A Tale of Two Pizzas

In a world that existed solely for my blog-writing needs, I’d be able to begin this post with “It was the best of pizzas, it was the worst of pizzas.” I can’t do that, however, because both of the pizzas I’ve eaten in the past couple months have been far from “the worst.” If the trade-off for an expected-yet-amusing opening line is good pizza, I’m okay with that.

If I’m adhering to reality, the closest I can come to that opener is nowhere near as parallel or as catchy: “It was the most eclectic of pizzas, it was the easiest of pizzas.” It’s no Dickens, but it’ll do.

It was the most eclectic of pizzas…

There is so much going on here.

…because it was basically a mish-mash of topping ideas I found on the internet. S and I made this pizza some time in January. His side has mozzarella Daiya, mushrooms, onions, and Tofurky deli slices cut into strips. My side features broccoli, thinly sliced Yukon gold potatoes, soy curls, onions, mushrooms, barbecue sauce, and a bit of Daiya. Clearly my side had no uniformity of theme! But you know what? It was awesome! The Daiya was totally unnecessary, but other than that, the random assortment was delightfully surprising. I can’t believe I haven’t put barbecue sauce on pizza before this one! It was so tasty! And potato slices are an equally delicious addition. Mine were the tiniest bit undercooked, but they added a unique textural element I haven’t experienced on pizza before. A revelation!

It was the easiest of pizzas…

Such a fluffy crust!

…because it was a mother-flippin’  TAKE-OUT PIZZA. As far as I know, Glass Nickel Pizza Co. is the first Madison pizza parlor to offer Daiya on a delivery/take-out pizza. Glass Nickel has a location just minutes away from me, so one lazy weekend night, S and I decided to build our own pizza and pick it up there. I really appreciate that Glass Nickel’s online menu clearly calls out which sauces and toppings are vegan – no more wondering whether the marinara sauce has parmesan in it! Their pizzas aren’t exactly cheap, and Daiya does cost a bit extra, but S pointed out that, for ~$20, it’s cheaper than going out to dinner, AND we had leftovers. Sold. This pizza featured Daiya, tomatoes, green peppers, and mushrooms. Yum! It was a bit heavy on the Daiya, but for a rare weekend treat, it was fine by me.

Apologies to the ghost of Charles Dickens for co-opting his powerful and lasting opening line and using it to talk about pizza. Oops?

What was your most recent pizza experience? Your most eclectic toppings?

Beet Burgers a la My New Food Processor

Y’all, I do not know how I’ve gone so long without a food processor! A whole new culinary world has opened up to me, one where I don’t have to force my blender into overdrive and curse at it for not performing the functions of a completely different small appliance. It’s a world where I no longer I risk the loss of a fingertip when I grate and shred everything by hand, and I love it. I’m enamored with this new device!

For my processor’s inaugural usage, I went with a hot-off-the-presses recipe from the PPK, the Quarter Pounder Beet Burger. My only other beet burger experience occurred at Northstar Café in Columbus, Ohio, when I was there on a work trip a little over a year ago. But I’d never made my own beet burgers, and it’s probably good that I waited until I had a food processor to help me out – even though I grated the beet by hand (old habits die hard!), my food processor pulsed the brown rice, lentils, and beets into a perfect consistency with no arm-straining efforts on my part. Ah, laziness.

Beety!

What I really love about these burgers is that, on the surface, they seem like the quintessential hippie vegan food: Brown rice? Check. Lentils? Check. Oft-maligned vegetable? Check. But they’re incredibly filling – even a meat eater would be satiated by just one of these patties. So much for vegans eating rabbit food!

I served my burgers with kaiser rolls, sliced cherry tomatoes (because, let’s get real, most winter tomatoes are a travesty not worth touching), arugula, and lots of ketchup and mustard. Delicious!

What’s your favorite vegan burger recipe? What’s the most delicious vegan burger you’ve ever eaten?

I Can Haz Food Processor!

When I put out the call last week for food processor recommendations, the responses were pretty decisive: “Get a Cuisinart,” you said. “They’re awesome!”

And… I did! This big ol’ box was waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday:

I haven't actually opened it yet... I know!

I was planning to do a little more research and price comparing before I actually laid down my hard-earned cash, but serendipity struck last Sunday when I discovered that it was the last day of a Macy’s sale. The Cuisinart 7-Cup Prep 7 processor was on sale for $69.99, a much lower price than I’d seen anywhere else. The kitchen gods were knocking, and I answered! Although shipping and taxes did raise the price a bit, it still ended up being nearly $20 cheaper than I could find it elsewhere.

So… I have a food processor! Happy early birthday to me! Now… what on earth should I make first?!?