Tuesday, July 05, 2005

I have discovered the ultimate pizza, people.

My husband gave me a grill for my birthday (and though I joke about it: "I asked for something pretty, and he bought me a GRILL" it has changed our lives already). I finally decided to try the grilled pizza from American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza and do not understand why that book was not sub-subtitled "Which I found right here on p. 212"*.

The list of things to do for the mise en place is exhausting. Just looking at it, I often grew tired and thought, "No way will I ever grill a pizza." And then to make the butternut squash puree (made a bit easier with that baggie of cut up squash they sell at Trader Joe's) and the onion jam? It seemed like a ton of work and a giant pain in the rear for PIZZA.

We did it anyway, and I fired up the grill, and totally dropped the first round of dough in a big pile but was able to quickly spread it back out again. And once you start grilling, it's pretty easy- let it blister on the hot side of the grill, flip it and move it to the cool side, top with grated mozzarella and parmesan, followed by your canned tomatoes and then plopping on blobs of squash puree and onion jam and mascarpone. You are also supposed to have your cutting board and knife out there so you can mince up some fresh thyme and basil on the spot but I had no room on the two tv trays I'd dragged out next to the grill.

It was all worth it, though. Jeff took one bite and said, "These beats the pants off of that pizza we had in Phoenix." And it did. It beat the pants off of every pizza I've ever had in my entire life. Smoky and sweet, crisp and tender, it was absolutely sublime.

*Not actual page number

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