Answer America’s Cheese Obsession on your Apps Menu

People are obsessed — absolutely obsessed — with cheese! Make sure your appetizer menu answers America’s cheesy cravings.

There is a reason you see so many cheese-based appetizers on restaurant menus. They are proven winners. You’ll find nachos, chips and queso, jalapeno poppers, pretzels and beer cheese, cheesy spinach and artichoke dip and fried mac and cheese balls on pizzeria menus across the country. There are two classic cheesy delights that have become synonymous with pizzerias: cheesy garlic bread (stix) and mozzarella sticks. I’ve included basic recipes that you should play with to find your own unique spin. Try changing up the herbs or cheeses you use, add some heat or intensify the garlic. Create the next big thing.

Two Classic Cheesy Appetizers for Pizzerias

Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Mozzarella sticks are a classic appetizer to pair with pizza. They have been a popular offering since the 1970s. Sure you can source them. But they are also easy to make in house. Try this Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks Recipe!

Cheesy Garlic Bread from Pizza Dough

Garlic bread is another fan favorite app. When you make it cheesy garlic bread, you’ve created an instant hit. Being able to use your regular pizza dough enables to to easily add this one to the menu. Play around with this Cheesy Garlic Bread from Pizza Dough Recipe!

Take cheesy garlic bread to the next level by creating cheesy garlic bombs. Pinch golf ball-sized dough ball and place a cube of mozzarella in the center reshaping the ball. Bake. Toss in a mixture of butter, roasted garlic, Parmesan, and dried basil and parsley. Just changing from bread to ball may help you stand out from competitors.

Now let’s go a bit unconventional with cheesy apps

Your menu is an opportunity to showcase your team’s culinary creativity and expertise. Building appetizers based on cheese opens a myriad of possibilities with more than 1,800 types of cheeses in the world. You can go simple with a caprese salad featuring your fresh mozzarella. Burrata is an appetizer by itself. Or offer marinated mozzarella or baked goat cheese or ricotta. There are a number of ways to highlight cheese to start meals.

Whipped Ricotta

A favorite option is whipped ricotta. This is one simple appetizer that adds an upscale flare and a menu price to match. You can change it up to incorporate various flavors. A great advantage to whipped ricotta is its versatility. You can finish pizza with whipped ricotta or incorporate it into desserts. Get the Spicy Whipped Ricotta Recipe.

Cheesy Appetizer Trend Spotter

We need to thank Wisconsin for a very specific cheese product that is popping up on menus across the country. The cheese curd. Long known as a rite of passage as you enter the state, squeaky cheese curds have gained popularity.

The mild cheddar-like pieces are made from curdled milk in the cheese-making process. They are creamy and known to squeak when you bite into them. You can serve them as is or replace mozzarella in your appetizer applications, like fried mozzarella. Fried cheese curds or garlic cheese curd bombs can pique customers’ curiosity.

Flip the Script on Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo chicken dip is a hot appetizer in more ways than one. This is a fun spin on traditional buffalo chicken dip. It offers upselling add-on options. Make it a Buffalo cheese dip and serve it with chicken tenders or nuggets. If you include the chicken in the fondue, you can serve it with crisp fresh veggies, crostini or chips. Get the Buffalo Chicken Fondue Recipe.

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A Look at Pizza Sauce Differentiation

My first job in the pizza business was when I was 12 years old. My family had just moved back from Italy and was going through rough times. As the eldest of five I wanted to help out and do my part.

In 1998, my father opened his first pizzeria, which was 45 minutes away from home. He would leave in the mornings and not come home till night. My mother had four other children to tend to and was not able to drive me there when I got out of school. This was pre-Uber, pre-cell phone and pre-debit card era. On weekends, my father would take me with him on Saturdays and on Sundays, drop me off in the morning and pick me up at night.

But I didn’t feel like I was doing enough so I went out to all the businesses that were walking distance from home and sought employment for weeknights. I know what you are thinking. Present day it would be crazy to imagine a 12-year-old kid walking in a store asking for work. But I assure you, where I’m from, 25 years ago this was common in my blue collar Italian American neighborhood. All of my closest friends in the 7th grade had jobs. Angelo swept up hair at Albert’s Barbershop, Antonio was a dishwasher at Danny’s Deli, Francesco (Known as Cicc) was a detailer at Jimmy’s Body Shop and Nikki cut potatoes at Auggies Hot Dog Stand.

It didn’t take me long to get hired as a busboy at Teodori’s Ristorante and Pizzeria.

The owner, Lefty, was a widow and used to come have dinner every night. He quickly took a liking to me and would sometimes ask me to join him. He loved asking me questions about Italy. He was born there, but came over when he was five and had never been back. He also starting trusting me, so I would do stuff like mow his lawn and shovel the snow. At the restaurant, too, I quickly gained more responsibilities like helping with prep, working the salad line, and even working the pizza oven when we were understaffed and busy.

Lefty was a very successful businessman, not only respected in our community but also the surrounding areas. He was exceptionally competitive. When he was not at his restaurant, he frequented his competitors’ establishments, sampling their food and trying to gather information about their recipes and products from the staff.

There was a period he was not happy with his pizza sauce, and he would make me go with him to scour through competitors’ dumpsters to see what tomato products they were using. I would take out trash bags and see which different type of canned tomato products they were using, then count how many of each different product so Lefty and I could try to figure out what ratio of each they were using. This actually helped me a few years later when I helped my family further develop their recipe.

Last year I had the honor of studying with three of the top Pizza instructors in the World:

Enzo Coccia, Massimiliano Savia and Tony Gemignani. Enzo is regarded the top Neapolitan Pizza Instructor, Massimiliano the top Roman Pizza Instructor, and Tony the top American Style Instructor. Regarding their respective pizza sauces, Enzo’s Neapolitan has to be a San Marzano DOP tomato, hand crushed (not milled) and he only adds sea salt. Massimo’s Roman does not have to be a San Marzano (Roman Pizza does not have a strict code like Neapolitan) but must be an Italian tomato, hand crushed, with the addition of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and fresh basil. Tony’s New York-style sauce is three parts California ground tomato, one part premium California Pizza sauce, with sea salt, fresh basil and dried oregano.

Both Enzo and Massimo are firm believers in hand crushing their tomatoes. Enzo says that it’s something most pizzerias in Naples do not do anymore, but to honor and carry on the tradition of authentic Neapolitan pizza, he will always do it in his restaurants.

Massimo believes that if you take out the hand crushing, you are taking out the craftsmenship and artistic traits of the pizza as a whole, and your masterpiece will not be complete.

Tony was very hard pressed about never adding water or sugar to your sauce. He suggests if you want more sweetness, use more puree or pizza sauce. If you want to loosen your sauce up, he suggests more ground tomato.

Where I’m from in Chicago, we tend to like more earthy, deep and robust flavors.

Think of our Italian Beef Sandwiches, our Chicken Vesuvio and Deep Dish Pizza. Most Chicago pizza sauces, whether tavern or deep dish, feature a good amount of thick tomato puree and a lot more seasoning than you see in styles mentioned above.

Tomato purees and pizza sauces that you find on the commercial market are tomatoes that have been milled or grounded, then cooked to reduce water content and intensify the tomato flavor. This also gives your pizza sauce less of a fresh tomato flavor and more umami and depth. Another reason is that our dough is built very
different.

Tony’s New York and Enzo’s Neopolitan are both in mid 60-percent hydration, while Massimo’s Roman can be in the 80s percentage range. And because of the higher hydration, different types of flour are also used. Ceresota Flour is the most used in our market, and the hydration is typically in the 50-percent range, and always a fat added (oil, butter or lard). The results are a dryer, stiffer dough that can hold more.

My Chicago style sauce that I use on Taverns and Deep Dish is a two part California puree, one part California ground tomato. And here is the biggest difference: we add Romano cheese, dried basil, oregano, salt, pepper, granulated garlic and EVOO. We also like to blend this and refrigerate at least 24 hours so that the flavors combine and really seep in.

My first lessons in pizza sauce came from jumping through dumpsters counting empty cans. My most recent lessons in pizza sauce came from three of the top pizzaioli in the world. Reflecting on this incredible journey I sometimes feel like I’m in a dream. Twenty Five years flies by my dear pizza friends. Dream more, learn more, do more, become more.

Pasquale DiDiana is owner/operator of Bacci Pizzerias in Chicago, Illinois and a frequent speaker at International Pizza Expo.

The post Lessons in Pizza Sauce appeared first on Pizza Today.

A classic Mortadella Pizza is experiencing a newfound popularity

I’ve never tasted Bologna, a.k.a. “Baloney”. As a child of vegetarians, I was spared that American childhood staple. Today, I am no traditionalist. I may be guilty, in the eyes of some Italians, of pushing innovation and interpretation into the territory of bastardization, but I have never tried Bologna and I don’t intend to. I’m open to breaking rules, but naming an American hyper-processed lunch meat after a city that many consider the culinary capital of one of the most food obsessed countries in the world is a pretty egregious move. Sorry Italy, there is no excuse for that behavior. So please, everyone, let’s sever any connections between Baloney and Mortadella, and hopefully it will fade away into obscurity.

We can make amends by celebrating the true meat treat of the ancient and great city of Bologna: Mortadella! This delicious salumi, or something like it, has been made in Italy since at least the time of the Romans — and the current form has a documented history going back to the 14th century. Lean pork meat is pulverized into a smooth paste, spiced with salt, myrtle berries, and sometimes studded with black pepper or more recently pistachio, and cubes of fat are folded in … then the whole thing goes into a natural casing. Smaller ones use pig bungs (look it up), and behemoths weighing as much as 200 pounds are packed into beef casings. The secret to its aroma and flavor comes from the cooking process; it’s cooked very low and slow at 180 F for 20 hours or more. The final product is sweet, smooth, and mildly spiced with a firm texture that creates a delicious bite even when sliced paper thin. Imported mortadella can be found at Italian delis or from importers of Italian products here in the United States. Of course, the United States is not alone in its love of this lunch meat.

It’s well known that Argentina and Brazil have huge Italian diaspora communities and their pizzeria scenes are massive, historical, and very popular. Buenos Aires and São Paulo love mortadella as much as they love pizza. In São Paulo there is a famous mortadella sandwich; a massive pile of thinly sliced mortadella is grilled on a plancha, then topped with Queijo Prato (literally translated as plate cheese and similar to Swiss), then the giant pile of mortadella and cheese is placed on a Portuguese roll and served as a knock-you-out, need-a nap-after, sandwich.

Anthony Bourdain loved it so much when he visited São Paulo that he put it in his book, Appetites: A Cookbook. In Buenos Aires bakeries, you can find something called Sándwich de miga; white bread with the crust taken off, filled simply with a slice of meat or cheese, mortadella being a popular choice, and possibly mayonnaise or mustard. Sándwich de miga is very similar to the tramezzino found in Turin and Venice. It’s a very out of place looking sandwich for Italy with its angular pale white squares of bread filled with salumi and mayonnaise. A sort of cognitive dissonance occurs when viewing these in the land of the amber hued crusty panini. But mortadella is not content to be contained in sandwiches alone —pizza is where it really shines!

The first time I remember mortadella being the star of a pizza was when Alan Richman named the mortadella pizza at Great Lake in Chicago the “No. 1 Pizza in America” in his 2009 GQ article. I had been watching Great Lake pizza from afar and sadly I never got to go before it closed, but from the photos, I was amazed at the look of the charred pizza hidden under a thin layer of mortadella lazily draped on top. Since then, I have tried many versions of mortadella pizza all over the world. At Atte Pizzeria in Buenos Aires I added my take on the most classic mortadella pizza to the menu. On a 12-inch Neapolitan dough, pistachio pesto (pistachio, garlic, Parmigiano, olive oil and a little salt which is blitzed to an almost smooth puree) is drizzled on the base, on top of that are chunks of fior di latte mozzarella and some funky taleggio cheese. The pizza is cooked in the wood fired oven. When the charred blistery crusted pizza comes out, we put little piles of very thinly sliced domestic mortadella on the pizza, and finish with finely grated Parmigiano and a sprinkling of crushed pistachio. The vibrant green pesto and lush pink mortadella bundles make this pizza as beautiful as it is delicious.

So, how should you incorporate mortadella into pizza? If you have a slicer, slice it super thin and drape it on after it comes out of the oven. You can lay it flat right onto the cooked pizza or stack it high by folding and twisting it to make small piles. You can create a mortazza, a viral sandwich at the moment, by taking a pizza dough flattened into a circle, covering it with only a thin layer of olive oil, folding it in half and baking it. When it comes out, unfold the dough and stuff it with thinly sliced mortadella. If you don’t have a slicer, cutting it into small cubes or sticks helps preserve the integrity and makes sure it doesn’t burn. Cooking mortadella in the oven is perfectly acceptable, despite what some people say. You could channel Argentina and put cubes on a pizza with mozzarella, then sprinkle some oregano and drizzle spicy chimichurri on it when it comes out of the oven. I’m a huge fan of muffulettas, so recently I made a muffuletta pizza. I start with mozzarella, provolone, chopped black and green olives, sliced red onions, and strips of mortadella. When it comes out of the oven, I sprinkle on some finely chopped giardiniera, Parmigiano and sesame seeds.

The brutal honest truth is that mortadella doesn’t need us, it doesn’t need pizza, and it doesn’t even need bread! It is perfect on its own, sliced wafer thin and lifted with bare fingers into open mouths. I salute all the mortadella purists out there, but feel free to innovate. I have included a recipe featuring this superior lunch meat that is versatile and global, and you can find Mortadella Muffuletta Pizza recipe.

Anthony Falco is an international pizza consultant.

The post Mortadella Pizza with Anthony Falco appeared first on Pizza Today.

Story of Chicken Wings History — No Thing But a Chicken Wing

Once upon a time, chicken wings were inexpensive due to the nature of supply and demand in American restaurants. According to legend, this part of the chicken was “undesirable” — and when restaurants did use wings it was mostly to create stock for soup.

Can you believe people used to discard them? Talk about fowl!

Then a light bulb went off in Buffalo, New York. The “aha” moment reportedly was had by Teresa Bellissimo, co-owner of an establishment called the Anchor Bar. Rumor has it she needed to come up with some late-night food quickly on the spot and had plenty of wings sitting around in the kitchen because, you know, no one cared for them in 1964. She deep-fried them, tossed them in a spicy cayenne pepper sauce and the rest is history.

If you believe that version of history. There are several other claims as well. At the end of the day, in your pizzeria in 2024, does it matter who created the Buffalo wing? Not really. What does matter, however, is that they remain wildly popular as an appetizer or entrée. And if you were in business before and during COVID, then you know a thing or two about the price fluctuations and supply chain issues the pandemic brought to an item that once was no more than an afterthought.

(For what it’s worth, in 1977 the City of Buffalo recognized Bellissimo and the Anchor Bar for putting Buffalo wings on the map nationally).

What happened over the next 60 years with wings?

An impressive explosion of popularity. They’ve become a de facto official food of parties and sporting events, right along with pizza. Can you imagine a Super Bowl viewing without both pizza and wings?

Using my family of four as not-so-scientific proof on the micro level, Friday night is “Pizza and Wings Night” in the White House. We call our favorite local indie pizzeria (actually, we order online if you’re keeping track at home) and our order rarely changes: wings, breadsticks and two large pizzas (the toppings do vary based on mood). The pizzeria can count on that order from me like clockwork every Friday around 6:45 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. pickup.

Obviously, I’m not the only consumer infatuated with wings. In fact, Americans consume nearly 1.5 billion pounds of wings during the Super Bowl weekend alone, according to the National Chicken Council.

That’s just one weekend of the year!

According to Datassential, 76 percent of all restaurants in the United States offer chicken wings on their menu. And the National Chicken Council says 37 percent of Americans say wings, not pizza, is their favorite game-day food.

With demand surging and supply getting cramped during the pandemic, restaurateurs and diners alike felt the sting. From 2011 to 2021, wholesale wing prices spiked from $1.50 per pound to over $3 per pound. That’s according to the National Chicken Council, which also says demand for the product hasn’t just risen domestically, but globally.

Thankfully, the shortage is over. On February 10, 2023, the Buffalo News published a piece where the headline said it all: “The Great Chicken Wing Shortage has ended. The Great Chicken Wing price spike has not.”

Rising prices are here to stay, which is why operators must constantly evaluate costs and price their menus accordingly. What should not change, however, is your dedication to having wings on the menu — because consumers want them in a big way.

Wings are a dual-threat menu item — they can be a starter or the main course.

And there are many ways to prepare and serve them. Don’t have a fryer? No problem! Baked, grilled, smoked … you get the point. Serve them with a dry rub, a classic Buffalo sauce or with a BBQ sauce to keep it simple. Don’t limit your creativity, however. Over the years a wide array of flavors and sauces ranging from Thai Peanut to Garlic Parmesan to Raspberry Habanero have become popular. Much like an open pizza skin waiting to be dressed, think of the humble wing as a blank canvas and do with it as you wish.

2 of the Best Chicken Wing Recipes

If you need a little inspiration to get started, here are two of my favorites.

Bluegrass Bourbon Wings

Get the Bluegrass Bourbon Wings Recipe.

Raspberry Habanero Wings

Get the Raspberry Habanero Wings recipe.

JEREMY WHITE is Editor-In-Chief at Pizza Today.

The post Chicken Wings Remain One of the Hottest Appetizers in your Portfolio appeared first on Pizza Today.

A Look at Summer Tomato Varieties, Prep and Recipes

Harvesting fruitful tomato rewards from a seedy past

In 1521, Hernan Cortez looked upon the smoldering destruction of Tenochtitlan. His 1400 Spanish troops reinforced by 200,000 native tribes had finally succeeded in conquering these fierce Aztec enemies who had also been decimated by months of a smallpox epidemic. Before the battle, conquistador Bernal Diaz noted that he warned that the Aztec warriors “… wished to kill us and eat our flesh and had already prepared the pots with salt, peppers, and xitomatl,” the Aztec term for tomatoes. Nearby, the Franciscan Friar Bernardo di Sahagun noted that as the sacking of the city continued into the market, he remembered seeing an amazing number of tomatoes there. “Some xitomatl were small like cherries, others elongated, round or large with colors ranging from the deepest red to yellow.”  The Aztecs, he noted later, used tomatoes in juices and sauces, or mixed with chilies, avocados, beans, squash and even bird excrement. Cortez and his conquistadors were not captured or eaten but they did bring to Spain new foods like potatoes, turkey, squash and beans, as well as the fruit and seed of the tomato.

Summer Tomato Varieties — Pulp Friction

Hernan Cortez, despite his genocidal tendencies, never knew the breadth of the positive culinary impact his actions brought to the world. Yet even today many chefs and pizza makers do not realize the impact that tomatoes have on their business and for their customers. In some pizzerias, tomatoes are on every pizza and still these pizza makers’ only relationship to the tomato seems to be their use of a #1 can opener to crack open a #10 can of tomato sauce. Others try to save by buying the cheapest sauces and topping pizzas with waxy, unflavored, corporate Romas even in the summer. We all must know that customers today are more knowledgeable than ever and that fresh, local and in-season means flavor. Here are three tomato categories that can be found from mid-summer to fall to wow your customers with.

Heirloom tomatoes:

These are tomatoes that have been handed down from generation to generation and, as a rule, date back more than 50 years. Heirloom doesn’t mean they have better flavor. Mr. Stipey, on the other hand, is a tasty large yellow with red stripes and is sweet and juicy. Cherokee Purple is packed with umami and a deep, smokey and complex flavor. German Pinks are huge and meaty and, if sliced thin atop a pizza, the outcome is dramatic. Black Krims are from Russia with wonderfully dark, smokey flavor.

Cherry Tomatoes:

These come on in abundance in mid-summer and are closer to their wild ancestors than any other. Cherries pack all the intense sweet flavor from a large tomato and compact it into a tomato the size of large marble. Many people consider the Sungold the best tasting variety with its great balance of acidity and sweetness. The Yellow Pear tomato is one of the oldest varieties and only an inch long, but its tapered top has a pleasant look, and a mild sweetness. The Italian Piennolo del Vesuvio is an amazing variety with low water content and thick skin perfect for hanging. This aging transforms this tomatoes’ sweet and tart flesh into a greater concentrated flavor bomb.

Toybox Tomatoes:

These range up to 3 inches. Perfect for stuffing or wedge cutting. I love the Green Zebra for its mildly acidic citrus flavor, but the larger Evergreen has more firm flesh and is sweeter. The Black Zebra has a complex flavor and a high flesh to seed ratio with cool greenish skin but deep red interior. The most popular toybox in France these days is the Cosmonaut Volkov, an unbelievably delicious toybox perfect for topping pizzas with.

There are many other tomatoes in the Plum tomato family like the San Marzano, Olivade, and Roma families. The Beefsteak family has the massive pink. Mortgage Lifter, Brandywine, and Yellow Brandywine, the deeply ribbed Costoluto Genovese is known for its concentrated flavor perfect for sauces.

How to Prepare your Summer Tomatoes — Gimme Some Skin

Preparing in-season tomatoes in your pizzeria produces epic flavors and is a shocking presentation when you know how to match your platform, cheeses and toppings with this lovely fruit. Here are many ways to make fresh tomatoes in your restaurant.

Slicing:

Because tomatoes are very juicy, you will sometimes need to tilt your cutting board with a wet, folded kitchen towel on a large sheet pan after you have sliced them. This will enable the juices to escape and thus ensure that the top of any pizza will not be too watery. Sprinkling a small amount of salt on the fruit will leach more tomato water out also.

Skinning:

Some tomatoes have very thick skins that can burn on pizzas or curl into a leathery annoyance. It is easy to cut an X in the bottom of tomatoes and plunge them into boiling water for just five seconds or less for smaller ones, then plunge them into an ice bath. Most skins come right off this way. Once the skin is off, it is fair game for smoking, coring and making tomato concasse (the French term for small dice).

Oven Drying:

A wonderful way to increase the intensity of flavor is to quarter tomatoes and toss with extra-virgin olive oil and dried herbs. Do not use salt because it will draw too much juice out. Place on parchment in a 200 F to 250 F oven for up to two hours depending upon the type of tomato and how you wish to use them. Sometimes the tomatoes can become too leathery to use on any pizza, so a half-drying bake is preferable.

A Summer Tomato Pizza Recipe — Big Red Triple Tomato Pizza with Pancetta and Brie

I have always loved tomatoes and cured pork, the fresh sweet acidity is a great foil to the salty, crisp and oily pancetta. The cream sauce and just enough mozzarella for a good pull lies under the pancetta. The fig leaf and lemon in the tomato honey imparts a bright vanilla and coconut nuance which embraces the brie slice perfectly and the tomato crisps add an exciting finale to each bite. This pizza is all in the prep. Once that is done, it is incredibly fast to make. Just make sure the pizza cools or the brie will melt into butter.

Get the Big Red Triple Tomato Pizza with Pancetta and Brie Recipe.

JOHN GUTEKANST owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Killer Summer Tomatoes — Varieties and Ways to Make Them appeared first on Pizza Today.

Salad Pizza: Crunch & Color

Pizza and salad are one of those pairings that just make a lot of sense. The lightness of greens cutting through the greasy goodness of pizza creates a complete meal. So why not just make salad pizza? Done, right? I’m all in on this idea.

If you’ve ever been curious about trying out the crunchy pizza life, summer is the perfect time to start. With an abundance of fresh greens, fruits, vegetables and herbs to choose from, you can let your creativity run wild. There’s really two ways to go about making a salad pizza. The first is that the salad can be the star of the show, with the crust, minimal cheese and other toppings acting as a base to hold and transport it. This can be a fun presentation, piling the greens up high and spiking the salad with beautiful ingredients. Pick a base cheese that complements the salad and then let the mound of greens and vinaigrette do the work.

The other option is minimal salad to complement the pizza itself. I do this a lot without thinking about it: finishing a pizza with arugula tossed in extra virgin olive oil; a “hot salad” of wilted kale or spinach under the melted cheese; or fresh tomatoes tossed with herbs and smothered in stracciatella. The main thing is to not get hung up on greens being essential as there are so many more ways and ingredients that a salad can be composed of.

There are a few key components of a salad pizza to really make it special. Like any good pizza, it’s important to have a variety of flavors and profiles to balance it and make it pop. Think sweet, salty, sour, bitter, crunchy, chewy, creamy and soft. Luckily there are so many fruits and vegetables during these hot summer months to choose from. A lot of produce is fantastic in its raw form during its growing season but it’s also fun to use different cooking methods, like roasting, marinating, sautéing and frying to change the flavor and texture. Each method produces a wildly different taste and texture to add to a salad pizza.

The different components of a salad pizza are:

• The base. What style pizza dough are you using? Will it be thick and pillowy? Thin and crispy? Light and airy? The type of base will determine how heavy the toppings can be and whether your customers will eat it with a knife and fork or simply folded around the salad.

• The cheese or sauce.

I tend to like a light layer of cheese baked onto my crust for a salad pizza, but you could also add in a marinara or pesto to meld with the salad. Things to think about are if you want this component to really stick out or simply act as a vehicle for the salad to sit on. You can use a bold cheese that complements the other flavors or a mellow one to blend in.

• The greens.

So many to choose from! The basics are always great, like arugula, spinach, kale or butter lettuce. If you want to go outside the traditional box there are options, such as stinging nettles, dandelion or beet greens, frisée or ridicchio and purslane. You also can exclude the greens completely and make another vegetable the main ingredient.

• The jewels.

These are the fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds and herbs that round out the salad and give it lots of texture and, of course, flavor. The addition of fresh herbs can go a long way. Chives are one of my favorites for turning an ordinary salad into a flavor bomb. You can also do fresh oregano or basil.

• Finishers.

If your pizza doesn’t have a super strong cheese or sauce on its base, it’s nice to finish it with a memorable cheese or really nice extra virgin or infused olive oil. A bold vinaigrette is also in this category and can carry the entire pizza. This will be the first thing to hit your taste buds so go for quality over quantity.

The fun part of putting salad on pizza is that there are no boundaries. You can take something as basic as Caesar salad and spin it into a decadent pie using spicy fried chicken pieces, house Caesar dressing and finishing with smashed sourdough croutons. Sound too complex? A classic cheese slice can be made into something new by throwing on a simple arugula, fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt salad. It cuts through the grease and adds a nice bite.

As much as I would like to joke that salad on pizza is not true pizza, the fact that it draws attention to vegetables as the star of the dish makes me want to love it. I’m all for a pepperoni slice every day, but I don’t think everyone gives veggies enough credit as pizza toppings apart from on a supreme pizza. Yes, olives, mushrooms and bell peppers are great. But have you tried fresh roasted chilies and Brussels sprouts? They are next level.

If you don’t use a ton of greens on your pizzas already, salad pizza is also a great way to start cross utilizing different ingredients. In my shop, I use spinach in a salad as well as on multiple pies. The same goes for kale and arugula. Kale is great both baked onto the pizza or put on post oven, just remember to massage those greens if it isn’t being cooked on.

A few salad pizza combinations to get you excited and your creative juices flowing:

• Kale Caesar with Italian white anchovies and Parmesan crisps.
• Watermelon radish, walnuts, strawberries and arugula with a poppy seed vinaigrette.
• Tomato salad with fresh oregano, garlic and burrata.
• Summer squash marinated in gremolata with stracciatella and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Salad pizza is a great item to try out on any summer menu. It’s the perfect way to showcase the abundance of produce, get creative and nudge everyone to eat their greens. Just remember to keep it balanced, include some herbs and finish it on a high note.

Summer Squash Salad Pizza

For this pizza, I marinated raw squash in gremolata to give it a burst of flavor. Don’t be afraid to add a few more fresh herbs or an extra clove or two of garlic to really draw attention. This part of the dish should be in your face bold with the stracciatella to smooth everything out and the pumpkin seeds to add a little extra crunch.

Get the Summer Squash Salad Pizza recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Fresh salad toppings bring vibrance and bite to summer pizzas appeared first on Pizza Today.

New Cocktails for your Bar Menu — Drink Up

While some will say beer is king when it comes to pizza night, the fact of the matter is that cocktails are top-of-mind for many social drinkers. If you have a full bar, offering only beer and wine could be detrimental to the bottom line.

Premium cocktails are not only hugely popular, but they demand a higher price point that makes those pours worthwhile to the operator. In 2022, the Adeo Group found that while 35 percent of those over the age of 55 are likely to order a premium drink, in the 21-34 age group that number is nearly
20 percentage points higher (54 percent).

And, just like pizza, your cocktail menu is highly customizable. While there will always be a place for traditional favorites like the Martini or Old Fashioned, today’s mixologists continue to innovate and get creative with flavor combinations, garnishes, etc. Just like when you open a disc of dough for a base, once you choose your base alcohol the canvas is open to interpretation.

Spicy cocktails are on trend at the moment. As are drinks mixed with teas, espresso, fresh citrus juices and sours. One of the most popular cocktails in 2024 in Portland, Oregon, for example, is a twist on a classic. It’s an Amaretto Sour made with bourbon, fresh citrus (lemon juice in this case) and an egg white.

While the bourbon market continues to grow, sweet vermouth, gin, dark rums and others are being used in some of 2024’s most trending cocktails. Take a quick glimpse of seasonal bar menus around the country and you’ll find that merely offering a margarita with your beer and wine list isn’t enough to attract a crowd of drinkers looking to spend money.

Interesting Cocktail Ideas

Some interesting cocktails we turned up include:

• a Fall specialty drink featuring vodka, amaretto, apple puree, apple cider and champagne.
• vodka with pumpkin puree, espresso and almond milk.
• a spiked cider with apple cider, spiced rum, peach schnapps and fireball.
• rum with lime juice, Benedictine, honey, simple syrup and blackberries.
• cognac with lemon, honey, ginger, bitters, eggwhite, raspberries, gin, lavender syrup, lime juice and fresh mint.

As summer approaches, refreshing cocktails featuring cucumber, watermelon, peach, mint and other cooling flavors will peak in popularity. And, as previously mentioned, spicy cocktails are having a moment in the sun. As are dill pickle drinks! Let’s put them both together for a spicy dill pickle cocktail.

Jalapeno Dilly

Get the Jalapeno Dilly recipe.

Jeremy White is the Editor in Chief for Pizza Today.

The post Diners are in Love with Cocktails — Your Bottom Line Will Love Them, Too appeared first on Pizza Today.

Balancing Act: Flavorful Pizza Topping Combinations

“We can form a single united body, while the enemy must spit up into fractions. Hence there will be a whole pitted against the separate parts of the whole, which means we shall be many to the enemy’s few.”  Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 5th Century B.C.

Making pizza is art. Each pizza is a song that starts with techniques to turn time, temperature, water, bacteria and grain into gasses, which, in turn, creates a textural wonder that is enjoyed with the allegro of toppings that play fast, quick and bright across the palate. The sensory memory that sets this pizza apart is a song that people seek out again and again, be it folded in your hand, on a piece of foil, cardboard box or porcelain plate. Pizza transforms inspiration, imagination and insight into a symphony of human creativity. Combining toppings is essential to building these perfect tastes, but to create these masterpieces, you just need to know how.

Usually, when someone asks me about pizza toppings, my pizza mind automatically goes to my makeline menu mix. I see that shiny monster and lift the lids to see the same-old 12 toppings. If you’re like me, you can’t help it — these are the backbone of my pizzeria, the most favorite pizza toppings that my customers order over and over. Our customers’ memories are all about that great experience they had before with these toppings, but these flavor memories can also be replicated in the present tense using creative and well-thought-out combinations. We all must agree that customers are becoming increasingly adventurous with their pizzas. This means that we need to be ahead of the culinary curve and know how to pair toppings in new and innovative ways.

Taste Treatment Plant

There are several ways to think about topping combinations that make for terrific pizzas. One is the flavor history of cooking and pizza, followed by the quality of toppings on hand, and lastly how these toppings interact with others and the platform that they are presented on. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before engineering a new pizza.

Taste: Is it Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Acidy/Sour or Umami/Savory?

Texture: Is it Dry, Crunchy, Soft, Gooey, Wet or Chewy?

Aroma: Is it Sweet, Smokey, Vegetal, Pungent or Wheaty?

Color: Does it have eye appeal?

Pairing: Is there a feeling of completeness? Do all the topping players embrace each other by complimenting or balancing each other?

When thinking about pairing toppings on pizza, think about the last time you’ve experienced a new combination. That taste starts with color stimulating your eye in an introduction to the whole experience followed by aroma, which consists of 80-90 percent of the flavor experience. The textural crunch of a brilliant cornicione, or crust, releases the salty wheatiness that stimulates your appetite, while the sweet umami of the cheese satisfies your need for pleasure. Perhaps the sourness, acidity or spiciness of an ancillary topping adds sparkle and brightness to the finish. You marvel as every bite combines the five elements in a symphony of taste.

Pizza Topping Pairing Blender

Many pizza makers swear by adding only 2-3 toppings to a pizza. But depending upon whether you’re adding flavor vs. enhancing flavor, this may not be enough to bring the flavors to the pinnacle of taste. Your choice of heightening flavors can take two avenues: Adding flavor or enhancing flavor.

Here are a few examples of adding flavor to a three-topping pizza to make it shine:

• Gorgonzola + Pear + Walnut (add spinach)
• Mozzarella + Basil + Tomato (add Prosciutto di Parma)
• Gruyere + Ham + Hazelnuts (add fig jam)

Here is an example of enhancing flavor to a three-topping pizza to make it shine:

• Manchego + Quince Paste + Almonds (enhance by roasting almonds)
• Caciocavallo + Ham + Red Peppers (enhance by pickling the red peppers)
• Provolone + Tomato sauce + Roasted Red Onion (Enhance by roasting onions with Calabrian chilies)

Extra Texture

The creation of pizza is in a unique position to project flavors because it has a very flavorful platform to consider while planning a flavor path. Much like pasta, you need to consider not only the texture, flavor and overall mouthfeel of the pizza but the way it is cooked. Is it caramelized, pillowy and charred, or crispy, thin and golden?

These examples provide just a peek into how pizzas may be enhanced by pizza toppings. There are many historical topping variations to look for that have been used in the past that work well on the pizza platform. They are:

• Gorgonzola, Fig Jam, Walnuts
• Artichoke, Roasted Leek, Parmigiano, Cream
• Mozzarella, Ricotta, Mortadella, Pistachio
• Anchovy, Garlic, Romano, Parsley
• Zucchini, Egg, Parmigiano
• Clam, Chili, Parsley, Romano
• Eggplant, Roasted Red Pepper, Onion
• Tomato, Garlic, Oregano
• Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, Red Onions
• Peaches, Bresaola, Burrata, Pecan
• Steak, Blue Cheese, Watercress
• Fennel, Sausage, Radicchio, Chili flakes

Pork Belly Pizza with Roasted Leeks, Pickled Lemon and Hazelnut

This pizza is amazing because of the wonderful pairing of leeks and pork which transforms like a mushroom cloud of flavor. The Gruyere adds a sour note to the melting mozzarella and the sweet lemon hit is followed by the textural crunch of the hazelnuts.

Get the Pork Belly Pizza with Roasted Leeks, Pickled Lemon and Hazelnut recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Topping combinations that turn pizza into a winning symphony of flavor appeared first on Pizza Today.

“Consistency is what transforms the average into excellence” – Tony Robbins

Whether you have one pizzeria or 10, two of the biggest keys to success in the pizza industry are duplication and consistency. Often times, you will hear operators say that opening a second store is the kiss of death. In my own journey, I found that when Caliente opened our second location, since it was close to my home, I could be there a lot of the time. I was also able to balance the time I spent there and at our first location. This made it easier for me to oversee and ensure consistent operations at both restaurants. At that time, we had no written materials saying how to make our food, and no written recipes. When I opened our third location, it was 45 minutes from my house. I could not easily get to all three locations, and if I hadn’t developed written materials at that time to guide consistency and streamlining at all three restaurants, it would have been the kiss of death.

Nick Bogacz, founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh

I quickly realized that all three pizzerias had to function relatively the same and that the end result of how the food looked and tasted had to be the same. When you have employees who have been personally trained by you, they will likely end up doing most things in the way you have shown them. It’s when you start to grow your team and more
employees begin learning from employees under you that a breakdown starts. Even when you are personally training, having a reference point like recipes and build guides is essential to success.

So, where do you start when creating build guides and recipes? I believe that you start at the beginning, which means starting with recipes first. I’m not simply referring to the toppings that go on a specialty pizza, but how you make your sauce, and how you make your dough. Anything that you hand-create and hand-mix needs a recipe.

I started the old-fashioned way. Any time I make a batch of something, I write down on a notepad the process or steps along with all the ingredients used to make the batch. Do this with every prep item you have in your pizzeria. Even having a process for the simplest things, like how to slice a green pepper, is important. At Caliente, we slice our green peppers whole. So, you can imagine my dismay when, one day, I walked in and saw diced green peppers on the makeline. There was no process at the time on how to cut them. That had to be corrected.

Following the same routine, every time you make a menu item you will need to write down exactly what goes on it. So, for example, if you are doing a “Supreme” pizza, you would write it down like this:

14-inch dough ball
6 ounces of pizza sauce
32 pepperonis
4 ounces of sausage
4 ounces of mushrooms
3 ounces of green peppers
3 ounces of onions
2 ounces of black olives

Using pictures that illustrate the amounts is also a best practice. Once you gather all your intel, you will want to create a manual and wall charts for your staff to use. I believe in making and using signage inside your pizzeria to create the culture and processes you need to become successful. We will cover signage in the next article of building blocks.

Nick Bogacz is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh.  Instagram: @caliente_pizza

The post Building Blocks: Build Guides and Recipes Create Consistency appeared first on Pizza Today.

Sweet Sensation: Scratch-made Dessert Ideas

Desserts are a tough sell. Diners have filled themselves up on your main attraction, pizza. That is why it’s so important to put the idea of having dessert into their minds before they even begin filling up. There should be mouth-water images of your desserts strategically placed in your restaurant throughout their dining experience. Find out more about marketing desserts.

The desserts themselves shouldn’t be (pardon the pun) cookie cutter. People love making desserts at home so ask yourself this as you evaluate and taste your desserts: does what I’m offering beat anything a customer would make at home? The answer should be yes on every single dessert. The great thing about desserts is they don’t have to be overcomplicated. Some of the best-selling desserts are the simplest. Let’s explore some desserts customers can’t resist eating in the restaurant or taking home for later.

Cookies

This is an easy add onto the dessert menu. Cookies may be made ahead of time and can serve as a great grab-and-go item or packaged promotion. The big questions are which cookie to go with. Similar to pepperoni on pizza, chocolate chip is widely the most popular cookie in the U.S. in study after study. Next, peanut butter, double chocolate chip, shortbread and oatmeal cookies are also popular. A local pizzeria here in Louisville serves corn cookies and they are amazing. They are a cross between sweet cornbread and a peanut butter cookie. You could also go red velvet, sugar, M&M, Snickerdoodle (my favorite), macarons or lemon cookies.

If you are offering cookies, chocolate chip is a no brain. How traditional or unique you make yours is up to you. Here’s a basic recipe below to work from.

Get a classic Chocolate Chips Cookie recipe.

Cake Truffles, Balls or Pops

Cake bites are big with the kids and easy on your kitchen crew. These bite-sized desserts are made of cake mixed with a bit of frosting and dipped in chocolate or white chocolate. You can go wild with type of cake, frosting and dipping flavors. The key with cake balls or pops is the presentation. They should look irresistible. Show them off wherever you can in your restaurant and offer them as a grab-and-go item.

Panna Cotta

This classic Italian custard has experienced a resurgence. It may be because of all the ways you can customize and serve it. Unlike gelatin molds of the 1980s, panna cotta is decadently sleek and presents beautifully. It’s creamy and unique. You can get creative with how you serve it. Top it with fresh fruit like strawberries, raspberries or peaches. You can even pour a fruit-based reduction sauce over the top. Prep is a cinch as it is made ahead in individual portions and ready to serve. 

Get a traditional Panna Cotta recipe. 

Tiramisu

It’s a classic and we will continue to talk about this Italian coffee-flavored dessert. It’s a go-to dessert because people are not likely to make it at home often but if they see it on a menu, they want it. Tiramisu is made ahead in round or sheet pans. It presents beautifully.

Here is a classic Tiramisu recipe to get you started.

The post Create a Dessert Menu that Customers Can’t Resist appeared first on Pizza Today.

Spring Fling: Add spring flavors to your pizza menu

It was another muddy spring but here I was again, lurking into my favorite “Ramp Holler”, (local vernacular for “hollow.”) This little valley was my favorite foraging spot for the first wild food of spring — ramps. This location always produced early and heavy because of the lack of humans, a good water source, and the protection from the cold by the steep ridges above. With each step I felt like being in a slow-motion color machine turning from dark winter brown to splotchy light green then to the most intense viridian green. The ramp “Flags,” or wide leaves fluttered in the breeze all the way up from valley floor to the steep ridges making them move like a green ocean. As I bent over to harvest my first handful of ramp flags, I started thinking about how I would present them on pizza with all the other spring favorites that will soon be popping this new year.

Spruce Springsteen

From mushrooms to spruce tips, the bounty of spring has always added a positive addition to my menu mix. Both wild and cultivated spring foods can be showcased on pizzas and can turn a seemingly “normal” slice of pizza into a game changer. There are so many places to find spring foods. Farmers markets, vegetable auctions, farm visits and even local grocery stores are good locations to find foods in April and May. Here are some wild and farmed spring greats:

Evergreens

The depth of flavor gained by baby pinecones, spruce tips, cedar buds, and even wintergreen is pure magic. I like creating a balsamic-like glaze by reducing the buds with water and sugar. This pairs wonderfully on burrata, gorgonzola and with pine nuts, hazelnuts, Prosciutto di Parma, onions, ricotta, roasted garlic and bacon. Spruce tip Panna Cotta from Italy, or Posset, the British custard, are both cream forward and easy to make. Italian Mugolio and Varenye from the Caucusus both rely upon sugar to draw out the piney goodness of young buds and cones and make thick-sweet sauces that rival and even eclipse Balsamic glaze in flavor.

Spring Violet

by far the best edible flower for garnish you can put on a pizza. There are over a hundred different types of violets, but the common blue violet is the most harvested. Although they are all edible, some are more palatable than others. These are easy to spot and harvest. The greens can also be used in salads, soups and stewed.

Kale

Over wintered kale starts popping even before many other spring foods. This is perfect sauteed or shocked in hot then cold water before topping on pizza with garlic, olive oil, sausage, pork, potatoes, chorizo, onions, lemon, bell peppers, thyme, cheddar and Parmigiano.

Dandelion

An often-forgotten spring food here in the U.S. has been used for centuries in Europe. I was taught by a professional wild forager in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy to dig the small, spring dandelion up and trim the “hip” of the plant, cutting off the roots and the stems leaving a meaty round core like a small artichoke with a sweet, honey flavor with a nutty finish. In the middle of this core is one or two dandelion buds or “capers.” Both can be sauteed, roasted or pickled easily and are perfect to pair with Prosciutto di Parma or Speck, spinach, pork, chicken and mushrooms.

Garlic Scapes

These tender stems shoot from the spring garlic bulb after ramp season. They grow curly and end in an uncloaked flower head. The scape needs to be cut off to ensure the plant doesn’t expend its energy and ruin the underground bulb. I’ve found that using only young scapes that are foot-long are the best because they get tough and stringy the older they grow. Milder than garlic bulbs, scapes can be sauteed, pickled, roasted and pureed into pestos. I like to make Sicilian-style salmoriglio, salsa verde or garlic ricotta. Scapes are perfect for pork, chicken or anchovy themed pizzas.

Ramps

Ramps are the first things to pop up in spring. Try to avoid buying from disreputable dealers who send unsavory people out to clean out the whole forest of ramps. I never use the bulbs unless thinning out patches to grow more. Using the tops either sauteed or just raw before the pizza bake makes for a sublime taste and silky chew. Great with artichokes, asparagus, speck, anchovy, goat cheese, Gruyere, Bel Paese, Ricotta, Parmigiano, potatoes, morels, lentils and ham.

Asparagus

This comes in middle-spring and can be thin or fat depending upon the weather. Most store-bought asparagus is old and sold by the pound with a woody end and even mushy tops. Snap the bottom to find the perfect tender spot. Roasted or sauteed asparagus is wonderful and even raw (if local) on a pizzas or in calzones and makes traditional barriers on pizza like the famous “Quattro Stagione.” The perfect asparagus pairing is with whole grain mustard, pistachio, ricotta, parmigiano, bacon, anchovy, lemon, orange, pestos and in risotto.

Strawberry

This is the great finale of spring, coming at the tail end of this season. Local strawberries, unlike the hollow, hurried and sprayed junk found at the stores, are smaller and sweeter. Perfect for the agro dolce or sweet and sour pizzas like gorgonzola, strawberry and hazelnut pizzas. During the glut of strawberries, I turn to making sweet, pickled strawberries with just a touch of vinegar. These red wonders really shine with rhubarb, olive oil, mascarpone, almonds, spicy capicola, lemon, basil, mango, balsamic, mint and orange.

Morel Mushrooms

These are the spring king of mushrooms. They pop up, (or not) almost every year in the same locations. Morels are especially rare because they are hard, almost impossible to grow because of their symbiosis with forest trees. If you are lucky enough to find these hollow, triangular shaped wonders, you can cut them in half vertically or stuff with chicken mousse, asparagus, garlic, ramps and bacon. I recommend putting the morels on pizza halfway through the bake, so they don’t disintegrate. Fontina, Parmigiano and chevre are great morel cheeses. Lemon, olive oil, black pepper, caraway, fava beans, serrano ham, shallots and country ham are perfect pairings for morels.

Other spring foods that are abundant either in the forest or at farmers markets are Watercress, Wild Violet, Chickweed, Lambs Quarters, Fiddlehead fern, Turnips and Radishes.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Spring’s Bounty is Ripe for Your Pizza Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

Outsourcing Desserts

The question of when a restaurant should outsource desserts comes up frequently among owners and operators. While some pizza shops may be scratch-only kitchens or able to handle a full menu load, the reality for many others is that outsourcing some items makes sense for their operations. Some even find a balance in using a combination of in-house and outsourced desserts.

Jessica Hellaine, co-owner and operator of Black Dog Pizzeria in Dublin, Ohio says, “Outsourcing our desserts allows us to focus more on our main dish—our pizzas. It is less work for us that can be used elsewhere, and also helps us to save on space, time and money.  We’re just a takeout/delivery pizzeria and so our resources are limited. And working with local bakers allows us unique marketing opportunities.”

Outsourcing desserts comes down to time, labor and space — elements that many operations find sorely lacking into today’s restaurants. It’s important to always run the numbers. If you are considering outsourcing or the reverse and you want to take desserts in house, it is vital to establish your true costs and your pricing and profit margin goals with each dessert item.

If you are an operation that is deciding whether to incorporate dessert into the menu at all, many operators find it is worth it. Datassentials released its report that 60 percent of operators say that the desserts they offer help to drive profit. That survey also found the best-selling desserts were easy to prep and can be eaten on the go.

If you were at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, you may have noticed, and even tasted, dozens upon dozens of desserts offered by vendors, including gelato, cannoli, cheesecake, cakes, brownies, cookies and more. You may have also tried vegan and allergy-sensitive specific treats to nut, dairy and gluten allergies. With stringent guidelines for allergy-related foods, outsourcing especially these types of desserts can help you limit cross contamination that can occur in restaurant kitchen environments.

Some desserts are prone to outsourcing — like gelato and ice cream. But, the fact is almost any dessert you can dream up is probably already available through outsourcing. There are many options when outsourcing desserts. You need to evaluate which will work better for your business and more importantly which will sell well with customers. Here are sources where you can find desserts:

• Mainline Distributors. Some advantages to using your established distributor is that you already have a working relationship and delivery processes in place. They also typically have a large catalog of sweet treat options.
• Wholesale Bakeries. Wholesale bakeries have strong distribution network and can accommodate high-volume bulk production.
• Local Retail Bakeries. Since retail bakeries have a consumer direct model, name recognition can be high with diners.

A note on wholesale bakeries and retail bakeries: There are several bakeries that operate in both capacities.

What are you looking for in your desserts?

Knowing the answer to this question will help you find out which direction you want to go with sourcing your desserts. When Hellaine is looking for a dessert, she’s says she is seeking, “reliability and unique ‘cool’ desserts that taste good and travel well. We wanted to offer baked goods that are more interesting than just the standard baked cookies and brownies at a lot of the shops nearby. It’s also important for us to keep whatever food we sell as scratch-made as possible, and to work locally.”

Tasting and testing outsource desserts is just as important as when you research and develop in-house items. Run blind tastings with employees, customers and friends and family. Gather an honest assessment before you add it to the menu. This is no time to order and “hope it sells.”

Going with a Local Bakery

If you already have working relationships with local businesses in your community, buying desserts from a local bakery may be a great option for you to continue supporting fellow local companies. Hellaine uses two locally owned bakers/bakeries to supply desserts — Angie’s Rainbow Cookies and Paisley’s Pie.

“We have worked with Paisley’s Pies for about six years and Angie’s Rainbow Cookies for a little over a year,” she says. “Paisleys Pies we found at a local market and asked if she could make pies to sell in our shop—specifically pies unique and only available to our pizzeria. Angie’s Rainbow Cookies came to us asking if we would be interested in selling her cookies through our shop. She had previously been selling Italian rainbow cookies through her website and the local Farmer’s Market circuit.”

You may need to seek out those relationships. This is where social media, review sites and local news sources come in handy. You can find out who is already making the best desserts in town to see if what they offer would fit your business concept.

Working with local bakeries can also allow for flexibility and specialty products. “We put an order in at the beginning of the week with our providers for how many items we need and what type, and they bring them out a few days later,” Hellaine says. “They also make us monthly ‘specialty’ items that can only be purchased at our shop for that month—usually something holiday or seasonal themed—that we sell alongside their regular fare.”

Partnerships with a local bakery are great for cross promotion. “We co-market with Angie’s Rainbow Cookies,” Hellaine says. “She has an amazing social media presence and by collaborating on stories, feeds, and posts, we have access to each other’s customers. She’s brought a lot of her fans to us and our shop, and we’ve introduced a lot of people to just cookies. It’s a win-win and I think customers really appreciate seeing two local business owners working together and being front and center for their products.“

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of Pizza Today.

The post When should a restaurant outsource its desserts? appeared first on Pizza Today.

The story of how our Pizza Sauce came to fruition

The Global Tomato Market generates $181.74 Billion in revenue yearly. To put that in perspective, that is larger than the GDP of Ukraine and Morocco, and not far off from Greece, Peru and Portugal. According to a study published from the USDA in 2019, “Americans on average consume 30lbs of tomatoes per year. Sixty percent of that comes from canned tomatoes, as Pizza Sauce contributes to the high consumption of the vegetable.” Here is the story of how our Pizza Sauce came to fruition.

Tomatoes are a central and iconic element to Italian Cuisine, yet they are actually a “newer” ingredient that didn’t come along until the late 1600s. It’s hard to believe that some of the most famous Italians ever, Julius Caesar, Leonardo Da Vinci, Marco Polo, Michelangelo and even Christopher Columbus never had a dish of Spaghetti Pomodoro. George Washington, Ben Franklin, Sam Adams… our Founding Fathers did not know what pizza was.

Hundreds of years ago, long before Europeans had set foot in the New World, tomatoes grew wild in the Andes of Western South America. The natives began cultivating them, eventually bringing the plant northward through Central America and into Mexico. When the Spanish arrived in the early 16th century, they found the inhabitants growing a food crop called “tomatl” in the native language.

Seeds were brought back by the Spaniards, but tomatoes were not an easy product to introduce to fellow Europeans: they did not look or taste like any known plant, they had a strange consistency and texture and they were very acidic when green. Once ripe they were soft and they disintegrated in the lengthy cooking which was common at the time. But the climate and soil of the Mediterranean were ideal for their growing, and since they did not compete with local crops it was used as a supplementary one that did not interfere with the traditional ones.

For many years, tomatoes were feared,

partly due to their resemblance to the venomous nightshade plant and partly because of a false story that quickly circulated about a group of upper-class Europeans who died after eating them. While the group did experience fatalities after consuming tomatoes, further investigation revealed that the high acidity of the tomatoes leached lead from the pewter dinnerware, causing lead poisoning. The story circulated for years, raising suspicions across the continent.

It wasn’t until 1692 that we see the first-ever recipe featuring tomatoes appearing in “Lo Scalco alla Moderna” by Antonio Latini. Antonio, an orphan at the age of 5, grew up homeless in the streets but was eventually taken into a kitchen. He worked his way up to become the Steward for the Viceroy of Spain and Naples. His published recipe was for a sauce containing cooked tomatoes, intended as an accompaniment for cooked meat or fish. In 1790, Roman Chef Francesco Leonardi published the highly regarded cookbook “L’Apicio Moderno”, where he wrote the first recipe and proclaimed he had ”invented” pasta al pomodo (pasta with tomato sauce).

Early traces of pizza go back to ancient times with the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, but pizza as we know today emerged in the 18th century, in the Southern Italian port city of Naples. From 1700 to 1750 the city’s population doubled from 200,000 to 400,000. There was a big need to feed a bustling metropolis with people always on the go. Street vendors would purchase disc-shaped flatbreads from bakeries and keep them warm in small tinned copper stoves that they balanced on their heads. Ingredients were simple like lard, garlic, salt, basil and in some instances caciocavallo cheese and fresh tomato.

Many believe that pizza sauce was invented by Raffaele Esposito in 1889 because he was credited with the invention of the “Pizza Margherita”. According to the legend, Queen Margherita summoned Raffaele to the Royal Palace to prepare the popular dish among the locals in Naples. Out of the three pizzas he prepared for her Majesty, her favorite was the tomato, basil, mozzarella pizza, of which he named in her honor. However, while we can attribute the naming of the pizza to Raffaele, we know with certainty that he was not the creator of that pizza, nor the first pizzaiolo to use tomato sauce.

In the second half of the 1700s, references to fresh tomatoes as pizza toppings began to emerge in essays and books, reflecting a growing trust among Neapolitans in tomatoes, due to their abundance, low cost, and ease of cultivation. The evolution continued in 1792 when Giuseppe Sorrentino obtained a business license to bake focaccias and pizzas, marking the establishment the first recorded pizzeria in Naples. This shift sparked a wave of entrepreneurs opening pizzerias, breaking away from the reliance of bakeries. Over the subsequent 50 years, Pizzaioli likely engaged in experimentation, incorporating tomatoes and tomato sauce onto pizzas as we recognize them today.

The first factual mention of pizzas with tomato sauce,

specifically describing what we now know as “la marinara” and “La Margherita” comes from Francesco de Boureard in his 1866 book “Usi e costume di Napoli” (Customs and traditions of Naples). We’ve established pizzaioli were making sauces with tomatoes, let’s remember that tomatoes were still seasonal during this period, available only part of the year.

Francesco Cirio, a Northern Italian, started working at his father’s fruit and vegetable stand in Turin at 14. Inspired by French confectioner and chef Nicholas Appert, Cirio established a canning factory in 1856, at the young age of 20, pioneering the Appertization method for preserving food with heat initially focusing on peas. With the high demand of tomatoes in Southern Italy, Francesco founded the countries first tomato factory in 1875, near Naples in San Giovanni Teduccio and Castellamare di Stabia. These towns were near the Vulcanic Angro Sarnese region, where the popular San Marzano tomato continues to grow till this day. The year-round availability marked the exponential growth of tomato popularity in Italy, and then also in Europe. We also know it’s safe to say in 1875 pizzaioli all over Naples were using the peeled tomatoes year-round to make their pizza sauces.

Italian immigrants introduced pizza to New York in the early 1900s.

Initially baked in coal fired (also some wood) bakery ovens, their sauce mirrored traditional methods, made by hand crushing whole peeled canned tomatoes with the addition of salt. The canned tomatoes being used were not the expensive imported Italian ones, but the more economical American grown, which had a different flavor profile than they were accustomed working with. Due to the higher acidity than the San Marzano, I would suspect sugar and olive oil could have begun to find its way to some of the Pizzaiolis recipes, in attempts to achieve the balance of the tomatoes they were accustomed to.

The complete evolution, or revolution depending on how you want to look at it, really began in the 1930s when Frank Mastro invented the gas oven. Adopted by most New York and East Coast pizzerias by the 1940s, these ovens baked at a lower temperature that required much longer cooking times. A sauce with less water content that prevented the pizza from drying out and to help retain its moisture was needed, and so thick tomato sauces, dense purees and slow cooking batches of tomatoes to reduce water content where deployed.

By the 50s pizza had spread rapidly across the country. It was taken up by many enterprising restaurateurs who were often not from an Italian background, and adapted to reflect the tastes and needs of the cultural melting pot that America was becoming. It was no longer an Italian ethnic dish, but a proud food that became symbolic of the local people it was serving. Hence we see the birth of different styles, like the Chicago Deep Dish or the Detroit Pan, and the addition of non-traditional ingredients to their pizza sauce like sugar, oregano, garlic, onion, pepper and rosemary to name a few.

Pizza sauces have not really changed much from the 60s and 70s when we had our biggest boom of pizzeria openings. In talking to many operators around the country, I have noticed places adding their unique signature, like Janet Zapata of Pizza 550 in Loredo, Texas, who adds a little crushed pepper to her sauce to give it a kick, or Tony Garcia from Guy from Italy in Lubbock, Texas, who likes to add a little more sugar than average to kill the acidity and bring an additional level of sweetness.  I do believe we will see a change in the way tomatoes and sauces are packaged in the future. Some manufacturers are offering their products in plastic aseptic bags (think bag in box), that they claim offers a unique set or advantages that help preserve the freshness, flavor and nutritional value of tomatoes. And some dispute that claim. Regardless of how it’s packaged, one thing I know for sure is that we will always love our pizza sauce.

Pasquale DiDiana is owner/operator of Bacci Pizzerias in Chicago, Illinois and a frequent speaker at International Pizza Expo.

The post The Tomato and Pizza Sauce Journey appeared first on Pizza Today.

Ricotta Cheese: Role Player

Ricotta is a whey cheese to which pizzeria operators are no stranger. A menu staple in many pizza shops and Italian restaurants coast to coast, the creamy cheese plays a role in various applications from calzone filling to lasagna enhancer to pizza topper. It often lends texture more than sheer flavor, which contributes to its ability to be used in both savory or sweet dishes.

Though it can be made from virtually any animal milk, in the United States ricotta is predominately made from cow’s milk. The item isn’t going to be the shining star in most dishes, but ricotta’s functionality makes it nonetheless a must-have. Getting right to it, here are some recipes that make excellent use of the cheese. As always, use these as a starting point and experiment until you get it just right for your customer base.

• Angry Meatball and Ricotta Pizza
• Tomato and Ricotta Pizza
• Italian Cake with Ricotta and Chocolate

Interested in trying your hand at making your own fresh ricotta in house? It’s surprisingly simple. Here’s an easy method.

Get the Fresh Ricotta recipe.

Jeremy White is the Editor in Chief for Pizza Today.

The post Ricotta Cheese is a Staple Item for Every Pizzeria appeared first on Pizza Today.

Panini Ideas: Full Court Press

It will come as no surprise that the best panini I’ve ever had was served to me in Italy. My wife and I were walking the streets of Parma when a cold spring rain forced us to take cover in a nearby trattoria. It was lunch time and we ordered paninis. They were mind blowing good!

Up until that point, I had never been the biggest fan of the sandwich. That day changed my opinion quickly. I now seek them out.

They are an easy sell, especially when paired with a salad or soup as a lunch special. If you’ve been considering adding them to your menu, here are some recipes courtesy of Pizza Today contributor and Pizza Expo speaker John Gutekanst to get your experimentation started.

Piri Piri Chicken Panini

Piri Piri refers to the fiery African birds-eye chili pepper which has been used in a garlicky sauce and marinade since the fifteenth century. This sauce is purportedly Portuguese in origin but the people in South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique and Angola have claims on origin and recipes that vary widely. I just love making this sauce for my heat-seeking customers because it is perfect on vegetable and chicken pizza. If the recent trend toward hot chicken sandwiches continues, this panini is bound to be a game changer. You can substitute red Cayenne, Arbol, Manzano or Serrano and adjust the heat from there.

Get the Piri Piri Chicken Panini recipe.

Fajita Steak Gyro Panini

This giant panini crosses all boundaries but cleans up in the taste category! Like the Piri Piri, all the work is in the back-end preparation. This marinade is as spicy as you want it to be and complements the addition of a huge melting blob of sharp cheddar, sautéed onions and bell pepper. The two gyro buns are a perfect platform instead of a too-thin fajita and a too-thick sub bun. I like to cut this into 8 to 10 slices for a fabulous table appetizer.

Get the Fajita Steak Gyro Panini recipe.

Jeremy White is the Editor in Chief for Pizza Today.

The post When it Comes to Sandwiches, the Humble Panini is a Giant appeared first on Pizza Today.

Key Menu Takeaways from the 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report

We have spent months pouring over last fall’s Pizzeria Operator Survey results. The extensive 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report is a lot to digest and hits on many facets of pizzeria operations. If you know me, you know I love crunching the data and finding common themes and trends. Pizzeria menus are so important that we devoted some much needed attention in the report to what is happening on pizzeria menus in America.

In the report, we highlight current menu trends, including top pizza styles nationally and by region, Top 20 pizza toppings, hot toppings to watch and pizza toppings on the horizon. We know that offering multiple pizza styles is on trend. Detroit is the top pizza style to add for the second year in a row. Grandma and Sicilian are coming up fast. Pizzerias are branching out from traditional pizza toppings. Meats are still on top as pizza toppings. There are so many more over-arching pizza menu trends in the report. If you haven’t read the 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report yet, check it out.

Now, I’m looking across the data to share insights that I discovered in our survey. I’m going deeper into the data to break down striking menu trends to take notice of.

Here are the 13 Pizzeria Menu Trends from the Pizza Industry Trends Report

1. Seafood lovers are a niche that some pizzerias have earned, when done right. Those with seafood on the pizza menu gravitate towards shrimp, clams, crab meat and yes, anchovies.  
2. Americans are crazy for chicken. It’s the sixth most popular topping. Not only that, but operators are also testing new ways to use chicken in their kitchens. Baked, smoked, fried, barbecued or seared, it’s a great versatile ingredient to take across your menu.
3. Vegan is still very hot. When it comes to plant-based offerings, imitation is best form of flattery. Consumers are looking for those common pizza toppings that are plant-based. Popular vegan items include vegan mozzarella, vegan pepperoni and vegan sausage.
4. Wings might have a high food cost, but they are the second most popular item on the menu behind pizza at most pizzerias in the U.S. Wings can be dressed in many ways. Most popular include classic Buffalo, dry rubbed, BBQ and garlic Parmesan. 
5. Sandwiches are providing a great return. Go classic with sandwiches and watch your lunch daypart get a boost. Top sandwiches from the survey included Italian Beef, meatball, Italian sub and a steak and cheese.
6. More burgers are going on pizzeria menus. If you are adding a burger, be sure you’re going with high-quality beef. Smash burgers and thick gourmet-style burgers are hot right now. You can’t have burgers without fries. Expect to see them on the burger menu and offered on their own on the apps menu.
7. Customers crave more doughy masterpieces to accompany their pizza orders. Cheesy bread, garlic bread or garlic knots are a solid add-on choice for customers. They prove to be an in-demand item across the country.
8. Even amid concise menus, salads are a strong sales item. Today’s customers expect more than iceberg lettuce and carrots. Be as bold with your salad menu as your pizza menu. Create color, use local produce and top with interesting or even house-made dressings.
9. Pasta is a hit with pizzeria diners. The most noteworthy pasta on menus around the country is lasagna. It’s a great option if you are looking for something that can be made ahead of time and heated to order. Second is traditional spaghetti and meatballs.
10. Meatballs were one of the most added items to menus. They are versatile gems — great for the pizza menu, on sandwiches or as a standalone app with marinara and hot chili oil. See Audrey Kelly’s Hot Chili Oil Story.
11. Over 82 percent of operators surveyed indicated that they offer a vegetarian pizza. It’s is one of the easiest offerings to add. Every makeline is equipped to make a vegetarian pizza. We would like to see that number at 100 percent. 
12. Nearly 66 percent of operators surveyed offer a gluten-free crust. While you do not hear about gluten-free in news headlines as much, gluten-free is still top of mind with American consumers with gluten sensitivity or Celiac Disease. 
13. A surprising 39 percent offered a cauliflower crust. While in many cases cauliflower crusts are a good gluten-free option, they are also diabetic friendly, Keto friendly and low carb.

Knowing what is happening on pizzeria menus at a national level can help you evaluate what to add, what to keep and what to remove. Explore more menu trends in Menu Development. Be sure to complete our survey later this year so that what’s happening at your pizzeria can be counted nationally.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of Pizza Today.

The post 13 Pizzeria Menu Trends from the Pizza Industry Trends Report appeared first on Pizza Today.

The Stinger — Trending Hot Chili Oil

Hot oil is the answer to what all your pizzas have been missing. Looking to add extra flavor to a basic cheese pizza? Hot oil. Looking for a fun condiment to keep on the tables? Hot oil. Does your Italian sub need some zing? Hot oil. As you can see, there are many ways to utilize this awesome ingredient.

The four main ways to use hot oil are:

1. Use it as a finisher for any dish — pizza, salads, sandwiches or appetizers. The versatility of chili oil makes it the perfect complement to so many unexpected dishes.
2. As a marinade. Brush different raw meats and veggies before you cook them with hot oil to create a more dynamic flavor and add an underlying heat to the pie or dish.
3. As a dipping sauce. Forget Ranch or even honey. All you really need is one banging hot oil to make sure every last bite of crust gets eaten up. You can also serve it with a side dish of homemade focaccia or garlic knots.
4. In the pan. Instead of using straight olive or canola oil for sautéing and roasting, cut it in half and sub out hot oil.

Making Hot Oil

There are really two different ways to make hot oil. The first is using a pre-made canola or a neutral tasting olive oil and infusing it with chilies. The second is by adding fresh chilies to the olives during the olive oil extraction where the chilies and olives are then crushed together. This is called the Agrumato Method. This method creates beautifully complex and flavorful oils. The only downside is that you definitely need to have an olive mill to produce it.

As you can see there are a few differences to the two process’ of making hot oil. David Garci-Aguirre, the Master Miller at Corto, has been making Agrumato oils there for a few years now. He said, “It is so important to distinguish agrumato oils (sometimes referred to as co-milled or co-crushed) from other flavored oils because they are so unique. The making of olive oil is a complex process where incredible flavors and aromas are formed. When you add fresh ingredients at this stage you can create new and unique combinations of flavor and aroma that cannot be replicated in the kitchen or after the oil is extracted. Infusions and extracts for example, tend to be very one dimensional in flavor. This is because there is no interaction between the ingredients when the flavors of the oil are being developed. In contrast, agrumato method oils are the product of an intricate interplay between both ingredients.”

Since the two versions of hot oils taste very different, the one you decide on will depend on how you want to use it and whether or not you want to make it yourself. I think a basic, infused hot oil can be a great all-around option to have at your shop. Since it is fairly inexpensive to make, you can use it as sauté oil or give it away as a dipping sauce to customers. With such a unique and aromatic flavor, Agrumato oil on the other hand, is the perfect finisher for pizzas and the flavor really comes through baked into dishes and desserts. Think chili olive oil cake, focaccia finished with a drizzle of chili oil or house-made chili rolls.

If you want to make your own hot oil in house, and I will say I am definitely one of those people who likes to make anything I can in house, there’s a good chance you already have all of the ingredients on hand. Simply said, chili oil can be made from infusing oil with chilies. You can use any chili but a neutral oil is recommended. There are only three basic ingredients: oil, chili flakes or dried chilies and time. You can change up the flavor by the type of chilies you use and whether or not you add additional ingredients.

The main thing to keep in mind is the temperature of the oil. You want to be between 180 F to 350 F. The hotter it is, the darker the oil will be. If it gets too hot (think smoking), it will burn the chilies and result in a bitter flavor. You can test the oil by dropping in a few chili flakes and if it sizzles, it is ready. I like to leave the chili flakes in the oil for a few days to gain maximum flavor, then strain. After that the oil is ready to go. Chili oil also has a pretty long shelf life, two to three months if you store it in a cool, dark place.

To make other types of chili oils you can add other ingredients, such as granulated garlic, shallots, salts or peppercorns. A really popular one is a chili crunch sauce. While this is traditionally used in Asian dishes, it adds a ton of flavor and texture, which can be great on pizza too.

Different oils in general are great flavor boosters for pizza and just like a great extra virgin olive oil, hot oils can be cross utilized throughout your menu. They are a great addition to sandwiches, can add a kick to salad dressings, tossed with wings and used to finish appetizers, such as a mushroom crostini or burrata over roasted vegetables. It’s also easy to make a big batch and have it available for your customers to add to their own slices and pies.

There are multiple dimensions to every pizza and when you want maximum flavor you want to look at every one. I’m a big believer that there doesn’t need to be tons of toppings on a pizza but rather good quality and well thought out ones. Hot oil provides a complex and flavorful option to up your pizza game.

