Where's Pat now?: Food tourism and kitchen fun

Part of the fun of travelling is the food. My very first trip out of the country was to Italy when I was 19 and I had octopus for the first time. It felt daring and tasted delicious.

Restaurants in Italy are a reliable way to have positive food adventures. I agree with my wife when she says "there is no bad food in Italy". However, Italian fresh markets, bakeries, and grocery stores can also be a feast for the eyes.

Pizza Margherita in Naples and
"crescione", a sandwich made with flatbread in San Gimignano.

One of my favourite things to do in Italy is to walk into a new bar or bakery to look for new variations on bread, pizza, and focaccia. There's almost always something beautiful and delicious looking and there's often something new (to me). Recalling these food memories and experimenting in my kitchen when I'm home help me enjoy a trip long after it's over.

At a bar in Sicily, some ready-to-eat pizza caught my attention because it was folded over like a sandwich. Such a simple but different presentation gave it quite a different look. I filed that memory away and by the time I got home I had an idea for what I now call "stuffed pizza". It's really just a variation on pizza and calzone but it creates a very different finished product.

Pat's Stuffed Pizza

(This would never be called "pizza" in Italy!)

I place about twice the normal amount of filling on a pizza dough, top it with another pizza dough, crimp the edges and score the top so that it doesn't inflate. I bake it at 500 F on a pizza screen in my gas oven for about 10 minutes. This is a good way to make a big meal because each round is equivalent to two "pizze". It's also easy to reheat on a skillet or griddle because with crust on both sides, you can flip it over.

Making stuffed pizza has inspired me to experiment with toppings (actually fillings). This one has smoked mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes, Crimini mushrooms, and olives.