Parker's Pie

[Thumpalumpacus]

I was in the mood for pizza last night, and out here in the middle of nowhere you're not going to be calling in a delivery, so that means a little kitchen-work is in order.

So the first thing I wanted to do is get my sauce going. I don't make my sauce from scratch for pizza -- it isn't worth the trouble. What I do is grab a couple of 8-oz cans of unsalted tomato sauce from the market, and add to that about half a good Roma tomato, diced fine, a couple of thin slices of red onion, again diced fine, and three or four cloves of garlic, minced.



To that I'll add about a tablespoon apiece of fresh basil and fresh oregano, both chopped fine. I put that on the stove, on low, throw in a dash of Worcestershire sauce, some seasoned salt, and grind some pepper into it. Raise it to a boil, then drop it to dead low, cover and let it simmer for twenty or thirty minutes. That gives you time to chop your toppings.

Me, I like sweet Italian sausage, cubed dry salame, mushrooms, green peppers, lots of cheese, red onions, zucchini, and green and calamata olives.



I brown the sausage in a little olive oil so's I don't get worms and whatnot:


Pic from an earlier pizza, not last night's.

Then I prep my dough. Sometimes I use Pillsbury's canister pizza dough, but tonight I used Krusteaz's flatbread mix. First time, experiment, and it really wasn't bad. Still too doughy for a pizza crust, but anyway, mix it up, and --





... and then top it:





Into the oven for fifteen minutes at around 400°F, with the last minute raising your oven to a broil:



It's probably too much work, but goddamn, it tastes better than anything brought to your door.