The Family Cook Book

I saw this in today's Times online .... looks interesting so I will probably try it next time I make pizza. putting it here will remind me to try it .... but if anyone else tries it before me let me know how it works out Heres an extract from the article first The secret to the best Italian pizzas, says Giuseppe Mascoli, is in the sourdough - and the quality of topping If you want to learn how to make pizza, you might as well learn from the best. And make no mistake, Giuseppe Mascoli is without rival. The puffy, charcoal-flecked pizzas that emerge from the wood-fired ovens of his Franco Manca restaurants (just the two, both in London) are regularly voted the best in the country, and he numbers his fellow Italian chefs Giorgio Locatelli and Francesco Mazzei among his many fans. The first and most important is to make a good dough. Mascoli uses a sourdough based on a centuries-old starter, which puffs up within seconds in the 400C heat of his ovens. “But if you are cooking in

We had this recipe on Saturday when we had all of the family over to say goodbye to Joe before he heads for the States. It was great to get all twenty one ( only two absences) of us together something that happens all too rarely. The weather was also kind to us and we whiled away the afternoon and early evening in the garden. This recipe seemed to go down well.It looks complicated but I promise you that it isn't, the trick is that it can all be prepared in advance leaving you to enjoy yourself .... and anyway the taste is well worth the little bit of effort. The meal was finished off with the legendary combination of a classic River Cafe pear and almond tart and a giant bowl ice full of Calippos, Nobbly Bobblies and Twisters ... very very sophisticated. Things to do ahead of time To make the basil oil 15g Basil 1 Unwaxed lemon, zest; juice of half 80ml Extra virgin olive oil remove the leaves and place in a food processor with a pinch of sea salt and half the lemon zest. Pulse unt