Calzones

Yup, you are reading that correctly, I am writing about calzones. If you have never had one, it is like a raw pizza, folded in half, sealed then baked, they puff up and brown and look like dough pillows. Delicious.

Here I am making calzones for the boys. I had only a sliver, I was too close to competition time.

You don't have to refrain from eating these calzones and pizzas, as long as you eat fairly healthy ones. The problem with pizza and calzones is that a typical American pizza has about 6 times the required amount of cheese on it, loads of greasy meats and the entire kitchen sink, it's disgusting to me.

I went through Chicago airport once last year and had to try the infamous "Chicago style pizza", yes I realize I was in an airport, but still, it was a huge doughy mass with way too much cheese, I just cannot imagine that any restaurant could make it any better, it is what it is.

A real pizza, such as one you might find in Italy or France is very thin, crispy crust with a judicious amount of cheese, fresh crushed tomatoes, some herbs, and a splash of fruity olive oil. There is nothing wrong with eating that!

I make my own pizza dough, in fact, my husband is supposed to build a wood burning pizza oven in the backyard this summer! Yum!

I then roll out the dough very thinly, run a can of San Marzano whole tomatoes through a food mill, spoon 1/3 cup on a pizza, top with 4 ounces of buffalo mozzarella, torn fresh basil leaves, sprinkle of salt and splash of olive oil. I do not eat the whole thing, I eat 2 or 3 pieces. Or, I make it into a calzone, and use some goat cheese instead of mozzarella.

Pop it into a pre-heated 500 degree oven and bake 10 minutes.

Although the dough is a "simple" carb, as long as I am not in pre-competition mode, it's perfectly healthy and acceptable and there is no reason to refrain from eating it occasionally.

Find a restaurant that makes "real" healthy pizza and have some, or learn to make your own.