Find Perfect Pizza Stone: Check

The amazing Emile Henry Pizza Stone

Homemade whole wheat crust topped 

with a cherry tomato marinara, mozzarella and fresh rosemary

Homemade whole wheat crust topped 

with a cherry tomato marinara, mozzarella, parmesan and garlic

I had been buying about three pizza stones a year because they crack down the middle. Giant, end-of-the-world-earthquake-style cracks. 

I would buy an inexpensive stone and leave it on the oven's floor to maintain the oven's heat. This probably dried the stone out, causing the crack. Of course, I also used the stone to cook pizza (sometimes cheating and buying the dough) or calzone. 

I was right to have high hopes for the Emile Henry Pizza Stone, and not just because it is red and the sweetest stone I’ve ever seen. Glazed, with handles to easily transport it, the stone can be used on the grill or in the oven (bake or broil.) The glazed surface won't scratch if you slice the pizza right on the stone and it can be washed with soap and water. The website says it can be placed in the dishwasher, but I’ll vote for washing it by hand to help protect it.

I did a little jig after baking two, thin-crust pizzas on this stone. While I put cornmeal on the pizza peel to transport the pizza without everything sticking together, I didn't have to put any cornmeal on the stone. The pizza slid right off of the stone with considerably less mess than I usually have after baking a pizza. That is to say, no mess. And those hard, black spots from burn cheese that melted off the pizza and landed on the stone? They washed right off off the stone.

Obvious, yet important, warning: As you'd expect, the stone's handles were very, very hot when we took the stone and second pizza out of the oven to try slicing the pizza directly on the stone. 

This stone would make a lovely platter on the table and keep food warm, too. I’m thinking of baked appetizers for a dinner party… who’s in?

Full Disclosure: I received the stone for review from Emile Henry (thank you!); I was not compensated for this post. All opinions here are entirely my own.

King Arthur Flour’s Semolina Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Mix

I’m pretty obsessed with pizza. My husband and I go out for pizza, order pizza in, make our own dough, buy dough and top it and, now, have tried King Arthur Flour’s Semolina Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Mix. 

I’d like to say that I’m against mixes because I always prepare everything from scratch, but then I’d be lying.

We all have a million things to do and need to take the steps necessary to make the preparation of healthy – and, most importantly, tasty – meals easy, especially on week nights. Whole wheat pizza crust mix solves this problem.

After brushing the dough with olive oil, I topped the pizza with marinara sauce, sautéed asparagus, raw garlic and a mixture of both low-fat mozzarella and smoked scamorza cheese.  

Delicious! And quick.

Perhaps, though, if I hadn’t been a wee bit cocky about my pizza making skills, the toppings wouldn’t have started to glide off to one side and it would look prettier. These things happen.

Full Disclosure: I received the mix for review from King Arthur Flour (thank you!); I was not compensated for this post. All opinions here are entirely my own.

Guest Blog: Jenny Klion & Judy Cosper on Pizza in Brooklyn

Jenny Klion writes and cooks, cooks and writes. It was a pleasure to meet her and taste some of her baked goods last October at the Martha's Vineyard Writers Residency. I'm excited to share her and her daughter's thoughts on pizza in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. They were good sports to dedicate themselves to such a rough job: Pizza tasting. 

Jenny Klion created the underground Bakery 44 several years ago, and is also a columnist and playwright living in Brooklyn, NY. “Judy” is a 9th grader at NYC LAB School, dances with American Tap Dance Orchestra, NYC, and works front of house for her mother’s baking operations.

Pizza Party in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn

By Jenny Klion and Judy Cosper

When I moved to Brooklyn this past summer with my teen daughter Judy, one of the first things on our agenda was to try every single pizza parlor in the neighborhood, or at least seven of them…

Allora, a quick review online reminds the reader that the universal pizza pie consists of four different components: crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings. To keep variables at a minimum, Judy and I are ignoring the toppings this time around (save for the Parigina four-slice mini pizza we had at Luna Rossa, with mozzarella, tomato sauce, and ham—yes, thank you!—and the porcini mushrooms we ordered atop our pie at Lucali, just ’cause). Instead, we’re sticking here with a comparison of the basic “Slice of cheese, please.”

