Prosciutto = Happiness

When I was in college at University of Rhode Island my (now) husband (!) and I had our first vacation together. It wasn't just anywhere - we were lucky enough to snag a 10 day trip to the Amalfi Coast of Italy for only about $1300 a person. The cliffs rising from crystal blue waves, towns climbing up their craggy corners and roads racing through narrow crevices redefined our ideas of beauty. And I don't need to tell you how amazing the food was! Italian ideals of simple food cooked with respect from the finest ingredients made every dish unforgettable.

We had always planned to be married in Positano, at a little church on the very top of the cliff, looking out over the water. Unfortunately that was not feasible, since the Euro is now putting the dollar to shame. Not to be outdone, we picked a place just as special to us - the site of our first date - Colt State Park in beautiful Bristol, Rhode Island. We got our ocean views, mild weather and a little taste of Italy (yes, I did about 1/2 the cooking!), but it still leaves us just a little "homesick" for the place where our souls reside. This pizza has helped to bridge the gap - pulling Amalfi flavors into our American existance.

Arugula Prosciutto Pizza


Prepared Pizza Dough
6 oz pesto (try this one or use storebought - but first drain off excess oil and reserve for another use)
1 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 1/2 cups arugula, rinsed and dried
2 Tbsp good Italian dressing
1 lb prosciutto - sliced paper thin


Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with a 16 inch pizza stone on the middle rack.

Roll out the dough to a thin 16 inch round. Remove the pizza oven from the oven and rest on the stovetop (with burners turned off!). Drape dough over the stone. Let the dough cook on the stone (still on the stovetop) until the bottom is no longer sticky. Flip pizza so the cooked side is up. Spread with pesto and top with slices of mozzarella, sprinkle with parmesan.

Return pizza to oven and bake until cheese is melted and crust is crispy - about 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, toss arugula with dressing.

Remove pizza from oven and top with arugula and little piles of prosciutto. Cut and enjoy!

Reaching Deep

I've never bought into the pizza argument. New Yorkers insist that pizza must be thin, with a chewy crust, moderate toppings and just a dab of sweet cooked tomato sauce under the cheese. Those who hail from Chicago insist on loading it up with a deep, rich crust, layers and layers of gooey cheese and sausage, topping it with a raw tomato sauce. In my mind, these are 2 different beasts entirely, and it's silly to disagree on which is the "real" pizza.

However, I must admit, this is my first attempt at deep dish. I've never been to the windy city, so this may be desperately unauthentic. Most of my pizzas have more closely resembled Neapolitan or New York style pizzas. And they're yummy! If you're not convinced, check out my summer veggie lover's with MD sweet corn, my Cobb salad creation, my Ratatouille Pizza and Buffalo Wing Steak Pizza, and an Amalfi coast seafood pizza. I'm actually shocked to see that my classic with pesto, fresh mozzarella and paper thin slices of tomato never made it onto these pages, but I guess that's due to its being camera shy as well as too incredibly delicious to wait for.

This pizza is everything the others are not. And yet, I wouldn't want it any other way. I slice = 1 huge meal, so be forewarned. Dig in to the deepest, ooey gooiest, crunchy and chewiest pizza ever!

Chicago - Style Deep Dish Pizza


Crust:
1 package rapid-rise yeast
1 cup warm water
1/8 cup vegetable oil
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened

Dissolve the yeast and water in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the oils and mix for 30 seconds. Add the cornmeal, 1 1/2 cups of the flour and salt and beat for 5 minutes. Switch to the dough hook and mix in the remaining 1 1/4 cups of flour and knead, using the dough hook for 2 minutes. Add the butter and knead until incorporated. The dough is a very moist dough so do not add more flour unless absolutely needed.

Place dough in an oiled bowl in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (about an hour).


Pizza Assembly:
1 1/2 large sweet onions, sliced (peppers would be good too, but I didn't have any)
1 1lb. italian sausage (I use hot turkey, but it's up to your preference)
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped fine
1 Tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
pinch of hot pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp dry sherry

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
2 14.5 oz cans of diced basil, garlic and oregano canned tomatoes, drained with most of their liquid squeezed out
1/4 cup shredded parmeggiano reggiano

Grease a 9 or 10 inch springform pan or a deep dish pizza pan. Preheat the oven to 425 F and arrange a rack on the lowest shelf in the oven.

Saute the onions in butter or olive oil until softened and slightly caramelized. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add a little bit more olive oil and then add the sausage, removing it from the casing and breaking it up as it cooks. Add the seasonings and garlic and cook until just browned. Add sherry to deglaze the pan and cook until it's no longer watery.

