Pizza Quest with Peter Reinhart

We’re taking a Thanksgiving break this week, questing for the perfect turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.  I will, however, be doing some test baking this week with sprouted wheat flour crusts for the new pizza cafe project we’re opening here in Charlotte soon, so it won’t be a totally pizza free week. More on that in upcoming weeks. Meanwhile, this would be a great time for newcomers to…Read More…

If you are reading this it is safe to say that you are a pizza fanatic. You have traveled to hundreds of pizzerias and possibly even picked through some trash barrels in search of the keys to the mythological “perfect pie”. You have spent hours debating the merits of different types of ovens, flour, cheese and tomatoes. Over time what becomes painfully clear is that there are no universal rules,…Read More…

While we were filming at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana we met Marti Casey, the editor-in-chief of Salute’ Magazine, a publication dedicated to celebrating the Italian-American experience. Of course, there we were, in the heart of San Francisco’s Little Italy section, North Beach, eating amazing pizza at Tony’s, surrounded by quintessential Italian-American focaccerias, pork shops, bakeries, and classic spaghetti and meat ball trattorias, so what better place to discuss the immigrant experience….Read More…

I think the Marinara Pizza may be many pizzaiolos favorite to make.  It is a pizza pie with no cheese and I think reflects the skill and passion of a pizza maker’s ability to evoke deep flavors from such simple ingredients.  I remember asking Pizzeria Basta’s Kelly Whitaker what his favorite pizza was to make and he said, without hesitation that it was the Marinara.  He said, “My favorite pizza…Read More…

It’s been a hectic few days and I have a meeting to attend in a few minutes, so I will return later today to fill in the blanks. Meanwhile, here’s what you have to look forward to this week: Wed: A new recipe by Brad English, our “everyman” pizzaiolo. This time he tackles the challenging Marinara Pizza. Thursday: A new video — this week an interview with the editor of…Read More…

New York City is a world unto itself.  It’s a relatively small island filled with a lot of everything from everywhere.  You can find almost anything you can imagine in this city.  What I find most interesting is that you can be here by yourself and not be lonely.  And, on the opposite side of the coin, you can be surrounded by literally thousands of people and be left alone.    …Read More…

I said in an earlier post that I would come up with a one day sourdough formula for a pizza crust. Well, I have one I think you’ll like. I really enjoy the simplicity of Pizza Margherita. Wikipedia says: In 1889, during a visit to Naples, Queen Margherita of Italy was served a pizza resembling the colors of the Italian flag, red (tomato), white (mozzarella) and green (basil). This kind…Read More…

First, I want to welcome our newest sponsor to Pizza Quest, our friends from Central Milling in Petaluma, California. This company is headed up by my longtime friend, Keith Giusto, one of the finest bakers in America and also one of our greatest millers–rarely does someone possess world class skills in both realms, and we’re very proud to have Central Milling in our growing stable of Pizza Quest sponsors. You’ve…Read More…

Here’s another in the extremely informative sessions we had with Tony Gemignani at his landmark restaurant, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in North Beach, San Francisco. In this websode, Tony shows us the difference between what he calls a “traditional Italian pizza” and the Napoletana/Neapolitan pizzas he made in previous segments. I think we might also more accurately think of this as “traditional Italian-American” pizza. This style is baked in a gas…Read More…

Lately I’ve been thinking about New Orleans. The Crescent City has a huge Sicilian heritage yet it has never been known as a great pizza city. We will explore why at a later date because right now let’s think about something New Orleans is famous for and how it relates to pizza — music. Back in the early 1900’s there was a legendary jazz musician named Freddie Keppard. People who…Read More…