by mark on November 10, 2009
You’ll thank us for this tip the next time you dominate your friends in a game of Scrabble
.
So you’re down to your two last letters, and there there just aren’t any options on the board that are going to let you use your last A and your last Z. Grrr! I hate when I’m stuck with a letter with such a high point count and I can’t use it.
Well, apparently “ZA” is now in the official Scrabble word list (via WikiAnswers). What’s it mean? It’s short for pizza of course!
Gimme another slice of that za!
by mark on September 23, 2009
Here is a terrific video showing how A16 in San Francisco makes their Neapolitan pizza:
It’s just after 8am and now I just want to skip breakfast and go get some lunch. The only thing that’s stopping me, the trip from CT to CA. I could go to Pepe’s or Sally’s I guess. That’s only about 20 minutes away.
Came across that video, via this review. Interesting comments from people who still feel that people are overly excited about the A16 Pizza’s saying that it still doesn’t match the best in NYC.
There are so many different kinds of pies out there and it’s very subjective. Once you find the style that you prefer, nothing else compares. Some point out that San Francisco doesn’t have much of a pizza legacy so getting rave reviews in San Francisco isn’t a hard thing to do, even if it doesn’t quite live up to the NY or New Haven styles, which are close, but not exactly the same as true Naples-style pizza.
Still the A16 pies look great, and I would not miss A16 if I get to San Francisco.
Interesting notes:
- Before they take the pizza out, they hold it up near the top of the oven, closer to the flame. Why? To give the topping just a little bit of a push at the end? I little more smoky flavor?
- Three days to get the right flavor in the crust. Interesting.
by mark on August 15, 2009
There are lots of places in the US where the pizza is so bad that giving it to your kids ought to be considered child abuse. But is throwing a slice of pizza at ones daughter after she mouthed off at her father an actual crime? Apparently in Florida, it is!
Dad Accused of Child Abuse for Hitting Girl With Pizza
Saturday , August 15, 2009 AP
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A Gainesville father has been arrested for hitting his daughter with a pizza slice.
The 38-year-old man was arrested early Friday on a charge of child abuse without great harm, a third-degree felony. The man’s name was being withheld to protect the identity of the victim.
Deputy Nick Vickers says the man used racist and sexist terms when he asked his daughter to turn off her computer, and she fired back with some crude language of her own.
Vickers says the father “intentionally threw a slice of pizza at the victim, striking her in the back of the neck, against her will.”
The girl, whose age was not available, called 911 and her father was arrested.
Anyway, I would not condone the use of pizza as a weapon, especially if it’s a well made pie made with quality ingredients. But if you must, at least be a good shot like this father was.
by mark on July 3, 2009
Exhibit A: We went to the Fancy Food Show last weekend, and came across Pizza in a Cone. You might think that at a fancy food show that this might be some kind of treat masterfully put together by a chef from fresh ingredients just presented in a unique way. You’d be wrong.
We chuckled at their own admission that the product has “Pleasant and Acceptable Taste. I’ll take their word for it. I think they were offering samples, but took a pass.
These frozen, microwavable pizzas are made by Coneinn, a Spanish company. Stick to your delicious paella guys!
Exhibit B: At the Dolada restaurant in London, a special dinner where each course was prepared by a different Italian chef was held. You’d think that this would an event where tradition might be coupled with some modern twist by a skillful chef. You’d be wrong.
A deconstructed pizza in a bulbous test tube featured this week at a dinner in London where each course was prepared by a different Italian chef. The event took place on Monday at Dolada restaurant, whose chef Riccardo de Pra created the liquid pizza with mozzarella, tomato, basil and olive-oil components to be guzzled in one go, accompanied by chunks of crust for texture. (Source: Slice Pizza Blog)
That’s right. A Pizza Smoothy… With Chunks. The first commenter over there hits the nail on the head:
Enough with the molecular gastronomy already. What started out as a new, novel, and interesting approach to food has made some food items sound like what they would resemble coming back up after a night of heavy drinking. I prefer my pizza constructed to perfection, thank you!
Whatever these people are selling, I’m not buying. What’s your opinion?
by mark on June 30, 2009
Go Shopping in our new store!
Having just spent a few weeks configuring the ecommerce software for our store, I am excited to announce that it’s officially up and running.
