Pizza

Dough
I doubled a pizza dough recipe from Epicurious. I don’t have a food processor in Germany, so I made it all by hand and it was super easy. I spread the dough on a cookie sheet and made a rectangular pizza. Also, to make the crust crisp on the bottom I first cooked the crust in a hot oven (about 400 degrees) until the top turned lightly golden. Then I remove the pizza, add the topping and cooked until the cheese melted.

Caramelized Onion Pizza
• 5 onions cut in half, then thinly sliced from root to top
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• ½ cup grated mozzarella
• 32 anchovy filets
• 16 black olives, pit removed and cut in half

Cook onions in oil over a low heat in a medium-sized sauté pan until they are a rich, bark brown, aproximely 30 minutes.

Pre-bake the pizza crust as described above. Spread mustard over the top of the pizza dough. Evenly cover with cheese, then onions. Make “Xs” with two anchovy fillets. (My pan allows for four Xs across, three deep.) Place half and olive on either of each X. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Mushroom Pizza
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1 ½ cup shredded mozerella
• 10 mushrooms, sliced

Pre-bake the pizza crust as described above. Spread sauce over the top of the pizza dough. Evenly cover with cheese. Scatter with mushrooms. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Pizza Sauce
By slowly reducing the liquid, you get a lot of flavor and a sauce that is not too wet, which will protect the crispness of the crust.

• 1 onion finely diced
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons red wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• 2 cups pureed tomatoes

In a medium sized, heavy bottomed pot sauté the onion in olive oil until translucent, about three minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add red wine and cook until almost comely evaporated. Add tomato paste and dried herbs and cook for another minute. Pour in tomato puree. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce has reduced by half.

Turkey Cutlets With Caper Pan Sauce

In German supermarkets schnitzel cuts (thin pieces of turkey, beef, veal, or pork) are common. I love the turkey schnitzel for this dish since it cooks in a flash. If you can’t find schnitzel cuts, turkey or chicken breast filets pounded thin will also work.

• Four turkey cutlets
• ½ cup flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion finely diced
• ½ tablespoon anchovy paste
• ¼ cup sherry
• ½ cup chicken stock
• ½ tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons capers
• Salt and pepper

Lightly coat turkey cutlets in flour. Cook turkey in olive oil in a hot sauté pan on one side until it releases easily from the pan and is lightly browned, approximately three minuets. Cook on the second side for another two minutes. Remove cutlets from the pan and set aside.

Add onions and cook until translucent. Mix in anchovy paste then deglaze the pan with the sherry, scraping all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. When the sherry is almost evaporated, add the chicken stock. Bring stock to a boil, then lower the heat and allow the stock to reduce by half. Pour any juice that has collected on the plate with the turkey into the pan. Whisk in butter and then add the capers. Pour sauce over the cutlets and serve.

Pear Vinaigrette

I used an emulsion blender to make this vinaigrette. If you don't have one, a food processor or blender will also work.

1 pear, pealed and core removed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil

Puree the pear in a bowl using an emulsion blender. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper. With the blender running slowly pour in the olive oil.