Culinary Epiphanies

During the planning stages of this exchange, I assumed I would be spending my free time on the computer learning all sort of new tricks. Instead, I find myself using my time to explore new frontiers in the kitchen. I don't have a lot of gadgets to play with but I've discovered that as long as you have a few basics - good knives, wooden spoons, a spatula, a whisk, an immersion blender and a hand mixer - you can achieve a lot in the kitchen. Another tool I use frequently is a food processor I found at Vinnie's (a thrift store that the Aussies call an Op Shop) for $10. It's missing a few of the safety guards but that's ok - the blades are sharp and I like living on the edge. 

To date, I have made tortillas, croissants, perogies, pastry and scads and scads of pizza dough. Thank God none of us are gluten intolerant. Now that I've had the opportunity to try pizza dough a few times and experiment with recipes, I don't think I'll ever go back to store bought.

So, here's a challenge for all of you. 

When you get home from work/school/the beach, mix together:

• 1 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 package of yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups of flour

Put the ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a tea towel (preferably clean, but the dirty one beside the stove might lend a certain je ne c'est quoi to the flavour). Let it sit in a sunny spot for an hour or so while you wrangle kids/do the laundry/down a bottle of merlot. When you come back, it should have doubled in size. Give it a good hard punch in the gut (see, isn't this therapeutic?), knead it a few times on a floured surface and let it sit another 20 mins. 

Yes, that's another glass of wine. 

Now it's ready to be rolled out into four roundish pizza shapes. Make sure to roll it out on a lightly floured surface and if you don't have a rolling pin, that merlot bottle will serve nicely. Gather the kids, let them put their own toppings on their own pizza shells, and bake in a moderately hot oven - the pizzas, not the kids - until they look like they're done. Let them sit for a few minutes before you slice and voilà. Dinner is served. Open another bottle of wine.