PIZZA SLICE

After I watched the new ad by Pizza Hut, I had to republish a pizza recipe, inspired by my visit to Hungary. [Editor's note: Go to Rókalyuk ("Foxhole") in Sopron.]



PIZZA (09/15/05)

I took a recipe (pizza dough and tomato sauce) from a magazine specializing in Italian wines, and then added my own ingredients.

Pizza with Hungarian sausages

Dough (6 pizza pies)

* 1/2 package yeast
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoon sugar
* 2.5 dl water (lukewarm)
* 0.5 dl olive oil
* 6 dl flour



1. Put the yeast in a bowl and mix it with the lukewarm water, sugar, and salt.
2. Add olive oil and flour in batches, and make it into a dough.
3. Put a cloth over the bowl and let the dough rise for about an hour.
4. Take out the dough and cut it into pieces.
5. Roll out the dough.
6. Put the pizza pie on a cookie sheet.


Tomato sauce

* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 tablespoons tomato puree
* 1 can of crushed tomatoes
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon basil
* salt and black pepper


1. Heat olive oil in a pan and add the onion and garlic.
2. Then the ingredients are "soft," add sugar, tomato puree, crushed tomatoes, oregano and basil.
3. Let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Add some salt and black pepper.


Toppings

* Salami
* Beer sausage
* Paprika (bell pepper)
* Chile pepper
* Tomato
* Olives
* Grated cheese



1. Add the tomato sauce, cheese, and the toppings on the pizza pie.
2. Put the baking plate in the oven for circa 15 minutes at 275 degrees Celsius.


[Editor's comment: Which is your favorite pizza restaurant / chain? We have Pizza Hut here in Sweden, but I haven't tested in Gothenburg yet. Cyrano Bistro is one of my favorite pizza places in Gothenburg. Back in America, I went to Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa John's and Donatos. ]

In order to stir things up a bit with a non-political correct attitude, here are two great quotes:

Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demiglace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living. (Anthony Bourdain, Kitchen Confidential, page 70.)

Many of our readers rightfully pride themselves on their rationality and objectivity. Certainly, they bristle at the thought of irrationality affecting their lives, or worse, being accused of irrationality by others. And yet, most every one of our readers persist in at least one form of irrationality: the mindless obeisance to a tradition: the American dining etiquette.

Clearly, human beings possess two hands. But, to place one hand aside and engage in the disturbing and hindering process of transferring one utensil from one hand to the other, over and over again, while neglecting a perfectly useful hand – smacks of irrationality. Two things are striking about this habit. It clearly violates European etiquette – brought to Europe by the Greeks - that tells you to keep both hands above the table wielding gracefully knife and fork. European etiquette is objective as it is well reasoned out to make the most effective use of hands and utensils at a table setting. Secondly all Americans eat the American way (black, yellow, red, white) which is amazing if you think of the different ethnic origins, cultures, and value systems. (The Irrational Exhuberance of American Dining Etiquette by Harry Roolaart. 2005.)

[Editor's comment: I have a funny memory from the first time I had pizza in college and I asked for a fork and knife. My fellow classmates looked at me in a strange way... They informed me to eat the pizza slice directly with my hand.]

Related: My post, EATING PIZZA IN A DEFENSIVE FIGHTING POSITION.