Using a combination of instructions from following very helpful sites, several slabs of pork belly are now curing in the fridge:
http://davescupboard.blogspot.com/2008/04/making-bacon-at-home.html
http://www.imafoodblog.com/index.php/2009/02/25/how-to-cure-and-smoke-bacon
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/dec/19/recipes.foodanddrink
Got a great book for the holidays, American Pie by Peter Reinhart, and made two test doughs from the book. The Neo-Neapolitan is a modified thin, crispy crust, and the NY a thicker and slightly chewier crust. Put some spicy olive oil (got the recipe from the same book), fresh basil, fresh chopped garlic, and a hint of parmesan cheese on the Neo-Neapolitan, and a touch of tomato based sauce, a bit of shredded sharp cheddar, basil, and parmesan on the NY. Both turned out spectacularly, cooked for 7-8 minutes in the oven at 550 on a pizza stone.
I'm not very good at doughs and baked things, and had one batch of dough just not work out, but I'm sure these will only get better with practice! Both use a similar simple recipe, bread flour, salt, sugar, olive oil and water.
Next thing to practice, getting rounder pizzas!
