St. Louis-style Pizza

Here’s something I whipped-up for dinner a few nights ago:

St. Louis-Style Pizza! (Who knew they had their own kind?!)

I found the recipe on Facebook via King Arthur Flour…such a dangerous page to Like. Seriously. That, and Kara Goucher’s page…she’s a elite runner who keeps making yummy things from #runningonveggies. I just made some ‘pre-workout energy’ muffins using oat flour, almond milk and blueberries (and some other ingredients). Yum!

Back to the pizza.

It’s a baking-powder crust (or use self-rising flour), so no wait time! It’s also topped with a variety of non-traditional cheeses, like white cheddar, swiss and smoked provolone. The crust comes out very thin and cracker-like, but not at all like Marion’s (a famous Ohio pizza I liked to describe as a ‘cracker crust with pre-chewed toppings’) since it’s not yeast-y. The cheeses melt down and get ooey-gooey, and while you could definitely throw a couple more toppings on there, I wouldn’t overdo it. The crust barely browned on the bottom–I used both a pizza stone and parchment on a cookie sheet–so you don’t want to overload it. With it’s slightly smokey taste, I think I bit of ground sausage would be a nice addition, maybe some onion?

Anyway, you could literally whip the pizza up in about 30 minutes total, which makes it ideal for last-minute dinner or appetizer ideas. It’s so light, it really could be an appetizer! I served it for dinner with salads and we ate BOTH pizzas. I had been a little nervous Andrew wouldn’t like the cheese combo, but it was fine. I’m sure he could tell it wasn’t mozzarella, but I didn’t think there was a strong smokey flavor.

Definitely going to keep this one in mind for times I need a quick flatbread dough! I could see it as an appetizer; I’m thinking friends over, light pizza pieces on which to nibble with a light rose or red wine, followed by something ‘Italian’ like a veggie lasagna with green salads…followed by tiramisu. Of course.

a tale of two bundts

I made two spice cakes last week for Andrew’s mom’s birthday. Spice cake is a favorite of hers’ and I found two different recipes. Since Andrew and I enjoy a good taste-test, he encouraged me to make both.

Well. I gladly accepted and used this as a perfect opportunity to purchase the spiral bundt pan I’ve been eyeing for like a year. (BTW it’s AMAZING.)

I made King Arthur Flour’s brown sugar spice cake in my old pan (the nondescript one without ridges) and Joy the Baker’s Araby Spice Cake in the nifty new swirl one.

The

The verdict: ???

Honestly, neither was what I expected. Both were more dense (I suppose I should have expected that) and neither were terribly flavorful. KAF’s featured nuts and ginger, while Joy’s secret ingredient was cocoa powder. Joy’s glaze was better. Overall, I think everyone preferred KAF’s version.

Bottom line: still looking for a winner!

French Onion Soup

I have a pretty good story about French Onion Soup. You know the soup I’m talking about–it’s on every menu on the planet and features softened onions, giant croutons and gooey cheese on top. EVERYONE knows what French Onion Soup is.

Anyway, so Andrew (who greatly dislikes *most* cheese and insists he’s lactose intolerant) ordered himself the ‘onion soup’ while we dined at a little bistro while in FRANCE a couple years back. It didn’t hit me until the waitress left that the onion soup on the menu was most likely FRENCH ONION SOUP, since we were, you know, IN FRANCE.

Sure enough, Andrew’s soup arrived covered in cheese and swirled throughout the onions. Apparently in France, it’s just known as ‘onion soup.’ Good grief.

Which brings me to point of this post: I made French Onion Soup last night. More accurately, I made Ellie Krieger’s Triple Onion Soup, which is found in her book, Comfort Food Fix.

It turned out quite well and, despite Andrew’s severe case of a summer cold he’s fighting off right now, was enjoyed by both of us. I omitted the bread topping (I didn’t feel like it and Andrew wouldn’t have appreciated homemade croutons in his sickly state) and, of course, only put cheese on my bowl. I’ve made French Onion Soup before and not been a huge fan, but this particular recipe worked. Next time you have an abundance of onions (like we did after we both bought bags of them at the grocery store unbeknownst to the other), give it a try!