mod pizza makes it simple and delicious!

I was coming home from Crescent City back to San Francisco on Monday and the new route to SF includes a stopover in Portland.  The lovely woman in the seat next to me lived in Portland, but as we were exiting the plane, instead of heading right to baggage, she said she can't leave the airport till she had pizza---I said "what pizza?' and she said "Mod Pizza!"  Well, I was going to have to try it and am I glad I did--or maybe not, because the closest Mod Pizza to me is in Alameda or Daly City---tough for a quick fix.  Mod Pizza  was started in Seattle in 2008 and now has over 200 locations---what a story, read all about it on their website, modpizza.com. The concept is a simple, small menu done well. Choose from either a 6" or 11" ultra thin crust---add from an array of dozens of toppings all for the same price---baked in minutes in a super hot pizza oven till those lovely crispy bubbles form on the crust, taste, die and go to heaven!  Want sauce like buffalo, barbecue or balsamic drizzled on or on the side--no problem, no extra charge.  Want a breakfast pizza--they have that too!  My choice, the Mad Dog, with pesto base instead of red sauce, pepperoni, sausage and ground beef.  Choice number 2 (yes, I had to test 2) red sauce with pepperoni, hot sausage, mushrooms, bell pepper, red onion and pesto drizzle---amazing.  Oh, and IF you need it, they have salads and shakes as well!

15 minute tiramisu

 

I love Tiramisu.  I am not in love with hours of prep.  I think I died and went to heaven when I discovered this Martha Stewart recipe for 15 minute tiramisu.  The secret to 15 minutes--have everything ready to go, of course.  I have adapted the recipe slightly, and I think the results are delicious.  Best of all--you don't cook anything!

Pound Cake Tiramisu

Ingredients:
1 and 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
8 oz bar cream cheese, at room temperature
5 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
3 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 cup strong coffee or espresso, room temperature
2-3 tablespoons dark rum or brandy
1 loaf pound cake, sliced
1/4 cup shaved semisweet chocolate
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

In a large bowl, beat together with an electric mixture the cream, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla till smooth and thickened.   Combine coffee and rum/brandy.
In a 2 quart baking dish, lay half the cake slices in a single layer, trim to fit.  Brush with half the coffee mixture.  Top with half the cream mixture and half the shaved chocolate.  Repeat.  Dust top with cocoa powder and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

my favorite things

There is a column in Elle Decor magazine that I love, called "The 12 Things I Can't Live Without." I read it religiously every month, to see if I too can't live without the same things as these famous designers and others. But I have come to one conclusion; most of the time I haven't heard of half of their favorite things, they tend to be a little esoteric. So I decided to come up with my own list of the 12 things I can't live without, a little more common to be sure, but my favorites for real!

1. Rave Hairspray. I have used it for 25 years, perfect hold, no flakes. Please don't ever go out of business. 2. Bluewick candles in guava. That's it. All other candle scents kind of nauseate me. 3. Beautiful sandals. I can't pass them up, gold, silver, black, jewels, doesn't matter. I like to show off a good pedicure and you can't beat the comfort and freedom. 4. Opi nail polish--pale pink on the hands and (for those great pedicures) dark "Lincoln Park" on my toes. 5. Starched white sheets and down comforters. I fell in love with the feel when I stayed in my first European hotel in 1999. You can't beat the feel of being consumed in a white cloud when you lay down. 6. My mother's impressionistic paintings of two New York street scenes. Not only are they beautiful, I cherish them. 7. Gucci sunglasses. Nothing too excessive, just seven or eight pairs 8. Pre de Provence soap and bath gel in verbena. The fresh scent is very clean and great in the summer. 9. My signature scent, Eau Des Merveilles, Hermes, subtle and light. 10. Foreign travel. I have had some amazing trips with my mother from Spain to Thailand and every place in between. One of my favorites continues to be the Pueblo Bonito Rose resort at Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. 11. Stationary. And all the sub categories, note pads, monogrammed post its, labels, stickers--I will become a pauper to fine paper goods. 12. Perfect comfort meal with my friend Brendan Eisan at the House of Prime Rib in San Francisco, deliciously executed every time and the perfect ending to my 12 favorite things.