Pizza Blog from pizzatherapy.com

You really don't need a woodfired oven to make great pizza. An electric or gas oven will work fine. But if you ever get the opportunity to make pizza in a wood fired oven...jump on the chance. In the following video you will get a taste of some of the pizzas that we recently created on Oahu's North Shore. All of the wood was kiawe wood, a Hawaiian hard wood. The Norht Shore is arguably home of some of the best surfing in the world. You will discover Wiamea Bay, Pipeline and sunset Beach, right down the road. The oven was built by my friend Paul who just had an inspiration that he wanted a pizza oven. not that he knew how to make pizza: he didn't. Paul creates the dough and allows his guests to go crazy with their pizza creations. Believe me everyone was practicing Pizza Therapy . Have a look: And if you don't have a wood fired oven, use a pizza stone.

The Reddecliffs report exclusively for Pizza Therapy: I grew up in New Haven, (Connecticut) and thought that the whole world hade pizza like we did. When I moved away, I was shocked that no one could come close!  I went home to New Haven for this Thanksgiving. My husband and I decided that in order to finally figure out who had the best pizza, Sally's , Pepe's or Modern , we just needed to have them all side by side. Modern Clam Pizza                                                                Pepe's Clam Pizza Sally's Apizza  Well, the stars aligned and we were able to get 2 mozzarella pizzas from all three restaurants. We had a blind taste test with...

Our good friend Jay Vogler of Pizza on Earth , shared the following product with us. The Pizza Sleeping Bag: From the Etsy Website, here is a description by the creator This listing is for a deposit on my slice of pizza sleeping bag with veggie pillows. I make them to order and the turn around time is typically 4 to 6 weeks. (Please let me know if you need it sooner, I will see what I can do) The total price of each sleeping bag is $300 dollars plus shipping (I can customize the shipping depending upon where you are located). The sleeping bag is constructed by hand. I use recycled quilts for the stuffing. I dye the fabric for the cheese and sauce part myself. The bag is lined with satin which makes it not only adorable but luxurious and comfortable. The pillows are not attached to the bag so you can arrange them however you wish. Dimensions are approximately 3 feet by 5 feet. And for more sleeping bags check out: sweet dreams in pizzaland, albert grande Pizza The...

 I was given a jar of Classico Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce to sample. Here is my review of this product. There are certainly a number of ways you can create a pasta dish with Alfredo Sauce . The thought of marrying egg noodles with this light creamy sauce was appealing to me. This recipe came about as searched for different ingredients in the fridge. The recipe was so easy it almost created itself. Classico Creamy Alfredo with Egg Noodles and Sausage Ingregients 1 jar of Classico Light Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce 12 oz. egg noodles 3 Sweet Italian Sausages (Kick this up with HOT sausage) 3 slices of Provolone Cheese Directions Cook egg noodles (6-7 minutes) al dente. Drain in a colander. (Recommend: OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless-Steel Colander ) Cook the sausages. Pre-heat oven to 350 Degrees F. Place noodles in a casserole dish Cover noodles with Classico Light Creamy Alfredo Pasta Sauce Slice sausages (Can be left whole) and put on top of noodles Mix sausage...

Our friend, Jen is at it again, sharing great recipes with you. Here she shares an easy simple Risotto . As Jen explains, do not be intimidated by this dish. It's easy and fun! Thanks, Jen.

If there’s one food that we can all agree is delicious, it’s pizza. With its almost limitless possibilities, it’s the ideal choice for lunch, dinner, or just a snack. Originating in Italy, the pizza is now one of the most popular dishes in the world, and can be found on dinner tables in almost every country. One of the great things about pizza is how flexible they are as a dish; the range goes from the frozen variety costing just a few pennies, all the way up to the ‘haute cuisine’ pizzas you’ll find in the most expensive Italian restaurants. In the United States in particular, the pizza has been adopted as a national dish, so much so that many of the original types of pizza were actually created there. And there a number of pizza topping combinations . With such a huge amount of choice when it comes to pizza toppings, you won’t be surprised to find that there are plenty of strange and unusual toppings out there – so let’s take a look at five of the most weird and wonderful gourmet...

