Monday, December 08, 2008

Odd few days

Those of you on Facebook know I had a pizza incident but nothing more.


Brooklyn Pizza Pie - my undoing


Roomie and I ordered a veggie pizza on Friday night. I was expecting lots of melted cheese with a piece of broccoli on each and a sprinkling of spinach. But no, I opened the box and saw a jungle with undergrowth - every square millimeter was covered with green stuff an inch thick and the cheese was negligible. Shocking! The first few mouthfuls tasted fine, I felt righteous for eating broccoli (not usually my best green anyway because you never know what microbes are hiding between the florets), and there was fresh garlic on it, but I struggled to get halfway through the second slice. I may never eat broccoli again, and pizza will have to go a long way to win my affections back. Just the thought of that green stuff makes me queasy. So I had a rather unhappy tummy on Saturday and a little on Sunday too until I asked my roomie if she had any imodium - yes, ONE tablet left!

I thought the point of pizza was to eat melted cheese on a fairly thin crust, so next time that is what it will be. And if I have anything fancier it's going to be my old fave of Italian sausage and jalapeno pepper - the way I learned at CiCi's Pizza in Texas. Brooklynites are so fiercely proud of their "pizza pies" that you'd think it was invented here. Indeed, roomie had to give me a quick lesson in the local lingo before we ordered. The locals might call me a philistine if I order Papa John's in future (if there even is one in Bay Ridge) but I don't care.

I am fine now, but still haven't got my appetite back. Unfortunately today I felt precursor symptoms to - well, I hope I am not coming down with something. It is Arctic outside and when the air is cold and dry, viruses thrive. At first I thought I felt tired and buzzy because I was out in the cold this morning, or because I skipped breakfast, or because I carried heavy bags, but as the evening wears on I am growing suspicious...


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Meantime, Captain America is in town this week for work, so we had dinner and a movie last night. Obviously couldn't face the subway again this evening but even the offer of a taxi up there couldn't get me to budge out of the house.

I did a little bit of shopping this morning and had a rare New York Moment looking at people rushing around wrapped up, their breath like wreathes of smoke, commuters mixed with tourists, all the bright screens of Times Square battling valiantly against a sunny sky, frozen puddles at the curb, yellow taxicabs crawling everywhere and the street vents streaming steam into the frigid air.

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This weekend roomie and her friend put up the Christmas tree. I didn't join in because I was sleeping and feeling queasy, but also they're childhood friends and they know how to work this thing so I left them to it.

Nothing on the tree matches, but many ornaments are quirky, have a meaning, or are there for a reason. No doubt the Menorah under the coffee table will also go up for Chanukah :) She just likes Christmas trees too.






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When I was out today I found an ornament and it is now on the tree in honor of my return to the USA. The base is engraved UNITED WE STAND. It is silver plated and the flag is filled with champleve enamel.



I love it not only because it is patriotic but the eagle reminds me of my 7th grade entry in the North Texas French club competition (my first year here). I made a poster: in the background, all the notable flags of the world and in the center, a majestic Golden Eagle, shoulders draped in the Stars and Stripes under the title
SERVE YOUR COUNTRY: Learn a foreign language.

It won first place. You know it was the eagle draped in the flag that did it.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

You remind me of a pizza my current roomie and I ordered when we visited my ex-roomie in San Francisco. Our eyes were much bigger than our stomachs or tastebuds... pesto, garlic, mushrooms, sausage... took a few days for stomach to recover ;-) Hope you are feeling better and not succumbing to the flu.

Selba said...

Broccoli on pizza??? That's new for me... Just last night, I was watching "Iron Chef", the competition is using all kind of dishes (from appetizer till dessert) using broccoli... so funny how they can make ice cream from broccoli.

Well, I hope that your stomach is getting well soon.

How nice for you to meet Captain America again :) What movie did you watch?

Ah.. Christmas tree... mom hasn't put up our christmas tree yet.. we always have the same ornament from year to year... 34 years!!! LOL

I like your 'eagle' ornament... Yeah.. I know it's not about being patriotic.. but more because of the memory behind it. Believe it or not, I can sing the USA anthem and memorized all the 50 states of USA although I'm not a US citizen nor having a green card :D

Anonymous said...

