Pizza Perfection

Since the Amoeba Pizza adventure a few months back, Jimmy's made numerous forays into savory pie land, and last night, on a whim, the two of us decided to experiment some more. Sorry you weren't there, folks, because we both have to admit, we make a pretty kick-ass pizza...

For whatever reason--perhaps because we weren't in a rush or because I'm half-Sicilian--I was able to roll each half the dough paper thin. (I only had my cell last night, so I apologize for the low-quality photography.) I also managed to achieve a fairly rectangular shape slightly larger than the pan, so once I cut off the edges it fit almost perfectly on the cookie sheets.

Jimmy prepared numerous toppings and threw things onto each pie. On the first he put almost-caramelized onions, goat cheese, a minced jalapeño pepper, pine nuts, and grated Parmesan. The second was covered in fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella, Parmesan, and minced jalapeños (we added fresh basil as a garnish as we ate). We cooked each at 500 degrees for about 9 minutes (we kept a close eye on the goings on), and they came out almost crackery and wonderful. We made many yummy sounds.

Not to waste the bits of dough I cut off the rolled-out bits, we decided to play with the leftovers. We topped one piece with olive oil, Maldon salt, Parmesan, and mystery chive-like garlicky greens from Jimmy's friend in Park Slope (wowsah, yummy); another with hot pepper jelly and goat cheese (would make a nice dessert pizza); and a third with dried currants, olive oil, dried red chili flakes, and salt (crazy!). I also made pigs-in-a-blanket-like rolls with olive oil, tomatoes, and Maldon salt (a keeper); a little currant hot pocket (Hamantascheny); and a rolled up knot of dough and olive oil (boring compared to everything else, but would make excellent fluffy bread).

Pizza is now officially in our repertoire. We can do just as well--if not better--than many of the new frou-frou joints in town, and I bet you can too. Why not take your time and play? It makes for a fun evening with excellent food. Go for it!