Meatballs, which have been around for hundreds of years and were once considered peasant goods, have gone mainstream. In fact, one Chicago restaurateur has opened a restaurant called “The Ball Room.” Yes, meatballs of various style (and shape) served every which way are the mainstays of the menu.

Let me put it this way: who doesn’t like a meatball? And this way: who doesn’t like pizza? Ah, the light bulb just went on. Meatball pizza.

Of course there are many suppliers jumping to sell you ready-made meatballs, so you should sample those out to see which works best for you. On the other hand, I’m offering two basic recipes for making meatballs in-house. The first recipe, “Mamma’s Magnificent Meatballs,” is a big batch deal. But once made and cooked, they can be frozen and kept for later use. The second recipe is similar in style, but it is more or less a test recipe so that you can get the hang of the process.

Just to keep the ball rolling, I am giving you a couple of tweaks that will allow you to offer something a bit different — lamb meatballs and turkey meatballs. The best way to market your meatball pizza is to draw attention to it. Come up with a clever slogan like “We are having a ball!” (groan) or “Try one of our specialty meatball pizzas.” You can also play up the idea that a turkey meatball pizza would be a healthier option. Let’s get rolling.

Mamma’s Magnificent
Meatballs

Yield: about 100 2-ounce meatballs

8 pounds lean ground beef
2 pounds ground pork
¼ cup finely chopped or crushed garlic
2 medium-size onions, finely chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup grated Romano cheese
1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
5 cups bread torn from day-old Italian or French bread, soaked in milk then squeezed dry
7 eggs, lightly beaten
3 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons black pepper
4 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

Combine all the ingredients in the order listed. Mix by hand thoroughly.

Form the meatballs — a bit larger than a golf ball — by rolling the meat between the palms of your hand.

Lay a thin film of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Sauté the meatballs over medium-high heat in batches until they are cooked through, turning them frequently to brown evenly.

Once cooled, the meatballs can be used at once or frozen for later use

Cook’s Notes: Vary the size of the meatballs for the application — sandwich, pizza, spaghetti and meatballs. The meatballs can be baked in the oven (450 F) instead of sautéed. Set a pizza screen on top of a pizza pan. Spray the screen with vegetable oil. Arrange the meatballs on the screen and bake until cooked through. Cooking time will vary relative to the type of oven being used.

Basic Meatball Recipe

Yield: 18 meatballs, each about 2 inches in diameter

1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup cubed day-old Italian bread
½ cup milk
1 teaspoon each dried oregano and dried basil, crumbled
¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork and beef. In another bowl, soak the bread in the milk until it is saturated. Squeeze the bread and drain off excessive milk. Tear the bread into small pieces and add it to the meat. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly and form into meatballs.

Arrange the meatballs on a sheet pan fitted out with a drain tray (or use a spray-coated pizza screen). Bake the meatballs until cooked through. Set aside. (Can be prepped ahead and held, covered, refrigerated, for up to four days. Or frozen.)

Now, on to the meatball pizza. Take note of these suggestions:

Do not try to use a large meatball. The crust may not carry the weight, and your food costs will be too much to deal with.

You can use smaller meatballs as they are but, again, don’t load the crust down.

A better option is to slice the meatballs in half horizontally. Put the flat side of the meatball down, the domed side up.

Another option is to slice the meatballs (the larger size) into “coins” and use those on the pizza in the same manner as, say, pepperoni.

How many meatballs to use is relative to the pizza size. Use common sense. Not too many, not too little.

Spread pizza sauce over the crust. Sprinkle some grated Romano cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle on some grated mozzarella (or other grated cheese). Arrange the halved meatballs over the cheese. Sprinkle on additional cheese. For example, a 14-inch pizza would take about 8 ounces of grated mozzarella. Use 4 ounces for the first layer of cheese; 4 ounces for the second layer of cheese. Bake.

Three Great Variations

Lamb meatballs. In the “Basic Meatball” recipe, replace the pork with ground lamb. Replace the oregano with ½ teaspoon ground cumin. Replace the basil with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Turkey meatballs. In the “Basic Meatball” recipe, replace the pork AND the beef with ground lean turkey, and add 1 teaspoon ground or crushed fennel seeds to the recipe.

Great Balls of Fire. Spice up a meatball pizza by adding cayenne pepper, to taste, to the basic meatball recipe. If you take this route, after mixing all the ingredients, test fry some of the meat and adjust the spicy-heat accordingly.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Bacon is back. In the past few months I have come across no fewer than seven food articles in which bacon played either a main role or a supporting role in various dishes. Talk about pigging out. Did you know that there was a “Bacon of the Month Club?” Now you do. And have you heard about the “Bacon Explosion?” Two pounds of bacon get woven through and around two pounds of Italian sausage, the whole of which is slathered in barbecue sauce. Talk about going whole hog!

Bacon is loaded with fl avor (“everything tastes better with bacon” is pushing the envelope, but there is some truth there), so it does have a place in many dishes and styles of food. And to expand the possibilities, consider using pancetta. The Italian version of bacon, pancetta is a cured — but not smoked — pork product that should be considered when working up dishes where the idea of pork has merit. One example would be a PLT, or pancetta, lettuce and tomato panini. Buy baby pancetta (it is sold rolled and has the shape of, say, capicolla or salami). Slice it thin, crisp it in a sauté pan and use the whole round slices to make a great panini.

I am also in favor of using bacon (or pancetta) in pasta dishes. For example, one of the tastiest pasta dishes around is spaghetti carbonara. Spaghetti carbonara uses just a few ingredients — cooked bacon (or pancetta), grated Parmesan, eggs, black pepper — that when tossed with the cooked pasta makes quite an amazing and delicious dish. And don’t forget that bacon can be used quite effectively in a salad. For example, combine fresh spinach with crisp bacon, tomatoes, and slices of hard-boiled eggs. A balsamic vinaigrette dressing completes this delicious salad.

Cooking bacon is a no-brainer, but the simplest and easiest method is to microwave it. You can prep a whole lot of bacon in a short amount of time this way. If you do that, be sure to keep the cooked bacon in the cooler or prep table (covered). Even though it is cooked, bacon can go over the hill fast, so I recommend you not cook more than you need for, say, four days.

On the other hand, if you need the fat that is rendered from the cooking of the bacon, use a sauté pan and fry away. Or lay the bacon on a sheet pan and cook it in the deck oven (conveyor oven works too, but the grease splatters really do a number on the oven). There is also the possibility of deep-frying the bacon, should you want it extra crisp to use, say, as crumbles on a salad. The deep-frying does take most of the fat out, which you can take two ways: healthier, but with a loss of flavor.

So there’s an idea, thinking about that “Pork Explosion.” What about the possibility of using bacon and Italian sausage together as a pizza topping. Got a name for it? No? I do. “Pork Pie.”



Pork (Pizza) Pie

I have to admit right up front that this pizza is not low on calories or fat, but when it comes to flavor, there is nothing quite like it.

Makes one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

1 14-inch pizza shell
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
10 ounces ground pork
2 teaspoons ground fennel
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
6 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, then chopped into ½-inch pieces
8 ounces ground tomatoes or tomato puree
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Spread the mozzarella over the crust up to ½-inch of the edge.

Mix the ground pork with the fennel, salt, pepper and press into a patty that is about 12-inches in diameter (in other words, very thin). Put the pork patty on top of the cheese.

Sprinkle the cooked and chopped bacon over the pork. Ladle on the tomatoes. Sprinkle the Romano cheese evenly over the tomatoes. Bake.

Bacon and Spinach Pizza

You will note that in this recipe I use the half-and-half cheese method — half the cheese directly on the crust, then add the toppings and finish with the remaining cheese. No tomatoes are used on this pizza. This method gives the pizza a lot more eye appeal since the toppings are visible. This pizza falls into the “Signature” category of pizzas. In other words, because it is made with premium ingredients, you can charge a bit more. Your customers will agree, once they have had a slice or two, that this pizza is worth an extra buck or two.

Makes one 12-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

1 12-inch pizza shell
¼ pound bacon, cooked until crisp and broken into pieces
8 ounces 50/50 blend mozzarella and provolone
½ pound (about) fresh plum or Roma tomatoes, sliced
10-12 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh garlic
¼ cup toasted pine nuts

Spread half the cheese blend over the rolled out crust. Sprinkle the cooked bacon over the cheese.

Lay the sliced fresh tomatoes evenly over the cheese.

Spread the spinach leaves evenly over the bacon and tomatoes.

Drizzle the olive oil over the spinach, followed by the chopped fresh garlic.

Sprinkle on the remaining 4 ounces of cheese, followed by the toasted pine nuts. Bake. 

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

The appetizer section of menus has taken a beating in the many Chicago restaurants I visit every day in my role as chief restaurant critic for the Chicago Sun- Times. I see customers moving away from expensive appetizers (and, believe me, the price of apps have gone through the roof) and moving directly to an entreé (or possibly an inexpensive house salad before the entree). But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Appetizers are not on menus simply to boost the check average. An appetizer, as the name implies, is a small serving of food meant to stimulate the appetite. Antipasto in Italian. Hors d’oeuvre in French. Antojito in Spanish. Anyway you pronounce or spell it, the reason appetizers are the lead item on most menus is that it sets the pace for the rest of the meal. And, to that extent, it becomes your calling card. Serving a bad appetizer or two can throw cold water on everything to follow, and that will leave a bad taste in your customers’ mouths. Step up to the plate and make some magic with the appetizer portion of your menu.

Here, by focusing on zucchini and artichokes, I am only scratching the surface of the pantry of possibilities; however, by extension, you can take some of the ideas and methods included in the recipes that follow and put them to use in other applications. And, by yet another extension, take the accompaniments (dipping sauces, garnishes) I suggest and put those into play with those appetizers that you might be featuring on your menu right now.

Allow me to whet your appetite with this very easy-to-do recipe for fried zucchini. The zucchini is cut lengthwise for this recipe; however, you can use the same method of coating and frying should you want to cut the zucchini into coins instead of strips. It boils down to simply a matter of how you wish to plate and present the dish.



Zucchini Fritti
Yield: about 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

1½ cups Parmesan 1½ cups Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) ½ teaspoon salt 2 extra-large eggs 3 medium-size zucchini, washed, trimmed (but not skinned), cut into 3 inch-long by about ½ inch-wide strips In a mixing bowl, combine the Parmesan, Panko and salt.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Dip the zucchini in the egg to coat, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Coat the zucchini on both sides with the Panko, pressing so that the Panko sticks.

Deep-fry the zucchini strips (in batches if necessary) until they are golden brown (about 3 minutes at 375 F). Drain on paper toweling. Can be made ahead and held for up to one hour. Serve with aioli dipping sauce on the side (recipe follows).

Aioli Dipping Sauce for Fried Zucchini

A classic aioli is made with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and egg yolks, which by any other name is close to fresh-made mayonnaise. So in my version of aioli I take the easy way out by using bottled mayonnaise with no loss of fl avor or overall goodness.

2 cups real mayonnaise 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 3 large garlic cloves, pushed through a garlic press 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (about 1⁄3 cup) Sea salt

Put the mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Add salt to taste. Refrigerate (covered) for 2 hours to let the fl avors develop.

Makes just over 2 cups. Scale up in direct proportion.

Batter-Fried Artichokes

It’s not easy to work with artichokes but, in the end, deliciousness trumps hard work. Whether to use fresh artichokes and go through the process of paring and trimming the artichoke, or to use canned artichoke hearts or frozen artichokes hearts is up to you (my choice, unless I am stuffi ng the artichoke, is to go with frozen artichoke hearts). Whatever choice you make, give this appetizer a try, you just might be surprised how well your customers take to these golden, crispy, chunks of delicious pleasure. Deep-fried artichokes can be as simple as dredging the hearts (halve the larger hearts to allow for even cooking) in fl our and dropping them in the fryer. Drain and serve with wedges of fresh lemon. Or, to make matters a bit more interesting, you can use this recipe, one that gives the artichokes a tastier, crispier chew.

Crispy Artichoke Hearts

1 pound artichoke hearts. If frozen, thaw. If canned, drain. (Pat dry in both cases) 2 large eggs ¾ cup all-purpose fl our ¼ cup yellow cornmeal 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan 2 teaspoons dried oregano

Cut the larger hearts in half lengthwise. In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly. In a separate bowl combine the fl our, cornmeal, Parmesan and oregano.

Dip the artichoke halves in the egg, allowing the excess to drain back into the bowl, then into the fl our mixture, turning to coat all over.

Deep-fry in batches (about 4 minutes until golden and crisp) Drain onto paper towels. Serve with a Dijon-dill dipping sauce (recipe follows) on the side. Or, if you want to take the easy (yet delicious) route, use a bottled ranch dressing.

Put the dipping sauce in a small ramekin in the center of a large plate. Arrange the fried artichoke hearts around the ramekin. Sprinkle with fi nely chopped parsley (optional).

It is hard to gauge a serving portion, because of the varying size of the artichoke hearts. I can tell you that when I make this recipe for friends and family the artichokes disappear rather fast. However, the recipe is so simple it doesn’t take long to whip up another batch.

Dijon-Dill Dipping sauce
¼ cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon snipped fresh dill 1 teaspoon lemon juice Combine the mayonnaise, mustard and dill. Whisk in the lemon juice. ❖

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Herbs and spices, when used correctly, will give a flavor kick to any style of pizza, pasta dish or salad. When using fresh herbs in a pasta sauce, add them near the end of the cooking time — just long enough for their flavor to “bloom.” Conversely, if you are using dried herbs in the sauce, put them in at the very beginning. Dried herbs need time (and heat) to re-hydrate and round out their flavor. And, please, do not use dried herbs that are over the hill. They have no real flavor left. You might as well throw in dried weeds.

Generally, you will need to add three times as much fresh herbs as dried herbs in a recipe. When using dried herbs, crush or rub them between your thumb and forefinger as you add them to the sauce. This releases the essential, inner flavor of the herb.

Without further adieu, here are the 10 herbs and spices every pizzeria should have on hand at all times for use on pizza or in a variety of pasta dishes: 

Oregano and basil. These are two of the most important herbs used in a tomato-based sauce. Both are aromatics. Oregano adds a piquant flavor, while basil adds a fragrance and sweetness to the sauce. In combination, they are the ideal tomato sauce –– pizza or pasta –– enhancer. 

Marjoram. This is a sweet-scented herb that is quite important in Mediterranean cooking. Sweet marjoram has a decidedly delicate flavor. Often, chefs will use oregano and marjoram interchangeably. 

Garlic. This is another great sauce enhancer. Whether used fresh, sautéed, crushed or chopped, garlic adds its own unique flavor interest. Once again, though, use only garlic that is firm, not soft or going bad (if you see a green shoot in the middle of the clove, it means that the garlic is starting to age, but you can still use it, just remove that sliver of green first.) I rarely use garlic powder; it imparts a bitter, heavy aftertaste to a sauce. 

Bay leaf. This works well with tomatoes but should be used with considerable care because of its intense flavor. Too much bay leaf may overpower the other flavors in the sauce. 

Parsley. This is definitely an unsung herb, but it must be the fl at-leaf or Italian type. Curly parsley is fi ne as a garnish, but that’s about as far as it goes in my flavor book. 

Red pepper flakes (crushed chilies). This is the sauce enhancer to use when a spicy heat effect is desired. Use according to taste to spice up a pizza or pasta sauce (linguine with clam sauce, for example). 

Black pepper. Here again it’s all about freshness. Ground black pepper that has been sitting in a can for months and months is, well, black — but it’s not pepper (a lot of what it did have for flavor went south). Grinding peppercorns into a sauce or on a salad is the right way to go. 

Capers. Capers packed in brine are the best kind to use, but rinse them under cold water before adding them to a sauce or dish of any kind. Capers are practically indispensable to a spicy red sauce. 

Thyme. This is an interesting all purpose herb. It has a strong, pungent flavor, so use with restraint (a little goes a long way). I find that thyme adds a lot of interest to certain pasta dishes like linguine with clam sauce (red or white). Also, if you are doing a clam pizza, try using thyme to round out the flavor profile. 

The Sauce is Boss
I adapted this sauce from the basic flavor toppings used in the making of a classic Margherita sauce. The end result is an eminently flavorful pasta dish that also just happens to sport the colors –– green, white, and red –– of the Italian fl ag. This sauce works great with a shorter cut of pasta — penne, rigatoni, farfalle –– and is enough for about 6 servings.

Margherita Sauce

1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups canned plum tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
1 pound fresh mozzarella, chopped coarse
Enough cooked pasta for 6 servings (figuring 2-3 ounces uncooked per serving)

In a large heavy sauté pan, sauté the garlic in the oil over moderate heat for two minutes. Put the tomatoes and their juices into a mixing bowl and crush them with your hands. Add the tomatoes to the saucepan. Add salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the sauce at a steady simmer, stirring occasionally for 20-25 minutes (keep crushing the tomatoes with a fork or heavy spoon to form pulp) or until the sauce has reduced to about 2½ cups.

Add the basil to the sauce and stir to combine. Divide the pasta among heated pasta serving bowls. Ladle some of the sauce over each serving. Sprinkle an equal amount of fresh mozzarella over the sauce. Serve at once. Pass grated Parmesan cheese separately for additional flavor.

The Secret Weapon

If I have any secret sauce ingredient to speak of, it would be olive oil. I like to swirl a tablespoon or two into a sauce about 10 minutes before the sauce is ready to come off the heat. Extra-virgin is always my fi rst choice, as it adds a fruitiness to the sauce that is very appealing. Ditto for a drizzle of olive oil over a pizza (especially if the pizza is topped with arugula or other greens).

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

More and more I am seeing a bumper crop of vegetables showing up on restaurant menus –– and I am not talking salads here. From asparagus to zucchini and everything in between (arugula is the hottest green being used as a pizza topping right now), vegetables of every shape and color have become the go-to ingredients that add pizzazz to pizzas (and pumps up that pasta dish to pleasing perfection).


(Broccoli rabe –– also known as rapini –– is a distant cousin to the cabbage and turnip. )

I am seeing rapini (also known as broccoli rabe) and radicchio being used in pasta dishes with delicious effect. as simple as blanching the rapini until it is tender, followed by a quick sauté olive oil and garlic. That’s the prep. toss the cooked and drained pasta (short pasta such as penne, ziti orrecchiette or rigatoni) into the rapini, combine serve.


(This might look like red cabbage, but it’s actually radicchio. This colorful offering can be used in salads, but we have a recipe using it on pizza. )

Another vegetable that works in pasta dishes and as a pizza topping is asparagus. Trim and clean the asparagus, then toss brush with olive oil. Grill the aparagus roast it in the oven). Now cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Use as is for a pizza topping or toss with cooked pasta.

Since the dog days of August are upon us, here’s a great dish to consider for a late summer special now through the end of September. I make this dish more than a few times during late summer when I have access to fresh, dead-ripe tomatoes and arugula. The dish comes out more or less like a pasta salad. Served with crusty Italian bread, it becomes an entree salad.


(Arugula has a tendency to be gritty, so rinse well before using. )

After you check out my fresh tomatoes and arugula recipe, I have a couple more for you to try as well.


(For the best flavor, choose smaller zucchini. It is younger and boasts more flavor. )

Rigatoni with Fresh Tomatoes and Arugula
Yield: 4-6 servings
(scale up in direct proportion)

3⁄4 pound rigatoni, cooked until al dente, drained, cooled slightly
3⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
½ cup chopped red onion
8 ripe Roma tomatoes (about 3 pounds), cored and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups, tightly packed chopped arugula
1 cup grated Parmesan

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar and olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, tomatoes and arugula, then toss to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked pasta to the bowl. Toss to combine. Sprinkle on the Parmesan. Toss again. Divide into serving portions.

Arugula, Prosciutto and Fresh Mozzarella Pizza
Yield: One 14-inch pizza
(scale up in direct proportion)

1 14-inch pizza shell
2 cups fresh arugula leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 very thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces), shredded
6 ounces pizza sauce
2 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced or cubed
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Toss the arugula with the olive oil and prosciutto. Set aside. Spread the pizza sauce over the pizza crust. Put the fresh mozzarella over the sauce, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the mozzarella. Bake the pizza until the crust is brown and the cheese has melted. Let the pizza cool for a few minutes, then slice. Just before sending the pizza out, arrange the arugula/prosciutto mixture over the top.

Pizza with Sauteéd Radicchio
Yield: One14-inch pizza
(scale up in direct proportion)
1 14-inch pizza shell
1⁄4 cup olive oil
5 cups coarsely chopped radicchio*
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella

In a large sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the chopped radicchio and the garlic. Cook and stir for about 10 minutes or until the radicchio is soft and wilted. Remove from heat. Set aside. Spread the sauteéd radicchio evenly over the pizza crust. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the radicchio. Bake. ❖



You can substitute escarole for the radicchio if the cost of the radicchio is too high. ❖

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Dips definitely have a place on your appetizer or bar menu, so don’t look down on them as being a food that has lost it edge. Those tasteless dips (most made with onion soup and all that) we had been urged into trying at a party might have left a bad taste in our mouth and given dips a bad rap. But I am here to correct all that. The dips I am talking about are those that I like to call “delicious dips for today.” All have a creative edge. These are dips that you just want to, well, keep dipping into –– dips that your customers will rave about.

There are hot and cold versions. Generally speaking, cold dips are easier to deal with than hot dips. Cold dips go together without too much fuss (generally, all it takes is a food processor to complete the recipe) and have a longer shelf life. On the other hand, hot dips come across as being a lot more creative and have a livelier taste profile.

Consider seasonal aspects –– availability of fresh produce and herbs, cold weather, hot weather. I really enjoy hot soups in the winter, but not so much in the summer. And the reverse, cold soups (gazpacho, for example) in the summer. But that’s just me. Dips –– cold or hot –– have no season.

Here is one example of a creative approach to dips. Recently, I was at a wine bar/restaurant in Chicago, where I live. One of the appetizer choices was actually four dips in one. It was called “Taste of the Mediterranean.” Arranged on a small oval platter were an eggplant spread (baba ghanoush), an olive tapenade, hummus, and a cucumber/yogurt spread (tzatziki). A bowl filled with small pita triangles became the carrier or “dipper” to scoop up the various dips and spreads. So you see, a dip doesn’t have to be one dimensional.

On the subject of what can be used to scoop up a dip, you probably already have it in front of you: Pizza dough. Simply roll or stretch your basic pizza dough. Dock it, brush it with olive oil, bake and cut into squares or triangles. Serve your “pizza chips” on the side for your customer to use with your tasty dips.

I would recommend that you dip your toe in the water with a cold dip or two. Then fl ex your idea muscles and try out a hot dip. And don’t forget to work out an attractive presentation, which is very important to give your dip appetizers an up to date, modern feel. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Italian Bean Dip
I suppose this could fall into the category of that Middle Eastern dip/ spread known as hummus (which is made using chickpeas). In this bean dip version I use cannellini beans. And it all goes together simply and easily. The only variable is the olive oil. Too little olive oil and the dip might come out too dry; too much oil and the dip will be too runny. You want this dip to have enough body to cling to the bread or pizza chip or whatever you are using. Use discretion as you add the olive oil.

Yield: about 5 cups of dip (scale up in direct proportion)

4 cups cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fl at-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon (or to taste) crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil (about)

In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, garlic, lemon juice, parsley and red pepper flakes. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dip is creamy, not runny. The flavor profile of this dip is at least two hours. Serve with triangles of toasted bread or pizza chips.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip
If you are using canned or jarred roasted red peppers, be sure to pat as much moisture off the peppers as possible or the dip will be too watery.

Yield: about 3 cups (scale up in direct proportion)

2 cups roasted red peppers (from jar or can or roast your own), patted dry
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the peppers, ricotta and Parmesan. Process until a smooth and creamy purée is formed. Add salt and pepper. Serve with toasted Italian bread or pizza chips.

Pizza Fondue Dip
The idea with this dip –– which as the name implies is a hot dip –– is to use what you already have on your prep table. Serve the fondue part in some type of attractive heatproof bowl (metal or porcelain). Put the bowl on a large plate; put the dipping bread around the perimeter of the plate. The purpose of the mozzarella is not only to add flavor interest, but body and texture to enhance the dipping process.

Yield: about 5 cups of dip (scale up in direct proportion)

½ pound cooked lean ground pork or sausage meat
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 cups pizza sauce or tomatoes (whatever you are using for your pizzas)
1 teaspoon each dried oregano and basil
2 teaspoons crushed or ground fennel seeds
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella

In a large pot, set over medium high heat, combine the pork, garlic, pizza sauce, oregano, basil and fennel seeds. Stir to combine. When the sauce has reached a simmer (not boiling), swirl in the Parmesan. Wait a few minutes then stir in the mozzarella if you are using this portion size right away. Alternately, to complete the serving process: Keep the dip warm in a water bath or steam table. Hold back the mozzarella and add it to order, just before ladling out a portion relative to number of people to be served.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Giving a pizza a Mediterranean spin is as easy as saying “tomatoes, olives and anchovies.” But, then that would be giving short shrift to so many other flavors that make up the colorful portfolio of delicious Mediterranean ingredients. For example, we could paint the pizza crust with a pesto sauce and that would bring various regions of Italy into the pizza. We could next add chopped Kalamata olives and crumbled feta, so now we have added a few flavors of Greece to the pizza. And if we were to add anchovies, Spain has taken its place on the pizza. You can even add herbs –– oregano, basil, fennel — to the dough to up the flavor ante even more. I am not suggesting that those ingredients would make the best pie around, but you get where I am going here: The possibilities are endless.

So as I thought it over, I came up with a compromise –– a Sicilian Pizza, a pizza in the style of Sicily to represent the very idea of a Mediterranean pizza. Why Sicilian? Considering the fact that Sicily has seen many countries and cultures come and go over the centuries: Arab, French, Greek, Spanish — Mediterranean countries, all. And all of those countries, in one fashion or another, had an influence on the cuisine of Sicily.

Sicilian Pizza

Sicilian Pizza

This pizza might require a bit more prep work than usual, but the end result is worth it 10 times over. As you will see from the method part of this recipe, the combining and cooking of the main ingredients –– eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, etc. –– can be done well ahead and kept at room temperature (or refrigerated for later use). And then to order, it’s simply a matter of adding the rest of the toppings, with a final touch being an optional shower of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

Yield: Two 14-inch pizzas (scale up in direct proportion)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed or minced
2 cups pizza sauce or all-purpose crushed tomatoes
¼ cup Kalamata or other Greek black olive, pitted
2 tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 14-inch pizza shells
½ pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
Optional grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the eggplant and garlic. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olives, capers and oregano. Simmer the sauce until it is reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Allow the sauce to cool for at least 20 minutes (can be prepped well ahead and held).

Stretch or press the two pizza shells to suggested size. Ladle half the sauce over each shell. Divide the cheese equally between the two pizzas. Sprinkle some Parmesan over each pizza. Bake. Cool slightly before cutting.

Alternatively, the dough can be pressed into a rectangular pan and then cut into squares after baking.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

White pizza is the hot new trend in fi ne dining Italian restaurants. For example, a fi ne-dining restaurant here in Chicago recently switched cuisines mid-bite –– it went from contemporary American to Italian –– and one of its featured dishes is a white pizza. The trend toward white pizza seems to grow a bit year by year. A couple of the more well known white pizzas include the clam pie served at Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana and the potato pie served at Sally’s Apizza, both in New Haven, Connecticut.

Simply put, a white pizza is a pizza without a pizza sauce, or at least that smear of red that tops 99 percent of the pizzas made around the world. Is a white pizza for you? I say, quite emphatically, yes! Unless you try something new you will come across as being old and tired. You can even add some drama to your menu by using white pizzas as signature pies. Yes, I know that sausage and pepperoni with sauce and mozzarella will always be the customers’ No. 1 choice, but if you introduce a couple of white pies, you just might be surprised at how eager your customers are to give one a try.

White Pizza

When it comes to white pizza, really sock the fl avor to it. For example, even though you might not be buying fresh herbs, consider bringing in a couple. The two I am thinking about are thyme and rosemary. These two fresh herbs will add a ton of fl avor to a potato pizza (recipe follows).

Use extra-virgin olive oil (a little goes a long way) instead of virgin olive oil. The fruity and up-flavor of extra virgin olive oil provides an elegant final touch to a white pizza.

If you’re using garlic, make sure it’s good and fresh. Old garlic tastes, well, old, and has a musty, off taste that can ruin not only a white pizza, but any other dish in which you use garlic. (Note: if you see a green “thread” in the center of a garlic clove, this means that the garlic is actually trying to root and that the clove is getting old. You can still use that clove, but take out the green root.)

Pancetta and Potato Pizza Pie
Yield: one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)
1 14-inch pizza shell
¼ pound lean pancetta (aka baby pancetta), chopped*
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large redskin potato (about ¾ pound), peeled and sliced almost paper-thin
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In a small sauté pan over medium high heat, cook the pancetta until it starts to render its fat. Add the garlic. Stir and cook until the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Reserve in the pan.

Brush the crust with some of the oil from the sauté pan. Arrange the potatoes over the crust, up to the border, overlapping them if necessary. Sprinkle on the rosemary, thyme, and red pepper flakes.

Pour the reserved pancetta, including the fat in the pan, evenly over the pizza. Sprinkle on the Parmesan. Bake.

* If pancetta is not available, use bacon.

Chef’s Note: You can create a white clam pie by simply replacing the potatoes with chopped canned clams, using some clam juice to enhance the flavor.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

From Messina on the Northeast corner of Sicily to Trapani on the west coast, Sicily has, over many centuries, felt the infl uences of Greek, Roman, and Spanish culture. That minestrone of civilizations has had quite an impact on the cuisine of this fabled island. Often the term cucina povera, or the cooking of the poor, is ascribed to Sicilian cuisine, but that in no way downgrades the pleasure and ingenuity that is so much a part of Sicilian cooking. In fact, Sicilian cuisine bursts with color, flavor, fragrance and goodness.

The gist of this article –– Sicilian pasta sauce –– is but a small dot on the culinary canvas that defines Sicilian food. Important to Sicilian cooking are creations like arancini (crunchy rice balls) and ingredients like sardines, anchovies, tomatoes, eggplant, crushed red pepper, olive oil, olives, clams, mussels, squid, capers, garlic, selected cheeses and fruits (like blood oranges and lemons). But, it is the simplicity of Sicilian cooking that makes it so approachable.

I am putting forth a challenge to every operator reading this article. Add some dishes –– pasta, pizza, appetizers –– with a Sicilian subtext and watch how fast those specialties fl y out of the kitchen. The time for Sicilian cooking to get its due has arrived. So let’s get started with some delicious Sicilian pasta sauces and go from there and see what else we can do with them.

Sicilian Pasta Sauce
Sicilians love to use ridged pasta like rigatoni, ziti and penne, so in this recipe I use an imported rigatoni known as “rigatoni gigantica” because I like the way it flattens after it has been cooked.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings (scale up in direct proportion)
1 pound mild Italian sausage with fennel
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups canned plum tomatoes with juices
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound rigatoni
½ cup grated Romano cheese

Remove casing from sausage (discard casing). Warm the olive oil for one minute in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage (breaking it up with a fork or spoon) and the ground beef. Cook and stir for 6 to 8 minutes until the meats are no longer pink.

Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano and pepper flakes.

Bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Turn down the heat and simmer the sauce for an hour or more until it has reduced, stirring occasionally.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water (that has been salted) until al dente (about 14 minutes for large rigatoni). Drain well.

Divide the pasta among six heated pasta bowls. Spoon some of the sauce over each portion. Sprinkle a portion of the romano cheese over each serving.

Chef’s notes: sauce can be made ahead. Cool slightly before covering and refrigeration. Cooled sauce can then be used on pizza. Spread a small amount of the sauce over a pizza shell. Top with grated romano or a blend of mozzarella and provolone. Bake as you would any other pizza.

Pasta alla Norma
This classic Sicilian pasta dish dates back to the late 1800s and was named after Bellini’s opera “Norma.” Eggplant is used frequently in Sicilian cooking. This is a very versatile sauce, so check out the extended possibilities under my Chef’s Notes.

Yield: six servings (scale up in direct proportion)
½ cup olive oil
2 small, firm eggplants (about 2 pounds), trimmed (but not peeled), cut into ½-inch cubes
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced or pushed through a garlic press
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste) 6 cups canned plum tomatoes with juices
1 cup torn basil leaves
1 pound ridged ziti or rigatoni
1 cup crumbled ricotta salata (a salted, dry ricotta cheese)

Warm the olive oil for 1 minute in a large sauté pan set over medium high heat. Add the eggplant and cook and stir until the eggplant softens a bit. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until the onion softens.

Crush the tomatoes by hand or use a hand-held blender. Add the tomatoes to the sauté pan with the eggplant and onion. Add the basil leaves. Simmer the sauce for an hour or more to reduce.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is al dente. Drain well. Divide the pasta among heated pasta bowls. Spoon some of the sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle some of the ricotta salata over each portion.

Chef’s notes 
If ricotta salata is not available, top each pasta portion with dollops of regular ricotta. 
Also, this sauce and method can be used as a pizza topping. Cool the sauce before spreading it on a pizza crust. Bake the pizza. After baking and just before sending it out, top with ricotta salata or dollops of regular ricotta. 
Batches of this sauce can be made ahead and stored, covered, in the cooler. Use with pasta or pizza as suggested. 
Small, firm eggplant (also known as Asian eggplant) does not need to be salted. Eggplant with a lot of seeds can be bitter unless it is salted and pressed to get rid of the bitterness. 
Once this sauce has been made and cooled, it can be used for an appetizer of eggplant bruschetta. Simply spoon a small amount of the cooled eggplant sauce over toasted or grilled ovals of bread. Top each portion with some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and/or a chiffonade of fresh basil. 

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

While there are many varieties of onions, the four types most commonly used in just about every restaurant are: yellow, Spanish, red and scallions (also know as green onions). When we get into fine-dining restaurants, however, the usage expands to include more exotic onions such as Maui sweet, Vidalia, Walla Walla, cippoline, pearl, shallots and
torpedo onions. Somewhere along the way, depending on the style of your menu, you might want to add one of the exotic onions to your repertoire. For example, cippoline onions are a
traditional Italian variety that is firm and juicy. It’s ideal for soups, stews and casseroles.

Those who know my cooking style will recall that I advocate sautéing vegetables in olive oil and/or butter to develop their flavor. For onions, this is a must. When prepping onions for use as a pizza topping, I also suggest either sweating or caramelizing them.

Sweating — gently cooking — is a common technique, and it accomplishes several things. For starters, it softens the texture, increases sweetness and reduces sulfur content (which makes it milder). I suggest sweating onions for dishes such as rosotti, pasta sauce and pizza.

Do this by first slicing or chopping a yellow onion. Add just enough oil or butter to cover the bottom of a deep sauté pan. If you use too much fat, you’ll smother the onions.

Sauté and stir over medium heat until the onions are soft.