Hot Oil Recipe:

Get a Hot Oil recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Hot Oil is a Great Pizza Topping and Condiment appeared first on Pizza Today.

Hairy Styles: Classifying Pizza Styles

If you feel like you’ve been experiencing Regional Pizza Style Fatigue lately, you’re not alone. Not long ago, the vast majority of Americans categorized all pizza into just a few broad categories: New York Style, Chicago Style and Other. Thanks to the Food Network, social media and various pizza competitions, we’ve been exposed to a wide array of global variations. Some are legitimate regional specialties while others are mere mirages used for marketing. How do we tell the difference and when is it important to ignore such classification? Let’s find out by diving into the history of regional style nomenclature.

What defines a food as regional in the first place?

The original pizza of Naples was itself a regional distinction. Well into the 17th century, the term pizza was used to describe cookies and cakes. The famous Renaissance chef Bartolomeo Scappi’s 1570 recipe collection, Opera, includes several recipes for biscuits and cinnamon buns that he portrays as different types of pizza. When the savory pizzas we now love appeared in Naples around the mid-18th century, the modifier Napoletana specified the dish based on its point of origin. Geography is certainly the most important element of a regional style’s definition.

There are strong parallels between pizza and BBQ, particularly in the case of provenance. BBQ expert and New York Times best-selling author Meathead Goldwyn explains that “South Carolina [currently] has many different styles of BBQ but the one that’s unique has a mustard-based sauce. Germans brought that in through Charleston.” In the same way, Texas style BBQ is often beef-focused because cattle were more common than pigs by the time the regional designation was made. The connection between place and food is integral to the legitimacy of a regional style.

Differentiation is another important step in determining a regional style’s definition.

Karen Dybis, author of Detroit Style Pizza: A Doughtown History, relied on that concept for clarity in her research for the book. “Detroit style pizza is not round, isn’t baked in a standard pan, does not only use mozzarella, and the sauce is not below the cheese.” The fact that Detroit’s deep square pizza isn’t identical to any other city’s indigenous style is what defines its identity.

This explains why Chicago’s deep-dish pizza has long defined its hometown despite being far less popular locally than thin, square-cut pizzas. By the early 1980s, it was seen as the antithesis of New York City’s thin slices. Chicago Pizza Tours founder Jon Porter points out the contrast between the Chicago deep-dish and NYC slice dining experience. “There weren’t many places that did [deep-dish] pizza. You had to go downtown, find a parking spot, and wait 40 minutes for your pizza. It was a special occasion restaurant, unlike the everyday corner slice shop experience in New York.”

Although the distinct characteristics that form a regional style are integral to its definition, the public is more concerned with what’s on the plate rather than a set of required recipes. According to Italian food expert, award-winning author, and TV host Katie Parla points out that Romans accept variation among their city’s Pizza Tonda restaurants. “They’re not all adhering to a specific [recipe], but the final product has the crispy and chewy texture that the local population requires.” We see plenty of variation in the pizza of Naples, but they all serve a similar size, texture and experience. The same goes for the pizza of New Haven, Connecticut. The city’s pizza is often associated with coal-fired brick ovens, but only a small number of its
pizzerias use them.

New Haven pizza expert, and author of Pizza In New Haven, Colin Caplan credits longevity for his hometown’s signature style. “Pizzerias in the New Haven area have been making it the same way for around a century. Our pizzas are thin, crispy, and charred – that’s what the people of New Haven have come to expect,” says Caplan. “I get [upset] when the pizza’s not charred.” Charred pizza isn’t unique to New Haven, but it has become an expectation across the past century.

What legitimizes a regional pizza style?

A legitimate regional style requires critical mass both in terms of the number of pizzerias serving it and the number of consumers recognizing it. A new pizzeria in Tuscaloosa that claims to have created Tuscaloosa style pizza last year is not making a legitimate regional style. Nor is a pizza that bases its identity on a topping combination. For instance, Hawaiian pizza has never claimed to be a style of pizza from Hawaii. It’s merely a topping combination loosely referential to the island state. Windsor, Ontario has several pizzerias that claim to make Windsor style pizza, but the only common thread among them is the use of shredded pepperoni, canned mushrooms and a local mozzarella. That’s a topping combination, not a regional style. We tend to identify artisan pizzas made with local produce as California style, but pizzerias across the country have managed to do the same without being anywhere close to the Golden State.

This begs the question: at what point does one pizzeria’s specialty transform into a regional style? Dybis thinks it’s all due to recognition from beyond the region. Despite being around since the 1940s, Detroiters didn’t recognize their own deep, square pizzas as a regional style until just over a decade ago. Some of the earliest
instances of the phrase “Detroit Style pizza” come from articles written in the 1980s in places like Lincoln, Nebraska, reporting on the new pizzeria in town that’s making “unique thick square pizza with the sauce on top.” Once enough pizzerias started serving the thick squares in Colorado, California, Texas and New York City it suddenly became a recognized regional style.

Pizzerias today often desire to be associated with a particular style. It definitely makes marketing easier, especially when a style is different from the mainstream options. Pizza schools and certification courses are making it easier than ever to gain credibility and acceptance. There are programs for Neapolitan, Roman, New York, New Haven and even Detroit style. For pizza makers interested in learning new methods or newcomers looking for a place to start, categorization can be extremely helpful.

With all the content bouncing around social media, it’s now easier than ever to draw inspiration from multiple styles, resulting in cross-pollination that blurs the lines separating regional classifications. Meathead Goldwyn believes that strict taxonomy is becoming less advantageous. “I think those walls have tumbled down. There used to be regional styles, but we’re in a global economy now.”

Humans love to categorize. It gives us a sense of order that helps establish expectations. As helpful as it can be for those entering the pizza business or customers encountering an unfamiliar slice, it can get in the way of creativity. Meathead puts it best. “I think we really need to worry less about these definitions and just make beautiful food.”

Regional Pizza Style Requirements:

1. Origin: All regional pizza styles are tied to a specific birthplace.
2. Differentiation: Must be unlike other styles in the area and unique from styles in other areas.
3. Longevity: Requires decades of existence.
4. Critical Mass: Both in terms of the number of pizzerias making the style and the population’s acceptance.
5. Recognition: The strongest regional styles are referenced from beyond the region.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post When does a pizza become a regional pizza style? appeared first on Pizza Today.

Bell Peppers on Pizza: Ring the Bell

It’s time to ring the bell. Bell peppers, of course. Bell peppers ranked as the No. 8 most popular pizza topping in America, according to our pizzeria operator survey published in our 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report. In some areas of the U.S., bell peppers break into the Top 5 Pizza Toppings.

Most pizzeria toppings list include these peppers that are in the Grossum Group of the Capsicum annuum. Let’s dive into a few more fun facts about bell peppers. They are in the nightshade family Solanaceae and they are native to the Americas. Bell peppers are loaded with Vitamin C. Red, yellow and orange bell peppers are all variations of the green bell pepper at various stages of ripeness and are typically sweeter than the green. Did you know that Paprika is made from bell peppers? If you haven’t played with dusting a bell pepper pizza with paprika or even smoked paprika, here is your invitation to try it.

Raw vs Cooked Bell Peppers

How you prep your peppers is up to you. Whether you use them raw or cooked may impact how you cut them. Generally, peppers are diced, sliced or cut into rings. Thickness varies.

Avoid large chunks or cuts when you are applying bell peppers raw onto a pizza. They will not have time to fully cook, unless you are going for the crunch of a pepper.

The mild flavor of the bell pepper makes it a good complement for other toppings. It doesn’t overpower other flavors. This is why you see so many supreme, deluxe and the works pizzas include green bell peppers. Peppers are raw in this application.

If you are looking to enhance the flavors of the bell peppers, cooking will bring out the sweetness. Cooking will also evaporate excess water in the pepper. You can saute them but a better method for a pizza kitchen is to roast them in your pizza oven. Simply leave whole and place on a roasting pan. Or quarter the peppers and remove the seed. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until you get a nice char on the skin. When removing peppers from oven, some choose to peel the skin off. But many prefer to keep the skin on.

Take peppers across the menu

Bell Peppers can be used in everything from appetizers and salads to sandwiches and pastas. Get the most of your pepper inventory with dishes that make bell peppers shine. There is one areas I’d like to see more bell peppers appear in and that is sauces.

An easy sauce that will wow customers is a pepper pesto. The spin on a traditional pesto is full of flavor and perfect on a pizza with chicken and spinach. Here’s the recipe:

Get the Roasted Red Pepper Pesto recipe. 

John Gutekanst has shared a sauce from Rome that is dynamite on pizza or on sandwiches. For an upcharge, offer it as a dipping sauce. Here is his recipe.

Get the Roman Roasted Pepper Sauce recipe.

The possibilities in pizza topping combinations that work well with bell peppers is endless. One of the most popular pizza combinations is a sausage and peppers pizza. Let’s create a simple, yet flavor-packed pizza recipe that kicks up the flavors of sausage and complements the bell pepper. Here’s the recipe:

Get the Spicy Sausage and Sweet Pepper Pizza recipe.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of Pizza Today.

The post Think differently about how you use bell peppers on pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Walk through the Pizza Process

Everyone’s ideal pizza will look, taste and feel differently. The key to building your perfect pie is understanding how to utilize different dough methods and how they will change your final product, picking the right tomatoes, cheese and toppings as well as when and how you add ingredients to your pizza.

The Dough

Let’s start with the dough. Depending on what style of pizza you are making, the ingredients and dough process will be different. The one thing that all doughs should have in common though, is proper fermentation. It is when the proteins in flour combine with water to create gluten. Yeast (whether commercial or natural) is added and consumes the simple sugars in the dough to create carbon dioxide bubbles. With the addition of salt, a stronger bond and gluten net form, causing the dough to rise and age. If you think about it, the slower and longer this process is, the resulting crust will be more dynamic by creating lots of airy bubbles and flavor in the dough. That being said, you don’t want to over ferment dough. Once there is no more fresh flour for the yeast to oxidize, the dough will turn flat and sour, thus not rising. That is why it is important to pick the right flour and hydration for your fermentation process and time.

Certain flours are synonymous with specific types of pizzas, but there is so much more to a flour than just the company that produces it. A few things to look for are:

• Protein percentage: the higher the protein of a flour the longer the fermentation time can and will be.
• W Factor: the extensibility of the dough or the strength of the gluten in the flour. A flour with less gluten, or a soft flour will be between W180-250. A strong flour will be between W250-300.
• Grind of the Flour: Measured on a scale from 00-2 with 00 being the finest and 2 the coarsest.
• Bleached or unbleached: Bleached flour uses a chemical aging process whereas unbleached doesn’t.

After you settle on your flour, the next important decision in dough is whether you use a Direct Method (mixing flour directly with yeast, salt, water and any other ingredients in your dough) or Indirect Method (A two-stage process to making dough using either a Biga, Poolish, Pate-ferment or sourdough starter).

The Sauce

While a lot of thought and experimentation should go into finding the right dough, the toppings can be just as important since they are the first thing that hits a person’s taste buds while devouring a slice. I’m a big believer that your sauce will only be as good as the tomatoes that go into it. That’s because it you use a quality tomato you don’t need to add very much else. The flavor of the fruit speaks for itself. There are a lot of different types and brands of tomatoes available, each bringing a unique flavor and texture to your final product. Almost everyone is partial to one or another. This can be dependent on the style you are making, where you live or what dominant flavor you look for in a tomato. For example, if you make certified VPN Neapolitan pizza, you definitely want to use DOP San Marzano tomatoes. This particular variety is only grown in the fertile soil under Mount Vesuvius in the Campania region of Italy. If your pizza style doesn’t need a specific tomato, there are a few really great options that are grown in the USA or Italy. Whatever you choose, you want to make sure they have a bright flavor and color as well as a good mouthfeel. A few of the different tomatoes you can buy are: whole peeled, strips, crushed/ground with skins on or off, or tomato purees. Blending a few varieties can create a balanced sauce without having to add additional sugar. Almost all pizza sauces should be uncooked. There are, of course, exception, such as using a sauce that needs to be cooked down with other ingredients like onions or Guanciale. The reason that it should be uncooked is that it cooks in the oven and you want to retain the sweet, bright flavor of the tomatoes.

The Cheese

Cheese. Pizza people stand by their brand of cheese and will almost never waiver or change. I’ve used the same brand since opening, but every year we re-try other brands or new ones that have emerged. My brother and I will do a blind taste test but every time we land on the one we have always used. The reason for revisiting it every year? The price. Whether you use fresh mozzarella, blocks or even stretch it yourself, cheese is one of the most expensive components on your pie. Yes, tomatoes and flour are expensive these days too, but the quantity you use per pizza compared to cheese is much, much smaller. My brother jokes that we should have a market price for slices depending on how much the cheese is.

Aside from the brand of cheese, a few things to look at for mozzarella cheese are:

• Milk fat percentage: do you want whole milk, part skim or a blend? I am a big believer in whole milk mozzarella. That grease drip that comes off your folded slice? Pure goodness. However, if you’re looking for a cheese that gives a good pull (think Insta worthy), part skim will be more your jam.
• Pre-shredded or blocks: Pre-shredded is obviously easier and very consistent. The downside is that a lot of brands add an anti-caking agent to them which gives the cheese a grittier texture. They are also usually more expensive than block cheese but that also is determined by your labor costs. If you buy the blocks you can either shred it or slice it. Slicing has the advantage of being very consistent for portioning.
• Mozzarella or blend: Mozzarella is the most common cheese on pizza but obviously different styles have different cheeses. Certain brands are coming out with mozzarella blends (cheddar, provolone, etc.).

Once you’ve decided on your dough, sauce and cheese, it’s time to consider any additional toppings. When and how you put on toppings can change the way a pizza tastes and feels in your mouth. If you put cheese on top of the sauce it will taste different than if you put it on the bottom. If you pinch on fresh sausage rather than add on sliced links it will interact with the other toppings differently. Certain things should always go on before the bake: raw meats, certain veggies and cheeses. While others should go on after: Arugula, cured meats, finishing cheeses and oils.

The type of oven should also be a consideration when building your ideal pie. Whether you use gas, electric, wood or coal, the choice will affect the structure, texture and flavor of your pizza. Each type and brand bakes differently so it is a personal choice. You can manipulate it with certain things like what bench flour you use, the temperature you bake at (hot and fast or low and slow), whether or not you use a screen and how long your dough has been out.

As you can see, creating your perfect pizza really comes down to time and temperature, picking the right flour, tomatoes and cheese as well as toppings. There are a few other things that I live by when making a pizza, or really any dish for that matter. Never underestimate the value of a really good olive oil. Don’t forget to salt and as I tell my Little Slices, salt in stages.

Really, the bottom line is, stay true to your pizza and dough but take the necessary steps to make it properly fermented, structurally sound and acceptably topped. Most importantly, never stop learning and trying to improve your craft.

Don’t miss Audrey’s Demo at Pizza Expo 2024

Wednesday, 10:15 am -11:15 am

D05 Demo: How to Build a Better Pie

Audrey Kelly, Owner/Pizzaiola, Speaker, Audrey Jane’s Pizza

Type: Demo | Track: Demo | Room No: Show Floor Demo Area

See the full Pizza Expo Education Schedule.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post What makes a great pizza? appeared first on Pizza Today.

Traditional American Pizza Styles: States of Play

Explaining what an American style pizza is to anyone is like showing them a what an American looks like. The breadth and depth of diversity of pizzas in this country is peppered with differing dough making, toppings and cooking methods. Unlike some other countries, pizzas in the U.S. are not regionally bound to mimic centuries of pizza making in that range or region. To find the spine of pizza making in the United States, we must look to our culinary past, which relies upon the tools and techniques of Europe but then accommodates the wide and productive American landscape and the diverse culinary desires and tastes of this diverse populace.

“At its core, American pizza is one that favors the present over the past and it follows customers, not custom. It’s not even a style, it’s a refusal to adhere to one specific style because it’s always evolving.”

— Scott Wiener, Founder, Scotts Pizza Tours, and Slice Out Hunger

Phat of the Land

The United States has always been known as the “land of milk and honey.” Our shared history of domination, immigration and integration has always relied upon the commoditization of foods. The first pilgrims tilled the fertile soils producing plenty of traditional foodstuffs but did not mimic the native American use of the ebb and flow of the seasons and use of wild foods. The coastal tribes’ practice of putting up food stores of corn and smoked fish and meat for the winter sustained them but the pilgrims’ disdain for native practices lead to starvation in the first years. In fact, at Plymouth alone, half of the pilgrims were dead before the first winter was over.

Stat-chew of Liberty 

The first fact to know about American cuisine is that compared to European countries, we are culinarily, very young. Mass starvation and poverty through wars and upheaval in Europe has necessitated specific techniques, methods and creative twists in food. This innovation seems to be missing in historic American cooking practices. Our largesse of meat, fish and vegetables mirrored the huge fertile landscape of this country. This is reflected in the number of toppings on an American pizza. More cheese, meat and dough tend to satisfy U.S. customers. The arrival of soldiers who served in Italy in the 40s brought a new craving for Italian food and started the ball rolling for the different styling of American Pizza. The past 20 years have seen many chefs practicing traditional European pizza making in the United States and have upped American culinary mojo with pizza schools, demonstrations, media and social media putting this finesse on the fast track. This has also led to more innovative sauces, meats, cheeses and grains.

American Pie

There are many factors that have influenced American style pizzas. Corporations, regions, cheese, flour and meat companies, supply and even individual pizza chefs have had a hand in making some traditional American pizzas popular.  Here are some variations of American pizzas that you may, or may not, not be familiar with. I’ve kept individual names out to protect the innocent.

New England Beach Pizza

This Pizza made only in Southern New Hampshire and Northern Massachusetts is both simple and different. The crust is wafer thin, cooked on seasoned sheet pans and you can get a single slice or a box of 8 or 20 squares. Other toppings are available to pair with a very sweet sauce and just a smattering of aged provolone. Two pizza places dominate this market and are rivals which is why I will not disclose their names.

Milwaukee Pizza

This cracker thin pizza originated at the Caradaro Club and has evolved into several micro-styles depending upon the place you go to. It is sheeted round or oblong, some with a cornmeal dusting and each tavern-style cut is crunchy like crazy. Some pizzas are as thin as two credit cards. In some places, this crisp thinness is achieved by par-baking the crust in deck ovens then turning it over before saucing and cheesing, others go straight on the deck. The sauce is simple, sweet, and placed as just a thin layer of whole milk mozzarella.

Quad-City Pizza

This Mississippi River Valley style is prepared in Davenport and Bettendorf Iowa, Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline Illinois. This pizza is made with malt and hand-stretched to a thin crust with a slight cornicione, or crust. Chili flakes and ground cayenne makes the thin tomato sauce zing with spice. It is usually loaded with fennel sausage. Pizzas are available in 16-inch and 10-inch styles and cut into strips as opposed to slices or squares.

Detroit Pizza

This rectangular pizza baked in a seasoned blue steel pan that was initially said to be used in the automobile business for draining oil or catching grease. This focaccia-like pizza with small cell structure is usually par-baked with Wisconsin brick cheese baked in a “Frico” or bark around the side. Cheese and toppings lie under the sauce which is put on after the final bake. Many different variations now dominate the market.

Colorado Pizza

These small 8-inch round pizzas have a braided crust with added honey in the dough. A major heaping of whole milk mozzarella tops the extra-sweet sauce, and the braided crust ensures that the boatload of toppings doesn’t fall off. Colorado style has been described as like Chicago deep dish but sweeter with a cooking time that is shorter. This pizza is sold by the pound and is accompanied by more honey.

California Pizza

This pizza tends to lack a particular crust, size, style or even bake. The similarities of this pizza lie in the dissimilar nature of them. They all tend to lean on seasonality, international flavor profiles, freshness and artisanal ingredients that Spago, Gjelina, Hail Mary, Tony’s, Tandoori, Mozza, Pot Pizza, California Pizza Kitchen all have made available to Californians.

Altoona Pizza

Originally made at the Altoona Hotel before it was burnt down in 2013. Other pizza shops have taken up the mantle. This is usually a square-cut, sheet pan baked, thick Sicilian style crust with a soft feel. It was originally topped with Velveeta over deli salami and green peppers but now most places place the salami and pepper slice under processed American cheese. Other toppings can be added.

Ohio Valley Pizza

This pizza is made in the northeastern Ohio Valley around Steubenville, Ohio and Wheeling West Virginia. It is best described as a square pie with a bready crust, sweet sauce baked at 550 F and garnished with sauce made of green bell peppers, oregano and olive oil. This pizza is par-baked and taken out before topping with more sauce and a small amount of cheese. After the final baking, the pizza is topped with shredded provolone cheese and cold toppings and cut into squares.

Philly Tomato Pie

This square pizza is usually compared to the Sicilian Sfincione because of its thick, focaccia-like crust. It is also called a “Bakery Pizza” in nearby Rhode Island. Most of this style has just a smattering of Romano after the bake. The thick sauce is just as high as the crust and is cooked for over 40 minutes with sugar, oregano, garlic salt and olive oil.

Midwest Pizza Dough Recipe

Here is a dough recipe which, to me best reflects the middle ground in middle America. I’ve left this recipe at 66% hydration. Strong enough to hold sauce, cheese and toppings and flavorful enough after proofing to enable a digestible crust. Mixing it with cold water (and using less yeast) followed by cold fermentation slows the yeast activity down, giving the starches in the flour time to convert to simple sugars releasing fantastic flavors. This recipe is designed to be used within 6 hours if using warmer water, and up to 3 days using the cold holding method.

Get the Midwest Pizza Dough Recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post The evolution of Traditional American Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Serhan Ayhan shares his approach to unconventional pizza toppings

There’s no denying that the classics like pepperoni, mushroom, and sausage are tried and true. But earlier this year, New York Times Cooking called Brooklyn’s Cuts & Slices oxtail pie “New York’s Most Exciting Pizza”, and lines have been out the door. Featuring unique pizzas on your menu can turn heads – and customers into your shop. Here are a few roadmaps for unconventional toppings to get you started.

Bet The Farm

Celery Root Pizza — Photo by Serhan Ayhan

One place where I frequently discover new ingredients is at our local farmer’s market. If you have access to one, challenge yourself and pick out a fruit or vegetable or other ingredient that you have never seen or heard of and start connecting the dots to other ingredients.

An invaluable tool to make these connections is The Flavor Bible by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. The first time I encountered celery root, I did not have a CLUE what to do with it. Referencing The Flavor Bible for celery root, Gruyère (a nutty cheese) is noted as a flavorful pairing. From there, I flipped to the section for Gruyère pairings, with ham being one recommendation. While we did not have ham, we had a pancetta that complemented the Gruyère with its savory, salty, and slightly smoky flavor. The pancetta, in turn, reminded me of maple bacon, which led to the incorporation of a spicy maple syrup. Before I knew it, a beautiful and unique pizza with complex flavors was born.

Walk Down Memory Lane

Hawaiian Furikake Bar Pie — Photo by Serhan Ayhan

Not every creative pizza needs a farm to table approach. Sometimes foods like a favorite childhood snack can revisit us in the form of a pizza. Think about bites that you or others grew up with that are remembered dearly. Is there a creative and tasteful (pun intended) way to make them work on a pizza?

Earlier this year, I was thinking about how despite its name and ham & pineapple toppings, Hawaiian pizza’s origins are not from the islands. This got me wondering – how could I put a true Hawaiian twist to this pizza? I hit the web to conduct my due diligence on nostalgic Hawaiian snacks and learned about furikake Chex Mix, a popular island treat that incorporates a buttery soy sauce glaze and furikake seasoning into Chex Cereal. I topped the snack onto a Hawaiian pizza on a bar style crust, and sure enough, it was a hit – I even had pineapple haters complimenting! Chex Cereal also shared it on their socials!

Tap into the Collective Consciousness

When I get stuck in a creative rut and the well of ideas run dry, I look to others for inspiration.

One day I was walking in our neighborhood and saw some stunning in-season tangerines, and just knew that I had to think of a way to showcase them on a pizza.

Tangerine Pizza. Photo by Serhan Ayhan

When I got home, I hit the web for recipes using citrus and came across Claire Saffitz’s blood orange olive oil cake and was astonished at how she beautifully incorporated the oranges. It looked wonderful – but I wasn’t making a cake! I went through my cookbooks and found Chris Bianco’s lemon and red onion focaccia. Taking the visual cues from Claire’s cake and the execution cues from Chris’s focaccia, I created something uniquely my own: an alluring round pan pizza with thinly sliced tangerines, red onion, mozzarella, fontina, pecorino Romano, and mint.

These are but a few roadmaps to lead you to your new and creative pizzas. Deconstruct an existing dish. Look to other people and cultures. Step out of your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to try a few new things when figuring out what resonates with your customers.

Serhan Ayhan is the pizza maker of Next Level Pizza in New York, focusing on pizza pop-ups, private events, and consulting.

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New Pizza toppings to add right now

So, what are the big pizza topping trends you will see this year? If you know me, you know I love analyzing and talking trends and industry change and evolution. For the past decade, it has been my mission to be able to look for what’s next. It keeps me on the pulse of the pizza industry, as well as pizza enthusiasts.

Pizza toppings are a tough predictor as what’s hot can change quickly. That is why I, first, want to share with you some of the insights from our 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report. The toppings represented here are not from me. Instead, they are responses from 750 pizzeria operators from across the U.S., who participated in our annual industry survey. While we’re looking at pizza topping trends here, you can go to the 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report to get a deeper dive into toppings including the Top 20 Pizza Toppings. You can even find a list of toppings that operators are removing from menus. Now let’s get into the fun stuff. 

Hot Pizza Toppings to Watch

We asked operators what pizza toppings they have introduced in the past 12 months to get a gauge on what’s hot with pizza toppings.

We found toppings that are new to pizzeria menus include:

• Going with a different pepperoni style like cup and char or old world
• Vegan meat and cheese alternatives
• Sweet and hot pepper varieties, including jalapeños, cherry peppers, and pasilla peppers
• Mexican-inspired meats like Birria, chorizo and carne asada, BBQ pork, chicken and brisket

You can check out more hot pizza toppings in the report.

Cheese Please! 

Cheeses were all over the fill-in responses for topping additions. The biggest take away from cheeses is the trend towards blending cheeses. A few cheeses to add to your R&D are ricotta and goat cheese. Play with the whipped versions, too.

Also, it’s time to nail down the right vegan cheese for your pizza. There are a ton on the market, or you can try to make your own. Addtionally, Scamorza and fresh mozzarella are finding their way into more pizzerias around the country.

Pizza Toppings on the Horizon

In our survey, we wanted to know what toppings are in research and development. This year, the creativity in pizza kitchens is high. Here are some common themes among operators who are experimenting with pizza toppings at their shops:

• Find the right plant-based toppings. Pizzerias are looking for the best plant-based products that work for their vegan and meat- and dairy-free customers.

• Play with unique and creative toppings. While some may be seasonal, unique pizza toppings are finding their way onto menus, from more exotic mushrooms like shiitake to persimmons, waffles and even octopus. Others include smoked Kalamata olives, sweet drop peppers, curry sauce, lemons and pecans.

• Look to International flavors. Mexican, Cuban, Indian and other Asian specialties inspired pizzas are wowing culinary explorers at pizzerias.

These are just a few of the inspirations behind new topping choices. More ideas are in the report.

Denise’s Picks — 2024 Hot Pizza Topping Trend 

This wouldn’t be a trends feature without me sharing what I see coming as hot pizza topping trends. Some of these toppings appear in our report. But others are toppings I’ve been tracking and noticing spikes as they are featured on more menus. In no particular order, they are: 

Cup-and-char sausage

Many have never heard of this version of cup-and-char meat, but a major industry player rolled out its product last year. Will it get as much love as its cousin, the roni cup? That will be determined by pizza lovers. I’m excited to see how this one develops.

Birria

You can thank TikTok for the rise of this braised Mexican beef. Creators have had viewers drooling over Birria slo-mo shorts. While goat and lamb are traditionally used, many versions use tender beef, various dried chili peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onion, spices and apple cider vinegar to create a broth that you are going to want to offer as a dipping sauce. 

Unique Pesto

The basil-based sauce has been rejuvenated by a new generation and they are not sticking to tradition. Instead, they are gravitating towards a new field of ingredients — nuts like pistachio and oils like avocado and grapeseed, even changing up the classic basil with other herbs. Don’t know where to start? Check out Audrey Kelly’s pesto story.   

Corn

We alluded to it over the summer that corn is having a moment and it’s not finished. With Southwest and Mexican style pizza popularity rising, this ingredient will find its uses across the menu. Give an elote corn pizza a try! 

Smoked Salmon

Now hear me out, this cured fish has its place on pizza. Creative culinary minds are proving that. Last year, cream cheese hit the mainstream on pizza and here is its perfect pairing. Use the fully cooked salmon as a finishing ingredient and pair it with arugula, cream cheese, chives and lemon. Go crazy and add avocado. That’s another ingredient I am watching closely.

Mortadella

This classic Italian cured meat is going through a resurgence and we’re here for it. Try mortadella post-baked with arugula, stracciatella cheese and pistachios.

Maybe you’ll find your next hot pizza topping after reading this. Maybe it will inspire you to find another ingredient that your customers will love. Either way, introducing new toppings will create excitement with your customers and your team. Let us know what you come up with.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of Pizza Today.

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Canned Veggie to Pizza Topping Star

Writing this article brought me back to the R&D days of Wholly Stromboli. I had many pie-in-the-sky ideas about which products I would and would not use in my restaurant. Settling for canned roasted red peppers, peeled garlic in a plastic jug, and pickled jalapeño, for convenience’s sake, were options that I initially did not want to consider. Because I prided myself on using only the freshest ingredients and loved the flavor and aroma of a fresh clove of garlic or the taste and texture of fresh roasted red peppers, I was going to figure out the labor and efficiency piece. I am sure you know how that worked out. Of course, I buy whole peeled garlic in a plastic jug, canned roasted red pepper, and as for the jalapeños …  I only switched to fresh sliced jalapeños about a year ago.

My point is if you plan to do any amount of volume in your restaurant, you’re probably going to have to plan on using canned veggies, and while I consider some canned veggies like sliced Spanish olives and pickled jalapeño a commodity, other things like artichoke hearts, fire-roasted green chilies, roasted red peppers and especially tomatoes can vary in taste, texture and quality.

How much to spend should be driven by your price point and your target food cost. For what I consider commodity canned goods, my main focus is the consistency of the product and pricing. However, when we’re talking about canned tomatoes, I pull out all the stops! I only use the best. I want a tomato that is packed fresh from the field, not subjected to excess heat during the canning process, and does not contain any preservatives.

Fire-roasted green chilies are one of my favorite ingredients to use in soups, ‘bolis and pizzas. We are pretty spoiled here in Colorado because we have some of the best fire-roasted Hatch green chilies around. One of my favorite fall traditions is going to pick up a bushel of fresh fire-roasted chilies, but hand peeling and dicing bushels of them is not practical and the labor cost does not make good financial sense for my operation.

When looking for a canned Hatch green chili, I want moderate heat and minimal residual skins, seeds, stems or crowns. There are different levels of quality, and you will find less of that waste material in a higher-quality product. A note about diced Hatch green chilies: they are a potentially hazardous product and must be handled properly according to HACCP guidelines for storage. Therefore, they must be stored below any ready-to-eat foods. When storing them, I prefer to drain off some of the natural juices, only retaining enough to keep them from drying out. I prep them into the containers that we use on the line and use a perforated scoop to portion them for use in recipes.

I prefer artichoke hearts canned in their natural juices instead of a marinade. Not that I don’t like the taste of the marinade, but I use artichokes in a variety of salads, pasta dishes, pizzas and stromboli, and the marinade will overpower the other flavors. I prefer to store these in their juices, enough to cover them. They tend to be in large pieces, so I cut them in half.

I find there is a balance between retaining some of the natural juices of canned vegetables and draining them completely. On one hand, storing them on your makeline with the juices intact will preserve the quality and prevent them from drying out. On the other hand, too much juice will make for a soggy pizza or stromboli and add unwanted flavors to your pasta dishes. My preferred method is to store these ingredients on the line, with enough juice to cover the ingredients. I prefer to use a perforated portion cup or scoop so that the juice can be drained off at the time of use. I don’t find it necessary to rinse most vegetables, however, if I am using beans in a salad, I do prefer to rinse them before use.

Canned vegetables are convenient to use, easy to store, have a long shelf life, and are generally safe because the heat during the canning process kills most bacteria. That being said, it is important to handle canned goods properly to ensure the safety of your guests.

Here are a few tips for safely handling canned goods. Cans should be inspected during the receiving process. Significantly dented cans, especially if the dents are located on a seam whether it be along the lid, bottom or on the side seam should be separated from the rest of your inventory and labeled for return to your distributor. If you drop a can and cause the dent yourself, open the can immediately, place the contents in another container, and put the product into rotation. Ensure that your can opener blade is clean, sharp and in good working condition. Dirty blades can potentially contaminate food products with deadly bacteria, and dull blades can cause injuries. Partially attached lids are dangerous and can cause nasty injuries to your team. Do not store ingredients in opened cans. Place them in an NSF-approved container with a day dot as directed by your local health department guidelines.

While you may not think of canned corn as a typical ingredient in a pizzeria, corn is a creative way to bring some diversity to your menu. Take your basic green salad, add canned corn, grilled chicken, avocado, jalapeño rings and tomato for a fun southwestern salad. Zip up your ranch dressing by adding diced, canned jalapeño or green chilies and Buffalo sauce.

Elote corn or Mexican Street Corn is a dish that is typically made with roasted corn stripped from the Cobb, blended with mayonnaise, crema, Cotija cheese, and a chili lime seasoning. My version of Mexican street corn pizza is a creative spin on the popular dish. I make a white pizza, using cream cheese blended with diced, canned green chilies as the base and mozzarella cheese, drained canned corn tossed in lime juice, cayenne pepper, cumin, granulated garlic and chili powder, add grilled chicken, and jalapeño rings, and bake. Top with the seasoned corn and drizzle with a dressing made from a mixture of crema and mayonnaise and dress with fresh cilantro.

Summed up, canned veggies add efficiency and convenience to our operations, but why not have a little fun with them as well?

MELISSA RICKMAN is co-founder of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and member of the World Pizza Champions.

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Magical Pesto

Pesto is one of those magic pizza toppings that can turn the most basic pie into something really special. The classic recipe is comprised of just a few ingredients but there’s no limit to putting your own unique spin on it.

While most people associate pesto with the basil and garlic heavy version, there are quite a few traditional variations depending on what region of Italy you are in. The celebrated, and extremely delicious, pesto that is comprised of pine nuts, basil, garlic, Parmigiana Reggiano, Pecorino and extra virgin olive oil originated in Genoa in the province of Liguria. To truly make this in the Genoese way, a mortar and pestle are required. In Calabria, pesto all Calabrese consists of roasted bell peppers, garlic, black pepper, basil, cheese and olive oil. Sicily’s version is very similar but with the addition of tomatoes. Other countries have their takes on pesto such as in France you have Pistou, which is a combination of basil, parsley, crushed garlic and grated cheese. Spain makes Romesco, which is a red paste of Romesco chili peppers blended with tomatoes, sweet red peppers, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil.

Six Components to Pesto

Regardless of what type you are making, there are six components to any pesto:

Greens and herbs: Basil is the most common, but you can add or sub anything from cilantro to arugula to kale and even throw in some chives or mint. Of course, you can add other vegetables and fruits that aren’t green such as tomatoes and bell peppers.

Cheese: Traditionally aged, hard cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano are used as they have a sharp, salty flavor. But you can also use other cheeses such as Cotija, Manchego or aged Cheddar. If you want to do a vegan version there are a lot of nut cheeses out there or you can forgo the cheese entirely and add in a squeeze of lemon and an extra pinch of salt to balance it out.

Nuts or seeds: There are so many options when it comes to this component. Pine nuts are delicious but they are very pricey so a few other great options are walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and pistachios. You can enhance the flavor by toasting the nuts or seeds before adding them to the pesto.

Oil: I’m a purest when it comes to oil and almost always lean towards a good quality extra virgin olive oil. That’s not to say there aren’t other great oils out there and each has its own use.

Garlic: This is a big one and a very distinct flavor of pesto. That’s not to say you can’t substitute it for another plant in the Allium family. Spring garlic, leeks, green onions and chives will make for an interesting pesto depending on what you pair it with.

Salt and other seasonings: As with every other pizza or dish you make, the correct salt is essential. If you’re using a saltier cheese, you won’t need very much, if any at all, but don’t forget to taste the finished product.

Non-Traditional Pesto Ideas

After you’ve made your ideal pesto it’s time to put it on a pizza. Pesto is one of those toppings that go great with both veggies and meat. You can add it separately onto the pizza or use it as a marinade for other toppings such as chicken, pork, onions, kale or even a white fish or shrimp. Here are a few ideas to get you started

• Sun-dried tomato pesto with artichoke hearts, feta, Kalamata olives and red onion.
• Sunflower seed and lemon basil pesto with roasted fennel, Italian sausage and sweet onion.
• Arugula pesto with anchovies, thinly sliced lemon and breadcrumbs
• Cilantro pumpkin seed pesto with poblano chilies, Cotija, delicate squash and leeks.
• Roasted red pepper pesto with eggplant, zucchini and sweet onions.
• Pistachio pesto with mortadella and burrata.

The application of pesto is an essential part of the pizza — how and when you add it to your pie. If you put it on pre-bake you can either use it as the base of the pizza, use a squeeze bottle or pastry bag to drizzle it on or dollop it on top with a spoon. If you use it as the sauce on the base, I would recommend making the pesto itself thinner by adding more oil or even a bit of water so it’s easier to spread. The other option is to add the pesto post bake, which is my current favorite way. Putting the pesto on after it comes out of the oven is visually more appealing as it keeps its vibrant color. A squeeze bottle is also quicker and for the most part you get a better yield on the product.

Pesto is very versatile. Not only is it fantastic on pizza but it can and should be cross utilized throughout your menu. Don’t hesitate to make it into a side dish, think burrata with pesto and toasted focaccia. It can be thinned out into a dressing mixed with seasonal veggies or used as a pasta sauce option. You can marinate chicken or beef in it for toppings or something as simple as a dipping sauce.

Try this pesto pizza recipe.

Go Fish

This recipe features anchovies, Brussels sprouts, lemon and an arugula pesto.

Get the Go Fish Recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post The versatile Pesto sauce can be used as topping, base, marinade, dressing appeared first on Pizza Today.

Get The Humble Onion Pizza Ideas

Chris Decker, Founding Pizzaiolo & Partner Truly Pizza

When I was thinking of what to make next, I could not take my mind off onions. The most humble of all ingredients… always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Think about all the dishes that an onion is in to elevate that said dish. Think about how, as human beings, we are indeed like an onion where you must peel back our layers to get the real deal. Onions are used all over the world, in all types of cuisine. They are cheap, easy to cook with and readily available. What’s not to love?

I wanted to highlight this ingredient and use it in as many ways as possible. We could start with an onion cream sauce, talk caramelized onion, then sautéed leeks, then oven roasted shallot and cipollini, then scallion, then fried shallot for some crunch.  So many ways to get into this realm!

Here are some onion ideas to try out.

• Caramelized Onion.

Peel and thinly slice 2 large yellow onions and place in a pan with a half stick of butter on a very low setting. Cook for up to two hours, stirring gently until the onions turn a beautiful golden brown. Make sure to keep an eye on them as they can go from beautiful to burnt pretty quickly with too much heat or too much time on the stove.

• Sautéed Leeks.

Trim the white part of the leek away from the thicker green leaves. Thinly slice the white part and add to a pan on low heat with some good quality olive oil. Sauté for 10-15 on med/low heat, stirring as necessary not to burn. When leeks are translucent and soft, turn off heat and lightly season with salt and pepper.

• Oven Roasted Shallot and Cipollini.

Cut the cipollini and shallot into quarters and toss in olive oil, add to a roasting sheet pan and cook in your pizza oven at desired temperature. I put a rack under my pan to prevent them from burning (we cook at 550-600 F).

• Fried Shallot.

Using a Mandolin thinnest setting, slice two or three shallots and toss in seasoned flour. Fry at 350 F until they turn a light brown. Drain on a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.

• Curly Scallion.

Trim the root end of the scallion and lay scallions flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise 4-5 times to create strips. Add all the strips to a bowl and cover with ice water. Within minutes, the scallion should begin to curl. Remove scallion from ice water and pat dry.

Use these ingredients on pizza or in dishes to elevate your menu!

Chris Decker is Founding Pizzaiolo & Partner at Truly Pizza in Dana Point, California. @everythingbutanchovies

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Add the coziness of tomato soup to your specials menu

Nothing says warmth in the winter like a hot bowl of soup. The choices of cozy soups are endless. As a pizzeria, go with your strengths and that is the tomato. Not the fresh tomatoes you feature in the summertime, I’m talking about the amazing canned tomatoes that you have meticulously hand selected to use for your killer pizza sauce. Let’s use those as a base for incredible tomato soups that you can highlight on your winter specials menu.

Why add soup? First, it is an easy, prep ahead option that can store for days. Secondly, think return visits. A delicious tomato soup with your house focaccia or hot ham and cheese sandwich could be just the thing to entice customers to return for a second time in a week. Third, it’s a great option to increase check averages. Train your team to share what goes into each house-made soup.

Before we get to delicious tomato soup recipes, let’s look at how to use the canned tomatoes. Did you know that for soup applications, canned is actually the preferred product to use over its fresh counterpart? Canned has a higher concentrated flavor and a lot less prep time. In an out-of-season application, canned is the better choice over fresh “hot house” tomatoes.

Canned tomatoes come in a few varieties. Test which works best for your soup — whether it’s crushed, diced, petite diced, pureed, whole peeled or stewed. Carefully look at the ingredients in the canned tomatoes. Is it unsalted or salted? Does it contain other ingredients like garlic, herbs or even sugars? All of these can impact your finished soup. Don’t drain your canned tomatoes. Cooks refer to the juice as liquid gold. Want an extra sweet tomato kick, try adding tomato paste. The concentrated paste offers an intensified tomato flavor.

3 Cozy Tomato Soups You Should Try

These recipes are starting points. Play around with ingredients and combinations to create a soup that is uniquely yours. One of my favorite change ups is swapping out some of the canned tomatoes and substituting canned fire-roasted tomatoes. Get creative and come up with a top seller. Here are three tomato based soup recipes:

1. Tomato-Basil Bisque
2. Tomato Soup Escoffier
3. Minestrone

Take liberties with Minestrone. Just like its American counterpart (chili), cooks have created several versions of Minestrone. Try a Minestrone using what’s on your makeline.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor of Pizza Today.

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Spicy-sweet ingredients are the new bombshells of flavor.

One of the most pivotal memories I’ve had with food was when I worked as a waiter at an exclusive French restaurant in Chicago. One day, as service was winding down, my fellow waiters raided the walk-in and were cutting watermelon and cucumbers they retrieved. They squeezed lemon juice in the bowl and finished this weird combination with cayenne pepper and honey. We all jumped in and ate this concoction and from that first bite, I was hooked.  I felt the crispy grassiness and faint saltiness of the cucumber blanketed with the tart lemon, sweet honey and watermelon. It seemed perfect, then the cayenne hit me like a sucker punch to the back of my head. My eyes squinted followed by a trickle of forehead moisture. After a trepidatious second taste, I dove in again, and again, until it was gone. I had no idea what happened to my flavor appetite because I was averse to spicy heat but because of the sweetness, the heat turned into a flavor magnet for my mind. 

Spice Grinder

Sweet and spicy is so alluring because sweet ingredients reduce the sensitivity of heat sensors on the tongue creating a balanced flavor profile. Most complex and delicious pizza flavors result in a combination of tastes and textures. There are seven tastes — sweet, sour, salty, spicy, fat, bitter and umami. All of these can be combined in complimentary tastes and balancing tastes. Here is the difference between the two.

Complimentary tastes: These tastes accentuate one another to create harmony of taste. For example, sweet with fat, spicy and salty or sour with spicy.

Balancing tastes: These tastes oppose each other to create harmony. Some chefs call this a “foil,” or a contrasting flavor that prevents the heavier flavor from taking over a dish. An example of balancing tastes like spice can play down sweetness from becoming too sweet and spiciness can be mellowed out with fat and sweetness.

A perfect example of the combining flavors lies in the delicious ancient Chinese Sweet and Spicy Sesame Sauce. Complimentary flavors like red chilies keep a simple sugar sauce from being too cloying. This is combined with the balancing flavors of salty soy sauce and savory sesame paste.

Sweet Heat

Maple syrup works well on whole wheat pizzas and can be combined with a powdered spice like cayenne. The maple flavor is not too cloying and partners well with Feta, Gorgonzola, and Gruyere, as well as fresh mozzarella and walnuts. Classic examples of these syrup pairings are with blueberries and lemon, mascarpone and pistachio, caramel and pecan. Good protein pairings are pork belly, duck, bacon, ham and even foie gras. Because maple syrup is thick, it takes longer to macerate fresh-cut chilies for full flavor. Habaneros, Thai and Ancho pair well with maple syrup.

Honey is probably one of the most used sweet/spicy vehicles. Because honey is even thicker than maple syrup, it flows slower when presented on a pizza and mingles well with creamy mozzarella, Asiago, Manchego and even over stracciatella. Spicy honey is best used with berries, cream, almonds, oranges, figs, nuts, fontina cheese, mustard, pistachios and hazelnuts. Sometimes, honey will solidify due to the amount of glucose in the plants that the nectar-loving bees collect. This is remedied by immersing the glass jar in hot water.

Agave Nectar: This is a vegan alternative to hot honey but has a more neutral flavor and is thinner. It is sweeter than table sugar and doesn’t have the bitter aftertaste of some syrups which is why it works well with lemon and hot pepper flakes. I like the thickness and lusciousness of the dark agave nectar with sharp cheeses like Gorgonzola, aged Gouda, Monterey Jack, aged cheddars, and Pecorino Romano. Agave goes well with razor thin slices of Thai, Jalapeño, Serrano, and even Fatali peppers. Good with lime, almonds, cashews, salty pork, and charcuterie.

Getting Jalapeno Business

All types of chilies can be added to sweet sauces to macerate (flavor blend) into the hydration of the sauce if the chilies aren’t too large. This will facilitate the spread of flavor and spice instead of too-spicy “speed bumps” that ruin the flavor profile of any pizza. Some chilies’ powders are mixed with other flavors and labeled “chili powder blend,” or “chili seasoning mix.” Most chili powders are named after the name of the chili itself; others are named after the region where they are grown. Here are some chilies that could add power to your sweet condiments and flavor your pizzas.

Espelette pepper: This pepper was introduced into France in the 16th century and was used in medicine and for the conservation of meats. This chili powder has become a cornerstone condiment in the Northern Basque region, replacing black pepper. I love this spice because it is fruity, bright red and has a fresh smokiness without overpowering other pizza items. I use it in my blueberry duck balls with cumin and cherries and it adds a great red powder to the finish on burrata. (I used it on pizza recipe described at the end.)

Aleppo: This powder has moderate heat with fruitiness and the flavor of light cumin. This is a common condiment in the Mediterranean, Turkey, Syria and into Armenia and is named after the Silk Road spice city in Northern Syria. It is used for its perfumy sweetness like sun-dried tomatoes with an added kick of heat.

Ancho: The name of this powder is from dried poblano peppers that have been ground up. The saying is that Ancho is to Poblano what Chipotle is to Jalapeno. Ancho is hotter than regular chili powder but offers less heat and smokiness than chipotle powder. This pepper powder is famous for mole and chili seasoning. Other items shine with honey, barbeque, soups, mole, turkey, shrimp and pork. The great sweet and spicy vehicles for the Ancho powder are purees of mango, apple, pear, persimmon and orange.

Piri Piri: This hot pepper offers a blast of up to 175,000 Scoville units and is made from the dried Malgueta pepper. Originally cultivated by the colonial Portuguese in southern African territories and brought by them to other territories around the world. Piri Piri sauce has been described as “light, fresh, and herbal” by some chefs who can handle the heat. The bottled sauce is famous for its infusion of the chilies with garlic, citrus peel, onion, bay leaf, paprika, oregano and tarragon. Piri Piri is so hot that the infusion of sweetness as well as fatty meats works well. Bacon, ground pork and lamb as well as chicken with skin and braised fatty beef are nice combinations with sweetened Piri Piri.

Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken

This pizza is a wonder to behold because it has the lusciousness of lemony ricotta with the sour Asiago and melting fresh mozzarella. The grilling introduces a charred flavor and texture to the melt and the addition of the spicy lemon honey adds so much depth and pairs well with the basil and crunch of the sweet yellow peppers.

Get the Grilled Honey Lemon Chicken Pizza recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Sweet & Spicy Pizzas: Hang Fire! appeared first on Pizza Today.

Will Roman-style pizza be the 2024 pizza trend?

Back in January 2012 I used this “Man on the Street” column to predict that Roman pizza would be the next big thing. I was wrong. At the time, I was wowed by the stunning square pizzas I saw at Pizza Expo or showcased at a few brave pizzerias across the U.S. It felt like the antithesis of the stereotypical greasy slice, something that would attract the adoration of both the quick lunch crowd and gourmands alike. But as I said, I was wrong. Rome didn’t conquer in 2012, but that’s because we weren’t ready for it. As we slide into 2024 I’m digging up my prediction, dusting it off, and reconsidering the style.

I should clarify which Roman pizza I’m talking about. There are a few styles that have become associated with the city, but I’m only referring to a relatively new version. Pizza Tonda Romana is the kind of pizza you’ll find in a restaurant. It’s thin, round and flat on the edge. It looks like someone deflated a Neapolitan pizza and ironed the edges. This style isn’t seeing a rise in popularity right now. Then there’s Pizza al Metro, a long thin crispy pizza often sold in bakeries or pizza counters. It’s often sold by weight and folded into a piece of wax paper to be eaten while walking. We’re not dealing with this one either. And then there’s a curiosity called Pinsa, with a dough made from a mix of wheat flour, soy flour and rice flour. Not this one either.

The Roman Pizza on trend right now is the thick, puffy version of Pizza Al Taglio (pizza by the cut) made popular by Gabrielle Bonci when he opened Pizzarium in Rome in 2003. Unlike the Roman pizzas that came before, this version has a much higher hydration dough (at least 80 percent) with a long, cold fermentation process, and often gets topped post-bake. It’s impressive because, when done well, it’s much lighter than it looks. The texture is delicately crisp on the outside yet soft and airy on the inside. To the Instagram generation (which didn’t exist when I wrote my first Roman pizza column) it’s a visual stunner both because of its toppings and sprawling interior bubbles.

If it’s so good, why has Roman pizza taken this long to catch on in America? First we should consider that this style comes with a high level of difficulty. Roman requires techniques and ingredients different from what most American pizzerias are using. You’ll need strong flour that can hold a lot of water and a mixer that can achieve a high enough speed to incorporate and knead the ingredients. Most bakers use electric ovens and baking pans specifically made for Roman. Roman is complex enough that several schools and courses have emerged to teach the necessary techniques.

It doesn’t hurt that Roman pizza has been featured on popular TV shows like Bonci’s episode of Chef’s Table and Rob Cervoni’s win on Chopped. There’s even a Roman category at American pizza competitions. But is this really enough to resonate with the American public?

Part of me is still skeptical about Roman’s ability to become as big a trend as Neapolitan or Detroit style. It’s attractive to dough nerds and tinkerers, but might be too complex for the average pizza maker. Most of the attention being paid to it is coming from the pizza industry, not necessarily from the consumer. It’s more expensive than most other styles, especially if topped with high-end ingredients. Several Roman pizzerias have closed since my original prediction. It’s fantastic and I love it, but I’m not as convinced as I was of its broad appeal as I was 12 years ago.

Are we finally ready to accept Roman pizza al taglio into the Pantheon of American pizza? Only time will tell. I’ll probably write about it again in 2036.   

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

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Wine sales may have flattened, but now is a great time to push wine and pizza pairings

In August 2022, National Geographic in the United Kingdom published an article about how vintners in Italy were reclaiming the centuries-old traditions of connecting with the land to produce extraordinary wines. As frequent eruptions from Mt. Vesuvius have lined the fertile grounds of the Amalfi Coast with wine friendly minerals, those who grow grapes for the purpose of winemaking are enthusiastically reconnecting with the past to celebrate the heritage, as well as the future, of wine.

In the United States, as the popularity of craft beer exploded and bourbon-based cocktails came en vogue, wine’s market share dipped. Those in the wine industry are voicing optimism as we head into 2024, however. A report published by Wine Industry Advisor earlier this year indicated the beverage experienced a 2.3 percent increase of on-premise sales in 2022.

On-premise is the sweet spot for wine. As put by the Wine Industry Advisor article: “Wine’s popularity continues to be affiliated with food-led occasions.” As such, the types of wine in demand by American consumers appears to be affected by the types of dining establishments to which the masses flock. Fine dining has suffered since the pandemic. The openings of fine-dining establishments are down, which means traditional red wines that count on these diners have suffered. Table wines lost 4.2 percent of market share in 2022, according to the aforementioned article. Meanwhile, sparkling wine is more popular than ever in the United States. Sales are expected to grow 15 percent in volume by 2026, according to Wine Intelligence.

White wine is poised for strong growth as well. According to Data Intelligence, the global white wine market reached $39.4 billion in 2022. That number is expected to hit $59.1 billion by 2030. The segment enjoys a compound annual growth rate over five percent.

Will overall wine sales continue to decline in a flattened market, or is a resurgence on the horizon? It seems that question has been top of mind for many, and the wine industry is making a push to ensure its products stay in the limelight as diners continue to evolve with their preferences.

Enter Barbera — an Italian wine that many sommeliers cite as the most ideal for pairing with pizza. Its high acidity stands up well to tomato sauce. Its mild, fruity flavor — plus low-tannin quality — is appealing to consumers. So much so that much of northen Italy considers this accessible vino to be an “every day” wine. Yet, while it is hailed for its versatility and ideal for pizza, Berbera’s popularity has been on a long decline.

That may be indicative of the ever-evolving landscape in which we live. As consumers shift their tastes, the wine industry — steeped in tradition and perhaps slower to adapt to change — is learning how to respond to the new normal.

Nonetheless, wine has always been an integral part of the pizza industry. No doubt it has suffered with the heightened emphasis on delivery and carryout post-pandemic, but for dine-in pizza consumers, wine remains a staple of the experience for many. The key is to carry the right wines and market them to customers. Well-done tabletop signage and a push from servers is often all it takes. Mentioning “specials” and/or how wine XYZ “goes so well” with the Margherita or the white pie can drive traffic. Consumers enjoy hearing about pairings, and the storytelling component to wine is a great driver that allows your servers to display a knowledge that customers find entertaining.

In your next server training meeting, consider having one of your wine sales reps conduct an educational pour and pairing session. These are enjoyable and provide a nice break from the typical staff meeting.

Lastly, as we head into the holidays, wine sales tend to peak. Christmas and New Year’s are huge for the wine industry. And that presents an opportunity for pizzeria owners to offer holiday pairings designed to boost check averages. Get to work with your distributors and kitchen crew now to roll out some holiday pairings.

Since white wines are top of mind to many of your diners at the moment, now’s a good time to roll out a “White Christmas” holiday special. Bundle a white pizza of your choice with a bottle or glasses of white wine recommended by your most trusted wine rep at a price that works for you and the customer.

Need a little help with the white pie? Here’s a Pizza Today favorite to get you started.

White Pie with Speck

Get the White Pie with Speck recipe.

Jeremy White is the Editor in Chief for Pizza Today.

The post Wine and Pizza Pairings: Wine O’Clock appeared first on Pizza Today.

Creating a new pizza centers on creativity and balance

Whether you are a full-service pizzeria or a small slice shop, getting creative with your toppings and combinations is a great way to keep your regulars coming back, bring in new customers and shake things up a bit.

When I’m making a new pizza, I usually start with one specific item that I want to center the pie around. After I decide what that is, I go over its flavor profile in my mind and think about what it could be paired with, how different preparations will change the flavor and texture and how it can be optimized. Above all, the most important thing is an overall balance of the topping combinations. If I choose something that is salty, I want to smooth it out with something that adds creaminess or a hint of sweet. All of these principals can and should be applied to all ingredients whether they are meat, vegetables or sauces.

To me, having different textural elements (crunchy, chewy and creamy) on a pizza is a significant aspect of building a great pie. With this in mind, there are two ways to go about creating a fantastic pizza special — using singularly unique ingredients or preparing common ingredients in an interesting way.

The first can be something as simple as using a standout seasonal vegetable: heirloom tomatoes in the summer, delicata squash in the fall, root veggies in the winter or garlic ramps in the springs. On the other hand, you can use ingredients that are unique to where you are: Spam in Hawaii, lobster in Maine, Hatch green chile in New Mexico, or cheese curds in Wisconsin.

My favorite items to add onto pizzas have big flavor. By that I mean that they bring a good amount of heat, salt, acid or more rarely for me, sweetness. If cornered, I would probably say that my absolute favorite pizza topping is roasted jalapeños and there are a fair amount of these gracing my menu at any given time. I love their bold intensity, the slight smoke it gives off and the fact that you can pair it with everything from juicy sweets, like fresh peaches, to tart pickled cauliflower or salty meats.

When I was at Pizza Expo this year, I made pizzas alongside Lee Hunzinger. He had made a pepperoni jam so good it haunted me. I kept thinking about it, dreaming about it. So, of course I needed to make my own version. I decided to center it around the Calabrese salami that we use at my shop. Naturally I added in roasted jalapeños then reduced it with a local Colorado beer to give it a depth of flavor. Once I had what I was looking for, I thought about what would balance out the assertiveness of the jam. To temper the heat from the jalapeños I made a base of whole milk mozzarella and ricotta cheeses. Since there was no fruit in the jam, I finished it with fresh blackberries and added crunch with fresh arugula and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Now onto preparation. Certain pizza toppings are no brainers when it comes to preparation while others require more time and thought. That being said, you can turn the most common ingredient into the highlight of any pizza. Depending on what equipment you have at your shop, there are multiple ways to bring out flavors and textures in produce. Whether you roast, fry, sauté, blanch, pickle, blend or just leave veggies raw will determine how they taste and feel in your mouth and how they work with other toppings.

You can turn an unassuming leek into the star of the show with different cooking techniques. Roasting it creates an almost creamy flavor. Dusting it in flour, frying it and sprinkling on sea salt makes it the perfect crunchy finisher and pickling it will add a hit of crunch and acid. Even spinach has multiple ways that it can be prepared: piled high as the base of the pie and baked into the cheese, added post-oven for a crunchy element or blanched and then pureed with cheese for a creamy sauce.

Meat is also transformed by how you cook it and when you add it to your pizza. Take cured meats. I am usually partial to adding them post bake since the beauty of a cured meat is slicing it thin and letting it melt in your mouth. There are instances where that rule can be broken. If you have the ends of prosciutto to use up feel free to put it on pre-bake and watch it transform into salty meat croutons. Sausage, on the other hand, can taste different just by its form. If you cook it off as a link and then slice it, the taste will be texturally different than pinching it raw from bulk straight onto the pizza. Other meats, like chicken, beef or pork can be marinated, braised, grilled or roasted to add dramatic flavors to your pies.

The main component of a pizza can also be the sauce. It’s actually one of my favorite items to create. One of our most popular pies is an Amatriciana pizza. I created a sauce that was my take on the classic Italian amatriciana pasta sauce, then topped it with bacon, sweet onions and finished it with a chili oil. Not very traditional but it makes an impression and works well as a cohesive pizza. Pestos are another great way to bring out bold flavors and add color. They turn a basic roasted vegetable pizza or standard pepperoni into something spectacular. Where you put the sauce will determine how your customers taste it. If it’s on top, then it will be the first flavor that hits your tongue as opposed to under the cheese where it is a bit more disguised and blends well with the fatty creaminess of your chosen dairy.

As you can see, there are endless combinations of creative pizza toppings. Once you’ve decided on your main ingredient, what you pair it with is just a matter of balancing it out.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Pizza Combinations: The Main Ingredient appeared first on Pizza Today.

Fried Nation: Fried Appetizer Ideas

Nostalgia is hot and so are fried appetizers. Yes, I said fried. Americans love their fried delights. Some diners are looking for an escape from their daily diets, often building cheat meals into their week. Crave-worthy fried foods strike a chord with these hungry patrons, making fried foods big sellers on appetizer menus.

You could go with frying something new and creative. Fried goat cheese balls and even deep-fried garlic butter have hit TikTok. While some may be looking for the “State Fair” gimmicky fried foods, the classics will still continue to be beloved. Let’s highlight five traditional apps to test and enhance in your pizza kitchen.

Before we dive into recipes, let’s talk logistics. If you do not have a fryer and all of your food comes from your pizza oven, you can still offer some of these specialties. But it will require you to experiment to get a crispy breading in an oven as well as a baking process that will not hold up your pizza bake times.

Now let’s look at five fried appetizer staples: 

Fried Mozzarella

Get the Fried Mozzarella recipe.

Fried Caprese Nuggets

Get the Fried Caprese Nuggets recipe.

Pickle Chips

Get the Pickle Chips recipe.

Arancini

Get the Arancini recipe.

Toasted Ravioli

Get the Toasted Ravioli recipe.

The post Hot Fried Appetizers Go Classic appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pizza is clearly my number one food, but my second favorite is ice cream. They’re both simple on the surface but much deeper upon examination. Ice cream brings us back to our youth, just like pizza. It’s not uncommon to see ice cream or gelato in a pizzeria, but not all shops have the real estate to squeeze in the equipment. I’ve noticed an interesting ice cream solution popping up at hip new shops across the country that takes up less space, is easier to serve, and makes it easier to customize unique flavors. It seems like every new pizzeria I walk into has a soft serve machine. At first, I thought it was just a quirk at a few pizzerias, but the sight of soft serve has become common enough for me to think it might be the next big thing.

The soft ice cream of my childhood wasn’t very good. It was grainy and flavorless, plus it melted way too quickly. On the contrary, soft serve I get at pizzerias now is creamy and sturdy, with stiff peaks that don’t disintegrate in the summer heat. It’s more like frozen custard than the stuff you get from a Mister Softee truck in New York City.

Pizzerias that serve soft ice cream all seem to be of the upscale variety, so they’re springing for the better machines and higher quality ingredients. These are the pizzerias that obsess over their fermentation process and nitpick over the settings on their ovens, so it’s only fitting that they’re extending the concept to their dessert options. Rather than buying gallons of somebody else’s hard ice cream, they’re creating their own flavors by adding fresh fruit, concentrates, syrups, nut butters and other natural flavorings to a soft serve base.

Just last week I had a phenomenal swirl of pistachio and cantaloupe at a pizzeria in Brooklyn that creates new flavors every week. I love how they’re able to employ the concept of seasonal rotation with soft serve just as pizzerias do on their pizzas. They must love it because I buy way more soft serve when I know I’m getting a limited-edition flavor that won’t be around next time I swing by.

For the operator, soft serve has plenty of logistical benefits over hard ice cream and gelato. The machine takes up less space than a reach-in freezer, so all you need is some available counterspace. Service is faster because it doesn’t require scooping. Most machines have just two flavor banks, so the customer doesn’t spend 35 minutes tasting and choosing between a million different flavors. There’s very little cleanup and maintenance unless it’s time to swap in a new flavor.

Just like with hard ice cream, toppings are a fantastic way to notch up your soft serve. The first time I experienced high end soft serve at a pizzeria was about 12 years ago at Pizzeria Picco in Larkspur, California. This was the first time I saw extra virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt on ice cream. It was a serious revelation for me because it combined the humble experience of eating ice cream with the upscale panache of fancy unexpected toppings. This past March, Chef Wylie Dufresne opened Stretch Pizza in Manhattan. Chef Dufresne is known for his incredibly creative and playful cooking methods, so it should be no surprise that Stretch’s dessert menu features a banana soft serve with optional peanut butter dip and babka breadcrumbs.

Pizza in general is becoming more mature and thoughtful as pizza makers dig deeper into their process. It’s a joy to see that ice cream is doing the same.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

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For years I wasn’t really on the calzone train. Sure, I enjoyed them. But, to be honest, I always thought: “Why not just eat pizza? Same ingredients and I don’t need a fork.” And then one day I asked a friend who had an extensive calzone lineup. “They fly off the shelves as lunch specials,” he confided. “We rotate them. We add them as limited time
offerings during lunch. We bundle them with a side salad and a drink and they sell like crazy.”

He’s located at a busy city intersection with lots of foot traffic. Nearby offices supply him a steady stream of lunch business. It just made so much sense.

It doesn’t hurt that his calzones are light, airy, flavorful and strike just the right balance of being filling but not overly filling.

To that end, if you’d like to add calzones to your lineup let’s begin with a dedicated calzone dough. You’ll
appreciate the difference. Your customers will, too.

Calzone Dough

Get the Calzone Dough recipe.

When determining which fillings to use, there are no rules. Just like your pizza — you are working with a blank canvas. From basic and traditional (mozzarella, pepperoni) to creative, what’s holding you back? This recipe featuring spinach, mushrooms, salami and Gouda is outstanding.

Gouda Calzone

Get the Gouda Calzone recipe.

While we’re branching out here from the typical calzone options, here is a recipe that Tony Gemignani authored for Pizza Today. The radicchio and balsamic play well together.

Radicchio Calzone

Get the Radicchio Calzone recipe.

Jeremy White is the Editor in Chief for Pizza Today.

The post Calzone Crush! 3 Killer Calzone Recipes appeared first on Pizza Today.

When it comes to pizza sales, ham is a top pizza topping contender

Ham doesn’t get the fame and notoriety that other pizza toppings do these days. But don’t discount ham. When it comes to pizza sales, ham is still a top contender. In our State of the Pizzeria Industry Report, we found that ham is a Top 10 pizza topping according to pizzeria operators in every state in the U.S.

Get to the “Bottom” of Ham

Ham is cut from the hind legs and rump of a pig. Simply cooking the fresh pork is still considered ham. But when you preserve the cut, that’s where the magic happens, and America’s most popular hams are born. While you can technically preserve any cut of the pork, only hind legs and butt can be considered ham. Common cuts are the center slice, butt end and ham shank. The shank tends to be fattier than the butt end. Ham can be purchased bone-in or boneless.

Taste varies widely by purveyor. Ham is either dry-cured or brine-cured with salt. Ham can also be smoked and aged.

Let’s look at four of the most common hams for use in a pizzeria.

• City ham. These are wet cured in a brine of saltwater and pre-cooked. City ham is typically found in grocery stores. City hams offer a well-rounded favor and moist texture.
• Country ham. The dry cured ham are salted and smoked. The curing process can take several months. Country hams tend to have a more robust salty flavor and a drier texture.
• Prosciutto. The dry cured Italian ham is thinly sliced. While some favor baking it, prosciutto is at its best as a post-bake item. Prosciutto is sweet, salty and full of flavor.
• Canadian bacon. This one isn’t really ham at all, though it often gets put in the same classification. It is cut from the pork loin, cured and smoked before it is sliced into the rounds its known for.  The lean meat is tender and tastes similar to ham.

Ham is a versatile pizza topping. There are few typical pizza ingredients that do not pair well with the hearty and salty flavor of the ham of your choosing.

One of my favorite combinations is the Capricciosa that features Italian (or substitute your favorite ham), mushrooms, artichokes and olives. You could also go with anchovies, instead of olives, if you have a market for them.

Since we’ve moved into the colder months, ham is perfect on a white pie that features an Alfredo sauce. Pair it with mushrooms and even balsamic caramelized onions or broccoli.

Four words: Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza. This is one of the best sandwich turned pizzas out there. It’s hearty and flavorful. We happen to have a dynamite recipe that was created by a longtime contributor Jeffrey Freehof.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

Get the Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe.

The best ham and cheese sandwich meets pizza

I love ham and cheese sandwiches. I’m on a never-ending quest to find the right combination of cheese to pair with the saltiness of ham. Alas, a little restaurant I know makes the best ham and cheese I’ve ever had. It’s so great that I order it once a week. So, I’m using that as inspiration for a hot ham and cheese pizza. Since I’m based in Louisville, Kentucky, I’m using country ham but pick your favorite ham. I’m calling it the Oh Hot Ham and Cheese and here’s the recipe:

Oh Hot Ham & Cheese Pizza

Get the Oh Hot Ham & Cheese Pizza recipe.

The famous Hawaiian Pizza

Hawaiian Sunshine Pizza

Hawaiian pizza is one of the most popular pizzas in America. The traditional combination is tomato sauce, ham (or
bacon) and pineapple. We ended the debate of whether pineapple belongs on pizza a long time ago when the Hawaiian pizza was introduced in 1962. Sam Panopolulos is credited with creating the first Hawaiian pizza at his Satellite restaurant in Chattam, Ontario, Canada.

Over the years, several iterations of the classic Hawaiian have been introduced throughout America. Here are a few versions that we’ve seen hit big:

• Ham, pineapple, jalapeno, red sauce and mozzarella
• Chicken, ham, pineapple, BBQ sauce, mozzarella
• Prosciutto, burrata, pineapple, fresh mozzarella, basil, sweet red sauce
• Canadian bacon, pineapple, white cheddar/mozzarella blend, marinara
• Pepperoni, ham, pineapple, roasted poblanos, sweet red sauce and provolone/mozzarella blend
• Ham, bacon, pineapple, mozzarella, sweet bell pepper and red sauce

Here’s yet another take on a Hawaiian Pizza from PizzaToday.com:

Hawaiian Sunshine Pizza

Get the Hawaiian Sunshine Pizza recipe.

