Wow, I guess I haven't been out for pizza in quite awhile! How sad!
I decided to take matters into my own hands a couple of times this past month. While shopping at Heinen's, a gourmet supermarket in the Cleveland area, I came across some Papa Sal's pizza dough that I decided to buy. One was whole wheat, and the other white.
A couple of weeks ago, I made this one, which has the whole wheat crust, fresh mozzarella, and basil:
And then two nights ago, I tried this one, which has white crust, regular mozzarella, and some steamed & sauteed broccoli.
These were great!
I made them both on a Food Network pizza stone. (I got it as a gift, but according to the link they sell it at Kohl's. I'm sure you could get a version of it just about anywhere they sell kitchen stuff.) Also, my stepdad gave me a great tip to use: sprinkle a bit of corn meal on the stone right before putting the dough on. It helps it not stick to the stone, and it also gives the dough a bit of texture. Apparently pizzerias use a special kind of flour for this purpose, but the corn meal works just as well.
Also, make sure your dough is at room temperature before you attempt to form it into a crust, otherwise it won't stretch and you'll end up with holes in the dough.
Last summer, I got some dough from Fresh Fork Market, a CSA in the area, and they gave directions as far as how to let it rise by placing it in a bowl in a warm, moist area and covering it, etc ... but I believe that the Papa Sal's dough is ready to go (just needs to be room temperature, as mentioned above). You don't need to knead it or let it rise or anything like that.
So have at it! Make your own pizzas. And then send me pics.
C L E Z Z A
Sampling the best slices of pizza in the Cleveland area ... and beyond
Monday, June 13, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Pranzo Forno! -- Willoughby, OH
The Pranzo Forno! stand at C-Town Chowdown |
This time, I noticed a "truck" (or, rather, a tent) that wasn't there before: Pranzo Forno!, a Willoughby catering company specializing in wood-fired pizza. (And yes, in fact, they bring the wood-fired oven to the event. Insanity!
I walked up and there was no line at around 11:15 am, and so I sampled a slice of what seemed to be a Mediterranean pizza. It had feta, huge basil leaves, garlic, and tomatoes. Everything looked so fresh. And it tasted great!
My slice |
From what I heard, Pranzo's stand was a hit at the Chowdown. Did you attend? If so, what did you think?
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Cafe Porta Alba -- Madison, WI
I am so excited to welcome my first guest blogger to the site! Her name is Leslie, and she and her boyfriend Keith are practically the authority on Southwest Wisconsin's best-kept secrets. I worked with Leslie for a year in Madison, during which time she introduced me to Cafe Porta Alba. To this day, it remains my favorite pizza place on earth! Please follow Leslie and Keith's blog, Driftless Appetite (you might have already noticed I have their RSS feed on the side of my blog!), and get ready to hear about some great food!
Recently I was asked by my friend Rachel in Cleveland to do a write up of my favorite pizza place for her blog CLEZZA. We've already written twice about Cafe Porta Alba on Driftless Appetite in 2009 and 2010 so I think it's about time to do another one.
Neapolitan pizza is the oldest style of pizza, and the trendiest. Over the last few years many great (some authentic, some not so much) Neapolitan pizzerias have popped up all over the place. Vincenzo Pugliese, the owner, did not open Cafe Porta Alba because it was trendy, though. He did it because he is passionate about pizza-- opening his own pizzeria has been a goal he has been working towards for most of his life. And he (and his excellent staff) still work hard everyday to maintain their excellent level of quality. I can honestly say I've never had a bad meal here (and we've eaten here at least 75-100 times. Seriously.)
I can't provide an objective review of this place, that's like asking me to review my little dog Oliver (he's perfect!) or my grandmother's cooking. But I'll try to give you an idea of why I love it so much. The key to good Neapolitan pizza (which you probably know if you're reading a pizza blog) is in the crust. It should be chewy on the inside, charred and crusty on the outside, and thin and slightly soft in the middle. Once you got the crust right, you must be careful not to ruin it with excess- not too much sauce, not too much cheese, subtle toppings. Cafe Porta Alba does this traditional style of pizza authentically and superbly. They also have a wonderful selection of salads, antipasto and pasta in case any of your friends don't eat pizza (but you might want to reconsider your friendship if that's the case...). The atmosphere is comfortable. Black and white Italian movies are played on the flat screen TV as well as a rotation of pictures taken from around Naples. There are many regulars, faces we've seen and gotten to know over the years. It is a true testament to how good this place is. To us it feels like going home to visit family (well maybe minus the annoying uncle).
Pizza Pizza Pizza
Just for the record, we did not eat all of these in one sitting :) Some were featured as specials and are not on the set menu list so I'll try to remember the names and/or describe them as best as I can.
1. Karla's pizza (special) - fresh mozarella, spinach, parmacott0
2. (special) - asparagus, mushrooms, fontina
3. Margherita con Salame - fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, salame (Keith's favorite.)
4. Napoletana - fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, anchovies (My favorite.)
5. Marco Polo (special) - fresh baby mozzarella, basil, tomato, oregano, garlic
6. Allegra - mascarpone, truffle oil, and mushrooms
7. (special) - tomato, fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, parmacotto, basil, garlic
8. Maialina - fresh mozzarella, tomato, salame, salsiccia, parmacotto
9. Regina - Buffalo mozzarella from Italy, tomato, extra virgin olive oil, basil
If you happen to have some room for dessert, my favorite item right now is gelato affogato, gelato drowned in hot espresso. I can't say anymore except that if you find yourself in Madison, Wisconsin Cafe Porta Alba will not disappoint.
