Poco-Cocoa

So… this is one of the best salads ever. I’m just saying.

Crunchy romaine, flavorful pancetta, sweet cherry tomatoes… it’s got a lot going for it, and it’s quick and easy, too.

So, internets, how have you been? I’ve been peachy. It’s been a balmy 95 degrees here in Austin, and I am enjoying it immensely. We’re trying to decide whether we can swing a trip to New England in October, just a long weekend, to see the leaves. I feel so lost without the seasons sometimes… I figure if I can spend just a few days in a real autumn environment each year, I’ll be okay. Maybe doing that will stifle my thoughts of moving away again, finding our place in the world, where the seasons change and the forests are tall and the ocean isn’t far. Austin is great, but it’s so deep in the heart of Texas that traveling to any other state means at least an 8 hour drive. I’m not the best road-tripper… I think it would be better if the entire first day of the road trip wasn’t JUST TEXAS. 🙂

Okay, on to that salad recipe.

Romaine with Pancetta and Cherry Tomatoes

• 4 ounces pancetta, thinly sliced
• 1/2 a red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and torn
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook the pancetta in a skillet over medium-high heat until it’s nice and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels. In the same skillet, with the drippings from the pancetta, cook the onion over medium heat until it’s soft and caramelized. Toss the pancetta, onion, pine nuts and cherry tomatoes with the Romaine and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Mark Bittman.

So can I just say how very happy I am that my weatherman says we’ll have highs in the mid-nineties all week? Mid-nineties! It’s going to feel downright chilly! After weeks and weeks of temperatures over 100, I am so excited to have some regular old summer days ahead. Today I rode my scooter to work, and on the way home, I didn’t have a heat stroke! Exciting!

Also, I cooked! Last night and tonight! Yay!

I went grocery shopping on Sunday, and filled up the kitchen with real food. Vegetables and rice and bread and cheese and apples and bananas and… oh, it’s so good to have food at home.

So last night I made a thin-crust margherita pizza. I planned on making a regular old tomato/fresh basil/fresh mozzarella pie, but when I got to Central Market, Hatch chile fever was in full swing. So I loaded up on green chile goodness and made a green chile pizza instead. It was pretty darn tasty, too!

Oh, also! This weekend, while we were at the movies, our tire was slashed. I was so very sad, because it seemed like such a mean thing to do to us, for no reason at all (or for some reason of which I was not aware). But today Justin took the car to the tire shop, and the tire guy said that it wasn’t slashed, it had actually “bulged and popped!” I was so happy! I mean, the tire was still ruined and we had to replace it, but no one was being intentionally mean to me by slashing my tire! It’s the little things in life that make me happy.

So! If you feel like having some green chile pizza, please see below.

Green Chile Pizza

Crust

• 1 packet rapid-rise yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 2 1/4 cups flour (all white, all whole wheat, or a mix)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Toppings

• handful cilantro leaves
• 2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 3 roasted green chiles (Anaheims or Big Jims), peeled and chopped
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella (I used Hatch chile-marinated mozzarella from Central Market)
• Freshly ground black pepper

Stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water. It should get foamy after 10 minutes. If not, toss it and start over.

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Pour in the proofed yeast mixture and the olive oil. Knead for about 10 minutes.

Cover with a damp towel and allow it to rise in a warm place about 45 minutes.

Divide the dough into two balls and roll them out, one at a time, until they are very thin (mine were shaped like long ovals). Place each crust on a baking sheet.

Brush the tops of the pizzas with olive oil. Top with cilantro, tomato slices, green chiles, and mozzarella. Grind black pepper over both pizzas. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 10 to 15 minutes, until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Makes 2 thin-crust pizzas.

Source: Crust recipe from Heart of Light.