If you decide to caramelize, you’ll achieve a unique flavor. Once an onion’s sugars have caramelized, a variety of sweet, rich flavors develop that add depth to any dish. I recommend caramelizing onions for use on sandwiches, hamburgers, roasted meats or as a pizza topping.
To caramelize for a pizza topping, start by heating one tablespoon of vegetable oil and one tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch non-stick fry pan set over medium heat. When the oil and butter are heated and the foaming stops, add 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt and 3⁄4 teaspoon of light brown sugar. Quickly stir to mix. Add about 1 cup of chopped yellow onion. Cook over high heat for approximately five minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions will begin to soften and release some of their juices.

Cook until onions are soft, have a glossy look, and are a deep, rich brown color. This may take 20 to 30 minutes. Do not rush this process, or the result will not produce onions with the varying layers of color and rich flavor. When the onions are done, remove from the heat and stir in a tablespoon of water. Add pepper to taste.

To use these onions on a pizza, brush the pizza shell with olive oil. Layer on the onions evenly over the crust. Top the onions with shredded mozzarella or Asiago cheese. Bake. Garnish with chopped parsley or snipped basil just before sending the pizza to the table.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.



TIP: If you want to reduce the harshness of an onion for a lighter dish, place sliced or chopped onions in a bowl of ice water. Soak for 90 minutes, changing the water every 30 minutes.

Onion and Mushroom Pizza

Yield: 1 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)
1 14-inch pizza shell
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups coarse chopped sweet yellow onion
1 ½ cups sliced white mushrooms
½ cup pitted Kalamata or other oil-cured black olives, chopped
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
Fresh basil or parsley

In a sauté pan set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute.

Add the onion and the mushrooms to the pan. Sauté and stir for about 8 minutes or until the onions soften. Drain excess moisture. Set aside. Brush the pizza shell with olive oil.

Top the pizza with the onion/mushroom mixture followed by the chopped olives. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella. Bake.

Garnish with clips of fresh basil leaves or parsley before sending out.

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Familiarity breeds intent, and those of us in the food business are quite familiar with that duet of herbs: basil and oregano. Generally, our intent is to use them in every way possible –– sometimes, whether we need to or not. For example, a pizza restaurant that shall go unnamed once used oregano to the point of absurdity. Finally, I called the owner (anonymously) and told him that if he kept laying down a napalm of oregano on my pizza that I was going elsewhere. I love oregano –– when it is used in moderation and in proper balance to the rest of the ingredients.

First, let me address the issue of dried herbs versus fresh herbs. Given the availability, price factor and overall usage, I would opt for fresh over dried every time, and who among us is not guilty of keeping dried herbs around too long? Dried herbs are not like a fine red wine — they do not get better with age. In fact, they lose potency by the week.

When using fresh herbs in, say, a pasta sauce, add them near the end of the cooking time. Putting them in early will alter the taste, since fresh herbs do not hold up as well in heat as dried herbs.

Conversely, if you are using dried herbs in a sauce, put them in at the very beginning. Dried herbs need time (and heat) to rehydrate and round out their flavor. Generally you will need to add three times as much fresh herbs as dried herb in a recipe –– for example, three tablespoons of fresh basil, or one tablespoon of dried basil. You wouldn’t scatter whole peppercorns on a salad. Passing the peppercorns through a mill —grinding — over the salad releases the flavor, making it pronounced and viable. The same is true for dried herbs you put into a pasta sauce (and on pizza when possible), rub the herb between your thumb and forefinger as you add them. This releases the inner flavor of the herb.

So what herbs and spices should you put into use in your restaurant? Consider these:

Rosemary is a very pungent herb and should be used sparingly. I favor its use mostly in soups and with chicken and lamb dishes. Add some rosemary to a dough you would be using to make focaccia (rosemary and onion focaccia is a winner) or to flavor up chicken strips.

Marjoram is a sweet-scented herb that is important in Mediterranean cooking. Sweet marjoram has a decidedly delicate flavor. Oregano is a member of the marjoram family that is more pungent than sweet marjoram, but some cooks like to use marjoram and oregano interchangeably.

Sage is an herb that is not commonly used with pizza (it has a very intense flavor). But, using sage with a butter sauce and ravioli or other pasta sauce can be quite tasty. Use sage in combination with Italian sausage and peppers.

Fennel (dried, not fresh, also known as anise) is an important part of my pantry. I use whole fennel seeds and I have a spice grinder dedicated solely for grinding fennel seeds.

Parsley is definitely an unsung herb, but if you are going to use in cooking (as opposed to using it as a garnish) it should be flat-leaf Italian-style parsley.

Nutmeg is indispensable in cream-based sauces such as Alfredo. It’s best to avoid ground nutmeg. Grate whole nutmeg fresh as needed. Use it sparingly; a little of its intense flavor goes a long way.

Capers, packed in brine, are the best kind to use, but rinse them under cold water before using them in a sauce. Capers are an excellent flavor addition to a spicy red sauce (for pizza or pasta).

Thyme is another undersung herb. I would never be without thyme (I mostly use dried thyme). Thyme would be my first herb choice when using any type of seafood (on a clam pizza, for example, or to flavor the clam broth for linguine with clam sauce).

Cilantro plays an important role when making any type of Mexican dish, including Mexican pizza toppings, salsa and tacos.

Chives work great when added to, say, mashed potatoes. Also chives work great with any type of eggplant dish (caponata, for example).

Tarragon has a hint of licorice flavor. I use it for chicken tarragon, also for tarragon mayonnaise (great with a chicken sandwich).


Penne with Bolognese

Yield: four servings as a pasta course

(scale up in direct proportion)

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons fennel seed and
1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
¼ cup milk
4 cups canned plum tomatoes, crushed with juices
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled, or ¼ cup fresh finely chopped
½ cup chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¾ pound penne, rotini or other short pasta

In a heavy pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add
the onion. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the meat. Cook and stir for another 4 minutes or until the meat is cooked through. Add the fennel seed and milk and cook for 3 minutes.

Add tomatoes, parsley, oregano and chicken broth. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 35 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be prepped ahead to this point and held).

Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain well. Divide the pasta among four heated pasta bowls. Spoon on the sauce. Served with grated Parmesan on the side.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Stromboli is a second cousin to pizza and a first cousin to the calzone. Which brings us to this question: how, precisely, does a Stromboli differ from a calzone?

Well, in a nutshell, there is not much difference. A stromboli starts with a rectangular shaped pizza dough, while a calzone starts with a circle of dough. A calzone is always folded over just once, while a strom sometimes — but not always — gets rolled. There are different interpretations of the dish, but a stromboli essentially is an enclosed sandwich.

As a specialty item, stromboli needs to be treated in a certain way. What that means is that stromboli offerings should be separated from the pizzas on your menu to avoid confusion. The best way to do that is to create a separate section or box on your menu to make stromboli a featured item. That allows you to distance yourself from the chain gang of pizza places — your competition — that rarely feature or offer stromboli.

The good news is that this product delivers well. The key is to avoid slicing it all the way through prior to delivery. Instead, slice about one-fourth of the way through to enhance the presentation and prevent the filling from leaking out.

In house, for table service, you should slice the roll all the way through (I like to slice it on the diagonal) so that the customer can take a slice or two without much fuss. In either case, delivery or in-house, serve the stromboli with a warm marinara sauce on the side.

Different? Slightly, yes. But that’s the idea.

And what about the filling used for a stromboli? Just about any ingredient you have on your pizza prep table can be used in the dish. Let your creative juices flow. In the recipe that follows, I have allowed for certain select ingredients; however, you can tailor the stromboli filling any which way you chose to go relative to food costs and the price you will charge. 

Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the oven temperature and bake time to ensure that the dough is completely cooked through. Also, don’t stray too far from the size I give in the recipe.  Bigger is not better in this instance (if there are too many layers of dough, the inner layers may not get fully baked).

Lastly, be sure to seal the stromboli well, and don’t forget to  make several small cuts in the top of it so that steam can vent during baking. 

Here is the basic procedure. First, roll the dough into a rectangle that is about 10 inches by 14 inches.
In this basic recipe I use the following for my filling:
Lay 2 ounces of sliced, sandwich-size pepperoni (about 11 slices) over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Overlap the slices to fit as needed.
Brush pizza sauce (about 2 ounces) over the pepperoni.
Sprinkle about 4 to 5 ounces of shredded mozzarella over the sauce. Or, conversely, use slices of provolone.
Sprinkle on some dried oregano followed by some grated Parmesan.
Arrange the rectangle of dough with the short end being nearest you.

Paint the border of each long end of the dough with an egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water).  Roll the dough into a cylinder, pinching the edges to seal.  Place the stromboli, seam side down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet or pizza pan. Cut several small slits in the top of the dough.
Brush the top of the dough with some of the egg wash. Sprinkle a bit of grated Parmesan on top.
Bake the stromboli in a 400 F oven for about 20 minutes, or until it is golden brown and starts to crisp.  Let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. I use three slices to an order, slightly overlapping the slices; then I drape the slices with warm marinara sauce.

Some tasty variations: In each of these, use the method for the basic recipe as a standard.
Use precooked Italian sausage crumbles or sauteed Italian sausage (out of the casing. Cool it a bit before using.  You will need about ½ pound of sausage).
A ham and cheese stromboli
using thin slices of prosciutto is a good alternative to pepperoni.
A four-cheese stromboli using provolone, mozzarella, fontina or Asiago and Parmesan is delicious.
A veggie stromboli should feature a medley of sauteed vegetables, such as bell peppers, onions, mushrooms and olives, as well as the cheese(s) of your choice. Drain the vegetable medley and cool slightly before using.u

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

For some folks, that layer of grease that drips down your arm as you eat a slice of pizza is welcomed. For others, it can be a major turn-off and a reason to go somewhere else for dinner. The challenge here is to create a healthier pizza by eliminating some of the grease (fat) on a pizza, without compromising flavor. Indeed, I do have a few ideas and suggestions on how to do just that.

If we examine the basic toppings used on pizza, some of the answers to the grease situation are quite obvious. Let’s start with two of the most popular pizza enhancements — sausage and pepperoni. Sausage is a no-brainer; it’s as simple as buying pre-cooked sausage from a recommended supplier. Most of the fat has been eliminated. But wait, you might say, the flavor is in the fat. That’s basically true, so that means you have to reach some kind of compromise. For example, if you use raw or uncooked sausage, what is the fat-to-lean ratio? Fifteen to 20 percent fat will still allow for flavor without adding puddles of grease on the baked pizza; however, a lot of commercially made bulk pork sausage
contains 30 to 40 percent fat, so you have to know some of the facts about the sausage you are using. In other words, if you use sausage that is too lean it will be healthier and cleaner, but you will miss out on the taste (I am referring here to sausage that is all meat/fat without any added spices or seasonings).

There are several advantages to using precooked sausage. Handling (as in cross-contamination) poses no risk. Because it has been precooked, the sausage will not leave pools of grease on your baked pizza. The compromise here is that you are losing a certain amount of flavor, but you can definitely crow about your pizza being healthier.

Now let’s assume you are using bulk pork sausage. Do you know the lean/fat ratio? I like to go with a lean/fat ratio of 80/20. That gives me a cleaner sausage, yet does not compromise flavor. Next, how much sausage are you using on various sizes of pizza? While you need to offer value, you also need to use common sense. Obviously a pizza loaded with pinches or pieces of raw sausage will end up with puddles of grease. (I have seen operators who use a lot of paper toweling to pat and absorb pools of grease before sending a pizza out.)

If you are starting from scratch, one way to test the fat throw-off of sausage is to sauté a batch and see how much fat ends up in the sauté pan, then
adjust accordingly.

When it comes to pepperoni, adjustments are made in the same way. If the pepperoni you are using (or intend to use) “cups” after baking, leaving a small stream of grease in the middle, you might want to try a different brand. You might also consider how thick or thin the slices are. Thicker slices of pepperoni will throw off more grease than thinner slices. The objective is to find slices of pepperoni that are the perfect size (not too thin, not too thick) and have more lean than fat. Yes, certain brands of pepperoni have a higher ratio of fat to lean (and vice versa). Again, the test is to put your slices of “test” pepperoni on a pizza, bake it and see what happens.

Now we come to cheese. Low moisture, part skim mozzarella will, quite obviously, melt differently and be less greasy than whole milk mozzarella (part skim mozzarella has even less fat).

Here are the facts relative to two of the most used cheeses on pizza: one ounce of part-skim mozzarella
contains 40 calories and three grams of fat. Conversely, one ounce of whole milk mozzarella contains 85 calories and 6.34 grams of fat –– just about double the calories and fat. Keep those figures in mind if you are considering running a special healthier pizza.

Ok, now let’s look at how matters relative to grease and fat escalate when making, say, a four-cheese pizza. How can you deal with that? As in most situations, moderation is the key (and balance is important, too). One aspect is to look at how the cheese is shredded (coarser, finer, etc.), which in turn relates to how much it will take to adequately cover the size of pizza you are working with, while at the same time developing that all important flavor profile. A four-cheese pizza that uses, say, part-skim mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan and Fontina works great. Regarding proportions of each, that is really up to you, but my suggestion would be 60 percent mozzarella, 20 percent provolone, five percent Parmesan and 15 percent Fontina (or follow the recipe at left). That combo will allow for good coverage and ensure maximum flavor. u

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Four-Cheese
Veggie Pizza

This is basically a vegetable lasagna idea evolved into a pizza format. You can mix, change or alter the vegetables to suit your needs or a seasonal aspect (using thinly sliced, fresh plum or Roma tomatoes in place of or in addition to the artichokes, for example.)

Yield: two 13- to 14-inch pizzas

2 pizza shells — each 13- to
14-inches in diameter

4 tablespoons olive oil
10 ounces low moisture, part skim mozzarella
4 ounces shredded provolone
2 ounces grated Parmesan
3 ounces shredded Fontina
1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, cooked according to package directions
½ cups thinly sliced zucchini
2 cups thinly sliced white mushrooms
1 tablespoon each fresh chopped oregano and thyme

Brush each pizza shell, including the crust edge, with the olive oil.

In a mixing bowl, combine the four cheeses. Divide half of the cheese mixture between the two pizza shells, spreading it evenly up to the border of the crust. Divide the vegetables — layering each — evenly between the two pizzas. Sprinkle on the oregano and thyme. Divide the remaining cheese between the pizzas, spreading it evenly over the vegetables. Sprinkle on a little extra oregano just before baking. Bake and serve.

Ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise are the holy trinity of condiments. In fact, they are so widely used we often take them for granted. Squirt some mustard on a hot dog, slather ketchup or mayonnaise on a burger and the job is done. But how about giving that burger or sandwich an extra kick? And then there is that whole arena of spreads and dips. Add some zip to your dips or some sizzle to your spreads and you’ve opened a Pandora’s box of interesting dimensions in flavor.

How simple is this –– add a drop or three of hot sauce to ketchup to fire up some interest in a burger. One of the trendiest condiments right now is sriracha, a hot chili sauce conveniently sold in a bottle. One easy way to ramp up chicken wings to another level of interest is to add a squirt (to taste) of sriracha to your wing sauce and watch what happens.

Mayonnaise is one of those condiments that offers a spectrum of flavor possibilities. For example, many basic recipes for an aioli suggest making your own mayonnaise. Forget it. Mayonnaise straight out of the jar is all you need to get a delicious aioli up and running. Simply add a drop or two of fresh lemon juice and some crushed garlic to mayonnaise and you have a terrific tasting aioli that can be used on a chicken sandwich or spread over a piece of fish.

Here is a very tasty dipping sauce for French fries:

1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons mayonnaise

In a small mixing bowl, combine the ingredients and mix well. Chill covered.

And here is a very special dipping sauce to use with cooked or raw vegetables, fried zucchini sticks, fried calamari or cooked shrimp. In other words a versatile sauce that knows no bounds:

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoons Dijon or honey mustard
Hot sauce or sriracha, to taste

In a mixing bowl, combine and whisk together all of the ingredients. Cover and chill.

Add a dash or two of prepared horseradish to ketchup straight out of the jar and you have a fine-tasting cocktail sauce to serve with shrimp or fried calamari.


Cajun dipping sauce
for fried onion rings or French fries

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon ketchup u

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

We all make mistakes (ever forgot a birthday or anniversary?). Usually we can make amends in some fashion (roses? dinner out?) and life goes on. In the business we are in, mistakes can cause a deeper problem –– like a customer not coming back –– so we strive to get it right the first time and every time.

Here are some common mistakes that I have experienced in my many years of pizza making and instruction. The point, of course, is to examine how to fix those mistakes once and for all.

Mistake: the soggy crust syndrome.

Solution: It probably has to do with too much water in the tomatoes (canned or fresh) or using more tomato than is called for. Don’t treat a pizza shell like a pond. Know your tomatoes. Topping overload can result in a soggy crust. Vegetables with high water content (bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach), if used too aggressively, can result in a soggy crust, too. Oftentimes, less is better.

Mistake: pools of fat on top of the pizza.

Solution: use a sausage or pepperoni with less fat. Or use precooked sausage crumbles. And don’t overload.

Mistake: Underbaked pizza.

Solution: Oven is not hot enough, or pizzas are placed in the wrong part of the oven. Example: the hot zone for a deck oven is toward the back. For conveyor ovens, check the finger location (impinger fingers). In a wood-fired oven, you are probably not rotating the pizzas closer to the fire. In true Neapolitan fashion, the pizzaiola will finish off a pizza in wood-fired ovens this way: Slide the pizza peel under the fully baked pie, then raise the peel and the pie so that the pizza is almost touching the dome of the oven (because that’s where the oven is the hottest). Finito! Perfetto! Know your oven.

Mistake: overbaked pizza (finished product is too dry and crunchy, no flavor).

Solution: I will say it again –– know your oven. Know where to place (or not) pizzas, especially when using a deck or wood-fired oven. Rotation of pizzas is the key to putting out the perfect pie. Too close to the heat is okay, especially with a wood-fired oven where you sometimes want to present a blistered crust that exhibits some charring.

Mistake: crust is dry, no texture, cardboard syndrome.

Solution: Try using a higher ratio of water to flour. For example, generally speaking, the old benchmark was 20 pounds of flour to 10 pounds of water (50 percent). Try this using 10 pounds of flour and 6 pounds of water (60 percent). The dough will be a bit wetter and a little harder to handle, but it’s worth it. Also, in this situation, use a flour that has a protein level of 13 to 14 percent.

Mistake: miserable veggie pizza (soggy, no flavor).

Solution: Sauté the vegetables –– bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, etc. in olive oil and garlic (that’s the prep). Or, in the case of mushrooms, don’t slice fresh mushrooms too thinly. Also, bury some of the mushrooms under the cheese. Mushrooms are almost 100-percent water, so excessive heat will dry them out and turn each slice into a piece of flavorless cardboard.

Mistake: finished pizza is puffy and bland.

Solution: A puffy and bland pizza shell is the result of rising time and temperature. To avoid a puffy crust, do not let the dough rise at room temperature. After mixing and balling the dough, get it into the cooler as soon as possible. Now let it undergo cold fermentation for at least 24 hours. Give the pizza dough a bench proof time (out of the cooler) of one hour before rolling or stretching. And, this method makes it easier to shape and stretch the dough (it will not shrink or get “bucky”).

Mistake: no flavor fresh basil.

Solution: Don’t chop the basil; rather, tear or snip it using scissors. Also, add the fresh basil after the pizza comes out of the oven. Alternatively, put the fresh basil leaves under the cheese. Keep the fragrance. Add some more basil after the pizza comes out of the oven for the perfect presentation.

Mistake: pizza looks sloppy (tomatoes and cheese running together, because too much of both –– tomatoes and cheese –– were used).

Solution: This happens more often than not when using fresh mozzarella. Don’t use more cheese than is necessary to put out a great tasting pie.

Mistake: dried oregano and dried basil with no flavor or fragrance.

Solution: No, I don’t have a problem with dried oregano and basil. What bothers me is when over-the-hill dried herbs are used. Or a poor brand of either is used. In either case there is no flavor. You might as well be throwing dried grass on the pizza. Use top-drawer Greek oregano, and never use any dried herb that has been sitting around the kitchen or pantry for months on end. u Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

What exactly is soppressata? In a nutshell, it’s a form of dry- cured salami. A specialty of southern Italy, it is traditionally made using pork (beef is used on occasion). The basic seasonings include cracked red pepper and garlic. Depending on who is making it, some versions are hotter than others (in other words, more red pepper is used). Overall, I love the fragrant, spicy flavor of soppressata.

A number of Italian restaurants in Chicago use soppressata as part of a salumi (cured meats) and cheese platter. And when used as part of this style of antipasti platter, soppressata should be sliced thin (even thinner than pepperoni).

Speaking of pepperoni, soppressata works as a perfect stand-in or substitute for pepperoni –– it can be used on a pizza the same way you would use pepperoni. Romance it a bit, though, by saying something like “soppressata calabrese –– a spicy salami” on your toppings list. Test a few slices to see how much fat it throws off (some fat is a good thing, since it adds to the overall flavor) and if there is excessive “cupping.”

When I am replacing pepperoni with soppressata on a pizza, I find that a coarse chop works great. I scatter the chopped soppressata atop the cheese and across the pizza. It makes for a great presentation and a flavor that is hard to beat. Having said that, I should also point out that, on average, soppressata has a higher food cost than pepperoni.

Beyond using it for pizza, I also use it to kickstart a red sauce by sauteéing chopped soppressata in olive oil and crushed garlic. Then I add crushed all- purpose tomatoes, oregano and basil. That’s it! You’ve got a delicious, gently meaty red sauce.

Soppressata has a variety of uses beyond pizza or the aforementioned meats platter. Try using it in a sandwich, for example. Check out this Panini recipe and see what you think:

PANINI CALABRESE

Yield: 8 sandwiches (scale up in direct proportion)

8 to 12 ounces (about 16 to 24 slices) thinly sliced soppressata (dry-cured Italian salami)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 thin slices prosciutto

8 thin slices fresh mozzarella

8 panini buns or rolls, toasted or grilled

1 cup roasted red bell pepper strips

16 large fresh basil leaves

In a nonstick sauté pan set over medium- high heat, fry the soppressata until lightly crisp and some fat has rendered, about 2 minutes per side. Remove it to a plate.

Lightly brush the buns or bread with extra-virgin olive oil.

Layer each bun this way: the soppressata, 2 slices prosciutto, 2 slices mozzarella, 2-3 strips of roasted red bell pepper strips on one slice of the bread. Top with the other slice and place the sandwich in the pan, pressing down on the sandwich with the palm of your hand. When that side is lightly toasted, about 3 to 4 minutes, flip the sandwich and toast the other side. (Alternatively, use a sandwich press or panini grill.)

Remove the sandwich to a cutting board and open the sandwich. Lay down four basil leaves on each sandwich. Close the sandwiches, then slice them in half to serve.

PASTA WITH SOPPRESSATA AND EGGPLANT

Yield: 4 servings (Scale up in direct proportion)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 eggplant (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into ½-inch dice

1 cup chopped yellow onion

¼ pound soppressata in chunks about ¼-inch thick

3 cups canned plum tomatoes with juices

¼ teaspoon (or to taste) dried red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pound farfalle pasta (or other short pasta such as penne, rigatoni)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Rub a baking sheet or sheet pan with the olive oil. Arrange the eggplant in one layer on the pan. Sprinkle the onion over the eggplant. Roast the eggplant and onion for about 20 minutes until it is barely tender (can be prepared up to 2 hours ahead and held).

While the eggplant is roasting, make the sauce. In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, cook and stir the soppressata until it throws off some fat and starts to crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Add the pepper. Simmer the sauce vigorously for about 20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to about 2 cups (can be prepared several hours ahead and held).

Add the roasted eggplant and onions to the tomatoes. Turn the heat down to maintain a low, steady simmer.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and turn it out into a large heated serving bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Divide the pasta among four heated serving bowls. Top each serving with grated Parmesan cheese. u

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

Cajun-Creole cooking is hot (as in trend, but also because customers are taking to spicy-heat dishes like never before). So why not jump on the bandwagon and play along? I am sure your customers will love the variety.

Some of the specialities of New Orleans in particular and Lousiana in general include po’ boys, the famous muffaletta, jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish . . . the list goes on and on.

Critical to most Cajun dishes is the spice mix. There are brands upon brands of ready-to-go Cajun spice mixes, so that’s the easy part. However, should you wish to make your own Cajun spice mix, try this one:

Cajun Spice Mix

3 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons each of cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, onion powder and garlic powder.

1 tablespoon each sea salt or kosher salt, black pepper and sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Makes about 1 cup.

On the other hand, the “Holy Trinity” of Cajun-Creole cuisine is bell pepper, onion and celery. It all depends on what style of dish — pasta, soup, sandwich, pizza — you are going for.

The meats most commonly used in Cajun cookery are andouille sausage, pork sausage (boudin) and chaurice (similar to chorizo).

Here are is a Cajun-inspired sandwich recipe to get you started.

///////// Pasta Jambalaya with sausage and chicken

Serves 4 to 6 (scale up in direct proportion)

1 pound penne rigate, ziti or rotini, cooked in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water (the starchy water enhances the pasta “sauce”). Drain the pasta and set it aside. Keep it warm.

3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ pound shrimp
¾ pound andouille sausage, diced into ½-inch pieces
½ cup yellow onion, small dice
½ cup green bell pepper, small dice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons Cajun spice mix
½ cup chicken stock or broth
1 cup canned plum tomatoes, crushed by hand and drained
½ cup grated Parmesan

Over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil in a large saute pan for 1 minute. Add chicken, sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Add the Cajun spice mix. Stir and cook until the chicken and sausage and bell pepper are cooked through (about 5 minutes). Add the chicken broth and tomatoes. Cook and stir to reduce a bit. Add the reserved pasta water and cook for another 3 minutes.

Put the cooked, reserved pasta in a heated pasta serving bowl. Add the jambalaya sauce and toss to combine. For each portion, sprinkle on the Parmesan just before serving.

//// Muffaletta //// Olive Salad

Yield: 2 quarts

1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup green “Salad” olives with pimientos
1 cup chopped black olives
½ cup pepperoncini
2 ½ cups roasted sweet peppers, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
¼ cup capers, rinsed
1 teaspoon each white and black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano,
crumbled
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf
parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ cups extra-virgin olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a non-reactive container (glass preferred) and mix thoroughly to combine. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Use after 12 hours. It will keep for about 1 month.

The two meats most commonly used in a muffaletta sandwich are hard salami (Genoa works best) and ham. Mortadella is often used, too. The cheese most commonly used is provolone. The meats and cheese should be thinly sliced.

The bread most commonly used is Italian. The shape of the bread should be round, and it should have some height, since it will be sliced in half horizontally. Size varies, but the bread should be no smaller than 8 inches in diameter. The largest muffaletta sandwich that I ever had was made with a 12-inch round loaf.

The assembly goes like this. Slice the bread in half horizontally. Scoop out some of the bread from the center of the bottom half (this helps to hold in the olive salad). Spoon some of the olive salad into the “cavity” of the bottom half of the bread. Lay in the provolone cheese, then the meats. Smear some of the liquid from the olive salad over the meat. Cover with top half of bread. Press down on the bread to flatten the sandwich just a bit. Slice into wedges and serve. u

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

I always wonder why more pizzeria operators don’t do more with shrimp. Yes, I know adding any type of seafood to the operation poses a few issues –– buying, storage and cooking — that might be more than some operators want to deal with. But using shrimp on pizza, in a pasta dish or as part of a salad expands your repertoire of offerings and gives your place a forward look. Let’s examine the possibilities.

Ordering and buying shrimp is known as the “count.” For example, 21/25 means that there are 21 to 25 of that particular size of shrimp in one pound. The rule of thumb on this is that the smaller the number, the bigger the shrimp. For example, a five-pound bag of shrimp with a 10/12 count means that there are about 50 to 60 shrimp in that bag; an 11/15 count means that there are about 55 to 75 shrimp in that five pound bag. Further help in deciding how much shrimp to buy (the count) goes like this: 16/20 suggests extra-large shrimp; 21/30 suggest large shrimp; 31/35 suggests medium and 36/45 means small shrimp.

When buying shrimp, keep in mind there should be no aroma to them at all. If you detect the smell of ammonia, that batch of shrimp just might be over the hill.

With few exceptions, all shrimp comes to market frozen. The shrimp is harvested, cleaned and frozen before the boat hits the dock. Raw frozen shrimp will last six months; frozen cooked shrimp should be used within two months.

To thaw frozen shrimp, put the shrimp in a colander under cool running water. Pry the shrimp apart as the water runs. In about 15 minutes, the shrimp will be thawed. Rinse the shrimp thoroughly and blot it dry with paper towels.

You might be wondering whether you should work with frozen cooked or frozen raw shrimp. For me, that choice should be made based upon your intended usage. I favor frozen raw because when precooked is used in a dish or on pizza, it has to go through the cooking process and could result in a tough, chewy shrimp. On the other hand, there are times when you might not have a choice. But if you follow the recipes I give here, you should come out just fine.

Before we get to those, though, here’s a fast and easy pasta dish that uses frozen cooked shrimp: In a large sauté pan, sauté garlic in olive oil. Add some tomato sauce and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Stir in the shrimp and cook for only two to three minutes. Serve the shrimp and sauce over cooked pasta. Garnish with flat-leaf parsley or fresh basil. Serve.



Fettuccine with Shrimp and peppers //////////

Yield: 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

¼ cup olive oil
1 cup each red, green and yellow bell peppers cut into ¼-inch strips
8 ounces fettuccine pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound medium shrimp (31-35) shelled, deveined and butterflied
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup torn fresh basil

In a sauté pan large enough to hold all the pasta after it has been cooked, warm the olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the bell peppers. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover the pan and cook for about 2 to 3 more minutes to soften the peppers.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is barely al dente. Drain, reserve and keep warm.

Add the garlic and the shrimp to the sauté pan with the peppers. Cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the shrimp just begins to turn pink (the shrimp should be barely done). Add the red pepper flakes and basil. Add the reserved pasta to the sauté pan. Cook and stir for 1 minute to incorporate the flavors. Portion into heated pasta bowls and serve at once.

Shrimp pizza //////
Yield: one 14-inch pizza

14-inch pizza shell
8 ounces large uncooked
shrimp, peeled and deveined
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
¾ cup shredded provolone

Brush the rolled out pizza crust with olive oil. Scatter
the garlic evenly over the olive oil. Cut each shrimp into
2-3 pieces. Scatter the shrimp over the crust and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake.

Chef’s Note: A different way to make this pizza is to devein, butterfly and broil (or grill) extra-large shrimp. Toss the shrimp in olive oil. Brush the pizza crust with olive oil. Add crushed garlic and provolone.

Bake. When the pizza comes out of the oven arrange the shrimp over the cheese. Sprinkle on some chopped flat-leaf parsley and serve.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

As we move into the winter months, have you planned your menu of soups? Soups that are basic to your menu or a soup of the day? Customers are more into soup than you might imagine, so don’t sell them short –– they are a profitable menu item, can be prepped ahead, made in big batches, keep well (and in some instances can be frozen) and actually have low labor costs. And if you wish to create an even deeper healthy buzz about your soups, put a blurb on your menu touting your organic or vegan ingredients.

Let’s look at some basics. Stock –– chicken broth or beef broth –– is the one essential ingredient that kick starts a good soup. After that it is just a matter of adding the other ingredients — vegetables, grains, pasta, meats — and presto! Zuppa and zuppa del giorno. Keep the word “hearty” in mind. Overall, consumers prefer a hearty soup as opposed to a thin consommé-style soup.

Here, in my opinion, are four soups that you should have as part of your soup repertoire. You can feature one or two every day and then put them in rotation during the week. Soups do not last forever, so throw out the old and bring in a freshly made batch as needed. Serve soup with crusty Italian bread (a must). Serve all of these soups with grated Parmesan on the side. It’s also a good idea to consider a soup and salad lunch combo –– these are considered a lighter lunch and are perfect options for diners who don’t want a heavy pizza lunch.

Mom’s Minestrone

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
(scale up in direct proportion)

3 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups canned plum tomatoes, drained
1 cup celery, coarsely chopped
3 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
2 medium redskin potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
¼ pound green beans (string beans) trimmed and cut into 1/3-inch pieces
1 cup cannellini or cooked navy beans
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the garlic and onion. Cook and stir for 4 minutes. Crush the tomatoes (by hand or hand blender) and add to the pot. Add the celery, carrots and potatoes. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add the stock or chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the zucchini, green beans and navy beans. Cook for another 6 minutes. Add the parsley, salt and pepper.

Note: if you prefer, you can add a short pasta — tubettini or ditalini — cooked al dente, just before sending it to the table.

Serve with grated Parmesan and crusty bread on the side.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
(scale up in direct proportion)

3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ cup finely chopped carrots
½ cup finely chopped celery
1½ quarts chicken broth or stock
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 ounces tubetti or ditalini pasta cooked al dente, drained, reserved
3 cups cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste

Warm the olive oil in a heavy 5 quart stockpot set over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and parsley. Bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to simmer. Add the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For each serving, ladle a portion of soup into a heated cup or bowl. Add some of the reserved pasta to each serving.

Cook’s note: for a red version of this soup, simply add 2 cups of tomato puree to the pot with the chicken broth.

CREAMY ITALIAN
TOMATO SOUP

Yield: 4 servings
(scale up in direct proportion)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped yellow onion
6 cups all-purpose crushed tomatoes
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onion. Turn up the heat. Stir often and cook until the onions are softened (about 5 minutes). Add the tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes more. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Transfer to a food processor or, using a hand-held blender, process to a puree. Return the soup to the pot. Reheat. Add the cream and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with croutons.

Note: to turn this vegetarian soup into a heartier soup, add cooked and crumbled Italian sausage following the cream.

Serve with grated Parmesan and crusty bread on the side.

ESCAROLE & POTATO
SOUP WITH BEANS

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
(scale up in direct proportion

6 ounces short pasta (tubetti or mini-penne)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup chopped yellow onion
1½ pounds redskin potatoes, peeled and cubed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ pound sweet Italian sausage, cut into ¼-inch rounds
8 cups chicken broth or stock
2 cups canned cannellini beans, rinsed
1 head (about 1 pound) escarole, washed and chopped coarse
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain and reserve. In a large pot set over medium heat, sauté the garlic, onion and potatoes in the olive oil until the onions wilt and turn soft, about 4 minutes.

In a separate sauté pan, set over medium heat, sauté the sausage rounds until cooked through. Drain off the fat. Reserve the sausage.

Add the chicken broth to the pot with the onions and potatoes. Bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are barely tender. Add the reserved sausage, beans and escarole. Simmer only until the escarole wilts. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the reserved pasta. Stir to combine. Serve with grated Parmesan and crusty bread on the side.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

I was born in New York, and I lived there — on and off — for the first 30-something years of my life. During that time I managed to put away more than my share of pizza. And the fact that I was born and raised next door to an Italian bakery that made pizza as a sideline did a lot to further my education about the “tomato pie.”



