Pizza Blog from pizzatherapy.com

Pizza has always been America’s favorite food. It’s been the subject of movies, books, and songs. Pizza is not only a food of sustenance, but for some has become an obsessive delight. And for many Pizza Fans, pizza is a sheer and utter passion. Pizza debate brings on an endless thirst for argument that cannot be easily quenched with just a slice or two. People discuss their favorite pizzerias with the same emotionally charged energy as they would discuss politics or their favorite sports team. Pizza has become so entrenched into the culture that it is easy to forget, pizza was once simply peasant food. Pizza was for many years, enjoyed by the lower echelons of society, who could afford little else. For most of Pizza’s long and romantic history, pizza was a regional dish. The great pizza in New York stayed in New York. The inside secrets of the best New York pizza remained in the boroughs and neighborhoods where it was created. There would be an occasional newspaper or magazin...

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...

Believe in your pizza, believe in yourself... In my car, I have a battered copy of The Magic of Believing by Claude Bristol I have read this book many times and I always seem to get something new out of it. If I know I need to wait in a line, such as at a bank or food shopping, I will take the book along to read. This seems to make the line move faster. Simply put, The Magic of Believing states, the energy of the subconscious mind can help individuals achieve any goal. If you believe it, it will happen. This book contains countless examples of the hidden power of the subconscious mind and how it can influence our lives. Bristol speaks about two people cooking an item using the same ingredients, and the same recipe. One item turns out to be a failure while the other is a successful culinary achievement. The successful cook, saw the finished product in their mind's eye. This successful cook, baked their heart and soul in to the finished dish. They created a spiritual li...

Sally's Bacon Pizza from pizzatherapy.com So, what’s the big secret of Sally’s Apizza ? Simple: great pizza. If you want to have excellent pizza you need to search it out. And that is exactly what we discovered during our latest visit to Sally’s Apizza on Wooster Street in New Haven, Connecticut. An inside trick is to get there early. Sally’s opens at 5:00 P.M. (They are closed on Monday’s). We got there at 4:30. There were only two parties in front of us so we knew we would make the first seating. Another trick is to know what you want before your waiter or waitress comes. Make sure you decide what you want. The pizzas at Sally’s come out as they are ordered. Each pizza is lovingly constructed by hand, and that takes time. So the quicker you get your order in the quicker your pizza will come out. A visit to Sally’s is like stepping back in time. You will find the interior to be exactly as it was in the 50’s. Sure there are numerous plaques and diversions on the wall...

I never doubted it for a second! Our own Gail J. Churinetz, a long time member of the Pizza Therapy Ohana  won the The Ultimate Recipe Challenge on The Food Network . A huge congratulations goes out to Gail and her family. Gail has been a dedicated foodie and pizza fanatic for many years. As a matter of fact I still have a bunch of her recipes on a CD she made for me a number of years ago. As an aside, Gail is such a pizza purist, she has all of the water she uses for he pizzas, imported straight from New Haven ! And as I understand it, The Water for her award winning pizza, came right from the tap at Sally's Apizza on Wooster Street . The award winning pizza: a Crawfish and Andouille Sausage Pizza . Gail's recipe was up against some very stiff competition. In the end, her recipe won over the judges. While, I do not have permission to share her pizza recipe, you can get copy of the recipe at this link . Also, here is the link for Gail's Award Winni...

It's always great to be a winner. It's better when you recognize the winner before anyone else does. And that is the case, here. I 'm very proud to announce our own Gail Churinetz , a winner of the Pizza Therapy Recipe Contest , is now being featured on The Food Network . Gail has been a long time supporter of Pizza Therapy , and she is like a member of the family. Gail writes: Hello Albert.... Just wanted to keep you posted regarding my Pizza making.....I am the one that won your competition several years back...I am going to be on Food Network "Ultimate Recipe Showdown", airing March 14th , I made the finals and my recipe..... "Crawfish & Andouille Sausage Pizza"....thought you would love to watch this video. ( Albert's side bar: You can see Gail as she engages with host, Guy Fieri, at this link. ) I can't tell you who won the competition, but if possible, try not to miss the show.... Hope all is well with you and keep up the...

Here is a wonderful video about pizza in America, that needs to be shared. Amercia's Stories visited Frak Pepe's and had a long conversation with Gary Bimonte, grandson of Frank Pepe on Wooster Street in New Haven, Connecticut. Lou Abate of Abate's Pizza was also interviewed. Gary goes into detail about the history of Frank Pepe as he explains how Frank started selling pizza slice by slice. The story of Frank Pepe is America's story. Frank came off the boat with no money. He was able to get a job at a bakery. He sold pizza on the side. After saving his money his was able to open his own pizzeria. He was a good man, a generous man. And he was a pizza master who taught many others to make pizza. One of those was Lou Abate's father. The magic rubbed off and now Lou makes his own pizza down the street from Pepe's. He claims at times to make more pizza than Sally's and Pepe's combined. This is a wonderful film. My only issue with thi...

