Everyday Item: Pizza - Pie As A Whole

P-i-z-z-a, I want P-i-z-z-a, I want P-i-z-z-a, I want pizza, pizza everyday!

I learned that fun little song when I was first grade. All through my public schooling, pizza day was looked forward to by almost everyone (except for those who were unfortunately lactose or gluten intolerant...and even then some of them suffered past their metabolic disabilities). So now in college, when pizza is an option at every meal (well...except for breakfast), at every club activity, or when I pick up the phone to call one of fifty local pizza locations, I've become desensitized to pizza day. And I've become more particular.

Pizza is served in both the dining hall and in the Falcon's Nest. In the dining hall, while pizza has been served less often than in the past, the variations differ from cheese to buffalo chicken to white pizza. In the Falcon's Nest, cheese pizza is served everyday, usually with another choice like vegetable pizza or pepperoni.

There's a saying that "Even bad pizza is good pizza." That phrase encompasses how I feel about the pizza in the dining hall and the Falcon's Nest. It's not the best pizza I've ever had, but it's not the worst.

Because the pizza sits out under hot lamps to keep it warm, the cheese gets dried out very quickly. The amount of sauce on the pizza could possibly be enough to create a whole other pizza. The crust is very thick at the top but very thin underneath all of the other toppings, making it very crisp. The taste is average, enough to satisfy a craving, not enough to make me scream out in joy.

Pizza is great to enjoy with friends while hanging out watching TV or the lastest YouTube videos. Recently, my friends and I have been enjoying our pizza by watching Harlem shake videos, the latest dance sensation that has generated millions of videos. My favorite so far has been the UGA Men's Swim Team: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkNrSpqUr-E. And the one with Matt and Kim: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DABphlXEyW8

It's said that New York has some of the best pizza and where you could get a great "slice." New York is very sensitive to the way non-New Yorkers react to their pizza...and to their dances. Harlem is not happy about that. Take a look at this video to see how Harlem reacts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGH2HEgWppc.

Ultimately, I give the pizza 2.5 out of 5 card swipes.

Lunch 2.12.13 - It Faschnaut Be True Pope!

How perfect to celebrate the day before lent with something that is fried, doughy, and covered in sugar? Faschnauts, a fried doughnut, are typically served on Fat Tuesday. Above is the picture of the Faschnauts served in the dining hall during lunch on Fat Tuesday.

It was announced on Mon. Feb. 11 from Vatican City that Pope Benedict XVI is retiring effective Feb. 28, according to the Associated Press. Although, Pope Benedict XVI still led the Ash Wednesday service, which marks the beginning of Lent. This will be the first pope in about 600 years to step down from the position.

Faschnauts originated in Germany, where the doughnut is deep fried and coated in powdered sugar, table sugar or cinnamon and are either plain or filled with a fruit jam.

The Faschnaut has evolved into a standard of multiple cultures. In the Pennsylvania Dutch region, Faschauts are commonly made with potato flour and covered in table or powdered sugar.

It was only a couple of years ago that I tried a Faschnauts for the first time. It was unbeknownst to me the popularity and deliciousness of  this religious and culturally diverse treat. Now I look forward to their fried goodness every Fat Tuesday.

On Wednesday, students could be seen walking around campus with ashes on their foreheads. A service was held in the chapel at noon for students who still wanted to participate in between classes and were not able to make it to their own churches.

It is common to give something up for the 40 days of Lent, like eating ice cream or swearing, or others find it easier to adapt to something, like working out for 40 days or eating a salad every day for lunch to be healthier. What some do not know is that Sunday is a rest day and it is okay to eat ice cream or not have a salad for lunch. (I guess Pope Benedict XVI is giving up being pope for Lent.)

The Faschnauts in the dining hall were fairly delicious. While they were a little tough and hard, possibly from being fried too long or being made too far in advance and possibly being a little stale, they were still delicious. Of course, fried dough covered in sugar is hard not to be found delicious.

I give these Faschnauts and 3.5 out of 5 card swipes.

