Italian food is unique amongst world cuisines in that it has birthed not one, but two international sensations. Of course I'm talking about pasta and pizza. Pizza is one of the most widely eaten foods today. While most people think of pizza in America as Italian food, it really is not like the pizza of authentic Italian food. It is said that with one taste of pizza made in the style of authentic Italian food, you will never go back to the Americanized version. Even when eating at Italian food restaurants it is hard to capture the distinguished taste of true Italian pizza.
Pizza is one Italian food that has been around in one form or another for centuries. It has a long history in the Mediterranean where it began as a seasoned flatbread that was used more as an edible plate to hold other food, rather than as a food by itself. However, these earlier pizzas established a name for Italian food very early on and were eaten in Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Babylon and were emphatically praised by many historians of the day.
It was in the Middle Ages that pizza began to take a form that would be more familiar to Italian food lovers today. Pizza started out being just a dough topped with herbs and olive oil. Once mozzarella cheese began to be produced from Indian Water Buffalo it quickly became a signature aspect of pizza. Today at any true Italian food eatery this fresh mozzarella di buffalo is nonnegotiable. The dried shredded mozzarella that is often associated with Italian food would actually never be used on a pizza made by a true Italian food chef.
It wouldn't be until the tomato became popular in Italian food in the 18th century that we would see modern pizza. During this time pizza began to take an even more prominent role in Italian food. In Naples pizza was sold on the streets for every meal. This once peasant food was quickly taking hold of all of society, including the upper class. In fact, by 1830 the first ever pizzeria was opened in Naples. Ever since this time pizzerias have been found all over the world converting people to the love of Italian food.
Traditional Italian pizza is cooked in a wood fired oven. The reason American pizza is often not thought of as a true Italian food is because the large restaurant chains that specialize in pizza do not cook it in a wood fired oven. Pizzas featured in Italian food restaurants should use only the freshest ingredients. In Italy pizzas change with the seasons as new ingredients become available. The great thing about pizza that has made it so popular is the fact that it can be topped with a vast array of toppings. Each region of Italy has its own particular style of pizza that they specialize in, making use of the ingredients most readily available to them.
So for real Italian food pizza it is necessary to step out of the confining ideas of just a few types of pizza and open your mind to the different possibilities. Italian food is full of variety and you could literally spend a year in Italy just trying all the different styles of pizza that made Italian food so universally popular.
20.1.09
What Is So Special About Gourmet Pizza?
Pizza has been around for thousands of years. When did out of the ordinary and delicious gourmet pizza make its debut? What would the forefathers of pizza think of this culinary masterpiece?
Everyone knows that a standard pizza comes with pepperoni, cheese, ground beef, peppers, onions, anchovies and sausage. Today gourmet pizza is created with any kind of topping. They are topped with anything from broccoli to chocolate. There are gourmet pizzas for breakfast that can be topped with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese. And, there are vegetarian gourmet pizzas that are topped with a medley of vegetables.
The gourmet pizza is relatively new and was created for the privileged. It has grown in popularity in nearly every household in the United States. Pizza parlors are popping up all across the country. A Sunday afternoon of football will be a definite hit with the gang if a gourmet pizza with all the toppings is served. A sure pleaser for chocolate lovers is a dessert pizza topped with marshmallows and chocolate.
Gourmet pizza was conceived with the belief that less is better. Only by using the finest quality ingredients and one or two toppings, can a pizza acquire the status of a gourmet pizza. Only the freshest and highest quality meats and freshest mozzarella can be used. The difference in a standard pizza and a gourmet pizza will be proven with each bite.
An ordinary consumer, with a little imagination, can create a gourmet pizza at home. A variety of pre-baked pizza shells are available in all types of food stores. With some imagination and experimentation, a home chef can make a mouth-watering work of art. Most food stores carry a line of pizza shells, cheeses and gourmet sauces. Cheeses other than Mozzarella can be used.
Gourmet pizza shops continue to grow, offering a variety of pizzas from different cultures. Every culture brings an innovative way to make the gourmet pizza. These tasty delights will bring dining pleasure for years to come.
