What we've been gobbling...

It's been a while since my last post. I've been busy painting, decorating and the likes. In the last couple of weeks, we've painted our kitchen, sitting room and spare room. Really happy with the results. It makes the place so much more comfortable. I'll post some photos up when I've tidied the place. I'm sorting out my messy wardrobe at the moment and, as a result, every other room has become my temporary clothes storage area. I plan to hit eBay with some of the articles of clothing that resulted in a messy, bulging wardrobe (with broken hinges).

I've been a bit lazy with my cooking recently. I don't know why but I'm just not 'feeling it' recently. Maybe it's the messiness of my surroundings. I need a cleaner. I will never understand how one small place can get so incredibly messy. I think there's a dirt monster lurking around here somewhere.

So, after my cleaning session this evening, I plan to make a nice pasta a la carbonara. Hopefully, that will get the idiomatic ball rolling :) Here are some of the culinary delights we've devoured since I last posted:

Kahlua Crumbly Chocolate Chip cookies. I adapted Dorie Greenspan's recipe for World Peace/Korova Cookies to suit my alcoholic needs. I used kahlua instead of the suggested vanilla extract. I also used Lindt 85% cocoa as my chocolate pieces of choice. These cookies are heaven for the chocoholic. They were a little awkward to make (the cookie dough was not so much a dough as it was a crumble) but definitely worth the effort. I suggest a little kahlua in ice cold milk to facilitate extreme dunking pleasure.

My Pepperoni Pizza. I know I swore I'd never try another pizza base after finding the perfect thin crust recipe...but this time, I didn't have 24 hours to spare and wanted a quick-fix. I used Mary Berry's Ultimate Cookbook this time. Topped with pepperoni, mushrooms, red peppers, onions and cheese, this pizza satisfied our craving. The base wasn't how I'd usually like it - similar to Domino's thick crust pizza base - but it was tasty and quick.

I made this fruity creamy sponge the other night. We had some blueberries and strawberries, so I used them for a syrup and fresh fruit topping. Of course, the addition of a splash of brandy to the syrup was a must. I poured 3/4 of the syrup over the base of my sponge (for which I used my cupcake recipe - 150g of flour, butter, sugar, eggs) topped it with whipped cream, fruit and the remaining syrup. Sometimes the recipes that present the least amount of difficulty taste best!
 

Prawn and Avocado Cocktail. I found this Gordon Ramsay recipe on Channel 4 Food.  Good summer eating.









That's all for now kids! Now down to the tidying...!

Happy eating!

Baileys Treats

I love Baileys but always find it too sweet to enjoy straight. I usually drink mine mixed with lots of ice cold milk. Mmmm!

I've been trying to implement its creamy alcoholic goodness into baking; last week, I tried chocolate baileys cupcakes (adding 100ml of baileys to batter instead of 100ml of milk) with grilled meringue topping. They were nice but lacked depth.

Today, I decided to try Mocha cupcakes with Baileys buttercream. I didn't work from a recipe but you could use my cupcake recipe below as a general guideline (only excpetion being the addition of cocoa powder to flour and 3 tsps of instant coffee). For the buttercream frosting, I creamed (roughly) 3oz butter, added approx. 1 cup of icing sugar. Then when the mixture seemed well combined, I added another cup of icing sugar and 1 bottle cap (-ish...in reality, I may have added twice that ;)) of Baileys original. Make sure your buttercream is well-combined, fluffy and of spreading texture. If your mix has liquified too much (it shouldn't), add more icing sugar.

Ice your delicious mocha cupcakes with Baileys buttercream using a piping bag. I did this (very messily) using a zip plastic bag, snipping one corner.

Dust with cocoa powder.

Enjoy!

PS I know my piping work sucks.
PPS They resemble poo cakes. Google it.

Cups of Cake

My sister, Emma, and I set out to make the best damn cupcakes imaginable yesterday. We were pretty happy with the results. The pretty chocolate hearts and floral arrangements are the fruits of Emma's creativity.I tried making some chocolate leaves but they fell apart (the dodgy, broken parts are hidden in the meringue).

You'll need the following ingredients for delicious, fluffy cupcakes. I think this might just be the best cupcake mixture I've ever tried. This recipe will make about 12 cupcakes.

