Bittman's column in today's New York Times today makes a good case for making pizza at home, but it's made at the expense of the reputation of New York pizza. But does the recipe he provides in the Times even produce results that are better than the most average of take-out slices? More
It's a big pizza day in the New York Times' Dining Section. As part of "The Pizza Issue," best-selling cookbook author and Times columnist, Mark Bittman, will be conducting an hour long chat over on the NYTimes Facebook page from 3pm to 4pm (EST). More
Wow. A resounding recommendation from the New York Times for Polpettina, a small pizzeria just north of NYC in Eastchester, New York. More
Melissa Clark of the New York Times Dining Section offers a respectable basics guide to making pizza at home. That's not to say there aren't some debatable points. (At the risk of sounding snobby, I can't advocate pre-shredded mozzarella. And, garlic a must? Debatable. I don't want to talk about the kitchen shears.) But this video is full of practical at-home modifications for the occasional pizza maker, like using the back of a baking sheet as a peel (my go-to method), not using a rolling pin, using moderation with toppings, and getting the oven properly pre-heated. Certainly better tips than these. Ultimately, it's great to see guides that encourage more home cooks to make pizza. More
The New York Times published a fascinating story about pepperoni yesterday that's a must-read. Starting with the premise that pepperoni is rare in fancy-pants pizzerias (it is, trust me), Julia Moskin then goes on to explain what it is, how it's made, and what its origins are (it's not Italian). More
The New York Times's Oliver Strand gets his fingers in the flour in a story about homemade pizza today. Does this signify a new "pizza moment"? I hope so. But let me qualify that a bit. Parallel to the surge of new pizzerias, there's been a DIY pizza movement quietly building momentum in kitchens and backyards everywhere. So while I say that the publication of this Times article may signify a "new pizza moment," in truth this DIY pizza moment has been happening all along. What's new is that it's finally getting the attention it deserves. More
The New York Times's Manny Fernandez does a piece on the dollar slice uprising in NYC:
"I don't think a drunk college student cares about whether there's San Marzano tomatoes on their slice," Jason Feirman, 25, who writes a pizza blog called I Dream of Pizza, said of the $1 pizza trend. "It's a good business model. They're not catering to food blogs. The idea is to turn out these pizzas as fast as they can."
They talked to me, too, but I sound like a Grade A moron. My own fault. Mr. Fernandez simply quoted me talking about the "hole structure" of 99¢ pizza.
Yeah, I know, right? Tool Academy, are you accepting applications for the spring semester?
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The brussels sprouts and pancetta pizza is, according to Sam Sifton, "Like something from a magic act, a dog speaking BBC English. It is great and unsettling, far better than imagination would dictate." Translation: "Good." [Photograph: Robyn Lee] What do those New York Times stars mean? What distinguishes a "good" restaurant from a great one, a three-star from a four? It's a question often debated, never resolved, and hardly furthered by Sam Sifton's review this week of Motorino. My problem is not that he is so audacious as to name the city's best pizza. (We can't fault him for... More
[Photographs: New York Times] The New York Times takes a look at the newish Frank Pepe's branch that opened in Yonkers in early November of last year: The pizza is very good — although you have to be careful what you order. The original tomato pie, a Spartan exercise in dough topped only with crushed tomatoes and a sprinkling of Romano cheese, tasted of good-quality canned tomatoes and little else. That same pie with mozzarella was better, and one with mozzarella and spicy, fennel-spiked pepperoni was downright delicious. A version with plump marinated shrimp was also surprisingly good. And... More
New York Times The New York Times runs a somewhat light profile on Nate Appleman today. Appleman is the guy who left San Francisco's A16 pizzeria and turned up in New York City, where he'll helm restaurateur Keith McNally's Pulino's Bar and Pizzeria. There's not much pizza-related meat to this piece, saying that the menu is largely a collection of notes in Appleman's iPhone. It does mention some oven-related stuff, though: The showpiece of the kitchen will be a pair of wood-fired ovens, one for pizza and one for meat. Mr. Appleman turned butchering into a public spectacle at... More
