What brand/kind of pizza do you like?

“don't care what's on it.........just lots of tomato sauce is required!”

“The ones I make from scratch.”

“Thin crust, crispy but not crunchy. Enough sauce to actually taste it (and not a bland sauce either -- let's taste some garlic etc.). Not too much cheese. Toppings will vary, but a Supreme, veggie or the old standby pepperoni and mushroom are all good (I love green olives on pizza, but my wife is an anchovy lover).

Had pizza by the slice in NYC once, plain cheese, and it was good. Also have had the "true" Italian style of crust with olive oil, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and some other herbs with a bit of grated hard cheese and it was fabulous.”

“The sauce is the best part of that Rocky Center pizza I described before. It's like none I ever tasted. The great thing is also that when you walk in, they sell whole pies in slices before they have a chance to get cold. That's the kind of business this place does.”

“I've used my outback oven and made pizza with dried tomatoes, some dried tomato sauce I get from the spice store (mix with a little water), dried mushrooms & green peppers and some grated parmesan (sp?) cheese. Add some italian seasoning & fennel seed, yum-yum! (The cheese easily keeps for a week.)”

“I don't do vegies at all.
Once I made Macaroni & Cheese Pizza.
Pizza Hut Chicken Pizza is good!
Barbecue instead of tomato sauce is cool!”

“hmmm...

On my list to do in NYC-pizza!”

“treebeard, I am always amazed and disappointed by pizza makers who overload the cheese and skimp on the sauce. It's the same with the crust -- I like thin crust because it lets the other ingredients come through, rather than feel like eating a big piece of bread with a bit of "stuff" on top, and doesn't leave you feeling so bogged down afterward.”

“Spam and pineapple”

“Amazing, now who wants to do:

"What's you favorite color?"”

“TT - Bite your tongue!!

Pek - you are right. That's what Maple says too. she likes the thin crust for the same reason”

“Martyb--right on about Zachary's...their deep dish is the best this side of Geno's East in Chicago.

We have a place in SF that does a good version of NYC pizza, called Giorgio's. The best NYC is on any corner after you close down a bar. A close second is Two Boots (in the village and they have a stand in Grand Central Station).

The one pizza I truly crave though is Tommy's, in Columbus OH. I can't even describe how good it is.”

“mmmm thin crust”

“Bongo, way back when my wife and I were dating (with her living in SF), we would often go to Vicolo's (?) at Ghirardelli Square - not sure it's still there. Excellent pizza. Too bad we saw a mouse* run across the floor one evening and never went back....




*Technically, only I saw the mouse, but didn't say anything 'till later. No point ruining a perfectly good pizza dinner....”

“I like Pizza Hut Chicago deep dish, meat lovers. One piece is a meal!

My other favorite pizza is Al's. They make gourmet pizza with ingredients like shrimp, alligator, refried beans, hot pepper relish, stuff like that. My favorite there is the "Lily Bay" - pasta with alfredo sauce, broccoli, mushrooms, cheese.”

“oh yeah, I forgot LOBSTER!”

“Martyb--I think my fiancee would have the same reaction your wife would have had--good idea on waiting till later...

I'll have to check and see if Vicolo's is still around...”

“The caption above says it all folks.


Connecticut in general thrives on "brick oven" syle pizza.

Thin crust, fresh fresh ingredients (fresh mozz etc)


But it ALL stems from Wooster Street in New Haven CT.

Either Frank Pepe's or Sali's. I prefer Pepe's and de wife prefers Sali's.


At home I make pizza that I think is the best in the world. My kids cal lit "dad's pyscho pizza" (do you have any idea how hard it is to get the temperature right on a ball of dough so that it stretches membrane thin, but doesn't tear??)


