I’m no Chef Roy-ar-dee * so when I’m alone (but not lonely) at my sane asylum, there is no fancy pants potage at the cottage. When mealtime rolls around, I’m looking for a dish with a two-part recipe, as in 425 degrees and 13 minutes. A quick check of the less traversed section of my beer fridge, the freezer, reveals chilled beer glasses and an unsurprisingly meager selection of solid foods.
How about a President’s Choice wood fired pepperoni pizza! The President tells us that this frozen pizza was “baked in a traditional wood-fired oven on volcanic stone for an exquisite lightly charred crust”. Wow, or is it Wah? Well, I don’t have any volcanic stone handy so I’m going to be baking it in a traditional fossil fuel fired oven with gases supplied by Budget Propane. I’m not sure which President endorsed this frozen dinnertime delicacy, but I have found world leaders tend to exaggerate at times, be loose with the facts so to speak. It certainly wasn’t the President of Italy. As for a beverage pairing, this does sound like a dinner that would go great with a beer, so that’s all the endorsement I need.
The cooking directions are fairly straightforward however it does give me the option of BBQing. Nothing I enjoy more than grillin’ and swillin’. However it is -19C outside and I think there would be more chillin’ than swillin’. Frost bite instead of a frosty pint. That’s why I’m lovin’ the oven this evening, stayin’ alive at 425. Dinner planning done, now it’s time to make an adult beverage selection.
The fridge side of the beer fridge is much more well stocked than the freezer. So many beers, so little time. I tried to recall a good pizza beer pairing. I have fond memories of the last Superbowl with the missus, a romantic beer and pizza dinner in front of the big screen. I don’t remember what she was wearing but I do remember what she was drinking, a Sleeman’s Clear, 2.0 no less. And lo and behold, there is a frosty cold one waiting for me mid-shelf. Serendipity suds! A 10 to 1 food to beer ratio for you numerologists out there. 920 calories of pizza with 90 calories of beer, what I would refer to as a balanced meal.
“Wood fired oven, volcanic stones, exquisite” sounds unbelievably good, or maybe just unbelievable. I suspect no self-respecting Italian would admit this pizza came from Italy, and the word exquisite wouldn’t be part of my description. Of course, a frozen pizza is a matter of convenience. We didn’t buy it to impress the neighbours with an Italian themed dinner party. As for the brew, this mid-shelf light beer is top shelf in my books. A tasty light, easy drinking, and refreshing. When it comes to this beer, the word “exquisite” does come to mind.
I may not be able to cook worth a damn but I’ve got chilled glasses and a helluva beer fridge. So if you’re in the mood for a mediocre frozen pseudo Italian meal and a tasty brew, this is the place.
*Editor’s Comment: The real Chef Boy-ar-Dee was Ettore Boiardi, his last name anglicized for the American public. Originally from Italy, at the age of 16 he immigrated to the USA.
0 Comments