I know this sounds terribly disinteresting, but I think pita pizzas need to make a comeback. The concept still reminds me of childhood, when it was typical birthday party fare for my sisters and I.

Today was another long day of shooting (tomorrow will be longer), and Mike, sensing opportunity, suggested Inglewood pizza. I first decided to stop (I had to run to Superstore on the way home anyway) and pick up a couple of frozen thin crust mushroom Dr. Oetker pizzas, which are fantastic, but when I got to the frozen pizza section, guilt set in. I didn’t have time to make dough, and I hate those par-baked bready pizza crusts. So I grabbed a few mushrooms and a bag of pre-shredded cheese blend: part skim mozarella, emmenthal and Parmesan. Something I don’t usually buy, but I figure $6 for novelty cheese is better than $12 for Dr. Oetker or $25 for pick-up. It’s all relative.

I like to keep whole wheat pitas in the freezer for emergency chips to accompany hummus, so I put a few on a baking sheet and spread them with some President’s Choise roasted garlic tomato sauce Mike picked up, which was thick and chunky with tomatoes. Sometimes I use a tin of tomato paste – they are small enough to be perfect for  pizza or three – and because the tomatoes are so condensed, tomato paste is fantastic for you, and sweeet. I burrowed through my freezer until I unearthed a few Spolumbo’s Italian sausages; I thawed and cooked one, breaking it up in a skillet with some canola oil and sliced mushrooms, spread them on the pitas and scattered with cheese.

400 degrees for about 10 minutes, until bubbly. The crust is crisp and light – if I can’t have a chewy, doughy crust, this is definitely second best. And perhaps the best advantage of the Pita Pizza – portion control. You make one for yourself, you eat one. No plowing through enough slices to sink a battleship.