Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading
So Irresistible
!
I’m so happy to share this story with you. I first met Shane in my holiday-themed romance
Together for Christmas
—and he intrigued me so much that I just
had
to find out more about him and where he came from. Once I’d dreamed up Gabriella to go toe-to-toe with Shane (and the whole crazy crew at Campania pizzeria to keep them both hopping), I was off and running. I hope you had as much fun reading about their adventures as I did writing them.
If you did (and you’re curious about my other books!), please visit my Web site at
www.lisaplumley.com
. While you’re there, you can check out first-chapter excerpts from all my contemporary, historical, and paranormal romances; sign up for my free new-book reminder service; catch sneak previews of my upcoming books; request special reader freebies; and more.
By the time you read this, I’ll be hard at work on my next Zebra Books contemporary romance. It’s another Kismet Christmas story, and I can’t wait for you to read it. I hope you’ll be on the lookout for it.
In the meantime, I love connecting with readers, so I’d be thrilled if you would “friend” me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/lisaplumleybooks
or follow me at @LisaPlumley on Twitter. See you there!
Best wishes,
Lisa Plumley
The nonna-style pizza that Gabriella and her family make has a thicker crust (almost like Sicilian) and is usually baked in rectangular pans. You could, of course, make these pizzas in round cake pans as well.
The Grimanis’ dough recipe is a secret, but this one is pretty close. Any store-bought dough will work in a pinch, too, though it might not be as bready. Your local pizzeria might sell you some of its dough if you want something fresh without having to wait for the yeast to rise.
Pizza Dough
3½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. instant yeast
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
12½ oz. (a little over 1½ cups) water, warm but not hot
1.
Whisk flour, salt, yeast, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl until combined. Add water and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough is thoroughly mixed and you don’t see any dry flour. It will be a wet dough and should pull away from the sides but might still stick to the bottom of the bowl.
2.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 8 hours at room temperature.
3.
Pour the rest of the olive oil into a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet (or split between 3 to 4 cake pans, depending on diameter) and brush it over the entire inner surface (including up the sides) with a pastry brush or your fingers. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet or pans and rub the top surface with excess oil. Cover the baking sheet or pans with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for another 2 hours. It should spread out to nearly touch the sides of the pan.
4.
Before assembling pizzas, preheat oven to 550°F.
5.
Remove the plastic wrap from the dough. Using oiled hands, gently work the dough into the corners of the pan by stretching it beyond the edge of the pan. It should pull back until the pan is just filled with dough. Be careful to not punch it down and lose the air bubbles.
6.
Assemble pizzas with chosen toppings and bake 15 to 20 minutes. The bottom (and edges) should be golden and crisp, and the top will be bubbling with cheesy goodness. Allow to cool a few minutes before cutting and serving.
Note: I like to mix a little dried oregano and dried chopped garlic into the dough for some extra flavor!
Basic Tomato Sauce
In a food processor or blender, puree together a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes; a tablespoon of olive oil; and a teaspoon each of salt, ground black pepper, and dried oregano.
You can top your pizzas with whatever you like. Here are some suggestions for toppings named after the Grimani family pizzerias. The amounts of the toppings will vary by your personal preferences.
The Campania
A specialty influenced by the poutine
Gabriella and Shane eat together.
Cover the dough with brown gravy, leaving about a half inch to an inch around the edges. Layer very thinly sliced red potatoes over the gravy and top with cheese curds. (Shredded or crumbled extra-sharp cheddar can be substituted for the curds.) Add crumbled, already cooked bacon for an extra-decadent pizza.
The Reggio
Like spinach and artichoke dip, but on a pizza!
Mix together equal amounts of ricotta cheese and cream cheese. Spread or drop dollops of the mixture over the dough, leaving about a half inch to an inch around the edges. Sprinkle with sautéed spinach (or defrosted frozen spinach, squeezed dry) and quartered artichoke hearts. Cover with a mixture of shredded Swiss and Gruyère cheeses.
The Abruzzo
A spicy, diabolical slice of heaven.
Add a ¼ cup of hot sauce (or less to taste; you can also substitute red pepper flakes) to the basic tomato sauce. Spread it on the dough, leaving about a half inch to an inch around the edges. Top with cubed grilled chicken, whole cloves of roasted garlic, and mozzarella cheese. On top of the cheese, add slices of fresh Roma tomatoes. Chopped jalapenos, with the seeds removed, will add an extra kick for those with a high heat tolerance.
The Tropea
A twist on the classic margherita pizza.
To the basic sauce, add five cloves of sautéed, chopped garlic and ten fresh basil leaves, chopped (or pureed with the sauce). Spread it on the dough, leaving about a half inch to an inch around the edges. Arrange ¼-inch slices of fresh mozzarella over the sauce, and sprinkle with whole mint leaves and fresh rosemary.
The Salerno
Thinly slice two to three white onions and caramelize in a tablespoon of olive oil. Spread the onions on the dough, leaving about a half inch to an inch around the edges. Crumble goat cheese on top and cover with slices of prosciutto. Five minutes before taking out the pizza, sprinkle with shaved parmesan cheese.
The Benevento
Bake the crust plain, which will give you a focaccia-like bread. Cool for a few minutes and then spread your favorite hummus on the crust, leaving about a half inch to an inch around the edges. Top with marinated mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and avocado.