The post Ham on Pizza: 3 Delicious Ham Pizza Recipes appeared first on Pizza Today.

Fall Favorite: Eggplant Recipes

Eggplant has always been a favorite of mine. And it should be a favorite of yours, too! It’s a low-cost ingredient that brings both panache and profits to your menu! Throw in that it’s easy to work with, and the question begs: what are you waiting for?

To begin with, when selecting eggplant be sure to opt for ones that are heavy for their size. These provide better texture. You’re also going to want to salt eggplant and let it sit an hour before using it. This will keep your dish from getting too
watery and prevent the eggplant from soaking up too much oil as well.

Perhaps the most classic use of the ingredient is in an eggplant Parmesan dish. This is one of my favorites and provides a great vegetarian option to your customers. Give this eggplant recipe a whirl.

Eggplant Parmesan

Get the Eggplant Parmesan recipe. 

Eggplant Rollatini

Eggplant rollatini is a delicious option as well. You’re going to lightly fry here, and the results are divine when done correctly. Be sure to slice the eggplant thinly.

Get the Eggplant Rollatini recipe.

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4 Trending Chicken Pizza Recipes

Did you know that chicken is the 6^th most popular pizza topping? When we surveyed the pizzeria industry for the 2023 State of the Pizzeria Industry Report, we asked for their top pizza toppings on their menu. Chicken ranked as a Top 10 Pizza Topping.

Using Chicken in your Restaurant

Before we get to recipe ideas, let’s talk logistics of serving chicken. We assigned Melissa Rickman, owner of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, to provide tips for serving chicken in your restaurant. Here are a few takeaways from her advice:

• Go for quality over price.
• Charge for a premium chicken product.
• Avoid using raw chicken on the makeline. The risk of cross-contamination is too great.
• Don’t be afraid to used marinades and seasoning to make chicken stand out.

Check out the full article: How to source and prepare chicken for your Restaurant.

Now let’s talk breaded chicken pizzas

Breaded chicken is a great option in a pizzeria due to its versatility. Use it in apps, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas and other entrees.

We looked through our archives and this isn’t the first time that breaded chicken hit a hot trend. Gotcha Covered: Breaded chicken makes a great pizza topping, Pizza Today looked at delicious possibilities with breaded chicken.

Need inspiration for your own specialty breaded chicken pies? Consider the following combinations:

• Chicken Parmesan (breaded chicken, tomato sauce and mozzarella).
• Chicken-Bacon-Ranch (cheese, bacon, breaded chicken and tomatoes with buttermilk ranch dressing drizzle).
• Tex-Mex Chicken (either red or green enchilada sauce topped with corn, diced breaded chicken, chilies, cheese, cilantro and drizzled in salsa).
• Barbecue Chicken (barbecue sauce topped with cheese, breaded chicken, bell peppers and onions).

Go to Gotcha Covered: Breaded chicken makes a great pizza topping.

Trending Breaded Chicken Pizza Recipes that Customers Love

There are four tried and tested breaded chicken pizzas that are instant hits on menus. Depending on your customer base and region, one of these may be even more of a smash. Test these four trending breaded chicken pizza recipes in your kitchen.

1. Tony’s Trending Recipe: Chicken Parm Pizza

2. Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza

3. Boneless Buffalo Wing Pizza

4. Chicken “Cordon Blacon

Do you have a creative breaded chicken pizza? Tag us @PizzaToday a photo of it on social.

The post Breaded Chicken as a Pizza Topping is What’s Hot! appeared first on Pizza Today.

Have you ever had a dessert in your life? The answer is no, you never have. You’ve had red velvet cake, buttercream cake, peach cobbler, Deluxe Dutch Molten Volcano Pudding Surprise, or any other super wordy dessert name variation. Still, you’ve never had dessert because dessert is simply the title of what the category is, not the actual item itself. But often in a restaurant, servers come to the table at the end of the meal asking, “Anyone got room for dessert?” If you have a sweet tooth, you might say, “What do you have?” -— essentially having this customer do the work of the server. It’s a much harder hill to climb when you approach selling dessert that way.

Mike Bausch, owner, Andolini’s Pizzeria

Dessert is an easy incremental revenue item that every restaurant should advantageously seek to sell. Because desserts typically have sugar as the primary ingredient, they’re incredibly cheap and highly profitable.

So the goal should not be to merely have a dessert menu but rather to maximize the exposure and likelihood of selling dessert to as many customers as possible. To do this the approach must be procedural, not random.

Here’s how you increase that likelihood. First and foremost, come up with a long-winded name for every one of your desserts. Instead of basic cookies, they should fulfill a name like double-chunk, half-baked smoreos cookies, which is unique and entices the purchaser. The goofier and more unique the better. At the end of a meal, people also think, “I’m full, and I don’t want to spend any more money.” After a customer has eaten is the exact worst time to offer them dessert. If you want to sell desserts at a higher rate, you need servers coming by after they take the meal order before the food arrives. A pop-in to the table with this statement works great, “Hey, I just wanted to tell you about ……..” And then detail each item by name. It would be even better if they could swing it by visually, showing off the actual dessert items, to let the people start to think about it.

Ideally, you have a very hard-to-make dessert, and the server HAS to make this early sale because: “We have a limited amount.” Or “It takes more time to make this item. If you want it, I need to get it going now.” So you build exclusivity and intrigue at the most likely time of wanting to purchase it and secure the order while the customer is still hungry. After that, it’s just about delivering on the promise.

Now, these tips work great for a dine-in restaurant experience. However, if it’s on the phone or at a counter, that person could still sell better than a computer if they position it and ask about it like an invitation to a party, not an additional priced item. Case in point, “Would you like to spend $5.95 for cookies also?” Or, “Extra, double-chunk cookies with that ???!” Getting the customer to say, “Sure, why not?” As opposed to, “I don’t know if I want to add any more to this order.”

For online ordering, the ideal is to have a pop-up box, like the big boys do, after getting their main entree items in the cart. If your online portal does not have that ability, then if nothing else, have a great description and a fantastic, well-photographed version of your desserts to increase the likelihood of purchase. Do these tips, and you’ll see your dessert sales exponentially increase.

The post Mike’s Monthly Tip: You’ve Never Had Dessert. appeared first on Pizza Today.

Keep it cozy with Cold Weather Pizza Toppings

After a record-breaking hot summer in much of the U.S., we are ready for cooler temperatures. Are your fall and winter menus prepared to provide that cold-weather comfort? Just as summer tomatoes bring a freshness to your summer menu, look to cozy ingredients to warm up your customers when the temperatures go cool.

September is a perfect time to plan those cold-weather specialty menus. Before I dive into creative cozy pizza ideas, let’s reflect on your seasonal successes. You don’t have to start from scratch with your fall and winter pizza menus, go to your well for great pizzas that have worked.

During the pandemic, I offered some advice for changing up your fall menu. With cost of goods and inflation, that advice is still sound as you plan your fall and winter menus. Here are my five tips to help mitigate some of that risk of changing up your menu seasonally:

1. Go with your proven winners.
2. Look back to your sales reports from the past three to five years and find those fall and winter menu specials. Which fall and winter debut items were hits and which were duds?
3. Odds are you will find common ingredients that customers loved and ingredients that your market just didn’t care for. If you are unable to access item-by-item data history, scour your past fall and winter special social media posts. Were there items that garnered more attention than others?
4. Once you have a list of the popular fall and winter ingredients for your market, it’s time to think labor. Now may not be the time to roll out a labor-intensive new item. Instead try preparation and cooking techniques that do not strap your kitchen crew. Choose methods that can be prepped ahead or are already a part of your makeline.
5. Now it’s time to get creative in your kitchen. Try pairing seasonal items with those can’t-miss ingredients. People may be willing to get out of their pizza comfort zone if they see pepperoni or sausage on that a new fall or winter item.

Make pizza extra cozy with a white sauce

Pizza is already one of America’s best comfort foods. What can make pizza extra cozy? There are ingredients that are more filling. Here are a few ingredients to try on your cold-weather pizza:

White Sauces, from bechamel and Alfredo to thicker cheese-based sauces give the heftier feel.

Start with a basic bechamel sauce: Here is a basic bechamel sauce recipe. 

From there, let’s talk add-ins. You could go with cheese like Parmesan, bleu cheese, Gruyère, white cheddar or goat cheese. Roasted garlic always works well in a white sauce. Try other ingredients to change it up and make it your own — roasted red pepper, mushrooms, your favorite hot sauce or roasted hot pepper. Try herbs and seasonings like cayenne, onion powder, paprika, parsley, rosemary, saffron or sage. Even lemon can be that missing ingredient.

Look to heartier produce as pizza toppings

Now that we’ve concocted the perfect white sauce, it’s time to think about veggies. Luckily, there are some hearty varieties that will pair well with your version of a white sauce.

Let’s look at some fall and winter vegetable options: butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, other winter squash, beetroot, carrots, Brussels sprouts, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, collard greens, mustard greens, kale, onion, shallots, leeks, radicchio and escarole.

I’m sure as you peruse the list, you’re thinking “how can I incorporate these atypical ingredients onto my pizza menu?” Start with more recognized favorites like squash, pumpkin and potatoes. You can roast these or even go a step further and puree them. People tend to sweeten up pumpkin and squash with brown sugar, honey and cinnamon. Play with flavoring. I challenge you to try combinations on the savory side like sage or rosemary. Hit them with lemon juice.

Onto the Recipes

I’ve included two very basic recipes for you to work your magic on. Your homework assignment is to add your own spin to the pizzas, whether that is incorporating a protein or seasoning them up. Whatever you come up with, tag us on social
@PizzaToday. Go get creative!

Butternut Squash & Gorgonzola Pizza Recipe

Butternut Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza

Potato, Bacon & Provolone Pizza Recipe

Potato, Bacon & Provolone Pizza

The post Plan Now for Fall and Winter Pizza Toppings appeared first on Pizza Today.

Restaurant Recipe Creation from Concept to Reality

Often a recipe can be all title and no substance. The quattro formaggi pizza doesn’t amount to much if one of the four kinds of cheese is Velveeta. Like having a movie script start with the title instead of the story — i.e., snakes on a plane instead of a well-crafted script that naturally gains a title. Curating great food is a culmination of balance, structure and creativity to value the consumer’s palette above anything else. After that, it’s operational awareness and knowing how to execute it effectively. Hence, all staff and customers are keenly aware of this item’s value proposition and why they should buy it. Here is my process for achieving that.

New Menu Item Conceptualization

Any great recipe starts with inspiration, whether a spin on something you’ve had yourself or something unique. The best recipes come from items you long to eat yourself. They don’t come from simply seeking to people please, without a heart behind it, to make the best possible thing. Even making a gluten-free pizza, assuming you have no gluten intolerance, must still be made from a place of intrigue and dedication to greatness because no one wants to go to the second-best pizza place in town. Then once you’re inspired, it’s time to create and make the best version possible. If you have proficient culinary staff, a quarterly menu submission meeting is a great team builder and an opportunity to freshen up a menu.

Testing and Agreement

Once the concept is ready, it’s time for it to take a tangible form. Prepare your pizza, taste it, refine it and repeat this process until you hit the sweet spot where the best creation possible has been achieved. The testing phase is a series of trials and errors, incorporating feedback from your staff, customers who dig you, and people who don’t care if they tell you something you don’t want to hear.

Process Creation

Upon successfully testing the new recipe, the next step is establishing a comprehensive process that enables the kitchen team to recreate the same pizza consistently. A well-documented process should specify each ingredient’s weight or volume, prep order, cooking times, temperatures, if applicable, and every other detail that ensures consistency and quality. Specificity is your friend on a recipe. The process creation step is the blueprint that helps transform your unique concept into a replicable product.

Meanwhile, training your staff to prepare the new recipe ideally is another significant aspect. Knowledgeable and skilled kitchen staff are the backbone of your operations. Having staff cook the new item off a few times to learn it with repetition ensures a run on the new item goes well. Additionally, having staff try the pizza so they can speak to it and sell it in their voice should occur from the kitchen test runs of the recipe.

Ingredient Sourcing

The next stage is to source the right ingredients. If you made the recipe from items purchased at a grocery store, it’s time to find it affordably sold in bulk from your supplier. You can only price it out once you know what you can legitimately and consistently produce the item for.

In-House Menu, Description and Pricing

Once the item is ready to hit your restaurant’s floor, you must prepare it for its digital debut. Integrating the recipe into your in-house menu involves having a solid description and menu placement with a price that justifies its unique value proposition and exceeds the target profit margin. The price should be based first on food cost, then what it’s comparable to in the market, and last but not least, what you can sell it for if it’s so unique and special that it’s a must to try it.

Menu Synchronization

With the new items ready for its launch, it’s time to synchronize all your menus – in-house, takeout, catering and online. Every platform must reflect this new addition, ensuring a cohesive customer experience across all ordering channels. I find it easier to print and prepare all the materials and change everything out Sunday night after closing so you can come in Monday ready to rock with a new menu. If you are doing one item with a slow rollout, that’s fine too, but eventually, the extensive process needs to occur if the item is a winner.

Online Presence and Delivery Services Menu Updates

In this digital era, a significant chunk of your business might come from online platforms. Ensure your new recipe’s description, price and pictures are updated on your website and other online delivery services. Remember, your online menu serves as a virtual gateway to your pizzeria. It’s your digital front door, and having a bad one is like a restaurant with the open sign not turned on.

Marketing and Promotion

The last step is a proper launch with pinpoint targeted marketing. Use all the tools in your marketing arsenal, including social media platforms, e-mail newsletters, and in-house promotions. Organize more food tastings for staff day of launch, push your promotions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and ensure a consistent marketing message across all channels. Invite the news to try the new items; you never know what might get picked up on a slow news day. A press release is not out of the question and costs nothing if you do it yourself.

If that’s not your speed, direct messaging people with large followings in your community to try the new item on you, i.e., free, is an easy and also low-cost way to get your fast social presence for the item. This sounds like influencer marketing, and it is, but go after people with influence to your demo, not people who advertise themselves as paid influencers. In Tulsa, the television weather people carry more social clout and followers than the average MLM marketer who wants constant paid freebies.

In Summary

The recipe process from concept to a tangible offering on your menu is a detailed and comprehensive system that demands a blend of creativity, precision, and business acumen. Every pizza that leaves your kitchen is not just a food item but a testament to your dedication, hard work and commitment to delivering value to your customers. If it’s not, you are selling a commodity — and commodities only fight in a race to be the cheapest, not the best.

Mike Bausch is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Instagram: @mikeybausch

The post Proper Recipe Creation appeared first on Pizza Today.

Discover Detroit-Style Pizza

Detroit style pizza is a square, deep dish pizza that is known for its racing stripes sauce on top, cheese crust crown and light crust. Whether you call them red tops or square pizza, Detroit-style pizza is a unique pizza style that hast become one of the hottest pizza styles and one of the most popular pizzas in the U.S.Pizza Today has amassed a library of resources on Detroit pizza. In this guide, you’ll learn about Detroit style pizza’s characteristics, history, dough, recipes, best Detroit pizza and more.

Detroit Pizza Guide Table of Contents

1. What is Detroit Style Pizza?
2. What Makes Detroit-Style Pizza Different?
   1. The dough
   2. The proofing process
   3. The pans
   4. Toppings and cheeses
   5. Deck oven baking
3. What makes a Detroit Pizza a Detroit Pizza?
   1. Detroit Style Pizza Dough
   2. Detroit Style Pizza Pan
   3. The Detroit Cheese Crown Pizza
   4. What is Brick Cheese on Detroit pizza?
   5. Why is it called a Detroit Red Top?
4. Detroit Style Pizza Recipe
   1. 3 Detroit Pizza and Detroit Pizza Dough Recipes
5. Best Detroit Style Pizza
   1. Best Detroit Style Pizza in Detroit
   2. Detroit-Style Pizza went national
6. Detroit Pizza vs Chicago
   1. What is the difference between Detroit-Style and Chicago-Style Pizza?
7. What is the difference between Detroit and New York Pizza?
8. How To Reheat Detroit Style Pizza
9. Detroit Style Pizza gets a National Food Holiday

What is Detroit Style Pizza?

Detroit-style pizza has gone national and international. Until a decade ago, Motor City visitors would ask, “what is a Detroit style pizza?” Detroit natives just called it pizza. The Detroit style deep dish pizza is unique and unlike any other pizza style. Today, Detroit-style pizza can be found across the United State and around the world.

Detroit-style pizza originated at Buddy’s Pizza in Detroit, Michigan, in 1946.

The square pie can be traced back to who created Detroit style pizza. Buddy’s Rendevous Pizzeria. According to Buddy’s Pizza’s own history on its website, “The Detroit-style Pizza legacy began at Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria on Six Mile and Conant Street on Detroit’s East Side when in 1946 Gus Guerra and team made their first square-shaped pizza. Baked in forged-steel pans borrowed from local automotive plants, they were able to produce a very light and crispy crust which is now known as Detroit-Style Pizza. This was the first known square pizza in the U.S.”

Listen to Buddy’s Pizza CBO Wes Pikula on The Hot Slice Podcast. Detroit-style pizza is trending across the country. This week, we talk to Chief Branding Officer Wes Pikula of Buddy’s Pizza, the original Detroit style. Discover more about Buddy’s, the development of the Detroit pizza and how the legendary pizza company is in full growth mode.

It wasn’t until a pizza maker Shawn Randazzo, who owned Detroit Pizza Company, won Pizza Maker of the Year and placed first in the Pan Division with a Detroit pizza at the 2012 International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. This was the first time a Detroit pizza took the top honor at the international pizza competition.

What Makes Detroit-Style Pizza Different?

There are several characteristics of the Detroit style pizza that separates it from any other style. The late Shawn Randazzo, who owned Detroit-Style Pizza Company in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, helped take the style national when he consulted with pizzerias across the country teaching the Detroit style. He said in “Do it Detroit style” kitchen feature: “One of the most unique aspects of Detroit-style pizza is its square shape due to the fact that it is prepared in square steel pans. Detroit was experiencing a boom in automotive manufacturing in the 1940s, and the pans used to bake the first Detroit-style pizzas were also used as small parts trays at auto plants. Square steel pans are still used to prepare authentic Detroit-style pizza today.”

Detroit pizza is distinctively unique down to how its dough is proofed, the baking process, ingredients used and how to apply toppings.

A brief look at what makes Detroit pizza different from Shawn Randazzo’s Do It Detroit Style feature:

• The dough.

Detroit-style pizza features a medium-thick crust that’s light and airy on the inside, yet crispy on the outside, a signature of authenticity that’s achieved by a high moisture content (between a 68- and 72-percent hydration level) and the proofing process. Preparing your Detroit-style pizza dough takes care and attention to detail.

• The proofing process.

There are two ways to proof Detroit-style pizza dough. For the first method, you refrigerate the dough for a 24-hour cold fermentation period, which can enhance taste and texture. After 24 hours, you can press the dough out into the pans, making sure it is consistently even throughout the entire pan. Once fully pressed out, let it rise to a thickness of between one inch and one and one-quarter inch. At this point, the dough is ready to bake.

• The pans.

As mentioned, Detroit-style pizza is baked in square steel pans. We season our pans through a multi-step process that protects the pans and makes pizza more flavorful with each bake. Over time, the oils from the pizzas you bake will lend a natural seasoning to your pans. Like an old friend once said, “Like fine wine, Detroit-style pizza pans improve with time.”

• Toppings & cheeses.

Traditionally, a layer of pepperoni lines Detroit-style pizza crust. Next, cheese is spread evenly across the entire pizza, edge to edge, covering the pepperoni. Brick and mozzarella cheese blends are the most authentic, and brick cheese can be blended with other cheeses as well. However, there are substitutes that can be used in areas where brick cheese is difficult to obtain or extremely pricey. After the cheese is applied, any additional toppings can be placed on top.

• The sauce.

Ladling red sauce on last is one of the signatures of Detroit-style pizza, which is why it has earned the nicknames “red top pizza” and “upside down pizza.” You can craft your own red sauce recipe, but it’s best to begin with ground tomatoes as the base. The sauce is simmered until it’s ready to use, and it’s traditionally applied to Detroit-style pizza after baking. Some pizzerias apply it before baking, which does not jeopardize authenticity — but it can affect the bake due to high moisture content.

• Deck oven baking.

Detroit-style pizza is baked in deck ovens, which admittedly take some time to master. Training your kitchen staff to properly use deck ovens is critical to consistent baking. Natural gas-fired deck ovens with stone or steel decks are fired from the bottom so they don’t dehydrate vegetables and other toppings like forced air conveyor pizza ovens tend to do.

Now’s let’s go deeper in Detroit Pizza characteristics.

A Detroit pizza being made at the International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

So, what makes a Detroit Pizza a Detroit Pizza? 

According to Buddy’s site: “The style flips traditional pizza on its head by beginning with double proofed dough perfectly fit to a square pan – a process that allows the dough to rise and be stretched twice – followed by the backwards layering of toppings.”

There are several factors that makes a Detroit pizza a Detroit pizza, including its dough process, how the dough is proofed, oven baking and how ingredients are staged.

Detroit Style Pizza Dough

Dough Expert Laura Meyer has covered Detroit style pizza dough extensively. In her Knew to Know article, she explained, “In terms of dough process, I managed to speak with someone within the Buddy’s company; but unfortunately, I am not privy to specific proprietary information. What I could gather is that they, like a lot of pizzerias in Detroit, are doing it the same way they always have or as close to the same as possible. They are using fresh yeast, a mid- to low-range protein flour, and there is no browning agent and no fat or very little fat in the dough. For water I suspect a lower hydration not exceeding 60 percent. The dough is made same day and is proofed in the pan for a number of hours before being cooked. The representative from Buddy’s explained to me that it “should be light and crunchy”. During my eating tour of Detroit, I noticed the height of each pizza was only about one to 1.5 inches and had a crumb structure that was tighter with many small bubbles. There was a crunch on the bottom, but it was never super distinct. It was the type of crunch that you get from contact with the pan and length of cook time, but not the thicker and more sturdy crunch you get from higher hydration.”

Get a Detroit-style Pizza Dough Formula Recipe, including detailed dough process from Dough Expert Laura Meyer in Knead to Know: The Tenets of Detroit-style Pizza, Part II.

Detroit Style Pizza Pan

An example of the Detroit Style Pizza pan

Originally Detroit pizzas were made to readily available auto manufacturing’s small parts trays because they were available and found in abundance in the Motor City.. Those auto parts pans are hard to come by today. But pizza pan manufacturers have stepped in to provide pans that meet the expectations for operators to bake a Detroit-style pizza. LloydPans is featured in our Product Showcase with 8″×10″, and 10″×14″ inch Detroit-Style Pans. See more on LloydPans’ Detroit Style Pizza Pans.

The Detroit Cheese Crown Pizza

Cheese crown at Hunny’s Pizza, Saline, Michigan

It’s unclear whether the cheese crusted crown edging a Detroit pizza is an original trait. But today, it is a signature that pizzerias across the country have strived to outdo each other on the Instagramability of cheese crown on a Detroit-style pizza. Follow hashtags like #cheesecrown on Instagram.

To create the cheese crown, pile extra cheese along the edge of the well-seasoned and oiled pan. After the bake, use a metal spatula to carefully extract the pizza, keeping the crispy crown intact.

What is Brick Cheese on Detroit pizza?

A signature component that makes a Detroit pizza a Detroit pizza is Brick Cheese. What is Brick Cheese? Brick cheese is a Wisconsin semi-hard, cow’s milk cheese that gets its name from the bricks used to press out the moisture in the cheese. It’s a mild and buttery flavored cheese but can get more pungent and tangy as it ages. Pizza makers are experimenting with various ages of brick cheese on Detroit pizza. Brick cheese is often blended with mozzarella. In past, brick cheese was hard to find. Today, many main line distributors carry Brick cheese.

Why is it called a Detroit Red Top?

The reason why you hear Detroit pizzas being called Detroit Red Top is due to the red sauce that is applied to the top of the pizza.

In Motor City Pizza, Jeff Smokevitch says, “The sauce is usually applied before the final bake for par-baked pies. Although gaining recent popularity is the technique of applying pizza sauce after the final bake (raw bake or par bake). Most of the older operators in Detroit will apply their pizza sauce before a raw bake. If applying after the final bake, make sure your pizza sauce is in a hot holding container of 135 F or above. Sauce is a heavy ingredient for the pie. When you apply the sauce, it should be based on the strength of the dough.”

Detroit Style Pizza Recipe

How to make a Detroit style pizza by following one our recipes built by pizza masters and pizza dough experts. The Detroit Style Pizza Dough Recipe As many pizzeria recipe ingredients are proprietary, we have enlisted the best pizza makers in the U.S. to create Detroit Style Pizza Recipes for you to try in your kitchen. Our recipes provide detailed how to make and bake a Detroit style pizza.

Before we get into specific Detroit style pizza and dough recipes, watch as World Pizza Champion Jeff Smokevitch shares how to make detroit style pizza at home in this how-to video:

Detroit Style Pizza Recipes: Try 3 Detroit Pizza and Detroit Pizza Dough Recipes

Jeff Smokevitch instructs on how to make a Detroit style pizza during his demo at Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

1. Smoke’s Detroit-Style Dough Recipe. Jeff Smokevitch is a World Pizza Champion who brought Detroit Style Pizza to Colorado — first to Telluride at Brown Dog Pizza, then to Denver and beyond with Blue Pan Pizza. Follow this Detroit pizza recipe. Jeff Smokevitch leads a demonstration at Pizza Expo to teach how to make a Detroit-style pizza. You can also watch him as he created a Detroit pizza in his home kitchen.
2. Detroit-Style Pizza Dough by John Arena. Co-owner of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas, John Arena is a go-to pizza dough expert. He shares his Detroit pizza recipe that includes a Poolish for Detroit-Style Pizza Dough. His recipe walks you through the dough process, dough fermentation and room temperature proof.
3. Tony’s Trending Recipe: Detroit Pizza. Tony Gemignani is a world-famous pizza master and restaurateur with over 30 restaurants, most notably Tony’s Pizza Napolentana in San Francisco. His recipe pays tribute to Shawn Randazzo. He says, “I remember having Shawn Randazzo in one of my seminars several years ago and telling the audience that this guy may win it all the next day … and he did. The following year Jeff Smokevitch won with his Detroit pizza. It was a style that was relatively new to the competition circuit, and it was a beginning of a renaissance. Here is a recipe of one of the most popular Detroit pizzas at my restaurants. I call it The Motorhead.”

>> Explore Pizza Dough Recipes for Top Trending Pizza Styles including Detroit, New York, Grandma, Sicilian, Chicago Thin and Deep Dish. <<

Best Detroit Style Pizza

Since Detroit style pizza went mainstream more than a decade ago. Pizzerias across the country are trying the match the Motor City pizzerias who made the style famous. Buddy’s Pizza, Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant and Loui’s.

Detroit Red Top Pizza at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco

As Detroit style pizza grow across the country, pizzerias outside of the Motor City became famous for their Detroit pizza. Brown Dog Pizza in Telluride and Denver, Colorado-based Blue Pan have made national best pizza lists for their Detroit-style pizzas. Austin, Texas-based Via 313 was named Pizza Today’s Pizzeria of the Year in 2020 and received investment to take the Detroit style brand to more states.

There are a host of pizzerias throughout the country who are serving up “Detroit inspired” pizza and gaining national and international attention. One of the best rated Detroit-style pizza places actually reside in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Toni’s Detroit Pizza according to Yelp’s Top Pizza Spots.

At the International Pizza Challenge 2024 during Pizza Expo in Las Vegas Charlie Webb, (50.59) Hudson & Packard, Poughkeepsie, New York, placed Second in the over Pan Division and won the Shawn Randazzo Memorial Award with the top scoring Detroit style pizza. See how well Detroit style pizzas performed at the International Pizza Challenge.

Best Detroit Style Pizza in Detroit

Buddy’s Pizza

Who has the best Detroit Style Pizza in Detroit? Buddy’s Pizza has long held the title of starting the pizza style. The legendary pizzeria has also been named best pizza on national and international pizza lists. Other Detroit pizza places have also garnered attention for their Detroit Style Pizza including Cloverleaf Bar & Restaurant in Eastpoint was founded by Gus Guerra after selling Buddy’s. Detroit Style Pizza Company was founded by World Pizza Champion Shawn Randazzo who went on to help take Detroit Style pizza national before his passing in 2020.  Shield’s Other hot pizzerias that have garnered a reputation for having some of the best Detroit style pizza in Detroit include Green Lantern Pizza, Loui’s Pizza, Amar Pizza, Palazzo Di Pizza, Como’s Restaurant, Amico’s Pizza and others.

Plenty of articles have come out ranking the best Detroit Style Pizza in Detroit. Some of the more prominent rankings include:

16 Places Dishing Up Detroit-Style Pizza — Eater Detroit

The Absolute Best Pizza In Detroit, Ranked — Tasting Table

The Essential Places to Eat Pizza in Detroit — Food&Wine

Jet’s Pizza was one of the first Pizza Chains to introduce a Detroit pizza. The pizza company celebrates National Detroit Style Pizza Day with specials each year.

Detroit-Style Pizza went national

One indicator that a regional style has reached national status is when America’s largest pizza chains start offering the pizza style. Detroit-style pizza landed on the menu of the biggest pizza companies in the U.S. Sterling Heights, Michigan-based Jet’s Pizza is a growing national pizza chain may have been the first franchise to take Detroit style pizza national. Jet’s has been serving Detroit style pizza for over 40 years. Today, Jet’s Pizza has more than 400 locations in 21 states. Pizza Hut introduced a Detroit Style Pan Pizza limited time offer in 2021. Though founded in Detroit in 1959, Little Caesars debuted its Detroit-Style Deep Dish Pizza in 2022.

Listen to Jet’s Pizza Owners on The Hot Slice Podcast. This episode is dedicated to one of the COVID-19 Pizzeria Impact Stories that we’re featuring all month. Jet’s Pizza is one of America’s largest pizza companies with hundreds of locations in 19 states, helping move Detroit-style pizza mainstream. Listen to an engaging roundtable discussion with Jet’s Pizza leadership, including Jimmy Galloway, Vice President of Franchise Sales; John Jetts, President; and Jeff Galloway, Vice President of Store Operations. Learn what the pizza company experienced during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Frozen pizza brands are also getting in on the action. Costco has a Motor City Pizza frozen pizza line, now also available at Kroger and Target. Another frozen pizza brands offering a Detroit style is Digiorno.

Detroit Pizza vs Chicago

Detroit pizza is very different from it Great Lakes neighbor Chicago. Both have long histories of introducing their own regional pizza styles. Chicago deep dish went national long before Detroit. Both are considered deep dish pan pizzas but they look and taste very different.

What is the difference between Detroit-Style and Chicago-Style Pizza?

While both are deep dish pan pizzas, the similarities between Detroit pizza and Chicago deep  dish end there. Let’s look at what Chicago Deep Dish style pizza is. In Going Deep, Katie Ayoub outlines, “This unique pie stands out with a crisp, biscuit-like crust that comes up the sides of a three- inch pan. It’s thick with cheese and other ingredients, and then topped with a chunky tomato sauce and baked for 30 to 45 minutes.”

The crust is a lot different. In Deep Dish Pizza, Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann says “the thickness of the crust and the overall heft separate deep-dish from, say, thin-crust pizza. Another difference is that deep-dish pizza is formed and baked in a deep-sided (usually 2 inches high) pizza pan that has been seasoned to the point that it is black. Also, the size and amount of dough require that the pizza be baked longer that a thin-crust pizza (while some shortcuts involving parbaking the crust have been tried, this doesn’t work in favor of a well-made deep-dish pie). The fact is that the longer oven time tremendously enhances the flavor.”

Detroit has a much taller crust with crunch. Detroit Pizza crust is often describe as “looks like a brick, tastes like a feather”. In Tenets of Detroit Style Pizza, Laura Meyer notes, “I noticed the height of each pizza was only about one to 1.5 inches and had a crumb structure that was tighter with many small bubbles. There was a crunch on the bottom, but it was never super distinct. It was the type of crunch that you get from contact with the pan and length of cook time, but not the thicker and more sturdy crunch you get from higher hydration.”

What is the difference between Detroit and New York Pizza?

Short answer: everything! There could not be any two pizza crusts that any more different than New York Style Pizza and Detroit style pizza. Detroit is a thick, pan pizza while New York thin crust is applied directly to deck ovens. In a Q&A with John Arena, pizza champion Derek Sanchez says, “Our target is light, full of air, crispy yet tender, great structure, foldable and fermented to just the right flavor profile.”

The crust height is a huge difference. New York style pizza crust should be about 1/8-inch thick through the middle with a raised edge. Detroit can up up to 1.5 inches high with toppings and cheese to the edge.

Get a detail description and a New York Pizza Dough recipe in New York New York.

How To Reheat Detroit Style Pizza

Send customers home with pizza reheating instructions. Find out how to reheat Detroit Style Pizza now. The skillet seems to be the preferred method of reheating. We suggest if you have cast iron, it will give it that added crunch. Heat the pan to medium, add pizza and cover. Heat for 5 minutes.

Others good ways to reheat Detroit pizza is by using a toaster over or conventional oven. You can also reheat pizza in an air fryer.

Detroit Style Pizza gets a National Food Holiday

National Detroit Style Pizza Day is held annually on June 23. The origin of National Detroit Style Pizza Day can be traced back to the Motor City. Detroit May proclaimed June 23 Buddy’s Pizza Day in 2011. In honor of Buddy’s Pizza’s 75th Anniversary, the date was also made into the National Detroit Style Pizza Day in 2021. Check out the other nine Can’t Miss Pizza Holidays.

Detroit is a one of the hottest pizza trends in America

Each year, Pizza Today surveys pizzeria operators in U.S. to get a gauge on the hottest pizza trends in the U.S. Detroit Style Pizza was the biggest pizza trends in 2023. Learn more about how Detroit ranked in our 2024 Pizza Industry Trends Report. In a short decade, Detroit-style pizza has risen to the 7th in pizzas offered in American pizzerias. When we asked what style pizzeria operators intend to add in the next year, Detroit pizza was No. 1. We also sought to find out what the biggest trend was in the pizza industry today and Detroit was a top answer.

The post Detroit Style Pizza: A Guide to Detroit Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

7 Corn Recipes to Try Right Now

It’s corn. A year after a kid went viral with his declaration of corn’s deliciousness. His words are top of mind as we see piles of corn on the cob at farmer’s markets and grocery stores.

“It’s corn. A big lump with knobs. It has the juice (it has the juice). I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing. It’s corn”

We couldn’t agree more, Tariq.

Try these 7 corn pizza recipes for summer or any time

Once July hits and into August and September farm fresh corn on the cob is plentiful in many parts of the United States. Explore summer corn recipes. Since we are Pizza Today, we are sharing corn recipes in the best way, corn on pizza.

Try these seven corn pizza recipes:

1. Summer Corn Pie

   This is a light, vegetarian pizza that features fresh shucked corn, red onion, green chilies, Cotija and mozzarella cheeses and cilantro.

2. Pulled Pork & Sweet Corn Pizza

   Tony Gemignani created this pizza and highlights two summer grilling favorites: pulled pork and sweet corn. The pulled pork is seasoned with brown sugar, orange wedges, Serrano peppers, habanero, tamarind, dark Agave nectar, red bell pepper, white onion, salt & black pepper. The finished pizza pairs the sweet corn and pork with cilantro, salt, queso fresco and a orange wedge.

3. Big Southwest Beef and Corn Pie with Pepper Jack

   John Gutekanst created this balanced white pie. The pizza features a bechamel sauce, fior di latte mozzarella, pepper jack, southwestern seasoned ground beef, corn and topped with smashed tortilla chips. Watch a how-to video.

4. Corne Asada Pizza

   This Corne Asada Pizza recipe came to us from Johnny Gilbreth, co-owner of Pizza Tree in Columbia, Missouri. He created the unique pizza to pay homage to the street taco.

5. Poblano Corn Pizza

   This pizza is first brushed with a blend of oil and green pepper hot sauce. It pairs sweet corn with roasted Poblano pepper and Cotijo cheese.

6. Hatch Green Chile Pie

   Audrey Kelly, owner of Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado, created this recipe that pairs sweet corn with Hatch green chilies, roasted garlic and pancetta.

7. The Whole Package Pizza

   Chris Decker, managing partner at Metro Pizza and Truly Pizza, recreated those firepit foil packs in pizza form. His creation features kielbasa sausage, potatoes, fresh corn, BBQ sauce and green onion.

This should help you get your kitchen creativity going with how to use fresh summer sweet corn in your restaurant. Try a few of these and don’t be afraid to add your own spin to them.

Do you have a dynamite pizza featuring corn? Share it with @PizzaToday on social.

The post Corn is the hit Pizza Topping of the Summer appeared first on Pizza Today.

Thinking of a pasta lineup this fall? Good call!

Does the shape of the pasta really matter at the end of the day? Yes, it does! Those little corkscrews, twists and raised ridges all serve a function. They trap in cheese or sauce, giving each bite the diner takes just the right amount of flavor. There’s a reason a fettuccine noodle — flat, wide — is commonly paired with a creamy, rich Alfredo. Likewise, Angel hair is a delicate noodle that would be overpowered by a heavy sauce and is therefore often served with olive oil, garlic and herbs.

There are so many varieties of noodles available in the market. While many are similar in appearance (think spaghetti and bucatini), they each bring something different to the table.

One of my favorite pastas is pappardelle. This long noodle is really wide — quite a bit wider than fettuccini —and that helps it stand up really well to a ragu. I’m a big fan of tomato-based meat sauces. A hearty Bolognese needs a hefty noodle. Pappardelle is that hero.

Here are a handful of pasta dishes that I personally love — and I think your customer base will embrace them, too. As we begin to head into fall and think about our end-of-the-year menu, turning some attention to pasta makes sense. High profit, easy to execute and delicious … what’s not to love?

A good Carbonara is one of my personal favorite sauces. It pairs exceptionally well with linguine. Carbonara is so easy to make yourself that you really shouldn’t consider any other option.

Linguine Carbonara

Get the Linguine Carbonara recipe. 

Farfalle is one of my favorite pasta shapes. These little “bow ties” or “butterflies” catch and hold a creamy sauce so well. Try this dish featuring béchamel.

Sausage and Béchamel Farfalle

Get the Sausage and Béchamel Farfalle recipe. 

I mentioned pappardelle earlier. Here’s an inventive recipe that features a roasted red pepper pesto versus a ragu.

Pappardelle with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

Get the Pappardelle with Roasted Red Pepper Pesto recipe.

Jeremy White is Editor-in-Chief at Pizza Today.

The post Winning Pasta Dishes appeared first on Pizza Today.

Crispy Business: Thin Crust Pizza

In the year 365 AD, the Gauls surrounded Rome in a brutal siege, but the inner citadel still held. Roman citizens and soldiers on the walls stared down at the Gauls waiting impatiently in the surrounding swamps but both groups were suffering greatly from famine and disease. On hearing that the Gauls were as hungry as his Roman citizenry, Roman General Manlius ordered that all the flour left in the storerooms be quickly mixed, rolled and baked into bread. This was then thrown out over the walls at the Gauls showing the enemy that the Romans could care less about food and were not starving. The Gauls soon lost all motivation in conquering Rome thinking it wasn’t worth their time waiting anymore. They left shortly after.

Whether this story is true or muddled by time, the probable bread that was thrown to the Gauls was Panis Strepticius, or “quick bread.” That was unleavened and baked quickly on hot stones and a pre-curser of modern thin-crust pizza. It also mirrors the trickery involved in turning our beloved airy pizzas into crackerlike crusts of today’s ultra-desirable thin pizzas.

Into Thin Air: Factors of Making a Thin Crust Pizza

There are several factors to making a thin crust, as well as numerous techniques to use in getting a thin, crunchy crust. Unlike a nice airy sourdough or puffy direct method dough, these thin crust methods are “all over the place” but many achieve the same goals — thin, crisp, crunchy and strong. Here are some factors in building your own thin crust program.

• Flour. Most thin-crust pizzas do not have to rely on gluten strength because elasticity is not needed to form a strong gluten net to hold carbon dioxide resulting in large alveoli. Even so, flour with moderate to high gluten strength at low hydration is needed if you plan on putting a lot of cheese and/or topping on the thin crust you are contemplating (but) baking a high gluten/high hydration crust may result in a gooey or moist interior resulting in a super thin crust that is quite leathery. Many thin crusts rely on corn meal to give the pizza that extra textural crunch, but too much of this could disrupt the gluten strands while stretching the dough.
• Hydration. More water equals more steam in the dough as it heats up, therefore the temperature of the oven is important. A thin crust relies upon dryness for a crunchy texture, and this can be achieved with lower hydration. But even with higher hydration, this can be done with traditional 00 Italian flour doughs at 60-percent hydration by using a lower temperature oven with a longer baking time. It may not have the appeal of a cracker-like, low moisture crust, but it will be thin and dry.
• Oil. I’ve found that this is an often-overlooked factor in designing a thin-crust pizza as this is all about stopping the hydration of the gluten net. The more water you introduce to the gluten scaffolding in the dough, the more moisture will saturate the interior of your pizza dough, causing steam. By adding oil to the dough, it will coat the gluten strands making them unable to be the hydration sponges as needed for puffy dough. This is best exemplified by the Focaccia di Recco description below which has no hydration and no leavening, only oil.

Full Metal Cracket: Types of Thin Crust Pizza

There are many different types of thin-crust pizzas. Here are just a few from all over the world some are wood fired on stone while others are baked in electric ovens.

• Focaccia di Recco. Also called Focaccia col Formaggio, this copper pan baked thin crust made with two paper thin sheets of dough over and under 2-inch piles of a young Stracchino cheese like Crescenza or Prescinseua. The dough has no water and only olive oil at 12 to 13 percent which makes for a fatty, strudel-like dough. The dough is topped with more olive oil and sometimes brushed with a mixture of olive oil and water and some bakers add sea salt.  It is baked in large copper pans for a higher heat transfer rate between 475-490 F. Some bakers prefer larger pans up to 30 inches to accommodate awaiting crowds of focaccia lovers.
• Connecticut Hot Oil Pizza. These pizzas said to originate in 1935 during the depression at the Colony Grill in Stamford, which was owned by Irish Americans but had cooks that were Italian. They were designed to be smaller 12-inch size rather than a large pizza size to fit on the bar. These thin-crust pizzas are distinguished by a thin sauce and cheese followed by a nice slathering of serrano pepper oil all over it and the addition of local sausage.
• Man ‘oushe’. This Lebanese pizza gets its name derived from the word na ‘sh, which refers to the way the bakers’ fingertips “engrave” the dough. Many different bakeries sell these thin and foldable pies mixed with both bread flour and cake flour at 58 percent hydration. This direct method dough is held from two to four hours at room temperature. The Jibneh wa harr, or “Hot cheese pie” is a favorite which is baked in a 450 F oven with tomato, onion, cumin and hot pepper paste with plenty of ‘Akkawi cheese. Another favorite is the Za ‘tar Man ‘oushe wa jawz, or Wild thyme pie with walnuts.
• Scrocciarella. Derived from the word Scroccia, (which means “crunch”) This type of Roman pizza style can easily confused with Pizza Tonda, a round, crunchy-stiff but foldable pizza served in Rome. This somewhat complicated name is used to describe other Roman-style crusts that exhibit a cracker crunch (but) an airy interior with large bubbles like Pizza in Teglia cracker-like exterior, baked plain and often looks like a long, very thin, cracker-crusted focaccia made with 50-80 percent hydration with three to six percent olive oil (some prefer seed oil). While some bakers don’t use yeast and others proof for six to eight hours to bake the same day in a non-aggressive wood-fired oven. Other Scrocciarella bakers prefer baking the plain dough after long cold fermentation. These pizzas are popular with Romans and are cut or cracked like crackers and topped with a myriad of toppings like anchovy mayo, artichokes, ricotta, stracciatella, olives and tomato. The name Scrocciarella is also used now as a proprietary flour mix sold by Italmill.   
• Sardinian Pane Frattau. Initially invented by Sardinian housewives to honor King Umberto I when he visited the island. This magical transformative pizza from Barbagia, a central region of Sardinia is made from one of the thinnest breads in the world called Pane Carasau, or “toasted bread” in Sardinian dialect and called Carta di Musica or “sheet music.” Two thin and brittle sheets of dried bread undergo this transformation to a pasta by an initial soak in vegetable broth then placed on a plate and topped with tomato sauce, Pecorino Sardo and a poached egg.
• Tarte Flambee’. This Alsatian Pizza is also called Flammekueche in the German speaking Moselle region of Alsace. This is a traditional pizza baked by farmers who baked only once a week and was used to test the heat of their wood-fired ovens. The traditional square or rectangular style is covered with Cream Fraiche or Fromage Blanc, sliced onions and lardons of bacon and baked in a very hot oven for one to two minutes to form a charred crust. Variations include Gratinee or Munster, using Gruyere and Munster cheeses respectively, or Forestier with mushrooms.
• St. Louis Thin Crust. This thin-crusted pizza is made without yeast producing a thin, cracker-like crust. This pizza is cut into three to four-inch squares, as some would call “tavern-style cut”, some say because a founder of a local chain used to be a tile-cutter, but others say to support the weight of multiple toppings. The distinguishing characteristic of the sauce is said to reflect the Sicilian immigrant influence and is sweeter with a strong oregano flavor. St. Louis style often includes Provel cheese, which is a trademarked cheese combining Swiss, Provolone, and White Cheddar.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

>> Explore answers to more common pizza dough questions in Troubleshooting your Pizza Dough: What’s wrong with my pizza dough? <<

The post Thin Crust Pizza — The Crunchy History, Variations and Love appeared first on Pizza Today.

When Tom Monaghan took over a struggling pizzeria in Ypsilanti, Michigan, called DomiNick’s in 1960, one of the biggest changes he made (besides changing the name to Domino’s) was to slim down the menu. He reduced the number of pizza sizes he offered and slashed the sandwiches off the menu. Simplicity was his key to success. Pizzerias across the country live by the mantra of simplicity, but I’ve noticed a trend over the past few years that challenges it. I’m not talking about diner style menus offering everything under the sun, which is usually a recipe for waste, high food cost, low quality food, or all three. The trend I’m seeing is pizzerias offering a single non-pizza specialty item as a way to stir things up and attract fresh business.

Back in 2015, a little Brooklyn pizzeria called Emily made a splash when they introduced a dry aged burger topped with aged cheddar, caramelized onions and house-made “Emmy sauce.” That’s the only burger on the menu. There’s no burger list with options and fixin’s; that’s the burger. Emily is primarily a pizza restaurant, but this burger gave them access to a completely new identity. They scored fresh press coverage from media outlets that had already written about their pizza. Burger fanatics traveled to this tiny pizzeria just to try their burger. It was, and continues to be, a huge hit. Emily and their sister brand Emmy Squared now have over a dozen locations across the country and they all serve a signature burger alongside their Detroit-inspired pizza.

Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

Pizza is easily my favorite food, but my No. 2 is ice cream. When I find a place that combines the two, I’m in heaven. That’s why I’m such a huge fan of Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty in Portland, OR. Their menu consists of a few small plates, about a dozen seasonal pizzas, and house-made ice cream. That’s it. Like their pizza, the ice cream at Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty rotates with the seasons. They only offer six flavors at a time. In the mind of owner Sarah Minnick, ice cream and pizza are equally important to the restaurant. That’s why she named it Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty; 50 percent about the pizza, 50 percent about the ice cream. If you come to the restaurant for one, you’ll likely stay for the other.

Back to the East Coast, we have to swing by two cosmically good slice shops that have both found success with sandwiches. L’industrie in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Mama’s Too in Manhattan’s Upper West Side both offer specialty sandwiches every Wednesday. These are slice shops, so they sell pizza to-go, and their only real seating comes courtesy of COVID-era parklets. Both pizzerias spend the week tinkering, then announce the Wednesday sandwich via an Instagram post. They are guaranteed to sell out. Someone who showed up Tuesday for a slice will be back Wednesday for the sandwich.

In the case of L’industrie and Mama’s Too, the limited time element is part of what makes Sandwich Wednesday special. They do it on Wednesday rather than on the weekend to boost an otherwise slow day. When Emily introduced their burger, they only made 25 of them per day. I remember calling the restaurant to find out how many were left as a means of tempering my expectations. The revolving flavor list at Lovely’s Fifty-Fifty gives a reason to keep coming back as the menu changes through the seasons.

Simplicity is extremely important for anyone who wants to maintain consistency, freshness and low food cost — but there’s still room for some excitement from a limited specialty item on your menu.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: Stir Up the Menu Mix appeared first on Pizza Today.

Savory or sweet, apples belong on pizza

It’s summer and the apple harvest will soon be plentiful. I have a special fondness for apples, growing up wandering my grandparents’ orchard. Today, I look out my office window, a small tree of pink lady apples glimmer in the heat. Growing pink ladies in the Louisville area is an experiment as these beauties like scorching hot temperatures, giving the fruit a concentration of sweetness. With our increasing heat, pink ladies, also called Cripps Pink, like the climate. I have a Pink Lady harvest at my disposal for simply eating straight off the tree. Pink ladies are great for baking as well.

In addition to Pink Lady, common apple varieties include:

• Red Delicious are best as a finishing topping and salads. The skin does not hold up well to the heat of a pizza oven.
• Granny Smith is tart in the best way. While you can use as a finishing ingredient, Granny Smith apples keep their shape while baking.
• Golden Delicious has the perfect mild and sweet flavor making the apple great for many applications, including sauces.
• Honey Crisp is a firm and juicy apple — great all-around for baking or post-bake options.
• Gala is a mild sweet apple that may break down under baking.
• Fuji is a late season apple that also is best as a post-bake option.
• McIntosh’s sweet, juicy and tart taste makes it one of the best all-purpose apples.
• Empire, like McIntosh, is a great all-purpose option.

Sourcing Apples for your Restaurant

You can source a variety of apples through your mainline distributor or retailer. If you are applying a local focus, you can source apples at the farmer’s market or direct from farmers. The best ways to find out who grows apples in your area is to reach out to your county’s extension office or a local growers association. There also may be a local food hub or local farm cooperative in your areas.

How to prevent apples from browning after cutting

Browning happens almost immediately when cutting apples.

Apples can be cored and sliced, diced or even ringed. As soon as you start cutting, you’ll notice the apples begin to brown. It is important to prevent browning while cutting. As you finish cutting apples, place them into a saltwater bath of ¼ teaspoon of salt for every 2 cups water for 10 minutes. You may have to test for the most desired ratio of salt to water. Then drain and store or use.

If you want to add a bit more zing to your apple flavor, try pickling in apple cider vinegar as Chris Decker suggested in his On Deck column: Pork Belly and Honey Crisp Apples Pizza.

Apple peel or no peel? Using apple peels is up to you. It’s a preference thing. There are certain applications where peeling isn’t beneficial, like an apple dessert pizza. For other applications, the peel can add variety to the look of the pizza.

Apple Recipes Across the Menu

If you do not currently have apples on the menu, let’s explore a few recipes to get the most out of your apple purchase and take it across the menu.

I’ll start with an appetizer that will both intrigue your customers and have them ordering the app over and over again. I’m talking about apple chips. The crunchy snack is a great way to warm the palate for pizza consumption. Apple chips are versatile. You can go savory, spicy or sweet. Go crazy and do all three. Here is a savory and spicy version. Be sure to try your own mix.

Spicy Apple Chips

Get the Spicy Apple Chips Recipe.

Before we get to the sweet apple dessert pizza that so many pizzerias are accustomed to, I want to let you in on the savory and sweet combination that makes a dynamite dinner pizza. Since we are located in Kentucky, I’m using country ham. It’s a drier, smoky and saltier ham than typical deli ham. You could also use pancetta here.

Country Ham & Apple Pizza

Get the Country Ham & Apple Pizza recipe.

This is a favorite dessert pizza on PizzaToday.com and for good reason. It brings all the delicious flavors of apple crisp to pizza. Try it today. You can even change it up with a little trick I learned from my mother to include some crushed Red Hot candies.

Caramel Apple Crisp Pizza

Get the Caramel Apple Crisp Pizza recipe.

Denise Greer is the Executive Editor of Pizza Today.

The post Apple Pizza Ideas: Apple Harvest appeared first on Pizza Today.

Tame banana peppers and sweet piquante peppers pack a flavor punch

When it comes to pizza toppings, peppers always add a punch — especially pickled peppers. If you’re looking for a pepper that is mild, while still delivering a lot of flavor, you really can’t go wrong with banana peppers or sweet piquante peppers. They are great for adding complexity to a pizza and cutting through salty meats and cheeses. Both are widely available and if you don’t have the time or labor to make your own pickled version, there are some solid options out there to order. While both have similarities, there are definite differences too.

Banana peppers, also known as the banana chili or a yellow wax pepper, are bright yellow with a mild, tangy taste. As they ripen, they can change to orange, red or green. Regardless of the color, their spice level always remains pretty tame, ranging from 0-500 Scoville units.

Banana peppers are often confused with pepperoncinis, but they are not the same pepper. Pepperoncinis are typically slightly hotter, tangier and have a more wrinkled skin as opposed to the banana pepper’s smooth skin. If you’re looking to buy them fresh, banana peppers are the way to go as they are more widely available and better for stuffing.

Sweet piquante peppers on the other hand, are small, rounder and usually red resembling a cherry
tomato. Also called Juanita peppers, they originated in South Africa. They are known more for their sweetness than heat but still clock in at 1000-2000 units on the Scoville scale. A pepper that I am currently loving is called a Sweety Drop. It is very similar to a sweet piquante pepper in both color and taste, but it comes from Peru and is the size of a small grape tomato. Since they are so little, you don’t need to cut them (which not only saves on labor, but the juices from the pepper and pickling act like a flavor bomb on a pizza).

Both banana and sweet piquante peppers are great as pizza toppings. So how do you choose one over the other? It depends on the flavor profile you want and how you choose to use them. One thing to keep in mind is where else you are using the peppers on your menu. Both can be used on sandwiches, salads and in dips. Sweet piquante peppers lend themselves better to pestos and are great stuffed with soft cheeses as appetizers. Whereas banana peppers can be used in sauces and dressings.

We make a veggie sandwich with pesto, sweet onions, Brussels sprouts, melted mozzarella and top it with fresh arugula and sweety drops (you can easily sub out sweet piquante peppers). It’s easy to put together and we use all of the ingredients on our specialty pizzas so they are already ready to go. Another popular sandwich to put the peppers to good use is on an Italian sub.

Either pepper lends a great flavor, texture and spice. If you’re looking to add these peppers to your appetizer list, simply stuff sweet piquante peppers with goat cheese, wrap them in prosciutto and drizzle with aged balsamic and basil leaves. Blending sweet piquante peppers with a creamy ricotta and drizzling with extra virgin olive oil is a perfect dip for day-old bread that can be sliced thin and toasted for a starter.

As a pizza topping, I prefer sweet piquante peppers uncooked, added after the pizza comes out of the oven. I think that they maintain their sweet, pungent flavor better and keep a nice crispness. It’s a welcome burst of flavor and can accompany bitter arugula or cut through a decadent burrata.

With their assertive flavor, banana peppers hold up better to being added pre-bake. They mix well being melted into salty cheeses like feta, goat or cheddar. Here are a few pizza combos to get you started:

• Banana peppers, feta, Kalamata olives, artichokes, mozzarella, pesto.
• Banana peppers, salami, sauce, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan.
• Banana peppers, meatballs, ricotta, sauce.
• Sweet piquante peppers, mushrooms, spinach, roasted sweet onions, pesto.
• Sweet piquante peppers, prosciutto, arugula, mozzarella, Parmesan.
• Sweet piquante peppers, fried (or roasted!) eggplant, ricotta, sauce, mozzarella, basil.

While banana peppers have always been a mainstay on pizzeria menus, sweet piquante peppers have gained popularity over the last 15 years. Some of my favorite pizzas I’ve seen recently have these pickled beauties. Ines Glaser of Lupa Cotta in LA recently created a salad pizza detox series and featured a pie with pepperoncini, Capicola, iceberg lettuce, ricotta and Italian American salad dressing. Her pizzas always look fantastic but this one in particular caught my eye. It looked like the perfect pie to elevate any residual winter blues.

Whether you are looking to add a pickled pepper to your menu or just need some fresh ideas of how to use them, there are tons of ways to go. You can make them the star of the show or just use them for a splash of freshness.

Sweet Italian Pizza

Get the Sweet Italian Pizza recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Banana Peppers, Sweet Piquante Peppers on Pizza: A Peck of Pickled Peppers appeared first on Pizza Today.

Arugula Belongs on Pizza

Arugula is a go-to pizza topping

Let’s face it, greens go great on pizza. Even people that shy away from some of the heartier greens like kale and chard, can agree that there’s nothing like a handful of arugula to add dimension to a pie.

Whereas many greens are better when cooked down on a pizza, arugula shines when it is added post bake for people to relish in all its spicy, crunchy glory.  It is a great addition to almost any pizza if you are looking for a little hit of freshness. Arugula can cut through the saltiness of a loaded meat pie or the creaminess of a four cheese one. It adds a lightness, and the bright green aesthetic makes for an eye catching presentation.   

Arugula is known for its bright, spicy and slightly bitter flavor which becomes more concentrated with age.

There are three varietals of arugula: Arugula Coltivata ( larger leaves and a little more substance), Arugula Ortolani, and Arugula Selvatica (also known as wild smaller leaves with a more intense flavor). Wild and baby arugula are the most popular types to use on pizza due to their size, appearance and robust flavor. First found in Italy where it can be traced back to Roman times, arugula was mentioned by many Roman authors to be an aphrodisiac.  Originally this plant grew strictly in the wild in the spring and fall, but due to its popularity it is now grown commercially year-round.

While you can cook arugula onto a pizza, it doesn’t mean that you should. I am pretty firmly in the camp of adding arugula post-bake. I love the bright crunchy mouth feel and tart, sharpness of the green. Some of which disappears if it is cooked. One of the many great things about arugula is that it pairs well with so many ingredients. You can easily top a white or sauced pie with it and this green is fantastic for lightening up a heavy meat pizza or adding another layer to veggie or vegan pies.

One of my favorite arugula pairings is with a creamy cheese and salty meat, specifically prosciutto.

Our PB & AJ: Prosciutto, burrata, arugula and jam, covers all these requirements. We also use it on our Grateful Veg: roasted sweet onions, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, sweet piquante peppers, pesto and arugula.

It’s the perfect thing to brighten up a slice by adding a small handful as a garnish or piling it on. We do a lunch special with a slice, salad and drink and a few of our regulars always have us put the arugula salad directly on the slice and eat it as a salad pie.  The fresh lemon, extra virgin olive oil and shaved Parmesan in the salad are the perfect pairing wrapped inside a hot slice.

Here are a few other arugula pizza ideas:

• Arugula-pistachio pesto, mortadella, mozzarella.
• Arugula, roasted red peppers, zucchini and summer squash, sweet onions, mozzarella.
• Arugula, sauce, salami picante, burrata, Castelvetrano olives, mozzarella, drizzle of chili oil.
• Arugula, wild mushrooms, mozzarella, Grana Padano, oregano, roasted garlic.

There are many other places you can use arugula on your menu and some of them do include cooking the green. If you are putting it in a pasta, it will cook down with the hot dish. It is also great in pestos, complimenting the sweet basil, garlic and salty Parmesan. For this, blanching it is a good idea so that it doesn’t lose its deep green color. Salads are another obvious way to cross utilize it. You can keep it simple or mix it in with other things like spinach or romaine. An arugula salad can be your house special with a simple dressing or you can make it more complex by adding pumpkin seeds, roasted red pepper, artichoke hearts and goat cheese.  I also think that it is a great sandwich topper. The bite that arugula delivers goes great on an Italian sub or a fried eggplant grinder. Another fun way to use arugula is in a stuffed pork tenderloin with sun dried tomatoes, shallots and goat cheese.   

Arugula is easy to prep and store.

Depending on the variety and where you purchase it, many come pre-washed and will keep in the walk in for around five days. If the leaves are small enough for how you are using it, there isn’t even a need to cut it.  If you prefer to buy directly from your local farmers or markets, the varietal you can find will change.

While arugula is available all year round it’s especially good in the spring, with the cooler weather being one of the ideal times to grown the green and also when everyone is tired of heartier comfort foods and ready for something light and crisp.

I know not everyone is an anchovy fan, but this pizza is the perfect segue to wrap up Spring and launch you into Summer. It is fresh, light and bursting with flavor. I use Italian white anchovies which aren’t as intense as the salty brown ones you find in tins. These are a great introduction and go great on a bed of seasoned, spicy arugula with a splash of fresh lemon juice and a good extra virgin olive oil.

The Reel Big Fish

Get the Anchovy and Arugula Pizza recipe now.

The post Arugula Pizza: a Post-Bake Pizza Topping appeared first on Pizza Today.

Try two standout berry pizza recipes

Berries bring versatility to summer menus

Summer means berry season. As a child, enjoying a Strawberry Shortcake was the ultimate way to end a backyard family barbecue. Blackberries, blueberries and raspberries aren’t just for smoothies, cobblers and pies, either. In fact, one of my favorite Pizza Today test kitchen creations was thrown together in spur-of-the-moment fashion using berries. (More on that later.) They’re great on pizza  — and not just dessert pizza, mind you.

When we introduced Chris Decker’s monthly recipe column, On Deck, he kicked things off with a recipe we named “Berry Belly.” It featured blackberries, and it was simply divine. The moment I saw the recipe (and subsequently, the photo he submitted along with it), I knew we made the correct choice to succeed Tony Gemignani with the monthly recipe column we run on page 18 each issue. This wasn’t a dessert pizza. Rather, it was a nuanced and balanced dinner pie where the sweetness of the berries played off the saltiness of pork belly and the heat of habanero. Chris nailed it.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a blueberry streusel dessert pizza. It hits the spot when the end of a meal calls for something sweet. But let’s leave that to the lunch buffet chains that cater to kids with games. We’re here to elevate and celebrate berries, so we’re gonna do it right!

Berry Pizza Recipes:

Here are a couple of my favorites to get you started on your journey. As always, my aim is for you to get into the kitchen, get your staff involved, and experiment until you hit on something that works for your customer base.

Get the Berry Belly Pizza Recipe

Now, let’s elevate our dessert pizza with mascarpone and mint. The combination found in the recipe below is downright decadent. Dessert isn’t always the easiest sell in pizzerias. That shouldn’t be the case with this thing of beauty.

Get the Black & Blue Dessert Pizza Recipe

Jeremy White is Editor-in-Chief  at Pizza Today.

The post Berries on Pizza: Taste of Summer appeared first on Pizza Today.

We have seasonal summer pizza toppings and recipes for you to try

Summer Lovin’

Summer is the absolute best time to feature seasonal specials. With an abundance of summer harvest vegetables and fruits, creativity in Amercan’s pizza kitchens will be at an all-time high.

We asked our Pizza Today social followers which summer harvest they were most excited about. We look at eight summer ingredients and summer pizza ideas to wow your customers with.

Highly Anticipated Summertime Tomatoes

We can’t talk about summer pizza toppings without highlighting everyone’s favorite summer harvest, tomatoes.There is no better pizza to highlight summer tomatoes than a garden hearty pizza by Tony Gemignani.

Get the Summer Fresh Pizza recipe now.

Tomatillos

Try a unique tomato variety. The husked green tomatillos have a more acidic, tart flavor. Make a salsa verde for your Mexican pizza with tomatillo. Or go with something a little different. Slice tomatillos and spread on sheet. Sprinkle salt, pepper and Tajin seasoning and set aside to allow excess water to draw out. Infuse your olive oil with jalapeno and garlic to use as a base, then add a 60/40 blend of mozzarella and Manchego, pinch chorizo on top and spread tomatillos throughout pizza. Add grated Cotija cheese and bake. After baking, finish with cilantro and a sprinkle of Tajin and pepper.

Sweet Corn

Whether its Peaches and Cream, Jubilee or Silver Queen, sweet corn is a sought-after summer treat and found in abundance. Make a simple white pie featuring cherry tomatoes and sweet corn and finish with a whipped ricotta or goat cheese. If you want to add a protein, go with pancetta or bacon.

Zucchini

Zucchini is beautiful and flavorful on pizza. Start with an olive oil base and add fresh mozzarella. Slice zucchini ribbons and weave them throughout the pizza, add garlic slices and ricotta. Bake. Then finish with fresh basil, grated Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Basil

No summer is complete without fresh basil. The bounty will be plentiful. Find ways to highlight this popular herb. Almost every pizza can be enhanced with a finish of fresh basil. If you want to go basil crazy, use a pesto base and top with fresh mozzarella, roasted tomatoes and garlic and bake. Finish with fresh basil and shaved Parmesan.

Radishes

Radishes are a surprising hit on pizza. Shave them thin and add a crunch to your pizza. Or try a quick pickle with carrots. You can even add some heat with slices of your favorite hot pepper. Make a traditional white pie and finish with thin sliced prosciutto, arugula, pickled radishes, shaved Asiago and a squeeze of lemon.

Berries

An uncommon pizza topping, berries give pizza a wow factor that other summer produce can’t provide. Berries will be so hot this season that our Editor-In-Chief Jeremy White is dedicating an entire Kitchen feature to berries on pizza. Read his article.

Figs

Figs are a culinary delight on pizza. A few years ago, the creative pizza master John Gutekanst dove into the topic of figs on pizza. You should definitely check out that article “Gettin’ Figgy with It” in our Menu Development archives at PizzaToday.com. This is one of the delectable recipes John provided:

Get the Fig and Gorgonzola Pizza with Prosciutto di Parma recipe.

Denise Greer is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

The post 8 Summer Pizza Toppings to Add to your Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

Common Question: Should I buy block cheese or pre-shredded cheese?

You’ve Got a Friend in Cheeses

When it comes to cheese, I’m a blockhead. It’s true, but even blockheads know there are more ways than one to cut the cheese. If you are in the pizza business, you are guaranteed to be faced with this question: Should I buy block cheese or pre-shredded cheese?

Block cheese comes to you in one big block, or sleeves of smaller blocks. In order to use it on your pizza, you will need to shred it, cut it or dice it. Pre-shredded (or sliced or diced) cheese comes ready-to-use. You just open the bag and put it on your pizza. Is one method of purchasing cheese better than the other? Let’s slice into each method to discover what is best for your wallet, your pizza and your operations — BLOCK CHEESE VS. PRE-SHREDDED CHEESE

Price, freshness, whole food, better melt.

These are the advantages of block cheese and the disadvantages of pre-shredded cheese.

• Price. With block cheese you are in control of the price you pay for the product. When purchasing block cheese, here are the steps you would take.

1. Ask your food distributor for a ‘cost-plus’ contract for your cheese.
2. ‘Cost-plus’ means that the price you pay per pound of cheese is tied to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Block and Barrel Market, or Block Market for short. More at http://www.cheesereporter.com/prices.htm
3. Perhaps you negotiate to pay 20 cents per pound over the Block Market.
   Block Market Price + .20 = Your cost per pound of cheese
4. This gives you the best possible pricing for cheese along with full transparency.
5. With pre-shredded cheese, the manufacturer and distributor arbitrarily set the price based on their costs and profit margin and there is no control point or reference for the price you pay.

• Freshness. Your food distributor manages their inventory in such a way that not only are your block cheeses fresh, but your mozzarella is properly aged (approximately two weeks) before you receive it. You shred the block cheese each day as part of your daily prep, thereby providing the customer with the freshest cheese possible. Fresh ALWAYS tastes better. Pre-shredded cheese has been shredded weeks or longer prior to putting it on your pizza.

• Whole food. Block cheese has no added ingredients. When you purchase pre-shredded cheese, the only way to prevent it from clumping and molding is to add potato starch, corn starch, powdered cellulose, and Natamycin. Block cheese remains a whole food without additives or preservatives. Food and nutritional experts all seem to agree that whole foods are better for you. By using block cheese that you shred daily, you are providing a healthier pizza for your customer.

• Better melt. Block cheese melts better on your pizza in the oven. The more additives and preservatives cheese has, the harder it is for the heat in your oven to break down the protein molecules. Fresh, whole food block cheese has nothing to inhibit the heat from breaking these protein molecules down into a liquid. If you use more than one cheese, this is even more important as the liquidity is what allows the cheese flavors to blend. Pre-shredded cheeses do not melt as consistently as block cheese shredded fresh.

Equipment, labor, safety, blend, storage

These are the disadvantages of block cheese and the advantages of pre-shredded cheese.

• Equipment. Shredding your block cheese in your pizzeria requires equipment. Whether you use the least expensive option of a mixer attachment for around $1,000, or more expensive options ranging from $5,000 for manual cheese shredders to $10,000 plus for automatic cheese shredders, there is an investment that the block cheese buyer must make that is not necessary for the pre-shredded cheese buyer.

