Pizza Gain: This Cook's Easter Story!

THE RECIPE

Easter Pizza Gain

Nancer’s special recipe

Ingredients

5 pizza doughs

30 eggs

1 egg yolk

about 2-3 cups of milk

Lots of:

-Salami, Prosciutto, Capicola, Pepperoni, Provolone

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut all of the meat & cheese into small squares. Combine 3 pizza doughs and work out the dough, stretching and rolling it until it fits across one giant sized pan (a standard sized lasagne pan or other rectangular roasting pan). Once dough is spread in bottom of pan, dump in all of the cut up meats & cheeses. Whisk together about 18 eggs and 1 ½ cups of milk until well mixed. Pour mixture over meats & cheeses. You will now see you need to make more of this egg & milk mixture. Make some more using another dozen eggs and 1 ½ cups of milk. Pour mixture over meat and cheeses. Combine the remaining 2 pizza doughs, work out, stretching and rolling until it fits over top the giant pan like a doughy tent/lid. Brush egg yolk over the top of the dough and place in oven.

Cook as long as necessary, meaning until dough looks golden brown and egg is cooked through (you can test by placing a knife into center & seeing if it comes out clean). And don’t forget to line the bottom of your oven with tin foil as sometimes Pizza Gain gets a mind of its own while its cooking and some of the 30 eggs can bubble through the top crust and out onto your oven floor---which can lead to burning smells, smoke and smoke alarms, none of which contribute to a calm and peaceful cooking atmosphere. Cooking time can range from 60-120 minutes. (yes, I’m aware this is a long window)

When Pizza Gain is done cooking, take out and let cool. Once cool, cut into large chunks. When you cut your chunks, some of the filling will fall out. Push it back in and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or other food wrap. Put in the refrigerator to chill. When you are ready to serve, take out of the refrigerator cut into small slices (like Stromboli). Since you wrapped it tightly and chilled it in the fridge, the filling will no longer fall out. Place your slices on a microwave safe plate, cover & microwave until it heats to the temp you prefer, remove and serve.

THIS COOK’S STORY: The Easter Edition

Every year, my Mom and I have Easter brunch at Nancer’s house. Nancer is an excellent cook who specializes in Italian and who is also a close family friend, second mother and now guest Chef of the blog!

And while I don’t love Easter as a holiday in general---I think because of the pastel colors and visions of ham that dance in my head alongside church-y smelling Easter flowers, I have always looked forward to eating Pizza Gain (among many other delicious concoctions) at her house. This year was no exception. But, I was also in for a very special treat, because she taught me how to make the beloved Pizza Gain & I did!

Here’s our Easter story...

What is Pizza Gain?

While I know Pizza Gain as something delicious I eat on Easter, I knew it had a legitimate story so I took to the interweb to find out more about it and here’s what I discovered

· Pizza Gain is also known as: Pizza Piena (stuffed pie), Pizza Rustica, Italian Easter Pie & I’m sure, many more names…

· Pizza Gain is the traditional ‘Italian American’ nomer for the meat & cheese filled pizza pie

· What goes into a Pizza Gain varies based on regions & areas of origin in Italy:

o Some contain ricotta, hard-boiled eggs, sausage and even macaroni (sidenote: isn’t macaroni a funny word? I always think of the Yankee Doodle Dandy song when I hear ‘macaroni’; I also think macaroni should only be used by adults when talking to children about pasta.)

· The tradition is said to have started when women in Italian villages would cook up the overflow of meats not eaten during Lent. They’d make the Pizza Gain on Good Friday, then not serve it until after noon on Easter Saturday (the end of Lent---or so I’m told) when it was legit to gorge on meats and bad for you food again.

· It tastes very good.

Pizza Gain: A Warning

Having the honor of this recipe bestowed upon me comes with responsibility. Therefore, as I pass on my newfound knowledge it becomes my duty and obligation to present you with the below info and warnings.

Pizza gain should not be consumed on a regular basis. It’s heart attack inducing and cholesterol building ingredients are best enjoyed sporadically throughout the calendar year even though once tasted, they can become habit-forming drugs. Symptoms that can result from over-indulgence of Pizza Gain include, but are not limited to:

· Meat Sweats

· Meat coma induced euphoria

· A sense of feeling so full you will never be able to eat again

· The need to eat one more piece even though you have experienced the above 3 symptoms simultaneously

If you or someone you love develops an addiction to Pizza Gain, you should seek the professional help.

i.e.: get your butt to the gym and stop stuffing your face with this fatty food, you fatty.

Commence Cooking!

Making the pizza gain was pretty easy, but that’s because I was an apprentice chef to Nancer who was there directing my every move. I pretty much followed the instructions I wrote above which she walked me through and voila: Pizza Gain!

I would highly recommend employing the tin foil to line your oven like I noted in the directions as well…that was really the only bump in the road. That and coming to terms with the fact that THIRTY, yes 30, THIRTY, eggs are used in the making of this dish. If you can accept that and own it, you’ll be able to make Pizza Gain anytime (and by anytime, I mean rarely, please see Pizza Gain: A Warning, above). Since the ingredients are so plentiful, I felt a pictorial guide to the process would be the best way to illustrate the process. Enjoy:

Step 1: Cutting up the meat & cheese. This photo doesn't do the sheer quantity justice. I know the recipe calls for 'a lot', I should've done a better job of noting just how much, but I'd say a 1/2 lb of each ingredient, at least...

Step 2: Battling the dough to get it spread in the pan can be tough. But keep at it tiger, you'll get it!

Step 3: Put the meet & cheese in its new doughy home

Step 4: Put in first 18 eggs & 1 1/2 cups of milk. Realize you need more, prepare another dozen and some more milk.

Step 5: Put on the 2 dough lid

Step 6: Bake that bad boy!

Step 7: Cut into chunks for refrigeration. This is what a chunk looks like after its been wrapped & chilled:

Step 8: Cut into slices and serve up. Sorry, I was so busy eating, I forgot a pic of this! You'll just have to see for yourself when you make your own Pizza Gain!

SPECIAL THANKS!

I’d like to give a special thanks to Chef Nancer who made this post and all the scrumptious deliciousness that resulted from it possible. Ciao!