Pizza Porn

Before entering the oven:

After the heat:
I'm happy to say that this pizza tasted as good as it looks. Probably even better. A couple of days ago, I was in the mood to try out a new topping combo, so my friend Leah and I whipped up (read: put elbow grease into the labour-intensive process of making) the "Americana" pizza dough from Peter Reinhart's American Pie. If you are at all interested in making amazing pizza at home, invest in this book, a pizza stone, and a pizza peel. You won't regret it.

After the dough had sat for the requisite 24-hours in the fridge, I stretched it into something resembling a circle and layered on fresh pesto, pre-grilled zucchini and asparagus, and goat cheese. After 8 minutes in a 500 degree oven, I was in pizza heaven. Letting the dough rise in the fridge (per Reinhart's instructions) yields a crisp crust with complex flavours -- no floury, gummy, tasteless mouthfuls here. Further, the garlicky fresh flavour of the pesto melded perfectly with the charred, slightly nutty asparagus and zucchini. Not to mention the tangy, melty, goat cheese on top ... I love it when a simple combination of ingredients produces such a stellar meal. I think I have a new favourite pizza!