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

This sauceless pie from Fornino in Williamsburg combines sliced chanterelle mushroom (shiitakes will do just fine if you don't want to go all fancy), spicy julienned sopressata, mozzarella, spicy chili oil, and big dollops of ricotta. Cheesy, earthy, and spicy, it's a great combination for the cold days ahead... More

[Photograph: Adam Kuban] Who's Using It Fornino, Williamsburg, Brooklyn Ken's Artisan Pizza, Portland, Oregon Roberta's, Bushwick, Brooklyn Lolita, Cleveland Motorino, Brooklyn/Manhattan Il Cane Rosso, Dallas La Piazza al Forno, Glendale, Arizona Emilia's Pizzeria,* Berkeley, California I'm calling it: Hot soppressata is fast becoming the it topping among serious pizzamakers. Why do I say this? Peep the places at right that feature it as an option. (In an earlier draft of this post, I had Philadelphia's Pizzeria Stella on the list, but the options seems to have dropped off its pre-opening working-draft menu.) It took backyard-pizzamaker-turned-soon-to-be-pro Pauile Gee to call... More