Going To The Source

Over the next week, I'll return to the source of my pizza love affair...New Jersey. It's where it all starts for me. I'm sure there is better pizza in Italy, but until I go and sample it myself, I put my faith in handtossed NJ parlors.

Where to start...

The foundation to a good pizza is a good dough. Dough is different from crust. The crust is just the outer edge of the pizza that has no toppings on it. The dough is what's under the rest of the pie. It has taken me 11 years to develop a dough recipe that I am totally happy with. I have looked through many cookbooks and at online resources for ideas, taken a bit of this and a bit of that, and added my own twists and turns to create what is now my standard. So, if you want to start making pizza at home, start by playing with dough! Find some recipes, try them out, and see what you like. Homemade pizza is much different than anything you'll get at a shop or in the frozen section of your grocery store. If you have never worked with yeasted dough before, pizza is a great place to start!

The Supa Special

This is a pizza for special occasions around our house. This winter, it was made for Valentine's Day and for my Mom-in-Law's b-day. It has a really nice soft dough, a thick chewy crust, and a beautiful combination of toppings.
The sauce is a summer made pesto, and it is topped with Goat Feta Cheese, Roasted Red Peppers, and Artichoke Hearts. The crust is brushed with Extra Virgin Olive Oil just before it goes in the oven. When done right, this is pizza perfection!

The Basic

Made a basic 'za tonight. Simply sauce and cheese (A mixture of Pecorino Romano and Mozzarella) on a super-flat and crispy dough. Will post some of the recent creations later, including some with Kale, Potatoes, and Artichoke Hearts...