Happiness is Found in a Slice of Pizza

Posted on January 21, 2023 by Dr. Christine Grimaldi

Apps-olutely the finest

Our New Cook Book !

Small Bites, Big Taste

Authors by: Dr. Christine Grimaldi & Scott Weisbrot

We decided to create a few different recipes for pizza appetizers, as newsmaker investigators, the first thing we investigated was where pizza was created.

Pizza originated from ancient civilizations such as the Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians who ate their bread in the form of flatbreads with toppings. In the 18th century, pizza was born in Naples, Italy as a cheap and simple dish for the poor. It was not until the late 19th century that pizza gained more respect and popularity, particularly when Italian Raffaele Esposito made a pizza for Queen Margherita in 1889, which was named after her and had the colors of the Italian flag as toppings. Pizza began to spread to other parts of the world, particularly in the United States, through Italian immigrants and the opening of pizzerias and pizza chains. Today, pizza is a beloved and popular fast food enjoyed by people all over the world.

We decided to do a taste among the appetizers we created. We created gluten-free dairy-free, and traditional options to create a pizza for all abilities. Then we did a taste test, and I must say that they all came in 1st place. It was interesting to experience different kinds of crust from naan bread “the Indian form of pizza.” From gluten to dairy-free to oil and fat full.

My favorite is the apple bacon pizza.

1 ball of pizza dough
½ cup (125 mL) white Sauce (recipe follows)
1 cup (250 mL) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons (30 mL) caramelized onions (recipe below)
1 teaspoon (5 mL) chopped fresh thyme
3 strips (3 ounces/85 g) bacon, cooked and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks (about ¼ cup/60 mL)
½ apple, cored and thinly sliced (we use Golden Delicious)
¼ cup (60 mL) grated smoked cheddar cheese, for garnish
5 fresh sage leaves, for garnish

Here are the instructions that will give you a recipe to make a pizza by using a pizza tray or stone. The recipe starts by preheating the oven to 550°F (290°C) and letting the pizza stone heat for an additional 30 minutes. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use a rimless baking sheet instead. Once the oven is preheated, the dough is stretched and placed on a floured pizza peel or rimless baking sheet, then topped with white sauce, mozzarella, caramelized onions, thyme, bacon, and apple slices. The pizza is then transferred to the preheated pizza stone or baking sheet and baked for 9 minutes (or 11 minutes if using a baking sheet), keeping a close eye on it. Once it’s done, it’s removed from the oven, garnished with smoked cheddar and sage leaves, sliced, and served immediately. To make it gluten and dairy free, you can substitute the cheese for vegan options or remove it from the recipe. There are so many gluten-free options for pizza dough. At Autisticana, we enjoyed chickpea, lentil, or cauliflower dough substitutes. Why don’t you enjoy and experience all the options there are out there for dietary restrictions.