Simple Easy Pesto from pizzatherapy.com  Pesto is wonderful and refreshing. Use it for pasta, pizza or just spread it on a piece of ciabatta bread. The best thing about pest is how easy it is to make. Easy Pesto Ingredients for Pesto 2 cups basil (loosely packed) 1/4 Cup Pine Nuts 2-3 cloves of garlic 1/2 Cup Olive Oil 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese Salt and pepper Directions Add all ingredients to a food processor Pulse gently until everything is roughly mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more olive oil if needed For a variation: Use walnuts, macadamia nuts, or any other favorite nut. Here is a video I created to demonstrate this easy pesto recipe. pesto on earth, albert grande The Pizza Promoter To make pesto you need a food processor .

From an email: There is a chef named Gabriel Bonci in Italy who many consider the Michaelangelo of Pizza. This guys makes THE BEST pizza - period. Simply incredible pizza and technique...

During the Pizza Expo, I was able to sample some great pizza. I ate a lot of pizza. A lot of pizza. Yes, I was in Pizza Heaven. I spoke about pizza whenever I could. And I had access to some of the best pizza makers on the planet! Two of the Master Pizzaioli (Pizza Makers) I spoke with were: Antonio Stariata and Adolpho . Antonio Stariata is one of the most incredible pizza makers in the world. His advice was simple and to the point. If you want to make great pizza, you need to follow the Neapolitan method. You will only use 4 (four)ingredients : flour, yeast, salt and water. That's it...nothing more. He also adds: use no fat in your dough. (By this he means, oil...) Adolpho , echos Antonio, and adds his best tip is to make sure you have a long enough ferment. You want to let your pizza leaven for at least 8 or 9 hours. I have been following this advice. My pizza has been coming out great! pizza on earth, Albert Grande The Pizza Promoter Antonio and Adol...

During the one of the best ways to learn a task is to see it being done. Discover the secret of how to make incredible pizza by watching these Italain Pizzaioli (Pizza Masters) make pizza. This video was recorded during the Pizza Expo held in Las Vegas. Caputo Flour ( Caputo 00 Antimo Pizza Flour - 10/2.2 lb )   sponsored a pizza booth. This was a wonderful experience to watch the best pizza masters in the world making pizza.  Caputo , brought a number of Pizzaioli from Italy who happily made pizza. Watching the video you will learn an amazing dough shaping technique.   Caputo 00 Antimo Pizza Flour - 10/2.2 lb

Ms. Pizza shares the following: This list is still a Work in Progress (but, any pizza list is a work in progress, right?) I noticed that you have some reviews for Upper Crust and Ernesto’s, but Bostone, Marhino’s and Angelina’s are NOT on your list of Best Pizza in Massachusetts (State Motto: "By the sword we seek pizza, but pizza only under liberty".) -Ms. Pizza Upper Crust – Boston, MA Upper Crust Pizza , which is a local and growing chain of about 20 pizza shops, serves up gourmet thin crust pizza in Boston and in surrounding neighborhoods. Diners can expect a consistent pizza from one shop to the next. The pizzas are thin, and the toppings are all fresh. I enjoy this chain because it is NOT AT ALL a greasy bite, and has the right balance of cheese and sauce. Oftentimes I find that pizza joints load the pizza with cheese, which overpowers the crust, sauce, and other toppings. Upper Crust is careful to cover each pizza perfectly and should ABSOLUTELY be checked out i...

Our friend Tony G. shows you how to use a pizza peel: Find some great pizza peels, here: Norpro 5683 Bamboo Pizza Paddle Kitchen Supply 14-Inch x 16-Inch Aluminum Pizza Peel with Wood Handle Outset QZ10 Stainless-Steel Pizza Peel with Rosewood Handle And you can:  learn how to use a pizza stone at Pizza Therapy pizza on earth, albert grande The Pizza Promoter

Nonna is Italian for grandmother. In Italian it is a term of endearment. A term of respect. Cooking With Nonna carries on this wonderful tradition by showing incredible recipes, created before your eyes. In this video, you will get a wonderful demonstration on how to stuff an eggplant. The texture of eggplant is such that it resembles meat. And in this episode you are going to have some fun. Don't worry if the eggplant changes color. Eggplant oxidizes after you cut it. "Food is like art...if you like art, you will like food!" Nonna's Italian Kitchen: Delicious Home-Style Vegetarian Cuisine (Healthy World Cuisine) Thatsa nice!

