The genuine Neapolitan pizza has three variants: pizza marinara, made with tomatoes, garlic, oregano and olive oil; Margherita pizza, made with tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and olive oil; and pizza Margherita extra, with tomatoes, mozzarella from Campania, basil and olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is recommended for a delicious flavor. The Margherita pizza is an undisputed favorite with millions of people all over the world, being not only delectable but also having a historic significance. It was named after Margherita of Savoy, Queen consort of the Italian king Umberto I. When the Queen visited Naples, she was offered pizza which comprised the colors of the Italian flag: red tomatoes, white mozzarella and green basil.

Nowadays Margherita pizza is a staple on the menu in pizzerias, and it is equally favorite with all aficionados of home made pizzas. The following recipe uses frozen dough. Fresh dough can also be found on the market, and the instructions for handling should be followed precisely in order to achieve a delicious, crispy golden brown crust. Also, remember that using a proper pizza oven is fundamental to achieve a perfect crust. Perforated pizza pans are the best for a delectable crust. Ready to use pizza shells are another replacement for dough and save time for busy people, enabling them to enjoy home prepared Margherita pizza.

PREPARATION TIME: 30 minute 25 minutes
COOKING TIME:
INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil no stick spray
Frozen bread dough - 1 pound
Whole peeled plum tomatoes - 1 28-ounce can
Yellow cornmeal - 2 tablespoons
All purpose flour - 2 tablespoons
Sliced fresh mozzarella cheese, dried with paper towels
Extra virgin olive oil - 3 tablespoons
Black pepper
Fresh basil leaves

PREPARATION: Spray a bowl with the cooking spray and put the frozen dough inside. Then spray the dough with the spray, and cover the bowl. Leave it for 4 to 5 hours, until it becomes double in size. Punch down the dough.
Prepare the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the tomatoes in a strainer over the sink. Cut or break the tomatoes by hand to divide them into bite sized chunks. The tomatoes should drain enough until you finish working with the dough. The dough can be used to prepare two 12 inch Margherita pizzas. Spray two pizza pans with the cooking spray, then sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide the dough into two halves.
Prepare a work surface by sprinkling it with flour. Roll each of the dough pieces into a circle, and put the circle on a pizza pan. Arrange the tomato pieces over the dough, and leave the edges clear. Then top the pizzas with mozzarella slices. Drizzle over with olive oil and season with fresh pepper.
Put the two pizza pans on separate racks in the oven. Bake the pizzas for 15 minutes. After the pizzas are baked, sprinkle with basil leaves. Exchange the positions of the pans and bake the pizzas for 5 to 10 more minutes until the crust becomes golden brown both on the top and on the bottom.

Recipes that will make you start using cider

Here are some recipes that will make you start using cider:

Scallops and lobster tails ceviche:

Delicious Ceviche prepared with the Carolina Cider

• 4 servings
• 12 fresh scallops, medium size (300 gr)
• 2 cooked lobster tails
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped (90 gr)
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2 limes)
• 1/2 cup McKeown Cider Draft (125 ml)
• Pinch of ground Chili
• 4 Tbsp. of fresh cilantro finely chopped (8 gr)
• Salt and Pepper freshly ground
• Olive oil
• Mesclun Lettuce or sping mix lettuce

Slice the scallops into 1 cm pieces (2 or 3 per scallop). Press the lime juice. Toss together the scallops, red onion, cider, chili, salt and pepper in a bowl. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Do ahead : this mixture can be left in the fridge up to 4 hours. This way, the cider and the acidity of the lime juice will cook the scallops.

Just before serving, shell off the lobster tails, cut each tail in rounds similar to the scallops and reserve. Strain the marinated scallops, add cilantro and toss. Lay down the Mesclun Lettuce on the plates, place the scallop ceviche in the center and decorate with the lobster tail rounds. Lastly, drizzle olive oil over the Ceviche and add freshly grounded pepper to enhance the aromas.

What distinguishes New York pizza is mostly its characteristic shape - it is typically wide and large, thin and easily foldable. Often eaten as a quick and delicious snack on the street, New York pizza traditionally features light tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. The thin, hand tossed crust is achieved thanks to high gluten flour, and the flavor is claimed to be contributed to the minerals contained in New York water. Besides hefty amounts of mozzarella, any additional toppings are also welcome, to add variety to the overall taste, such as Romano cheese or other toppings.

PREPARATION TIME: 2 hours 40 minutes

COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• Slightly more than two teaspoons of instant dry yeast
• One cup of warm water
• Half a tablespoon of sugar
• Three cups of high gluten flour
• Two tablespoons of olive oil
• One and a half teaspoon of salt

For the topping:

• A can of tomato sauce
• Shredded mozzarella, approximately 1 pound
• Grated Romano cheese - about half a cup
• Fresh basil, chopped - about 1/4 cup
• Dried oregano - 1 tablespoon
• Red pepper flakes - 1 teaspoon
• Olive oil - 2 tablespoons

For the topping:

• A can of tomato sauce
• Shredded mozzarella, approximately 1 pound
• Grated Romano cheese - about half a cup
• Fresh basil, chopped - about 1/4 cup
• Red pepper flakes - 1 teaspoon
• Olive oil - 2 tablespoons

PREPARATION:

Mix the water, yeast, sugar and one half cup of the flour in a bowl. Stir well to obtain a good mixture and allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes, until it starts getting bubbly.
1. Add to the bubbly dough the olive oil, the salt, two more cups of the flour, then mix preferably with a wooden spoon to obtain a good mixture, and then turn onto a floured surface to start kneading.
2. Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes, adding small amounts of flour little by little, until the dough becomes soft and elastic, while at the same time it is slightly sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour, or the dough will become harder than necessary.
Form a ball of dough and put the ball in an oiled bowl. Drizzle a little oil on top and coat the dough to prevent drying of the surface.
3. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel, then leave in a warm place for 2 hours, or generally until the dough ball doubles in size.
4. Divide the dough into 2 balls which are enough for two pizzas. One ball can be frozen and taken out to defrost to room temperature before using it
5. Flatten the other ball onto a floured surface, to spread into a circle, then put in a baking pan. When using a pizza stone, put the crust onto a parchment.
6. Spread the tomato sauce on the crust. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese, Romano cheese, oregano and red pepper flakes.
7. Bake the pizza for approximately 15 minutes in a preheated oven, like the ones offered by Californo, until the crust bottom becomes brown, and the cheese melts and becomes bubbly.
8. Leave the pizza to cool for 5 minutes, then slice up and serve.