• Labor. Although you have gotten your block cheese for the lowest price possible, you now have the labor cost of shredding that block cheese. Hourly wages are climbing with no apparent end in sight. By using the attachment to shred cheese, I estimate it costs me .10 per pound to shred. The pre-shredded cheese pizzeria does not have to hire, train and pay an employee to do this. They simply open the bag of cheese and put it on their pizza.

• Safety. Using equipment to shred cheese in your pizzeria means the potential for employee injury. You would not think that someone would put their hand in the shredder, or repair broken equipment with duct tape or bypass the safety features of the equipment to render it easier to use, but it happens. These potential safety dangers are no concern of the pre-shredded cheese pizzeria.

• Blend. Often, pizzeria owners use a blend of more than one type of cheese for their pizzas. Purchasing block cheese means you must purchase each type of cheese by the block, shred it and mix it together yourself. Since this would require employees to do this either during the prep process or on the pizza makeline, the blend the customer receives on their pizza may not be as consistent as a pre-shredded mixed cheeses product done to exact specs by a manufacturer.

• Storage. Block cheese will need to be shredded into plastic tubs, usually the same size tub (full pan) that is used in your pizza makeline, making for an easy swap-out. Where pre-shredded cheese comes in plastic bags requiring no extra tubs, block cheese pizzerias will need to purchase many extra tubs for cheese. On average 30 or more cheese tubs and lids costing roughly $1000.

The following chart sums up the advantages of each:

By now, you can probably see why I am a blockhead. The benefits of buying cheese in the block form and shredding it daily outweigh the benefits of buying pre-shredded for my pizzerias. However, it is also clear to see there are benefits to buying pre-shredded. The ‘Big 5’, the pizzerias with the most locations, have all decided that pre-shredded cheese is the way to go. What is the right call for your pizzeria?

Block or Shred? Either way, we all have a friend in cheeses!

Dan Collier is the founder of Pizza Man Dan’s in California and a speaker at International Pizza Expo.

The post Block Cheese vs Shredded Cheese appeared first on Pizza Today.

Smoked Cheese adds that ‘wow’ factor to pizza

Then we first started blending smoked cheeses with traditional varieties in the Pizza Today Test Kitchen, I was apprehensive. Smoking can easily overpower other flavors. But I was wrong and years later, I’ve savored several pizzas featuring a smoked cheese around the country and at the International Pizza Challenge that rival some of the best pizzas out there.

Smoke gives cheese a unique and robust flavor. Smoke often serves two purposes with cheese: flavoring and preservation. The deep, smoky flavor can enhance the overall profile of a pizza when balanced correctly.

First, how is cheese smoked? The most common way to smoke cheese is through a cold smoke method. Ice is used to help protect the cheese while the smoke is absorbed into the cheese. Cold smoking occurs with temperatures between 68 F and 86 F as to not cook the cheese but instead infuse the smoke into the outer layer of the cheese. Too hot and the cheese will melt. There are also artificially smoke-flavored cheeses, which impart liquid smoke in the making process.

Did you know you can smoke cheeses in house using the cold smoke method? It is a deep dive into a rabbit hole that may be worth it for some scratch-made pizza concepts. But, for others, there are a number of smoked cheeses on the market for you to test in your kitchens.

Let’s dive into some of the best smoked cheese for pizza.

Creative pizza chefs and makers might get way more adventurous with the variety of smoked cheeses, but here is the smoked cheese starter pack.

• Mozzarella. The mildest of these smoked cheeses. A great option to give a traditional cheese pizza a boost.
• Provolone. A semi-hard, mild and smooth cheese, smoking gives Provolone an earthy and slightly smoky flavor.
• Fontina. The semi-soft cheese is both sweet and pungent so when smoked, it gives Fontina a bolder flavor.
• Cheddar. The sharp and nutty flavor of cheddar gets earthy notes from the smoke. Go milder for a better melt and less of a punch.
• Gouda. Many smoked Goudas have a signature brown rind. This creamy, buttery cheese has caramel notes.
• Scamorza. The mild, rich and somewhat sweet cheese holds a subtle smoky flavor making it a good choice to stand alone on pizza or for blending.

Some other contenders are smoked Colby, Fontina, Swiss, and even goat cheese. It’s up to you what works for your pizza and menu choices.

A few things to remember:

• A little goes a long way, especially given current cheese prices.
• Smoked cheese are often better to use over other cheeses for baking.
• Don’t overload the flavor profile. Be careful with the ratio of smoked cheeses with other strong varieties.
• Find other uses across your menu. Think mac and cheese, sandwiches, dips, etc.
• Test smoked cheeses in your day-to-day environment to be sure you select the right melt consistency you are looking for.

Here are three recipes to test smoked cheeses in your restaurant:

Sausage, Spinach & Smoked Mozzarella Pizza

BBQ Beef Brisket & Smoked Scamorza Pizza

Chicken Fajita Pizza

Denise Greer is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

The post Smoked Cheese on Pizza: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Cheese appeared first on Pizza Today.

This Cheese is a Rock Star!

Get 4 provolone recipes for your pizzeria’s menu

If you’re seeking the powerful combination of excellent meltability and versatility, provolone is going to be difficult to beat. A cow’s-milk cheese originating in southern Italy, provolone has a rich history. Sometimes referred to as mozzarella’s “older brother,” provolone has more depth of flavor than the ubiquitous mozz. An aged cheese, provolone will range from mild to sharper based on just how old it is. It’s obviously a classic choice on pizza, but its uses aren’t limited to just that one dish. There are so many ways to incorporate the cheese on your menu that not carrying the product in a pizzeria seems downright silly.

Here are some of my personal favorite recipes that make use of provolone. These are truly can’t-miss creations on nearly any pizzeria menu!

1. Monster Mash Pizza

   Get the Monster Mash Pizza recipe.

2. Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

   Get the Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich recipe.

3. Potato, Bacon & Provolone Pizza

   Get the Potato, Bacon & Provolone Pizza recipe.

4. Chicken Taco Pizza

   Get the Chicken Taco Pizza recipe.

Jeremy White is Editor-in-Chief  at Pizza Today.

The post Provolone Recipe Favorites appeared first on Pizza Today.

Carbonated Beverages: The Essence of Effervescence

I’ve been thinking a lot about bubbles lately. The pizza world has long been afloat in a bath of bubbly beverages like soda and beer, but the landscape is rapidly bursting into fresh territory. Not only are the world’s biggest beverage barkers betting big on spiked seltzers and fizzy wines, but they’re also marketing them directly to pizzerias and pizza consumers.

As it turns out, bubbles are good for your taste buds. They liberate flavor compounds and release volatiles you otherwise may never have detected. Carbonated beverages are a great palate cleanser, particularly when they don’t have strong lasting flavors of their own.

Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

That explains an experience I had a few years ago in Parma, Italy. I was judging the Campionato Mondiale della Pizza, which differs from American competitions in that it allows competitors to pair beverages with their pizzas. Just about every pizza maker presented their pizza with Prosecco. At first, I thought they were just trying to get the judges buzzed, but I soon realized the benefits of a dry sparkling wine like Prosecco.

You’d normally think of a beverage pairing as being complementary to the dish with which it’s served, but in this situation the competitors employed Prosecco to cleanse the judges’ palates of whatever they tasted previously. One of my biggest pet peeves is when competitors act as if theirs is the only pizza the judges will be tasting. We end up eating so many salty pizzas covered with sausage and pepperoni that it’s hard for one to stick out from the crowd. Ever since my Parma experience, I always bring seltzer to the judges’ table.

For a white wine alternative to Prosecco, there’s an excellent spumante called Aspirinio. It has a gentle mineral on the tongue but finishes with an exciting citrus note. It’s excellent with white pizzas. One product, called Aspritz, even claims on its label that it’s the “best wine for pizza.” You gotta love it when a wine tells you exactly who it wants to hang with.

As for red wines, there’s a fantastic alternative that’s been popular in Naples for years. Gragnano is Southern Italy’s version of Lambrusco but it’s drier and has smaller bubbles. Drinking it doesn’t feel zesty like seltzer, it’s more of a ticklish sensation. We serve Gragnano on pizza tours and it’s always a hit because it’s both delicious and surprising. I particularly love it with fried pizzas and pizzas with fatty meats.

Now that there’s Italian precedent for calling out bubbly wines as pizza pairings, American companies are starting to get into the game. Los Angeles-based Pie Wine offers three different canned effervescent wines. You can probably tell from the company’s name that pizza consumers are their target market. Pie Wine has a sparkling red wine (similar to Gragnano), a sparkling white (a sweeter Prosecco), and a rose. The company is aiming to own Gen Z with its bright branding and collaborations with YouTube stars and influencers. If one bubbly wine company is betting the farm on pizza, you can be sure more will follow.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize that pizza loves bubbles. Whether it’s a Coke to cut through the greasy cheese of a New York slice or a glass of Prosecco to compliment a more delicate Pizza Romana Tonda, it just works. And let’s not forget that bubbles are FUN! At the end of the day if you’re not having fun while you’re eating pizza, you’re doing it wrong.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: Carbonated Alcoholic Beverages Trending appeared first on Pizza Today.

It’s difficult not to fall in love with Burrata

Explore 3 Burrata Pizza Recipes

or as long as I have enjoyed pizza, pepperoni has been my favorite topping. I’m not alone — it’s the most popular topping in the United States, after all. There’s just something about the interplay between the sauce, cheese and pepperoni that tantalizes the taste buds. When I discovered cup-and-char pepperoni, it was a game changer. Ditto for soppressata. Give that to me on my pizza every day and twice on Sunday, please!

For most of my pizza consuming life, no ingredient rivaled pepperoni to me. Then one day I had my first burrata pie. Another one of those “aha” moments. The light bulb went off and I was hooked. Don’t get me wrong, pepperoni still rules my personal pizza world. But burrata, baby — it’s right there in my mind too.

While there are cost considerations (price accordingly!), burrata’s creamy texture gives pizza an unrivaled mouthfeel. Pair it with the right ingredients and it’s sheer magic.

Fennel Sausage and Burrata Pizza

That’s exactly what Tony Gemignani does at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco. His “Mortadella E Burrata” exquisitely meshes pistachio mortadella, smoked mozzarella, burrata, smoked provolone, tomato, volcano salt and lemon. Then there’s the “Squash Blossom & Burrata” that features ricotta stuffed squash blossoms, burrata, prosciutto di Parma, crushed red pepper, mozzarella and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. Burrata is also found numerous other times throughout Tony’s menu, but my personal favorite is his “Burratina Di Margherita.” It was the Gold Cup winner at the International Pizza Championships in Lecce, Italy, and for good reason. This pizza is beautiful and vibrant in its simplicity — burrata, cherry tomatoes tossed with fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic reduction. It’s perfect!

Let’s move from California to Colorado, where Pizza Today contributor Audrey Kelly has Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage. There’s a real beauty on her menu that she calls the “PB & J.” This pizza partners prosciutto with burrata, arugula, jam, extra virgin olive oil and mozzarella. To boot, Audrey makes it available on New York and Sicilian styles, as well as gluten free.

Burrata’s ultra-creamy texture is what makes it so appealing. Its balanced taste will allow you to pair it with savory, sweet, you name it. It’s a canvas open to your interpretation, and that’s exciting to any creative type. So, use the combinations from Tony and Audrey for inspiration, but don’t be afraid to play around until you find what best meets your needs. In the meantime, here are three burrata pizza recipes I love to help get you started.

1. Fennel Sausage & Burrata Pizza
2. Butternut Squash & Burrata Pie
3. Balsamic Burrata & Olive Oil Caviar Pizza

Jeremy White is Editor-in-Chief of Pizza Today.

The post Burrata Pizza Ideas — Burrata Baby appeared first on Pizza Today.

Tie the Knot

Garlic Appetizers like garlic knots, garlic bread, garlic breadsticks are menu favorites

Next to pizza, garlic appetizers are one of the top selling items at pizzerias. They are simple to make, and even if you don’t have excess dough to use up, you most likely have all of the ingredients necessary already prepped and ready to go.

The type of garlic app — knots, bread, sticks and rolls — you choose to serve at your shop depends a lot on what type of restaurant it is and the dough you make. If you consistently have dough leftover at the end of the night, garlic knots might be a great way to make use of it. On the other hand, if you have an oven with a steam element and make your own bread/rolls, garlic bread is a no brainer. If you have more of a sit-down restaurant and want something to put on the table while people order drinks and food, garlic sticks might be just the thing you’re looking for.

Once you’ve decided on what you want to make, there are lots of different ways you can go about it. The first component to think about, and I would argue one of the more important, is your base. What dough you will use, how you proof it, what shape to cut it into and how much dough to use are all things to take into consideration. Another important aspect is how you cook it: bake or fry. If you’re making garlic bread, it goes without saying that you should proof your rolls and bake them off before turning them into the actual garlic bread.

Knots can be a little trickier. Since a lot of the time, they are baked to order, you want to make sure that they are cooked all the way through. That being said, everyone knows how chaotic it can get on a Friday night with a double stacked ticket line and an oven full of pizzas. So here are a few things to help make this appetizer an easy and delicious option for your menu:

• Par-bake before service. This way the knots are almost fully baked and only need a few extra minutes in the oven before being tossed in garlic, fat and other toppings.
• Make smaller knots. smaller knots mean less cooking time.
• Turn down the heat. keep one deck of your oven at a lower temperature and bake the knots in that deck for a longer period of time. For example: we have a three deck oven and we keep the top two at 650 F for our NY style pies and the bottom at 575 F for our Sicilians, grinders, slices, roasted veggie sides and garlic rolls.
• Put a tent on it. Tent some foil over your rolls as they go in the oven to trap and circulate the heat, removing at the end to crisp up the knots.
• Master the tie. Melissa Rickman, from Wholly Stromboli says: “If tied correctly, you will have a little well in the center of our knots which holds a little bit of garlic butter sauce and the tails are my favorite part!”

Once you have your perfectly proofed and cooked knots, rolls or sticks, it’s all about getting the fat and garlic just right to create your ideal flavor profile. In other words, what are you going to coat your rolls in and are there any additional toppings such as cheese or fresh herbs that you want to add? If you are making garlic bread, all of the toppings will be slathered in the middle of the roll instead of tossed and melted on top. Of course, you know there will be garlic, fat and likely cheese, but there are a lot of different routes you can go with these components.

• Garlic. Fresh, roasted, granulated, powdered, fried or dried.
• Fat. Extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil, butter or even lard.
• Cheese. Parmesan, Pecorino, melted mozzarella, goat cheese, gorgonzola (the options are really endless).
• Herbs, spices, chiles or veggies. Dried, fresh, pickled, cooked or raw.

After you’ve decided on your toppings, you can pick what to dunk them in. You can go with the classic marinara or get more creative with sauces like honey, pesto or even ranch.

As you can see, there are so many different ways to put your own twist on a seemingly basic item and not every garlic appetizer is created equal. Spencer White, from Redeemer Pizzeria, says that garlic knots are one of their best-selling items. They have become so popular that their staff and regulars have nicknamed them “knotty Bois.” The secret to their success? “We take our dough and fold it around a piece of mozzarella and deep-fry that. When they come out of the fryer they are light and airy like beignets with melted cheese in the middle. We then toss them in garlic butter, Pecorino cheese and chopped parsley,” says White.

Aside from being served as a straight up appetizer, garlic knots have other creative uses. One example is to line one side of a pizza with knots. Rickman puts on a Garlic Knot Golf Tournament that benefits charity every year. Instead of golf balls, garlic knots are hit in their place.

Whether you make your garlic appetizers with straight up garlic, fat and cheese or add a spunky twist to them, they are great for rounding out your menu and boosting your sales.

Calabrese Chile Garlic Knots

Get the Calabrese Chile Garlic Knots recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Increase check averages with irresistible garlic knots, garlic bread, garlic breadsticks appeared first on Pizza Today.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Hot Tips on Serving Chicken in a Restaurant

Chicken sandwiches are not the only poultry centered menu item soaring in popularity these days. And even though chicken has long had a presence on pizzeria menus, there has been a renewed love of chicken on pizza.

With chicken prices at an all-time high, you might be tempted to take it off your menu altogether, but remember this: consumers are well aware of what it costs to buy groceries, including chicken. To make this decision, it is important to understand the mindset and behavior of your customer base. In my experience, people are still spending money, and a lot of it. They are not shying away from $68 pizzas, but what they expect in return is quality and value.

A good quality chicken breast speaks for itself and means that you can expect your guests to pay a fair price. Conversely, tough, gristly or dry chicken is a poor argument for rising menu prices.

What you must ask yourself is, is it more offensive to your guests for you to charge appropriately for grilled chicken, or take it off the menu altogether? When I engineered our latest menu, I found that a pizza with the least amount of protein on it (chicken) carried the highest COGS. I seriously considered taking it off the menu, but instead, I increased the price, and it is now one of my best selling 10-inch pizzas.

I also discovered that most of the 20-inch pizzas I was selling were one topping, BYOs — rarely specialty pies, and never chicken on its own. This meant that the bulk of the specialty pies featuring chicken were 10 inches and carried a much better profit margin than 20-inch pies. This prompted the decision to only offer our specialty pies as a 10-inch. If a guest would like to build their own 20-inch specialty pizza, they certainly can, but at the build your own price. This more than adequately meets my target margin when chicken and other expensive proteins are chosen.

All chicken breasts are not created equal, therefore even in the face of supply chain issues, consistency is key! While less expensive — lower-quality chicken breast may seem like a good deal on its face, you may find more “funny business,” which requires more trimming and yields less usable product. Lower-quality chicken breasts can also be injected with saltwater to make them appear larger but tend to shrink considerably when cooked and can be dry and tough. Using higher quality, larger chicken breasts, even if you are not serving them as an entree, will cook more evenly and will be juicier than smaller breasts. A larger breast can stand up to the process of being reheated on a pizza which opens the opportunity for cross utilization on sauté, pantry and dough products. Using a better-quality chicken breast may be a little more expensive, however fewer operators are using them, which may help with availability. I also never allow unapproved substitutions of my key items including chicken. Although I have an approved substitution just in case we run into an issue, I still want the heads up from my broad liner that we will have to make the temporary change.

Quality assurance is important in all things. Our line cooks are encouraged, if not required, to taste everything they prepare, and this goes double for chicken. There is a phenomenon in the chicken business called “woody breast”. It is an unforgettable texture that is created by the mass production of chickens, and it can spoil your appetite. While it can happen with any chicken breast it is less common with higher-quality chicken.

When I am thinking about adding chicken to a pizza, I want the chicken to stand out. Chicken in and of itself does not taste like much. It is really the spices that you prepare it with that shines through. For me, quality and flavor profile are more important than the convenience of a precooked and diced chicken breast. Therefore, I use IQF chicken breasts seasoned with a dry rub then grilled for use in salads and pasta dishes. I minimize waste by then taking the unused grilled chicken from the previous shift to use on the pizza line.

I do not recommend using raw chicken anywhere on the pizza line. The opportunity for cross contamination is too risky and won’t really add anything to the finished product.

Another way to reduce your cost on a pizza featuring chicken is to combine it with other lower cost ingredients that pack a lot of flavor. For example, you could use a white sauce or even cream cheese as your base, add grilled chicken, fresh sliced jalapeños, red onion, fresh diced mango and cilantro. None of those ingredients are terribly high in cost and it makes for an interesting specialty pie. Think about what goes well with chicken. One of my favorite pies was a pesto pinwheel pie made with high-quality olive oil, provolone, grilled chicken, pesto and roasted red pepper. The big flavors of the other ingredients are a nice compliment to the grilled chicken, requiring less of the expensive protein.

Because chicken is rather neutral in flavor, it can be paired with a multitude of unique flavors and sauces. At Wholly Stromboli the newest star on our summer menu is “The Queens Hot Honey”, featuring a cream cheese base, Italian hot sauce, provolone cheese, grilled chicken, sweet picante peppers, drizzled with our house made hot honey, and finished with fresh basil. It is a favorite with team members and guests alike – so don’t be a chicken! Give chicken a crack on your next menu!

Try the 10-inch Queens Hot Honey with two ounces cream cheese sauce or your favorite white sauce, Italian hot sauce that is pinwheeled over the cream cheese, four slices Provolone cheese, four-ounce scoop diced grilled chicken, two-ounce scoop sweet picante peppers, hot honey drizzled before and after the bake (we make our hot honey in house.) and finished with fresh basil.

MELISSA RICKMAN is co-founder of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and member of the World Pizza Champions.

The post How to source and prepare chicken for your Restaurant appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pulled to Perfection

What do you consider the “taste of summer?” When the days are long and hot and the kids are out of school and thoughts turn to vacations and swimming pools and baseball … what foods do you typically enjoy? Burgers on the grill, hot dogs and ice cream certainly all come to mind. It’s really not summer without those items at backyard BBQs. But, for me, there’s another must have as well: pulled pork barbecue.

A summer ritual for me is to start the day early by seasoning a Boston butt that I’ve brined the night before. With apple cider vinegar, apple juice and simple seasonings on hand, the pork will then go in my smoker where it slowly transforms into one of my summertime favorites over the course of the day. I periodically brush it with the apple cider/apple juice mixture, and about four hours in I wrap it in foil to trap in the steam and continue letting time and the low heat do its thing.

It isn’t terribly difficult to perfect after a bit of practice. Chef Google once told me to let it rest for an hour or two in my Yeti cooler (still wrapped in the foil) before pulling it. I tried it out and the results were outstanding.

Once the pork is pulled, there are so many options. Because I often smoke an 8-pound Boston butt (by the way, the “butt” is actually part of the shoulder, which many people find confusing), there are always plenty of leftovers. But I have a cycle, a 1-2-3 flurry of dinner punches that makes my summer delightful.

Day one I make pulled pork BBQ sandwiches. I like virtually every style of barbecue, so you can find a variety of sauces, mustards and vinegars on my picnic table. Day two I used the leftovers for pulled pork tacos. Not gonna lie — these might be my favorite. But day three is when pizza is king and shines in my home kitchen. My sourdough pizza dough has been bulk fermenting in my fridge the last two days (it went in the day I first pulled the pork for sandwiches), and it’s now ready in all its glory.

This is summer pizza night. There’s no pepperoni, sausage, green olives — the toppings we usually use when hosting a small group of friends or doing a family pizza night. No, tonight we’re using a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce as the base, followed by pulled pork, jalapenos or banana peppers and a blend of smoked cheddar and smoked mozzarella. Some other great toppings for this pizza might include red onion, coleslaw (applied after the bake), creamy dollops of chevre, sweet summer corn, habanero peppers or even fresh summer peaches. Yes, you read that correctly. Fresh summer peaches are amazing with pulled pork barbecue! Don’t believe me? Try it and prepare to have your mind blown.

Why am I talking about this in February? Well, just as Chris Decker said in his recipe column, the cold and gray winter weather has me dreaming of the summer days ahead. Secondly, you’re likely deep into planning your spring menu right now, which means getting on your summer menu is just around the corner. Thirdly, while I’m being overly romantic about summer at the moment, the fact of the matter is that pulled pork barbecue, just like pizza, is a comfort food that we enjoy year-round. So, there’s no need to wait until summer to roll out a limited time offering or to make a permanent addition to your pizza lineup should you find success with your customers with this one.

The beauty of pulled pork is that you can use it on pizza in so many ways. Challenge your kitchen crew to experiment and have fun. Perhaps offer an incentive to the staffer that wows you the most with a creation that makes your menu. It’s a pleasant winter diversion that just might result in something big.

As a base of inspiration, here is one of my favorite pulled pork barbecue pizza recipes. I like a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce or a smoky and savory sauce for this one, but play around here to see what you like. Enjoy!

Pork & Peach

Get the Pulled Pork and Peach Pizza recipe.

JEREMY WHITE  is Editor-in-Chief of Pizza Today.

The post Pulled Pork Barbecue Pizza is a Can’t-Miss Hit appeared first on Pizza Today.

Nothing is more challenging than competing in the traditional pizza category in the International Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas. As a Pizza Expo competitor, your culinary perspective and craftsmanship is judged by chefs and professionals by comparing your pizza against hundreds of others made of the same basic ingredients. Drew Richards has led hundreds of contestants through the baking process of the competition. He says, “True masters of the craft excel in this category because there is nothing to hide behind.” Jeremy Galvin, International Pizza Challenge Lead Coordinator, says “The biggest mistake competitors make in the Traditional Category is overdoing their pizza. If you look back, the typical winning pizzas are super simple.” Domenico Crolla, Chef/Owner of Oro in Glasgow, Scotland ,has won numerous competitions and judged hundreds of pizzas. He says, “The first thing about the traditional category is that it is the traditional American pizza. It is a difficult category to win. In other competitions you can shine and stand out with something original. But in traditional, you are all using the same ingredients, so it is down to your crust, sauce and bake.”

Ruling Class

In the Las Vegas Pizza Challenge, traditional does not mean mediocre. Pizzas in this category must have that “Something,” that wow factor. Be it in the crust, the way it is cooked, the quality, mix and melt of the cheese or the freshness of the tomato sauce. Let us delve into the rules first.

The Traditional Competition Rules:

Use your own dough.

Use your own cheese blend.

Must be a red sauce.

Must be 12-18 inches only.

No more than TWO of these toppings: pepperoni, sausage, bacon, ham, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, onions and olives. (Note: TWO kinds of the same ingredient will be judged as ONE topping. (Example: green and red peppers.)

Only extra virgin olive oil is allowed after the oven. No other finishers are allowed including cheese, herbs or sauces.

These rules seem very straightforward. But every year people get disqualified or scored low because they push the rule limits. While competing, you must know what you do not know. You do not know the judges or how strict their interpretation of your pizza will be. After six years as Master of Ceremonies for the Traditional Pizza Challenge in Las Vegas, I have some secrets and musings that I would like to share that could mean victory or defeat. Here we go…

Some judges may think that your fabulous Duck Sausage is technically not sausage.

That flourish of basil across the top of your pizza will get it disqualified.

That spinach or cheese infused dough may be seen as a topping.

That mushroom mousseline may not be seen as appropriate by purist judges.

A plate presented with arugula, watercress, and 20-dollar bills is a “no no.”

That red sauce means tomatoes. Your red pepper-kidney sauce may be too much.

Your 12-cheese pile melting like a snow drift on your crust may be too much.

Your Prosciutto di Parma is ham, which is allowed. But are the judges from Italy? Japan? United States? Poland? What is their interpretation of “ham?”

Is your pepperoni top of the line with natural casings causing a nice cup, or is it a cheap flaccid pepperoni?

Does your pizza have a gum line?

Those anchovy-stuffed olives are delicious and guaranteed to put your pie in the disqualified category.

Will your slice stay straight and not flop when the judges hold it by the crust?

Behind the Curtains

Any sales manager will tell you that the first step to success is communication. The traditional competition starts with a blind tasting, meaning you will not see the judges. Your only communication lifeline is a written description on an index card. Here are some more tips to get your foot in the door.

Always send your pizza that is headed behind the curtains with a short, concisely written sales pitch.

If your handwriting is terrible, get someone else to write this.

This pitch should be as informative as possible.

Judges do not want to see sauce or cheese companies’ names used. They may sponsor you, but naming them is insignificant at best.

Good things the judges like to see are house-made sauce, in-house made charcuterie, preferments and artisan flours and techniques. (BUT ONLY if they follow the above-mentioned rules.) Chris Tricarichi, Managing Partner, Avalanche Pizza, and frequent traditional pizza judge says: “Even though many of the pizzas are made with all the best ingredients, a lot of them taste the same because they use the same companies. To elevate your traditional pizza, the quality, technique and seamless execution of the crust will make the pizza stand out.” Master of Ceremonies, Theo Kalogeracos, adds this: “Even in the traditional category, you need to be innovative to stand out.”

Shake and Bake

The bake. Year after year, I see the best professionals in the pizza business falter at the ovens because of nervousness. Rushing, distraction, over and under baking or allowing other contestants to open oven doors to release heat repeatedly ruins their traditional bake.

Be prepared. The best pizza competitors bring almost everything, going over all they need time and time again. Never, ever think you will find a slicer on the show floor or that a mixer will be available. The crew that you bring to Vegas must be detail-oriented and serious. I have seen some wonderful pizza people frantically running in the back for a spoon after their helpers wander away from the area to talk to others. This just adds to the stress of the whole situation.

Confidence: When you make it to the finals (and I truly hope you all do), you must confront the judges face to face. The confidence and communication you show to them will set you apart from the apprehensive rookies. Speaking clearly while showing your masterpiece to all the judges is especially important. This is where your game shines. This is the pinnacle of your profession. Your craftsmanship and your pizza must be the best in the world. 11-time pizza champion Bruno di Fabio put it perfectly when he said, “Go in like a Viking.”

A winning Sausage and Pepper Pizza

This pizza starts with the Pain a’ l’ Ancienne method for the dough. This cold and long fermented dough was first introduced to me by Master Baker Peter Reinhart in his book The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. The cold prohibits the yeast from activating and affords the enzymes a chance to break down complex carbohydrates into sugars. This creates a rich flavor and killer caramelization. The sauce is a house made chunky tomato sauce using the best sweet California pear tomatoes to be had. The cheese blend is designed to play with the fatty sausage and is a 50/50 blend of mozzarella and provolone with a touch of sour Asiago. The sweet fennel sausage is house made with no nitrates and has a spicy component; it is placed on raw to draw out the natural juices to cover the pie and meld flavors while the green peppers are cooking.

Get the Winning Sausage and Pepper Pizza recipe.

JOHN GUTEKANST owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Judgement Day: the Excitement of the International Pizza Challenge’s Traditional Pizza Competition appeared first on Pizza Today.

Can You Wing It?

The debate about whether to offer chicken wings is a hot topic among operators and not just a post-pandemic issue. Pricing and availability of chicken wings has been a long-standing issue for pizzeria operators. Chicken wings may very well cost more per pound than a high-quality chicken breast, and that’s on a typical day. Don’t even think about stocking up the week of the big game, you’ll be hard-pressed to find chicken wings. And if you do, you’ll have to take out a second mortgage on your family home just to buy them.

So why offer wings at all? Wings are hot! The people want wings! They are, in most cases, gluten-free, high protein, and naturally low carb, and there are so many ways to make them uniquely yours! From traditional hot to sweet and tangy, hot wings are here to stay. But are they right for your operation?

Here are some things to consider when deciding to put wings on the menu:

Storage

If you are working with a raw chicken wing, they must be stored below any ready-to-eat ingredients in your cooler. This can present some challenges in a kitchen with limited space. IQF (individually quick frozen) wings on the other hand may be easily stored in your freezer, but, well, they’re frozen so you will need to factor that into your cook time.

Size Matters

Assuming that you are looking to provide value to your guest, you will want a wing with some substance, some meat on the bone, so to speak. A jumbo wing, 6 to 10 per pound, makes for a hearty, eye-catching wing. Depending on your choice of preparation methods, it could take up to 20 minutes for a jumbo wing to reach a safe internal temperature and be nice and crispy on the outside.

Preparation

Perhaps one of the more common methods of preparation is the deep fryer, which yields a nice crispy texture on the outside. Deep frying your wings can take longer than other methods. On average, deep fryers are set to 300-350 F, which may be great for French fries or chicken Parm, but makes for longer chicken wing cook times. Beware, deep frying can sometimes cause the meat to shrink and pull back from the bone… but delicious nonetheless.

If you are considering the deep fryer method, ask yourself if you have the fryer space to devote to wings. If you’re selling great wings, you can assume that at least one fryer basket will be devoted to wings. How will this affect your ticket times for other menu items? Another thing to consider is that wings are hard on fryer oil. You will be cleaning and replacing fryer oil more often, increasing the expense of labor and product.

I turned to my teammates, World Pizza Champions Anthony DeSouza of Antonio’s Real New York Pizza in Estes Park, Colorado, and Jeff Smokevitch of Brown Dog Pizza in Telluride, Colorado, to see what they are doing to solve the challenges of the chicken wing. Anthony invested in an infrared broiler and reduced his cook time from 20 to 8 minutes. This was a significant investment but a total game-changer for him. Jeff offers wings prepared two ways, deep fried from raw, with a prep time of about 20 minutes, or his Jerk wings, which are par grilled ahead of time, finished on the griddle to order, and are hot and ready in 10 minutes.

If neither of these methods works for your operation, you can run them through a conveyor oven or even bake them off in a deck oven. Neither are lightning fast, nor do they provide the crispiness that the some other methods offer, but they get the job done!

Pricing

Price fluctuations in the wing market are the nature of the beast. It is nothing new, although it is more pronounced these days. Many operators have adopted digital menus using QR codes instead of print menus, which has led the way to dynamic pricing. There are no menus to reprint, just update the digit file and upload it!

QR codes and digital menus allow operators to update menu prices based on the market price and is a great way to keep your target cost of goods in line. While many guests have adapted to viewing restaurant menus this way, some have not, so digital menus may only be a solution for some concepts. Beware that there are people who can’t read the mobile version of your menu on their phones or just like to hold and look at a print menu. At best, digital menus could be an inconvenience for them, at worst, this could lead them to not return — but you know your customers best.

If dynamic pricing and QR codes aren’t for you, know that your food cost is going to be an average of your entire product mix. While your food cost on wings could be upwards of 40 percent, you can balance that with your pizza and pasta dishes in the neighborhood of 10-12 percent.

Sauces and Rubs

Wings can be an outlet for your culinary creativity or to add variety to your menu. Use fresh ginger, chili sauce, honey, brown sugar and dark soy sauce to make sticky sweet Asian wings, or blend balsamic reduction, minced garlic, and minced Serrano pepper to make a hot and sweet Italian-inspired wing sauce.

If you fancy dry rubs, you can purchase an IQF frozen rotisserie wing that comes pre-seasoned and then toss them in the desired sauce after they’re fully cooked. If you decide to make your own dry rub, it is best to par broil, grill or bake the wings before frying as the dry rub tends to come off in the deep fryer. The possibilities are endless! With all of this said, I always try to minimize adding skews to my inventory, so I like to use ingredients that I already have on hand.

In summary, if you are going to wing it, be aware of your storage space, the impact that adding a new menu item will have on your ticket times.

Don’t forget to have fun and stay true to your brand!

MELISSA RICKMAN is co-founder of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and member of the World Pizza Champions.

The post Keeping Chicken Wings on the Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

The versatility of meatballs

Meatballs are one of those essential items at a pizzeria. Whether you make them in house or get them pre-made, a good meatball adds a lot to your menu. Often, the biggest issue we have with meatballs at my shop is making enough of them.

One of the great aspects of meatballs is their versatility. They can be utilized in many different ways, such as a main course, on top of pasta, as a side dish, on a sandwich, on a pizza or in a soup. They can even be turned into meatball sliders. My family takes the “dough” and makes meatball hamburgers and even meatloaf. It is the one version of meatloaf that I actually enjoy. There are also endless flavor combinations that you can create.

Whether you want a more traditional version or prefer to put a creative spin on them, meatballs are the perfect canvas to convey your vision. Simply by changing up the spices, herbs, meat and even starch can drastically change your signature meatball. While it might seem like a small thing, the size is also an important factor to consider when designing your meatball. The presentation, use and cooking time all vary depending on how big they are. For example, if you are making soup, roll them into miniature shapes for bite size flavor bombs. For creating a main dish, go for a giant meatball. No matter what kind of meatball you decide to make, there are a few essential components to ensure they come out moist, tender and flavorful every time.

Different components of a meatball

• The Meat. Traditionally, meatballs are made out of a combination of beef and pork with a healthy amount of fat. Just because this is the way your grandmother made them doesn’t mean you can’t venture in your own direction. There are plenty of reasons to try out other meats. One big reason that I’ve run into is that a good portion of the population doesn’t eat pork, and the majority of meat pizza toppings are pork-based or fully pork. Think pepperoni, the majority of sausages, prosciutto, most salami, bacon, pancetta, and guanciale to name a few. It’s nice to be able to offer your customers who want a meat option but don’t eat pork a tasty option. Another reason to pick a different type of meat is if you want the other flavors to really come through. Choosing something with a very tame flavor like chicken or turkey gives you a blank canvas for other flavors to assert themselves. On the other hand, gamey meats like lamb or bison lend themselves well if you want that taste in the forefront.

• The Starch. I like to use bread crumbs in my meatballs. That being said you can also use Panko, almond flour (if you’re going for gluten free) or nothing at all. I know people who soak their stale bread in milk to create a more tender meatball. I really think the starch and preparation depends on how you are utilizing your meatballs. We bake ours off in the morning and keep them in a warmer with sauce to be spooned onto a sandwich or as a side dish. For this reason, I don’t want them to fall apart, otherwise it just become a pot of bolognese. If you are baking them to order or topping pasta with them, you probably want a more delicate, melt in your mouth meatball as opposed to one with some chew.

• The Binder. While starch helps to bind the meat, eggs or an egg replacement is also very important.

• The Spice. Once you’ve decided on your flavor profile, you can go about procuring your spices. If you want a more traditional tasting meatball, think along the lines of fennel seeds, garlic and onion powder and oregano. Keep in mind if you are buying bread crumbs as opposed to making your own, they usually have added salt and spices already so make sure you adjust your recipe accordingly.

• The Herbs and Vegetables. I like to add fresh garlic to my meatballs. You can also chop up some fresh parsley or onion. You don’t have to stop there. Depending on the flavor profile you are going for, feel free to add chilies, ginger, scallions and even dried fruits.

• The Cheese. Grated Parmesan or Pecorino is the most common, but feel free to get creative. If you’re going for a dairy-free meatball you can substitute nutritional yeast for the cheese.

A few fun meatballs to try:

• Lamb, cilantro, garlic, paprika, mint.
• Turkey, maple, rosemary, mustard, thyme.
• Pork, ginger, scallion, soy sauce.
• Beef and pork, Calabrese chilies, garlic, honey, cayenne pepper.

Of course, there are a few things that can ruin a great meatball. I am not a fan of reheating day-old meatballs. Once they’ve been cooked and kept in a warmer all day, you don’t want to serve them the next day. At least not as a main, sandwich or side dish. To avoid waste, you can always slice them up and serve them as a pizza topping. Another thing to be conscious of is over cooking. No one wants a burned or dried out meatball. A big part of having a juicy meatball is adding fat. Just like when you make sausage, meatballs need a good amount of fat.

Now that you’ve gotten the flavor and texture that you are looking for in a killer meatball, how do you store and bake them? At my shop, we make a big batch every other day and use an ice cream scoop to portion them out. We put about 60 on a sheet tray with parchment and plastic wrap. This way it is ready to go for the opener to bake off in the morning. How you bake your meatballs really depends on the equipment you have in your shop. Ideally you could bake them off throughout the day to keep them fresh. However, this isn’t always practical. For example, we only have one pizza oven and after we open it is set to 625 F. In my opinion this is way too hot to bake off meatballs. They would come out burned on the outside and undercooked in the middle. Instead, we bake off what we think we need for the day at 400 F for 24 minutes. The meatballs then go into a warmer with marinara sauce. Your cooking time will also depend on the size of the meatballs. If they are super small you will obviously need less baking time and if they are on the larger side, I would recommend a lower temperature for longer so they cook all the way through while staying tender.

Whether you are looking for a standard recipe to serve in multiple ways or a specialty one for a burst of unexpected flavor, meatballs are a great way to add a big helping of comfort to your menu.

Turkey Rosemary Meatballs

Get the Turkey Rosemary Meatballs recipe.

The post Meatball Madness: Creative Meatball Recipe Ideas appeared first on Pizza Today.

Extra Cheese, how do you price it?

It’s no secret that mozzarella cheese is the essence of a great pizza and the bane of all our existence because of the fluctuation in price and how easily that money can go sideways when wasted and not utilized properly.

The Upsell

Selling extra cheese effectively results in better food cost and a better dining experience. It’s an easy upsell when presented like an invitation to a party. The key is to sell it in a light and upbeat tone at the end of a sentence, “Extra cheese on that?” When a customer is already in the buying side of their brain, the euphoric side where they’re open to purchasing, whether on the phone or in person, it’s a simple way to enhance the pizza and get more revenue per transaction.

How Much is Extra Cheese?

There are many modes of thought in the industry when putting extra cheese on a pizza. The most common is half the amount of a standard pizza. If your pizza has eight ounces of cheese, extra cheese would be four ounces. From what I’ve seen, this is the industry norm, but it is not a mandate. Many people put another little bit on with a scoop of their hand. For some pizzerias, extra cheese is just two ounces more no matter the pizza, and for others, it’s a whole separate bag, with tiered pricing based upon each size of pizza measured to a finite degree.

Price Fluctuations

Executing how to monetize it seamlessly is more crucial than ever; with the commodities price of cheese at insane fluctuation, you must price it and portion it correctly. We’ve seen the Chicago Mercantile cheese block price fluctuate into the low $1.20 range, all the way to the $3 range. Your price might fluctuate with the market, or perhaps you have a locked-in rate; either way, your price has climbed significantly. Utilizing the lessons of a challenging economy for any economy creates long-lasting success. That means portion control, menu price awareness and vendor negotiations.

Aggressively attack your cheese price with your vendor from a partnership standpoint. Your vendor needs to know that if your cheese price is out of whack, you can’t operate successfully, and they’re putting your store’s health in jeopardy and that your financial health is tied to their health. Get a new vendor if your vendor does not see your relationship as a partnership. If they’re trying to get as much money out of you as fast as possible, get a new vendor. Bear in mind that if the price of cheese on the mercantile is $2.50, it’s irrational for you to ask for the same or less, no matter what it was last year. If you pay less than that, the vendor has to make it up somewhere, i.e., overcharging you for the rest of your products.

How to Charge for it:

Assume you have a $3 per pound mozzarella price. By that logic, if you are giving four ounces of extra cheese, then that’s .75 cents in raw food cost you’re giving out. If you’re also charging extra cheese at a $1.50, or even $2, that is a horrible food cost percentage. $2.25 charger at .75 cents your cost would be 33-percent food cost. Not that great. To hit 25 percent for four ounces of cheese, you would need to be at $3 as an extra cheese charge. If that sounds exorbitantly high, you could give less; for two ounces you could sell for $1.50 to $2, but you would not be giving as much extra cheese.

With that said, I will give a little inside baseball knowledge. In 18 years of giving different amounts of extra cheese, I have never heard someone who ordered extra cheese say that this was not enough. I just haven’t. I’ve had it for every other topping because it’s much more apparent. For example when a pizza is light on mushrooms.

If you want the customer to have an overload of cheese, that’s awesome by me, charge for it, or else you jeopardize your restaurant’s financial health.

Portion Control

If you use a handful method, that only works if you’ve been doing it for a very long time and you are financially liable to your restaurant. This assumes you know that weight, like the back or, in this case, the front of your hand. Anyone who’s not you, not living off the bottom line, going off the handful method is costing you. None of your staff are Indiana Jones, able to measure a bag of sand on instinct like in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Even he got it wrong, which initiated a boulder chase. Your boulder is food cost, and you’ll get crushed every time when left to chance.

You need a system. NOT JUST ANY SYSTEM, but a dependably great system. The most basic system is to fill up a bowl, measure it on a scale, and dump it on pizza. The problem with this system the cheese can often drop from the bowl on the trek to the pizza and land on the floor, but it is better than nothing. A flat gram scale instead of a tall analog scale will do better in this scenario. It’s more specific, which takes more time, which might lead to this back-of-house employee not doing it at all. A camera directly on the cheese station can help you review film and see who’s doing it and who’s not. That assumes you check your cameras, and that the cameras are functional.

If you buy pre-cut, be aware that certain diced cheeses come measured to a finite degree, and yes, you could use a cup measurement to portion if you buy this exact type of pre-cut mozzarella. This process will not work on pre-shred; it will not work on other styles of random-cut cheese. If you have all the cheese cut and want to ensure nothing goes wrong, weight and pre-bag your cheese. Bag it in a separate section of your restaurant so staff separates it out in their mind where cheese is measured and where cheese is used. Whether in a cup like the Big Dave Ostrander method or a loosely packed sandwich bag, pre-portioning this way ensures for the 1 cent in bag cost, you don’t lose 30 to 40 cents a pie in misplaced cheese.

Prepping your Cheese

If you don’t buy pre-dice or pre-shred, you’re cutting it yourself. The classic top loader method of pressing with all your weight down to get the shred is a little old-fashioned but works with no new equipment. New methods of shredding cut the mozzarella like a woodchipper taking out a redwood. This fast-cut method is much more advantageous for use inside a high-functioning restaurant because you don’t have much time to waste cutting cheese.

Our restaurant uses a vertical chopping mixer, like a giant blender. A VCM dices it up for a minute, and then we dump it into a big container. I find this is the most affordable and fastest method to getting a dice-cut of cheese which is easy to spread out, in my experience. If you’re buying pre-cut, you are already paying a significant amount more money and, theoretically, aside from a few companies, also paying for cellulose in your mozzarella. For any pizzeria that’s looking to cut costs, which should be all of us, I am a big proponent of cutting your own cheese. The cost is just too inescapably high right now to do otherwise unless you have absolutely no space to prep it and cut it yourself. If that’s your situation, price it accordingly for the excess cost you incur.

Cheese is a numbers game. If you’re unaware of the numbers, the numbers control you. Keep your cheese game tight, and your profit will reflect that.

Mike Bausch owns Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

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Holy Ravioli!

What is it about ravioli that has us so captivated? Is it the soft supple texture of the pasta or the multitude of ingredients that we can fill them with that makes these little dumplings so popular? One thing is for sure, there are a few things to consider when adding handcrafted ravioli to your menu.

Are you going to make your own pasta dough, or will you use a pre-made pasta sheet?

If you want to make your own pasta dough, you’ll need to decide which type of flour to use.

We often associate Semolina flour with pasta making because it is a very course ground flour and it will produce a rough and dense pasta that will soak up your sauce better. But that texture and density will compete with your filling, which is really what you want to stand out.

Most all-purpose flour will do, but I prefer Doppio (double) Zero all-purpose flour. Its super fine texture yields a very light and delicate pasta perfect for showcasing your delicious filling.

Although you are not proofing the dough because there is no yeast in recipe, you still need to allow time for the gluten structure to develop which will allow you to stretch the dough without tearing it. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes up to a few hours.

If you choose to use pre-made pasta sheets, there are many brands and styles to choose from, thinner is better where ravioli is concerned. Pasta sheets definitely have some advantages. They are easy to use, store easily and can save labor hours. The flip side is that pasta sheets can be more expensive than purchasing the raw ingredients to make pasta dough in house. When deciding which route to take, weigh the added cost and convenience of the pre-made sheets against your labor cost and staffing availability. Perhaps the biggest advantage to using pasta sheets is that you can get right down to the business of making your filling.

Tools. There are many tools and techniques available to handcraft ravioli. You can use a pasta making attachment for your stand mixer that will sheet your pasta dough. Then fill and press the two halves together all in the same process. You might decide to use a countertop pasta sheeter and a ravioli mold to manually fill and shape your raviolis. Lastly, you can lay your sheeted pasta dough on the counter, dollop the filling on the dough and after pressing the two halves together, use a cutting wheel or ravioli stamp to shape and perforate the dumplings. In any case it is all the same process. Sheet, fill, press and cut.

Filling! Once you have decided on the particulars of flour, shape, size and tools, all that’s left is the filling. You don’t have a lot of real estate to work with, so simple is better.

If you have too many ingredients, your flavors could get lost and overwhelm the palate.

Ensure that all ingredients are fully incorporated and avoid big chunks of meat or vegetables.

If your filling contains raw meat, consider lightly sautéing it beforehand. This brings the flavors together and since fresh pasta cooks so quickly, it may be over done before your filling is at a safe serving temperature. If you are using a cutting wheel or ravioli stamp, ensure that you are not overfilling your ravioli or they will burst during the cooking process. I like to use a .5-ounce disher, to ensure consistency.

If you are using a mold, you’ll be able to see the indentions where you will place your filling. This will help you to know how much filling to use. The ravioli making attachment will automatically fill the ravioli for you, eliminating the guess work.

Whether you are using pasta maker/sheeter or a rolling pin, the desired thickness is generally 1/16-inch, but follow the manufacturers guidelines for your pasta sheeter/maker.

Once you have made your ravioli, allow them to rest on your work surface for about 15 minutes before handling them. This will allow them to form a good seal and dry slightly so that they will not stick to each other.

If you are going to cook the ravioli immediately, there is nothing left to do but boil your water and start cooking. If you will be preparing your ravioli to order it is best practice to pre portion them before storing them. This will save prep time on the line and is a great portion controlling measure. In my experience, an 8-ounce portion of ravioli is about right for most guests. I base this portion on a 1.5-inch square ravioli (about 17 in a serving)

To store fresh ravioli, place them on a sheet pan lined with waxed paper or a silicone mat and place in freezer until they are frozen on the outside. I like to use sandwich bags to portion the ravioli into single servings because they are inexpensive and easy to store in a container in the freezer.

Consider creating a seasonal special with your hand-crafted ravioli and bring in flavors that feature the best that the season has to offer. One of my favorites is a filling made with house-made bulk sausage with hints of sage and clove, dolce ricotta and smoked mozzarella, drizzled with a butternut squash reduction and candied walnuts. Paired with a nice pour of your favorite Bourbon, a warm sweater and you are set for a great fall or winter meal!

Each of these methods has their advantages and draw backs. Consider your restaurant’s volume, your staffing levels, the amount of storage available for the raw ingredients and how often you plan to feature hand-crafted ravioli. If ravioli will be a staple menu item, then speed is more of a consideration than wasted dough. If ravioli is a seasonal or weekly special, you may decide that the hand-crafted artisan look is worth the time and labor. In any case the love and energy you put into your ravioli will show in the end product.

MELISSA RICKMAN   is co-founder of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and member of the World Pizza Champions.

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“Life is too short not to order the bacon dessert.” – George Takei

As I visit my farmer friends for vegetables to make artisan pizzas throughout the week, I always keep an eye out for the best-selling items like asparagus, strawberry, tomatoes and pears. The farmers are very accommodating but as I wait for the inevitable question about buying the hard-to-sell items like turnip, parsnip, rutabaga, daikon and kohlrabi, I cringe inside. Unlike Europeans, we here in the U.S. have a twisted relationship with traditional root vegetables that are popular over there. The thought of trying to manipulate these downtrodden vegetables into a good selling pizza weighs heavy on me. But because these farmers are my friends, I usually cave into their lame sales pitch because I know the secret weapon lies not in the roasting, curing, pureeing or slicing of the poor selling veggies. It lies in the age-old pairing of what sometimes seems to be my best friend. Bacon! Turning Clark Kent into Superman doesn’t require a phone booth. Not when you have bacon.

Porking Brake

Bacon, as it is named now, has a long history. The pig was first domesticated from wild boar in the Tigris bason in eastern Turkey as long ago as 13,000 BC. Greek historian Herodotus said that any Egyptian who brushed against a pig immediately jumped in the Nile to purify themselves. But it was found that Pharaohs offered them at temples and feasts. Egyptians all imbibed in pork in predynastic times and usually ate it simply with oil and scallions, but it fell out of favor with the ruling class during the old kingdom. The Romans loved pork bellies braised in garum, (fish sauce) and especially loved the young pigs rescued from the jaws of a ravenous wolf because they though it made the meat more tender. As the wagon trains made their way across this country in the old west, a campfire favorite of fried, creamed salt pork was popular on the trail.

Today, bacon is still very popular and with our industrial food system, some pork belly is processed using pigs that are caged for life, seasoned with nitrates, pinned with liquid smoke, and treated as a commodity, not as a food. More and more companies are now making uncured bacon that is humanely raised and smoked naturally because… it tastes better.

In many a pizzeria, bacon is used in shaved frozen form, which makes it extremely easy for topping pizzas. Some of this bacon turns darker and turns the top of a pizza a dull brown that is not pleasing to the eye. Other choices for pizzeria owners are the strips, or as the English call “Rashers,” either thick or thin. This bacon, in raw form, needs to be par cooked before putting it on a pizza to ensure a fully cooked product on the pie. Other bacon choices are as follows.

Belly Up

Whole pork belly: This is probably the most delicious way to present on a pizza either sliced thin or, as the French call, “lardons.” Bellies taste best seasoned with salt, pepper and sugar and held overnight with or without nitrates. (Nitrates will ensure that no botulism will occur and turn the bacon flesh into a pleasant pink hue- but there are serious health concerns with using nitrates. Please research before you use them.) The belly then can be cut and smoked, (This will turn it technically from pork belly to “bacon.”) although there should be a catch basin in your smoker to catch the copious amount of fat that will render down. I like to cook my belly at 290 F in my bread oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 190 F. This usually takes two to 2.5 hours depending on the thickness of the belly.

Pancetta: There are two types of this Italian salt-cured pork belly. The stesa (flat), which is cubed or cut and added into soups, sauces and sautés; and the arrotolata, which is rolled and used for thin slicing for use in antipasto, sandwiches or with breakfast breads.

Fresh Side: This you can find at local farmers markets and is a raw pork belly usually sliced by the butcher for sale by the rancher. This is wonderful to par bake with soy sauce or spiced with Berbere seasoning, cumin, Aleppo peppers, marinated in adobo or just par baked with garlic powder, salt and pepper before placing on a pizza.

Back Bacon: This is from the loin and the leanest cut of bacon. It is often fried for use with breakfast or for sandwiches. The middle bacon from the side of the pig is also lean with an eye of lean meat surrounded by fat.

Lardo: This is not from the side but is brine-cured pork back fat with herbs and garlic. It has a silky-smooth texture and a deep, wonderful flavor. This is fantastic when thinly cut and placed on a hot cornicione, or pizza crust, right out of the oven to melt into a beautiful crunchy flavor bomb.

Beef Bacon: This is from the “Plate Cut” near where pastrami is from and mimics the fat to meat ratio of a pork belly. Beef Bacon is salt cured and smoked and is very strong in its beefy taste and it crisps up nicely on a pizza.

Lap Yuk: Meaning “wax meat” in Chinese, this strongly flavored pork belly bacon is marinated in Chinese spices and slowly dried. It is usually chopped into other dishes for a blast of flavor.

Ayrshire Cure Bacon: This Scottish rolled bacon is skinned and dry cured without the rind, which produces a strongly flavored bacon.

Bacon a great sizzle for shizzle

Bacon can introduce smoke, salt and fat to any pizza depending on which type of bacon you use. Bacon lends another layer of flavor to vegetables and is a perfect start with many sauces. It also combines with greens, fruit and acid very well. Here are some items that work well with bacon on a pizza: Chanterelle mushrooms, chicken, eggs, lettuce, shallots, arugula, winter squash, lentils, onions, parsnips, peas, spinach, tomatoes, avocados, olive oil, maple syrup, nuts, scallops, salmon, risotto, Fontina, Manchego, Gorgonzola, Feta, Cheddar, Gouda and Rutabagas.

Chicken “Cordon Blacon”

This pizza is a knockout blast of all the lusciousness in a traditional Cordon Bleu dish. The difference is that bacon is used instead of ham, and they all bake on a pizza. If you use non-crunchy chicken, you can always toss the panko breadcrumbs on the pie after the oven bake.

Get the Chicken “Cordon Blacon” recipe. 

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

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Pizzeria operators can incorporate these innovative ingredients to answer consumer demand

Plant-based ingredients are gaining popularity, including on pizza. According to Datassential, plant-based items have been rapidly growing in menu prevalence, and are expected to be on 40 percent of menus by 2025. These menu items include not just veggie burgers and tofu scramble, but pizza toppings such as non-dairy cheeses and meatless proteins.

Pizzeria owners looking to add plant-based mozzarella and pepperoni to their menus want to know what is in these ingredients, and how to prep the items so that the finished product satisfies customers. Manufacturers say the items are comparable to the milk and meat versions, and generally should be handled the same way.

Plant-based mozzarella

Plant-based cheese can be made from various ingredients, but one thing it does not contain is casein, a protein in dairy milk that gives it structure and meltability. The challenge for plant-based cheese manufacturers is to make the cheese with the stretch and creaminess that people enjoy in mozzarella. Manufacturers say they have found ingredient combinations that work.

Saputo Dairy USA’s Vitalite brand of vegan-certified, dairy-free plant-based mozzarella has as its main ingredients potato and corn starch, coconut oil and water. “It’s the combination of ingredients that creates the right balance to deliver on the attributes consumers are looking for in a plant-based cheese – delicious taste, creamy texture and optimal melting performance,” says David Cherrie, vice president of marketing and innovation for Saputo Dairy USA. The cheese has a neutral flavor so that it can be added to any dishes that typically use cheese, including pizza.

Other manufacturers use similar components. At Daiya Foods, the main ingredients include tapioca flour, coconut oil, chickpea protein, yeast extract and fruit or vegetable juice for color. “Dairy parity is the goal that all plant-based cheeses are working and innovating towards, Daiya included,” says Greg Acken, director of foodservice for North America. “To best achieve this, there are a few key steps pizzeria owners should be aware of.”

The amount of cheese one uses is important for achieving the right melt factor with plant-based cheese. The brand recommends using from one and a quarter cup to two cups Daiya Cheeze Shreds, based on the size of pizza. “It is also important to check with your food manufacturer if the product has a recommended cooking condition and time that differs from its dairy counterparts, which can sometimes be the case,” Acken says. That time can range from eight to sixteen minutes based on the type of oven.

Also, plant-based cheese interacts with toppings in much the same way as dairy mozzarella does.  “We have found that the more toppings, the better the melt,” Acken says. “Consider pairing your plant-based pizza with lots of veggies.”

Customers might ask about allergens, particularly if they are seeking a lactose-free meal. Operators should train staff on how to answer these questions, and also prep the food in an area separate from where the dairy cheese version is prepped, to avoid cross-contamination.

There are also nut allergies to consider. Miyoko’s Creamery makes Liquid Vegan Pizza Mozzarella that is nut free and allergen friendly. The pourable cheese is an alternative to a block of cheese that needs to be shredded, which the brand says can hinder meltability. “Miyoko’s stripped it down to the very minimum, creating a liquid with cultured plant milk as the hero, and using the heat of the oven to activate the starches and proteins,” says Jason Hull, brand manager. The cheese is delivered frozen, and the brand recommends slack (thaw in the refrigerator) for 48 hours, then apply a thin layer on top of the sauce using a ladle or precision squeeze bottle. The recommended amount is one-quarter cup per 10-inch pizza, and bake at 500+ degrees.

Pepperoni

Plant-based pepperoni is also gaining popularity. In 2021 Pizza Hut and Beyond Meat announced they were partnering to debut Beyond Pepperoni, a plant-based version of Pizza Hut’s top-selling pizza topping. The Beyond Pepperoni Pizza was available as a test in approximately 70 Pizza Hut locations across five U.S. markets for a limited time.

Other manufacturers are also entering the plant-based pepperoni category. At Happy Little Plants, a brand from Hormel Foods, the pepperoni-style topping contains water, soybean oil, soy protein concentrate, paprika, and other ingredients. It should be cooked from a refrigerated prep table, and used the same way as meat pepperoni. “Our team worked closely with pizzerias, chefs, foodservice operators and pizza experts to develop a plant-based pepperoni that cooks and tastes like traditional pepperoni and have put that same attention to all our plant-based pizza topping items,” said Colby Strilaeff, brand manager, Hormel Foodservice. “We wanted to offer a plant-based pepperoni that we felt confident in adding to our pizza topping portfolio of products to our customers.”

According to the brand’s website, Happy Little Plants Pepperoni-style topping is fully cooked and can be eaten out of the package, but the flavor and texture are best enjoyed warmed. It works in all style of pizza ovens, and all temperatures.

For plant-based versions of meat proteins, consumers sometimes want to know if the item has soy, as they might be allergic. A spokesperson for Greenleaf Foods, parent company of brands such as Field Roast and Lightlife, says Field Roast Plant-Based Pepperoni is made with whole pieces of fennel, cracked black pepper, anise, garlic and paprika, and uses pea protein rather than soy. The plant-based pepperoni also has less sodium than beef and pork pepperoni. The Field Roast products can be prepped the same way as the animal protein pepperoni on pizzas, calzones, salads, and other items.

There will likely be more demand for plant-based toppings such as pepperoni and mozzarella, and manufacturers say operators should be ready. “The pandemic changed consumers’ expectations for dining out and how they think about their health,” says the Greenleaf Foods spokesperson.  “It’s critical that operators diversify their protein options beyond traditional meat to include things like plant-based pepperoni, plant-based chicken, etc.”

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Rumble in the Crumble

The question blew my mind 22 years ago as my designated food salesperson showed me his two ground beef pizza toppings; The bag of individually quick-frozen beef crumbles looked like cemetery soil ready to be thrown on a pizza like dirt on a coffin. The crumbled topping seemed so distant from beef because it contained soy, garlic powder, granulated onion and caramel color. The salesman’s marketing pitch was that it had “no shrinkage” and “No annoying beef oils” and guaranteed to reduce labor costs and be perfect for K-12 education lunches. The other option were larger frozen round pellets containing the same ingredients, (Hence the industry moniker, Rabbit turds.) “Pretty nice huh?” he said with glee. I was shocked.

These days, I use only local beef on my pizzas figuring that if you’re going to put a topping on a pizza, it better be good. This plain and simple rule brings customers back time and time again. Ground beef can either be a glorious king on a pizza or a stupid jester as a secondary flavor. Ground beef can be a wonderful deep flavor, and the ability to manipulate it into numerous variations for pizza brings the wonderful oils and juices to lollygag around with the melting cheese and crisp wheat. This is my idea of paradise.

Beevus Maximus

Grinding beef goes way back into history. The Roman cook Apicius has numerous ground beef recipes dating to the 5th century AD. Pisa siva faba, or Meatballs with Fava beans, marries ground beef with garum (fish sauce), red wine, cumin, celery seeds, honey, and olive oil. The Roman Esticia omentata were a big hit as stuffed meat patties with breadcrumbs, myrtle, garum, pine nuts and bound with caul fat, (fatty intestine used for binding meat.) 

Today’s use of ground beef is spectacular in so many ways. Here are a few ground beef recipes from around the world.

• Moroccan grilled beef with ground beef, onion, parsley, pepper, dry-cured olives, tomato, cumin and salt served with onion relish and pita.
• Gato di Patate Rustico blends Sicilian and Neapolitan flavors in a mashed potato pie with ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, Prosciutto di Parma, mozzarella di buffala, Scamorza, pecorino Romano, pine nuts, currants.
• Bosnian Pljeskavica with ground beef and veal, onion, garlic, hot peppers, parsley, pepper and served with tomato and lemon.
• Mexican Picadillo Tacos is ground beef flavored with onions, almonds, cloves, allspice, cumin, oregano, garlic, onion, jalapeño, tomato, green olives, capers, and raisons. Served with arbol chili salsa and a squeeze of lime.
• Turkish yufka is a non-yeasted dough with milk, egg and wine vinegar topped with a mix of ground beef, yogurt, lemon juice, pistachio, parsley and pepper. The dough is then rolled like a long snake and then rolled up and baked in an oven and eaten hot with a pistachio yogurt.
• Greek Gozleme is cooked ground beef mix with allspice, hot pepper flakes, oregano, cumin, paprika, sugar, orange zest, parsley, feta cheese, butter and olives. These are blended and mixed inside a pita and grilled until crisp.

Leave it to Beefer

To deepen your menu options, ground beef offers a wide range of opportunities. Some chefs are going back to the classics like Steak Tartar using chopped tenderloin of beef and even meatloaf. Every way you use ground beef, there are several techniques you may want to know.

• Ratio of beef to fat. The industry standard for a lot of restaurant ground beef is 80/20. This is a good start because of cooking. The juices of the beef seem to escape onto other ingredients unless you use other partners in the mix. If you have a leaner mix, the beef may shrivel up and crack.
• Binders. In my 20 years of making meatballs, I’ve had some massive fails because of hydration or wet meat. After all, you can’t roll a meatball if it is mush. I love pre-prepared Panko, (Japanese style breadcrumbs) but I’ve had to use a quickly cooked pizza crust chopped into submission as an alternative. I like to add egg and breadcrumbs together because the egg penetrates the crumbs and sets up under heat creating a great meatball mouthfeel and taste combined with herbs and cheese.
• Cheeses. The other binders that add structure and flavor to ground beef are grated cheeses. My favorite grated binders with beef are Manchego, Asiago, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, Kashkaval, Provola di Buffala Affumicate, and aged Gouda. 
• Pizza Cheeses with Ground Beef. Because beef has such a pronounced bold taste, I’ve found that pairing it with a multitude of cheeses brings different results. My greatest hits are Gorgonzola, Feta, Chevre, Provolone, Parmigiano, Labneh, Genovese Prescinsua, Cheddar, Brie, Pepper Jack, Stilton, Emmental, and even American cheese.

Spicy Beef and Bacon Meatball Pizza

This is a fan favorite in my pizzeria because of the meaty, fatty lushness of the meat-bacon mix combined with the spice from Calabrian chilies and the herbal follow through of the basil and parsley. All these flavors play well with the cream sauce, Asiago and the spinach.

Get the Spicy Beef and Bacon Meatball Pizza recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

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Operators say buying flour, tomatoes and cheese from environmentally friendly providers can be time consuming but rewarding

When it comes to sourcing ingredients, the term “sustainable” refers to whether the food was grown or produced in a way that does not deplete natural resources. Pizzeria operators that want to sustainably source ingredients look for certain attributes or labels. For example, they might buy produce that is certified organic, which means the farmer did not use pesticides and followed guidelines related to soil management. Others buy from farmers that use regenerative agriculture, which focuses on the health of the ecosystem. 

Then there is the movement to buy local, which the Green Restaurant Association defines as food that is transported 100 miles or less from a farm or orchard, or regional, transported 300 miles or less. Humane Farm Animal Care offers a certification and labeling program for Humanely Raised and Handled for meat, eggs, dairy and poultry. Monterey Bay Aquarium has its Sustainable Seafood list. 

Sourcing sustainable ingredients takes research. Take pepperoni for example. “There is more to it than beef and pork and spices,” says Brad Kent, founder and head chef of Blaze Pizza. “How is the factory run? Are they exercising water conservation? Are they using the right packaging?” 

Also, the manufacturer should be limiting food waste, but not by extending the shelf life of the food by adding artificial ingredients. “It’s a delicate balancing act,” Kent says. “It requires deep knowledge of your partners.” 

While visiting manufacturing plants might be difficult for most restaurant operators, an easier tactic is to source from a local company. When the Pasadena, California-based Blaze Pizza opened its first location in California, the restaurant began buying flour from a company that sourced the wheat in Washington and milled it in Los Angeles. As Blaze Pizza opened more locations throughout the U.S., the flour partner was able to continue to supply the proprietary flour blend, sourcing the wheat from regions close to the other restaurant locations. 

“We are reducing our carbon impact by reducing the supply chain distance,” Kent says. That’s true for dairy too, as most of the cheese Blaze Pizza uses comes from two plants that are within 300 miles of the dairy farms. The restaurants also buy pre-cut produce, which saves labor and reduces food waste, as the cores and other trims are used for animal feed instead of going into a landfill. 

Another way to source locally is to skip the large distributor and instead shop at farmer’s markets. “These products are either delivered on an 18-wheeler from a broadline distributor or maybe from Mexico or Chile,” says Matthew Lyons, owner of Tribute Pizza in San Diego. “Or maybe they come from a guy who just that morning was loading a van and driving 20 miles to your neighborhood.” 

Lyons buys produce from two nearby farmers markets where consumers also shop. The difference is he brings a dolly and buys 100 pounds of tomatoes at a time. Some farmers let him pre-order. “They text us and ask, ‘What do you want tomorrow?’” he says. “They will make sure they are bringing it in and putting it aside for us.” For a fee, some farmers set aside an amount of acreage of, for example, kale or peppers, and Tribute Pizza buys the entire crop. 

One drawback to this method of sustainable sourcing is that it’s time consuming to go to a farmer’s market once or twice a week. Also, while some of the farmers have card readers at their booths, others require cash payments. “It’s a different kind of accounting,” Lyons says. “They are not doing invoices.” 

Still, he is building relationships with the farmers, which has its advantages. Some farmers offer Lyons a bulk discount. “It’s more cost effective,” he says. “We are cutting out the middleman.” He gets alerts about the week’s crop and makes changes to the menu, such as adding prosciutto and melon when melons come in. There is also a rotating Farmer’s Market Pizza on the menu.  

For some, buying from farmers is less convenient but still worthwhile. When Talula’s Pizza opened in Asbury Park, N.J. eight years ago, husband and wife owners Steve and Shanti Mignogna cold-called local farmers and asked if they would deliver. “We did a lot of research,” Shanti Mignogna says. “We were starting from scratch.” 

For a few years they sourced ingredients from several farms. Eventually they began working with Harvest Drop, which delivers food from local farms. “That allows us to have access to so many more small family farms that don’t sell direct, and don’t have transportation,” Mignogna says. 

Another way to source sustainable ingredients is to prepare items onsite. Instead of buying packages of mozzarella, Talula’s Pizza buys large bricks of curd and makes the cheese in-house. The restaurant also buys large packs of meat and slices it in-house instead of buying packaged sliced meat. While that takes more labor, the quality and flavor are better,
Mignogna says, and it cuts down on packaging. Also there are savings on food costs. “I prefer to put our money in people than buying things pre-made,” she says. 

