International Pizza Day

February 9th is International Pizza Day!!!



Original Pizza dough dates back to antiquity and has roots in Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Modern pizza (with a tomato topping) was first served in 18th century Naples, Italy. Using tomatoes which were recently imported from the new world, and traditional buffalo milk mozzarella, modern style pizza was invented. Pizza Margherita was invented for Queen Margherita while she visited Naples. When she ordered a pizza to be delivered to the castle, it became the first every "delivery" pizza!






Why not celebrate International Pizza Day (or any other day) with my delicious and healthful recipe for Eggplant, Tomato, and Shallot Baby Calzones from my latest book, The Mediterannean Diabetes Cookbook, which will be available by the end of this month?


Keep in mind that you can double this recipe for calzone dough and sauce and freeze them so that you will have them ready for another occasion. The dough can also be fried into little balls and topped with fried sugar. These are known as pizze fritte, or zeppole in Italian. This dough can also be used to make pizza with the topping of your choice.

Ingredients:

Preparation:
1. To make the dough, fill a liquid measuring cup with 2/3 cup warm water. Add the yeast and sugar, and stir. Let sit for 5 minutes, until bubbles appear. (If bubbles do not appear and the yeast does not look frothy, it is no longer fresh. Use new yeast.)
2. Place the flours and 1 tsp salt into a large bowl. Pour in the yeast mixture and 1 tsp olive oil. Mix well to form a smooth dough, and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Knead dough for 5?10 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic. (If dough sticks to your hands, add more flour a tablespoon at a time until it no longer sticks.)
3. Lightly dust a bowl with flour and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel; let rise for 2 hours or until dough has doubled in volume.
4. Meanwhile, or the day before, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, stir, and cook for 2?3 minutes or until shallots are golden and tender. Stir in eggplant and tomatoes, and season with remaining 3/4 tsp salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until eggplant is tender. (This step can be done a day in advance.)
5. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Preheat oven to 425°F. When dough has risen, divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece out into a 10-inch circle. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into quarters, and shape each quarter into a circle. Place about 2 Tbsp filling in the middle of each circle. Lightly sprinkle some of the cheese on top. Fold the bottom half of the dough over the top. Press the edges of the dough over the filling to cover. Place on baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
6. Once all of the calzones are made and placed on baking sheets, brush the tops and sides with remaining olive oil. Using a knife, cut a small hole in the center of each so steam can escape. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

Healthy Living Tradition

The people in the Mediterranean region are able to get the most out of recipes by thinking of ways they can "extend" them into the future. This recipe has two easy time-saving uses so that in the time it takes to make this one recipe, you?ll be making three. For example, the stuffing makes a wonderful side dish on its own. The dough quantity can also be doubled. After rising, it can be shaped into a ball and frozen. It can be defrosted overnight in the refrigerator, rolled out, and used to make a pizza whenever you need it. The finished calzones can also be frozen.