Everyone knows that a standard pizza comes with pepperoni, cheese, ground beef, peppers, onions, anchovies and sausage. Today gourmet pizza is created with any kind of topping. They are topped with anything from broccoli to chocolate. There are gourmet pizzas for breakfast that can be topped with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese. And, there are vegetarian gourmet pizzas that are topped with a medley of vegetables.
The gourmet pizza is relatively new and was created for the privileged. It has grown in popularity in nearly every household in the United States. Pizza parlors are popping up all across the country. A Sunday afternoon of football will be a definite hit with the gang if a gourmet pizza with all the toppings is served. A sure pleaser for chocolate lovers is a dessert pizza topped with marshmallows and chocolate.
Gourmet pizza was conceived with the belief that less is better. Only by using the finest quality ingredients and one or two toppings, can a pizza acquire the status of a gourmet pizza. Only the freshest and highest quality meats and freshest mozzarella can be used. The difference in a standard pizza and a gourmet pizza will be proven with each bite.
An ordinary consumer, with a little imagination, can create a gourmet pizza at home. A variety of pre-baked pizza shells are available in all types of food stores. With some imagination and experimentation, a home chef can make a mouth-watering work of art. Most food stores carry a line of pizza shells, cheeses and gourmet sauces. Cheeses other than Mozzarella can be used.
Gourmet pizza shops continue to grow, offering a variety of pizzas from different cultures. Every culture brings an innovative way to make the gourmet pizza. These tasty delights will bring dining pleasure for years to come.
19.1.09
Cottage Pie Recipe: English Cottage Pie
You don’t have to be English to enjoy this traditional cottage pie, but if you are English then you’ll probably keep this recipe among your favorites.
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make Meat Filling: In a large skillet, crumble the ground beef and saut้ over medium heat for 1 minute. Add in the onion and carrots; continue to saut้ until meat is brown (about 5 minutes). Stir in the flour, cinnamon, Italian seasoning and parsley.
In a small bowl, combine the beef broth and tomato paste; mix well. Add to beef mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Spoon beef mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.
Make Potato Topping: Put potatoes into a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender; drain.
Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add butter and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes over beef filling. Sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until top is brown and cheese is bubbly.
=> Cottage Pie Recipe: Moussaka Cottage Pie
A great cottage pie recipe featuring flavorable spices like garlic, cinnamon and cloves. Raisins make a delicious addition as well.
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 (24 oz.) package refrigerated mashed potatoes, warmed
1 large egg, beaten
Directions
In a 12-inch oven proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saut้ until tender (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, cinnamon and cloves; continue cooking for 1 minute.
Add meat, stirring occasionally to break it up; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and raisins. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Arrange the eggplant slices on a lipped cookie sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper. Broil eggplant on the upper oven rack, turning once with kitchen tongs, until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side).
Warm up mashed potatoes according to package directions.
Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees. Lay eggplant in a single layer over the meat mixture. Whisk the egg into the mashed potatoes; spread over eggplant. Bake on lower oven rack for 20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.
=> Cottage Pie Recipe: Creamed Cottage Cheese Pie
If you’ve never tried cottage cheese in a pie, you’ll be delighted with this creamy cheese flavored custard pie. It’s something a little different and definitely worth the effort.
1 (9-inch) pie shell
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, creamed
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 eggs
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Separate the eggs.
Press the cottage cheese through a sieve 2 times.
In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, butter, sugar, salt, flour, lemon zest, unbeaten egg yolks, raisins, walnuts and milk. Stir well.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into cheese mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until brown and firm.
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make Meat Filling: In a large skillet, crumble the ground beef and saut้ over medium heat for 1 minute. Add in the onion and carrots; continue to saut้ until meat is brown (about 5 minutes). Stir in the flour, cinnamon, Italian seasoning and parsley.
In a small bowl, combine the beef broth and tomato paste; mix well. Add to beef mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Spoon beef mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.
Make Potato Topping: Put potatoes into a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender; drain.
Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add butter and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes over beef filling. Sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until top is brown and cheese is bubbly.
=> Cottage Pie Recipe: Moussaka Cottage Pie
A great cottage pie recipe featuring flavorable spices like garlic, cinnamon and cloves. Raisins make a delicious addition as well.
