Pineapple + Ham Pizza - Gluten Free Without Fuss
What did you do this weekend? We were blessed with some great weather perfect for rambling in the city and outdoors. It was too good to spend much time in the kitchen, so it was a weekend for quickly made good meals, including this gluten free pizza creation!
There is something about pizza that is very more-ish. It is by far one of the easiest ways to put a smile on someone's face regardless of age. I brings out the child in people and the feeling of contentment that spreads like a glow within. It is a true equalizer amongst all; a channel to everyone's heart without a fail and largely, because it is so so so affordable.
Imagine then those who, like me, cannot eat wheat. It feels like your favorite toy has been taken away from you and you'll never see it again. Aye! Not foie gras, not oysters, to a gluten free/wheat free person, the pizza can become in the moment, the epitome of gastronomy, simply because of its forbidden-ness. Yet, what if It needn't be so?
With a little sorcery of gluten free flours, psyllium, yeast and determination, this crust comes out akin to a Neopolitan style pizza; very thin and crisp, yet chewy and satisfying wholesome. It is easily to cut in slices and easier still to hold and enjoy just like a pizza slice. I made a pizza that was divine retribution in of itself!
Southern Comfort for Strength
My absolute winter favorite is collard greens. I love eating them for their flavor but I love them even more for the irony that I associate with it. You see, for me, collard green is a distinctive Southern comfort. I don't get it often because I want to perpetuate the myth of its luxury that I have created for myself. When I do, I inevitably slow cook it, overall hours, or even days, drawing out the flavors into the dish and building up the anticipation of that climactic first taste.
This dish here I cooked for 24 hours. No, that is not an exaggeration. My sincere gratitude to whoever invented the slow cooker. It is a cook's best companion any time of the year, but, particularly in winter. It is cheap, energy efficient and versatile. And, it is perfect for cooking collard greens. Your southern mama may not approve of this new fangled device but give her a taste of this Ham Hock Cured Collard Greens and I'll bet she will be wanting one of them cookers herself!
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