Pita Pizza; a Creation, not Evolution.

I just returned from an eight day trip to China.  I went with Habitat for Humanity through my company to build some homes in Pinghu near Shanghai.  All eight days we had authentic Chinese food, used the chop sticks, drank the tea and sat at lazy Suzans twice a day! For me it was a life changing experience.  I saw a beautiful and grand country, I met some of the most humble people on the planet. You must be wondering now, what does all this have to do with Pizza…?

Chinese cuisine was not what I had expected.  The Chinese food I am used to eating here is very different from the food in China. It is like comparing Mexican to Italian.  It also happens to be on the mild side, not a lot of spice, unless you’re eating Szechuanese Cuisine! It was delicious, spicy, flavorful and exotic!  On the other hand, Shanghainese food was a little on the sweet side, not my favorite.   My absolute favorite was the Dim Sum.  The dumplings would just melt in your mouth as the juices disperse in every direction.  My taste buds would tingle with every bite.  It was delicious.

Now about the pizza….Eating Shanghainese food every single day, I developed an extreme craving for Pizza.  I would look out the window on the bus and would see a Pizza Hut. I don’t know what happened to me there, as I rarely eat Pizza Hut, but that was all I wanted to eat! I was willing to pay all the Yuans I had for a small Pizza! I couldn’t just hop off and order Pizza because we had to stick to a schedule that was already created for us.  So I decided that the first thing I would have when I come back to the U.S would be a pizza.  I got home on Sunday and made my pizza on Monday.  It was delicious! Better than anything I had in China.  Well minus the Dim sum, nothing can beat that!

Here’s how I made my Pita Pizza.

-          -1 loaf of Pita

-         - 1 tbs olive oil

-         - 2 tomatoes

-         - 1 clove of garlic

-         - Fresh basil

-         - Fresh oregano

-         - Motzarella or Akkawi cheese

-         - Ground Thyme

-         - Roasted sesame seeds

-         - Salt and pepper

Boil the tomatoes for one minute.  Shock them in ice then peel them.  Crush and sauté them in olive oil after adding the minced garlic. Add Salt, Pepper and the fresh oregano.  Stir for 5 minutes after it boils and then let it cool off.  You have your sauce! Spread over the pita, add the fresh basil first then add the cheese, Thyme, more salt and pepper along with the sesame seeds.  In the picture above I have added sliced ham.  You can add whatever toppings you like on the pitta.  I have used spinach before, mushrooms, tomatoes, green peppers and even jalapenos.  I like to keep it simple however.  The cheese and fresh herbs will do the trick!