Nightus Interruptus

Not by a comet, actually, but by the earsplitting and unrelenting shriek of our fire alarm. We waited about five minutes for it to stop, but it didn't, so we joined the rest of our apartment-mates, cold and disgruntled, out on the lawn at 3:00 in the morning. It continued for about twenty minutes, until Matt went down to the utility room and shut it off (way to utilize that fire-sprinkler background!). Somebody else called the management, who didn't seem concerned, and then another person called the fire department (something we assumed would happen automatically, but which apparently doesn't) and they finally came about 20 minutes later. We had barely settled back in between our warm flannel sheets (thanks, Mom!) and finished wondering WHY this had to happen on the first 40-degree night after months of being in the 90's, before the hospital called around 5 to ask if I could come in earlier than the 3pm I'd planned. I ended up agreeing to go in at 11 because my classes had been canceled today (placing me OFFICIALLY ON FALL BREAK--well, sort of a break, being as it's bisected by a midterm on Tuesday). I stayed from 11am until, unfortunately, 7:45pm, against my will--thereby stomping on our plans to go see the Imani Winds at the Library of Congress at 8. Matt took this, and the fact that he had to wait for me for half an hour in the parking lot (AGAIN), in characteristically kind and patient humor, for which I was grateful. Instead, we went to CVS and managed to walk out with two 12-packs of Diet Mountain Dew and a month's worth of antibiotics, all for $5--and got a coupon for $5.50 along with our receipt. You have to love 24 free cans of pop, a month of free drugs, and a 50 cent profit to boot! We love that place!

Then we came home and made up for missing the concert by having a truly hot date: demolishing a pound of pasta with pesto.

Antibiotic, you may ask? Well, time for the long story about my face. A month and a half after first trying to get an appointment, I finally got in to see a dermatologist about the disfiguring/terribly painful/maddeningly itchy rash I've had FOR OUR ENTIRE MARRIAGE (going on over four months now, for those of you who are counting!). He was a charming old man from New York who showed me his banjo (literally) on the first date; when I asked him whether he could fix what was wrong with my face, his response was "Can I fix it, she asks? C'mon, getouttaheah!" His diagnosis? Atopy, aka an inherited tendency to be allergic and sensitive and itchy. It's not rocket science but it does sound like it fits. The prescription? Steroids (prednisone, for a week) and antibiotics (Soldyne, for a month). So far I've only started the prednisone but I must say I think it already looks better. Maybe we're finally turning the corner? Wouldn't that be nice. Matt says he loves me and thinks I look beautiful either way, but I'd rather not have to worry that it makes him want to throw up in his mouth every time he kisses me goodnight and just treasure the sentiment instead. We'll see.

But, without further ado, the moment I know you've all been waiting for...

Lasagna Pizza

Disclosure: Prep time is probably about 2 hours and cooking time is about an hour. So this is a make-ahead type dish, or in our case, one where you want to have a good amount of fresh bread and dipping oil and wine to tide you over till it's ready. I think you could make it ahead and either refrigerate it or maybe even freeze it until you are ready to bake it.

Crust:
Olive oil
1.2 lb flour
1.5 cups tepid water
1/2 T yeast
Pinch of sugar
1/2 T salt
1-1/2 T Italian seasoning mix
Cornmeal

1. Combine water and yeast and sugar. Let sit until yeast is foamy.
2. Combine flour, salt, and seasoning until well mixed. Add to yeast mixture slowly. Adjust by adding more flour till the dough is tacky but pulls away from the side of the bowl easily.
3. Oil a large bowl. Put dough into bowl and roll around to cover with oil. Cover with a towel in a warm place to rise for at least an hour.

While waiting, make filling:
2 T olive oil
1-1/2 cups chopped onions
1 T chopped garlic
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
4-6 cups washed chopped fresh spinach (approx. 1 lb)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper (SEE THAT, ONE-QUARTER, NOT FOURTEEN, TEASPOONS)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 T dried oregano
1-1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

You'll also need for later: 3 cups canned tomato sauce

4. In a large skillet, heat oil and saute onions and garlic 3-5 min until translucent.
5. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 min. Add spinach, salt, black pepper, and saute for 3-5 min until spinach wilts.
6. Turn off heat and stir in eggs, ricotta, oregano, and mozzarella. Set aside.

Getting back to the crust...
7. Punch down dough, then roll it into a log. Cover the top side with a sprinkling of cornmeal.
8. Turn it over, press it down, sprinkle the other side with cornmeal, then roll into a rectangle slightly bigger than the pan you're headed for.

9. Grease a 9x13 or even slightly larger casserole dish and drape the pizza inside it, working it into the corners and making sure it hangs over the edges. This is one deep-dish pizza, I'm warning you.
10. Then start alternating layers of tomato sauce, cheese mixture, and noodles, being sure to end with tomato sauce and fully cover all the layers of pasta (especially if you're using no-boil).
11. Top with plenty of mozzarella, and Parmesan if you like.
12. If you're using no-boil, cover tightly with foil and bake for about 55 minutes, taking the foil off and then letting the cheese brown for another 5 minutes. If not, just bake for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly.

We found it had a tendency to be kind of moist (little puddles on top) when we took it out of the oven, but it seemed to firm up a little after letting it sit for a few minutes. It's tricky to get the first piece out without causing a landslide, but hey, it all tastes the same anyway. Serve with dipping oil/sauce/pesto for the crust, and a salad if you wanted to round it out and make it marginally healthier.
Plus, as we mentioned earlier, the flavor and texture both seem to improve as days go by.

And if you haven't yet, you really should check out this site. They post prolifically every day and it's just plain hilarious.