Personal Pizzas

In the late 80’s when Verne and I occasionally had up to six kids for dinner (his, mine and ours, or some combination) we came up with some kid-friendly meals that pleased all of them. Tacos were always a favorite, which led to my own creation, taco potatoes (imagine a baked potato topped with all of the fixin’s for a taco, but without the shell. Then one day we read about personal pizzas in Bon Appetit and began making them for the kids. Actually, the kids made them. Verne would make the crust (he still does), I’d prepare all of the toppings (I still do), and we’d then gather around a large island in the kitchen and each make our own pizza to our liking.

Over the years our crust recipe has evolved and toppings gradually have become more sophisticated. Some of our pizzas might even be considered gourmet. Our latest crust recipe is a no-knead dough that’s assembled and then sits on the kitchen counter undisturbed for 18-24 hours. It’s the best! Also, we now make the pizzas on a stone in the outdoor grill (which will easily reach 500 degrees), rather than the oven, which leaves you with underdone crust and a hot kitchen.

While we’ve tweaked recipes and techniques, the experience is just as fun today as it was back in 1988 when we started making pizza with the family. Talking, laughing, forming the crust (tossing it in the air or free-forming it on the mat), piling it high with toppings or not. They bake for just 8-10 minutes....enough time to share one and be ready for the next off the grill. And, that’s just what we did tonight. Three tasty pizzas: Verne’s favorite Margherita; my favorite, garlic-olive oil, prosciutto, parsley, and fontina cheese; and, Vera’s favorite, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and mushrooms. It’s a fun, easy meal as all of the work can be done ahead and all of the “eaters” share in the assembly. The only special tool involved is a pizza stone for the grill!

P.S. Just when you think you know your way around the kitchen, you learn something new…Vera prepared her mushrooms by peeling them, an old trick she learned when she worked in the deli department at Safeway. I had no idea you could peel a mushroom. Brush them off, yes. (Although, I’ve never been thoroughly satisfied with the results.) Wash them, yes (according to Alton Brown). But, peel? The results are pure, clean goodness. Google it…I’m sure there’s a You Tube on it!

Trip to Bend

A few years ago Verne and I attended the Outdoor Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon, organized years ago by one of my favorite quilt artists, Jean Wells. We couldn’t get a room in Sisters, which books a year in advance, so we stayed in Bend. It was our first time visiting central Oregon and we fell in love with the area. In particular, Verne liked the fact it’s the home of Deschutes Brewery, his latest, favorite beer. In fact, Bend is a craft beer mecca with more microbreweries than any other city in Oregon. Since that first visit, whenever we talk of downsizing and are asked where we’d relocate, the answer has been Bend. I decided it was time to either rule it in or rule it out as a possibility and we again visited Bend on a trip to Portland the first week of April. I’m sad to say, we’ve officially ruled it out. It’s a great town, but we’ve decided it’s not quite right for us. For the near future you’ll still find us in Volcano living on the most beautiful 40 acres in Amador County!

Although we've decided against Bend, we had a great time. We arrived early evening and had a memorable dinner at the Pine Tavern, a restaurant in the heart of old downtown situated on the Deschutes River and highly recommended by Verne’s brother, Keith. We shared a delicious Cajun shrimp dish served on grits that was very similar to a recipe we’d found in Fine Cooking and prepared (and loved) in early March. Of course, we couldn’t eat grits without laughing about the restaurant scene in My Cousin Vinny. Our home version was served with dirty rice, but after eating the grits I think we’re both open to the idea of substituting grits for the rice.

Our hotel was next door to a Black Bear Diner.  For the most part, Verne and I avoid large chain restaurants. However, about five years ago he attended Hot August Nights in Reno with his three brothers. They started the day, as the brothers do every trip together, with breakfast at the Black Bear Diner. From Verne’s sarcastic comments about the place, I got the impression it was mediocre at best. However, every time we pass a Black Bear Diner, he points it out to me. Annoying, huh?!  Well, I wasn’t about to miss this opportunity and I insisted on breakfast the following morning at the Black Bear Diner. I played it safe and had oatmeal (really, how can you mess up oatmeal?), but Verne’s biscuits and gravy weren’t half bad. Even at that, I’d still agree that it’s a step above Denny’s, but mediocre at best!

We spent the balance of the morning with a realtor driving all over Bend and the nearby communities and then drove on to Portland to arrive in time to pick up Lauren from work and begin an intense two days together. We always plan meals at favorite restaurants (for example, Manzana’s on the lake in downtown Lake Oswego or Deschutes Brewery in downtown Portland) and shopping (NO Sales Tax!) at Best Buy, Macy’s, Fabric Depot, and the like, a trip to Penzey’s, and a movie at Cinetopia. We did all of this and more.  (The “more” being a to-do list of fix-its Lauren left us when she went to work on Friday.) Our good time was made even better by a visit from Maria. She'd just returned from a two-month fishing stint and drove down from Seattle Friday morning to join us for the weekend. I snapped this picture at Cinetopia...the tree behind the girls is made from wine bottles. It looks a little like a Christmas tree, but it can't be. It's March. Whatever the occasion for the tree, it was amazing...begin saving your wine bottles!