Much like Gruner deserved two back-to-back dinners, this pizza was so good, we had it twice in a row. I declared that it might be the best home-made pizza yet. And it's straightforward to make:

1. Roll out your pizza dough.
2. Spread on home-made pesto. (Don't be afraid of the salt!)
3. Add grated mozzerella.
4. Top with roasted beets, asparagus, and blobs of chevre.
5. Bake. Season with extra salt, pepper, and maybe even a few red chile flakes. Pairs well with Friday nights. Enjoy!

During a visit with my friend Sheena, many years ago, she whipped up this most delicious thing that she referred to as "spicy noodle sauce".  I'm not sure where the recipe came from, but I made sure to get a copy of it.  Then, for whatever reason, I only made it once or twice before it was inexplicably left to languish in my recipe binder.  However, during a recent cupboard clean-out, I made the sauce again as part of a campaign to use up some aged rice noodles.  I wondered if it would live up to my memory of it, if it would be as amazing now as I thought it was back then.  And yes.  It was.  I had sauteed bok choy and tofu over noodles, but you could use this sauce as a dressing for a cold noodle salad, or maybe as a marinade.  Try it and see - it's repertoire-worthy!

Spicy Noodle Sauce 

Note: I've halved the quantities and tweaked the ingredients slightly.  

Whisk together the following ingredients.  The sauce should keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp chili sauce (I used sambal oelek)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2" chunk of ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp chili flakes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
pepper

In other food updates, The Last Crumb is a new-ish bakery on Main Street. After only two visits there, I'm prepared to say it may just be on par with Thierry (which is Vancouver's best bakery IMHO).  It also turns out that The Last Crumb has afternoon tea on weekends; full report coming in April.

(By the way, this is a banana bread pudding with creme anglaise.)

And finally, the March cookie of the month.  Solid!

From time to time, I'll be doing a blog feature called "Best of Nigella".  They say to write what you know, and I know Nigella's recipes; over the past decade, I've cooked so much from her books that I've built up a repertoire of personal favourites from her oeuvre.  Let's start with a drink - because hey, we're on summer vacation!  

Meet  the "Fresh Green Gimlet" from Forever Summer.  Nigella writes: "This takes inspiration in part from a mojito ... and in part from a gimlet.  ... And frankly, this child outstrips either of its parents".  My note in the cookbook simply reads "the best drink ever".       

1 tbsp sugar
juice of 1 lime (approx 2 tbsp)
small handful mint leaves
3 tbsp (50 mL) vodka
5-6 ice cubes
splash or two of sparkling mineral water

Mix sugar and lime juice in a glass; stir to dissolve the sugar.  Add mint leaves and muddle.  Add vodka and ice, stir, and top up with sparkling water to taste.

Cheers!