River North is based in Chicago, Illinois, less than a mile from thre of Chicago’s most famous pizzerias – Gino’s East, Giordano’s, and Lou Malnati’s. While our name and most of our books have nothing to do with pizza, we want to celebrate this holiday with our city and our readers, including those of you who may not be close enough to get a slice of deep dish yourselves.

(We found out about Deep Dish Pizza Day through this website, which provides many humorous holidays to be celebrated throughout the year.)

A Tale: How River North Came to Be
From Deb, RN Associate Publisher

Since Moody Publishers is a nonfiction house primarily, fiction has not been a publishing focus for us. Soon after I was hired as the Acquisitions Editor for the Women’s team there was talk of dropping fiction altogether. A few of us who love fiction, and know the impact it has on the reader, started a “save fiction” campaign of sorts. We bended ears and jotted notes with the expressed wish to not only save fiction publishing but to actively grow it.

We got what we asked for: a line dedicated to fiction publishing, River North. And we are delighted! Moody continues its commitment to fiction publishing and with its latest reorganization, River North now has its own publishing group.

A Treat: Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza Recipe
From Natalie, RiverNorthFiction.com Managing Editor

As someone who has spent her whole life in the greater Chicago area, I have strong opinions about my deep dish pizza. This recipe is for my personal favorite – a Giordano’s-like stuffed pizza. I make it in a 9” pie plate, with a thin layer of dough over the top of the cheese and under the sauce. The basics of the crust recipe came from this website, but I’ve modified it based on what has worked for me. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 ½ cups flour (Bread flour works the best, but all-purpose will do)
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon sugar
6 TSP. Canola oil + more if the dough is too dry
6 tablespoons warm water
2 tablespoons butter

8-16oz of mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

1 8oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon of oil
1 Tsp. oregano
Salt to taste

Sauce
1. Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in saucepan. Add minced garlic + drained tomatoes.
2. Season with salt and oregano to taste.
3. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Crust + Assembly
1. Proof the yeast by putting it in a small bowl with the warm water and a pinch of sugar.
2. Mix the flour, salt and remaining sugar. Add yeast mixture.
3. Use your hands to mix the ingredients into a ball, adding the oil a little a time until it comes together. Mix in butter last (may want to use a spatula at first before switching back to your hands). Add more water if necessary.
4. Knead for two minutes – no more! This keeps the gluten from developing and gives it a flaky crust.
5. Let the dough rise for at least 2 hours (up to 6).
6. Separate a small piece of dough from the larger ball. Set aside.
7. Roll out the larger ball of dough with a rolling pin to at least 12 inches. Place in a greased 9” pie plate and trim edges.
8. Fill pie plate with mozzarella cheese slices.
9. Roll out the smaller piece of dough into a very thin circle, large enough to cover the entire pie plate. Place on top of the cheese and adhere to the edges of the crust (dabbing slightly with water if necessary to get them to stick).
10. Spread prepared sauce over the top of the pizza (the layer of dough that makes the pizza “stuffed”).
11. Bake at 450 degrees Farenheit for 25-35 minutes.