Comfort food

August 14, 2012

It's hard to remember now that Sam wasn't always the happy kid he is now.  And even harder to remember that Nick and I weren't always as content as we are today.  Pretty much from week 28 of my pregnancy (when Sam was mis-diagnosed with brain abnormalities-boo to overreacting doctors) to the day he was born (a month early) until he was almost 10 weeks old, there were lots of tears in this household.  From all of us.

After he was born, there were breastfeeding issues, his acid reflux, sleep deprivation, and post-partum depression. I was a mess.  I remember looking at Nick one night after Sam had finally drifted off to sleep on my chest and saying I felt like a shell of my former self.

April 9, 2012

I was so sad.  The overwhelming joy I felt when I held Sam for the first time had faded into a fog. 

April 16, 2012

I'm grateful that I had Nick to rely on to feed me and comfort me during those days.  There were many nights that he came home from work to find me in the rocking chair trying desperately to soothe our fussy baby while the white noise machine blared crashing waves and seagulls crying.  Dark days, my friends, dark days.  Knowing that a hot meal was waiting for me made the endless shushing bearable.

Though I learned a lot during the first three months of my life as a mom, I'll focus on the most edible.  My husband can really cook.

Pasta with peas, eggs, and cheese.

Grilled steak and onions with olives and sun-dried tomatoes.

 

Portuguese fish stew with mussels, clams, shrimp, and King crab legs.  Fun fact- I'm allergic to crab.  Found this out after devouring more than half of this bowl.  Itchy palms=run to CVS for benadryl  

Farewell, my spiny friend.

Nick also made some stellar stuffed mussels with spinach that are unpictured because we ate them too quickly.  I *heart* muscles. 

I'm lucky that my issues weren't anything that Lexapro and good food couldn't cure.  To all new moms and dads out there- be kind to yourselves.

Roasted Garlic Onion Pizza

Ever noticed that the audience on the Rachael Ray show always claps for cheese during her cooking segment?  Doesn't matter if it's mozzarella, Parmesan reggiano, Romano, cheddar...they clap like they're watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade for all kinds of dairy goodness.  

I've always found that a bit strange- does cheese really require applause?  Does Rachael need their unconditional support as she grinds, grates, slices, and smothers?  

Well...I was wrong.  Cheese deserves praises.  Especially when it's on top of this pizza.

So take a deep breath.  Sit down.  Relax.  

Maybe even grab a napkin. 

'Cause you're about to drool.

LEGEND...wait for it....DAIRY!

The secret to this pizza comes in a jar and it's not your mama's marinara.

Hello, lover.

Here's a loose recipe to follow if you want to recreate this masterpiece in your own kitchen. 

Roasted Garlic Onion Pizza

1 premade pizza dough- I used whole wheat dough from Portland Pie Co.    (found at Hannaford's)

~1/4 cup Roasted Garlic Onion Jam

6 1/4 inch slices of fresh mozzarella

~1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

olive oil

cornmeal

Take dough out of refrigerator about a half hour before you plan to stretch it.  This makes it so much easier to work with.

Preheat the oven to 475.

Dust your baking sheet with a few tablespoons of cornmeal.  You want enough to cover the entire surface with a thin layer.  This prevents the pizza from sticking and provides some lovely texture.  If you have a pizza stone, you can skip this step.  I don't, so I just use my gnarliest baking sheet that I've had since college.

Stretch the dough into a rectangle. 

Spread the jam in a thin layer over the dough, leaving a half inch border.  Make sure the surface is evenly coated.

Layer on the mozzarella.  It won't cover the whole pizza, but it will melt and ooze over the pie while it bakes.

Sprinkle the Parmesan over the mozzarella.

Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over the pizza- make sure to put a bit on the crust.  You could use a pastry brush and gently paint the oil onto the crust, but who has time for that nonsense?

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Gaze at it's glory.  Let it cool, lest you be scorched  by molten cheese.

Devour.

Serve alongside a spinach salad to maintain your virtue.