Pizza Faith

Plans had changed for the weekend, the Dogg and I had enjoyed a walk later in the day than normal. However that was due to the happy distraction of bumping into two of my very close friends in the delicatessen at my local mall and supermarket. Warm hugs and handshakes were exchanged.These two people are ones that fill me with confidence and positive energy every time I see them.

I also had positive energy as the previous Monday I had helped tackle the winter blues by having my first Cricket Practice with my much-loved Cricket Club for the first time in nearly four years. That said I had energy flowing that I expended, among many other things, preparing Homemade Pizza.

On the player was the cathartic and wholly appropriate, bearing in mind it was a dreary January afternoon, final album by Nirvana "In Utero". When I first bought this record I found it little more than a collage of noise with the odd melody that is discernible. However it is a record that takes a few listens to reveal its extensive charms. All of the songs, with perhaps the overly 'shouty' "Tourettes" being the exception, are outstanding. The largely silent, twenty minute coda to timeless closer "All Apologies" seems at first to be unnecessary but after an album that hits hard it is almost as if the band wants the listener to have some quiet time to contemplate what a great and powerful record they have just heard.

The Pizza Ingredients, if you would like to make this one yourself readers, were as follows:

For the topping:

Five slices of Double Gloucester and Cheddar Cheese, each about five centimetres by five centimetres.
A Teaspoon of Mustard Seeds.
A Tablespoon of Dried Rosemary.
Two Rashers of Quorn Vegetarian Bacon cut into squares or rectangles.
Five tinned Artichoke Hearts.
Pine Nuts.

For the dough:

Ten Ounces of Wholemeal Bread Flour.
A heaped teaspoon of Yeast.
Three hundred milliliters of cold water.

The first job was to make the dough. I did this by stirring together the flour and yeast in a bowl. I then gradually added all the water. Once I'd done this I kneaded it vigorously and then rolled into a circle on a greased baking tray.

The next job was to make the topping. First I spread the Mustard Seeds and Rosemary out evenly on top of the dough and then crushed them into it with clenched fists. Next I put the Cheese Pieces on top evenly spacing them. The plan in doing this was that they would melt when cooking and bind the other elements of the topping together.

Then I put the Mock Bacon evenly on top of the Cheese and then spaced the Artichoke Hearts out on top. Finally I spread the Pine Nuts liberally throughout the topping.

I cooked the Pizza in the oven for twenty minutes on Gas Mark Six.

When I took it out of the oven the Cheese had melted and in doing so glued the other elements of the topping together beautifully. The smoked flavour of the Vegetarian Bacon was enhanced by the Mustard Seeds and Rosemary, two types of seasoning traditionally associated with Pork. The Artichokes meanwhile were savoury and fresh despite coming from a tin. The dough meanwhile was soft with a crispy edge to it.

Side of Pizza; the Artichoke Hearts sit atop the Vegetarian Bacon, Cheese and the Dough.