Pizza Blog from pizzatherapy.com

Recently USA Today ran a story about 51 great pizza parlors. As USA Today explains in their article, they polled local experts in each state including the District of Columbia to come up with their top pizza. This was an ambitious project. Here is a link . No matter where you're from you'll find great pizza. And you can easily discover that, everyone has their own opinion on pizza. Everyone. You can read the rest of this review, exclusively on Lunch.

About a year ago, I got an email from Dino Ciccone.  Dino explained he had a concept for a television show. Since he was a pizza expert and loved motorcycles, he wanted to marry the two passions of his life. I wished him well and told him to let me know when his pizza television show was finished. His idea was simple, he would travel around on his motorcycle, visiting different pizzerias that needed help. Not just pizzerias that were a little off course. He wanted to offer his assistance to pizza places that had totally missed the boat.  He would offer his pizza experience to get these pizzerias back on the right track. Well Dino true to his word has his television series. It's kind of an Easy Rider as the Ultimate Pizza Guru type of show. Lots of motorcycles, lots of pizza. A sure fire hit... In the opening episode Dino attempts to help a pizzeria in sad shape: Their kitchen is filthy They have no consistent dough recipe They use pizza sauce from a can ...

A great New York City Pizza Challenge was recently orchestrated by the Travel Channel . This was an episode of their show called Food Wars . You know things will heat up when you put two great pizzerias head to head...er...pizza to pizza. In one corner of Manhattan we have John's of Bleeker Street. In the other corner we have Grimaldi's Pizza of Brooklyn. Our good friend Tony Miua of the Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour had this to say: For those of you who missed it last night, I appeared on the Travel Channel's "Food Wars" episode about NYC pizza.They compared two of NYC's legendary pizzerias to see who's the best:. Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge vs. John's of Bleeker Street.The Travel Channel is airing it again, so set your clocks and devices if you'd like to see it.Who won? I have two words for you: John's? FUHGETTABOUDIT!  You can visit  Tony at  A Slice of Brooklyn Pizza Tour here. We'll let you decide for y...

Paul writes: Hi Albert, I was just browsing your website, in search of a brilliant tomato sauce recipe. I've been trying to reverse-engineer pizza for a number of decades now. Here's a tip I didn't see on your website: Don't buy just one Pizza Stone. Buy TWO. Use the first stone normally (i.e. put the pizza on it). Put a second oven rack in its highest position and put the second pizza stone on it - i.e. above the pizza. Now there is a stone above and below the pizza. It makes a huge difference - pizzeria oven quality. Keeps the oven temperature steady as a rock (:-) - something which electric ovens can't otherwise achieve. The toppings brown nicely and the crust puffs up delicately. Obviously, you have to put both of the stones in the oven before pre-heating (which takes longer with the two stones). Here is another tip, told to me by a food chemist who consulted with the bread industry - season your dough at least overnight. I use a bread machin...

Bonnie writes: I found your website in my search for pizza connections and I am contacting you to ask you if you would like to partner with us to market our new sculpture “Pizzaiolo.”  OK, Bonnie, you got my attention. Can you tell me a bit more about this sculpture. Sure, Albert:. Pizza! As a pizza professional you know how much the world loves pizza. And the Pizzaiolo, the master who creates pizza deserves to be celebrated. Now sculptor Jeff Tritel has done just that. He has created “Pizzaiolo,” a limited edition bronze sculpture celebrating Pizzaiolos everywhere! “Pizzaiolo” captures the art of the dough. Our Pizzaiolo is spinning pizza dough and that spin is shown in the spin of his body. Here are Jeff’s words about his inspiration for “Pizzaiolo”: There’s an element of magic in spinning pizza dough and for me, images of joy, wonder, skillful execution and old world charm appear in my mind’s eye. To capture the feeling of spinning dough in a sculpture, I’ve given ...

