The Apple of My Eye

Have you ever wondered about the origin of that saying? According to Wikipedia (which means it MUST be true, right?), it actually refers “…to the central aperture of the eye, presumably because apples were the most common sphere-shaped object around. The apple and apple tree were also sacred symbols for the early British peoples. This is reflected in such stories as the Island of Avalon (which literally means Apple Island). Now, this phrase is usually figurative, meaning something, or more usually someone, cherished above others. As sight is so precious, someone who is called this as an endearment is similarly precious.”



That must mean we should all be eating apples on St. Valentine’s Day instead of chocolate! (Endangered Species and Godiva are likely to withdraw their sponsorship of our blog now. Oh, wait…). In honor of love and apertures (what does it say when you need to Wikipedia a word in a Wikipedia description?) then, we offer you this recipe for homemade applesauce. Use those delicious, local apples you purchased in the fall that are starting to get soft to create this delight. And, be sure to share a bowl with your sweetie….or your doctor, who will be so proud!



Homemade Applesauce



8 ripe apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

Water

1 T. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cloves

¼ c. maple syrup (Refer to the “Indiana Honey, Sorghums and Syrups” section to find local sources: http://www.goinglocal-info.com/my_weblog/indiana_food_guide.html)



Place enough water in a large saucepan to cover the bottom. Then, place the apple chunks in the pan. Place over high heat until water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stirring frequently. As the apples are cooking and beginning to soften, mash them in the pan with a medal or wooden spoon. Continue stirring and mashing frequently, until apples have broken down completely (a few small chunks may remain). Once the apples are cooked down to your desired consistency, stir in remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Remove from pan to cool. Refrigerate or freeze (up to eight months) after cooling.

Spring Has Sprung?

It’s been snowing for a week. Pretty much a solid week. All the snowing and blowing reminds us of how much we enjoy spring – when the snow is melted, and the vegetables are fresh again! We associate early spring days with asparagus. And, Karen’s family makes a habit of eating asparagus and eggs every spring. Pull some of that spring asparagus out of your freezer (because, of course, you preserved some locally grown asparagus last spring), and try this delicious concoction.



Asparagus With Fried Eggs



2” thick bundle of asparagus

2 to 3 T. butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 eggs

Parmigiano-Reggiano



Wash and trim the asparagus of any tough, fibrous ends. If the asparagus is quite large, you can peel the bottom half of the shoots to remove the tough outer layers. In a large skillet with a lid, bring ½” of lightly salted water to a boil and lay in the asparagus. Cover and cook until the bottoms of the shoots are just tender when poked with a fork. (Very slender asparagus will cook in 6-8 minutes, and fat shoots can take up to 15 minutes). Using the lid to hold back the asparagus, pour off the water. Melt a little butter in the pan with the asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Remove the asparagus immediately to the serving plate(s) and quickly wipe out the skillet with a paper towel if there are bits of asparagus remaining in the pan. Restore the heat under the pan to medium low, melt a little more butter, crack the eggs into the pan, season with a little salt and pepper and gently cook them to your preferred state of doneness. (I recommend sunny-side up or over easy so the broken yolks provide a dressing for the asparagus.) Slide the cooked eggs directly on top of the asparagus, and top with a blanket of freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and serve immediately

A Big Pizza Pie

Pizzeria Bianco. Critics (and who are these mysterious people, anyway?) contend it’s the best pizza in the WORLD. That’s right, friends, better than Italy. Better than Little Italy. Better than your little Italian grandma used to make. Certainly better than anything delivered to your front door.

As pizza enthusiasts and general gastronomes, we were unwilling to merely accept the findings of unnamed critics. We traveled all the way to Phoenix, AZ, to experience Pizzeria Bianco and decide for ourselves whether or not it was worth the wait.

In fact, waiting almost a lifetime to eat there is nothing compared to the three hour plus wait that is part of the Pizzeria Bianco dining experience. It’s the first time we’ve waited in line to earn the privilege of waiting in line for food. And, so, we waited one hour to put our names on the waiting list in order to wait three more hours for a table. This is, by all definitions, insanity.

We talked two friends into joining us (who may no longer be friends after waiting four hours for dinner). We made friends with the other people in line around us. We made friends with their friends. And, no matter how many friends we made, we all secretly wondered if winning lottery tickets were delivered with each pizza. After all, why else would you put yourself through this?

Well, Pizzeria Bianco did not disappoint (although there were no winning lottery tickets involved). We were wild about the olive oil with the house made country bread and the Pizza Rosa (Red Onions, Parmigiano Reggiano, Rosemary, Arizona Pistachios). What was even wilder was that we realized we have our own “Pizzeria Bianco” right here in Indianapolis called Pizzology.

Why do we believe that something from far away is always better? This principle holds true whether we’re talking about consultants (do you ever notice subject matter experts never reside in the same town as their clients – it’s called the 50 mile rule) or food (cheese from Italy or cheese from Indiana). Maybe it’s that going away helps you appreciate what you already have at home.

Either way, we agree with Dave Barry’s comment, “Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.”