Thanksgiving, Turkey, Rib Roast, Wallpaper.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends, to all Canadians everywhere of course. I hope you have lots to be thankful for.

We cooked turkey on Saturday (we bowl today) and did not have Pumpkin pie, I have mentioned before, I don’t like it but do love Pumpkin Soup which I used to make a lot but haven’t made in some years, I don’t know why. I always started with a fresh, large, pumpkin which Matt would cut up for me and then I would microwave before I started working with it.

This is how I used to serve it, the pumpkin works as a great insulator and keeps the soup nice and warm; by the time you have finished, you can scoop out the remaining flesh, which is partly cooked, and make more soup with it. The first time I ever came across this was in Malta at the yacht club where they were having a barbecue, I was very impressed. It was a great barbecue too.

I thoroughly enjoyed my turkey dinner on Saturday, by the way. I even enjoyed the Pinot Grigio we had with it. Bearing in mind all the things I haven’t been enjoying lately, that was something of a relief. I got Matt to pick up two rib roasts which were on special – he cannot understand that I have gone off fillet (for the moment anyway) and yet can look forward to a roast. To me there is quite a difference in flavour but Matt can’t see it. Ours were not as big as in the picture, but an ideal size for the two of us, with cap off too. By the time the roast has been stuffed with garlic, dry roasted in the oven and then served with gravy and Yorkshire puds, it won’t taste one bit like a fillet steak. I eat horseradish with my roast beef too which Matt doesn’t. I used to do the same with my fillets as well. Then I started making sauces such as in Steak Diane all to cover up the flavour somewhat. Lets hope my synthroid will improve this situation.

I found the cutest wallpaper on Saturday. It was a young wolf cub looking as though he is trying to imitate his parents’ howling. I love it.

But then I am nutty about wolves, there are some great background pictures of wolves on the site where I got this, How To Geek.

Now this recipe reminds me of what I call real pizza as found in Italy, not the heavily over flavoured (in my opinion) pies sold in North America. Might need a few olives thrown in. I rarely eat pizza these days although I used to when in Italy. There is a link to the pizza dough required to make this recipe.

Pizza with Yellow Pepper and Capers

Source: Casual Cuisines of the World - Pizzeria

Yield: Makes one 9-inch pizza

This pizza recalls late night summer meals taken on the large outdoor terraces of country pizzerias in Italy's fabled south. Sweet yellow peppers are combined with mozzarella, capers and tomatoes for an exceptionally pretty pie. An amber beer, icy from the cooler, is the ideal accompaniment.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

1/2 recipe Neapolitan pizza dough, completed through the second rising
all-purpose flour for dusting
1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 ripe plum (Roma) tomato, cut in half lengthwise and then into slices 1/4 inch thick
1/2 large, meaty yellow bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and cut lengthwise into narrow strips
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed and drained
salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Other necessary recipes:
Neapolitan Pizza Dough

DIRECTIONS
Place a pizza stone or unglazed terra-cotta tiles on the lowest rack of an oven. Preheat to 500°F.
Place the ball of dough on a lightly floured pizza peel or rimless baking sheet. Sprinkle a little more flour on the top of the dough and, using your fingertips, press evenly into a round, flat disk about 1 1/2 inches thick and 5 inches in diameter. Lift the dough and gently stretch it with your fingers and then over the backs of your fists, using the weight of the dough to allow it to grow in size. While you are stretching the dough, gently rotate the disk. Continue stretching and rotating the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick and 9 inches in diameter and has a rim about 1/2 inch thick. Try not to let the center of the disk become too thin in comparison to the edges. Dust the peel or baking sheet with more flour and gently lay the disk in the center.
Arrange the mozzarella evenly on the pizza dough. Top with the tomato slices, pepper strips and capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Gently shake the peel or baking sheet back and forth to make sure the pizza has not stuck to it. If it has, gently lift off the stuck section and sprinkle a little more flour underneath. Using the peel or baking sheet like a large spatula, quickly slide the pizza onto the hot pizza stone or tiles.

Bake until the edges are golden and crisp, 8-9 minutes. Remove the pizza with a large metal spatula and slide it onto a dinner plate. Sprinkle with the parsley, drizzle with additional olive oil, if desired, and serve at once.

Have a great day