Text 11697, 122 rader
Skriven 2007-02-06 16:50:28 av Richard Fallstrom (15136.babylon5)
     Kommentar till en text av rec.arts.sf.tv.babylon5.moderated
Ärende: Re: Ten Points
======================
In article <pelzo63-EAD8D7.23161305022007@news.west.earthlink.net>,
Chris <pelzo63@earthlink.net> wrote:

> In article <rJUxh.4959$a96.2312@fe01.news.easynews.com>,
>  Jeffrey MacHott <Raguleader@netzero.net> wrote:
>=20
> > It wasn't until a couple years later (a couple weeks ago, actually),=20
> > that I found out that this style of pizza is called "Californian Pizz=
a".=20
> >   If they had called it Californian Pizza in College Station, TX, the=
y=20
> > probably wouldn't have done nearly so well.  I gotta give it to them=20
> > Ultra Liberal Hippies=E2=84=A2, they make good pizza.
>=20
> that bears no resemblance to california style pizza(n. crap) which=20
> consists mainly of taking a normal pizza crust, adding untraditional=20
> cheeses like feta or monterey jack, putting oddly flavored tomato=20
> sauces(if they use tomato sauce at all) between the two, and topping it=
=20
> with the most unusual toppings possible, cashews, bean sprouts, carne=20
> asada, guacamole, saur cream, peanut sauce, etc, it's not even very=20
> popular around here in california.=20
>=20
> what you described, tomato, basil and provolone is much more closely=20
> related to Pizza Margherita, one of the oldest pizza recipes out=20
> there(and one of only 2 types of pizza recognized as "true" pizzas by=20
> the "Associazone Verace Pizza Napoletana"), though margherita is=20
> traditionally made with mozzarella rather than provolone, it's a change=
=20
> that i personally like, as i prefer the flavor of provo.=20
>=20
> california "fast food style" pizza, as opposed to california gourmet=20
> style pizza(what i described above) is basically, the worst of what=20
> people who think they know how to make a pizza can do.   they take a=20
> flavorless "not seasoned at all to avoid offending the taste buds"=20
> sauce, a thin hand tossed crust that is never cooked properly, and then=
=20
> they do not realize that mozzarella is a cheese that "fills" the surfac=
e=20
> it's placed on, so they overload it with mozza. the thing about mozza i=
s=20
> that it expands when it melts to cover a lot more area than it did when=
=20
> it was cold, in my experience, usually double the area(it's heavy in=20
> water, which we all know expands at high temps). but the locals are use=
d=20
> to using cheddar, which is much dryer, and more or less "melts in place=
"=20
> so they put the amount of mozza on the pie that they would have to put=20
> of cheddar to get the same coverage, and end up with a big gooey half=20
> melted mess.
>=20
> i have nearly given up on finding a good local pizza shop here in=20
> socal(i'm sure there are SOME, but none are near me that i've found).=20
> and make my own.
>=20
> my recipe varies based on mood, though my toppings are limited to=20
> pepperoni and pepperoni(i just don't like most other toppings, i can=20
> tolerate sausage, but if i'm making it for ME, well, i put what i like=20
> so nyah!)
>=20
> i have a thin crust or a thick crust i make, usually based on how hungr=
y=20
> i am, as i can rarely finish even half of my thick crust. and i cheat o=
n=20
> the sauce since i have not the time to make my own sauce from scratch.=20
> recipe as follows.=20
>=20
> for thin crust, just a traditional thin pizza crust recipe works, for=20
> thick crust i follow a Focaccia bread recipe. in both versions i put=20
> herbs and spices IN the dough as i'm mixing it. these include Crushed=20
> red pepper, oregano, basil, garlic powder rosemary, thyme.  then i put=20
> some of these spices inside a jarred sauce(like i said above, time=20
> constraints). and mix it up in there, then i top the dough with olive=20
> oil(extra virgin only) sprinkle the basic "italian seasoning" mixture o=
n=20
> top of that, then coat it with a good layer of sauce, usually several=20
> tablespoons, then i cheese it, cheesing it goes in layers to maximize=20
> both flavor and liquidity of the various cheeses.  first is a thin base=
=20
> of mozzarella, then provo, then fontina, asiago, romano and parmesan. =20
> this allows the mozza on the bottom to flow outwards and take the other=
=20
> cheeses with it, while the provo keeps it from flowing too far, then i=20
> put on the pepperoni(if i'm lazy, just the regular pillow pack works,=20
> but if i have time or pre-sliced, i have some natural casing pepperoni=20
> that i use that tastes much better than the pre-sliced pillow pack=20
> stuff) the pepperoni is put on in a layer that is counter to the mozza,=
=20
> where i leave space between pieces of mozza, i cover every square inch=20
> with pepperoni, because unlike the cheese, the pepperoni shrinks. then =
i=20
> cover the pepperoni in an even thinner layer of mozza and provo. this=20
> helps to bond the pepperoni to the layer of cheese below it, as well as=
=20
> give me a visual clue as to when it's done(when the top layer starts to=
=20
> brown). i then cook for 10-12 minutes at 425=C2=B0 and take it out and =
enjoy,=20
> with the thick crust, i often warm(ok, hot) up a bowl of sauce to dip i=
t=20
> in as it is so thick that the sauce i can safely put on top w/o=20
> effecting the cooking process is too little.=20
>=20
> my preferred crust is actually the focaccia(thick) crust and i often=20
> make this as a dish at pot luck events, or a side for holidays, though=20
> in those cases i lessen the sauce to just a light brushing, so it's mor=
e=20
> of a "cheesy bread" and i chop up the pepperoni into small tidbits to=20
> make it less like a pizza, and slice it into squared for easy dipping.=20
>=20
> ...chris
>=20
Man, I gotta try making one of those. You sound like a man who knows
good food (as I do). I have a recipe I call Fork Tender Pork which I
happen to have copyrighted, so I am always interested in good food as
opposed to schlockey food.

Rick (sometimes is a GentleRF and sometimes is not)
=2E
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