When we think of pizza, most Americans think cheese and pepperoni. Of course there are many popular toppings that branch out from these staples, but in general, we tend not to stray too far from the occasional artichoke heart or sundried tomato.

But think about it... pizza crust is just a simple flatbread. Flatbreads are a staple food all over the world and are eaten with all kinds of traditional ethnic foods,such as Indian curries, peppery African stews, Moroccan harissas, and even with a simple South American breakfast. For these folks, flatbreads are used in the same way that Westerners use forks. So why not make a pizza out of it?

Since the vast majority of Western kids have a positive association with pizza, "making a pizza out of it" is a fabulous way to introduce young children to new and exotic flavors. Not only will the pizza look appealing, the bread will also act to soften strong, ethnic spices that may be foreign to the uninitiated palate. Cheese, of course, can also help soften the blow.

Pizza continued at bottom...

Fava Beans

Like budding trees and chirping birds, fava beans announce the arrival of spring. The beans thrive in cool, damp spring weather, peaking before the summer heat sets in. Often a favorite crop among small growers, fava beans are more readily available at local farmers’ markets than grocery stores.

While they may seem new to most Americans, fava beans reigned as the main crop for much of the Old World and continue to be a prominent ingredient in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes. And for good reason: the beans are high in protein, fiber and calcium and low in calories. According to Chinese medicine, the beans improve blood circulation and water metabolism.

The first harvest usually produces smaller pods, providing smaller beans and a more delicate, sweet taste than larger, more mature beans. The bright green beans, slightly bigger than lima beans, require a bit more effort to prepare as they are doubly protected (see instructions, next paragraph).

Fava Beans - 3 Ways! Check out these three easy ways to cook favas - braised, sauteed or grilled... Get Recipe

Fava Salad with Shallots and Mint Fresh mint and crunchy toasted walnuts enhance the sweet flavor of favas in this Mediterranean-inspired dish... Get Recipe

Preparing favas for cooking: First, the beans need to be shelled from the slightly hairy outer pod and downy inside. Then, the thin outer coat of the bean needs to be removed, except for the smallest of beans. This can be done by parboiling the shelled beans for one to two minutes to loosen the skins, then plunging in ice cold water. Use your thumbnail to peel away the outer layer to reveal the bright green bean inside.

Look for firm, bright green pods, usually five- to seven-inches in length, with minimal discoloration. One pound of pods will yield about a cup of beans. Use the beans as you would peas, adding them to salads, pastas or trying one of the recipes above.

A word of caution: Some people, primarily boys, of Mediterranean descent (along with some Asians and Africans), lack an enzyme to digest fava beans and can experience a toxic reaction to eating the beans or inhaling their pollen. This disorder, called favism, is genetic in nature and very rare.

Article References:
Prescription for Dietary Wellness, Phillis A. Balch
The Organic Cook’s Bible, Jeff Cox
The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, Michael Murray
Chez Panisse Vegetables, Alice Waters
The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia, Rebecca Wood

Give 'Em Choices

"Would you like carrots, corn or beets for our vegetable tonight?"

Glazed Butter Babies These sweet and tender bite-sized carrots have a glossy glaze that's sure to entice even the most finicky eaters... Get Recipe

Having kids choose between two to three kinds of vegetables can help foster self-esteem by giving them a role to play in the preparation of their meals. This gives them a certain boundary ("we're definitely having vegetables") yet enables them to choose for themselves from what has been offered.

Kids usually have a good intuitive sense of what their bodies want - forcing them to eat something they don't want can have a negative effect in the long run, defeating the purpose altogether. The ultimate goal should be to spark a positive association with healthy food at an early age; allowing kids to have a say in the matter can do the trick. Even a two year old can decide between carrots and beets!

A pizza doesn't have to have cheese on it to make it a "real" pizza, though. Cheeseless pizzas aren't just for vegans and lactose intolerants. My personal favorite is a simple cheeseless pizza loaded instead with pesto, caramelized onions and walnuts (see recipe below). It can be topped with a dot of feta for the occasional burst of flavor, but cheese is not the highlight of the pizza, as it would be for nearly all American-style pizzas.

Here are just a few creative examples of what can be done for healthier, ethnic or cheeseless pizzas:

MAKING PIZZA AT HOME

Isn't pizza dough hard to make, though?

Actually, no; quite the contrary. Making good crust isn't nearly as much of an art as making good bread. Many people see 'yeast' in the ingredients list and get scared. They think, "Uh oh! I'll have to knead it, and rise it, and shape it and bake it." Yes, but it needs only a few minutes of kneading, and the rising happens by itself. Shaping takes all of a minute and most pizzas only need 12-15 minutes in the oven. The only time-consuming part is waiting for the dough to rise, which happens in about an hour.

It's also cost efficient to make a homemade crust; all that is needed is some flour and water, a packet of yeast, salt, sugar and a touch of olive oil.

3-In-1 Homemade Pizza Crust Anything goes with this easy and versatile recipe - thin crusts, New York-style crusts or a Chicago deep dish... Get Recipe

Caramelized Onion Pesto Pizza No cheese needed for this satisfying European-style pizza! Sweet onions, pesto and toasted walnuts do the trick... Get Recipe

With the right equipment, making pizza at home is fun, fast and friendly. Here are two inexpensive items recommended for homemade crusts that brown evenly and stay light and airy on the inside:

PIZZA STONE - A pizza stone is a slab of stone used for baking pizzas and other flatbreads. A pizza stone is the next best thing to a wood-fired brick oven. It helps distribute heat evenly to the bottom and top of the crust, ensuring a perfectly crispy crust that's soft on the inside.

Since it is made of stone, it should be placed in a cool oven and preheated with the oven so that it doesn't crack from the rapid change of temperature. Once preheated, the stone will evenly transfer the heat to the crust. The raw pizza crust is then placed directly onto the stone, without having to remove the stone from the oven.

If you don't have a stone, you can use a pizza pan or the back of a sheet pan for baking pizza. The crust can be shaped right on top of either of these, as these pans do not need to be preheated.

PIZZA PEEL - This baking shovel has a long handle to keep your hands safe while transporting your pizza to and from the oven. It is a large, thin, wooden or metal spatula that slides the pizza quickly and easily to the pizza stone in the hot oven. The crust can be made directly on top of the pizza peel and then transported to the hot stone.

To help with ease of transport, cornmeal is usually sprinkled on the surface of the shovel before preparing the crust. But wait... move over Mama Mia, a piece of parchment paper on top of the peel works even better! Shape the crust on top of the parchment, then slide the pizza, along with the parchment, onto the pizza stone in the hot oven. The parchment goes right into the oven and easily slides from the pizza peel to the stone. No more smooshed pizzas!

If you don't have a pizza peel, use the back side of a sheet pan with the parchment. The crust will slide right off.

This month's Food Trivia answer: Caper