Punch down the dough, roll it out a bit and press it into the pan, about 1/3 inch thick, cutting off any excess (which makes great garlic knots FYI!). Fill the bottom of the crust with 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, follow with onions, then sausage mixture, then the other half of the cheese and top with the drained tomatoes. Finish with a sprinkling of parmesan and bake until crust is golden and a skewer inserted comes out warm (about an hour).


Removing from a springform pan is easy and I highly suggest using one. Eat immediately to make the most of the gooey cheesiness.

Pizza For Breakfast?

Of course. Especially when it's a socially acceptable breakfast pizza. What can I say, sometimes I need something spicy in the morning!


Mexican Breakfast Pizza


1 large jalapeño herb tortilla
2 pickled serrano chiles, minced
1/4 cup tomato, diced
1/8 cup onion, diced
1 small avocado, skinned and pitted, diced
1 cup shredded mexican cheese
chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper for sprinkling

2 medium eggs, scrambled in butter
2 Tbsp packed cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 400 F. Top tortilla with chiles, tomato, onion and avocado. Smother with cheese. Sprinkle with seasonings. Bake until cheese is melted and tortilla is crispy. Top with egg and cilantro. Cut into wedges and serve with a fork and knife.

Saying Goodbye

About a year ago, L found out his uncle had leukemia. He felt badly because this was a man he hadn't taken the time to get to know, one he hadn't seen since he was a child. So the very next weekend, the car was packed for a day at his uncle's house in New Jersey. And then I got sick. Uncle H was just about to start chemo, and the last thing he needed was a compromised immune system. So I stayed home. I've regretted it ever since.

In the past year, L got to know his uncle better than ever before, and we were all touched by how he stressed the importance of family, even to those who had blown him off for so long, saying it was too far, would take too much time to visit. His emails and phone calls were daily for some time, and we all felt that we were in this fight together.

In April, H took a turn for the worse, right before his scheduled Independence Day bone marrow transplant. The NJ hospital refused to treat him until he was fully recovered. Fearing that would never happen, H and his wife packed up and stumbled down to a hospital in Texas known for their success rates. This is about when that ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach started. L had told his uncle all about me and his uncle had said "I can't wait to meet her." Although we'd spoken on the phone, I'd begun to feel that might never happen.

In May, L's mother was declared a perfect match for a bone marrow transplant. This was more than we'd been hoping for, and everyone, Uncle H included, was walking on air. August came and the transplant was made. Problem was, it wasn't taking. In order to transfer bone marrow, they must first kill off all of the patient's own. The hope is that the transplanted marrow will start growing and take over blood cell production for the body. This was slow going. The autoimmunity designed to protect our bodies from invaders worked against him, rejecting the new cells. H was getting worse and the medication was putting him through so much pain. He kept asking for them to stop and let him go home. Because of this he had to be sedated.

Yesterday his suffering came to an end. L received an email at 11am from H. One line: slow going but still fighting. At 4pm his mind lost the battle against his body. And I sit here watching my blinking cursor without the words to describe what the world has lost. We're glad there's no more pain, but we wish we could have fought harder.

So H - here's to you. A bright and cheery recipe for the person who was always smiling and joking, even in the midst of the fight of your life. I'm sorry we never did meet, but you've touched my life more than you know.


Southwestern Chicken Pizza


1 recipe of your favorite pizza dough, prepared through the first rise
chile sauce, recipe follows
sliced chipotle chicken, recipe follows
2 cups shredded Colby Jack

salsa fresca, recipe follows
creamy lime sauce, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with a pizza stone on the middle rack. Roll or stretch dough out to a 16 inch oval (or the size of your pizza stone).

Remove the preheated pizza stone from the oven and place on the stove's surface. Transfer pizza dough to it. Let the bottom cook about 3 minutes or until slightly crisp, then use tongs to flip the crust over (this seals the dough so it doesn't get soggy).

Spread on chile sauce. Top with chicken, then cover with cheese. Bake 7-10 minutes, or just until cheese melts and crust is cooked through.

Top pizza with salsa fresca and drizzle with lime sauce. Cut and serve. If you're afraid of the messiness, eat with a fork. I'm daring, messes don't scare me!



Recipe components are listed in the order they should be prepared.


Chipotle Chicken
2 chicken breasts
2 chipotle in adobo, finely minced
1 Tbsp adobo sauce
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp worchestershire sauce

Put chicken breasts in a bag. Add all other ingredients and squish to mix and coat chicken. Marinate in the fridge 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat a grill on high. Grill chicken over high heat until cooked through and well charred. Let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing.


