Pizza

Remember running across a kid every now and then who would announce at the sleepover or birthday party, "I don't like pizza!" and everyone would stare open-mouthed and then whisper about how weird that kid was?

I was definitely not that kid. I was the kid calling the no-pizza kid weird.

I adore pizza. I could probably eat it all the time. This is probably because cheese is just about my favorite food of all, and I have a secret fantasy of having pet goats and a few dairy cows and making my own cheese. I recently read a book called "Blessed are the Cheesemakers" and while the plot of the book ended up pretty lame and totally chick-lit-ish, I loved the whole concept of the tiny, family-run cheese farm in Ireland.

Sigh. But I digress.

Gluten-free pizza can be a bit of a challenge. Lately, however, lots of places in the DC area are jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon and selling gluten-free pizza in their stores. You might be thinking, "SWEET," but wait until you hear the price tag; these places sell only individual-sized pies and they run around $12-15 each. Yikes.

Last night, the hubby and I had planned to grab dinner from Lillit Cafe in Bethesda. They have gluten-free pizza that's pretty decent, but we got there too late and they were already closed. My poor husband was devastated. We called around to a few other places and just honestly could not imagine coughing up 30 bucks for pizza for two. So, after some quick thinking, we called up some friends and decided to make pizza at home, using my mom's most delicious recipe and store-bought crusts from Wholefoods. (The Wholefoods brand crusts are far and above my favorite of all the crusts I've tried so far; gluten and non-gluten eaters alike have all agreed!) The next time you're craving pizza, this recipe is the way to go.

Mama's Sausage and Pepper Pizza

Ingredients:
Two Wholefoods-brand pizza crusts
Olive oil
Garlic (one clove)
One small red onion
One large red pepper
Four gluten-free Andoullie sausages
Gluten-free tomato sauce (you can make your own, but I'm way too lazy for that)
Mozarella cheese (you can do lots of other cheeses too; I'm a fan of Romano cheese on pizza)

Pre-heat the oven to 350. The crusts come frozen, so thaw them out first, or just toss them in the oven while it is pre-heating. Once they are warm, brush the bottom sides of the crusts with olive oil and put them back in the oven until they crisp up a little, about 10 minutes.

While the crusts are crisping, dice the garlic, onion, and peppers. Heat a large, non-stick skillet to about medium heat and add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Remove the casings from the sausages and break into small bits to brown. Add the onion and peppers and saute until the meat is browned, the peppers are soft, and the onions are carmelized. (My mom usually adds mushrooms, too. I think mushrooms are gross, but to each her own.)

Once your crusts are a little crispy, remove from the oven. Turn the temperature up to 425. Add sauce, then the browned toppings, then tons of cheese to the pizzas. Pop back in the oven and heat until the cheese is brown and bubbly.

YUM.

Serves 4 hungry people, less if one of those people happens to be a skinny, famished 22-year-old home from a month in Europe living on the change in her pocket. What have a I said about food and memories? My sweet mama made these pizzas for me my first night home from my trip abroad a few years ago. I think I ate four pieces, fell asleep on the couch, was carried up and put in bed by my husband (then boyfriend, so he went right home!) and slept straight for about 15 hours. There's no place like home, you know.

Enjoy!