Tag Archives: alfredo

Circle of Trust

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CulinaryCircleGarlicChickenAlfredoHeated

This one is by request…

A random person had asked me to do a little digging, a little research, and to go on an adventure to write about a couple of pizzas from Culinary Circle.

Whether this person ever reads this post, or that it finds them well will be left to the universe.  I’ve always wanted to say that.  Nevertheless, I hope this finds all of you well…

Before I continue, here is more about them, their list of products, and where you can find Culinary Circle’s foods near you.

How do I analyze frozen pizzas?  I really don’t.  I just tell stories. This tends to go across the board with a lot of what I write and talk about.  Of course there’s opinions, critiques at times, and overall quality.  But I don’t always find fun in that.  I find fun in all the elements of the universe that brought this whole thing together.

There’s a reason I was directed by a force to find this.  I still don’t exactly know why.  Maybe it was for the fact that the crusts are thinner, and in hotter temperatures this would be ideal.  Maybe someone is telling me that lighter might be better, for right now at least.

Maybe someone is telling me to take it easy…

I would say it’s all above, and so much more that I don’t even know about.  I don’t need to just yet, it’ll be shown to me.

Am I even talking about the pizza anymore.  Ha.

The Garlic Chicken Alfredo and then the Margherita tells a tale of two different pies, yet crafted with lots of love, soul, spirit, and all the other good things.

We’ve all enjoyed so many pizzas at home, at restaurants, at pizzerias, and everywhere in the middle.  These culinary gems are just another in a long line of good food made by good hands.   It makes me feel good to eat good and then to feel good again.

A thin crust certainly helps.  Pictured above is how they look frozen.

CulinaryCircleGarlicChickenAlfredoHeated2

The former has so much flavor and rich that you could make a few meals of this, and of course share with friends.  Sharing is the best.

CulinaryCircleMargheritaHeated

And the latter, while so simple, brings the taste you’ve known to grow and love with a margherita pizza.  No it’s not the best I’ve ever had but that doesn’t matter.

Both are enjoyable and perfect for summer gatherings, lunch, dinner, heck even breakfast.  It doesn’t matter.  If you feel good, it’ll make you feel good, and that’s what’s most important.

Until yesterday I had never seen nor heard about Culinary Circle.

I’m glad it was then. I’m glad it was now.  First time for everything.   And I look forward to many more first, second, and many times.  This was fun.

Peace Be With You.

Love,

Ideen

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About Those Star Ratings

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PieFiveStarPie

There’s an infatuation and obsession (wait, isn’t that the same thing), with this need to always achieve five stars, or as close to it as possible.  For those in the service industry, it’s five stars or bust.   Anything else is viewed as a failure.  And even if the folks doing the ratings think a four out of five is good, we often times misconstrue that as a failure.  We can let that ruin our days, and sometimes longer.

If you’re sensitive like me, it might take a little while to recover.  But recover I do, recover we do, and life goes on.  But we still want the highest ratings possible.  And as a someone who does reviewing, I don’t like to give less than five, unless the experience is truly catastrophic.  There’s that thing about the Golden Rule, which I agree with; and then there’s a little thing called seeing the good in everything.

Where am I going with all this?  Well my thing with the star ratings actually dates back 25 plus years (yes I’m a little older now), and for those that know me, they know I love professional wrestling.  And for those of us who like to be in the know, the star ratings for matches are a thing we can get carried away with, argue over, and be obsessed with. It’s to the point that we’re now ratings things six stars and above.  And it’s nice to be acknowledged for going above and beyond.  Many of us just want to give the proper respect and love that’s due, and we like to receive some of that ourselves.

We don’t ask for much in life, except to give good and to receive good.

PieFiveFront

With that being said, I find it charming that a couple of visits to Pie Five, that one of their pizzas is called the Five Star. This is their supreme pizza, which like all of their pies, is now the wave of the present.  They prepare everything in front of you, and make it real quick.  That’s all there is to it.

PieFiveStarPie2

Now some find this the antithesis of pizza, and defeats the art of making a pie from start to finish.  Those concerns are more than warranted.   And this has become the new and ever growing pizza chain concept; quick, easy, get in and get out.