Here's a well put together Halloween Pizza story ... A true original. It's scary...it is seasonal...and it's all about pizza.   This may take a few seconds to load...but it is worth it... http://tinyurl.com/yhgp2lz Happy Halloween! pizza on earth, albert grande The Pizza Promoter Order your own pizza right from Chicago, from Gino's East:

Sky Dylan Robbins is a filmmaker with an unbridled passion for food. you can hear it in her voice. You can feel it in her film. You can listen to my interview with Sky  at the end of this post. Her latest project, Un Americana in Italia chronicles her food adventures in Italy. The film is comprised of 12 different episodes. Each episode takes you on a different quest to discover the truth about food. She gives us an understanding of why we are so obsessed with food. After watching a clip of her discuss pizza, I knew I had to interview her. She introduces us to the master pizzaioli of Naples. This is the birthpalce of Pizza. Thanks for the introduction, Sky. Her film tells us about ourselves and why our love affair with food will continue. Sky takes you inside the underground secrets of how various food is produced. She also reveals the passions of those who create these amazing foods. Food for Sky is magical. She celebrates the creation of food. She celebrates the ...

Mitch writes: Hello Albert. I'd like to say thank you for hosting a great website and providing TONS of useful information. (Here's the link: Pizza Therapy ) I am at sea at the moment, but as soon as I return home, I'll be giving your dough a try. The dough recipe that I have been using is this: 2 cups flour (either high gluten or Caputo "00") 3/4 cup warm water 1 package active yeast 2 tsp sugar 1/8 tsp salt 2 tbsp olive oil I would also add some KAF Pizza dough flavor or grated Parmesan cheese. The most frequent problem I would have is the dough would just not rise. I tried everything. 105-110 deg. water by thermometer. Using more sugar, adding all the dry ingredients to the flour first. It was maddening. Finally, I stumbled on the solution to my problem in a book called "The Bread Builders." It was the salt. The salt retards/controls the action of the yeast. Well too much salt stops the yeast completely. Adding the pizza dough...

True story: When I was a kid, I would watch my Italian grandmother's cook. They were wizards in the kitchen. The never measured anything. They never used a recipe. But everything they made came out perfect. I asked them a number of times to tell me their secrets... sadly I only learned one recipe, spaghetti sauce. (gravy). They both laughed when I asked them food related questions. They could easily tell me what went into each dish. But, they explained, they could not tell me the exact amounts They were not sure. They did not know themselves. They had never written anything down. It was all permanently etched in their soul. And that's how they cooked, from their soul. My grandmothers created soul food. Italian soul food. They both gave me the following cooking advice: "Put in a little bit of this and a little bit of that". I told them I had no idea what they meant. "Put in enough spice until it tastes right," they explained. I...

During one of my conversations with Ed Ladou   (creator of Wolfgang Puck's Pizza as well as California Pizza Kitchen pizza ), he remarked: "Pizza is sexy". Ed went on to explain  how the popularity of pizza has really exploded. And how the image of pizza has changed dramatically over the years.  When Ed first started making pizza, everything was different. Ed knew pizza. He was a true pizza philosopher and master pizzaiolo. I wonder what Ed would have thought about the following video. I'm sure he would have said: "See I told you so..." And Ed, I miss you. You were a true original. I have to give this video an "R" rating. It's not for everyone. So be forewarned... But if you like pizza, then you will like this video. Yeah, I guess Ed was right all along..."Pizza is sexy..." You can watch a huge collection of pizza videos at Pizza Therapy. pizza on earth, Albert Grande The Pizza Promoter -->

Mike asks: Albert - Thanks for all the help. I am on the quest for the perfect white dough ! I am actually trying it out tonight. If you have time I do have a couple of questions. Have you ever cooked one in a cast iron skillet? How comparable would this be to a pizza stone since you can technically let it heat up with the oven as well? What temperature would you recommend? Pizza is my life and I just started getting excited about it again after eating at a Mellow Mushroom just down the road from us.  I used to work in the pizza business for about 7 years, at McSalty's Pizza Cafe   in Springfield MO . A local owned very good pizza. Probably one of the top two or three I have ever had. It is a wheat crust rolled real thin and baked at 550 degrees. It tastes like a pepper cracker.  If you are ever near that area I would highly suggest you check it out. Dough and Sauce are made from scratch daily, and we chopped our own onions and green peppers as well. Thank...

