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Number 13: lucky for some, unlucky for others

Columnist Ken Wilson muses Friday the 13th this week's Country Kitchen column.

Today is Friday the 13th in the 13th year of the new Millennium.

Thirteen is my lucky number because when I was 13, there was a fair that came to our small Prairie town. They had the obligatory merry go round slot machines — only for the adults.

I did manage to sneak into the area and put a dime into the machine and was counting while I had the handle of the slot machine pulled down.

It slipped out of my hand when I got to 13 and out came a bunch of dimes.

I was so happy until my dad asked me where I got all the money.

Now I was in trouble because, of course, I was not supposed to be playing the slot machines.

I told him the story and then gave him a couple of bucks to help my guilt of doing something wrong.

I hope the day will be a good one for you in the luck department.

You don’t have to be lucky to pick up some very nice produce at this time of the year.

If you don’t have a garden there are the two farmers markets and the supermarkets carry lots of good fresh B.C. produce now, especially Save-On-Foods.

They support the local markets and buy as much B.C.-grown fruit and produce as is available.

I did some pizza on my Saskatchewan Roughriders barbecue out at the lake and it turned out really nice, thank you!

Making the dough for the pizza took longer than anything else, because of course, you have to let it rise, once or twice, depending on your preference.

Don’t use a rolling pin when making the pizza dough flat.

Use the palm of your hand to smooth out the dough to your desired shape and thickness.

Pizzas do not have to be round.

For this pizza, I cut a large tomato into rounds that were oiled, some pepper, salt and put them on the barbecue about two minutes before the oiled pizza dough met Mr. Barbecue.

I put it on the hot side of the barb’y for two minutes then turned it over.

On this cooked side I brushed on a thin layer of sauce made up of pepper, salt, ketchup, mayonnaise, a touch of lemon juice and a dash of powdered organic garlic.

Then, a thin layer of cheese, some fresh basil leaves cut into small strips and some fresh garlic from my garden.

I think it would have been about two tablespoons, small diced, and cooked this with the lid on the barbecue closed for about three minutes or until the cheese melts.

I had friends over from next door and they were complimentary.

It was indeed tasty. Try some pizza on your barbecue, you and your tastebuds will be mucho happy ... just like winning a lottery ticket on Friday the 13th.

Bye for now and go-od cooking.