Pizza Problems

I lost my second spoon in the blender. You’d swear I am both an idiot and a crap cook and I’ll argue I’m not either. But the compulsion just strikes me, my herbs floating on a current of air just above the blades. They somehow evade being pulled under with the nuts, garlic, and oil so I am left with whisked olive oil and the sound of a whirring blender. And initially I do the right thing. Initially I stop the whole affair, pat down the herbs with a spoon, stir them around a bit, before turning the whole thing on again. But it is a reenactment from the moment before. Still waving basil (and in this case arugula) leaves defying their pesto fate.

Don't judge; it was still delicious, splinters and all.

And so I stuck my wooden spoon into the mixture, gently…gently. Only those blades don’t understand the meaning of the word and so to a bite out of my spoon. My weathered and seasoned wooden spoon. 

Last time it was veggie burgers (pre-food processor) and my bright red silicone spatula. At least it is a variation on an inept theme and not a duplication. 

Shrug.

Tonight was a culinary comedy of errors. Wrecked spoon aside, I struggled to pull together a dish I’ve recently started cooking at least once a week: pesto pizza with some variation of vegetarian toppings.

An abundance of arugula from my CSA box inspired me to try out a variation on my pesto recipe. All out of cashews I used almonds instead (I prefer the creamier texture the cashews provide), but the arugula added nice flavor and aroma and made me feel as if it was somehow healthier as well. 

The simple yeast dough proved problematic. I usually do it first, allow some time for it to rise a little even though the recipe doesn’t call for it. But I was on the phone and I kept forgetting about the water so it would cool beyond the appropriate temp to activate the yeast. And when I finally remembered the yeast never quite bubbled properly. And when I added the flour I realized I hadn’t used enough water to begin with.

Sigh.

Rolling it out on the table I used too little flour and the whole thing stuck to itself when I tried to transfer it to the pan which forced me to begin again to get it right. 

Of course, right is a bit of an overstatement because as I suspected, the crust never properly rose and it took forever to brown. And so by the time I pulled it out of the oven, the sides just beginning to tan, the kale had dried up and browned in places, the potatoes were following its example, and the eggplant was drowning in my overly liquefied fresh mozzarella cheese.

Whatever its issues (the mushrooms I forgot to purchase, among them) it was still a delicious meal. I still have another bundle of arugula, some daikon, collard greens, baby potatoes, broccoli, and squash to consume…I’ll see what the coming days inspire.