The ANNOTICO Report
Of course, Top level , Fresh Ingredients are at the "core"
of Fine Italian
Cooking. But, without a Herb Garden
you can never hope to come even close to grandma.
Butterfield Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, Jun 07, 2005
Herbs are the "spice" of life in more ways than one.
The best solution for using many desirable herbs for cooking
is fairly
uncomplicated - grow them in your yard in the summer
or in a window box,
planter or pots inside in the summer or winter.
Grandson Bob and Granddaughters Emma and B, committed
4-Hers, are helping
with seeds for chervil (a favorite), sweet basil (another
favorite) and
curly leaved parsley on our balcony "garden." Herbs used
most in this
household are oregano, sweet marjoram, dill, parsley,
chervil, basil, thyme
and garlic.
According to the May issue of Canadian House and Homes'
Gardening Life
(what a title for a magazine!), the International Herb
Association chose
oregano (marjoram is an oregano) as herb of the year
for 2005.
It is an appropriate choice. North Americans use dried
oregano by the
bottle. This started with pizza popularity after World
War II.
In some areas, Italian and Greek immigrants brought oregano
seeds with
them, but American G.I.'s asking for them at the grocery
store caused
retail stores to stock it, according to Canadian House
and Homes' Gardening
Life.
Grandmother's herb garden (a typical southern garden plot,
near the
kitchen) boasted curly leaved parsley, dill, chives,
garlic, lavender,
several mints, tarragon, thyme, basil, winter and summer
savory and sage,
as well as some plants not for eating, but nary a sprig
of oregano.
When soldiers returned from Europe after WWII, with them
came a taste for
Mediterranean food, particularly pizza. Now, pizza may
or may not be an
Italian original. Some say it is a New York City invention;
however, the
first we ever tasted was during the Korean "conflict."
Husband Bob is a Marine and was stationed at Camp Geiger,
a branch of the
2nd Marine Division Force Troops at Camp Lejeune, North
Carolina. Our
next-door neighbor was salty career Marine Master Sergeant
Bert Gotowitz, a
New Yorker in thought, word and deed.
Bert was in Italy during WWII. He brought back the ability
to build the
best pizza we have ever eaten. We have tried, and I have
made, many, many
of these "tomato pies" since then. They are good, but
never as delicious as
Bert's.
Incidentally, Bert gave Italy credit for his pizza recipe, not New York.
He grew oregano and marjoram in pots in his kitchen and
basil outside, and
used fresh, chopped leaves from his plants to make pizza
for everybody in
our quadrangle. He would make pizza dough and press it
down in all our
(about 10 families) greased roaster pans. Next, he sprinkled
the dough with
a layer of finely fresh-grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
Bert then spooned generous amounts of thickened tomato
sauce simmered on
his stovetop over the grated cheese. The sauce contained
minced garlic,
finely chopped basil, oregano and marjoram leaves.
Bert browned country bulk sausage, crumbled it and scattered
it on the
tomato sauce. Next he sprinkled, sparingly, more chopped
basil, oregano,
marjoram and black pepper.
On top of all he spread shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese,
slices of
mozzarella cheese and a little bit of curly chopped parsley.
All the neighbors took their roaster pan full of pizza
home to bake. When
the pizzas were done we met to eat outside, behind our
ranch-style
connected apartments on picnic tables.
Bert always had huge tossed salads with homemade Italian
dressing
containing olive oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic and pepper.
Here is Bert's recipe, sort of. It is how this cook tried
desperately to
duplicate those delicious pizzas of 50 years ago so enjoyed
by a very young
Marine and his wife (who couldn't boil water at the time).
You just might
say Bert's pizza inspired this columnist to learn to
cook.
Bert declared that his fresh herbs - basil, oregano and
marjoram - made his
pizza outstanding.
Nearly Bert's Pizza
For the dough:
One pound of dough is about right. First make sponge:
€ 1/2 cup tepid water
€ 4 to 6 teaspoons dry yeast (2 packages dry yeast is fine)
€ 1/2 cup whole wheat or rye flour
Mix and let rise (it just sort of foams) for 30 minutes.
Add:
€ 1 cup tepid water
€ 2 tablespoons milk
€ 4 tablespoons good olive oil
€ 3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Mix well. Knead in mixer with dough hook or large food
processor if
possible, as this is moist dough.
Turn out on floured board. Knead by hand. Add flour if
necessary but try
not to use much more flour, as moist dough makes a crisper
and lighter
crust.
Let rise, covered with a damp dish towel, for about 2
hours. Punch dough
down and let it rise about 40 more minutes. Actually,
overnight in the
refrigerator is fine.
Punch down and press flat into 2 oiled 12-inch pizza pans
OR 1 oiled
roaster pan. Allow edges to roll up about a 1/2 inch
to make a rim.
Bake crust for 5 or 6 minutes before adding tomato sauce,
at about 450 F in
a preheated oven.
For the sauce:
€ 1 1/2 pounds bulk sausage, hot, medium, mild or sage, as you please
€ 28 ounces crushed, canned plum tomatoes
€ 1 small can tomato sauce
€ 1 small can tomato paste (new, healthy addition - optional)
€ 1 tablespoon crushed garlic or to taste
€ 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano leaves to taste or 1/2 teaspoon dried
€ 1 teaspoon chopped sweet marjoram leaves to taste or 1/4 dried
€ 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped basil or 2 teaspoons dried
€ Red pepper flakes to taste
€ Black pepper to taste
€ 2 tablespoons olive oil
Brown sausage in a large saucepan. Remove to paper towels
to drain. Pour
off grease.
Add next 10 ingredients to pan. Stir frequently, as tomatoes
will scorch.
Bring sauce to a boil. Turn heat back and allow tomato
sauce to simmer.
Continue to stir often. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken.
Set aside when desired thickness is reached.
For cheese layers:
€ 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
€ 2 cups shredded extra sharp, sharp, mild cheddar or
Colby, fontina,
mozzarella or provolone cheese
€ Parsley, more oregano, marjoram and basil, finely chopped
Scatter Parmesan over bottom of pizza crust. Spoon tomato
sauce over
Parmesan. Scatter sausage crumbles over sauce. Layer
grated cheese over
sausage. Sprinkle a little chopped basil, oregano and
marjoram over cheese.
Bake at 450 F or 500 F on bottom rung of preheated oven
for 12 to 15
minutes or until hot, bubbly and crusty.
Optional toppings: thinly sliced pepperoni, browned and
crumbled ground
beef, bell pepper rings, thin slices of onion, thin slices
of fresh
mushrooms.