Pizza Quest with Peter Reinhart

Note from Peter: I first met Joe Fugere, founder of Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria in Seattle, WA, at the 2016 Caputo Cup in Harlem, and then saw him again at the 2017 Pizza Expo, and then again at the more recent Caputo Cup in Atlantic City in October. We picked up our conversation each time as if time hadn’t intervened at all. From the first, I was impressed with Joe’s…Read More…

Note from Peter: I’d like to welcome our newest Guest Columnist, Michael Shepherd, who you met last month when I interviewed him along with his “Perfecting Pizza” partner Siler Chapman. Together, they share their years of success in the pizza business as coaches and consultants for others who want to raise their game or even just get into the game of pizza. In this month’s column, Michael shares his insight…Read More…

This was one of the most fun parts of the Forno Bravo Expo for me, because I got to jam with the great John Arena, who you’ve been watching in the previous webisodes. We created some fun topping here, for use in the next webisode (Part 2) when we’ll fire bake the doughs and then top them after they come out of the oven (or just tear them up and…Read More…

Note from Peter: A few months ago I posted about the wonderful experience I had at the Atlantic City Pizza and Pasta Show, where I met Alex Manzo and Massimiliano Saieva, the masterminds behind the new Roman-style pizza movement here in the USA. It was my first time tasting Massimiliano’s pizzas and I was blown away! While he was making his “al taglio” pizzas (“baked in a pan”) I spoke briefly with…Read More…

Note from Peter: I received this e-mail from pizza fanatic Bret Isbell on Sunday and couldn’t resist asking him for permission to share it with all of you. He agreed, so here it is.  If anyone has any personal memories of either “Z’s Pizza” in Garland, TX, or “Pizza Villa” in Richardson, TX, please feel free to chime in, as these kind of places are a dying breed. And, if…Read More…

Every amateur pizza baker understands the limitations of a home oven. That’s why those in search of professional results have turned to aftermarket products to push their equipment’s capabilities. Pizza stones are great because they introduce a conductive, radiant surface upon which the pizza can directly bake. A few years ago, Nathan Myhrvold’s food science tome Modernist Cuisine made a big splash when it pointed out that the conductive properties…Read More…

Hi Everyone, I ran into my long time friend (and Charlotte pizza legend), Siler Chapman, at the Northeast Pizza and Pasta Show in Atlantic City a couple of months ago, where I discovered that he has partnered with his World Pizza Champions teammate, Michael Shepherd, on an exciting new venture. They both agreed to fill me in on their new consulting and coaching business, PerfectingPizza.com, so I’ll let them take…Read More…

Hi Everyone, Here’s a link to a great post from our friend, Bill Rogers, mastermind behind Culinary TV, about the new designation accorded to Wood-Fired Pizza by the United Nations!  Check it out here: https://www.culinarytvshow.com/unitednations  As we approach the magic hour, enjoy this article and we look forward to giving you more wonderful postings, webisodes, recipes, and guest columns here on PizzaQuest during 2018. Have a wonderful New Year from the…Read More…

Hi Everyone, Here’s a great holiday treat for you: John Arena, who we’ve featured in the previous few webisodes, describes to the folks who gathered at the Forno Bravo Expo how the iconic pizzaiolo, Domenico (Dom) De Marco, founder, owner, and pretty much the only pizza maker for the past 60 years at Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn, makes his legendary pizzas. Talk about the roots of “Slow Food!” You’ll see…Read More…

Hi Everybody, Hard t believe it’s almost Christmas — seems like I just wrote a Christmas post just a blink ago! But here we are, so this is just a short thank you for another great year and for your ongoing support. We are just moments away from making an exciting announcement about the growth and expansion of Pizza Quest, but I can’t say it yet until we sign the…Read More…