3.14 Pi Day - Meatless Monday!

Today is 3.14.11, nowadays known as Pi Day in honor of that mathematical sum or theorem or something. Wait, let me check the intarnets and see what it says. OK here we are: Pi is a mathematical constant whose value is the ratio of any Euclidean plane circle's circumference to its diameter; this is the same value as the ratio of a circle's area to the square of its radius. So...whatever. I hate math. But I like pie, and that brings us to this.

Here is today's almond rocky road pie in its infancy. I made a cheater crust with pie crust mix, then pushed it into a greased pan rather than rolling the dough out. I then pre-baked the shell since this was going to be a chilled pie. After it was browned, but while still hot, I threw in a handful of vanilla marshmallows, crushed almonds and some semi-sweet chocolate chips. In the meantime, I had also made a batch of chocolate pudding (so easy to make from scratch, but I had a box mix). While it was still hot, I stirred in a few milk chocolate chips, just to up the choco content.

Working somewhat quickly, I poured the hot chocolate pudding on top of the marshmallows, nuts and chocolate. Surely the stuff melted from the heat of the hot pie shell and the hot pudding. Once it all cooled, I spread some whipped cream on top and then sprinkled with nuts and grated chocolate.

For the Meatless Monday dinner portion of Pi Day, it seemed imperative to have a pizza. I didn't have to go out today, and since this stupid snow did not make it attractive to be out in it, I needed to forage for ingredients. I only had a dab of leftover pizza sauce; I knew I had to make more. Luckily I had about half of a big can of tomato juice in the refrigerator. I added oregano, garlic, fresh basil, salt, pepper, a little raw sugar, and cayenne and simmered for a couple hours until it was reduced by more than half. I tasted it in comparison to the jarred stuff I had leftover - mine is better. Damn, now it looks like I need to make my own sauce from now on. Mushrooms, onions, kalamata olives and little blobs of pesto are the toppings.

While rummaging in the refrigerator, I came across the asparagus I bought the other day. I needed a salad idea, so I blanched the aspargus and cooled it off. Then I sauteed sliced onion in olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Once the onions were soft, I turned off the heat, dumped the asparagus back in, and added some walnuts. Oh, and a little pile of grated parmesan. Then stuck it in the fridge to chill. I love asparagus season