The Way to a Man's Heart is through His Stomach #1: Homemade Pizza and Chocolate Cake

Pete: Being from the East Coast I'd call myself a Pizza Aficionado. I know what I like and what I don't like. I'm pretty simple in my toppings and since being married have tried more toppings. Trying to find a good homemade pizza recipe is tough. All the ones I've ever had just left me wanting more out of the experience. Many K's (Strike Outs).

Last night I finally had a homemade pizza I'm willing to score it at least as a 3B (Triple) if not a solid HR (Home Run). I'll have to let Victoria fill you on the rest of the recipe details, but having been up since 3am yesterday when I arrived home to a pizza straight out of the oven I was wondering how it might go. Would it be another K (Strike Out)? I was blown away when by the end of the pizza eating experience I had a heart swelling for my wife like a long lost coin, sheep, or son had been found (cf. Luke 15). It is definitely rare for me to be emotional from a meal. I was energized and felt amazingly refreshed as the need for rest was met by dinner instead of a pillow.

7/12ths of the pizza was topped with ground beef and 5/12ths of the pie was topped with what Victoria wanted (Victoria: spinach, mushrooms, pineapple). I slept the best in a long time after eating 6 slices with the ground beef topping. No joke. It was so good. I only hope to have multiple boys in their teen years chowing a whole pizza per boy in the household one day. They will be fed well.

The pizza crust was similar to the Giordano's Pizza crust I've had in Chicago. A bit on the stiff flaky side instead of the NY Style flimsy side. The sauce and cheese and ground beef toppings reminded me of my favorite pizza place in Baltimore, MD: Pizza John's. That means it is good.


Not to be out done by the pizza alone my wife baked a homemade chocolate cake and made my grandma's homemade Italian Icing. mmmm mmmm good. Another 3b or HR. I am very picky about my icing on cakes and this is the best cake icing along side the icing used on Carvel Ice Cream Cakes but a half step below the Kahlúa Mousse icing on my groom's ice cream cake (Grand Slam) from our wedding. Normally I avoid cakes like the plague because the icing is usually a cake killer. The Italian Icing, however, is a cake saver. I remember eating dried out chocolate cakes in my youth, but they had this icing and it was worth delving into. That's right, it's a cake saver. It is subtly sweet like a good vanilla bean ice cream (not like Blue Bell Ice Cream which is too sweet and not so subtle).

Paired with the icing was a homemade chocolate cake. It was not a store bought box it was made from real cocoa.

Overall dinner score was a 2 Run HR. Very surprised to come home to a 2 Run HR and I'm not even over rating this meal one iota.

Victoria: If you're interested in the pizza crust recipe, someone found a pretty good imitation of the Giordano's recipe. The one I used is the first post listed on that link.
For the icing, here's the recipe:
1 C Milk and 5 Tbls flour - wisk together in a small sauce pan continually over medium-low heat until it becomes thick and pasty. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Cream together 1 C sugar, 1 Stick butter, and 1 tsp vanilla with beater. Add the cooled off milk mixture to the butter mixture and whip until fluffy. Result: Perfect vanilla icing!


Pete: Dishes... thought you might like to know I do the dishes and the homemade pizza and chocolate cake with Italian icing made only one dishwasher load. So, men, don't be afraid of this 2 Run HR meal.