Pizza Blog from pizzatherapy.com

mussels Mussels A' La Grande from Pizza Therapy My brother Steve and I went "clamming" a while ago in a our secret spot located in Connecticut . We were mostly interested in "cherry stones", a small clam eaten raw with lemon and cocktail sauce. We decided to also get some mussels, which were in abundance. I brought them home and my mom had a great idea. She created this dish while attempting to recreate an appetizer which she had sampled. Make sure you only use fresh sea food. This dish would work with any shellfish such as clams or oysters .  (Hey, thanks mom!) Ingredients 3-4 lbs. of fresh mussels 2 Tablespoons of butter Bay leaf 2 cloves of crushed garlic 1/4 Cup Olive Oil 1/4 Cup of Bread Crumbs 1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese 1 Tablespoon of Fresh Parsley 2 Tablespoons of Butter Directions Scrub and wash mussels well. Pull off the "beard" from each mussel. Steam 3 to 4 lbs. of mussels in ½ cup of white wine, small onion, bay leaf unt...

John Arena is an amazing pizziolo. He grew up with pizza. He's been making pizza for most of his life. In 1980, after seeing an ad in an Italian newspaper, he and his cousin, Sam, sold everything they owned and moved to Las Vegas. At first things were tough. These New York City transplants struggled to create outstanding pizza in a town, that did not know anything about pizza. They called their pizzeria Metro Pizza and now have several locations around Las Vegas. He and Sam's pizza skills are extraordinary. Metro Pizza is now regarded as having The Best Pizza in Las Vegas . He loves sharing his pizza passion by showing others how to make pizza. He is also known as The Pizza Professor. He teaches the only college certified pizza class in the country. He calls his class Pizza 101 and you can read the course proposal at this link . I was recently honored to attend a private class at one of his Metro locations. The Pizza class was fun, informative and filling. (It was f...

Wayne writes: I have been making good progress on the pizza. I found a premium mozzarella, but I quite often buy their regular mozzarella. I found that the premium mozzarella cheese was a better texture than the regular, and I thought it tasted better too. I got some of the hard white wheat flour here at a local flour mill, and it was a high gluten spring wheat flour from the West. Although the flavour was rather bland, the texture was perfect. I am thinking about experimenting with 20% all purpose flour, and 80%hard white wheat, and very the ratio until I get the right texture and flavour., If you have any suggestions regarding the flour, and cheese, I would appreciate hearing your suggestions. Last Thursday, and Friday I ate a 12 inch round pizza that I was happy with the crust texture, but crust flavour was not quite as good as expected. But, hey, it was some progress which I am thankful for. My toppings are not my main concern, as I will continue to use fresh ingredien...

There are a few tools that you will need if you want to make exceptional homemade pizza. A great dough recipe, mixing bowls, measuring spoons and a pizza pan or cookie sheet are essential. If you want to take your pizza making to an expert level, you need a pizza stone. With this cooking tool you will be able to cook like a gourmet. The best pizza in the world is made in a stone or brick oven. A baking stone attempts to recreate a brick oven in your home. The notion behind this is that the stone will absorb the heat in an oven and then transfer that heat to your pizza. This will cook your pizza quickly and evenly. A pizza stone is an essential tool for anyone who wants to make great pizza. You can certainly make good pizza with a cookie sheet or a pizza pan. But a cooking stone (also known as a baking stone) will allow you to make fantastic homemade pizza that tastes like it came from a pizzeria. Use an   Old Stone Oven 4467 14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone You will also w...

Enzo Coccio recently interviewed by Albert Grande at the Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. Enzo is a pizza master who is very willing to share his pizza secrets. From Enzo's Website: "Pizzeria, synonymous with home, place of the soul. Where Enzo finds himself. Where he lives there and its history. Where to apply ancient techniques and traditions. Where food of "Campania Felix" have their seals with their flavors, aromas and colors. Where employees are familiar. Where the pizza shop becomes of ideas and experimentation. Where love for their work is identified with the pleasure of cooking for others. Where guests are accommodated at friends house and share the beauty of being together and eat. Where the food is prepared becomes the tool that allows us to know each other a bit and get to know 'more, day after day. Identity, Unity, Pleasure. The News: This is the "Where" Enzo Coccia .. Via Caravaggio 53/55 80126 Naples Tel +39 081 7142155 Pizzaar...

Food Blogger and Pizza Fantatic, Rishi Singh writes: At loss for words attempting to explain my love affair with pizza, I decided an illustration of my obsessive compulsive cooking would best reconcile my lack of words. Passion or obsession? (Photo Courtesy Rishi Singh) Surely a bit of both. Obsession, at times, holds a negative connotation, when referring to recipe development, the outcome is generally positive. Perfection, a byproduct of obsession, has been the goal of these pizza trials. Mastering pizza has been a family affair, my brother orchestrating the sauce as a mad conductor, my sister developing a crust with a crisp bottom and chewy top. Construction and flavor profile define my role, in addition to carefully snapping photos of quickly cooling pies amongst impatient diners. For the past three months lucky friends and family visit our kitchen to experience this ongoing pizza experiment.  Perfection will never be achieved, flavor being subjective and incarn...

Making pizza can be an event enjoyed by one person or shared by a group of people. I have made "pizza for two" as well as given hands-on pizza demonstrations for over 70 pizza fanatics! Making pizza is FUN! Get people involved in your pizza adventure and magic will happen. Tools To make your pizza you need mixing bowls, a measuring cup, measuring spoons, a rolling pin (optional), a pizza pan or cookie sheet and a cooking thermometer. If you want to cook incredible pizza you may want to invest in a pizza peel and a cooking stone. The peel, a kind of paddle is used to transport the pizza from the counter to the oven and back. Investing in a cooking stone will help you in your quest for the perfect pizza. The pizza stone will allow you to cook your pizza quickly and completely. Ingredients for the Easy Dough Pizza Dough Recipe (Makes 2 or 4 Pizzas!) Use this recipe if you will be making your pizza the same day. 1 Packages yeast (1-2 teaspoons of yeast or less) 2 ...

All right the real name of the song is: Pizza Pie . And you can groove to it down below. It's a classic! This song comes out of the Doo Wop era of American Music. Somehow it has been buried and lost in time. Here is the story from the Norm Fox and the Rob Roys website : "One of the earliest interracial quintets, Norman Fox & The Rob-Roys were also one of the most underrated and overlooked groups ever to cut a 45. With his distinctive lead voice, Norman Fox (16) of the Bronx hooked up with DeWitt Clinton High School friends Robert Thierer (17, baritone), Marshall "Buzzy" Helfand (17, bass), Bob Trotman (16, first tenor) and Andre Lilly (16, second tenor) in 1956 to form a dynamic vocal mix with their Jewish/black coalition (Trotman and Lilly were originally members of the Harmonaires on Holiday.) They practiced in the school's bathroom, at Norman's house on Henry Hudson Parkway, and at Robert's Knolls Crescent address, sharpening their sou...

I was doing a little pizza research recently. So, I decided to search the Internet for the best pizza . I immediately went to my favorite search engine (Google) and typed in: " best pizza ". I was somewhat amazed at the #1 result of over 65,000,000 websites. There in the #1 spot was Pizza Therapy. Then I thought I would look for the best pizza in the United States. My next search was for: " the best pizza in the east ". Again at the #1 spot out of 1,600,000 sites was: Pizza Therapy. My next search was for " best pizza in the central US ". At #1 in the search results out of 2,580,000 sites was once more: Pizza Therapy. Then I decided to search for the " best pizza in the west US ". Out of 1,290,000 sites, Pizza Therapy. again came out on top. Hmm. I'm starting to see a pattern here. I figured I might as well try to find the " best international pizza " so I typed that in the search box. Out of 2,560,000 ...

Kamalei and I have been discussing the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. We've watched the pictures and the news. We have been very saddened. Here in Hawaii we have many Japanese friends. Many of our friends have family and loved ones in Japan. We thought there must be someway we can help. The result is the following video. We dedicate this to all of our friends in Japan. Thousands of lives were lost. Those who survived lost everything. In addition to losing loved ones, they lost houses, their cars, their jobs: everything. Here is the video: You can contact the charities that are supporting efforts in Japan: Red Cross Here Global Giving  Doctors Without Borders Salvation Army Save the Children Thank-you for all of your support. Sincerely, Albert Grande, Pizza Therapy Supports Japan

Who knew that separating bananas from the bunch would make them ripen slower? Storing opened cheese in aluminum foil will keep the cheese fresher and retard mold growth. Most of the pizzas I make use cheese. I love my Parmesan, mozzarella, asagio, pepecorino and provolone. and of course, a key ingredient for My Blue Heaven Pizza , is Gorgonzola. There are countless cheeses you can use on your pizza. The advice is to not use plastic wrap for your cheese. I never knew that. I always store cheese in plastic wrap. That includes my Parmesan cheese, and especially Gorgonzola. Now Gorgonzola is naturally moldy, but the plastic wrap has been causing the the mold to grow faster. I guess I learned my lesson. How about this: look for the number of bumps on the bottom of your peppers. By counting the bumps you can determine that there is a difference in the taste of peppers. The tips about garlic are the most revealing: if you want a light taste of garlic, add it at the beginning of a...

The Divine Chef knows food. You can follow her on Twitter, here: The Divine Chef . Here is a video of her Pesto Shrimp Linguini Recipe. Here is her recipe: Pesto Shrimp Linguini Recipe - Delicious Italian Food Ingredients: •1/2 pound linguine pasta •2 tablespoons butter •4 cloves chopped garlic •1 cup heavy cream •1/2 teaspoon white pepper •1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese •1/4 cup pesto •1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined •Fresh chopped basil Preparation: Bring a large pot of lightly salted water with olive oil to a boil. Add linguine pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in cream, and season with pepper. Cook 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir Parmesan cheese into cream sauce, stirring until mixed. Blend in the pesto, and cook for 3 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the shrimp, and cook until they turn pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in fresh basil and serve ove...

Whenever I meet someone new, I always like to talk about pizza. Now I don't force the conversation on them. I like to let the conversation flow. But if I have any control of it, I love to start discussing pizza. What kind of pizza they like. Their favorite pizza place. You get the idea. Hey it's what I do... It doesn't really matter who I meet, the subject will always come up. So when the opportunity came up to ask Penn and Teller what their favorite kind of pizza was. I jumped on it. I was able to ask both of them. And Teller talked. Really. I have been a huge fan of Penn and Teller for more years than I can remember. I had a chance to see them a number of years ago, but I blew it...but that's another story. Let me explain what happened in Las Vegas . We happend to see their show at the Penn and Teller Theater at the Rio . They were, as expected incredible. They are funny, witty, magical. With a peppery dose of irony and lots of fun. They show lots of thi...

My love affair with clams started before I could talk. I love clams in every way: raw clams on the half shell, clams in chowder, stuffed clams, clam fritters but one of my favorite clams are fried clams. Now these are not strip clams mind you, these are whole clams fried up. With the "bellies" on them. Not many people realize this but fried clams are steamers dipped in batter and fired in oil. I can't get enough of these babies...and I even dream of clams. Only because I can't get them all the time. You really need to go to New England to have fried clams... I want to talk about steamers..Oh they are amazing. The taste...the taste... Steamed clams, are in a class all by themselves. While fried clams (my favorites!)  can be greasy...steamers are totally natural. Sweet and tasty. The magic of the sea shines through and through... Clams come in several different varieties. The lager hard-shell clams, or quahogs are used for chowder. Some of these shells were made...

Here is the second installment of Un'Americana In Italia. Sky explains that Italy gave the world the very first chocolate bar.In the 1616th Century, she explains, all of the chocolate was imported from Spain. The chocolate was used for drinking. However the Italians invented a machine that was able to turn chocolate from a liquid to a solid chocolate bar. "Chocolate is the joy of life!" Not any chocolate, mind you: dark chocolate. Sky then takes us on an incredible cheese adventure. Enjoy this Un'Americana In Italia, Part 2 I love listening to Sky speak in Italian. The words just seem to flow. The fact this film is totally narrarated in Italian adds much to the experience. Here is a link where you can listen to (and download, if you wish) an interview I did with Sky. Sky Dylan Robbins Interview by Albert Grande of Pizza Therapy Sky takes you inside the underground secrets of how various food is produced. She also reveals the passions of those...

Ok I admit it: I love the Star Trek Pizza Cutter . The Star Trek Pizza Cutter is an exact replica of the Star Ship Enterprise. It is beautiful and shiny. Take a look right here: But does it really cut pizza? I took it for a test drive and it worked like a champ. Here is a video of me using the Star Trek Pizza Cutter : The truth is though, it is more for show than substance. But what a great show! It is very impressive! So While I will use it on special occasions, I will stick to my tried and true: Oxo 4-Inch Pizza Wheel But for special occasions and special pizzas, I'll take the Enterprise out of the box and use it to slice up pizza. I used The Star Trek Pizza Cutter and I liked it! Check it out here:  Star Trek Pizza Cutter Respectfully submitted, Albert Grande The Pizza Promoter For more conventional pizza cutters, check this out:

As a public service to our pizzeria owners and those interested in the pizza business, we share the following: Attending an industry trade show - even during an economic slowdown - can be the best investment you can make in your business. Some pizzerias are surviving and some are not, but only those who are taking the necessary action toward positive change will have the ability to compete and win. Here are six ways to boost your pizza business. Register to attend International Pizza Expo 2011. Come ready to learn at more than 80 pizza-specific seminars and demonstrations. Attend Beer & Bull Idea Exchanges for networking and sharing. You'll quickly learn that your problems are not unique and someone there just might have the solution you're seeking. Pick up new menu and recipe ideas at the International Pizza Challenge and the numerous demonstrations planned. Watch exhibitor product demonstrations and sample lots of great food. Negotiate great deals on an exhibit s...

I am please to announce that Sky Dylan Robbins just completed her film: Un'Americana In Italia Here is what Sky said: Hi Albert, Hope all's well with you and your family. Wanted to let you know that Un'Americana in Italia is finally complete - the premiere went well and I uploaded it to my site. Thanks so much for all your past support, Albert. Amazing how passion and food connects people. When you have a chance, take a look and let me know what you think! Have a great rest of your weekend! Food love, Sky Thanks so much, Sky! We can't wait to see what you have in store for the universe next! We know you will do great things. We loved it Sky! Be well, Stay well, and Laugh as much as you can. albert And for more Italian cuisine I recommend, Mario's book:

Oysters are a wonderful seafood. You can enjoy them in so many different ways. You can put them right on the grill. They cook up nicely in their own little package. You can enjoy them fried, or in a sandwich. Use them in sauces and stir fries Oysters have a wide array of uses. My favorite way to enjoy them is fresh and raw, right in the shell. The taste is almost indescribable. Wonderfully fresh with the taste of the ocean shining right through. The problem with these bivalves is the difficulty in getting them out of their shell. You need to know how to shuck them. If you are going to  open your own oysters, though you need the right tools. You need to have an oyster knife. The oyster knife needs to be made well with hardened steel. Accept no substitutes. You need a hardened steel oyster knife. Here's what I recommend: Dexter-Russell 2-3/4-Inch Oyster Knife, Carbon Steel and Beechwood . Here are the steps: Place your oyster on a board, flat side up. (You don't want ...

pepperoni The New York Times featured a great article about pepperoni. Say what you want about pepperoni, it has long been the number one topping for pizza in the U.S. Read the entire article, at this New York Times link. Reporter Julia Moskin reveals some things I never realized about pepperoni. For example: pepperoni is a total American invention. While dried sausage such as sopressa is real Italian, pepperoni is not. (Are you kidding me Julia? Totally American?) Hormel, the biggest producer of pepperoni and has sold much in preparation for Super Bowl. (As a mater of fact: Super Bowl is one of the top pizza days, ever , according to USA Today.) There is no agreement among experts about pepperoni on pizza: should the pepperoni lay flat on the pizza or should it curl. Pepperoni has almost taken on cult like status with some of the finest "cure-masters" who work long hous in trying to supply the best pepperoni possible. A number of new Artisan pizzerias refuse t...