Read John Arena's Article in Peter Reinhart's Pizza Quest According to my friend, John Arena of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas , the heat of the oven is not the most critical part of the pizza experience. John says: The enjoyment of a pizza has less to do with the heat of the oven and more to do with the warmth of the pizzeria experience. This is a great article. for me it speaks volumes of the heart and soul of the pizzaiolo (or pizzaiola). You can read the rest of the article here at Pizza Quest. Simply outstanding. Please let me know what you think. pizza on earth, albert

Scott Weiner is a pizza fanatic. He loves his pizza so much, he diecided to turn pizza into a business. Now he offers pizza tours: According to his website: The best way to enjoy New York is by walking its streets, but the only way to taste New York is by eating its pizza. You can do both with a NYC Pizza Walk! By 1900, several "Little Italies" spotted New York's five boroughs but the most famous remains in Manhattan's Lower East Side. It was here that new citizens would settle, as it was the first bit of land many would touch after a long immigration process at Ellis Island. The streets once overflowed with peddlers and fruit carts as the tenement buildings teemed with the disillusioned, transplanted from home and in search of a better life. It was here that a peasants' meal called "pizza" made its debut in America. The NYC Pizza Walk focuses on pizza from a historical perspective. We'll start at America's oldest pizzeria and continue ...

Here is a very simple and classic Italian Marinara Sauce. Simply delicious. Chef Umberto Shows you the easy way to make your own Marinara Sauce.

You have to admire Sally Levy. Like all women she knows what she wants. And now that she turned 101, what she wants is pizza. "I love pizza," Levy explained. Sally Levy has pizza for her 101 birthday celebration Sally's "longtime friend, Filipo Tortora , transformed his White Plains Road restaurant, La Pentola , into a birthday paradise for Levy on her big day." You can read the rest of the story at the New York Daily News Website. Happy Birthday, Sally!

This video gives you easy step by step instructions on how to make pizza dough. This is educational as well as very hands on on. For this pizza dough you will be using 4 basic ingredients: flour, water, salt, yeast and oil. As with all pizza doughs, the oil is totally optional. The olive oil will give you a softer crust. For a harder crust you can entirely omit the oil. pizza on earth, Albert Grande The Pizza Promoter For more pizza magic...check out Pizza on the Grill >> Pizza on the Grill: 100 Feisty Fire-Roasted Recipes for Pizza & More

Jon F. explains the best tip for cooking pizza. You need to heat your oven as hot as it will go for at least an hour. This is critical for making pizza. You Pizza Stone , needs at least an hour to be able to heat up to 500 degress F. Let me repeat that: your pizza stone needs to heat up at least an hour. Remember: Put the pizza stone in the oven first, then turn the oven on. Note that Jon F's oven goes to 550 degrees F. Jon states he wishes his oven heated up tp 900 degrees. You can find more pizza stone tips and tricks here: Pizza Therapy How to Use and Clean a Pizza Stone. Old Stone Oven 4467 14-Inch by 16-Inch Baking Stone

Making a good whole wheat pizza dough is difficult to say the least. Due to the nature of whole wheat flour, the entire process requires addiditonal hydration and patience. Even my friend Peter Reinhart explained. how difficult the entire step by step procedure of making whole wheat pizza dough can be. Our Whole Wheat expert Jon. F. seems to have this process down. Jon F.'s Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Ingredients: 3/4 cup King Arthur whole wheat flour or equiv. 3/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached white flour or equiv. 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon yeast 2/3 cup iced water Directions Mix all ingredients in a Kitchenaid mixer until  blended, (Recommend: KitchenAid KP26M1XNP Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer, Nickel Pearl (See all Stand Mixers )   Knead mixture on floured board for a few minutes.  Put in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap before putting in refrigerator for and 18 to 24 hour cold fermentation.  Take out about one ...