Here is my dough recipe. It is from Charles Van Over's "The Best Bread Cookbook"

It is all done in a cuisinart and takes 2 minutes

3 1/2 -4 cups flour
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast


+/- 1 1/2 to 2 cups water


The combined temperature of the dry ingredients plus the water needs to be between 130 and 140 degrees (i use an instant read thermometer)

Put the dry ingredigents in the cuisinart. Turn it on. Pour the water in slowly until it starts to form a ball.


Notes: Be sure that it is mixing. Sometimes there will be huge trapped dry spots in processor. If you just keep adding more water, your end product will be too gooey.

Once it forms a ball, put it in a bowl COVERED and leave it at room temperature for 1 -1/2 to 4 hours. Then refrigerate it for 4 to 36 hours.

*** I make it the night before.


Next day.

Turn your oven on 500 degrees WITH A PIZZA STONE IN IT

let the stone heat for 1 hour.

While its heating turn the ball onto a floured workspace. Smush it down to about a 1/2 inch cirlce. NOTE: I make 3 pizzas, so I 1) overcompensate on the ingredients, and 2) cut the ball into three wedges before I smush it).

Leave the smushed ball for the hour COVERED. NOT on the stove top . .it will get too warm and soft and stretchy, and prone to tearing. HOwever, if yo have acold kitchen . . .and the dough is too cold, it will be hard to work with.

When you are ready to go. Mush the dough cirlce out with your finger tips and then pick it up on your close fists and work it out further (THIS IS WHERE IT TEARS AND I HAVE A FIT > > > hence "dad's pyscho pizza"


Anyhoo .. .

I make a Pesto Shrimp, fresh mozz pizza

A prociutto, calamata olives tomatoe sauce, fresh mozz pizza

and for the boys a half pesto half tomato sauce pizza with fresh mozz but nothing else.


Okay . . .put it on the stone for 5 minutes, then turn it so that it cooks evenly. Cook it for another 4-5 minutes or until common sense tells you to get it out.”

“I gotta say. The comb. of the crust I make above, with the shrimp and pesto . .. .washed down with a glass, or three of Chianti . .. is about the best "simple" meal on the face of the earth. I just love it.


And . . .for those of you who make their own . .

Proscuitto de Parma. Its expensive BUT you don't need a lot. It is less fatty and greasy than either bacon or pepperoni, has awesome flavor, and, when laid out thin . . .crisps up at 500 degrees wonderfully!! You can do a whole pizza with 1/4 lb and even sneak a piece or two to eat while you are making it.


ALSO: The Shrimp. DON'T PUT THEM ON AT THE BEGINNING OF THE COOKING PROCESS. They will turn to rubber.

Put themin after 3 minutes. They will cook through but still have snap in the remaining 5-6 minutes of cook time.


The pizza stone does two things: Keeps the temperature even as you are opening and shutting the oven door and gives you the great brick oven crisp crust.

USE CORN MEAL ON YOUR PIZZA PEEL TO GET THE THING OFF OF IT AND INTO THE OVEN> Flour alone won't do it.”

“Lee, you are prolific to say the least. LOL!

Pekka, I ate real Italian pizza in Italy (northern Italy, right across the Austrian border-northern). Personally, and I guess I ain't cultured enough, I thought it sucked. I mean if it weren't for the cute old Italian cook in there flirting w/ me and the fact that Men's World Cup was on the tube, I'd have left immediately. Note: My German and Dutch traveling companions thought it was lovely. That's mainly due to the fact that they are freaks. LOL!”

“Holy crap you are serious about your pizza, lee!”

“that sounds awesome, Lee! i need to get me a pizza stone.

has anyone ever been to the Flatbread Company in NH? it's a chain. it's the absolute best stuff EVER! and, we even saw their pizza in Freshfields/Whole Foods for the bargain price of a million dollars each.”

“Twigeater --

Pyscho truly is the word you were looking for . . .pyscho.

hahahhahahh



ha


pyscho.”

“What's Freshfields Lyra?”

“Lee, that sounds awesome. I may have to buy some of the "tools of the trade" and try that.”

