Back in the beginning of the summer I decided to do a little more experimentation with what has become my favorite kitchen implement: the flavor injector. I had been eying these mini pitas in the supermarket for a few weeks, but I couldn’t decide what to do with them. After a particularly debilitating craving for bagel bites I thought I might try and make my own pizza rolls. Think Totinos, or other similar products. So what makes a pizza? Simple: crust, sauce, cheese, and the rest is whatever your heart desires. My favorite pizza is topped with green peppers and onions, so I included those in the mix. The mix, comprised of the aforementioned ingredients, I pureed in the blender and loaded into my flavor injector. There’s a certain adulterated medical quality to a syringe that large, and it requires some technique to get right.
The mini pitas are hollow, but the air can squeeze out through the porous bread while you inject. I went in through the seams on the side to minimize the visibility of the injection site. A quick brush with olive oil and then into the oven at a high enough temperature to melt the cheese but low enough that the pitas won’t burn up.
The results were better than I expected. Delicious, and easy to hold. Perhaps a bit homogeneous inside, but the flavor injector demands it. I could totally see kids skateboarding around with these.
I made a plate of these for a study party and they were a great success. Version two would probably sport melted cheese on top, to add a little more texture, and maybe even some extra flavors inside. In a way, the puree allows you to add almost anything you could want to a pizza, without the concerns about surface realty or the weight of a slice. I had to do some experimentation with the amount to fill each roll, but I think right around 2/3 is best. A few weeks later I had some leftover salsa and bean dip, so I ran those through the blender and made new pita bites. The possibilities are probably not endless, but I can think of a few more ways to utilize this technique in the future.