Welcome Back! (to the tune of Welcome Back Kotter)

Dear Reader,

You could be forgiven for thinking that I fell off the face of the planet. In a way, I did. I'm 5 kilos and 1 baby heavier. The newest addition, The Lady Hat, is 5 months old in a couple of days and I'm 5 kilos (or thereabouts) heavier. Low carb went out the window as soon as I knew I was pregnant - I just had to eat pasta and bread made out of CARBO-BLOODY-HYDRATES. I wanted potatos and wheaty things. Doing Barre throughout my pregnancy was AMAZING and I promise to talk more about it as I ease back into this blogging thing.

Tonight (Saturday night) I am making pizza from scratch - never done it before. I'm using the recipe for basic pizza dough from Stephanie Alexander's Cook's Companion AKA The Bible.

Mrs M's Capricciosa (Theme music Cat Power "Satisfaction" - pictured prior to cheese application)
Scottsdale Pork Free Range Ham - finely sliced and chopped
salami
red and yellow capsicum - finely sliced
kalamata olives - stoned and chopped
Swiss brown mushrooms - you guessed it finely sliced
cheddar  - finely sliced
Anchovies
Passata


Chicken, Pesto and Bocconcini
(pictured prior to the application of cheese) 
chicken breast - thinly sliced and lightly pan-fried
passata
basil pesto (for convenience I just buy a tub of it from Hill St)
baby rocket
cheddar thinly sliced
bocconcini
pepper
 




Method
Preheat oven and pizza stone to 220ºC (I really do recommend a thermometer for your oven, makes a world of difference to baking). Stretch out your prepared pizza dough on a work surface liberally dusted with polenta. I like to use a large chopping board, all the better for sliding said pizza on to the pizza stone. Let it relax for a minute or three. Layer your pizza with desired ingredients. Always leave a naked edge, it's prettier, leaks less and provides a handle. Manoeuvre pizza onto hot stone. Bake for 10-15mins. Eat immediately with gusto and red wine.