Bourbon Distillery and Local Pizza Chain Join Forces for Bourbon Heritage Month LOUISVILLE, Ky. (September 7, 2010) – Four Roses Bourbon and Impellizzeri’s Pizza have teamed up in celebration of Bourbon Heritage Month to create a unique pizza recipe combining two of Kentucky’s finest offerings – Bourbon and the classic Louisville dish, the Hot Brown . “This pizza pairs two Kentucky classics, with the Hot Brown originating in Kentucky and 95 percent of the world’s bourbon being made in Kentucky as well,” said Four Roses Master Distiller Jim Rutledge . “This is one of the more creative uses of bourbon in cooking that I’ve come across and one I’d recommend Louisvillians try at least once while it’s available.” The recipe for the Kentucky Bourbon Hot Brown Pizza calls for tweaking a house-made alfredo sauce with dry herbs, spices and cheese to emulate the traditional Mornay sauce used in a Hot Brown, yet giving it an Italian twist. Fresh-diced chicken in a Four Roses Dijon Mari...

A member of The Pizza Therapy Community, our man Coda , shares his insights on The Best Pizza in the World: For the past fifteen years or so, there was a place out in Riverside (It's gone now) that was probably entitled to claim that they made my "Favorite" pizza. I wouldn't go so far as to claim that they were the "World's Best" but it was darn good. Driving on the 91 fwy during rush hour made it difficult to visit them very often and now the restaurant is gone. (sigh) Oh well. Anyway, I'd never found a pizza I would call "World's Best Pizza" before I tasted the pizza from Marechiaros . They say it sort of like "Mary Key Ahrrows" but with an Italian accent. I've tried both their red and white sauce pizzas. Unbelievable. The red sauce is mild and slightly tangy but has a definite "Oomph" too it. Hard to describe. I call it "mmmMMMmmm" sauce. It's just plain good and it always seems to m...

Growing up in Italian household was an experience. We ate good food...and plenty of it. Whenever friends would come to visit, they would always be fed. A lot... And if you didn't eat, you insulted the family. Everyone ate. The first words out of my friend's mouths were always: "That was good" Then, they would always ask: "Why is everyone yelling at each other?" I tried to explain, we weren't yelling....that was the way we talked. I'm a pretty loud person to this very day... One of the signature dishes was spaghtti sauce...I mean gravy. There is a lot of debate about what to call it. You'll have to decide yourself. Here is the recipe: Red Sauce / Gravy from Pasta Therapy Ingredients 1-28oz. can of crushed tomato, stewed tomato or puree 1-6oz. can of tomato paste 2-3 cloves of garlic (or more) Olive oil Basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper to taste 1/4 cup of red table wine (more or less) Directions 1. Crush garlic with ...

I asked Dan about how his pizza turned out. He had gotten a free copy of The Mini Pizza Therapy Pizza Book   He responded: Thank you for your inquiry. I did order your Legends of Pizza story and haven’t gotten the chance to read it yet, but I did try the dough recipe and it was fantastic. I bought a pizza stone and the crust was perfect . Unfortunately I had a problem getting the dough off the peel and it ended up spilling the toppings on the stone. Is there some trick to getting the dough off the peel? I’ve read about using parchment paper, but that seems to defeat the purpose of the stone, so any suggestions you have would be appreciated. Thanks Yours in pizza Dan G My response: Hi Dan. I have made every mistake possible when making pizza. Believe me! Every miststake possible. And even some mistakes that were not possible! So please do not feel bad. You will get it down. It just takes a bit of practice. Here is my advice on how to use a pizza peel: 1...

