Sunday, January 8, 2012

Coming soon.

I promise, the next blog is coming.  Since I last wrote things have been a bit on the hectic side with visitors and trying to get caught up from Christmas.  And let's face it, the weather has been less than Winter like, so I've been out, trying to get ready for this half marathon thing next Saturday.  So, have a bit of patience and I'm on it.

Meanwhile, enjoy a photo of me in Costa Rica.




Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The Great Pizza Debate! Part 2

Welcome back to part II of Pizza Wars. For those of you that haven’t yet but you are reading this, follow my blog, comment on it, well, any of them. This blog is a touchy subject, especially to those die hard Chicago style pizza lovers. But they are forgiven for not knowing any better. Now, onward and upward into the unknown styles of pizza in this country.


Let’s get the ball rolling with Bar Pizza. Having lived in a small town for most of my life, my idea of Bar pizza was frozen pizza, heated up in a small pizza oven. There were two typical pizzas that I always saw served, Tombstone and Butch’s. Little did I know that there was much more to Bar pizza than a cardboard plate and plastic wrap. Bar pizza is very thin crusted, baked in a gas oven. This pizza is made with commercial mozzarella, topped with canned mushrooms, standard pepperoni, and sausage. It’s a simple, easy bit of pizza to snack on to help soak up the beer that you will consume throughout the night. The most famous Bar pizza in Chicago, Vito and Nick’s at 8433 South Pulaski Road. Opened in 1952 at a location at their tavern at 79th and Carpenter, relocated 13 years later to their current location on Pulaski.


The Italian Bakery Style pizza is a blend of Grandma and Sicilian pizza’s. It is square, baked in a large sheet pan, and cut into rectangular pieces. This pizza varies from bakery to bakery, but if you are in an Italian bakery and you come across this pizza, grab a slice and enjoy it. So, the next time you are in NYC, the pizza capital of the USA, hop on the N or the Q train, uptown and go to Ditmars Boulevard, the last stop on the line. When you make your way down the stairs to the street, make sure you visit Rose and Joe’s Italian Bakery, 2240 31st St, Astoria, for a slice of Italian bakery style, and I promise you won’t be disappointed in this pizza. The cheese is light, but the sauces is rich in flavor and for $1.25 for a slice, you can’t beat it.


Now, I personally think after a dozen or so varieties of pizza, you start grasping at straws. Take for example the Trenton Tomato Pie. It’s a thin crust, layered as follows, crust, cheese, toppings, and sauce. Similar to the Grandma pie or the upcoming Detroit Pizza. This pie is found in the capital city of New Jersey, at DeLorenzo’s.


Not alot is known about this next style, Old Forge style pizza. It’s origin is Pennsylvania. It’s made of a medium thin Sicilian dough, made in a pan that has been oiled with Peanut oil, so the dough is kind of fried during cooking. And the cheese used is 100% Wisconsin White Cheddar. If any of you have had it, please give your opinions because the photos I’ve seen, it looks like a frozen pizza.


So, Detroit, a dead metropolis that once was booming because of the auto industry. Yet, in the culinary world they are making a comeback. I don’t think that Detroit Style Pizza will put them on the map, but wikipedia has an entry on this style, and we all know that if it’s on wiki, then it’s real. It’s a simple square pizza, with a deep dish crust, sometimes twice baked and sauced last. Easy and sounds ok by me, except for the deep dish part.


Much like politicians come and go and much like quite a few people can tolerate politicians, drunk, so they enjoy DC jumbo slices as well. This is truly a local enjoyment, but from what I read, it’s enjoyed only after a night on the town. Similar to a New York Slice, but it appears to be the thinnest of the thin and it just doesn’t have the grease that we’ve all come to enjoy with our New York slice. I think this may be a single term pizza.


The New England states appear to have the market cornered when it comes to pizza. Of course, when the Italians were coming to America, they all filed through New York City. Some left the region and some didn’t. I’m thankful for this because I love the North East and I love pizza, so I’m ok with New England and their pizza developments. So, on that note, New England Greek Pizza is our next brief stop. A little thicker than a New York slice, because the dough is allowed to rise, it’s actually lighter than a NY slice. The dough is pressed out into olive oiled pans with a small rim. Dough is pressed flat and then sauced, then the pans are left out to rise, only a little. The pizza is then cheesed and placed in the cooler to stop the rising. The base cheese is mozza and provolone. You could always ask for more mozza. Another important thing with the Greek, is that it must be cut with a blade, not a roller cutter. It’s important to maintain the integrity of the outer crust.


The next style may take some getting used to, but once again, it’s a local thing. Ohio Valley style is what I’m talking about. Once again, square pizza, square slices, but the rest is what takes some getting used to. The cheese isn’t melted all the way and the uncooked toppings are put on after the sauce, base cheese, and dough are cooked?? The sauce, well it isn’t much of a sauce at all, it’s more like stewed tomatoes. And the crust is more like focaccia. This is probably the last on my list to run right out and pick up, but I will try it because that’s what I do.


Was there any doubt that California had to make a mark in the pizza world? California style is more pizza for the people that aren’t into pizza. It’s a thin crust pizza, but that’s where the similarity ends. With toppings like Duck, Salmon, Tuna, Sprouts, Avocado, Goat Cheese, Blue Cheese, etc, I think you get the idea.


Finally, the last style is St. Louis style. It’s a crude looking pie, but it tastes great! Imo’s in St. Louis is said to be the originator. The crust, very thin, unleavened and it’s topped with a special three cheese blend(provolone, Swiss, White Cheddar), or course you can have mozza tossed on there for good measure. And a great accompaniment to this pie is any local brew from Shlafly.


Now folks there are other styles, but it’s time for me to quit and work on my next blog, but I recommend that you explore all of the pizza possibilities. You’ll have your favorites, I do. I think being exposed to Chicago style everyday, is my reason for not being all over it. Yeah, I think it’s burn out.


By the way, some other styles that you may want to check, Nashville style, Roman Style, Indian(Middle Eastern), Israeli, Kebab style, Alsatian, Anatolian, Levantine, and Provencal.

Now go, eat pizza, because let’s be honest, who in their right mind doesn’t like pizza!