150g Self-Raising Flour (replace 2 tbsps with sifted cocoa powder if you prefer the chocolate variety)
150g Caster Sugar
150g Sugar
3 Eggs
A splash of Vanilla Essence
A drop of low-fat milk (can be omitted if desired consistency is reached)

Method:

Preheat oven to  375°F, 190°C. Line a cupcake tray with bun cases.

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until beautifully pale and fluffy. Do this with an electric mixer unless you want to build up some kick-ass bicep muscle. I pump enough iron everyday, so I chose the easy way out in the fear that my extreme muscles might in fact change the mixture into a different form or even break a defenseless whisk. Next, add the eggs gradually, whisking well in between. After the addition of the eggs and a splash of vanilla essence, your mixture should be delightfully glossy. Now is the time to add your flour. I like to fold in half of the required amount first. Make sure it's well combined, then add the remaining flour. If the mixture seems too dry, add a splash of milk to loosen it up. Your desired consistency is a thick batter that will gloop off your spoon with a gentle tapping.

Divide mixture between 12 bun cases. Each case should be 3/4 full. I like to swirl the mixture, creating a little peak.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool and ice with your topping of choice. I chose a meringue topping with raspberries, white chocolate and strawberries for my little cakes. I found great directions for meringue topping here.

We lost one in the process of icing. Please do be careful as this can be devastating for any cupcake lover. You can't afford to lose any of these precious cakes. I considered licking it off the floor but I was being watched.

Because the cupcakes were devoured so quickly, I didn't have the chance to make some lemon meringue-inspired ones. I had planned to cut out a tsp of cupcake, fill with lemon curd, replace sponge, then add meringue topping. But ravenous hunger ensued and resulted in satisfaction of the belly and the senses...and crumbs.

Tasty Bessie followed by BFG

It was Darragh's Birthday yesterday, so I set out to cook him a Birthday feast. He dropped some subtle hints (by subtle, I mean not so subtle - ie. he told me outright numerous times) that his meal of choice would be a fusion of duck and black forest gateau. Instead of trying to create some crazy meal integrating both elements as one main course (although I did think black cherry duck would work quite well), I chose peking duck for our main course and BFG for dessert. Both recipes are the creative genius of others, I must add.

I found a really good recipe for peking duck by Ken Hom. There's a three part video tutorial of his recipe on youtube. I had never cooked duck before and was quite intimidated by the task ahead. I also made a fool of myself while buying the bird from the butcher. I thought I'd have to clean out giblets (something else which I have never done) and asked if they could remove the necessary goopiness for me. The butcher replied "certainly" and with that he simply removed a little plastic pouch from the duck. That was all there was to it. I was very embarrassed. I have no problem with cleaning out goopiness per se, it's just the fear of not doing it right or leaving some behind. I'm a brave cook, damn it.

Duck Pancake

Anyway, I brought my 2kg duckling home and hung it as Ken suggested. This is the point where the pain began. I knew it would not be long before little Bessie (as I christened her) would be served up on a plate. I guess my first mistake was naming her. This sealed our emotional attachment. Darragh would call throughout the day and ask "how's Bessie doing?" She was now part of our lives. I even found myself getting up early yesterday morning to bathe her (bathe her in the marinade sense). When the time came to say goodbye (yesterday evening at 5.45pm to be exact), it was heart-wrenching. I felt extreme guilt by my delight in opening the oven after 90 mins and finding a crispy, juicy Bessie ready for our ingestion. I really did, genuinely, feel guilty. I have tried Vegetarianism on numerous occasions but I'm weak. Anyway, I guess my only consolation is the knowledge that the sacrifice of her life did serve some purpose...

Hoisin Fingernails

 Ok, moving on to the BFG. It turned out wonderfully. I found the perfect recipe at Antics of a Cycling Cook. We'll be eating it for the next month (or more like the next 2 days judging by past performance). I love the addition of chocolate shards instead of the slightly kitsch chocolate curls. They add ruggedness -- that's what you want in a cake: chocolate and ruggedness.

Both recipes worked beautifully and made for a regal feast. I suggest you try them.

Leftover idea: Peking Duck Stir-Fry. Just fry any remaining meat in 1tbsp of toasted sesame oil. Add vegetables of your choice. Stir fry for a few minutes and then add the peking sauce. For mine, I used 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil, 5tbsp of hoi sin dipping sauce, 2 tbsp of dark soy sauce, about 2tsp of granulated sugar, a splash of boiling water. Bring to the boil. Then add cornflour (1 tbsp made into paste with a splash of water). Add your sauce, bubble for a minute and devour! Serve with rice and some leftover Chinese pancakes.

Really Easy Fettuccine Recipe

On the (Vegetarian) menu tonight...

Fettuccine with Tomatoes


This recipe is a classic. I'm not claiming sole creative ownership of it; I first tasted it in Italy and could not believe how something so simple could be so delicious and satisfying. Simple food is sometimes best.

I like to serve it with homemade garlic bread (preferably white crusty bread). We only had a brown loaf in the kitchen this evening. So I didn't let it go to waste. I like to crush 2 cloves of garlic and add it to about 2 tbsps of real butter. I toast the bread, then smother it with buttery goodness. I added some corriander too - I would usually use flat leaf parsley but we didn't have any. Corriander tastes equally as good though.





This serves 2 hungry people (savages).
What you'll need:

Fettuccine
A little olive oil (doesn't need very much, as tomatoes are bursting with juice)
1/2 can of Chopped Tomatoes
Some fresh Cherry Tomatoes (I used about 16)
3 cloves of Garlic (crushed)
1 Red Onion (chopped)
Splash of red wine and Worcester sauce



To Serve: Grated Parmesan and Fresh Basil

Directions for the sauce:

Heat oil in pan. Pierce cherry tomatoes with fork. Add to oil. Press gently with fork to release juices. To this, add onion and garlic. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add 1/2 can of chopped tomatoes. To this, add wine and Worcester sauce. Bring to boil and then simmer for about 20-25 minutes (or until sauce has reduced and thickened). Season with salt and pepper.

Stir through hot fettucine. Add some basil leaves. Serve in a large bowl. Sprinkle with a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese. EAT.

Update from The Good Coffee Trail

Today, I visited a new café in Galway called The Grainstore. For those of you who are from or familiar with Galway, it's on Lower Abbeygate Street. The look of the place has appealed to me since it first opened. It's a beautiful old building (presumably an old grainstore!) with its original stonework intact. Downstairs, there's a fab Deli with lots of assorted meats, breads and other fine foods you would expect to find in a delicatessen. Upstairs, there's a café. The 'country kitchen' style interior is light and airy and houses scores of edible treasures.

One such treasure is their Homemade Lemon and Poppyseed cake. What can I say?! I'm hooked. I love anything with lemon but this was really delicious. It ticked all of my boxes: light, spongy, moist and lemon zinginess! It was nicely presented, served with a little ramekin of whipped cream. Anyway, enough obsessing about the cake; down to my serious work...the coffee test.

They use Mocha Beans coffee here. I ordered my usual Americano. The initial signs were all good: dark and creamy before the addition of milk. To taste, it was smooth, rich and nutty. I did get a slight cigarette-y taste somewhere in there but it was mild enough to be enjoyable. Alas, I did not have the full, paper-cup experience this time.  I think it may have reflected badly upon me if I had requested a paper cup while actually sitting in the restaurant.

It really is worth a visit if you're in town and looking for somewhere that serves honest, fresh food. I haven't been there for lunch as yet but I did eye-up the food of others while I was there. I know. I hate people who look at my food but I have come to the realisation that I, myself, am one of those dreaded nosy onlookers. I'm sorry. I can't help it. Anyway, the food looks pretty amazing. I hear their 'roast in a roll' is a sell-out. Mmmm...what a perfect marriage.

Overall, delicious coffee (I'd say a 9/10 on the coff-o-meter with one mark deducted because of that slight cigarette-y undertone...but that's just a matter of personal preference), scrumptuous cake and relaxed surroundings.

Darragh's Gloriously Green Manalishi Thai Curry

Darragh cooked dinner tonight and I sure am glad he did. Take a look; the results speak for themselves. We love Thai curries. I always mess them up though. Last time, I added too much fish sauce. Rookie mistake. It turned out to be more of a 'deep brown curry' than a gloriously green one. Darragh is quite the delicate cook, so he wouldn't make a mistake like this! Actually, I do believe this was the first meal he cooked for me. It was all part of his elaborate wooing game. ...And it worked! ;)

Anyway, back to business. He served it with basmati rice; I love basmati mainly because of its wonderful fragrance. Naan bread is also another 'must' for our green curries. There's plenty of bread soakage to be done! I like to have a wedge of lime nearby for an extra zing.

