Pancetta, Goat Cheese and Arugula Pizza

One day I'll actually post a picture of food again, but for now, I'm sure you're pretty darn familiar with what a pizza looks like so no biggie, right?  This was inspired by the Bacon, Brussels Sprouts and Goat Cheese Pizza I saw on another food blog, but when I saw the pre-diced pancetta at Trader Joe's (love, love, love that Fort Worth is now lucky enough to have a TJs!), I decided that would be a slightly yummier and easier way to go.  Then when I mentioned what I was making to Colin, he was not thrilled with the idea of brussels sprouts on a pizza, so I skipped that (I roasted them and we had them as a side dish instead--yum!) and subbed in a little arugula instead.  This ended up being so freaking good and I'm really glad I made the changes to the recipe.

Pizza dough (I went the store bought route and used the whole wheat crust from Trader Joe's)
3 oz. diced pancetta
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for brushing on the edges
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
About 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 cup arugula

Place a pizza stone or sheet pan in the oven and preheat to 500 for about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile cook the pancetta in a medium skillet until just browned and crispy, making sure to stir often.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a paper towel lined plate.  Discard the grease.  In a medium bowl combine the olive oil, balsamic, garlic, shallot, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.  On a piece of parchment paper that has been lightly floured, stretch the pizza dough into a 14-inch circle.  Brush the perimeter with a little olive oil.  Sprinkle the dough with the cheddar and Parmesan, leaving a small border around the edge.  Spread the shallots mixture and then top with the pancetta and goat cheese.  Carefully transfer the pizza and parchment to the pan in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned.  Remove from the oven, let rest for about 5 minutes, then top with the arugula, slice and serve. 

The One: Banana Bread

I love trying different recipes and am always on the hunt for new ones that I'd like to try, but Colin feels very strongly that I need to have some "standards" that I always use.  He has memories of his favorites that his mom always made as he was growing up and he wants Theo to have the same thing, which I totally get. I'd love for Theo to be able to say "I love my mom's ______" fill in the blank, and if I'm constantly changing it up and trying a new recipe every time I make anything, he won't be able to have that "my mom makes the best ______" feeling.  So, Colin says it's time to just call it on a few recipes and say these are "the ones".  So, after combining a few elements from the many versions I've tried over the years, here it is, The Official Alison Sanburg Banana Bread Recipe:

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter, divided
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  With a wooden spoon, mix most of the butter (leaving maybe 1/3 of it out)into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.  Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.  Add the flour last, mix.  Pour mixture into a greased 4x8 inch loaf pan.  Mix the cinnamon (I'm kind of cinnamon obsessed and often add more than a teaspoon to get a really cinnamon-y flavor in the bread) and brown sugar into the remaining melted butter, then drizzle the mixture over the top of the bread.  Bake for 1 hour.  Cool on a rack, then remove from the pan and slice to serve.