Pizza or Peace-zza?

Greetings’ Team Daddy, hope you are enjoying this wonderful day.  I trust the weekend was filled with joy and togetherness.   “How’s that?” why am I so cheery, its Monday? Take it in a notch? No thanks. Someone amazing once said “There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so others feel more comfortable around you”.  So we are not going to play that game today.  However I will play another game with you.  It’s called Lets’ fantasize about Friday instead of being present to the doldrums’ of Monday. Before all of you who recently just finished Siddhartha get concerned allow me to share one of my secrets to inner peace…PIZZA!  That’s right!  Now is a great time to plan your family fun Friday night feast.  Just like the feeling of a once valued lottery ticket that was sure to change your family’s life now transformed into crumped up dreams, tossed in the trash.  A back to work Monday can resemble that empty, lost feeling.  Again how do we overcome this Team Daddy? PIZZA! 

Pizza has always been a comfort food for me.  I think it will always be my favorite.  I have a lifetime prescription to Prilosec to prove it. Here in New EnglandFriday Night is Pizza night.  Seeing that I am a patriot it pleases me to believe that Friday is Pizza night in America!  I am lucky to have been brought up around here as some of the nation’s best are close by.  New Haven has some pretty old reveries that continue today to divide families and friends. All the way up interstate 91 which should be known as the pizza corridor.  You can find some awesome pies’ first secret? The water plain and simple.  You can’t make good doe with fluoride and other things like that in the water. Second, healthy competition.  You can’t swing a dead cat around here without hitting a half dozen pizza shops.  But who’s complaining?. 

I do enjoy making our own pizza from scratch.  It is WAY cheaper and really a lot of fun. My wife and I are always thinking of new creations to try out. We are really looking forward to when our daughter can help and enjoy the gift of Friday night pizza.  You know I fancy myself a foodie and amateur chef, but if you were to peel back all the layers of my adult pallet you would find a core made up of fresh bread, melted cheese covered in salty meats and veggies. 

The present is always the best time to be in a wonderful mood.  Having trouble?  Just start planning your next Friday night its only 4 days away!  Here is a work in progress recipe to give you a hand.  Be peace-zza full and Have Fun!  

Red Sauce Recipe:

1 can of peeled plum tomatoes drained and pureed.  1 clove of minced garlic, and a handful of fresh oregano salt and pepper to taste. Put ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook together for a few minutes.    

Try different fun toppings. Pepperoni, cheese, and Goat cheese, red onion basil and turkey bacon pictured

This Pizza Doe recipe is courtsy of Gabrele Corcos from Extra Virgin.  I have tried many but this one works best.  Ialso do not use bread flour just normal.  If you dont have a mixer dont worry it still works out fine.  The Prep Time: 30 min / Inactive Prep: 1.1/2 hr / Serves:4

 1(.25-ounce) package dry active yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/2 cup lukewarm water (about 105 to 115 degrees F)

4 cups bread flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup cold water

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for bowl

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the yeast, lukewarm water, and 1/2 cup bread flour. Mix well and let sit until bubbly, about 30 minutes.  Whisk together the remaining 3 1/2 cups bread flour and salt in another bowl so it will be evenly distributed.  Once the yeast mixture is nice and bubbly and looks like foamy beer, add 3/4 cup cold water and olive oil. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on and add the flour in increments.

 

Mix the dough for about 5 minutes, until the dough starts creeping up the dough hook and comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Place the dough in a large bowl lightly greased with olive oil. Turn to coat all sides of the dough with oil. Cover the bowl loosely with a clean tea towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Punch dough down, and let rise another hour.  I make 2 pizzas with this recipe