Only Recipes, by Alessandra Zecchini ©

For this pizza slab I used this base recipe ( here ), but also added a tbsp of wheat gluten (these days I find that High grade flour is not 'strong' enough for making pizza). After 2-3 hours I rolled the dough on a large baking tray  (90 cm), then I put spinach (cooked and chopped) and feta on top.  I drizzled on top a little more olive oil and then I baked the pizza in the oven at 240°C for about 25 minutes.  Photos and Recipes by Alessandra Zecchini  ©

Since recently there has been some  talk  about bloggers' getting payed or sponsored, I better just say that I didn't get payed, not receive canned tomatoes for writing this :-).  As it happens tomatoes are not in season in New Zealand (you can buy them, of course, but they taste bad, are very expensive, and I don't know where they come from). So I use Italian canned tomatoes from Mutti. As a matter of fact I have been using Mutti since I left Italy, when I could find it, that is! It was ok in London, more difficult in Japan, and now I can get it in New Zealand and my pantry is a bit like the one of an Italian immigrant: dry pasta and canned tomatoes better came from Italy! For this pizza slab I used the canned cherry tomatoes. I made the base (recipe  here ) but also added a tbsp of wheat gluten (these days I find that High grade flour is not 'strong' enough for making pizza). After 2-3 hours I rolled the dough on a large baking tray, then...

This is the third of 4 courses I made for a Twilight menu (inspired by Stephenie Meyer's books) : Eclipse Pizza Red Pizza with Black Seeds Photos by Alessandra Zecchini © Pizza is a must when teenagers are involved (and it was the first food our heroes, Bella and Edward, shared). I scoured the pantry for black seeds, I finished the poppy seeds, but I had some black sesame seeds. I added the cumin seeds mostly for flavour. I also used up the remaining of a jar of roasted red capsicum antipasto. I finished all my fresh tomatoes with the first two dishes, so I used canned tomatoes instead. Ingredients Pizza dough, recipe here Tomato Sauce, recipe here (but omit the basil) Olive oil Salt Black sesame seeds Cumin seeds Roasted red capsicums Follow the given links to make the pizza dough and the tomato sauce. I have to say that by this stage the most difficult thing for me was not to add anything green to my food (I wanted to keep the Black and Red look of the books)! Roll the dough to...

Back to school, and it is sooooo hot! The kids don't feel like eating much, so I am opting for fruit, and something they always like: Pizza! I make the pizza the day before, and keep a slice aside for the lunch boxes. The pizza dough recipe is here . For a Vegetarian pizza I top it with tomato sauce (recipe here ), vegetarian edam, oregano and olive oil. And then I put some fresh rucola on top, they love it! For a vegan lunch box I make the pizza base as above, and then top it with zucchini slices, lightly sautéd with olive oil and garlic (only lightly, the zucchini will keep cooking in the oven) and a little vegan pesto made with basil, cashew nuts, garlic, olive oil and salt. Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Photo by Alessandra Zecchini, © cover made with flickr This pizza has mozzarella among the toppings, for a vegan version just omit the mozzarella :-) In gredients Some basic Basic Pizza Dough, recipe here For the topping 1 red capsicum 1 yellow capsicum Salt to taste 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more to drizzle 1 can chopped tomatoes 1 pinch dried oregano 1 pinch salt 1 large mozzarella 3 tbsp black olives Fresh basil leaves Tops 3 flat pizzas Wash the capsicums and then place whole in the oven at 180°C until they smell cooked. Carefully remove the capsicums from the oven and place inside a paper bag for 5 minutes; this will help the skin come off easily. Peel the capsicums, remove the seeds and cut into small slices, then place into a bowl and stir in the olive oil and a little salt. Empty the content of the chopped tomato can into another bowl, add a little salt and the dried oregano. Top the pizzas with the chopped tomatoes, then add a few slices of mozzarella, a few strips of capsic...

This is my basic dough for a flat pizza. The flour measure can also be doubled without increasing the yeast, and used for a thick slab of pizza. It is so easy and down to earth that now all my friends use it, especially those with families to feed. Ingredients 300 ml warm water 2 ½ (2 and 1 half) tsp active yeast granules (I use Edmonds Active Yeast) ¼ (one quarter) tsp sugar 500 g high grade flour, plus more for dusting 1 large pinch of salt Makes 6 large flat pizzas or 12 smaller pizzas Put the warm water in a large bowl and add the yeast and sugar. After five minutes, when the yeast starts to bubble, add the flour and salt and work into a dough for about 10 minutes. You can knead it directly on the table or in the mixing bowl. Shape the dough into a ball, sprinkle it with flour and let it rise, in its bowl and covered with a tea towel, for about two hours. Punch the dough and knead it for one minute, then divide it into six equal parts to form six small balls. Put these on a ...