Pizza Kittens Pizza

Kids will be kids, and kittens will be kittens, and not all kids or all kittens like the same things, do they?  And what is a Mama Cat to do when her three little kittens put up a fuss?  Pizza Kittens is a picture book by Charlotte Voake that addresses that very problem.

First, Mom tries fish sticks... but Joe wanted baked beans!  And - oh no! Not SALAD!  None of the kittens (Joe, Bert and Lucy) like dinner, and they make a huge mess, and when they leave the table, "What a horrible sight it was!"  Dad tries to step in, and he makes dinner the next night.  Too bad the kittens don't like peas, either; most of them ended up on the floor!  Oh, no!  Will the parents ever find a meal that will satisfy all of their picky eaters?

I fear that I've given up the answer to this puzzle by giving you the title of the book - Mom serves pizza the next night, and it was "Absolutely PERFECT!" (Though the last picture shows us one kitten happily leaning back in his chair, about to spill his water, with salad all over the floor around him.  Perfection is in the eye of the beholder.)  In the defense of the parents, it's not as if they gave in completely; the kittens were required to help clean up the messes they made, they helped set the table, and they still had to eat salad with their pizza. I'd like to think that it was more of a compromise-meal; since they helped out, and they ate bits of dinner during the week, so they had a special Friday-night pizza night. 

I also had a special Friday night pizza night tonight!  I made it from scratch, and it was quite tasty if I do say so myself.  I like the idea of individual pizzas, especially for this, because then each of your picky kittens will get exactly what he or she likes.  Also, having little ones help in the cooking (they can help with steps 2, 3, and 5) makes them more excited to eat the meal - a definite plus when nobody wants to eat.

Pizza Kittens Pizza
Crust of choice (I used store-made raw pizza dough)
Sauce of choice
Shredded cheese
Toppings of all kinds

1. Prepare the crust.  If using raw dough, as I did, then let it sit out at room temperature for an hour.  Stretch it into the desired shape (or shapes!  Everyone can get their own!), and then let it sit for 5 minutes before re-stretching.  This will let it settle a bit, so it won't shrink, bubble, or grow excessively on you when cooking, which will let your toppings settle evenly.  With my dough, I find it helpful to bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes before adding toppings, so it doesn't get soggy.  If you use a different kind of crust, make sure you follow the package directions.
2. Add the sauce, and smooth it out with a spoon.  Remember, a little goes a long way!
3. Sprinkle cheese on top, and top with desired toppings.
4. Bake for the amount of time dictated on your crust package or recipe; mine cooked for 20 minutes, and it turned out like this:

Yummy!  That deliciousness has pepperoni, onion, and feta cheese on top of the mozzarella, which is a fantastic combination.  The feta doesn't melt, and it adds a nice saltiness and creaminess.
5. Step 5 is, of course, ENJOY!

Deliciousness.  What more can I say?
So here's your homework for this week:  Read this book, make a Pizza Kitten Pizza, and tell me what the best combination of toppings you've found is.  Can you beat my pepperoni, onion and feta?

As always, you can leave your answers in the Comments section, or email me at KatCooksTheBooks@gmail.com, or come onto the Facebook fan page and leave me a message there.  Are you a fan yet?