The Oven From Italy
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Angelo's Pizza -- Lakewood, OH
Deep-Dish Margherita Pizza at Angelo's |
Now, here's my thought process. I don't usually try "thin," because it's never really that thin and I'm constantly trying to compare it to NY pizza in my mind. " Our Original" sounds good, so I usually try that; I mean, if it's the pizzeria's signature crust, why not try it?
I do like deep-dish pizza. A lot. So once in awhile I'll have to try that too.
The first time I went to Angelo's, which was over the summer, I tried the Margherita pizza in deep-dish style, and that is what I go back for time and time again. Why? Well, because it's perfect!
This pizza boasts plenty of fresh mozzarella, basil, roma tomatoes, and a delightful sauce with plenty of garlic. But the best part about this pizza is its buttery crust. It's not extremely thick, but it is divine. I ordered a small 6-slice pizza and was good to go after only two slices. Which means I got to take home leftovers and perform ...
The Next-Day Test: Weird, but even better than on day one!! You know how sometimes when you reheat pasta the next day, it's just that much better? Well, same goes here. Great the next day. (There's even reheating instructions on the box -- 350 degrees for 10 minutes.)
So, if you're in Lakewood, stop into Angelo's on Madison Avenue. Actually, go there even if you're not in Lakewood, but are somewhere semi-close. It's worth the trip.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Edison's Pizza Kitchen -- Cleveland, OH
The storefront ... in the snow (how very Cleveland) |
It's ironic, considering I frequent Edison's more than probably any other pizzeria in Cleveland. It's only a few blocks away in my neighborhood (Tremont), and it's just really good. It's different than other pizza I've tried, in that it's just a bit more "over the top." I can't really explain it better than that. But I'll try.
Preparing my half-banana-pepper pizza |
Also, another funny and unique thing that Edison's does is they include small packets of honey into which pizza lovers may dip their crusts. I've never done it, personally, but I have heard of several yelpers who have.
The only thing I'll say about the pizza which is unsatisfactory for me is that, depending on which toppings you order (mostly veggies), sometimes the pizza isn't as well done and the toppings aren't really "integrated" into the slice. However: for those of you who like their pizza a little less done, and who really love biting into toppings as their own entity, this could be the pizza for you! And the pepperoni slice is awesome, I will say that.
Banana pepper slice |
The shop is tiny, as in no more than three people should ever be in there to place or wait for an order. However, there's a great bar attached to the pizzeria (called, aptly, Edison's Pub) where the service is friendly, the clientele is laid-back, and you can enjoy a beer while you wait for your order.
Check out the grease on that pizza box! |
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Luciano's at the Fashion Show Mall -- Las Vegas, NV
Luciano's Cheese Pizza |
Luciano's is a pizzeria located in the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas, directly across from the Wynn hotel via a street bridge. We didn't rent a car during our recent trip, so needless to say, Lorelei and I went to this mall almost every day just to walk around and grab semi-cheap eats while we waited for Derek to get back from his conference expo. Ok, I also bought a pair of shoes once.
Anyway, back to Luciano's. They have a totally affordable lunch special where you can get a slice (any type you want!), a side salad, and a drink for only $8.95. This, in my mind, is a great deal.
Especially since you can choose whatever slice you want! Usually, a specialty slice can go anywhere from $1.50 to $2.00 more than a plain cheese one. I just got plain cheese, but that's 'cause I'm a traditional kinda gal when it comes to my pizza.
A little heavy on the cheese, but not in a bad way. Greasy. But also, not in a bad way. It just made me think of those people who sop up the grease with their napkins -- which I never do, by the way.
This pizza probably gets a 7.5 out of 10 for me. The crust was definitely the best part, although it was all pretty good. When describing the crust's taste, the only word I can use to describe it is "tasteless," although that's not really true and it doesn't make it sound good. It was good. Very good. Sometimes, the best crust just doesn't have much of its own taste. It's just sort of bland, but still has an excellent texture, and its lack of a "pop" allows the other ingredients to shine. So when I say "bland crust" I mean that in the best possible way. :)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Pizza Place at the Wynn -- Las Vegas, NV
Seating area at the Pizza Place |
You know how there's that dorky little video that greets you when you turn on the TV in your room? Well, this one had Steve Wynn showing off about his little hotel. And when the time came for him to talk about the Pizza Place, he said something along the lines of this: "For some reason, everyone knows that -- inexplicably -- the best pizza in the country is in New York. Well, at the Pizza Place, we challenge that." (I did listen to it about four times, but can remember only some of it, so these aren't his exact words. But the gist is that his Vegas hotel restaurant is trying to emulate NY pizza.)
Cheese pizza slice at the Pizza Place (sorry for shadow!) |
At first, I thought maybe the taste was a little different. Not enough oregano, maybe, or parmesan? But then I closed my eyes and really thought about all the New York slices I've had. (This took awhile.) And, yes, somewhere in New York there is a slice that tastes almost exactly like the one at the Pizza Place.
Gelato showcase at the Pizza Place |
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