Pizza

I have learned a key fact about Italian cooking. It is simple, and I don't mean simple as in an easy cuisine, I mean simple as in few ingredients. However, the simplistic meals served are perfected. So much so that you'll be gobsmacked at just how delicious food truly is when you aren't trying to outdo the ingredients themselves. Keep it simple, don't overthink it, and you'll soon be cooking each ingredient to perfection.

I have tried several different pizza crusts. Some with egg and some without; some that need to rest overnight and some that don't. However, I found a small unassuming cookbook all about the history of pizza and the author really wanted to embrace the origins of pizza. It provided three simple recipes, all of which I have tried. I kept gravitating back to the first crust but made a few changes... So I guess now it is mine(?).

Pizza crust Ingredients:

500g all-purpose flour

1 packet active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 TBSP honey

1 TBSP olive oil

Pinch of sea salt

1. In a large bowl combine salt and flour.

2. In a separate bowl dissolve the honey into the warm water.

3. Mix the yeast into the honey/water mixture until it dissolves. Let it stand for a few minutes until it starts to bubble/froth.

---> yeast can be temperamental. If the water is too hot it will die. If the water is too cold it will take forever to activate. So, I just make sure the water is warm to the touch and not too hot across my wrist. If you're a parent, you know the hot bottle test, where you put a few drops of water on the vein on your wrist and if it isn't too hot it is fine. Same thing. I do the yeast separate from my flour because if my yeast doesn't activate I can try again and not waste my flour.<---

4. Combine yeast, olive oil, and flour until a dough ball forms. If the dough is too wet, add a sprinkle of flour until it firms up. If it is too dry, try adding a couple teaspoons of water.

5. Flour your hands and work surface lightly and knead dough into a ball.

6. Divide dough in half (or more for mini pizzas) and form into balls.

7. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in the bowls for your dough to rise, rubbing it around the sides.

8. Place each ball of dough in a bowl and cover with a dish towel to double (for about an hour; cut the rising time in half by doubling your yeast in the ingredients list).

9. While your dough rises, light your wood for your brick oven... Oh, don't have one of those? Then heat your oven to 475 

Look. Unless you've got a sweet pizza oven, I highly suggest you invest in a pizza stone. I long for the day when I will have one, but for now I have a pizza stone from Emile Henry. Pizza stones come several different sizes from several different companies but they're far superior to a baking sheet because of their ability to maintain high heat. This heat allows that crisp crust to form on the bottom of your pizza.

With that said, preheat your stone, for at least fifteen minutes. This will allow the stone to get to that crust crisping temperature you want. While your pizza stone preheats you can prepare your toppings & pizza sauce. Our go-to pepperoni (salame picante here in Italy) consists of a simple tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, pepperoni (salame picante), and Parmesan cheese.

Tomato Sauce Ingredients:

Tomato purée

Pinch of sea salt

Step one: mix them together.

Remember I said simplicity? Well, here  is a great example of that. I've tried several pizza sauce recipes but none have ever lived up to this simple recipe. I'm not making spaghetti, I'm making pizza and believe it or not, the unmuddled flavor of simple tomato and salt is divine.

Now, if your stone is almost done preheating and your dough has doubled, roll out one ball of dough large enough to fit your pizza stone. Pull your pizza stone out of the oven & sprinkle a bit of flour on it. Transfer your dough to the stone, spread on a layer of pizza sauce, and pop it back in the oven for five minutes.

Remove stone. Add toppings. Return to oven for 8-10 minutes until crust is golden. Serve.

Apple Pepperjack Pork Loin

I'm getting down to the bitter end of my referigerator staples, which means improvising. I had the crazy idea to watch the latest episode of Maste Chef, which involved an abundant amount of apples and absolutely no deserts! Then I saw that I had one lowly apple left in my crisper drawer. Eureka.

I had no bacon but I had pancetta! 

I had one tiny brick of Pepperjack left!

Then everything else fell into place...

Main dish Ingredients:

1lb pork loin, boneless & about 1/8 inch thick (which I had in my freezer)

1/4lb pancetta, diced

1 apple, preferably a sweet variety

4oz Pepperjack cheese, shredded

Breadcrumbs

Salt & pepper to taste

Jalapeño olive oil (plain will work but this jalapeño olive oil gives it a delicious kick)

Dijon mustard

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/2 TBSP butter

1/2 cup apple juice (or white wine; however the apple juice really ties in the apple flavor from inside the pork)

Toothpicks

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 475. Skin & core the apple then finely dice.

2. Mix apple and 1/2 the grated cheese together in a bowl.

3. Generously salt and pepper pork on both sides. 

4. Slather a layer of the cheese and apple mixture on one side of the loin, pushing gently.

5. Roll the loin and secure with a toothpick (diagonally so that both ends barely pertrude).

6. Repeat until all pieces are rolled and secured.

7. Sautée pancetta until crispy and drain on paper towels.

8. Add 1 TBSP of jalapeño olive oil to the same pan over medium.

9. When pan is very hot, add loins and cook 45-60 seconds on each side. Remove from heat and immediately baste in Dijon mustard.

10. Quickly chop half the pancetta and toss with remaing cheese and equal parts bread crumbs.

11. Roll loin in breadcrumb mixture and place on greased baking sheet.

12. Bake ten minutes, turning tray halfway through (I steamed my brocolli at the same time).

13. While loin cooks add onion and butter to the pan you cooked the loin and pancetta in. Coat onion in the butter/olive oil. Cook until translucent. Add apple juice and gently scrape bits of pancetta and pork off the pan to incorporate into your pan sauce. Allow to simmer over medium low until only about half the liquid remains. Toss in the rest of the pancetta.

14. Gently remove toothpicks. Serve.

& if you're interested in a quick and easy desert like this:

Try this Lemon Soufflé Pudding recipe!