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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 […]
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Menu Development
Garlic Knots
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, perh...
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Menu Development
Oven Dried Tomatoes
For added authenticity, consider trying tomatoes on your own (provided you have the manpower). It’s easier than you might think. Here’s a quick recipe: Oven-Dried Tomatoes 2 pounds Roma tomatoes 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus additi...
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Menu Development
Storing & Handling Jalapenos
Choose fresh jalapeños with a glossy shine and deep colors. Avoid wrinkled or soft ones. Store them in a paper bag for one or two weeks in the walk-in. Once sliced, use within three days. Wear gloves when handling to avoid irritating the eyes ...
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Menu Development
Beer Offering
I know that to say “it depends” seems vague. However, it really does depend on what you are trying to create. Do you want to be known for having an incredible beer selection with beers from all over the world? More importantly, ...
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Menu Development
Giardiniera
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 ...
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Menu Development
Parmesan Provolone
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. Parm...
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Menu Development
Stuffed Appetizers
The best part about having stuffed food on your menu is that, in most instances, the dish can be prepared ahead. Take stuffed peppers, for example. There is no way you can do stuffed peppers to order and make it work. The same goes for stuffed shells...
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Menu Development
Bruschetta Crostini
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 ...
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Menu Development
Gorgonzola
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...
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Menu Development
Pecorino Romano and Romano
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...
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Menu Development
Sweet Sauces
The idea of sweet pizzas, which involve a sweet sauce in some fashion, is a relatively new direction on the culinary highway. I devoted a chapter to “Dessert Pizzas” in my cookbook, The Ultimate Pizza Cookbook, which came out in 1995. In ...
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Menu Development
Caciocavallo
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 i...