This video is a great historical slide show of pizza at the New York world's Fair 1964-1965. The opening lines in the video state this exhibit: "This is a pavillion of pleasure..." As you watch this video slide show you will hear a "beep" as each new slide is presented. This sound is what triggered the movement of the next slide. It is kind of irritating but necessary. But for the history of pizza this is a priceless show. This gives the history of pizza as seen through the eyes of: "The Pizza King: Mastro Pizza". During the New York world's Fair, pizza was not known as widely as it is now. Sure it was in New York, New Haven, Providence, Chicago, San Francisco, and other big cities with an Italian population. And that's where pizza stayed for a long time... Pizza was certainly not mainstream. This is a great video: THE Pizza King! MASTRO PIZZA '64-'65 NY Worlds Fair Video Frank (Mastro) Ferrentino, MD adds a descri...

Some people are visual learners.  They learn by seeing. There best way to learn is through watching something done. Some are auditory learners. These learners learn by hearing something. They learn best with audio tapes or by hearing a lecture. Others are tactile learners. These are hands on type of people and they learn best by doing it. For me? I learn best with a combination of all three. The best way for me to learn how to do something is to watch it, hear it and then do it. That's why I love Internet Videos as a way to how to learn different things. There are countless videos that will teach you to make pizza dough. Here are a number of Pizza Dough Videos from Bing: Check out these Pizza dough Videos from Bing, you will certainly learn how to make pizza dough. Pizza Therapy has a pizza dough video , but there are so many different options to making great dough. Choose the one that best fits your taste. pizza on earth, Albert Grande The Piz...

My Auntie Anna had so many specialties, but her calamari salad is one of my favorites. She had a heart of gold. She always needed to feed you when you visited...(That's the Italian way!) And you had to eat or she would be insulted!  You will always find this on her table next to her Sausage and Pepper Special ! Side Note: If you want to learn about Calamari, here is: Squid: The Definitive Guide Auntie Anna writes: "Some cooks add different spices, but I think it takes away from the savory taste of the squid. As you know by now, I'm a Plain-Jane!" Sorry, Auntie Anna, you were far from plain! I miss you very much! Ingredients 1 lb. of squid  (including tentacles) 1/8 Cup of vinegar 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil salt and pepper to taste A dash of red hot pepper! Directions Cut up squid into bite size pieces and simmer under 5 minutes in about a pint of water.  Do Not Boil! Add a dash of vinegar to tenderize. If cooked to long, it will get tough. Cool and s...

 Meryl shows us how to create a perfect pie using an olive tapanade. This is a fairly easy pizza to recreate. You will be using ingredients that are available anywhere. 1) Open can of olives and drain 2) Put olives in food processor 3) Add 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil. 4) Add 1 Teaspoon of minced garlic 5) Lemon Zest 6) Pulse ingredients in Food Processor 7) Make dough for one pizza. 8) Stretch out dough 9) Spread Tapanade on top of dough 10) Add cheese (Assagio, Parmesan, Mozzarella combination or your choice.) 11) Top with rosemary and / or your favorite spices. 12) Cook in a pre-heated oven (500+ F.) oven for 8-10 minutes or until crust is brown. If you love olives, think about:                                    

Jeff Orlick loves pizza. As he explains: "Square, regular, or by the personal size, I love them all". To show his ultimate affection for America's favorite food, he created the ultimate pizza app. It's called  "Real Pizza in NYC".   And it is an amazing refernce guide for anyone who ever searched for great pizza in The City. Not only does Orlick list dozens of great pizzerias, in New York, he also references them with categories and cross categories. For example you can search pizza by the borough (location), oven,  style, tour, Godfather's of pizza and Unique New York. You can also highlight your own personal favorites and save them in your own category. The reviews are biased (of course) but all inclusive. No pizza box is left unopened. He covers Antonio's , Armando's , Keste' , Deninio's Gennaro's and Lombardi's . Find Joe and Pat's , John's of Bleeker Street, Totonno's , Nick's Pizza , Paulie Gee...

The last time I saw Tony Gemignani , he was totally surrounded by admirers and well wishers. Surrounded. He draws a crowd wherever he goes. He is personable and pleasant. He is also charismatic. He oozes charisma. Pizza charisma. My theory is that people want to be near him, because they think some of his pizza making magic will rub off on them. And there may be some truth to that. I was able to spend a couple of moments with him recently at the Pizza Convention in Las Vegas. He mentioned to me he had something very big in the works. "I have a new restaurant opening up in about 30 days in Greenwich Village ". He added: "I haven't told to many people about it". "What's the name?" I asked. "I can't tell you," he said with a smile. Well I can tell you: it's called: 900 º, and is located at, 29 7th Ave South. Phone: (212) 989 9880 And let me tell you this: the pizza is fantastic! Incredible! The crust is superb. ...

