Pizza Supreme
Joanna
Buy This Art Print At AllPosters.com

La Belle Cuisine - More Main Dish Recipes

   Fine Cuisine with Art Infusion

"To cook is to create. And to create well...
is an act of integrity, and faith."

Do-It-Yourself Pizza (cont.)

“My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four.
 Unless there are three other people."
~ Orson Welles

Recipe of the Day Categories:

   Recipe Home

   Recipe Index

   Appetizers

   Beef

   Beverage

   Bread

   Breakfast

   Cake

   Chocolate

   Cookies

   Fish

   Fruit

   Main Dish

   Pasta

   Pies

   Pork

   Poultry

   Salad

   Seafood

   Side Dish

   Soup

   Vegetable

   Surprise!

 
Luigi
Joanna
Buy This Art Print At AllPosters.com

 
Strings of Tomatoes
Dry on a Wall Near
a Bed of Begonias
Photographic Print
Soriano, Tino
Buy at AllPosters.com

Your patronage of our affiliate partners supports this web site.
We thank you! In other words, please shop at LBC Gift Galerie!

 
Assortment of Pizzas
Photographic Print
Nielsen, Erwin
Buy at AllPosters.com

Do-It-Yourself Pizza (cont.)

Williams-Sonoma
Complete Entertaining Cookbook
Chuck Williams, General Editor; Menu Concepts
and Recipes by Joyce Goldstein,
1998, Readon Publications, Inc.

Serves 6

“This is a versatile recipe. Prepare as many of the suggested toppings as you like. The topping amounts given are conservative suggestions and should be enough to top 12 small pizzas with an assortment of ingredients. If your guests favor certain ingredients, have plenty of those on hand. Judge and adjust according to your
own personal tastes and those of the party goers – if you know them.
The tapenade can be made up to 2 weeks in advance. The pesto and sun-dried
tomato spread can be made up to 1 week in advance and the tomato puree can be made up to 2 days in advance. Prepare the cooked toppings 1 day in advance and
cut the uncooked ones 4 hours before the party.
A sponge is a type of starter that gives a particularly resilient texture to the crust. The addition of rye or buckwheat flour to the dough deepens the flavor of the crust. The dough can be made 8 hours before the party, left to rise at room temperature, and then divided into 12 equal portions, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated. Remove the dough balls from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before forming
them into crusts.
If you have one or two baking stones, place them in the oven when you turn it on; the stones will ensure a crisp crust. You will need a baker’s peel or a rimless
baking sheet to slide the pizzas onto the stone.
When it is time for the guests to top their pizzas, set out all the spreads and toppings in bowls or on platters and let the guests choose from among them.
This recipe yields 12 small pizzas; bake 6 pizzas at a time so everyone eats together.

Pizza Recipe
 

Tapenade

Makes about 1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/375 ml)

“This Provençal olive purée is great on pizza or grilled bread or mashed with
hard-cooked eggs for a spread. It is also delicious stuffed under the skin of a
roasting chicken, or slathered in grilled fish or tossed with steaming hot pasta. Niçoise olives are small, black, brine-cured olives packed in olive oil. They are available in well-stocked markets and specialty food stores. Tapenade will keep
in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.”

1 cup (5 oz/155 g) pitted Niçoise olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chopped, drained anchovy fillet
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 tablespoons (3 fl oz/90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon or orange, optional
2 tablespoons Cognac, optional

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, combine
the olives, capers, garlic, anchovy, pepper, olive oil and the lemon or
orange zest and Cognac, if using. Purée until smooth. Transfer to a
covered container and store in the refrigerator.

Pesto

Makes about 3 cups (24 fl oz/750 ml)

“Pesto keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Be sure to pour a thin
layer of olive oil on top; this keeps it from discoloring. I can also be frozen
for up to 6 months, but do not add the cheese until after it is defrosted. Use
pesto on pasta, pizza, crostini, and grilled vegetables. It can also be thinned
with olive oil or vinegar for a tasty salad dressing or sauce for grilled fish.”

2 cups (2 oz/60 g) firmly packed fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) mild olive oil
1/2 cup (2 oz/60 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, combine
the basil, garlic, nuts, salt and pepper. (Be cautious when adding the salt,
as the cheese that is added later can be quite salty.) Process until well
combined. Add 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) of the olive oil and purée using
short off-on pulses. Stir between the pulses to blend well. Add the
remaining 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) oil and the cheese and process to
form a thick purée. Do not overprocess; the mixture should have a
little texture. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Transfer to a covered
container and store in the refrigerator.

Sun-Dried Tomato Spread

Makes about 1 1/2 cups (12 fl oz/375 ml)

“Serve with cooked vegetables, pasta or grilled fish, or spread on pizza
or bread. This purée can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator
for up to 1 week.”

1 cup (8 oz/250 g) chopped, drained oil-packed
sun-dried tomatoes
(oil reserved)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, optional
4 to 6 tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted red bell
pepper (capsicum), about 1 medium pepper
or
1 medium roasted pepper from a jar, rinsed, drained,
and coarsely chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
Extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, combine
the tomatoes, garlic, basil, if using, roasted red bell pepper and cayenne
pepper, if using. Measure the reserved oil from the tomatoes. Add enough
extra-virgin olive oil to measure 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml). Add to the food
processor or blender and purée until smooth. Transfer to a covered con-
tainer and store in the refrigerator.

Tomato Purée

Makes about 6 cups 48 fl oz/1.5 l)

“This easy-to-make purée is a good base for pizza toppings or can be used for
almost any time a simple tomato sauce is needed. If flavorful fresh plum (Roma) tomatoes are in the market, they can be used in place of the canned: Peel and
seed 2 1/2 pounds (1.25 kg) fresh tomatoes, coarsely chop them and then simmer until soft. Proceed with the recipe as directed.”

1 can (2 1/2 pounds/1.25 kg) plum (Roma) tomatoes,
seeded and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, place the tomatoes and pulse until puréed. Transfer to an enameled or stainless
steel saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then
reduce the heat to low and simmer very gently, uncovered, until thick,
about 20 minutes. Stir in the olive oil, garlic, and oregano. Season to
taste with salt and pepper and additional garlic and oregano, if desired.

Back to Pizza Recipe
 

Featured Archive Recipes:
Pizza Plenty
Wolfgang Puck's Pizza
Pepperoni, Pepper and Onion Pizza 
 

Index - Main Dish Recipe Archives
Daily Recipe Index
Recipe Archives Index