New products will soon populate the categories and we’re hope to expand to bring you great products for your pizza, bread, and pasta needs, and maybe a few more fun products.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions that you may have.
by mark on May 27, 2009
Surely there is some budding entrepreneur who can address this niche market which the rest of the pizza industry has ignored.
“It is impossible in space; we don’t have it, someone would get a Nobel Prize if they can figure out how to get pizza in space.” — Mike Massimino, astronaut (Seen at the Slice Pizza Blog)
I wonder if the astronauts are in a better position to get some Killer Pizza From Mars?
Photo Credit: NASA
by mark on May 19, 2009
Alan Richman Names Top 25 Pizzas in the U.S.
01. Great Lake (Chicago)
02. Lucali (Brooklyn, NYC)
03. Pizzeria Delfina (San Francisco)
04. Pizzeria Bianco (Phoenix)
05. Bob & Timmy’s (Providence, R.I.)
06. Sally’s Apizza (New Haven, Conn.)
07. Tomato Pie (Los Angeles)
08. Co. Company (Manhattan, NYC)
09. Tacconelli’s (Philadelphia)
10. Totonno’s (Brooklyn, NYC)
11. Tarry Lodge (Port Chester, N.Y.)
12. Frank Pepe (New Haven, Conn.)
13. Luigi’s “the Original” (Harrison Township, Mich.)
14. Gialina (San Francisco)
15. Buddy’s (Detroit)
16. Antica Pizzeria (Marina Del Ray, Calif.)
17. A16 (San Francisco)
18. Al Forno (Providence, R.I.)
19. Galleria Umberto (Boston)
20. Famous Joe’s (Manhattan, NYC)
21. Tomatoes Apizza (Farmington Hills, Mich.)
22. Osteria (Philadelphia)
23. Santarpio’s (Boston)
24. Niki’s (Detroit)
25. Una Pizza Napoletana (Manhattan, NYC)
Pepe’s (#12) and Sally’s (#6) are nice and close to where I live. I haven’t been to Sally’s recently, but I’ve been to Pepe’s three times so far in 2009. It’s been great every time that I went and I enjoyed all of the pies.
Jillian Madison dissents with Pepe’s Pizza in New Haven, CT: Overrated, Overhyped, and Overwhelmingly Awful. Hmmm.
Given all the styles of pizza out there, and the wide range of people’s preferences, was it just a mismatch of expectations and what was actually delivered? Lot’s of people chime into the comments section to say that they also feel that Pepe’s is the worst. Is this humor just going right over my head? Or maybe I am crazy. I’m craving Pepe’s right now just thinking about it.
What’s your take on this list?
Dad (Gary) made a whole wheat loaf the other day. He and Mom were pretty pleased with it. Very moist and delicious. I think they managed to polish the whole thing off between the two of them in little more than a day.
On baking it a second time, he modified the recipe slightly and here are his notes that he sent to me to post.
[click to continue…]
The police motto is “Protect and Serve”, and that’s just these organizations are doing with pizza.
There are actually two organizations that are promoting the authenticity of Naples-style pizza: Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana and Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani.
A Neapolitan Pizza (photo by The Punch Pizza)
The head of the US chapter of Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani recently opened up Kesté pizzeria in NYC:
The Italian-born chef/owner Roberto Caporuscio, who changed careers 11 years ago from dairy farmer to pizzaiolo, is at his post in front of the stove, his large, meaty hands dusted with flour as he stretches a blob of dough—made with super-fine (“Caputo OO”) Italian flour—into a disc. The slick of tomato sauce that he ladles onto it is made with San Marzano tomatoes, and the cheese is Italian buffalo mozzarella. Every now and then, he feeds more wood (hardwoods, like oak and cherry) to the fire. Caporuscio is the head of the American chapter of the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, a group that dedicates itself to training and certifying pizza-makers in fabricating the most authentic, Neapolitan pizzas—the oven must be wood-burning, the ingredients Italian, the dimensions of the pie just so.
The whole article at the Village Voice: Kesté Throws Down the Authenticity Gauntlet
Robert is also opening up a school at the spot that initially will be training professionals in the ways of making authentic Neapolitan pizza, and down the road, hopefully will offer classes to non-professionals as well.
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