Suzanne writes: Hi Albert, I have a pizza stone but I need to get a peel. I am a bit leary of them though as I don't know if I will be coordinated enough to get the pizza on to the stone without sending it flying in to the depths of my oven!  Also, can I put the stone on my grill? will it damage it or should i buy a stone for the grill and one for the oven? I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks and Pizza on Earth. . . My response: Great suzzane. Learning to use a peel is like anything else..it takes practice. I make my dough on the counter. After I stretch it out, I make sure it has enough flour or cornmeal underneath it.. It needs to be able to slide so I can put the peel under the dough. Then I put my toppings on the dough. I sprinkle a little corn meal or flour on the peel so it will slide underneath the pizza. You need to use a quick jerking motion to get the pizza on the peel. It's kind of like " Newton's Law of Pizza  " an object a...

Roberto Caporuscio is a master at making pizza. He learned from the best pizza makers in Naples. His Pizzeria in New York, Keste , makes some of the best pizza on the planet. Watching him make pizza is like watching a symphony. He knows his pizza and he knows his dough. In the following video you will see how he gently scrapes the dough from the pizza box and puts it on the counter. He forms it with his hands and then slaps the dough between his hands to turn the dough into a pizza shape. You can see the masterful way the dough is handled. Gently yet deliberately. There is magic in those hands. Roberto is simply an amazing pizzaiolo. You can visit: Keste 271 Bleeker Street New York Keste website Thank you so much, Roberto. You truly are a Legend of Pizza.

The Little Chef, Kamalei , reveals all of her secrets for making pizza. One of the World's Youngest Pizza Masters , she has been making pizza since before she could talk. As a matter of fact she has been playing with dough and flour since her sandbox days. Her technique is New World Pizza Cusine including a Post-Punk Tween Tinged influence. This is pizza for the new millenium. She has developed her own unique style of pizza creation that has not been duplicated anywhere. While her creativity has blossomed she has also matured over the years. In the following video she is explains how she creates mini-pizzas. There are subtle nuances in her original style of pizza making. The Little Chef has become an integral and vital part of the Pizza Therapy family . As she explained in the video, she learned about pizza from her dad! Her favorite Pizza Resource? The Pizza Therapy Pizza Book. Here are some other great pizza ideas: 500 Pizzas & Flatbreads: The Only Pizz...

Robert writes: "I've just returned from Italy after a month of glorious gastronomical indulgence.  Our first evening there, in Napoli, we had pizza at Brandi's, a Margherita of course. When the beautiful pies were brought to our table, my wife and I toasted you, "Salute, Albert." We then each devoured our own pie; what an experience. There is nothing even close to a true Neapolitan pizza. Since hooking up with you I've only eaten pizzas from wood fired ovens and as good as they are they do not compare to Brandi's. Even other pizzas in other parts of Italy did not come close. Some people said it was the water, others say it's the wheat but whatever it is, Brandi's is a pizza every true believer should have before passing on to the big pizzeria in the sky.  Pizza on earth. ciao," Thanks for your review, Robert, Here is a video about Pizzeria Brandi: From the Pizzeria Brandi Website: The Ancient Pizzeria Brandi In 1780 ...

Rick, Director of The Pizza Therapy Western Region Alliance , reveals an incredible pizza made in his hometown of Boulder Colorado ... He reports: "So, I wanted to try this pie again before I emailed you. The name: Pizzeria da Lupo . Website: Pizzeria da Lupo . Address: 2525 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder,Colorado. I was hoping to speak with Rob, who I mentioned to you the other day, but he was not working. I thought he was an owner, I guess not. The place was really busy last night and I did not see an owner there. Impressive since they've been open just a couple of months. I had a business card of yours and a print out of a couple pages of Pizza Therapy   to pass on to Rob. I'm going to see him on Wednesday as he works then. THE PIE - Fabulous! I compare it to Pepe's because for me, it is the best! And they have a Pepe's pizza box mounted on the wall. Wood fired oven. The pie dough / crust is exceptional and much like the Pepe's , though different....