Topics
Menu Development
Detroit Style Pizza: A Guide to Detroit Pizza
Discover Detroit-Style Pizza Detroit style pizza is a square, deep dish pizza that is known for its racing stripes sauce on top, cheese crust crown and light crust. Whether you call them red tops or square pizza, Detroit-style pizza is a unique pizza style that hast become one of the hottest pizza styles and one […]
Topics
Menu Development
Cheese Pairing Pizza
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 o...
Topics
Menu Development
Maccheroni al Forno
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 ord...
Topics
Menu Development
Rigatoni with Chicken and Ricotta
The idea behind this delicious pasta dish is that the ricotta is actually the sauce that coats the pasta. To this end, I like to add a tablespoon or two of the hot water from the pasta pot to thin the sauce just a touch. Various steps can be prepped ...
Topics
Menu Development
Chicken Scampi
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper 8 ounces chicken, cut into strips 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, diced 2 ounces broccoli 2 lemon wedges 2 ounces white wine (Chablis works well) 10 ounces...
Topics
Menu Development
Manicotti
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...
Topics
Menu Development
Sandwiches To Jumpstart Lunch Sales
What makes a great sandwich? Ask 10 people and you’ll likely get 20 answers. In my hometown of Chicago, it’s all about the Italian beef sandwich. In Philadelphia, it’s about a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. In Texas, it could well be ...
Topics
Menu Development
Classic Pizza Margherita
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 ...
Topics
Menu Development
Meat Lovers Pizza
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 th...
Topics
Menu Development
Sausage Stuffed Ravioli with Chipotle Basil Cream Sauce
Yield: 4 servings 3 tablespoons butter 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 bail leaves, chiffonade ½ tablespoon green chilies, chopped 2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated 1 medium tomato, medium...
Topics
Menu Development
Canadian Bacon
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...
Topics
Menu Development
Hot Appetizers
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 lo...
Topics
Menu Development
Potato Tart
Some clarification on Pecorino Romano and Romano is in order. A true pecorino Romano is made from Sheep’s milk (pecorino translates as “little sheep”) and comes from an area around Rome (though pecorino is made in many regions of It...