Eddingtons has a new line of Pizza Express kitchen goodies and I was recently sent a few of them to try. I love to try out new things and this particular line is really nice. You can now have that full pizza restaurant experience at home!
The Pizza Express Linden Wood Pizza Paddle is the perfect way to serve your pizza at the table. It's very easy to use. You just sliced it underneath the cooked pizza base and carry it to the table, ready to serve. It must be handwashed and dryed thoroughly after use, but is very attractive and I can imagine that with use it will develop lots of character.
The Pizza Express Pizza Wheel is designed to slice your pizza with ease. Ergonomically designed and made from stainless steel, it is perfect for precision pizza cutting, with great results every time. I found it did an excellent job, cutting right through the crust edge with no problem. Recommended for hand washing only, it comes with a protective plastic cover. It's very sharp.
Should you run into a stubborn crust the Pizza Express pizza knife is the perfect tool to use to cut your pizza with ease. With it's partially serrated stainless steel blade, it's designed to cut through even the toughest of crusts. The distinctive half-moon sharpened steel blade echoes the traditional Italian Mezzaluna and glides effortlessly. It is perfect for that at home Pizza restaurant experience. This is also recommended as hand wash only and has a very sharp blade.
For my crust I chose to make my super quick crust. Basically after kneading, it rises and is ready to use in half an hour. You get a lovely crust that browns nicely and that isn't too doughy. We don't like a really doughy crust. I like them thin, with a crisp edge. 
My oldest son used to work in a pizza place once upon a time and has taught me the tricks of the trade. They had what they called a "Dimpler" which was a tool they ran over the crush after it was stretched out, cutting dimples into the crush, which helped it to rise evenly. They also brushed their crusts with some garlic oil and dusted it lightly with parmesan and pre-baked them for a few minutes to set them prior to putting on the sauce and fillings.
I have done all my pizzas this way ever since and they always turn out lovely. I chose to do a simple margharita pizza this time. Todd isn't overly fond of thick doughy crusts and lots of toppings. He's a simple man with simple tastes. The sauce I created for this is simply passata, seasoned with a bit of salt and black pepper, some garlic, a touch of sugar and balsamic vinegar and a smattering of dried chillies for a bit of a kick. Just brush it over the partially baked crust. You don't need a lot. This recipe makes just the right amount for one pizza, and you don't have to precook it either . . . it cooks in the oven.
I use only two cheeses. A semi hard mozzarella and a really good Parmesan. You can grate the mozzarella, or cut it into slices. This is where the wet mozzarella doesn't really work that well. At least we don't like it here. It's a bit too soggy and wet. We much prefer the harder one, and don't ever buy the pre-grated stuff . . . they add something to it to keep it flowing and it affects the results in an adverse way, in my opinion. 
Normally I would have fresh basil to tear over top, but I forgot to pick it up at the store and so I used Barts Freeze Dried Basil Flakes and they worked really well. People used dry herbs for years and years. Sometimes I think this practice of always using fresh herbs is a bit of a gimmick perpetrated by the grocery shops to get you to buy something which is really overpriced and which has no staying power. In the summer I grow my own herbs for the most part and they're really good . . . but in the winter, more often than not I will use good quality freeze dried ones.
If you are looking for a really tasty basic pizza, a Margherita Pizza can't be beat. Simple to make, with fantastic flavours that everyone likes. You don't need much more with this other than perhaps a tasty salad on the side. I have to say these Pizza Express goodies made for a very enjoyable Pizza Night experience and I, for one, can't wait to use them again! I love, LOVE pizza, and there is nothing nicer than a pretty decent homemade one! (A lot cheaper too!)
few drops balsamic vinegar
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