There has been a lot of cursing chez nous recently.
Mon mari has been working on the floor of our bedroom.
He’s using the same boards as he used in the living room a year ago. They’re just not cooperating this time.
He stained and varnished them prior to nailing them down, same as last time, but it must be the damp spring weather – he can’t get the tongue to stay in the groove. One end goes in; when he pounds in the other end the first pops out.
He even asked for my help!
Of course all he wanted me to do is stand on it whilst he pounded.
I failed.
Couldn’t even do that right. Apparently I don’t weigh enough.
He finally figured out a system of keeping one end in place while he pounds the other end in and nails it. I won’t go into details, but it involves using a 12 ton hydraulic jack…. laying on it’s side.
It’s a start.
He also started laying the tiles in the bathroom – with no cursing at all.
And, despite the fact that we had a nasty surprise finding half of one box of tiles broken, (out of 5 boxes) we have enough.
They look better in real life….. Trust me, it will all come together (I hope).
The ceiling is completely finished, trim and all…. no cursing there, either.
And the view from under the beams: (with the bright work light shining up)
Six weeks to go – the pressure is mounting…..
That could contribute to the cursing, I suppose.
It would have nothing whatsoever to do with me asking things like ‘Are you going to be done in time?’
One of the many things that I had to come to terms with when we moved to this side of the pond was the concept of white pizza.
Pizza, in my mind, was not pizza unless it had a tomato-based sauce and/or actual tomatoes on it.
It might be delicious; it might be calorie worthy; but it was not pizza.
When we went out for pizza I refused to order it.
It wasn’t pizza, after all.
It was like 7-Up labeling itself the ‘Uncola’. Nice try, but…..
Finally, I succumbed.
We had been out for pizza far too often in the days we were packing house and getting ready to move. I needed a change.
I ordered a white pizza with (gasp) potatoes and ham.
It was wonderful.
It opened up a whole world of creative possibilities.
This is the best so far.
White Pizza with Smoked Salmon
1 sheet puff pastry
5oz (150gr) smoked salmon
3oz (90gr) goat cheese
12 Greek, dry-cured black olives
4 green garlic
4 tbs crème fraiche
Lay puff pastry out on a baking sheet. Spread crème fraiche to within 1/2 inch (1cm) of the edge. Cut the salmon and lay on crème fraiche. Thinly slice the green garlic, including green tops, and sprinkle on salmon. Roughly chop olives and add. Break goat cheese into chunks and put on top. Bake, 400F (200C) for 15 – 18 minutes, until pastry edges are golden.
It may not have been pizza – but it was seriously good food.
25 minutes start to finish – why would you want to order one?
Renos are looking great – that floor is gorgeous! I’ll trust you on the white pizza – I love my tomatoes and sauce on pizza too!
I love the idea of using puff pastry. So light, delicate, fluffy and yummy!
Katie,
The work continues, and looks really great. Your husband is to be complemented. But what’s the hurry; Relatives coming in soon? 🙂
Puff pastry for pizza crust. That’s a GREAT idea. Gotta be better than that rubber dough that trader Joe’s sells as pizza dough. 🙂
Can’t believe how nice your garden looks, already. Took cold here yet.
Cheers,
Chuck
Are you opening a B&B so the house must be ready by then? If so, send a brochure – I want to stay there!
Tell ton mari qu’y a ceux who have driven the teeth of a prybar into the stringers and pried the f@*#!$%^ flooring into place. And we admire his decision to use the jack instead 🙂
Wish we could see the house in person!
Green garlic? Not sure I know what that is. The pizza looks great, tho. Pizza. Any kind of pizza. LOVE it…..
I remember standing on tongue in groove in NC. Cursing too! Could you teach us some cursing words in French? It all comes out beautiful in the end with les maris.
I actually used to hate tomato sauce as a kid so my dad would only ever make me white pizza. The toppings were never as awesome as this though…smoked salmon? Truly amazing stuff.
I love pizza with potato and smoked salmon would be the piece de resistance.
Puff pastry as pizza crust? YUM! What a wonderful idea. This looks great!
Belated comment re “thing”. I have two: GARLIC never too much, and DRYING CLOTHES OUTSIDE. (born in 1927
which makes me Depression Raised.) Love your blog, Dorothy Dufour
I love the idea of using puff pastry for the crust. This pizza sounds great.
The pizza looks great.
I had an argument with a friend in college about that once. She insisted it can’t be pizza if it didn’t have tomato sauce. I insisted it can’t be pizza if it came from Dominos or Pizza Hut.
There are pizzarias in this area that make white pizzas to die for with ricotta, mozzarella and the occasional good ingredient like broccoli or spinach. If it makes people feel better, you can always call it an open-faced calzone!
I love the idea of white pizza though I cannot see Dominoes embracing the idea or Pizza Hut !!
Love Pizza Bianco, we first ate in in Tahiti with a lovely Frenchman He called it Pizza Strasburgh… I did a post about our time there a while ago you may like to have a look Katie http://sososimple.blogspot.com/search?q=tamara
What a great recipe! I love white pizzas. I’m curious what a puff pastry pizza tastes like ;-).
p.s. I stumbled it 🙂
Ina, think of this as an ‘un-pi.jpgzza’ – deliciousn, but something else.
Tamar, it does make a much lighter pizza, which we like – as we eat it all regardless….
brassfrog, it’s supposed to be 78F this weekend – no more brambles in that weather, can’t wear the heavy clothes LOL
Zoomie, the thought has crossed our minds… You’ll be the first to know. Maybe it will be for blog readers only… cooking parties!
Amerloc, strangely, mon mari understood exactly what you’re saying….. LOL
Cindy, thanks, green garlic is wonderful – plant garlic in the fall, pull it up in the spring before it separates into cloves.
bph125, what we won’t do to help, right? LOL. He quit varnishing them first, seems to be working better.
Joanne, smart dad – you’re ahead of the pack on this one, Yes, smoked salmon, lox and cream cheese….
Val, yes, some people foolishly think one can’t put potatoes on pizza….
They would be wrong.
Beth, it’s so much lighter than the regular crust.
Dorothy, thanks – for your ‘things’ and for the compliment – I love your commenting! I don’t have a ‘solar dryer’.
Frank – it does make a quick pizza – and delicious, lighter and all that!
Thanks, Joy
Rachel, I worked at a Pizza Hut in college. ’nuff said. Ricotta is great on them, too. I’ve tried fresh mozzarella and find I have to, er, drain, it (tip the pan) half way through baking as it releases a lot of liquid. Still good, just not as pretty LOL.
manningroad, we have neither of them here so I’m safe. Our pizzerias tend to do more white then red.
Gilli, Pizza Strassburg – that makes sense. I’ll have to look on the menus next time and check that out,
Cooking Rookie – thanks for the Stumble! Puff pastry tastes like… buttered air!