All in Pizza

Eggplant Pan Pizza

Eggplant Pan Pizza

Leila
Dinner, Pizza, Vegetarian, Yeast Bread

Although it's really a fruit, eggplant is still one of my favorite vegetables.  Tom Brady might not eat it because it's a nightshade and therefore causes "inflammation," but I'm not a professional athlete so I don't mind.

Anyways, as much as I love Eggplant Parmesan, sometimes I think the crisp beauty of the breaded eggplant gets lost underneath all the sauce and cheese.  In my opinion, breaded eggplant is at its best when I can truly taste the crunchiness of the breading (made even crunchier with panko breadcrumbs!), so that's why I love my breaded eggplant atop a pizza.  The key is to slice the eggplant thin; otherwise you'll have too much topping, and your dough will run the risk of not baking through all the way.  Read more.

Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough

Leila
Dinner, Pizza, Yeast Bread, Vegetarian, Vegan or Vegan Option

I eat a lot of pizza.  It is absolutely my favorite food.  My mom had never even heard of it until she was 17 years old and dating my father, a 1st generation Italian-American who probably thought everyone ate pizza growing up.  Everyone but her, apparently.  The way my mom always told the story, my father described pizza to her as "a pie with tomato sauce and cheese," but because she had been born and raised in Atlanta, the word "pie" made her think of pecan pie.  So she imagined pizza not as we know it, but as a pie crust overflowing with tomato sauce and topped with cheese.  Not the most appetizing visual.  Fortunately for me, she tried the real thing, loved it, married my father, and ended up making pizza once a week throughout my childhood.  Read more.