Pizza Blog from pizzatherapy.com

Chris writes: Just wanted to say thanks for the notes and messages you send out and also wanted to get your opinion on which type of flour works best for the dough. I am relatively new to pizza making however I find that I really look forward to whenever my wife and I decide to eat pizza. Just this past weekend we had her parents over and I made a couple pies that I thought were my best I so far and I believe the switch to bread flour over all purpose was the key. The crust came out golden brown, slightly crisp but was also a little chewy which is the way I have always liked it. Instead of the slice standing straight up it had a little give to it, to the point where you could fold it in half to eat it. As far as I'm concerned bread flour is the way to go but I wanted to hear from a real expert as to the merits of flour. I also recently finished Peter Reinhart's book on pizza which I found vastly entertaining, imagine going on a mission around the world to find the best pizza, ...

Here's the story: I make pizza. I love to make pizza. I love teaching people how to make pizza. If you want a copy of my pizza dough recipe, you can get it here . I don't pretend it is the best pizza dough recipe. But I am quite sure it is not the worst pizza dough recipe. Or that's what I thought, until I got the following email from Toby . Toby writes: I just. tried your "dough" recipe and wish I hadn't wasted the time or effort. The crust came out with the consistency of one of those southern biscuits like you'd get from Hardee's or Bojangles. The kind that crumble all over you when you bite into it. Dry and crumbly. And I had even left a half cup of flour out and added an extra 1/4 cup water. I spent most of my life living in Massachusetts. We had pizza parlors on every corner. Italian and Greek. I know good pizza. I used to make my own but the dough (crust) never came out the same. Sometimes great. Sometimes not so good. But never as bad as what ...

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...

On Spiritual Pizza Making... (From the Pizza Therapy Archives) Robert writes: In your article on spiritual pizza making you say: "Spiritual pizza is made when you connect with yourpizza on a higher level. You put a part of yourself into each pizza. Make all of your pizza, Spiritual Pizza. Your pizza will taste better. Your pizza will be better." That really hit home with me, you wouldn't believe what I put into my pizza making and it really shows inthe pizza. If I'm making a pizza for company and really want it to be its best I will turn on the ovenlight and keep looking in at it to make sure it is just right, my wife laughs at me but the pizza isalways great. I've spent years now trying to perfect the crust, after all it's the crust that makes the pizza, everything elseis just toppings, right?. A couple of very important things I have learned along the way. If you are going to experiment away from a recipe,WRITE DOWN THE CHANGES YOU MAKE! Otherwise who canrem...

I have always stated: line up 10 different cooks, Italian or otherwise and asks them how to make pizza sauce / gravy and you will get 10 different answers. That said, we turn again to The Pizza Therapy Forum for some answers. VICIII asks: I cannot make a good sauce: what's the secret? I can buy better sauce than I can make. That is the only thing that is sold where I can not make it better at home. Whos got a good basic sauce. A sauce that would be used at a pizzeria.. Anyone? Paul explains: The secret: Fennel and anise. High-quality canned tomatoes. This recipe for marinara sauce almost nails Toronto-style pizza sauce: Marinara with the following changes - - drop the garlic - double the basil - add 1/2 tsp fennel seed (crushed between your palms) - add 1/2 tsp anise seed (crushed between your palms). I have also discovered that "local" canned tomatoes are miserable. When I switched to using only tomatoes imported from Italy ("Mastro" brand, Italian plum tomat...

Pizza Rustica This recipe is from the Pizza Therapy Pizza Forum from our good friend, Bean. The dough would work great for a “croissant” style pizza because the crust is so flaky! A keeper around here for sure! Pizza Rustica Crust 4 c. sifted flour 1 1/2 c. lard 1 t. salt 1 egg 1/2 c. water 1 T. vinegar 1 t. sugar Mix flour with lard and salt until flaky (large lumps) In another bowl, whip egg and water, vinegar and sugar. Add liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and together well. Roll out crust and line baking pan (cookie/jelly roll) 10” x 15” with crust. Lining over the sides of pan also. Center Mixture 1 lb. Italian sausage 1 lb. ricotta 1 lb. mozzarella, shredded 8 eggs 2 oz. chopped prosciutto or pepperoni 1 T. chopped parsley Brown sausage, drain. Set aside to cool. Mix ricotta, mozzarella, sausage, eggs, prosciutto and parsley. Thoroughly blend. Pour mixture in crust, fold over excess crust from sides onto top of center mixture. Bake at 400º for about 35 minutes until top ...