Jon F. Noted pizzaiolo, installed a Sky Light to get a higher toss... I was pleased to interview noted pizzaiolo, Jon F. Here is what Shelley said: "This is GREAT. Thanks so much!". Jon gives his take on Pepe's Pizza , and Sally's Pizza . Jon gives his take on why the pizza on Wooster Street is so special. Jon also traveled to Italy and explains the difference between American Pizza and Italian Pizza. He is on a quest to find extraordianry pizza. He traveled to Portland to discover some of the greatest pizzas avialable in that city. He got a first hand look at Brian Spangler as he made pizza at Apizza Scholls . He noted that Brian has his hand on every pizza that is served. Jon also reveals another great up and coming legendary pizzeria, called Tastebuds. He finishes up this interview by giving some incredible advice for the home pizza maker. He explains the most important thing is not the toppings. Use all of the high quality toppings you have, ...

The Mario Pizza Oven I just recieved the following email from Rick: "Hello Albert: If you want to see something really revolutionary in making pizza, check out this oven I am bringing into the US from Italy. It is all electric (220 volt, 16 amps); 2 feet square, weighs 100 pounds, and heats up to 830 degrees F. It cooks a pizza in under 2 minutes. I have demonstrated this to several professional chefs here in Houston, and all of them want it. Please check out the video on my website and watch the demo. It will take you to my partners site in Italy. I would like to have your thoughts. The end product is a perfectly crafted pizza that has the char, texture, flavor, aroma of a pizza made in an expensive and high maintenance wood burning oven. I am also bringing the dough and sauce in from Italy as well (fantastic product). I do know my pizza, having lived in NY, been to the great ones in New Haven, CT , ( Albert's side bar: Pepe's , Sally's , Modern ) and of course, Ita...

"Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today. I want to be part of it, New York, New York..." Ok so, I'm not leaving today, but I am leaving soon. I'm heading to the East Coast for a Pizza Tour . I'll be having some "abeets" at my favorite New Haven places: Pepe's, Sally's and Modern . I'm also going to New York to sample some of the best pizza on the planet. (OK, if you listen to Adam Kuban and Ed Levine of Slice , New York has the Best Pizza in the World !) All I can say is that I'll have to judge for myself. I've already made reservations for The Brooklyn Pizza Tour . Tony Miua is the tour guide and I had the opprtunity to interview him. Albert: Can you tell me how you came up with idea for the Brooklyn Pizza Tour? Had you thought about it for a long time? Was it a secret dream? Tony: I've been an avid traveler over the years and whenever I went abroad I would always meet locals who were nice enoug...

Peter Reinhart, James Beard Award winner. The following is a review of Peter Reinhart's book: American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza . "Peter Reinhart starts his incredible pizza adventures in Italy and journeys across America in search of pizza perfection. To borrow a phrase from Bill Graham: “This book is not the best at what it does; it is the only book that does what it does!” Not only do we go on a quest to discover incredible pizzas, but we learn how to make them.! The first section of American Pie is the quest for pizza perfection. The subtitle should be “my search for the perfect “pizzaiolo” (pizza master), as Peter meets with a host of pizzaiolos who share ideas and philosophy about pizza. According to this book, there is more to pizza, than just throwing together flour, yeast oil, tomato sauce, cheese along with other toppings! The fact of the matter is that you must bake part of your heart into each pizza, to reach brilliance! (Albert's sidebar: "I ...

Pizza is a universal food. Most of us grew up with pizza. All of us have an opinion about pizza. If you are from New York, it's New York pizza. If you are from Chicago, it's Chicago Deep Dish. The West Coast pizza fans have their own traditional Italian pizza as well as New Wave pizza. Of course if you are from New Haven, Connecticut, you spend hours debating who makes the best apizza: is it Sally's or Pepe's? Then there are those who favor Modern Apizza. New Haven pizza fans are fanatics. Woven across the U.S. are small pockets of regional pizza favorites. For example, on Long Island, New York, it's a type of pizza called Grandmother's Pizza. If you are from a certain area in Pennsylvania, you favor Old Forge, pizza. There are types of pizza for every different taste: there is thin crust Neapolitan pizza, and there is thick crust Scilian pizza. Chicago deep dish, is a pizza unlike an other. California pizza can be thin with unusual ingredients for unique tastes...

I recently received this great video from two different sources, about Wooster Street in New Haven. The video was created by bgrant19 She did a fantastic job! (Thanks Gary B. and Tony C. for sending me this video...) I am very happy to share it here. The great thing about Wooster Street is that once you get there, you are in a time warp. Wooster Street exists in its own universe without regard to the rest of the world. Time stands still, on this street in New Haven . There has always been a friendly rivalry between Providence, Rhode Island and New Haven . Both are very Italian towns. Providence has Federal Hill (That's where my mom grew up). While New Haven has Wooster Street . A few years back, the mayors of each city took part in a contest. New Haven came out on top. Blame it on Wooster Street . True, Federal Hill has some great Italian restaurants. But, Wooster Street has Pepe's , Sally's Apizza and Libby's Italian Pastry Shop . If you've ever been t...

Albert's Pepperoni Pizza During the last couple of weeks, I had a chance to sample some great pizza. Pepe's and Sally's Apizza , (Wooster Street, New Haven, Connecticut) did not disappoint me. They were fantastic, as usual. On one of my adventures, I stumbled into a pizza joint. The family was busy shopping, so I took it upon myself to check out a new pizza place. The pizza looked good. The crust looked good. The taste was OK. It was not the best pizza I ever had, and it wasn' t the worst. It was good pizza. I agree with Peter Reinhart who says there are two types of pizza: good pizza and great pizza. In some ways pizza is relative,: had I not just had Pepe's or Sally's , I might have rated this pizza much higher. Pepe's and Sally's make great pizza. Anywhere in the pizza universe, this pizza may have been a solid 8 or 9. After Pepe's and Sally's, I would rate it a 6 or 7... Sometimes you can't get great pizza. Sometimes good, is goo...

The whole family went back to Sally's Apizza on Wooster Street last night. We're glad we did! We got there early, so we would be able to make it for the first seating. We patiently waited for the Sally's lights to be turned on. A few minutes later the doors opened. Unfortunately, we did not get our pizza order in right away, so we had a bit of a wait. This is the price you pay for good pizza. One couple who were seated just ahead of us, got tired of waiting, and ended up walking out. Oh, well. We ordered a medium anchovy, a large bacon and a medium potato pizza. (The potato pizza is not on the menu, so you have to ask). Our pizzas were fantastic. The crust was slightly burnt, just the way I like it. The coal fired oven imparts a great taste to the dough. The crust is ultra thin and very tasty. The toppings were perfect. I had a chance to chat with Flo Consiglio , owner of Sally's , for a couple of minutes. I asked her if there would be anything new at Sally's . Sh...

Here is a picture of a Portobello and Capacolla Pizza Before I get into the magic of the portobello mushroom, I want to give you an update of what I am doing. I'm currently on the East Coast, completing the last leg of my vacation. I like to call it: The East Coast Pizza Tour . I was able to get to Pepe's as well as Sally's Apizza . The pizzas at each pizzeria were both memorable and very satisfying. I was able to do some great interviews, which I will be making available at pizzatherapy.com in the near future. In the meantime, I have been creating several videos which I want to share with you. I did a review of my favorite mushroom, the Portobello . I have found these mushrooms very easy to work with as well as having a great taste. You can use them in pasta sauce, sandwiches, on the grill and of course as a topping for pizza. I think the potobello really adds to any dish. they have a beefy texture and a wonderful flavor. Videos are something new to me, but I think the t...

It was one of those special emails that you get. Sally's Apizza, located on Wooster Street in New Haven , Connecticut was officially on the Internet. I like to think in some small way, pizzatherapy.com assisted the process. Sally's is like no other pizzeria in the World. (Hey, I'm not getting in the middle of a Pepe's vs. Sally's debate here... I'm to smart for that....to see what I'm talking about click on the link above. Or just Click Here ) Let's just say, there are people who love Pepe's and there are those who love Sally's I love them both... Here is the email: "Hi Pizza Therapy: I 'm delighted to annouce to the world that Sallys Apizza in New Haven , Connecticut now has a website, with pictures even and the menu. Here is the link: http://sallysapizza.net/default.aspx This development was prompted by the pizza lovers of the Yale Class of 1987 who, before their twentieth reunion to New Haven, contacted Sallys (by using the pizz...

Over the lifetime of pizzatherapy.com I have received countless questions about pizza. These include dough problems, pizza peel issues, the best flour to use, does water make a difference in pizza. Where is the best pizza? Do I favor Chicago Deep Dish pizza over New York pizza ? I want to start a pizza business. ..where do I start? How do make 100 pizzas at a time, can you help? ( Yes: go here .) Who makes the best pizza? Pizza fanatics write to me, asking if I know the inside secrets of the pizza from their favorite pizzeria . They want to know if I can help them recreate a certain pizza. Pizza fans want to know about pizza! You get the idea. I also get lots of questions asking if I know the true secret of Pepe's on Wooster Street , in New Haven, Connecticut . (You can read some of the many comments sent to me here. ) People of course, are also interested in Sally's Apizza also located on Wooster Street . I always tell them: if I knew the real secret of Pepe's or Sa...