Some operators buy products from long distances but say the sourcing is sustainable because the ingredient is organic. Ambrogio15, part of Milano Five Group, with locations in California and Scottsdale, Arizona, uses Petra Flour from the Molino Quaglia grain mill in Verona, Italy. Fabio Rauscher Bascon, chief marketing officer at Milano Five Group, explains that Molino Quaglia is an agronomic system that limits its environmental impact. The Italian wheat is grown with the minimum usage of fertilizers, pesticides and synthetic substances, and the stone milling technique crushes the grain of wheat while conserving its natural qualities.

“Using stone ground flours made in a sustainable way is critical to our mission and product,” Rauscher Bascon says. “There is a special process to it, but it gives it a better taste, gives it more nutrition, and a nice aroma.” 

Nora Caley   is a freelance writer who covers small business, finance and lifestyle topics.

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A guide to making the classic sandwich

Grinder, hoagie, Italian sandwich, hero, sub, wedge, zep, bomber, torpedo. Depending where you are from, this iconic sandwich has a different name and connotation. For most, it is as nostalgic as a classic cheese slice from your childhood pizzeria. By definition a grinder is: a large sandwich on a long, split roll filled with layers of ingredients. That’s a pretty broad description and everyone has their own interpretation of what it should look and taste like. 

To really understand how to make a great grinder, you have to know the different elements and composition of one. The physical sandwich can be broken down into: the roll, the filling and the toppings. Just like when I am creating a pizza, I try to make the flavor profile as cohesive as possible. 

For me, the roll is just as important as the filling. The worst thing is to get a grinder that has an incredible filling only to realize that roll doesn’t hold up or is super dry. A few characteristics of a great roll:

• Structurally sound. Your roll should hold up to the ingredients it is supporting. In my mind, a grinder is full of saucy, messy, saliva-inducing ingredients but that doesn’t mean that it should fall apart when you eat it.  
• Texture. You don’t want a roll that’s too hard to bite into or so soft it turns to mush. The perfect balance is a roll that is stiff or crunchy on the outside with a chewy, developed interior.
• Flavorful. Don’t count out the roll for adding flavor to the overall sandwich. The bread itself should be able to stand up on its own. You can always add sesame or poppy seeds, dried onions or Italian mix or even brush the top with garlic oil for a little extra up level. 
• Size. I think that the roll and the filling proportions should be close to equal. You don’t want so much bread that it overtakes the filling, but enough that it stands up to it. 

I’m a huge fan of making everything in-house. This means all the components on our Meatball Grinder — from the meatballs to the sauce to the roll—are prepped and cooked in our slice house. You don’t need to over complicate things. You can make your rolls using the same flour, or even dough, as you do your pizza. If you don’t feel up to making your own, or simply don’t have the time and labor force to do so, try to seek out a bakery close to your shop. Not only is it going to be superior quality to a mass-produced roll, but it is also great cross promotion to work with and support another local business. 

Obviously, the filling is just as important as the roll. I like my fillings saucy, full of flavor, with a good helping of cheese and a little on the messy side. I know a lot of people might disagree with the latter option. My husband, specifically, hates a messy sandwich. He likes everything contained and proportional. Whereas I say messier is usually more flavorful. Neatness aside, there are a few elements that create a good grinder filling. 

• Cheese. Unless you are trying to make it vegan or dairy free, I would argue that cheese is an essential component of a grinder. Not only does it add a creamy, salty, cohesive flavor and texture to the overall sandwich, it is also a big component of making it structurally sound. If you’re making a grinder that is especially saucy or has ingredients that are on the wetter side (such as veggies liked cooked spinach, roasted eggplant or anything pickled), it can act as an in-between layer to protect the bread from getting overly soggy. By melting the cheese on top of the filling in the oven, it is great for sealing everything together. 

• Sauce. Whether you are making a hot meatball grinder or a cold Italian one, the sauce you use is vital to the flavor profile. I like my tomato sauce for hot sandwiches slightly thicker than I use on my pizzas, with a sweeter edge to it. For cold sandwiches, I’m a huge fan of a good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar or a homemade Italian dressing. If you’re looking to change up the sauce on a hot grinder, try pesto. We do a great hot veggie with pesto, veggies, melted mozzarella, and topped with arugula and sweetie drops after it comes out of the oven. A few other great cold sandwich sauces include: flavored mayonnaise (such as garlic, roasted red pepper, jalapeño), any and all salad dressings, compound butters, infused oils and pestos. 

• Pickled Veggies and Greens. These are great for contrasting flavors and textures. You can cut through heavier meats and sauces with the addition of a few pickled jalapeños or a handful of arugula. 

• Main meat or vegetable. Since this is the star of the show, make sure it’s delicious. To me, a great meatball grinder is simple: meatballs, sauce, cheese and the roll. That being said, you need every element to be well executed. Don’t forget the eggplant grinder for an equally delicious veggie option. 

As you can see, there are so many ways to make the perfect hot and saucy sub. Just make sure you put thought into each element, try to keep it simple and make it structurally sound. 

Eggplant Parm is a classic for any pizzeria but if your shop is small and limited to just your pizza oven, frying eggplant (or anything for that matter) isn’t always an option. In this recipe I use roasted eggplant, layered with sauce, ricotta and mozzarella and I think it is every bit as comforting and delicious as its fried sister. 

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan Grinder

Get the Roasted Eggplant Parmesan Grinder recipe.

Audrey Kelly  owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. 

The post The Great Grinder appeared first on Pizza Today.

Bundle Up This Holiday Season with Party Packages

Let’s face it, the holiday season is busy. With all the things that we have on our to-do lists, sometimes it’s all too easy to lose sight of what’s most important about the holidays: our friends and family. 

Packages and family-style options can be a great way to help your customers spend more time enjoying their friends and family and less time in the kitchen. 

The key to a putting together a successful holiday package is to remember that your customers want to create a memorable experience for their guests, and that is where you come in. Food is often the focus of family gatherings, so this is a great opportunity for your restaurant to make a great impression and potentially gain new, loyal customers. 

Think of your holiday packages as a marketing opportunity. It is vital to ensure that the food leaving your restaurant is hot, fresh and travels well. Consider options that can be reheated on site as well as items that are ready to serve. Ask yourself what will present best at an offsite event? You may even consider modifying some dishes so that sauces or garnishes can be added at the time the dish is ready to be served for maximum freshness. Branded bags, boxes, foil pan lids, serving utensils and chafer heating instructions are a great marketing opportunity as well as give a polished, professional look to your restaurant.

Your customers may need to pick up their food the day before their event. Ensuring that you provide reheating instructions for each menu items is not only helpful, but that attention to detail shows that you care about their experience with your restaurant even when it is outside of your four walls. 

Holiday hours can be tricky, especially if you are going to be closed the day before the actual holiday. Using Christmas as an example, you can prepare your holiday pre-orders in advance and schedule a window of time on Christmas Eve for pick-ups. This is a way to fill your orders on the day closest to the event with minimal staffing. 

Pastas, salads and desserts are easy to serve in bulk. Pastas reheat easily and are a great option for family-style meals. However, this is a pizza magazine, so let’s talk take and bake! There are many different types of take and bake trays, pans and options for baking the perfect pie in a residential oven. Pizzas and Strombolis are equally as easy to par-bake and finish off in a 550 F oven on a baking sheet. 

Here are some rules of thumb that I use when putting together packages. I like party packages that serve 12, (anything less than that can easily be accommodated with a large take-out order). In my experience, 12 is the sweet spot. I can provide more value, better options and variety for a party of 12. On average, each adult in the group will eat 4 ounces of cooked pasta (2 ounces uncooked), three 1-ounce meatballs, or 2.5 ounces of grilled chicken breast, 4 ounces of lettuce (plus salad toppings), 1 piece of garlic bread or 1.5 garlic knots. 

For dough products, you can usually plan, on average, that each guest will eat 2 slices of pizza, or two 2-inch slices of a “family-sized” stromboli.  

With these tips in mind, I would put together some packages that would include the following:

Option 1

• House salad (48 ounces of lettuce, 16 ounces of salad dressing)
• 1 half pan of baked ziti marinara with broiled mozzarella on the top (48 ounces of pasta, 24 ounces of sauce, 14 ounces of cheese)
• Add protein — 36 one-ounce meatballs (assume 3 per person)
• One family-sized stromboli cut into 12 equal slices. 
• 18 garlic knots

Option 2

• Antipasto salad (48 ounces of lettuce, 16 ounces of salad dressing)
• 1 half pan of Fettuccine Alfredo (48 ounces of pasta, 24 ounces sauce)
• Add sliced grilled chicken (30 ounces)
• 18 garlic knots or 12 slices of garlic bread 

Option 3

• House or antipasto salad (48 ounces of lettuce,16 ounces of salad dressing)
• 2 family-sized stromboli, cut into 12 equal slices or two pizzas
• Meatballs or sausage with marinara (36 meatballs or 1.5-inch sausage links) 
• 18 garlic knots  

Dessert Options

• 1 12-slice tray of Tiramisu
• 18 Cinnaknots with cream cheese icing
• 1 tray of 12 cannoli or 24 mini cannoli

The holidays are a great time to have fun with your menu and be creative. But don’t stray so far from your niche or specialty, otherwise party guests will be confused about what your restaurant is all about. For example, Wholly Stromboli features a Rueben ‘boli on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s still a stromboli, but it’s a special occasion offering and still on-brand.

Also, the logistics of executing holiday packages can be tricky when you have a small kitchen. For that reason, I try not to stray too far from the menu items that I feature in my restaurant. I don’t need to special order ingredients that I don’t already have in stock, thus minimizing the space and special preparation required for these special items. 

In terms of pricing, I like to keep my cost of goods at 18 percent or less. While that may not always be possible with holiday packages, you can make up for a slightly lower margin with dollars to the bank. Consider that your paper goods, labor and overhead is less than if your team were to prepare 12 separate take-out orders or serve those guests in house. Additionally, one foil pan with a lid is more economical than 12 individual containers. We should always strive to provide value to our guests without devaluing our product. The sweet spot is where convenience and value intersect. Make the emphasis on providing those two things and you won’t have to give away the farm to build a strong holiday business. 

MELISSA RICKMAN  is co-founder of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and member of the World Pizza Champions.

The post Add Party Packages and Family Style Menu Options During the Holidays appeared first on Pizza Today.

Sausage Sizzles

As far as meat toppings go, I used to be firmly in the pepperoni camp. Lately though, I’ve realized the beauty in a simple sausage slice. With the right sausage, it has all the elements of an unadorned cheese slice with bursts of extra flavor. While the vast majority of pizzeria operators buy their pepperoni, sausage is a topping that can really be a signature item. It is fairly simple to make, whether you want an extremely versatile sausage or one with a unique flavor for a specific pie. If you don’t want to make it in house, there are plenty of companies out there willing to do the work for you. 

As I was creating my menu before my pizzeria opened, I knew that sausage was something I wanted to make myself. It sounds more daunting than it actually is. And once you get your recipe down, it takes very little time to make. The first thing you must decide is if you want to grind your own meat or buy it already ground. We’ve done both and I can honestly say that as long as you have good quality meat, in our case pork, both taste fantastic. If you are going to grind your own meat, there are a few things to keep in mind: 

• Know your cuts of meat. Shoulder cuts, also known as the butt, is ideal if you’re using pork, beef or lamb (it has a good blend of muscle and fat that is great for grinding). 
• Cube up your meat and then keep it cold. Don’t let it sit out or it will be harder to grind. 
• Decide which grinder plate you want to use, coarse or fine. You can also use a combination of the two. 
• Don’t throw out all of the fat when cutting and trimming your pork butt. As you know, fat is flavor and is especially important in something like sausage. I aim for a lean-to-fat ratio of 70/30. That’s 70 percent meat to 30 percent fat. You can go higher or lower depending on your preference. If you’re using something other than pork that tends to be leaner, such as lamb, you might need to add in extra fat. 
• Always, and I mean always, keep the grinder attachment in the freezer. This means, wash it, dry it and put it back in the freezer so it is ready to go and you don’t slow down production. 

Next to the quality of the meat, your flavor profile is most important. Well maybe it’s top of the list because you don’t want to ruin a great piece of meat with terrible flavors. 

At my shop, we do a pretty basic recipe for our house sausage consisting of Calabrian Chiles, honey and fennel. We use this sausage on all of our pizzas, from our Spicy Pig (sausage, pepperoni, roasted jalapeños and garlic) to our Italian Mamma (sausage, kale, sweet onions and Parmesan). 

You can really do any flavor combination you want — just remember to keep it balanced. When choosing the spices and produce you’re going to use, it is important to think about how they will work with the type of meat you decide on. 

Pork is the most common meat used for sausage. It has a very neutral flavor with a good fat content and stays juicy when it’s cooked. There are other good options, too, and since so many meat pizza toppings are pork based, it’s fun to change it up. Especially if you have a lot of customers who can’t or don’t eat pork, it’s nice to be able to offer them an alternative. With so many people asking for a meatless pizza these days, you can also make a vegan sausage option. Here are a few sausage combinations to get you started:

• Sausage: Lamb, rosemary, red wine and garlic on a pizza with thinly sliced potatoes, red onion, mozzarella and feta.
• Sausage: Beef, leeks and oregano on a pizza with spinach, paper-thin lemon slices (fresh or flash fried), mozzarella and ricotta.
• Sausage: pork, maple and sage on a pizza with delicata squash, rainbow chard and  Piave cheese.Sausage: Chicken, jalapeños (or other chilies) and roasted red peppers on a pizza with bell peppers, sauce, mozzarella and roasted chilies. 
• Sausage: Vegan ground meat, mushrooms, roasted garlic, thyme on a pizza with wild mushrooms and arugula.

Pre-cook or cook on pizza? 

If you are using bulk sausage, I always choose raw. The only time I would pre-cook sausage is if it won’t cook fast enough on the pizza in the oven. This is for styles like Neapolitan, where the pie cooks in 90 seconds. Even if you pinch it paper thin, chances are it’s still going to be raw if it’s not at least partially cooked. Most other styles of pizza have a long enough bake time to allow for raw sausage. The main reason that I prefer raw sausage is that pinching it directly onto the pie makes it so that it stays juicy, fresh and the flavors meld with the rest of the pizza. It doesn’t get dried out, overly crumbly and rubbery. 

How do you decide between link sausage and bulk sausage? 

They look aesthetically different and taste different so it’s a personal choice. You should consider what texture, flavor and use you are looking for when deciding what to purchase or make. If you go with sausage links, you will need to pre-cook them and I would suggest pre-slicing them so you don’t hold up the makeline during service. One of the great things about link sausages is that they can be cross utilized as an entree or sandwich.

If you are buying your sausage, there are plenty of options for every style and form of sausage you want. You can purchase it in bulk or links, pre-cooked or raw. Most of the big companies have the basic types like sweet, mild or hot Italian and garlic. If you’re looking for something a little more special, I encourage you to check out local companies. A lot of them also offer unique flavors that reflect the region you’re in. For example, in Colorado, Boulder Sausage makes a fantastic Hatch Green Chile sausage. Another Colorado company, Frontiere Natural Meats, makes a Bison sausage. 

Being a top five pizza topping, sausage is an important part of any pizzeria menu. Whether you decide to make it yourself or buy it from one of your purveyors, there are plenty of options to choose from. Here is a sausage recipe to get you started. 

Spicy Sausage Pie

Get the Spicy Sausage Pie Recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. 

The post A Guide to Making Sausage in House and Pizza Topping Combos appeared first on Pizza Today.

A ‘Hole’ New Future for Pizzerias

I don’t know if pizza makers are getting inspired or bored, but I’ve noticed a trend in pizzaioli getting serious about bagel baking. Maybe you’ve seen bagel experiments on the social media accounts of Tony Gemignani, John Arena, and some of the country’s other prominent pizza makers. Are bagels the next big trend in pizzerias or is this just a fad? 

We first have to acknowledge the cosmic connection between pizza and bagels. Introduced to the U.S. as immigrant foods, both have undergone transformations resulting in versions that are more popular than their ancestors. Their doughs are made from the same basic ingredients (flour, salt, water and yeast) and even share the same high protein flour. Both products are the subject of a common (yet inaccurate) myth that the best versions are made with sacred New York tap water. And lest we forget that when pizza and bagel are combined, they create a dish that can be eaten in the morning, in the evening and even at suppertime.

The first pizza maven I saw crossing the tracks was Jeff Krupman. Back in 2018, he added the Bagel Macher brand to his Bay Area pizzeria, Pizza Hacker. It was a tasty way to honor his Eastern European Jewish roots within the context of his playful pizza restaurant. By doing so, he was able to utilize a daypart during which he was previously closed. 

Next came Phil Korshak, former head pizza maker at Home Slice Pizza in Austin, Texas. He dove head-first into bagels, starting with a project in Minneapolis. Phil ended up in South Philadelphia to open his eponymous bagel shop in 2021. Based on the rave reviews and daily sell-outs, I’d say he made the right move.

Tony Gemignani caught the bug and lit up San Francisco with his launch of Dago Bagel, a brand available at his North Beach Toscano Brothers Bakery and Italian grocery, Giovanni’s Italian Specialties.

Even though pizza and bagels share common ingredients, the two doughs aren’t necessarily interchangeable. While pizza dough has been trending towards higher hydration these past few years, bagels are relatively low in water content. That’s because the classic New York bagel isn’t just a roll with a hole in the center; it’s a dense bread with a chewy exterior. To get that chewy crust, a proper bagel is boiled before the bake. That quick gelatinization of the bagel’s exterior is what prevents the bread from expanding into a light and fluffy loaf. 

If you’re thinking about adding bagels to your repertoire, keep in mind the additional space and equipment you’ll need to boil, bake and store your bagels. Boiling means you’ll need a large pot or boiling tub. Classic bagel shops bake on burlap-lined wooden baking boards before flipping their rounds onto the oven hearth. Then there are the proofing trays and speed racks you’ll need to stage your bagels overnight (plus the walk-in space to fit them). Nothing a pizzeria can’t manage on a small scale, but definitely a major project for a large-scale operation.

I love seeing pizza makers stepping out of their comfort zones to experiment with other bread products, especially one as close to my heart as bagels. The few examples I’ve mentioned have proven that great bagels, much like great pizza, are possible far beyond the confines of New York City’s five boroughs. 

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: The Bagel Trend appeared first on Pizza Today.

“Vodka sauce is wonderful. Pairing it with penne is classier, but rigatoni is more subversive.”
— Chef Joe Bianco

High Spirits

There are more ways to make vodka sauce than there are galaxies in the sky. Just read the glorious online promises from bloggers and writers exalting their recipes with “best ever” or “perfect way.” Other recipes are peppered with “simple trick” or “transformative” and even “positively magical.” Penne alla Vodka is one of the most popular pasta dishes in the United States, but there is a huge difference between making a plate of pasta in a controlled recipe kitchen and making sixty pasta plates an hour in the hot chaos of a real restaurant. It is in this frenetic insanity where the restaurant chef shines, because their only concern is the sauce, the pasta and the dish. This is where vodka sauce gets personal. 

Shaken, not stirred

The history of vodka sauce is as complex as the flavor itself and shaky at best. One claim is from James Doty, a Columbia University graduate student. Dante Restaurant in Bologna, Italy, is proud to say that their chef invented the dish, but there is a Roman chef that says he invented Penne alla Vodka to popularize vodka in Italy where wine is king. Others say it was an invention by Italian American chef Luigi Franzese of Orsini restaurant in New York. Whatever you believe, the combination of pasta, tomatoes, cream, cheese and vodka is genius. This explains why it is the fourth most popular pasta dish in America according to Taste Atlas.  

Smirnoff the Makeup

Many pasta aficionados say that the addition of vodka both elevates the tomato flavor and makes the sauce creamier. Vodka, like other distilled spirits, enhances the release of fruity esters and other aromas at low percentages because the alcohol molecules have a slightly sweet taste and a pungent hotness. As the alcohol is cooked off in the sauce, the sweetness of the tomatoes is enhanced while the bitterness of the boozy alcohol taste disappears, leaving only a nuanced touch of heat.

On the flip side of this, famous author and teacher James Peterson says in his James Beard Award-winning Book Sauces: “Vodka is useless in sauce making because it is a completely neutral-tasting product.”

Vodka sauce is a distant cousin to Sauce Aurore, which means sunrise in French and was a specialty of Chef Giovanni de Negris at La Primavera restaurant in Chicago. He paired his tomato puree with a thick béchamel and a medley of vegetables and proteins. It can also be made with tomato puree and sauce velouté (or a sauce supreme). 

Expand your Vodkabulary

Let’s get down and dirty and muddle through the many ways that chefs put their individual flavor branding upon vodka cream sauce. 

• Penne vs. Rigatoni: Both tube-shaped pastas are used in restaurants. Some say that penne cooks better in a sauté pan by keeping its shape under high heat. Others say that rigatoni holds the sauce and cheese better, allowing the eater more flavorful punch per forkful.
• Many cooks demand only fresh tomatoes in vodka sauce, while others say that canned tomatoes are just as good and allow for consistency on the pasta line. Whole San Marzano tomatoes are sometimes used, but I prefer the plum tomatoes from California for their sweetness and dense flesh. You can run either type of whole tomatoes through a food mill or just break them apart with their hands for a chunkier sauce.
• Numerous recipes call for both butter and olive oil while sautéing diced onions. A trick from the old timers in Italy is to always put the onions in the pan before the fats heat up. This ensures a better amalgamation of the allium flavor base as the onions heat up. 
• Many recipes call for a smoky fat start like pancetta, bacon or even prosciutto di Parma. Added before the onions to give more flavor pleasure to carnivores. Others, like me, add Prosciutto di Parma cracklings to add extra crunchy and meaty texture to each forkful. 
• Some people like to add two or three smashed garlic cloves to the sautéing onions for that extra burst of flavor while others, like Chef Joe Bianco, swears by putting a whole large sprig of basil immediately after adding the vodka to the sauce. 
• Add a touch of excitement by throwing in a pinch of red pepper flakes while sautéing.
• Many restaurants cook the penne very al dente or partially cooked and do not rinse the pasta, ensuring that the starches add more creaminess to the sauce. They then add the pasta to the heated sauce, then pasta water and cook the pasta for an extended period in the sauce, followed by the Parmigiano or Romano cheeses only after the heat has been turned off. 
• Some old Italian chefs have a secret of tossing grated Parmigiano or Romano directly on just-cooked pasta before adding the heated sauce. This ensures that each pasta piece is coated with cheese.

Absolute Flavor

Many see vodka as a good partner for other foods. Here are some flavors that pair well with vodka: sugar, lemon and lime juice, green olives, beef consommé, apples, ginger, horseradish, cucumber, beet, caraway, celery, carrot juice, pineapple, cilantro, berries, black pepper, oats, melon, mango and vanilla.

Here are a few dishes that show the flexibility of a good vodka cream sauce:

• Paglia e Fieno with Prawns and Vodka
• Veal Agnolotti with Gorgonzola Vodka sauce
• Penne alla Vodka with Spinach and Chicken
• Farfelle with Pancetta and Vodka Cream
• Linguine with Lobster Vodka sauce
• Vodka Creamed Chicken Wings
• Shrimp Cannelloni with Vodka Basil sauce

Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce and Prosciutto di Parma Cracklings

This is probably the best pasta I’ve ever made. This version takes shape with the little nuggets and tips from my years in kitchens and talking to chefs. Adding pasta water to the sauce rewards you with a wonderfully luscious sauce and the small chunks of tomato flesh really pop around the cream sauce and crispy Prosciutto.

Get the Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce and Prosciutto di Parma Cracklings Recipe.

The post A Good, Versatile Vodka Sauce appeared first on Pizza Today.

Pier Pressure

As I get ready for the Pizza and Pasta Northeast show in Atlantic City this coming October 16th, I’ve been thinking of that wonderful Atlantic Ocean breeze, the boardwalk and the smell of seafood… on pizza. In fact, Tony’s Baltimore Grill here in AC has a Clams Casino Pizza that is a prime example of an exquisite East Coast Seafood Pizza. It’s been on the menu since 1927 and has bacon, onion, green peppers and clams with their natural juice. Freshly grated pecorino soaks up that briny clam liquor with a layer of mozzarella finished with oregano. This is a delicious homage to their seaside location in Atlantic City.

Seafood paired with wheat has its roots buried in history across the globe. In the Venetian lagoons, creamed salt cod was spread on bread. The Scandinavians marinated herring in milk, mustard, vinegar, allspice, bay and onion and served it on Norwegian crispbreads or rye hardtack rings. The lime marinated mackerel and kingfish ceviche from the Yucatan offers all the citrusy heat from chilies and is served on tortillas. In Italy today, you may see pizzas named Frutti di Mare which are typically cheeseless with tomato and topped with squid, mussels and scampi. 

Wu Tang Clam

For many years, seafood pizzas were scoffed at by pizza purists as an abomination, especially if they contained cheeses. But along the East Coast of the United States, where seafood is plentiful, pizza chefs used many types of seafood on pizzas to awaiting crowds. In New York, the clams were so abundant in Little Neck Bay that prospectors moved to Queens just to harvest the clams to supply the iconic restaurants like Whytes on Fulton that served their famous soft clams on toast. The Sicilian version of Sfincioni was reportedly also served on Prince Street. In New Haven, the giant hard-shell clams baked on proprietary wheat crusts baked in coal-fired ovens with plenty of garlic, Romano cheese and extra virgin have catapulted pizzerias into hall of fame status. Down south, the white shrimp scampi pizzas of the South Carolina coast are still turning heads and the seafood pizzas in the Florida Keys are baked with shrimp, lobster, scallops and crab meat in a luscious Alfredo sauce.

The Gill of your Dreams

It’s no secret that seafood pizzas are popular. Even in land-locked Ohio, I’ve brought on numerous seafood pizza specialties which are still on my menus today. Here a few tips to sell Atlantic seafood in your pizzeria.

1. Don’t skimp on seafood. If you must make a seafood pizza smaller to reach your food cost vs. sales cost mark, then do it. No one likes a seafood skinflint or a large pizza with practically no seafood on it.
2. Try to use only fresh seafood. Pre-breaded seafood made on refrigerated assembly lines is terrible. Fresh frozen seafood like calamari and shrimp are best when using accredited ServeSafe thawing methods and training your staff to recognize bad seafood.
3. Market your seafood pizza using tried-and-true dishes. Great sauce and seafood combinations have been on people’s radar for a long time. Running a line of Asian, Mexican, Spanish as well as Italian flavor profiles will sell more pizza because customers know them.

On Squid Row

Here is some wonderful seafood that has proven to be a delicious accompaniment to different wheat crusts and a variety of sauces and production methods.

Shrimp. Believe it or not, shrimp is a good seller on pizza if you can get a good “spread” across the pie. This is best done by cutting large shrimp in half horizontally. Smaller and krill shrimp cannot cover the top of a large pie very well and frozen krill shrimp smells way too strong. Preparations like Cajun etouffee, Mexican avocado shrimp, garlic shrimp, shrimp Alfredo and lemon cream shrimp pizza are game changers. Toppings like basil, garlic, bacon, arugula, beans, chili peppers, onions, mint, mustard, lemon, avocado, tomatoes, lime, beans, pistachio nuts and even crab are good with shrimp.

Smoked Salmon. This topping made famous in Wolfgang Puck’s Spago can be served numerous ways on a pizza. This fish does not fare well in the oven, so by placing it atop the pizza, you will both save the flavor and color of the cure. Many foods go well with this fish like wasabi, sour cream, red onion, capers, hard-boiled egg, arugula, mascarpone, everything spice, avocado, horseradish crema, dill, cream cheese, chervil, chives, cilantro, lemon, potato, shallots, cucumber and mint.

Clams. Many East Coast pizzerias have well-earned reputations based on their clam pizzas. Many arguments occur on who has the best clam pie, but one thing stays true; using fresh clams is the key. Clams are best with garlic, Romano, extra virgin, tomato, bacon, shallots, cream, corn, chili peppers, potatoes, onions, parsley and lemon.

Calamari. This is a tricky topping. Grilled and sauteed squid will turn chewy like gum swimming atop cheese in a box. Ultra-crisp, deep-fried calamari is delicious on pizza, especially a charred, grilled crusted pie, but only if it can be served right away. Wonderful with flavored aiolis, tomato, parsley, lemon, bell peppers, garlic, black pepper, basil, orange and anchovies.

Tuna. (Yes, I’m gonna go there…) Along with the popularity of sushi and sashimi, comes the tuna topped pizza like the one at Yellowtail in Las Vegas or the Poke pizzas of Hawaii. This is probably not feasible on large pies but fantastic when thinly sliced, raw tuna is paired with a crisp crust and toppings like, cilantro, microgreens, truffle oils, wasabi, dried shrimp, crème fraiche, cream cheese, teriyaki, hoisin, tortilla crisps, red onion, corn, avocado, arugula, cumin, scallion, sesame oil, lemon, chili peppers and chives. Tinned tuna is also very good. My “Hot Tuna” Pizza named after the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jorma Kaukonen, (and my neighbor) has been on my menu for 15 years. 

East Coast Clam Pizza 

I just adore the combination of a great crisp crust with lots of fresh-shucked clams, garlic, strong, salty cheese and my pie-hole. This is a giant nod to all those great East Coast pizzerias that have been making this simple masterpiece for years. 

Get the East Coast Clam Pizza recipe.

The post East Coast Seafood Inspiration for the Pizza Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

New York City has long been a city of slices. While other locales thrive on either dine-in or takeout, NYC’s pedestrian culture has led to a tradition of consuming individual slices (of cheese pizza) on-the-go. Just over a decade ago, in the wake of the near collapse of the financial industry, a caricature of the New York slice emerged. Bare bones slice shops popped up in areas with high foot traffic, promising hot cheesy slabs on paper plates for just a buck. Their margins were super low, but high sales volume made up for it. These pizzerias presented a business model that worked great with predictable sales and expenses, but recent economic changes clearly point to the end of the dollar slice genre.  

Before I get into all the reasons the reign of the dollar slice is coming to an end, I should first mention that these pizzerias were never built to last. Once your rent goes up, the margins fly out the window. Since most NYC leases last for 10 years (with five-year extension options), the runway was clear from the start. That’s the primary reason we’re seeing dollar slice shops close their doors.

Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

Of course, these dollar slice shops are dealing with the same ingredient cost increases as everybody else across the country. It wouldn’t be such a big deal if sales volume increased to cover the difference, but the pandemic completely gutted foot traffic on the streets in areas with lots of offices because so many companies are still working remotely. 

It’s pretty clear which shops knew the end would come and which ones were oblivious. The pizzerias with names that specifically reference their pricing (99 Cent Fresh Pizza, 99 Cent Express, $1 Slice, etc.) were doomed from the start. Tying your restaurant’s identity to price doesn’t leave much wiggle room. Now these places are in the uncomfortable position of having a name that promises one price and a menu that reveals another. I always get a laugh out of seeing dollar slice shops with big signs that say “$1.50 slice.” 

The smarter shops have names that don’t lean into pricing. There are at least nine locations of 2 Bros. Pizza, and they started upping their prices even before the pandemic. The folks behind 2 Bros. Pizza even had the foresight to launch two additional brands selling market price slices. One called Upside, and another called Norm’s, because they knew the dollar slice model was temporary. 

I’m not upset about the loss of these dollar slice shops. While I do love the fact that a city with such a high cost of living still has affordable food options, I’ve always thought of the dollar slice shops as doing a disservice to New York pizza. They’ve devalued the New York slice by lowering consumer expectations. We already have the big delivery chains for convenience and pricing, so the dollar slice trend only confused the public with regards to what to expect from slice shops. I often get people on pizza tours who use the term dollar slice to refer to all by-the-slice pizzerias. It’s offensive. 

For the consumer, a high-quality New York slice is still the affordable and delicious solution for on-the-go dining. According to Food & Wine, the average slice price in NYC is just $3.14, which is lower than the national average! We’re even experiencing somewhat of a renaissance of excellent slice shops with newcomers like Lucia, Scarr’s, L’industrie, and Upside garnering national attention. In a way, the loss of the dollar slice is a good thing for the identity of the sacred New York slice.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

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Veg Fest

Veggie toppings often get put into two categories: very simple or overly complicated. I find that pizzerias either offer the most basic vegetables, such as sliced mushrooms or raw bell peppers, or make things that sound extremely time consuming. When I’m designing vegetable-centric pies, I try to land right in the middle of the two. I do this by utilizing the veggies in their raw, uncomplicated form but with an added flavor bomb. 

There are many ways to go about this. It can be as simple as prepping vegetables in different ways, like pickling, roasting, frying or pureeing them or you can get fancy with a pesto or sauce. Whether you are making a vegetarian or a meat-heavy pizza, the most important thing is to have a balanced pie. This means not only how it tastes from incorporating elements of sweet, salty, bitter and umami but also by employing varying textures. Shoot for using a few different ones such as chewy, crunchy, soft, creamy and firm. 

There are many ways to go about constructing a dynamite vegetation pizza. Here are a few good guidelines:

Add something decadent. Just because there is no meat doesn’t mean you can’t feel indulgent with vegetables. Whether it is finishing the pie with burrata or adding a vegan pesto (if you’re also nixing dairy), give your pie that extra up level. 

Don’t over sauce. Pick one sauce and stick to it. You don’t want to overpower flavors, nor do you want to end up with a soupy pizza since most vegetables naturally contain a lot of water. 

Make sure you have a salty star. I think a lot of people gravitate towards meat-heavy pies because they want to satisfy their salt-cravings. Done right, veggie pies can also accomplish this. Think roasted Brussels sprouts (just give it a try, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed), fried eggplant and olives.

Add texture. I mentioned it above and I’ll say it again, not only is it important to have a balanced pizza flavor wise, but also texturally. You can achieve these textures by preparing your vegetables different ways. I think that this is an important element for any pizza but especially for veggie pies. I love to combine fresh vegetables with roasted, sautéed or pickled ones to elevate the mouth feel of the pizza. Take onions for example. A simple red or yellow onion will taste completely different if you dice it, slice it paper thin, roast it or pickle it. 

Look for inspiration seasonally. Not all vegetables are good year-round. Sure, you can most likely find tomatoes in the middle of January, but it doesn’t mean that you should use them. The flavor you get from a fresh tomato in peak season simply can’t be replicated. 

Don’t forget about your post-bake finishing toppings. These can really make a pizza. It’s the first thing that will hit your tastes buds and can be visually stunning. Finishers are also a great place to add some crunch to your pizza. Use ingredients like pumpkin seeds, candied walnuts, shaved raw asparagus, sweetie drops or snap peas. 

Don’t overcook the vegetables. If you are using good quality produce, let the flavors speak for themselves. I know a lot of people will sauté spinach or mushrooms before adding them to their pizzas, but I feel this isn’t always necessary. If you’re sautéing them with other items such as garlic or herbs and the point is to create a specific flavor profile, then go right ahead. If you are doing it just to cook them down, then I would say it is unnecessary as most vegetables will cook in the time it takes to bake your pizza. There are of course exceptions, a few being: if you are using a wood-fired oven and the pie cooks in 90 seconds or certain vegetables like beets or eggplant take longer to cook. 

Add some heat. I’m a huge fan of spice. I would say that at least half of my menu has an added heat element whether it is roasted jalapeños, crushed Calabrian chiles or spicy honey. I love how spice interacts with the other elements of the pizza and always leaves your taste buds reaching for more. Heat is also a great way to offset sweeter or saltier toppings.

When I’m creating new vegetarian pizzas at my shop, I try to keep all of these ideas in mind. Usually I start with one vegetable or flavor profile and build the pizza from there. For example, one of our most popular pizzas, the Green Mountain, is based off a spinach and ricotta calzone that my mom used to make. The pizza is basically a deconstructed version. We start with a mountain of raw fresh spinach, shredded mozzarella, chopped garlic in extra virgin olive oil and dollops of ricotta. After these ingredients get cooked down on the pizza in the oven, we pull it out and top it with cold, sliced Castelveltrano olives, shaved Parmesan and fresh basil. To me, this has all of the elements a pizza (veggie or not) should have. The cooked down spinach and ricotta creates a creaminess, the garlic adds a punch and the post-oven olives provide a salty, crunchy burst. Another seasonal pizza that I love highlights fresh peaches. Made with sliced jalapeños for added heat, mozzarella and finished with juicy, sliced peaches, creamy burrata, fresh arugula for some crunch and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Sauce is also a fantastic way to create an intriguing veggie pie. You can use simple veggies on top of a more complex base to build a flavorful pizza. If you’re looking for a tomato-based sauce, try vodka or an arrabbiata. If you prefer more of a white pie, you can embellish on a béchamel or play around with different pestos. There are tons of different flavor combinations you can make with pesto depending on the nuts, greens and herbs you use. 

Some Veggie Pizza combinations to get you started:

• Assorted wild mushrooms, mozzarella, Gouda, roasted garlic, pickled garlic scapes and finished with burrata.
• Shaved summer squash and zucchini, ricotta, mozzarella, drizzled with pesto and finished with toasted pumpkin seeds. 
• Marinara sauce, roasted eggplant, garlic, mozzarella, finished with stracciatella and fresh basil.
• Purple potatoes (thinly sliced), fresh mozzarella, thyme, rosemary, extra virgin olive oil. 
• Roasted chiles (hatch green, jalapeños, or whatever else you have on hand), Brussels sprouts, mozzarella, roasted sweet onions, finished with queso fresco and cilantro.
  

When you are designing your veggie pizza options, I encourage you to have at least a few toppings that are both interesting to the palate while being easy to prep and execute. One of the beautiful things about pizza is that you can take simple ingredients and when you combine them on a pie, they all come together. You don’t have to over think it or over-prep them. The pizza does the work for you with the sauce and cheese acting as a cohesive element.

Audrey Kelly  owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. 

The post What Makes a Good Vegetable-centric pizza? appeared first on Pizza Today.

Explore pasta ideas with storage and prep in mind

While the cost of goods and labor continue to soar, we must continue to find creative ways to provide value to our guests while keeping our bottom line in check. What I love most about pasta is that it is super versatile and can be highly profitable. You can create so many great tasting options using a few cuts of pasta and ingredients that you already have in your prep table. 

When considering which cuts of pasta to feature on your menu, think about how much space you have in your walk in to store par cooked pastas. For maximum efficiency, dry pasta will need to be par-cooked, pre portioned and re-thermalized to order. The amount of space that you can dedicate to this will determine how many cuts you decide to offer. You can do a lot with two or three cuts which will save prep time and space on your line. 

Three of my favorite cuts are rigatoni, penne and homestyle fettuccine.

Rigatoni is a sturdy pasta and stands up to par cooking and rethermalizing but beware of over cooking this pasta because it will flatten out and break. It is a great pasta for dishes like chicken bacon mac and cheese because when prepared properly, it holds heavy sauces well without flattening out. Because it is a larger cut, it will really fill up the bowl and presents beautifully at the table. From a simple rigatoni with marinara and broiled mozzarella, to a spicy Pasta Arrabbiata using your house marinara, ground beef and crushed red pepper, you can create a lot of tasty options with this versatile cut.

Penne or Mostaccioli (more common in some regions) is staple on any Italian table. What is the difference you may ask? Penne has ridges and usually has a thicker wall, while Mostaccioli is smooth with a slightly thinner wall and can have a slightly smaller diameter, but they are both cut on the bias. I would go with what is more commonly recognized in your region. People tend to stick to what they know. The benefit to choosing this cut of pasta is that it is tough! You really have to try to overcook it and it rarely falls apart. It is dense and can take a beating. It makes a great bed for Chicken or Eggplant Parmigiana. Try a Penne Ala Vodka, again using your house marinara, fresh shaved garlic, crushed red pepper, a hint of Alfredo and of course a generous pour of vodka for a tasty departure from the traditional Baked Mostaccioli. 

Another favorite cut of pasta for me is “thick” or “homestyle” fettuccini. This is also a pasta that can take a lot of abuse. It doesn’t over cook easily and like rigatoni, it loves sauce! Of course, there is the traditional Fettuccine Alfredo, or fettuccine with marinara, but think about the ingredients that you have available to you. Have fun with your recipes. Take for instance your traditional Alfredo sauce, add sliced picante peppers and simmer. Toss in your fettuccine and top with grilled shrimp. 

A Wholly Stromboli favorite is our Mediterranean Pasta. This dish features many of the ingredients found in our pizza prep table which is what made it so fun to create. Sliced onion, bell pepper, mushroom, fresh shaved garlic, artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers, sautéed and tossed with fettuccine in a brown butter sauce. Add chicken or shrimp and you’ve got a light but filling pasta dish that is a crowd favorite.  

The other piece of advice I would give is consider which modifications you will allow. The “dough side” of your kitchen line works more like an assembly line. You work from one ticket to the next in succession. Dough, sauce, cheese, top, bake. A sauté line has so many moving parts and so many pieces that have to work in perfect harmony. Timing is everything! You will have multiple tickets in different stages of completion, take your eye off the ball and you risk having over cooked mushy pasta, blackened Shrimp Scampi, or thick clumpy Chicken Marsala. 

Keeping your sauté team focused and following recipes is key. My point is, having your sauté cooks running around pulling ingredients from all over the kitchen that are not featured on your menu puts a huge stick in their spokes. Not to mention, that if you don’t have a recipe for that ingredient, no one knows how much “sliced pepperoni” to put in the “fettuccine, no sauce add extra olive oil, and shaved garlic”. Do we sauté the pepperoni, or dump it on the top cold? What about extra olive oil? How much is extra and how much do you charge for all of this? And don’t think that this guest won’t complain if this build-your-own nightmare concoction doesn’t come out the same the next time they strong arm your server into sending this point and grunt nightmare to the kitchen. Menus serve to create proper food costing, fair pricing and consistency through brand standards. Creating chaos in your kitchen by giving in to every whim serves no one. Leave that to the big chains, soon their cooks and servers may figure out they don’t have to put up with that nonsense if they worked for you.

While pizza and stromboli will always have my heart, the rising cost of cheese and proteins make the 20-inch pies and stuffed to the gills stromboli that we are known for a little bit of a challenge where COGS are concerned. Finding the sweet spot is key here. There is a fine line between making margin and turning off your guests. You may not hit 20 percent cost of goods on 20-inch pies and 30-inch stromboli, however, if carry a 16 to 18 percent cost of goods on Fettuccine Alfredo, baked cheese ravioli or even Shrimp Scampi this will help balance out your over all food costs while still providing your guests with value, fair pricing and happy tummies! 

Don’t miss Melissa Rickman’s Pasta Demo Sunday, October 16  at 12 p.m. EST at Pizza and Pasta Northeast in Atlantic City. More at PizzaandPastaExpo.com.

MELISSA RICKMAN  is co-founder of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and member of the World Pizza Champions.

The post Three Versatile Pasta Cuts to Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

Rise and Brine

Pickles have been around my restaurant a long time. In my pizzeria, the staff frequently requests that we revive some sort of pickle recipe. Therefore, three months ago, Reuben, my operations manager, introduced our “Death Pickle for Cutie” pizza again. (The title of which came from a national band who played a festival nearby.) With almost no advertising or fanfare, this pizza has become one of our top sellers with the young folks in town. The ultra-thin crust, Asiago cream sauce, mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, roasted potatoes, ranch dressing and plenty of pickles is a beauty to behold! But, to some, it is a culinary abomination. Until they sink their pompous teeth into its crunchy crust and cream, and their flavor receptors dodge from ranch to potato to pickle to cheese. If I must take a ribbing from the occasional culinary elitists, so be it. I’ll just throw out my best defensive term for these types of pizzas: “But it’s Disgustalicious!” 

Vlasic Rock

The Greeks and Romans were very adept at building out elaborate infrastructure with rocks and boulders, but many people don’t know that they were prolific picklers also, especially in the lower classes. These poor peasants had no choice but to forage to keep themselves fed. Pickling recipes of the Greeks and Romans abound with beets, turnips, mushrooms, olives, scallions, onions, radishes and cabbages. Of course, a lot of this pickling depended upon the curing mixture. The Romans were esteemed picklers and considered the vinegar of Egypt the best at pickling flowers, herbs, roots and even small pieces of meat which were kept in large cylinders with wide mouths. 

Quit Gherkin my Chain

Today, you can go to any restaurant and find pickles everywhere even though some of the public is clueless of what a pickle cure can consist of. The many clay pickling jars sitting on antiques store shelves here in Ohio attest to the pickling abilities of the first settlers from Germany, where sauerkraut was king. Just cutting the cabbage and mixing it with salt enabled these people to eat great, digestible and flavorful food without the use of refrigeration. These days there are many different pickle varieties and methods. Here are some different pickles and uses in your pizzeria.

• Cucumbers. Most farmers have either the small compact seeded cucumbers or large, sloppy-seeded cukes that are better for salad. Just slice the smaller, pickling cukes thin, adding salt and sugar in a bowl for just 10 minutes and the cukes will go limp. You can then add lemon or lime juice, a touch of vinegar or more salt and spices for a great addition to salads, sandwiches or even pizzas. The cooked method usually requires heating up vinegar and sugar with salt and cloves, mustard seed, garlic, onion, etc. until nearly boiling, then just pouring it on the cucumbers. This method does take some of the natural taste away from the cucumber, but these will last longer in the fridge. (Remember, always follow your health standards for cleaning jars and keeping pickles.)
• Daikon, turnips and/or kohlrabi. These fabulous dense roots, except kohlrabi which grows above ground, come in many sizes and colors that can bring a pizza some eye-popping exposure. I use a Japanese mandolin to slice all three super-thin, then a quick pickle with salt and sugar, tossing them in their own extruded juices. These then can last for a week under refrigeration. If you use vinegar or citrus to further flavor the colored daikon, they will lose their flavor. For the turnips, you may store with rehydrated kombu for more umami.
• Pickled Mushrooms. Perfect for appetizers or pizza toppings. There are numerous variations for these, but I like the simplicity of quickly roasting one pound of the smallest fresh mushrooms with extra virgin olive oil and a touch of salt in a 355 F oven for only 8 to 10 minutes. Fill a large bowl with a half-lemon squeeze, tablespoons of chopped garlic, parsley, sugar and basil. Then a teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper and chopped rosemary. Place this into a clean jar and it will store for 3 to 4 weeks.
• Preserved Lemons. This Moroccan fave is great for adding a sharp, acidic balance to a pizza or calzone or even ground into a cream sauce to achieve a remarkable flavor level. Just cut the lemons into quarters and toss with sea salt into a wide-mouthed jar, add some lemon juice from another lemon and store for 3 to 4 weeks without refrigeration, turning every so often.
• Giardiniera. Being from Chicago, I love giardiniera, especially with our Italian beef sandwiches. This is best made in the middle of summer when all the veggies are popping. Cut two pounds total of all these vegetables — cauliflower, carrot, bell pepper, celery, serrano or jalapeños, small cucumbers, (if you can find them) turnips and radishes. In a large pot, place 5 cups vinegar, 1 cup water, 1 chopped onion, 3 garlic cloves, tablespoons each of salt, chopped rosemary, black peppercorns, coriander and oregano. Bring to almost boiling, stirring the vegetables occasionally for 2 minutes, then drain. Strain the veggies and place into a large bowl and pour ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil on them and toss. Place the giardiniera into clean jars then pour the now-cooled pickling liquid into them and seal tight. 

Pickolus Cage

Like actors, pickles have their starring and co-starring roles. Pickles are some of the best partners for cheese. Not because they taste alike but because they are the opposite flavor profiles. This is what is known as a “foil” and their acidity cuts through any cheesy creaminess in your mouth, refreshing the palate for another bite. Here are some great combinations for pickles.

• Cheeses: Cheddar is perfect for dill pickles, but pickled cherries are best with gorgonzola or big blue cheeses. Pickled onions are perfect with Gruyere, Swiss and other alpine cheeses. Pickled blueberries or strawberries go best with Brie and fromage blanc. Strong, salty cheeses, like aged provolone, are perfect for kimchi. In my opinion, cream cheese goes well with every pickle!
• Meats: Italian sausage is wonderful with pickled onion, banana peppers and pickled jalapeño. Pork belly is very fatty and is very tasty with sauerkraut and a sweet balsamic glaze. Chicken pizzas are wonderful with cream sauces, pickled daikon and cashews. Pepperoni benefits from a sweeter pickle like small gherkins. Buffalo chicken wings are surprisingly great with teriyaki and pickled beets. 

Death Pickle for Cutie

Get the Death Pickle for Cutie recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Stop snoozing and join the pickled pizza craze! appeared first on Pizza Today.

Fall Guy

Fall is by far my favorite season. As the weather cools and thoughts turn to football, Halloween and, of course, National Pizza Month, I always get a little bit of nostalgia. I think of trick-or-treating as a kid, pumpkin pies, going to football games with my grandfather. I think of the leaves turning colors in the Midwest where I grew up. Fall, to me, equals comfort.

While we’re still in the dog days of summer as you read this article, many of you are planning your seasonal fall menus. Here are some items I personally love that just might be a good fit for your autumn rotation. As always, I encourage you to experiment and make these your own.

1. Mushroom and Cheese Ravioli
2. Béchamel Sauce
3. Pizza Stuffed Mushroom
4. Stuffed Eggplant

Jeremy White is Editor-in-Chief at Pizza Today.

The post Fall Menus: Some recipes I love when autumn rolls around appeared first on Pizza Today.

We all know that plant-based pizza is one of the fastest growing segments in the pizza biz today. Anyone who attended Pizza Expo either this year or in 2021 remembers running into another plant-based meat or cheese company every
20 steps. People are turning to plant-based diets for health reasons, environmental reasons and animal cruelty avoidance. Even though I’m an omnivore myself, I’m well aware of how industrial meat and cheese operations are not good for our bodies or the planet. That’s why I love seeing so many pizzerias adopting plant-based options for their menus. My only fear is that restaurants making the leap from animal-full to animal-free might be soaring past the wide gap of consumers in between. 

At the far end of the plant-based spectrum are people like my brother, who avoid any and all animal products. That includes meat, cheese, eggs, milk, honey and sometimes even refined sugar. Compared to five years ago, the market for vegan meats and cheeses has exploded to such an extent that vegans like my brother have less and less of an issue navigating through restaurants. All these new plant-based products are ending up on plant-based menus, which makes vegans extremely happy.

The big splash has been all the meat substitutes that boast the flavor and texture of the real thing. Some vegan meats even claim to “bleed!” The problem here is that some customers don’t want something that looks and tastes like the thing they’re trying to avoid. Products like these miss the point for some vegans, who would prefer straight talk over marketing gibberish. They want you to call it jackfruit, not “vegan pulled pork.” Instead of “vegan ricotta,” they want cashew cheese. 

The even bigger missing market are those stuck between the animal-free and animal-full. My friend Amy is a vegetarian who feels left out when she sees a list of pizzas with all the meats and cheese followed by a secondary menu with only plant-based substitutes. She would love to try your meatless sausage or pepperoni on a pizza with real dairy cheese. 

Pizzerias that offer a build-your-own program don’t have such a problem, but the pizzerias that are quickest to adopt
alternative ingredients tend to be those that serve 12-inch architectural artisan pizza. These are the pies with punny names that each have a pre-set ingredient list. There are pizzas with meats and cheeses, then pizzas with 100-percent plant-based ingredients. Nothing in the middle. It also goes the other way. Dairy-free customers who do eat meat might not want plant-based cheeses with their pepperoni pizza. 

We run into situations like these all the time on pizza tours. Companies do team outings with us and there’s always someone who became gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free or any combination of the above on the morning of the tour. The pizzerias we work with are incredible at managing all the different combinations. If they can do it in their tiny New York City kitchens, so can you!

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: The Many Faces of Plant Based appeared first on Pizza Today.

Crafted Cocktail Menus: That’s the Spirit

If you offer a full bar, that’s because you’ve realized the benefit of a complete cocktail menu. While there is nothing wrong with beer and wine only, getting into the full-dining and happy hour spirit can raise not only spirits, but sales.

Let’s go beyond the Cosmopolitan and take a glimpse at some cocktails that are either currently trending or never out of style (either way they should do well for you this summer into the fall). Note, also: quality matters. Consumers are gravitating for premium spirits. Keep the bottom shelf liquor where it belongs — in the dark. Go high end and price to match.

Old Fashioned — Sometimes, what’s old is new again. Bourbon is red hot. That trend began well before the pandemic, but the Great Quarantine seemed to only heighten our nation’s love for the only native American spirit. Much like sourdough bread baking at home, people really got into bourbon with all the down time. It’s an enthusiasts’ spirit if ever there were one. And the Old Fashioned is the grandaddy of all bourbon drinks. If you’re operating a full bar, not having a great Old Fashioned is just plain silly. And even though it’s been around for more than 200 years, the Old Fashioned is as trendy as ever.

Granddaddy (Old Fashioned)

Get the Granddaddy Old Fashion recipe.

Cucumber Mint — In the dog days of summer, one of the most refreshing drinks you can muster features cucumber and mint. It’s just so fresh and clean. Vodka is the best choice for this one. I prefer the addition of lime as well. Call it “going green.” You can make your own cucumber-mint simple syrup in a matter of minutes if you don’t want to buy it. Place a pan over medium heat and combine 8 ounces of water with ½ cup of sugar and 1 cup of chopped mint leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool another 5 minutes. It’s going to smell amazing! Strain and then store in the fridge (for up to about 3 weeks, but you should move through this drink quickly if you market it in the summer).

Going Green (Cucumber Mint Cocktail)

Get the Going Green Cucumber Mint Cocktail recipe.

Peach Bellini — We all have a friend named or nicknamed Rocky. Mine makes the best Peach Bellini, so I’m hijacking his recipe here. The Bellini hails from Venice, the Italian city I visited on my 20th wedding anniversary and that I still dream about. There is literally no place in the world like Venice. Since peach is a classic summer flavor here in the states (I mean, even Chick-Fil-A does a summer peach milkshake), let’s give this old favorite its due.

Rocky’s Bellini

Get the Rocky’s Bellini recipe.

JEREMY WHITE is Editor-in-Chief at Pizza Today.

The post Have Fun with your Summer and Fall Cocktail Menus appeared first on Pizza Today.

St. Louis Style Pizza, a look at a unique square cut pie

What the heck is St. Louis style pizza? Did you know that St. Louis has its own style of pizza? Yes, St. Louis does indeed have its own style. Of course, it’s not nearly as widely known as say Detroit-style pizza, which was once an obscure unknown regional style before some pizza fanatics uncovered it and brought it to the mainstream. Will St. Louis-style pizza follow the same fate one day? We will see. My guess is that it probably won’t. St. Louis is known as a big small town and small towns like to keep their secrets. 

I am not sure if the creation of the St. Louis style was deliberate, created by necessity or created by someone who didn’t know what they were doing — like the person who stumbles upon gold. The origins of St. Louis-style pizza are obscure, but many regions developed their unique style of pizza based on cultural characteristics of the particular area. We must assume that the style developed in tandem with other Midwest regional square-cut thin pies. Like all “party cut” pizzas, it was created to be a snack. The tavern or party style cut gained popularity after WWII as a sharing food offered by local taverns and bars made extra salty so patrons would drink more. 

What exactly is St. Louis-style pizza? St. Louis-style pizza evolved sometime in the late 1940s and is defined by four principles:

1. Cracker thin crust risen by baking powder/baking soda or no rising agent at all. Some places do use yeast but since the style uses a sheeter or dough press to the maximum effect, yeast is optional. The dough is heavily pressed. There is typically some oil in the dough. 
2. The pizza is cut in a square grid even though the pizza is round. 
3. A cooked red sauce on the sweeter side with lots of dried oregano is used. 
4. Provel Cheese, a processed combination of provolone, Swiss and white cheddar that is very salty, has liquid smoke added and has a low melting point. 

Provel cheese originated around 1947. It’s a quick gooey melt (think Kraft American singles and those grilled cheeses you ate as a kid). It was supposedly created by a grocery store in the Italian Hill neighborhood of St. Louis. Legend has it that it was created to avoid the stringiness of mozzarella. It was also the year another St. Louis culinary treat was supposedly developed, toasted ravioli (deep fried ravioli). 

Provel is certainly controversial in the pizza world. Ever since an adventurous or misguided chef put this processed cheese combination on pizza in place of traditional mozzarella, a raging debate of its worthiness has ensued. Provel has been the subject of lore as well as a victim of derision. The jury is still out. Kraft currently owns the trademark to the name Provel, but every St. Louis-style pizza spot has their own blend they usually make in house. It is also considered St. Louis style if it has the above characteristics but uses mozzarella. I would say with people I know here it’s 50/50 on Provel’s popularity as the cheese of choice on their St. Louis-style pizza. Most out of towners who move here hate it, usually (with good reason, as most are used to mozzarella). 

Although round and cut into squares, St. Louis-style pizza should not be confused with Chicago thin or New England tavern style (bar pies). The difference being Chicago thin uses yeast. It is also partially baked in a pan with butter before hitting the hearth. Although also thin, it is just a bit thicker. New England bar pies spread the cheese all the way to the end of the crust and over it. They are also cooked in an oily pan first. Neither of these styles use a “Provel” like cheese. However, cheeses other than mozzarella are sometimes added. 

Legend has it that Ed Imo (founder of the famous Imo’s Pizza chain that was established in 1964) cut the pizza in squares because he was a linoleum tile cutter, so cutting squares at the pizzeria was a natural fit. Imo’s is by far the largest chain doing St. Louis-style pizza with over 100 locations. Imo’s is the most well-known purveyor of the St. Louis-style pizza and has become synonymous with the style itself. Imo’s is credited with the use of Provel instead of mozzarella, but this assertion is questionable. I have to say before this article I thought Provel was disgusting. I spit it out the first time I unknowably had it. I soon realized the pizza I ordered for my daughter’s then two-year-old birthday in 2010 had “Provel” on it, NOT mozzarella. It happens to be the default cheese at Imo’s. I didn’t make that mistake again. For this article, however, I indulged in a St. Louis-style pizza binge ordering Provel on my pizza. Being opened minded I do have to say I have more appreciation and respect for the style now. 

The quality of St. Louis-style pizza varies considerably depending on where you go. In my opinion three old school places are the standard: Farottos (1956), Monte Bello (1950) and Frank and Helens (1956) do it best. These restaurants are still in their original locations stuck in time. And as far as I can tell no design elements have been updated since the 1950s. 

If you are not in St. Louis, you can still enjoy making a St. Louis-style pizza. Use an all-purpose flour and roll your dough with a rolling pin extra thin, as thin as you can. No need for long fermentation or fancy dough techniques. Cook your tomato sauce with oregano and add a touch of sugar. Make your own Provel with a combo of Provolone, Swiss and White Cheddar. And voila! It is a wonderfully different pizza to make and enjoy with friends and family. Will it be a menu hit for you? Time will tell.

Scott Sandler  is a consultant, speaker at Pizza Expo and Pizza and Pasta Northeast and Pizza Today contributor.

The post A Bite of St. Louis — St. Louis-style Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana was one of the first pizzerias to offer so many sought after regional pizza styles in one restaurant. Here’s a peek at the pizza styles at Tony’s:

Classic American

All Classic American pizzas have hand crushed, slightly sweet tomato sauce and a hand tossed rustic medium crust. It baked at 535 F.

Classic Italian

All Classic Italian pizzas have vine-ripened tomato sauce and a hand tossed rustic medium crust. Pies are cooked at 535 F and 575 F.

Pizza Napoletana

Dough finished by hand then proofed in Napoletana wood boxes. Pizza are 12 inches and baked in a 900 F wood-fired oven.

California

Dough uses a multigrain flour. The style has a signature artisan crust and creative toppings. Pizza are 12 inches and baked in a 900 F wood-fired oven.

Pizza Romano

The long thin pizzas stretch almost three feet. The pies are baked at 570 F.

New York

The crust is thin and crispy with some chew. Slices are to be folded down the middle for consumption. The pizzas are 20 inches and baked at 525 F. All pizzas are finished with Pecorino and oregano.

Sicilian

All Sicilian style pan pizzas are topped with vine ripened tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 535F.

Grandma

A thinner version of a Sicilian pie. Grandma pies are heavily oiled and baked in a square pan at 535 F.

Detroit

Square pizza cooked in steel pans from detroit and topped with Wisconsin brick mozzarella cheese, white cheddar, tomato sauce and garlic butter toasted corners. Topped with pecorino, oregano, garlic, extra virgin olive oil. Cooked at 535 F.

Coal-fired

The thin-crust pizzas are baked in 1000 F coal oven.

St. Louis

This super thin-crust pizza typically features Provel (swiss, white cheddar, provolone) extra sweet tomato sauce and it is cut into squares.

The post A Look at the Many Pizza Styles at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana appeared first on Pizza Today.

Summertime Pizza Sizzle

know how easy it is to get stuck making the same pizzas over and over again. Maybe your customers love all of the options on your menu or maybe you’re just too tired to try to think up new ones. Whatever the reason, there is no harm in keeping a consistent menu. That being said, it is always fun to add new items or change up old ones. With a plethora of fresh produce to pick from, summer is the perfect time to try out new ideas. There are many different ways to incorporate summer pizzas, from doing daily or weekly specials or simply picking a few to run all summer long. You can choose to go straight farm to pie or order a few seasonal items from your main distributor. 

Everyone has ingredients that they gravitate towards, and if you look at my current menu you will know right away that chilies are one of my favorites. In this regard, I am very lucky to live in Colorado where hot peppers grow in abundance during the summer. One of my favorite varietals are Hatch Green Chiles. While they are a signature crop of our neighboring state, New Mexico, they also grow well in my region. They range in levels of heat from mild to super hot. There are many different methods to cook them, but I would argue the ideal way is when they are flame roasted.  For those unfamiliar with a flame roaster, it’s a big rotisserie with a metal grate that rotates the chilies over an open flame. The chilies roast slowly, charring the skins, cooking the flesh of the chilies and eliciting one of the best smells of summer. 

Once they’ve been roasted you simply peel the skin off and give them a rough chop. This method of cooking the chilies gives them an upfront charred sweetness with just the right amount of tingling heat on your tongue. Unlike jalapeños, which I think of as more of an accompanying ingredient, Hatch green chiles are the star of the pizza. I like them on a white pie, paired with either a bold cheese or meat and finished with fresh herbs. A few ideas for Hatch Green Chile pies:

• Hatch green chiles, pancetta, cotija, mozzarella, cilantro
• Hatch green chiles, Manchego, mozzarella, basil
• Hatch green chiles, sausage, fresh mozzarella, fresh oregano
• Hatch green chiles, rainbow chard, fontina, cracked egg, thyme
• Hatch green chiles, summer corn, mozzarella, goat cheese, roasted sweet onion and garlic, finished with a heavy hand of basil and shaved pecorino. 

I know it’s an obvious choice, but tomatoes are also one of my top summer ingredients to work with. While you can get tomatoes year round, I don’t think that you should. They have a pretty short growing season of about 90 days, in late summer.  As with any high-quality item, I always veer towards simple being best. If you have a fantastic product there is no need to weigh it down with extra ingredients. Instead let its natural flavors shine through. There are endless combinations for using tomatoes on pizza, but a few of my favorites are: 

• Sliced heirloom tomatoes, burrata, oregano, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• Diced Early Girl Tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella, basil, prosciutto or speck
• Sliced mozzarella, tomatoes, anchovies, roasted garlic, breadcrumbs, finished with Sicilian oregano. 

You don’t have to stop with tomatoes on pizza either. They are great as a side dish or as a salad. The best tomato salad, and possibly one of the best salads I’ve had period, was at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana. Tony makes an Early Girl tomato salad when they are at their peak. It’s a very simple dish with not many other ingredients besides the tomatoes, sea salt and good extra virgin olive oil. But if you’ve ever had an Early Girl tomato in its prime, you know that the concentrated, juicy sweetness is hard to rival. That and the Tony magic. Of course, you can go the traditional route with a Caprese salad or mix the tomatoes with other summer produce like fresh corn and basil, or add it to greens like arugula or spinach.

Greens are a category in themselves for pizza toppings. I know a lot of people tend to shy away from them or think that they need to cook them down before putting them on their pizzas, but I would whole heartily disagree. I pile them on raw, top them with cheese, drizzle on a little garlic oil and then bake off the pizza. They cook down beautifully and taste even better. Summer greens can act as a base or as the main ingredient. They are also fantastic used on other parts of your menu. The obvious being salads, but you can also make them into side dishes. A few ideas to get you started are: braised chard with garlic and pancetta, crispy corn and dandelion greens fritters, and fried kale chips. 

If you’re feeling adventurous you can also make salad pizzas. Just like when making the heartier greens into actual salads, the trick to making them less tough is that you have to be sure to massage the dressing in. Yes, massage your greens, it makes all the difference in the world on taste and texture. You can go from having a bitter, tough kale salad to one of the best items on your menu. Feel free to sub out your normal romaine to make a baby kale Caesar or combine summer berries, goat cheese, chives and spinach for a fresh summer salad. Then bake off a pizza crust topped with just mozzarella or a few bolder cheeses like gorgonzola, Asiago or Gruyere. Top it with your beautiful summer salad, serve with a crisp glass of Prosecco and you have the perfect summer meal. 

With an abundance of fresh produce to choose from it’s hard to just pick a few favorite summer pizza ingredients. Stick with some safe bets, like tomatoes or corn, to start and then add in a few wild cards. 

Hatch Green Chile Pie

This pizza is heavy on the chilies with salty pancetta to cut through the heat, corn to sweeten the pie and Cotija cheese to smooth everything out. 

Get the Hatch Green Chile Pie recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. 

The post Find Unique Summer Seasonal Pizzas that Customers Crave appeared first on Pizza Today.

Explore appetizers that won’t clog your makeline

You don’t have to create extravagant appetizers to wow your customers. There are so many options when it comes to appetizers that are delicious, craveable and do not require a lot of prep to pull off beautifully.

First, let’s talk garlic knots. This might be a sensitive area but hear me out. An easy switch is to forgo the garlic knots in favor of the garlic dough bites. Same great taste, good profit margin and still uses that leftover pizza dough but requires less prep time.  

If that’s a hard pass, we have other great options that may fit your concept and please your customers. Let’s dive into some app ideas.

Marinated Olives

We’ve notice marinated olives popping up on more pizzeria menus around the country, and with good reason. The dish is so simple to make, presents beautifully and they are addicting. This app doesn’t require any other accompaniments and can be served hot or cold, prep ahead or made-to-order. Use pitted olives for convenience. Avoid olives already marinated or soaked in olive oil. You are looking for olives in brine.

Creativity is abound with this app by swapping out ingredients. Here are a few ways to go:

• Kalamata olives, lemon, thyme, olive oil, garlic
• Castelvetrano olives, orange, rosemary, olive oil and garlic
• Kalamata and black olives, dices sweet picante pepper, and garlic
• Kalamata olives, orange, fennel seed, garlic, thyme and olive oil
• Castelvetrano olives, lemon, garlic, Cayenne pepper, olive oil, oregano

Here’s a cold marinated olives recipe to experiment with:

Citrus-marinated Olives

Get the Citrus-marinated Olives recipe.

Reinvent the Antipasto

Usually when you see antipasto, the word platter is behind it. Or you think of perfectly placed charcuterie boards. There is no rule that says antipasto and charcuterie offerings must be abundant and be artfully presented on a large board or tray. Go with your strengths. Get creative with a mix of your favorite ingredients. With cured meats and cheese, a little goes a long way. Premium items like this demand a premium price. Mix in low-cost items like pickled or grilled vegetables and herb-infused olive oil.

You can divide your typical appetizer plate into quarters, placing giardiniera in one quarter. Devote another fourth to popular meats (Sopressata, Prosciutto or Genoa Salami). Of course, a quarter goes to fresh mozzarella. For speed, divide plate into fourths, make a vertical line with each offering. 

Seasoned & Loaded Fries

If you’re a Neapolitan or upscale pizzeria, serving French fries just doesn’t fit. But if you’re a pizzeria with good chicken wing sales, fries should be right up your alley. 

Make sure you go with good quality regular or sweet potato fries, whether that’s standard, steak, curly, crinkle cut, shoestring or tater tots. I’m not saying to cut your own fries unless you are a completely scratch kitchen. There are a ton of great options on the market to choose from. We are seeing a lot of waffle fries, tater tots and standard sweet potato fries lately. 

The baseline easiest and most amazing, seasoned fries are as simple as tossing fries with minced or roasted garlic, Parmesan, extra-virgin olive oil, chopped fresh Italian parsley and sea salt. From here, go wild with what goes into the bowl with the fries. Truffle or hot chili oil, chimichurri, Cajun spice, Old Bay, fajita or Greek seasoning. 

Another option is to go big with fries by putting loaded fries on the menu. The possibilities are endless here. Use ingredients you already have. What crosses over to make great loaded fries? Look for inspiration on your specialty pizza and sandwich menus. Some incredibly delicious loaded fries include:

• Taco with pulled pork or chicken, cheddar, mozzarella, pico de gallo or salsa, green onion and jalapeno
• White with bechamel or Mornay sauce, sunnyside up egg, bacon and chives
• Philly with all of the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich fillings
• BBQ with pulled pork or brisket, mozzarella, slaw and barbecue sauce
• Poutine with shredded beef, beef gravy and cheese curds 
• Buffalo Chicken with cheddar, blue cheese and Ranch dressing

Let’s get you started with a popular loaded fries recipe.

