It’s somewhat rare that dishes I cook surprise me, but this one did. Take a kohlrabi root, peel it to a compact puck, salt it, wait until the seasoning absorbs, brush with melted butter and roast it low and slow for 2-3 hours, turning and continuing to brush with butter until it’s all nice and browned. What you get are some wonderfully chewy bites with concentrated savory flavor that you wouldn’t expect knowing the raw counterpart. What’s most fascinating is that there’s a natural acidity to it that gets concentrated while roasting and balances everything out really nicely, no need for marinades or anything. Crack of black pepper, some crunchy finishing salt and shavings of parmesan and you get a marvelous little dish.

After all the pizza baking I needed something refreshing. Pretty simple really, just chop up a whole bunch of ginger, bring to the boil with brown sugar and water, citric acid for balance, let it sit, strain, reduce to a syrup. Mix to taste with sparkling water and you have a drink that’s just right for a hot summer.

A crepe? Not a typical one, this street food staple has a mix of wheat and mung bean flour which gives the crepe a really interesting savory taste. I didn’t have the traditional fillings on hand so I went with the closest thing, egg, sausage, cucumber and, yes you’re reading it right, nacho chips. It just adds to the different layers of crunch.

Yes, yes you can. I have a soft spot for cheeseburgers you see.

So here I was, baking pizza with buffalo mozzarella and all, and I was lamenting the sweltering heat, thinking it was silly to bake on a hot summer day, and you know what the prince said to me? He said, no, that’s part of the game. I understand now oh prince. The sweat shall not deter me, the pizza will prevail.

The hot summer inspired me to try this just to see what it tastes like. Interesting stuff, bit more acidic, some more subtle flavors coming through. Won’t replace a nice cup of hot coffee in the morning, but worth a taste.

What could compel me to run my oven on the highest setting on a hot summer day? Why yes, the resulting pizza of course.

The name says it, no mention of the lettuce, but then again that’s not classically part of it.

Well it’s not a Paella, I can say as much, but the concept isn’t too far off. Rice (sushi rice actually) cooked in the flavorful remains of fried chicken bits with some onion and pimenton, and a mix of miso and chicken stock as cooking liquid. I imagine I can dial in the doneness of the rice and the crust at the bottom a bit more, but it’s a good start.

Aand a proper pizza again as penance.