Pizza News
October 23, 2010
HERE IS breaking news in my ongoing coverage of one of the most important stories of our time. A New York City chef is trying to convince the city’s public school system, a major player in the Pizza Industrial Complex, to switch to homemade dough in lieu of frozen pizza. This could create a small revolution in the performance of city students. Who knows? It may even lead to the disbanding of the New York school system. Commercial pizza is the foundation of modern socialism, in case you haven’t noticed.
By the way, here are the tell-tale signs of a pizza overdose:
blurred vision
hopelessness and mild despair
a bloated feeling, as if the intenstinal cavities are filled with fiberglass insulation
the inability to walk a straight line (due to bloating)
forgetfulness
These symptoms only occur with the commercial product. With habitual pizza consumption, they may occur in chronic form, a condition I call Pizza Fatigue Syndrome (PFS).
The revolution begins with you. See a reader’s recipe for homemade dough below and her suggestion that you even grind your own grain.
The Kitchen Madonna writes:
Since I started grinding grain for bread and pizza dough and now for homemade rosemary-olive oil crackers, I cannot eat any industrial food product. Makes me ill with the preservatives. But may I recommend that your readers try a homemade whole wheat pizza crust which is especially delicious if you are using freshly ground Kamut; roll it out very thin and cook for about seven minutes first then add your toppings! Of course, you’ll have to make your own sauce and add fresh herbs from your kitchen garden. I made homemade mozzerella once from a gallon of milk (very easy) and that was the best pizza I had ever had!
For the pizza dough – works in a bread machine or by hand. If by hand, just work in added dough as needed. This is from Beth Hensperger’s bread machine recipe for whole wheat pizza dough “The Bread Lover’s Bread Machine Cookbook.”
Anyway, to serve as a companion to the Kitchen Madonna’s recipe for pizza dough, I am sending you my recipe for homemade pizza sauce which I guarantee will not cause you any gastric distress or result in even mild melancholy. Satisfied is what you will be.
Easy Pizza Sauce
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 cloves garlic (minced)
3 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
4 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups water
1. Combine tomato paste, garlic, parsley flakes, onion, oregano, basil and water in a 2 quart saucepan.
2. Cook over medium high heat until mixture boils.
3. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Cool a little and spread on your pizza crust and proceed with remainder of your toppings.
This recipe makes far more sauce than you are likely to need. Simply freeze the rest in small jars for later use.
