“How’s That?”

Hello  my Foodie Friends!   

When someone asks you what’s your favorite food, what is your answer? My answer has always been PIZZA! Growing up in New Haven County, Connecticut we had an expectation of quality for our Apizza (“ah’beetz”) Pies. It was usually on Friday night that my dad would come home from work in New Haven with a Pepe’s Apizza. There were five drooling children that would be out of minds with anticipation. This reception got my Mom’s Sicilian competitive juices flowing!  She was determined to match the great Frank Pepe. To this day when my family reminisces about my mom, they always bring up the famous “two weeks of Pizza” as she kept making different variations of his pizza to finally nail it. Please understand that not one of her renditions were not loved by the young Reardon’s. If I hear anyone say the words: “How’s that?”, I think of her. We were very early versions of that on-line guy “one bite, everybody knows the rules.” My wife Paula has taken up my mom’s mantra and makes awesome Pizza. One of the results of Paula’s pizza is the love that she puts into making it, that is felt and returned by all. We have tinkered with it over the years and I think Paula’s pizza is now perfect. That’s the thing about pizza; it’s a personal taste type of food.  The way I like it might be different than the way someone else likes it and that’s ok.    

If you have ever made your own pizza at home, then you’ll know where the best pizza in town is. We all have our own version of what the best pizza is and the best person to make it is you.  To begin making your great pizza you should pick out a great stone. 

A pizza stone is one of the keys to making a perfect pizza. The science behind pizza stones is relatively simple: the stone conducts and holds heat, which keeps the oven temperature steady even when a cold ingredient (such as an uncooked pizza) is introduced. This not only helps the pizza cook more evenly, but also allows the bottom to get crisp. The trick to a crispy pizza is to heat the stone in the oven prior to putting your prepared pizza on it.

Learning how to clean a pizza stone correctly can help it last a long time and produce mouth-watering pizzas. The one small problem: How do you remove all that baked-on cheese and grease once you’re done devouring your culinary masterpiece? Follow these steps to clean a pizza stone so it lasts for many years to come. It’s best to clean a pizza stone every time it’s used—a quick wipe works. This makes it easier to remove stuck-on food and cheese. And it helps avoid having to deep clean your stone as often. Let your stone cool down before removing it from the oven. 

The Emile Henry Pizza Stones are also another option. The Emile Henry Pizza Stone makes brick-oven style pizzas in ovens and on grills. It heats up in just 15 minutes, cleans easily, it’s light weight and of course it’s made in France.

The Pizza Stone is made of all natural materials and is manufactured using Emile Henry’s proprietary Flame® technology. The Pizza Stone can withstand high oven temperatures. 

Pizza steels have become a popular way of making pizza. The pizza steel is like a pizza stone but is made of steel that offer a temperature conduit that helps make a crisp crust. Like the pizza stone, you will want to heat up the steel prior to putting your pizza creation on it to cook. Whichever method you choose, have fun making pizza. Get creative with your pizza and make lasting memories.

I gave you the Margherita recipe because this is a good place to start making a great pizza and you can easily add or subtract your ingredients!  I also like the name.  Stop in to Compliments to the Chef, Your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery Store, located at 33 Railroad Place and pick one up the tools you need for your pizza creations before they are all gone.

If you do make your own pizza, please stop by with a slice for me and announce “How’s that?” 

Remember my Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen”  

Take Care, John & Paula