L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano F all is the perfect t i m e t o i n v i t e friends and family over to get their hands messy and h a v e y o u r o w n personal pizza party. Pizza is the perfect food to make with a group. It's easy. It's fun and it's a great group activity. I am sharing a pizza recipe that I have been using since my first visit to Firenze many years ago, when I met the m o s t w o n d e r f u l c o o k i n g teacher, Manuela. Originally from Sicily, Manuela was liv- ing in Firenze with her lovely family, hosting cooking class- es in their home kitchen. On my first visit, I attend- ed a one-day class where we m a d e p i z z a o f e v e r y t y p e from scratch! I mean come on, who DOESN'T love pizza? No Jiffy box pizza crust here. The crust was perfect, just crispy enough yet perfectly tender to absorb a little of the sauce giving it the perfect bal- ance of flavor. O n e o f t h e t h i n g s t h a t a l w a y s a m a z e s m e a b o u t most Italian food is how sim- ple a dish can be with just a few ingredients and result in the most spectacular dish. In reality, if you think about how simple pizza is, it's crazy. Essentially the dough is just a few ingredients that you're most likely to always have on h a n d . A n d a c l a s s i c Margherita is nothing more than pomodori pelati, moz- zarella and a few sprigs of basil. That's the beauty of Italian food. The simplici- ty. That's what makes Italian cuisine stand out. It has been a few years since that first class and I have returned several times to learn more from my Sicil- ian maestra di cucina. I got in the habit of making this pizza crust almost weekly, usually freezing any extra dough to save for individual pizzas for days when I need- ed comfort but didn't have JENNIFER SONTAG Sinatra and get ready to have some fun! Pizza Crust Ingredients for 4 people -500 gr. (1 lb) 00 flour - 25 gr (0.9 oz) brewer's yeast - 1 teaspoon sugar - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil - 1 pinch of salt 250 ml (1 cup) (approx.) lukewarm water Preparation D i s s o l v e t h e y e a s t i n a large bowl with 2-3 table- spoons of warm water. Add the flour, oil and sugar and gradually other water and mix well. Transfer the dough on a fl our ed wor k sur face and knead the dough. C o n t i n u e t o w o r k h a r d until the mixture is evenly blended. It can usually take around 10 minutes to knead t h e d o u g h f o r i t t o c o m e together. Put the dough to rise in a warm place (for example in a large bowl, protected by a c o t t o n c l o t h o r l i n e n a n d wrapped in a blanket) and wait until doubled in volume, about an hour later. When the dough has risen, d i v i d e i t i n t o l o a v e s a n d spread it gently with your fin- gers and hands up to the size of the pan where it needs to cook. The thickness should be about 7-10mm. Preheat the oven to 475°F (250 - 260 celsius) for at least 30 minutes, preferably an h o u r . I f y o u d o n ' t h a v e a pizza stone, you can use a pizza pan or a thick baking sheet; you need something that will not warp at high temperatures. Now you can dress your pizza with the ingredients of your choice! Bake your topped pizza for 10-15 minutes once the crust i s g o l d e n b r o w n a n d t h e cheese is golden. Pizza Marinara Peeled and crushed toma- toes, garlic, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, salt. Pizza Margherita Peeled and crushed toma- toes, mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, salt. Pizza Napoli Peeled and crushed toma- toes, mozzarella, anchovy filets, capers, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, salt. Pizza 4 stagioni Peeled and crushed toma- toes, mozzarella, ham, black olives, artichokes, mush- rooms cut into thin slices, extra virgin olive oil, and salt. Pizza Capricciosa Peeled and crushed toma- t o e s , m o z z a r e l l a , h a m , sausage, black olives, arti- chokes and fresh or blanched m u s h r o o m s c u t i n t o t h i n slices, extra virgin olive oil, salt. P i z z a c o n B u f a l a e Pomodorini freschi Peeled and crushed toma- toes, buffalo mozzarella and ripe tomatoes to be added raw directly on the plate, extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, salt. Pizza Vegetariana Peeled and crushed toma- toes, mozzarella or buffalo mozzarella, grilled fresh veg- etables (such as eggplant, z u c c h i n i , p e p p e r s , e t c . . ) , extra virgin olive oil Jennifer Sontag, a serial entrepreneur, is the owner o f I t a l i a n C i t i z e n s h i p Concierge, a bespoke citizen- ship agency that helps Ital- ian Americans gain citizen- ship in Italy through Jure Sanguinis. Currently living in Terrasini, Sicily, Jennifer sets out to help her clients gain a new outlook on life in Italy. Delicious pizza margherita with fresh sliced tomatoes (Photo: Antonio Muñoz Palomares/Dreamstime) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES "Festa di Pizza," a pizza party t h e t i m e t o s t a r t f r o m scratch. I've included a few options for toppings that Manuela s h a r e d w i t h m e a n d I ' v e added a few favorites that are typical in Sicily, where I live. I HIGHLY encourage you to break free of the pineapple, pepperonis and other Ameri- c a n - s t y l e t o p p i n g s f o r a n authentic experience. Check out your local Italian neigh- borhood shop for inspiration and the ingredients suggest- ed below. Now put on your a p r o n , b l a s t s o m e F r a n k

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