Monday, July 26, 2010

Terry's Pizza- a gift from me to you






I want to do justice to this next eating experience (which occurred a couple weeks ago). But illness and otherlies have got in the way. I don’t know if even now I can come close to properly hyping the taste experience that is….. *drum rolls of some significance*….. Terry’s Pizza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Terry’s is an institution in my li’l hometown of Gunnedah, a pretty town 45 minutes west of the country music capital Tamworth.
When we lived in Gunnedah for two years, we got Terry’s every Sunday night after church, when the kids were asleep, (so all the more for us). It was my comfort food of choice!
Terry’s story, as I remember him telling me, goes something like this. Terry if I got any of it wrong; sorry!
Terry and his family left Blacktown in Sydney to travel around part of Australia. When they arrived in Gunnedah, they realized it was the epicentre of the universe; just sort of halted their trip and never left! I kid you not.

Terry hadn’t made pizza before, but on a whim he decided he wanted to open a pizzeria….So, as you do, he went to his local bookstore (Angus and Robertson, I think) and purchased a pizza cookbook. And the rest as they say…….; well, let's just say, all we Gunnedah-ians are eternally grateful for Terry’s whim.

I asked Terry what his secret to the world’s best pizza was, many years ago,. It is true, no other pizza tastes anything like it.
His answer was simple: quality ingredients and simplicity.
I think there is more to it than that. Terry’s pizzas don’t have a tonne of cheese, and there is none on the top. The cheese is underneath, so it doesn’t overwhelm and dull all the other toppings. This also prevents the crust from going soggy. Each ingredient stands out equally as the ‘hero of the dish’ (chortle), and the pizza crust is thick and crunchy without grease. Oh man, I am workin’ up an appetite just writing this!!!!
The service is fantastic. Most of the times I have gone in, Terry himself has served me, with a quick grin and genuine modesty at my raving. He is always up for a yarn (Aussie-speak for conversation), even though the orders are coming at him thick and fast and the phone is ringing away like a boiling kettle.
So………If a large body of water of oceanic proportions happens to be in the way of you and a Terry’s pizza, you are excused for not making the effort.
As for the Aussies among us, no excuses. Hitch up the nearest roo, give it a swift (yet-RSPCA-approved) kick up the flank, and hop along to Terry’s.
One of our friends was such a Terry’s fan, he invited all his university friends from Newcastle to his parents property and had a massive Terry’s pizza for his 21 birthday CAKE!!!! Now that is a fan! That is dedication. That, is what a Terry’s pizza will do to you.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

The dish that gained me 4kg in as many weeks.




I kid you not. This is a seriously fattening dish, though at the time.....during the month I was gorging on it, I never really thought about that.

And for me to gain 4 kg in 4 weeks is quite a feat I have to say. I run 8 km a day! That is a lot of burnt calories right there.
So how did I undertake this dubious achievement?
Well, my diet is a little limited, well, as far as I am concerned it is. I have to avoid sugar pretty much entirely, and have no carbs at dinner for the same reason. But I am a girl who likes to eat. I like a big plate of food. And seeing as I also cook a separate meal for my own family, I pretty much find a simple dish that I love, and then make it every day till I lose interest.


I made stir fry for half a year, then moved on to veggies in a satay sauce. Soooooo over both those dishes now!
And then I fell in love with cheese sauce. Veggies in cheese sauce.

I ended up doing fozen green beens as the veggies most of the time. Why?

1. I am lazy.
2. They are cheap.
3. They are filling.

Anyways the veggies are not what this post is about. What gained me the weight was the sauce.
Here is that recipe, which I made off the top of my head using the foundation of a basic white sauce.

CHEESE SAUCE
5 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 milk
1/2 cream (heck, get creative, sometimes I made this baby on straight cream!)
3 cups grated cheese of choice ( I use 2 3/4 cups tasty cheese and make up the rest in parmesan.)

*Heat oven to 200 (celcius)
*Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and stir over lowish heat for at least four minutes to lose the floury taste. The flour should resemble breadcrumbs.
*Pour in the milk and cream, the salt and pepper. Stir regularly over heat till the sauce thickens. *Add more milk or cream to preference of thickness. I like thick.
*Throw all but 1/2 cup of cheese into the sauce and remove from heat. Stir through until melted and combined.
*Add cooked drained vegies to the pan and stir through. Pour out into greased pie dish. (do not soak saucepan.

While you are waiting for your dinner to cook, take your pointer finger and scrape that saucepan clean.
*Sprinkle over the remainder of the cheese and put in the oven. Keep in about 15 or till brown on top.
*Eat while squeeing with delight and thanking me from the bottom of your hearts.

Serves 1. Yup, I ate the entire thing all by myself. (To gain the desired weight, eat daily. :) I have to say, I now only eat this dish but once a month. :)