Wednesday, April 28, 2004


nice crust

and here's a pretty good approximation of the neapolitan-style pizza dough. it's not quite as complex as mine.

among what makes it close to the original is the lack of olive oil in the recipe. however, i've found that when making this crust for new yorkers, they are disappointed unless you add some oil.

great olive oil improves the flavor and chewiness of the crust. in loaf breads, oil also aids somewhat in keeping quality.

since authenticity in cooking is rather pointless if no one will eat the pizza, i've given up and now always use a tablespoon of oil in the dough. . .i also now mix durum and first clear flour for this dough.

again, completely untraditional, but it gives the pizza a great flavor, due to the crispiness the durum seems to offer and the chewiness of the first clear. that the first clear has a high ash (mineral) content also seems to contribute to the taste.

not to forget that the durum flour is very yellow and appears to enhance the color of the baked pizza; it just looks more appetizing.

also, it's rare to read correct coffee storage instructions in the general press. but here they are!

it's true you should avoid freezing coffee; it harms the aroma. however, we also have to face the fact that many people don't have a quality scaa-member independent local roaster/retailer nearby these days. to get premium-quality specialty coffee means they have to buy mail order on the internet.

and that usually means eating a substantial shipping fee. to make that fee more reasonable, most people do end up buying two pounds of coffee.

and with today's smaller households, that often means people have to divide those pounds into quarters; pack the quarter-pounds into air-tight metal containers or one-way valve bags (from which the air is squeezed and then put into said container); and take 'em out of the freezer as needed.

it's not ideal, no doubt. but until the day we all have fresh coffee near our homes, i understand we have to live with compromises.

many people who roast their own coffee at home claim, however, that un-degassed, just-cooled coffee when properly packaged and immediately frozen in a home deep freezer actually emerges relatively unscathed. your mileage may vary, of course. . .

but then, i don't home roast!

posted by fortune | 10:23 AM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments