Crusty and Delicious
24/05/18 07:41
We finally stumbled into that new pizzeria in town the other day. It was far too busy during previous visits so we never stayed long enough to order anything. That doesn't mean we weren't interested. We were. It was around dinner time when we arrived and we were surprised to find that while the bar was busy with a private party there were plenty of seats otherwise empty so we decided to stay. One item on their menu in particular caught my eye. A pizza with a cauliflower crust? Whoever heard of such a thing? I like newfangled and when I see something newfangled I am more inclined to want to try it than not. Besides, I've been trying to lose a couple of pounds here and there so removing bread from the list of things that I consider "good" for me has been a priority.
Not to belabor the point, but I have been eating more cauliflower as of late for whatever reason and while I prefer it roasted in the oven I can certainly think of other ways to consume it. Anyway, we went ahead and ordered the pizza and were more than pleasantly surprised at just how good it was. The expression that came to mind immediately was, "guilt free." I think we ordered the garden pizza which came with lots of veggies so it was a win-win.
I was somewhat mystified as to how they created a cauliflower crust that was almost indistinguishable from a bread crust. Did they cheat and add some kind of four product just to hold the thing together? Could I buy this product off the shelves in my local grocery store? I went so far as to look it up on Trader Joe's web site and noticed that they did indeed sell such a thing. I also noticed that someone had posted a review and it was not good. The review was very clear about the fact that the crust never browned up once in the oven and that to me was a non-starter.
The more I read about it the more intrigued I became and after looking at a recipe or two that I considered within my wheelhouse I bought the ingredients and made my own cauliflower crust pizza. To say it turned out perfectly would not be an overstatement. I loved the way the crust turned golden brown after about 12 minutes with the oven cranked up to 450 degrees. Then, you add the ingredients: Feta cheese, green olives, red onion, mozzarella cheese, broccoli, and organic tomatoes. Did I mention that the recipe called for the use of parchment paper? I told Nancy that that was the first time I've ever used parchment paper and she snickered. Silly boy.
Nancy and I stopped by the house on 5 Park Ridge last evening to see what it looked like now that the staging was done. Truth be told, it looked pretty good. Darn good if you ask me. The motif had a decidedly beach-like orientation and why not since the house itself is but a block or two away from the beach. Maybe that is what a prospective buyer expects when looking to buy a home that is "oceanside"? The open house is planned for this coming holiday weekend which is but a day or two away as I sit here now. Not sure about the forecast but sunny would be good when the open house rolls around.
I might even suggest that the realtor open the windows during the showing and hope for a nice breeze off the ocean. The grass has been cut and the various articles of this and that removed from sight so as not to distract from the illusion crafted by the realtor with the help of her stager. No one has mentioned parking but that particular street is tight with no available slack for people wanting to snug up to the curb in their expensive SUV's. I suppose they could run a trolley to and from the beach but aside from that they will have a bit of a challenge with the parking. That should not stop a determined buyer one way or the other.
Being a news junkie I have to say that I am not looking forward to the upcoming three day holiday weekend. I will hope against hope for something to drop late Friday evening that is designed to be muted by the weekend itself and muted even further by an elongated three day weekend. It may well provide me with the appropriate elixir that will tide me over until the talking head shows come along Sunday morning. I will have to rely on podcasts and rehashed news from the weeks events to get me over the hump since I will not be joining the rest of the universe toiling on the local beaches and wading in the surf with their tutu's and surfboards. Twitter will provide me with the usual alternative news sources which of course never sleep and more often than not twist the tale of the tape so you never know quite who to believe and not to believe. Believing the unbelievable can be fun too so I am understandably open to it all.
Not to belabor the point, but I have been eating more cauliflower as of late for whatever reason and while I prefer it roasted in the oven I can certainly think of other ways to consume it. Anyway, we went ahead and ordered the pizza and were more than pleasantly surprised at just how good it was. The expression that came to mind immediately was, "guilt free." I think we ordered the garden pizza which came with lots of veggies so it was a win-win.
I was somewhat mystified as to how they created a cauliflower crust that was almost indistinguishable from a bread crust. Did they cheat and add some kind of four product just to hold the thing together? Could I buy this product off the shelves in my local grocery store? I went so far as to look it up on Trader Joe's web site and noticed that they did indeed sell such a thing. I also noticed that someone had posted a review and it was not good. The review was very clear about the fact that the crust never browned up once in the oven and that to me was a non-starter.
The more I read about it the more intrigued I became and after looking at a recipe or two that I considered within my wheelhouse I bought the ingredients and made my own cauliflower crust pizza. To say it turned out perfectly would not be an overstatement. I loved the way the crust turned golden brown after about 12 minutes with the oven cranked up to 450 degrees. Then, you add the ingredients: Feta cheese, green olives, red onion, mozzarella cheese, broccoli, and organic tomatoes. Did I mention that the recipe called for the use of parchment paper? I told Nancy that that was the first time I've ever used parchment paper and she snickered. Silly boy.
Nancy and I stopped by the house on 5 Park Ridge last evening to see what it looked like now that the staging was done. Truth be told, it looked pretty good. Darn good if you ask me. The motif had a decidedly beach-like orientation and why not since the house itself is but a block or two away from the beach. Maybe that is what a prospective buyer expects when looking to buy a home that is "oceanside"? The open house is planned for this coming holiday weekend which is but a day or two away as I sit here now. Not sure about the forecast but sunny would be good when the open house rolls around.
I might even suggest that the realtor open the windows during the showing and hope for a nice breeze off the ocean. The grass has been cut and the various articles of this and that removed from sight so as not to distract from the illusion crafted by the realtor with the help of her stager. No one has mentioned parking but that particular street is tight with no available slack for people wanting to snug up to the curb in their expensive SUV's. I suppose they could run a trolley to and from the beach but aside from that they will have a bit of a challenge with the parking. That should not stop a determined buyer one way or the other.
Being a news junkie I have to say that I am not looking forward to the upcoming three day holiday weekend. I will hope against hope for something to drop late Friday evening that is designed to be muted by the weekend itself and muted even further by an elongated three day weekend. It may well provide me with the appropriate elixir that will tide me over until the talking head shows come along Sunday morning. I will have to rely on podcasts and rehashed news from the weeks events to get me over the hump since I will not be joining the rest of the universe toiling on the local beaches and wading in the surf with their tutu's and surfboards. Twitter will provide me with the usual alternative news sources which of course never sleep and more often than not twist the tale of the tape so you never know quite who to believe and not to believe. Believing the unbelievable can be fun too so I am understandably open to it all.