I struggled not to roll my eyes. “You’re a regular comedian these days.”
Justin opened the passenger door of his truck for me. “No jokes here. I happen to be starving and would love a good, home-cooked meal. Does this invitation mean that I get my choice of what I’d like to eat?”
I climbed inside the vehicle. “Of course. What will it be—stromboli, lasagna, eggplant parmigiana? Or something else?”
He shook his head. “None of the above. Come on, keep guessing. The choice should be obvious.”
Then it finally dawned on me. “No way. You want pizza?”
He flashed me a lopsided smile that reminded me of an excited little boy. “Hey, I can’t help myself. All this talk about it lately has given me a craving for one mean pie.”
I started to laugh. “As long as you don’t mind giving me a lift to the store so I can pick up some ingredients.”
“Wow. Some cook,” he teased. “Here I thought you always had everything on hand.”
“Hey, never underestimate an Italian chef. We can always come up with a solution.” I chuckled.
He shut my door and went around the truck to get in, giving my hand a little squeeze after he pulled his seat belt around him. As we drove away from the cemetery, I continued to watch the sky. Even with winter imminent, this was a day that refused to be ignored as sunshine radiated the earth. We passed a large elm tree with a few remaining leaves attached. They refused to let go—a sign of hope that did not escape my notice.
I would continue to carry Dylan in my heart forever, but it was time to look ahead—for my own well-being. A new day had dawned, and I was determined to make every minute of it count.
Never-Fail Pizza Crust and Pepperoni Pizza
Crust
Ingredients
1 .25-ounce package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2½ cups bread flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water. Wait about 10 minutes or until the mixture looks creamy. Stir in the flour, salt, and olive oil, beating by hand until smooth. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes.
Lightly flour a surface on your counter, then roll out the dough, patting or rolling it into a round. Transfer the crust to a lightly greased pizza pan, and spread the desired toppings on top of the crust. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Let the pie cool about five minutes before serving. Makes about 8 servings.
Pepperoni Pizza
Ingredients
6-ounce can tomato paste (preferably Contadina)
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Toppings
¾ pound pepperoni (stick) or 6-ounce package sliced pepperoni (if slicing your own, make them on the thin side)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or more to taste
Directions
After the crust is prepared, combine all sauce ingredients with ½ cup water in a medium bowl. Top the crust with sauce, pepperoni, and cheese. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until crust is browned and cheese is bubbly. For best results, rotate the pizza pan between the top and bottom oven racks halfway through the baking cycle. Extra sauce can be frozen.
Tessa’s Tantalizing Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
1 medium to large onion, sliced
¼ cup olive oil
Pork butt (small piece, about 3 pounds) or 6 boneless spare ribs (both optional)
2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 28-ounce can tomato puree
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Dry parsley
Dry basil
Dry oregano
6 6-ounce cans tomato paste (preferably Contadina brand)
1 28-ounce can Hunt’s tomato sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
Sauté the onion slices in the olive oil in the pot that will be used to make the sauce. Once the onion is translucent, remove from the oil, making sure you do not burn it. Discard onion. In the same oil, brown the boneless spare ribs or pork butt if using. Afterward, set the meat aside, but do not discard the oil.
Add 2 cans crushed tomatoes and 1 can tomato puree to the oil you have been using. Season with pinches of garlic powder, black pepper, and dry parsley, as well as a pinch of dry basil and a little dry oregano to preferred taste. Let the mixture come to a low boil, add all the meat back in, and stir it regularly, about 15 to 20 minutes. Continue to simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring often. Sauce will bubble—do not let it burn. After the sauce has cooked for an hour, remove the meat and set aside.
Add tomato paste, using 2 6-ounce cans for every 28-ounce can of tomatoes. Stir constantly to blend the paste into the sauce. Add in can of Hunt’s tomato sauce. Season with more garlic powder, black pepper, dry parsley, and dry basil, and let the mixture come to a low boil, which should take about 20 to 30 minutes. If sauce is still very thick, add more water and one additional can of Hunt’s tomato sauce.
Add the meat back into the sauce and cook for another hour, then add 1 tablespoon of sugar (optional.)
Good to the Last Bite Stromboli
Ingredients
½ pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 14-ounce jar pizza sauce
1 4.5-ounce can mushrooms, drained
10-ounce package pizza crust dough (or use earlier recipe)
1 8-ounce package sliced pepperoni or sausage
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup butter, melted
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no pink shows, then drain. Mix in the ham, bell pepper, onions, pizza sauce, and mushrooms. Lay the pizza dough flat on a cookie sheet. Distribute the pepperoni slices over all the dough. Place a heaping pile of the sauce mixture on one side of the dough (some may be left over). Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Fold the dough over, and pinch the ends and sides together. Poke holes in the top of the dough, and brush melted butter over the surface. Cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into individual sections to serve. Makes about 6 to 8 servings.
Acknowledgments
A story needs many willing hands to make it into an actual book. I’m fortunate that I get to do something I genuinely love and have the following people to thank for their assistance:
My publisher, Sourcebooks, for making this an incredible experience, and especially my editor, Anna Michels, for taking a chance on me and helping to shape this book into one I’m proud of. A very special thank-you to Margaret Johnston, as well, for her invaluable help and marvelous ideas.
To my literary agent, Nikki Terpilowski, for her patience, guidance, and honesty. I’m so fortunate to have you in my corner.
Kudos to retired Troy police captain Terrance Buchanan, who willingly answered rounds and rounds of endless questions. Your help is appreciated more than you know.
Thank you to my awesome beta readers, Constance Atwater and Kathy Kennedy, who always give it to me straight and never let me down.
My friends Sue Bellai and Amy Reger, who were thoughtful enough to share their amazing recipes with me and the rest of the world. You guys can cook for me anytime!
Last but not least, thank you to Phillip for sharing his “pizza” knowledge with me. You’ll always be my favorite deli
very guy.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns lives in Upstate New York with an all-male household that consists of her very patient husband, three sons, and several spoiled pets. Catherine has a BA in both English and performing arts and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. In her spare time, she loves to bake, read, and attend live theater performances. Over the past five years, she’s written fifteen mystery novels and several novellas and has many more stories waiting to be told. Visit her website at catherinebruns.net.
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