Last week, it was Brussels sprouts in pasta… this week I bring you the wonder of Brussels sprouts on pizza. This is such a fancy, grown-up pizza combination. Clumps of fresh melty mozzarella, thin shavings of Brussels sprouts and ribbons of red onions… all topped on the perfect soft yet crispy-edged crust brushed with a little garlic oil.
For this post, I was trying to think back to a special homemade pizza story to share… I’m half Italian, yet I hardly have a childhood memory of my dad in the kitchen tossing dough in the air. (The only culinary technique my dad ever taught us was to make a cut in your hot dog to put cheese into before you pop it in the microwave.) And then I thought of it. We had these childhood friends, Chrissie & Michelle, whose house was the mecca of processed food – they introduced us to things like Dorrito’s, Double Stuffed Oreos and dry little muffins that came in wrappers. But our favorite thing was the Chef Boyardee pizza box (I hope this product is not still on the market). It was some sort of highly conditioned just-add-water dough that got topped with the pre-packaged sauce and pre-shredded cheese. We would make this for lunch and play “restaurant”. My sister Karen was the “chef”, and I designed the menus (I was a graphic designer, even back then). We’d sit around the table, four skinny little girls wolfing down two huge baking-sheet sized pizzas and a bottle of orange pop (yes, pop). Who would ever imagine that I’d grow up to make and write about pizza with Brussels sprouts? (Disclaimer: I don’t endorse, condone, nor personally consume any of the brands listed above).
from Bon Appetit, March 2012