Makeline Bacon Ranch Loaded Fries

Get the Makeline Bacon Ranch Loaded Fries recipe.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

The post Low Labor Appetizers with High Wow Factor appeared first on Pizza Today.

It’s the heat of summer. Does your menu offer items to beat the heat? A seasonal salad can hit that mark while also taking advantage of the abundance of summer veggies. 

Before we talk salads, let’s dive into sizing options. What fits your menu? Individual sized, small plate appetizer or family-style sharable. You have options. Evaluate how other items sell and what makes sense for your customers and your bottom line.

There are some salads that naturally pair well with pizza: panzanella, caprese and Caesar. Let’s get into these salads.

Panzanella

This Italian chopped salad is best served as an appetizer. It features Italian bread, tomatoes, capers, onion, celery, basil and chickpeas. Don’t be afraid to change up the veggies in this salad based on what is available in your area. Blend parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to create the dressing. This is another area where you can apply some creativity by choosing another vinegar or adding different herbs and spices like crushed red pepper or thyme. We’ve even seen recipes incorporate Dijon mustard.  

Caprese 

It’s classic and light. You can’t go wrong with sliced summer tomatoes (especially those beautiful and colorful heirloom varieties), sliced fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper. We often see this salad topped with a drizzle of balsamic reduction. 

But, let’s get your wheels turning about all the tasty twists that can give you a unique option and wow your guests with the season’s best. Here are some other simple caprese remixes:

• Roasted red pepper, burrata, basil, EVOO
• Strawberries, cherry tomatoes, Perlini mozzarella, mint, honey drizzle
• Cucumber, avocado, sliced tomato and balsamic drizzle
• Green apple, fresh mozzarella, blueberries, basil and balsamic
• Peaches, fresh mozzarella, fresh mint, olive oil and hot honey

Let’s explore a recipe for one of these delicious caprese remixes. You can’t go wrong with peaches in the summertime. Choose your favorite peach variety — the juicier, the better, and play with this Peach Caprese recipe.

Caesar

Hail to the classic Caesar, a great option as an individual salad, family-style portion or entrée with an add-on protein. Switch up the romaine for a rotini pasta to make a cool pasta salad. Think BLT Caesar salad with a blended Caesar mayo dressing that can also we used as a sandwich spread or reduce as aioli drizzle on pizza.  

Corn, one of summer’s biggest bounty

At its peak, producers are practically giving away corn, whether it’s Silver Queen, Jubilee or Golden Bantam. Try a versatile sweet corn pico de gallo with fresh roasted corn, finely chopped jalapeno, chopped tomato, red onion, cilantro, lime juice and sea salt. Serve over chopped leaf lettuce, red cabbage and top with shredded white cheddar, crushed tortilla chips and a drizzle of Ranch dressing. The sweet corn pico can also be used as a finishing topping on a Southwestern or Mexican pizza. 

Go Italian inspired with a summer corn salad featuring roasted white corn, grape tomatoes, roasted red onion, roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, Pecorino, basil, crushed pepper, cracked black pepper and sea salt.  

Thai Smile

Infusing flavors from around the world can be a big hit with customers. One of the most popular international salads is a Thai salad. And since Thai chicken pizzas are a hot specialty pizza, the ingredients add versatility. Thai salads vary but usually include Napa cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, sweet peppers, edamame and a peanut dressing.  

This salad is an excellent opportunity to offer a plant-based option with meat and cheese add-ons for those who want them. Here’s a recipe to get you started and you can experiment from there:

Plant-based Thai Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Get the Plant-based Thai Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing recipe.

We have a collection of salads designed for pizzeria menus online. Browse the entire collection for more summer salad ideas.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

The post Attract Return Visits with Summer Seasonal Salads appeared first on Pizza Today.

Do you remember when Neapolitan pizza hit the mainstream? It was about 15 years ago — and the food world was in a tizzy. The romance of blazing hot ovens married perfectly with the upscale presentation of the elegant, blistery pizzas they produced. Savvy restaurateurs snatched imported ovens, tomatoes, flour and even the pizza makers themselves. Why was it all necessary? Because of the rules, of course!

I’m referring to the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana rules, which aim to define true Neapolitan pizza as that which is made according to traditional standards. The European Union adopted those standards right around the time Neapolitan pizza took off in the U.S., so now Neapolitan pizza is considered a TSG (Traditional Specialty Guaranteed) product. That means “real” Neapolitan pizza is now defined by specific measurements, ingredients and preparation techniques. The rules were created to preserve a tradition. But what would you say if I told you they actually destroyed it? 

My pizza tour guests love revealing their pizza “hot takes.” A popular one lately has been admitting to disliking Neapolitan pizza. People complain about soggy, watery pizzas. I used to defend this description as indicative of the style, but the fact is that most Neapolitan pizzas in the U.S. just aren’t made very well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a pizza maker claim that a clearly burnt or raw pizza is “how it’s supposed to be” when it’s really just a poorly made pizza. 

By defining such a strict set of rules, the AVPN created a goal that’s nearly impossible to achieve. Maybe that was the original idea, but it seems to have backfired because now so many people respond negatively to poorly made Neapolitan pizzas that they’ve turned against the style entirely. That’s why so many Neapolitan pizzerias in America have ditched the strict guidelines in favor of characteristics their customers actually want. 

From a protectionist perspective, this might seem like the death of Neapolitan pizza. But I see it as its salvation. Rather than limiting the style to an extremely specific recipe, doesn’t it make more sense to honor pizza’s ability to change? Well-known pizzerias like Paulie Gee’s, Roberta’s, Ops, and Razza aren’t making pizza the AVPN would recognize as Neapolitan, but in a sense they’re more true to the original Neapolitan concept simply because they ditch the rules in favor of what their customers want.

Think about any pizza style and you’ll quickly notice that none strictly adhere to a set of rules. One of the main tenants of New Haven pizza is that it’s baked in a coal-fired oven, yet Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s Apizza are the only two New Haven pizzerias currently doing so. How about Detroit style? It has sauce on top of its cheese, right? But Loui’s doesn’t and that’s one of the oldest spots. We define styles to make it easier for us to establish expectations. In the barbecue world, we think of Texas and South Carolina as having different styles NOT to establish a right and wrong, but to signal to the customer whether they’re getting beef or pork. 

When we put restrictions on a dish, we sentence it to death. The entire reason pizza has global reach today is because it has been allowed to adapt to local ingredients and culture. I love Neapolitan pizza and think its arrival in the U.S. has inspired an explosion of quality pizza, but I see its greatest value as inspiration for what’s to come and not as a museum exhibit.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: The Truth About Neapolitan Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

To say avocado is trending is an understatement

Avocado, also called the Alligator Pear by the English who first encountered it, is believed to be from the Puebla region of South-central Mexico, where this delicious fruit was foraged by humans and eaten by large, since-extinct animals. The Aztecs believed that anyone who consumed avocado would gain strength and the ancient Maya even named the 14th month of their calendar after it. The name avocado even came from the Nahuatl word ahuacatl which refers to the testicle… Yum. The avocado was introduced in mainstream America in 1833. In the 1980’s the fruit took a hit when low-fat diets became the craze. It wasn’t until people learned that there were good fats like the avocado to consume. Lately, we’ve all seen an uptick in use in pizzerias as of late, but this fruit is still tricky because of oxidation and ripeness challenges.

Avocado Aficionado

Avocados and the 100s of cultivars come from the smaller Mexican variety, which is cold resistant. The Guatemalan variety grows larger but has warmer climate constraints. Now, 95 percent of the avocados grown in California are of the Hass variety. Many avocado aficionados avoid the big green avocados from Florida for fear of inferior, watery texture but these are still great in salads.

Hass avocados are obtained year-around, the pebbly skin turn darker as they ripen and is somewhat soft when squeezed gently. The flavor is rich and nutty.

Fuerte avocados are an easy-peeling variety with a small bumpy, green skin that doesn’t darken when ripe. This has a mild flavor and is better suited for salads.

Sharwill avocados are medium, small-stoned variety with shiny green skins. Press the area just above the widest part for ripeness. It has a nutty flavor and oil-rich flesh perfect for spreading.

“Dats aloto Avocado”

To say avocados are trending now is an understatement. The popularity of avocado toast, sushi rolls, avocado sauces and guacamole is peaking. I started making wildly popular avocado toast by using my par-cooked Sicilian-style crust, which is cut and toasted, then topped with avocado. To broaden the use of this menu item in my Slicehouse, my customers have a choice of regular avocado and “Everything” spice or topped further with a “Caprese” style with mozzarella, basil and tomato, smoked salmon with all the trimmings or Prosciutto di Parma and arugula. You may want to vary the possibilities even further. First, let’s look at the food cost of incorporating avocado into your menu mix.

Food Costing: Because avocado is very vulnerable to browning or going bad, it can be a volatile ingredient to buy fresh by the case unless your prep includes incorporating antioxidants like citrus juices. Avocados that are peeled and halved in frozen, vacuum-packed containers run .86 cents each for a case of 48. Larger cases of avocados run for 12 count @ $2.48 each or larger cases of Hass avocados for $1.60 each. Organic avocados may run up to $2.60 each for larger cases. 

Labor: Because we all live in a restaurant reality, the labor involved in cutting, peeling, following recipes may be concerning. A prep cook could cut themselves or mix it too hard turning the fruit into mush or the avocados may come in too soft or too hard in storage. Therefore, I prefer the ready-serve trays which weigh two pounds and come frozen. The avocado is in chunks and can easily be manipulated to your specifications and doesn’t discolor easily. As of this writing, they come in cases of eight and cost approximately .23 cents an ounce.

Avocado Desperado

You don’t have to feel like an outlier for using avocado. Because avocado is a neutral in flavor, the combination of pairing with other flavors and textures are tremendous. Here is a long list: bacon, sour cream, black and white pepper, grapefruit, radish, arugula, chili peppers, chicken, scallions, crab, chervil, butter, beans, cream, corn, fennel, endive, frisee greens, garlic, jicama, mayonnaise, walnuts, tarragon, spinach, Dijon mustard, lime, lemon, basil, yogurt, cayenne, jalapeño, red onion, apple, mango, ginger, tomato, cashews, passion fruit, vinegar, shrimp, parsley, cumin, lettuce, turnip, celery, dill, peas, pineapple, pistachio, smoked salmon, chocolate, blue cheese, cucumber, grape, hazelnut, mint, nutmeg, soft cheeses, strawberry, cauliflower, pork and wheat berries.

Here are some great uses for avocado in your restaurant or pizzeria:

Mexican Guacamole with garlic, cilantro, lime, onion, serrano or jalapeño peppers and black pepper. Add after the oven on a Carne Asada, (grilled beef) Pizza or add a few tablespoons of mayonnaise for a Columbian Guacamole on a Pollo a la Plancha Pizza, (grilled chicken). 

Avocado Panna Cotta: These savory bombs can be refrigerated for a nice appetizer. Just add bloomed gelatin leaf, milk, cream, avocado, fennel pollen and grated Parmigiano Reggiano into a food processor and blitz. Pour into oiled molds and refrigerate. (Too crazy? Try it and see.)

Avocado Chutney: These specialties from India through Sri Lanka include adding coconut, lime, garlic and tomato with shallots and cilantro for spectacular effects. Indian chefs have been very fond of adding curry to avocado with coconut cream.

Mojo de Ajo Pizza with Shrimp and Bacon

This pizza features a spicy Mojo de Ajo sauce that is vivid orange in color. With bacon squares, shrimp, avocado and lemon, the pizza pops with a high presentation. Get the Mojo de Ajo Pizza with Shrimp and Bacon recipe now.  

The post Trending Toppings: Avocado Bravado appeared first on Pizza Today.

No matter what type you prefer, there are so many fun ways to use garlic at your restaurant

One of my favorite compliments is when a customer comes in with a huge smile on their face and exclaims, “I can smell your pizza all the way down the block!” It’s that fantastic aroma of yeasty baked dough combined with sweet, tangy tomato sauce, creamy cheeses and, if you’re anything like me: lots and lots of garlic. Walking into my shop, one of the first things you will notice on our pizza line is a big container of garlic in extra virgin olive oil. We brush our homemade rolls with it as they pop fresh out of the oven, add it to our meatball sandwiches, and of course, use it as a pizza topping. So why is this plant so synonymous with Italian cuisine?

Garlic is an herb that is related to onions, leeks and chives.

While it is native to Central China and Northeastern Iran, it is now grown all over the world. We are most familiar with a handful of types of garlic but there are actually hundreds of different varieties.

Hardneck (allium ophioscorodon) and softneck (allium sativum) garlic are the two most popular types. There are two different varieties of the softneck garlic: Artichoke and Silverskin. You can find both of these at the grocery store. Artichoke garlic resembles the artichoke vegetable with up to 20 overlapping layers of cloves and a thick, white outer layer. This variety is ideal if you don’t go through it quickly or want to store it, as it lasts up to eight months. Sliverskins, on the other hand, are adaptable to many different climates and have a very high yield.

Rocambole is the most common type of hardneck garlic. It has large, easy to peel cloves with a much more intense flavor than softnecks. The downside is that the shelf life is only four to five months. Garlic scapes, the fragrant, flavor bombs that are so sought after during the late spring to early summer months, come from this type of garlic.

No matter what type you prefer, there are so many fun ways to use garlic at your restaurant.

It acts great as a base for white pizzas instead of making a cream sauce. You can blend it with fresh herbs or greens, Parmesan and nuts for pesto or make a classic marinara pie with paper-thin slices of garlic, olive oil and oregano.

Some other garlicky pizza combinations to try:

• Summer squash and zucchini ribbons, roasted garlic, ricotta and basil.
• Sautéed wild mushroom and garlic, finished with stracciatella and oregano.
• House-made garlic sausage, roasted garlic, mustard greens, mozzarella, marinara, Parmesan.
• Roasted garlic, anchovies, marinara, roasted eggplant, extra virgin olive oil.
• Garlic scapes, garlic oil, rainbow chard, bacon, mozzarella, over easy eggs and fresh herbs. (See recipe at right.)
• Pepperoni, fresh garlic, roasted jalapeños, marinara, mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Thinly sliced potatoes, roasted garlic, Parmesan, thyme and mozzarella.

Garlic is also fantastic on other items besides pizza. It can, and should, show up in dressings, sauces, marinades and seasonings. Think a roasted garlic marinade for chicken wings or a garlicky Caesar dressing. Then, of course, there is classic garlic bread or garlic knots.

A lot of people’s aversion to garlic comes from how it’s handled while raw.

As such, pizza makers and chefs alike have strong opinions on what the best way is to chop up the raw cloves. Many believe (I would say correctly) that if you simply mince garlic in a food processor it leaves a slightly bitter flavor. To prevent this you should thinly slice it, either with a sharp knife or on a micro plane. Depending on your volume and how much garlic you use this isn’t always realistic. One way to counter the bitterness is to mince it and then bath it in extra virgin olive oil. The garlic flavors the oil and the oil in return slows the garlic from oxidizing and fermenting. This also increases the shelf life of the raw garlic.

Another way to mellow the flavor of garlic and add a whole other dimension to it is to roast it. There are a few different ways to do this, depending on how you’re using the finished product as well as how much you’re going through. The first is to roast the whole head of garlic. You can cut off the top of the plant, splash on a little olive oil and either roast the head on a sheet tray or wrap it in tin foil. This is a great option if you have the time and want to use a specific varietal of garlic or are trying to use local garlic. Another way is to buy bulk peeled, raw garlic cloves. You can then cover them in olive oil and cook over a low heat until the cloves become tender.

Garlic doesn’t always need to be the star of the show to add depth to a dish. It is fantastic as a flavoring agent. A lot of the roasted veggies I cook, I add a few smashed garlic cloves to the pan to enhance the flavor. The cloves also add a ton of flavor to pickled vegetables.

Another form is garlic powder. While it has a completely different flavor profile than fresh garlic, it is something that can be utilized in dressings, sauces, marinades and seasoning. Also, depending on what part of the country you are in, it can be an in-demand condiment for slices and pies.

Garlic scapes, as I mentioned above, are the curly green, thin stems that sprout out of the ground in late spring to early summer, which means right about now! They have a very short window that they are available and are insanely tender and delicious with a much milder flavor than the cloves. They are sometimes confused with green garlic but the two are different. Unlike the scape, which grows out of the top of the garlic plant, green garlic is immature garlic. It looks like an overgrown scallion, and usually comes from the softneck variety (as opposed to garlic scapes, which are the hardback).

Whether you are a garlic lover or minimalist user, there are plenty of ways and forms to get your fix.

AUDREY KELLY owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Ways to Use Garlic: Clove is in the Air appeared first on Pizza Today.

Menu Evaluation & Pricing

Sales reporting is fundamental to business. Reporting is essential to making informed decisions about your restaurant. Not having a Point of Sale producing real-time reports is akin to letting a ship float without a captain.

We pizzaioli don’t always get it right when it comes to our menu offerings and our menu prices.

Here’s the scenario: Customer says, “You should offer such and such topping, everyone will order it.” Or: “You are missing out on customers by not offering a vegan pizza.” How about, “You really need to have this on your menu because your competitor does.” At first you resist, but that same customer persists, even to your crew when you are not there. Then your crew tells you they are getting tons of requests for the item. Finally, you cave and add it to your menu, pricing it much the same way you’ve priced everything on your menu; by comparing it to your competitor’s price. It turns out that it was not lots of customers asking for the menu items a few times, but instead was a few customers asking for the menu item lots of times. The item doesn’t sell, has a terrible food cost and has distracted you from focusing on your core product. You might even have made the mistake of throwing more time and money away by marketing the item, thinking that was the problem.

There is a better way.

For your menu to be ‘right’, you must evaluate two components. First, do you offer the right items for your customers? Second, is each item on your menu priced ‘right’?

The RIGHT menu items.

Lee Iacocca, during his turn-around of Chrysler Corporation, had a method that served him well. Every year, he required every division to terminate the bottom 10-percent performers. Let us apply that method to our menu. Once per year, remove at least one bottom performing menu item. How do we measure this? Your POS system will give you an annual report showing each menu item and the number of units sold. Select the item(s) that sells the least number of units and axe it.

Let us apply another time-honored method to our menu: K.I.S.S. KISS is an acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid. The simpler your menu, the better chance you have of your crew making what you do offer exceptional. KISS applied means this: do not add an item to your menu unless you remove one at the same time. In other words, to add a menu item, you must sacrifice something you already offer.

By applying these two methods, your menu will reduce in size slightly (by at least one item) every year, bringing more focus to your core menu items.

Menu priced RIGHT.

The man who first introduced this concept to me was Big Dave Ostrander. We met at Pizza Expo back in 1989 (yeah, I’m that old). Big Dave taught two measurements used to determine if a menu item was priced correctly. The first measurement is the Ideal Food Cost Percentage. The second is Contribution To The Bottom Line. 

Ideal Food Cost Percentage means this: Make a large pepperoni pizza exactly to your recipe, with the exact amount of dough, sauce, cheese and pepperoni. Calculate how much these ingredients are costing you exactly. Then take that cost dollar amount and divide it into the price your charge for a large pepperoni pizza. Format it as a percentage. IF there were no mistakes, no theft, no remakes, no waste and the pizza was made exactly to the recipe, you now have your ideal food cost for your large pepperoni pizza. 

Full disclosure: this will take some work. It is a perfect job for a college student in a business curriculum. If this ends up feeling like too much work, think of these words by my Pizza Mentor and former boss, Roger Duncan, founder of Rusty’s Pizza. “Sales are made in the stores. Profits are made in the office.” This is office work.

Ideal food cost calculation can be done on an excel spreadsheet, creating the formulas to produce the results. However, most POS systems will give you ideal food costs, provided you feed the POS system the information. You will need to input each purchased food item into the POS inventory program, completing the tables for ‘purchased unit w/cost’, ‘inventory unit’, and ‘usage unit’. Also, feed the POS system your recipes. Input ounces of dough, sauce, cheese, pepperoni, etc. for each pizza size and each menu item. Engage the experts at your POS company to guide you. It is well worth any support fees you may incur.

The Ideal Food Cost of a PizzaMan Dan’s large pepperoni pizza, our lowest food cost item and most popular menu item, is 18.10 percent. Not bad considering we run an overall food cost of 26 percent. Note that I did not say “Our most profitable item”, because lowest food cost is not necessarily the most profitable sale. 

Contribution To The Bottom Line is arrived at by taking the menu price for the item and subtracting the food cost for the item. A large pepperoni pizza, priced at $21.99, with a food cost of 18.10 percent, contributes ($21.99-$3.98) $18.01 to the bottom line. A large house special, priced at $28.99, with a food cost of 25.50 percent contributes ($28.99-$7.39) $21.60 to the bottom line. So, do we make more money selling a low food cost pepperoni pizza, or a high food cost house special pizza? The house special, of course.

Once the work is done, you will have each menu item ranked from best food cost to worst food cost. You will also have each menu item ranked from best contribution to worst contribution. Adjust the pricing on your menu for the items in the ‘worst’ section of each list to bring these items more in line with the more profitable items on your list. How far down the list should you adjust? I recommend the bottom 20 percent of each list. 

Time to make your menu RIGHT. Offer the right items at the right price and you will have a more profitable pizzeria, with more attention to making the items you serve exceptional. Win for you and win for your customer!

Dan Collier  is the founder of Pizza Man Dan’s in California and a speaker at International Pizza Expo.

The post The Menu Price is Right appeared first on Pizza Today.

No Country For Old Pizzas

“The flow of the river is ceaseless; and its water is never the same.”

– Kamo no Chomei, 1212 AD

All of us in the independent restaurant world are in constant motion. We put our heads down day after day with hundreds of tasks of owning a restaurant. Sometimes, just getting through a day or week hunkered down as food and labor costs soar, is quite daunting. You’d think that the last thing on our minds would be to introduce a new pizza or slice. But to those of us surrounded by competitors, the opportunity to introduce a new pizza is what sets us aside from the bland corporate places and, is the most exciting part of this job. It’s what our loyal customers deserve and expect. Floating down this river of innovation starts with a spark — something that you know will bring new customers into your pizzeria and have loyal customers adding this pizza to their orders. It also takes a plan.

Meal Plan

“You gotta be careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.”
-Yogi Berra

Several aspects of introducing a new pizza or slice can be broken down to some core questions.

What is the food cost? Using your existing products is better for food cost and alleviates internal confusion, (i.e., delivery/storage/refrigeration.) Manipulating the existing toppings with a sauce/powder/technique/cheese can create new and exciting food profiles. You also can negotiate a better price on a new product with your food salesperson. If you don’t try, you won’t save. 

What is the labor cost? You know your prep staff better than anyone. If they are flexible and excited to fabricate a dough, food or topping, then you must think how long it will take them to do this extra work and what it will cost you. Pre-prepared sauces, spices, frozen foods or smoked meats may save you.

What do my customers expect from me? Have you marketed your pizzeria as a cutting-edge place that has funky toppings and innovative specialties or is your place more traditionalist? This may lead you to keep your new specialty pizza and slices more in line with either marketing lane you are in. Remember, even traditions evolve. The first pizzeria opened in 1830, and it wasn’t until 1889 that Raphael Esposito created the classic mozzarella, tomato and basil pizza.  

What is the timeline for this pizza, or slice? This is important because it keeps YOU and your staff in a lane to get serious about this project. Making a written plan to introduce this is optimal, and scheduling certain specialty dates on a visual calendar is a great idea. This can be posted on social media and as box toppers.

What will be my communication and marketing: Posters around your pizzeria, including recipes at the makeline, prep area and ovens are as important as explanations of the new pie at the phones. A staff tasting is a great idea. They won’t sell it if they aren’t motivated. Most POS systems have front page marketing pictures that can intentionally lead a customer to your new creation. Social media is another must. Boosting a post on Facebook has a tremendous reach, and rewarding customers for following your page is also a great tool.

Menu Venue

To introduce a new creative pizza or slice, you will have to investigate what other independents are doing. Some of these are game changers like visiting the Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. From there the deep dive continues into the demonstrations from pros in the industry and competitions where you can hear, see and steal ideas and techniques from the best pizza makers in the world. You can also keep your eyes out for the new food trends that come out faster each year. Here are a few predictions for 2022.

Plant-based pizzas: Vegan cheese and cauliflower crust has turned into a “must have” in my pizzeria. Vegan chicken, shrimp, fish and sausage are predicted to be big this year as lifestyles are changing, as people get older. 

Swice: Yes, this is the combination of sweet and spicy sauces. This may lean toward Asia like sweetened gochujang for Korean fried chicken, or spicy Latin flavors like chilies with agave or maple. Boneless chicken and swice-coated bacon are perfect pizza toppings with ricotta, mozzarella and even brie, but beware that some sweet sauces like teriyaki and even miso tends to burn in the oven.

Mushrooms: Wild mushrooms, portobello, cremini, shiitake and porcini are huge this year. In my pizzeria, we introduced a “Super Mushroom” pizza two years ago as a temporary special. It’s become so popular that we cannot take it off the menu or my customers will hunt me down.

Nostalgic pizzas: People are searching for comfort foods from their childhood like pimento cheese, sausages, cream cheese jalapeño poppers, cheddar cheese, crispy Parmigiana or Asiago chips, BBQ sauce, smoked pork and even stadium mustard. 

Vegetables: Broccoli and cauliflower with cream, or vegan cream sauces, are big now. Spinach and artichokes paired with Parmigiano and ricotta, Kimchi and pickled cucumber with Hoisin sauces and pork belly are popular. These are paired with sharp cheeses like aged provolone or goat cheese. Fennel, either thin sliced and cured or roasted and paired with Parmigiano or Romano, sausage and cream is brilliant. Chickpea, Fava and mung beans will be popular in 2022 as well as sorghum and barley.

Fruit pizzas: Never underestimate the power of sweet, savory and salt with a textural crunch. Pears, apples, apricot, mango and plums paired with Stilton, feta, aged provolone or Gorgonzola with bacon, Prosciutto, spicy capicola, smoked pork or beef bacon are king. Other after-oven toppers like walnuts, almonds or pecans push these pizzas into the “must have” category on your menu.

Charcuterie: 2022 is predicted to be a real sliced meat year. Finishing off slices with Prosciutto di Parma, capicola, and mortadella. House cured and smoked meats like pork belly, duck breast and even smoked chicken are going to be big stars this year.

Oils: Finishing oils like chili, basil, cilantro and roasted sesame oils change a pizza from so-so to fabulous!

Gorgonzola Pear Pizza with Prosciutto di Parma

This is an all-time favorite in my pizzeria and exhibits what Italians call the “Agrodolce” or sweet-and-sour flavor profile. Some people cannot handle the strong flavor of gorgonzola, so I temper this with some shredded mozzarella. The Bosc pear is my favorite because it doesn’t get too soft and is baked without turning brown and mealy. The added touch of maple syrup and pecan creates a strong sweet foil for the sour cheese and a crunchy finish.

Get the Gorgonzola Pear Pizza with Prosciutto di Parma recipe.

John Gutekanst  owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Creativity Goes into Featured Pizzas and Slices appeared first on Pizza Today.

A Little Saucy: Secrets to a Good Red Pizza Sauce

Red sauce, marinara, pomodoro, gravy.  There are so many different ways to say it and even more to make it. A pizza maker’s sauce is one of their most important recipes and often times a very personal thing.  My mom still makes hers the way my Sicilian grandfather taught her.  The secret ingredient: a fried egg in it that they remove before slathering the sauce onto pizza or pasta.  

What one puts into theirs often reflects a person’s cooking style. It can be as simple as plum tomatoes, salt and a pinch of oregano or becomes really complex by adding everything from anchovies to hot honey. 

For me, a sauce recipe really comes down to the tomatoes you use. The final product will only be as good as the quality of the fruit you put into it. Luckily for all of us American pizza makers, there are a few different companies that sell fantastic canned tomatoes. If you buy good quality tomatoes, you don’t need to add sugar or even a lot of salt to make your sauce pop. If you do want to increase the sweetness, a great way to do that is to add a thick tomato paste. Depending on your ratio to crushed or whole plum tomatoes, this can change the consistency of your sauce slightly, but I think it’s worth it for the robust burst of natural sweetness it provides. Another way to enhance the flavor is by simply sprinkling grated Pecorino or Parmesan cheese onto your red sauce as you are making your pizza.

Of course, you can always make your own sauce out of fresh tomatoes, but the growing season really only lasts from July to September. This means unless you are canning your own tomatoes during this stretch, you should be buying them, or they will not be the best quality.  

Canned tomatoes come in various forms. Generally, they are all plum or pear style tomatoes, but you can buy them whole, in strips, crushed, with or without skins on, as a concentrated paste or even already mixed into a sauce. Depending on which variation you choose to buy will affect the overall flavor and consistency of your sauce.  

In general, red sauces fall into two categories: cooked and uncooked. Your basic pizza marinara should always be uncooked. The reason for this is that canned tomatoes are already pressure cooked and once it goes onto the pizza it will be cooked in the oven another time. You don’t want to triple cook your sauce. This rule applies to simple red sauces containing tomatoes, herbs and spices (fresh or dried). The other category of red sauces is if there are ingredients that need to be cooked down before hand, in order to come together and impart all of the flavors into the tomatoes. Vodka sauce is one that definitely needs to be cooked beforehand as are sauces containing meats like sausage or pancetta. Most sauces can be stored in an airtight container for about five days.  

It is also important to tailor your sauce to fit the style of pizza you are making. You don’t want a super heavy sauce on a delicate Neapolitan pie just as you want something more substantial on a Sicilian crust. When you add your red sauce is also important.  

On a Detroit-style pizza, for example, the sauce should be ladled on top of the pie after it comes out of the oven. True Neapolitan pizza sauce can only consist of D.O.P San Marzano tomatoes and a pinch of sea salt. Roman-style pizza dictates that you put the sauce on before the first bake, whereas Sicilian you usually put the sauce on after the par-bake. These days, with a lot of new pizza makers blending styles and creating their own genre, sauce can be a very personalized thing. We do three different styles of pizza at my shop and due to space and labor shortages we only make one basic marinara sauce that we use on all three.  

There are so many ways to liven up your basic red sauce. If you like a little bit of spice, try adding chilies or even just pepper flakes to the sauce. If you’re looking to add a slightly gamey, salty flavor you can either throw in a piece of prosciutto as the sauce is cooking down or sauté guanciale as the base. One of my favorite sauces on both pizza and pasta is an Amatriciana.  To convert this classic Italian pasta sauce to a pizza sauce I added a little heavy cream and finished with grated Pecorino.  

There are so many ways to make your sauce unique to your shop but whatever you do, it’s great to have a good base sauce as a starting point and then experiment from there. Here are two basic recipes to get you started. Feel free to veer as far off course your imagination allows.  

Marinara with Anchovies

Get the Marinara with Anchovies recipes.

Vodka Sauce

Get the Vodka Sauce recipe.

Audrey Kelly  owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado. 

>> Explore answers to more common pizza dough questions in Troubleshooting your Pizza Dough: What’s wrong with my pizza dough? <<

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Online or digital, menus need to be visually pleasing and user friendly

From a basic list of pizza toppings to a well-engineered online ordering process, the right menu design can make the difference between a customer placing an order or going elsewhere. Pizzeria owners must consider certain design details when updating a menu or adding a digital menu, including how many items to list, whether to include photos, and how to make the process one that encourages people to order more food. 

Get to the Point 

Whether in print or digital, use concise descriptions of menu items. “People don’t want to read and read,” says Larry Fiel, vice president of marketing and communications for PDQ Signature Systems in Warminster, Pennsylvania. “They are hungry and they want to order.” 

The need for brevity is necessary, especially if people are reading the menu on the small screen of a smartphone. That’s becoming more common, as during the COVID-19 crisis many restaurants switched from paper menus to QR codes to access an online menu. That coronavirus safety protocol turned out to be a good way to save paper, not to mention costs, so it will likely continue. 

Consider Location 

For years, the oft-repeated wisdom was that the top right of a printed menu was the sweet spot, and the bottom left was the dead zone. These days, many menus are posted online and people simply scroll through them. Fiel says some time-tested tactics are still relevant. For example, list prices without dollar signs, and not in a straight column, because that draws the customer’s attention to how much the meal will cost. He recommends featuring the most expensive item in the center of the menu. The customer will look at the item, decide it’s too expensive, and then read the item below it. “That’s where you put your high margin item,” he says.

Organize the menu into categories that make sense to the reader. “Customers are accustomed to navigating menus by food type or courses,” says Hoang Nguyen, director of client services and co-founder of Leewood, Kansas-based Menufy. “They will be less inclined to order more items if they struggle to navigate your menu. A restaurant’s online and printed menus should make it easy for customers to find the item they have in mind.” As for placement, Nguyen recommends listing the most profitable item first for each category. 

Add Photos 

Nguyen recommends including high-quality photos on online menus. “Menufy tested this and found that after a sample of client restaurants added professional photos to the restaurant’s website, order volume increased by an average of more than 75 percent,” he says. On printed menus, however, use fewer images, as too many can overwhelm customers. 

Be selective about photos. “We choose photos based on how the cheese and crust looks to make sure it looks super appetizing,” says Amber Johnson, director of marketing for Medina, Ohio-based Romeo’s Pizza Franchise, LLC., based in Medina, Ohio. “Then we review the color composition of the photo to ensure it meets our brand standards.” 

Romeo’s Pizza has photos on digital menus and on print menus in stores. While digital offers the opportunity to offer more information, avoid putting too much on the ordering site. “Make sure the user experience is easy to navigate,” Johnson says. “Don’t overcrowd the menu trying to list everything in significant detail.” 

Make Ordering Easy 

If there is too much detail, customers skim the information and miss something important. “We used to have crazy pies and combos, but people ordering online don’t read all the ingredients,” says Dave Kuban, who owns the Norwalk, Connecticut location of Planet Pizza. “The food would get there and people would say, ‘I didn’t know it had bacon, I don’t eat bacon,’ or ‘This has white sauce, where’s the red sauce?'” 

While specialty pizzas with whimsical names are still available at the restaurant, the online menu doesn’t list those. Online orders are limited to build-your-own pizza, with a choice of toppings for small, medium or large pies. That way, people choose their toppings, and there is no risk of someone accidentally ordering a pie with an ingredient they didn’t want. “You don’t want to lose that future business,” Kuban says. 

Don’t overwhelm customers at the store either, especially if they are ordering from a kiosk. “Keep it simple,” says Christina N. Stephens, project coordinator for Rochester, N.Y.-based Microworks POS Solutions. The customer is probably using the kiosk while others are waiting, so keep the menu clean and simple. “Don’t overload it with too many groups and items. Make the start to finish of each item simple. Don’t require too many clicks in order to add an item to your cart.” 

Offering too many options can cause operational issues. Although it’s important to let customers order what they want, it’s better not to offer endless customization. That can lead to extended time at the kiosk station, and opens the possibility of errors. “Kitchens are busy and offering every item to be specifically cooked and every topping substituted leads to errors and inaccurate makes,” Stephens says. “That obviously leads to unhappy consumers and profit loss from either the loss of a customer or the re-make of the items.”

Give Customers What They Want

Others maintain that the ability to swap out the type of crust or add a specific type of cheese is an important consumer expectation. “Customizing products is a huge benefit to customers,” says Mac Malchow, director of national marketing and menu innovation for Toppers Pizza, based in Whitewater, Wisconsin. “Leaving this out can quickly lead to bounces from your menu and website.”

While online ordering grew during the pandemic, and is expected to continue, the process does have a limitation. “With an in-store menu, you get the benefit of an interaction with a team member,” Malchow says. “That doesn’t happen with a digital menu, so you need to treat it almost like it’s a marketing collateral that needs to sell products.” 

For a pizzeria, good menu design can do more than simply letting your customers know what’s available. “If you can balance selling with a strong user experience, you’ve got something special,” Malchow says.

Nora Caley is a freelance writer who covers small business, finance and lifestyle topics. 

The post The Strategy of Menu Design appeared first on Pizza Today.

Tavern Style Pizza is having a moment

When I sat down to write about Tavern style pizza, I had a hard time organizing my thoughts. I thought about all the differences between them and was trying to figure out the best way to describe them all and hit a roadblock. I was trying to unify them when a light bulb turned on. Tavern style, also known as bar pies, are not unique to any one location. There are variations across the East Coast and all over the Midwest. The one characteristic that unifies them is that they are all thin crust but even how thin the pie is varies slightly. Some pies are cut into squares, and some are not. Some use cornmeal, others only use refined flour. Some use fats, some do not. Some are super low in salt to the point where you question if there is any in the recipe. Some are seemingly unleavened, and even the doneness of the bake challenges the color spectrum. Tavern very much is a style, thin crust and crispy.

When Chicago pizza is mentioned in conversation, a lot of Americans think deep dish. Although deep dish pizza may be iconic and delicious, it is not the only style that Chicago makes. Of all the native Chicagoans I have spoken to, most of them say that pizza to them is always the thin and crispy tavern style. Deep dish is for the out-of-towners. Chicago styles are known for their use of cornmeal and the cracker thin is not exempt from this. How much cornmeal is used varies but cornmeal itself is a great way to make a crispy pie. 

Par baking the dough is another way to add crispiness to a thin-crust pie. As much as I love crispy thin-crust pizzas, they lose that crunch very quickly as the pizza cools down. Maintaining that crispiness is one of the hardest traits to keep. Utilizing cornmeal and a par bake or double bake method helps ensure your pizza stays crispy for a longer period of time. How would you do this? 

Coat your dough ball in cornmeal and roll it out with a rolling pin or use a sheeter. Once you’ve reached your desired size or thickness, dock it, place it on a peel and slide it into the oven. Without any sauce, cheese or toppings, par bake it just for two minutes or just until it’s no longer raw and the bottom is just beginning to show some spots of color. Remove it from the oven and stack them until ready to use. When an order comes in, top it as you normally would and then finish the bake until it’s crispy and the toppings are cooked. The par-baked shell is not only quicker on the line when orders come in because it’s prepped and ready to go but that double bake helps evaporate out more moisture. Without the addition of sauce on the first bake, there’s no barrier keeping moisture in. Chicago thin crust is normally cut into squares.

Another type of tavern style comes out of St. Louis. This may be the funkiest style of pizza I have had. Super crispy but with an overly sweet sauce and then a processed cheese called Provel on top of that. 

Provel on its own deserves a mention. It comes in a block and it’s a processed cheese composed of provolone, Swiss and cheddar. It has a super low melting point and a high flow rate so a small amount spreads a lot and is quick to burn. 

When you eat a St. Louis pie, you get a crispiness mingled with the sweet sauce and then this super sticky processed cheese that sticks to your front teeth. It’s not for everyone but sometimes you just need a little indulgence that isn’t going to ruin your day. And since it’s thin crust, this pizza is it for me. 

The dough itself seems unleavened and doesn’t have the same coloration as a pie that has a sugar content. Instead of using a New York-style dough, I would use a low protein flour similar to a Neapolitan or even an all-purpose flour and omit any sugar or fat. This gives you a different kind of crisp. There is no cornmeal or Semolina and to make it even crispier I always use the double bake method. 

This pizza is even thinner than the Chicago version and without the durability of cornmeal the dough can be fragile and prone to bubbling in the oven. To prevent this, I add a little bit of sauce on that first bake to help keep the dough from bubbling too much. Keeping in mind the low melting point of the cheese, this will change how long I bake the shell the first time as compared to the second and final bake when it has been topped. If it’s a plain cheese pie, I will bake the shell a minute or two longer the first time so that the final bake is slightly shorter making sure the cheese does not burn. If the pizza has toppings, especially a raw sausage, I will shorten the first par bake and lengthen the final bake so that the toppings have time to cook but it’s not in the oven long enough to burn. The moisture from the toppings, as well as the coverage, helps make sure the cheese does not burn. This pie is normally cut into squares.

The other Tavern pie that stands out to me is the East Coast pie. This thin-crust pie is not always cut into squares, not always round, sometimes oblong in shape, and can be cooked almost to the point of burnt but is considered normal. Toppings and cheese are thrown on haphazardly and usually to the edge. There is no cornmeal in this pie and is thin but a little thicker than the St. Louis style.

One of the main features of a tavern style pie is always the crisp. For those that have cornmeal and fat, they have a snap reminiscent to a Ritz cracker. It’s crispy and it snaps but there’s a density to it. Other styles like the St. Louis and East Coast versions have no fat or cornmeal and have a snap like a saltine cracker. All of these styles are “cracker” thin, but the type of snap is what sets them apart.

Laura Meyer  is Chef at Capo’s and Administrator and Teaching Assistant at the International School of Pizza in San Francisco

>> Explore Pizza Dough Recipes for Top Trending Pizza Styles including Detroit, New York, Grandma, Sicilian, Chicago Thin and Deep Dish. <<

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Nick Bogacz, founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh

One pandemic and many variants later, plus government mandates and handouts, here we are enduring the greatest labor shortage of our generation. Many of us cannot remember the last day off we’ve had or feel guilty about not being in the pizzeria when we finally do get a day off. Our managers are burned out, and rank-and-file employees are also worn thin. 

So, what’s the solution? For many operators, shortening hours or closing a couple days a week has been the answer. But that’s not viable long-term. That’s playing defense, and there’s only one way out of this mess: going on the offensive.

Previously in this column, we’ve talked about wage increases, adding benefits, employee incentives and all the other ways to keep your team intact. But, conversely, long gone are the days of finding that stack of applications for new hires. So, instead of being passive, embrace that hiring activities are a daily task. You cannot just jump on the pizza line and only think about hiring when someone calls off — you have to be active every day. 

Sure, you can put up a sign advertising a potential hourly rate plus a signing bonus. Right now, that’s too common and too lazy. Full disclosure: I’ve tried it and it hasn’t worked — and I’ve tried everything. 

Thankfully, many of us are independent operators who excel at sales. Think of hiring the same way. Bait the hooks — all of them. That’s why, at my store, we flood the market with ads and strategies to encourage hiring prospects. 

Where you’ll find our ads:

• On every single pizza box
• Indeed (spending $1,000 to $2,000 per store, per month)
• Craigslist (three ads for each position weekly)
• Facebook/Instagram (weekly, with good pictures)
• All stores have a hiring banner (just not as cheesy as the one already mentioned)

Additionally, your current employees can be a great resource. Ask around if they know anyone that is looking for a job. We also have a referral bonus program and include letters about it in every paycheck.

Once someone applies through any of those methods, contact them within four hours (I’ve found the best time to reach someone is between 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. during the work week) and try to set up an interview within 48 hours. If you’re not willing to commit to those two action items, you might be doomed to be understaffed for a long time. Again, it’s about remaining on the offensive to fill empty positions as quickly as possible. 

Once you have an applicant in for the interview, if all goes well, you might find you have guilt-free time off again. But that leads us to our next topic: how to conduct an interview. We’ll touch on that next month.

Nick Bogacz is the founder and president of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh.  Instagram: @caliente_pizza

The post Building Blocks: How to Keep Active in Hiring Every Day appeared first on Pizza Today.

Flavorful Fan Favorite

There’s a reason sausage is America’s second-most favorite pizza topping. It brings lots of fatty flavor and oily goodness to a pie. In addition to holding its own as a standalone topping, it also pairs well with so many different meats and vegetables. While crumbled or sliced will lend different textures (which you go with is largely determined by personal preference), there’s no disputing sausage in any form is a top topping.

In recent years I have taken to favoring chorizo when I use sausage in the test kitchen or order a pizza for myself that includes sausage. I appreciate the spice level and the flavor just hits my taste buds right. 

Though it may be a staple in Cajun dishes, Spanish cuisine and Mexican dishes, you aren’t limited to a “Mexican Pizza” when working with this delicious sausage. Here are some recipes I have enjoyed over the years, two of which come from two of the most creative chefs I’ve had the pleasure of working with — John Gutekanst and the late Pat Bruno. I encourage you to give these recipes a try in your kitchen. And, as always, have your staff experiment a little and put your own twist on these dishes in order to meet the needs of your customer base.

“I make these meatballs every weekend on large pizzas al metro and schiacciata, and with all sorts of Spanish and Mexican cheeses,” says John Gutekanst, owner of Ohio’s Avalanche Pizza. “The meatballs are wonderful islands in a sea of cheese and melt like the finest eye-candy! The small breading soaks up the egg and solidifies the ball when baked.”

Get the Chorizo Meatballs recipe.

Before his passing, Pat Bruno contributed a wealth of articles, recipes and Pizza Expo demonstrations. He was always jovial, fun to be around and, most of all, eager to share. He provided us with this pizza recipe that I love to this day.

Get the Chorizo Pizza recipe.

Last but certainly not least, I’d like to share with you this Cajun pasta recipe that builds on jambalaya’s influence. Its original incarnation used andouille, but I like to substitute with chorizo and think you’ll enjoy it, too.

Get the Jambalaya Pasta recipe.

Jeremy White is Editor-in-Chief at Pizza Today.

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Throughout the last 12 years of my career I’ve put a lot of thought into how to increase my pasta sales. Historically, pasta sales were less than 25 percent of total menu item sales (while stromboli and NYC style pizza are what our East Coast eatery is known for). There was a lot of profit in pasta dishes that had been left sitting on the table. Despite our creative recipes, specialty cuts and pastas filled with imported cheeses, those numbers didn’t really grow.

Moreover, during times of indoor dining restrictions, 20-inch pizzas and 30-inch  ‘Bolis were the hot ticket because they travel well, they’re portable, sharable and an economical way to feed a family during a time of economic uncertainty. 

Our pizza sales were higher than ever, but now that restaurant dining rooms have reopened, guests are gravitating toward a more personalized experience with individual dishes that are highly customizable, and highly profitable for us. Our pasta have never been higher, surpassing pizza and stromboli sales many nights. It is easy to take advantage of this trend if you can think outside of the (pizza) box.

Why is pasta so profitable? Because in a lot of cases, our guests will each order their own pasta dish at $13.00 to $25.00 per plate, plus any protein they may add vs. one shared 20-inch pie at $18.00 to $40.00 (which feeds four to six people). 

But it’s not only the higher per person average that makes pasta so profitable. Pasta has low cost of goods. With good training, solid recipes and portion controls, together with accurate pricing, you can create pasta dishes that are exciting to your guests, easy for your team to prepare and carry a high profit margin. Cross utilizing ingredients that you already have on hand is always good practice, try challenging yourself to find ways to be creative while keeping your inventory tight and your menu offerings fresh and innovative. Have fun with it!

If you’re considering adding a pasta program to your pizzeria or restaurant, think about cuts of pasta that you can use for multiple dishes. Ziti or penne can be used in a variety of dishes, such as baked ziti topped with broiled mozzarella; mac and cheese using a Wisconsin Brick Cheese and heavy cream; or even a veggie pasta dish with sautéed mushrooms, onions, garlic, roasted red pepper and artichoke hearts in a brown butter sauce. Ziti and penne are both versatile, travel well, hold sauces nicely and you can easily add a protein to any of these dishes to “enhance the guest experience”.

I also love rigatoni, although, it is a little more delicate and requires some finesse if you are going to par boil and re-thermalize it. Also consider how much storage space you have when deciding how many cuts you want to keep on hand. While fettuccine Alfredo and spaghetti are thought of as a staple, consider how many dishes you can really create with them. If space is a concern, then perhaps consider utilizing cuts with more versatility instead.

Depending on the size of your kitchen and how well equipped it is, you may consider adding lasagne to your menu. Although lasagne is labor intensive, it can be very profitable if you hit the right price point. If labor is a concern, you could consider making it a weekly special, in order to drive sales on a slower day of the week. Using a fresh pasta sheet opens up a world of possibilities. You can use them to make handcrafted manicotti, ravioli or pappardelle pasta. 

Another strategy is to offer only a few pasta cuts paired with a marinara recipe that can be easily adapted to create other sauces. Add ground beef for Bolognese; add crushed red pepper and other spices to make an Arrabbiata; or a vodka sauce made from a base of marinara, vodka and a hint of cream. 

Speaking of cream, if you already have grated Parmesan on hand, add butter and heavy whipping cream to create a delicious Alfredo sauce. Make it zippy and try simmering your Alfredo sauce with a few sweet picante peppers for a fun variation.

I mentioned that our guests are seeking a highly individualized and customizable experience. The advent of the “Chipotle” style restaurant has gifted us the “pick and choose” mentality. “I know you’ve got fill in the blank back there in the kitchen, why can’t you just cook that up with some pasta?” We’ve all had that guest. This is why a build-your-own pasta section of your menu is a winner! Pick your pasta, pick your sauce and protein.

When it comes to specialty pastas and substitutions, we must strike a balance between being a “restaurant” and protecting our brand. If the substitutions that your guest wants to make hurt the overall quality or integrity of the dish, or delay the experience of other guests, it’s going to fall on your shoulders. The crappy review won’t read, “The owner told me not to put marinara on my four cheese and pear pasta which was garnished with fresh sage and balsamic reduction, but I did it anyway and it was awful, my bad!” They will simply say that the pasta that you had imported from Italy and artfully crafted was overpriced and it sucked! Offer only the modifications that will work best with your recipes. You are responsible for the guest experience, so protect it.

I have learned that less is more. I had a huge pasta selection pre-pandemic and I was not selling a whole lot of any one thing and a little bit of everything. You will be more profitable if you sell a high volume of a few key pasta dishes. It will be easier to train your team to execute them perfectly if they have fewer dishes to learn, and they will appreciate having fewer SKUs to purchase, stock and count every week. (You ARE doing weekly inventory – Right?) Be selective and intentional about your pasta offerings and you will profit from pasta profits!

MELISSA RICKMAN  is co-founder of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and member of the World Pizza Champions.

The post Pasta For Profits appeared first on Pizza Today.

Oceans of Flavor

My love affair with Southeast Asian cuisine happened in 1984, when my Navy Squadron, VQ-1, were tasked with flying near Iran, but on the way to the Gulf of Oman, our spirited yet hedonistic crew suddenly found an “unexpected” warning light that was malfunctioning as soon as we entered Thai airspace. Much to our delight, landed near the vacation spot of Pattaya Beach to check it out (the beach that is). As I stood in the 100-degree heat with my best flowered beach shirt, shorts and aircrew boots on waiting for permission to go into town, an older woman on a pedi-cart rolled up to the plane. She had made hot Pad Kra Pra which she doled out to our ravenous crew. This stir-fried minced pork with Thai basil, beans, carrots and shallots was the best thing I’ve ever eaten. As the garlic enveloped my face and teamed up with the heat of the chilies to fog my mind, I remembered thinking, “I’ve gotta have this again.”

In the years since, I have become supremely fond of the brilliant, fresh and bold flavors of Southeast Asia. The lure of heat, fresh crunch and depth are too potent for anyone with taste buds to look away from and I’ve been lucky enough to offer this array of tastes to my customers and expand my revenue stream. Here are some flavor profiles from the region.

• Philippines. Use of beef and pork as well as seafood proteins dominate with less dramatic flavors and less chilies. Vinegar and meat broths are used. Spanish occupation shows its influence in the albondigas or sweet and sour meatballs and Bistek Tagalog with sirloin cooked La Plancha with oregano, cumin, soy, onions and garlic and the lemony calamansi sauce from the Philippine lime.
• Laotian and Cambodian. Simple cooking styles dominate with Loatian, more of a homestyle feel using foraged ingredients like frogs, eels and roots. Both use less fish sauce, and more soy sauce. Cambodian cooking is not as hot and less sweet as other Asian cuisines although they use more galangal and lemongrass.
• Thai. Seems to always have a great balance of sour, salty, sweet and hot. Curry has heat with chilies, sour with limes and lemon as well as lime leaf and lemongrass for sourness. Tamarind is both tart and sweet. Salt comes from fish sauce, soy sauce or salted fish; sweetness from coconut milk, pineapple and mango. Cilantro, mint and Thai basil offer a great finishing taste to a lot of dishes.
• Vietnamese. French influences abound here like baguettes the Pho and Banh Mi and even pate are found. Citrusy and light stir fries and noodle dishes are slow simmered with lemongrass and star anise and include a multitude of vegetables and a lot of pepper. Soy glazed meats and pickled vegetables with the heat of bird chilies can take your breath away. 
• Malaysian and Indonesian. These countries exhibit a melting pot of flavors from India to China and Thailand. Spices dominate both as rice, noodle and soup dishes are popular in Indonesia as well as curried meat, meatballs and spring rolls. In Malaysia, Arab, Portuguese and Dutch influences meld with Chinese to produce dishes line Chicken Rice and Laksa, the thick rice noodle dish in a spicy broth flavored with tamarind and coconut.

Southeast Asian flavor profiles for the Pizzeria

It’s easy enough to identify the ingredients and processes in creating Southeast Asian cuisine but incorporating them into your pizzeria or restaurant menu mix takes thought and preparation. Before presenting a Southeast Asian Pizza, I always check to see the most familiar sandwiches and street food that Americans are familiar with. It pays to look at your pizza like an open-faced sandwich and construct it with items both before and after the oven, (it also doesn’t have to be cheesy.) Here are some ingredients that pair well with your existing makeline ingredients.

• Chili Jam, (Nam Prik Pao). This is one of the most common condiments in Thailand and consists of dried shrimp, garlic, shallots, Thai chilies, tamarind paste and fish sauce. It can easily be added to coat chicken pieces or with boneless chicken wings. Great with green peppers, jalapeños, pineapple, mushroom, aged provolone or Asiago, anchovies, roasted garlic, caramelized onion, ham and even pepperoni. Variations include making chili mayo, chili béchamel sauce, sweet chili honey, glazed pineapple and chili salsa with onion, cilantro and sweet peppers.
• Pickled onion, peppers, bean sprouts and carrot. The combinations are endless. Use the chili jam above or with green apples or Asian pear with vinegar, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, ginger, salt and sugar. These will keep for a long time in the refrigerator and marry well as a finishing item with fresh cilantro.
• Thai Curried Onions. Probably the biggest bang for the buck is simply roasting your makeline onions with Green, Red or Yellow Thai chili paste, a little oil and water. The onions transfer the flavor and sweeten the curry to make either a sauce with a blender or just on strong cheeses like feta, provolone and Romano. The surprising addition of maple-glazed ham or pork is a real winner.

Cambodian Khmere Sausage Pizza

This sausage pizza is all about preparation. Once the sausage, mayo and carrots are prepared, you’ll be ready to go. Much of the lovely part of this pizza is the freshness and crunch of the after-oven items of what most Southeast Asian aficionados call the “Holy Trintiy” of cucumber, cilantro and carrot. You may make additions to this like peanuts but may turn off anyone who is allergic to them.

Get the Cambodian Khmere Sausage Pizza recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Unleashing Southeast Asian Flair in your Pizzeria appeared first on Pizza Today.

Menu Appeal

There is more to the versatile eggplant than its most familiar restaurant menu item, Eggplant Parmesan. This meaty ingredient has a place across your menu. 

Its bounty is often found next to squash and zucchini in stores. But, technically classified in the berry family, it is easy to mistake this fruit for a vegetable. Eggplant comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. The Globe is the most common eggplant variety,  known for its deep purple color. The Italian eggplant is a bit smaller than Globes and tend to be sweeter. Graffiti eggplants are also popular for their purple and white striping. Depending on your distributor or direct farm source, you may be able to tap into other varieties, like Japanese, Rosa Bianco and even Thai.

No matter which variety you choose, there are multiple ways to prepare eggplant, from pan seared, grilled and roasted to steamed and pickled. While you can eat eggplant raw, it is best cooked. And if it’s undercooked, eggplant can taste bitter.

A couple of notes to be aware of when preparing eggplant: When cutting, eggplant tends to brown quickly so be sure you are immersing them in water or hit the pieces with lemon juice. Eggplant has a very moist and spongy texture. Pat dry and salt before cooking.

There is nothing wrong with going with traditional eggplant dishes. Here are a few that you can add easily:

• Eggplant Parmesan. Make this as an entrée or a sandwich version. If you want to market it as a plant-based option, be sure to substitute the dairy and egg from the breading and meal.
• Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna. This is a great vegetarian option that can be made ahead and heated to serve.
• Italian Eggplant Rollatini. It’s classic and full of flavor. Rollatini can be baked or fried.
• Stuffed Eggplant. This a great canvas to create your own unique stuffing.

These recipes are all available at PizzaToday.com/recipes.

Don’t limit yourself to the eggplant standbys. Let’s look at a few menu ideas that could become hits at your restaurant:

Eggplant Caponata. Think Sicilian bruschetta. It’s a sweet and sour mix of eggplant, tomatoes, celery, onion, olives, garlic, vinegar and capers. It’s not too far from a ratatouille. Depending on your crostini application, this can also be a good vegan option. 

Baba Ganoush. This eggplant dip rivals hummus and is bursting with flavor. It’s typically served cold with crostini. You’ll also find it served with blanched or pickled veggies, a nice twist to a classic Mediterranean starter. See the Baba Ganoush recipe below.

Pasta alla Norma. It’s another traditional Sicilian dish that is simple and makes eggplant shine. It features your house marinara, roasted eggplant, basil, red pepper flakes and ricotta salata or Parmesan with your choice of pasta. 

Eggplant can easily be adapted into other menu ideas such as salads and soups, as well. Now, let’s talk pizza application. Remember: with such a high water content, it’s vital to cook out much of the water before using as a topping. Eggplant can easily be roasted in your pizza oven during prep and held on your make line. But don’t over oil the eggplant or it will turn into a soggy mess. 

Eggplant Parmigiana is one of the most common versions of pizza. There are so many other ways to incorporate eggplant on your pizza toppings list. Here are some combination ideas to test in your kitchen:

• Eggplant, caramelized onion, goat cheese and fresh mozzarella
• Smoked mozzarella, eggplant, pancetta
• Spinach, mushroom, eggplant and ricotta
• Eggplant, roasted garlic, mozzarella and finished with arugula (tossed with lemon vinaigrette)
• Eggplant, blend of mozzarella, fontina, Asiago and Parmesan and finished with basil and hot chili oil.

Now, here are some recipes to try and adapt for your customers

Plant-a-bello Pizza

Get the Plant-a-bello Pizza recipe.

Baba Ganoush (aka Eggplant Dip)

Get the Baba Ganoush recipe.

Denise Greer is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

The post Versatile eggplant has a spot on pizzeria menus appeared first on Pizza Today.

Farm to Table: Risky, expensive, unpredictable, humbling, but totally rewarding.

Farm to Table is not new. However, when I started my restaurant, Dante, 13 years ago, it was a daunting experience. If ever there were an ideal location to pull off a true ‘farm to table’ experience, it is here in the very center of the United States surrounded by hundreds of miles of the most fertile and productive farms. Here we have access to the best proteins, fruits vegetables, tuber, mushrooms and other natural products. However, getting to all that abundant food product is not simple, straightforward or inexpensive. In 2008, it meant blazing new ground and literally creating a whole new supply chain from scratch. This is my story on how we created a whole new culinary food option for my new restaurant. Perhaps, most satisfying, is that I learned this ancient concept from the true cultivators of this very basic and natural process when I studied in Tuscany. Whether you are cooking in Omaha in the middle of the United States or in Cortana in the middle of Tuscany the basic ‘Farm to Table’ rules are the same.

The first thing to think about if you want to cook locally and seasonally: do your research. Find out what plants thrive around you and when. Omaha is a four-season city in the Heartland, with a growing year that is fairly predictable for chefs.  

What isn’t as predictable for me is when spring actually starts and how long the growing season will last for each particular product. Ramps are the first sign of spring, which grow wild for about two weeks until it gets too warm. Ramps are my very favorite ingredient because they can’t be cultivated, and they mark the beginning of spring for Omaha and our menu. The person that harvests them on her property, Leslie, is as obsessed with them as I am. They were the first settlers to own the land, and I like to think that Native Americans likely harvested the very same ramps on this land, their property, for 1,000 years before her and her people. These stories are powerful for your guests to hear, and they connect you and your restaurant to the land around you. People want to know where their food comes from! 

After the ramps we have nettles (wild), asparagus, arugula and morels. Every year I know to expect these products around the same time. I can go on and on with more seasonal examples through the march of seasons. Then inevitably, everything freezes, and we wait to start all over.

I like to tell people that Dante is hyper-seasonal. I say this because naturally the spring and summer seasons in Nebraska produce most of the produce. but that doesn’t mean that all “summertime produce” is available the entire summer. In other words, if you cook with your seasons, use what is available to you in your area locally at that time.

How do you begin the process of sourcing local farmers and producers? The local farmers markets are a good place to start. Walk around and talk to the producers. Tell them what you are doing and ask them what they are good at and enjoy growing. I have also found success in talking to my restaurant peers. Go out to eat and talk the chef. Tell them, “I love your arugula, where do you get it?”  It’s also great to cultivate restaurant friends to help with the many other challenges that we experience daily in this industry.

I prefer to work with experts in specific areas of farming and producing. Sometimes farmers come into the kitchen and ask, “what do you want me to grow?” I say, “what do you want to grow?!” I like experts in specific areas that know what vegetables grow best in our area and how to make them taste the best they can possibly be. It is very hard for me to do what we do at Dante without this kind of ‘subject matter expertise’, and frankly I don’t think that I would want to, nor would my guests. 

For example, at Dante, I work with a farmer named Carl Glansman. His farm is called Nishnabotna Naturals in Oakland, Iowa. He provides me with beautiful produce for our green salads. Even though many produce varieties are climate dependent, including arugula, (more on that later), Carl is an expert in knowing how his plants need to grow successfully and when. I have been working with Carl for 11 years and he delivers his perfect greens almost every day and my guests expect this. They expect perfect salads that are sometimes very spicy in the summer, and sweet and mild in the fall and spring. They even taste different week to week! Carl can talk for hours about his natural growing practices, most of which I don’t understand. He guides me by delivering to me what I need to present as perfect a salad as possible to my guests. It is hard to describe the thrill that I have when I deliver a salad with his greens to a table and be able to tell my guests that “Carl picked these greens for you this morning. They were in the ground at six this morning destined to land on this table for you”. My guests come to Dante for this type of experience, and I opened my restaurant to provide exactly this experience. It is my passion.

I also work with a farmer, Mike Levine, whose farm is called Fruit of Levine. He grows fantastic fennel, amazing asparagus in the spring and provides us with honey and a variety of honey-based products, that’s it – nothing else. Mike has been a beekeeper for more than 35 years. He knows exactly what to do to produce the most incredible honey possible. But guess what, sometimes it is not available. When that happens, then honey is not on the menu at Dante today. 

If you seek out these farmer technicians, you will be forced to cook in the season with what is provided to you by the people that are experts and are continuously learning more about what makes their particular, chosen specialty grow best. I have learned from them about their product that I buy and put on the Dante menu. My point is, learn from your producers and pass it on to your guests – they will appreciate it.

In Omaha, I tell people that you will never see tomatoes on the menu in January, as it’s usually freezing, and tomatoes require heat! Why would anyone want to eat a tasteless, mealy, appalling and poor representation of something that was harvested maybe weeks prior, stacked in boxes and thrown on a truck and driven 1,500 miles to me? Look, in Omaha there is no way to cook only local year-round (our key season is May, June, July, August, September and October notwithstanding). BUT you can mitigate the damage if you are in tune with what is available and when. 

Perhaps ironically, I find it much easier to be creative with my menu when there are hard constraints. If it is February in Omaha and you want to cook locally, (which by default would make it seasonal), you understand what is available during that time. Warning: there won’t be a lot to choose from. But with tubers and mushrooms, at least you have a starting point to begin to build a menu or a pizza. After you cook with the seasons for a year, you will begin to understand what grows best and when, and where to source your product. Hopefully you will learn to avoid forcing items that don’t belong — i.e., that mushy tomato in winter.

The Farm to Table experience can be frustrating, risky, expensive, seasonally unpredictable, and sometimes humbling as you try to build a menu around items that are not ready for harvest. In the end, this has been a totally rewarding journey, not only for me as a chef, but for my discerning customers that have come to expect the best and enjoy it. I can’t overstate the thrill of being able to deliver a plate of summer greens to my guests, that literally were in the ground just hours before. Farm to table for me has become a passion — a passion that tracks back to my culinary experiences in Italy. In retrospect, my guests come to Dante for this type of experience, and I opened my restaurant to provide exactly this experience. Like I said, it is my passion.

Nick Strawhecker owns Dante in Omaha, Nebraska.

The post Farm to Table from a Chef’s Perspective appeared first on Pizza Today.

“True barbeque in my opinion is smoking meat. It’s an art form and it’s tricky to get just right.” — Brad Rocco, 2014 World Pizza Champion, Smoked Portobello and Pepperoni Pizza

Smoking is one of the oldest techniques for changing the flavor dynamic of vegetables, fish and meats. It is also a great way to preserve foods. The Romans smoked Westphalian ham and cheeses. The early Norwegians had an overabundance of fish but not enough salt to preserve them but eventually learned from the Celts and the Germans that a small amount of brine and a lot of smoke was the perfect solution. In France, wine was often matured in lofts where meats were smoked and this was thought to improve the wine, much to the dismay of the Romans.

These days world champion Ismaele Romano of Via Focaccia in Las Vegas says that in Sicily, smoking is usually done with orange wood or almond wood. Chef Romano says that in Sicily smoked meats are accompanied by fresh Sicilian oregano, fresh garlic, parsley and lemon zest. He says that when smoking lamb, you must add mint and that he is very fond of Sicilian roasted vegetables where onions, peppers, tomatoes and eggplant are roasted and smoked to make a salad. Brad Rocco, owner of Bexley Pizza Plus in Columbus, Ohio and a huge smoking enthusiast, has been creating tavern style and Detroit style pizzas with different smoked proteins and cheeses like low moisture provolone and Colby that, he says, are better for smoking than mozzarella or burrata. 

My Cup Runneth Smoker

Some of the most successful barbeque places in the U.S. have fashioned smokers out of discarded drums and cans. Here are a few ways to smoke items in your pizzeria or restaurant. 

Electric smokers: The older models like Little Chief are just boxes with heating elements in the bottom with a pan for the wood chips below a replaceable rack. You adjust the top lid to your liking of temperature. The new electric smokers use the same style with probes, timers and alarms. 

BBQ grills and charcoal smokers: These range from barrel, egg or cabinet and are the gold standard to deep smoky flavor and that famous smoke ring on meats. These rely on the control of the flow of air to smoke which can lead to either dry and tough foods or ashy and bitter foods.

Propane Smokers: These are usually shaped like a cabinet, with the vents and burner at the bottom. Some have a water pan, and the chimney and dampers are located at the top. They are very fast and can be smoking within 10 minutes. 

Offset smokers: These were originally made from discarded barrels. The firebox is located to the side and below the cooking chamber, so the smoke and heat is drawn across the food. These take longer than other smokers to get going but are great for smoking a lot of food.

Oven smoked pans:  These are made to be used for small amounts of foods and can be heated quickly during or before service. Basically, just a pan with a raised wire rack and a lid for a small amount of smoking chips to enhance vegetables, fruit and thin strips of meat or chicken.

Smoking packets: Who would have thought it was so easy. By putting smoking chips in a foil satchel with holes in the top and placing it in the bottom of a large, lidded pan, you can smoke just about anything small like cheeses, potatoes, cabbage and carrots.

Wood for Flavor

Smoking has its roots around the world and the very center of any smoking enterprise is the fuel for the smoke. 

Pecan: Doesn’t burn as hot as oak but has a gentle, sweet flavor. Best used for short term smoking fish, chicken and shoulder cuts of pork.

Oak: Many barbeque pros love white oak because it has a mellow, smoky flavor and gives a fairly even and moderate heat.

Hickory: This wood is more powerful than oak but is perfect for heavier meats like beef.

Apple, Cherry and Other Fruit Woods: These offer a rounded sweetness and gentle smoke that adds a very subtle flavor to fish chicken and pork. This wood burns fast and is great for short-term direct smoking. 

Mesquite: This wood burns hot and fast and is strong flavored. This is great for steak or big meats for a quick hot smoked product.

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em!

Here are some items that can turn your pizza line up from boring to… smokin’!

Root Vegetables: Smoked with cherry wood and thyme, garlic, savory, sage and rosemary. Moist root vegetables like kohlrabi and many radish variants benefit from a splash of smoke then a quick cure of salt and sugar. Best paired with celery, cucumber, lemon, bourbon, coffee or basil.

Mushrooms: My rule of thumb in smoking mushrooms is, the meatier and more boring the mushroom, the better. This is because many mushrooms have a nuanced floral and earthy flavor that gets saturated with strong aromas of smoke. Just 10 to 15 minutes in fruit wood like apple is enough to enhance the mushroom for further cooking. Best paired with leek and onion, thyme, lavender, pork and even strawberry.

Cheeses: Colby, Fontina, Gouda, cheddar, and even Swiss can be great after a dose of cold smoking.

Pork: This is the king of smoking in the pizzeria. Smoking big belly is the king but by smoking tougher, less fatty cuts like pork loin, you can make Canadian Bacon. This only entails a rub of salt, sugar and pepper, or the options of coriander, thyme, cayenne, rosemary, sage or fennel to steer the loin to your flavorful liking.

