Yeehaw! Pizza throwing!

I want to learn how to throw pizzas like these guys:

American Pizza Chefs Study with the Master - NPR

Can I go try, too? Who needs graduate school when you can get a degree in Classical Italian Pizza?!

And an excerpt explaining why I, too, take the seeds out of tomatoes when making sauce:
"[I] deseeded all my San Marzano tomatoes, took all the seeds out," said Gemignani. "Lot of guys didn't do that, the seeds are bitter. People might say, 'Why's he doing that? Yield isn't good in the sauce if you take out all the seeds.' It was the best pizza I've ever made." - Tony Gemignani

Gastronauts

Gastronauts: People who go out in search of "the rarest, the grossest and the most bizarre foods they can find — delicacies like baby chicken heads, python meat and chicken anus." Uh. Okay. But you've GOT to check this video out. Seriously gross and funny. Mmmm... Risotto with ant pupae?! (click on the video link) Beware - the Gastronauts are soon opening a London club - at least according to their website.

Bug Meat: It's What's for Dinner

"It's like apple sausage!"

NPR is my new friend! Check out their food page for a cornucopia of audio-visual foodiness.

Mac 'n' cheese and american uselessness

Yesterday at work I encountered racism head-on. A posh Lady donor called into the office asking about an event to which she'd been invited. I think she's probably just difficult by nature, feeling like she's entitled to royal treatment even though it's her husband who earned the title for the two of them. At any rate, the 30-second conversation ended with her calling me a "useless American." This was despite the fact that I dealt with her courteously and efficiently.

Not only has she never met me, she has no idea whether I'm American or not. I'm angry because that kind of class entitlement mindset is just SO not cool. So out of line. So pointless. So backward. {Honey, I hate to tell you this, but despite the fact the royalty is still around, the Empire is over.} For the record, she was also rude to my British colleague.

My reaction at home, following work, was to cook up a posh little macaroni and cheese number to spite her. I can be American AND cultured. I cleaned out all of the random bits of cheese left in the fridge from trips abroad: smoked scamorza, some sort of Roman goat cheese, cheddar, parmigiano reggiano, some hard Spanish cheese.

Five cheese revenge mac 'n' cheese

350g of various grated cheeses
40g all-purpose flour or type 00 flour
40g butter
600ml milk
3 finely chopped spring onions/scallions/shallots
pepper
300g pasta

Make a bechamel sauce by slowly melting the butter in a non-stick pot. Keep heat low and add flour little by little until it has formed a roux. Then slowly stir/whisk in the milk until smooth. When it's all nice and smooth and warm, add most of the cheese (save a tiny bit to garnish the pasta). Grind a bit of pepper to taste. When it's all smooth, take off the heat. Cook pasta to al dente. In the meantime, gently fry the scallions/shallots. Drain pasta and stir in the cheese sauce and scallions. Put the mixture into an oven-safe dish (preferably Pyrex). Sprinkle with extra cheese and grill until it's light brown and crispy. Devour (with some veggies) and think of sweet revenge.

A silly radio clip from NPR on mac 'n' cheese: A Brief History of Mac and Cheese

PS My boss says this is very similar to a restoring, traditional Bavarian dish. So maybe it's not so American after all!