I am excited to host Jackie Nastri Bardenwerper here for a second time. You might recall, Jackie shared about her debut novel ON THE LINE and a fabulous recipe for a fried fish sandwich back in July. Now that school is back in session, I thought it would be a great time to ask Jackie back to share about her second second young adult novel, POPULATTI (Tautog Press, October 2014). And this time, a recipe for pizza! Yum!
Who is the main character in Populatti? What is she like?
Livi Stanley loves Cherry Coke, melon lip gloss and that gorgeous boy who she’s been eyeing for years – pastel-perfect Brandon Dash. She’s also a co-founder of Populatti.com, a secret club that grants Livi access to parties, the website, and of course, B-Dash. Yet with membership dependent on the approval ratings of her peers, Livi often finds herself torn between what her conscience tells her is right and what the numbers say on the screen.
What would Livi choose for her last meal?
New Haven style pizza, known better as “Apizza.” After Livi tries it with Brandon, it’s love at first bite.
I know I asked you this before, but what would you choose for your last meal?
You know, last time when my book ON THE LINE was featured I said chicken fajitas and I’m sticking with that answer. But New Haven apizza is definitely up there. I think I could live off just fajitas and pizza and be happy for years!
Why should someone bite into POPULATTI?
Because POPULATTI is more than just another book on popularity. It takes a real look at friendship, social media, and how to stay true to yourself. Oh and because it’s a lot of fun. Did I mention they throw fabulous parties?
Do you have a recipe you’d like to share?
Livi’s New Haven-Style Apizza
Pizza Stone and Peel (optional)
Few handfuls of corn mean (if using peel)
1lb pizza dough warmed to room temperature (you can make your own, but here I usually cheat and pick this up from a local pizza restaurant. Store-bought works too!)
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4-5 fresh basil leaves, torn
1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan and Romano cheese
Assorted toppings, to taste!
Adjust oven so lower rack is on the lowest setting. Move top rack to the highest so it is out of the way. If using a pizza stone, place the stone on the low rack while the oven is cool. Set the oven to 550 degrees, or as high as it goes, and let oven warm for at least an hour.
While the oven is warming, cover peel with a thin layer of corn meal. Then spread dough over the peel, making sure there are no thin spots or holes (if not using a peel, spread dough onto pizza pan). Next, spread the olive oil and chopped garlic onto the dough until covered with a thin layer. Then add a thin layer of crushed tomatoes almost to the edge of the dough. Once adding the tomatoes, sprinkle a thin layer of grated cheese, then add the mozzarella. Last, add on the torn basil along with any other toppings you may like!
Once the oven is warm, either place your pizza pan into the oven, or if using a peel, inspect the sides to make sure there are no areas where the dough is sticking. If you find any, add more corn meal underneath the dough. Then slide the pizza into the oven by placing the top tip of the peel onto the far edge of the pizza stone and then quickly sliding it out from under the dough (this takes practice!).
Let pizza cook for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and crust is brown.
That sounds really incredible. I’ve been meaning to start making my own pizza again. And thank you for sharing about POPULATTI! I think the novel deal with so many important issues that teens today face.
You can learn more about Jackie Nastri Bardenwerper on her website www.jnbwrite.com. And you can find out more about POPULATTI at www.populatti.com and on Amazon.
