If you have time to kill this weekend, as I do not, here are my recommendations for you. I love giving advice, as preachy as possible (!) but it is only because what I love, I love a LOT and feel the need to seriously share it with others. So listen, because all of these things will rock your socks off.
The Recipe: Bonnie Stern’s Recipe for Caramelized Onion And Gorgonzola Pizza which is probably the most seriously comforting comfort food in existance. The first time that I ate it, a cold rainy Friday night (which is the best time for comfort food anyways so maybe the context made it taste so miraculous) I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Not joking. It’s simple and relatively quick, however seeing as how it’s shaping up to be a pretty warm evening, you might want to save it for a rainy day. Either way, it’s definitely worth a try. Here’s the recipe:
Caramelized Onion and Gorgonzola Pizza
(Makes 6 to 8 servings)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 oz. frozen puffed pastry
4 oz. Brie, rind removed, diced*
4 oz. milk Gorgonzola or Cambozola, rind removed, diced*
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon, or 1/4 tsp. dried
1. Heat oil in a large deep skillet on medium high heat. Add onions and cook for about 10 minutes or until wilted and starting to brown. Add sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.
2. Reduce heat and cook gently, uncovered, for 15 to 25 minutes, or until richly caramelized. Cool. You should have about 3/4 cup.
3. Roll pastry into a 10-in. square. Place pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prick with a fork in about 12 places.
4. Spread onions over pastry. Dot with cheese. Sprinkle with tarragon. Refrigerate if not baking immediately.
5. Bake in preheated oven 18 to 20 minutes or until cheese has melted and pastry is crisp. Cool for 5 minutes. Cut into wedges or squares.
6. Serve pizza in wedges with a salad for a first course or cut into small squares for an appetizer.
*You can use those cheeses, but from personal experience, all soft cheeses work nicely. We typically use Boursin, which is basically garlic cream cheese, and also some goat cheese. Either way, delicious.
The Music:
For People Feeling Romantic: ‘Come On Get Higher’ – Matt Nathanson (cliché, but catchy)
For People Who Want To Feel Loved: ‘So Far Around the Bend’ – The National
For People Feeling Sad Over Love: ‘Train Song’ – Feist and Benjamin Gibbard
For People Who Want To Party: ‘Boom Boom Pow’ – The Black Eyed Peas
The Book:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith was my most recent read, and my verdict: HILARIOUS. At first, I thought it was sort of a joke, but as I read on I realized it isn’t scary, it isn’t overly funny, it isn’t overly anything. It really is just the original story, original writing, original lines and genius, teamed up with a theme that somehow just works in the time period, works well with the characters and even in some instances (sorry Jane!) makes the plot better. It begins to make more sense of some of the already present themes and just does an amazing job of working the zombies right into the story. I’d never been able to get into the original classic (despite having seen the movie 50+ times) yet I read this like it was candy. Definitely check it out. Also worth a read:
‘Direct Red’ – Gabriel Weston
‘The Tipping Point’ – Malcolm Gladwell
The Activity:
Get outside for Pete’s sake! I’m not even going to recommend a movie, since you should be outside sitting in the sun, listening to guitar or walking your dog or having a barbeque and ESPECIALLY not sitting here reading this or missing the weather. Get out!
Love,
s.