Salsa Fresca
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 cup ripe tomato, diced
2/3 cup roasted corn
1/3 cup black beans
3 pickled serrano (green) chiles, finely minced
3 Tbsp finely minced cilantro
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Let sit so flavors can develop, at least one hour.


Creamy Lime Sauce
zest of one lime
juice of half a lime
2 Tbsp minced cilantro
1/2 cup ranch dressing

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Set aside.


Chile Sauce
2 chipotles in adobo, finely minced
2 tsp adobo sauce
1 Tbsp ketchup
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Set aside.

The Art of Sun Worship

I have been known to wish that there were only two seasons in the year: fall and spring. I love mild to slightly cold weather and I have a equal aversion to muggy middays and frigid mornings. But were it not for summer, I would miss out on some of the best produce to be had. And when our Mid-Atlantic temperatures are regulated to high 70s during the day and 60s at night, I become a bit of a sun worshipper.


Tomatoes, corn, basil and zucchini all take on new layers of sweet flavor from the kiss of the warm summer sun, and jalapenos seem to suck the heat from the rays. These last days of summer call for lounging in a hammock in the shade with an icy glass of lemonade, long walks by the stream that rambles through the woods and making the most of the land's bounty by cooking it quickly and simply.


After a weekend of red meat and not-so-healthy (albeit tasty) food, I am craving vegetables. Today has been a vegatarian day for me, and my body already feels better. In a recent issue of Gourmet magazine, this recipe for jalapeno poppers caught my eye. While away this weekend, I had the privilege to raid the Skoda family garden, with permission to take as much as I could. I came home with sacks of vegetal booty, not least of all a bag of jalapenos. Finally a chance to try those poppers! These were the perfect midafternoon snack - but be forewarned - these are HOT. You will need a glass of milk and some soft bread so cut the burn. If you are not a chile-lover these are not for you. But if you're like me, they're a pleasant wake up call on a lazy day.


Jalapeno Poppers
adapted from Gourmet August 2008

9 freshly picked jalapenos
2/3 cup shredded 2% mexican cheese
1 Tbsp. Frank's Red Hot
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp oregano leaves, crumbled between your fingers
4 cups canola, vegetable or peanut oil


Cut each jalapeno open along one side, slitting from stem to point. Cut a small slit across the top under the stem, perpendicular to the first. Use a paring knife or your index finger to scrape out the seeds and ribs of the peppers, being careful not to split off any part of them. Rinse the insides of the peppers.

Mix together cheese, hot sauce and seasonings. Ready 2 shallow bowls, one with beaten eggs, one with breadcrumbs and oregano (well mixed). Stuff each pepper with cheese mixture, then dunk in egg and toss in breadcrumbs. Return to egg and again toss to coat with breadcrumbs. Set aside and repeat with other peppers.

Heat oil to 325 F in a deep narrow saucepan. Fry five peppers at a time until they are golden and rise to the top. Transfer to a cooling rack placed upside down atop paper towels. Repeat with remaining peppers. Serve immediately.




In addition to my spicy snack, Triple Creek Farm produce showed up in my dinner in the form of a fresh, light summer pizza. H's baseball bat zucchini is paired with a lovely pesto made from her thriving basil bushes. Maryland sweet white corn and plum tomatoes are worthy partners, and it all gets a little bite from brilliant red onion.



Summer Veggie Lovers Pizza


2 lbs of zucchini, seeded if necessary and cut into coins or half rings
1 cup Thai marinade (I used Wegman's but any brand will do)

3 cups fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp low-fat ricotta cheese
1 tsp freshly minced garlic
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp olive oil

one recipe pizza dough through both rises

8 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Italian 4 cheese blend
1 cob sweet white corn, kernels removed
5 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
1/2 large red onion, sliced into thin half moons

Prepare zucchini and toss with marinade. Let marinate in fridge at least 2 hours or overnight. Preheat a grill on high. Use a grill pan to grill zucchini until moderately charred. Set aside.

Preheat oven with a pizza stone inside to 500 F for 30 minutes. Combine basil and macadamias in a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add cheeses, garlic and seasonings. Pulse until finely ground, then drizzle in olive oil while food processor is running. Set aside.

Roll or stretch pizza dough to stone size on a floured surface. Make sure all other ingredients are prepped. When pizza stone is preheated, remove from oven (carefully!) and place dough on hot stone. After a couple of minutes the dough should release from the stone. Flip crust before topping (this seals the dough's surface, preventing mushy crust).

Spread pesto sauce onto "toasted" surface. Top with grilled zucchini in one even layer. Distribute cheeses evenly, and follow with corn kernels. Lay down tomato slices in an even layer and top with onion.

