My daughter shared this history of the pizza pie with me. In 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita di Savoia of Italy, were vacationing in Naples, Italy (our family is from Naples) and had heard about the excellent pizzas made by a pizzaiolo (pizza maker) named Raffaele Esposito, of Pizzeria Brandi. Peter Reinhard tells in his book, American Pie, “Esposito was invited to prepare the pizza and made, or so it goes, a marinara pizza with anchovies; a bianca, or white pizza, with lard, provolone or creamy caciocavallo cheese, and basil; and a pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil — red, white, and green in honor of the Italian flag. The queen flipped for the latter, and when Esposito received a note of thanks from the monarch, he dedicated the pizza to her, calling it pizza Margherita.” And there you have the history of the Classic Pizza Margherita.”
I named my twist of the classic pizza margherita after my daughter and call it Margaretta Pizza. It is a mouthwatering pizza that is just as beautiful as it is delicious. Another interesting fact about pizza, is that depending upon which region of Italy you visit, the pizza is different. I have eaten pizza in Florence, Venice, Rome, Milan and Sorrento and they are all different. The pizza in Venice is at room temperature, the pizza we had in Rome came out piping hot and the cheese was perfectly melted, more like the pizza pie we are familiar with in America today. Mange! Here is the link to my recipe Margaretta Pizza
Every athlete knows he/she has to power-up before a game or practice to sustain his/her energy. This granola is a great source of energy for the athletes in the family. I will make it in bunches, then store it in a food safe container. I love glass jars for everything in my pantry, it’s a must! Then, the kids (and my husband) can see everything. My kids will pack it in their backpacks, take it out at the end of the day, and eat right before practice. Another way we like to eat it is on top of a really thick strawberry/raspberry shake. It adds a little texture to a smoothie. The combination of smooth and crunchy go well together, and satisfy the pickiest of eaters. Store your granola in a cute glass jar. I use Quattro Stagioni jars. Here is the recipe for Homemade Granola
