Monday, June 30, 2008

Every Freaking Penny

I think I made a wise investment decision last week - I used $200 from my dwindling ICBC settlement to buy this:



an Italian pizza oven.



There is an element in the lid of the oven, and a pizza stone set into the base. You preheat it for ten minutes while rolling your dough



and adding your toppings



then you use the wooden paddles to lift the pizza onto the stone and close the lid.



FOUR MINUTES LATER it's lunchtime.




Mr HalfSoledBoots thinks - and I'm sure others would agree - that I'm insane for spending two hundred dollars on this but I assure you, it was worth it. Blazing hot, perfectly cooked, the crust crispy and thin, the flavours intense...(and as an added bonus, it uses much less power than the conventional oven, heats hotter, and cooks quicker). I'm going to have fun with this appliance.

There's a pub nearby that sells an insanely good pizza with pesto, chicken breast and feta, and I think I'll try that next, maybe with some artichoke hearts. But I'm interested in other combinations that might not occur to me (as you can see above, I opted for The Usual on my first trial), so if you have a favourite pizza, let me know what it is.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was going to mention a spinach, feta and artichoke combo.... but then I thought better of it, realizing spinach falls into that nebulous leafy green category.

Salami and mushrooms.

Red onion, chicken breast meat and black olives.

Dave Hingsburger said...

We are famous for our bar-b-que'd pizza. We barb-b-que veggies, mushrooms, peppers, onions - spice them all up and put them on the grill. Then they go on the pizza. It's amazing what the grill does to vegetables. We also use the Yves vegetarian pepperoni (even meat eaters can't tell) and the topping is a cheddar mozza mix.

Gena said...

WANT! Now! I like to make margherita pizza. Roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Gena said...

Oh, and I don't think you're crazy for spending that much. I won't reveal what my cookware cost.

Shan said...

Thanks Gena! Luckily my friend owns the shop and ordered it for me, at cost...I don't know what retail would have been.

The margherita sounds good...I'll be trying that.

Stace' said...

BBQ chicken and cheddar. Mmmm...

A white pie is always good. Alfredo, chicken, and motz. cheese. Double Mmmmm...

Brenda said...

Oh that looks so yummy, although I think I'd just as soon eat it cold today, given the temps. The pesto, chicken breast and feta combo sounds yummy too (love anything with feta), which pub?

I'm hoping to be outside the Tidemark tomorrow afternoon at 2. :)

Kristine said...

sausage and green peppers

or

bacon, pepperoni, and jalapenos.

<---meat eaters. :)

Anonymous said...

Back when I used to be able to eat cheese and meat, Boywich and I would always get prosciutto and broccoli pizza (with fresh mozarella). Sigh.

Anonymous said...

ooooh, Lizbon's wins so far for me!!

Anonymous said...

And for dessert - apple pizza. Sprinkle base with a little ground cloves, cover with finely sliced apples. Mix 3/4 cup flour with about 1/3 cup sugar and 25 grams (one ounce) butter. Cut butter in with a knife until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over apple and cook. Enjoy.
(The topping is enough to cover a pizza as big as an oven tray - approx 14 inches across.Enough to feed the hungry hordes)
Helen in New Zealand

Jo said...

Where is mine?!?! My fave is mushroom, ham, and pineapple :)

Anonymous said...

Bacon and corn.....so good, we tried it in Mexico and it is now a staple for pizza night. Shannon-2

Rachel said...

Pioneer Woman Cooks just put a recipe up for pizza that looks amazing...basil pesto as the sauce topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, another layer of fresh mozzarella, and fresh Parmesan.

Shan said...

Oh sweet heaven, you people are making me hungry.

Gwen said...

birdie num nums