The fact that I am writing this article in Chicago and not New York City gives me an advantage. If I were in New York, I might be tempted to call some of my friends there and get an opinion or two. The mistake in doing that is directly connected to the fact that every New Yorker has an opinion (or three) about New York-style pizza: “It has to be this, it has to be that.” “You cannot do this, you cannot do that.” “You have to use this kind of cheese (or tomato), not that kind of cheese.” “The secret is ... ”



It never ends, and I hope it stays that way. The luxury those of us connected to the pizza business have is that we are passionate about this wonderful food called pizza.



So, to me, what makes New York-style pizza “New York” in style? First, the crust has to be about 1/8-inch thick through the middle. This part of the crust must have the “folder” effect –– when the baked pizza is sliced (triangles, not squares), the slice should be such that it can be folded down the middle. Yes, the crust must have just the right degree of crispiness, but not to the point that a slice cannot be folded in half without it cracking. In Naples, the birthplace of pizza, street vendors known as lazzari used to walk the city streets selling pizza by the slice. A piece was folded in half lengthwise, and eaten on the run. The folded slices were called libretti, or “little books.”



The crust must also have a raised edge, a “frame” (il cornicione). In other words, you cannot push the tomatoes or the topping to the very edge or you will lose the “frame.” How much the edge is raised relates to who is making the pizza and the style of that particular pizzeria. Simply put, the more dough you pinch or press with your fingers to form the edges, the higher the edge will be.



Putting that all together, it is easy to see the crust for a classic New York-style pizza has its roots in the Neapolitan style.



On to the sauce. The tomatoes should not be laid on too thickly. Doing so negates the “folder” effect and makes the pizza gummy. A light smear of sauce is really all that is necessary.



As for the cheese, whole-milk mozzarella is a good option; however, you must be careful with it — it melts differently than part-skim mozz, so you could end up with a goopy pizza if you aren’t diligent.



Regardless, for everyday usage I advocate a blend of 70 percent whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella along with 30 percent provolone.



But it all starts with the crust, so let’s get back to that. When I make a NY-style pizza, I like to use the dough two to three days after it is made. I use just five ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, olive oil and water.



Keep in mind, though, that some of the best-known pizzerias in New York cook in coal-fired ovens. The high heat of these ovens put out a crispy crust while taking enough moisture out of the tomatoes to keep sogginess out and flavor in. It’s a delicate balance that isn’t easy to achieve.

NY-Style Pizza Dough

Yield: 30 pounds of dough

20 pounds all-purpose flour, 13-14 percent protein content
2 ½ tablespoons dry yeast (instant)
5 ounces salt
4 ounces olive oil
10 ½ pounds water

Pour the flour in the mixing bowl, then add the yeast to the flour. Add the salt. Combine the olive oil and water.

With the mixer running at low speed, add the oil/water mixture in a steady stream. Mix for 7 to 8 minutes at medium speed until the dough cleans the sides of the mixing bowl and is soft and pliable.

Scale and ball the dough to the required sizes. Retard the balls of dough in the cooler, covered, for 2 to 3 days to age it. Take the balls of dough, as needed, out of the cooler at least one hour before rolling and stretching.

When it comes to pizza, what do three major Midwest cities — Detroit, Chicago and St. Louis –– have in common? They each have a unique and especially delicious style of pizza. While Chicago’s deep-dish and St. Louis’s Provel cheese-topped pizzas need no introduction, what exactly is Detroit-Style pizza? Let me explain in as simple a way as possible: It is deep-dish pizza baked in a square pan — actually a hybrid of deep-dish pizza and Sicilian or Italian bakery pizza. Some might suggest that deep- dish pizza is more of a “pie,” but in the dawn of the pizza age, what we now call pizza (in whatever shape or style) went by the moniker “tomato pie.”

Detroit-style pizza got started at Buddy’s Rendevous around 1946, three years after deep-dish pizza made its debut in Chicago at Uno’s. The house in which I grew up in Upstate New York was smack next to an Italian bakery. A sideline of the bakery was Sicilian-style pizza –– pizza baked in square or rectangular pans. The pans were seasoned to the point of being black, and that allowed for a crispy crust with each pizza. The toppings were as simple as a tomato puree, oregano and a shower of grated Romano cheese. I have to tell you that this was one great pizza — a pizza memory that I treasure to this day. Detroit-style pizza is created in the same vein.

If you like chewy, cheesy pizza you will love Detroit-style pizza. The step that makes Detroit-style pizza so crunchy-tasty is that it is twice-baked. Not every pizzeria has the time or ability to go through that process, however. And what works in Detroit may not work in, say, California. Regional differences aside, there is no greater food than pizza.

With a Detroit-style pizza, the sauce is put on top of the cheese. But that is nothing new. In fact, in one of my cookbooks I show pictures of how a deep-dish pizza is assembled: crust, slices of mozzarella cheese, then tomatoes on top. u

ITALIAN BAKERY PIZZA

Makes one 12-by15-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

About 20 ounces of proofed dough

8 -10 ounces shredded mozzarella

11/2 cups tomato or pizza sauce

½ cup grated Romano cheese

2 tablespoons olive oil

Rub a 12-by15-inch seasoned rectangular pan lightly with olive oil.

Put the dough in the center of the pan. Push and spread the dough across the bottom of the pan and up the sides a bit. Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese.

Spread the sauce evenly over the mozzarella. Sprinkle on the Romano cheese. Give the pizza a quick, short 5-10 minute bake in a preheated 500 F oven to set the crust. Pull the pizza out of the oven, and set aside. Then, when you’re ready to serve, put it back in for a second bake (about 10 minutes) to get that Detroit-style crunch. Drizzle on the olive oil. Cut the pizza into squares and serve.

Note: add toppings—sausage, pepperoni, et al. on top of the tomato or pizza sauce.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

When G. Terrill Brazelton, head chef at Slice Stone Pizza and Brew in Birmingham, Alabama, developed his pizza menu, including artichokes was a no-brainer. After all, Brazelton grew up eating steamed artichokes from his parent’s California garden. Today, he places artichoke hearts on the “Very Veggie” pizza alongside spinach, mushrooms, Kalamata olives, onions, jalapeños, garlic and feta. The “Mediterranean” combines artichoke hearts, red onion, Kalamata olives, sun-dried tomato, spiced lamb, pine nuts, feta and is finished with a cucumber sauce made of Greek yogurt, cucumbers, dill, lime juice, salt, pepper and minced garlic.

“We use artichokes on our pizzas because obviously they taste good, but they also have a unique trait that makes every food you eat after an artichoke sweeter,” Brazelton says.

Brazelton’s not alone in his affinity for artichokes. Once considered a “far out” pizza topping five or 10 years ago, artichokes are now common on gourmet pizza menus.

Giovanni Annunziato, owner of The Olde World Bakery & Cafe in Easthampton, New Jersey, also developed his love for artichokes during childhood. Today, artichoke hearts appear on the restaurant’s “Capricciosa” pizza (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, sopressata, Gaeta olives and mushrooms); the “Olde World Signature” pizza (tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto, roasted peppers, garlic, Gaeta olives and mushrooms) and the “Quattro Stagioni” pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, parmiagiano cheese, prosciutto, mushrooms and roasted peppers). To prepare, Annunziato marinates artichokes in an olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic mixture for 24 hours prior to baking.

“We want to stay true to our roots and want all the Mediterranean flavors that remind us of our childhood in Italy to be included on our pizzas,” Annunziato says.

Brix Iverson, corporate chef and general manager of The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits in Tacoma, Washington, also enjoys utilizing artichokes. “Their mellow but distinct flavor makes them an excellent choice for pizzas because they can be combined with so many other ingredients,” he says, noting that artichokes pair well with capers, tomatoes, basil, oregano and meats like ham, prosciutto and sausage.

Iverson should know. He runs The Rock’s test kitchen. His successful “Evil Ways” pizza starts with hand-tossed pizza dough that is topped with pesto cream sauce, quartered artichoke hearts, diced red onions, sautéed spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and Pecorino, Romano and mozzarella cheeses. “Artichokes lend themselves well to the sharp flavors of the sun-dried tomatoes and the freshly diced red onion and garlic,” he says.

Jacksonville, Florida-based The Loop Pizza Grill menus two pizzas starring artichokes: artichoke and smoked bacon and artichoke and roasted red pepper. (The Loop Pizza Grill has 14 locations throughout Florida, North Carolina and Georgia.) “Artichokes do not have an overwhelming flavor of their own, so they pair nicely with other full-flavored ingredients like red peppers and bacon,” says Cathy Manzon, director of marketing at The Loop Restaurant Group. She also lists sausage, green peppers and caramelized onions as complementary flavors.

Brazelton says there’s not an ingredient artichokes doesn’t pair with well. “Because of the way artichokes are processed, they pair well with any food you are looking to create a slightly sweeter taste such as olives, hot peppers and mushrooms,” he says.

Artichokes don’t need to be limited to pizzas. Let artichokes adorn antipasti plates or stir into cream-based soups. Entice diners with a battered and deep-fried hearts appetizer.

“Artichokes are delicious in a variety of appetizers and salads,” says Brazelton, who places artichokes in his spinach, chicken and artichoke lasagna. Iverson places baby quartered artichoke hearts in spinach artichoke dip, jalapeño artichoke mini-sized calzones and chicken picatta.

Operators do need to be aware of certain artichoke handling and prep tips. To avoid a soggy pizza, operators must drain canned products well. To prevent artichokes from watering out during baking, Brazelton gives them a quick chop and squeeze before adding to pies. When preparing fresh artichokes he puts a small amount of lemon juice in the cooking water to mellow the flavor. Artichokes are a member of the thistle family, “so always inspect for thorns that are left behind,” Iverson reminds.

Artichokes are available year-round in sizes ranging from baby to jumbo, either canned, jarred, frozen or fresh. Processed artichoke hearts and bottoms can be found whole or quartered. Quartered artichokes are the least expensive, but also the most delicate. Operators must practice caution when using since the product can fall apart. Whole artichoke hearts are the most expensive.

Many operators prefer canned product for its consistency, minimal prep and easy portioning. Iverson purchases imported baby artichoke hearts from Spain, canned and quartered. “If you purchase a prepped artichoke product, most of the work is done for you,” he says. Manzon agrees: “Canned artichokes allows us to get greater coverage on pizzas so the guest gets a little artichoke with every bite.”

Melanie Wolkoff Wachsman is a freelance writer in Louisville, Kentucky. She covers food, business and lifestyle trends.

Bruschetta (broo-SKEH-tah) has emerged as a very popular appetizer (running a close second to fried calamari). In the Italian repertoire of appetizers, offering bruschetta makes a lot of sense. It’s easy to prepare, it holds well (meaning it can be prepped well ahead) and it can be offered at an attractive price. The food costs are low, and that helps balance out the average food costs over, say, appetizers as a category.

The simplest definition of bruschetta is that it is toasted bread topped with one thing or another. To elaborate, bruschetta is a slice (oval or round) of toasted bread that is rubbed with a clove of garlic followed by a drizzle of olive oil, followed by whatever topping (much like pizza) that enhances its ability to sell. In the Tuscan region, bruschetta often shows up using its alias, fettunta, and is a way to salvage bread that is a day or two old or on the road to going stale. The Spanish version of bruschetta is called pan con tomate (bread rubbed with tomato). When I was doing pizza-consulting work in Spain, I cannot recall any restaurant (or tapas bar) that did not offer some version of pan con tomate.

Bruschetta is not a menu offering that you have to over think. For example, you can use whatever bread you have on hand (fresh or day old). What you top that slice of bread with is limited only to how deep into the creative well you wish to go. Common sense must prevail, however. Obviously, topping a slice of bread with costly ingredients will ramp up the menu price, and the average customer does not expect to shell out a lot of bucks for a rustic appetizer. So keep it simple, but keep it good.

Let’s start with a slice of bread –– size and shape to be determined. Then we take a look at what might work as a topping for that piece of bread. Other considerations include the toasting of the bread. Not too little, not too much. Work it so that the customer is able to pick up the slice easily and take a bite or two. Or allow for an easy cut using a sharp knife.

Garlic adds an important dimension of flavor to a bruschetta, so toasting or grilling the bread to create a coarse surface allows using the bread as a grater. As you rub the garlic clove over the bread, note the amount of garlic (it might be more than you bargained for).

Here are some topping combinations that I have used in the past with great success. If you want to put a name to each one to enhance customer appeal by all means, do so. For example the first one could be called “Caprese.”

Note: In each version below, assume the toasting or grilling of the bread and a fresh garlic rub. Add EVOO where it makes sense (over the bread or over the toppings). Top each slice of bread with:

You can add even more interest by shaking up the cheeses. For example, crumbled Gorgonzola with roasted plum tomatoes would be an excellent idea. Use crumbled feta with pitted and chopped Kalamata olives and tomatoes to do a Greek version of bruschetta.

If you wish to do a “grilled cheese” version of bruschetta, sprinkle shredded mozzarella (or a combination of cheeses) over the toasted and garlic-rubbed bread slices. Slide it under the broiler to melt the cheese. Serve at once.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a former food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

In the beginning — quite a while back, in fact –– it was pepperoni and sausage. Those were the two toppings most requested by patrons of modest, family-owned pizzerias and chain-operated pizza places as well. Here we are some 100 years later and guess what? Sausage and pepperoni are still the two most popular pizza toppings. Good things last. And good flavor has no expiration date.

Still, the landscape (or should I say the pizzascape?) has changed in the last 10 years or so. Pizza is gussied up in just about any way we can imagine now, and one of the hottest pizza trends in New York City at the moment happens to be a fried and baked pizza called the Montanara. The pizza shell is flash-fried, pulled out of the deep fryer, topped, and then baked in a wood-burning oven. Customers are eating it up with a swoon.

Therein lies the joy of pizza, the reason why pizza is one of the most important and most recognized foods in the culinary lexicon. It’s a bold-face-type fact that pizza never loses its wow factor. And that bodes well for all of us who are part of the wonderful world of pizza. And so we continue to tinker and tailor, try this and try that. If you start with a good foundation — the crust — then you can build on that (using common sense of course) and construct pizza after mouthwatering pizza that will bring a “yum!” and a smile every time. And be innovative. Recently, I have read a half-dozen write-ups in national and regional magazines and newspapers about that Montanara pizza. That’s the best advertising you can get.

Along those lines, I think it’s past time that we look into upscale meats. Why, you ask? Because menu expansion sets you apart from your competition. What do we consider upscale? My list would include a whole range of salumi (a.k.a. artisan cured meats). Quite a few of those meats are more commonly known as cold-cuts, which also opens you to a new line of sub sandwiches, hoagies or grinders. There are options galore.

To be honest, though, there is a big difference in texture and flavor between a well-made salumi such as a Tuscan finocchiona and a slice of regular salami, or a hot soppressata and its closest relative, a piece of pepperoni. Salumi (cured pork products), when made by skilled artisans, encompass a range of flavorings that include, for example, citrus, fennel seeds, garlic, paprika, ginger, nutmeg and more. And when salumi of that nature is used on a pizza, it brings out a depth of flavor that is unique, original and exciting.

Other cured meats include:

coppa (marbled pork shoulder)
culatello (cured pork prosciutto),
lomo (pork loin cured, flavor rubbed, air-dried)
pancetta (rolled pork belly)

The possibilities are limited only by how cutting edge you wish to get. Keep in mind, however, that these artisan meats will cost a bit more than your everyday cold cuts or sub sandwich meats. Not that I have anything against any of those –– throw a well-made Italian sub sandwich at me, and I am a happy chomper.

A few words of caution when using cured pork products and other variations. Some of these products throw off a good bit of fat when hit with heat. And though fat is where a lot of the good flavor is, you don’t want to send out a pizza that has a flood of it across the top. Testing is the best way to find out what effect salumi or other cured meats will have on the finished product vis-a-vis fat (grease) flavor.

Here are some more tricks of the trade:

Can a richly flavored soppressata take the place of pepperoni on a “designer” pizza? Most definitely. Make sure you slice the soppressata quite thin (about the same thickness as the pepperoni you use).
Using (when available) sandwich-style meats (pre-sliced, larger diameter) allows for easier prepping and more coverage (flavor in every bite once the pizza has been cut).
The alternative to sandwich-style meats is to do a rough chop as noted in my recipe (above) for a Spicy soppressata pizza.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a former food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

We’ve all seen those menus in restaurants –– Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese — where the heat level of certain dishes is marked by a small chile symbol. Usually, one chile is mild, two chiles means hot and three chiles, well, have a pitcher of milk handy to douse the fire. What in the devil’s name is it that fires up the heat in those dishes? The simple answer is chile peppers in one form or another.

Back in 1912 Wilbur Scoville developed a method to measure the heat level of chile peppers. Without getting all scientific about it, the heat of chile peppers is now measured in Scoville units. Sweet bell peppers have no heat at all — zero Scoville Units. At the other end of the scale, the habañero pepper averages 375,000 Scoville units (there are some peppers that go even higher on the Scoville scale, but for our purposes here, they would be of little use, considering that those chile peppers are so hot your taste buds would have to wear asbestos suits to survive).

Jalapeño, poblano, ancho, pasilla, Anaheim, chipotle, serrano: all of these chile peppers are in a Scoville range that is quite acceptable and can be used (common sense prevailing) to lay some interesting heat on various pasta dishes and pizza, which brings me to that little jar of crushed red pepper flakes on the table in many Italian restaurants, often referred to as the “Pizza Pepper” or “Pizza Picker Upper.”

Cajun and Creole restaurants go with bottles of hot sauce on the table (there is a Cajun restaurant in Chicago that has a “Wall of Fire,” something like a thousand bottles of different brands of hot sauce). My point is that it’s pretty easy to fire up any dish on your menu (or the customer can add their own heat with some of that “pizza pepper,” also known as crushed red pepper flakes, which is a blend of chiles (ancho and cayenne), seeds and all.

But don’t fry your brain in the process. All you have to do is sample different crushed red pepper flakes, chile powders and hot sauces in various dishes before turning up the heat for your customers. Medium heat to one person might be too mild for another and vice versa. When I have chili, I want the heat level to be at the point where my nose runs and my eyeballs sweat. One the other hand my wife wouldn’t touch chili that hot with a 10-foot fire extinguisher. To heat his own, I say.

Two Pasta dishes that cry out for crushed red pepper flakes include linguine con vongole (linguine with clams) and Orecchiette with rapini (“small ears” pasta with rapini a.k.a. broccoli rabe). I am including a recipe for one of those dishes.

As far as stoking the fire on a pizza, it’s as simple as adding a dash or two of hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes (to taste) to your basic pizza sauce. Be sure to make your customers aware of the fact that this is a special sauce that carries some heat. Note that fact on your menu and list the pizza accordingly. For example, you can use “Pizza Arrabbiata” or “Pizza Diavolo.” The first translates as “angry” or “hot.” The second as “Devil,” as in hot as the devil.

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Yield: 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

1½ cups minced or chopped canned clams
2 cups clam juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound linguine

Put the clams and clam juice in separate bowls or containers.

Put the olive oil in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned. Add the clam juice, parsley, red pepper flakes and thyme to the saucepan. Salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer.

Cook the linguine in a large pot of boiling, salted water until it is al dente. Drain.
Just before you drain the pasta, add the clams to the saucepan just to heat through (if you add the clams too early they will get rubbery).

Divide the pasta among four heated serving bowls. Pour an equal amount of the sauce and clams over each portion. Serve with crusty Italian bread for sopping up the sauce.

Chef’s Notes: You can make this into Linguine with Red Sauce by cutting the amount of clam juice in half and adding a cup of marinara sauce to the clam juice.


Pizza Areeba!

Makes one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

8 ounces basic pizza sauce
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce*
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 14-inch pizza shell

10 ounces cooked hot Italian sausage crumbles
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Mix the pizza sauce with the chipotle peppers and cilantro. Spread the sauce evenly over the pizza crust. Top the sauce with the sausage crumbles. Blend the Monterey Jack with the cheddar. Spread the cheese evenly over the sausage and sauce. Bake. Garnish with cilantro just before serving, if desired.

Use caution when working with the chipotle peppers. Remove them from the can with a fork, place them on a plate and chop them using a knife and fork. If you have to touch the peppers with your hands, use protective gloves. The smoky flavor of the chipotle is what makes the sauce. However, if canned chipotle peppers are not available, use fresh jalapenos.

I buy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in my local supermarket. A little amount goes a long way.

One of the features of a menu in many Italian restaurants is the antipasto platter. In one form or another, and with any number of ingredients, it has a lot of appeal, and it is especially inviting for family dining when everybody gets to take part in the fun. Without too much trouble you can make a very strong impression on your customers by putting together the Ultimate Antipasto Platter. Your customers will remember you for it, and they will talk about it.
The word “antipasto” translates as “before the pasta,” (as in ‘before the pasta course’). In the scheme of Italian eating, it goes like this: antipasto, pasta, secondi (or entreé), contorno (side dish) and dolce (dessert). Considering that arrangement, the idea of the antipasto becomes important, and the antipasto platter sets the tone for what some Italians might call “an important meal.”

An antipasto platter can take on many different forms, not only in the foods that are presented, but also the plate or platter on which the food is arranged. The latest trend that I have noticed in Chicago is that antipasto platters are leaning more into salumi (cured meats), along with a short menu of asaggio (little plates). For example, the cured meats include salami, mortadella, finnochiona (pork sausage with fennel), Prosciutto, capacollo, even speck (cured ham), and bresaola (air-cured beef). The asaggio might include marinated olives (several different types), giardiniera, roasted vegetables (fennel, carrots, celery root salad,), bell peppers, pepperonata.

Now we take a look at the role cheeses play in an antipasto (the plural is antipasti). There are so many possibilities here, including Gorgonzola, Parmigiano, Pecorino, provolone, Asiago, Fontina, fresh mozzarella.
Another part of the antipasto collection has to do with spuntini. This word translates to “snack.” Under spuntini we might find dishes like caponata, roasted peppers, calamari salad, artichokes, and anchovies. Along with all the possibilities mentioned above, important flavor additions and dressings can and should also be used. Some excellent choices are extra-virgin olive oil, herbs, capers, garlic and balsamic vinegar.
If we take some of this and some of that from each of the food groups I’ve mentioned, we can put together an impressive array of foods that include great tastes, impressive textures and a colorful assortment. The recipe that follows is just a sample. Use your creativity to put together your signature antipasto platter.


Ultimate Antipasto Platter
Serves 4-6 (scale up in direct proportion)

½ pound sliced Genoa salami
½ pound sliced mortadella
1/4 pound sliced prosciutto
1/4 pound sliced capacollo
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 pound provolone, Asiago or fontina (or assortment), cubed
2 cups large black and green olives
2 cup giardiniera, drained
1 cups grilled or roasted artichoke hearts, dressed with olive oil and oregano
2 cups roasted red peppers, drained and slivered, tossed with garlic and olive oil
Use a large oval platter to hold all of the ingredients. Starting from the outside of the platter, arrange and overlap the meats and group them according to type.
In the next row, completely around the platter, arrange the fresh mozzarella and the cubed cheeses. Next to the cheeses arrange the olives, followed by the giardiniera. Next row would be the artichokes and the roasted peppers.
Buon Appetito!

The way I see it, Asian food ranks in the top three most popular cuisines. My ranking order goes like this: Italian, Mexican, Asian (factoring in the popularity of sushi). I am sure there are those that would debate this with me. What about Indian, French, Greek, Spanish? Yes, those cuisines are popular; after all, diversity and choice is what makes the restaurant world go around. But I will stick by my guns (or would that be wire whisk?) concerning my popularity ranking.


To break all this down a bit further, I know full well that salads have become critically important to menu balance. I can point out any number of quick service restaurants that have made a lot of hay, so to speak, with salads. In fact, many restaurants have gone from just two basic salads to six or seven very creative and tasty salads. And customers have responded in kind. And we cannot ignore the perception of healthy eating vis a vis salads.


And that is my segue into how you can add a touch of Asian to your existing menu, a whole new “Wow” factor. And I am quite positive that your customers will like the idea. So don’t be surprised when your customers say, “You know, I think I want to try that Asian pasta salad today instead of the meatball sandwich.”


I will try to make this as easy as possible. Bear in mind that new ideas require a whole new outlook, but I am not asking you to buy a whole bunch of exotic ingredients. However, when I ask you to introduce new ingredients to your order list, I believe it only fair to give you a “Back Story.” That means I will offer you an additional option, a way to use those new ingredients, so they don’t end up sitting on the shelf (though I doubt they will). .


The proof is in the pudding. Check out the recipes that follow and you will see how easy this is to pull off.


Asian Pasta Salad
Makes 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

Dressing

½ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar

Whisk together all the ingredients to blend. Should be made at least 2 hours ahead to allow the flavors to blend.

Salad

½ pound spaghetti
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1 small red bell pepper, julienned
1 small green bell pepper, julienned
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup peanuts

Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain, then rinse under cold water. Set aside to cool.


In a large mixing bowl, combine the basil, scallions, bell peppers, carrots and peanuts. Add the dressing and toss to combine. Add the cooled spaghetti, toss again. Serve.

Added bonus: All of the ingredients for this salad, with the exception of the peanuts can be turned into a flavorful soup. The only thing you need to do is dice the bell peppers instead of a julienne, then add enough chicken stock or broth to turn the salad part into a soup. Throw in some sliced mushrooms if you care to.


Thai-Hi Pasta Salad
Here is another favorite pasta salad of mine, one that takes on some high-flying Thai flavors, as the light peanut sauce gently coats a thin pasta. This dish is unbelievably easy. The pasta is cooked ahead, and the peanut sauce can be made hours or a few days ahead. This salad works great as part of a lunch or dinner buffet. And it delivers well.



Serves 4 (scale up in direct proportion)

1 pound vermicelli, angel hair, or other long, thin, pasta
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup lite soy sauce
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts

Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain. Put the pasta in a mixing bowl and toss with the peanut oil. Set aside.


To make the peanut sauce, put the chicken broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and red pepper flakes in a saucepan. Stir to combine. Over medium-high heat, bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer just until the sauce is blended and starts to thicken (about 3 minutes). Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl and cool for about 5 minutes (Sauce can be made hours ahead and held).


Add the cooked pasta to the peanut sauce. Add the scallions, cilantro, and peanuts. Toss gently to combine. Once all the ingredients have been combined, let the salad stand at room temperature for an hour or so to blend the flavors.

If we extend the logic that sausage is one of the most popular pizza toppings and that bacon is a pork product, then there’s no good reason why bacon shouldn’t be pursued with more vigor when an array of pizza toppings are menu listed. However, bacon can also play an important flavor role in pasta dishes, sprinkled on salads, and used effectively in sandwiches, so if you are don’t have bacon in your restaurant, it’s time you started bringing home the bacon.

Bacon, as we know it, the sliced strips that we love with eggs, has some very close relatives that need to be recognized. For example, Canadian bacon (it’s closer to ham than bacon –– lean and slightly sweet –– but it is a pork product) and pancetta. Pancetta (pahn CHEH-tah) is Italian bacon that is cured (but not smoked the way American bacon is) with salt, pepper and spices.

So when we consider the range of possibilities above, the options for expanding the flavor profile of pizza, pasta, salads and sandwiches are virtually endless.

Here are a couple of tasty tidbits relative to pancetta. If you have a BLT on your menu, why not try a PLT (pancetta, lettuce, tomato)? Simple sauté thin slices of pancetta (cut off the roll, since pancetta usually comes rolled), until just heated through and beginning to crisp up. And I will always use pancetta when making spaghetti carbonara because of its deeper flavor and it is less fatty than regular bacon.

While I am high on pancetta, there are tons of ways that regular bacon can be used and here are a few tips on how to get it right. Generally, the only time I sauté bacon is when I want some fat that I need to incorporate into a particular dish. Most other times, I use a microwave oven to prep bacon. To microwave, use a microwave safe plate and sandwich strips of bacon between layers of paper toweling. I can prep a whole lot of bacon in a very short time using a microwave oven, aAnd I can control the crispiness a lot easier using the microwave.

Of course, you can lay strips of bacon on a sheet pan and cook it in the oven (conveyor or deck, it doesn’t matter). Watch it, though, because the fat it throws off can be quite a lot. I know some restaurants that deep-dry strips of bacon. This causes the bacon to curl and get very crispy, but this method works great for crumbles to use on a salad or even as a pizza topping.

I know this may sound elementary, but you simply cannot use raw bacon as a pizza topping (it won’t cook right, and it throws off too much fat). Can you use Canadian bacon as a topping without first cooking it? Yes, but I like to dice it or cut it into chips (more coverage, less curling) and broadcast it over the pizza.

Also on the subject of Canadian bacon, there is still a great market for a Hawaiian pizza, which uses chunks of pineapple and ham, but I like to replace the ham with Canadian bacon as a topping. Here’s are a couple of recipes that are as simple as it gets.
The beauty of this pizza is the sweet and sour flavor profile. Also, this pizza works with any number of cheeses. I use provolone to enhance the smokiness. However, a blend of mozzarella works just fine. As does Asiago or fontina cheeses.

Hawaiian Pizza
Yield: One 14-inch pizza

One 14-inch pizza shell
8 ounces ground tomatoes or pizza sauce
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 ounces shredded provolone
½ cup diced Canadian bacon
6 ounces pineapple tidbits or chunks

Spread the sauce over the pizza shell. Sprinkle on the red pepper flakes. Add the provolone, then the bacon, followed by the pineapple. Bake and serve.


Potato, Bacon & Provolone Pizza

One 14-inch pizza shell
Yield: One 14-inch pizza
3/4 pound red skin potatoes sliced almost paper thin (about 35 slices)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Rosemary
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
6 strips bacon, cooked crisp and coarsely chopped
5 ounces shredded provolone

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil, garlic and rosemary
Arrange the slices of potatoes on the pizza crust in a circle, working toward the center, overlapping the slices.

Sprinkle the parmesan over the potatoes. Sprinkle on the bacon. Add the grated provolone evenly over the crust. Bake.


Spaghetti Carbonara
Yield: 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente, drained, kept warm
½ pound bacon, sauteed crisp, remove the bacon from the pan, drain off half the fat from the pan, coarsely chop the bacon. Reserve
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
8 ounces grated Parmesan
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

Over medium-high heat, add the cooked spaghetti to the saute pan that the bacon was cooked in. Toss the pasta to coat with the bacon fat. Add the crushed garlic and pepper. Stir well. Turn the heat to medium.

In a bowl, fold the Parmesan into the beaten eggs and stir just to combine. Fold the egg and cheese mixture into the pasta, stirring quickly, until the eggs just coat the pasta, but do not scramble. Serve at once in heated pasta bowls.
Note: pancetta can be substituted for the bacon.


Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
Yield: About 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

12 ounces fresh spinach, stems removed, washed, patted dry, torn
2 hard boiled eggs, each sliced into 6 pieces and set aside
8 slices bacon
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dijon-style mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
5 large white mushrooms, scrubbed, sliced

Put the spinach into a large bowl. Sauté the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and transfer to paper towels to drain.

Transfer about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat to a small saucepan. Add the vinegar, sugar and mustard to the bacon fat. Over low heat, whisk to combine. Add salt and Add the mushrooms to the spinach. Crumble the bacon over the spinach Add the bacon dressing and toss to coat the spinach leaves. Add the slices of hard-boiled eggs.

Bacon is back. In the past few months I have come across no fewer than seven food articles in which bacon played either a main role or a supporting role in various dishes. Talk about pigging out. Did you know that there was a “Bacon of the Month Club?” Now you do.

And have you heard about the “Bacon Explosion?” Two pounds of bacon get woven through and around two pounds of Italian sausage, the whole of which is slathered in barbecue sauce. Talk about going whole hog.

Bacon is loaded with flavor (“everything tastes better with bacon” is pushing the envelope, but there is some truth there), so it does have a place in many dishes and styles of food. And to expand the possibilities, consider using pancetta. The Italian version of bacon, pancetta is a cured — but not smoked — pork product that should be considered when working up dishes where the idea of pork has merit. One example would be a PLT, or pancetta, lettuce and tomato panini. Buy baby pancetta (it is sold rolled and has the shape of, say, capicolla or salami). Slice it thin, crisp it in a saute pan and use the whole round slices to make a great panini.

I am also in favor of using bacon (or pancetta) in pasta dishes. For example, one of the tastiest pasta dishes around is spaghetti carbonara. Spaghetti carbonara uses just a few ingredients – cooked bacon (or pancetta), grated Parmesan, eggs, black pepper –that when tossed with the cooked pasta makes quite an amazing and delicious dish.

And don’t forget that bacon can be used quite effectively in a salad. For example, combine fresh spinach with crisp bacon, tomatoes, and slices of hard-boiled eggs. A balsamic vinaigrette dressing completes this delicious salad.

Cooking bacon is a no-brainer, but the simplest and easiest method is to microwave it. You can prep a whole lot of bacon in a short amount of time this way. If you do that, be sure to keep the cooked bacon in the cooler or prep table (covered). Even though it is cooked, bacon can go over the hill real fast, so I recommend you not cook more than you need for, say, four days.

On the other hand, if you need the fat that is rendered from the cooking of the bacon, use a saute pan and fry away. Or lay the bacon on a sheet pan and cook it in the deck oven (conveyor oven works too, but the grease splatters really do a number on the oven). There is also the possibility of deep-frying the bacon, should you want it extra crisp to use, say, as crumbles on a salad. The deep-frying does take most of the fat out, which you can take two ways: healthier, but with a loss of flavor.

So there’s an idea, thinking about that “Pork Explosion.” What about the possibility of using bacon and Italian sausage together as a pizza topping. Got a name for it? No. I do. “Pork Pie.”


Pork (Pizza) Pie
I have to admit right up front that this pizza is not low on calories or fat, but when it comes to flavor there is nothing quite like it.

Makes one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

1 14-inch pizza shell
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
10 ounces ground pork
2 teaspoons ground fennel
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
6 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, then chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces ground tomatoes or tomato puree
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese

Spread the mozzarella over the crust up to 1/2-inch of the edge.

Mix the ground pork with the fennel, salt, pepper and press into a patty that is about 12-inches in diameter (in other words, very thin). Put the pork patty on top of the cheese.

Sprinkle the cooked and chopped bacon over the pork. Ladle on the tomatoes. Sprinkle the Romano cheese evenly over the tomatoes. Bake.

Bacon and Spinach Pizza

You will note that in this recipe I use the half-and-half cheese method – half the cheese directly on the crust, then add the toppings and finish with the remaining cheese. No tomatoes are used on this pizza. This method gives the pizza a lot more eye appeal since the toppings are visible. This pizza falls into the “Signature” category of pizzas. In other words, because it is made with premium ingredients you can charge a bit more. Your customers will agree, once they have had a slice or two, that this pizza is worth an extra buck or two.

Makes one 12-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

1 12-inch pizza shell
1/4 pound bacon, cooked until crisp and broken into pieces
8 ounces 50/50 blend mozzarella and provolone
½ pound (about) fresh plum or Roma tomatoes, sliced
10-12 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh garlic
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Spread half the cheese blend over the rolled out crust. Sprinkle the cooked bacon over the cheese.

Lay the sliced fresh tomatoes evenly over the cheese.

