One of the good things about an overcast day is that the clouds hold in some warmth. This morning we had a balmy low temperature of 8c and Canberra is looking for a top today of 12c. For the middle of July in Canberra – that’s not too bad!

Dave has woken up late, but is feeling marginally better than he did yesterday. We have had a big bowl of porridge with brown sugar each, washed the dishes and put the clothes on to wash. That’s the jobs done for the day… what next?

I think he could possibly be up for a drive today. Perhaps we can go to Bungendore, or Gundaroo or maybe for a look at Lake George. The hardest part of going on a drive for him will be going down and up the stairs here, but if we just take that slowly I think it would be good for him to get out of the flat and get some fresh air.

Dave is watching ‘Hogan’s Hero’s’ on TV at the moment, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to drag him away from that 😉

Thank you to those who have told me their favourite pizza toppings. As I mentioned a few days ago, I am planning to do homemade pizzas for Mondays ABC radio segment. I am planning to be in Wagga on Monday so I can do the session face-to-face with samples, but there are plenty of things to talk about pizza making, so if I’m still here in Canberra we could do the segment by phone.

Even though I took my friend Jennifer’s suggestion to do pizzas, I am a little nervous. I am definitely no pizza expert and there are a lot of experts out there. The segment will definitely start with a disclaimer along those lines!

Pizzas have historically got a bad wrap for being unhealthy. A homemade pizza, with a simple tomato sauce, fresh toppings and a small amount of cheese is actually not at all bad for you. They are quick and easy to make, can be adapted easily to meet the needs of the whole family (no anchovies allowed in my family except me!) and are a great way to use ingredients already on hand.

I like a thin crusted, Italian style pizza with minimal toppings. I prefer wood-fired, but unfortunately I don’t have access to a pizza oven. A good hot preheated oven can be nearly as good.

Dad and Pamela put in a pizza oven at their home in Elvina Bay a few months ago. By the look of the FB pictures, and the rave reviews, it is working a treat! Unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to get there and try it out yet 🙁 Hopefully I will be able to do that soon.

A few recent pics of Dad’s pizza oven…

Choosing themes and recipes for my radio segment each week can be both enjoyable and a definate source of anxiety.

I have been doing the weekly segment for six or seven years, so that’s a lot of ideas to come up with! I try to base things around what is seasonal and also what is grown or made locally in the Riverina. The audience is spread across the Riverina and beyond – over 200,000 square km apparently. The ‘local’ therefore needs to include ingredients from right across the area. This year we have also started interviewing ‘guest producers’ to learn more about some of the passionate and talented food makers around the region.  We do that every 3rd or 4th session and we are slowly working through the alphabet. We have interviewed an (A) Apple grower a (B) Beef producer,  the fabulous Jason Crowley, (C) Chili Sauce maker and a fortnight ago we talked to the owner of Bertoldis Bakery in Griffith about (D) Dough.

I also like to choose and showcase ingredients that are unusual or unpopular, to encourage our listeners to try new things. There are too many to list but the Brussels sprouts segments became legendary and I think more people in our region are now trying truffles, duck, broad beans, fennel, edamame and polenta!

For the first few years we posted the recipes on the ABC Riverina website, but for the last couple of years we have put them on the TAFE NSW Riverina Institute website. I do get an occasional pat on the back from work for the thousands of punters who have accessed our website through this recipe page. Occasionally I see the stats and briefly feel famous 😉

So the big question I have for you pizza making connoisseurs out there…

Pizza tray, pizza stone or something else?

Should I buy a pizza stone when I’m out today to make the pizzas to take to the studio on Monday?

Any other hints you want me to share on-air?