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 (24 oz.) package refrigerated mashed potatoes, warmed
1 large egg, beaten
Directions
In a 12-inch oven proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saut้ until tender (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, cinnamon and cloves; continue cooking for 1 minute.
Add meat, stirring occasionally to break it up; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and raisins. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Arrange the eggplant slices on a lipped cookie sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper. Broil eggplant on the upper oven rack, turning once with kitchen tongs, until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side).
Warm up mashed potatoes according to package directions.
Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees. Lay eggplant in a single layer over the meat mixture. Whisk the egg into the mashed potatoes; spread over eggplant. Bake on lower oven rack for 20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.
=> Cottage Pie Recipe: Creamed Cottage Cheese Pie
If you’ve never tried cottage cheese in a pie, you’ll be delighted with this creamy cheese flavored custard pie. It’s something a little different and definitely worth the effort.
1 (9-inch) pie shell
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, creamed
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 eggs
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Separate the eggs.
Press the cottage cheese through a sieve 2 times.
In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, butter, sugar, salt, flour, lemon zest, unbeaten egg yolks, raisins, walnuts and milk. Stir well.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into cheese mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until brown and firm.
10.1.09
Tips For Great Pizzas
A pizza made at home should be better than a commercial pizza. You get it fresh from the oven made with fresh ingredients and the combination of ingredients that you want, on a homemade crust, and with the care that is not possible commercially.
But there are tricks to the technique that will make that pizza truly wonderful.
• A great pizza must have a great crust. A soggy crust will never do. Instead of piling the goodies on the uncooked dough, partially bake it firs...
Keywords:
pizza, how to, crust great pizza, secrets, baking, bread, homemade, rise
Article Body:
A pizza made at home should be better than a commercial pizza. You get it fresh from the oven made with fresh ingredients and the combination of ingredients that you want, on a homemade crust, and with the care that is not possible commercially.
But there are tricks to the technique that will make that pizza truly wonderful.
• A great pizza must have a great crust. A soggy crust will never do. Instead of piling the goodies on the uncooked dough, partially bake it first. Usually about eight minutes will do. Then pull it out of the oven, put the toppings on, and finish baking.
• Don’t under bake the crust. The crust is done when the bottom is partially browned. Use a spatula or tongs to lift one edge and peek at the crust.
• Never use a light-colored pan for baking a pizza. It will reflect the heat and you will have a hard time baking the crust thoroughly.
• A baking stone will help bake the crust. Put the baking stone in the oven at least fifteen minutes ahead of the pizza. We like to bake our pizzas on a dark baking pan placed on top of the hot stone.
• Place the pizza low in the oven where radiant heat from the heating elements will help bake the crust.
• If you have trouble forming the pizza crust, the gluten may be the problem. Gluten gives the dough elasticity and a tight dough wants to spring back into shape. Partially shape the crust and then walk away for five to ten minutes. When you get back, the dough will have relaxed and you can finish the crust.
• A pizza crust of uniform thickness is a better crust. If you are not adept at spinning the crust, roll it to a uniform thickness of about 1/4 inch with a rolling pin. You can do that on a peel dusted with cornmeal or semolina flour so that the crust will slip off easily onto the stone or pan. If you don’t have a peel, a sheet of heavy cardboard or even a wooden cutting board will do. You can also form the crust in your pan. The lips on the pan will preclude a rolling pin, but you can purchase a little rolling pin meant for the task (and for rolling pasta) that will work within the rims. If all else fails, grab a small jar and use it as a rolling pin.
• If you don’t have time to make or buy your favorite sauce, a jar of spaghetti sauce will do. Homemade is better but a good commercial sauce is okay.
• Some people prefer tender crusts; we prefer chewy. For a tender crust, use all-purpose flour. Our favorite crusts are made with bread flour tempered just a bit with whole wheat, rye, or all-purpose flours.
• For a really great pizza crust, once the dough is kneaded, cover it and place it in the refrigerator over night. The next day, remove the dough and let it rise on the counter. Allow plenty of time for the dough to come to room temperature and rise. At lower temperatures, the yeast produces a complex yeasty flavor that is very good.
