DIY #s 1 and 2

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.

Angelo's Pizza -- Lakewood, OH

Deep-Dish Margherita Pizza at Angelo's

Angelo's in Lakewood is one of the great pizza joints in the Cleveland area. It serves up countless varieties of pizzas, with three different crust options: thin, "our original," or deep-dish.

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.

Eddie's Pizzeria Cerino -- Seven Hills, OH

Eddie's Margherita pizza, reheated

I've been to Eddie's once before (see my yelp review), but this is the first time I've tried their pizza in-house. (My husband had brought home some of their salumi pizza for his leftovers, but never have I ordered pizza at Eddie's before yesterday.)

I went with a basic margherita pizza (one of my favorites). These pies came in either 9", 13", or 17". Because it was only lunchtime, and because I was also getting a salad, I opted for the 9".

This was a pretty good pie. The mozzarella tasted fresh, the sauce wasn't too heavy, and the basil was sliced thin and scattered pretty evenly throughout. (I'm still undecided about whether I enjoy my basil left as a whole leaf, or chopped, on pizza. Both have their merits.) The one thing that, ironically, turned me off a bit was the crust.

Why is that ironic? Well, because their bread is so damn good. I love it. It's just that the crust, when baked into a pizza, wasn't that crispy. But it wasn't soft either ...or chewy. The only word I can use to describe it, unfortunately, is "tough." Don't get me wrong -- Eddie's pizza was very good. It just didn't have the magic crust I was looking for.

The next-day test: Eddie's pizza did very well today when reheated (see photo). I actually think I might have enjoyed it more today than fresh out of their own oven. Weird, I know.