There's a close up
of what rummaging through the fridge and a little inspiration from some travel pix will produce!  After a search
through the refrigerator, I found a bunch of broccoli rabe, a small bit of ricotta, and a 1/2 container of chopped
black olives.  I had been looking at pix of a trip to Italy last night, of Florence and Venice to be exact and I
thought...pizza...a broccoli rabe pizza with ricotta and black olives...now there's nothing particularly Florentine
or Venetian about this.  It's more Southern Italian in it's ingredients, but Pizza is served all over Italy and
I figured, after a day of work...put those arms to use and make a fresh pizza dough. 
   I sat outside of this Duomo in Florence for hours, our hotel
was only 3 blocks away.  Back and forth I would go watching it change in color as the sun moved in the sky...it couldn't
be more awkwardly placed, shoved in between the urban Renaissance crowding that is Firenze..but it's magnificent.
Just don't eat at any of the places that circle it...tourist menu hell.  No the best of Florentine cuisine..and when it's done
right, it's amazing. 
   More glories of the Renaissance and Byzantium
await the traveler (or the lucky resident) of my FAVORITE city, Venice..La Fenice, Venezia..Venedig...call it what
you will..it's just the most spectacular place I've ever been...no cars, no buses, no trains...just maze after maze
of canal and architechture from the 1400's-1600's...and what seafood and cuisine!  I shot this pic getting into
a gondola on the Grand Canal.  Amazing. 
So those were a few of my inspirations for creating a nice Italian meal for dinner tonight.  Practicality filled in
the rest of the blanks.  Never waste anything when it comes to food, not because we are a bunch of gluttonous
animals, but because it is too precious a commodity to ever waste...too many people go without, we must
respect the food the farmers grow and produce for us...The broccoli rabe was a 3/4 full bunch I had left over,
it was on its way to becoming forgotten compost in the vegetable drawer had I not saved it!  You know when you've
overstuffed those drawers and something is buried under bags and baskets of other items.
This pizza is made with a homemade dough(very simple) and sauteed broccoli rabe, garlic, black olives, chile
flakes, black pepper, olive oil, pecorino, anchovy, ricotta, sea salt.  We will start with the dough...I am very
wrong in my approach to pizza dough, I only measure the water, salt, sugar, and yeast.  the flour just falls into
place..so, use your favorite dough recipe...my loose one is 1cup of very warm water, 1 pkg.active dry yeast,
5/8 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. brown sugar, 1 tsp. olive oil..Mix everything except the olive oil and let stand until the yeast
begins to bubble on top.  Now stir in the olive oil and add about 1 1/8 cups of sifted flour mixing with a wooden
paddle until you can work it by hand and it starts to come off of the sides of the bowl.  Add more flour as is
necessary to form a semi-wet ball of dough that you can knead without any sticking.  Knead for a good 8-10
minutes.  Rub it down with olive oil back in the bowl and cover with a kitchen towel for a good 1 hour 10 minutes.
  Here is it before it was covered.  It should double in
size.  When doubled, punch it down, and press it to about 1/8' thickness into a baking 1/2 full sheet...pushing it as
close as possible to the sides.  Make sure it is fairly even thickness throughout so it bakes evenly.  Cover with the
towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.  This will now give you time to make the broccoli rape.  Cut off most of the
thick stems, using one full bunch.  In a large skillet heat about 3 tbs of olive oil, add the chopped rabe, some salt
and toss well in the hot oil. When you see the rape start to wilt, a 3 smashed whole cloves of garlic, 1 pinch of
chile flakes, and one anchovy filet.  Press the filet into the oil and watch it melt!  Add 4 tbs. of water and let this
all steam together, then when the water is evaporated, let it fry for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. 
   Check out the anchovy in the center...you're not making a
Caesar Salad, only one filet is necessary to flavor this rabe.  Turn off the heat, just make sure all the liquid has
definitely evaporated.  Pre heat oven to 500 degrees.  Grate about 1/8 cup of Pecorino Romano and sprinkle 1
tbs. cracked black pepper over the dough.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Then top it with the broccoli rabe, and 3 tbs
of chopped black olives.  Now evenly in no particular pattern, spoon 1/4 cup of ricotta over the pie.  Sprinkle
some more grated cheese over the top, some salt and a little more black pepper.  A drizzle of olive oil and you
are done..you can add a 1/2 cup shredded or diced mozzarella if you'd like.  Place in the middle rack of your
oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Rotate the pan, and bake for an additional 8 minutes or less, check the bottom
of the crust...you want it crisp and brown, even scorced in some spots...Let it sit for 5 minutes, cut and serve.
Oh, make sure that garlic that was in the pan is added to the top of the pie too..it caramelized and tastes so
nutty and smooth.
  

Take inspiration from your memories, from an old family or vacation picture...or from anything that is in the
world around you.. I'm sure I'll be on a pumpkin bender this weekend because of Jack-O-Lanterns running
wild everywhere you look.  And integrate that with what you already may have at hand...somewhat challenging,
completely satisfying...