Spread the spinach leaves evenly over the bacon and tomatoes.

Drizzle the olive oil over the spinach, followed by the chopped fresh garlic.

Sprinkle on the remaining 4 ounces of cheese, followed by the toasted pine nuts.
Bake.

Baked ziti is a great do-it-ahead pasta dish that is loaded with gusto. It can be made ahead and held for two to three days (in the cooler, covered) and the flavor will actually intensify. There are several ways to portion and serve this dish. You can simply scoop a portion out of the pan (in block form, kind of like lasagna), dress it with some hot marinara sauce and sprinkle some grated Parmesan over the sauce and serve.

Another nice presentation is to scoop a portion of the pan and spread it over the plate so it is in one layer instead of piled up. Dress with hot marinara sauce and cheese before serving.

Other flavor options that I like to explore with this versatile dish is to add sautéed spinach to the ricotta cheese mixture. I have also done this dish with mushrooms and peppers. Sauté the mushroom in olive oil until they give up their moisture and crisp up a bit. The peppers I would use would be canned roasted red peppers. In other words, should you wish to make a second version of this tasty dish it would be Baked Ziti with Vegetables. In that case, leave out the sausage and add spinach, mushrooms, peppers, even artichoke hearts. Go for the gusto.

BAKED ZITI WITH SAUSAGE

Serves 6-8 (scale up in direct proportion)

3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup coarsely chopped yellow onion
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
4 cups tomato puree or all-purpose ground tomatoes
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
2 teaspoons dried basil, crumbled
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 Pound ziti pasta
1/2 pound mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)

In a large skillet or sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and saute, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the sausage and cook and stir for 5-6 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through. Remove from the heat and drain off the excess fat. Add the tomato puree, oregano, and basil. Cook the sauce at a steady simmer while preparing the rest of the dish.


In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, salt, parsley and parmesan. Mix thoroughly.


Cook the pasta until it is not quite al dente (it will finish cooking in the oven). Preheat the oven to 400 F.


Take the sauce off the heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Add the sauce to the pasta and ricotta mixture and combine well.


Pour the pasta-sauce mixture into a 4- to 5-quart baking dish or hotel pan. Level the top with the back of a spatula or spoon. Spread the mozzarella evenly over the pasta and bake until the cheese starts to speckle brown and the sauce bubbles, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Béchamel and mornay sauces fall into the white sauce category. Mastering both of these sauces opens up a wide and wonderful world of flavors that you can use to enhance pasta and pizza creations. But first some background information is in order.

Food historians are pretty much in agreement that the original white sauce, known as balsamella, originated in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. In fact, the classic lasagna from Bologna demands that a balsamella sauce be part of the recipe.

Here are the bases recipe for a béchamel (balsamella) sauce, a Mornay sauce, and several variations on each of those. You will soon find out the many creative possibilities that come from these two sauces. 

Important tips: The secret to a good béchamel sauce is the roux, or the cooking and blending of the flour and butter. Also, the thickness or thinness of the sauce is determined by the amount of milk used, and the amount of cooking time.

Béchamel Sauce

(Makes about 2 1/2 cups)

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat, cook the onion with the butter just until the onions are softened. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir the roux for about 3 minutes.

2. Add the milk in a steady stream, whisking steadily until the sauce smooths out. Add the salt. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes, or until it is thickened to the consistency you desire.

Sauce can be kept for several days, refrigerated. Cover the surface with a buttered round of parchment paper to prevent a skim from forming.

Mornay Sauce

Generally speaking, a Mornay sauce is made by simply adding some type of cheese to a béchamel sauce. In a more luxurious and richer interpretation, the following recipe will serve you well.

1 cup béchamel sauce

1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1. Heat the béchamel until it simmers. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the Gruyere and then the Parmesan.

2. Thin the sauce to the consistency desired by using the heavy cream. Off the heat and swirl in the butter.

Now for some ideas on how to use these two sauces. Macaroni and cheese is a hot food trend, so jump on the trend train with this delicious recipe.

Maccheroni al Forno (Baked Macaroni & Cheese)

Makes 6 to 8 servings

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups milk

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 pound cavatappi or rotini pasta

1/4 pound shredded provolone cheese (about 1 cup)

1/4 pound grated Asiago cheese (about 1 cup)

1/4 pound shredded mozzarella (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 tablespoon dried oregano


1. Make the bechamel sauce. In a heavy saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a steady stream, whisking steadily, and bring the sauce to a boil. Add the mustard, cayenne, and salt and whisk to combine. Whisking the sauce, simmer until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

2. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. When it is al dente, drain it well. Set aside. Butter a 4-quart baking pan.

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir and combine the béchamel sauce, the pasta, provolone, asiago, and mozzarella. Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking pan. Smooth off the top.

4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, and oregano. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the pasta. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.

Note: The recipe can be made ahead up to the point of baking. Cover and refigerate. Bake as needed.

Bruno’s Brunch Pizza

Makes one 12-inch pizza

This is a great-tasting breakfast or brunch pizza. The béchamel sauce can be made ahead, or simply use about 1 cup of the béchamel or mornay sauce from the base recipe.

Béchamel Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon salt


The Rest

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 12-inch pizza shell

4 3-inch-diameter slices Canadian bacon

1/2 pound mild cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1. Make the béchamel sauce following the steps in the base recipe. Set aside.

2. In a small non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until it just starts to foam. Stir in the eggs and scramble just until the eggs are set. Set aside.

3. Spread the béchamel sauce evenly over the pizza shell up to the border (leave about 1/4 inch of border). Arrange the Canadian bacon slices evenly over the pizza.

Spread the eggs evenly over the bacon. Sprinkle on the cheese. Bake.

OTHER IDEAS

• Use either the béchamel sauce or the mornay sauce to make a white pizza. Spread either sauce over a pizza shell. Top the sauce with grilled vegetables and bake. 

• Also, fresh spinach that has been sautéed in garlic and olive oil (that would be the prep) work well on a pie featuring béchamel sauce. Make sure that the spinach is not too oily, though. Chop the spinach, then sprinkle it over the sauce. Finish the pizza off with a shower of grated Parmesan before sending it through the oven.

• Seafood, such as grilled or cooked shrimp, works fine with a béchamel sauce, since one of the offshoots of a béchamel is a sauce Nantua. By thinning out the basic béchamel sauce with clam juice, for example, you have a version of sauce Nantua. This approach gives the sauce and the overall goodness of the pizza a good kick in the flavor. 

• The flavor profile of the béchamel sauce can be increased by simmering chopped onion in lightly salted water for about 8 minutes. Drain. Saute the onion in butter. Now puree the onion/butter mixture. Then incorporate it into the béchamel sauce. This is a modified sauce soubise, and would work particularly well with a veggie pizza.

Bruschetta and Crostini are essentially in the same family of Italian appetizers, yet each has its own distinct personality. Add one or the other to your antipasti menu (if you add both it might confuse your customer). Generally speaking, if you are more into Italian fine dining, crostini would be more appropriate. For Italian casual menus, bruschetta is the way to go.
The classic bruschetta (broo-SKEH-tah) preparation is this: Toast or grill thick slices of Italian bread. While the bread is still warm, rub the surface of the bread with a peeled clove of garlic and then dress it lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and some freshly ground pepper (this is the original garlic bread). Properly speaking, this is called fettunta, or bread with olive oil.
A more Americanized version of bruschetta is the addition of chopped fresh tomatoes and torn leaves of fresh basil. To my way of eating, the Americanized version of bruschetta is a lot tastier than the Italian version. More elaborate versions of bruschetta include the addition of chopped olives, capers, a dusting of Parmesan cheese, or even pieces of cured sausage.
The bread for bruschetta should be firm and crusty around the edges, while the middle should be chewy and have a texture that is soft enough to hold up to the grilling or toasting — yet allow for the oil and juices (from, say, the fresh tomatoes) to get soaked up.
Crostini (kroh-STEE-nee) are similar to what we know as canapes. After rounds (or squares or diamonds shapes) of bread (sliced thinner than bruschetta) are toasted, (crostini literally means "toast" in Italian) they are spread or garnished with, for example, anchovies, cheese, seafood, flavored butters and various types of meat.


Bruschetta di Pomodoro
Yield: 12 bruschetta

Slice the bread (about 3/4 inch thick) into 12 pieces. Lay the slices on a sheet pan and toast in the oven (or grill), turning once, until lightly golden brown on both sides. Rub each slice with fresh garlic while still hot.

Topping:
2 medium ripe fresh tomatoes, cored, seeded, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground pepper
12-18 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
12 slices of the toasted bread
Grated Parmesan

Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, pepper and basil. Spoon the mixture evenly among the slices of bread. Sprinkle on the Parmesan. Generally, three slices to a serving works fine.


Crostini di Olive e Formaggio
Yield: 12 crostini

12 slices of bread, sliced abut 1/2-inch thick, toasted on both sides
3/4 cup pitted black olives (Kalamata or California ripe black)
4 Anchovy filets
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Shredded mozzarella

Chop the olives and the anchovies together. Add the olive oil and garlic, then toss to combine. Spread an equal amount of the topping on each slice of bread. Sprinkle a small amount of mozzarella over the olive spread. Put the crostini in the oven (or under the broiler) to melt the cheese. Serve at once, about 3 pieces to a serving.

Caciocavallo (kah-ch'yoh-kah-VAH-loh). With a name like this it has to be good (to borrow a slogan). Caciocavallo, also known as “Horse Cheese,” is an interesting cheese. One theory behind how this cheese got its name is that it was designed to be carried on horseback, since it is usually sold in pairs, which could be slung over the horse's neck and carried to market. (“A cavallo" means "on horseback.”)

Caciocavallo is an important cheese in southern Italy, and southern Italian cooking. Generally it is made from cow's milk, but some smaller cheese makers in Italy make a version of caciocavallo from sheep's milk. Also, I have seen a smoked Caciocavallo in stores in Sicily. A close cousin in texture and flavor is scamorza (skah-Mor-t'zah).

After maturing for between three months and up to three years, this pear-shaped pasta-filata (cheese made by stretching the curds into strands before molding them…mozzarella is also a pasta-filata cheese) develops an interesting and intensive aroma. When eaten young it has a sweet and creamy taste. The flavor becomes more piquant the longer the cheese matures. And the more mature caciocavallos can be used as a tasty grating cheese.

Caciocavallo is a good alternative to provolone, and can be used in just about any recipe that calls for provolone. For example, caciocavallo can be blended with mozzarella to make a delicious cheese pizza. Or it can be used quite effectively in an antipasto salad or as a grating cheese for pasta.

San Giovanni's Pizza

This pizza is very Sicilian in style and presentation. However, as it goes with regional Italian cooking, it also happens to fall smack into the category of a sfincione (thick-crusted pizza of Palermo, Sicily). It can be listed on your menu under “Specialty Italian Pizza,” which will give your customers something new and different to try.

Makes 1 14-inch pizza

1 14-inch pizza shell

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow or Spanish onion

1 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped ripe Roma tomatoes, or

canned plum tomatoes, squeezed dry and chopped

3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs

3/4 cup diced caciocavallo

olive oil

Sheet the dough and put it on a screen or pan. Brush the dough lightly with olive oil. Pinch the edges of the dough to form a raised edge. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion. Sauté the onion until it becomes translucent. Add the tomatoes. Cook for about 7 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Can be prepped up to this point and held.

Spread half of the breadcrumbs over the pizza crust. Spread half of the tomato sauce over the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle on the remaining breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the pizza. Drizzle some olive oil over the cheese. Bake.

Note: In classic preparation of this pizza, anchovies are mashed in with the tomatoes. It does add immensely to the flavor of this pizza, but not everyone loves anchovies.

Canadian bacon is not bacon at all –– it is ham. Canadian bacon is made from the ribeye of the pork loin (eye of the loin). In the United States, pork belly becomes the cut most often used to make Canadian bacon. In Canada, Canadian bacon is known as "back bacon."

I am aware of the fact that a number of pizzerias list Canadian bacon as an optional topping, but, unfortunately, that is where it comes to a screeching halt, and it shouldn't. There are many ways to use Canadian bacon, as you will see from the recipes that follow. So if you are already using Canadian bacon in your operation, explore using it even more.

The basic idea behind all of this is that you can and should use Canadian bacon as you would ham. When I was doing work in Spain and Mexico, one of the best selling pizzas was a Hawaiian pizza. The combination of ham and pineapple is highly favored in Latin countries: smoky meets tangy sweet, and that result equals real enjoyment.

At first, the idea of pineapple in conjunction with a tomato-based pizza sauce seems a bit strange, but it works quite nicely. However, if you are not tuned into the Hawaiian pizza (ham and pineapple) idea, try the recipes that follow where Canadian bacon is used in a number of delicious ways.

A few thoughts:

• When using pineapple to make a Hawaiian pizza, use pineapple chunks, not slices. Slices might look better on the pizza, but normal slicing of the baked pizza poses problems (the pineapple slices tends to slide hither and yon, and some slices might end up with a big portion of pineapple, while other slices get short shrift).

• When using Canadian bacon as a topping, slices (depending on size) can be put on whole. However, by dicing the bacon, or cutting the slices into quarters, you will get more coverage overall.

• Hawaiian pizza made with a 14-inch pizza shell will require about 6 to 8 ounces of Canadian bacon, and 8 to 10 ounces of pineapple chunks. Try the following recipe. The idea here is put the pineapple chunks on top of the cheese, not buried underneath the cheese. This allows the heat of the oven to give the pineapple a slightly charred look, which enhances the flavor tremendously. It is not that we want the pineapple to glaze, since that would require it being basted (or sautéed) with sugar; instead, we want the pineapple to be heated through to enhance its sweet and smoky flavors. Experiment with different size pineapple chunks until you get to where you want to be.

Hawaiian Pizza

14-inch pizza shell

6 ounces seasoned pizza sauce

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

6 ounces Canadian bacon, diced or sliced

8 ounces pineapple chunk


Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the pizza. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella. Add the Canadian bacon followed by the pineapple chunks. Bake.

Canadian Bacon Pizza with Spinach & Mushrooms

14-inch pizza shell

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces coarsely chopped Canadian bacon

8 ounces domestic mushrooms, sliced about 1/8-inch thick

4 ounces fresh baby spinach

6 ounces seasoned pizza sauce

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

2 ounces grated Parmesan

Basic Prep (can be held one day): In a sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon and sauté only until the bacon begins to take on a light crisp.

Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms lose most of their moisture and begin to firm up.

Add the spinach leaves and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the leaves just begin to wilt.

• Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the crust. Add the reserved spinach and Canadian bacon mixture. Add the mozzarella and the Parmesan. Bake.

CB& Frittata Panini

Yield: 4 large panini

This tasty panini is easy to make and quite delicious. Once the frittata has been made, it can be held for 2-3 hours at room temperature. To order, the panini is assembled and put in the panini press. Also, the frittata part can be made ahead and put in the cooler and stored covered for up to 3 days.

To make the frittata

8 extra-large eggs

4 tablespoons skim milk

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

6 ounces diced Canadian bacon

1/2 cup diced roasted red bell peppers

1/2 cup diced Roma or plum tomatoes

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella and provolone blend

8 slices panini-style bread*

In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, skim milk, and mustard. Whisk to blend. Add the Canadian bacon, bell peppers, tomatoes and cheese blend. Stir well to combine the ingredients.

Pour the egg mixture into a lightly greased (or sprayed) baking pan that measures about 9 inches x 9 inches. Bake in a 375 F oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the eggs are set and there is firmness to the frittata when pressed with your finger.

Allow the frittata to cool for about 20 minutes. Turn it out of the pan and cut into 4 equal squares. Place each square between two slices of panini-style bread. Put the sandwich into a panini press to toast the bread. If you don't have a panini press, toast the bread in the oven.

If there were an Italian dessert hall of fame, cannoli would surely be in it (along with tiramisu, gelato and ricotta cheesecake).

The word “cannoli” is as recognizable and understood as the word “pizza.” It has to do with the broad appeal of the product. Everyone, from kids to senior citizens, loves cannoli. Cannoli’s (the word translates as “pipes”) appeal, the way I see and eat it, has to do with the two components that make it up – cookies and cream. The shell is the cookie, the filling is the cream. And then, just to slap a little more “icing” on the “cake” there are add-ins like chocolate chips, pistachios, liqueur, golden raisins and candied fruit that broaden the appeal even further.

The cannoli shell, which is basically a fried pastry, can be made in house, but I wouldn’t advise it. The labor and cost involved is just not worth it. There are many good suppliers of pre-made cannoli shells (standard or enrobed in chocolate).

The filling, on the other hand, is another story. The cream filling is easy to make and has a reasonable shelf life (though it goes together so quickly it can easily be made every day as part of the overall prep). And by making your own filling it allows you to jazz the cannoli up with one or more of those add-ins.

In fact, I am waiting for some restaurant to set up a cannoli bar. Much like ice cream stores, a cannoli bar allows the customer to visually select a cannoli shell (standard or chocolate coated) and whatever add-ins (chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, candied fruit, diced fresh fruit, etc.) that they would like for their cannoli.

The secret to a great cannoli has as much to do with the shell and the cream filling as it does the procedure, which is as simple as filling the shell to order. The shell must remain crispy for a cannoli to be first-rate. In other words, if the filling is piped into the shell too far ahead, the shell gets soggy. Not good. Fill to order is the way to go with cannoli.

Basic Cannoli
Yield: Enough filling for 12 standard size cannoli shells

1 pound ricotta cheese
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Whip the ricotta cheese with a mixing spoon. Add the confectioners’s sugar and vanilla extract and whip again. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Place the filling in a pastry bag fitted with a very large star or open tip. Refrigerate until ready to use. To order, pipe the filling into the shell (fill from both ends).

To garnish, dip each end of the shell into coarsely chopped unsalted pistachios. Dust the shell with powdered sugar. In place of the pistachios, you may also dip each end of the shell into melted milk chocolate.

TIP
Add 2 tablespoons orange, lemon or candied peel to the recipe for extra flavor. 

Cassata, an Italian sponge cake, is one of the more lavish desserts in the Italian repertoire, and its provenance is traced to Palermo, Sicily. In its original form, there is a lot of time involved in making the actual cake, not to mention the various layers (and in some versions layer upon layer of ice creams) and adornments that go on top, to the point where the cake ends up looking like it just came from a beauty shop. Unlike the round, traditional round shape as was originally made, some cassatas are made in the form of a rectangle, square or box. It's interesting to note that the word "box" in Italian is "cassata,” and it is likely that the word "cassata" originated from this term.

I usually make a cassata sometime during the Christmas season, so my idea here is that you might offer this as a special dessert in December. And, if you can handle it, offer the whole cake to go for your customers who are having a holiday party or wish to bring along something special as a hostess gift.

The recipe below is easy to put together and properly deserves the “cassata alla Siciliana” designation. However, feel free to be creative. For example, instead of regular pound cake you could use a lemon pound cake. Using a liqueur is optional. In some of my versions of this delicious cake, I replace the candied fruit with drained crushed pineapple (about 1/4 cup in the recipe below).

CASSATA ALLA SICILIANA
Yield: about 8 generous servings

1 fresh pound cake, about 9-inches long x 3-inches wide
1 Pound ricotta, drained of any excess water
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons Amaretto (optional)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped candied fruit

Square up the pound cake by slicing off the ends (and level the top if it is rounded). Cut the cake horizontally into 1/2-inch slabs.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the ricotta, cream, confectioners’ sugar, and the optional Amaretto. Fold in the candied fruit.

On a large platter lay the bottom slab of the cake and spread a portion of the ricotta mixture over it completely. Place another slab of cake on top, keeping the sides and ends even. Spread on more of the ricotta mixture. Repeat until you have put together all of the cake slabs and the filling has been used up, ending with a plain slice on top. Press down gently on the loaf to compact it a bit (once it is chilled it will firm up).

Refrigerate the cassata for at least 2 hours or overnight (a 2-3 day shelf life is about right) before adding the chocolate frosting.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

12 ounces semisweet chocolate cut into small pieces
3/4 cup espresso or strong black coffee
½ pound chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inches pieces

In a heavy sauce pan set over low heat, combine the chocolate and the coffee. Beat constantly until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter piece by piece. Keep beating until the mixture is smooth. Chill the frosting to a spreadable consistency. Using a small spatula, spread the frosting over the top, ends, and sides of the cassata. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 12 hours before slicing and serving. 

What’s the deal with stuffed crust pizza anyway? Should you or shouldn’t you consider adding it to your list of pizza choices? If you are already offering stuffed crust, how is it selling? What about the added food cost with a stuffed crust pizza, considering all the extra cheese (or other ingredients) required? What about the added work necessary to put together a stuffed crust pizza that has some panache? Will your customers understand and enjoy the extras that go into a stuffed crust pizza? Ah, the devil is in the details.

There are a few negatives in the questions I just posed, but don’t let that sway your thoughts, because the possibility of putting out a fine-tasting stuffed crust pizza –– even if it becomes only a daily or weekly special –– has merit (your competition loves to revive stuffing a crust on a regular basis).

There are several ways to approach the stuffed crust idea, and it isn’t always about cheese. And it isn’t always about simply folding cheese into the crust around the raised edge of the pizza. The Italian name for the raised edge or border of a pizza is “il cornicione” — or “large frame.” Keep that in mind as we explore one aspect of stuffed crust pizza. Also, keep in mind that the crust is the crust. So we will look into not only using some kind of stuffing in the raised edge, but in the rest of the crust as well.

How do we do that? I could be glib here and say “very carefully.” But it really does have to do with using care and an understanding of your dough to make a stuffed crust pizza worth the trouble. Otherwise forget it.

The most basic and simplest way to make a stuffed crust pizza is to lay long pieces of string cheese (mozzarella string cheese or similar) just inside the edge of the crust all around, then fold the crust edge over the cheese and pinch the dough to seal. Or you can use any type of shredded cheese –– mozzarella, a blend of mozzarella and provolone –– and follow the same procedure. Once you have done that, the rest goes the same as any other pizza –– tomatoes, more cheese, selected toppings, etc.

That’s how you stuff a crust for a round, thin-crust pizza; however, that simple approach is, to me, well, kind of boring. So let’s push the edge of the dough (so to speak) just a bit. If you are going to introduce a stuffed crust pizza, why not change the shape? Instead of round, how about rectangular? In other words, a Sicilian Stuffed Crust Pizza: rectangular thick-crust pizza in which, say, the cheese is folded into the raised edge or border?

Another very important aspect is to consider the flavor combinations. Here are some to consider:

• If the pizza has chicken as a topping, we could blend crumbles of bleu cheese with shredded mozzarella and use that combination in stuffing the raised border.

• If the pizza has chicken as a topping, we can blend a prepared pesto sauce with, say, shredded mozzarella or provolone. How about brushing the string cheese with olive oil and rolling the “logs” into a blend of herbs (oregano, basil)?

• Consider a buffalo chicken stuffed crust pizza where we dip the cheese “logs” or sticks in buffalo chicken sauce?

• If you already have cheese sticks on your menu as an appetizer, use those to stuff the crust.

• Want to create a Mexican stuffed crust pizza? Use a combination of shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses to stuff the border. Top the rest of the crust with salsa, black beans, chorizo and more Monterey Jack and cheddar. Top the cheese with finely chopped cilantro.

• Consider combining ricotta cheese with shredded mozzarella (or a mozzarella and provolone blend) to stuff the crust.

• Instead of stuffing the border of a round pizza, stuff the whole pizza. Roll out two thin sheets of dough (any size you wish). Sprinkle shredded cheese over the bottom crust up to one-inch of the edge. Lay a second sheet of pizza dough over the cheese. Fold and roll the crust edge (like for a pie). Now add your sauce and other toppings. Presto! A whole stuffed pizza, not just stuffed crust pizza.

• Create a “Choke and Cheese” pizza (adapted from Digger’s Restaurant in Fish Creek, Wisconsin). Stuff the crust edge with artichoke hearts that have been tossed in olive oil and oregano. Spread a thin layer of ricotta cheese over the crust. Lay thin slices of fresh tomato over the ricotta. Sprinkle crumbles of feta cheese over the tomatoes.
Make it happen, jazz it up, or fugetaboutit!


Cheddar and BBQ Chicken Stuffed Crust Pizza

Yield: one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

8 ounces cooked chunks of chicken
1 cup barbecue sauce
½ cup red onion strings (poach thinly sliced rounds of red onion in water for 2 minutes, drain, pat dry and separate into “strings”)
2 cups shredded cheddar or shredded smoked mozzarella
1 14-inch pizza shell

In a mixing bowl, toss the chicken with the barbecue sauce and onion strings.
Use half the shredded cheddar for the crust stuffing. Lay the cheese just inside the edge of the crust. Fold the crust over the cheese and pinch the edges to seal.

Spread the chicken mixture evenly over the crust up to the sealed edge. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar evenly over the chicken and barbecue sauce. Bake.

American Cheddar is generally made from pasteurized cow's milk. Cheddar is often referred to as the "big cheese" of American cheeses. Its popularity is quite evident, since the average American consumes about 10 pounds of cheddar cheese each year. The process of milling and piling of the curds (cheddaring) before pressing gives cheddar its name. Most American-made cheddar gets its color from a dying process using annatto (a special form of food coloring).

Colby is a cheese that was created in Colby, Wisconsin, sometime around the turn of the 20th century, and is quite similar in flavor and appearance to Cheddar. One of the big differences between Colby and cheddar is that Colby is softer and has a somewhat lacy texture. Also, cheddar requires some aging whereas Colby does not. Colby goes by the name of "Longhorn" when it is cut into half-moon shapes.

The similarities of these two cheeses rule out the idea of blending them. But you can take advantage of their similarities by using them interchangeably. Each cheese on its own can add some interesting flavors and textures. For example, I would use cheddar in a ham and cheese panini. I would definitely use cheddar (sharp or mild, it doesn't matter) blended with Monterey Jack on a Mexican pizza. On the other hand, it wouldn't make much sense to blend cheddar and Colby in, say, a macaroni and cheese dish.

Try both of these recipes to get into the tasty pleasures that cheddar and Colby delivers.

Spinach dip

Makes about 3 cups of dip

8 slices bacon

1 pound fresh spinach, cleaned and stemmed, or two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 pound shredded Colby cheese (mild or sharp)

1 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cook the bacon until it is crisp. Drain, crumble and set aside.

In a saucepan set over medium heat, cook the spinach. Drain excess water from the pan. Add the ricotta, cheddar, and tomatoes to the pan. Cook and stir until the cheeses blend with spinach. Blend in the salt and pepper. Mix in the crumbled bacon.

Serve with large chunks of crusty bread or crackers.

Pizza Arrebba

Makes one 14-inch pizza

1 14-inch pizza shell

2/3 cup bottled chunky salsa

11/2 cups drained and rinsed black beans

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

Spread the salsa evenly over the crust, leaving about a 1/2-inch border all around. Spread the beans over the salsa. In a small bowl, combine the two cheeses. Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly over the pizza. Sprinkle on the cilantro. Bake.

Not too many years ago, you could have any cheese you wanted on a pizza as long as it was mozzarella. Sure, there might be grated Parmesan or Romano on the table to sprinkle on top, but that was about it. Going beyond pizza, mozzarella made its way onto the table, showing up in dishes like chicken or veal Parmigiana. In the realm of pasta, the cheeses of choice were, yes, you guessed it — Parmesan. Ricotta was another basic cheese, essential to lasagne, manicotti and stuffed shells. The interesting aspect to all of this was that cheese combinations always boiled down to the same few.

Then the clouds parted, and in on rays of sunshine rode a whole new approach to cheese usage and combinations with the intent of developing flavor profiles that added even more pizzazz to pizza, pasta and beyond (such as the trend-popular panini and ubiquitous sub sandwich).

Indeed, before we could smile and say “cheese!” we were enjoying the flowing tastes of a four-cheese pizza and pasta with multiple cheeses. Savvy operators were among the first to understand that a pizza could be a lot more interesting if provolone was added to the mozzarella. How about adding some Parmesan? Wait, let’s add some Romano. Presto! A four-cheese pizza. That’s a fine-tasting four-cheese blend, but before long it was rather basic again, so the repertoire was expanded.

Think about how many different cheeses are available, and you will quickly understand that coming up with tasty cheese combinations is simply a matter of how many you wish to keep on hand. Other factors have influenced how we use various cheeses and in what combinations. For example, the rising popularity of Mexican food gave issue to blending cheeses with a Latin flare and flavor. The same thing happened when Mediterranean cooking came on strong. In each instance, it wasn’t long before “new” cheeses and cheese combinations took center stage in this interesting play that could easily have been titled “Cheeses That Please.”

We are all familiar with the basic four-cheese blend — mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, Romano. And, believe me, there is nothing wrong with using that blend on pizza or for a four-cheese pasta dish. However, with the wealth of interesting cheeses out there, it is good to think beyond the proverbial cheese block. In another story on cheese on page XX, I talk about using provola, or smoked mozzarella, along with fresh mozzarella to fashion a classic Neapolitan cheese flavor. It works beautifully and you should give it a try.

In my 1995 cookbook “The Ultimate Pizza,” I explored quite vigorously the idea of cheese combinations. For example, in the chapter on cheese I list no fewer than 20 different cheeses that could be used on pizza. From Asiago to Tallegio I was looking at the idea of combining cheeses on an aggressive scale, but using common sense. And common sense is what it comes down to when looking at cheese blends.

It is important when coming up with cheese combinations to consider the predominant flavor that each cheese would bring to the taste party. At the same time, combining two strong cheeses doesn’t work, because the flavors cancel each other out. For example, blending a bleu cheese with smoked Gouda wouldn’t work because both of those cheeses have an aggressive flavor. However, combining bleu cheese with Havarti delivers, because each cheese strikes a different flavor note.

Similarly, a combination of Fontina and Gruyere is ripe with a buttery and nutty taste. This combination of cheeses works great for a panini and oven-toasted sub sandwich. Another factor to keep in mind when combining cheeses as a pizza topping is color. For example, I do a brunch pizza (recipe to follow) that incorporates cheddar, Monterey Jack and Asadero. The cheddar adds flavor and color, the Monterey jack a mild counterpoint of flavor, while the Asadero, which is a great melting cheese, brings in a tangy flavor similar to provolone. If you want a great pizza for brunch service you need to try my brunch pizza below.

Also, when considering cheese combinations keep in mind the other toppings and how the cheeses flow and are compatible with what else is on the pizza. For example, I do a chicken/ blue cheese /Parmesan pizza. That combination of cheeses gives a real flavor boost to the chicken.

As always, common sense must prevail. I am seeing some recipes come out where five and six cheese combinations are used. When you get that many cheeses going it gets expensive and there is a flavor overload (and the average customer won’t get it anyway).
Some interesting cheese blends for a pizza topping include Fontina and Gruyere, smoked gouda and Parmesan, Muenster and Blue, Feta and mozzarella. On an antipasto tray I would include aged or mild provolone, Asiago, fresh mozzarella and Gorgonzola.

Bruno’s Brunch Pizza
Yields: Makes 14-inch pizza. Scale up in direct proportion

¾ pound chorizo
1 14-inch pizza shell
½ cup canned refried beans, thinned with 1 tablespoon warm water
¾ cup medium-hot bottled salsa
6 eggs lightly beaten
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup shredded Asadero cheese

In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook the chorizo, breaking up the larger pieces, about 5 minutes. Drain all the fat from the pan. Reserve.
Spread the refried beans over the pizza shell, leaving a ½-inch (one-half inch) crust edge. Spread the salsa over the beans.
In a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, scramble the eggs just until they are set and no longer runny. Spread the eggs loosely over the salsa. Sprinkle the cilantro over the eggs. Combine the three cheeses and sprinkle evenly over the eggs. Sprinkle the reserved chorizo over the cheese, pushing it into the cheese with your fingers.
Bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
This pizza will hold nicely on a buffet table for up to an hour.

One of my cookbooks on pizza, The Great Chicago-Style Pizza Cookbook, first came out in 1983. If my math is correct, that was 25 years ago. Holy pepperoni, pizzaman, that’s a long time ago. Yes, even though this book is still in print, I honestly admit that it is in dire need of an update. And the reason I am thinking that way is because so much has changed over the years relative to Chicago pizza. Nevertheless, all of the pizza restaurants that I mentioned in my book are still in business, which is a testament to not only the popularity of pizza, but the idea that if you make a good pizza people will come (and come, and come).

Each of the restaurants in the book have a different style of pizza: deep-dish; stuffed; thin crust; Italian bakery and variations on all of those themes. What are not in the book are pizza places using wood-burning ovens. The reason for that, believe it or not, is that there weren’t any pizza places with wood-burning ovens in Chicago in 1983. Hard to believe, but it’s true.

I am here to tell you that all of that has changed. There are (at least, as I write this) a dozen pizza places that are working with wood-burning ovens. On top of that there are countless restaurants using ovens with chambers that are gas-fired. In short, the landscape of Chicago-style pizza has changed dramatically.

The earth may have moved here in Chicago, but the foundation of Chicago-style pizza is still rock solid. And that foundation was built when Pizzeria Uno opened in 1943, and Chicago was introduced to deep-dish (also known as pan) pizza. It tasted good back then and it still tastes good today, and this deep-dish pizza became the benchmark on which all pizzas (at least those after 1943) were measured. How so? It had to do with every part of that pizza: crust, cheese, tomatoes, toppings, the finished product. Also in the deep-dish game we find Gino’s East, which got going in 1966. Another big hit right from the start.

The hits just kept on coming. Next on the deep-dish scene was Lou Malnati’s (Lou worked at Uno’s for a number of years). Another fine pie. Malnati’s opened its first location in Lincolnwood, a suburb of Chicago, in 1971, and now has some 25 locations spread around Chicagoland.

On the thin-crust side, we have to look to Home Run Inn and acknowledge its contribution to the Chicago pizza scene. Home Run Inn got going in 1947. Actually it was a bar on Chicago’s near south side that just happened to serve pizza. I first tasted Home Run Inn when I got to Chicago in 1967. I got hooked on this pizza back then and I am still hooked on it today.

Relative to stuffed pizza, we go into the same year as Home Run Inn –– 1967. For those not in the know about stuffed pizza, it’s like a deep-dish pizza (same style of pan is used), but there are two crusts. One crust is fitted into the pan (the dough overlapping the sides of the pan). The filling (toppings in other words) goes into that deep well. Another thin sheet of pizza dough goes over the filling and the two pieces of dough are crimped together (like a two-crust fruit pie). Now the tomato sauce goes on top and the pizza gets baked.

But –– and there’s always a but in situations like this –– all of these new pizza places, and I am referring to those new woodburning oven places that are serving Neapolitan-style (a.k.a. thin crust) pizzas, are getting their slice of the pie, so it’s boiled down to which place can do a pizza better than that place. Pizzeria Uno (and its sister restaurant, Pizzeria Due) will always get its share of business (the crowds waiting outside to be called to a table are testament to that), and so will institutions like Giordano’s, Home Run Inn, Lou Malnati’s, Gino’s East and the rest.

