Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Fancy Pie? Yes, thank you. And...introducing Mister DeVizzaPizza vs. the Internet!!!!
Hey Pizza Friends! Long time, no cheese. I hope you all have been doing well...eating a lot of slices, etc. (I know I have!). Things have been very very busy, and I've got a whole lot of Mister DeVizzaPizza material to get to, so I'm just gonna jump right in:
The Mister DeVizzaPizza Fake Pizza Place Name Contest continues to be a raging success. There's been a lot of wonderful feedback on the themed (Rock & Roll, Hollywood) rounds, and we're getting closer and closer to the finals. So, keep an eye open for another round tomorrow...and, as always, remember to vote!
Even more exciting news: I'll be announcing a couple of new Mister DeVizzaPizza features this week, including one inspired by the following email:
1) Thin and delicious pizza crust
2) Some sauteed mushrooms
3) A layer of creme fraiche (http://www.ochef.com/206.htm)
4) All at once: caramelized onions, pancetta, and a small amount of shredded parm and asiago cheese.
5) Lightly now: Freshly ground black pepper.
Yes! The mushrooms on the bottom. Who would have thought? I have seen versions of this, but no one can ever get it right. Especially when it comes to handling a slice. Nobody wants to pick up a flimsy wet piece of pizza. I imagine it would help to par-bake the crust a little so it build up its strength. Anywho, I am wondering how you feel about fancy pizza. Nothing beats a classic margherita, but have you ever experimented with crazy toppings and ingredients?
Also, a little tidbit. My co-workers and I were talking about what food we would chose if we had to eat the same thing every day. We agreed on: (you guessed it) PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sincerely,
Nancy
P.S. You wouldn't believe how many pictures of pizza are on the web. Some are wacky like this Yoda Pizza
--------
Well, Nancy...as they say in the Dago'za System:
"Toppings matter not. Look at me. Judge me by my toppings, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Sauce, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Sauce around you; here, between you, me, the cheese, the crust, everywhere, yes. Even between the pie and the plate.”
Um...holy crust is there just a whole lot wrong with that, pizza friends! I mean, it's not that funny. And frankly, it only barely makes sense. And "Dago'za" even sorta sounds like some kind self-hating slur! Sheesh. I apologize. I really do. Star Wars? Pizza? Seemed innocent enough. Return of the Jed-pie? The Empire Strikes 'Za? Attack of the Calzones? Eh. Sad. Anyway...
Nancy, thanks so much for your letter! Your pancetta, carmelized onion and mushroom pie sounds divine, despite its somewhat reductive name. If I ever get to Toulouse, I'll be sure to pick up a slice! And you raise an interesting point: What to make of "fancy" pizza?
As you know, I'm no 'zaglodyte. I try to keep an open pizza mind, because, frankly...I really like eating pizza, and it seems silly to impose restrictions on such a purely pleasurable pursuit. So, Nancy...to answer your question, YES! I've certainly experimented with some non-traditional pies.
In fact...a couple of months ago, I had a really wonderful experience with a very very strange pie - one topped with potato, corn and leeks and finished with a drizzle of truffle oil. It's a rich, somewhat sweet and surprisingly complex pie, with leek and white wine cream sauce replacing the usual simple tomato sauce. I mean, seriously, it's got CORN on it! That's crazy. But you know what? It's delicious. And I remember exactly how it came to be...
A week or two before making this pie, I had a lovely dinner at a friend's house, where mushroom ravioli were served in a cream sauce flavored with truffle oil. Now, I don’t know exactly why it hit so hard that night, but I caught some kind of serious truffle fever. I left the dinner party in a full-blown truffle daze, and it wasn’t too long before I found myself in the Italian Market, picking up a bottle of truffle oil to call my very own. And listen, I know…truffle oils cost too much, and there are a whole lot of people that dismiss them outright, as they are commonly created with synthetic flavorings and not actual truffle of any kind. But, I was after a very specific thing, and that thing was stuff flavored with truffle oil. So, there you have it. I made some approximation of my friend’s truffle cream sauce. I made a truffled vinaigrette to dress an arugula salad with fresh shaved Parmigiana Reggiano. I even made a truffle butter popcorn, modeled after an appetizer served at the Royal Tavern. And then…I started looking around for more ideas.
