Franco Manca

Despite the fact that there's a packet of Waitrose Four Cheese Ravioli in the fridge with today's date on, I thought perhaps it might be a good idea for me and Ben 10 to visit the pizza place in Brixton Market that's been getting spectacular reviews. I texted my dad-friend Michael and he and his daughter were on his bike and outside The Ritzy within half an hour. And it was properly bloody brilliant: a small selection of wood-fired, sourdough pizzas; zingy, organic, home-made lemonade at £1 a bottle; no pudding but Monmouth coffee.
Open 12 - 4pm, Mon - Sat.

Salty Sailor's Pizza

One of the oldest, classic pizzas, the Marinara, was made by the sailors using the foods they had on board ship such as flour, bottles of sauce, and preserved anchovies, olives and dried chillies. The basil, I admit is cheating a bit, but look, no cheese!
Basic Pizza Dough

Classic Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400g can whole plum tomatoes
big pinch dried oregano
pinch of sugar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a small pan and cook the shallot and garlic for 3 - 4 minutes until softened. Add the tomatoes, herbs, sugar and some salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil, partially cover with the pan lid and simmer very gently for 1 hour, stirring from time to time and breaking the tomatoes down with the back of the spoon until the sauce turns a shade of dark red and droplets of oil sit on the surface. Leave to cool a bit before spreading on the dough (or tossing with pasta and tons of Pecorino)

Hang On, This Record Is Good Too...

The Autumn Defense: Feel You Now (Broken Horse, 2007)
I know you don't spell "defence" like that, but these people are from Chicago and they don't know how to spell there. Anyway, this record is fantastic, lushly produced and full of hugely lovable pieces of what is best described as melodic soft rock. To be honest, it makes me wish I had some Bread albums. There are - at least - another five tracks as good (or, if you prefer, bad) as this on the album. I think it's great, but you probably worked that out for yourself already.

Bonus Chicago Fact: Silvana and I went to Chicago once. We had a Chicago "pizza pie" in what was recommended as the best "pizza pie" place in the city. It was revolting.

Wafer potato and Taleggio pizzas

When we were in New York just before Easter we shared this lovely slice of potato pizza. I’ve been thinking about making some ever since. I realise now that this is my fourth or fifth reference to pizza since we began this blog about six months ago so I clearly have yet another food addiction/obsession (hello cheese, cava, chocolate and pasta) that needs addressing.....

Serves 4
1 quantity of pizza dough
2 tbsp olive oil
350g red-skinned potatoes
leaves from 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g Taleggio, diced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Divide the dough into four then roll each piece into wafer-thin oval shape about 28cm long and brush with half the oil.

Using a a mandolin or food processor, cut the potatoes into wafer-thin slices and toss with the rosemary, garlic and remaining oil. Lay a single layer of potato on the dough bases and season with salt and plenty of black pepper.

Carefully transfer the ovals to a hot pizza stone or baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes. Scatter over the chunks of cheese and cook for a further 5 - 10 minutes until crisp and golden.

Basic pizza dough

250g strong plain flour

1/2 tsp table salt
7g sachet easy-blend yeast
2 tbsp olive oil

125ml warm water


Mix together the flour, salt and yeast then make a well in the centre. Add the oil and water and bring together to make a soft dough. Sprinkle over a little flour if the mixture feels too sticky but make sure it’s not dry.

Tip the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, sprinkling with flour when needed, until the dough is smooth and stretchy.

Rub some oil over the surface of the dough then place in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave for about an hour until the mixture has doubled.

Knead the dough for two minutes until the excess air is knocked out then roll out and top. Leave for 20 mins or so to rise while the oven gets hot. Bake.

Aunty Anna’s potato pizza

We arrived in Derby about midday to find it thick with fog and the trees still heavily coated in frost. There was a fire on in every room and within 15 minutes, we were scraping the bottom of our bowls of mum’s delicious leek and potato soup. At that point in came my sister Angela holding aloft a huge slab of Aunty Anna’s pizza that she’d watched her make and then waited for it to come out of the oven so she could bring it back still warm. This is how Angela said Aunty Anna made it. She rolled out a giant rectangle of pizza dough then scattered one half with grated Pecorino. On top of the cheese she spread potatoes mashed with onion and parsley then lay ham on top of the potato. She folded over the other half of the dough and tucked in the edges like a calzone. Then she lifted the whole thing into a hot oiled tray and drizzled the top with even more olive oil. It tasted like Italy.

Pizza Night

Saturday night in Landcroft House is often pizza night. Our Scrap, like every toddler I've ever met, is mad for pizza. I like the delivery people Firezza but Roberto's not keen and you know, I don't like to argue, so instead, I get the plainest ones Pizza Express do and add ham for Scrap and a few slices of chorizo and pickled chilli for us. And sometimes, if it hasn't been a hectic day, I make it from scratch.

* For a really good pizza dough use the Italian superfine ‘00’ flour. Otherwise, choose a plain, strong bread flour.

* Semolina is better than flour for rolling out the dough and gives a crispy bottom.

* The oven needs to be at least 200C before you put the pizza in

* There’s no place, ever, for chicken or beef on a pizza.

Basic pizza dough
250g strong plain flour
1/2 tsp table salt
7g sachet easy-blend yeast
2 tbsp olive oil
125ml warm water

Mix together the flour, salt and yeast then make a well in the centre. Add the oil and water and bring together to make a soft dough. Sprinkle over a little flour if the mixture feels too sticky but make sure it’s not dry.

Tip the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, sprinkling with flour when needed, until the dough is smooth and stretchy.

Rub some oil over the surface of the dough then place in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave for about an hour until the mixture has doubled.

Knead the dough for two minutes until the excess air is knocked out then roll out and top. Leave for 20 mins or so to rise while the oven gets hot. Bake.