Starting at the bottom and working up—and I say this with the greatest of reverence—is Grandma’s Boy’s Pizzeria. Even the name is a tad confusing grammatically, and while service was prompt and pleasant, the faded looking slice disappointed. Further, it was here where I was reminded that it’s all about the crust, because at Grandma’s Boy’s, a few bites in, and I could taste the unattractive white bread quality of it…

Next up: World Pie Pizza. “Party pizza,” declared Judy. Meaning we’ve seen it before, in large quantities, at many a kid’s bowling or skating party, where sauce and cheese are not quite distinguishable from one another. But crust was not terrible, so will probably return at some point. Sal’s Pizzeria up the street always has a crowd, and Judy and I tried this place twice, just to be sure that it really wasn’t as good as it looked. It wasn’t. Loaded too heavily, with a somewhat soggy dough, this pizza slice could not hold its own weight, and was definitely not better the next day heated up for lunch.

South Brooklyn Pizza, which we visited on Super Bowl Sunday, was our most expensive slice, topping the charts at four dollars, making two slices eight dollars, so thank God they literally refused us a third to take home. “There isn’t anymore.” What?! That said, I wanted to like it; it looked clean and fresh and upscale and more, but our slices were barely warm, and though the crust was good—“Eh,” Judy said—it was not worth the hype, the cash, or the dis!

Not to be undone by South Brooklyn, Judy and I ambled the half block to our old standby Vinny’s Pizzeria. There, despite the ten-minute wait for our one slice of pizza (?), we couldn’t believe how good it tasted. Judy: “No comparison.” Yes, maybe the crust was a bit heavy, and the cheese a tad oily—there’s possibly no way around that—but it was steaming hot, in a friendly environment, and seemed like the prototype of a perfectly balanced piece of pizza.

Next: Luna Rossa, though Judy and I disagree on this. Here was the beautiful looking four-slice artisan pie, with the fabulous raw pizza sauce (not cooked in its preparation), which is why I’m pulling rank to rank it this high! But the admittedly soggy crust, and possibly flavorless mozzarella didn’t live up to the restaurant’s growing buzz. “Trying too hard,” Judy remarked.

Rumored to be the best in the neighborhood—and where Jay-Z and Beyonce dined instead of attending the Grammys! (according to the local Carroll Gardens Patch)—is Lucali —and this pizza press agrees! No reservations, no slices, no credit cards, no website, no restaurant sign either! It’s BYO, pizza and calzone only, and more than worth the thirty-minute wait, even the next day, both cold and reheated! Once inside, the pizza came fast and dramatic, with its exuberant almost flaky crust laying atop just the right, light amount of cornmeal. Sauce and cheese bubbled together, maintaining integrity, hiding delights of oil and garlic and basil (okay, maybe overkill there), creating a delectable surprise in every bite. It was the lightest, most beautiful pizza I’ve had since we moved to Brooklyn.

“Mission accomplished,” Judy declared. At least in this neighborhood…

Grandma’s Boy’s Pizzeria, 512 Court Street

World Pie Pizza, 404 Court Street

Sal’s Pizzeria, 305 Court Street

South Brooklyn Pizza, 451 Court Street

Vinny’s Pizzeria, 445 Court Street

Luna Rossa, 552 Court Street

Lucali, 575 Henry Street

Pizza Dinner in D.C. at Comet Ping Pong

I love Comet Ping Pong Pizza in Washington, D.C. You can play ping-pong (or browse a few doors down to Politics and Prose bookstore) while you wait for a seat.

My husband and I recently had the Yalie pizza with clams and the Stanley pizza with sausage. We ordered local beers, that is, local to D.C. and Michigan, where we used to live, and finished the evening with some ping pong. (No one won since we didn’t keep score.)

To learn more about Comet, watch their feature on Diners, Drive-ins, Dives. The Yalie pizza is prominently featured. Notice what fresh, simple ingredients go into their pizzas. I was happy to learn that they make their own ricotta, sauce, and more.

The moral of this story? Eat more Comet pizza. 

New Haven Pizza in D.C.?

Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza makes not only great arancini, but also great pizza.

This pizzeria is very particular on their website that their pizza is different from New York or other style pizza because of the crispy crust, cooking temperature and a few other details that can be read here.

In fact, they write about New York:

Frank Sinatra used to send a driver up to New Haven to get a pizza from Sally's whenever he was performing in New York City. New Haven style pizza is not New York style pizza, and it is not a derivative of New York style pizza.

While perhaps the traditional, New Haven pizzas cooked in coal ovens were distinctive from other pizzas, this pizza was delicious just like other American, thin-crusts pizzas. I’m happy to wonder about their description as long as they continue to serve great pizzas.

When we were there, we couldn’t resist the (aptly named?) New Haven Pizza with White Clams, Garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Pecorino Romano, Oregano. This pizza was delicious, although not for the garlic-shy. In my book, that makes it even better. The tomato-sauce-free flavor reminded me of one of my favorite dishes: linguine with a white clam sauce.

Deep Dish Pizza: Perfect for a small, city kitchen

Now that we live in a small, city apartment with an equally small, city kitchen, it can be difficult to make homemade pizza (cheating and buying the dough from Trader Joe’s or not.)

There just isn’t space on the counter to roll out the dough and prepare the toppings. The solution? Deep dish pizza. The dough can be made in the food processor (perhaps I’m still cheating here, but it works) and minimum space is used.

I followed this Epicurious recipe for the dough. Instead of rolling the dough out on the counter and kneading it by hand, I threw the ingredients into my food processor. After letting the dough rise in another bowl, punched it down (definitely the most fun part of making pizza dough) and finally pushed it into a pie pan before adding the toppings and baking it.

For the fillings, I made my own tomato sauce and then threw on leftover onions, peppers and salami. (From the picture, you can guess that the salami didn’t need to cook as long as the rest of the pizza. Cooking is always a learning process.)

Since our oven is a rented apartment’s oven, it isn’t new or fancy and it doesn’t hold a temperature exactly well. To help solve this problem, I keep a pizza stone on the floor of the oven. It helps to hold in the heat while I’m cooking and occasionally opening the oven door to check on the dish.

Sweet Dreams Pizza @ Silvio's Pizzeria in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Silvio’s Pizzeria in Ann Arbor, Michigan offers a dessert pizza. “Sweet Dreams” pizza is a stuffed pizza with nutella and pastry cream. Need I say more? The creamy filling inside the crunchy crust is perfect.

The restaurant, tucked away in the back of the first floor of a building on N. University, has recently been expanded. You can sit at the pizza-bar or at a table next to the wall of planted herbs.

You’ll love all of chef Silvio’s pizzas, from the sausage and rapini to the traditional Capricciosa. Whatever you do, be sure to save room for dessert.

PS: We are moving to Washington, D.C., this week. The blog will return on Friday. Keep your fingers crossed for a smooth move.

Beach Reading: Eat Pray Love

Ok, I bought “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert in Milan, not on the beach of a Greek island. I’d finished everything I’d brought and needed something for the flight home back to Detroit.

The book is divided into three parts, as the title suggests, and moves from Italy to India to Bali. (I’m sure you can guess which section was my favorite.) It was a quick, enjoyable read that integrated the author’s personal story with what she learned about each culture, cuisine and the religious practices.

Food is the focus of the first third of the book. One of my favorite scenes was when she is given advice about where to eat pizza in Naples:

But he is Neapolitan, no question about it, because before I left Rome he gave me the name of a pizzeria Naples that I had to try, because, Giovanni informed me, it sold the best pizza in Naples. I found this a wildly exciting prospect, given that the best pizza in Italy is from Naples, and the best pizza in the world is from Italy, which means that this pizzeria must offer … I’m almost too supersticious to say it … the best pizza in the world? Giovanni passed along the name of the place with such seriousness and intensity, I almost felt I was being inducted into a secret society. He pressed the address into the palm of my hand and said, in gravest confidence, “Please go to this pizzeria. Order the margherita pizza with double mozzarella. If you do not eat this pizza when you are in Naples, please lie to me later and tell me that you did.”


I’ve been teaching memoir and writing memoir recently, so I was interested in reading a more popular book that will soon be a movie. (Watch the trailer.) Its success lies in the very personable narrative, the author herself, and the foreign experiences she shares frankly with the reader. The tone is conversational and entertaining.