For this leg of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009 we headed to New York to sample some of the World's Best Pizza . We hopped a train and headed to Spring Street to hook up with Scott Wiener, host of Scott's Pizza Tours . What can you say about a kid from New Jersey who has a passion for all things pizza, and in particular New York pizza? You gotta love the guy. He has the heart of pizza. He has energy. He tells great stories. He has done his homework. He even has a pizza pen. Scott truly loves sharing all he knows about pizza. I immediately connected with him. How could I help it. He is my pizza brother from a different mother. The tour began at the exact spot where pizza started in America. The home of the original location of Lombardi's pizza . ( Albert's Side Bar: For more information on the history of Pizza, please check out Legends of Pizza, Volume 3, The Lost Interviews of Evelyn Sloman Parts 1 and 2, here .) We started our trek, by heading to an Ita...

pizzetta pizza: it's all about the crust. Louie and Mark Esposito had raved long and hard about a pizzeria in Mystic, Connecticut. They were so persistent about how good the pizza was, I listed pizzetta on the Best Pizza in Connecticut page . Here is what Louie said about the pizza: "thin crispy crunchy and the combination of toppings are mouth watering delectable. The first bite literally stopped me in my tracks. Truly the guy makes an exceptional pie.." Mark echoed his words by explaining: " Chris Owens certainly is on a noble mission and makes an equally noble pie. Chris makes a thin crispy crust that holds up very well with all the fresh and natural toppings. Pizzetta Pizza is a cut above, another star in the constellation of great pizza pies." As part of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009 , I stopped by and ordered a pizza. The Espositos were not exaggerating. The pie was thin, crispy, and excellent. I was most impressed with the simplicity o...

A slice of Pepe's clam pizza What can I say about Pepe's ? Pepe's pizza is like returning to an old friend you haven't seen in a while. You've both been through some new adventures but you still maintain that connection. The spiritual bond remains. And so it is with the pizza. Pepe's Pizzeria Napolitana was the third stop on the Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009. We knew what we wanted before we arrived. We were all dreaming about clam pizza. We talked about the clam pizza in the car on the way down. And not just a casual mention. It was the main topic of conversation. Pepe's is the home of clam pizza. Frank Pepe invented the clam pizza. You just hope against hope, that they are able to have clams on the day you arrive. They usually do, however, clam pizza is so popular, they sometimes, run out. Pepe's Pizzeria is all about the pizza and tradition. Pepe's continues to carry on the legacy of Frank Pepe by serving incredible world class pi...

Pizza Therapy is Shut Out of The Brooklyn Pizza Tour I know what your thinking. Why would Bruce Willis ever mess with Pizza Therapy ? I mean the guy is from New Jersey, right? He probably loves pizza. And he would never have any reason to bother with Pizza Therapy . He is after all a mega star. Yeah, that's what I thought, too. But read on. This is a true story. Let me explain... As you may know, I was schedule for the The Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour . I had reserved my tickets way in advance. I paid on line. I had printed up my e-ticket. I carried it all the way from Hawaii. (You can read all about it here .) As a matter of fact, the Brooklyn Pizza Tour was going to be the highlight of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009 . Emphasis is on the word was... I just got a call from Tony Miua , the host and creator of the Brooklyn Pizza Tour . "Albert", he said "we're going to have to cancel the tour for the day you are booked." ...

This is the second episode of The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour, 2009. For this part of the tour, I went to apizzo , located in Pawcatuck, Connecticut. OK let's set the record straight. First: the official name is actually apizzo Pizzeria Napoletana. Second: while apizzo is located in Pawcatuck, Connecticut , you can cross the streeet and be in Westerly, Rhode Island . With that said, our party arrived, expecting a fairly good pizza. Pawcatuck , is after all, the home of noted pizzaiolo, Jon F. . If Jon F. says a pizza is good, its good. What struck me immediately, was the ambiance of the place. Stefan Ambrosch the co-owner, and operator, explained to us, that the restaurant was completely designed with his own personal vision of what a great pizzeria should be. Next, I was amazed at the ornate wood fired pizza oven. Imported from Italy, it is, very attractive, yet functional. The entire restaurant was re-designed around the oven, once it had been installed. Discover a ta...

A mushroom Pizza from Recovery Room, New London Connecticut New London, Connecticut is known for being a safe harbor. The place is steeped in sailing tradition. You can find a wide range of incredible seafood at the World Famous, Captain Scott's and other clam shacks. But, New London also is the home of great pizza. One of the best kept pizza secrets is served at the Recovery Room . Located on 445 Ocean Avenue, the Recovery Room is right down the street from Lawrence and Memorial Hospital. The pizza is thin Neapolitan, with a crispy, yet light crust. We opted for the basic mushroom and a pepperoni. The pizzas were memorable. I have long been a fan of the Recovery Room and whenever, I'm in town, it is one of my first stops. The crust has just the right amount of char. The pizza almost tastes as if it came out of a brick oven. The Recovery Room Crust The toppings are fresh with just the right combination of spices. The taste is consistently good. The Recovery Room has a number...

Jb-a sent the follwoing pizza recipe... DAD’S PIZZA DOUGH GOOD FOR ONE 12-13” PIZZA 1. Prepare the YEAST BLOOM - 1 package -yeast - 1 teaspoon sugar - ¼ cup 105 deg RO water - Allow to develop a froth-foam 2. PLACE THE LIQUID INGREDIENTS BELOW IN BREADMAKER ON “DOUGH” SETTING - 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil - ¾ cup 105 degree water - Add the above yeast bloom 3. NOW ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS: - 2 ½ cups bread flour - 2 TBS grated parmesan cheese - 1 tsp garlic powder - 1 tsp salt 4. START THE MACHINE ON THE DOUGH CYCLE IT SHOULD TAKE APPROXIMAGEL- 1 HR/20 MIN NO-COOK NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA SAUCE INGREDIENTS - 1-14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with juice - 1-6 oz can of tomato paste - 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil - 2 tsp dried basil - 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano - 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar - 1 teaspoon diced minced garlic - 3/4 teaspoon salt (or 1 1/2 t. kosher salt) - 1/8 tsp baking soda DIRECTIONS 1. In a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, olive oil, basil, oreg...

Let me make this clear: I usually don't eat frozen pizza. The operational word here is "usually". However, there are exceptions to every rule. Let me explain: Last week I received the following email: Hi Albert, I work on behalf of DiGiorno and wanted to tell you about our two new products – DiGiorno Flatbread Melts , microwavable sandwiches that are DiGiorno’s first foray beyond frozen pizza... Also, DiGiorno Crispy Flatbread Pizzas feature an extra-thin, crisp crust and topping combinations so unique – they serve up truly one-of-a-kind pizzas that you can’t get from delivery! If you’re interested, we’d be happy to send you a cold ship mailer containing both products to arrive at your home or office Thank you! Kate Kirkpatrick Of course I agreed to give these a try. The products were sent via Fed Ex in two extremely large boxes. The boxes contained styrofoam coolers, packed in dry ice. One contained two flatbread melts, the other contained a flatbread pizza. Yeah, they...

"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...

Does water make a difference when you make pizza? Some say absolutely. Others insist that water does not make any difference at all.. Some contend that they need to import their water from New York in order to make great pizza. Water is to some, the secret ingredient. I have recieved numerous emails about this topic. Some are very fanatic about New Haven water. One friend, who left Connecticut and moved to North Carolina. insists that New Haven water is so special, she asks all of her visitors to bring gallons to her. In Hawaii, Anthony Romano , noted pizzaiolo, of Antonio's insists that the water be treated to make his pizza taste special. This issue has been debated and discussed. There are numerous opinions. Who is right? Enter the Food Network's Food Detectives. They assembled a panel of New York pizza professionals to settle the matter once and for all. This episode features Tony Muia, owner/operator of " A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour" , comedian Mario Cantone, ...

I've always had a soft spot for Gilligan's Island. I enjoyed the show. Now out of no-where comes Dawn Wells , the Mary Ann of the show, with her own You Tube video. Dawn Wells, aka Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island, demonstrates a unique way to peel an Idaho potato...without the use of a potato peeler! You've come a long way baby.. Well now Dawn is in Idaho and she shows you how to peel an Idaho Potato. Dawn Wells Potato Peeling Video: And let's hear it for the biggest Potato Head of all time: Mr. Potato Head... And you can watch Gilligan's Island, here: Potatoes on Earth, Easily peeling potatoes, Albert Grande Legends of Pizza

An Appeal for a Peel: Al Writes: Could you please tell me exactly what a 'peel' is? I've never heard this term before. Thanks for the newsletter! Our Response: A peel also known as a pizza paddle is is a flat tool with a handle. You use the peel to put the pizza onto a pizza stone (or brick oven) and to take it out. You can build your pizza right on a pizza peel, dusted liberally with corn meal. You can see a wooden peel here: Peels can be made of wood as well as metal. I have both kinds. Both work well. here is a metal pizza peel: You really only need a peel if you are using a pizza stone.Until I gave him a peel, my friend Espo used a piece of cardboard to move his pizza on and off his pizza stone. It worked, but that is another story! I hope this answers your question... Pizza on Earth, albert Pizza Therapy P.S. Here is one more peel for you:

Bean writes: "My friend gave me this recipe after he got it while studying to be a priest in Italy. Easy & delish!" Penne all ‘arrabbiata Ingredients Olive oil (couple T.) 2 T. fresh basil (1 1/2 t. dried) 2 T. fresh parsley (1 1/2 dried) 3 to 4 garlic cloves, pressed 3 cans Italian crushed or diced tomatoes (I like crushed) 1 t. crushed red pepper (more or less to taste) Salt & Pepper to taste 1 package Penne Pasta Directions Heat the oil; add herbs and garlic. Add rest of ingredients and simmer. Meanwhile prepare Penne according to directions. As soon as the pasta is done, drain and toss with sauce. Serve with salad and garlic bread. – a bottle of Vino never hurt either! *I use about 1/4 c. olive oil, makes for a good sauce. thanks, for the recipe, Bean. Here is a great cooking resource from my pal, Rachael Ray: pasta on earth, albert Make Pasta at Pasta Therapy

Update: Pizza Zing is no longer available. The compnay folded...) I was recently presented with a bottle of Pizza Zing , a new product from FOODWORKS WEST LLC. Here is the website: Pizza Zing . According to the makers: Pizza Zing "was developed to offer pizza lovers a condiment that would let them easily add more flavor and heat to their pizzas. The recipe development lasted over two years before finalizing the perfect blend of peppers, spices and cheeses." I decided to give the product an honest try. I used it on a slice of commercial pizza, (a mom and pop pizzeria), and found it to give a good kick to the pizza. It has heat but does not leave your mouth begging for mercy. I found the flavor to be full and actually did enhance the flavor of commercial pizza. Next I used it on some of my own home-made pizza. My pizza already has plenty of flavor, thank you very much. I found that while it did give some different tastes, I felt it was a bit of over-kill. Ther...

Tony G. knows pizza. He knows how to make pizza. Incredible pizza. And as the Team Captain of the World Pizza Champions , he is a Nine-time World Champion. . He is not only a legendary pizzaiolo, he also a genuine, all around, good person. Tony is the entire pizza package. Most recently he and his pizza team members have been featured in a brand new book. Tony and the Pizza Champions: This is a wonderful book to get pizza fans of all ages excited about eating pizza and making pizza. Here is the review from Chronicle Books : "Tony and the Pizza Champions -- From the eight-time world pizza-tossing champion, this dynamic picture book invites readers to join in the dough-flying fun as Tony and his team of talented pizza-tossers travel to Italy to compete in an international competition." Not only are pizza tossing tips included, but you get Tony's incredible pizza recipe. You can learn Tony's step by step pizza tossing technique here: Thanks s...

The Big Green Pizza Truck Imagine not having to go out for pizza. I don't mean just having pizza delivered, I mean having entire pizzeria come to your door. I kept hearing stories, about the big green pizza truck, a mobile pizzeria, with a full on, wood fired pizza oven, in the back. I knew I had to track down the truck. I finally found Douglas Coffin , the owner and operator. He not only agreed to do the interview but he was very forthcoming about the Pizza Business and his pizza truck. The interview follows: Albert : Hi Douglas. How did you get started with the pizza truck: What came first the pizza or the truck? What is your pizza background and how did you get interested in pizza? Because I feel, to make you pizza, you need to have a passion for it. Douglas : I am sorry to disappoint the pizza fanatics - I am not a pizza nut. I am a caterer and the truck grew out of my catering background, not a passion for pizza. For many years I have felt that the best food is that which is ...

The entire pizza community is saddened. A legendary New York, pizzeria, caught fire, and sustained major damage. Totonno's , located on Coney Island is one of the few pizza establishments that makes it's pizza in a coal fired oven. Unfortunately, the fire may have started in the oven. Ed Levine , noted pizza expert, was right on this story. Read Ed's post. According to the New York Daily News: the "blaze at Totonno's - which some foodies say serves the best pies in the city - broke out at 9:30 a.m. and spread to the roof, causing extensive damage, officials and witnesses said. No one was injured, but fans bemoaned the temporary loss of a culinary institution." Read the enitre story on this page: http://tiny.cc/Xoz4t Totonno's has been in continuous operation since 1924, making it one of the oldest pizzerias in the country. The pizza at Totonno's is incredible. Legend of pizza, Evelyn Sloman , learned to make pizza there. She credits T...