Let's talk about pizza
DB_Cooper
Manhatin' 7,823 Posts
Pizza is, as we all know, a major god in the pantheon of food. I've been making a couple of pizzas every weekend for months now, with no end in sight. However, I'm coming to the end of a four-week binge on pepperoni, and need some fresh inspiration. I think I'm going to go with a couple of spinach and ricotta pies this weekend, but that's only a short-term solution. What's your jam, and what would you like to try if you could have anything?
KNOWLEDGE ME, SOULTRUST.
KNOWLEDGE ME, SOULTRUST.
Comments
Not saying you should do it.
Heat makes good pizzas.
Spinach ricotta will be good no doubt.
You could make the base a spinach pesto and put feta, onions, artichokes... on top.
bacon + asparagus + white cheddar with white sauce base is a killer
bocconcini + tomatos + basil + tomato base
shrimp + prosciutto + asparagus + white sauce
Render bacon with chopped onion in some butter, add mushrooms, minced garlic and a bit of white wine. Braise for 10 - 15 minutes and add chives before spreading it all onto your pizza dough. No cheese. Serve with a side of sour cream and fresh chopped parsley.
God I love pizza.
I shit you not.
A sourdough starter can make for a nice change of pace, and if you're baking fairly often it's not that hard and very worthwhile to keep one around on the counter or in the fridge.
I like a sweet pizza that's olive oil brushed crust, pre-carmelized pear slices, and goat cheese without the herbs. Maybe some honey over the top. Honey-wise, a place I like does a spicy honey drizzled over a nice cured pork product. Pepperoni or whatever.
figs are good in certain combinations too. with walnuts and parmesan scales, for example
The wife and I are serial Margherita tester-outers.
I also love when a place puts a little cornmeal on the bottom.
I could eat pizza for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. In fact, last week I did just that!
b/w
4 Year Graduate makes some serious delicious pizzas
Plus it adds a little texture.
I was going to say that's a late summer pizza, but I guess it is late summer where you are.
For real though, when we do pizza we either buy what's fresh and appealing or clean out the fridge.
Pizza is always good.
Hells yeah. Fresh mozzarella and a lil soupy in the middle... I'm damn hungry right now.
Most memorable pizza I ever had was at some backstreet dive in Naples. Chunks of Buffo, chunks of tomato, basil and dressed with olive oil. Served with a $1 bottle of wine poured out of a giant barrel.
You know that the stuff made from processed cows milk that's being sold as "mozzarella" in the US has more in common with silicone rubber than with mozzarella, right? If it's not made from water buffalo milk it's not real mozzarella.
Yup. I'm not a fan of a loaded pizza either. Definitely a fan of less-is-more pizza - let that thing breathe!
Suace-free is righteous as well:
Brush the dough with garlic olive oil, cover with thin tomato or eggplant slices and in the oven - grate with Parmesan and top with fresh arugula before serving.
Tapenade base and in the oven - once out, top with Italian tuna, drizzle with
olive oil and lemon juice, chopped parsley.
Brush with olive oil, garlic, anchovy paste mixture, top with rapini and artichoke hearts and into the oven
I kinda chuckled when my wife put one on our wedding registry. But somebody bought it for us, and we started using it, and man, do I love that thing.
b/w
California pizza is lousy. Don't believe anybody who says otherwise.
One of my favorite things is to put fresh arugula and shaved Parmesan tossed with lemon vinaigrette on top of the cooked pizza. Usually I do a mushroom trio pizza when I do this but prosciutto is also a good combo. Kale, chard with lemon zest on top is also good. You can add some sausage if you need meat.
So many delicious options.
No worries. My city has a really prominent Italian population which doesn't let things pass half assed. Even the giant chain supermarket in my hood takes their cheese pretty serious. Everything from their Mozzarella di Bufala to the cheaper Fior di latte.
Even our chain Italian restaurants import their tomatoes from the Campania region and their flour is Caputo 00.
And I wouldn't put too much into Fior di latte (Cow's milk). That shit is used all over Italy as well. It's not just a North American thing.
But yes. Any place worth it will use buffalo milk.
- So is thinly sliced fresh hot chili peppers
- Pizza stone is necessary for making at home
- Frank Pepe's in New Haven makes great pizza. The white clam is good, but the sausage and oven roasted red pepper sets the bar.
Cow's milk mozzarella can be ok on a sandwich but on pizza it's kindof nasty. And yes, a lot of the mozzarella sold in Italy and most of what's sold in the rest of Europe is cow's milk as well. In Guinea there was a crazy French lady who made camembert out of milk powder... ehhh...
Damn i'm hungry now.
Spinach w red onions + feta
sausage (crumbled, not sliced) and olives (kalamata)
Spinach, onions + prosciutto (did this last two weeks)
I've tried mushrooms with good effect, kale less so.
With a real simple basic margherita if you don't have fresh basil, I've used parsley to good effect.
One time I used (organic, no additives) shredded mozz instead of the fresh handspan stuff I normally get and it melted real weird, lots of oil and stuff. And this was the healthy brand. So I don't use pre-shredded if I can help it.
I use store-bought dough (cause ain't nobody got time for that) but good local stuff, I find the key is to get it all the way to room temp, pull and pull and pull again, roll flat and bunch at the edge, then a good amount of salt, pepper, olive oil, crushed garlic, and Parmesan direct on the crust and let it sit awhile before dressing it. Bomb
Pizza stone is crucial. I use cornmeal and parchment paper too. No sticking issues
- 4 seasons (4 sides: artichoke, ham, pepperoni, ham)
- vegetariana (eggplant, zucchini, pepperoni, garlic, whatever)
- margherita (good mozzarella, maybe fresh tomato and basil)
- onion, black olives, mozzarella
- sausage, chili
- gorgonzola, mushroom, capers, anything
- this essentially goes on forever