Fusion cuisine

Last night's dinner was an unparalleled example of the recent trend toward global fusion cuisine.  Think Italy meets France meets Spain meets Wisconsin meets Mexico. 

I made pizza.  (For those of you keeping track, that would be Italy.)  That is, I made two pizzas. The first covered the European influences: without sauce, I sprinkled on some mozzarella, then topped it off with some morcilla de Cebolla (a beautiful Spanish blood sausage) that I had browned with a diced granny smith apple for the classic French boudin aux pommes combo.

I should have stopped there – the sweet, mild, greasy sausage and juicy, barely-tart apples were at their best on their own; being atop a pizza did nothing for them. Those French really know what they're doing – but then, that's hardly a surprise.

The second pie turned to the Americas for inspiration. I fried up some diced Nueske's cherrywood smoked bacon, produced just across the lake in Wisconsin. Before we continue, let me pause for a moment in reverence to this majestic piece of pork.  I had the bacon in my freezer, and when I opened the bag the kitchen was immediately perfumed in a deep, smoky, rich eau de pork belly.  It's intoxicating.  I may have swooned momentarily.  Oh baby, this is good stuff.

When the bacon was crispy and perfect, I removed it from the pan but retained the rendered fat - I'm pretty sure discarding this bacon fat is a mortal sin.  Into the sizzling fat went slivered onions and red peppers, for a pseudo-vegetarian (in that the bacon was now out of sight, out of mind, and that there was no flank steak) pseudo-fajita (again due to the absence of flank steak - and there's my Mexican connection) mix, which sauteed over low heat for a good thirty minutes until sweet and soft and irresistible.  The onions and peppers then got reintroduced to the bacon, and everything was tossed on a second round of dough over a bed of mozzarella.  Again, no sauce - I felt the acidity of tomato would be out of place.

This time, the combination was inspired.  The sweetness of the mozzarella, the wheaty, crisp crust, the smoky caramelized onions and peppers and the crisp bits of bacon - excellent.

Also of note this weekend:

- Midwest Quarterfinals of the International Collegiate Championships of A Cappella with Celine on Friday night – congratulations of the University of Michigan's G-Men and Amazin' Blue for advancing!
- Reading the fourth book in Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series in one day.  The Eyre Affair was thoroughly enjoyable; I wish I felt the sequels were as promising.
- Temperatures above 40 degrees – hello spring!  Excuse me while I break out the sun tan oil.