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I'm not sure if I want to attempt making Faschnauts. I don't think I'm authentic enough or have the amount of time to create them. I might just leave this particular yearly treat up to the baking professionals and enjoy their expertise. Maybe I'll get a few old ones and invite Pope Benedict XVI over and we'll hang out on his retire time.

Lunch & Dinner 11.30.13 - I Can't Pronounce Galaktoboureko

Although I ate this Greek Custard, or Galaktoboureko, last week as a part of my lunch and dinner on January 30 in the dining hall and I wanted to put something more recent up, I've just come across a discovery of my own.

Galaktoboureko is a Greek dessert of  baked custard and phyllo dough. It is usually covered in a syrup of lemon, orange or sometimes rose.

Right now, I'm sitting on my kitchen floor looking up recipes to bake this weekend. It as comfortable as it sounds. And poor Nemo got confused between the Eastern Australian Current and the East Coast and wandered here instead. So I wanted to bake him some treats so he had something to eat when he gets here.
(Don't remember that scene in Finding Nemo? http://video.disney.com/watch/catching-the-eac-4bb39d25a179ea8833003b15)

According to the Winter Storm Warning by the National Weather Service, the Lehigh Valley where I am currently located, is expected to receive as much as 10 inches and gusty winds of 20 to 30 mph. Sounds like warm dessert baking weather to me.

As I'm sitting on the uneven tile being supported by a wall that very obviously used to be a different color, I started going through some of my old cookbooks and magazines. About two years ago, I bought my favorite cooking magazine. A Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication called Ultimate Desserts. Even though my eyes have gazed through these recipes a million times, I always seem to find a recipe I hadn't noticed before. And that's where I found a recipe for Greek Custard, the same exact dessert I had tried for the first time last week in the dining hall. Thus why it's making a late appearance now.

When I saw this in the dining hall, I was afraid to try it. I didn't know if it was going to be sweet, savory, bitter, or squishy (just like the jellyfish in Finding Nemo). I couldn't take too long to stare it down because of the long line behind me. I had to make a decisions: take the Greek Custard and be able to blog about my adventurous new worldly experience from the dining hall or walk away, having to sit in my scaredy-catness, defeated by my own fear of trying new things. I put it on my plate, my only security knowing there were napkins at the table to spit it out in if I didn't like it.

I slowly spooned myself the corner of the desert and lifted it towards my mouth. I already knew my face looked as if I had just eaten an entire lemon, cringing at the thought of a less than delightful taste entering the sacred territory of my mouth. And then, it was wonderful.

It was similar to the consistency of bread pudding, warm and tasted like thick, sweet oatmeal. I loved it. That's why I had it again when it was offered at dinner.

I'll give it 4.5 out of 5 card swipes.

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So now, as I will probably be trapped in as a result of the thunderous Storm Nemo, I am going to attempt to make my own Greek Custard. Now I just have to brave it out to get the phyllo dough. I invite you to do the same.

Greek Custard (adapted from Ultimate Desserts)

Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 45 minutes
Cool: 35 minutes

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup melted butter
10 sheets frozen phyllo dough (halved)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 slice lemon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. For custard, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, flour and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Stir in milk and 2 Tbsp of butter. Cook over medium heat, while stirring, until bubbly and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in 2 cups hot mixture gradually into beaten eggs. Then return the now formed egg mixture to the saucepan and stir over low-medium heat until it starts to bubble. Remove from heat and add vanilla.
4. Brush some of the melted butter on the bottom of a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Start brushing one of the halved phyllo dough sheets with some of the melted butter. Top this sheet with nine more of the halved sheets brushed individually with butter. Place this stack in the bottom of the baking dish.
5. Pour the custard over the phyllo dough stack in the baking dish. Repeat the brushing phyllo dough with melted butter into another stack of 10 sheets and place on top of the custard. Bake for 45 minutes.
6. For syrup, combine 1 1/2 cup of sugar, water and lemon into a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and discard lemon.
7. Wait 30 minutes until the custard is cooled after cooking before pouring syrup on top of custard. Cover and chill. Cut into squares to serve.