Hi Livvy, sorry I haven't been around for a while. That pizza looks truly terrible, I think that you're brave for even taking a bite out of such a thing.
You've done a great job on the Christmas tree, it looks fantastic. x

Carol said...

just looking at that pizza makes me a little queasy....

The Moody Minstrel said...

But pizza is the 7th dimension! (The 6th is beer.) How can it go wrong?!??!? Actually, broccoli on pizza is not so uncommon here in the Land of the Rising Sun, but not to the point of it being a forest on a crust! That was pretty scary looking, m'lady! And where's the cheese?

I don't think you got a veggie pizza, m'lady; I think it was a vegan pizza. As in no milk products, either. Either that or it's from one of the planets orbiting the star Vega.

Your poster got you a prize? Hey, like I said! You need to take up art!

Ah...now THAT'S a Christmas tree! You know, this year I just might toss my little table-top one and get something a bit more real. I need a serious dose of Christmas this year. Just like you need something for your stomach.

meimei said...

Wow nice tree, tell your roomie that she did well.

and that pizza, that was interesting. I agree with Minstrel, that looks vegan

Anonymous said...

Oh Liv, I am sorry to hear you have been feeling so poorly. I hope you will be fully recovered soon. Your story about the eagle and flag and your prize wining entry was fun to read :)

Anonymous said...

That pizza is so wrong! The tree is absolutely fab though :o) And you know my feelings on one of the other matters *cough* ;o) Love you lots crazy Brit Yank girl! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Olivia said...

Nikki - I am fine now, so I think it was just the sheer cold temps that got my body down a little.

The pizza you ate in SF sounds great. At least you had cheese on it!

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Selby - I will never eat broccoli again.

We watched Dark Knight. Very dark movie, the Joker was amazingly twisted, Batman was too dark and his loud whisper was annoying.

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Pete - it's good to see you back. Never again! Is my motto for such pizzas.
And I did nothing towards putting that tree up ;)

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Minstrel - I know...though I could skip the 6th. There were about 3 dried clumps of romano cheese. None of your melting luscious stretching mozzarella!

And it cost $24! Thankfully my roomie didn't take all my share of the bills I put down. I guess she felt somewhat culpable for my immediate shocked response when I opened the box!

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Mich - I will!
But it's not vegan as there was cheese, just a tiny weeny bit.

The mushrooms were not very mushroomy and I think they were from a tin.

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BH - thankfully all better now and a little bit wiser :)
I am glad you like the latter part of my post.

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Diva - yes my lovely friend I know how you feel about one thing and thank you for your concern, but don't worry too much :)

Love you too, crazy Bajan Brit girl xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Miss Dallas said...

I wish I could teleport or I had Hiro's powers so I could send you some yummy, greasy three-cheese-canadian bacon pizza from Brothers Pizza. But alas. CiCi's is OK, and Papa Johns always made me feel guilty, but Brothers Pizza and this little spot in Downtown Dallas called Carmine's are both my top two! No. 3 is actually in Manhattan: Famous Original Rays off Amsterdam, I think! :)

You get to feeling better, Liv!

Rick Rockhill said...

I'm more of a cheese and pepperoni pizza kind of guy, I try to stay away from designer pizzas for that exact reason!

I like that Christmas tree, it looks very festive!

Anonymous said...

You mentioned that infamous pizza to me the other day, but never did I realise just how truly hideous it was! My goodness! Now I like broccoli very much (one of my fav vegetables) but I'm not sure for how much longer. The look of 'em on your pizza, plus your comment about microbes hiding in among the florets...hmm. Also, I didn't realise germs thrive in cold weather. I though it was damp conditions they prefered. You live and learn. 'Brit-Yank Girl'? I like!!

Olivia said...

Jo - I love Hiro and Ando! They make the whole show for me (^_^)

Perhaps next week I will get back on that horse and have some really cheesy pizza.

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Rick - this was no designer pizza, that I've had an enjoyed. This was a definite guido pizza...*ahem*

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Mr B - well hello again, I guess you got my email.

This needs clarifying:
Bacteria like dampness and warmth.
Viruses like cold, dry conditions, hence the prevalence of flu and colds in winter. See?

Olivia said...

Just making sure I don't end up with 13 comments.