If you are interested in writing memoir, food related or not, or are a beginning poet, you might be interested in my upcoming online creative writing workshops this summer.

Just Add Olive Oil: Two Amy's Neapolitan Pizzeria in Washington, D.C.

Two Amy’s Neapolitan Pizzeria in Washington, DC is like traveling back to Italy. The long list of sheep and cow’s milk cheeses, cured pork and beef, thin pizzas, homemade desserts like sfogliatelle and more. That is to say, just about everything that should have extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top is served there.

The last time my husband and I ate there, we ate with such gusto that we both left with stained shirts. It doesn’t matter.

What matters is what we ate:
burrata (mozzarella made as soft as butter)
ricotta and ramps with roasted eggplant
broccoli rabe
fried rice balls stuffed with mozzarella
pizza with escarole and sausage
panna cotta with a caramel sauce

Get there however you can. The website offers driving, metro/bus and helicopter directions. They understand the importance of a speedy arrival!

Calzone

Calzone are even easier than pizza to make at home. Pizza can be tricky to slide onto the pizza stone, but the calzone, little packages that they are, help to solve that problem.

Following the Silver Spoon cookbook recipe, I recently made calzone with ricotta, mozzarella, prosciutto and salami. The recipe isn’t available online, but they do offer the Fisherman’s Pizza recipe from the pizza section.

I admit that I cheated (again) and used Trader Joe’s pizza dough. It is simple enough to make, but we had company and I wanted to simplify the process. When I brushed the dough with oil, I added a little salt to the olive oil to help bring out the flavor in the dough.

Like with the pizza, the key to moving the calzone from the wooden paddle and then onto the pizza stone is using corn meal (polenta) underneath the calzone. As you are brushing oil on the dough, filling it, and then folding it over, periodically wiggle the paddle to make sure that it isn’t sticking. If it starts to stick (especially when you are pressing the edges to close the pocket), peel up the bottom and add some more corn meal.

The fun part is deciding what to put inside of your calzone. I went in the traditional direction of cured meats and cheeses, but you can choose anything. It is a great way to use small portions of leftovers like cooked spinach or sausage.

Tomorrow: simple spring marinara recipe to serve with your calzone.

Chicago’s Paterno’s Pizza: Great Pizza, Pasta and an Incredible place to de-vegginize

Thank you to JoAnne Pavin for today’s post. She is a Chicago area holistic health practicioner, educator and writer. Her mission os to inform people that who we eat with and how we eat is just as important as what we eat. Check out her company Solutions to Health and her food blog A Table To Eat At.


***
After the last ten years of struggling with my vegetarian lifestyle, I found nothing more worthy of de-veggi-nizing myself than an Incredible Beef sandwich from Paterno’s Pizza in Chicago! Now, let me set the record straight, I am a true herbivore; but it was love at first bite when I sunk into this juicy meat delight. I stopped eating red meat over 20 years ago, but the Incredible Beef is a reason to start again.

You might think, what’s the big deal about beef and bread? It starts with the choice of ingredients and the people behind the recipe. John Paterno, a long time family friend and owner, says it comes from knowing how to choose quality beef, and what cuts are tender and tastiest. He explains “it starts with the shoulder or chuck and moves into the rib... you want the part (of the cattle) that provides the most flavor.” I don’t know if it is the flavor of the beef, the juice, or the soft buttery garlic bread it comes on that I love the most, or the fine melted mozzarella cheese, sweet roasted green peppers, and Giardiniera that grace the top! All the fine ingredients in the world can make a sandwich, but I personally believe it is the energy of the people behind it that make it so good.

Paterno’s is a family owned business since 1954. Josephine and Santo Paterno came to the United States from Sicily in 1938 with their two sons, John and Paul. They originally opened a liquor store, one of the largest in Chicago, but food was in their Italian roots and so the evolution began. They made a small carry out area in their store for pizza and sandwiches which eventually grew into a full size kitchen and restaurant. Today a full menu includes Santo and Josephine’s homemade recipes consisting of pizza, pasta, beef, sausage, meatballs, soups and much more. Since Santo’s passing in 2000, John and Paul and their daughters run the business, with Josephine, in her 90’s, still there every day making the soups and sauces.