• Pizza dough that is just a bit on the wet side is easier to work with and makes a nicer crust.
• Toppings can be anything you want them to be. Measurements don’t count though less is usually better. Experiment with some of your favorite foods.
• Olive oil makes a much nicer pizza crust than vegetable oil.
• If you are having trouble cutting your pizza with a knife or pizza wheel, grab the kitchen shears.
But there are tricks to the technique that will make that pizza truly wonderful.
• A great pizza must have a great crust. A soggy crust will never do. Instead of piling the goodies on the uncooked dough, partially bake it firs...
Keywords:
pizza, how to, crust great pizza, secrets, baking, bread, homemade, rise
Article Body:
A pizza made at home should be better than a commercial pizza. You get it fresh from the oven made with fresh ingredients and the combination of ingredients that you want, on a homemade crust, and with the care that is not possible commercially.
But there are tricks to the technique that will make that pizza truly wonderful.
• A great pizza must have a great crust. A soggy crust will never do. Instead of piling the goodies on the uncooked dough, partially bake it first. Usually about eight minutes will do. Then pull it out of the oven, put the toppings on, and finish baking.
• Don’t under bake the crust. The crust is done when the bottom is partially browned. Use a spatula or tongs to lift one edge and peek at the crust.
• Never use a light-colored pan for baking a pizza. It will reflect the heat and you will have a hard time baking the crust thoroughly.
• A baking stone will help bake the crust. Put the baking stone in the oven at least fifteen minutes ahead of the pizza. We like to bake our pizzas on a dark baking pan placed on top of the hot stone.
• Place the pizza low in the oven where radiant heat from the heating elements will help bake the crust.
• If you have trouble forming the pizza crust, the gluten may be the problem. Gluten gives the dough elasticity and a tight dough wants to spring back into shape. Partially shape the crust and then walk away for five to ten minutes. When you get back, the dough will have relaxed and you can finish the crust.
• A pizza crust of uniform thickness is a better crust. If you are not adept at spinning the crust, roll it to a uniform thickness of about 1/4 inch with a rolling pin. You can do that on a peel dusted with cornmeal or semolina flour so that the crust will slip off easily onto the stone or pan. If you don’t have a peel, a sheet of heavy cardboard or even a wooden cutting board will do. You can also form the crust in your pan. The lips on the pan will preclude a rolling pin, but you can purchase a little rolling pin meant for the task (and for rolling pasta) that will work within the rims. If all else fails, grab a small jar and use it as a rolling pin.
• If you don’t have time to make or buy your favorite sauce, a jar of spaghetti sauce will do. Homemade is better but a good commercial sauce is okay.
• Some people prefer tender crusts; we prefer chewy. For a tender crust, use all-purpose flour. Our favorite crusts are made with bread flour tempered just a bit with whole wheat, rye, or all-purpose flours.
• For a really great pizza crust, once the dough is kneaded, cover it and place it in the refrigerator over night. The next day, remove the dough and let it rise on the counter. Allow plenty of time for the dough to come to room temperature and rise. At lower temperatures, the yeast produces a complex yeasty flavor that is very good.
• Pizza dough that is just a bit on the wet side is easier to work with and makes a nicer crust.
• Toppings can be anything you want them to be. Measurements don’t count though less is usually better. Experiment with some of your favorite foods.
• Olive oil makes a much nicer pizza crust than vegetable oil.
• If you are having trouble cutting your pizza with a knife or pizza wheel, grab the kitchen shears.
1.1.09
The Evolution Of Pizza
Trying to trace the history of the first pizza is a surprisingly controversial subject. Some claim that this popular food is based on early unleavened breads served in the early centuries in Rome. Others trace a connection from modern pizza back to the pita breads of Greece.
It's fairly well established that the first pizza as we know it today was created by a man named Raffaele Esposito from Naples, Italy. Esposito's creation was designed to honor the visit of Queen Margherita to Naples in 1889, and he decorated it with the colors of the Italian flag, using white cheese, green basil, and red tomatoes (tomatoes, which had arrived from the west about 60 years earlier, were originally thought to be poisonous, but by Esposito's time they were already embraced by Italian cuisine).
