Making Pizza

Making a pizza should be something everyone does at some point in the kitchen. It is incredibly easy, quick (excluding dough rising time) and such a communal dish. Perhaps not the healthiest, that is of course unless you follow the melted cheese, quick-rise refined flour and low protein diet; however probably everyone's favourite 'junk food'. I have been making them for years. In fact they have are one of the things I have been making since I first started cooking.
I had always cooked them on the thin side resulting in a rather crisp bite and not that filling once shared out. Recently I decided to experiment with a thicker, doughier pizza. I top it with thin slices of potato, sautéed mushroom and chopped parsley - a concoction inspired by a few different pizzas from my local pizzeria and brewery Crate Brewery (though the result is no comparison to theirs, which is undoubtedly the best pizza in London). Unfortunately we didn't have any of their IPA to wash down this pizza, but to be honest we were too busy devouring the most satisfying pizza I had ever cooked to worry about beverages.

A lovely, lonely sandwich

My partner and I rarely spend time away from each other but if we do the first thing that comes to my mind is CHEESE. Growing up I was a big cheese fan but for the past 3 years rarely eat it since my partner doesn't like it, which health-wise is probably a good thing. So when the cat is away the mouse comes out to eat cheese. Sunday alone - what cheese related lunch to eat? Nothing to fiddly or ingredient/labour heavy since it is just for me (I can never be bothered to go through much effort just for myself). The weather is changing and I fancy something rustic and comforting. After a few moments thought the apple hit my head, which I then picked up and sliced to serve along with some crumbly vintage cheddar in a mammoth ploughman's.
I popped along to pick up the filling ingredients and picked up a hackney wild sour dough loaf from E5 bakehouse in London fields (the best bread in London), the right bread is essential for a perfect sandwich and E5 certainly help with that. The end result was a huge stack of ingredients on a plate, falling all over the place whilst I ate and satisfying my cheese craving for the next few weeks at least.

Hearty Ploughman's sandwich
Serves 1

- strong vintage cheddar, 50g
- baby spinach, a small handful
- sliced celery, about 5cm
- sliced red onion, half a small onion
- half an apple, cored and thinly sliced
- alfalfa sprouts, small handful
- grated grana padano, tbsp (optional)
- plenty of cracked black pepper
- wholegrain mustard, to taste
- sourdough, two slices (lightly toasted if desired)

Assemble the spinach, celery, red onion and apple on one of the slices of bread. Lay the cheddar on top. Sprinkle over the alfalfa sprouts, grana padano and pepper. Spread mustard on the other slice. Done. Attempt to eat creating as little mess as possible.