My dad and John are grade school classmates, and long time friends. Dad and I recently went to pay John a visit and of course to eat some great food. It may be the retro 60’s P A T E R N O sign or the 70’s style bar that makes you feel like you’re in a time warp, but when food speaks for itself, who needs fancy ambience?! It certainly is a place where they’re not judging you on looks and you better not be judging them. After all it’s good food and good prices that keep you in business for over 50 years!

I am there for the Incredible Beef again, but decide I can’t pass up the pizza. With homemade dough and sauces, you are certain to welcome something new to your taste buds. In other words, it’s not just your run of the mill pizza. The thin crust is flavorful, with added crisps that make an extra crunch. The oregano, basil and a hint of garlic are apparent in the sauce, which is neither too salty, nor too tangy, and used in ample amounts, there is nothing worse than a pizza without enough sauce! The topping ingredients are fresh, not canned, or overcooked. If you are a meat lover, they have homemade meat balls, fresh sausage and pepperoni. Finally, real grated Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh red peppers make the cake! Or in this case, the pizza pie.

And to make the best of this feasting visit, I decide to stuff in a little linguini and clams with red sauce, which my Dad was having. It certainly is “all in the sauce”. A perfect consistency, neither too thick nor too watery, the marinara sauce is mixed with a perfect balance of clams which were obviously sautéed in butter and garlic before being tossed on top of perfectly cooked linguini. To accompany your meal, they offer many Italian wines, bottled and draft beers, or full liquor bar. The Sam Adams I had partnered well with the pizza.

Paterno’s Pizza, a place rich in history and in flavor, you’ll find a warm atmosphere, good people and great food. Leave your fancy attire at home. You’ll be more comfortable, especially after you stuff yourself with pizza, pasta and of course the Incredible Beef ! (sorry there is no picture of the beef I ate it too fast!)

Visit Paterno's Pizza, 5303 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, Illinois.

Supino Pizzeria by Detroit's Eastern Market

I declare that Supino Pizzeria has the best pizza in Michigan. Ok, so I haven’t been to the UP or tried too many pizzerias outside of the Ann Arbor area, but this pizzeria could contend with the best ones in the New York City area.

When my husband and I were recently at the Eastern Market, we shared a large smoky pizza at Supino's. With speck, garlic, mozzarella, smoked gouda and ricotta, this white pizza on a thin crust was fresh and delicious. We added some crushed red pepper were able to finish the entire pizza.

The pizzeria is informal. Diners order at the counter and the pizzas are brought to the small tables. Expect to wait about twenty minutes for your pizza since they make them to order.

And order you will. Again and again.

(Slightly Cheating) Homemade Pizza

While we decided to make homemade pizza yesterday, we cheated a little. To speed up the process, we used Trader Joe’s pizza dough and marinara sauce. For toppings, we put sausage slices and scamorza cheese on half and olive slices and mozzarella on the other half.

The key to keeping your pizza from falling apart when you put it in the oven is to put plenty of corn meal under the pizza when you are adding the toppings. If you are using a wooden paddle to move the pizza from the counter into the stove, first spread corn meal on the paddle. Then, periodically check to be sure that the pizza isn’t sticking by gently wiggling the paddle. The pizza should wiggle too. The longer that the pizza is left on the paddle, the more moisture will seep out and it will start to stick together. If that happens, you can pick up the sides and push a little corn meal underneath. Right before you put the pizza in the oven, pour a little corn meal on your pizza cooking surface. If you put it in the oven too early, it will burn.

When making pizza at home, it is crucial to use a pizza stone. You can buy one for about $12.00 to $80.00. We bought a low end one at Bed Bath & Beyond and it works perfectly well. The stone helps to cook the pizza through and allows a crust to form on the bottom. If you don’t have a convection oven, it also helps to retain the high temperatures needed to bake the pizza.

Be creative when choosing your pizza toppings. There are some standard pizza options like Quattro Stagioni or Pizza Capricciosa, but you can make up new combinations, too. I recommend avoiding low-moisture or low-fat mozzarella cheese since it doesn’t melt as well. Fresh mozzarella works best.

With a fresh beet salad to start and some red wine, we had a delicious dinner. Sure, we could have made our own dough and marinara sauce and it would have been even better. It was still fairly fresh and less expensive than ordering in. The best part was that my husband and I made it together.