Contemplating Mini Pepperoni

I've been waiting for a really great recipe to come my way so I can share it. I know there are quite a few I've alluded to but not shared - the roasted broccoli, the brown sugar bacon ice cream, the homemade granola. But they're not compelling me right now.

Lately, the best things I've been eating have been simple, whipped up without much planning, centered around the fact that I bought something because it was fun. Why else would one buy a bag of mini pepperoni? It turns out that mini pepperoni last a long time, and once you've tried them in salad (not so great), or as a snack while making dinner (not satisfying), you're left with a 3/4 full bag of mini pepperoni. You feel like a CPG sucker. For those that did not attend business school or work in the industry, CPG stands for Consumer Packaged Goods, you know those companies that are always coming out with some new and improved product for you to squander your money on. It's always some variation on a product you already buy, with a minor tweak, like the dark chocolate version of Milky Way, or different shampoos for curls, sleek, or shine - and what if I want sleek, shiny curls? Yes, I do have several types in my shower.

So maybe, just maybe, there's a pattern here. But putting that point aside for the moment, I'd like to point out that the mini pepperoni did inspire me to make some homemade french bread pizzas. I always liked frozen french bread pizza, but am mostly opposed to processed foods (no that is not a frozen burrito in the freezer, what are you talking about?). And yet, it had never occurred to me to make fresh french bread pizza until I contemplated the mini pepperoni.



Now if you're going to make your own french bread pizza, you have to do it right. Get some freshly baked bread, or Take 'n Bake. I used tomato paste sauteed in olive oil with garlic, oregano, wine, and a dash of salt to make a quick pizza sauce. Use fresh mozzarella, shredded right over the sauced bread. Then throw on anything you have lying around - I used spinach, chopped figs, and of course, mini pepperonis. Bake for 10 minutes at 375.

I've never been so happy to eat french bread pizza. I made it three times, until I used up all my bread. However, I am still contemplating the remaining half bag of mini pepperoni. Ideas?