Pizza Quest with Peter Reinhart

Note from Peter: I grew up in Philadelphia, a city that takes its food pretty seriously. We always had a few great, iconic pizzerias (Tacconelli’s, Marra’s, Francoluigi’s, Caccia’s Bakery, Santucci’s and others) but, unlike New York City where pizza is a primary marker of cultural identity, it was really the cheese steak, hoagie, roast pork sandwich culture that gave Philly its culinary claim to fame. But, in the past few…Read More…

Note from Peter:  This came in yesterday so I thought I’d share it with all of you. Roberto and Tony are good friends of Pizza Quest and this is a great cause. If you go, please say hi for me.   Pizza Powerhouses Roberto Caporuscio and Tony Gemignani to Share Neapolitan Pizza-Making Techniques and Tasting at Newest Kesté Pizza and Vino Location Collaborative Pizza Benefitting Hurricane Victims to be Unveiled…Read More…

Hi Everyone, This is a wonderful one-on-one with John Arena, the beloved “pizza guy” from Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, and a regular contributor here on Pizza Quest.  I’m going to let John do all the talking here, as his sincere and thoughtful description of the life of a pizza maker says it all. We have more webisodes with him coming up, so enjoy this opening segment. I’m sure you’ll…Read More…

The full name of this sauce is actually Big Brad’s Super Fantastic Smashed Tomato Sauce, but I am only mostly serious about that. I like to alternate the sauces I’m using to find new flavor combinations, textures, and themes for my pizzas.  I do make a lot of pizzas and I’m always looking for something new, or ways to make something different and, ultimately, “better.”   I often use cherry tomatoes alone on…Read More…

Note from Peter: I first met Chris Bianco just before he burst on the national scene, sometime back in the late 1990’s. One of my baking students was from Phoenix and told me about him and, when I went to Phoenix for an IACP Conference and needed a place to bake breads for a presentation I was making, my student said, “He not only makes the best pizza in Phoenix…Read More…

Note from Peter: This week we feature a guest column from Joseph Calcagno, whose life in pizza has come full circle, as he shares in this moving memoir, which is a beautiful example of our motto: A journey of self-discovery through pizza.  See Joseph’s bio, below, at the end of his story.   It took nearly a year to plan a pizza party. In the last 14 months I’ve moved…Read More…

This week we have a short “appetizer” of a webisode for you, featuring two guys who have already been featured in their own segments: pizzaiolo Vito Romani, of Pizzeria Stella, and master wine maker Dan Karlsen, of Talbott Vineyards. If you are new here on Pizza Quest you might want to go into our Webisode archive (see the button at the top of the home page) and check out the…Read More…

I can’t visit a new city without conducting a complete survey of the local pizza scene. Call it a professional obligation or call it a sickness, you’ll be right either way. But it’s not just about the food; I find deep satisfaction in planning and executing the perfect route. It’s like a big jigsaw puzzle, with pieces that are constantly changing. Ever since my first multi-stop pizza feasts over a…Read More…

Hi Everyone, Here’s an update on some classes and events coming up over the next couple of months: One of the most exciting (or those who love near Chapel Hill, NC, that is) is the Festa Italiana, Friends of James Beard Benefit that will be held on Thursday, September 14th at Il Palio Ristorante, located inside my favorite Chapel Hill hotel, The Sienna. Il Palio’s talented chef, Teddy Diggs, has…Read More…

Note from Peter:  I first met Ajith Dharma at the 2015 Forno Bravo Wood-Fired Oven Expo in Salinas, California and, surrounded by hundreds of fellow fire freaks, we became instant friends. As the new owner of FireWithin Mobile Ovens he has built very sensitively and strategically upon the foundation established by the original founder Joseph Pergolizzi, who we’ve featured here on PizzaQuest in the past, and Ajith has now grown…Read More…