The variety and style of pizzas that are so abundant in Chicago makes my home city a very unique place, so the idea of what Chicago Style pizza is all about anymore is this: It’s all about a city where pizza is part of the atmosphere, part of the fabric, part of our daily lives. And that is what makes Chicago the Pizza Capital of the World (sorry, Naples, but it’s true).

Here is a recipe for deep-dish pizza, the pizza that made Chicago famous.

Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza

Yield: One 12-inch deep-dish pizza (scale up in direct proportion)
8 ounces of sliced part-skim low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 11 slices)
10 ounces ground pork, mixed with 2 teaspoons fennel seed, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper. (Press the meat into a patty that is almost as big as the pan.)
1½ cups ground tomatoes mixed with 1 teaspoon oregano and1 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoons grated Romano cheese

The dough
1/4 ounce active dry yeast (not instant)
3/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup corn oil
2½ cups flour (11-12 percent protein, a soft flour)
2 teaspoons salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the yeast into the water. Add the sugar and corn oil. Mix to combine. Add the flour and the yeast. Mix to combine and run the mixer for about 4 minutes at medium speed. The dough should clean the sides of the mixing bowl.
Rub the dough ball all over with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Let the dough rise for 2 hours. Do not punch it down.

Spread and push the dough across the bottom and up the sides of a 12-inch by 2-inch deep pizza pan.

Lay the slices of cheese over the crust, overlapping the slices to cover the dough. Add the pork sausage patty. Spread the tomatoes over the sausage. Sprinkle on the Romano cheese.

Bake in a preheated 475 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let the pizza sit for 3 to 4 minutes before cutting.

What is it about wings? They have become so popular that I wouldn’t be surprised if some scientist is at work trying to figure out how to come up with a chicken that has four wings. It’s no surprise people love them — they’re fun, fast and qualify as finger food. 

But not all wings are created equal. I have had Chicken wings that were so scrawny I figured they might have come from a pigeon. I have even had wings that didn’t even taste like chicken. And I have had chicken wings that were so lacking in flavor it was an insult to the name, let alone the chicken.

Here are some of the basic facts: The secret is in the sauce (s). But I figured you already knew that, or you would simply be serving fried chicken wings. The ingredients? The chicken wings, of course. And the rest: hot pepper sauce, white vinegar, butter and salt. The level of heat is determined by the amount of hot pepper sauce used. Flour and cayenne pepper are also basic ingredients for consideration. For me personally, I like to add a bit of garlic (or garlic powder) and to play around with flavors. 

That said, sometimes basic is best. Here’s a simple recipe that’s sure to please.

HOT WINGS

Yield: 24 wings, or about 3-4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup vinegar-based hot sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
12 whole meaty chicken wings (chop off the tips and discard.
Cut each wing in half at the joint)

This is basically a five-step process.

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients – flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt.

2. In a sauce pan, melt the butter, hot sauce and the black pepper. Keep the sauce warm.

3. Toss the wings in the flour mixture to coat.

4. Deep fry the wings (375 F for 10 -12 minutes should do it) and drain.

5. Toss the fried wings in the hot sauce to coat.
That’s it. Simple. Now serve the wings with a dipping sauce on the side (blue cheese sauce or dressing and celery sticks are standard).

Quick `n’ Easy Blue Cheese Dressing

Combine 8 ounces of a softened blue-veined cheese with ½ cup sour cream and ½ cup heavy whipping cream. Use a fork to mash the blue cheese as you add the sour cream and whipping cream to combine. Whip it up to smooth it out. If you want to zip the dressing up a bit add some cayenne pepper.

Chicken Wing Pizza

This is such a good-tasting pizza you will wonder why you never thought of it before.

Makes one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

Make the chicken wings, following the basic recipe, through Step 5.

Pull the meat off the bones (you will need about 10-12 ounces of meat). Combine pizza sauce with Louisiana hot sauce (adjust heat to taste). Spread (lightly) the sauce over the crust.

Add the pulled chicken wing meat to the pizza, spreading it evenly.

Top the pizza with shredded mozzarella and blue cheese (to taste, but I use a ratio of 2/3 mozzarella to 1/3 blue cheese). Bake and serve.

Alternatively, for this pizza, instead of combining the mozzarella with the blue cheese, just go with the mozzarella. After the pizza is baked, and just before serving, drop dollops of the blue cheese dressing (see recipe above) on top of the melted mozzarella. And if you want to get really fancy you can garnish the pizza with celery sticks.


Are wings simple?

Yes. But what should you watch out for? What little problems could cause your wings to crash instead of fly high?

Problem: If the wings are moist or too wet (say the wings came in frozen and were holding a lot of moisture) the flour mixture will not adhere properly and your wings will have a gummy taste. Not good.

Solution: Lay the wings on a sheet pan and pat them dry with a paper towel. Turn them over and pat dry again. And then again.

Problem: If the wings come in frozen and you have not fully defrosted them, you will not only have the moisture problem, but you will have a longer cook time to get them fully cooked — which might result in a burned look on the outside and uncooked inside.

Solution: Lay the wings on a full sheet pan to defrost for 1-2 days in the cooler. Pat the wings dry of any excess moisture.

Problem: You don’t have a deep fryer.

Solution: Bake the wings. Toss the wings in a combination of cooking oil and cayenne pepper (to taste). Lay the wings on a full sheet pan and bake at 425 F for 20-25 minutes. While the wings are still warm, toss them with a combination of white vinegar and hot sauce. Serve with blue cheese dressing and celery sticks.

More restaurants need to step up to the plate (so to speak) when it comes to desserts. Why? Because you lose income (lower check average) if you don’t. Why? Because you increase customer satisfaction.

Absolutely, there are a gazillion desserts –– many of them quite good –– that you can purchase from suppliers that are ready to go. But those of you who follow me know that I am always preaching the sweet satisfaction that comes along with having at least one special dessert that is made in house.

Who doesn’t love chocolate cake? Here is a recipe for a chocolate cake that is easy to make yet is quite delicious. Give this luscious cake the Italian name –– torta di cioccolata –– not only because it sounds better, but it helps to enhance the idea of quality foods in y our restaurant. You will notice that there is no flour in the recipe (the half-cup of flour is used to dust the pan), so in essence this is a version of a flourless chocolate cake. All you have to do now is have your servers say: “Our chocolate cake is made right here in house, and it is delicious.” Those are words so sweet it makes it hard for any customer to resist ordering a slice (or two).

Chocolate Torte

This torta gets its richness and flavor from not only the chocolates in the recipe, but the coffee. If you want to enhance the flavor even more, use espresso (regular or decaf). You will find that the consistency of the torta is similar to that of a mousse (though a bit thicker).

Makes one 9-inch torta (scale up in direct proportion)

1 pound unsalted butter
½ cup flour
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup brewed coffee (espresso or regular)
10 ounces semisweet chocolate
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
8 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Fit a 9-inch springform pan (or deep-dish pizza pan) with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with butter. Put the flour in the pan to coat the butter all over by turning and tapping the pan. Tap out the excess flour.
In a large saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar and the coffee and whisk to blend. Add the semisweet and unsweetened chocolate. Stir until the chocolate melts, whisk to combine.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the chocolate mixture cool slightly. Whisk in the eggs slowly to combine.

Pour the cake batter into the pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean and the top has a thin dry crust. Cool to room temperature. Keep the torta refrigerated.

To serve, slice into wedges. Dust a plate with cocoa powder or powdered sugar (or a combination of both). Plate the cake and dust the top with powdered sugar or serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Recently I dropped in on a wine and cheese festival in Wisconsin. Several cheese producers were exhibiting their wares, so (naturally) I did some sampling, and chatted a bit with those manning the booths. I asked about a particular pizza cheese that is becoming quite popular in restaurants that are doing classic pizzas in the style of Naples (Pizza Napoletana). The cheese in question is provola. Provola is a cousin to Provolone (a large provola is provolone). To put it another way, provola is smoked mozzarella (provola affumicato). Mozzarella is a pasta filata cheese, as is provolone, so the processing steps are similar.

Provola is one hot cheese and it is gaining status fast, so I was amazed when neither of the gentlemen manning that cheese booth ever heard of this great cheese. Great? I predict that provola will be THE hot cheese in the coming months. I have been using provola in a number of ways, but no way is better than when I use it in conjunction with fresh mozzarella to fashion an authentic Margherita pizza. In fact, provola is used extensively in pizzerias in Naples. Take my word for it. So what if you can’t find provola? Answer: use aged provolone. It will boost the flavor of your pizza by leaps and bounds. Caution: a little bit of aged provolone goes a long way, and it is not to everyone’s taste, so use it judiciously.

Gorgonzola is my choice for the next-in-line hot cheese in the year ahead. Widely distributed from coast to coast (most of the domestic Gorgonzola production comes from Wisconsin and California), I can tout Gorgonzola as a pizza cheese (blended with, say, mozzarella) — but a stronger application is to use it as an add-on in a salad along with ripe pears (see recipe below). The earthy and tangy flavor of this blue cheese offers a pleasing taste counterpoint to the pears. Some cheese processors are packaging Gorgonzola crumbles, which makes it quite easy to sprinkle it over a salad.

Gorgonzola also steps up to the plate and hits it off with customers when used as part of an antipasto plate. I like to pair it with roasted red peppers, olives, capers, and anchovies, along with a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Next, lets take a look at mascarpone (mahs-kar-POH-neh). There are countless ways to use this outstanding cow’s milk cheese (actually mascarpone is not a cheese in the sense that no starter or rennet is used in its production), which is the guiding taste ingredient in a properly made tiramisu. Though similar to cream cheese in texture (and often mascarpone is referred to as a cream cheese) it is worlds apart in taste. Mascarpone has a fat content that ranges from 70 to 75 percent, so count the riches of this great cheese.

Other than its proper place in tiramisu, I like to use mascarpone in pasta dishes. For example, swirl just a tablespoon of mascarpone in a marinara sauce and you will be amazed at how beautifully it cuts some of the acidity in the tomatoes. Mascarpone is one of the “secret” ingredients in penne alla vodka (again, just a small amount worked into the pasta and sauce in a sauté pan works wonders).

Another delicious way in which to use mascarpone is to serve it with fresh fruit for a light dessert. Combine equal amounts of mascarpone, ricotta (make sure the ricotta is drained of any excess water) and sugar, to taste. Whip the mixture gently to a cream smoothness. Layer the mascarpone with sliced fresh strawberries or fresh blueberries in a sundae glass. Add a sprig of fresh mint on top, and you have a fine looking, fine-tasting dessert.

Two more cheeses that I see in the hot bin for this year are Asiago and fontina. I have been touting these two cheeses for years. Either cheese can be blended with mozzarella for pizza, or as part of a four-cheese pasta dish; however, because these two cheeses are so unique, I like to use them as part of a cheese or antipasto tray. I am not high on either one for blending for pizza cheeses, but when it comes to straight out eating both of these cheeses are excellent. That said, I lean in favor of fontina, which can be used as a panini cheese with great effect. Another way that I use fontina is to sandwich it between two lightly pounded boneless chicken breasts, followed by a quick sauté in butter and olive oil.


Classic Pizza Margherita
Yield: One 14-inch pizza

14-inch pizza shell
6 ounces all-purpose ground tomatoes or tomato puree
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
2 ounces grated provola or mild provolone
Fresh basil leaves

Ladle the tomatoes over the stretched pizza shell. Evenly distribute the mozzarella slices over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the grated provola evenly over the mozzarella. After the pizza has been baked, arrange the fresh basil leaves over the melted cheeses. Serve at once.




Insalata con Gorgonzola e Pere
Yield: 6 servings (Scale up in direct proportion)

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ (one-fourth) cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt

Combine the ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Let set while assembling the salads. Strain the dressing to get rid of the garlic.

12 ounces young salad greens (mesclun)
3 cups peeled, diced pears (Comice would be a good choice)
6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup pine nuts, toasted
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Arrange the salad greens on six chilled plates. Distribute an equal amount of the pear and the Gorgonzola over the greens. Sprinkle an equal amount of the pine nuts over each serving. Drizzle an equal amount of the dressing over each salad.

If you're in Chicago and "the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie," you can bet that most of the time that pizza is of the deep-dish persuasion.

What is this pizza called Chicago deep-dish, and what makes it so different from other pizzas? In the truest sense, deep-dish pizza (pizza-in-the-pan is the alternate nom de pizza) is a first-generation descendant of what Italian-Americans commonly referred to as "tomato pie." A sideline of Italian bakeries at the turn of the century, a tomato pie was baked in a large rectangular pan with 1-inch-high sides. It had a crust two fingers thick and a generous layer of seasoned tomato puree that was dusted with grated Romano cheese just before it went into the oven.

So 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.

Chicago-style deep-dish pizza came into being in 1943 when two savvy entrepreneurs, Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo, opened Pizzeria Uno on the corner of Wabash and Ohio. It was a time when a restaurant serving only pizza was unheard of.

The story goes that it took six months of experimentation to produce that "cheese, tomato, and meat pie" called deep-dish pizza. It was so thick that it required the use of a knife and fork-which brought down another wall of pizza tradition: Pizza had always been something that you ate with your hands. Utensils to eat pizza? Incredible.

And what a sumptuous, mouthwatering pie it is. Freshly-made dough flows across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Slices of mozzarella cheese are layered over the dough, followed by a red blanket of seasoned tomatoes, then by sausage, pepperoni, etc. The indescribable aroma and sheer gusto of this pizza, when presented tableside in all of its pizza glory, is something to experience. Is it any wonder that visitors to Chicago from all over the world want to sample this magnificent pizza?

Size-for-size, the food costs to produce a standard deep-dish pie is not much more than that for thin-crust pizza. It takes more dough and slightly more tomatoes to construct a deep-dish pie, but other toppings – sausage, pepperoni, vegetables – are relatively the same. For example: It takes 26 ounces for a 14-inch deep-dish pizza (a 14-inch thin-crust pizza uses about 16 ounces of dough). It takes about 14 ounces of tomatoes for a deep-dish pie (a 14-inch thin-crust pie will take about 8 ounces of tomatoes).

Market fluctuations, especially with cheese, makes it difficult to pin down actual food costs. To average it out, let me suggest that the food costs for a 14-inch deep-dish cheese pizza should run no more than 22 percent.

Points to keep in mind: The dough recipe for deep-dish pizza has a much higher percentage of oil than a thin-crust pizza (so factor that into your final cost). The idea is that deep-dish pizza dough gets close to what we call a "short-crust," one that after baking is crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. To accomplish this, it is necessary to use a flour that is low in protein. (See recipe below).

10-steps to a perfect 14-inch deep-dish cheese pizza:

1) Make the dough at least one day ahead. Keep it in the cooler in one mass (do not scale it).

2) Two hours before the first order is due to come in, bring the dough out of the cooler.

3) Scale the dough to 26 ounces and place the dough balls in a lightly oiled deep-dish pizza pan. Turn the dough ball to coat with the oil. 

4) Set or stack the pans in a warm part of the kitchen 

5) To order, push and spread the dough across the bottom of the pan and up the sides.

6) Lay the sliced mozzarella on top of the dough (about 12 slices, each about 1 ounce), so that the slices cover the bottom crust completely. 

7) ladle on the tomatoes (about 14 ounces of all-purpose tomatoes, seasoned, or crushed plum tomatoes, seasoned).

8) Sprinkle grated Romano cheese and oregano over the tomatoes.

9) Bake the pizza for 20-22 minutes at 450 degrees F. (oven style-conveyor, deck, rotating-must be taken into consideration).

10) Cut the pizza into wedges and bring the pizza in the pan to the table. The server serves each person one piece to get the ball rolling.

Deep-Dish Pizza Dough Recipe

Yields: about 38 pounds of dough 

25 pounds Flour (11 to 12 percent protein) 

91/2 pounds water (70-80 degrees F.) 

3 oz. Active dry yeast 

4 oz. Salt 

5 oz. Sugar 

4 lbs. Vegetable oil 


Optional: 3 ounces of egg shade (a liquid food colorant) to the above dough recipe will give the dough a rich golden color.

1. Scale the flour. Pour the water into the mixing bowl. Add the yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix with a whisk to combine. Add the flour. Run the mixer at speed 2 for 3 minutes to combine. Add the vegetable oil. Mix for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until the dough cleans the side of the bowl. The dough must be soft and pliable, not stiff.

2. Put the mass of dough (cut it into several parts if necessary) into deep plastic containers. Cover the dough. Put the dough in the cooler. The next day, follow the 10 steps for perfect deep-dish pizza dough, and you are off and running.

Watch to watch out for: Tomatoes too watery will make the pizza soggy. Dough too dry will make it hard to stretch in the pan. If you use oregano in your seasoned tomato mix, do not add additional oregano.

This is the time of year that many of us (especially those of us living in the Midwest) go bananas over fresh tomatoes. If I had the time, I would write another cookbook called “101 Ways to Use Fresh Tomatoes.”

So this time of year I am constantly coming up with new ways to use fresh tomatoes. And when I do so, my ideas seem to come in bunches of threes, as in three ingredients. In this instance it happens to be pasta, tomatoes and arugula. The pasta being fettuccine, the tomatoes, being fresh plum or Roma, and the greens being arugula. I really like the way that the flavors complement each other: the peppery bite of the arugula balancing against the sweetness of the fresh tomatoes. Throw a balsamic vinaigrette into that mix (along with the pasta, of course) and you end up with a dish that is pure flavor harmony.

You don’t absolutely need to use fettuccine, but the thicker cut of this pasta balances nicely with the other ingredients. Thick spaghetti can be used and, if you can find it, a cut of pasta known as malfadine (a flat, ribbon-shaped pasta with wavy edges) works equally well.

A couple of thoughts about the arugula: Try to buy it with bigger leaves (as opposed to baby arugula, which can be mostly stems), because it holds up better when gentle heat is applied. On the other hand, I will give you an option: if arugula is not your thing (or if it is too costly), substitute with baby spinach. Either way you go, I believe that the simple goodness of this dish will please your customers.

Fettuccine with Fresh Tomatoes & Arugula
serves 4-6 (Scale up in direct proportion)

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chopped red onions
8 ripe tomatoes (about 3 pounds) cored, seeded, cut into bite-size pieces
1 ½ cups tightly packed, chopped or torn, arugula
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound fettuccine
1 cup grated Parmesan

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar and olive oil. Add the garlic, onion, tomatoes and arugula. Add salt and pepper. (The recipe can be made to this point and held at room temperature for several hours.)

Cook the pasta until it is perfectly al dente. Drain well. Working quickly, add the pasta to the tomato and arugula mixture. Toss to combine. Divide the pasta into serving portions. Top each portion with an equal amount of Parmesan cheese.


Tip: If you are offering a lunch buffet, this dish works effectively as a pasta salad (room temperature, not cold). However, in this instance use penne pasta.

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, was a piece of work himself, but the sandwich was born when he came up with the idea of putting meat between two slices of bread so he could continue to play cards without interruption or without getting the cards greasy from eating meat with his hands. Great story. True or not, it doesn’t matter, because the word “sandwich” is now an important part of our culinary inventory.

At its simplest, a sandwich is bread with something in between. Simple, yet so complex. Today, the sandwich takes on many forms and pseudonyms: Grinder, hero, sub, hoagie, torpedo, bahn mi (Vietnamese sub sandwich) and po’boys are all sandwiches in one form or another.

Because I have so many personal favorites, I was a troubled soul for a week or more trying to narrow my sandwich choices down to only a handful based on the space allocated me for this story. Some of my favorites are those that are thrown together using leftovers. For example, when I was growing up, Sunday night was sandwich night. I would take some of that eggplant parmigiana leftover from Sunday dinner (which was always at 12 noon) and slap it between two slices of Italian bread. No heat to this one, just a simple (yet simply delicious) eggplant sandwich.

Any great sandwich starts with the bread. White House Subs in Atlantic City uses a special unique-in-texture-and-flavor-bread (made at a bakery within the same block) for its subs. This hole-in-the-wall shop sells upwards of 500 subs a day –– they’ve gotta be doing something right.

In Chicago, the sandwich of note is the Italian beef sandwich. Any place worth going to for an Italian beef uses a first-rate Italian or French bread roll (or a three-foot long baguette, cut to size) that is crusty on the outside with a soft texture underneath (the soft texture helps to sop up some of the “juice” of the beef).

In New Orleans, the famous muffuletta requires a certain style of bread to carry it off. The round sturdy loaf (about 10 inches in diameter), similar in heft to a focaccia, has to hold up considering the load of cold cuts and the olive salad that goes into its make-up.

In that regard, the five WOW! Sandwiches I came up with all use good bread (or in the case of the turkey wrap, an excellent flour tortilla). And, of course, some tasty stuff to fill it up. Where do you get the bread? Sample, try, taste, test, until you get exactly the right stuff. A great sandwich is nothing without great bread. Otherwise eat the cold cuts with your hands, or stop playing cards.

Now, onto the recipes. Note that all of these sandwiches make one serving. All can be scaled up in direct proportion.

Muffuletta

Olive salad*
1/2 cup each green and black olive, pitted, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine and toss all of the ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
* If making the olive salad is too daunting, simply purchase any good brand of mild giardiniera.

One 10-inch round loaf of bread, thick enough to cut in half horizontally. Scoop out some of the soft dough from the bottom half of the loaf to form a well for the olive salad.
4 slices mortadella
4 slices Genoa salami
4 slices provolone cheese

Spoon the olive salad into the well of the bottom half of the bread. Layer on the meats and cheeses. Cover with the top of the bread. Press down to flatten the sandwich a bit. Cut into four wedges. Serve. (Sandwich, including olive salad, can be made ahead up to 30 minutes without refrigeration.)

Terrific Turkey Wrap

1 large flour tortilla
2 large leaves of romaine lettuce
½ Avocado, mashed with 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 slices of fresh tomato
4 ounces thinly sliced turkey
2 ounces shredded Mozzarella
Layer the wrap in the order given, starting with the lettuce. Wrap, roll, cut in half on the diagonal. Garnish the plate with olives, Serve.

Chicken and Pesto Panini

1 4 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded, grilled
3 tablespoons pesto mayonnaise (combine equal parts of pesto sauce and
mayonnaise)
3-4 pieces of roasted red bell pepper
4 ounces mozzarella, sliced (or shredded if sliced is not available)
2 large slices sourdough bread or good Italian bread

Brush both sides of the cooked chicken breast with the pesto mayonnaise. Lay the chicken on top of one of the bread slices. Add the roasted pepper and the cheese. Top with remaining slice of bread. Grill until the bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Cut in half and serve with olive garnish.

My abbondanza Italian sub sandwich

1 8-10 inch sub sandwich roll or ciabatta, cut in half horizontally
3 tablespoons giardiniera
3 slices each mortadella, capocollo, salami, and provolone, folded in half
2 slices grilled eggplant

Scoop out some of the soft portion of the bottom slice of the bread and spoon the giradiniera in that well. Layer on the meats and cheese in the order shown. Add the grilled eggplant. Cover with the top half of the roll. Cut in half, garnish, serve.


Meatball Sub sandwich

1 8-10 inch sub roll, split but not all the way through
1/4 cup (more or less) heated pizza or marinara sauce
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3-4 (relative to size) meatballs
1/4 cup (more or less) shredded mozzarella or provolone or blend

“Paint” the inside of the roll with some of the pizza sauce. Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese. Lay in the meatballs. Add some more pizza sauce. Sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese. Serve with garnish of peperoncini.

Have fun with this “five-course” summer special: appetizer, salad, pizza, pasta, and dessert. I have a lot of recipes to cover, so let’s get right to it. Each of these recipes can be scaled up in direct proportion.

APPETIZER

Mozzarella Cheese Puffs

These golden puffs are flavorful and fun. Kids, especially, love these. You just might have to move them from a special to the regular menu.

Makes 12 puffs

2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 pound shredded mozzarella

Combine the flour and the salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Fold in the mozzarella cheese. Add the flour mixture and combine thoroughly. Shape the mixture into small balls (around the size of a golf ball) by rolling them in the palms of your hands and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. Oven for 15-20 minutes or until the balls puff and are golden brown. Serve with a warm marinara dipping sauce.


SALAD

Bean and Tuna Salad with Radicchio

A cool, light and refreshing salad that works particularly well in the summer months. Put layers of thinly-sliced fresh tomatoes on the plate to form a flavorful and colorful base on top of which you can portion the salad.

Makes 4 servings

2 ½ cups canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups coarsely chopped radicchio
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup water-packed Albacore tuna, drained, flaked
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-size bowl, combine the beans, radicchio, onion, parsley, and tuna. Toss gently to combine. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and vinegar until completely blended. Add salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

PIZZA

Pizza alla Funghi (Mushroom Pizza)

Earthy, flavorful, delicious. Call it a “Mushroom Lover’s” Pizza if you care to.

Makes one 14-inch pizza

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound shiitake mushrooms
½ pound portobello mushrooms, sliced about 1/4-inch thick
½ pound cultivated (white domestic), sliced about 1/8-inch thick
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 14-inch pizza shell
8 Ounces shredded mozzarella or combination of mozzarella and Provolone

In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the garlic and the mushrooms and cook and stir until the mushrooms give off their liquid, about 4 minutes. Add the oregano and combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn the mushrooms out of the pan and reserve (can be made several hours ahead).

Spread the mushroom mixture evenly over the pizza curst. Sprinkle on the cheese. Bake.

PASTA

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Mac ‘n’ Cheese is one of the hottest dishes around. And this is my version of this classic dish. I use a combination of cheeses instead of the usual sharp cheddar. But the all-important flavor kicks — dry mustard and cayenne — are still included.

Serves 6-8

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Pound cavatappi or similar corkscrew shaped pasta
1/4 pound shredded provolone cheese
1/4 pound shredded Asiago cheese
1/4 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled

In a heavy sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a steady stream, whisking steadily, and bring to a boil. Add the mustard, cayenne, and salt, and whisk to combine. Whisking the sauce, simmer until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until it is almost al dente. Drain well.

While the pasta is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a shallow 3- 4-quart baking dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the cooked pasta, white sauce, provolone, Asiago, mozzarella, and 1 cup of the Parmesan, then transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish. Smooth off the top with a spatula.

In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, oregano, and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and sprinkle it evenly over the pasta. (This recipe can be prepared several hours in advance, covered and put in the cooler. Bring to room temperature before baking.)

Bake the pasta in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cheese is bubbling.

DESSERT

The standard trinity of Italian desserts consists mainly of tiramisu, cannoli, and gelato, so maybe it’s time to think outside the box. Here’s a quick and easy dessert that offers relief from that boring old box.

Ricotta all’Espresso

This is a dessert you can count on for whipping up (no pun intended) real fast. Creamy and rick-tasting with a mousselike consistency, it’s one that adults and children alike will enjoy. If you don’t have espresso in house, simply use strong black coffee (or even instant espresso coffee).

Serves 4

2 cups ricotta cheese (not low-fat)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup espresso or strong black coffee, cooled
2 tablespoons sambuca (optional)
½ cup finely chopped pistachios

Put the ricotta, sugar, coffee and optional Sambuca in a food processor or blender and process until creamy and thick. Spoon the mixture into tall serving glasses and refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours, until thoroughly chilled.

Just before serving, sprinkle some of the chopped pistachios on top of each serving.

Another option to jazz up this dessert would be to fold mini-morsel chocolate chips into the cheese after it has been chilled.

Fontina and Asiago are two important Italian cheeses, and both are fortunate enough to carry a dual citizenship. Born in Italy –– fontina in the Piedmont, Asiago in the Veneto –– they have been successfully replicated in the United States by skillful cheesemakers in Calfornia and Wisconsin.

In Italy, fontina and Asiago are made using partially skimmed, unpasteurized cow's milk. However, the taste characteristics are a bit different. Fontina (aka fontina d'Aosta) has a delicate yet somewhat earthy/herby flavor. Fontina-type cheeses are also sold under the name Fontinella.

Named after the village of Asiago in the northern Veneto, in the shadow of the Dolomites, Asiago is much milder in flavor. In Italy, though, Asiago can be purchased "fresco," or young (aged two to three months); “mezzano” or semi-hard (aged three to five months); or “vecchio,” which is hard and sharp (aged nine months or longer). The taste goes from mild to sharp as the cheese ages.

The fontina and Asiago produced in this country, though made with part-skim milk, are excellent cheeses, but do not share the overall taste depth as that of their Italian counterparts. Having said, that, I am a big fan of American-made Asiago for a couple of reasons: It is readily available through food distributors, and it is a lot less expensive than the imported brands. The Asiago and fontina produced in this country is (generally) aged from two months to at least five months (Asiago leaning toward the longer ageing time).

In the U.S., the flavor of Asiago is quite close to that of a well-made provolone, which makes it a perfect cheese to use on a salad or as part of an antipasti. And I would employ fontina in the same way; however, these two cheeses have a lot more life in them that that. Fontina is an excellent melting cheese, so it works great in pasta dishes and in panini. Asiago, and some Fontinaellas that are semi-hard, can be used as a grating cheese. And either cheese can be cubed and served as part of an antipasto platter or on a fruit and cheese tray. Note, too, that some cheese producers sell Asiago as part of a shredded five-cheese blend, which really punches up the flavor of a signature pizza.


FETTUCCINE WITH FONTINA & ASIAGO

Serves 4 (can be scaled up in direct proportion)

3/4 pound fettuccine

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cups heavy whipping cream

1 cup coarsely grated Asiago cheese

1 cup finely diced Fontina cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. The pan should be large enough to hold all the pasta after it has been cooked. Add the cream, and bring to a steady simmer for 2 minutes.

Blend in the four cheeses. Cook and stir until the cheeses have melted into the cream. Add the cooked and well-drained pasta to the cheese sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once in heated pasta bowls.

Let’s go back in time to May of 1889. We find Queen Margherita and her husband, King Umberto I, being served pizza at the palazzo in Naples where they are staying. The king and queen had heard about the famous pizzas of Naples, so naturally they wanted to try them. The pizzaioli chosen to make the pizzas for the king and queen was Raffaele Esposito and his wife, Donna Rosa. Raffaele and Donna brought enough ingredients to make three kinds of pizza. But when all was said and eaten, Queen Margherita chose as her favorite the pizza made with tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. Patriotism met good taste head-on, since the ingredients on that pizza was the same as the colors in the Italian flag –– red, white, green. So, to this day, pizza Margherita is one of the most popular pizzas sold in this country and in Italy as well. The cheese used on that pizza was undoubtedly fresh mozzarella that was made using the milk of the water buffalo. Water buffalo milk has about 9 percent butterfat, which accounts for its incomparably rich flavor (cow’s milk runs about 3.5 percent butterfat).

There is nothing that quite approaches the lush, rich flavor of buffalo milk mozzarella. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it is very expensive, relatively hard to come by and has a short shelf life. Also, it does not melt the same way as other mozzarella choices, so the end result can get a bit dicey, especially with varying oven temperatures and pizza styles. When it comes to fresh mozzarella, cow’s milk mozzarella, known as fior di latte, is perfect for pizza. Since it is a pasta filata cheese it melts beautifully, has good flavor and is readily available.

The name “mozzarella” comes from the verb mozzare. Mozzare means “to lop off or tear,” and the process of working the curd, slicing or breaking the curd into small pieces is one of the key steps in making your own fresh mozzarella. I encourage you, quite emphatically, to try making fresh mozzarella. It’s quite easy once you get the hang of it. And in the same breath, I would encourage you not to try making your own curds (unless, that is, you have a cow and a book on the art of cheese making). My point is this: If you want to make your own fresh mozzarella, buy the curd (the solid pass that results when milk and certain enzymes are heated together). Curd to make fresh mozzarella is readily available from any number of cheese purveyors. Curd for making fresh mozzarella comes in various weights and is usually vacuum packed. It needs to be refrigerated and has a shelf life of about three weeks.

Let’s get started. There are 10 easy steps in making fresh mozzarella. Don’t let the instructions below dissuade you from giving this a try. The whole process goes very fast (probably around 15 to 20 minutes from start to finish), so in a few hours you can make enough fresh mozzarella to last for several days (relative, of course, to overall usage for fresh mozzarella).

Fresh Mozzarella

Yield: about one pound fresh mozzarella

2 gallons water
1/3 cup Sea salt or kosher salt
1 pound whole milk curd

1. In a large stockpot, add and stir in the sea salt. Bring the water to a temperature of around 160 F. Stir again to make sure the salt is fully dissolved.

2. Meanwhile, slice the curd off the block into pieces or strips that are similar in size. Put the strips into a large stainless steel bowl.

3. Pour the hot water around the sides of the bowl, not the curds. Keep adding the water until the curds are completely covered.

4. Using a wooden or metal paddle (or large wooden spoon), stir the curds for about five minutes to allow the water to be absorbed into the curds.

5. Let the curds rest for about 5 minutes. Discard about half the water. Repeat step No. \

6. Insert the paddle under curds. Stretch the curd over the paddle, working a small section at a time, until the texture is smooth. It should have a string-like or taffy-like consistency at this point.

7. Continue to stretch the mass, pulling it into a long rope. Work quickly –– stretch, knead, stretch –– to get the mass to a consistent, elastic, silken texture.

8. Take the cheese in your hands and begin to fold it under itself, which at this point allows you to pinch off sections and shape into various sizes and shapes.

9. Presto! You now have fresh mozzarella. Put the cheese into ice-cold water for around 15 minutes to set the shape.

10. To enhance the flavor, store your fresh mozzarella in a mild brine (salt and water) solution. Or you can simply store it covered with water, container covered and refrigerated.

CHEF’S NOTES: When using fresh mozzarella on a pizza, keep in mind that you will use a lot less than when using, say, part-skim, low moisture mozzarella. In fact, I use 3 to 4 ounces of fresh mozzarella (diced or cut into rounds) on a 14-inch pizza.
Flavor enhancements: For the ultimate pizza Margherita, you can infuse your fresh mozzarella with fresh basil. At the point of Step 7 add finely chopped fresh basil. Knead the basil into the cheese.

Pat Bruno is Pizza Today’s resident chef and a regular contributor. He is the former owner and operator of a prominent Italian cooking school in Chicago and is a food critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.

<<RECIPE>>

Marinated Fresh Mozzarella

This is a good recipe to have around when using fresh mozzarella as part of an antipasto platter or for use in a Caprese salad.

1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 Teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Put the fresh mozzarella in a stainless steel or non-reactive bowl. Add the remaining ingredients. Toss gently to combine the flavors. Allow to marinate for up to an hour. Serve at once or chill a bit.

The appetizer section of menus has been taking a beating in the many Chicago restaurants I visit every day in my role as chief restaurant critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. I see customers moving away from expensive appetizers (and, believe me, the price of apps have gone through the roof) and moving directly to an entree (or possibly an inexpensive house salad before the entree). But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Appetizers are not on menus simply to boost the check average. An appetizer, as the name implies, is a small serving of food meant to stimulate the appetite. Antipasto in Italian. Hors d’oeuvre in French. Antojito in Spanish. Anyway you pronounce or spell it, the reason appetizers are the lead item on most menus is that it sets the pace for the rest of the meal. And, to that extent, it becomes your calling card. Serving a bad appetizer or two can throw cold water on everything to follow, and that will leave a bad taste in your customers’ mouths. Step up to the plate and make some magic with the appetizer portion of your menu.

