With all the salads I've been consuming this summer, I had a hankering for some pizza (carbs!) last night. I've been tightening my belt lately, both metaphorically and physically, so I decided to forgo a decadent pie from
Lombardi's in favor of a homemade version. I've never made pizza before, so this was an experiment in patience and control - rolling out dough?! how many toppings is too much?! So many questions. Instead of following a recipe, I decided to heed my friend's advice, and create something from the heart. I'm a chronic recipe follower, so this was a little daunting at first, but once I got to the grocery store I found some choice ingredients. The key ingredient of the pizza was the inclusion of plump organic mushrooms, both baby portabella and shiitake. Once I had mushrooms in hand, I built the rest of the pie around them, and was back home at the chopping board in no time. My
Baby Portabella, Shiitake Mushroom Pizza with Fresh Mozzarella and Asiago Cheese was on its way! I was amazed at how easily the whole process went, and the final product was cheesy, and crispy - with a hint of earthiness from the mushrooms. Mission accomplished!
1 ball of whole wheat pizza dough
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
5 baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
5 shitaake mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
5 tablespoons pizza sauce
1 medium ball fresh mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Position one rack at top of oven. Roll out the pizza dough on a floured surface, starting in the middle of the ball and extending outwards. Dough should be rolled out to your desired thickness (the thinner the dough, the crunchier). Brush rolled out dough with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and transfer onto floured baking pan for cooking. Add desired amount of pizza sauce (5 tablespoons makes a less saucy, crispier pie). Let stand at room temperature while preparing the vegetables.
Mix 3 remaining tablespoons of olive oil with chopped garlic, then toss with mushrooms. Slice the fresh mozzarella into rounds, and place cheese on pizza dough. Arrange your vegetables as desired, as a final touch add asiago cheese as final layer of pizza. Place pizza in oven and let cook until cheese is melted and bubbly, and crust is golden (approx 15-20 minutes).
Graffiti has long been a fixture of New York City's street art scene, but in the past few years it has taken on a whole new face. With a growing interest in wheatpasting and stenciling, many bombers are leaving the spray cans behind in favor of more complex media. Walking the streets of the Lower East Side and Chinatown, I often come across work by my favorite street artist Judith Supine. Upon first learning the name associated with these vibrant pieces, I thought to myself, "Yes! Another woman making her mark!" but alas I was wrong, as this pseudonym actually refers to a man. No harm done - his work is so amazing that I'll just have to let that slide. The image above captures his latest piece flying high atop the Williamsburg Bridge. Supine, like many other street artists, must remain anonymous but thankfully the Village Voice has been keeping tabs on his work (view his Manhattan Bridge piece from 2007). Ever wonder how he does it? Check out this video to find out:
