Appeal for A Peel...

Betty writes:

Mr. Grande,
Sorry, I haven't made a pizza yet. I need to purchase a pizza peel.

Can I substitute something else to use for the peel, until I purchase one?

I'll definitely be trying one of your pizza recipes soon. I have never ate a pizza with stewed tomatoes as the sauce.
Thank you,
Betty

My Response:

Hi Betty, you certainly do not need a peel to make god pizza.

I used a cookie sheet, and then a regular pizza pan, for years before I got a pizza peel.

My pizza's all turned out great.

If you do not have a peel, you could do what my friend Espo
did. I do not recommend this, but he claims it worked.

He used a piece of thick cardboard to slide the pizza on and
off the stone.

Please, don't do what Espo did!

I say use a cookie sheet or pizza pan. It will work fine.
Then when you want, get a peel. Though a peel is not essential to make good pizza.

Please let me know how you make out.

Betty you can find a great peel below:

I own one....



The Super Peel (I own a Super Peel, also)




Pizza on Earth,
albert
pizzatherapy.com

Chef Frank Miller goes to DiFara Pizza in Brooklyn

From Slice.

DiFara Pizza has gotten rave reviews over the years from  Pizza Therapy

Here is what Adam said:

"The sauce, the crust, the toppings: ... Dom Demarco" uses "the freshest and finest ingredients. He imports mozzarella di buffala from his hometown in Italy, makes a bright sauce daily from a mixture of fresh and canned San Marzano tomatoes, and balances ratios of crust, cheese, and sauce perfectly."

You can read more , here.

Chef Frank Miller recently went to DiFara's and offers the following account. At one point during the filming a pizza is taken out of the oven barehnaded. No oven mits. No pot holders. No nothing!




Here's what Maalock had to say:

"The only pizza parlor left in Brooklyn where one man does all the cooking, plus he is been doing it for over forty years!..."

pizza on earth.

albert grande
Pizza Therapy



Ed Levine published one of the most amazing books on pizza ever. You can read more about DiFara and Dom Demarco here:

Mama Grande's Stuffed Sole from pizzatherapy.com

This is one of many signature dishes served by Mama Grande during our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. (The Feast of the Seven Fishes).

 The first course was always Aglio e Olio, followed by many other types of seafood. There were always several types of bacala (dried, salted, codfish), as well as clams, shrimp, calamari (squid) and eel.


This was my favorite!

Mama Grande's Stuffed Sole

Ingredients

• 8 fillets of sole (flounder)
• 1 Cup of crab meat or baby shrimp or clams
• 6 Tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 Cup white wine
• 1 Cup of bread crumbs
• 1 Lightly beaten egg
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/4 Cup chopped onion
• 1/4 Cup green pepper
• 1/4 Cup chopped celery
• 2 Tablespoons of parsley
• Paprika
• Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. For stuffing: in skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter, add onion, green pepper, and celery.
2. Cook until vegetables are translucent.
3. Add wine. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Add crabmeat (or clams or shrimp).
5. Add bread crumbs, egg, parsley, salt and pepper.
6. Place 4 fillets in buttered baking dish (skin side down).
7. Spoon stuffing onto fish.
8. Cover with 4 remaining fillets.
9. Melt remaining butter, add lemon juice and pour over fillets.
10. Sprinkle with paprika.
11. Bake 10 minutes in 450º oven

This dish was one of several fish dishes that we enjoyed. Lucky we lived in New England. There was always an abundance of fresh seafood.

May you have a blessed and safe Christmas and Happy Holiday.

Pizza On Earth, Good Will to All!

albert grande
Pizza Therapy will show you the Best Pizza in the World


For some great seafood recipes, check out:

Aglio ed Olio: A Christmas Pasta

Every Christmas Eve, as we grew up, there was a huge meal of various seafood. This was a tradition was known in some households as the Feast of the Seven Fishes. Because we lived in New England, near the coast, fresh seafood was abundant.

Wilipedia explains: "The "Feast of the Seven Fishes" is said to have come from Southern Italy, but today is a completely Italian-American celebration.
A dinner on Christmas Eve is celebrated with meals of fish and seafood, but there may be seven, eight, or even nine specific fishes that are considered traditional.

 The most famous dish Southern Italians are known for is Baccalà (salted cod fish). Reasons for celebrating with such a simple fish as Baccalà is attributed to the greatly impoverished regions of Southern Italy.

 Fried Smelts, calamari, and other types of seafood have been incorporated into the Christmas Eve dinner over the years, and sensationalized with the American version of "The Seven Fishes.""

Our meals in New England consisted of several calamari dishes, smelts, and of course the dried cod known as Baccalà. Thrown in were clams and shrimp, as well as other local seafood, like fillet of sole (flunder).

I can still smell these fishes frying and being baked by my mom.

The following pasta dish was always a favorite. We never could pronounce it correctly, but we still love it!

Aglio ed Olio (Garlic and Oil)

Ingredients

• 3-4 Tablespoons of olive oil
• 3-4 Cloves of garlic
• 1-2 Cans of anchovies in oil
• 1 lb. of your favorite pasta
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. 
   
   Put olive oil in sauté pan over medium-low heat.
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Add minced garlic.
   
   
   
3. 
   
   Slowly cook garlic. (Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it will turn bitter. )
   
   
   
4. 
   
   Add anchovies and crumble with a fork. Set aside.
   
   
   
5. 
   
   Cook pasta in about 4 quarts of water. Add a dash of salt, pepper, and oil.
   (The oil seems to keep the pasta from sticking.)
   
   
   
6. 
   
   After the pasta is cooked, reserve about 11/2 cups of the pasta water. The pasta water is your liquid for the sauce. Drain pasta.
   
   
   
7. 
   
   Put the pasta water back in the sauce pan with the garlic, olive oil and anchovies. Reheat the mixture. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you.
   
   
   
8. 
   
   Toss the completed mixture with the pasta. Reserve a small amount for additional sauce.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Pizza on Earth, Good Will to All!

albert grande

Click here for Pasta Therapy

You can find some great olive oil, here:

Artisan Breads Every Day: A Review

I am extremely please to tell you that Peter Reinhart's new book Artisan Breads Every Day is incredible for any bread baker or pizza maker.

Peter starts by giving basic bread baking advice. Use top quality ingredients he explains. Employ unbleached rather than bleached flour. Use only as much yeast as needed to get the job done. Mix the dough as long as needed. Make sure you use higher hydration (water) levels for the the dough.

These are just the basics, he states. Peter then goes into a further discussion of bread baking. He talks about the difference between a wet poolish or sponge for your pre-ferment. The secret is that an overnight cold ferment will get the job done.

Reading this book was like having Peter looking over my shoulder as I went through the recipes. He speaks to you in such a way, bread making becomes simple.

Each page shares valuable bread baking information. As you devour this book, you can understand why he is regarded as not only a great baker but a word class instructor. He is patient with his students. And students like me, need a patient teacher.

He shares all of his tips and tricks that he has generated over years of baking bread.

The book has many full color photographs that give you instructions and illustrate the entire procedure. Each process and recipe is clearly defined. I was quite astounded by the rich pictures of bread and dough. Actually the photographs motivated me to start trying out some of these recipes right away.


The stretch and fold method of preparing dough was one that I have had some difficulty with. You will discover this method clearly defined. The color photos will guide you through every single step.

An interesting part of this book is the section about wild yeasts and starters. He shares a number of discoveries about how to start this process. He also dispels many of the myths associated with the use of these type of yeasts.

He doesn't hold back for the pizza lover. There are several great pizza crust recipes including one for a sour dough pizza recipe. As usual Reinhart delivers recipes you will not find anywhere else.

The recipes contained in Artisan Breads Every Day are in a word simply delightful. Reinhart's range of recipes cover the baking spectrum from bagels, to cheese breads, to cinnamon buns, to coffee cake as well rustic breads and the best biscuits ever.

My advice? Order this book now. And be generous. Give a copy or two to your own friends and loved ones. They will thank you for it. You may even get a fresh loaf of bread or a pizza delivered to you! It really is that good.
Here is the link. Click on it now:



Bread All Over Your Kitchen,

Albert Grande
Pizza Therapy will teach you to make pizza

The Pakistani Pizza Business

Ali writes:

Dear Albert,

Hi, I read your newsletter very keenly and I've even tried your famous dough recipe. It was good let me tell you.

I have made a Pizza takeaway in Lahore, Pakistan. I would be delighted to know your expert opinion on how to run it successfully.

We have no takeaways here. I'll wait for you valuable suggestions.

Best Regards,

Ali

My Response:

Hello Ali.

Thank you very much for your very kind words! We really can claim our Pizza and Dough Recipe is World Famous!!!

(Side Bar: You can find our pizza dough recipe, at this link:
The Pizza Therapy Pizza Dough Recipe)

We have created a resource that offers advice for starting and running a successful pizza business. I have created a web resource where you can find valuable information that will assist you in creating, and maintaining a successful pizza business.

We know you will do well, Ali!

Here is the link:

Learn How to Start a Pizza Business from Pizza Therapy

Please let us know if this has been helpful for you. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

We can't wait to try your fantastic pizza!

As a matter of fact, I just wrote a new report about getting in the pizza business. Here is the link:

The Pizza Business Papers: What You Need to Know to Start a Pizza Business.

Please let me know what you think.



Albert and Kamalei Grande Discuss the Pizza Business


pizza all over Pakistan,

albert

P.S. You can get a free copy of my pizza dough recipe, at this link.

Tomato Recipes from Science in the Kitchen

From the secret volume of "Science in the Kitchen", here are a number of tomato recipes.
This book was first published in 1893.

SCIENCE IN THE KITCHEN
A Scientific Treatise on Food Substances and Their Dietetic Properties,together with a Practical Explanation of the Principles of Healthful Cookery, and a Large Number of Original, Palatable, and Wholesome Recipes by Mrs. E. E. Kellogg, A.M.

I have used tomatoes for everything from salads, pasta sauce and topping for pizza. Mrs. Kellogg shares her own unique spin on uses for the tomato.

TOMATO

DESCRIPTION.--The tomato, or "love apple," as it was called in the early part of the century, is a native of South America and Mexico. It was formerly regarded as poisonous, and though often planted and prized as a curiosity in the flower garden, it has only within the last half century come to be considered as a wholesome article of diet.

Botanically, it is allied to the potato. It is an acid fruit, largely composed of water, and hence of low nutritive value; but it is justly esteemed as a relish, and is very serviceable to the cook in the preparation of soups and various mixed dishes.

PREPARATION AND COOKING.--Tomatoes to be served in an uncooked state should be perfectly ripe and fresh. The medium-sized, smooth ones are the best. To peel, pour scalding water over them; let them remain for half a minute, plunge into cold water, allow them to cool, when the skins can be easily rubbed off.

Tomatoes should always be cooked in porcelain or granite ware; iron makes them look dark, and being slightly acid in character, they are not wholesome cooked in tin vessels.
Tomatoes require cooking a long time; one hour is needed, and two are better.


RECIPES

BAKED TOMATOES.--Fill a pudding dish two thirds full of stewed tomatoes; season with salt, and sprinkle grated crumbs of good whole-wheat or Graham bread over it until the top looks dry. Brown in the oven, and serve with a cream dressing.

BAKED TOMATOES NO. 2. Wash and wipe a quantity of smooth,even-sized tomatoes; remove the stems with a sharp-pointed knife. Arrange on an earthen pudding or pie dish, and bake whole in a moderate oven. Serve with cream.

SCALLOPED TOMATOES.--Take a pint of stewed tomatoes, which have been rubbed through a colander, thicken with one and one fourth cups of lightly picked crumbs of Graham or whole-wheat bread, or a sufficient quantity to make it quite thick, add salt if desired, and a half cup of sweet cream, mix well, and bake for twenty minutes.

Or, fill a pudding dish with alternate layers of peeled and sliced tomatoes and breadcrumbs, letting the topmost layer be of tomatoes. Cover, and bake in a moderate oven for an hour or longer, according to depth. Uncover, and brown for ten or fifteen minutes.

STEWED CORN AND TOMATOES.--Boil dried or fresh corn until perfectly tender, add to each cup of corn two cups of stewed, strained tomatoes,either canned or freshly cooked. Salt to taste, boil together for five or ten minutes, and serve plain or with a little cream added.


TOMATO GRAVY.--Heat to boiling one pint of strained stewed tomatoes, either canned or fresh, and thicken with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little water; add salt and when thickened, if desired, a half cup of hot cream. Boil together for a minute or two and serve at once.

TOMATO SALAD.--Select perfectly ripe tomatoes, and peel at least an hour before using. Slice, and place on ice or in a cool place. Serve plain or with lemon juice or sugar as preferred.

TOMATO SALAD NO. 2.--Use one half small yellow tomatoes and one half red. Slice evenly and lay in the dish in alternate layers. Powder lightly with sugar, and turn over them a cupful of orange juice to a pint of tomato, or if preferred, the juice of lemons may be used instead. Set on ice and cool before serving.

BROILED TOMATOES.--Choose perfectly ripened but firm tomatoes of equal size. Place them on a wire broiler, and broil over glowing coals,from three to eight minutes, according to size, then turn and cook on the other side. Broil the stem end first. Serve hot with salt to season,and a little cream.

TOMATO PUDDING.--Fill an earthen pudding dish with alternate layers of stale bread and fresh tomatoes, peeled, sliced, and sprinkled lightly with sugar. Cover the dish and bake.

STEWED TOMATOES.--Peel and slice the tomatoes. Put them into a double boiler, without the addition of water, and stew for an hour or longer. When done, serve plain with a little sugar added, or season with salt and a tablespoonful of rather thick sweet cream to each pint of tomatoes.

If the tomatoes are thin and very juicy, they may be thickened with a little flour rubbed smooth in a little cold water. They are much better, however, to stew a longer time until the water they contain insufficiently evaporated to make them of the desired consistency. The stew may also be thickened, if desired, by the addition of bread crumbs,rice, or macaroni.

TOMATO WITH OKRA.--Wash the okra, cut off the stem and nibs, and slice thin. For a quart of sliced okra, peel and slice three large tomatoes. Stew the tomatoes for half an hour, then add the okra, and simmer together for half an hour longer. Season with salt and a little cream.

Tomatoes forever,

albert grande
Pizza Therapy

What You Think Becomes Reality

Jeff's Turkey Pizza Recipe

Jeff writes:

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving today to you and all your readers,
friends looking forward to making a delicious turkey gourmet pizza
here goes:


Jeff's Turkey Pizza Recipe

Ingredients

1. perfect dough, 2 hrs room temp rested after 24 hrs in fridge, soft and ready to roll out , large 16"
   
2. full bodied red tomato pizza sauce,
   
3. oregano and basil flavored
   
4. a little garlic olive oil on dough before sauce
   
5. mozzarella cheese
   
6. oven roasted turkey
   
7. roasted red peppers,
   
8. zucchini,
   
9. eggplant
   
10. onion
    
11. feta cheese last on top ,
    
    
    Note: Beautiful color combination
    
    Directions:

1. 4 min at 600 degrees,
   
2. spin for another 4 times
   rotating to get best hot
   spots in commercial Bakers Pride oven
   
3. finished at 10 minutes
   making sure bottom is toasty brown indicating cooked
   work of art
   
4. cut into 10
   all for me :):):)
   and of coarse
   
5. a big glass of red (wine)

luv ya

all have a safe holiday

Thanks Jeff.

Turkey Pizza all over Canada
and the USA,

albert

And if you are cooking turkey,
here is a great resource:

Preparing Your Hearth a Peter Reinhart Video

Peter Reinhart just released a new book called Artisan Breads Every Day


As with all of Reinhart's books this one promises to show the novice baker how to create a wide varitey of wonderful breads. Peter has the ability to teach the bread making skills needed to make your own incredible masterpieces.

I was extremely pleased to discover that he has made several companion videos available. You can feel his passion and joy as he takes you through the process.

He is a guru of bread making. As a baker, teacher and life-long learner, he continues to take bread making to a higher level.

This first video explains how to prepare your oven for breadmaking.




I own several of Peter's books. They are my bible's of bread and pizza making. I love Peter's teaching style.

You can claim your copy of Artisan Bread's Everyday,right here:



pizza in your kitchen,

albert

Gifts for Pizza Lovers, from Pizza Therapy, Part 1

The holiday's are right around the corner. Now is the time to start shopping for the Pizza Lover on your list. Don't wait until the last minute...

In no particular order, here are some of the items on our list for ultimate pizza fans.

If you are looking for a stocking stuffer, I think this 2 gig pizza jump drive is perfect. It has plenty of room for pizza pics and recipes.



Here is another great idea: pizza erasers. These are so inexpensive that you can buy dozens of these to give away as gifts.

I love my pizza eraser!



How about saying "I love you" with a slice of pepperoni?

Here is a 14 K pepperoni slice. "This 14k Enameled Pepperoni Pizza Slice Pendant is made with expert craftsmanship and can be worn everyday for a lifetime."

As you know, pepperoni never goes out of style. It is always fashionable.



Finally, I think a wonderful bottle of top shelf olive oil is in order.
There is nothing quite like oil (EVOO). This Gold Labeled Raineri Olive Oil is unfiltered which gives it greater depth and body.




Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday's!

pizza on earth,

albert

Heatbox: Pizza Funk

The following video takes the art of pizza to the next level.

The film touches on a number of elelments. You will discover, road rage, pizza frustration, and elements of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War".

All this is set behind a very funky soundtrack.




flying pizza slices on earth,

albert

Black Bean Pizza Dough

From our good friend Bean at The Pizza Therapy Forum

I make the dough in my bread machine and add 2 t. olive oil. The second time I made it I added cumin and chopped jalapenos to the dough & it turned out awesome!
The leftover black beans make a great ‘sauce’ for the pizza mixed with seasonings. I have used this for a chicken fajita and taco pizza.

Black Bean Pizza Dough

1 teaspoon active dry yeast (I used 2 t.)
2 cups bread flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/4 cup pureed black beans (if use canned beans, rinse and drain first)

Combine and knead all ingredients (I use my bread machine).
Let rise 50-60 minutes.
Roll dough on a cornmeal-covered counter.
Place dough in pizza pan.
For a thin, crispy crust, place toppings on dough and bake immediately.
For a thicker, chewier crust, allow dough to rise 15-30 minutes before adding toppings.
Place pizza on the bottom rack of oven (Preheated to 500 degrees) 5-10 minutes.




Thanks, Bean.

Pizza on Earth,

albert grande
The Pizza Promoter

To make amazing pizza, you need quality flour.
Get Caputo, here:

Albert Grande, the Pizza Promoter, from Pizza Therapy

The following video was shot recently on the North Shore of Oahu. The North Shore boasts some of the best surfing in Hawaii and the world.

Now, the North Shore has some of the best pizza in Hawaii (and the world).

Let me explain.

My friend Paul created the most wonderful wood fired pizza oven and of course, I had to try it. And I did. Again and again...

The oven heats up to an astounding temperature, allowing the pizzas to cook quickly.

I love eating pizza and making pizza. I love promoting pizza.

You can discover how to make pizza at Pizza Therapy

Here's the video:




Enjoy.

You can also check out The Pizza Therapy Pizza Book. You can learn a simple step by step method to make your own pizza.

Your friends will praise you. You kids will love you.

Make Pizza, Be Happy!



Here is the link: The Pizza Therapy Pizza Book

Pizza on Earth, Good Will to All!

albert

The State of Pizza in San Francisco...

Jan reports from San Francisco:

Hi Albert,
Thanks for sharing your story and the Anthony Mangieri video.

It's great to see a master at work and now we have another reason to return to San Francisco. On a recent visit to the city my wife and I had the pleasure of dining at Tony’s (Gemignani) Pizza Napoletana.

It was first on my list of things to do and I was not disappointed - truly amazing pizza and service. I could have died right there.

Here is a picture of our pizzas and meatballs in an incredible tomato sauce. And then there is the International School of Pizza - imagine going to school to make pizza! If I were only 21 again . . .

Pizza&Love,

Jan

And here is a picture of these incredible pizzas created by Tony G.:



Thanks so much, Jan.

Now you really gave me a reason to go to San Francisco...
As if I need a reason.

Pizza on the West Coast,

albert

I love the following book on pizza by Tony and Diane Morgan.
I have a copy and it is amazing. As a matter of fact I gave several away
as Christmas gifts last year.

Naturally Risen, the Best Pizza Film of All Time.

Naturally Risen is a film by Michael Evans. It's a film honoring, Anthony Mangieri and his pizzeria, Una Pizza Napoletana,

When I interviewed Peter Reinhart and Chris Bianco, for Legends of Pizza, Volume 1, they both praised Anthony for his pizza making and his dedication to the art of pizza.

As Evans explains:

"Naturally Risen, is a short film documenting the rhythm of the process of noted pizzaiola Anthony Mangieri.

Anthony owned and operated Una Pizza Napoletana in the East Village of New York City from 2004 until 2009.

The film takes a decided non-verbal, intimate approach, in the tradition of a surf video – allowing Mangieri's disciplined movements to speak for themself.

Legendary skateboarder and musician Tommy Guerrero, provides the score."

You can watch Naturally Risen, here:

NATURALLY RISEN from michael evans on Vimeo.

Anthony Mangieri is simply an incredible pizzaiolo.
Michel Evans is an incredible filmaker.

Without a doubt this is the most amazing pizza film, I have ever seen.

Thank you Michael, Thank you Anthony.

Thankfully, as Adam Kuban of Slice has reported, Una Pizzeria Napoletana will reopen in San Francisco in SoMa.

All the best to you, Anthony.

And to everyone on the West Coast...consider yourself lucky you live there. First you took the Brooklyn Dodgers, now Una Pizzeria Napoletana.

When will it end?

I know where I'm going the next time I'm in San Francisco...

pizza all over California,

albert grande
Pizza Therapy is about Pizza.

The True Story of Pizza Therapy

The real story of Pizza Therapy is all about my Dad.

When we were teenagers, he would stop at an Italian bakery on his way home from work and purchase pizza dough.

He would then create the most amazing pizzas I ever tasted.

His pizzas were more abuot making pizza from the heart.

He is the inspiration of Pizza Therapy....

So when you visit Pizza Therapy, you are honoring my Dad...

Here is the story:




Thanks, Dad.

And thank you for all of your support.

Pizza on Earth, Good Will to All,

albert grande
Pizza Therapy

The Best Pizza in St. Louis, Missouri

You have to love St. Louis, Missouri. After all they fry their ravioli. Fried Ravioli is one of the signature dishes of this town.

The pizza has its own spin as well. Forget the mozzarella and parmesan. In St. Louis, you will discover the secret of pizza is the provel cheese.

What is provel?

Provel is a cheese mixture made of provolone, swiss and cheedar cheese. Provel is the heart of many of the pizzas in St. Louis. It has a creamy texture with a very unique taste.

You can learn more about provel cheese at this link at Wikipedia.

Here some of the best pizzerias in St. Louis:

• Cusaneli's: "The cheese, (Provolone) and the paper thin crust."
• Imo's: "the best pizza...the paper thin crust, the yummy cheese, the real bacon toppings. I miss it so much that it's the first stop when I fly "home" to St. Louis."
• Portas Pizza: "...Great crust, great sauce and great ingredients"
• Racanelli's Pizza: "The sauce, the crust.. and watching them toss that dough right after you order it! If you are a East Cost transplant from the tri-state area, well this will no doubt spark some tasteful memories.Ciao!"
  

Please feel free to discuss your own favorite pizzeria from St. Louis by adding a comment to this post.

You can find The Best Pizza in Missouri at this link.

And if you are a provel fan, you can express yourself and support your favorite cheese below:

pizza all over St. Louis,

albert grande
The Pizza Papers: Resources
About Learning the Pizza Business

Forno Bravo Wood Fired Ovens Interview with James

This interview originally appeared in Pizza News from pizzatherapy.com:

I was fortunate enough to get James of fornobravo.com to take a few minutes out of his work day for an interview. James shared how he got his start making pizza: using a pizza stone.

Albert: Hi James you are the owner of fornobravo.com . Can you tell me
a little bit about your company and products?

James: Hi Albert. Thanks for having me on Pizza News. I love your
site -- which is how we met.

Forno Bravo specializes in wood-fired pizza ovens, brick oven accessories and pizza ingredients. We have a range of pizza oven types and sizes for the home owner, including pizza oven kits, real brick ovens, and fully assembled ovens.

Typically, residential pizza ovens are between 31" and 43" -- large enough to cook multiple pizza at a time, but still easy to manage and fast to heat up. Our ovens, tools and pizza ingredients are all made in Italy -- and they let the American pizza chef make world-class pizza at home.

Albert: How did you get interested in wood fired ovens?

James: I got into wood-fired ovens the same way most Pizza News readers
got interested in making pizza -- I started with a pizza stone.

After doing that for a while, I was ready for the next step. There were plans you could buy for building a brick bread oven, so I got a set and built the oven. It was great learning experience.

The oven design is wrong, but it was great having a real wood-fired oven. I went ahead and put one in our kitchen/great room, and I was hooked. Cooking in a wood-fired oven is one of life's real pleasures.

Our ovens are designed to cook at about 750F -- making the perfect 2-3 minute pizza.

Albert: I understand you had some training and visits to Italy can
you tell me about that? Is it true that for Italians, having a wood fired oven is as common as the American Barbecue?

James: As a cooking enthusiast, one of the first things you notice when you
are in Italy is that there are brick ovens everywhere -- particularly in Tuscany. We lived in Florence for two years while we were starting up Forno Bravo.

For example, daughters were invited to birthday parties through their school -- and 4 of the first 5 houses we visited has brick ovens. Both of our neighbors had ovens, and when I was installing an oven at our rental house, the garden came up and introduced himself, and proceeded to tell me about his oven, and how I should install my oven.

The firewood company we used had a regular delivery schedule for 30 wood-fired restaurants just in the neighborhood south of the Arno.

There are a number of options for learning to make great pizza. I took lessons from a handful of schools and teachers in and around Florence. But the real home for pizza is Naples, where there are 1500 wood-fired pizzerias in the city itself.

You can take lessons and become a professional pizzaiolo -- but it takes time. A number of Forno Bravo owners have taken the one-week class, and they all say that a week just isn't long enough.

Albert: You really are a champion of wood fired ovens, is it true that you sell / give away plans to build your own oven?

James: My goal is to grow the English speaking community of people who
have and love wood-fired ovens. That is why we give away plans for building a real Italian wood-fired oven. It is called the Pompeii Oven, after the great ovens excavated in ancient Pompeii. A large number of Pompeii ovens have been built all around the world
from our plans.

The plans are on http://www.fornobravo.com/, and a group of owners are putting together a PDF version. It is like the open source software movement, where the plans are freely available (though of course still the property of Forno Bravo). There is a Pompeii Oven link on every page of the Forno Bravo web site.


We also have an excellent user group, where anyone with a brick oven
or a pizza stone is welcome. The group talks about pizza, ovens, bread, dough, pizza ingredient and everything else to do with brick ovens. You can find that group at http://www.fornobravo.com/forum

Albert: What are some of the benefits to owning a wood fired oven?

James: To put is simply, wood-fired ovens cook wonderfully. The refractory material that makes up the oven absorbs the heat of the fire to create a hot and moist cooking environment. Also, wood-fired ovens breath, drawing in cold air from the bottom of opening and exhausting hot air out the top half. This creates natural convection.
You can cook anything you would cook in a conventional oven, and it will come out better.

Plus, there are many dishes that need high heat and simultaneous top and bottom heat -- such as pizza, that can only be cooked in brick oven. You can roast meat, grill chops, steaks and vegetables, and bake fish and gratin dishes that are unbelievable. Of course brick ovens are famous because of how well they bake bread.


Albert: Do you own your own wood fired oven? What do you cook in it?

James: We have three at our house in Healdsburg. One outside, one
inside, and a demonstration kitchen for Forno Bravo. We also installed brick
ovens at both of our rental houses in Italy. I haven't been without one for years -- rain or shine. I fire an oven at least a couple of times a week, and I often bake bread on weekends.

We always enjoy pizza, and we have two daughters (7 and 12) that have become
expert pizzaiolos. I like fish, and enjoy putting together entire meals that
come out of the wood-fired oven. For example, grilled shrimp and flatbread to start, followed by a layered baked cod with celery, carrots and onion below, mushrooms with Dijon mustard above topped with arugula, a side dish of baked leak gratin, and baked figs with Greek yogurt and honey for dessert. All out of the oven. It's wonderful.


Albert: What advice would you give someone who is thinking about purchasing / building a wood fired oven?

James: My first advice is to take the plunge and get an oven. They are
not as expensive as they used to be in the states, and it is not that difficult to install one. I would also recommend doing background research on the oven itself. There are many oven producers in Italy, and the range of quality between the various ovens can be pretty
substantial. So while they might look the same, they are not made from the same grade of material.

For example, our producer is Italy's largest (by a wide margin) and they have the technology and economies of scale to make all of their ovens from an engineered refractory material -- both the commercial and residential ovens. That is important because the better the material, the faster the oven heats up, the longer it holds heat and the longer it will last. The Forno Bravo residential ovens heat up in as little as 40 minutes which is pretty remarkable. At the other end of the scale, there are "clay" and "terra cotta" oven made from natural clays.

If a pre-cast oven is out of your budget range, you should also consider building Pompeii oven. If you do the work yourself, you can install an oven for less cost. Our Pompeii oven builders are all thrilled with the result.

Albert: I understand you recently started to offer pizza products
at fornobravo.com (and also pizzatherapy.com gets a cut whenever someone buys through this link > fornobravo.com hint, hint!) tell me what is in your catalogue?

James: Yes, we recently created the Forno Bravo Store, where you can
purchase Caputo pizza flour, San Marzano tomatoes, Sicilian oregano,
capers, Italian anchovies, along with pizza peels, oven accessories,
professional-grade pizza stone -- even our ovens. Pizza is all about the ingredients.

The basic Margherita pizza has flour, tomatoes, Mozzarella, olive oil and oregano. That's all there is. That is why the quality of the ingredients, along with your technique and
your oven (or stone), are so important.

If you use wonderful ingredients, your pizza will be noticeably better.

Albert: Tell me how you were able to form a partnership with Caputo
flour, the most famous pizza flour in the world?

James: Like a lot of Pizza News readers, I had heard about Caputo
flour from searching the Internet and reading cookbooks. The problem was that the flour was only available in 55lb bags, and primarily through wholesalers, some of whom don't sell to the public.

So we got in touch with the company, and found that they are a gracious and well- run organization. Antico Molino Caputo has been run by the Caputo family for three generations, and is how headed by Antimo, the founder's grandson. They say that over half of the 1500 pizzeria in Naples use Caputo flour.

The list of accolades for Caputo flour is very long, from the Verace, Pizza Napoletana association, which recommends Caputo on its official web site, to Peter Reinhart, who uses it in his pizza cooking classes. It turns out that many of the "world's best pizzas" in Reinhart's book American Pie, use Caputo flour.

I met with Enzo Coccia, Naple's top pizzaiolo trainer, in central Naples, and we drove to the mill on his motorcycle (past his brother's pizzeria). We toured the mill and their laboratory -- where he tests grains from all over the world to be blended into
their flour.

We at pizza and Mozzarella and talked about the American market. They saw the opportunity, and are now packing the Caputo Blue Tipo 00 flour (Ideale per pizze) in 1kg (2.2lb) bags.

Today, you can buy either a 5-pack of the 2.2lb bags, or a 55lb bag from fornobravo.com -- at reasonable prices.

The flour really is as nice as everyone says, and a growing number of
people have started ordering it regularly.

Albert, thanks for the opportunity to talk with you.

Albert: Thank-you James.

Visit fornobravo.com.

Get caputo flour.

And here is a great video of how to fire up a Forno Bravo Wood Fired Oven:




pizza all over Forno Bravo,

albert
http://pizzatherapy.com
http://legendsofpizza.com

Chicago Food Planet Rocks Chicago

Shane Kost is the mastermind behind Chicago Food Planet Chicago Food Tours.

He walks around Chicago neighborhoods with you. He tells you the history, the architecture, but mostly it's about the food.

He features two incredible food tours: The Near North Food Tasting and The Buck Town Wicker Park Food Tour.

And yes both include a stop at a pizzeria.

This is not the pizza you would expect. This is tasting pizza that you may not have ever experienced. This is Chcago Food Planet Pizza!

Shane has the inside track. He gives you the real scoop on Chicago food. (including pizza...)

Watch his amazing video:



As a side note, I did an incredible interview with Shane. And then disaster struck.

I would love to blame someone, but I must assume all responsibility...I accidently deleted the audio. Blast it!

Hopefully Shane will give me another chance to do another interview.

Until then. Make sure you check out:

Chicago Food Planet Food Tours



pizza all over Chicago,

albert
Pizza Therapy

How Long Is Food Safe to Eat?

From my friend Gary Bimonte of Pepe's:

How long do you keep food before you toss it?

Many times I have searched for the expiration date on a bottle of ketchup or mayonnaise. What has happened is that the date is impossible to find or it is smudged.

In our kitchen we live by the moto: When in doubt toss it out...

I want to share a valuable resource that answers the age old question how
long is your food safe to eat...

It's called StillTasty.

All of the information is referenced. All the information seems current.

For example, how long should you keep eggs?

Answer: 3-5 weeks. (they will keep up to a year, frozen...)

Should you put tomatoes in the fridge?

Answer: Store them a room temperature until they are ripe.

Who new?

Check out StillTasty.
It's a great resource...

BTW: Keep that pizza you bought from the store for 3-4 days. Unless you freeze it, and then the pizza will be good for 1-2 months.

food safety on earth,

albert grande

And in an emergency you may need to read this book:

Pepe's Pizza at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut

The following video was part of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009.

The news that Pepe's would be opening another location in South Eastern Connecticut created quite a buzz.

Pizza fans were excited. This was the talk of the town as the local newspaper and radio stations added to the excitement.

When would Pepe's open? Would they have a coal fired oven? And the ultimate question was: would this Pepe's be as good as the pizza in New Haven?

We visited the day after they opened at Mohegan Sun Casino. We were hesitant to go on opening day for obvious reasons.

This Pepe's location looks very similar to the location in New Haven. There was wonderful ambiance. The coal fired oven is there. The booths are there. They even serve Foxon soda.

But how was the pizza?



The pizza was great.

We will definitely go back...as a matter of fact we ended going back two days later...

The Pizza at Mohegan Sun was Incredible

Here are some other Pepe's Resources:
Pepe's Page at Pizza Therapy

Pepe's Fans Speak Out About Pepe's

Pepe's Video

The Birth of the Calm Pie
Legends of Pizza Volume 1
pizza on earth,
albert
Pizza Therapy
Ed Levine does a wonderful review of Pepe's in
A Slice of Heaven. Get this book:

Secrets Inside the Pizzeria Interview

I recently got a copy of a great video tutorial on how to make pizza created by Bev Collins. It's called "Secret's Inside the Pizzeria". It was a simple guide with easy to understand tips about making pizza.

I decided to call up Bev and see if I could pull any more pizza secrets out of her.

I recorded the entire call.

It was a great pizza conversation. We covered a lot of information.

She is an interesting pizzaiolo.

First she never had pizza until she was 16. Here first pizza was out of a pizza kit. (Think Apian Way and Chef Boy Ardee...)

But somehow she persisted. She studied, she learned. She was tenacious. She didn't give up. Now she makes pizza like a master.

Some of the things we discussed were:

• pizza tools you need
• the best type of flour to use
• her take on other pizza ingredients
• the fact that you can have great ingredients but still not make great pizza
• It's all about all in the technique.
• Excellent step by step directions to make dough
• Some inside tips on why your dough needs to be cold
• Why you need to proof your pizza
  
  You can listen to the entire interview below:

Click Here to listen to Secrets Inside the Pizzeria Interview

(You can also download it from that link and listen to it at your convenience)

Get ready to learn about pizza secrets.

"This is a great step by step guide to making pizza.
As you may know, I've been making pizza for over 20 years.
I own a copy of Secrets Inside the Pizzeria, myself.
Can you teach an old pizza dog, new pizza tricks?
Yes you can.
I recommend this video series by Bev Collins."
Albert Grande, pizzatherapy.com

Here are some of the tools we discussed during our interview.







pizza forever,
albert

Top Pizza Blogs from The Daily Reviewer

The Daily Reviewer recently nominated this bolg as being one of the Top Pizza Blogs.

Hey thanks.

Here is a list of the best of the best who made the cut:

Slice America's Favorite Pizza Weblog. Adam Kuban's pizza vision. Intelligent, interesting and fun, with an attitude.

Pizza Blog About How To Eat Order Italian Pizza Online: After you order your pizza online and before the pizza delivery man delivers a fresh pie to your door...spend some time relaxing and reading our pizza blog. Great concept. Fantastic blog!

Passion-4-Pizza Blog: Lillian and Cary share their unique passion for pizza. Excellent resource. Pure pizza passion and insight.

worstpizza.com: Dedicated to finding the best pizza places, by sorting through the worst.
Opinionated but fair pizza reviews. Great information.

The Pizza Blog: Everything you wanted to know about pizza, but were afraid to ask. Very informative.

I Dream of Pizza: A New York City Pizza Blog: A blog dedicated to everything and anything about pizza. From recipes and reviews to the most obscure articles about your favorite food. Great.

The Home Pizza Chef: A great blog along with an excellent email newsletter. Pizza for everyone. A class act with lots of heart.

Chicago Pizza Club: "We are really happy if we can be a Chicago pizza resource for the public. There are a lot of pizzerias out there and we've got so many to try!" I love these guys!

Pizza Delivery Stories: True stories in the life of a part-time pizza delivery driver.

Pizza Radio: Interviews, features and news from the world of pizza from P.MQ. magazine.

LA Pizza: Pizza from the City of Angels. A promise to eat pizza daily, or at least 5 days a week. Right on!

Liza and Gary's DC Pizza Blog: Self-proclaimed pizza experts Liza and Gary scout out the best pizza in Washington, DC. They have our vote.

Minnesota Punch Pizza Blog: Twin Cities Punch Neapolitan Pizza Restaurants Blog.

Pizza Blog from pizzatherapy.com

Top pizza blogs

pizza, pizza, and more pizza,

albert

200,000 Pizza Views, Going for a million...

About 2 years ago, I made pizza in my kitchen. I decided to film the process. It was simple, basic and not a lot of bravado. Just me making pizza dough. Something I've done hundreds of times.

I then posted it on YouTube and kind of forgot about it.

Honestly, if you told me I would have more than a thousand views for my pizza dough video, I would have said you were wacky.

Sure people love pizza. People love to eat pizza. They eat it by the truckload. But never in my wildest dreams would I have thought, there would be very many pizza fans interested in making pizza.

Well the stats speak for themselves. First a thousand. Then ten tousand. Then tens of thousands. At the end of one year, I had 50,000 views.

I was shocked and amazed. That's a lot of pizza fans.

During the next year, I got an additional 150,000 views. That's a total of 200,000 views. (Alright almost 200,000...)

I'm speechless. I'm flabbergasted. I'm shocked. I'm in total disbelief.

Can that many people be interested in making pizza dough?

The answer is: yes there are...

Here's what I'm thinking: if I could get 200,000 people to watch this video, I thought, why not a million? So that's my goal. I'm trying to get a million views on YouTube.

You can help. The video follows. You can be a certified Secret Pizza Video Agent! It costs nothing to join. But you can help me to get to my goal.

Will you help me spread the word about my video? It's called How to Make Pizza Dough from pizzatherapy.com

Tell your friends. Tell your neighbors. Spread the word. Spread the link.
Help me make this video viral. If you have a website or blog, please feel free to embed the video from YouTube.

I'm really commited to have people learn about making pizza. And I really think, I can get one million views.

That's only 800,000 more than I now have. And a million is nothing more than a 1 with 6 zeros behind it. Thanks for your support...

Onward. Upward.
And Pizza on Earth, Good Will to All!

Watch this video, and play it forward. Thanks.






Grandma Grande, and Grandma Palmieri would have been very proud!

pizza on the planet,

albert

The Best Pizza in Las Vegas: Metro Pizza

John Arena and Sam Facchini co-owners of Metro Pizza


There is only one pizzeria, that can claim the the title as The Best Pizza in Las Vegas and that is Metro Pizza.

Metro has been on the radar of Pizza Therapy for a number of years. And with good reason. They make their pizza with heart and excellence.

You can read the review at this page. (Scroll down to Nevada Pizza.)

The Metro team loves pizza. They live pizza. They are passionate about pizza.

John Arena and his cousin Sam Facchini founded Metro in 1980. They have not looked back since.

The true love for the art form of pizza shines through with John and Sam's mission statement about Metro.

"We believe that a true Pizzeria should be a gathering place for family and friends to relax, share great food and enjoy each other's company.
We have visited hundreds of Pizzerias across the country, learning and gathering recipes to bring our guests a taste of home, wherever home might be."

John in addition to being a master pizzaiolo, also teaches a class at UNLV about pizza. The class may be the first of it's kind in the entire country. You can read the course description here at pizzatherapy.com

There are so many amazing things about Metro Pizza that it would take an entire book to list them.

For example:

• John and Sam take the entire Metro team to visit and learn from Chris Bianco, legendary owner of Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, Arizona.


• Sam and John learned to make pizza from their family in New York and have carried on the tradition.


• They have a wall with picutres of the Best Pizza in the USA. If you bring in a picture of yourself outside a great pizzeria, they will give you a heavy discount on your pizza order.


• If you come in and request a certain stlye of pizza: they will try to replicate it for you.


• John and Sam are on a perpetual pizza quest to find great pizza: they regularly take trips around the country to sample the best of the best pizza. They take that knowledge and impart it into their own pizzas.

And John recently wrote me an email about a pizzaiolo exchange program. Metro may be training Chinese Pizzailolo. The Chinese pizzaiolo wil return to China with their new pizza skils. (More on that story as it develops...)

You can listen to a very revealing interview I did with John Arena at John Arena's Legends of Pizza Page

The interview is very explicit as you will discover things about pizza you never realized. You will also discover that John Arena is not only a pizza master but a great person. He is knowledgeable and takes his pizza seriously.

So next time you are in Las Vegas, stop by Metro and tell them Pizza Therapy sent you.

And if you have room in your suitcase, can you please bring me a slice? Or two...

Metro Pizza
(5 Locations including:)
1395 East Tropicana Avenue
Las Vegas, Nevada
Tropicana & Maryland Parkway
(702) 736-1955

pizza all over Las Vegas,

albert

Pizza Tools for great pizza!

Pepe's Voted Top Pizza of 50 Best Things to Eat

Albert at Pepe's on Wooster Street

Hey we knew it all the time.

Frank Pepe's Pizzeria Napoletana in New Haven, Connecticut, makes some of the best pizza on the planet.

It's always nice to get global recognition, however.

An article written by, Killian Fox from the Observer lists the 50 Best Things to Eat in the World.

Right there at Number 31, is Pepe's!
Here is what he said:

"You could generate enough heat to fuel a brick oven with the argument over which country bakes the world's best pizza: Italy, where the concept originated, or America, where it was globalised.

Neapolitan purists will make pilgrimages to hotspots such as La Sorrentina, outside Naples, whose chef has won the prestigious Naples Pizza Championship, but we contend that the upstart Yanks do it better.

The best American pizza can be found, not in New York as is commonly assumed, but in New Haven, Connecticut, where the Pepe family has been spinning dough since 1925. Their white clam pie has no equals."

Here is the link to the rest of the article.

Not bad for a guy who started to sell pizza from the top of his head!

Congratulations to everyone in the Pepe's Family.

You deserve it!

pizza all over New Haven,

albert

Pizza on Earth...

If you are looking for the Best Pizza in the World, go here.

And if you are nterested in finding 50 great songs, look no further...

Science in the Kitchen from pizzatherapy.com

I came accross an out of print gem to share with you.

The following is from Science in the Kitchen by Mrs. E. E. Kellogg. While not about pizza, it certainly is a treasure of food information. There are some interesting discussions about all kinds of food.

In the following, various fruits are discussed. There is also some great information about the olive.

Apples were introduced into the United States by the early settlers,
and the first trees were planted on an island in Boston Harbor, which
still retains the name of Apple Island. The wild crab tree is the parent
of most of the cultivated varieties.

THE PEAR.--The origin of the pear, like that of the apple, is
shrouded in obscurity, though Egypt, Greece, and Palestine dispute for
the honor of having given birth to the tree which bears this prince of
fruits. Theophrastus, a Greek philosopher of the fourth century, speaks
of the pear in terms of highest praise; and Galen, the father of medical
science, mentions the pear in his writings as possessing "qualities
which benefit the stomach." The pear tree is one of the most hardy of
all fruit trees, and has been known to live several hundred years.

THE QUINCE.--This fruit appears to have been a native of Crete,
from whence it was introduced into ancient Greece; and was largely
cultivated by both Greeks and Romans. In Persia, the fruit is edible in
its raw state; but in this country it never ripens sufficiently to be
palatable without being cooked. The fruit is highly fragrant and
exceedingly acid, and for these reasons it is largely employed to flavor
other fruits.

THE PEACH.--This fruit, as its botanical name, _prinus Persica_,
indicates, is a native of Persia, and was brought from that country to
Greece, from whence it passed into Italy. It is frequently mentioned by
ancient writers, and was regarded with much esteem by the people of
Asia. The Romans, however, had the singular notion that peaches gathered
in Persia contained a deadly poison, but if once transplanted to another
soil, this injurious effect was lost. In composition, the peach is
notable for the small quantity of saccharine matter it contains in
comparison with other fruits.

THE PLUM.--The plum is one of the earliest of known fruits. Thebes,
Memphis, and Damascus were noted for the great number of their plum
trees in the early centuries. Plum trees grow wild in Asia, America, and
the South of Europe, and from these a large variety of domestic plum
fruits have been cultivated.

Plums are more liable than most other fruits to produce disorders of
digestion, and when eaten raw should be carefully selected, that they be
neither unripe nor unripe. Cooking renders them less objectionable.

THE PRUNE.--The plum when dried is often called by its French
cognomen, _prune_. The larger and sweeter varieties are generally
selected for drying, and when good and properly cooked, are the most
wholesome of prepared fruits.

THE APRICOT.--This fruit seems to be intermediate between the peach
and the plum, resembling the former externally, while the stone is like
that of the plum. The apricot originated in Armenia, and the tree which
bears the fruit was termed by the Romans "the tree of Armenia." It was
introduced into England in the time of Henry VIII. The apricot is
cultivated to some extent in the United States, but it requires too much
care to permit of its being largely grown, except in certain sections.

THE CHERRY.--The common garden cherry is supposed to have been
derived from the two species of wild fruit, and historians tell us that
we are indebted to the agricultural experiments of Mithridates, the
great king of ancient Pontus, for this much esteemed fruit. It is a
native of Asia Minor, and its birthplace.

THE OLIVE.--From time immemorial the olive has been associated with
history. The Scriptures make frequent reference to it, and its
cultivation was considered of first importance among the Jews, who used
its oil for culinary and a great variety of other purposes. Ancient
mythology venerated the olive tree above all others, and invested it
with many charming bits of fiction.

Grecian poets sang its praises, andearly Roman writers speak of it with high esteem. In appearance and sizethe fruit is much like the plum; when ripe, it is very dark green,almost black, and possesses a strong, and, to many people, disagreeable
flavor.

The pulp abounds in a bland oil, for the production of which it
is extensively cultivated in Syria, Egypt, Italy, Spain, and Southern
France. The fruit itself is also pickled and preserved in various ways,
but, like all other similar commodities when thus prepared, it is by no
means a wholesome article of food.

THE DATE.--The date is the fruit of the palm tree so often
mentioned in the Sacred Writings, and is indigenous to Africa and
portions of Asia. The fruit grows in bunches which often weigh from
twenty to twenty-five pounds, and a single tree will bear from one to
three thousand pounds in a season.

The date is very sweet and
nutritious. It forms a stable article of diet for the inhabitants of
some parts of Egypt, Arabia, and Persia, and frequently forms the chief
food of their horses, dogs, and camels. The Arabs reduce dried dates to
a meal, and make therefrom a bread, which often constitutes their sole
food on long journeys through the Great Desert.

The inhabitants of the
countries where the date tree flourishes, put its various productions to
innumerable uses. From its leaves they make baskets, bags, mats, combs,
and brushes; from its stalks, fences for their gardens; from its fibers,
thread, rope, and rigging; from its sap, a spirituous liquor; from its
fruit, food for man and beast; while the body of the tree furnishes them
with fuel.


The prepared fruit is largely imported to this country. That
which is large, smooth, and of a soft reddish yellow tinge, with a
whitish membrane between the flesh and stone, is considered the best.

Simple Lasagna from pizzatherapy.com

A basic Italian dish with countless variations.

This dish was always served at our house during the Big Four Holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Easter!
This recipe comes from Auntie Esther Yacavone, (Auntie Jenny's sister).

Ingredients

1 lb. lasagna noodles cooked as directed on package.
1 lb. loose hamburger cooked or cooked meatballs, crumpled
2 lbs. ricotta cheese
1 lb. mozzarella cheese
grated cheese, either Parmesan or Romano (or both)
tomato sauce
salt, pepper and spices to taste (basil, oregano)

Directions

1. In bottom of lasagna pan put some sauce


2. Start layering. First noodles, then the meat and then the cheeses.


3. Keep layering until everything is used.


4. Leave top layer with just sauce and grated cheese.


5. Bake 350º or until center is hot and 'cheeses have melted.

Tips:


You crumble 2 hard boiled eggs in the layers. (That is what my mom does).
Replace the hamburger with seafood: shrimp, crab, clams, or lobster for a wonderful taste!

Thanks, Auntie Esther and Auntie Jenny...

Eat, Eat!
albert
Learn to Make Pasta at Pasta Therapy

If you are going to make lasagna, you need the right equipment.
I recommend this one from cuisinart: