Good morning. The theory of pizza cognition tells us that the first and foremost source of pizza for an individual – say Joe and Pat’s on Staten Island in New York; the California Pizza Kitchen in Alpharetta, Georgia; the frozen aisle at Vons in California; a house of pizza in Massachusetts; the No Name Pub in the Florida Keys; Buddies in Detroit; or Domino’s everywhere – is the pizza that will become that person’s inner optimum, the pizza on which all others are judged.
That may not be fair. Flavors can be learned and unlearned. I grew up with slice pizza, but now have a deep love for pan pizza, which I couldn’t have imagined when I was little. We are always evolving in taste and discernment. And so tonight I’m going to explore Dawn Perry’s baguette pizza recipes with an open mind: a pepperoni lover (above), a four-cheese, and a pesto and mozzarella.
Or, as Dawn suggested, I could freestyle: “Thinly sliced red onion adds bite, hot chili or a pinch of red pepper flakes reduces the richness of the cheese in almost every case. Dried oregano and grated Parmesan give pizzeria vibes, while fresh basil brightens things up.” Here we go!
Other things to cook for the next few days: Melissa Clark’s new mushroom and farro au gratin recipe, Tejal Rao’s reworking of the spicy and tingly beef recipe from Xi’an Famous Foods in New York, Julia Moskin’s salty-sweet peanut butter shortbread recipe.
And it’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed roasted marrow bones with parsley salad, so maybe that too. Also these vegan tantanmen with fried tofu. And plate pan Cajun salmon would be really tasty, I think, one night when I’m not making this pumpkin and green curry soup.
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Now it has nothing to do with stocking your pantry or the relative merits of a hot air fryer, but I loved this collection of articles the editors of Popular Mechanics put together to celebrate the magazine’s 120th anniversary: ”Our Favorite stories’. What an archive.
Melissa Kirsch referred me to Wikipedia Around. You give the site your location and call up articles about places, events and points of interest in your area. Pretty cool.
Here’s Tim Parks in the London Review of Books on the history and culture of dueling, as told in Joseph Farrell’s book, “Honor and the Sword.”
Finally, here’s Mitski with “Love Me More,” a single from her upcoming album, “Laurel Hell.” Listen to that, nice and loud, and I’ll be back Friday.
