Pizza’s Perfect Pairing

I am not the cook in our family.

I do not enjoy cooking and find that it usually creates stress. Like, “the kids are wondering when dinner will be served but I’m wondering why this still-frozen chicken breast won’t sauté.” Caleb enjoys cooking and finds that it usually relieves stress which is why he took over all of the cooking at our house almost three years ago.

He takes delight in the creativity of cooking, especially in finding good pairings.That’s how this broccoli salad came into our lives.

Every few weeks we fire up the backyard pizza oven for what our kids’ friends affectionately call “Pastor’s Pizza.” (We love having the Ooni Karu 12, if anyone is curious.) But pizza isn’t the subject of this newsletter. This one is about pizza pairing. But pizza is what prompted his usual question, “What would go well with pizza?”.

Italian Broccoli Salad.

That’s what pairs well with pizza.

It takes just minutes to make, has just a little bit of a kick (although you can adjust that), and was an instant hit for our entire family. Many of the ingredients are the sort of stuff you put on a pizza anyway and it’s a way to add some vegetables to pizza night. And unlike a pizzeria salad we used to make, this one doesn’t have gobs of ranch dressing on it. It’s light, refreshing, and satisfyingly acidic. Which, as you will find out, pairs exceptionally with the rich, fatty taste of cheesy pizza.

Here’s the recipe for the next time your family is having pizza night and you want to serve a perfect pairing.

Italian Broccoli Salad

(via New York Times Cooking)

Ingredients 1 small shallot, thinly sliced 1 ½ pounds broccoli (about 2 medium heads) Kosher salt and black pepper ½ cup roasted, salted almonds, coarsely chopped ¼ cup drained, sliced pepperoncinis ¼ cup pitted, torn black olives ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed ⅓ cup red wine vinegar, plus more as needed 3 slices provolone (about 3 ounces), torn or cut into bite-size pieces (or use 1 1/2 ounces aged provolone)

Preparation

1. Rinse the sliced shallot under cold water and transfer to a large bowl.

2. Cut the stalks away from the broccoli heads. Using a knife or vegetable peeler, remove the fibrous outer layer of the stalks so its light green insides emerge; compost or discard the outer layer. Thinly slice the stalks crosswise, then thinly slice the heads into bite-size pieces. (A mix of shapes and sizes adds texture to the salad, so chop up the broccoli a few ways; there’s no one right way to go about it.) Transfer to the large bowl as you go, then transfer any loose bits from the cutting board to the bowl.

3. Season the broccoli generously with salt and pepper, then add the almonds, pickled peppers, olives, oil, vinegar and provolone. Toss vigorously with a spoon until everything is combined and the broccoli is shiny with oil.

4. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, oil and vinegar as needed. Let sit at least 10 minutes before serving. The salad improves with age as its flavors meld, and it can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Before serving, bring to room temperature and adjust salt, pepper, oil and vinegar to taste, as flavors change in the fridge.

Print the recipe right here. Just click the red printer icon on the right hand side.

July Mix

When it comes to picking what to diffuse, I tend to find a combination that I love and then shamelessly fill my diffuser with the same thing for basically the entire month. Kind of like a good playlist. You too? Then this is the only recipe mix (see what I did there?) you need this month.

When we smell something, our limbic system responds. That’s important because our limbic system is the part of our brain that controls our emotions. Armed with that information, I know that I can make a positive impact in our home’s emotions simply by filling up my diffuser each morning. Diffuser blends do more than just make my home smell good, they literally make my job easier by providing a calm undertone for all of the emotions my family faces each day.

This blend is light and bright and is perfect for summer. It’s a dreamy combination of lemon, vanilla, and citrus. When I diffuse it, it always puts me in a good mood.

Snippet from my week

Swimming lessons were this week for both Theo and Clara. They both leveled up to the next level! I feel they’ve been living in the water this summer. I snapped this one after a fun afternoon swimming at a friend’s pool.

Thanks for reading! What do you like pairing with pizza? I would love to hear about it! Just hit reply if you’d like to respond. (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.