I usually write about my books, but I was thinking I should mix it up now and then with a recipe. My background is in food science and nutrition and when I’m not writing fiction, I’m often developing recipes for magazines and cookbooks. When cooking for myself, I prefer fast and simple recipes so I can get back to writing!

So here’s an easy recipe for a really good pizza that’s easy to make. I like to keep it simple and top my pizza with tomatoes and cheese but feel free to add whatever you want. Just don’t go too crazy. If you load it up too much you won’t be able to slide the pizza onto the pizza stone. That’s right. You need a pizza stone, but don’t be freaked out by this! You can buy one at Wal-Mart, Target and other retailers. They’re super easy to use. You just heat the stone in the oven or grill, then slide the pizza on. That’s it! Okay, here’s the recipe.

Easy Homemade Pizza
Fresh pizza dough (sold at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and some supermarkets. Or make your own; see link below for a great no-knead dough recipe)*
Olive oil
Fresh Tomatoes
Shredded pizza cheese (I like the Italian-style 3-cheese blend with parmesan, romano, mozzarella)
Fresh basil leaves

Heat the oven or grill to about 450 degrees F with the pizza stone inside so it can preheat. Roll out the dough and place on a cornmeal coated wooden cutting board. (The cornmeal helps the pizza slide off the board).** Drizzle olive oil over the dough, top with thinly sliced tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese. Carefully slide the pizza onto the preheated pizza stone, then grill or bake for about 10 minutes or until the crust is done and the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. Use tongs or a spatula to carefully slide the pizza back on the cutting board. Top with chopped fresh basil before serving.

*I usually make my own dough using this super easy recipe from the book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.
**You can also use a pizza peel like you see in the photo but that requires buying more stuff so if you don’t have one, a flat wooden cutting board will work.