Here's how Darragh makes it:

What he uses:

1 tbsp Olive Oil
Chopped Peppers - 1 red, 1 yellow, 1/2 green (we don't like green so much. More evidence of our food racism, I'm afraid)
1 clove Garlic (crushed)
1 large Red Onion (chopped)
1 Red Chilli (de-seeded and chopped)
1 stalk of Lemongrass (squashed)
2 Breasts of Chicken (cut into strips)
1 Lime
2 tbsp Green Curry Paste (we used Blue Dragon)
1 can Coconut Milk  
A splash (Note to Laura: just a splash!) of Fish Sauce
Another splash of Soy Sauce 
A generous handful of Corriander

 Naan Bread and Basmati/ Jasmine Rice to serve.


Directions:
Heat the olive oil in wok. Add onions and garlic. Cook for a minute, add chopped chillies, then add the curry paste. To this, add the stalk of lemongrass. You can add another stalk if you like a stronger flavour.

Reducing the heat slightly, add your chicken strips. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Then add your can of coconut milk, a splash of soy and fish sauce. Gently stir the mixture and simmer for about 20 minutes. By this time, the mixture will have thickened slightly. While waiting for your curry, put on a pot of Basmati or Jasmine rice. Remember to rinse the Basmati a few times before cooking (until water is no longer cloudy).

After 20 minutes have passed, take your curry off the heat. Add a squeeze of lime and a handful of corriander. Add seasoning according to taste. Rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serve in a nice big bowl and dig in with a spoon! Wipe bowl clean with Naan bread. Lie back, rub belly and smile.

Mama Rice's Delicious Scones

My Mam came to visit yesterday and lent a helping hand with my scone baking. My mam's scones are much revered and very, very tasty. So, I was very appreciative of the scone wisdom she shared with me. Given the scone education class and the stuffing of my face with the truffles I made Saturday, my Sunday was both physically and mentally taxing.

I didn't actually take note of exact measurements while preparing the scone mix. So I will set out a recipe of approximations below. My Mam doesn't believe in measuring ingredients anyway. I feel she's right too; it's sometimes better to work by feel.

Anyway, here goes.

We used:
Approx. 2 cups Self-Raising Flour
Approx. 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar (I used cinnamon-infused sugar. I always like to keep vanilla sugar and cinnamon sugar in the kitchen)
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Sultanas
3 oz Butter (cut into cubes)
1 Egg, beaten
Approx. 1/2 cup Milk
2 tbsp Sour Cream

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C. It's essential to have the oven nice at quite a high temperature for scone baking.

Sift the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt) into a large bowl. To this dry mixture, add the cubes of butter. Rub the butter into flour mix until you have an even breadcrumb-like consistency. When this is achieved, stir in the sultanas.

Now, it's time to get messy! Combine the beaten egg and milk and add most of it to the dry mix (omit about a teaspoon for eggwash purposes!).  Next, add the sour cream. Using a wooden spoon (or your electric mixer), stir until all ingredients are combined. If you find your mixture is too sticky, add a little more flour. Don't over-mix.

Empty onto on a floured surface. Shape dough into circles or squares. I use a glass tumbler as my cutter of choice. They should be about 1"-1 1/2" thick.

Place scones on a baking tray lined with baking parchment and brush each with remaining egg and milk mixture. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Serve warm with butter and jam. Though, I think they're equally as good with just butter.

Mmmm....delicious!

My New Obsession

Ancient Astronomers and Erich Von Daniken

I have recently become fascinated by the works of Erich Von Daniken and his theory that this earth was visited by extra terrestrials in Ancient times. Such a theory may seem outlandish to some but, to me, the outright rejection of same is equally bizarre. Von Daniken's theory certainly provides food for thought and could possibly shed light on architectural mysteries of the world. For example, Von Daniken theorizes that the Egyptians did not build the Pyramids of Giza by the aid of some 'lost technology' but that the pyramids were constructed with the aid of more advanced, extra terrestrial visitors (whom ancient civilisations looked upon as their 'gods'). Then, there's the mystery of the Andes lines in Nazca which is truly absorbing.