For most people, who are on a time crunch, this will be just fine, and for others they can’t ever be won over.  But before I completely lose track, how was the Five Star?  I had it on a traditional crust, and while it’s not memorable, it’s just fine.  I didn’t expect this to be this mesmerizing pizza.  That’s not what I was looking for, nor should anybody, but that’s all up to you.  This is a solid pie, solid toppings, and with a simple crust.  If you’re expecting world class and that artisanal business, this is not it.  If you want a decent pie, at $8, and a satisfactory meal, that’s what you’re going to get.

PieFiveStarSlice

This is more than a pizza, that’s ‘just there’, it has value to so many, and that’s all that matters, or else there wouldn’t be an assembly line of people, especially during the lunch hours.

PieFivePestoChickenPie

Another visit means another order, and this most recent time I went with the Pesto Chicken Alfredo on their thin crust.   The Basil Drizzle was a nice touch, to an otherwise satisfactory pie, which is what I expected. The pesto lover in me set the bar and expectations a little lower, so I wasn’t pleasantly surprised nor disappointed.  This crust is thin alright and noticeably smaller than their traditional, so that’s a plus.

I noticed recently they’ve now introduced the cauliflower crust.  I haven’t had the opportunity to have their pizzas with said crust, but personally I’ve tried it and loved it, so I look forward to either having that crust here, or somewhere else.  Like the quick and easy pizzas, the cauliflower crust is another growing phenomenon.   I know….

PieFiveToGoBox

I’m not opposed to doing chains, and because I focus so heavily on Maryland, DC, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, this blog may not resonate with everyone at all times.  So I’m happy and grateful to expand to do a growing chain that seems to mean well.

Their signage  (and there’s more than just the two above) shows that good intention and sense of humor.

For more on Pie Five, here is their menu, a location nearest you, and more about them.

Thanks so much, peace be with you, and keep being your five star self.

Ideen

 

 

 

 

 

A Safe Bet

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SafewayPizzaDone2

After last weeks hard-to-top post, it was meant to be that I take it down a couple of notches and shake things up a bit.  I mean this with all sincerity, last week is something special.  Read it if you get the chance.

I was at a crossroads on what to write for this week.   Not every post is going to be or meant to be profound.  It’s pizza we’re talking about.  It’s supposed to be fun, enjoyable, and maybe inspirational. There I go again.

SafewayPizzaBox

And this is no way meant to denigrate my review of Safeway’s Signature Select Spinach & Mushroom Pizza. That was a mouthful.  Speaking of which…

…But first a little intro.

I was turned away at a few places where their respective kitchens were about to close and no more orders were going to be taken.  A couple of these are some of the heavier hitters in Baltimore.  Ah well, the tease continues.  I’ll get to those when it’s meant to be.

SafewayPizzaPreHeat

But instead, good old reliable, 24 hour Safeway was footsteps away.   My fellow pizza pals have suggested I write about a frozen pizza here and there.   It’s good to change it up and either by hook or a last ditch effort, this is what we’re getting this week.

Let me be honest.  For $5 it’s hard to complain about anything, unless it’s an absolute disgrace.  This was nowhere near that.   The alfredo sauce really adds some zip to an otherwise standard pie.

And even though I’ve grown up from the little kid, who loved frozen pies when I was young, I secretly hoped the spinach and mushrooms would look like how they do on the front of the box.   Once again, not this time.  Maybe one time it’ll work out for me.  Insert sad face here.

SafewayPizzaDone1

The dough rose nicely post heating.  And that golden brown tint along the crust is always a treat.  I can’t say this stacks up to certain pizzerias creations or other frozen pies, since there’s nothing for me to compare it too.  Not yet at least.   But the dough and crust was a mix of soft and crunchy in parts.  That could be the way the oven heated it, the way the dough was made/frozen, or universal elements that are inexplicable.  I dug it though.

For a night out after the bars or on a random day where the pickings are slim, this pizza does the job.  Scratch that, this pizza works whenever you want it.

I was full after just a couple of slices, so this can last you a few meals if dining alone, or it’s perfect to share among 2-3 people.  And for only $5, you’re almost making money on this pizza!  And money is cool.

I’ve been a fan of Safeway’s Signature items, and the za only continues to reinforce my belief.

Supermarkets across the globe have frozen pizzas from all over the place.  So this may just be the beginning.  I may have opened up pandora’s pizza box, or this may not be revisited again for months.  Time will tell.

To locate the nearest Safeway by you, click here.

Back to our regularly scheduled pizzeria journey next week.

Best,

Ideen