Here, by focusing on zucchini and artichokes, I am only scratching the surface of the pantry of possibilities; however, by extension, you can take some of the ideas and methods included in the recipes that follow and put them to use in other applications. And, by yet another extension, take the accompaniments — dipping sauces, garnishes ­­— I am suggesting and put those into play with those appetizers that you might be featuring on your menu right now.

Allow me to whet your appetite with this very easy-to-do recipe for fried zucchini. The zucchini is cut lengthwise for this recipe. However, you can use the same method of coating and frying should you want to cut the zucchini into coins instead of strips. It boils down to simply a matter of how you wish to plate and present the dish.

Zucchini Fritti
Yield: about 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

1½ cups Parmesan
1½ cups Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
½ teaspoon salt
2 extra-large eggs
3 medium-size zucchini, washed, trimmed (but not skinned), cut into 3 inch-long by about ½ inch-wide strips

In a mixing bowl, combine the Parmesan, Panko and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Dip the zucchini in the egg to coat, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Coat the zucchini on both sides with the Panko, pressing so that the Panko sticks.

Deep-fry the zucchini strips (in batches if necessary) until they are golden brown (about 3 minutes at 375 F). Drain on paper toweling. Can be made ahead and held for up to one hour. Serve with garlic dipping sauce on the side (recipe below).

Aioli Dipping Sauce for Fried Zucchini

A classic aioli is made with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and egg yolks, which by any other name is close to fresh-made mayonnaise. So in my version of aioli I take the easy way out by using bottled mayonnaise with no loss of flavor or overall goodness.

2 cups real mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 large garlic cloves, pushed through a garlic press
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (about 1/3 cup)
Sea salt

Put the mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Add salt to taste. Refrigerate (covered) for 2 hours to let the flavors develop.
Makes just over 2 cups. Scale up in direct proportion.


Batter-Fried Artichokes

It’s not easy to work with artichokes but, in the end, delicious trumps hard work.
Whether to use fresh artichokes and go through the process of paring and trimming the artichoke, or to use canned artichoke hearts or frozen artichokes hearts is up to you (my choice, unless I am stuffing the artichoke, is to go with frozen artichoke hearts). Whatever choice you make, give this appetizer a try, you just might be surprised how well your customers take to these golden, crispy, chunks of delicious pleasure.

Deep-fried artichokes can be as simple as dredging the hearts (halve the larger hearts to allow for even cooking) in flour and dropping them in the fryer. Drain and serve with wedges of fresh lemon.

Or, to make matters a bit more interesting, you can use this recipe, one that gives the artichokes a tastier, crispier chew.

Crispy Artichoke Hearts

1 pound artichoke hearts. If frozen, thaw. If canned, drain. (Pat dry in both cases)
2 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons dried oregano

Cut the larger hearts in half lengthwise. In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, Parmesan and oregano.
Dip the artichoke halves in the egg, allowing the excess to drain back into the bowl, then into the flour mixture, turning to coat all over.

Deep-fry in batches (about 4 minutes until golden and crisp) Drain onto paper towels. Serve with a Dijon-dill dipping sauce (recipe follows) on the side. Or, if you want to take the easy (yet delicious) route, use a bottled ranch dressing.

Put the dipping sauce in a small ramekin in the center of a large plate. Arrange the fried artichoke hearts around the ramekin. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley (optional).

It is hard to gauge a serving portion, because of the varying size of the artichoke hearts. I can tell you that when I make this recipe for friends and family the artichokes disappear rather fast. However, the recipe is so simple it doesn’t take long to whip up another batch.

Dijon-Dill Dipping sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon snipped fresh dill
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Combine the mayonnaise, mustard and dill. Whisk in the lemon juice.

It wasn’t too many years ago that squid was considered nothing more than fish bait. Now it is on the appetizer menu of just about every Italian (and even non-Italian) restaurant you can name. There are several reasons why calamari fritti has become popular, not the least of which is that it is quite delicious. Also, for the restaurant owner, the low food cost allows for a high profit margin (which is why some Italian restaurants serve really large portions to evoke that “Wow!” expression).

And, too, the ease by which the dish is made (it doesn’t take a culinary graduate to turn out a delicious plate of calamari fritti) and the reasonably quick prep time, makes this squid pro show an appetizer to contend with.
†Some basic information: †You can buy squid whole (body, head and tentacles intact). You can buy squid as a tube (just the body sac) cleaned and ready to slice into rings. Or, you can buy just the rings. Or you can buy rings and tentacles. Any or all of these options will come to you frozen.

The least expensive purchase is the whole squid. However, it requires some time for cleaning, but it’s not all that difficult. First the defrost: put the squid in a large stainless steel bowl of cold water and place it under cold running water. In less than an hour, the squid will be ready for cleaning. To clean, hold the body (mantle) of the squid in one hand and the head and tentacles in the other. Pull gently to separate the two parts. Cut off the tentacles just above the eyes. Squeeze the base of the tentacles to push out the hard round†beak. Remove the viscera and the plastic-like quill. Rinse the body cavity thoroughly and pull off the purplish covering on the mantle (all of this can be done a day ahead and kept covered in the cooler). Cut the body sac into half-inch rings. Cut the tentacles in half, and we are almost ready to fry. (I like to soak the rings in milk for up to 30 minutes to eliminate some of the fishiness.)
†
Calamari Fritti
Yield: 6-8 servings (scale up in direct proportion)
†
2 pounds squid rings,
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Heat the oil in the deep fryer to 375 F. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper.
Toss the squid rings in the flour mixture to coat. Shake to remove excess flour (putting the squid rings in a sieve or strainer makes this go easier).
Drop the squid rings in the hot oil and fry for no longer than 2 minutes (overcooking turns delicate rings into chewy rubber). Remove from the fryer and drain. Serve with lemon wedges and warm marinara dipping sauce. For added interest, sprinkle each serving with finely chopped parsley.
Extra tips. For a crunchier ring, combine 1 cup yellow cornmeal with the all-purpose flour. Add 2 teaspoons paprika to the flour mixture to enhance the color of the finished product.

Probably the two words that best describe fusilli are "spirals" and "springs." However, as it happens when Italian words are put under the microscope of translation, something else always shows up. So, for example, in the region of Calabria, fusilli are known as fischietti, or "little whistles.” Other variations include spinach fusilli and, one of my favorites, an elongated type known as fusilli lunghi (think of it as spiral-shaped spaghetti).

The descriptive names of pasta are interesting, but it is the shape of the pasta that tells the full story. In the case of fusilli, the spiral shape is important in that there are more edges and surfaces to pick up and hold the sauce. Also, as it goes with a "short" pasta like fusilli, there is the opportunity to use it in pasta salads.

Many casual Italian restaurants employ the idea of picking a pasta (spaghetti, rigatoni, linguine, fettuccine, fusilli, etc.) and pairing it with a choice of sauces (marinara, garlic and oil, meat, alfredo, etc.). I like this approach, since it gives your customers (and it holds special appeal for children) a chance to be more creative. Fusilli matches up nicely with just about any sauce, but (and you knew there was a but coming, right?) I have my favorites, several of which I would like to share with you.

First, however, a few pointers on Perfect Pasta Cookery is in order. As always, it is wise to spend a few cents more to buy a quality pasta, one that was made with 100 percent pure durum semolina.

Next, regardless of the shape, pasta must be cooked al dente. Shapes, sauces, and styles don't mean a thing if pasta is overcooked.

Next, never put oil in the cooking water. It just makes the pasta slippery, destroys the pasta-starch connection, and ultimately prevents a good bonding of the sauce and the pasta. Pasta will never stick together if you use a quality brand and plenty of water (5 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt for 1 pound of pasta).

Next, never rinse pasta after it has been cooked. If you rinse the pasta you remove the essential starch clinging to the pasta, and it is this starch that helps the sauce adhere to the pasta. If I see a soupy mess of sauce in the bottom of a bowl of pasta, I know that the pasta was rinsed.

Next, never drown the pasta in sauce. You are not doing the pasta or the sauce any favors (and you are increasing your food costs). More is not better when it comes to saucing pasta.

Okay, now that I have those suggestions out of the way, let's get into several of those recipes that I mentioned earlier.



Fusilli with Turkey Bolognese



Makes about 1 quart of sauce, and four generous pasta course servings (can be scaled up in direct proportion).



3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion

1 pound fresh ground turkey (breast meat only)

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1/4 cup milk

1 quart plum tomatoes with juices, crushed

3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

1/2 cup canned chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3/4 pound fusilli cooked al dente



In a 4-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the ground turkey and continue to cook and stir until the turkey is just cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the fennel seed and milk and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, parsley, oregano and chicken broth. Bring the sauce to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 





Fusilli Lunghi with Shaved Fennel and Sausage in Cream Sauce

Makes 2 servings (recipe can be scaled up in direct proportion)



1 small bulb fresh fennel (about 3/4 pound)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, casing removed

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 pound fusilli lunghi cooked almost al dente

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese



Trim and clean the fennel by cutting off the feathery top. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and cut away the small triangular core. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, shave each fennel half into paper-thin slices. Place the fennel in cold water and set it aside.

In a sauté pan or skillet large enough to hold all of the pasta after it has been cooked, warm the olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the sausage, crumbling it into small pieces. Cook and stir until the sausage has been cooked through. Drain off any excess fat from the pan.

Pour the whipping cream into the pan. Bring the cream to a steady boil. Reduce the heat. Drain the reserved fennel and add it to the pan. Simmer the sauce for 7 to 8 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan with the cream and sausage. Cook and stir for 2 minutes to heat the pasta and coat it with the sauce. Divide the pasta between two heated serving bowls. Sprinkle half the Parmesan over each serving.

Whenever possible, I prefer to finish a pasta dish mantecata, that is, add the cooked pasta to the sauté pan in which the sauce has been cooking. By doing it this way the pasta has a chance to blend with the flavors of the sauce.

This is such an easy dish to put together. The various components –– chicken, pesto sauce and toasted pine nuts –– can be prepped ahead. Making the pesto sauce takes a bit of time, but there are several very good ready-to-go pesto sauces that work just great should you wish to take that route.

The secret to the goodness of this dish is to not overcook the chicken. I prefer poaching the chicken breasts as opposed to grilling — it allows the essential moisture (hence, flavor) of the chicken to not fly out the window. However, should you choose to go with the grilling, it does make for a nicer presentation. Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil before and after grilling. Cut the breast into strips and place these on top of the pasta. After you have tossed the pasta with the pesto sauce, garnish with some extra toasted pine nuts. This is a dish that tastes as good as it looks.


Fusilli with Chicken and Pesto

4 to 6 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

1 pound fusilli pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped fine
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6-8 ounces each), grilled or poached, cut into bite-size pieces (or use pre-cooked chicken chunks)
1 cup pesto sauce (see recipe below)
½ cup toasted pine nuts
grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain, reserve and keep warm.

In a large skillet or sauté pan set over medium-high heat, warm the oil for 1 minute. Add the garlic, cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until just heated through.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the chicken. Add the prepared pesto sauce and toss to combine.

Portion the pasta into heated pasta bowls. Top each portion with some of the pine nuts and grated Parmesan. Serve at once.


Pesto Sauce
Makes 1½ to 2 cups

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Put the basil, garlic, cheeses, and pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse the machine a number of times until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil. Process until smooth (it will be a bit on the thick side, but do not add any more oil). Turn the sauce out into a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Use some or all of the reserved pasta water to thin out the pesto until it is creamy (the starch from the pasta water is the secret to a smooth and creamy pesto sauce).

Garlic knots have been around for quite a while, but lately they have seen an upswing in popularity. There are a few reasons why that seems to be happening. Think of garlic knots as soft breadsticks with an attitude –– a bit twisted, perhaps, but kindly. Think of garlic knots as snack food, bar food, table bread and munchies for the kiddies to keep them happy until their pizza arrives. And, not the least of which, garlic knots allow you to get creative with your pizza dough (and dough that is about to go over the hill).

So what's the deal? Not much. You can use your existing pizza dough to create this tasty treat. Or, if you feel a little creative, you can mix up a batch of dough that has an extra ingredient (adding powdered dried milk to your dough formula will create a lighter, more breadlike product) and that will allow you to create your own signature garlic knots –– big knots, small knots, puffy knots, flavored knots, forget-me-knots (just kidding).

Let's go with the first option –– using your existing pizza dough –– to get started. The best way to get the ropes (knots, ropes, get it?) necessary to form the knots is to roll the dough into a rectangle. The rectangle can be any size you want, but 12 inches by 16 inches is a manageable size. At this point you can add some additional flavor by brushing the entire sheet of dough lightly with olive oil (for even more enhancement, see the oil-infused recipes that follow). 

Essentially, what we want to end up with are strips of dough that are about one-inch wide by eight-inches or 12-inches long (the longer the cut, the bigger the knot), so if you want to cut the rectangle in half –– lengthwise, then widthwise –– you will end up with dough strips that will work just fine.

Once you have the strips of dough to the size you want, the only thing left is to loop the dough into a knot (think pretzel). Be creative. The knots can have a single loop or a double loop. Play around a bit until you get the look you want.

If the dough you are using for your knots has already had one rise (say overnight in the cooler), you can go ahead with setting the knots on a baking sheet and sending them through the oven. However, if you want your knots to be puffier and lighter, set the knots on a baking sheet (I line the baking sheet with parchment paper, which makes the baked knots easier to lift off) and let the dough rise one more time, say 45 minutes, before baking. And, if possible, bake at a moderate (425-450 F) temperature.

Now comes the fun part. How do you want your finished garlic knots to look? If you want a shiny, unadorned look you can simply brush the knots with an egg wash before baking. But if that's all you do, then your garlic knots are not really garlic knots; instead, they’re rather plain bread knots. So, it would be a good idea to oomph up the flavor, and that's where the infused oil idea comes in.

Further, if you want your knots to have a certain look –– herby, rustic, gourmet –– you can jazz them up in any number of ways. Here are some tasty ideas that will have your customers singing praises for your fabulous garlic knots.

Garlic-infused Olive Oil

Yield: 1 cup (scale up in direct proportion)

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

Put the oil and the garlic in a glass container and let it stand in a cool dark place for 2 days. Strain, discarding the garlic. Store in a cool dark place for up to one week.

Pasquale’s Pizza Oil

Yield: About 3 cups

3 cups extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

5 tablespoons black peppercorns

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh oregano

3 whole 2- to 3-inch chiles, crushed

Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid. Let stand in a cool, dark place for two days. Strain the oil to remove the infusion ingredients. The oil will keep in a cool, dark place for about a week.

Use the pizza oil on your garlic knots this way: Drizzle the oil over the knots as they come out of the oven, while still hot (which is another reason why I line a baking sheet with parchment paper).

• More flavor enhancements: Once you drizzle the garlic-infused oil over the baked knots, sprinkle them generously with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.

• The most basic approach of all to “dress” the knots is to combine, in a large bowl, melted unsalted butter with minced fresh garlic (to taste). Don’t use garlic powder or onion powder on your knots. The taste (and aftertaste) will not win you any new customers, and you may lose a few old customers.

Warm this mixture over low heat for about 5 minutes. Keep warm. Once the garlic knots are out of the oven, toss the knots in the garlic butter mixture.

• For a more rustic look, combine finely chopped parsley with dried oregano, dried basil, and grated Romano cheese. Sprinkle this mixture over the fresh baked garlic knots that have been tossed with the garlic-butter mixture above.

• Create some deeper interest by brushing the knots with a pesto sauce (after the knots come out of the oven).

Serve the garlic knots in a bread basket (heap them high). If you care to, you can serve them with a dipping sauce, such as a warm marinara sauce. Consider using a dressing, such as Ranch, but only if the knots were plain and not dressed with cheese, or herbs or pesto. Doing so would be overkill and a confusion of flavors.

Giardiniera (jahr-dee-N’YEHR-ah) is one of those situations where even if you stumble through the pronunciation, it still comes out sounding really good, as in appetizing. Here’s another way you can master all those consonants wrapped in vowels. Just say “jar-dee-nearer” and it will be close enough.

The giardiniera family can be quite interesting. If it appears as “alla giardiniera,” it implies “garden style,” or a dish made or served with chopped cooked or fresh vegetables. Some references to giardiniera call it a “relish,” which it is in a broad manner of speaking. And to take it one step further, a “pickled relish.” And “condiment” is another term associated with giardiniera. What’s in a name as long as it comes out delicious?

If you walk into an Italian beef stand in Chicago and you ask for a beef sandwich “hot,” it will get dressed with a giardiniera that has been stoked with chopped vegetables — carrots, sport peppers, celery, cauliflower, jalapenos — all done up with herbs, olive oil and white vinegar.

It is not uncommon for a giardiniera to be made in house, which means that the ingredients can vary widely. Crushed red pepper flakes might show up here but not there. Capers, as well, and ditto for chopped olives and red bell pepper. Vegetable oil often is used instead of olive oil. Soybean oil is used as well. And, yes, in some instances all three oils — olive, vegetable, soybean — have ended up in a giardiniera. It’s this kind of free-wheeling style that makes giardiniera so enticing and interesting.

Giardiniera, whether it is made in house or purchased (and there are many good ones available in jars and cans), can be used in any number of ways: pizza, sandwiches, salads, antipasto. And if we take the sandwich category alone, there are many ways (subs, heros, grinders, muffaletta) to use a giardiniera to crank up the flavor engine.

You can use the recipe below to make a fine giardiniera from scratch. On the other hand, if you want to jump start the process, simply purchase giardiniera from a supplier that is ready to go. Giardiniera in the jar comes in either a hot or mild version, which allows for taste (and heat) enhancement.

All of this means there are no excuses for not adding a pizza giardiniera to your menu, or giving it a try as a daily pizza special. Or for adding a tasty giardiniera to one of your sandwiches (giardiniera will not replace an olive salad used in a muffaletta, but it comes very close). Also, it is interesting how well giardiniera works with a grilled fish sandwich. And recently I had a sandwich in which chopped portobello mushrooms were mixed with giardiniera. Served on an Italian roll with provolone, the sandwich had some real zip to it.

Giardiniera
Yield: about 5 cups (scale up in direct proportion)

½ cup finely diced carrots
½ cup sliced (1/8-inch thick) on the bias sport peppers
½ cup very small cauliflower florets
1½ cup sliced (1/8-inch slices) on the bias celery
½ to 1 cup sliced jalapenos, as desired for mild or hot flavor
2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
½ cup olive oil
½ cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar

In a non-reactive bowl or container, combine all the vegetables with the oregano and garlic. Add the oils and the vinegar and toss to combine. Cover and store in a cool place, but do not refrigerate. Giardiniera should be made at least one day ahead of use to allow the flavors to infuse. Shelf life is one week, stored covered in a cool place.

Pizza Giardiniera
The combination of giardiniera, Italian sausage, and provolone cheese makes this a must-try pizza. Sliced provolone goes over the crust to keep it from getting soggy from the oil in the giardiniera; then more provolone goes on top of the giardiniera. And that’s all you need to make this delicious pizza. As noted, you can adjust the heat of the giardiniera by adding more jalapenos or crushed red pepper flakes.

Yield: One 12-inch pizza (Scale up in direct proportion)

1 12-inch pizza shell
7 slices provolone (or 5 ounces shredded)
½ cup giardiniera, excess oil drained
½ pound cooked sweet Italian sausage crumbles
5 slices provolone (or 3 ounces shredded)

Lay the slices of provolone over crust, up to 1/2-inch of the crust edge
Combine the drained giardiniera with the cooked sausage crumbles and spread this mixture evenly over the layer of cheese up to 1/2-inch of the crust edge.

Lay the remaining 5 slices of provolone evenly over the sausage/giardiniera mixture.
Bake the pizza until the top layer of cheese melts into the giardiniera and the cheese takes on brown speckles.

There are countless variations to this pizza. You can use mozzarella instead of provolone, but I really like how the smoky characteristic of provolone works with the spiciness of the giardiniera. You can add chopped pepperoni to the sausage mixture. Also, you can add chopped fresh or canned plum tomatoes to the giardiniera just before spreading it on the pizza.

If you want to make a vegetarian giardiniera pizza. Add other vegetables–chopped tomatoes, olives, onions, bell pepper–to the basic giardiniera and eliminate the sausage.

A spoonful or two of giardiniera on a plate with salumi (cured meats) or as an addition to an antipasto platter is a nice touch.

Giardiniera, as noted before, is an essential condiment for an Italian beef or Italian sausage sandwich.

I could (and often do) make a meal of crusty Italian bread, Gorgonzola cheese, and a lusty Italian red wine (such as Barolo, Chianti Riserva or Barbaresco).

The Gorgonzola I would select would be Gorgonzola naturale, which has a more assertive flavor than Gorgonzola dolce (aka dolcelatte), which is delicate. I could also, instead of having an overly rich dessert to finish off a fine Italian meal, have Gorgonzola with fresh fruit like pears, figs or grapes. In this instance I would select the milder Gorgonzola dolce.

The point I am making is that Gorgonzola, which is considered one of the great blue cheeses of the world, is so elegantly adaptable and extremely versatile it offers many levels of enjoyment.

The town of Gorgonzola is near Milan (it is actually a suburb of that city now). As the story goes (and there are others), it was in Gorgonzola that the herds were rested during their annual pilgrimage from summer pastures in the mountain to the plain. This meant that every year, and this goes back to ancient Roman times, Gorgonzola found itself awash in a flood of milk –– more milk that it could possibly consume –– so it was turned into cheese.

As mentioned, Gorgonzola is a blue-veined cheese, and it is made from cow's milk. Way back when, the blueing of Gorgonzola occurred naturally, picking up its characteristic mold (both on the inside and the outside of the cheese) from the walls of the damp caves in which it was stored.

Gorgonzola (and other blue cheeses) is not afforded that type of luxury today. The demand for these cheeses is so great, that the blueing (greenish-blue striations) comes about by pricking the cheese with long needles (copper, brass, and stainless steel is the material), which in effect speeds up the veining process. This pricking of the wheels of cheese allows oxygen to enter and feed on the commercially manufactured mold-producing bacteria (the bacteria is mixed into the curds early in the process; the idea of the piercing simply speeds up the whole process). Generally speaking, Gorgonzola is aged for six months. 

American Gorgonzola has earned high marks on my cheese-tasting score pad. While it has little in common with Italian-made Gorgonzola (softer texture and more assertive flavor on the Italian side), I am very much at home with a well-made domestic Gorgonzola, and I use it in the same manner as I would a Gorgonzola dolce.

Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

Though this cream sauce works great with tender, chewy nubbins of gnocchi, it goes just as well with a number of short pastas like cavatappi, rotini or rigatoni.

Serves 4 as a pasta course

1 pound gnocchi, cooked al dente, drained well, set aside

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

11/2 (one and one-half) cups heavy whipping cream

3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

1/2 (one-half) cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large sauté pan set over medium heat, melt the butter (do not brown). Add 1 cup of the whipping cream and raise the heat to medium-high. Bring the cream to a steady simmer to reduce it a bit.

Meanwhile, process the remaining half-cup of cream and all of the Gorgonzola in a blender or food processor and add it to the cream in the sauté pan. Cook the sauce over low heat for another minute or two.

Add the cooked gnocchi to the sauce to coat. Sprinkle on the Parmesan. Toss well. Serve at once.

The importance of and interest in foods that speak with a Mediterranean accent has never been stronger. And it is a lot more than basic popularity or diet that continues to drive this trend. Mediterranean-inspired dishes are marked by a depth of flavor and are consumer friendly.

The ingredients that would go on a Greek pizza are not unknown to a wide range of diners (of all ages). Plus, there is an Italian connection to back it using Mediterranean dishes in your pizzeria or Italian restaurant. Oregano, for example, is used widely in Greek cuisine. So is olive oil. And garlic. Herbs, olives, and cheeses are all common to the popularity and interest in this style of cooking. These are ingredients that are staples in many households, so there is a sense of familiarity, which means that there is little question as to what is going on here. To put it another way –– directly to you, the operator –– it wouldn't be necessary to bring into your inventory a whole lot of new products to launch a few tasty Greek pizzas, and it wouldn't be a big selling job either, since the ingredients are familiar and quite acceptable.

First let’s look at some of the primary ingredients that make a pizza a Greek pizza. One of those ingredients is cheese, and the most familiar to use on a Greek pizza is feta. There are many different styles of feta, and not all feta is made the same. For example, imported feta, which is made from sheep’s milk, tends to be a bit saltier than domestic feta. Domestic feta, which is made from cow’s milk, is generally milder (and not as salty) than its imported cousin.

Another consideration is the use of olives, which I believe is also a critical ingredient of a Greek pizza. Obviously the olives need to be pitted. More important, however, is the flavor and “meatiness” of the olives. I find that a combination of olives (color and style) add to the goodness and overall appeal (presentation especially) of the pizza.

It would probably be a good idea to start off by offering a Greek pizza as a special, to see how it goes. After some customer feedback you can adjust (as necessary) to incorporate certain comments and suggestions. It should simply become a matter of some subtle tweaking to get where you want to be on this pizza.

I am not only high on Greek pizza, but would suggest it might be appropriate for some establishments to dedicate an entire subsection of the menu to Mediterranean pizza. This section could include the famous pissaladiere, or onion pizza, of Nice, France; a Spanish pizza with fresh tomatoes and ham; and the Greek pizza recipes that follow. My approach would be to make this kind of big splash right off, since it would be an ideal way to attract customer attention, not to mention the signal you are sending out that you are serious about all of this.

Another way to approach this introduction of specialty Mediterranean pizzas is to set up a day-by-day selection of specialty pizzas. It might go something like this: Monday –– pissaladiere. Tuesday –– Eggplant Parmigiana Wednesday –– Greek Pizza. Thursday –– Spanish Pizza. Friday –– Seafood pizza. And so on. Keep that arrangement in effect for, say, a month or two to get your customers coming in on a particular night for that particular specialty pizza that they have grown to love.


Magnificent Greek Pizza

The flavors of Greece and the Mediterranean stand out most vividly in this pizza. However, to get the real bloom of Greek flavor you should used brine-cured Greek olives such as Atalanti (aka Royal), Kalamata, or Amfissa. An alternative would be brine-cured Greek olives from California.

Yields: One 14-inch pizza

1 14-inch pizza shell

1 pound fresh spinach, washed and trimmed of thicker stems.

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup pitted, sliced brine-cured green olives

1/2 cup pitted, brine-cured black olives

1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

Put the spinach and water in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat, covered, until the spinach wilts, about 6 minutes. Drain the excess liquid from the pan. With the cover off, cook and stir the spinach for about 2 minutes to allow some of the moisture to evaporate. It is essential to get as much moisture out of the spinach as possible.

Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, oregano, salt, and pepper to the spinach. Cook and stir over medium heat for 4 minutes. Set aside.

Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the pizza crust. Sprinkle the olives evenly over the spinach. Sprinkle the feta over the pizza. Bake.


Pizza alla Greco

This Greek pizza gets its tasty kick from garlic and lemon juice. It also features authentic Greek cheeses, Manouri (nutty in flavor, and similar to the Italian ricotta salata) and myzithra. If neither of these cheeses is available, substitute kefalotyri (it is similar to Romano, and grates nicely) or kasseri.

Yields: Two 8- to 9-inch pizzas

2 pizza shells, each about 9 inches in diameter

1 pound fresh, dead-ripe Roma or plum tomatoes, sliced about 1/8-inch thick

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano

2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 pound Manouri

1/4 pound myzithra

16 oil-cured olives, pitted, sliced in half

In a large mixing bowl, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil, oregano, garlic, and lemon juice. Divide this mixture evenly between the two pizza shells.

In that same mixing bowl, combine the Manouri and Myzithra cheese. Toss to combine. Divide this cheese mixture evenly between the two pizzas.

Arrange 8 of the sliced olives on each pizza. Bake and serve.


Note: Fundamentally, the Greek family of cheeses, several of them as noted, can be mixed or matched accordingly to add authenticity to a Greek pizza. Sample each cheese first to get the idea of flavor (mild, strong, saltiness) before using and adjust accordingly.

On one of my trips to Italy we were on Highway A14, the auto strada that runs between Rimini and Bologna. It was on a Sunday evening in the month of July, and the traffic coming back from the coast (Rimini is on the Adriatic Sea) was bumper-to-bumper. It was pretty slow going, so my wife suggested we pull off and take the old two-lane highway, figuring, at the very least, we would get to enjoy scenery that would be a lot more attractive than that of the bumper in front of us.

It was on this road that I had my first taste of piadina. Just about every 100 yards or so there was a hand-lettered sign touting the goodness and delicious aspects of this unique snack. The car windows were down and the aroma from those roadside food stands was incredible.

My wife and I put away a pretty fair number of these delicious piade, stopping here and there along the way. Needless to say, it took us a while to get back to Bologna, but in the process we were stuffed, satisfied, and feeling pretty smart about what we had done.

The point of this vignette is that the piadina is the forerunner to grilled pizza; and in Italy, this round of grilled dough has had a presence for several years. I say this with all due respect to George Germon and his wife and partner, Johanne Killeen of Al Forno in Providence, Rhode Island, who started the whole grilled pizza craze in this country.

A piadina is made by slapping a very thin, round, piece of dough on a hot earthenware disk (testo), or a grill. The dough is cooked briefly until it is golden brown and invariably charred a little. While it is still hot, pieces of meat and cheese are laid on top. It can be eaten straight up or with the dough folded over the toppings.

The idea of grilled pizza, which is unique in every way, is that it offers an alternative to regular thin-crust pizza.

If you have a grill in your operation, you can get into grilled pizza without too much effort.



Going Grilled

You can use a basic thin-crust pizza dough. The important part is that you get the dough rolled out to a thickness a bit less than 1/8 of an inch. A dough sheeter works great, but you can also use a rolling pin. I suggest you keep the diameter of the dough under 12 inches, since anything larger is hard to manage. In fact, a 10-inch piece of dough is ideal.

 Brush one side of the dough with olive oil, which adds flavor and keeps the dough from sticking to the grill.

 Drop the dough onto a hot grill. This can be the trickiest part of the procedure, but with a little practice you can handle it. Don't worry if the dough doesn't end up on the grill perfectly round. In fact, you can make it an oval if you care to; the irregular shape adds character.

 The amount of time the dough needs to be grilled on each side is relative to the heat of the grill. In most cases it works out to be about 2-3 minutes of grill time on each side.

 Now flip the dough and grill it on the other side. If the dough gets charred here and there, all the better. Grill as many as you think you will use, and stack the grilled pizza shells.



Icing on the Cake

Once the foundational shells have been made, you have a variety of different options.

One method is to add toppings, including cheese(s), and finish off the pizza in the salamander or broiler. I do not recommend adding any toppings while the pizza is still on the grill, since you will more than likely burn one side of the pizza in the time it takes you to accomplish this.

Let your creative juices flow. Use this elegant round of grilled pizza dough as a palette on which you can create a colorful, interesting and delicious array of "artistic pizzas." Here are a few ideas to get you started:



• Margherita. Arrange thinly sliced fresh tomatoes over the grilled pizza shell. Over the tomatoes you will arrange thinly sliced fresh mozzarella. Now Drizzle some olive oil over the cheese and tomatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle torn pieces of fresh basil over the tomatoes. Serve.



• Napoletano. Use canned plum tomatoes. Crush them by hand (to get rid of some of the water) and spread them over the grilled pizza shell. Drizzle some olive oil over the tomatoes. Add finely diced mozzarella or provolone. Sprinkle on some dried oregano, followed by grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. Serve.



• Insalata & Company. For this pizza I use a basic tossed salad (chopped lettuce, tomato, cucumber, olives, etc.,) that has been dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Now I simply arrange the salad over the grilled pizza shell. Sprinkle on some grated Parmesan. Serve.

A variation would be grilled Caesar pizza. Use Romaine lettuce and a Caesar dressing (anchovies optional). You can leave out the croutons, but you should finish it off (tableside, if you can) with a shower of grated Parmesan cheese.

A variation on that theme would be a grilled chicken Caesar pizza. Simply add strips of grilled chicken to the basic Caesar.

There are countless variations to consider, including a white clam pizza (chopped clams, olive oil, garlic, thyme, parsley) or a vegetable pizza (grilled zucchini, eggplant, squash, asparagus, olive oil, herbs, grated Parmesan). Let your creative juices flow.

Canadian bacon is not bacon at all –– it is ham. Canadian bacon is made from the ribeye of the pork loin (eye of the loin). In the United States, pork belly becomes the cut most often used to make Canadian bacon. In Canada, Canadian bacon is known as "back bacon."

I am aware of the fact that a number of pizzerias list Canadian bacon as an optional topping, but, unfortunately, that is where it comes to a screeching halt, and it shouldn't. There are many ways to use Canadian bacon, as you will see from the recipes that follow. So if you are already using Canadian bacon in your operation, explore using it even more.

The basic idea behind all of this is that you can and should use Canadian bacon as you would ham. When I was doing work in Spain and Mexico, one of the best selling pizzas was a Hawaiian pizza. The combination of ham and pineapple is highly favored in Latin countries: smoky meets tangy sweet, and that result equals real enjoyment.

At first, the idea of pineapple in conjunction with a tomato-based pizza sauce seems a bit strange, but it works quite nicely. However, if you are not tuned into the Hawaiian pizza (ham and pineapple) idea, try the recipes that follow where Canadian bacon is used in a number of delicious ways.



A few thoughts:

• When using pineapple to make a Hawaiian pizza, use pineapple chunks, not slices. Slices might look better on the pizza, but normal slicing of the baked pizza poses problems (the pineapple slices tends to slide hither and yon, and some slices might end up with a big portion of pineapple, while other slices get short shrift).



• When using Canadian bacon as a topping, slices (depending on size) can be put on whole. However, by dicing the bacon, or cutting the slices into quarters, you will get more coverage overall.



• Hawaiian pizza made with a 14-inch pizza shell will require about 6 to 8 ounces of Canadian bacon, and 8 to 10 ounces of pineapple chunks. Try the following recipe. The idea here is put the pineapple chunks on top of the cheese, not buried underneath the cheese. This allows the heat of the oven to give the pineapple a slightly charred look, which enhances the flavor tremendously. It is not that we want the pineapple to glaze, since that would require it being basted (or sautéed) with sugar; instead, we want the pineapple to be heated through to enhance its sweet and smoky flavors. Experiment with different size pineapple chunks until you get to where you want to be.



Hawaiian Pizza



14-inch pizza shell

6 ounces seasoned pizza sauce

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

6 ounces Canadian bacon, diced or sliced

8 ounces pineapple chunks



Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the pizza. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella. Add the Canadian bacon followed by the pineapple chunks. Bake.



Canadian Bacon Pizza with Spinach & Mushrooms



14-inch pizza shell

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 ounces coarsely chopped Canadian bacon

8 ounces domestic mushrooms, sliced about 1/8-inch thick

4 ounces fresh baby spinach

6 ounces seasoned pizza sauce

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

2 ounces grated Parmesan



Basic Prep (can be held one day): In a sauté pan, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the Canadian bacon and sauté only until the bacon begins to take on a light crisp.