Anyway, as you can tell, I've become utterly obsessed with the subject. I ordered three books from Kenny's online (www.kennys.ie), which incidentally provide fantastic service (free shipping worldwide!). Return To The Stars by Erich Von Daniken was a must. I also ordered Pathway To The Gods: The Mystery of The Andes Lines by Tony Morrison and a really cool book of Greek and Roman myths by H.A. Guerber. I haven't started any of the above yet as Darragh and I are fighting over who's first for Return to The Stars; he too is a Von Daniken enthusiast! Maybe we can organise shared custody: I'll read it when he's in work. (",)

Von Daniken has really inspired me to delve deeer into ancient literature and search for clues affirming his theory. Actually, I do remember (before ever hearing of Chariots of the Gods or its premise) when reading Gilgamesh that a passage about the descent of the goddess, Ishtar, sounded suspiciously akin to the descending of an extra terrestrial visitor to earth. I'd love to somehow implement this area into my coursework. This could be the start of something beautiful. (",) I'll report back on this when I've finished reading the book. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Has anyone out there read any of Van Daniken's books? 

 Image above from www.skeptic.com

Chocolate and Rosemary Truffles

On the menu for tonight is quite a strange sweet concoction - chocolate and herbs, rosemary to be exact. Why not?

A few months ago, I tried an Ancient Roman dessert recipe for 'Sweet Pepper Cake' from the book of Apicius. I was surprised to find that the Romans used a lot of rosemary in their sweet food. It turns out to be quite the pairing actually! The smoothness of the chocolate works well with the freshness of rosemary.

This recipe will make about 20 truffles.

You will need:

200ml Single Cream

250g Good Quality Chocolate (I used Green & Black's Organic Milk Chocolate)

1-2 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

Cocoa for topping

Another topping of your choice (I used crushed Cadbury's white buttons)

Directions:

Boil kettle. Break chocolate into squares. Melt in pyrex dish over saucepan of water you've just boiled. There's no need for any additional heat: the heat from the water below will melt the chocolate slowly. Stir until smooth and glossy. Mmmm.

Now, grab a small saucepan and pour in the single cream and add your sprig(s) of rosemary. Bring the cream to the boil, take off heat and allow to rest for 2 mins. Repeat this step. This will give you a nicely infused cream. 

Grab a sieve. When your cream has cooled slightly, pour gradually through the sieve into melted chocolate mixture, stirring until the mixture is combined. Push the cream through with the aid of a trusty spoon (leaving rosemary behind). The combined mixture should leave you with a dark, glossy consistency. 

Refridgerate your chocolate until set. This took about 2 hours.

Now for the fun part: rolling! If you have a melon ball scoop, this will come in very handy for this step. Otherwise, just use a spoon. Scoop out some chocolate and roll into a ball shape in the palm of your hand. I find it useful to keep some ice water nearby (hot hands and truffles are not friends). The rolling process seems to work best with cool, dry palms! When you're happy with your rolled chocolate ball, dunk them in a bowl of sieved cocoa (or topping of your choice). Ensure complete coverage.

Place in a nice little gift box, on a nice serving plate...or gobble up in a highly undignified manner! I did the latter (note four truffles missing from the second picture above) but saved some for gifts. I made a simple little origami box for this purpose. You can find great instructions here.

Rosemary and Chocolate...what a match!

Champions of The Coffee World

I love coffee. Not just any coffee though; I'm very particular. I am not a coffee connoisseur but I know what I like. I like to pre-judge a coffee by its colour [does that make me a coffee racist? :(] and that creaminess you get from a fresh brew before the addition of milk. I like a rich, smooth blend without those strong cigarette-y tones (you know the ones).

My search for the champion of coffees has led me to just about every café in Galway city. My preferred coffee station right now is a little place on Shop Street called 'The Chocolate Box.' My coffee of choice is a  16oz Americano. Their blend is so, so smooth. It goes down too easily. If I worked there, I would most definitely develop a full-blown, socially debilitating coffee problem. I'd hang out in the back of the café, ignoring all others, just drinking copious cups of coffee. I have to admit that their beautiful blue damask cups are a little part of the appeal. Take a look for yourself. Beautiful! The drinking from a paper cup in itself also adds to my coffee experience. In fact, I prefer drinking from paper cups than regular ceramic cups or mugs. Is that weird? Darragh finds the paper cup experience quite unpleasant. He doesn't like papery sogginess. I, personally, don't have a problem with sogginess.

Anyway, I've set myself a mission. From this day forward, my mission will involve drinking and rating lots of coffee (I'm such a martyr to the coffee bean). I will post my daily coffee results online (complete with snaps of the all-important paper cup). It will be a tough mission and I may explode from too much coffee but I think the results will speak for themselves.

If anyone out there (there has to be somebody out there) has any suggestions, do share.

