Patio Pizza

This is the summer that I (hope to) make my own pizza dough and (possibly) try grilling pizza in the great outdoors. Or more specifically, in the back yard on our Weber (maybe).

In our earliest attempts at home-pizza baking we would begin with a trip to Trader Joe's for a bag of their fresh pizza dough (it was .99 then, such a deal), and with it we would produce something that could best be described as "pizza-esque". Good as it was, we would have to take a summer break since we didn't want to heat up the already hot house. Now we live much too close to a really great "take & bake" pizza place to even tempt us into making our own from scratch. O.k. I'm still tempted, but now... it's all about cooking it fast over the fire.

The thought of grilling pizza has always intrigued me, especially after we got to try some at a wine-tasting event a few summers back. It was charred and wonderful, and unlike any pizza we'd ever tasted. And yet, the "Grill Master" in our household remains resistant to the idea... of course, we all know what resistance is, don't we?*

• White Whole Wheat Pizza Dough from 101 Cookbooks
• and Grilled Pizza Toppings and Tips also from 101 Cookbooks
  
• A Sourdough Pizza Dough recipe from Slice.
  
• How To Make Grilled Pizza also via Slice (complete with slide show)
• Grilled Pizza from Martha Stewart - with Fontina (one of my favorites)
• Caramelized Onion & Gorgonzola Grilled Pizza from The Bitten Word blog
  

*"Resistance is futile". I once downloaded a Trek (Next Gen) soundset for my computer and that ubiquitous Borg phrase was one of the alert sounds. I would intentionally make errors just so I could hear it tell me how futile my attempts at resistance were. And yes, I am a closet nerd in case you didn't know. Not so much of one as to name my goldfish Locutus or anything, but nerdy nonetheless. Live long and rock on!

My Marinade Formula

As it is officially outdoor bbq season... and because my sister asked me for it... I'm posting the "formula" I use for marinading meats that are headed for the grill.

Why "formula" and not recipe, you may be asking. Well, take a peek at the ingredients list on your favorite marinade bottles and you'll see that you probably have all that stuff already at home. Why spend more money and (almost as importantly) give up shelf space for something you've already got? Yeah, I couldn't come up with a good reason either.

How to Use the Formula: Add at least one (1) item out of every category to a large zipper-lock bag or container. You can use more than one item from any of the categories (I usually only use one "Salt" ingredient though). . .

SWEET: Sugar, Brown Sugar, Honey, Maple Syrup, Jam or Preserves

HOT: Black Pepper, Dijon (or any other) Mustard, Cayenne, etc.

SOUR/ACID*: Lemon Juice, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, Wine, Sherry, Whiskey

FAT: Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Butter

SALT: Soy Sauce, Teriyaki, Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

Optional ADD-INS: Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Onion, Garlic, etc.

To Marinate: Turn meat periodically in the mixture until it's time to cook. I like to marinate things for no less than 4 and no more than 8 hours.

Note: This is not an exact science. Amounts will vary depending on the quantity of meat, what ingredients are on hand, and the dominant flavor (if any) desired.

*Only occasionally have I used vinegar for the "sour/acid" element, and then only in small quantities or in quick marinades. I find that it can affect the texture of the meat otherwise.