“what new gear????”

“wise ass”

“and you will be first in line to eat it, won't you, Maple dear?”

“it's a grocery store, newgirl! :-) it's pretty cool...lots of organic crap.”

“Nice, we have about 2 organic grocery stores in the whole state.”

“I like to buy my organic crap at the landscaping store and my organic food at the grocery store (hee hee).”

“Newgirl, shop online for organic foods. organic food stores”

“oooookay, Marty...whatever floats your boat, dude.

(weirdo.)

;-)”

“Thanks Ewker. I take a look. I have to admit that being a fast food lover, I don't eat tons of organic stuff, but I am more interested in it w/ Newergirl.”

“I started buying this organic low fat sour cream when the store didn't have our usual brand, and wow was it ever delicious. I emailed the company (Horizon) to tell them how much I like it, and the sent me a whole fistful of coupons!”

“I posted on the "why eat meat" thread.

We try to eat organic veggies and no-anti-biotic meat and poultry. When we can, and when it is reasonable to do so ($$$$).


One thing bothers me. FIsh. We get salmon, or a whitefish like flounder, or sole, or shrimp once or twice a week.

The Salmon bothers me. Those suckers are all farmed these days and grow at many multiple the rate of wild. I certainly understand the need to farm fish rather than decimating wild stock, but the anti-biotic growth hormone thing makes me crazy.


Do any of you shop at WILD OATS?? There is one in a town near where I work, I am tempted to see what they have for salmon that isn't as heavily medicated.

Any input?”

“Cool score Marty.”

“Hey MartyB . . .here the dealie-o bud.


You start sending me $5 every week plus those coupons for Horizon sour cream and I won't copy and paste the whole sour cream thing onto the "weight Loss 2003" thread!

And here's a quote to incentivize you:

"So, are you suggesting that the gigantic cheeseburger, plate of onion rings, mountain of fries, and pint of beer I had on Friday night wasn't the "right" food???"


Sound familiar Marty??????

I'll call in three days . . .youse better have the cash or I'm gonna turn you in.”

“Busted!”

“Oh, BTW, I'm down another pound as of this morning - now 10 pounds off my peak weight from November....”

“o my gosh lee....!
drool.....
that's it.. i was staying in town to see Les Miserables at the performing arts center....not thinking about eating and reading this thread............sheesh .i am closing up shop and going by Leonardos 706 right NOW!....they have a pizzette with shrimp and pesto ....”

“Pesto. Now there is some wonderful crap. I could eat it by the spoonful.”

“Sam's Pizza on Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine...if it still exists...used to have the best lobster pizza.

San Biaggio's in Upland California has GREAT New York pizza and Peppino's in Lake Forest, CA has good pizza.”

“oops, it isn't Lisbon Street...it's the one that runs perpendicular to Lisbon Street...runs from Augusta to Auburn????”

“I had a Pizza Hut personal pan extra cheese pizza tonight. Oh and breadsticks.. can't forget the breadsticks!”

“newgirl, the problem was that you were in NORTHERN Italy, land of white sauces and ski slopes. You need to get to the lower part of the boot, at least in the Naples area, where you are in the olive and sun-dried tomato region. The history of pizza that I read said that area originated to earliest, simple forms.”

“Newgirl ..

I make my own pesto. Basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, pareseamamanan and extra virgin oil (you really have to squeeze thes virgis to get the oil out of them =;-0”

“Miss Opie are they the ones with the cheese on them? (I dont eat Pizza Hutall that often)”

“Satturdya dinner we had friends over and I made 5 pizzas:

1/2 pesto 1/2 tomato

1 Pesto Shrimp

1 proscuitto and asparagus

1 procusuitt and calamata olive

1 pesto with 1/2 shrimp and 1/2 apspargus”

“I love my own pizza that I make. Other than that, I like Pizza Hut Pan Pizza, and their NYorker.”