As the years passed and the turn of the century came about, Italian immigrants brought this recipe with them to America. The first pizzeria was opened in America in 1905. It remained popular almost exclusively among immigrants until the end of World War II, when American soldiers returned to their home soil and brought back a love of the pizza they had discovered overseas. With that, the pizza boom in America began and this food became a mainstream meal instead of an underground Italian snack.
The concentration of Italian immigrants in New York in those olden days explains the fact that many people feel you must visit New York to get true pizzeria-style pizza. It's where the pizza got its American start, after all. And nobody who has experienced New York style pizza can disagree. New York is famous for its pizzerias, where a true slice of pizza consists of a thin, wide crust loaded with plenty of toppings and marinara and smothered in heady Italian seasonings. A side of garlic bread and some heady pastas and tortellinis usually round out the menu. Pizzerias in New York are not for the faint of heart.
In the early 1940s, the city of Chicago, IL took pizza in a different direction. It is believed that the first pizzeria in Chicago was Pizzeria Uno, opened in 1943 by Ike Sewell. Sewell's pizza creation was a new twist on the old New York standard. He created what is known today as deep-dish pizza, where the pizza is sunk low into a deeper pan, and the crust is allowed to rise in thick bubbles around the edges. People flocked to Sewell's pizzeria, and a whole new way of looking at this favorite food was born.
To this day you can find yourself in some pretty heated debates if you argue with a New Yorker or a Chicagoan about what constitutes authentic pizzeria-style pizza. But whatever crust style you choose, pizza is a unique food with a foggy past and a definite appeal that has lasted through many incarnations.
So you're lucky enough to find yourself in New York or Chicago, or any city for that matter that has a true pizzeria, complete with checked tablecloths and plenty of garlic on the menu, indulge yourself in an old tradition and order a slice. After all, its tradition.
It's fairly well established that the first pizza as we know it today was created by a man named Raffaele Esposito from Naples, Italy. Esposito's creation was designed to honor the visit of Queen Margherita to Naples in 1889, and he decorated it with the colors of the Italian flag, using white cheese, green basil, and red tomatoes (tomatoes, which had arrived from the west about 60 years earlier, were originally thought to be poisonous, but by Esposito's time they were already embraced by Italian cuisine).
As the years passed and the turn of the century came about, Italian immigrants brought this recipe with them to America. The first pizzeria was opened in America in 1905. It remained popular almost exclusively among immigrants until the end of World War II, when American soldiers returned to their home soil and brought back a love of the pizza they had discovered overseas. With that, the pizza boom in America began and this food became a mainstream meal instead of an underground Italian snack.
The concentration of Italian immigrants in New York in those olden days explains the fact that many people feel you must visit New York to get true pizzeria-style pizza. It's where the pizza got its American start, after all. And nobody who has experienced New York style pizza can disagree. New York is famous for its pizzerias, where a true slice of pizza consists of a thin, wide crust loaded with plenty of toppings and marinara and smothered in heady Italian seasonings. A side of garlic bread and some heady pastas and tortellinis usually round out the menu. Pizzerias in New York are not for the faint of heart.
In the early 1940s, the city of Chicago, IL took pizza in a different direction. It is believed that the first pizzeria in Chicago was Pizzeria Uno, opened in 1943 by Ike Sewell. Sewell's pizza creation was a new twist on the old New York standard. He created what is known today as deep-dish pizza, where the pizza is sunk low into a deeper pan, and the crust is allowed to rise in thick bubbles around the edges. People flocked to Sewell's pizzeria, and a whole new way of looking at this favorite food was born.
To this day you can find yourself in some pretty heated debates if you argue with a New Yorker or a Chicagoan about what constitutes authentic pizzeria-style pizza. But whatever crust style you choose, pizza is a unique food with a foggy past and a definite appeal that has lasted through many incarnations.
So you're lucky enough to find yourself in New York or Chicago, or any city for that matter that has a true pizzeria, complete with checked tablecloths and plenty of garlic on the menu, indulge yourself in an old tradition and order a slice. After all, its tradition.
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