Return pizza stone to oven and let cook 20-30 minutes, or until crust is crisp, tomatoes and onions caramelize and cheese is bubbly. Slice and serve.

Is it a pizza? Is it a salad? It's dinner!

Ever since my book club had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen (I know - I have great restaurant taste, huh?!), I've been craving a Cobb Salad. But three nights of chicken would be a little too much, so I decided maybe I'd try it with shrimp. Good plan - but I forgot the shrimp. One thing I definitely did not forget is the chewy, crispy flatbread. That part was inspired by Quizno's flatbread salads (there goes my good taste again!). So this is like one of those fancy "pizzas" that has no baked on toppings, but is topped with a liberally dressed salad. Oh dear lord was this good! And super easy!

Flatbread Cobb Salad


pizza dough, enough for one 12 inch pizza, from your favorite chewy, thick crust recipe - I love this one from 101 cookbooks
olive oil for brushing
2 Tbsp crushed garlic
1/4 cup parmesan
garlic powder, Italian seasoning and black pepper for sprinkling


2/3 cup chianti vinegar
1/4 cup orange muscat vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp grated parmesan

1 lb. baby lettuces, washed and spun dry

3 hardboiled eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper then chopped fine
1 large heirloom tomato, chopped
6 cooked pieces of bacon, crumbled
2 ears of sweet corn, kernals removed (I love my corn zipper)
1 large ripe avocado, pitted, sliced into chunks and removed from peel
1 cup grilled chicken or shrimp, chopped


Two hours before preparing, take the risen dough out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. After 30 minutes, roll the dough out to desired size on a floured surface. Let rest and rise at least one hour.

Preheat oven with a pizza stone on the middle rack to 500 F. Brush crust with olive oil, evenly distribute garlic and sprinkle on cheese and seasoning. Set aside until oven preheats.


Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a blender. Blend until well combined and emulsified. Toss dressing with baby lettuces, set aside.

Bake pizza on pizza stone until just cooked through 5-10 minutes. Top with dressed lettuces and other Cobb toppings.



P.S.
Boiling eggs is easiest if you start them submerged in cold water, bring to a boil, lid and remove from heat. There's enough heat left over to cook them perfectly.

I cook the bacon in the microwave. It sounds weird, but it comes out perfectly crispy, mess free and never burnt! Just sandwich slices of bacon between doubled sheets of paper towels and cook on high 5-6 minutes for 6 pieces.

How to knock the socks off your boss...

Quick Reminder: If you would love to win a "Pay It Forward" prize package leave a comment on this previous post by July 28th!

If you polled my friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and pretty much any stranger on the street who may have tasted my cooking, I'm betting they would all claim one dish of mine as their favorite. What's sort of embarrassing is that it takes so little time and effort to make it and it's really more of a snack than a dish. I'm talking of my pizza crescents. Whenever I'm back in Massachusetts I'm expected to bring some along or make them there. They have also quickly become THE Thanksgiving dinner roll, and certain people in the family are known to gorge themselves on pizza rolls and subsequently stare at a full plate of Thanksgiving goodies.

We have a lovely tradition at work. We call it MOLDOW (Munchies On the Last Day Of the Week). Every week, 2 people provide homemade breakfast and lunch for the entire Science and Math Departments. Of course, I tend to go overboard. One week I showed up with 6 dozen pizza crescents. I was expecting to walk back home with 3 dozen, and L was counting on it. To his chagrin, I returned with an empty basket. (He went out and got all of the ingredients and made me make him some the next day.) The boss was duly impressed, although I'm not sure what she loved more, these or the cardamom lime sweet rolls.



Pizza Crescents - adapted from The Best of Betterbaking.com Cookbook


This makes a dozen rolls- it is easily adjusted by multiplying all quantities

1/2 recipe my herbed pizza dough (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp crushed garlic
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of your favorite jarred pasta sauce
4 oz. pepperoni, chopped fine
1 cup 4 cheese Italian shredded cheese (reduced fat mozzarella, smoked provolone, romano and asiago)
1/4 cup grated parmiggiano reggiano
Olive oil
sesame seeds

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a floured surface, roll out pizza dough into a 1/4 inch thin circle, about 14 inches in diameter. Mix together garlic, seasonings, pasta sauce and pepperoni. Top just as you would a pizza with one exception, leave a circle in the center about 3 centimeters in diameter free of toppings. Spread on sauce mixture evenly, then sprinkle over cheese. Cut into 12 thin "pizza slices." Starting at the edge, roll one piece in towards the middle. Tuck the end in underneath and pull the arms towards each other. Place on baking sheet. Repeat with other slices. Let rolls rise 30-40 minutes.




In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Share with friends and prepare to become quite popular.





