to smell bad but in regards to the natural process of organic things, that's a good thing. It means it is breaking down. It's decomposing. It's doing the very thing we want it to do. Yay!

Yeast. I've only used it a handful of times. My material grandmother used to make yeast rolls all the time. She even had a special bowl set aside just for them. She said it added to their flavor. I find it interesting how old people did stuff like that, they didn't wash the cast-iron pot, the bread bowl, or the wooden spoons because it added to the flavor. These days we're so obsessed with germs we clean to exhausting degree, everything! In the kitchen, nothing is held sacred. If we're lucky, the space might be. My paternal grandmother's house, it's like that. The kitchen is sacred. 

That's where the family gathers. That's where all information and sometimes even formal conversations take place. It's where grandma's magic can be found. It's the life force of her house and in turn, the family. 

As Americans willingly, with increase, surrender the art of cooking - opting for take out, dine in or instant this and instant that, microwavable shit - the kitchen as a sanctuary becomes something less. I'm not sure what it becomes, but something less.

I very well might be part of the last generation that cooks. Let's hope not.

But yeast is a magical thing so I tend to get excited when I use it. If you've never used it before, one word of caution - don't use HOT water. Yeast is a bacteria, it's alive and if the water is too hot, it will kill it and it won't do what you want it to. I've killed yeast a time or two. I find just hot tap water is sufficient, but to be safe - use a thermometer. 

The sugar, well that's what the yeast feed on. Basically you have an army of bacteria that have been locked up in a bottle or package and are starving. So you put them in warm water, wake them up and get them swimming, then you feed them some sugar. Happily they have a Thanksgiving meal, eating as much as quick as they can. Then you dump flour in and make the dough. As it sits, the army of bacteria starts to fart because, well they're full and that's more or less what gives you the rise.

Before rise

I don't know why it's important to cover it, but it's something my grandma always did before telling me, "Don't look. It won't rise if you peek."

The 45 minutes it takes to wait for the dough to rise is probably the hardest part of the entire process.

But I made the use of my time. I washed the dishes (a happy kitchen is a clean kitchen. I also hate cooking with dishes in the sink. Something I learned from Home Ec. - back in the day) I fed the dog. Having just got back from the gym, I took a shower. Then I started to get my ingredients ready to assemble the pizza.

After rise

The recipe says that the dough is enough to make 2 pizzas. I wouldn't know because I just opted to make one big one. 

I doubt that I stand alone the idea of making home made pizza means an opportunity to throw the dough in the air, like a pro. I would be lying if I said I didn't try it. I wouldn't recommend it. I nearly dropped the dough and all it did was goop. It was a struggle, but I managed to spread the dough over a pizza pan in the closest thing to even as I could, as round as I could. 

Later, as I sat eating the pizza I found myself curious on how to actually throw the dough so I turned to Youtube. Yeah, I should have started there. The guy in this video shows how to throw it, but more importantly, he tells you how to start it. You wouldn't even need to throw it, you just need to know how to stretch it.

WATCH THIS VIDEO - PIZZA DOUGH. YOU'LL THANK ME LATER.

My pizza was still edible, the crust was just thick and some of the cheese and sauce dripped off and burned.

Marinara sauce - I cheated. I grabbed my favorite pasta sauce, Sweet Basil. I mean really, what is marinara sauce other than pasta sauce spread on dough? Although it did the job, I think marinara sauce is a little thicker. I don't know why I'm always trying to switch things up. Even though the pasta sauce already had basil in it, I went ahead and threw on some more basil with oregano on top of the sauce like the recipe specifies.

When I planned to make pizza, it was to get rid of the mozzarella cheese I opened a while back. I can't even remember what we used it on. It would have gone bad by now, but my sister told me I could freeze it and you know what? She was right! You can. So I did. I intended to make just a cheese pizza. 

Like a sandwich, you can literally throw anything you want on it and it's still considered a pizza. By now you all know that I have a tendency to 1) make things up 2) substitute things and 3) detour off the recipe either out of necessity or out of curiosity, if not a combination of both.

The recipe calls for beef and onions. I thought about the onions, but didn't see the point without the beef. So I went rummaging through the produce drawer. I ended up slicing mushrooms, green peppers, green onions, mozz cheese and some colby jack cheese. Then I loaded up my pizza.

I may have went over board with my toppings as all of it wouldn't fit - and I tried. That's okay though, I placed what couldn't fit in a zip lock bag, they'd be perfect on a salad for lunch. The pizza looking marvelous before it went in the oven. I paraded it through the house so everyone could see the beauty of my creation. There was no guarantee it would come out tasting good, but at least it looked good. 

Can you check pizza crust like cake? Stick a toothpick in it? I don't know. How do you know if the crust is cooked all the way? I have no idea. I heard when the crust is golden brown, it's done. I peeked after 25 minutes. Partially tanned, but questionable. So I let it sit 5 more minutes. It was perfect!

After it cooled a tad, I slice it and then dug into it.

My first impression, it tasted different than frozen pizza or pizza from the place down the road. But not bad different, just different. I also realized I could have sped up the process by buying an already made crust that was hanging right next to the sauces in the grocery store. As I sat there, enjoying my creation, I realized when I make this again, I'll stick to the make-your-own-dough because I know everything that went into this. There are no preservatives. I mean, it's better for your body. Better for your soul. 

We live in a world of instant gratification. We must seek joy in working for things and waiting for things. There is a beauty in it that we are denying ourselves of.

I also would have made the crust thinner. My dough was very thick, but that's okay. You really might have been able to make 2 decent size pies with the dough. Don't be fooled. 

On a Tyson Nuggets Scale - a 5.

Homemade Pizza Recipe 

It's fun. It's versatile. It's easy. Yeah it's not fast, but again, the hardest part of it is waiting. The dough isn't hard to create. If you know anything about dough it's a breeze. Basically, you want it soft. Not too sticky and not too tough. Don't over work it. And use full folds. It's not play-dough so don't play with it, even though the urge is there. 

But after that, it goes quickly. So yeah, I recommend it. Have fun! If you want to try the recipe, here you go.

As for me, I need to get off the couch and clean the kitchen, maybe some laundry.

It's a 5!