What do you look for in a coffee?

Pizza Mia!

For years now, I've been trying to find a good pizza dough recipe; one that yields a nice, thin, crispy base (which is, in my opinion, the way it should be). Anyway, I've tried and tried without much success. Though the results of all of my attempts were edible, they just didn't taste like 'pizza parlour pizza'.

Today, I think I've found a winner. I call it my 'Popeye Pizza.'

Note: This pizza dough requires 24 hours resting time in the fridge. I cannot stress how important this is; I believe ignoring this direction was my initial downfall. Having tried and suffered the disappointing results of 'quick' doughs, I can truly say that patience is key.

It will make two medium pizzas (13").

Cooking Time: 10-15 mins.

Ok, let's start with the dough.


You will need:


3 cups Plain Flour
1 heaped tsp Active Dry Yeast
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Approx. 3/4 cup Tepid Water 
FOR LATER: Semolina Flour (for dusting)


Directions:
Mix the yeast, water, oil, sugar and salt together. I mixed them on a low speed in my (lovely Kenwood) Patissier mixer until the yeast was dissolved. This took about 3 mins. 


Next, gradually add the flour (while mixer is still on low speed). Let the mixer work it's magic in converting all of those ingredients into a lovely dough ball. The mix should form an elastic ball, leaving the sides of the mixing bowl clean. If you feel your mix is either too dry or too wet, add a little more flour or water.


There is no need to knead (do you get it? No NEED to KNEAD! Man, my jokes are on FIRE today!). Ahem...ok, just shape the dough into a ball, put it in a mixing bowl and lightly cover this with cling film. Pop the bowl in the fridge and try to forget about it until tomorrow. Thus commencing the most difficult step in the preparation of this pizza...the waiting game. Tick tock, tick tock!

FAST FORWARD (*zzzzip* - eh, not the sound of a trousers zip but a zip suggestive of time having passed. Perhaps *zzzoom* is more apt? I don't know).


Your dough is now ready for the next stage (I was ecstatic when the 24 hour waiting stint had passed). I would advise turning on some cheery music right about now. It's a lovely process and music could only add to that pleasantness! I chose Alela Diane.


Divide your dough into two. Save one half for your next pizza. 

With a trusty rolling pin, roll out your dough (very thinly) on a lightly dusted surface. I found this much easier than the recipes I tried in the past; this dough allows for a nice even roll and doesn't break easily when thin. It should be quite elastic and withstand gentle stretching. Roll (and stretch accordingly) into the best damn round pizza you can manage. Sprinkle some semolina flour over your base. Place your dough on parchment lined tray or pizza stone. I baked it on a 13" pizza tray lined with baking parchment (I've been looking everywhere for a pizza stone. No luck yet). I left a crust of about an inch around the edges (pinch the dough upwards to create a 'lipped' crust). For my next step, I grabbed a fork for some pizza stabbing action. Pierce your lovely smooth dough (it seems a shame) several times to prevent it from ballooning in the oven. Leave your tray aside. Now's the time to prepare your homemade sauce.

Pre-heat your oven to 250°C.

For the sauce, I used:

1 can Chopped Tomatoes
Approx. 2 tsp Tomato Purée (for thickness) 
1 Red Onion, chopped.
1 tsp Garlic Granules (alternatively, 3-4 crushed garlic cloves)
1 tsp Mixed Herbs (rosemary, oregano, thyme)
1 tsp Salt 
1 tsp Sugar
A Splash of red wine
  
Heat 2 tsps of olive oil in pan. When hot, add the onion. Fry until soft and slightly transluscent. Next, add the chopped tomatoes. To this, add tomato purée. Follow by adding the garlic, herbs, salt and sugar. Lastly, add the wine. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently until the sauce thickens. This should take about 20 mins. Allow to cool.


While waiting for your sauce to cool, pop your pizza dough in the oven for about four minutes. This will allow for a crispy base. Pop any giant bubbles!

Now, spread your tomato sauce over the pizza base (do be generous). 

Finish with toppings and cheese of your choice. For my 'Popeye Pizza,' I used some chorizo slices, strips of parma ham, sliced buffalo mozarella and grated mozarella. I baked my pizza in the oven for about 12 mins (rotating it half-way through cooking time), allowed it to cool and then added a generous handful of baby spinach on top. Hence, my Popeye reference!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Never again will I search for another thin-crust recipe. I have chosen this as my winner. My life is now complete.