The  Fire Within Portable Wood Fired Oven,  is having a pizza party, and you're invited! Not only, that but they have invited some surprise guests. The Ultimate Pie Workshop is offering you a chance to make pizza along side legendary pizzaiolo,   Peter Reinhart ,  at an upcoming pizza workshop in Colorado. Master pizza maker and event organizer,  Joseph Pergolizzi asks:  "Do you own a wood Fired oven in your home or backyard?  Do you want to learn how to make the best pizza of your life?  Are you ready to take wood fired oven cooking to the next level and knock your friends socks off at your next backyard pizza party?  If so, come join us for The Ultimate Pie Workshop. Join Peter Reinhart and 8 other top wood fired oven chefs for an unforgettable hands on weekend workshop! Learn and enjoy wood fired cooking at it's best: many new pizza doughs, bread baking, international cuisine, and incredible deserts - all made i...

As if DiFara's needed a defender, Ozersky throws down the gauntlet.   Josh Ozersky says: "With all due respect to Jeffrey Steingarten, DiFara’s Pizza is the best pizza in New York City (and probably the world). Anyone who says otherwise, even the most erudite of men, should have their head examined". Here's what Goaline says about DiFara's: "Pizza at Di Fara is so fresh and tasty. The dough is made with imported Italian flour, he uses not one but three cheeses (buffalo mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padana, and freshly-made sauce created from plum tomatoes and he grows himself. The parmagion cheese is straight from the cheese grater and the basil is straight from the vine. It's great pizza, luscious cheeses, dripping with olive oil, and if you are lucky dotted with artichokes. The pie is fantastic: all ingredients are fresh, crust is thin and juicy! The biggest problem is finding parking space." DiFara's Pizza 1424 Avenue J ...

This is an amazing recipe and a wonderful way to cook eggplant. I need to give credit to the Denver Food Guy for sharing this great recipe. Most of my eggplant is the eggplant parmesan style . That's what was served at our table almost every night. I learned from my mom, who learned from her mom. And so eggplant parmesan was a family tradition. I have used it as a pizza topping as well as in sandwiches. Here is a very uniques way to serve this wonderful recipe. Chef Matteo Carboni from the Academia Barilla Culinary School teach us how to prepare an easy Mediterranean antipasto: eggplant and prosciutto rolls . Eat, eat! Here are some other eggplant recipes you may enjoy: eggplant on the planet, albert grande Pizza Therapy Will Teach You to Make Pizza

I just recieved the following and thought I'd share this with the Pizza Therapy community... Television show producer, JD, is looking for reality pizza stars ... If you know of anyone who fits the bill as a pizza making family who is a "really fun and friendly bunch and one that's totally "New York" , you can contact J.D. This is how stars are made! Hey Albert, I was lucky enough to stumble onto your directory this morning and thought I'd reach out about a project that I'm working on. Since you seem to have quite the working knowledge of all things pizza, I thought you might be able to help! I'm looking for a family-owned and operated NYC/NJ pizzeria for a new TV project that I'm casting, and I thought you might have a couple favorites or maybe some recommendations of local pizza joints that might fit the bill. We're looking for a really fun and friendly bunch and one that's totally "New York". Does anything come to m...

From our friends at Forno Bravo , here is an incredible method to make Ciabatta Bread . This bread has a good crust with lots of taste. The process is not that difficult. However as with most great breads, this one starts with a poolish. Ciabatta Italian Hearth Bread Poolish (the starter dough) By weight 300 g general purpose flour (Caputo Tipo 00 works well) 300 g room temperature water 1 g (pinch) yeast By volume 2 1/4 cups general purpose flour (Caputo Tipo 00 works well) 1 1/4 cups room temperature water 1/8 tsp yeast Mix to a pancake batter consistency, cover with plastic wrap and let ferment for 3-4 hours, or overnight. Refrigerate after 3-4 hours. The Finished Bread By weight, The poolish, plus: 700 g flour 20 g salt 9 g yeast 430 g water (73% final hydration) By volume, The poolish, plus: 2 7/8 cups flour 1 Tbs salt 1 1/4 tsp yeast 1/2 cup water Mix the dough until it is well hydrated (it is very sticky). Stretch and fold (like a letter) a...