Pensacola pizza and Italian tomato sauce

The other day while we were picking up some things after I got done with work I was super ready to go home when Peter said that we had to swing by the hospital to pick something up for his mom.  I was suspicious because 1) It was like 7:30 at night 2) He kept coming up with random details which didn't make for a very convincing lie.

After driving in what I was pretty sure was the opposite direction from the hospital, we pulled up to Ozone pizza! I was on a surprise date! Yay! I had always wanted to go there and apparently it is a Pensacola hotspot.  Also I've really been missing pizza.  Nothing can fill the void that Panda Pizza left in my soul... nothing.

It had all of my favorite toppings! Including vegan cheese.  As soon as I ordered it though, I thought to myself "Oh gawd I hope it's not Daiya."  Unluckily for me, it was Daiya.  Daiya is good for many things, but unfortunately pizza is not one of them.  So I learned my lesson there and I can't wait to go back and get a cheese-less pizza.... this time probably with thin crust also.  But it was so fun!

We haven't been on a date in forever and Ozone was so cool.  I'm not used to restaurants that have decorations that aren't pictures of the owners' family or a framed apron or something.  Ozone had these cool paintings on the wall that you could buy.  There was one with Mae West that I loved but I forgot to take a picture of it because I am a terrible blogger.

While on the subject of Italian food... I started thinking about the amazing pasta sauces that I got back home.  Jarred pasta sauces are great and convenient and I love them, but there's something so fresh and simple about Italian tomato sauce.  I tried a bunch of random recipes but nothing tasted right.  I would try to recreate it and add spices and garlic and it was never right.

I wrote to my parents and asked them to send me a sauce recipe from one of my mom's Italian cookbooks.  Once I got the recipe, I saw why I could never recreate it.  That's because there is like nothing in it.  Tomatoes, onions, white wine and salt.  That's it.  The Italians had it so right!

The recipe for this sauce came from the cookbook made by Miss Vera.  If you lived in Naples for a decent amount of time, you or someone you know probably went to one of Miss Vera's cooking classes.  I genuinely enjoyed mine! She has someone that cleans up your mess and where else can I drink wine with my mother at 10 in the morning?

Her recipe called for fresh tomatoes put through a food mill.  But I don't have one of those so I adapted it.  I decided to put it on here to give everyone missing Italian food an little piece of home.  One batch makes about eight cups of it so I plan on using it as pizza sauce and in lasagna and pasta.  There are a lot of carbs in my future.

Speaking of carbs.  My working out has been going really well! Except for the running.  I am just not a runner.  I hate running.  About a minute into all of my runs my chest gets tight and I just can't breathe.  So I started doing HIIT in addition to the toning workouts and yoga.  It's only been a month and I don't really SEE results, but I can feel myself getting stronger.

Anyways! Here's the recipe! Enjoy!

Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce
1 onion - diced
6 oz can of tomato paste
6 oz of water
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of white wine
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
56 oz container of strained tomatoes

1. Sautee the onion in the olive oil in a pot.
2. Add the wine and continue to sautee until the wine has evaporated.

This is the strained tomatoes that I used! They were so good! Use them if you can find them

 3. Add the tomato products and water and salt to taste.

4. Let simmer to two to three hours.

ENJOY! I was going to post a pic of the finished product on my pasta, but I used spelt pasta and it looked kind of gross even though it tasted so great.  I'm going to make my own pizza though and use it as the sauce and I think it's going to be amazinggg.

A short tribute to Italian food

So again, I have fallen behind on the blogging.  It's not that I don't want to blog, because I do, and I think about it all of the time.  I think it's mostly because most of the stuff that I do, I don't think anyone would want to hear about.

I wasn't sticking to vegan as stringently as I usually do out of pure laziness and I was tired, my skin was breaking out and my body just wasn't running optimally.  I would justify it with "Oh well I'm not going to be in Italy much longer so I might as well just eat this parmigiano" or "Where else am I going to get real mozzarella di bufala?" I think I was kind of denial that I went vegan for health reasons as well as ethical ones.

It's easy to forget that Italian cuisine isn't all cheese!  Whenever I go to Il Cerbero, a restaurant within walking distance of my house, all bets are off the table, and I'm getting Penne alla Siciliana, which is penne cooked al dente with a sauce of eggplant, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese.  I always feel really terrible (physically and emotionally) afterwards but I still did it.

I decided that I needed to cut that out and this time I got Spaghetti alla Pomodoro which is just spaghetti noodles with a sauce made out of fresh tomatoes and a basil leaf or two.  It was so amazing and just what I needed/wanted.  I've never raved about a plate of spaghetti but this was so perfect.  You could taste how fresh the tomatoes were and the pasta was cooked in salted water and ooooo boy it was delicious.

A bunch of typical Italian dishes are vegan. You can veganize basically any pizza by omitting the cheese. However, I don't think Quattro Formaggi pizza would have quite the same effect.  Whenever I go to Panda Pizza, by my house (Which is honestly at least twice a week because it is my favorite pizza in Naples and the surrounding area and it is also walking distance distance from my house.  If you want to get there, put in the coordinates (40.861719, 14.065153) and it should be on the same side of the road like two mins up the road.  Go there! Get their bruschetta and pizza! You won't be disappointed!) I get bruschetta, their mixed antipasti plate (vegetarian so Peter can eat the cheese) and some variation of pizza marinara.

The best bruschetta I have ever had in my life

Panda's bruschetta is on a different level, one day I'm going to recreate it, or get the balls to ask them for their recipe.  There's definitely a little bit of vinegar in it.  I'm going to figure it out some day.  Their antipasti plate is also great.  My father said that it was a rip-off because it's basically just pizza toppings but that is incorrect because they have grilled and marinated eggplant on it that is to die for.  There's also zeppoline, which is a Neapolitan appetizer that is fried balls of dough and seaweed.

The pizza at Panda is amazing and you might think that as a vegan, you are only limited to Pizza Marinara, which is pizza with tomato sauce, garlic, oregano and a few basil leaves, but you're not.  Sometimes you might want to stick with the classic like I did last night, but in Italy, you can get basically anything on your pizza.  Here are a few things that I have seen people get on their pizza: Rucola, friarielli, french fries, olives, peppers, corn, mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, artichokes, eggplant, zuchinni and the list goes on.  If I'm not getting normal marinara, I like to get it with rucola, peppers and mushrooms.

Pizza marinara

Another one of my non-vegan weaknesses is Subways's Chipotle Southwest sauce. If I'm getting Subway, you better believe I'm getting SW sauce.  Southwest sauce is basically a mixture of ranch/mayo/something mildly spicy/red food coloring. Hold the cheese, but please smother my meal in Southwest sauce, thanks. I realized that this is completely ridiculous  and I need to cut it out. I've found a solution in bringing a bottle of "creamy" vegan salad dressing with me when I eat at Subway. Lately  I've been using Organicville's Non-dairy ranch and  I've been Southwest sauce clean for two sandwiches now.

If you too are trying to kick your Southwest Sauce habit, check out this copy cat recipe here and look at how gross it is.  Recipe Here.

Anyways! Changing gears here.  I devoted an entire blog post to my favorite Italian meals because I'm not going to be eating it for much longer.  That is correct, I am leaving the nest for a second time and finally moving out of the house.  Peter and I are moving to Pensacola, Florida.  I've never been so I'm super excited.  I'm going to keep doing UMUC online and then maybe I'll apply to UWF in the spring? I'm not really sure, I just know that I have to get a car and a job and I'm a little scared but a lot excited! If you're in Pensacola and want to rekindle our friendship, message me! Peter will be taking classes so I'll probably be bored until I get a car or a job!

Ciao ciao!
x - Katelyn

ps.  On Thursday I received my Erin Condren life planner and it was the happiest moment of my life and I cried a little bit.  About six hours later, I left it outside of my house on a ledge, never to be seen again.  Probably picked up by our trash guys.  After a few temper tantrums, I got a new one but I probs won't get it for a month.  I was so excited about getting myself organized and I LOST IT. I didn't even have it for more than 24 hours.  I hate myself.  It was so beautiful.  RIP Planner.

If you too would like a planner like mine, click HERE.  I got all of the add ons, like the pens and the pen holder and the thing that holds it closed and now they are all GONE. Kill me.

I'm an almost local - Around Naples

For someone with barely enough sense of direction to find my own kitchen, I'd like to think that I navigate the streets of Naples pretty well.  It sure isn't the prettiest city and most definitely is not the cleanest, but it's my little pirate city and I love it.  

 Some fun facts and tips about Naples: 

1) There are no rules.   Cars will not stop for you. 

2) Do not expect to find ethnic food like you would in any other big city.  You are limited to pizza, paninis and kebabs.  

3) When buying knock off things, walk away like you aren't going to buy it and I guarantee they will lower the price five euro.  

4) DO NOT MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH THE PEOPLE SELLING FLOWERS. They will recognize that as a sign of weakness and bother you relentlessly.  
5) Cobblestone.  Wear comfortable shoes. 

Two days ago I went to downtown Naples with my boyfriend. It's a very fun and easy day trip to do when you're bored and it's a nice day out. We took the Ali bus from the Capodichino airport down to Piazza Garibaldi. When you take the Alibus you can either get off at the Piazza or down by the port. I usually try to get off at the piazza and hop on to go home at the end of the day by the port because the port seems safer.   Buying your ticket on the bus is one euro more expensive than buying it in the airport or in a cafe.  

A lot of people are so scared of downtown Naples. I guess I know a few people that have been robbed. But I also know people that have been robbed in Rome, Paris and Budapest. I have never been pickpocketted. I understand that there are some circumstances that you cannot control. For example, my friend had her Coach wristlet snatched by a guy riding past on a moped. But other than that if you keep your bag closed and hand on your wallet, you should be fine. 

A really beautiful arch near the train station and piazza.

We started our day out looking for this pet shop that I wanted to show Peter because in addition to cool pets like squirrels and hedgehogs, they also sell knives and guns. Unfortunately my very tiny sense of direction failed me and after about thirty mins of looking we decided to cut our losses and move on. 

Sorry about the low quality.  I had to use an old photo because I forgot to take a pic this time around!

Next we went to Da Michele's, which if you are not familiar is a pizzeria featured in the book Eat, Pray, Love and Julia Roberts came down to the restaurant to film the movie.  It was founded in 1870. I consider myself lucky to have eaten at this pizzeria more times than I can count. Sometimes you have to wait an hour to be seated but it's worth it. The dough is perfect, the sauce is perfect and dare I say it, the cheese is perfect. I ate cheese.

 There are three choices at Da Michele's.

Margherita - dough and sauce and cheese with a basil leaf or two. 

Doppio Margherita - dough and sauce and EXTRA cheese with a basil leaf or two. 

Marinara - dough and sauce with oregano and basil and garlic. 

They are all doused in olive oil and the dough is just on point. Comparing it to anything would not do it justice. 

Sometimes you have to sit next to randos like we did, but I guarantee you it is worth it.  

Super duper excited to begin eating.

First Da Michele experience was a success!

Then we walked down to the Castle Nuovo and made a loop to the Galleria Umberto and did some shopping. Also I watched a puppy play with another dog for like an hour and seriously considered picking him up and just running.  At this point it got dark and I stopped taking pictures because I got lazy.  We saw a lot of cool things, like a band playing where the man made his own drum set out of empty containers and a bunch of Africans playing the bongos.  There were so many dogs.  Anyone who knows me knows how I feel about dogs.  Spoiler alert: I'M OBSESSED WITH THEM.  

Basically every pic of the Castel Nuovo has been ruined by construction FOR YEARS.

All in all it was a super fun, perfect, Naples day.

xo Katelyn

Seitan is my favorite

I eat SO much seitan.  It's my favorite (aside from the "haha i thought you said SATAN" jokes).  I posted the recipe that I use before, and I will post it again because it is perfect.  Some of the seitan recipes you find online need cheesecloth, and there's boiling involved and you have to spin around nine times and have it blessed by a priest for it to turn out right and it's a pain in the ass. BUT NOT THIS RECIPE.
This literally takes three minutes to throw together and then it has to bake for an hour. Done.
CLICK HERE FOR BEST SEITAN RECIPE EVARRRR

I usually make it about once a week because I eat it so often.  Here are a few pictures of my weekly seitan bake.

 I ordered this stuff online because they don't sell it in the stores here and they sent me a whole box of it.  It is unreal the amount of Vital Wheat Gluten that I have in my pantry. 

Doesn't that look gooood? Or maybe a little like vomit.  Whatevs.  In the ingredients list, it says to use soy sauce, but lately I've been doing 1/2 soy sauce and 1/2 Bragg's Liquid Aminos. 

When you mix it, it turns into a nice dough.  When I try to describe seitan to people without making it sound gross, I say that it's like bread, but denser and approximately 400 times more delicious. 

You can do basically anything with it.  Sometimes I chop it up and put it in salads, sometimes I put it in a stir fry, or fajitas or my new favorite thing to put it in: wrap.  Lately I've been making this perfect wrap with a spiced tomato flour tortilla, vegan mozzarella shreds, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and peppers.  The sauce I use is a mixture of Larrupin sauce (Click here to learn about the wonder that is laurrupin sauce) and balsamic vinegar and it is so so so good that my mouth is salivating as I type. 

My aunt introduced me to Larrupin sauce when I was in California a few months ago, and you can usually only get it in Humboldt County but I found somewhere that delivers online and I just realized today that I have been spending $16 a jar on this sauce.  But you know what? It's worth it because it's amazing and perfect.  It's a mustard dill sauce.  Just looking at mustard used to make me want to vom, but now Larrupin sauce is ALMOST tied with balsamic vinegar as my favorite condiment and anyone that knows me knows that this is a BIG DEAL.  

Also last night I went on a pizza date with my boyfrannn at my favorite pizzeria, Il Panda and I got a pizza marinara and it was all sorts of delicious.  He got a diavolo which has cheese and like three different kinds of meat but that is irrelevant.  What is relevant though is the wine because it was on point.

The moral of this post is that seitan is delicious and everyone should make it and eat it because it's magical. brb going to make more seitan

xo Katelyn

ps. I just got my Isa Does It vegan cookbook in the mail after waiting for TWO MONTHS and I will be making something from it shortly!