Peter’s Blog, August 8th — Alright, Controversy!!
I’m packing and getting ready for the big book launch over the next two weeks in SF and the Bay Area, so will keep this short. The schedule is listed below in my previous Peter’s Blog, if any of you can make it to any of the classes or book signings. There are still a few seats left for the classes but you’ll have to call the venues for more info.
But this week I think we’re going to have to address the controversy that emerged in the Comments section of my last posting, thanks to someone named Scott007 and a few other voices, including another Scott — Scott123. It’s actually kind of exciting — apparently, I’ve pissed a few people off and am not sure why but would sure like to find out what I did (if you aren’t up to speed, please check out the Comments thread in the recent Peter’s Blog — last time I checked there were 14 comments). So, what I’d like to do is open up the discussion here on this posting, via a new Comments section, the one on this posting, and ask any and all of you to chime in. If I’ve trashed NY pizza culture, as Scott123 accuses, or passed on misinformation about pizza methodology or dough science, let’s get it all on the table so we can clear it up. Scott(s), how about getting specific and make your case — I hear that 123 is a well respected pizza authority so maybe I have something to learn from you. None of us have a monopoly on the whole truth and Pizza Quest was created to be a forum for the sharing of our mutual pizza journeys and celebration of artisanship. I’m open to learn from you but also would like to know the actual specifics of where you think I went wrong, rather than generalized attacks. The only rule for this discussion is civility — I reserve the right to edit out ad hominum attacks, unnecessary language, and nasty language. But differences of opinion — sure, I’m okay with that. So, for those who want to play along, go ahead and express yourselves — but let’s do it respectfully, please.
I won’t be posting another Peter’s Blog till I return at the end of the month, but will try to join in the Comments section from the road if my i-Pad and local WiFi will allow it. In the meantime, let’s get to the heart of it — we’re on a search for the truth (or, perhaps, truths). Let the discussion begin….
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Pizza Town, unfortunately is just one of a handful of oases in a desert of mediocrity. I don’t see a lot of young faces behind the counter ready to take up the banner once the Tomo siblings retire. Once they go, what’s left? New Park Pizzeria, in Brooklyn, sells a very respectable pre-95 slice. There may be a couple of dark horses out there that haven’t yet entered the spotlight, but other than those, the situation is dire.
Ed Levine paints a very bleak, yet truthful picture with this recent article on Slice
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2012/07/the-state-of-the-new-york-slice-2012.html
Adam Kuban, founder of Slice (and NY pizza aficionado extraordinare), hits the nail directly on the head in the comment section:
“there is a whole generation of New Yorkers growing up without the taste-memory of what great pizza is.”
This is the state of NY style pizza today, and, for those that cherish NY culture, it’s enough to make you cry.
There’s a small group of online obsessives fighting to preserve this sacred manna for future generations, both in homes and in pizzerias, but they’re battling a tsunami of misinformation and apathy.
What misinformation, you might ask? Well, that’s something we’ll talk about tomorrow. Stay tuned 🙂
Wow! Scott, I hope you are thinking of writing a book on this — your passion knows no bounds and your writing is Bourdainian (that’s meant as a compliment). You’ve got me all intrigued about Pizza Town now — one of these days I’ll have to get there and, when that day comes, I hope you will be my guide.
I’ll wait for your next installment before responding further.
Funny how Scott123 paraphrases “tsunami of misinformation”. If you ever try to glean any useful information out of the Pizza Making forum board, you are in for a long long time. Just in the New York Style section alone, you can read how to make NY Style dough in about 500 different variations. Biga, poolish, same day, slow rise, preferment, 3 days cold, on and on and on. They, in my opinion, bastardize the whole pizza making tradition by the never ending chatter that drives a forum board. This overwhelming white noise of “knowledge transfer” is easily replicated on just about any forum board on any topic: guns, tacoma pick ups, gardening, beer making. If you seek advice in a forum community be prepared for the tsunami. And be prepared to sort it out yourself lest you posit a dumb question and get drawn and quartered by the regulars. At the very least Peter, you have taken the time to create a body of knowledge that is concise and linear. Not like those ADD advice boards.
With all due respect, yerzy pike, I think you are completely missing the point. Of course, the pizzamaking.com forum board is a “tsunami of experimentation”. That’s what it is for. It’s a place for geeks, for people who want to play. Even so, one of the moderators there, Pete-zza, has collected an easily accessible group of recipes for those who need a basic template: it’s located under “Pizza Recipes” on the main board. Scott123 is talking about a particular subset of pizza culture, the classic NY street slice style, which is rapidly becoming an endangered species, and which Scott believes Peter misrepresented in his book. Cont…