Add the mushrooms and sauté for about 4 minutes, or until the mushrooms lose most of their moisture and begin to firm up.

Add the spinach leaves and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the leaves just begin to wilt.



• Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the crust. Add the reserved spinach and Canadian bacon mixture. Add the mozzarella and the Parmesan. Bake.





CB& Frittata Panini

Yield: 4 large panini



This tasty panini is easy to make and quite delicious. Once the frittata has been made, it can be held for 2-3 hours at room temperature. To order, the panini is assembled and put in the panini press. Also, the frittata part can be made ahead and put in the cooler and stored covered for up to 3 days.



To make the frittata

8 extra-large eggs

4 tablespoons skim milk

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

6 ounces diced Canadian bacon

1/2 cup diced roasted red bell peppers

1/2 cup diced Roma or plum tomatoes

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella and provolone blend

8 slices panini-style bread*



In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, skim milk, and mustard. Whisk to blend. Add the Canadian bacon, bell peppers, tomatoes and cheese blend. Stir well to combine the ingredients.

Pour the egg mixture into a lightly greased (or sprayed) baking pan that measures about 9 inches x 9 inches. Bake in a 375 F oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the eggs are set and there is firmness to the frittata when pressed with your finger.

Allow the frittata to cool for about 20 minutes. Turn it out of the pan and cut into 4 equal squares. Place each square between two slices of panini-style bread. Put the sandwich into a panini press to toast the bread. If you don't have a panini press, toast the bread in the oven.

I think it’s high time that we look a bit deeper into the riches that Italian sweet treats has to offer. It’s simple to take the easy way out –– not having to create, make and worry about desserts at all. But by doing so, you are not only losing revenue, you are losing customer satisfaction and good will. But there is a way that you can have your cake and eat it too. I am sure many of you bring in your desserts, and as long as you have a good supplier and the product meets your high standards, that’s the easiest way to go. But there’s nothing wrong with finding a good local bakery or small-shop operator to make classic and creative desserts just for you. In fact, it’s very effective.

Now then, suppose I give you a recipe for a delicious Italian dessert that is simple and easy to make. And what if you have the capacity to turn out this dessert in some sort of volume situation, one that allows you to sell it not only in your restaurant, but even the whole blooming cake to go. Think about the imprint that makes in the customer’s mind about your restaurant. The customer is at home and guess what? It’s your restaurant they are thinking about every time they take a bite of your delicious cake. There you go. Yes, you can have it and eat it, too. In fact, there’s the recipe:

Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Cake (Gianduia)

Gianduia is a sweet chocolate containing hazelnut paste. It takes its name from Gianduja, a carnival character that represents in some fashion a typical Piemontese (region in Northeast Italy). In the Piedmont region of Italy, hazelnut confections can be found in every coffee house, candy store or sweet shop. The finished cake has a rich, chocolate molten appearance, is quite moist, and devilishly delicious. Nutella is the trade name of a hazelnut cream and is widely available.

Yield: 1 8 x 8 inch cake (scale up in direct proportion)

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
½ (One-half) cup milk
2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
½ (One-half) cup chopped hazelnuts
4 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels
½ (One-half) cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons Nutella
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup hot water

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and sugar. Add the milk and the canola oil and combine. Fold in the hazelnuts. Mix thoroughly.
Grease the bottom and sides of an 8 x 8-inch square pan with unsalted butter. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Put the chocolate morsels in a 2-3 cup Pyrex or glass measuring cup and microwave at medium power, stirring two or three times to melt the chocolate. In that same cup add the brown sugar, Nutella and cocoa powder. Mix to combine. Pour the hot water over the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Pour the chocolate mixture over the batter in the pan.

Bake the cake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes until it is set. Let cool. Cut into squares and serve with whipped cream or dust each serving with powdered sugar.

Appetizers are sizzling. I have never seen appetizers getting so much attention. Some restaurants are referring to them as “small plates,” but what we are dealing with here are, in fact, appetizers using a pseudonym.

Let’s take a look at what’s going on in Chicago when it comes to hot (as in popular) appetizers. For example, some of Chicago’s restaurants — La Madia, A Mano, Quartino and Osteria di Tramonto in Wheeling, a suburb of Chicago — are offering a veritable feast of choices that include a wide selection of salumi (sliced cured meats), some of which are made in house. Curing meats in house is not for everybody, but the alternative — buying quality cured meats — and serving them as appetizers must be looked into. Which cured meats should you consider? Soppressata (pressed pork), Finocchiona (fennel salame), mortadella, capocollo, salami Toscano, and prosciutto are some of the more popular choices. Offer a choice of , say, three different cured meats for a set price (or, if easier, price them individually). Arrange the meats in rows on a square plate and serve.

As basic as it gets with cured meats, even more basic are appetizers like roasted peppers dressed with garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, and capers (as served at Quartino).

Fior de latte (fresh mozzarella) should not be overlooked either. Pair slices of fior de latte with slices of fresh tomatoes and a chiffonade of fresh basil. Drizzle this combination with extra-virgin olive oil and you have an appetizer (often referred to as Caprese salad) that is easy to make and hard to resist.

At La Madia I was served an appetizer of oven-roasted Nicoise olives. How simple is this: Put the olives (mixed olives for more interest) in aluminum foil, dress with herbs, garlic and olive oil and roast them in the oven until just heated through. Put the foil packet on a plate and bring it to the table. The server opens the packet for the customer. The aroma alone is enough to cause a stir.

Another easy-to-do appetizer, one that is getting hotter by the minute, is known as Pizza Fonduta. Simply put this is pizza fondue. Use your existing pizza sauce. Thicken it a bit by swirling in some ricotta cheese and a generous amount of grated parmesan. Now give it some heat. Serve it at the table in a dipping bowl along with a mini-loaf of Italian bread. The customer is instructed to tear off chunks of bread and scoop it into the sauce (in Italian this is known as “La Scarpetta”).

Into Wisconsin, Il Ritrovo in Sheboygan does an array of creative and delicious “Antipasti.” One that is particularly enjoyable is “Mozzarella Pizzaiola.” In this rendition, chef/owner Stefano Viglietti sautes a slab of fresh mozzarella and pairs it with a light tomato sauce, oregano and olives. Garlic rubbed toast is the luxurious accompaniment to this delicious appetizer.

Here are two “hot” appetizers. I selected two that use eggplant simply because I am of a mind that eggplant offers the chef a wide range of delicious possibilities. Also, eggplant is, to my way of eating, a vegetable that deserves more respect.

Caponata Crostini
Makes about 4 cups caponata (scale up in direct proportion)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced in 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon hot chili flakes
2 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (to yield 4 cups)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
½ (One-half) teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup basic tomato sauce or pizza sauce
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 loaf Italian bread, sliced into 3/4-inch rounds and toasted on grill or in oven. While the rounds are still hot, rub each on one side only with a peeled clove of garlic. Set aside.
In a large 12 to 14-inch saute pan, over medium heat, heat the olive oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and chili flakes and saute for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are nicely softened. Add the eggplant, sugar and cinnamon, and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Add the oregano, thyme, tomato sauce and balsamic vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Serve the caponata spread out on the bread. Relative to the size of the rounds of bread, figure about 2-3 rounds per serving.

Eggplant Rollatini
Makes 18 rollatini

olive oil
all purpose flour
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from day old Italian bread
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
18 1/4- inch-thick eggplant slices cut lengthwise
12 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella
1 ½ (one and one-half) cups ricotta cheese
3 cups marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly oil half-sheet pans and one large baking dish. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Place the eggs in second bowl. In a third bowl combine the breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle each eggplant slice with salt and pepper. Coat each slice with flour, then beaten egg, and finally breadcrumb mixture, pressing the breadcrumbs into the eggplant. Arrange eggplant slices in single layer on prepared sheet pan. Bake eggplant in batches until coating is golden, turning after 15 minutes, about 25 minutes total. Cool on sheet pans.

Mix mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Season filling with salt and pepper. Divide filling among eggplant slices (about 3 tablespoons per slice); spreading it evenly. Starting at one short end, roll up eggplant slices, enclosing filling. Arrange rolls, seam side down, in prepared baking dish. (Can be made a day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Spoon marinara sauce over rolls; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered until rollatini are heated through and mozzarella cheese melts, about 20-25 minutes. Paint the plate with warm marinara sauce, arrange two or three rolls on each plate. Serve at once.

Recently I dropped in on a wine and cheese festival in Wisconsin. Several cheese producers were exhibiting their wares, so (naturally) I did some sampling, and chatted a bit with those manning the booths. I asked about a particular pizza cheese that is becoming quite popular in restaurants that are doing classic pizzas in the style of Naples (Pizza Napoletana). The cheese in question is provola. Provola is a cousin to Provolone (a large provola is provolone). To put it another way, provola is smoked mozzarella (provola affumicato). Mozzarella is a pasta filata cheese, as is provolone, so the processing steps are similar.

Provola is one hot cheese and it is gaining status fast, so I was amazed when neither of the gentlemen manning that cheese booth ever heard of this great cheese. Great? I predict that provola will be THE hot cheese in the coming months. I have been using provola in a number of ways, but no way is better than when I use it in conjunction with fresh mozzarella to fashion an authentic Margherita pizza. In fact, provola is used extensively in pizzerias in Naples. Take my word for it. So what if you can’t find provola? Answer: use aged provolone. It will boost the flavor of your pizza by leaps and bounds. Caution: a little bit of aged provolone goes a long way, and it is not to everyone’s taste, so use it judiciously.

Gorgonzola is my choice for the next-in-line hot cheese in the year ahead. Widely distributed from coast to coast (most of the domestic Gorgonzola production comes from Wisconsin and California), I can tout Gorgonzola as a pizza cheese (blended with, say, mozzarella) — but a stronger application is to use it as an add-on in a salad along with ripe pears (see recipe below). The earthy and tangy flavor of this blue cheese offers a pleasing taste counterpoint to the pears. Some cheese processors are packaging Gorgonzola crumbles, which makes it quite easy to sprinkle it over a salad.

Gorgonzola also steps up to the plate and hits it off with customers when used as part of an antipasto plate. I like to pair it with roasted red peppers, olives, capers, and anchovies, along with a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Next, lets take a look at mascarpone (mahs-kar-POH-neh). There are countless ways to use this outstanding cow’s milk cheese (actually mascarpone is not a cheese in the sense that no starter or rennet is used in its production), which is the guiding taste ingredient in a properly made tiramisu. Though similar to cream cheese in texture (and often mascarpone is referred to as a cream cheese) it is worlds apart in taste. Mascarpone has a fat content that ranges from 70 to 75 percent, so count the riches of this great cheese.

Other than its proper place in tiramisu, I like to use mascarpone in pasta dishes. For example, swirl just a tablespoon of mascarpone in a marinara sauce and you will be amazed at how beautifully it cuts some of the acidity in the tomatoes. Mascarpone is one of the “secret” ingredients in penne alla vodka (again, just a small amount worked into the pasta and sauce in a sauté pan works wonders).

Another delicious way in which to use mascarpone is to serve it with fresh fruit for a light dessert. Combine equal amounts of mascarpone, ricotta (make sure the ricotta is drained of any excess water) and sugar, to taste. Whip the mixture gently to a cream smoothness. Layer the mascarpone with sliced fresh strawberries or fresh blueberries in a sundae glass. Add a sprig of fresh mint on top, and you have a fine looking, fine-tasting dessert.

Two more cheeses that I see in the hot bin for this year are Asiago and fontina. I have been touting these two cheeses for years. Either cheese can be blended with mozzarella for pizza, or as part of a four-cheese pasta dish; however, because these two cheeses are so unique, I like to use them as part of a cheese or antipasto tray. I am not high on either one for blending for pizza cheeses, but when it comes to straight out eating both of these cheeses are excellent. That said, I lean in favor of fontina, which can be used as a panini cheese with great effect. Another way that I use fontina is to sandwich it between two lightly pounded boneless chicken breasts, followed by a quick sauté in butter and olive oil.

Classic Pizza Margherita
Yield: One 14-inch pizza

14-inch pizza shell
6 ounces all-purpose ground tomatoes or tomato puree
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
2 ounces grated provola or mild provolone
Fresh basil leaves

Ladle the tomatoes over the stretched pizza shell. Evenly distribute the mozzarella slices over the tomatoes. Sprinkle the grated provola evenly over the mozzarella. After the pizza has been baked, arrange the fresh basil leaves over the melted cheeses. Serve at once.


Insalata con Gorgonzola e Pere
Yield: 6 servings (Scale up in direct proportion)

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ (one-fourth) cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt

Combine the ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. Let set while assembling the salads. Strain the dressing to get rid of the garlic.

12 ounces young salad greens (mesclun)
3 cups peeled, diced pears (Comice would be a good choice)
6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup pine nuts, toasted
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Arrange the salad greens on six chilled plates. Distribute an equal amount of the pear and the Gorgonzola over the greens. Sprinkle an equal amount of the pine nuts over each serving. Drizzle an equal amount of the dressing over each salad.

The assignment: How to Make Sausage for Pizza. What kind of sausage? That would be my first question. Italian? Well, the assignment did use the word “pizza,” so I am assuming it’s Italian sausage. But wait. There are as many versions of Italian sausage as there are regions in Italy. Not a problem (not that I am going to give you 20 different recipes, however). But I will give you two that I find work just great.

Simple to make? Somewhat, yes. Simple because the way this works is that these are bulk sausage recipes, not link Italian sausage recipes. Bulk sausage doesn’t require that you go through the lengthy process of having to buy sausage casing, rinsing them, using a stuffer or sausage attachment to fill the casing. You wouldn’t be using link sausage on a pizza anyway.
There are, however a few safety rules to be followed when making sausage. First, you will be working with pork, so you need to be aware of cross contamination. I always use disposable gloves when working with pork. Make sure any of the equipment – – chopping boards, bowls, plates, pans, spoons, spreaders, etc. –– are cleaned and sanitized after being in contact with pork.

Once those precautions are taken, the rest of the sausage making process is a breeze. You can grind fresh pork butt for your Italian sausage. The pork butt should have at least 25 percent fat to lean meat (a cut called Boston butt has a good fat to lean ratio and works perfectly). A 70/30 lean to fat ratio works even better.

Here are some further tips:

• The equipment needed to grind your own pork is but one piece, a manual grinder (I use a counter model made of cast iron. It can grind three or four pounds a minute). Or you can buy freshly ground pork and get right at it with some proper seasonings.

• I love sausage that includes fennel. Fennel and pork are a marriage made in ta heaven. However, if fennel is not to your taste, leave it out.

• “Sweet or mild sausage” indicates that no red pepper flakes (aka crushed red pepper) are used in the mix.

• “Hot Sausage” implies red pepper flakes. Now you adjust the heat relative to how much red pepper flakes used. Black pepper works in a similar fashion. A little or a lot relative to how you wish the heat level to come out.

• Garlic as an ingredient or not is up to you and probably where you live. East Coast and Midwest Italian sausage could very well include garlic, but again it depends on the manufacturer (some of the big users in the Chicago area will specify a certain sausage

blend to be used for their pizza). Ground fresh garlic would be a good choice, followed by garlic salt. However be very careful how much garlic salt you use to avoid a really bitter aftertaste once the sausage is cooked. Should you feel the urge to get very creative, there is an Italian sausage called luganega. Luganega is a mild country sausage (made mostly in the North of Italy) that includes pork, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and coriander. This sausage has an endearing and distinct flavor.

One more idea: You can replace the ground pork with ground turkey if you wish to shout about a healthier sausage alternative. And by adding the fennel seeds, you create (somewhat) the taste illusion of pork. The one problem with turkey sausage is the lean to fat ratio (not enough fat), so the sausage cooks up rather dry. When using turkey sausage I do not put it on the pizza raw; rather I cook it first and crumble it into chunks.

Once you have made the sausage you can cook it in pieces or chunks as you see fit for further use. Also, keep in mind that after you have mixed any of the recipes below, it’s a good idea to pinch off a piece or two of the sausage and sauté it to test the flavor profile. Adding more seasoning is easy, but taking seasoning away is virtually impossible.

Italian Sausage Recipe No. 1
Makes about 2 pounds of fresh Italian sausage (scale up in direct proportion)
The red wine vinegar in this recipe gives the sausage a bit more moisture along with an
interesting taste kick.
2 pounds ground pork (70/30 lean to fat ratio)
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons ground fennel seeds
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Mix all the ingredients together and you have Italian sausage! You can refrigerate it,
covered, up to three days. It seems to get better with a little ageing, at least overnight.
Pizza Sausage Recipe No. 2

Makes about 10 pounds of sausage (scale up in direct proportion)
10 pounds ground pork
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1½ teaspoons ground black pepper
1/4 cup paprika ½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoon fennel seeds
1½ teaspoons ground fennel seeds
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Place the ground pork into a large bowl. Season with salt, garlic salt, black pepper
and paprika. In a blender or food processor, blend the oil, fennel seeds, ground fennel

seeds and red pepper flakes. Mix everything into the ground pork until well blended.
Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

We’ve all seen those menus in restaurants –– Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese — where the heat level of certain dishes is marked by a small chile symbol. Usually, one chile is mild, two chiles means hot and three chiles, well, have a pitcher of milk handy to douse the fire. What in the devil’s name is it that fires up the heat in those dishes? The simple answer is chile peppers in one form or another.

Back in 1912 Wilbur Scoville developed a method to measure the heat level of chile peppers. Without getting all scientific about it, the heat of chile peppers is now measured in Scoville units. Sweet bell peppers have no heat at all — zero Scoville Units. At the other end of the scale, the habañero pepper averages 375,000 Scoville units (there are some peppers that go even higher on the Scoville scale, but for our purposes here, they would be of little use, considering that those chile peppers are so hot your taste buds would have to wear asbestos suits to survive).

Jalapeño, poblano, ancho, pasilla, Anaheim, chipotle, serrano: all of these chile peppers are in a Scoville range that is quite acceptable and can be used (common sense prevailing) to lay some interesting heat on various pasta dishes and pizza, which brings me to that little jar of crushed red pepper flakes on the table in many Italian restaurants, often referred to as the “Pizza Pepper” or “Pizza Picker Upper.”

Cajun and Creole restaurants go with bottles of hot sauce on the table (there is a Cajun restaurant in Chicago that has a “Wall of Fire,” something like a thousand bottles of different brands of hot sauce). My point is that it’s pretty easy to fire up any dish on your menu (or the customer can add their own heat with some of that “pizza pepper,” also known as crushed red pepper flakes, which is a blend of chiles (ancho and cayenne), seeds and all.

But don’t fry your brain in the process. All you have to do is sample different crushed red pepper flakes, chile powders and hot sauces in various dishes before turning up the heat for your customers. Medium heat to one person might be too mild for another and vice versa. When I have chili, I want the heat level to be at the point where my nose runs and my eyeballs sweat. One the other hand my wife wouldn’t touch chili that hot with a 10-foot fire extinguisher. To heat his own, I say.

Two Pasta dishes that cry out for crushed red pepper flakes include linguine con vongole (linguine with clams) and Orecchiette with rapini (“small ears” pasta with rapini a.k.a. broccoli rabe). I am including a recipe for one of those dishes.

As far as stoking the fire on a pizza, it’s as simple as adding a dash or two of hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes (to taste) to your basic pizza sauce. Be sure to make your customers aware of the fact that this is a special sauce that carries some heat. Note that fact on your menu and list the pizza accordingly. For example, you can use “Pizza Arrabbiata” or “Pizza Diavolo.” The first translates as “angry” or “hot.” The second as “Devil,” as in hot as the devil.

Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Yield: 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

1½ cups minced or chopped canned clams
2 cups clam juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound linguine



Put the clams and clam juice in separate bowls or containers.



Put the olive oil in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned. Add the clam juice, parsley, red pepper flakes and thyme to the saucepan. Salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the sauce to a simmer.



Cook the linguine in a large pot of boiling, salted water until it is al dente. Drain.
Just before you drain the pasta, add the clams to the saucepan just to heat through (if you add the clams too early they will get rubbery).



Divide the pasta among four heated serving bowls. Pour an equal amount of the sauce and clams over each portion. Serve with crusty Italian bread for sopping up the sauce.

Chef’s Notes: You can make this into Linguine with Red Sauce by cutting the amount of clam juice in half and adding a cup of marinara sauce to the clam juice.




Pizza Areeba!

Makes one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

8 ounces basic pizza sauce
1 tablespoon chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce*
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 14-inch pizza shell

10 ounces cooked hot Italian sausage crumbles
4 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese

4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)



Mix the pizza sauce with the chipotle peppers and cilantro. Spread the sauce evenly over the pizza crust. Top the sauce with the sausage crumbles. Blend the Monterey Jack with the cheddar. Spread the cheese evenly over the sausage and sauce. Bake. Garnish with cilantro just before serving, if desired.



Use caution when working with the chipotle peppers. Remove them from the can with a fork, place them on a plate and chop them using a knife and fork. If you have to touch the peppers with your hands, use protective gloves. The smoky flavor of the chipotle is what makes the sauce. However, if canned chipotle peppers are not available, use fresh jalapenos.



I buy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in my local supermarket. A little amount goes a long way.

Macaroni and cheese (also known as mac ‘n’ cheese) is the quintessential American comfort food. Yes, American –– American to the core because it was a creation of our third president, Thomas Jefferson (Jefferson was really big on food and wine, a real gourmand).

How popular is macaroni and cheese? Consider that Kraft Foods sells something like a million-plus boxes of its macaroni and cheese each and every day. And, believe it or not, there are mac ‘n’ cheese fanatics across the country, and each and everyone of them has the best recipe ever (similar to the idea that everybody you talk to has the best chili recipe). Just say the words “macaroni and cheese” to a neighbor, friend, or even a casual acquaintance, and you will open a discussion on the spot. And don’t even get it into your head that macaroni and cheese is just for kids, or that it should be only on the kid’s menu (though invariably it does show up there).

How about mac ‘n’ cheese as a side dish? Yes, many restaurants will offer it as such and other than, say, some type of potato, it is a popular choice. However, several months ago I was dining at a rather nice restaurant in Chicago and was pleased to see that macaroni and cheese was listed as an entrée. OK, so they gussied it up with some classy cheeses and prosciutto and charged a good buck for it, but it was quite delicious.

Macaroni and cheese has but two main ingredients. It sounds simple to make. How far wrong can one go? Pretty darn far, I say, unless you pay attention to the macaroni and the cheese. How so? Some cuts of macaroni work better than others. And ditto for the cheese (or cheeses).
The classic pasta cut for mac ‘n’ cheese is elbow, but any “short” pasta cut can be used (rotini, tubetti, gemelli, mini-penne, cavatappi). Important, too, is that a quality brand of pasta be used.

As far as the cheeses go, the signature cheese for this dish is sharp cheddar (but mild cheddar works fine too). Also important to this dish is the sauce, which is generally a bechamel or white sauce spiked with a bit of dried mustard. Some onion also helps to boost the flavor.

Is it necessary that all mac ‘n’ cheese dishes be baked? No, but a short bake does enhance the flavor profile. Can individual portions of mac ‘n’ cheese be made ahead and finished to order? Yes, definitely, but you need to be right on the money with the cooking of the pasta (mushy macaroni and cheese is not good for the image of this classic dish).

What add-ins are possible to, say, make a gourmet macaroni & cheese offering? As noted earlier, prosciutto works beautifully, and so does smoked ham. Crumbles of cooked Italian sausage works great. Add in pancetta or bacon and you will have a modified version of pasta carbonara. Cooked chicken? Yes. Tuna? Yes. Vegetable add-ins like peas work too. But don’t get carried away. The overall goodness of this dish lies in its simplicity.

Here are two very delicious yet simple macaroni and cheese recipes. One version is perfect for a kids’ menu while the other is more suitable for adults (but there is no reason why either can’t cross the age line).

Pasquale’s Macaroni & Cheese

This is my version of mac ‘n’ cheese: Italian style. I use cavatappi pasta instead of elbow macaroni. I use a combination of cheeses instead of the usual sharp cheddar. But the all-important classic flavor kicks –– dry mustard and cayenne–– are still included.

Yield: 6-8 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 pound cavatappi pasta
1/4 pound each of shredded provolone, Asiago, and mozzarella (about 1 cup of each cheese)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (or Panko)
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled.

In a heavy saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a steady stream, whisking steadily, and bring to a boil. Add the mustard, cayenne, and salt. Whisk to combine. Simmer the sauce until it thickens, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.


Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until it is still a bit short of al dente (firm, actually). Drain well. Butter a shallow 3- to 4-quart baking dish.


In a large bowl stir together the cooked pasta, the white sauce, provolone, Asiago and mozzarella. Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish. Smooth off the top.


In a small bowl, combine the Parmesan, breadcrumbs and oregano. Layer this mixture evenly over the pasta. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Cook’s Note: Instead of baking the mac ‘n’ cheese in one large baking dish, you can portion (before baking) individual servings in smaller baking dishes. Top with the panko or bread crumbs and bake. Reheat to order.


Quick ‘n’ Easy Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Yield: 4 servings (but can be done in individual portions)
12 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked, drained, held
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3/4 cup milk
1½ cups grated mild or sharp cheddar

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk into the butter. Add the dry mustard. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add the milk and continue to cook and whisk for about 4 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Fold in the cheese and stir with a spoon until the cheese melts. Stir in the cooked macaroni and combine thoroughly. Can now be portioned for individual servings. Sprinkle some toasted fresh breadcrumbs on top before serving.


Cook’s Note: This recipe goes together fast, and no baking is needed, so it’s perfect for a Kids’ menu.

Macaroni and cheese has been an American staple since the middle of the 19th century. In recent years, and with the idea of comfort food being an important part of the cuisine scene, macaroni and cheese has been making the rounds of some of the best restaurants across the country.

Recently, at a new restaurant in Chicago, I came across one of the more lavish versions of macaroni and cheese: it contained lobster meat. Talk about adding contemporary luxury to an old-fashioned dish. In this upscale mac 'n' cheese dish, the chef used a combination of mascarpone and fontina cheeses. The pasta was orzo.

Mac 'n' cheese is a menu item that is not age specific. Pre-teens, teenagers, young adults and adults of all ages enjoy this dish. 

The fact is that two basic ingredients — macaroni, cheese — can be the foundation for building an interesting and delicious array of creative dishes. How so? Think about the many different shapes and cuts of pasta on the market. Now think about the great variety of cheeses on the market. Once you have digested all the potential permutations that those two ingredients offer, think about what can be added to raise the level of simple mac 'n' cheese to another tier of interest.

To move forward on that last statement, here are two basic macaroni and cheese recipes for your consideration and pleasure. As you review these recipes keep in mind a few things. Yes, you can throw cooked pasta and grated cheese together and call it macaroni and cheese, but with the addition of a few simple ingredients you can raise the bar of enjoyment much, much higher.

Mac 'n' Cheese with Prosciutto

Makes 6 servings (recipe may be scaled up in direct proportion)

3/4 pound pennette (small penne) or elbow macaroni

1 3/4 cups grated fontina or asiago cheese

1 cup whipping cream

1 1/2 cup whole milk

1/4 pound prosciutto, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Lightly oil a 12-inch deep-dish pizza pan, or a baking pan that measures about 12 x 8. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until it is not quite al dente. Drain.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cups of the cheese, cream, milk, prosciutto, and Parmesan. Add the cooked macaroni and toss to combine once more. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the mixture to the pizza pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven until the cheese melts and begins to brown lightly.


PREP POINTER

Cook the pasta ahead and toss with some olive oil. Allow to cool. Hold in plastic containers, covered, in the cooler. It will keep for 4 to 5 days.

Mac 'n' Cheese with Cheddar & Bacon

Makes 6 generous servings

A tempting combination of cheese, cheese sauce and bacon. It is made in three stages: cooking the pasta, making the topping, making the cheese sauce.


3/4 pound elbow or short macaroni

1/4 pound bacon, fried until crisp and coarsely chopped

Topping:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups Japanese bread crumbs (panko)

1/4 pound shredded sharp Cheddar cheese


Cheese Sauce:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 pound shredded sharp cheddar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup chicken stock or broth

1 teaspoon salt

ground pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until almost al dente. Drain and reserve. For the topping, melt the butter and combine it with the bread crumbs and the cheddar. Mix well. Set aside.

For the cheese sauce: In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Cook the roux, stirring for about 3 minutes. Off the heat and whisk in the milk and the cream. Put the pan back over the heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until it begins to thicken. Fold in the cheddar, mustard, chicken stock, salt and pepper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pasta, cooked bacon and cheese sauce. Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled 3- to 4-quart baking dish. Level the top with the back of a spoon.

Spread the topping over the macaroni. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbling.



PREP POINTERS 

§ The topping can be made ahead and stored in the cooler, covered, for 2 to 3 days.

§ The cheese sauce can be made ahead and held for 2 days in the cooler, covered. Reheat, adding chicken stock if necessary to achieve proper consistency.

OPTIONAL EXCITEMENT

§ Using the cheese sauce as your base, and blending in other flavors and ingredients, opens up an array of possibilities. 

§ Varying the cheeses, for example, by replacing the cheddar with a taco blend (available from food suppliers) creates an interesting Mexican style macaroni and cheese. I might choose to blend some cayenne pepper to the cheese sauce to zip things up a bit.

§ Adding a four-cheese Italian blend will turn the basic mac 'n' cheese into a decidedly Italian treat. To enhance that idea a bit more, I would incorporate some finely chopped pepperoni into the cheese sauce.

§ Swirling tomato puree in with the cheese sauce adds color and another dimension of flavor.

§ For a Mediterranean spin, fold in sun-dried tomatoes and olives to the basic recipe.

§ Grilled vegetables — eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers — added to the cheese sauce brings in the idea of vegetarian.



CREATIVE CHEESE BLENDING

To create your own signature macaroni and cheese dish, use various combinations of cheeses. Here are some suggestions.


§ Cheddar, mozzarella and Swiss

§ Gruyere, Emmentaler, and blue

§ Cheddar, mozzarella, Monterey Jack

§ Mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan

§ Havarti, Gruyere, Swiss

§ Flavored Jack, Cheddar, Mozzarella

§ Mascarpone, Fontina, Parmesan

Béchamel and mornay sauces fall into the white sauce category. Mastering both of these sauces opens up a wide and wonderful world of flavors that you can use to enhance pasta and pizza creations. But first some background information is in order.

Food historians are pretty much in agreement that the original white sauce, known as balsamella, originated in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. In fact, the classic lasagna from Bologna demands that a balsamella sauce be part of the recipe.

Here are the bases recipe for a béchamel (balsamella) sauce, a Mornay sauce, and several variations on each of those. You will soon find out the many creative possibilities that come from these two sauces. 

Important tips: The secret to a good béchamel sauce is the roux, or the cooking and blending of the flour and butter. Also, the thickness or thinness of the sauce is determined by the amount of milk used, and the amount of cooking time.


Béchamel Sauce

(Makes about 2 1/2 cups)



1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon salt



1. In a heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat, cook the onion with the butter just until the onions are softened. Stir in the flour. Cook and stir the roux for about 3 minutes.

2. Add the milk in a steady stream, whisking steadily until the sauce smooths out. Add the salt. Simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes, or until it is thickened to the consistency you desire.



Sauce can be kept for several days, refrigerated. Cover the surface with a buttered round of parchment paper to prevent a skim from forming.



Mornay Sauce

Generally speaking, a Mornay sauce is made by simply adding some type of cheese to a béchamel sauce. In a more luxurious and richer interpretation, the following recipe will serve you well.

1 cup béchamel sauce

1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter



1. Heat the béchamel until it simmers. Turn the heat to low. Stir in the Gruyere and then the Parmesan.

2. Thin the sauce to the consistency desired by using the heavy cream. Off the heat and swirl in the butter.



Now for some ideas on how to use these two sauces. Macaroni and cheese is a hot food trend, so jump on the trend train with this delicious recipe.



Maccheroni al Forno (Baked Macaroni & Cheese)

Makes 6 to 8 servings



6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups milk

1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 pound cavatappi or rotini pasta

1/4 pound shredded provolone cheese (about 1 cup)

1/4 pound grated Asiago cheese (about 1 cup)

1/4 pound shredded mozzarella (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 tablespoon dried oregano



1. Make the bechamel sauce. In a heavy saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 3 minutes. Add the milk in a steady stream, whisking steadily, and bring the sauce to a boil. Add the mustard, cayenne, and salt and whisk to combine. Whisking the sauce, simmer until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

2. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. When it is al dente, drain it well. Set aside. Butter a 4-quart baking pan.

3. In a large mixing bowl, stir and combine the béchamel sauce, the pasta, provolone, asiago, and mozzarella. Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking pan. Smooth off the top.

4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs, and oregano. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the pasta. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and bubbling.



Note: The recipe can be made ahead up to the point of baking. Cover and refigerate. Bake as needed.



Bruno’s Brunch Pizza

Makes one 12-inch pizza



This is a great-tasting breakfast or brunch pizza. The béchamel sauce can be made ahead, or simply use about 1 cup of the béchamel or mornay sauce from the base recipe.



Béchamel Sauce



3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon salt



The Rest



1 teaspoon unsalted butter

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 12-inch pizza shell

4 3-inch-diameter slices Canadian bacon

1/2 pound mild cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)



1. Make the béchamel sauce following the steps in the base recipe. Set aside.

2. In a small non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat until it just starts to foam. Stir in the eggs and scramble just until the eggs are set. Set aside.

3. Spread the béchamel sauce evenly over the pizza shell up to the border (leave about 1/4 inch of border). Arrange the Canadian bacon slices evenly over the pizza.

Spread the eggs evenly over the bacon. Sprinkle on the cheese. Bake.



OTHER IDEAS



• Use either the béchamel sauce or the mornay sauce to make a white pizza. Spread either sauce over a pizza shell. Top the sauce with grilled vegetables and bake. 

• Also, fresh spinach that has been sautéed in garlic and olive oil (that would be the prep) work well on a pie featuring béchamel sauce. Make sure that the spinach is not too oily, though. Chop the spinach, then sprinkle it over the sauce. Finish the pizza off with a shower of grated Parmesan before sending it through the oven.

• Seafood, such as grilled or cooked shrimp, works fine with a béchamel sauce, since one of the offshoots of a béchamel is a sauce Nantua. By thinning out the basic béchamel sauce with clam juice, for example, you have a version of sauce Nantua. This approach gives the sauce and the overall goodness of the pizza a good kick in the flavor. 

• The flavor profile of the béchamel sauce can be increased by simmering chopped onion in lightly salted water for about 8 minutes. Drain. Saute the onion in butter. Now puree the onion/butter mixture. Then incorporate it into the béchamel sauce. This is a modified sauce soubise, and would work particularly well with a veggie pizza.

Manchego and feta are two of the more interesting and important cheeses in the Mediterranean flavor. Manchego is Spain's most famous cheese, and is made in the plain of La Mancha. Only the milk of La Manchega sheep can be used to make manchego.

