Greg's Beef Barley Stew

We've just returned from a weekend in Salt Lake, cheering on the UTAH UTES to their first Pac-12 conference football victory - FINALLY.

It was Blackout Game - where everyone was encouraged to wear all black - and even though I thought it was kind of a silly concept, I have to admit that the stadium crowd looked awesome.

Prior to the game Megan offered to set up a tailgate party at her primo parking space, which was fabulous.

And after the game we took the party back to Greg and Megan's house, where Greg treated us to a fabulous Beef Barley Stew that he had cooked while we all watched the game in the cold and he enjoyed it on KJAZZ TV. Greg's stew is incredibly delicious, and perhaps if there are a few requests for it in the "comment" section, I can talk him into sharing it soon!

Another recipe-focused Gourmet Gibbs will be posted within days... really!

Goat Cheese Pizza

We haven't done Pizza in quite some time, so even though the Pizza process is the same as prior posts, this week is a reminder that homemade (well, nearly homemade) pizza is way yummier than frozen.

It's not really home made since I always start my pizza with a bag of Trader Joe's Pizza Dough - or you can pick up a roll of pizza dough from your favorite pizzeria, or you could always make your own from scratch - just don't as ME how to do that!

Sprinkle some cornmeal on your pizza stone, plop out the dough, and let it rest - the Trader Joe's bag says 30 minutes, but I have found that if you let it rest for up to 8 hours, it rolls out thinner and is less likely to pull back into itself (there are some out there who heat the pizza stone in the oven, prepare the pizza dough and toppings on one of the flat boards, and then slide the prepared pie onto the heated stone - BUT those people aren't me).

I kept my toppings simple - sliced mushrooms, sliced red onion, and mozzerella and goat cheeses.

When you're ready to cook the pizza - preheat your oven to 500 degrees; then roll out the pizza as thin as you can get it on your pizza stone. Spread a thin layer of olive oil over the dough, then sprinkle with sliced fresh garlic.

Cook the dough for 8 - 10 minutes - until the dough is just starting to turn a golden brown. Remove from the oven - pop down any big bubbles that may have popped up, and then layer on the toppings.

Spread a thin layer of mozzerlla over the pizza, then evenly distribute the sliced mushrooms and onions, and finally, top with dollops of goat cheese.

Return to the oven and continue to cook for another 6 - 8 minutes - until the cheese is bubbly and just starting to turn golden brown. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing....

and then ENJOY.