When I’m looking for recipe suggestions, I tend to use the web. I love cookbooks, and have a whole lot of them. But for whatever reason, when I’m actually searching for new ideas, I look around online. So, away I went, to my favorite quick-search resource, the recently-disbanded and since reinstated Tastespotting. Tastespotting was and is a kind of food blog aggregator, at the time maintained by the NOTCOT folks (who sold the domain) and using their familiar thumbnail format (which was kept intact when the site relaunched last month). Which means that, a quick search for “truffle” produced a dizzying array of gorgeous food photos, each just a click removed from a corresponding recipe. And because many of the sites linked were personal food blogs, the recipes were largely personal recipes, with personal anecdotes and commentary. Really, It’s a fantastic way to stumble across some foodie inspiration!
So…long story short, I ended up visiting The Petite Pig, a food blog created by Jess Dang, a personal chef in San Francisco and a contestant on Season 2 of the Next Food Network Star (heh…Guy Fieri). Jess had this recipe, for pizza…pizza with all this crazy stuff on it, and finished with a drizzle of truffle oil! I had to try it. And I did. And it was delicious. And thinking back on the experience, I’m inspired to do it again. So, with thanks to Nancy, our reader, and to Jess at The Petite Pig, I’d like to officially announce a new Mister DeVizzaPizza feature:
Mister DeVizzaPizza vs. the Internet!
That’s right. It’s on. Although, I guess that’s not the best way to put it. Basically, what I’ll do is…every once in a while, I’m going to find a pizza recipe online, post it here on Mister DeVizzaPizza and then recreate it at home, taking pictures and making notes all the while. Sounds fun, right? Right! So, for this first-ever installment, I’m going to revisit The Petite Pig’s potato, corn & leek pizza with truffle oil. Check back for results!
And that's all for now, Pizza Friends! Hope your pizza week is off to a very tasty start!
Yours, with corn and truffle oil...
Mr. DP
The Mister DeVizzaPizza Fake Pizza Place Name Contest continues to be a raging success. There's been a lot of wonderful feedback on the themed (Rock & Roll, Hollywood) rounds, and we're getting closer and closer to the finals. So, keep an eye open for another round tomorrow...and, as always, remember to vote!
Even more exciting news: I'll be announcing a couple of new Mister DeVizzaPizza features this week, including one inspired by the following email:
--------
Dear Mr. DeVizzaPizza, When I was a young college student, I spent a summer living in Toulouse, France studying painting. One of my classmates discovered a pizza place near his house with the tastiest "fancy" pizza I have ever had. For shizzy. (I consider it fancy because it has more complicated ingredients than its simpler cousin.) On the menu it was called the "Oh Fada!" Special (named after the restaurant,) and consisted of a few fine and select items. I will describe it to you layer by layer, since it is important in that order.1) Thin and delicious pizza crust
2) Some sauteed mushrooms
3) A layer of creme fraiche (http://www.ochef.com/206.htm)
4) All at once: caramelized onions, pancetta, and a small amount of shredded parm and asiago cheese.
5) Lightly now: Freshly ground black pepper.
Yes! The mushrooms on the bottom. Who would have thought? I have seen versions of this, but no one can ever get it right. Especially when it comes to handling a slice. Nobody wants to pick up a flimsy wet piece of pizza. I imagine it would help to par-bake the crust a little so it build up its strength. Anywho, I am wondering how you feel about fancy pizza. Nothing beats a classic margherita, but have you ever experimented with crazy toppings and ingredients?
Also, a little tidbit. My co-workers and I were talking about what food we would chose if we had to eat the same thing every day. We agreed on: (you guessed it) PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sincerely,
Nancy
P.S. You wouldn't believe how many pictures of pizza are on the web. Some are wacky like this Yoda Pizza
--------
"Toppings matter not. Look at me. Judge me by my toppings, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Sauce, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Sauce around you; here, between you, me, the cheese, the crust, everywhere, yes. Even between the pie and the plate.”
Um...holy crust is there just a whole lot wrong with that, pizza friends! I mean, it's not that funny. And frankly, it only barely makes sense. And "Dago'za" even sorta sounds like some kind self-hating slur! Sheesh. I apologize. I really do. Star Wars? Pizza? Seemed innocent enough. Return of the Jed-pie? The Empire Strikes 'Za? Attack of the Calzones? Eh. Sad. Anyway...
Nancy, thanks so much for your letter! Your pancetta, carmelized onion and mushroom pie sounds divine, despite its somewhat reductive name. If I ever get to Toulouse, I'll be sure to pick up a slice! And you raise an interesting point: What to make of "fancy" pizza?
As you know, I'm no 'zaglodyte. I try to keep an open pizza mind, because, frankly...I really like eating pizza, and it seems silly to impose restrictions on such a purely pleasurable pursuit. So, Nancy...to answer your question, YES! I've certainly experimented with some non-traditional pies.
In fact...a couple of months ago, I had a really wonderful experience with a very very strange pie - one topped with potato, corn and leeks and finished with a drizzle of truffle oil. It's a rich, somewhat sweet and surprisingly complex pie, with leek and white wine cream sauce replacing the usual simple tomato sauce. I mean, seriously, it's got CORN on it! That's crazy. But you know what? It's delicious. And I remember exactly how it came to be...
A week or two before making this pie, I had a lovely dinner at a friend's house, where mushroom ravioli were served in a cream sauce flavored with truffle oil. Now, I don’t know exactly why it hit so hard that night, but I caught some kind of serious truffle fever. I left the dinner party in a full-blown truffle daze, and it wasn’t too long before I found myself in the Italian Market, picking up a bottle of truffle oil to call my very own. And listen, I know…truffle oils cost too much, and there are a whole lot of people that dismiss them outright, as they are commonly created with synthetic flavorings and not actual truffle of any kind. But, I was after a very specific thing, and that thing was stuff flavored with truffle oil. So, there you have it. I made some approximation of my friend’s truffle cream sauce. I made a truffled vinaigrette to dress an arugula salad with fresh shaved Parmigiana Reggiano. I even made a truffle butter popcorn, modeled after an appetizer served at the Royal Tavern. And then…I started looking around for more ideas.
When I’m looking for recipe suggestions, I tend to use the web. I love cookbooks, and have a whole lot of them. But for whatever reason, when I’m actually searching for new ideas, I look around online. So, away I went, to my favorite quick-search resource, the recently-disbanded and since reinstated Tastespotting. Tastespotting was and is a kind of food blog aggregator, at the time maintained by the NOTCOT folks (who sold the domain) and using their familiar thumbnail format (which was kept intact when the site relaunched last month). Which means that, a quick search for “truffle” produced a dizzying array of gorgeous food photos, each just a click removed from a corresponding recipe. And because many of the sites linked were personal food blogs, the recipes were largely personal recipes, with personal anecdotes and commentary. Really, It’s a fantastic way to stumble across some foodie inspiration!
So…long story short, I ended up visiting The Petite Pig, a food blog created by Jess Dang, a personal chef in San Francisco and a contestant on Season 2 of the Next Food Network Star (heh…Guy Fieri). Jess had this recipe, for pizza…pizza with all this crazy stuff on it, and finished with a drizzle of truffle oil! I had to try it. And I did. And it was delicious. And thinking back on the experience, I’m inspired to do it again. So, with thanks to Nancy, our reader, and to Jess at The Petite Pig, I’d like to officially announce a new Mister DeVizzaPizza feature:
Mister DeVizzaPizza vs. the Internet!
That’s right. It’s on. Although, I guess that’s not the best way to put it. Basically, what I’ll do is…every once in a while, I’m going to find a pizza recipe online, post it here on Mister DeVizzaPizza and then recreate it at home, taking pictures and making notes all the while. Sounds fun, right? Right! So, for this first-ever installment, I’m going to revisit The Petite Pig’s potato, corn & leek pizza with truffle oil. Check back for results!
And that's all for now, Pizza Friends! Hope your pizza week is off to a very tasty start!
Yours, with corn and truffle oil...
Mr. DP
Monday, July 7, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Happy Pizzapendence Day!!!
Hey pizza pals! Yesterday's Fake Pizza Place Name Contest winner was...not surprisingly:
Christian Science Pizza Room
I mean, that's a good fake pizza place name. Seriously. Even Kenny Rogers can't touch it. Impressive stuff. Anyway, as usual, new names are up in the polls section. This round will stay open throughout the long weekend, so vote often!
And that's all for now. Have a great weekend, pizza friends. Celebrate Pizzapendence! Get out there and try grilling some pizza, and let me know how it goes! More pies on way next week. Until then...
Hope your holiday is covered in delicious toppings!
Yours,
Mr. DP
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Feel the burn...
And the winner of yesterday's Mister DeVizzaPizza Fake Pizza Place Name Contest Sudden Pizza Death Tie-breaker is...
Einstein's Theory of Pizzativity!
Honorable mention to Future Pizza, of course. On a different day, you could've been a champion...
Also, new names are up in the polls. Keep voting!!
Anyway, pizza friends, I'm still working hard on what I hope will be the best Mister DeVizzaPizza posts yet. I've been keeping plenty busy...researching, writing...and eating lots and lots of delicious pizza pie! So, stay tuned!