Feta is a Greek cheese. All real manchego is imported; all feta is not. Domestic feta is made with cow's milk, while imported feta is made with sheep's milk. Though imported feta can be overpowering and not particularly friendly to the typical American palate, it is still the preferred feta in areas where there is a large Greek or Middle Eastern population.

Manchego is produced in Spain, where its color ranges from white to pale yellow depending on the age of the cheese. It is a pasteurized product made of sheep's milk and is usually not sold before 13 weeks, then further aging up to 3 years. The flavor ranges from subtly salty to piquant, depending on the age of the cheese. Younger cheeses tend to be milder and nuttier; older cheeses are quite a bit more assertive in flavor. Older Manchego has grating characteristics similar to that of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

For a fast and easy appetizer or small plate offering, I like to lay slices of manchego over thinly sliced jamon serrano (Spanish equivalent of prosciutto). Drizzle olive oil lightly over the top and serve with rounds of crusty bread.

Feta is produced domestically - primarily in California and Wisconsin - and it is mainly white in color. To give feta its trademark saltiness, the brine is pickled in salt and water. The longer the salting, the harder the cheese becomes. Before using, saltier fetas should be rinsed under cold water or soaked in a bit of milk to temper the flavor. 

Feta means "slice" in Greek. Sheep's milk feta has a sharper, more pungent, intense flavor. Feta made from cow's milk is much milder and has a more granular texture than its sheep's milk counterpart. Domestic feta is available in flavors (tomato and basil, for example). Some feta is made from goat's milk, but it is hard to find.

In its simplest use, chunks of feta are drizzled with quality olive oil (a Greek olive oil would be my preference) and served with olives (kalamata would be my choice) and crusty bread.

In a more elaborate way, use it to make this delicious Greek salad:

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Serves 2

4 ounces cavatappi or rotini pasta cooked al dente, drained, rinsed

3/4 pound bulb fresh fennel, trimmed, cored, washed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup oil-cured olives, such as gaeta or kalamata, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Julienne the fennel bulb. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta with the fennel, lemon juice, olive oil, and ground pepper. Toss to combine.

Split the salad into two portions and arrange on chilled plates. Sprinkle on the feta cheese, olives and flat-leaf parsley.

Manicotti is a tube of macaroni that is stuffed and baked. In a more enlightened fashion, and ignoring the fact that you would have to look long and hard to find the word "manicotti" on a menu in Italy, this is a delicious pasta dish that offers the creative cook a wide range of interesting possibilities.

The name manicotti (mah-nee-KOH-tee) derives from the noun mancia, which translates to sleeve, hose, or pipe. So, it is the shape itself that determined the naming of this dish. In that regard, it is the idea of the pipe shape, the hollow that can be filled, that stirs the creative juices.

In my unyielding stance to advance the knowledge and understanding of Italian dishes, there is this: In the Lombardy region of Italy, there is something called a crespelle. Crespelle are “pancakes” rolled around a filling of chopped meat and slathered with a cheese sauce.

In effect, this variation can justifiably be called manicotti. In fact, you will see recipes that are called manicotti, but there is no pasta used. Instead a crepe (a.k.a. very thin pancake) is used to hold the filling. Once the crepes are made and filled, they are sauced and baked in the same fashion as manicotti made with pasta.

I am not recommending (unless you operate a very high-end Italian restaurant and wish to make a statement) that you get into the idea of using crepes to make manicotti. The process of making crepes can be labor-intensive and difficult. Even though I might favor the idea of manicotti made with crepes (I make them this way on occasion for family and friends), the best route to take is to use packaged pasta shells.

For the record, there is a family resemblance between manicotti and cannelloni. Both use, in one fashion or another, pasta tubes that are 4- to 5-inches long, and they both end up getting stuffed and baked.

Bare Necessities

An interesting aspect of manicotti is the fact that your operation most likely already has all the ingredients necessary to add it to your menu. On the other hand, if you are now serving manicotti, I have a few tips and techniques that you might want to try.

For basic manicotti you will need the pasta tubes, a filling for the pasta tubes, and a sauce. The filling for the pasta would be a combination of cheeses, or a meat filling. The sauce used with classic manicotti can be a basic marinara sauce, spaghetti sauce, or meat sauce.

Before getting into the recipes, here are a few tips and important methods used in the making of great manicotti.


Cook the pasta tubes in boiling water to which you have added salt (2 teaspoons of salt to 4 quarts of water). Add the pasta to the boiling water, stirring gently. Cook the pasta until it comes up just a bit short of being al dente. Keep in mind the pasta will spend additional time in the oven, which means it is better to undercook it than to overcook it. Drain the pasta at once. Now you can lay the tubes out on sheet pans to cool and dry. This is your prep for the pasta, and you can do as many as you will need for anticipated orders that day or the next day. The pasta not used should be covered with plastic wrap and put in the cooler.
Stuff the pasta with the filling — cheese is the traditional filling for manicotti.
The next step relates to how you plan to serve the manicotti. I like to prep individual orders. The way I do this is to spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of an individual serving dish (I use an oval au gratin dish). Now arrange one portion of the filled pasta tubes in the dish. Next, cover the pasta with sauce. Now sprinkle some shredded mozzarella over the sauce.
Now I can hold this until an order comes in. To order, I slip the au gratin dish into the oven to heat it through entirely and to lightly brown the mozzarella. Refresh the top a bit with a sprinkle of grated cheese before sending it to the dining room.
If you have prepped too many orders, no problem: cover each dish with plastic wrap and put them in the cooler for serving the next day. Two days is the maximum shelf life.


Making Manicotti

An ample serving size would be three manicotti; go to four manicotti for a very generous serving.

Stuffings can be prepped ahead and keep covered in the cooler. Shelf life is three days. Manicotti varies in size relative to the manufacturer, so filling yield noted is approximate.


Meat Filling

For a meat filling, I take cooked meatballs (before they go in the sauce) and chop the meat. Then I stuff the meat into the pasta tubes.


Cheese and Prosciutto Filling

Enough to stuff 12 manicotti tubes


2 cups ricotta

2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 pound prosciutto, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan

3 cups shredded mozzarella

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

In a mixing bowl, beat the ricotta until it is creamy. Add the eggs, prosciutto, grated Romano, mozzarella and parsley. Beat to combine. Can be scaled up in direct proportion.

Cheese and Spinach Filling

Enough to stuff 12 manicotti tubes

2 cups ricotta

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup grated Romano

3 cups shredded mozzarella

2 medium eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped

In a mixing bowl, beat the ricotta until it is creamy. Fold in the Parmesan, Romano, and mozzarella. Beat in the eggs and the spinach. Can be scaled up in direct proportion.

Use your imagination for other fillings. For example, try spinach and chicken, roasted eggplant with roasted bell peppers, or Italian sausage and other blends of cheeses (Asiago, fontina, provolone).

Mascarpone (mahs-kar-POH-neh) is not actually a cheese (no starter or rennet is used to produce it), but it is always included in the cheese family when the subject of relatives come up. And in the Italian arsenal of cheeses it stands tall. A rich and lush cow's milk cheese, mascarpone is double or triple cream, which means heavy-duty milk fat (up to 75 percent). 

The beauty of this cheese lies not only in its richness and incomparable goodness, but also in its versatility. As you will note below, I have used mascarpone in a simple application pertaining to a couple of pasta dishes. However, mascarpone is an essential and important ingredient when making tiramisu (though a lot of places, because of the cost, cut it out of a tiramisu recipe and go only with whipped cream).

Mascarpone will hold its own in a simple dessert in which fresh berries are folded into it. I like to add some confectioners's sugar to mascarpone, whip it until it is creamy-smooth, then layer it in a parfait glass with slices of fresh strawberries.

Another way I use mascarpone is to swirl a tablespoon (or two) into a tomato sauce for pasta. The mascarpone gives the tomato sauce a luxuriously rich flavor (the idea is that it cuts some of the acidity in the tomatoes). 

Domestic brands of mascarpone are every bit as good (and a lot less expensive) as imported brands, so buy locally. 

Fusilli with Mascarpone and Prosciutto

The silky richness of the mascarpone cheese mingling with the sweetness of the prosciutto is the flavor center of this dish. The mascarpone is dropped over the cooked pasta in tablespoons, and mixed into the pasta just to coat. The complement to this dish is the elegant prosciutto di parma; it stands on its own delicate flavor, so no cooking is necessary.

Serves 4 as a first course

3/4 pound fusilli or other spiral-shaped pasta

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

1/2 pound prosciutto di Parma, sliced thin and chopped coarse

freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain, thoroughly. Put the cooked pasta into a sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add the butter and stir to combine. Add the Parmesan and stir once more to combine. Add the mascarpone, dropping it in dollops over the pasta, toss gently just to combine. Add the prosciutto and combine with the pasta. Portion among four heated pasta bowls. Serve.

You can use this basic idea to create a pasta dish with four cheeses. Once the pasta has been cooked, add it to the sauté pan. Add the butter. Blend in a combination of cheeses (I use ¾ cups of mascarpone, 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola, 1 cup grated Asiago, and 2 ounces Parmesan). Cook and stir until the cheeses have blended. You don't need to use any heavy cream (that's a dish for another time); the combination of cheeses will carry the dish Portion among four heated pasta bowls. Serve.

Nobody had to twist my arm to write this column. I am a meat lover from way back, a protein proponent without equal. When I was, oh, about 16 years old, I didn't have any Italian sausage in the house, so I opened a can of Spam, cut the whole thing into cubes and put it on a pizza. My mother almost threw me out of the house, but I have to say the pizza wasn't all that bad.

The Spam idea today would not be all that far-fetched. In fact, one of the most popular pizzas in Latin countries is the "Hawaiian." Ham and pineapple are the toppings that give it the Hawaiian moniker.

Although it is generally the case, a Meat lover’s pizza doesn't always imply loading up a pizza with several different kinds of meat. Just by upping the regular amount of a particular kind of meat (sausage, pepperoni) brings a pizza into the meat lover’s category.

Common sense must be used, however. A pound of meat on a 10-inch pizza is overkill, and would probably turn most people off. On the other hand, I recently had an encounter with a whopping 18-inch pizza that was loaded with chunks of Italian sausage –– probably a pound in all. And it was a very good pizza for a couple of reasons.

The crust was thick enough to hold up under the weight of the meat, sauce and cheese. Also, the sausage was quality all the way (worst case scenario would be to load a pizza with meat that was not top quality). I have always been a proponent of balance (a harmonious relationship among the toppings, sauce, crust, and cheese), but with a meat lover’s pizza, that idea doesn't always work.

A few suggestions to consider should you be thinking about dipping your toe into the meat lover’s pizza water:

• Consider the compatibility of the meats being used. It wouldn't make much sense to used barbecued beef and pepperoni, or andouille sausage with Italian sausage. On the other hand, the combination of sausage, pepperoni and meatballs on a Meat lover’s pizza would work great.

• The thickness of the crust should be in proportion to the amount of meat (and cheese and sauce) being used. If you load a lot of meat onto a cracker-thin crust, nothing good will happen. The very weight of the toppings will make the crust groan with pain, make the pizza almost impossible to eat and, at that point can you really call it a pizza? You might just as soon serve the meat alone and leave the crust out. 

• Think outside the box. We all know that the two most popular pizza toppings are pepperoni and sausage. So take a different look at how to use the two important toppings. For example, instead of putting the pepperoni on the pizza in the regular way –– sliced –– use coarsely chopped pepperoni and spread it out, along with the sausage, across the entire crust. Also, some meat purveyors will sell you diced pepperoni. I have been using a lot of diced pepperoni lately and find that it really does deliver good pepperoni flavor from one side of the pizza to another (and no problem in everybody getting a good taste of pepperoni once the pizza has been cut into slices).

Alternatively, for a Meat lover’s pizza, bring in sandwich pepperoni. Sandwich pepperoni is two to three times larger in diameter than standard pepperoni. Using this larger cut will enhance the whole idea of a Meat lovers pizza, and will allow you to really lay it on for a truly robust flavor and presentation. 

• Don't try to put together a Meat lover’s pizza by using two (or three) different kind of Italian sausages. The whole idea of that will get lost on the customer, since there is not enough difference in flavor to make a difference. On the other hand, if you bring into the mix another style of Italian sausage (luganega comes to mind, and so does soppressata), then the idea works. 

Or, instead of using Italian sausage the way it is ordinarily used, you change the style of cut. By that I mean buy link Italian sausage and cook it off in the oven. Then slice the sausage into rounds or lengthwise for a topping that looks and tastes a lot meatier.

• Picking up on the sausage theme, here is a recipe for an Italian cold cut pizza, that falls smack into the Meat Lover’s pizza category. The Italian word for cured meats or cold cuts is “salumi.” Salumi, as an appetizer, has become a very popular antipasto in Italian restaurants, so why not take it one step further and use it to create a Meat Lover’s pizza?





PIZZA CON SALUMI



Makes one 14-inch pizza

4 ounces pizza sauce

6 slices Genoa salami

6 slices capocolla

6 slices mortadella

6 slices sandwich pepperoni (bigger in diameter than standard pepperoni)

1/2 pound shredded mozzarella, or combination of mozzarella and provolone

Grated Romano and Parmesan



Spread the sauce over the crust (it will be less sauce than you might ordinarily use on this size pizza). 

Sprinkle half of the cheese over the sauce.

Now lay each of the salumi (cold cuts) on top of the cheese, overlapping the slices, starting from about 1/2 -inch in from the edge of the crust, bringing the slices into the center of the crust in a spiral fashion, to cover the cheese completely. (The idea here is that by overlapping the cold cuts, it builds or adds heft to the pizza.) Sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

Sprinkle on some grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. Bake.



Note: the above recipe works great, too, in a deep-dish pizza. Also, if you want to whet your customers' appetite even more, do this salumi pizza in a rectangular shape instead of round. Use the same technique of overlapping the slices of meat, but alternate the meats to allow for a taste of each when the pizza is sliced.

What’s it going to be for that meat lover’s pizza? Three meats? Four meats? Five meats? Be careful –– don’t turn that pizza into a meat casserole or a grease trap.

Common sense must prevail when putting together a meat lover’s pizza. Balance is also a key issue, as more is not always better. What exactly does the idea of a Meat Lover’s pizza imply? In some instances, it is simply a lot more meat –– double the usual amount in some instances. But be aware that too much of a good thing just might offend the sensibilities of the customer instead of attracting them.

But (and this is one big but) where is it written that a meat lover’s pizza has to have three, four, five different kinds of meat? Why can’t a meat lover’s pizza have but one or two meats and still make the grade (pepperoni and sausage continue to remain the most popular toppings). For example, why can’t we call it Steak Lover’s pizza? People love steak, steak is meat. Presto! Meat Lover’s pizza. Or how about using ground and seasoned beef. People love a good hamburger, so it would seem to me that this would work.

Ok, there is room for compromise here, so let’s take a look at a meat lover’s pizza that uses several different meats and then a couple of pizzas that use either one or two meats.
Knowing that sausage is one of the most popular pizza toppings, we need to go with sausage that has been precooked to avoid a lot of excess fat. But it’s not just about sausage alone. The same considerations should apply for most meats — steak, ground beef, ground turkey, ground lamb and pancetta. Exceptions being, say, meatballs (which would be precooked anyway), prosciutto, and ham (which is precooked or smoked). The point of all this is to eliminate as much fat as possible.

One example of a meat lover’s pizza uses four different meats: chips of ham, cooked bacon, cooked crumbles of Italian sausage and pepperoni. Using this combination of meats will result in a very flavorful pizza that will not end up being a greasy mess.
Another four-meat combination for a Meat Lover’s pizza would be prosciutto (trim some of the fat off the edges and cut the slices into strips), cooked ground beef crumbles, cooked bacon and pepperoni.

I also make a meat-lover’s pizza that is a bestseller, and it includes sausage and meatballs. For this pizza I used cooked meatballs (a 2-ounce meatball is just about the right size). I cut the meatballs in half and arrange them –– cut side down –– on top of tomatoes. Next I sprinkle cooked Italian sausage crumbles around the meatballs. Next I add a combination of shredded mozzarella and provolone, but I use less cheese than normal (about 6 ounces for a 14-inch pizza) so as to not cover the meatballs totally (the effect of the dome of the meatballs with the cheese melting around them is quite appetizing). A sprinkle of Romano cheese over the top is the “frosting” on this delicious pizza.

Steak & Mushroom Pizza
Makes one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

1 14-inch pizza shell
8 ounces all-purpose ground tomatoes (or your pizza sauce)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire or steak sauce
5 ounces grilled or cooked flank steak, shredded or thinly sliced
1 cup (about) sliced fresh mushrooms
8 ounces shredded mozzarella (or combination of mozzarella and provolone)

Combine the tomatoes with the Worcestershire sauce. Set aside. Cook the steak to medium rare. (Both of these steps are done ahead for prep).

To order, spread the sauce over the pizza shell. Add the steak evenly over the tomatoes. Spread the mushrooms over the steak. Sprinkle on the cheese. Bake.

Beef & Pork Picadillo Pizza 

Picadillo implies some type of shredded meat or poultry. I am using a combination of meats to create a very flavorful Meat Lover’s pizza.

Makes one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 pound ground round
1/4 pound ground pork
½ cup pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed
6 ounces all-purpose ground tomatoes or tomato puree
8 ounces shredded provolone
2 teaspoons dried oregano

In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the onion, bell pepper, ground round and ground pork. Cook and stir until the meat is no longer red, about 4 minutes. Drain the fat from the pan.

Add the olives, cilantro and capers and tomatoes to the sauté pan. Cook and stir to blend and reduce any excess moisture from the tomatoes (about 3-4 minutes). (This is your prep. You can make big batches ahead and keep it on the pizza prep table).

To order, spread the tomato and meat mixture over the crust. Sprinkle on the provolone cheese. Sprinkle on the oregano. Bake.

It’s that time of year when tomatoes actually taste like tomatoes. In Chicago, where I live, it’s not easy to get great-tasting fresh tomatoes year-round. In fact, the window around here for vine-ripened tomatoes is open for only about four months of the year. So when those dead-ripe red beauties show up in the Farmers’ Markets around Chicago, I make it a point to use them in as many ways as possible.

One of my favorite ways to use fresh tomatoes is in a Caprese salad, in which slices of beefsteak tomatoes get layered with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. I could easily turn a Caprese salad into a Pasta Caprese salad by adding cooked pasta and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil to the mozzarella and tomatoes (chopped, not sliced, in this case).

Those ideas are simply a preface to this Mediterranean Pasta Salad. The “Mediterranean” part of this salad has to do with the fresh tomatoes. The tomatoes thrive in the company of cucumbers, fresh basil, capers and cheese. I like the briny-salty flavor of feta for this salad, but chunks of aged provolone work great, too.

One of the secrets to a pasta salad — any pasta salad — is that you should rinse the pasta after cooking (this is the only time you should rinse pasta). Rinsing the pasta in cold water removes the starch from the surface of the pasta, so the pasta has a cleaner taste and works better with an oil and vinegar dressing.

You can make big batches of this salad ahead, but I would not push the shelf life beyond two days.


Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Makes 4 servings (scale up in direct proportion)

8 ounces of farfalle, rigatoni or other short pasta
1 large cucumber, seeded, chopped
3/4 cup Nicoise or oil-cured olives, pitted and halved
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
2 cups diced, seeded dead-ripe fresh tomatoes, Roma or plum preferred
3 tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled, or aged provolone, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cook the pasta is abundant salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, rinse in cold water. Set aside to dry for a few minutes. (Note: Pasta can be cooked a day or two ahead. Rinse the pasta and spread out on sheet pans. Refrigerate, covered.)

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, olives, fresh basil, tomatoes, capers, vinegar and olive oil. Toss gently to combine. Add the cheese and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste. Salad can be served at room temperature if need be, or it can be refrigerated for at least 1 hour before serving.

Simply saying the word "Mediterranean" as it pertains to pizza sets into motion a wealth of tasty possibilities. The palette of ingredients that can be used to fashion a Mediterranean pizza are as colorful and as rich in texture as the countries that make up the Mediterranean community itself. And if we focus solely on, for example, Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal, we will have more than enough on our plate; or in this situation, on our pizza.

First let's look at the ingredients we might find in a Mediterranean cupboard. Once we have set up our cupboard, we can decide how we want to use them in various pizza applications.

Our basic Mediterranean ingredient list would include olives (Kalamata, Nicoise, Arbequina), capers, tomatoes, eggplant, artichokes, spinach, olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, anchovies and onions.

Our basic Mediterranean cheese list would include feta, fresh mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan, Manchego, and provolone.

Other ideas come to mind. For example, we can bring in seafood--shrimp, tuna, and clams-to add even deeper interest.

Now that are cupboard is full of interesting choices, let's see how we can use some of those ingredients in ways that are creative and interesting. (In a menu situation, I would take two or three of these ideas, box them in, and title them "Gourmet Mediterranean Pizza." The subtle message to these pizzas reads "healthy" and, in most every instance "vegetarian ) Also, considering that some of these ingredients carry a higher food cost, you can easily charge more for a full-flavored Mediterranean pie.

To turn out a range of Mediterranean pizzas, it is not necessary to alter your crust in any way. The real flavors are to be found in the toppings.


PIZZA ATTSA NICE

This is my version of a pissaladiere, the famous onion pizza that is so highly favored in Nice and along the French Riviera. The interesting aspect concerning this pizza is that is does not have any tomatoes. Anchovies are a part of the original creation, but I left them off. But feel free to add them. You can offer anchovies to your customer as an option.


Makes one 14-inch pizza

1 14-inch pizza shell

2 large onions, julienned (about 3 ∏ cups)

2 tablespoons crushed garlic

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon (or 1 teaspoon dried0

∏ cup chicken broth or stock

1 cup coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

18 (about) brine-cured olives, pitted

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onions and garlic in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil for 3 minutes. Add the thyme, tarragon, and chicken broth. Cook and stir for about 4 minutes or until the onions are soft and limp and all of the chicken broth has evaporated. Set aside for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.

Spread the onion mixture evenly over the pizza crust. Sprinkle on the sun-dried tomatoes. Arrange the olives on top. Sprinkle on the remaining olive oil. Bake.

Note: if using anchovies, arrange them spoke-like on top.


Shrimp Marinara Pizza

This pizza bursts with Mediterranean flavors. Use fresh thyme if you can, since it enhances the flavor profile dramatically

Makes one 14-inch pizza

14-inch pizza shell

8 ounces tomato puree or all-purpose ground tomatoes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled, or two tablespoons fresh thyme

2 tablespoons capers

8 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined and sliced in half lengthwise

∏ cup sliced pitted brine-cured green olives

∏ cup sliced pitted brine-cured black olives

π pound feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

Spread the tomatoes evenly over the pizza crust. Drizzle on the olive oil. Add the garlic. the thyme and the capers. Arrange the shrimp evenly over the pizza. Add the green and black olives. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the top. Bake.


PAN CON TOMATE, JAMON Y QUESO

(Tomato Pizza with Ham and Cheese)

In my journeys to Spain I went nuts over a first plate or tapa called pan con tomate (bread with tomato) that is common to most restaurants. In its classic form, pan con tomate is simply grilled or toasted bread that has been rubbed with garlic and fresh tomatoes (the pulp actually). Here is my version of pan con tomate translated into pizza.

Makes on 14-inch pizza


1 14-inch pizza shell

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

≤ pound dead-ripe fresh plum tomatoes, sliced lengthwise, about

π-inch thick

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or ∏ teaspoon dried, crumbled

π pound Spanish ham (jamon Serrano) or imported prosciutto,

sliced almost paper-thin

∏ pound mild Manchego cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)


Brush the olive oil over the crust, including all around the edge. Sprinkle on the

Garlic.

Arrange the sliced tomatoes evenly over the crust up to the border. Sprinkle the oregano over the tomatoes. Arrange the ham over the tomatoes and sprinkle the cheese evenly over the ham. Bake.

Spinach Pizza with artichokes and Tomato

This is what I call a full-flavored Mediterranean pizza. The combination of spinach, artichokes and fresh tomatoes make each bite one to enjoy and treasure. Without reservation, this pizza can be promoted as vegetarian.

Makes one 14-inch pizza

1 14-inch pizza shell

1 pound fresh spinach, washed and trimmed of thicker stems

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons minced garlic

π cup finely chopped red onion

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Olive oil

14-16 thin slices fresh plum or Roma tomatoes

8 marinated artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

π cup grated Parmesan

8 ounces shredded provolone (about 2 cups)

Saute the spinach with the olive oil, garlic, red onion and mushrooms. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.

Brush the crust with olive oil. Arrange the spinach and mushroom mixture evenly over the crust. Arrange the tomatoes over the spinach followed by the artichokes. Sprinkle on the parmesan and provolone. Bake.

Note: a topping option here would be to replace the artichokes with slices of grilled eggplant.

Molten lava cake –– you gotta love the name. But to shower even more love on that name, put the word “chocolate” in front of it. This beauty of this cake has been kicking around for a while, but it hasn’t lost any of its appeal. How could it? The very idea of chocolate on chocolate is hard to resist.

I am going to offer two recipes for your consideration. Both are quite easy to make, and both can be made well ahead. You will note that the first recipe makes eight individual servings. Should it happen that you don’t use all of them the day they are made, simply put those left in an airtight container in the cooler. Then simply reheat and garnish as needed — but I wouldn’t push the shelf life past three days.

Also, in the first recipe I give you a shortcut — instead of making the cake batter the long way, I use a boxed cake mix. The mix I prefer is Pillsbury “Moist Supreme Devil’s Food” Mix. One box (consumer sized at 18.25 ounces) is sufficient to make eight individual molten lava cakes.

Here is how it goes. Equipment needs are minimal. You will need eight 4-ounce porcelain ramekins. These ramekins are readily available and are very inexpensive (around a buck or less each). A hand mixer helps speed things along, but most of the time I use a whisk or a heavy spoon to beat the cake batter. Then it’s simply a two-step process, and both steps can be done ahead if necessary.

Having said that, and knowing how delicious these cakes are, it is now up to you and your wait staff to romance the goods. By romancing I mean bringing this decadent dessert to the attention of the customer and noting –– through table cards or menu highlights –– that the chocolate molten lava cakes are made in house. Add “made fresh daily” if that’s the case.

When it comes to presentation, place a cake on a dessert plate (top up). Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar or cocoa powder. Add some sliced strawberries or a fresh raspberry or two, even whip cream to gild this tasty lily even more.

Once you taste the ganache used in the first recipe, you will want to double the batch and drop a dollop on top of each cake just before serving. Or warm the ganache enough to allow some casual drips of the ganache over and around the plate. Yes, more romance, but it’s just these kind of extra touches that you will need to up your check average (especially as customers continue to pull back from spending).

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
Makes 8 servings

Ganache Filling

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (or use chocolate morsels)

Combine the whipping cream and the corn syrup in a saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to combine. Put the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Pour the simmering cream mixture over the chocolate and stir to combine and smooth out. Let sit for 5 minutes. Place the bowl in the freezer for 25 minutes (stir occasionally) until the ganache is firm and can be scooped with a spoon.

Butter and flour (shake out the excess) eight 4-ounce ramekins. Set the ramekins on a sheet pan. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Make the cake batter. Follow the package instruction (you will need vegetable oil, eggs, water) on the chosen cake mix box.

To assemble: Fill each ramekin with about 3 tablespoons of the cake batter. Make a well in the center by pushing the batter up the sides (the bottom of the ramekin should not be visible however).
Scoop 1 tablespoon of the ganache into the center of the batter of each ramekin.

Spoon another 2 tablespoons (about) of the cake batter on top of the ganache, the point being to “seal” the ganache between two layers of the cake batter. The batter should come up to about 1/4-inch from the top of the ramekin.

Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until tested clean or the cakes spring back lightly to the touch. Let cool for a minute or two.

You can serve at once, by removing the cake from the ramekin (run a knife around the edges to loosen) and then plating and garnishing it. Or leave the cakes in the ramekin for later use (you will need to reheat the cakes a bit before serving). Unmold and garnish as needed.

Molten Lava Cakes

This recipe does not use a ganache center, so the “molten” aspect is not as impressive. On the other hand, the serving portion is slightly larger. These cakes will not hold as long as in the previous recipe, so I would advise making them the same day of service.

Makes 6 servings

8 1-ounce squares semisweet chocolate
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks

Butter and flour six 6-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Melt the chocolate with the butter over low heat or in a microwave. Add the flour and the sugar to the chocolate mixture. Combine the eggs and egg yolks and add to the chocolate mixture. Beat until smooth.

Put the custard cups on a baking sheet. Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups. Bake for about 15 minutes. The edges should be firm and the center just a bit runny.

To serve, run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Invert onto a dessert plate dusted with powdered sugar or cocoa powder. Garnish with whipped cream or fresh fruit.

Parmesan and provolone are as different as night and day, but both of these cheeses are as important to Italian cuisine as Sophia Loren is to Naples. Parmesan is a cow's milk cheese that is made in huge wheels and aged for a specific time. Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano is the esteemed Italian version, which by law must be aged for at least a year) is a grana-in-style cheese, which means that it is ideal for grating. However, a current trend in Italian restaurants is to cut (or break) the cheese into chunks and serve it as is alongside a selection of cured meats (salumeria).

One of the finest uses for grated Parmesan is to sprinkle it on top of soups (minestrone, pasta e fagioli) and pizza. Or as a luxury addition to a bowl of steaming pasta, or on top of a salad of mixed greens. Parmesan is an incredibly versatile cheese, one that no Italian restaurant should be without.

Provolone is, too, a cow's milk cheese, but in character it is much softer, moister and chewier than Parmesan. And in taste it is more piquant than Parmesan. In Italy provolone is aged (piccante indicates a stronger flavor; dolce a milder flavor). Provolone is a pasta filata (pulled or stretched curd) cheese similar to the technique used to make mozzarella.

Unlike Parmesan, provolone cannot be grated, but it takes quite well to shredding. Many pizza restaurants use a blend of mozzarella and provolone as a pizza cheese, a technique that I highly endorse (the sharp flavor of the provolone adds depth of flavor to the mozzarella). And to take that idea one step further, a blend of Parmesan, provolone and mozzarella can add a ton of flavor to any pizza.

Eggplant Parmigiana Pizza

This recipe combines, to great advantage, Parmesan and provolone. I chose to blend the provolone with mozzarella for two reasons: added flavor and a better melt.
Makes one 14-inch pizza

1 14-inch pizza shell

1 eggplant (about 1 pound), washed and sliced into rounds about

1/8-inch thick

1 cup tomato puree or all-purpose ground tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoons dried basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4pound shredded provolone

1/4 pound shredded mozzarella

Place the eggplant slices on a sheet pan and brush lightly with olive oil. Place the pan under the broiler (or in the oven) and cook on each side until the eggplant just starts to take on color. Do not overcook the eggplant; the slices should retain some firmness. Set aside. (Batches can be prepped a day or two ahead.)

In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the tomatoes evenly over the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Arrange the eggplant slices over the tomatoes. Drizzle the olive oil over the eggplant. Sprinkle on the Parmesan, followed by the provolone and mozzarella.

Bake and serve.

Here’s the story: An overgrown crimini mushroom goes by the name of portobello. To put it another way, once the brown crimini gets to be around 4 to 6 inches in diameter it becomes a portobello. Here, we are dealing with a big brown mushroom with broad appeal, and one that can be used in more ways than any other fungi out there.

The portobello mushroom can be grilled, roasted, sauteed, stuffed, used as a “sandwich,” and as a bird bath (just kidding). The word “versatile” comes immediately to mind when working with portobellos. And because of it’s texture and density, the portobello has been labeled as “vegetarian meat” or the “steak of veggie burgers.”
The name portobello more than likely comes from the Italian word “cappellone,” which means “big hat.”

When purchasing portobello mushrooms, look for those that are firm and solid; limp caps will not do. Also the underside of the mushroom (where the gills are) should not be overly dark or shriveled, since that indicates that the mushroom is headed over the hills.
As it goes with all mushrooms, the portobello should not be subjected to excessive washing or submerged in water. When working with the portobello, simply snap off the stem, tap the cap on a work surface to shake off any matter that might have found its way into the gills, then brush the cap with a soft brush or a damp paper towel.

Now we are ready to use this versatile mushroom. Let’s focus first on how to use the portobello on pizza and in pasta dishes, then move on to other possibilities.

Because of its high water content, it would be a good idea to precook portobellos before using them as a pizza topping. To do this, simply brush the cap and underside with olive oil, line them up on a sheet pan, cap side up, and roast them in the oven. Once cooled, you can slice the caps into strips and use them as a pizza topping or as part of a pasta dish (see recipes below). The wonderful thing about portobellos is that the longer they are cooked (within reason), the “meatier” they get.

Portobello caps also take quite nicely to grilling, so again you would brush both sides of the mushroom with olive oil and grill until cooked through (4 to 5 minutes on each side relative to how hot the grill is).

However, beyond using just olive oil in the prep process, the addition of garlic, herbs, onions and peppers to the cooking process greatly enhances the overall flavor. Try out these recipes:

P & P Pizza (Portobello & Peperoni)
Yield: one 14-inch pizza (scale up in direct proportion)

5 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 Portobello mushroom caps, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-inch pizza shell
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces shredded mozzarella (or mozzarella and provolone blend)

In a large saute pan set over medium high heat, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the red and green bell peppers, the mushroom slices and the garlic to the pan. Stir and cook for about 5-6 minutes until the peppers soften a bit. This is the prep.

To order, brush the pizza shell with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over the crust. Add the cooked mixture of peppers and mushrooms. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella. Bake.

Note: Peperoni (one p) as in peppers, not pepperoni (with two Ps) as in, well, pepperoni.


Pasta and Portobello
Yield: 4 as a pasta entreé (scale up in direct proportion)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups sliced portobello mushrooms (2-3 caps, relative to size of caps)
1/3 cup chicken broth
4 fresh plum or Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 pound short pasta (penne, rigatoni, farfalle)
Chiffonade of fresh basil
1 cup grated ricotta salata

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are tender (6-8 minutes). Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is al dente. Drain the pasta, and toss with the mushroom and tomato mixture. Divide the pasta among four heated pasta bowls. Sprinkle an equal amount of fresh basil and ricotta salata over each portion. Serve at once.

Note: Ricotta salata is a mild and nutty sheep’s milk cheese that I like to use when I want a milder version of Romano cheese. If you can’t get ricotta salata, use Romano.


Portobello Pizzas

In this recipe I use the cap as a pizza crust, so think outside the crust here for a moment and have some fun.


The prep is the roasting of the caps. Remove the stem of the mushroom and brush the mushroom clean. Brush both sides of the mushroom with olive oil. Roast the caps in the oven, cap side up, for about 8 to 10 minutes in a 400 degree F. oven. Set aside.

Now you can stuff the caps with just about anything that you might use as a pizza topping. For example, cooked Italian sausage, pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms, olives, etc.

Try this: Paint the inside of the mushroom cap with your pizza sauce. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese over the sauce. Put a patty of cooked Italian sausage in the cap. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the sausage. Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted. Figure one cap per person as an appetizer.