Lamb: If you can smoke less-pricey cuts of lamb like shoulder, breast or leg, you’ll be able to serve it on pizza. Lamb is a specialty on numerous flatbreads in the middle east like the Turkish Pide. Thyme, sage, rosemary, garlic, sumac and coriander are all good rubs. Sliced thin after the oven atop creamy goat cheeses with mint, pomegranate syrup and pine nuts.

Duck: Like lamb, this is often overlooked by pizza people as an affordable pizza alternative protein. It may seem like an “elitist” element but in my book, nothing beats duck pastrami cured with juniper, ginger, cloves and garlic and smoked to perfection. Sliced thin with cherries and burrata is a sight to behold.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

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The Dollars and Sense of Plant-based in Pizzerias

The plant-based revolution has arrived. We all know this by now. If it wasn’t clear before, look no further than how many plant-based vendors there were at the 2021 International Pizza Expo in August compared to even two or three years ago. So, what does that mean for your pizzeria? The number of all plant-based pizzerias in the world can probably be counted on one hand, maybe two. This means that virtually all the pizzerias in the world are not vegetarian or vegan with their primary market being carnivores. Will the whole planet eventually go vegan? Oh probably not, but many people while not going completely vegan are now demanding plant-based options either for themselves or a family member. They’re called “flexitarians”. I always say there is a vegan or vegetarian in every social circle whether that be friends and or family.  

Carnivores make up most of the world’s population. Only five percent of the world’s population identify as vegan or vegetarian. That being said, according to Bloomberg, the plant-based market is expected to increase to $162 Billion by 2030 from $30 billion today. For the savvy restaurant owner, a healthy increase in sales is on the table for those who are willing to put plant-based options on their menu and properly market and price those options. Not to digress but while cycling in Denver I always pass the hot dog vendor at Confluence Park. I told him once to add a vegan hot dog and he would increase his sales by 15 to 20 percent, which is significant. I said to him that I, as well as many others, would buy a hot dog almost every time we come here if he had a vegan dog. That was about two years ago. He hasn’t added one. Sometimes stubbornness gets in the way of reason. I will tell his wife next time and I bet I would have more success. Maybe he can afford to ignore this ever-expanding market, but can you?

Let’s explore the financial feasibility of adding plant-based options to your menu. With supply chains cut or disrupted, a worker scarcity and inflationary pressure, it’s a challenging time to be a restaurant owner. So, the question begs, how does adding plant-based options affect the bottom line? At the end of the day as much as we want to be altruistic (and we are), making money doing something we love is why we are in the pizza business. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or going out of business fast.

I want to first look at the two most popular toppings in the pizza world: cheese and pepperoni. Right now, for Pizza Head in Missouri, shredded whole milk dairy mozzarella is $3.19 per pound. Our vegan shredded mozzarella is around $7 per pound. The margin on pizza is large compared to other cuisines so there is plenty of room. Even though I don’t believe you have to put a premium on vegan products, customers are more than willing to pay a premium because the plant-based market is fiercely loyal and health conscious. They are willing to travel far and pay higher prices than regular consumers. The flexitarians might balk, but even they will pay a premium (although begrudgingly). For example, our 20-inch cheese pizza starts at $18 before toppings, but our vegan cheese pizza is $22. We also make cashew cheese.

Cashews are about $4 per pound and with labor, it comes to about $5 per pound. Portion size is important with expensive ingredients. You want the customer to feel satisfied, but you have to make sure you’re not putting too much product on. For example, the vegan shredded mozzarella goes a long way. A lot is not needed to get enough flavor for the customer to be satisfied and you haven’t broken the bank with a vegan pizza. I think there is a psychological aspect to pricing as well. Having higher prices for plant-based items gives the impression they are worth more and better. In this writer’s opinion that is true. However, perception is half the battle.

Pepperoni, an Italian American creation, is unquestionably the most popular pizza topping in the United States. Although pepperoni is an offspring of Italian salami, pepperoni doesn’t really exist in its American form anywhere else. (Except U.S. based fast food chain pizza where you can probably get a pepperoni pizza anywhere in the world). Vegan pepperoni can range from $6 per pound to $12.50 a pound. More and more manufactures are developing plant-based pepperoni. I do see the price going down in the future with more supply entering the market. 

Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

Vegan pepperoni is usually made from wheat gluten and soy with the same spices as regular pepperoni. It can be hard to tell the difference, but meat-based pepperoni will usually be much greasier and of course will have cholesterol. Plant-based pepperoni, on the other hand, will have amazing flavor — but the texture could vary depending on the manufacturer. Plant-based pepperoni has no animal fat or cholesterol, making it a much healthier choice. The one we use even curls but will be a bit drier. We always add olive oil to our vegan pizzas. Pork and beef-based pepperoni can vary with quality and price. One other thing to consider is that vegan pepperoni is made primarily with wheat and soy, two widely available crops so prices will not fluctuate as much as meat-based pepperoni. Pre-seasoned and pre-cooked pepperoni can be had at about $4 a pound. Top shelf pepperoni can run up to $7 per pound. As of now plant-based pepperoni is more expensive than regular pepperoni, but that could change over the next couple of years.

Adding plant-based options to your menu is an absolute no brainer unless you’re satisfied with your offerings and don’t need to or wish to cater to the plant-based audience. Over time I do believe that you could be hurting your growth and bottom line. Due to the increased revenue that you’ll be gaining and the fact that you can charge more, plant-based options will most certainly pencil in. There must be an effort to market the new offerings otherwise you could be throwing out expensive inventory that doesn’t get sold and then claim you tried it but it didn’t work. This is exciting new territory for the pizza world. Veganism and vegetarianism is no longer this radical philosophy that was looked at with skepticism in the food world. 

Scott Sandler is a consultant, frequent speaker at Pizza Expo and Pizza and Pasta Northeast and Pizza Today contributor. 

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These days you can’t go anywhere or read anything about the food industry without hearing the phrase “plant-based”. For most in the restaurant business this may seem like a “trend” but for those that have chosen this path, it’s an ethical choice, or a whole new way of thinking about our place on the planet as well as our relationship to animals. Given climate change, an epidemic of diet related illnesses and issues relating to exploitation hitting the current social conversation, many consumers are re-thinking their approach to food. Plant-based dining will only grow in the future, as many consumers are now demanding these plant-based options. On November 2, New York City just elected its first “vegan” mayor. Restaurant and pizzeria owners should take note. Will it ever completely replace animal product-based diets? Probably not. But the positives of the plant-based movement are undeniable. 

We are going to talk about the best five vegan side items for your pizzeria. Salads are an obvious given so we won’t talk too much about them as they are one of the five vegan sides you should have. There are so many salad combinations. The one thing about salads is you should replace any meat and dairy with their vegan substitutes, such as vegan ranch dressing, vegan Parmesan, vegan bacon and chicken, etc. In 2014, when I started in this business there were pretty much zero options for vegan cheese, meat, sauces and salad dressings. In 2021, it’s very easy to obtain plant-based products for your pizzerias. Contact your food distributor to see what they have with regards to plant-based products.

The first side item I recommend would be a hot vegan meatball sub sandwich. At the 2021 International Pizza Expo, I counted at least eight or nine plant-based booths offering vegan meats and cheeses. One particular both piqued my interest with their jackfruit based vegan meatballs. All that’s required of this side item is a good Italian roll or baguette, the meatballs, pizza sauce and vegan mozz shred and/or Parmesan. The meatballs come frozen and they just need to be heated. Keep the meatballs in a warmer with sauce. Place the meatballs and sauce in the sandwich, add your cheese and then toast the sandwich in your pizza oven on a screen until the bread is lightly toasted. Wrap and roll with foil and the customer now has a delicious sandwich to take with them on the go or to eat in. It’s that simple! I recommend making the hero about eight inches long. However, you could do six inches as well. The most important thing that I cannot stress enough is do not use day-old bread. Always make the sub with bread made that day. Otherwise the bread, even toasted, will be chewy. This is my number one pet peeve when I get a sandwich. Often, I can easily tell that the bread is at least a day old.

The second vegan side item I recommend is vegan hot wings with buffalo sauce and a vegan ranch dipping sauce. These just require defrosting and heating up to order. I don’t recommend trying to make them yourself. There are a few plant-based companies offering these wings. I do recommend making your own vegan buffalo sauce. You can find numerous vegan buffalo sauce recipes online by googling the keywords. Sometimes you can find buffalo sauce in the store or from your supplier that’s vegan as well. Again, just ask your distributor. With the wings offer a side of vegan ranch dipping sauce. This can be purchased or made yourself. I know there are a few companies making vegan ranch. To make your own just combine raw cashews, water, apple cider vinegar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, dried parsley, chives and dill. Then blend to desired taste and texture.  

The third vegan side item is vegan garlic cheesy bread. Just use your existing dough for pizza. Make the disk a little smaller than your normal pizza (so the bread is a little thicker.) Spread olive oil and garlic heavily. Add a little good quality mineral salt. Then add a vegan shredded mozzarella cheese and vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast. You can use fresh garlic, chopped garlic or even garlic powder. Put lots of cheese on the pizza and then top it off with some chili flakes or chili oil. Bake like a normal pizza (It may take longer). Cut in long rectangular strips. Serve with a side of your red pizza sauce for dipping. Customers love to dip their bread in a marinara sauce. 

The fourth vegan side item is roasted green olives. I recommend green castelvetrano olives, but any good quality olive can be used. Do not used canned! Toss olives in olive oil, garlic, salt and red pepper. Roast in your pizza oven in a portioned cast-iron skillet. Make them to order. Have a bigger cast iron pan for multiple orders at once.

Lastly, Salads are always a no brainer but I recommend a vegan kale Caesar. Kale holds up really well and doesn’t get soggy or go bad quickly. First rub the kale lightly with olive oil.  Top with sunflower seeds (can be toasted) toss in vegan ranch dressing with added vegan Parmesan and vegan bacon bits. Croutons are optional. This is a simple, healthy, delicious salad that will be really popular. 

On a side note. a vegan cookie is also a great option. The best thing to do is find a local vegan baker to buy your cookies. These days there are many vegan bakers with online ordering or with a storefront.

As you can see there are plenty of great plant-based side items you can add to your menu. These items serve a triple purpose. These options provide non-vegan diners with different takes on classics and new flavors and at the same time show your openness and sensitivity to the plant-based market. Lastly, they make you more money and of course we all like money!

Scott Sandler is owner of Pizza Head in St. Louis, Missouri and a frequent speaker at Pizza Expo and Pizza and Pasta Northeast.

The post Five Plant-based Items to Add to Your Restaurant Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

Found the Beef

Chicago is visited for many reasons: world renowned museums, innovative and jaw dropping architecture, some of the most popular blues clubs in the country, Michael Jordan, Wrigley Field… the list goes on. But like any other city in the world, if you really want to gauge the pulse of the city, if you really want to feel its soul and transcend its history, its making, the center of its core, you visit its restaurants. Chicago has one of the highest regarded restaurant scenes in the world, but nothing tells the story, steeps you into the tradition, makes you feel everything Chicago than visiting an Italian Beef Stand. 

The Windy City’s signature dish, the one that was truly birthed here is the Italian Beef Sandwich. Deep Dish pizza (which most locals revert to only when hosting out of towners) was a modification in the 1940 of various styles of pizza from Italy. Chicago-style hot dogs, albeit extremely popular and fantastic in their own right, was an evolution from the Frankfurter in Germany. The Italian Beef would lead you to believe it has its roots in Italy, but that is not the case. The sandwich is our thing, created out of the industrious and creative spirit that our city was founded and built upon.  

In one of his last visits to Chicago, the late Anthony Bourdain said “Chicago is a big, brash, muscular, broad-shouldered mother****in’ city. Forget Deep Dish, the Italian Beef sandwich is a big soggy load of awesomeness, dripping with magical greasy beef juice. It is a signature dish any great city should be proud to boast of.”

Chicago-based fast food chain, Portillo’s Inc., famous for its Italian beef sandwiches, does a staggering $7.9 million in yearly revenue per store, surpassing competitors like Chic- Fil – A (approx. $5 million) and McDonalds (approx. $3 million).  Since going public they plan to open 600 additional stores across the United States. As Portillo’s takes Chicago’s favorite sandwich nationwide, let’s take a look at its origins, the recipe and how pizza operators can benefit from adding this classic staple to the menu.

History

The Italian Beef Sandwich dates back to the early 1900s, when many Italians immigrated to America. They found work at the Chicago Union Stock Yard and Transit Co., in the meatpacking district. More meat was processed in Chicago than anywhere in the world at the time. Workers would bring home cheaper, rougher cuts of meat. They would tenderize and simmer the meat in a broth of flavorful Italian spices. The dish became a very popular meal for Italians on holidays and special events, like famous “Peanut Weddings”. They would gather in church basements or homes to celebrate weddings, feasting on peanuts, sausage and Italian beef. 

The Godfather of Italian Beef

The godfather of the beef sandwich is Pasquale “Pat” Scala. There were many who claim they originated the sandwich, but it was Pat who made them a cultural tradition during the Great Depression. He delivered meats and homemade sausages to people’s homes by horse drawn carriage. He prepared the beef, shaved the thinnest slices, soaked the meat in its flavorful juices and served it on thick bread rolls. 

The Beef Stand

In 1938 Al Ferreri and Chris “Baba” Pacelli opened Al’s Beef. A front for their bookie operation, it was the first documented beef stand. Al and Baba would finish at their day jobs, then go open the restaurant, serving Charcoal Grilled Italian Sausages and Italian Beef sandwiches in the front and hosting card games and sports betting in the back. Eventually the restaurant became so successful they dropped the bookie operations. Others saw their success and beef stands started popping up across the city.

The composition of a Beef Sandwich Bread. The most important element is the bread. French bread is the best — it absorbs the beef juice and holds the ingredients together. If the bread falls apart, the sandwich is ruined! So a sturdy bread is a must!

Beef. Top sirloin or bottom round are great options. Slow cooked, then sliced paper thin (or shredded). 

Peppers. Hot pickled giardiniera peppers are a must. The other option are “sweet peppers”, which are bell peppers sliced, oven roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little oregano.

Ways to order a Beef 

Dry. The beef is pulled from the juice, most of the juice drips off and is placed in the bread. 

Wet. The beef is pulled from the juice and immediately placed in the bread, leaving the beef “wet”. Another spoonful is added to the top after this step.

Dipped. The beef is pulled from the juice, placed in the bread and the sandwich is then dipped into the beef juice, making it soggy and delicious. 

While many top Italian beef restaurants in the city use recipes passed down for generations and even roast their own beef, most pizzerias use heat and serve products. The thin sliced vacuum sealed beef comes in cases of 10 pounds with one gallon of beef gravy and is available through most distributors. Jim Buonavolanto, of Chicago Authentic Brands, recommends heating the gravy to about 170 F. It can be held throughout the day in a steam table. When needed, drop in your sliced beef, and let it soak for a minimum of three minutes, maximum 30 minutes. 

It’s easy to see why most pizzerias in Chicago have Italian beef on the menu. It’s a simple, delicious and fast item with a three-week shelf life. Chicago based national chains Rosati’s and Giordano’s carry the item on their menus all across the country.  

All pizzerias should add Italian beef to their toppings list. Although chicken and pork toppings are very popular in the industry, beef toppings are scarce. Some places will have ground beef, hamburger (which may contain soy), or meatballs (some pizzeria’s fail to mention that majority of meatballs distributed contain pork as well). Italian beef is a great option to round off your topping menu and offer a great tasting protein that meets religious and cultural dietary requisites. This can be an easy upcharge, as most customers will understand it is premium meat. 

There are two ways to incorporate Italian beef on pizza. One way is to cook the pizza completely, soak the beef in gravy and apply to the pizza. The other is to place the beef on the pizza prior to cooking, without dunking in gravy. Both ways are delicious, but I prefer cooking the beef on the pizza with a side of beef gravy. The full flavor of the meat bakes in the pizza, and the crispiness gives great crunch and texture. 

One of our most popular pizzas at Bacci Pizzeria is the “Old School Chicago.” It has Italian Beef, bulk Italian sausage, hot giardiniera, sweet peppers and a sprinkle of Romano cheese, peppers, a sprinkle of oregano and Romano cheese, and is served with a side of beef gravy to dip or pour on the pizza.

Pasquale Di Diana  is the owner of Bacci in Chicago, IL

The post The Windy City’s signature dish, the Italian Beef Sandwich appeared first on Pizza Today.

Burrata — how to add this simple, yet lavish ingredient to your menu

What’s better than house-made fresh mozzarella? Homemade fresh mozzarella filled with cream. That’s right, I’m talking about burrata. The creamy, rich, silky smooth cow’s milk cheese that is popping up on pizzeria menus all over. Burrata is such a fantastic ingredient because it is such a simple, rich accent to almost any pizza or side dish. It can be the star of the show or round out all of the other toppings. You can make it yourself or buy it from your distributors.

Burrata, meaning “buttery” in Italian, originated in the Apulia region. It is made from cheese curds that are stretched into balls and filled with cream and cheese shreds called Stracciatella. It is typically made with cow’s milk, but you can also find a buffalo milk version. The result being a bit tangier. While you used to mainly see this cheese on Italian style pizzeria menus, such as Neapolitan or Roman, it has made its way onto almost every type of pizza these days. I think one of the most Instagrammed pizza combinations last year was pepperoni, burrata and hot honey. This appeared on everything from Detroit to New York to Sicilian styles. 

Stracciatella on its own is fantastic. It is also a great way to mimic the flavor and texture of burrata if you are trying to cut costs or want to make your own but want to simplify the process. Stracciatella means “rag,” from the Italian word “strattore” (to stretch) and describes the action to make the cheese as well as the way it looks. If you want to use the whole burrata ball but are looking for a way to use less on each pizza, you can pre-chop it and portion. So instead of putting an entire ball of cheese on each pizza you can evenly distribute it with each piece containing both the denser outer shell and the creamy interior. 

To sauce or not to sauce, that is the question when it comes to burrata pies. While I tend to lean towards white pies when using burrata, I’ve seen an equal number of red sauced pies with burrata. Depending on when you add the cheese might determine if you sauce the pie or not. Some people strictly use burrata as a post-bake pizza topping but I would argue that it also has a place as a topping that can be cooked. When baked, the texture of burrata is completely transformed. While it keeps its creamy richness, the cheese loses its structure and melds with all of the other flavors on the pie. Think puddles of cream dotting your pizza. 

While many specialty cheeses have distinct flavors that they pair with, burrata is more versatile. 

You can do sweet or savory combinations. It goes great with fruit, cured meats, roasted vegetable, sauces and pestos. For example, we do a pie called the PB&AJ (prosciutto, burrata, arugula and jam). The creaminess of the burrata really rounds out the salty sweetness of the rest of the pizza. Laura Meyer, Nicole Bean and I made a Roman-style pizza with burrata, mortadella, pistachio pesto and honey for the Las Vegas Pizza Festival a few years ago that was a total flavor bomb. Some other great combinations include:

• peaches, burrata and arugula
• prosciutto, burrata and basil
• wild mushroom, burrata and thyme
• heirloom tomatoes, burrata and basil
• winter squash, burrata, fried sage leaves and toasted pumpkin seeds
• rainbow chard, burrata, pomegranate seeds and balsamic
• Calabrese salumi, burrata, chili oil and basil

If you do make it in house, it gives you the flexibility to decide what size to make it as well as if you want to flavor it. Roberto Caporuscio, of Keste in New York City, makes one of the best burratas I’ve had. He serves it on top of a simple pizza consisting of grape tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil. It’s like a Margherita on crack, if you will. The pie arrives hot out of the oven with the perfectly white oval on top. As you cut into it, the fresh cream oozes out of the cheese and onto the pie. I haven’t had the pie in about 10 years, and I still dream about it. Caporuscio also does a truffle version where he infuses the cheese with the fungi.  

Burrata isn’t just great on pizza though. It is fantastic as an appetizer, on a salad or in pasta. I’m a big fan of highlighting simple ingredients and burrata is the perfect way to do that all year round. You can nestle it in a pile of thinly sliced prosciutto accompanied with seasonal fruit and herbs and drizzle it with a really good quality extra virgin olive oil. Serve it with homemade focaccia and a sprinkle of sea salt. Instead of topping a salad with chicken or fish, offer a ball of burrata as an up charge. The same can go for pasta. Lately I’ve seen a lot of baked burrata on pizzeria menus. It’s an easy dish to make with ingredients that you have on hand. Either cook the burrata with marinara, vodka, pesto or any other sauce of your choice until it is nice and bubbly, drizzle with a good extra virgin olive oil and serve with some toasted crusty bread. 

As you can see, there really is no wrong way to eat burrata. It is the perfect addition to almost any pizza and can transform a lackluster pie into something really special. 

Butternut Squash Burrata Pie (AKA Butternut Bae)

Get the Butternut Squash Burrata Pie recipe. 

Audrey Kelly is the owner and pizzaiola at Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, CO.

The post The Burrata Obsession appeared first on Pizza Today.

Easy, low-cost soups for winter menus

I love soup. Always have. As a young child my winters were filled with my mother’s homemade chili and vegetable soup. Chicken noodle soup from grandma when you were sick. Taco soup in the fall. Tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. 

Comfort. 

That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of soup. And that’s an image I want to see conveyed on fall and winter menus. Now that we’re in the heart of fall and winter is on its way, is there really a good reason to not offer a soup of the day or to give a handful of soups coveted space on your lunch menu? 

If you’re strictly pizza, believe me I get it. But if you’re open for lunch and have a full menu, soup makes so much sense. It’s inexpensive to produce, easy to make and keep, and (much like pizza) easily customized to accommodate vegetarian and meat-loving palates alike. Plus, did I mention the comfort factor? 

When talking soup in a pizzeria/Italian restaurant setting, minestrone always comes to mind. It’s flavorful, difficult to mess up and popular. But we’ve published so many minestrone recipes over the years that all you really need to do to find a good one is visit PizzaToday.com. Let’s branch out a little and look at some other winners. 

Nothing screams “autumn” like pumpkin. Just look around you right now at the fall decorations. Whether still left over from Halloween, or used in Thanksgiving cornucopias and décor, chances are you spotted a pumpkin somewhere today while moving around your town.  

So, let’s give the season what it demands — a pumpkin soup. 

 The Smashed Pumpkin 

 Get The Smashed Pumpkin soup recipe. 

Roasted Garlic Soup 

For many years Jeffrey Freehof was a contributor to Pizza Today. Though he’s now out of the pizza business, “Chef Jeff” created many wonderful recipes for us during his tenure. One of them — Roasted Garlic Soup — deserves your attention this fall as you consider your soup lineup.

Get the Roasted Garlic Soup recipe.

One of my go-to soups this time of year was originally submitted to us for a recipe booklet we published many years ago. To this day it remains a favorite. This recipe was given to us by George Hadjis of Oggi’s Pizza in San Clemente, California. 

Oggi’s Diablo
Chicken Tortilla Soup 

Get the Oggi’s Diablo Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.

JEREMY WHITE  is Editor-in-Chief of Pizza Today.

The post Warm up your winter menu with easy, low-cost soups appeared first on Pizza Today.

Back in May, one of the most lavish restaurants in the world announced its decision to switch to a plant-based menu. Eleven Madison Park has four stars from the New York Times and three stars from the Michelin guide, which they’ve earned by serving decadent meat, seafood and poultry dishes since opening in 1998. That’s all changing now and it’s a big deal. Other restaurants are going to follow their lead and new businesses will open with plant-based menus thanks to the gigantic splash initiated by the Eleven Madison Park announcement. If you haven’t noticed, it’s already happening in pizza. 

Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

Everyone I’ve spoken with who attended this year’s Pizza Expo agrees that the number one trend among exhibitors was the explosion of plant-based products. These companies showed up in force and confirmed that there’s strong demand in the pizza market for dairy-free and meat-free ingredients. The biggest clue that this trend is becoming mainstream is the fact that even companies focused on meat products have started launching brands focused on plant-based alternatives. 

Pizzerias like Pizza Head in St. Louis is already meat-free and owner Scott Sandler’s Pizza Expo demonstrations about making cheese substitutes from nuts have become a hit. Sizzle Pie in Portland, Oregon, has built a concept around offering three meat, three vegetarian and three plant-based pizzas by the slice at all times. Even in the “traditional” pizza stronghold of NYC we have two locations of the popular Screamer’s Pizzeria, which stocks no animal products. That means no mozzarella and no pepperoni. None. 

Part of me thinks this dietary change is happening because of subtle rebranding. What we now refer to as “plant-based” is essentially what we used to call “vegan.” When we use “plant-based,” we focus on what’s being featured rather than what’s been removed. Veganism is more than just a dietary decision, it’s a philosophy. A vegan lifestyle prohibits animal products in favor of environmentalism, animal welfare, and social responsibility. “Vegan” carries some heavy baggage, which is why I see “plant-based” as being more inclusive. The implication is that you can eat plant-based dishes without adopting the political identity that comes with veganism.

I’m excited about the growth of this segment because it means we’ll be seeing more high-quality products. It used to be the case that the few non-dairy cheeses left much to be desired in terms of melt, elasticity and reheatability, but those issues are finally being addressed. Plant-based meat substitutes have already made a big splash, showing up on menus at both independent and national chains. 

Whether or not you adhere to the vegan philosophy, it’s undeniable that plant-based diets are more sustainable, more environmentally friendly and healthier than our current food supply industry. There’s some real momentum in these products and that means it’s likely you already have interested customers. 

If you’re interested in dabbling in the plant-based world, look no further than the simplest pizza on the planet, the Pizza Marinara. Just top your dough with crushed tomato, oregano, garlic and olive oil and you have one of the tastiest pizzas imaginable. And it’s already vegan. Or plant-based. Whatever you want to call it, it’s delicious.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: The Future is Plant Based appeared first on Pizza Today.

The Right Stuff

If stuffed shells were automobiles, they would be a flock of big, bright pink SUVs driving around town. In any restaurant, the delivery of this oversized, stuffed and sauced pasta is just as awesome a sight and usually followed by smiling faces full of wonderment. Putting this menu item into your restaurant repertoire adds that big “wow” factor but many questions need to be answered. Do I par cook the shells for fast service? Do I keep them filled or fill as ordered? How do I keep the shells from cracking or ripping when cooked? Would they sell well? What kind of stuff shell should I serve? To start, lets look at the history of stuffed shells.

Cooks and chefs in the old Italy didn’t make pasta to impress customers. Instead, each pasta shape and style were made with purpose. Some were made for meat sauces, and others made for soups and still others with more folds and grooves to accommodate light sauces. In Tuscany, the wide pappardelle were made to stand up to hearty meat sauces where the cavatelli, from Calabria, holds chunky sauces in its folded nooks. There are pastas shaped for the making of a single dish like lasagna, whose roots can be traced back to Naples in the Middle Ages and manicotti, which was originally made with crepes and made to serve with traditional Bolognese and béchamel sauces.

Snail Trail

In 1875, Francesco Bottene invented the Bigolaro, or “Torchio,” a press that extruded thick spaghetti, rigatoni and eventually tagliatelle through a brass die. This enabled the making of pasta to spread throughout the Italian countryside. It also brought about other extruder inventions to make larger shapes like shells and cylinders. Here are some large shell-shaped pastas in different regions.

Conchiglie is shaped like a conch shell and has 3 sizes. The small Conchigliette, the medium Conchiglie and the Large Conchiglioni which was made for stuffing. The smaller shells are perfect for small, chopped salads and the larger and medium shells are used with Pasta e Fagioli Verde. 

Caccavelle is a giant shell. In fact, this name translates to “pot” in Neapolitan dialect and is made by an artisan pasta factory in Gragnano, Naples. It looks like a squared pot with two small ears and is known as the largest pasta in the world weighing in at 50 grams. These monsters are usually made “alla Sorrentina’ and filled with tomato sauce, mozzarella, minced meat and ricotta.

Lumaconi has been made in the small town of Gragano, Italy since the 16th century. They are usually filled with minced meat, ricotta and béchamel but many versions include spinach, chicory, tomato and red peppers.

Shell Shocked

Shelled pasta does take time. That is the reason that most stuffed shells in Italy are made on weekends, family holidays and holy days where people have more time to prepare them. Almost all large shell recipes call for boiling the pasta ahead of time for 8 to 12 minutes.

Ripping: Some shelled pastas can get caught in the fast-bubbling pot upside down. This puts pressure on the sides of the shells and will produce small or large rips down the sides. This occurs with manicotti also when the ends of the tube get smashed against the bottom or sides of the pan.

Cooling: Make sure to quickly cool the pasta shells. And, unlike other pastas which benefit from the small starch coating that clings to the sides of the pasta and thickens the waiting sauce, large shells and tubes are much better rinsed under cool running water. This may sound sacrilegious in pasta circles, but this pasta cannot stick to each other, or it will rip. Some chefs even spray or brush with extra virgin to keep the shells from sticking to each other before filling. 

Filling Station

Stuffed shells are such great canvas for filling that many different proteins and vegetables are perfect. There are some practical realities about the size and the way people will eat the large shells which preclude the way they have been prepared in the past.

Cheeses: Ricotta is usually king in stuffed shells. Pairing with cooked onion and spinach is a classic. Aged mozzarella is better than fresh because of a thicker, chewier bake that stays in the shells. Cheeses like Taleggio, Brie, mascarpone and Bel Paese will drain right out of cylinders and shells because of their water-like melt. Pecorino and Parmigiano completes any filling with an umami-laced flavor that compliments every meat and vegetable. 

Vegetables: Cooked and minced vegetables are great inside stuffed shells. Pureed potato, yam, butternut squash and acorn squash make for a savory-sweet filling with cooked sage or spinach. Sautéed arugula and chicory can add a nice punchy balance to savory fillings and cream sauces. Tomatoes can add sweetness but will break down with cooking. Many stuffed shells are baked in tomato sauce to keep the shells hot, cooked and wet, instead of drying out.

Proteins: Minced meats and meat sauces abound in traditional Italian recipes for stuffed shells. Ground beef with pork is a classic combination with minced garlic and onion that is combined with ricotta for extra creamy stuffed shells. These can be baked with cream sauces or tomato passata for brilliant results. Lately, chicken or even vegan meats can be substituted for other proteins. Many older recipes add egg to proteins and cheeses to “set” the stuffing in the shells.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Stuffed Shells are Back! appeared first on Pizza Today.

PANdemonium: Pan Style Pizzas

Pan pizza is hot right now. We are seeing an influx of a variety of pan pizzas being added to menus all over the country. 

There’s no better evidence of its rise than at this year’s International Pizza Challenge at Pizza Expo where the Pizza Maker of the Year Nicolas Banker of Upper Crust Pizza in Akron, Ohio, advanced from the Pan Division with his unique, cheesy edged rendition of a pan pizza. 

Pan pizza is often associated with the standard American pan pizza that Pizza Hut has often been credited with creating in the 1950s. But there are several pizza styles that fall into the pan category. The booming Detroit style originated in forged-steel pans commonly used for automobile parts. Classic Sicilian and Grandma pizzas are often baked on sheet pans. Chicago Deep Dish is baked in a deep-sided (usually two inches high) round pizza pan. There are other styles and variations that pizzerias have worked to perfect a pan pizza in their own unique way.

Jeremy White, Josh Keown and Denise Greer of the Pizza Today team have traveled the country for more than a decade, two decades even, trying the best pan pizzas out there and perfecting our own in the Pizza Today Test Kitchen. We put together some of the most memorable pan pizzas we’ve eaten over the years. 

Jeremy White, Editor In Chief

Though there are obviously a plethora of pan styles, Chicago often comes to mind first when thinking of pan pizza. Two Chicago-style pies that made an impression on me were found at The Art of Pizza in Chicago and Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria in San Diego. Both were delicious and left me wanting to return the next time I’m in either city.

Then there’s Jeff Smokevitch’s Detroit-style pizza at Blue Pan Pizza in Denver. No visit to the Mile High City is complete without throwing down one of them! In fact, I love Smoke’s Detroit pie so much that every year at Pizza Expo Bill Oakley and myself beg him to use one of the International Pizza Challenge ovens to make us one.

Last but not least, perhaps the most mouthwatering pan pizza I’ve ever had comes from Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in San Francisco. The “Burratina di Margherita” is beautiful in its simplicity. Featuring burrata (I’m a huge fan!), cherry tomatoes, basil, olive oil and a balsamic reduction, this pizza won gold at an international competition in Lecce, Italy for good reason. I see this pizza in my dreams.

Denise Greer, Executive Editor

Three pan pizzas jump out to me. The first comes from a pizza institution in Brooklyn, New York, House of Pizza & Calzone. My trip to the treasured pizzeria was over six years ago, but I can still remember the taste and texture of the Upside Down. It’s a crowd favorite and with good reason. The memorable slice was a Sicilian style square with deceivingly light, airy and flavorful crust. The par-baked pizza was first layered with mozzarella then topped with a rich and vibrant tomato sauce and finished with grated Romano and olive oil. It was a simple pizza with a lasting impression. 

The second pan pizza of special note was from our 2020 Independent Pizzeria of the Year, Via 313 in Austin, TX. Since Zane and Brandon Hunt hail from the Motor City, I just knew they would bring a dynamite Detroit pizza to Austin. There is one pizza on the menu that makes my mouth water to this day and that is The Cadillac. This pizza is inspired by Tony Gemignani, who has been a mentor to the brothers. The Cadillac is a Detroit-style pizza with that cheese crown edging the rectangular pizza. On top is gorgonzola, fig preserves, Prosciutto di Parma, Parmesan and a balsamic glaze.

We’ve made several pan pizzas in the Pizza Today Test Kitchen. One that really sticks out to me happens to be a breakfast or brunch pizza (or anytime, really) that I made a few years ago. It’s the Sriracha-Cha-Cha Scrambled Eggs and Bacon Pizza and it hits all the savory and spicy notes on one pizza. The dough had a slow rise and was par-baked. Then it was topped with cheesy and creamy scrambled eggs as the base; a blend of mozzarella, sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese; Applewood smoked bacon and baked. Get the recipe at
PizzaToday.com.

Josh Keown, Creative Director

I was never a huge fan of pan pizzas until the past few years. Maybe that’s because the industry has upped its game when it comes to the pan style. If you’re a thin and crispy guy like myself I eased into pan with Scottie Rivera’s Grandma Pie.  I’ve had the pleasure of tasting it at the International Pizza Challenge as well as Scottie’s Pizza Parlor in Portland, OR. It’s called the Defino after his grandmother’s last name. The Defino begins with a naturally leavened dough made with Pacific Northwest wheat and baked twice in a high-heat electric oven. After the bake, aged mozzarella, tomato sauce-on-top, oregano, fresh basil, Pecorino and garlic oil are added. I could have that for dinner four nights a week and have zero regrets.  

There have only been a handful of times that I’ve tasted a slice and immediately said out loud “Holy Sh*t, this is amazing.” That happened at the pre-Pizza Expo party at Pizza Rock when I had Tony Gemignani’s Detroit style ‘Red Top.’ Customarily I have a rule to eat light on the Sunday before the show, but that all went out the window after my first taste of Gemignani’s Detroit. It’s a traditional Detroit pizza cooked in a steel pan with white cheddar, Wisconsin brick cheese and butter toasted corners. The pizza is also topped with two stripes of marinara, garlic oil, Romano and oregano. Looking forward to March so I can throw my self-imposed pizza rule out the window again. 

The post Pizza Today Team sounds off on pan pizza craze appeared first on Pizza Today.

Bacon gives intense flavor, appeal to pizza

I’ve always loved bacon as a pizza topping. It’s super versatile, for starters. Whether you’re loading up on meats, going the “supreme” route or working with lots of veggies, you can throw bacon into the mix without skipping a beat.

Want to know a little secret? Sure, I prize bacon for its versatility. But why do I really love it? Because it offers an intense flavor bomb that greatly impacts the taste of the finished product! And I’m all about flavor. I mean … who isn’t?

I also like heat. Based on the number of recipes I’ve developed or highlighted that have a spicy component to them, it will likely come as no surprise to you that one of my favorite bacon pizza combinations includes jalapeños, spicy cupped pepperoni and is finished with a drizzle of your favorite hot honey. You get salty, sweet and hot all in one, and to me that’s a truly winning proposition.

Another way I love it is on a traditional “supreme” style pizza with sausage, bell peppers and tomatoes. You can add onions and mushrooms if that’s your thing, or leave them off if it’s not. There are no rules! The only rules: do what you want; do what your customers want; do what sells.

With that in mind, get in the kitchen and experiment. Tell your kitchen staff to play around, get creative, think of combinations and tinker until you hit on something that works for your customer base. As a starting point, here are some simple-but-oh-so-tasty recipes to use as a foundation.

Purgatory Pig Pizza

Purgatory Pig

Get the Purgatory Pig pizza recipe.

Bacon Supreme

Get the Bacon Supreme pizza recipe.

Because bacon is so versatile, it finds itself right at home not just on red sauce pies, but also on white pizzas. From olive oil bases to carbonara to a creamy Alfredo, bacon can and will serve as a menu workhorse. So don’t be afraid to get creative as you look to expand that fall menu!

Here is a perennial fan favorite sandwich turned pizza featuring an Alfredo sauce.

BLT Pizza

Get the BLT Pizza recipe.

JEREMY WHITE is Editor In Chief at Pizza Today.

The post Bacon Pizzas: Just Add Bacon appeared first on Pizza Today.

Increase check averages with trending appetizer dips

Appetizer dips may be one of the easiest items that you can add to your appetizer menu that will result in the broadest appeal. Hungry and hangry diners will gravitate towards the instant gratification of an appetizer dip. 

Start with the Appetizer Dip Basics

Don’t underestimate the power of a good Italian bread and olive oil. It’s fast, delicious and pairs well with a pizza dinner. But it should match the creativity of your menu. If you rock the classics, then go traditional. If your menu offers more spice and variety, try infusing olive oil with herbs, dried chilies and fruit peels. Play with different herbs and spices to create something uniquely you. It can be as simple as roasted garlic and dried Italian herbs. If focaccia is your thing, try an olive oil infused with rosemary, garlic and crushed red pepper. Give olive oil zing with lemon peels, dried basil and peppercorns. Just remember, the dipping oil you server is only as good as the quality of olive oil you buy, so go for the good stuff.

Capitalize on your strength: cheese

As we travel the country visiting pizzerias, there is one appetizer that is so impressive that it sparks “ohhs” and “ahhs” from the Pizza Today team: burrata. While technically not a dip, once the mozzarella is cut and the cream spreads across the plate, the dipping begins. A burrata appetizer is simplicity at its finest. It can be plated with a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper, served with a beautiful Italian baguette, focaccia or crostini. It’s fine dining finesse that is a perfect compliment to craft pizza.

Want to style burrata even more? Infuse your olive oil with herbs or garlic. Accompany the burrata with roasted cherry peppers or sliced Roma tomatoes, basil and a drizzle of balsamic reduction and EVOO to create a burrata caprese. 

You’ve seen the TikTok craze of whipped feta and goat cheese. People love it. It’s easy to make and a good base to give it your own spin.

Is your appetizer menu more of a bar and grill style? Then you can’t go wrong with a queso or guacamole. Or why not combine the two to create a loaded or extreme queso? Mix diced avocado, tomato, red onion, cilantro, salt, pepper and lime in a bowl and add it to the queso. If you menu chorizo, offer it as an add-on. 

Give the people what they want: The Classics

Spinach and artichoke dip and Buffalo chicken dip still sell well on pizzeria menus. Give them an update by incorporating some trending ingredients. Poblano pepper is hot right now. Roast poblanos and add them to your dip. Everything is better with bacon, right? Try that version. 

Blue cheese is standard in Buffalo chicken dip. Change it up with a different cheese — feta, stilton, gorgonzola or a spiced cheddar. 

Here are two recipes to play with. See how you can vary them to give them your own twist:

Roasted Poblano Bacon Spin Dip

Get the Roasted Poblano Bacon Spin Dip recipe.

GORGEOUS Buffalo Chicken Dip

Get the GORGEOUS Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe.

The post Appetizer Dips: I Dip, You Dip, We Dip appeared first on Pizza Today.

Get creative with a quintessential element of the holy trinity of pizza

Whenever I go to a new pizzeria, the first thing I order is a classic cheese slice or pie. Not only is it my daily go-to slice, but it is also how I determine just how a place measures up. In my mind, if you can’t get the basics right, there isn’t a very good foundation to be creative with. The mozzarella, and if you’re getting fancy, Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano that a pizzeria chooses says a lot about them. Once you do master your perfect plain slice, there are so many options to explore with cheese. 

The type of cheese you decide to use can really make or break a pizza. It can add tons flavor and texture depending on what direction you want to take. Certain cheeses, such as ricotta, can be paired with a wide range of things. It’s creamy, light texture is a fantastic vehicle for everything from seasonal fruits and greens to garlic, caramelized onions, olives and salty meats. Then there are cheeses with more distinct flavors like the blue veined variety. They pair great with sweet or slightly salty things. Think prosciutto, dried cherries and fig jams. Here are a few of my current favorite pies:

• Stracciatella, mozzarella, peaches, arugula, prosciutto and extra virgin olive oil
• Roquefort, mozzarella, honey and pistachios with fresh flowers
• Cotija, mozzarella, Anaheim green chiles, fresh corn, red onion and cilantro
• Manchego, mozzarella, Iberico ham and olives
• Ricotta, spinach, garlic, olive oil, basil, mozzarella, Pecorino and Castelveltrano olives

Before deciding on a cheese to use, it’s important to understand what makes each type of cheese unique. Moisture levels play an important role since cheese is categorized by its firmness. Higher moisture content results in a softer cheese and lower moisture content results in a firmer, densely packed cheese. While there are thousands of types of cheese, they can be broken down into six categories: fresh cheese, soft cheese, semi-soft cheese, semi-firm cheese, hard cheese and blue-veined cheese. 

A few important things to keep in mind when choosing a cheese:

• Type of milk. Milk is always the base of cheese but what animal it comes from drastically changes the flavor of it. Cow’s milk tends to have a creamy, sweet flavor and is usually the mildest. Sheep’s milk is tangier and grassy, and goat’s milk has a gamey flavor to it without the buttery sweetness of cow’s milk. 

• Aging. Depending on how long cheese is aged can radically change its flavor. A perfect example is Parmigiano Reggiano. While all true DOP versions of this cheese have a sharp, complex flavor, a 12-month Parmigiano Reggiano will be lighter in flavor and smoother in texture than a 36-month-old wheel. The longer it’s aged the more intense the favor and more granular the texture becomes. 

• Country of Origin. Many cheeses can only bear a certain name if they are produced in a certain region using strictly controlled methods. Manchego is a good example of this. It is produced from the milk of the Manchego sheep in La Mancha wilderness of Central Spain. 

• Best Uses. Especially when it comes to pizza, I like to use different cheeses at different stages making a pie. Certain ones are fantastic base cheese and others the perfect finishers. 

Deciding when to add a cheese will also affect how it interacts with other ingredients. If you want the flavors to meld with your base, then add them before the pie goes in the oven. However, if you’re looking to have them round out the pizza or shine on their own, add them after they come out of the oven. One of my favorite finishing cheeses is Stracciatella. I love this post-bake because you can really discern the creamy, rich flavor and texture as opposed to adding it before where those elements are simply baked out. Another is Piave. Piave is an Italian cow’s milk cheese kind of similar to Parmigiano Reggiano but with a smoother, nutty flavor. Pecorino is also a great finisher. I know a lot of pizza makers who finish every single pizza with this hard cheese. It rounds out the pizza and adds a little sharp flavor that perks your taste buds and combines really well with tomato sauce. Then there are some cheeses which go great at any stage: Gorgonzola, goat cheese, ricotta and feta.

So, what are great base cheeses? Mozzarella is of course my top pick. Not only because it is the classic pizza cheese, but a mozzarella offers up the perfect flavor and texture to build upon. It is creamy with a slight hit of saltiness that allows you to build upon without getting in the way of other more dominant flavors. With mozzarella as a base, you can make everything from a Street Corn Pie to S’mores Dessert Pizza. 

When choosing a mozzarella for your base there are a few different options. You can go with straight up whole milk, my personal preference. Whole milk mozzarella offers a rich, creamy mouth feel with a little extra grease. Personally, I think it bakes better on the pizza and I love how it mixes with our sauce. Part skim has a lower butterfat content, melts evenly and has a fantastic stretch. So, if you’re looking for the Insta-worthy cheese pull, part-skim is for you. Then there is what a lot of cheese companies identify as East Coast blend which is comprised of 50 percent whole milk and
50 percent part-skim. 

Blends are also a great option. Some of the more popular are mozzarella and provolone, mozzarella and Asiago, and mozzarella and cheddar. Different regional pizza styles use specific base cheeses or blends which will change the base flavor profile. 

Detroit pizza uses Wisconsin Brick cheese. It is a semi-soft cheese with a high fat content that is similar to cheddar with a mild flavor. Coal-fired or New Haven-style pizza traditionally uses dry mozzarella. On St. Louis style pies, it is typical to find Provel, which is a processed white cheese consisting of cheddar, Swiss and provolone. Neapolitan pizza is made with fresh mozzarella or Buffalo mozzarella. 

As you can see, it’s always fun to experiment outside of your comfort zone. Find whatever base cheese you love and build your pizza from there. You have countless options. Don’t be afraid to reach out to local cheese makers, it’s most likely just as good as any imported cheese depending on what you’re looking for and where you’re located. 

Summer Corn Pie

This pizza features Cotija cheese, which is a Mexican cow’s milk cheese. It is crumbly, salty, moist and very addictive.

Get the Summer Corn Pizza recipe.

Audrey Kelly is the owner and pizzaiola at Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, CO.

The post Cheese Pairing Pizzas: Cheese, Pleeeeze appeared first on Pizza Today.

The Best Desserts Rarely Sell Themselves

My position on desserts is simple: what we serve our guests has to be outstanding, it has to be in line with our brand, and it has to be high quality. If we don’t make it in-house, then we partner with those suppliers who have as much passion about their craft as we do. So, if we bring in someone else’s cheesecake, it is one of the best cheesecakes we can buy.

Whether you are going to spend extra to bring in high-quality desserts, or make them in-house, remember that we are visual creatures — we eat with our eyes first. If your guest is expecting “giant New York” cheesecake and your server presents a slice of shriveled up, dried out cheesecake that they ripped out of the box, with a big ol’ thumbprint and a chunk missing out of it, served on a tired looking plate … Well, you get the picture. The delivery is just as important as the quality of what we are serving.

Dessert is special, it’s a treat. Your guests are already full from a delicious dinner, so how do you get them to justify those additional calories? First you have to catch their attention. Eye catching desserts sell. You don’t want them to regret those extra calories, so that tiramisu must be the best tiramisu they’ve ever had. After all, it’s about how we make people feel that leaves a lasting impression.

That being said, even the best desserts rarely sell themselves. You can have the best dessert menu around, but if your servers take the ‘vending machine’ approach and bring only what your guests ask for, your dessert sales will struggle. Train your servers and call takers to make suggestions, and to enhance the guest experience. How many times have you heard a server say, “do you want dessert” or “did y’all save room for dessert?” Those questions kill me. How un-inspiring, and really ineffective. What do you mean? What do you have? What’s your favorite desert here?

How about, “we have the best tiramisu that I have ever had, would you like a slice? And how about a latte to go with that?”

Most restaurants call this upselling. We call it enhancing the guest experience. Your servers shouldn’t be like a sleazy used car salesman, trying to increase their PPA by selling your guests something they don’t want or need. Instead, look at it from the perspective that you want your guests to have the best experience possible. And what better way than to help educate them on a dessert that they may enjoy or turn them on to a menu item they may not even know about?

It’s all about strategy! Our servers are also trained to come by mid meal and remind our guests to save room for “our award-winning bread pudding.” They also mention that it takes an extra 15 minutes to prepare. This peaks guest interest in the dessert, conveys that the dessert is special, and that it’s made fresh and is not sitting in a hot well.

Servers also strategically pre-bus their tables before bringing the dessert menu. Dirty dishes are a reminder of how many calories you’ve just consumed. We want to minimize buyer’s remorse. Remove the evidence as quickly as possible and you’ll probably get them to bite – pun intended! If you don’t catch your guest before they have to loosen their belt, offer them a dessert ‘to-go’ to enjoy later. Remember, though, product quality and guest experience are still paramount. Don’t offer a takeout dessert that doesn’t travel well. In our case, bread pudding is best when it is fresh, so we offer it take-and-bake style with heating directions.

Your servers and call takers are the ambassadors of your brand and know your menu better than anyone else. We have a server who can sell us out of bread pudding every shift. She also is aware that our bread pudding takes 15 minutes to prepare, so she will switch her focus to cannoli or send them with something to go if we are on a long wait at the door.

I also feel that a good dessert menu should be a blend of ‘expected’ desserts along with desserts that are unique to you. Those unique desserts become one of your differentiators, what sets you apart from the operator down the street.

For us giant New York cheesecake, chocolate-dipped and traditional cannoli, tiramisu and gelato are ‘staples’ in an Italian restaurant, but then we have our own style of bread pudding, house-made cinnaknots, specialty cheesecakes and spumoni ice cream. All of which are unique to us in our market.

Spumoni ice cream is a house favorite, and we give it away! While you can find Spumoni in just about any Italian restaurant in New York and New Jersey, it’s not as common in Northern Colorado, so we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries with a complimentary scoop of Spumoni ice cream, on a decorated plate, with a song from our team. This has turned on many guests to this traditional Italian dessert and they order it the next time they visit!

As for our award-winning bread pudding, it’s not the typical gut bomb bread pudding, with raisins and a dense texture. This is our own spin on bread pudding, using toasted Italian bread and a Grand Marnier cream sauce, it’s light and fluffy and comes out in a sizzling cast iron skillet and is a showstopper. It really sets us apart and is kind of our hook!

Cross utilization of ingredients, whenever possible, keeps your inventory team and your bookkeeper happy and is always a best practice. So, we make our signature bread pudding and cinnaknots with ingredients already stocked. Cinnaknots are our fresh (un)garlicked knots baked in butter, then dredged in a cinnamon-sugar mixture, and served with our house-made cream cheese icing. They are unique to us and easy to make utilizing ingredients we already have in-house.

In the end, there isn’t a silver bullet to selling desserts, but rather a multifaceted approach. It is a combination of quality products, a well-trained team, a little strategy and lots of hospitality.

Wholly Stromboli’s Cinnaknots

Get the Wholly Stromboli’s Cinnaknots recipe.

MELISSA RICKMAN is co-founder of Wholly Stromboli in Fort Lupton, Colorado, and member of the World Pizza Champions.

The post Desserts that Sell appeared first on Pizza Today.

Craft pizza and a non-alcoholic beverage, a perfect pairing

Non-alcoholic beverages have come a long way from the Shirley Temple days. Today’s alcohol-free refreshment menus are as diverse, creative and artisan as pizza menus.

Whether you have a takeout location or dine-in restaurant with a full bar, you can take advantage of the new wave of beverage consumers. 

First, let’s take a look at what’s happening in the beverage industry. IBIS World reports that pre capita soft drink consumption has fallen ever since it peaked in the late 1990s. With no other options, this leaves these consumers to order just water and a restaurant with a missed sales opportunity. 

The National Restaurant Association has been on the pulse of the trend with its What’s Hot list. NRA highlights Kombucha, aqua frescas and boba and bubble teas as trending non-alcoholic beverages.

In fact, sparkling water is among the fastest growing segments of the beverage industry, according to the State of the Beverage Industry. It’s a $3.46 billion market, the report details.

Sugary drinks have received a bad reputation in recent years, driving more consumers to look for alternatives. Packaged Facts released its U.S. Beverage Market Outlook 2020: Grocery Shopping & Personal Consumption in the Coronavirus Era. According to the release, “Sugar’s increasingly negative image due to its impact on rising diabetes rates and childhood obesity has hurt sales of sugary beverages, especially sodas, juices, and RTD sports drinks and teas. People who want to reduce their sugar intake typically do not want sugar-free products but instead those with less sugar or those sweetened with natural, non-sugar ingredients. Public health recommendations and tax legislations are helping drive the move toward reduced or “no/less added” sugar claims. New product activity has surged for reduced sugar varieties of beverages, with manufacturers using natural sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit, real fruit, honey and erythritol.”

Armed with this information, a rush of products has hit the market, appealing to differing tastes.

Seltzers and sparkling waters might just be the simplest way to add diversity to your beverage menu. Some restaurants may choose to install carbonated water machines to be able to create their own flavored sparkling water and craft sodas. For many operators though, adding seltzers and sparkling water is handled through their established beverage distributor or restaurant wholesaler. 

Fermented teas have risen in popularity, kombucha specifically. This sweet and sour drink is made from usually black or green tea, sugar and a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). It might just be a fitting drink for pizza. Kombucha can be made or is commercially available. In many markets, there are local kombucha purveyors allowing you to apply the “buy local” philosophy to your beverage menu. 

Another easily accessible option is adding ginger beer. Often mistaken for ginger ale, this non-alcoholic drink is made from fermenting ginger and brewed with water and sugar. It has a much stronger flavor than ginger ale.

Then, there are always low-sugar juices from a variety of fruits, from apple and cranberry to Pomegranate and the popular Coconut water.

Don’t Call It a Mocktail

 Restaurants are finding huge opportunities in non-alcoholic craft cocktails. But it’s time to move away from calling them mocktails. The term can be off-putting and be a hinderance instead of a sales motivator. Come up with a term that matches your brand.

Take Proof Artisan Pizza & Pasta in Tucson, Arizona, for instance. General Manager Valarie Alvarez saw an opportunity to create innovative beverages without alcohol that align with Proof’s brand. At Proof, non-alcoholic beverages are called Zero Proof Libations. 

“The zero-proof cocktail menu came about after, as a bar manager, I noticed so many grimaces when people were only given the usual non-alcoholic choices at their table: water, tea or soda,” Alvarez says. I took inspiration from aqua frescas (a local favorite ‘fresh water’ with fruits and other ingredients added) and craft cocktails to come up with a few refreshing, delicious and beautiful drinks for anyone to enjoy. 

“They are made to be paired with pretty much anything on the menu,” she continues. “The menu is seasonal, so we use in season fruits, bitters from the bar, local gelatos and such to have different options available. You can currently get a root beer float to go with your pepperoni pizza, a tiki agenda (ginger, bitters, lemon and soda) to go with your Figlet or white pie. Some drinks are blended, some muddled, all delicious and sourced as locally as possible — something we strive for as a local small business.” 

Alvarez offers tips to pizzerias looking to add non-alcoholic cocktails to the menu. “Have fun with it and do as much R&D as possible,” she says. “Talk to your liquor reps. Mine all had great input and were helpful in finding fun bitters, cool garnishes and yummy things to add in. Get input from others too. I had regulars try ours, brought my daughter and friends in to try them too, and was pregnant at the time so I had some additional feedback there as well. We’ve made it a seasonal menu as well, allowing our bartenders to get creative, feel proud of the menu with their contributions, and not get bored with the same drinks over and over.” 

If you are a pizzeria with a full bar, adding alcohol-free cocktails can be as simple as adding some of the liquor alternatives. There are now alcohol-free bourbon, tequila, gin and others that you can stock. This gives you the opportunity to offer old-school virgin standards like Sangria, Bellini, Pina Colada and Mojito. But don’t stop there, get creative and take inspiration from your unique craft cocktails, local favorites and regional hot cocktails to create a zero-proof menu that will appeal to everyone. 

Craft non-alcoholic drinks warrant a higher price. But with that, make sure that your presentation is on point. Think about how you would present the boozy version. Glassware is key.

The market for non-alcoholic beverages is far larger than just children looking to emulate their parents’ beverage choices. Pregnant women, non-drinkers and consumers that just do not want alcohol at that moment but want the taste or social aspects of having cocktails without the effects. To go a step further, you can also market your unique non-alcoholic beverage menu during Dry January, Sober July, Dry Holiday and other local, regional and national alcohol-free trends.

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

The post Non-alcoholic Beverages on the Menu: Zero Proof appeared first on Pizza Today.

Wild fries dipped in a vanilla custard shake. For me, this was the most exciting part of getting to go off campus at lunch during high school. In case you’re not familiar with wild fries, they are French fries coated in a spicy batter from a local burger chain in my hometown, and they are absolutely addicting. Add in a custard shake to dip them in and it’s a meal that still makes my mouth water. Really it is the sweet and savory combination that make our taste buds go crazy for this. These combinations have been popping up for years in different food groups: like bacon maple donuts, vanilla ice cream with olive oil and sea salt, and prosciutto wrapped melon. They are also becoming increasingly more popular as pizza toppings.

Building a cohesive combination is all about each ingredient complimenting and elevating the others to create an explosive, addictive flavor. While I’ve never really been a fan of the classic Hawaiian pizza, I do have a huge sweet tooth so naturally my own menu features a few different sweet and savory combinations. They are some of my favorite pizzas to create.  Our Hot Honey Disco — made with Calabrese salami, spicy honey, mushrooms and basil — is one of our most popular and a constant on the menu. Another one we are currently running is the PB&AJ: prosciutto, burrata, arugula and jam. The concentrated sweetness of the jam combined with the salty prosciutto and spicy arugula are all softened out by the creamy burrata.

But why do chocolate peanut butter pretzels make our mouths water? It’s all about flavor layering. The salt helps to enhance the presence of sugar. Our mouths contain thousands of taste cells with receptors for all five tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami. They are housed in the tiny bumps all along our tongue, called papillae. Those receptors send a signal to your brain telling it what you are about to consume. Additional sugar receptors were recently found on the tongue’s sweet taste cells that only activate when salt is present. The salt helps to sharpen a flavor while the sugar rounds out the overall effect. In other words, they work together to enhance the overall effect on our taste buds. Consuming sugar releases dopamine, which not only makes us crave more but makes us happy. Salt is one of the most addictive flavors after sugar, so it just makes sense that we would crave them together.

While every pizzeria has its own unique pies, some embrace sweet and savory combinations more than others. PizzaLeah in Windsor, California, always has a few fantastic ones. The number one selling pizza at the shop is The Grey Beard, comprised of red sauce, mozzarella, fontina, Italian sausage, Calabrian peppers, hot honey & orange zest. Owner and executive pizza maker, Leah Scurto, says that she,   “originally created that pizza for a competition in December and composed it around candied orange peels to be festive for the holidays. It really hits all the notes. Sweet, savory, spicy and citric.” Another recent one included bacon, apples and blue cheese.

Hot honey is a pizza topping that seems to have exploded in the last five years. And it is popular for a good reason. The initial hit of sweetness followed by the bite of peppery heat is all smoothed out by the salty, creamy mozzarella on the pie. I’ve made my own since I opened my shop by simply combining Calabrian chili peppers with wildflower honey. However, if you don’t want to add another item to your prep list, there are plenty of options out there to buy.

Hot honey first caught my attention when I lived in New York and had it on a pie at Paulie Gee’s in Green Point, but one of the most beautiful pizza’s I’ve seen is created by Justin De Leon of Apollonia’s Pizzeria in L.A.

De Leon’s pepperoni, burrata and hot honey square is eye-catching. It is a pizza that was inspired by his photographic background. Although this is the pie that gets all of the hype at his shop, another sweet and savory pie he offers is the Eastside Classic. I am not personally as attached to the heated debate surrounding pineapple on pizza as I know a lot of people are.  For this reason, I loved his take on it because, to me, you should always look at every ingredient’s merit when creating a pizza or any other dish. The name is in reference to the Eastside of L.A. and not the East Coast, De Leon explains.  “I do make the geographic reference because of its controversial topping, the pineapple,” he says. “I’ve never been a fan of pineapple on pizza but this combination shatters that taboo. The balance of cup and char pepperoni, spicy jalapeño, garlic, bacon, onion and sweet pineapple never felt so right!”

There are a few things to keep in mind when creating sweet and savory combinations. The first thing is, don’t overdo the sweet. I like to have one key sweet flavor, whether it is fresh or dried fruit, jam, syrup, honey or agave. You want the sweetness to compliment the other flavors, not overpower them. Keep in mind it’s more like a cheese plate than dessert. The same goes for the other elements. You want the salt to enhance and bring out the other ingredients, but you don’t want a mouthful of salt. Always think about the balance of the flavors. Next, don’t be afraid to add a little spice. A kick of chilies or spicy arugula can do wonders for bringing all of the flavors together. Then there is cheese. The creaminess of cheese can round out the sharp edges and there are so many options for every combination. And of course, have fun! Don’t get stuck on one or two ingredients. You can always look at seasonal produce for inspiration. A few ideas to get you started:

• Fresh peaches, jalapeños, prosciutto and ricotta.
• Bacon and nutella 
• Brussels sprouts, pancetta and honey.
• Pear, potato and gorgonzola.
• Guanciale, maple roasted butternut squash, serrano chilies and stracciatella.

These all will result in delicious pairings your customers will enjoy. Now I’d like to leave you with a recipe featuring summer peaches and fig. It’s a wonderful combination!

Peaches and the Pig

Get the Peaches and the Pig recipe.

The post Sweet + Savory: Explore pizza combinations that customers will crave appeared first on Pizza Today.

Fall Guys

As our independent restaurants rebound from the pandemic and creep steadily into our busy season of fall and winter, thoughts of higher priced and less desirable produce like lettuce, tomato and peppers appear on our radar. The glut of fresh herbs, onions and greens will soon be gone, but do not despair — there is an array of large, delicious and profitable foods that are available if you get out and look. Fall and winter menu items are hardy, easily compatible with our existing menu-mix items and downright easy to prepare.

Gourd of the Rings

For centuries, the countries of Europe have endured disease, hardships and wars. The resulting lack of food and even famine necessitated a creative use of all foods (and especially fall and winter flavor profiles). Here are a few examples of items that have traditionally been prepared and harvested to get people through the cold fall and winter.

Gourds, Squash and Root Vegetables: pumpkin, butternut, acorn and delicata squashes are perfect roasted with wheat in calzone, ravioli and pies or made into hardy soups with cinnamon and nuts. Late zucchini, kohlrabi, cabbage and cauliflower as well as beetroot, parsnips, turnips, celeriac, Jerusalem artichoke and daikon radish are some of the most versatile vegetables around during winter.

Cheeses: Be it hard, aged cheeses like Gouda, manchego, Pamigiano Reggiano, compte, Romano, ricotta salata, Caciocavallo and Piave Vecchio or semi aged cheeses like fontina, Gruyere, Stilton, Swiss, gorgonzola or Morbier, they all can be paired well with pasta, pizza and winter salads alike. Adding these to a cream with wilted winter greens like spinach, chicory, leek and chard is like heaven on earth.

Grains and legumes: polenta, risotto, chickpea and its flour, cannellini beans, wheat berries of all types, masa, arso nero, peas, semolina, spelt and even edamame can adorn a plate, pizza or side dish with amazing results. This category has the most creative uses in the past centuries to produce ravioli, cannelloni, tofu, soups, focaccia, stews and tortillas.

Charcuterie: pancetta, capicola, Mortadella, Loma, Merguez sausage, Prosciutto di Parma, guanciale, Cotechino sausage, Luganega sausage and Tripe represent all the cuts from snout to tail and fish like Baccala, Stoccafisso and Bottarga exhibit the curing techniques to make fish last into the winter months.

Prevailing Winds

Some fall and winter items that are trending now are the result of the pandemic and people re-thinking their priorities and lifestyle choices. Others are due to the power of social media or just retreads from the 80s and 90s.

Here are some trending menu ideas: vegan and vegetarianism; mushrooms and roots; chickpeas; cooking oils like avocado, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed; milk alternatives like rice, hemp and oat milk; carbohydrate alternatives like cauliflower crust and gnocchi; lamb shank, tamales, beet slaw, crunchy Brussels sprouts, Collard greens with nut pestos; Grain bowls; pistachios, almond milk, fermenting, fermented locust bean; charcuterie boards; kombucha; ancient grains; New Zealand venison; Berkshire pork, fennel, Chicory, Butternut squash; figs, Farro; pomegranates; poke; and even hemp smoothies.

Here are a few delicious trendy Italian fall and winter menu items to consider:

• Cazzimperio, raw carrot, celery, radish, fennel, chickory with a great extra virgin olive oil mixed with and lots of pepper.
• Gnocci di Zucca, butternut squash
  gnocci with a sage cream sauce, grated cheese and nutmeg.
• Fagioli con erb spontanee, cooked beans with mustard, fennel, chickory greens on toast.
• Spaghetti with dandelion greens and and bottarga, simple tossed greens topped with shavings of the sea.
• Pollo alla Romana, chicken cooked with a ragu of onions spicy peppers, garlic and tomato and simmered to perfection.
• Grilled Polenta, with chicken broth, chives, Parmigiano, cooled and served with chickpeas.
• Involtini di Vitello, Sauteed veal, sage, prosciutto and Parmigiano packets.
• Budino di Castagne, chestnut pudding with eggs, milk, vanilla and rum.
• Cicoria Saltata, chickory sauteed with garlic, chili pepper and extra virgin olive oil.

Timballo di Orecchiette al Forno

This pasta dish is an all-time favorite championed by my chef friend Giovanni di Negris while we both worked at La Primavera Restaurant in Chicago. The beauty of this dish is all in the preparation —  the assembly and baking are amazingly fast and straightforward. This traditional Puglian pasta with meat sauce sits perfectly in between the cooked rounds of eggplant with Pecorino Romano and is topped with another nod to Puglian cheese — fresh burrata.

Get the Timballo di Orecchiette al Forno recipe.

The post It’s Time to Start Planning your Autumn and Winter Menus appeared first on Pizza Today.

Salvadore Deli

Sandwiches are like artistic pizzas in the way that pizzas are like artistic sandwiches. Many combinations of wheat, protein, cheese and vegetables in famous sandwiches can turn your pizzas into best sellers by bringing wonderful flavor memories back to your customers.

Everyone has a sandwich incident that bounces around in their memories. My funny memory happened when my friend and pizza champion Bruno di Fabio took me to the famous Katz’s Deli in New York City.

As I shimmied up in line, I saw the frenzied white shirted pastrami-cutters making sandwiches. The chin high counter loomed over me as I ordered a pastrami-on-rye sandwich, and I was looking forward to the monster sandwiches everyone seemed to get. Then the sandwich maker used his giant fork to place a few pitiful slices on my rye bread and onto a plate in front of me. I turned to my friend sounding too much like a child, “Hey Bruno, I wanted a good sandwich, with a pastrami pile, like everyone else is getting’”

“You idiot, you gotta tip to get a pile.” I then looked up and saw a giant tip jar with numerous bills in it and many bills sticking up as “bait” and instantly understood. The sandwich maker sternly stared at me as I pulled my wallet out and slowly placed a $5 bill in the jar. Without a word, the man grabbed the plate back and after a frenzy of slicing, placed a mountain of meat on it. Later, as I plowed through this delicious sandwich, I thought that it would make a great pizza. When I got back to Ohio, I got started planning a pastrami pizza. I could not mimic the rye crust at the time but found my way around it with rye croutons.

Thrilled Cheese

The process of making a pizza from an iconic sandwich may seem exciting and easy. The hard part comes when figuring out what I call, “The Spread.” This is reaching the flavor profile of a famous sandwich in large pizza form by manipulating the weight, flavor or bulk of the toppings.

For instance, salami does not weigh much and can be spread across the pie efficiently, whereas pastrami weighs more and may not reach your customers’ expectations of a “real” pastrami pizza. This happens with chicken, pork, steak as well as link sausages, but disappointment can be avoided by using thinner cuts of meat and/or slicing products like boneless wings thinly. Also, I have found that customers do not mind paying a little more for a “loaded” pizza if it reaches the flavor profile of a fantastic sandwich.

Other variables are sandwich flavor profiles that rely on uncooked products and/or non-melted items. Cheeses like Brie, cheddar, Gouda and sauces like mayo and mustard may burn in the oven and must be topped after the bake. Lettuce, tomato, pickles, giardiniera, seeds and salsas change their flavors, wilt and burn under heat. You may have to adapt your cut-table routine and staff training to finish pizzas if they are not used to these procedures.

Join the Club

To me, any iconic sandwich flavor profile is a masterful business step because the memory of the sandwich is already in your customers brains. I have loved making some pizzas that come from sandwiches all across the world. Here are some great combinations to try.

Pizza Ahogada: This has been a great seller for us using local pork and brisket. This mimics the Torta Ahogada (meaning “drowned sandwich”) from the Jalisco region and especially in Guadalajara where a pork sandwich is dunked in a spicy-cumin sauce. We have used a pungent provolone, onions and cilantro to make this pizza sing…” Hells bells.” (See recipe below.)

The Cubano Pizza: This pizza is as great as it is simple. The Cuban sandwich was first created in Tampa at the Columbia Restaurant. It combines ham, Genoa salami, mojo-marinated pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. Some salamis burn and are better placed on after baking. Tossing some chips atop this pizza is a special treat.

The Reuben Pizza: We started this pizza early in 2005 with corned beef, mozzarella with shaved Swiss cheese underneath, (swiss tends to burn easily in conveyor ovens.) We then topped it with sauerkraut and thousand island dressing. It was delicious but we had a lot of customers order without sauerkraut.

