It really wasn’t all that hectic…it just felt that way, because I had a long list of things to do that just got pushed back day after day and I’m the kind that panics when things don’t get done way ahead of time.

For one of my first assignments for my broadcast reporting class, I had to shoot a 30-second reporting video (VSV) about our school campus tram service.

There were some confusion among my classmates about what was required of our assignment. Most of us assumed that we just had to shoot some raw footages, as we never really got much training on video editing.

But nope. Some day into the weekend, our professor sent us an e-mail clarifying that he wanted a complete VSV—meaning we had to shoot several sequences, get a legit sound bite,  then edit the video into a 30-second VSV via Final Cut Pro and turn it in as a DVD with the full script.

Sorry, did I lose you? It doesn’t matter whether you understood or not—it’s broadcast jargon. All I’m trying to say is—it’s been a hectic weekend. By the time the confusion was cleared up, it was Sunday night. Which meant Monday was the day I finally got to working.

By the time I had finished burning the DVD and was walking back home chomping on a Snickers bar, I felt amazing. My neck and arms were sore and I was tired, but feeling incredibly accomplished.

As much as I gripe about it sometimes, I really love this hands-on journalistic work. I love it because I really learn. I made a lot of mistakes, but I know for sure I won’t be making the same ones again. Like trying to set up camera equipment in the middle of a parking spot, or trying to interview a grouchy-looking graduate student.

Yes, mistakes were made. But the best part about being a student is that making mistakes is a requirement in efficient education.

So. Speaking of mistakes, I recently made a boo-boo in my baking, too.

Now, if you’ve been keeping up on the last couple months of posts, you know that I’ve been bitten by the baking bug. Specifically, bread. Bread with yeast.

I’ve made lots and lots of fabulous bread, and they all turned out amazing. But one bread didn’t. It flopped, literally.

You see, I tried to make a cornmeal bread. I didn’t research for a recipe. I got so pompous from my baking success that I just…kind of winged it. Basically, I kind of harrumphed, “Ha! I’m such a baking genius that I can just pull any bread out my ass.”

Except…the bread just didn’t rise. It was dense and just…sitting like a lump of yellow brick, no matter how many hours I waited for it to rise.
I was majorly ticked off. I guess I can’t just pull a good bread out of my ass. That sucks. What sucked was also the fact that I may have wasted good ingredients. Cornmeal isn’t cheap in this area. Grr…

And then, I had a fantastic idea. I’ve been wanting to make pizza for a long time. And I had some odd scrap ingredients in my fridge that needed scraping up. Pizza + Random Ingredients + Flopped bread dough = Crazy Ass Pizza.

Transfer dough onto a pizza pan.

Puree together all the black bean puree ingredients, remember to taste and test:
 I used an immersion blender, which I adore. You should get one too if you know what’s good for you.

If you haven’t already, make sure to slice the zucchini as THIN as possible, so that it cooks through properly in the oven:
Then, mix together all the zucchini-cranberry stuff:

Let sit for a few minutes, or you can prepare them beforehand and let marinate overnight if you like. All the more flavor to ya!

Spread the black bean puree over pizza dough. Top with zucchini-cranberry stuff. Sprinkle with cheeses.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes until the dough is crispy and the cheese is golden and toasted. Like this!

I know. It looks amazing. All credits to me. Okay, not really. All hail to the cornmeal bread that refused to rise.

I normally don’t buy brie that much, unless it’s from Trader Joes, because it’s so pricey. But look! My local supermarket went on a crazy Brie clearance sale!
Wheee! As always, I went overboard and bought 5 wedges home. Now I have to eat brie every day. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
About the pizza. I’ve never tried the pizza at Naples that Elizabeth Gilbert from Eat Pray Love raved about, but until I try that pizza, I’m going to mark this one down as The Best Pizza I’ve Ever Had. No kidding.

Obviously, since the crust didn’t rise, it was dense, but with the high temp of the oven, it crisped up nicely and tasted very much like thin, crunchy polenta. Yummy.
As for the black bean puree—totally beats boring ol’ marinana sauce. Smoky…creamy…mildly sweet…yet spicy…I could eat it by the spoon (which I did with the leftover puree).
The zucchini-cranberry topping? SPECTACULAR. It probably could be eaten as a side dish or as a salad. It was tangy and just hopping with flavor.

The zucchini was not cooked to a pulp, but not raw either—just slightly firm, but cooked enough to have none of the icky raw taste. Or maybe it’s the marinade that did it—whatever, it was just freaking GOOD.
And the sweet, tangy itty bites of dried cranberries dotted all over there? Soaked up in sticky, syrupy balsamic marinade? Oh, culinary genius, oh gastronomical goddess (That’s me, Sophia).
As for the brie and mozzarella, do I need to even talk about them? It’s creamy, oozing brie. With gooey, stringy mozzarella. This is the reason why I’ll never understand vegans, ever. Daiya just doesn’t cut it, my dear friends!
A big hunky, flavor-exploding slice for myself.

And oh wow, I just realized that this is completely vegetarian. I’m suddenly much prouder.
Sorry, no delivery, guys. This slice is all for me. You’ll have to make this yourself. View above recipe.

But note: Get real cheese.
Because the whole point of the pizza experience is to relish that stubborn string of melted cheese that pulls thinner and thinner until it finally snaps in gooey silence.

If this is a mistake, I never want to be right.

Question of the Day: What was the best mistake  you’ve ever made? Also…let’s fantasize a crazy-ass pizza right now. That’s means no pepperoni and cheese, please.