The Best Meatball Pizza Ever (Or. . . how my search for a lesson on "short row knitting" lead to Peter Reinhart's lesson on "pizza". It was a Good day.)

I'm not new to the homemade pizza making world. It's our second favorite food group next to chocolate. And while I try not to make pizza night an every night affair (I easily could), when I do throw down for some pizza crafting time, I am always amazed at how different the crusts seem. It's one of my favorite searches--like for the next best chocolate chip cookie--I've made over a dozen of each (pizza crusts and cookies), and after each try I tell myself, "That's it!". Invariably, I forget what and where it was I'd found said "it" recipe, and find I'm at it again with a whole new recipe search. 

I suppose you could say I had a very lucky day this week. 

I was in a snit over a knitting pattern I desperately wanted to begin. I am nearly finished with my first Downton Abbey gauntlet, and half way through the second. (BTW, was last week's DA episode just the bleakest episode ever?) No spoilers here. 

Anyway, the new project bug had bitten me. I found a shawl that seemed perfect: Sideways Ripple Shawl designed by Kyoko Nakayoshi, appearing in Knitscene Winter 2012. Its beauty, to me, was in its simplicity, and the fact that I could totally see myself wrapped in this while going to the store for eggplant. It's not too frilly, not too lacy, just a really cool, sort of understated wrap. However, the idea of stripes to me as wearable design has ranked repulsive for most of my adult life. No one looks good in them. I'm from the school of thought that they should be reserved for criminals and Waldo and thus, have avoided them. Even through last year's fashion push with stripes this and stripes that. Ugh.

. . . Until this shawl. 

(And what in heck does this have to do with PIZZA?) Hang on a second and I'll tell you.

What's unique to this shawl design and most of the rest of this issue of Knitscene, is that the patterns all require Short Rows. In knitting terms, for me that spells: Don't even think about it, Kelly. And I move on past said knitting requirements to find something less challenging--a throw, a hat. But as I lingered on the Ravelry site, admiring other knitters relishing their finished designs, I was drawn further down the stripe hole. Except for the Short Row problem. Some knitters proclaiming the shawl a quick knit! (Which I laughed at because you cast on 320 stitiches--and my gauge swatch told me I'd be knitting this on size ONE needles, no less!) That, even to a non-knitter screams: OMG--how long will it take you to knit ONE row? About four minutes. Maybe five.

I began looking for short row tutorials. There are a ton out there. Mostly geared toward sock knitters because this is where the short row issue creeps in nine times out of ten. But then, my stripe obsession wouldn't let go--besides, I'd found the perfect color combo: brown and teal! Perfect! 

Which lead me to a free Short Row tutorial on Craftsy taught by Carol Feller--one of my favorite knitwear designers, which then lead me to another Craftsy lesson (I was already there, why not look around?)--and Whoa. What's this?

 Perfect Pizza at Home taught by Peter Reinhart. Yes, that Peter Reinhart! Oh, and did I mention they were free? It truly was my lucky day. 

I suppose you can guess which lesson I took first. Well, it was the Short Row lesson by Carol--nine o'clock at night. Okay, so I got sleepy before I could finish. And went to bed not yet convinced I could handle Short Row knitting. But the next morning, yarn and needles in hand, I was ready. I swatched along with Carol through every step. And Loved it. I am now a huge fan of Japanese Short Rows. Why you'd make a short row any other way is beyond me. But I digress. (As usual.)

Finally. With my speakers hooked up to my laptop, my flour, yeast, salt, water, etc., at the ready, I started my next lesson on pizza. It was just like having Peter Reinhart in my own kitchen. Well, he sort of already takes up space in my kitchen with my collection of his cookbooks. But this was waaay better. Plus, you have crisp clear video, printable lesson material and all. . . And Free! For as many times as you need! 

I don't know why this was such a big deal for me. I know his pizza recipes. I think it was HIM! Who in the bread baking world doesn't love this guy? And why would you NOT? And yes, I have seen his other lessons on YouTube, but this Craftsy course was somehow better. He teaches professional bakers for crying out loud. 

I'm sure he'd balk at the heavy hand I used with my toppings. But the crust was one of the best I'd ever made.  

So now you might ask: Why the meatball pizza? Because the night before I made one of Deb Perelman's recipes (again!) from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook and her Tomato-Glazed Meatloaf recipe. These were the BEST (I've overused the word "best" in this post, but work with me, okay?)--things since sliced bread. I'll make these over and over. (Lest you all forget, vegans rejoice: I used Match Meats --which worked perfectly.)

As you can see--they are the perfect little handful of yum. I added 1/4 cup of oats and some Italian bread crumbs to my mixture--just a wee bit of coaxing to get the Match Meats to hold together. But for the rest of the recipe, I stuck pretty close to her directions. We had leftovers. And you now know where they went.

Yum. Super yum served over her brown butter mashed potatoes. We LOVED this dinner.

And as for the pizza and all--we loved, loved that, too. 

No recipes, but feel free to take the Peter Reinhart course, or the Carol Feller course. Or go to the link I have above for Deb's meatloaf. 

Dinner and knitting. 

I couldn't have been happier.