Latest and Greatest - Part 3

Wow, things really got wacky around this website for a few days! Seems I had some HTML errors in my latest blog post that sent the blog haywire, but things are back in order now. Also, for all the Petris fans out there (I had no idea my little sleep/art project would be greated with such enthusiasm!), bear with me for just a few days more - I promise plenty of new sleeping arangements as soon as Francine returns from here week-long vacation at my parent's backyard in NJ.

The reason for my absense (and delay in righting the wackiness), is that Brad and I were off on a mini-vacation - sponsored by Brad's work, Mary-Anne Martin Fine Art - in Miami Beach. Not a bad deal considering that Brad spent about 5 hours working and we spent most of 72 hours sunning at both pool and beach, swimming, reading, napping, dining and generally relaxing. Look forward to some photos on Brad's Flickr stream in the next day or two, but in the mean time, here is a sneak preview:


In other recent news, BRAD AND I FOUND A NEW APARTMENT! After over a month of discouraging hunting, we have just left a deposit on a great garden apartment in a brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn. We'll be moving in less than two weeks, so you can expect plenty more details and phoots to come.

So, now that I am back to cold weather and blogging, here is recipe number 3, as promised, of my new favorites from 2006:

Pizza with Roasted Mushrooms, Spinach and Goat Cheese

pizza dough (I have made my own, but recommend buying a pie's worth from your local pizzeria for a few dolars)
olive oil
2 slices prosciutto, cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
needles from 1 sprig of rosemary
1 pound assorted mushrooms (I used cremini and portobellos), cleanned and coarsley chopped
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
all-purpose flour for rolling
cornmeal for dusting
8 ounces goat cheese
1 bunch baby spinach, coarsely chopped
2 cups shredded fontina cheese
fresh grated pecorino or parmesan for garnish

Preheat the oven to 500˚ and put pizza stone in the oven to heat.

Coat a sauté pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add prosciutto strips and stir for 1 minute to release flavor and fat. Toss in the garlic and rosemary and cook for 30 seconds. Drizzle some more oil and add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until musrooms are brown and release their moisture (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

Turn the dough out and roll on a flour surface to fit pizza stone. Remove stone from oven and dust with cornmeal. Place dough on stone, and spread the goat cheese evenly, either by crumbling or using the back of a spoon. Scatter the sautéed mushrooms around, then spinach, then fontina.

Reduce heat to 475˚ and slide pizza into oven on stone. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and crisp and the cheese is bubly.

Sprinkle with pecorino, cut into slices and serve.

Mmmmmmmmmmm!!!!