Got meatballs? These recipes step outside the box I don’t know about you, but there is just one word — whether spoken in hushed tones or over the din of a crowded restaurant — that brings out all the passion, respect and dignity from the bottom of my dark...
Potatoes on pizza? Yes, please Potatoes on pizza are gaining popularity in a lot of America’s pizzerias. Yes, this lowly tuber may seem an unlikely companion to pizza. But once your customers experience its broad flavor and textural horizons it can become a real crowd...
Spring is the big start of the year for numerous game-changers for pizza. The early spring enables cold-loving greens like arugula, green garlic, spinach, romaine, ramps, rhubarb, cilantro and sprouts to pop either in farmed fields or on their own in the wild. The...
Cheaper cuts of beef can rock as hard as expensive protein Beef is a popular menu item in most every restaurant. In fact, some steakhouses may have nine to 12 different cuts of beef on their menus while most pizzerias have only the usual ground beef crumbles....
Yes, you can -- and should -- make your own marinades The art of transforming meats, vegetables and fish is as age-old as food itself. Marinating is the use of acids, salts, enzymatic liquids, spices, oils and herbs to not only tenderize meats and kill any harmful...
Creating a signature dish takes thought, preparation 13 years ago, one radio broadcast changed the way I do business forever. I was still trying to eke out a profit from a menu with 28 toppings. I had a great volume deal and several specials that included...
John lets us in on menu trends and adding new menu items John Gutekanst Avalanche Pizza — Athens, Ohio John is Pizza Today’s resident chef. He is an award-winning pizzaiolo, baker, teacher, speaker and author and has been featured in Gastronomica, Food Arts,...
Winter is upon us, and a lack of farm-fresh vegetables requires a bit of creativity in the kitchen. The contrast in colors and sweet-and-salty flavor makes this one a winner. Try it as a special to get your customers interested. For more winter ingredient recipes, see...
The Big Chill Winter is my busiest season to sell pizza. Unfortunately, this is also the time when produce prices soar to new heights and the quality of these veggies hits a new low. I not only struggle keeping my parking lot cleared and salted, but also battle...
The king of all pork products Bacon is tops in pizzerias As my wife and I watched a competitive cooking show a few months back, one of the judges tasted a certain dish and said, “Chef, I loved your dish but you cheated.” “Uh, excuse me? I don’t understand?” stammered...
Onions provide myriad of flavors, options The most underrated and underused topping in every pizzeria is the onion. I feel very comfortable saying this because the flavor potential of this glorious root can be a bold, tear-jerking shout or a sublime succulent whisper....
My first lessons in the art of tomato fanaticism came from an Italian chef and restaurateur named Bimbo. He looked like a tall George Clooney and I was just 14 years old when he hired me to wash dishes at his restaurant in Palatine, Illinois. Because of my work ethic,...