Herbed Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 packet rapid rise yeast
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp garlic rosemary seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cracked black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
2-3 cups unbleached bread flour

Combine water, yeast and seasonings in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Let sit 2 minutes. Add olive oil, cornmeal, all-purpose flour and 2 cups bread flour. Stir until well combined. Add more flour as needed to make a soft supple dough that isn't sticky. Knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Form into a ball and transfer to an oiled bowl. Turn to coat in oil and loosely plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Ratatouille Pizza

My future sister in law was visiting last week, and she made us the most amazing grilled veggies.

L hates zucchini, eggplant, and summer squash, but he loved them.

So this recipe is a bit Sandra Lee, but it is so darn good and I don't have any idea how to flavor these so well without the store-bought marinade.

Since I can't leave well enough alone, I had to create a dish to use them in.

These veggies shine with low fat pesto and a crisp crust. Ratatouille Pizza is a vegetarian slice of summer.

Ratatouille Pizza



Herbed Pizza Crust

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup warm water

Mix together dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add oil and water and mix at medium speed until it forms a dough. Knead on medium speed for 2 minutes, or until smooth. Let rise one hour in an oiled bowl, covered with plastic wrap.

After 1-2 hours, punch down dough and let rest 20 minutes. Roll out to size and top as desired. If you like it thin, like I do, you will have enough for one large and one small (stay tuned).


Toppings
1 small graffiti eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1 large summer squash, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1/2 cup Ken's Steakhouse Garlic & Herb Marinade

1 cup basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3 Tbsp good parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain lowfat yogurt

4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and sliced as thin as possible
12 oz. fresh mozzarella, packed in water, sliced as thin as possible
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic powder

Toss veggie slices with marinade. Let sit at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Preheat a grill and grill basket over direct flame. Grill veggies until well charred and softened. Remove and cool.



Combine basil, pine nuts, yogurt and 3 Tbsp parmesan in a mini food processor (I use the attachment that came with my stick blender). Blend until combined.

Prepare all other toppings.


Putting it all together:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone or heavy pan inside for 30 minutes. Remove stone and place on stovetop (for the heat-proof surface) place dough on stone and allow bottom surface to cook. Once the dough is cooked enough on the bottom that it slides freely, flip it over. Spread with pesto. Top with grilled veggie slices, then mozzarella, then tomato slices. Dust with parmesan cheese and garlic powder.



Bake for about 20 minutes, until crust is crisp, tomatoes are roasted and cheese is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before cutting.





And with your extra dough... make something decidedly NOT vegetarian! Good old fashioned American pub food.



Buffalo Wing Steak Flatbread

Remainder of pizza dough

3 oz of leftover steak, sliced thin
1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles
3 Tbsp Frank's Red Hot sauce
1/8 cup parmesan cheese

Keep the oven at 500. Roll the dough out to a 1/4 inch thickness. Top evenly with remainder of ingredients. Bake until dough puffs and cheese bubbles, 5-7 minutes. Cool and tear off pieces. Enjoy with a good beer.

Aloha Calzoni!

Friday evening felt like a vacation, with the sun kissing the ground in a golden patchwork and a balmy breeze blowing whispers of paradise. I was so enthralled with soaking up the hours that I didn't even think about dinner. Luckily, a batch of herbed pizza dough called out to me from the fridge. Still feeling a little tropical and strangely sort of kitschy, I threw together a hawaiian calzone.

Hawaiian Calzone


1 batch herbed pizza dough (I will eventually get around to posting my recipe, I swear!)
5 strips turkey bacon, cooked and chopped
8 oz dicd tomatoes, drained
3 oz. chunk pinapple, drianed
1/2 cup sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped scallions
2 cups low moisture shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup other shredded melting cheese such as fontina, asiago, or provolone
1/4 cup shredded pecorino romano
garlic powder
oregano
red pepper flakes
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper


Preheat your oven with the pizza stone to 500 degrees. Stretch or roll the dough out to a circle about 18 inches in diameter. Place the half to be filled on a pizza peel. Randomly place about half of each topping, then half the mozzarella and other melting cheese, then the remainder of toppings, half the pecorino and the rest of the other cheeses. Do not fill the dough quite halfway or you won't have enough dough to fold over the filling. Sprinkle the filling with garlic powder, oregano and red pepper flakes. Fold the dough over the fillings and crimp the edges together with your fingers. Cut three narrow slits in the top crust for air to escape. Brush the top with olive oil. Sprinkle it with kosher salt and pepper and the remaining pecorino cheese. Use the pizza peel to gently slide the calzone onto the pizza stone. Bake until crust is crispy and golden brown.