Slice of Hope 2012 T-shirts Now Available

October 12 is just around the corner, uniting the industry for Slice of Hope 2012 to fight breast cancer. T-shirts are now available, with a fresh look for this year. Shirts are available in black and pink. In response to numerous requests, we are debuting the “women’s cut” pink shirts.

Slice of Hope T-shirts sell for $10 each. Profits from the sale of each T-shirt will be donated to the Karen Mullen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Click here to buy Slice of Hope T-shirts, pledge a percentage of your sales on October 12 or make a gift donation.




Go Beyond Mozzarella

Add variety and enhance the flavor profile of your signature pizzas by blending cheeses.

One of the most popular blends is mozzarella and provolone. The nutty, smoky flavor of the provolone enhances the mild taste of mozzarella. Expand the pairing even further by adding in ricotta to the mix.

Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar make a great cheese pairing for white pizza. Fontina, Parmesan, goat and queso fresco are other cheese to consider.

Click here to find great cheeses blending ideas.





PDF Online Menus: Think about your mobile users

There is nothing more frustrating than sitting in the car and going to favorite restaurant’s Web site to look at a menu to place a carryout order, only to not be able to even view the menu because it’s a PDF.

Downloadable PDF menus are great to have on your site so that patrons can print them out at their leisure and tack up on the frig. But, now that consumers are using their smart phones to help them with their dining decisions, only providing PDF or even image menus could cost you sales.

Have your web guy—or if you’re it—post the menu in plain text form in a Web-friendly font and size. Do that and any smart phone use will be able to read your menu with ease.

Learn more about menus for mobile visitors by clicking here.




Improve Crust Flavor

For many customers, a good pizza comes down to the crust. The flavor profile of the crust can leave patrons grabbing every last bite.

Dough Doctor Tom Lehmann points out the cause of bland crust flavor. “Two of the most common reasons for insufficient flavor in pizza crust are due to a lack of either oil or salt in the formulation,” he says. “When a dough formula is lacking in salt, the flavor of the finished crust will be bland, and it might even take on something of a starchy taste. While not as significant as the affect of salt, oil can and does impact the overall flavor profile of a pizza.”

Find out more about how the Dough Doctor improves crust flavor clicking here.



Featured Recipe — Bacon & Spinach Pizza

Americans are going crazy for bacon these days, from main courses to desserts. This Bacon & Spinach Pizza has the oomph to be a signature house favorite. Pizza Today contributor Pasquale “Pat” Bruno recommends—with this pie—go half-and-half cheese, putting half the cheese directly on the crust, then add the colorful toppings and finish with the remaining cheese. It makes for a beautiful presentation.

Bacon & Spinach Pizza

1 12-inch pizza shell
1/4 pound bacon, crisp & broken into pieces
8 ounces 50/50 blend mozzarella & provolone
1/2 pound fresh plum or Roma tomatoes, sliced
10-12 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped

For the rest of this delicious recipe, click here.



Restaurant Impossible’s Robert Irvine to Headline Pizza Expo 2013

International Pizza Expo 2013 will kick off with a special appearance by Chef Robert Irvine, host of Food Network’s prime-time series Restaurant Impossible.

In addition, exciting new seminars, workshops and competitions are in store for you at International Pizza Expo 2013, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, March 19-21 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A Craft Beer powerhouse panel discussion will make its debut. Want to build a profitable craft beer program? Don’t miss this seminar.

The World Pizza Games return with the addition of a new “triathlon” category, comprised of box folding, dough tossing for a 16-inch screen and dough tossing for a 24-inch screen.

Click here to see what’s new at Pizza Expo 2013.