Some might say letting people pick their own pizza topping combinations is like handing a loaded gun to a to a kitten. A kitten that doesn’t have many friends and has deep seated frustrations with imaginary dogs. As tough as it may be for me to admit it, these people might be right. Building a pie should be more than haphazard whimsy. Just like a meal on a plate, harmony and balance needs to be applied. Pictured above is my most recent attempt: Ricotta (sweet), garlic confit (creamy) and arugula (bitter). I don’t know if it is all the way there yet, but it’s a solid start.
Category Archives: Pizza
AFJ: Serious Pizza Class
Thanks to everyone who attended this months Serious Pizza Class. Great time. I hope everyone left feeling a little more confident about making Naples style pizza at home.
The Good Pie
Everybody is different. And, just like art, pizza is subjective. But, I am having trouble recommending places around town for people to try a good pie. Don’t get me wrong, there is good pizza around: House Pizza, Salvation, Home Slice to name a few. I don’t know if anyone has checked lately, but Austin is the 15th largest city in the country. We are emerging as a food force to be reckoned with on the national stage. If we stacked all the food trailers together, they would reach the moon (approximately). Sushi, creative Mexican, the local movement and even hot dogs are ripping up the scene. Hell, I hear that there are a few BBQ places of note. Can a brother get some more pizza options? Artisanal, Napolitano, Haute Cuisine? Why isn’t anyone pushing the envelope?
Building A Pizza Oven: $20
Hippies. It’s always the hippies. Why would they screw up my perfectly good $5,000 pizza oven plan by building one for $20 and making me look like an idiot? Is there a vast hippie conspiracy to decentralize the wood fired pizza oven market? I should know if there is. I have people in place so […]
Building A Pizza Oven: And So It Begins
Pretty exciting picture, huh? Well, it is to me. 73 x 86 inches of love in which I will be planting our wood fired pizza oven. Pretty exciting. We have been hatching a plan since last year and have finally narrowed it down to a couple solid designs. It looks pretty simple. What could go wrong? If nothing else, I will end up with an above ground atomic bunker capable of making fresh baked bread!
Good Morning Austin: Pizza Edition
Wake up Austin! It’s Monday. Poached egg with potato and cheddar. I don’t think there is anything sexier than egg yolk. This pie was shatteringly good. It was just like a Papa John’s pie. Except for the egg, cheddar, potato, quality crust, love and belief in humanity.
If you are cooking a morning pie in a conventional oven at 550, watch out for the potatoes. They need to be poached first (they won’t cook through other wise). Pour the egg on half way through the 7 – 8 minute cooking time.