Like, for realzzz! Lola (my dog) and I are hanging out by the air conditioner as we speak, because it is impossible to do anything else in this heat/humidity. Gee, God, you made me Brazilian but forgot to give me the “heat resistance” gene? (Although I gotta admit, it is way easier to battle the heat when you’re on the beach wearing a bikini.) And speaking of the beach, while most New Yorkers are heading to the Hamptons for a summer vacation, I will be staying here in the city, constantly complaining about the weather (sorry!), as me and Tim can’t take off work right now. That doesn’t mean I won’t be having fun, though. For starters, I have two friends staying with us this month. Estefania and Lora are from Mexico and they are in NYC to take acting and musical theater summer classes. So what does that mean for me? It means that I get to brush up my hosting skills and entertain those ladies with the best of my abilities! And today that means: homemade sausage pizza with a kick of jalapeños and kale!
Before I talk about this unbelievable pizza, I wanna thank my friends at Mezzetta for sending me a Summer Survival Kit (pictured above). You should have seen my excitement when I got that in the mail last week! I was like a child getting a bicycle for Christmas! I love my happy mail days after I became a food blogger. It’s so much better than the old bills and store catalogs… Now I get to receive cookbooks, food and amazing Summer Survival Kits! The good news is that you could win one too! For the next three months, they will be hosting a different giveaway every month and you can enter once a day for a chance to win! Woohoo! What are you waiting for? Go enter now! :)
But back to pizza! I know what you’re thinking. “Kale?!? I can’t stand kale!”, or “My guests don’t like kale!, or even “My kids will never eat a pizza with kale!”. But hold your horses, my friend! You might not like kale in your salad, but have you tried kale on pizza? It is a whole different story. The kale turns deliciously sweet, nutty and crispy when exposed to the high heat of your oven and takes this pizza to a whole new level. Who would have thought that charred kale would taste so damn good?!? I confess I was skeptical as well but one bite and this pizza jumped to rank among the Top 5 Pizzas I’ve ever eaten!
And then there’s the heat. Oh, you don’t like it too hot? Don’t worry, I don’t like it either! I’m into mild spicy flavors, as opposed to super hot, tongues out, need a glass of water NOW. (That’s usually my mom. She will eat pure pickled peppers out of the jar!). So I’m thankful Mezzetta has a Tamed variety of their jalapeños, which is a hybrid of a jalapeño and a bell pepper that has the flavor and texture of the regular thing, but with less heat! However, if you are like my mom and totally into the knock-your-socks-off spiciness, go ahead: get their Hot Jalapeños and do your spicy lover dance! (I just laughed at myself for writing “spicy lover dance” and decided to create my version of a spicy lover dance. Guys, you’re so lucky I don’t do Youtube videos yet!)
The secret to a nicely charred, but not burnt kale is to first bake the pizza with only the cheese until the cheese melts and the crust starts to get golden and puffed in some spots. Then you add the toppings and bake for 2 more minutes until the kale is crispy and the crust is perfectly cooked. I seriously love making pizza! Each time I figure out something new… a new trick or secret that makes it even better than last time. Maybe one day I’ll have a pizzeria, but for now my husband and my lovely guests are the lucky ones that get to eat this piece of art! Yes, piece of art! Excuse my lack of modesty, but this sausage pizza really is something to be celebrated! Cheesy, tangy, nutty, sweet, smoky and spicy. Do I need to say more? Update: I did end up leaving my apartment today and it wasn’t as bad outside as it was inside my apartment. Maybe it was the Mezzetta peppers and all its hotness? :P P.S. Wanna keep in touch? Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest to stay up to date with my posts! If you end up making one of my recipes, I would love to see it! Just take a photo and post it on your preferred Social Media and tag me or use the hashtag #oliviascuisine!
So tell me, how are you bringing the heat this summer?