Chicken Cordon Bleu: This iconic European delight is a crunchy nugget of chicken filled with ham and swiss. Our version uses a base of Dijon mustard topped with mozzarella then ham under shredded Gruyere, (expensive but worth it) then topped with local chicken and baked. After the oven, we drizzle with béchamel sauce then arugula.

Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza: The perfect pairing of super-spicy sauce made with hot sauce, cayenne, brown sugar, paprika, garlic and onion powder coats a boneless wing perfectly. This chicken can cook perfectly on a bed of provolone, feta or even Monterey Jack. After the oven, some garnish with dill pickle and a pile of coleslaw on the side is a great finishing touch.

Muffaletta Pizza: This sandwich was made famous at the Central Grocery in New Orleans and features Italian charcuteri and giardinieria with added olives, capers, roasted red peppers and minced garlic. Provolone is the accompanying cheese to the capicola, mortadella, Italian salami and/or soppressata.

Two Pizzas from two famous sandwiches.

The Bahn Mi Pizza

This famous sandwich relies heavily upon the crunch of crispy French bread. For this reason, a thin and crispy crust and a sprinkle of Japanese Panko breadcrumbs is a good choice. This pizza is topped with a Hoisin sauce, aged provolone, (a great fit for Asian-style pizza flavors) pulled pork topping and then baked. The beauty of this is the finish of easy pickled carrot and radishes, cilantro and pickled or fresh jalapeño.

>> Get The Bahn Mi Pizza Recipe.

Ahogada Pizza Bonus

Because of the same flavor profiles, this pizza can be made exactly like the Bahn Mi Pizza by only substituting the Ahogada sauce for the Hoisin. We use approximately 4 ounces of this sauce on our pizza, but you may want to use more. You may not need the jalapeño because this sauce, held under refrigeration for a few days, really gets hot!

Ahogada Sauce:

1 ½ cups dried Arbol chilies

1 can ground tomatoes

1 ¼ cup raw whole garlic cloves

¾ cup apple cider vinegar

¾ cup cumin powder

½ cup dried oregano

¼ cup salt

Grind up all ingredients with an immersion blender or blender. The dried Arbol chilies will hydrate in the sauce and release the flavor and heat.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post Famous sandwiches turned pizzas appeared first on Pizza Today.

Under Promise and Over Deliver on Pasta

Creating fantastic pasta is a culinary art. Perfection or getting close to perfection takes years, if not decades. However, making a solid plate of pasta is something that even the most inexperienced of chefs can pull off. When it comes to your pizzeria restaurant, creating a pasta dish that stands out, under-promises, and over-delivers, is easier than you might think. The approach will depend on whether or not you’re going for a chef-driven, single-minded restaurant or if you’re looking to have pasta dishes that intermediate-level back of house employees can execute accurately and consistently.

The key is to under-promise and over-deliver. By being a pizzeria, you’re not expected to be great at pasta. If you can make something a little bit special, it will exceed expectations. The casual customer doesn’t typically expect you to be great at both pizza and also pasta. However, with a bit of thought and preparation, you can beat the high-end Italian restaurant in your town quite easily, even at your pizzeria.

The first way to make the dish feel special is in the presentation. Namely, a decent work surface, i.e., plating. If you love what you sell right now, but it’s not landing with the customer, a solid plate with a nice fork and knife might be all it takes to make the meal feel special. A plastic plate will never provide a feeling of “special.”. Good plating will only serve to enhance your ambiance. Nothing too crazy. A solid white 10-inch plate or bowl is all it takes. This alone will help garner a higher price point your customers will be on board with.

Ingredients

Semolina flour is an essential mandate and prime ingredient for proper pasta. If you’re buying dry pasta, go with the purest pasta you can find that respects the craft of artisan pasta making. Taste test every brand you can source to root your decision in facts and not labels. Then go for shapes you haven’t seen used before. Spaghetti and fettuccini are standard and, in some markets, expected, but if you want to stand out, choose something off-kilter, especially if it’s something you love and can speak passionately about to sell it better.

For high-speed pizzerias, pre-cook and bag your pasta to take half the time from your ticket time. Avoid cooking too far, as the pasta will continue to cook once you turn the heat off. I find ice baths for hot pasta at about half the proposed cook time works best. Then once in the bag and after a few hours, it will only take about a minute dropped in boiling water to be ready for sauce. Always test to make sure it’s still al dente. Pre-portioning pasta can go awry because pasta isn’t intended to keep for days on end once cooked in a bag; if it’s older than a day and smells sour, toss it and adjust your prep pars.

Fresh Pasta

If you have the means to create your own fresh pasta, it is significantly different, more unique, and overall better. I love fresh pasta. Anyone with a soul loves fresh pasta. And how cool would it be for your pizzeria to be seen selling fresh pasta dishes?

To accomplish this, you’ll need, at a minimum, a pasta sheeter and potentially a pasta extruder. A sheeter does just what it says it does, helps sheet out the pasta to make what you’ll need for lasagna, fettuccine, linguini. You can use a sheeter or a pizzeria rolling pin to create one of the easiest and most popular pasta dishes, pappardelle. Pappardelle pasta with a great alfredo sauce will rival the likes of any fine dining Italian restaurant in your town, and it’s one of the easiest dishes you could ever make.

A pasta extruder can be expensive. Also, they aren’t set and forget it machines. It will take some time to get familiar with. You will want to know as much about your machines as possible to maximize the device.

Also, knowing how to use the dies properly isn’t something you’re going to want to trust to just any employee. However, if you take the time to learn these basic items, it can be a game-changer for your brand. It will set you apart, especially if you buy some interesting dies and make some unique shapes. If you go to incredible lengths for your pasta dishes, then it’s a bad idea to overload your menu with pasta items. You don’t need to have 45, 30, or even 15 different pasta dishes. Just because you can make it, it doesn’t mean you should make it. Coming up with three to five standout and solid, memorable dishes will be more than enough for diners to sing your praises.

Sauce

There is no shortage of great tomato companies at Pizza Expo to see and taste test yourself. Great marinara is as good as the ingredients you choose. For Alfredo, you could buy a pre-packaged Alfredo powder, but that’s not something you, a person savvy enough to read this far into an article about pasta, is about to do.  You don’t have a halfway approach to your pizza dough so let’s not have a weak approach to pasta either. I say this because it’s too simple to do any other way than to make a proper alfredo from scratch. Heavy cream, garlic, butter, some Romano, and you’re there. Feel free to substitute olive oil or use both. You can buy the cloves for the fresh garlic and chop it yourself, either with a knife or a food processor. It’s just not hard enough or worth enough reward to buy pre-made garlic.

Stuffed & Layered Pasta

Buying frozen pasta is an easy alternative for most pizzerias. It takes forever to go bad, and you just need to boil it long enough not to screw it up. If you feel the need to sell ravioli but don’t have the time or culinary acumen in your kitchen to pull off fresh, frozen is your alternative. The problem with frozen is anyone can copy you. If you can buy it, your competition can buy it as well. The only thing you have to differentiate at that point is the sauce and presentation.

If you do choose to make fresh ravioli, my hat is off to you. It tastes incredible, is inherently unique, and special when a little effort is applied. It’s not easy. You’ll need to make it in small batches because it does go bad rather quickly.  If the staff member making the pasta is inexperienced, it will be high in labor cost with a big potential for product loss in failed attempts. With that said, if you can accomplish it and push it out properly on social media to create a call to action, even if it’s just a special for one night, you can make a substantial impression to your audience that your pizzeria high end.

When it comes to how to make fresh pasta and deciding what pasta is right for your restaurant, whether it’s traditional ravioli, multicolor, or any variation of the filling, do what you love. If you love mushrooms, do that. If you live for brown butter lobster ravioli, make that. If you are extruding, make the shapes you love. If Italian wedding soup done right with fresh ditalini is your thing, make that.  If you don’t like anything other than a basic cheese ravioli, then, by all means, start simple and have fun with it. Do something that you will be proud of because you’re going to because it will be a signature dish representing YOU. If you’re willing to go through the work of making fresh pasta, DO WHAT YOU LIKE, NOT WHAT YOU THINK YOUR CUSTOMER EXPECTS. Expectation = cliched.

Healthy Pasta

Another straightforward option is the pasta primavera. Choose flavorful, healthy vegetables that will attract vegans and non-vegan pasta lovers. Artichokes, plum tomatoes, squash and other seasonal vegetables you actually enjoy, can make for a high mover item. Sautee it with a no-cheese marinara, and you will have a vegan hit. Go heavy on the garlic and olive oil with proper seasoning, and you’ll have non-vegans ordering this as well.

If selling to vegans isn’t for you, I’d advise you to realize they are the fastest-growing food demo today, and they have friends and family. If a group is deciding where to eat and your restaurant has no vegan options, you are immediately out of the running. Just a few vegan items will ensure you get larger orders when dietary restrictions play a role. If you don’t believe you have a vegan clientele, you are incorrect. You do. They just don’t eat at your place because you haven’t given them options. So, start with this pasta.

Baked Pasta

The best pizzeria home run for a simple entree is baked pasta. Use your pizza oven for more than pizza and stay in your wheelhouse. A small six-inch baker bowl or foil to-go bowl with a tube or shell pasta is what you’ll need. Blend this with a marinara or a cream sauce or a mix of the two, add cheese on top, bake it like a pizza, and you are set.

Meatless baked pasta is a universal crowd favorite because it appears hearty but not overly heavy. Plus food cost is great on this item. A baked pasta done this way is ideal for catering. Now, the big boys of pizza caught on and started doing this themselves in their own baked trays a few years back. But here’s one thing that they did not do; fresh julienned or chopped basil on top. The larger chains don’t want a lot of knife work in their kitchen, but that doesn’t throw you off, now, does it? When you put fresh basil on top of a pasta that it complements, i.e., not an alfredo, it instantly shows the customer that this was made in-house and is not a cookie-cutter factory-made meal. It’s incredibly simple, but it’s true. Fresh basil, real basil, is a simple statement that resonates. Dried herbs do not. You can, by all means, use them in whatever sauce mixture you have, but the key is showing off something that could not have come in frozen. Fresh herbs will always convey that.

Whatever pasta you choose, go for flavor first, a flavor you love, with a story you’ll want to convey. Then amp up the look and presentation, and you’ll attract a customer not seeking a discount but instead a return visit.

Mike Bausch is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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Irresistible Indulgence

here is something irresistible about gelato. Maybe it’s the smooth, soft and creamy flavor or that it doesn’t leave your palate coated in the heavy butterfat of its dessert sibling, ice cream.

The demand for the popular Italian treat is growing in America. New and innovative flavors have sparked a rise in North America’s preference for gelato, according the ResearchAndMarkets.com’s North American Frozen Desserts Market Insights 2020-2025. And the demand continues to skyrocket.

Gelato proves to be a fitting complement to pizza. Both are meticulously crafted with culinary creativity.

What’s hot in gelato

Regardless of whether you source or make gelato in-house, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of what flavors are hot this year. We asked four operators with successful gelato programs to give us the skinny on popular gelato flavors.

Sam Hathorn, co-owner of Sam & Greg’s Pizza in Huntsville, Alabama, says, most popular flavors are simply chocolate and vanilla. That doesn’t keep Sam & Greg’s from introducing innovative flavors that sell well. “We have made some great flavors over the years — honey goat cheese, spicy hot chocolate (with cayenne), and strawberry balsamic (with vinegar),” she says. “In 2021 we have created pineapple upside down cake, peanut butter Oreo, and buttermilk pancake. My team also makes a vegan gelato from pea protein milk that is creamier than most vegan gelati.”

Pistachio and Oreo are favorites at Pupatella’s in Alexandria, Virginia.

Sarah Bruggeman, pastry chef at Pangea Kitchen in Evansville, Indiana, says, “We have found that Stracciatella, Pistachio, Salted Caramel, Mint Oreo, Biscotti Crunch and Peanut Butter Cup are Evansville’s favorites.” She warns not to shortcut the classics. “The classic Stracciatella can be described as ‘chocolate chip’ but we are not just adding chocolate chips to this base,” she says. “Stracciatella means “little shred” in Italian. So, we actually drizzle melted chocolate into the gelato, let it sit for a second to freeze the chocolate, and then turn the machine back on. The chocolate strings then break up into little irregular bits that are mixed throughout the entire gelato.”

Pistachio is another flavor where operators may look for cost savings. “Pistachio is definitely the priciest gelato that we make,” Bruggeman says. “We use 100 percent pistachios. Other places may use a combination of pistachios and almonds to help offset the cost. But you can taste the difference.”

Mike Bausch, owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria and STG Gelateria in Tulsa, Oklahoma, says, “The most popular flavors are what you’d expect – Fior Di Latte, Pistachio, Strawberry, Raspberry and Chocolate. We have 65 flavors and counting … some of our non-traditional flavors that sell well are Salted Caramel, Chocolate Cake and Lemon Biscotti. Lately, we’ve had a lot of interest in our Extra Virgin Olive Oil gelato. Since we’re making all of our bases from scratch (White Base, Yellow (Egg) Base, Chocolate Base and Sorbetto Base) we can experiment a lot. We’ve used ricotta, mascarpone, yogurt, broken cannoli shells, etc… We’re even experimenting with an “Everything Bagel” gelato right now.

Making gelato from scratch

Making gelato is similar to scratch-made ice cream, Bruggeman says. “We mix whole milk, heavy cream, sugars, dry milk powder, and a stabilizer,” she says. “We cook that base low and slow. Let it cool overnight. Next morning, we add whatever flavor we are feeling.  Mix very well. Then we turn the gelato low and slow in our gelato machine imported from Italy.”

Bausch makes gelato the old-fashioned way at STG. “We make our STG Gelato the very old-fashioned way – hot process,” he says, “meaning we blend milk, sugar and sometimes egg yolks and cook it in a pasteurizer. Much of the gelato made in America today is a mix that simply has either water or milk added to it and then is spun in a batch freezer. We chose to do it the ‘hot process’ way because we didn’t want to ever hear ‘that’s not what it tastes like in Italy’ from any of our customers and thankfully we quite often hear ‘That tastes better than in Italy.’

“Using very high-quality local milk, local fruits and importing Italian flavorings, our food cost hovers in the 23-25-percent range depending on flavor,” he continues.

Hathorn too recommends making the base from scratch even though it’s more work. “It really makes a difference in the flavor of the gelato,” she says. “(Co-owner) Greg says, ‘the base is where it’s at.’”

Gelato making logistics

Just like the pizza line, gelato requires equipment and training. Pupatella’s co-owner Anastasiya Algarme heads up its gelato program. “It is an investment,” she says. “All the equipment is Italian-made and quite pricey. The training is quite extensive, and we have designated staff members that specialize in it. It is not an exact science, so it’s important that the gelato maker develops the ‘feel’ for it.”

Gelato equipment requires both a large financial investment, as well as valuable kitchen space. “One of the biggest hurdles to starting a Gelateria is the price of equipment,” Bausch says. “Pasteurizers (roughly $20-$30K), Batch Freezers (roughly $15-25K), Blast Freezers (roughly $10-15K) and Display cases ($15-$20K) are expensive – but – they hold their value very well and generally have more than half their initial value 10 years later. There is also very good quality used equipment available.

“For anyone considering making gelato in their existing business. I’d probably start with the cold process since it has the least barriers to entry and the training / equipment is minimal,” Bausch continues. “If someone wishes to do a truly legit Gelato (like the type you’d eat in an Italian neighborhood that has no tourists) then the only way to go is ‘hot process.’”

Hathorn was able to find value. “We got our equipment secondhand when we started out,” she says. “It is much cheaper to take a gently used gelato freezer off someone’s hands than to buy new.”

Bausch, Hathorn and Bruggeman also went through in-depth training.

“We were trained in Italy, use Italian equipment, Italian ingredients and Italian processes,” Bausch says. “We certify all of our Gelatician’s before they can make any of our gelato.”

Hathorn found attending a school on frozen desserts helped kick off the program at Sam & Greg’s. “It also taught us the science of gelato,” she says. “I think if you’re making it from scratch, it’s helpful to have that training.”

DENISE GREER is Executive Editor at Pizza Today.

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Have you ever seen a magnum of olive oil? I hadn’t until last week, when I spotted one in the hands of a mysterious bearded man in a Brooklyn pizzeria. This wasn’t just any mysterious bearded man, of which there are a great many to be found inside Brooklyn pizzerias … this was Nicholas Coleman. After serving as chief Oleologist at Eataly for several years, Nick went on to preach olive oil gospel at renowned culinary institutions around the planet. Now he runs “a bespoke full-service olive oil procurement center,” which sources oil from across the globe for large clients and individual customers. When I met Nick, he was dropping off a fresh bottle of olive oil he designed in collaboration with rapper/TV star Action Bronson.

Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

That’s right. Olive oil is about to get cool.

Pizzerias have been treating olive oil like an anonymous commodity for years, but there’s an incredible amount of potential that’s only beginning to come to fruition. In the past, all anybody ever cared about was whether or not the label said extra virgin, but that’s barely an indicator of anything. As I learned from master olive miller David Garci-Aguirre, the requirements for extra virgin are so broad it’s like bragging about passing a test when you only got a C-.

Have you ever sipped your olive oil? Try it right now. Does it tickle the tongue or does it burn the throat? The latter means that your oil has gone rancid. At the very least, your oil should taste good. It should taste like olive.

Olives are fruits, so we really need to think of olive oil as fruit juice. It’s best when fresh and declines with exposure to heat, light and air. Olive oil goes rancid after 12 to 18 months, so look for a packing date on your label. Then be sure to store your supply away from heat and light. You probably blast through containers of oil faster than they can spoil, but home cooks often don’t realize that once a package is opened they need to consume their oil within a few months.

In pizza, we tend to value a connection to pizza’s Italian origin, but quality olive oil isn’t restricted to the boot. Spain, Greece, Italy and Tunisia are all huge producers, but check your bottles and you’ll probably see a blended oil even if marketed as Italian. That’s why you really need to go with taste instead of relying on marketing language on the label. California has some excellent oil right now with an industry some say will echo the state’s success with wine. The southern hemisphere is emerging as a major player, with excellent oils coming from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil.

I remember judging a pizza competition in Harlem a few years ago that pitted 50 Margherita pizzas against each other over the course of two days. You’d think it would have been hard to discriminate between one pie and the next, but I clearly remember the moment I encountered the winner. The most obvious difference was the quality olive oil the pizzaiolo used to finish the pie. Had he used an inferior oil, the pizza would have been indiscriminable from its competitors.

As all pizza makers continue to up their fermentation game, their tomato sourcing, and their cheese selection I truly believe that quality olive oil will emerge as the quiet hero of pizza flavor.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: Olive Oil Is About to Get Cool appeared first on Pizza Today.

A Quick Oil Change

For centuries oil has been an integral part of cooking because of its inherent ability to change the nature of food. The saturated fats of yesteryear like butter and lard added to the popularity of fried foods, baked goods and charred meats but were unfortunately not the healthiest oils to consume. Back then, not much thought was given to when, where and how unrefined oils such as fresh-pressed vegetable oils were made and stored. This led to off-tasting, expired and even rancid oils populating the market.

Today, if you do not keep an eye on your oil products and information about provenance, production and shelf-time, you may be feeding bad oil to your customers. Our pizzerias operate with many different doughs, techniques and cooking temperatures. Finding the right oil can be a choice of quality over mediocrity, flavor over cost and what oils are perfect for your operation.

The Flavor of Oil

Some oils transform the flavor of foods enveloping the foods in the pressed oil flavor increasing the harmony of each dish, salad or baked item. The flavored oils by their very nature have lower smoke points because of the extra compounds in the oils. Here are some great tasting flavored oils for you and your pizzeria and their smoke points.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Smoke point 325F-375F. The king of oils has many different types like unfiltered, filtered and mixed. I use only accredited fresh California extra-virgin shipped in oxygen-free containers. Garlic-rosemary flavored oil is very easy to make for pizza or slow roasted garlic with this oil. (See recipe.) I also use extra virgin instead of butter to make laminated dough or to cover flavorful fougasse before and after the oven for a flavor explosion.

Walnut Oil: Smoke point, 320F. This surprisingly sweet and nutty, (duh.) flavor makes the most wonderful vinaigrette when combined with balsamic vinegar. It is perfect on aged cheeses and especially paired with asparagus, cold noodles, peaches, pears and radicchio.

Sesame Oil: Smoke point 350-410F. Roasted sesame oil is better with salads and finishing oils and light sesame oil is better for sautéing and baking. Great with Dijon, orange, garlic, ginger, chicken and vinegar.

Coconut Oil: Smoke point 400F. This oil is best in non-hydrogenated or virgin form and is great for frying. Its taste has notes of nuts, vanilla and is great with almonds. This oil starts turning to liquid at 72F which makes for flaky baked items and is great with garlic, ginger, scallions, lime, greens and chocolate.   

Neutral Oils

These oils are suitable for high heat frying or for adding to flavored oils to bring the benefit of their high-heat smoke points to the flavor, (Example: Extra virgin/canola oils). You may also want an oil that has zero flavor to not muddle with a dish or sear vegetables or meats. Here are some neutral flavored oils you may want to try along with their smoke points:

Peanut Oil: Smoke point, 450F. This has a mild flavor and great for Asian dishes and searing and roasting, deep-frying and grilling. Using this in your restaurant may produce problems with customers with severe allergies. Great with soy, ginger, garlic, curries, chicken and pork.

Canola Oil: Smoke point, 400F. Canola can be used for medium to high temperatures which makes it great for baking but not good for deep frying. Many chefs like its neutral flavor favors salad dressings. Good with chilies, sauces and soups and used in combination with flavorful olive oils.

Rice Bran Oil: Smoke point, 490. This high-heat oil is great for searing. Its light viscosity makes for less oil being absorbed during cooking. Until recently, rice bran chaff was used for animal feed. Now, the oils uses are best for frying chicken, searing vegetables like potato, broccoli, shrimp and thick vegetable greens, like broccoli.

Extra Virgin and Garlic Satchel Bombe

This little ditty has become one of my customers favorite bread item. The slow roasted garlic in extra-virgin oil is steamed in a small bag of crispy dough. The ricotta gem inside adds to the supple garlic heaven and is countered with a cool and chunky garlic-tomato vinaigrette. I sometimes use chive strings or long leeks to tie. Please note: If your oven cooks with very strong top heat, you may want to bake these at 450 at 15 minutes.

Get the Extra Virgin and Garlic Satchel Bombe recipe.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post A Guide to Cooking Oils in the Pizzeria appeared first on Pizza Today.

Give in to pineapple, already

My love affair with pineapple began at a young age. In an effort to provide me with healthy snacks, my mother would cut up fresh pineapple, along with a variety of other fruits, and keep a large fruit salad in the fridge. When I tried to grab sugary cereals, candy and other junk foods, she’d do her best to get me to satisfy my sweet tooth with the fruit.

It mostly worked. I quickly discovered that I truly love nearly all fruits, but in particular I was bananas about bananas, peaches and — you guessed it — pineapple.

It wasn’t long before I started requesting ham and pineapple as my pizza toppings, much to the chagrin of my friends, who favored sausage, green peppers and mushrooms.

Now I know there’s a certain segment of pizza society that, to this very day, consider pineapple on pizza to be blasphemous. To those people I resolutely say this: it’s okay to be wrong. Nobody’s perfect.

In all seriousness, for those who want to hang their hat on tradition … I get it. I really do. I’m a “baseball purist,” and that label comes with an extreme disdain for the Designated Hitter. Most modern-day hardball fans disagree with that — they want to see more home runs.

Well, modern diners want bursts of fresh flavors and combinations that go well beyond the traditional. Hey, Buffalo chicken pizza is not traditional, but it’s insanely popular. Give the people what they want, within reason, or they’ll get it somewhere else. If you still think pineapple isn’t within reason in 2021, we’ve already established that you’re just plain wrong!

My personal favorite pizza that features pineapple carries a sweet heat to it. Check it out.

Spicy Pineapple Pie

Get the Spicy Pineapple Pie recipe.

Hawaiian Sunshine

Get the Hawaiian Sunshine recipe.

I realize some of this is just too much for some of you fundamental traditionalists to handle. So here’s a pie that is very traditional … but has pineapple.

Okay, Boomer

Get the Okay, Boomer recipe.

Pick a Fight Love pineapple on pizza? Hate it? Have a pizza recipe featuring pineapple that you simply adore and that flies off the shelves? Tell me about it: jwhite@pizzatoday.com.

The post Pineapple on Pizza: Sweet Surrender appeared first on Pizza Today.

You should never have a secret menu. However, an open-secret menu is a great idea. An open-secret menu is something that everyone could readily figure out or find. So it’s not a secret at all, but it has just enough mystique to come off as a special. In-N-Out does this well with their “Animal-Style” variations of the menu. With that said, it’s pretty easy to find their secret menu. If you have some special hidden menu item or nuanced specialty “Thing” that only some of your staff know about, it’s time to get that into the open. If only a handful of customers know about it, then it most likely has value, and you’re holding it back on sharing it. Find a fun way to show the secret menu. Possibly hide it with a special link on your website, or explain it as the “secret menu” because it’s out there, and you want people to feel special about ordering those items.

Mike Bausch, owner, Andolini’s Pizzeria

There’s also the McRib approach of taking a semi-popular item and then taking it off the menu and bringing it back every now and again. This tactic gives the feeling of exclusivity, which increases the sales of this item significantly more than it would sell if it were on the menu all year. Here is my pizza approach: I have about 20 specialty pizzas, so when we get a new idea to add to the menu, one has to come off. I take the “retired” pizza and add it to my slice of the night one day of the week. I pair it with a rare beer and make it an event that we push on social media and build a call to action that pizza would not garner otherwise.

Along with that, every time I do bring something back or add something new, it’s a new advertising opportunity. If you’re just about to open your restaurant and have a slew of ideas of what you want on your menu, start with the base items and slowly add each new menu item. This approach provides a new call to action each time you roll out an item. Sequential calls to action make your restaurant appear fresh and never stagnant. New items give your customers more reasons to come back to your restaurant as you start your growth. A slow menu rollout also helps a completely new staff avoid becoming overwhelmed.

For anything else you are willing to do or sell; it should be evident on your menu and website. Services like specialized pizza tours or making pizza at someone’s house to selling dough balls in bulk should all be listed somewhere clear and visible. If you’re willing to sell it, you should also be willing to put it on an official menu and advertise it. People will often say, “Oh, but that’s something I do on the side,” which means it’s an idea not being utilized. If people ask without you advertising it, then there is a hungry audience for it. Customers should have the opportunity to purchase it without it being their idea. If more than once are you asked about doing something, then it should be on your menu of items or services.

A great example of this is in Vegas. Steve Wynn got asked about his linens in the Wynn Hotel so much that he went a made a whole showroom near the casino floor of everything utilized in his hotel room. That way, hotel guests and non-hotel guest shoppers could see the Wynn-at-Home products, interact with them, and potentially buy them. For most purchases, the items get sent to the customer’s home. That’s taking a brand signifier and making it obviously available for sale, which you should do for every conceivable product or service inside of your four walls and not keep it a secret anymore.

MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Instagram: @mikeybausch

The post Mike’s Monthly Tip: Not So Secret Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

Burrata & Hot Honey Pizza, L’Industrie, Brooklyn, NYC

New York City’s pizza scene experienced an identity crisis over the past decade. If you asked me to define “New York style” pizza in the early 2000s, I would have told you it’s a large, thin, puffy-edged pizza sold by the slice and eaten via the fold hold while standing or walking. That’s been the definition since gas ovens outpaced coal-fired ovens by the middle of the 20th century. But those slice shops that once appeared on every corner were suddenly becoming a relic. Convenience and value had become more important than quality.

Scott Wiener
Founder, Scott’s Pizza Tours and SliceOutHunger.org

It really hit me when tourists would refer to wood-fired neo-Neapolitan pizzas and the newly popular $1 slices as if they exemplified New York style pizza. People were more interested in the high end and the low end, but they were ignoring the middle.

The slice shops that came to identify NYC had fallen out of vogue as Gotham began to embrace styles from other cities. We had the Neapolitan wave, a Detroit style wave, and even a few Roman style pizzerias. Heck, we even had a Rhode Island style grilled pizzeria for a minute. A city that was once known for being so territorial and exclusionary had flipped!

On one hand I was delighted to see such a broad embrace of foreign styles, but on the other it felt like we were losing an important part of NYC identity. That’s why it has been such a relief to see a new breed of slice shop popping up these last few years. These new pizzerias pay homage to the classic shops that used to thrive on every block with the addition of more thoughtful ingredient selection and production process.

Scarr’s in the Lower East Side brought house-milled flour and organic ingredients into the slice format. Brooklyn’s L’industrie does multi-day fermentation and tops each slice to order. Best Pizza pulls their own mozzarella in house. These are things we’d only seen in artisan pizzerias, not in slice shops.

With the stage set, the pandemic only confirmed the return of the slice. Sit-down joints were struggling while slice shops flourished. I experienced the contrast this week in Soho. I was walking away from Lombardi’s, a pizzeria that just recently lost the lease on one of the two buildings they rent. On the opposite corner I saw the brand-new facade of Upside Pizza, a retro-chic slice shop that uses natural fermentation for their dough. The serendipity was almost poetic. Behind me was the skeleton of The Before Times, in front of me was the infant smile of the future.

Just a few short blocks away is Zazzy’s, another new slice joint that’s taking advantage of cheap leases by opening multiple locations across the city. Just like Upside, it uses high-powered electric ovens and makes pizza that revises the classic slice with some much-appreciated updates. They avoid commodity flour, practice intelligent fermentation, and bake their pizza to the point of light char.

As the pandemic has encouraged outdoor dining and take-away windows, maybe it’s finally time for the rest of the country to fully embrace pizza slice culture. Derrick Tung just opened a Paulie Gee’s Slice Shop in Chicago and there’s another one coming to New Orleans. John Gutekanst is opening an Avalanche slice shop in Athens, OH. Could this be a true nationwide slice renaissance? I can only hope!

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Man on the Street: The Rebirth of the New York Slice appeared first on Pizza Today.

If you wish to offer Sicilian style pizza in your pizzeria, all it takes is a few hardware pieces, and plenty of patience

or over 3,000 years the island of Sicily has experienced a steady stream of naval powers, raids, invasions and occupations. Because the sea has cut off Sicily from her neighbors, the island has been able to preserve the ancient Roman culinary traditions that was not possible on the mainland. Native Sicilian and World Pizza Champion Luciano Carciotto says, “Sicily, since Roman times, was already considered the personal mill of ancient Rome.” The Romans referred to Sicily as ‘The blessing of Ceres, a paradise where grain, olives and grape vines flourished.’ Eventually, the land and wheat led to some great flatbread and pizza traditions.

Master Pizzaiolo Matteo Ruvolo from Catania, Italy, who now lives in Miami, has been bringing interest back in the ancient grains of Sicily. “Grains like Maiorca, Tumminia, Perciassacchi and Scavuzzo have been grown for centuries in arid and marginal soils as well as the mountainous areas of Sicily and are making a comeback.” Mr. Ruvolo is an advocate of Sicilian products like Pecorino Siciliano, Bronte Pistachio, Modica Chocolate, Trapani salt, Prickly Pear and Cherries from Etna and the Pachino tomato from Ragusa.

Introducing Sicilian Style in your Menu Mix

If you wish to offer Sicilian style pizza in your pizzeria, all it takes is a few hardware pieces, and plenty of patience. Like most focaccias and thick crusted pizzas, time and temperature will decide your perfect Sicilian pizza rise. Here are some quick foundations.

Sicilian Pizza dough is mixed and formed to your chosen specifications of yeast, pre-ferment, hydration and protein level. Please remember that the goal of most Italian pizza is to make the dough as digestible as possible. This entails long holding times for direct method doughs or the use of pre-ferments such as biga, poolish and Pasta Fermentata, (Pate Fermentee in French or old dough.)

Sicilian Pans: There are some great pans on the market. Choose one that is large enough to accommodate your dough without buckling under higher heat. Many companies are now selling pans that are specifically made for Sicilian pizzas. Do not balk at what may seem a high price for pans, they will be with you forever. Be sure to always season your pans to prevent sticking.

Flour: Much is said about using Neapolitan “00” flour or just bread flour or a combination of both. Some pizza makers love the tight cake-like crumb of a traditional Sicilian fine semolina pizza dough while others prefer higher protein in the form of Manitoba wheat. The higher gluten of a 12- to 14-percent flour is more forgiving for high-volume operations and produces an open crumb but left unchecked (or in amateur hands) it may blow up in the center of the Sicilian pan like Mt. Etna. Then after the par-bake, the cheese will flow…off the pan.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Over the years, I have seen many chefs and pizza makers choose the most expensive cheeses and toppings but then buy oils that are rancid and oxidized with no provenance as to where they were made or how old they are. I recommend blanketing your Sicilian in fresh Extra Virgin and not any other oil that may be old and oxidated. New data* shows that extra-virgin is more chemically stable than mixed oils even when baked past its smoke point of 350 F-410 F. With fresh oils in oxygen-free containers, your crust will embody the nutty, non-greasy flavor of fresh olive juice and exhibit a beautiful golden crunch.

Cheese: Never skimp on cheese for Sicilian pizza. Your customers will notice if you have crappy cheese and/or are not putting enough on your pizza. Your customers may like the taste of a mozzarella/provolone mix to counter the strong flavors of pepperoni and sausage or just a great pull from a mozzarella loaf like in Brooklyn-style Sicilian pizza.

Sauce: The best sauces are made with tomatoes that go from the vine to the can in under an hour. These may be more expensive, but you cannot mix your way to a great sauce using crummy second grade tomatoes or purees. Because the best Sicilian pizzas have the sauce on top of the cheese, this will show that you care about flavor over everything.

^{*U.S. News and World Reports. Why you should stop worrying about olive oils smoke points, Sept 27, 2019}

Direct Method Sicilian Pepperoni Pizza

In my pizzeria, we make both indirect method dough (using pre-ferments and old dough) and direct method doughs for all our focaccia and Sicilian pizzas. We also use a multitude of grains that accentuate different tastes and textures to the thick breading. This recipe uses just the basic ingredients at 72-percent hydration to form a great pizza crust and incorporates time, temperature and patience. You may want to keep it retarded under refrigeration for another day for a more dynamic crust and added digestibility.

Get the Direct Method Sicilian Pepperoni Pizza recipe, including the dough formula and step-by-step instructions.

John Gutekanst owns Avalanche Pizza in Athens, Ohio.

The post The Sicilian: How to Make Sicilian Pizza appeared first on Pizza Today.

Get out of the basic red sauce rut with these five pizza sauces

pizza’s sauce might just be the ultimate change up to its flavor. Sauce is an important link in the holy trinity of pizza (crust, cheese and sauce). You can go subtle to accentuate other flavors, forego a base altogether or go bold to let the sauce shine.

Yes, there is a segment of pizza lovers who are steadfast that a tomato sauce must be used. But even Neapolitan pizza has ventured beyond its classic hand-crushed tomatoes to include bianco-style oil bases.

Regions across America are also known for specific sauces that people love. Barbecues alone have varied and flavorful versions from Kansas City to North Carolina. Remoulade sauce is popular in New Orleans.

Regardless of the debate over whether Ranch belongs on pizza, Ranch-based sauces are popular across the country. Pepper-based hot sauces are crowd pleasers, though the specific style may vary based on the region.

Doctored Red

Getting out of your sauce comfort zone doesn’t have to be a far stretch. Change up your red sauce to create a whole new option. Heat is trending. There are a number of ways you can spice up your tomato sauce. You can infuse your sauce with cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, chipotle peppers in Adobo, hot peppers, hot sauce or others. You can go with a sweet heat by adding hot honey. Be sure to try different levels of heat with your taste-testers.

Get an Extra-Spicy Tomato Sauce recipe to test.

Sweet Chili Sauce

A sweet chili sauce is versatile. In addition to using it as a base for pizza, marinade chicken or pork with the sauce and add it as a dipping option for wings. A good combination with the sweet chili sauce is a pizza topped with mozzarella, chicken, cilantro and roasted red pepper.

Sweet chili sauce is available by bottle or make it from scratch. Give it your own flair by adding pineapple, sriracha, coconut, mango or anything you think will be a good complement to the chili sauce. Here’s a basic sweet chili sauce to play with to find the right consistency for a base.

Get the Sweet Chili Sauce recipe.

Romesco

This creamy red sauce originated in Tarragona, Catalonia and it’s a perfect complement to pizza. Romesco is made with roasted tomatoes, garlic,  almonds (pine nuts or hazelnuts may be substituted), nyora peppers (substitute with red bell pepper or ancho pepper), olive oil and flour for thickening. After cooking the mixture, blend until smooth.

The basic sauce can be enhanced with cayenne pepper, paprika, red wine or vinegar. Try replacing your white sauce with the vibrant Romesco.   

A dynamite pizza combination would be ham or Canadian bacon, arugula and ricotta. Or, leverage the Spanish flavors with spinach, artichokes, goat cheese and Parmesan.

Chimichurri

If you’ve been to an Argentinian restaurant, you’ve probably tried fresh chimichurri atop a steak. Chimichurri is similar to pesto. It features flat leaf “Italian” parsley, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and red onion or shallots.

Let’s stick with what works and feature the chimichurri sauce on pizza with skirt steak, cilantro, jalapeno and red onion. Chimichurri also makes a great dipping sauce for fries and bread and can be incorporated into a killer pasta dish.

White Garlic Sauce

This sauce is a really garlicky bechamel. It’s creamy with a bit of punch from the garlic. Try it on a specialty pizza with chicken, spinach, mushroom and shaved Parmesan. It’s also perfect for dipping. Here’s a basic recipe to tinker with to give it your own spin.

Get the White Garlic Sauce recipe.

The post Five Awesome Sauce Pizza Base Ideas appeared first on Pizza Today.

Lightning has struck, and you’ve come up with a great new menu idea. You’ve tried it out, tweaked it a few times, and you know that it’s pretty solid. You’ve had people that don’t mind offending you tell you they love it too. When this happened to me I’d think, “It’s a great item, so let’s put it on the menu right now; let’s do it tonight, right? Let’s get it out there as fast as possible. Every second that we don’t have it on the menu, we’re hurting ourselves. We’ll sell it as a special, and it’ll be great, and people will love it.”

This shotgun approach was my original path to a new menu item. The problem is that every time I executed a new menu item this way, with nothing else, the menu item would fall on its face and land flat. Operationally it was a nightmare, the staff was confused, and the customer had no reason to care about it. The team didn’t have the wherewithal to sell it, and the whole thing was a cluster.

This thud of a rollout would especially sting when I put a lot of thought into the menu item. Sometimes sourced ingredients specifically for this item to make sure it was perfect; it was heartbreaking not to see it succeed. I realized if I wanted to give these items the best shot at success, I need to invest more in the process and roll out, or else it was all for nothing.

Making a great product is expected; that’s the price of entry. Keying into the process of how to launch it SUCCESSFULLY is how you translate that work into sales. Here are the four fundamental principles to a great, well promoted, and operationally successful rollout:

1. Item locked down. This one most people get right. They key in on the item and test it to make sure it tastes great and represents the restaurant well. Even testing it with multiple people who will give honest feedback to ensure the item is legit and tastes excellent to various palates. It’s easy to get excited here, write it on a chalkboard, plop it into the point of sale system, pat yourself on the back and call it a day. The problem is more work still needs to be done.

2. Process set up for success. Once the item is locked, it needs to be documented in a format that all staff can quickly get to and review no matter the shift or location. Once the card is made, it’s time for the kitchen to show it off to the servers, so they know how to make it, and servers know what it tastes like for selling it. The kitchen’s order guides and pars could potentially change as a result of the new items on the menu, be prepared for that and make sure your vendor is ready as well. If you just added a quail egg pizza, don’t assume your vendor will be rolling knee-deep in quail eggs if this item is a success.

3. Menu unified and correct. Does the menu item have a story to the name, something fun but not so off-kilter no one would know what it is? Along with that, does the description match the rest of the menu in terms of verbiage and descriptors? For example, it’s not written in the first person, while the rest of the menu is written as purely nouns, no adjectives or full sentences. Does the price make sense and reflect the item’s worth, meaning the most you can get for it while still making food cost and the items feel worth the menu price? Then is the menu unified everywhere: in-house paper menu, online menu, catering menu, QR code menu, third party menu and anywhere people might find your food? Then have it launch simultaneously; the best bet is a Monday morning for the menu and all other menus to roll out unified.

4. Marketing with a plan. A decent professional photoshoot of new menu items will get a lot further than an overexposed shot from an old iPhone under fluorescent kitchen lights. These photos will sell beyond what your words can do and give you marketing ammo for your website and all social platforms. Promoting the menu items can be done on day one, or you might wait a few days to know the kitchen is firing on all cylinders before you do a massive push. After that, make a press release about your new menu item; you never know what or who will pick up the story and run with it. Especially in smaller markets, it’s a story, and nightly news needs filler stories every day of the week. Why not have it be yours, FOR FREE?

Sidenote: Also document yourself during this whole process. It doesn’t hurt your sales efforts. Even when the item isn’t right, taking photos and posting it to Instagram stories, demonstrating the journey is all a part of the marketing of the item. You might think no one would care, or I don’t want to show off the failures, but that mindset is wrong. Selling the process is a part of the story and it makes the customer that much more likely to want to try the final item. The longer the build, the bigger the response.

This method is what works; add more steps if you want but don’t do less than this. If you don’t do it this way, you’ll still get the item out there, but it’ll be confusing and won’t garner the potential notoriety it could. You want to sell the sizzle. You want to build this up. If you don’t, it won’t perform well. Even if you run a single unit store and love to sell items on the fly, you still need to abide by these four principles for the item to succeed. If you are living in the “daily special” world, that’s great, have fun, but it doesn’t translate to multiple store growth. It’s tough to do “daily special” across various locations and with numerous staff members and have it executed the same way and with universal pomp and circumstance. For most fast-food chains, it takes six to nine months to go from conception to menu. It takes that long to source the item appropriately with an iron-clad process and marketing plan upon rollout.

It’s rarely smart to copy chain mentality on product quality; it’s always intelligent to copy their systemization principles. These can make your life easier and your menu robust, executable and successful.

Mike Bausch  is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Instagram: @mikeybausch

The post Roll Out: Maximizing a New Menu Item Launch appeared first on Pizza Today.

Most pizza shops have two categories of pies. Red or white. But what about that illusive third option? Green. Pesto can be a replacement for sauce or used as a topping. It can be made vegan or extra cheesy. There are endless ingredients that you can use in a pesto, and spring just happens to offer some of the best. While you can grow a lot of fresh herbs year-round, the next couple of months are when they tend to thrive, and different varietals of allium are popping up, such as spring garlic.

As long as you have the right ratio of certain components, you can sub out ingredients to create an indefinite amount of possible pestos. Every pesto needs to have: a base, which is traditionally herbs or greens, nuts/seeds, garlic/other allium, cheese and oil. Of course, if you’re making it dairy or nut free there are substitutions that can be made, and we will get into that shortly.

For the greens, you can use basil, cilantro, chives, parsley, kale, chard, beet greens or any other herb or green you want. Same goes for the nut portion. The most traditional is pine nuts but since they can be pricey or if you are simply looking for another flavor profile they can be substituted with walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds. Cheese is a little different. Ideally you want to use a hard, aged varietal. I’ve always been partial to grated Parmigiano Reggiano, but if you’re looking for something a bit saltier, you could always use Pecorino. As far as garlic goes, feel free to switch it out for another allium. Spring garlic, ramps and garlic scapes are awesome in the short window that they are available. You can also try leeks, shallots or black garlic. Extra virgin olive oil is always my preference for pesto.

Once you get a basic recipe down, you can get creative. Want to make it spicy? Throw in some jalapeños, Serranos or even ghost peppers. You can take the spice to a different level by pickling or roasting the peppers. Like yours on the sweet side? Replace a little of the oil with a few tablespoons of honey, agave or maple syrup. Want a little umami flavor? Go ahead, toss in some truffle salt.

Some people are stark traditionalists when it comes to pesto, and if I’m being honest, a great basil and pine nut pesto is still my favorite. Tony Gemignani has always done a fantastic pesto. He might use basic ingredients, but he puts care into what they are. His recipe is comprised of fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmigiano Reggiano, garlic, olive oil and, as a twist, he throws in a little agave syrup. He pairs his pesto with everything from a simple mozzarella and tomato to purple potato pie. Most recently I saw him making Green Top Detroits. Now, I’m not a Detroit pizza expert by any means, but this isn’t something I have seen. It looked gorgeous and utterly delicious.

Recently, I’ve noticed a few other really fun and creative pestos that have stuck in my head and made me want to hop on a plane to go try them. Chris Decker of Metro Pizza makes a Peppadew pesto. Unlike other pestos where the basil and garlic comprise the main flavor profile, the Peppadews are the star of the show in this one. He pairs it with sausage links and caramelized onions. Another really interesting pesto I saw on Instagram was a beetroot pesto from A Dopo in Knoxville, Tennessee. Owner, Brian Strutz, said that their manager, Andrew, came up with the recipe. In addition to the cooked and pureed beets, they add in walnuts, lemon juice, chives and parsley. The bright red is visually gorgeous, especially during the grey winter months.

At my Slice Shop our house pesto is actually vegan. This is because we get a lot of requests for vegan pies, and pesto is an easy thing to make dairy and meat free. Another reason for its veganism is that I don’t like to make two versions of the same thing, so we don’t waste space or time. I’ve seen people do vegan pestos with nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan in place of the cheese, but I like to simply add a hit of fresh lemon juice and some sea salt to balance out the flavors.

I’m all about cross-utilization at my restaurant. I like to get multiple uses out of all of my ingredients and pesto is fantastic for so many different things. Of course, it is brilliant on pizza. It can brighten up any pie. But it is also great as an appetizer or a pasta sauce. It can be lathered on crusty bread for bruschetta, used as a marinade for chicken, baked with burrata and sun-dried tomatoes, drizzled on top of fresh mozzarella or feta, turned into a salad dressing, or used as a dipping sauce for focaccia. There are endless options just with pasta. It can be served hot with a nice bucatini or Strichetti, layered in lasagna, or one of my favorites is a simple cold pesto pasta salad.

As you can see, all pestos are not created equal, even if you’re following an exact recipe. There are a few things to keep in mind and a few tricks to make it come out as close to perfect as possible. First off, think about your garlic. The garlic is what will give pesto its kick, assuming you’re not adding any other peppers or spicy ingredients. Where does your garlic come from? Is it green in the middle? What time of year is it? All of these factors will determine how spicy the garlic is and thus the final product of your pesto.

Next is keeping that vibrant green color. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice will help with that. The acidity will also balance out the flavors. Another trick is to add a few ice chips when you are blending the basil. This slows down the oxidation and retains the bright green color. Another trick that Tony let me in on is to make your bulk batch more concentrated and then add more oil right before using it. He also puts the pesto on post-bake so that it not only retains its color, but also keeps the oil from making the pizza too wet. It’s a trick that I am now doing and love the results I am getting. That being said, if you are using pesto as a base on your pizzas and not as worried about the color, it can be a great way to use up basil that has started to turn a little darker.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless when it comes to pesto. So, create your go-to recipe and then explore all of the possibilities by substituting different ingredients. Below is a recipe for a vegan chive pesto. It’s vegan because I will assume that it is a common request everywhere for more vegan options, and homemade always sells better on a menu. Its main ingredient is chives because I just can’t seem to get enough of them lately.

Vegan Chive Pesto

Get the Vegan Chive Pesto recipe.

Audrey Kelly owns Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage in Boulder, Colorado.

The post Presto: Add versatile pesto to your menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

The most exciting competition at Pizza Expo is always the Non-traditional division. Free from the limitations of other categories, it’s a showcase for experimentation that often inspires pizzeria menus for the following year. Without the benefit of a 2020 Expo, all eyes fall on social media posts and updates for a peek at burgeoning menu trends. Here we’ll investigate which items resonate at pizzerias, which are passing fads, and which are not worth your time.

Still Hot — Detroit-style Pizza

The thick, crispy cheese-edged squares from the Motor City may have been unknown to the general public for the vast majority of their existence, but they’re certainly making up for lost time. According to Google Trends, searches for “Detroit style pizza” increased nearly eight-fold in January 2021 over the 2020 average.

That might have something to do with the flood of new “Detroit style” products entering the mainstream market. Little Caesar’s has been serving Detroit style “Deep Deep Dish” pizza since 2013, but Pizza Hut’s January 2021 launch is making the style a household name. They even went so far as to call it “the hottest trend in pizza.”

Independent pizzerias are opening left and right featuring Detroit style as a main event, but existing pizzerias are also adding it as a new menu option. “We started in the summer with a few pans, offering a dozen a day. When demand grew, we converted the dining room, and by October we started offering them every day all day,” says Tom Grande of Grande Jr Pizza Express in Washington, Pennsylvania.

New Topping Trend — Pickles

Nashville Hot Chicken Pizza

The unexpected topping to watch this year threatens pineapple’s place on the throne of controversy. Pickles may seem like a questionable topping, but they work great with garlic, dill, bacon, sriracha and ranch dressing.

The Hungry Robot in Fairbanks, Alaska, introduced their “Dilly Dilly” pizza in 2017 but it really took off after being featured on Diners Drive-ins and Dives this January. “It’s always been in the top five for us but since DDD it’s on almost every ticket,” says owner Randy Bezdek. The pie begins with a roasted garlic cream sauce, then adds low moisture mozzarella and dill pickles (they hand slice 20 gallons per week). After the bake it gets a drizzle of garlic-dill ranch dressing and a sprinkle of grated Romano mixed with fresh dill.

Joe Riggio of New York Pizza Suprema in Manhattan landed on a similar recipe for his pickle pizza. “I’m the guy who if you went to the diner with me and left a pickle on your plate – I ate it,” he says. His inspiration came from a pickled turnip dish in a Middle Eastern restaurant in Brooklyn. The pizza hit Suprema’s menu at the end of 2020 and has become popular both by the slice and by the whole pie.

Flourless Crusts

The latest diet craze doesn’t leave pizza lovers behind. Keto diets are all about decreasing carbohydrate intake and increasing fat consumption, which provides an interesting challenge for pizzerias. The solution is what’s known as a fathead dough, made with a mix of cheese, eggs and often some almond flour for structure.

Blaze was the first chain to launch a Keto crust pizza in 2019, but it’s taken a few years to reach independent pizzerias. Annabel Gonzalez, of Aaron’s Pizza in Poteet, Texas, is amazed by the success of her keto pizza. “We added them in December [and] I run out every day,” she says of the item.

Cauliflower crusts are also popular with Keto dieters, but its lower fat content makes it less appealing to keto followers and more attractive to those avoiding gluten. This variation relied on riced cauliflower held together with mozzarella to provide a base for standard pizza toppings.

The beauty of these alternative crusts is that they don’t contain yeast. Since fermentation time isn’t a concern, they can be made and baked within minutes.

Quantity and Quality Pizzerias have been the go-to alternative to cooking at home since COVID hit because they already understand the logistics of delivery. That’s why non-pizza items have blossomed over the past year, particularly family-sized meal packages.

Mike Androw of E&D Pizza Company in Avon, Connecticut, offers a special every Tuesday night, featuring a revolving series of entree options. Every family meal comes with several portions of the entree, salad and a loaf of bread. “We did them previously but there has been a gigantic spike since Covid,” he says of the newly popular menu item.

Worth the Investment — Frozen and Take and Bake

Consumers have been buying more frozen foods as a result of the pandemic and that spells big opportunity for frozen pizza. The Chicago Tribune reported that Home Run Inn’s production of frozen pizza increased to 80,000 units per day in May 2020 and experts don’t expect demand to fall anytime soon. The results of a survey by OnePoll show that 69 percent of people plan to continue buying comfort foods even after the pandemic ends, with pizza topping their lists.

Independent pizzerias with nationwide brand recognition, such as Pizzeria Bianco and Di Fara, now offer frozen pizza through Goldbelly. Others keep their frozen offerings in-house, like Zuppardi’s in New Haven.

Pizza Buzz in Fort Worth, Texas, added take-and-bake when COVID hit and it’s been a huge success. Juliana’s in Brooklyn also offers a take-and-bake version of their classic coal-fired pizza, but it’s par-baked so customers can take home some of their signature char.

Time’s Running Out for Pizza Making Kits

Food and Wine Magazine predicts that at-home restaurant experiences will be a leading trend in 2021, but pizzerias are seeing interest in pizza making kits fade. “The pizza kits soared when COVID first started but just seems like they’ve dropped off,” says Bill Carmine Cornell of Carmine’s Wood Fired Pizza in Joplin, Missouri. Kits provided a fun activity when we were all being urged to stay home, but that will likely change as restaurants reopen.

The exception to this downturn has been bulk pizza kit sales tied to online pizza making classes for corporate groups. Tony Boloney’s in New Jersey sells hundreds of kits per week, shipping them all over the country. Owner Mike Hauke leads live classes for kit recipients, which adds yet another revenue stream.

Menu trends for 2021 have undoubtedly been shaped by the pandemic and that means they’re likely to change along with government safety regulations. What works one month may not fly the next. This year, pizzerias across the country will continue to operate on high alert while catering to the changing needs of their customers.

SCOTT WIENER is the founder of Scott’s Pizza Tours in New York City and SliceOutHunger.org  Instagram: @scottspizzatours

The post Hot in Pizza: Explore 2021 Menu Trends appeared first on Pizza Today.

Big Greenie Pizza

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” – Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The year 2020 marked one of the most tumultuous restaurant years in my lifetime. Because of Covid, my business model was shaken by new state rules, staff hardships and cranky customers. In June I thought, “What else could go wrong?” The next day, I was answered as cheese prices jumped 181 percent from mid-April. * I could do one of two things; stick my head in the sand or attack this problem head on. I then began hearing about the new trends toward comfort foods, cheeses, snacks and spicy items. I decided that an appetizer with the most comfortingly decadent cheese on the market would be the answer. Because cream cheese was only 11 cents per ounce compared to 26 cents an ounce for mozzarella, it would be my weapon of choice. That is how our best-selling jalapeño poppers were born, a spicy, crunchy and cheesy salute to the worst year ever.

“I can feel it coming in Gruyere tonight.”

Like a burglar in the night, comfort foods like bold cheeses are forecast to sneak into our customers favor this year. Consumers will be looking to liven the monotony of foods with twists on classic products to avoid menu fatigue. This means they will seek new cheese variants with more exciting flavors like cheese combined with chive, onion, truffle, dill, garlic, chilies and transformational mellow cheese marinades like pesto and gochujang. Here are some other cheeses thought to make a resurgence.

Aged Cheddar: .27 cents to .45 cents per ounce. Perfect with potatoes, cream sauces, bacon, spicy peppers, broccoli, ham, chicken and beans. Try this: Fill dough and wrap with bacon or cheddar-stuffed fresh jalapeños deep fried in dough.

Gouda: 33 cents per ounce for young Gouda and up to 80 cents per ounce for aged. The melt depends upon the age — younger melts better. Great with apples, ham, chipotle chilies, butternut squash, spinach, chicken, peppers, bacon, mushrooms and walnuts. Try this: salad of crumbled, aged Gouda with arugula, pear and Prosciutto di Parma.

Provolone: 15 cents to 40 cents per ounce. Great with mozzarella, garlic, anchovy, pecorino, Prosciutto di Parma, speck, olives, pears, figs, fennel, artichoke, zucchini, radicchio, roasted peppers, basil pesto and lettuces. Try this: Crostini di Prosciutto e Provolone (must be young provolone) or baked chicken breast stuffed with spinach, provolone, spinach and creamy ziti.

Manchego: 46 cents to 61 cents per ounce. Melts like cheddar and ages like Gouda. Perfect with chorizo, cilantro pesto, olive oil, almonds, artichokes, dates, walnuts, roasted peppers, bacon, eggs, figs, aged hams, broccoli rabe and caramelized onion. Try this: Spanish Asparagus Coca (pizza) with Crema de Manchego or an appetizer of cured Serrano ham, lardo and shaved aged Manchego drizzled with quince jam.

Brie and Camembert: 46 cents to 95 cents per ounce. With both cheeses, you must put them on near, or at the end of the bake. Both cheeses have fabulous name recognition and therefore are great sellers paired with mozzarella and cream sauces. Apples, fennel, pears, morel mushrooms, onions, vinegar, arugula, almonds, walnuts, capicola and jams are great pairings.

Gorgonzola: 25 cents to 50 cents per ounce. The creamy consistency of tangy “Gorg” pairs well with pear, apple, nuts, balsamic, honey, bacon, ham, Prosciutto di Parma, mint, figs, corn and cherries. The other beauty with gorgonzola is that it does not take much to flavor a large pizza or creamy pasta dish. Try this: Involtini di Bresaola or Bresaola stuffed with warm gorgonzola and butter.

*New York Times, What’s Gotten Into the Price of Cheese? Matt Phillips, June 22, 2020

Pallotte Cacio e Uove, photo courtesy of John Gutekanst

Pallotte Cacio e Uove

The best appetizer I have ever had were these beautiful cheese and egg meatballs made by Chef Antonella at a small trattoria in the Abruzzo mountains surrounding Pietraferrazzana, Italy. In this recipe I used Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano instead of the Rigatina cheese that she used. Antonella said the bread must be moist from the “Budella di Pane” or guts from an old loaf and not dry, like croutons. She said if it is truly stale bread, use warm milk or water then squeeze it out. This simple sauce coaxes the flavorful waters from the inside of the tomatoes to make a perfect higher hydration for a long simmer.

Get the Pallotte Cacio e Uove recipe.

Big Greenie Pizza

This pizza is a big hit with my customers and has two of the new trends, cheese with spicy cilantro-garlic hot sauce from Yemen. The par-baked whole strips of bacon are both visually shocking and add the perfect amount of fat that is topped with the pistachio-radish crunch and the creaminess of the Tzatziki.

Get the Big Greenie Pizza recipe.

The post Revenge of the Curds: Specialty Cheeses to Add to Your Menu appeared first on Pizza Today.

I don’t like listening to the Billboard Top 40. I never have. I don’t like songs that have no relation to each other. I don’t like listening to music that hasn’t proven it can stand the test of time. Don’t get me wrong, I love new music — just not what is deemed the most popular with no other context.

I prefer a curated playlist where each song supports and builds on the previous song. A proper playlist mixes well. That’s my mindset and ethos on each of my restaurants’ music; it’s also the same mindset I apply to our beer and alcohol program. Sure, it would be super easy to tell the liquor distributor, “Give me whatever is selling the best” and hope that means profit, but then you’d be a cookie-cutter soulless entity. Since you’re reading this article, proving you seek growth and advancement, it’s safe to say that ain’t you.

Mike Bausch, owner, Andolini’s Pizzeria

If you want to traverse the cookie-cutter path, you’re selling the same experience as your corporate competition. This is the Top 40 approach; it works for mass-produced chains, but it won’t work for you. (Side note: Big chains aren’t exactly thriving.) Instead, create your style and curate your list. When it comes to beers, do you want to sell only local to your state, or are you looking for different styles from across the world? Maybe a particular focus on the variety of bottles, or having tons of beers on draught. Even if you’re going to slum it, slum it with style and carry basic lagers in cans that dive bars across America in 1970 would have sold. That approach is at least different; that approach is an experience.

The best practice is to have a variety to appeal to multiple palates and not just have 10 of the harshest IPAs you can find. If you only buy the beers that can afford a TV commercial in the Super Bowl, you’re underselling your worth and value to the customer. As someone who lives local to your community, who knows what’s what, it’s on you to provide a unique experience representing you and the town you live in, done your way.

The alcohol choices you try yourself, the ones whose taste and story you believe in, will be that much easier to sell. These drinks will provide a unique selling point and customer experience. For the customers who love basic offerings that they’re loyal to, find alternatives that parallel the big boys rather than caving in and carrying mass-market basic stuff.

Your cocktail list can be the run of the mill rum and soda, vodka tonic, etc. Or curate things that are specific to you and your brand. At Andolini’s, we make a Bloody Mary out of San Marzano tomatoes. These are the same tomatoes we use for our pizza, and the Bloody Mary is fantastic, incredibly unique and represents us well. We also sell a strawberry-basil lemonade with the same fresh basil that we top our Margherita with. Making moves like this gives us the ability to cross-utilize and create something unique. That means when someone has a craving for our item, we’re the only option in town, rather than “Any Restaurant USA.”

Wines are a little trickier because it can get real expensive real quick when you choose “the best.” I suggest instead developing a varied list of craft wines that hit great margins. If you try them yourself and like them, you’re already ahead. It just takes effort to try them, which can be great, if professionally done off the clock. If alcohol isn’t for you, that’s cool too. This approach works for everything. Choose products you believe in so you can sell them with passion.

I say it’s a playlist because, like the music you play in your restaurant, you didn’t make it; you didn’t brew it; you just need to be smart enough to choose wisely. It’s not like your dough that takes years to master with endless trial and error. You just select the winners on this list. So don’t choose in a half-assed way. When done with passion and effort, the curated playlist approach, instead of “What’s popular, I guess I’ll sell that” will always yield more revenue and more return visits.

MIKE BAUSCH is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Instagram: @mikeybausch

The post Mike’s Monthly Tip: Curated Beer List appeared first on Pizza Today.

Explore Mushrooms on Pizza

Pepperoni has one implementation on pizza. Pepperoni goes on top, before the bake like any other typical topping. The size and taste of the pepperonis will vary, but there aren’t multiple species of pepperoni. Mushrooms, by contrast, have so many variables that are incalculably different. There are over 10,000 species of mushrooms, 12 of which are incredibly popular for pizza. It’s essential to know how they’re used most often and why. Along with that, here are some new approaches with mushrooms that you can incorporate into your pizzeria today.

Growing up in both New York and California, I saw the stark difference in mushrooms on pizza from both coasts. The tri-state area’s East Coast kitchens seemed to be closet-sized and only carried canned mushrooms. When I moved to the Bay Area, I noticed a much different mushroom approach to pizza. California chains used fresh mushrooms that were dry and typically unseasoned. This is one in a long line of differences between these two different areas and their pizza approach in the mid-’90s.

I didn’t know why New York pizzerias used the canned mushroom. Was it the space thing? Was it because the other guy was using it? Was it because they genuinely liked it? Contrast that with the fresh mushrooms, which appeared as overly dry. This approach wasn’t ideal for maximizing flavor but did look better in a photo.

At the time, I didn’t think there was a right or wrong. After owning a pizzeria for as long as I have, I’ve seen every iteration of mushrooms on pizza. I know that no one way is wrong or right, but that there’s so much more that can be done with mushrooms. It’s truly a dark horse in the lineup when you consider all the potential iterations and combinations mushrooms provide.

Pre-marinated. By leaving mushrooms to soak in oil or dressing, you allow them to absorb flavor to go from merely a texture topping to a means of conveying flavor. By placing mushrooms in a marinade, you control the uniqueness. You can go to town on how much seasoning you give to it to make it your own. The best part of this approach is using these same mushrooms on a Caprese appetizer to cross utilize your mushrooms.

Sautéed. By sautéing mushrooms, either making it to order or in advance, it lets the mushroom get more flavor before they ever get to your pizza. You can also cook off a lot of the water that might make your pizza soggy. You can also sauté the marinated mushroom or pre-sauté and then marinate.

Under or Over

Some people love the look of a flat white mushroom on the top of their pizza, and that’s fine. That’s your call to make. If you want to protect the mushroom’s bake, putting it under the cheese is always an option.

Whether they’re pre-marinated, pre-baked or under the cheese, there are so many different approaches to mushrooms. Even when it’s the same mushroom, let alone the several varietals of mushroom available.

At Andolini’s, we make a wild mushroom pizza with several mushrooms of whatever is seasonally available. We also bake a classic sliced button mushroom and a sauteed portobello mushroom. On your straight-up mushroom, pre-marinating in olive oil with garlic or even lemon juice can help preserve or enhance the flavor.

Let’s look at three options:

Portabellos. I love portobello mushrooms. I love their ability to give a meaty vibe to a non-meat pizza. It provides a feeling of protein without protein. It also means you can sell a vegan pizza that has some character to it. When I first started, we would cook them to order, but I realized that doing a pre-sauté on them makes us more prepared for anything that could come at us. Over time, I’ve learned to have the kitchen ready for a 50 to 100 pizza order at any second. When you prepare for that volume level to occur sporadically, you create an inverse to Murphy’s law. If it can happen, it will, and you’ll be set up for a large order, which will, in turn, become several large orders.

For portabellos, we remove the gills with a spoon before the sauté. For classic button mushrooms, slicing them thinner helps reduce the amount of water that will occur when you bake them. But again, pre-baking a mushroom or pre-sauteing can get rid of excess water that could make for a soggy pizza. Or you could cook them as is and then drain your pizza, but it’s not ideal.

Truffles. Truffles on a pizza. If there’s one thing inherent about a truffle is that it equals instant classy. It’s an expensive item that knows it’s expensive and can garner more money per pizza. If that’s the restaurant style you are marketing, truffles are a great choice to instantly set you and your menu apart. Adding truffle oil as well will take the flavor over the top and drive the truffle point home.

Shitake. Shitake mushrooms are my favorite. I love how they don’t look the same, and when sautéed and used as a topping, they look artful and taste amazing. I prefer to sauté them in butter and bake with fresh mozzarella on top. Bear in mind, using butter for the sauté won’t land with health-conscious customers and immediately negates it from being vegan.

Regardless of what mushroom choice you have, know why you do it and then try it several different ways in a controlled test to determine what you like the most. When you try each mushroom, each particular way, you allow yourself the knowledge of why you made your choice, and that empowers you to sell it better. What you like the most will determine what you’re able to be passionate about and sell the most. Mushrooms are such an adaptable topping that to only have one mushroom in your pizzeria short-sighted. Choosing one is holding back from the menu possibilities mushrooms afford you; really lean in and make the menu say portobello and cremini instead of just one listing of “mushroom.” Actions like this instantly make your menu more upscale and more viable in the competitive market.

Mike Bausch  is the owner of Andolini’s Pizzeria in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The post Explore ways to maximize mushrooms — Making Room appeared first on Pizza Today.

Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

The plant-based movement has arrived if you haven’t noticed. “Plant-based” has now replaced “vegan” as the primary new term describing a diet that is animal product free. Being vegetarian can mean a number of things but just to set the record straight vegan or plant-based means eating nothing from an animal. (That includes eggs.) When Burger King, White Castle and others start adding plant-based “meats” to their menu, somebody important in the corporation has realized that this market cannot be ignored. Restaurants are quickly realizing the potential of this exploding market. Customers are demanding these options more and more. The growing demand for plant-based products is an extremely positive trend forcing the food industry to offer these options. It’s a win/win for everyone. Customers get their options and corporations are able to serve a new market. The movement shows no signs of abating. For example, according to the Good Food Institute the market for plant-based has grown 29 percent in the last two years. The plant-based segment is the fastest growing sector of the food industry.

Let’s rewind a bit to understand why a plant-based diet is becoming more popular. Health and climate concerns are the chief motivating factors of the movement’s popularity. According to a study by The America Journal for Public Health, obesity has become a health crisis in the United States. This medical condition is linked to many diseases causing those suffering to look for alternative options to mainstream diets. Plant-based meat is much less damaging to the environment since emissions of greenhouse gasses are reduced by up to 90 percent when compared with conventional meat. Water pollution and nutrient pollution are also nearly entirely eliminated in many cases thanks to plant-based meat.

So, as you can see there are many reasons why your customers are now more and more demanding plant-based options. As I always say, there’s a vegan in every family. This is an important point for our restaurants. These “influencers” often make the decision about where the family eats. If a restaurant has good vegan options, it’s entirely likely that this establishment will be chosen over one that has no vegan options.

Let’s talk about plant-based pastas. Pasta is one of the best foods for someone to make a transition from a “meat” centered diet to a “plant-based” centered diet. It’s also one of the best, easiest and cheapest ways for a food establishment to offer vegan options to its customers. Everyone loves and eats pastas. It’s one of the first solid meals given to children. The most famous pasta dish, spaghetti and red sauce is vegan by default. At its basic level a plant-based diet is based on simplicity and cleanliness.

The first step to vegan pasta is to avoid pasta that contains egg. Obviously, egg while controversially vegetarian is not vegan. Most pastas do not contain egg but it’s better to make sure. A restaurant does not want to make the mistake of serving a non-vegan pasta dish advertised as vegan or plant-based.

I will explain my three go-to vegan pasta dishes which are easy to make, delicious and quite deceptive in the sense of being hard to detect that there are no animal products in these dishes. They are:

• Spaghetti Bolognese. This is a version of the classic Italian Bolognese traditionally done with Tagliatelle. Tagliatelle contains egg. Spaghetti does not. The first ingredient you need is a plant-based “meat” crumble. There are many options and brands now a days like Gardein, Nightlife, Morning Star, Beyond Meat, Hungry Planet, Be Hive and others. The simplest way to make it is sauté the meat crumble in garlic and olive oil until done, then add tomato sauce and simmer for about half hour. You can make the tomato sauce yourself or use ready-to-serve products. Then add the sauce to the spaghetti with some dried oregano, mix it well and serve. This was a crowd hit at the Pizza Expo. People were blown away by how good it was and they couldn’t believe it was vegan. To add some complexity and texture sauté chopped carrots, onions and celery in with the vegan ground “beef”.