And that brings me to a reader email - an oldie-but-goodie, pulled from the anonymous comments section of the old DeVizzaPizza site. I think the message here is appropriate:
Mr. DevizzaPizza,
Have you ever burned the roof of your mouth with a slice of pizza? I have. What can I do to avoid such an unpleasant injury? Your insight is priceless!
Oh, the dreaded "pizza burn." And, for the record, that's a real-deal medical term, found in respected doctor journals. True story! "Pizza burn."
But sanctioned terminology aside, this is a very serious issue. Just as tennis players have their "tennis elbow," gamers have their "gamer's thumb," and bowlers have their "clinical depression," pizza aficionados are plagued by the risk of "pizza burn." It's unpleasant, as our anonymous emailer knows too-well. And the sad fact of the matter is...it's unavoidable. You can apply ice to the roof of your mouth, post-burn, to ease the pain. You can try gargling with salt water to promote healing. And you can certainly stay clear of spicy or sharp foods, limiting the level of tender-palate aggravation. But, truthfully, there is no easy way to prevent pizza burn. The only advice I can give, pizza friends...and it is a sentiment with universal applications: Be patient! To be sure, I am a fool, and I have rushed in. I know how tempting a fresh slice can be. But be strong. Take a moment. Consider the pie before you. Good things come to those who wait, after all. Your pizza pie will be that much more delicious in the end!
And on that note...I'll leave you, for now. As always, save a slice for me...
Your friend,
Mr. DP
Einstein's Theory of Pizzativity!
Honorable mention to Future Pizza, of course. On a different day, you could've been a champion...
Also, new names are up in the polls. Keep voting!!
Anyway, pizza friends, I'm still working hard on what I hope will be the best Mister DeVizzaPizza posts yet. I've been keeping plenty busy...researching, writing...and eating lots and lots of delicious pizza pie! So, stay tuned!
And that brings me to a reader email - an oldie-but-goodie, pulled from the anonymous comments section of the old DeVizzaPizza site. I think the message here is appropriate:
--------
Mr. DevizzaPizza,
Have you ever burned the roof of your mouth with a slice of pizza? I have. What can I do to avoid such an unpleasant injury? Your insight is priceless!
--------
Oh, the dreaded "pizza burn." And, for the record, that's a real-deal medical term, found in respected doctor journals. True story! "Pizza burn."
But sanctioned terminology aside, this is a very serious issue. Just as tennis players have their "tennis elbow," gamers have their "gamer's thumb," and bowlers have their "clinical depression," pizza aficionados are plagued by the risk of "pizza burn." It's unpleasant, as our anonymous emailer knows too-well. And the sad fact of the matter is...it's unavoidable. You can apply ice to the roof of your mouth, post-burn, to ease the pain. You can try gargling with salt water to promote healing. And you can certainly stay clear of spicy or sharp foods, limiting the level of tender-palate aggravation. But, truthfully, there is no easy way to prevent pizza burn. The only advice I can give, pizza friends...and it is a sentiment with universal applications: Be patient! To be sure, I am a fool, and I have rushed in. I know how tempting a fresh slice can be. But be strong. Take a moment. Consider the pie before you. Good things come to those who wait, after all. Your pizza pie will be that much more delicious in the end!
And on that note...I'll leave you, for now. As always, save a slice for me...
Your friend,
Mr. DP
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Fake Pizza Place Name Contest Sudden Pizza Death Tie-breaker!!!
Pizza Friends...this is serious pizza business. Yesterday's Mister DeVizzaPizza Fake Pizza Place Name Contest ended in a TIE!! Both "Future Pizza" and "Einstein's Theory of Pizzativity" were reader favorites. And, technically, I suppose I could have just passed both names into the next round. Or simply chosen one as my personal favorite, breaking the tie myself. But listen, sometimes Mister DeVizzaPizza needs some time out of the oven, if you know what I mean. Sometimes the old Pizza Shop has to close its doors for the night. And then take its Pizza Shop Pants off. And watch Nashville Star. So...point being...it's a Sudden Pizza Death Tie-breaker. Vote for your favorite over there in the polls. This time it's for real!Also...I've got two large pies in the oven right now...the "fancy" pizza piece I mentioned yesterday and a look at Pizza alla Bismark (that's pizza with an egg on top!!), inspired by multiple reader emails. Extra slices all around!!!
Yours, with roasted peppers and onions,
Mr. DP
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