San Marzano tomatoes are the god of the tomato world. Grown in the Sarno Valley, just outside Naples, they take their goodness from the fertile volcanic soils of Mount Vesuvius and the gentle sea breeze of the Gulf of Naples. Sunshine is baked in. Picked by hand at their perfect ripeness between August and September, [...]
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Why are San Marzano tomatoes so good?
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What goes into a white pizza
White pizza clearly lacks one thing. Tomato. But ‘lacks’ probably isn’t the right word. White pizza came from Rome’s traditional bread bakers, who threw a lump of dough in the oven to check its temperature. Over the years, they started wiping on olive oil, scattering salt and adding some garlic – until they realised they [...] More -
Best utensils and tools to cook the perfect pizza
The perfect pizza is a tall order, not least because ‘the perfect pizza’ is pretty subjective. For some, the perfect pizza has pineapple on it; for others, ‘perfect’ is a few basil leaves carefully placed on a Campania buffalo mozzarella and a sauce of San Marzano tomatoes grown in the fertile volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius, all baked in a woodfired pizza oven.
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But regardless of the toppings, there are definitely utensils and tools that help you cook your perfect pizza. -
Best herbs to use on a pizza
The original Naples pizza used just a few fresh basil leaves to decorate the Italian tricolore inspired tomato-topped Margherita pizza. And the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) approves only a pinch of oregano if it’s for a Neapolitan marinara sauce. But purists are purists, and it’s great that they are protecting the original pizza for [...] More -
Why is AVPN so important in pizza cooking?
AVPN, the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, is the international standard of the true Neapolitan pizza. It takes its place alongside authentication certificates created in the mid-90s for fine wine, olive oil, cheese and traditional goodies. These stamps of approval help discerning foodies pick out the products that follow strict guidelines, celebrate traditional methods and are [...] More -
What’s the difference between a New York and Chicago pizza?
New York pizza? Chicago pizza? Surely pizza is pizza, right. Wrong. These two iconic US cities have pizza at their heart, but they both have a very different take on pizza. And they are at the heart of a heated debate about which is the best. Passions run high. Late-night satirist Jon Stewart – a [...] More -
What cheese goes on pizza? Mozzarella is not the only cheese
Mozzarella is the cheese for pizza, right? Light and creamy, it’s designed to become melty, stringy yumminess on our pizzas – where else does it belong? Mozzarella and pizza are made for each other. How do I use mozzarella on a pizza? Slice, rip or grate mozzarella, it’s up to you. Sliced and ripped chunks [...] More -
How to make sourdough pizza
Sourdough pizza is next level. The flavour, the passion that goes into cooking it, the uniqueness of each one. Because every sourdough starter is different, so is every pizza it makes. Each sourdough starter has a personality of its own, a flavour and characteristic unlike any other. You can buy a sourdough starter online, but [...] More -
How to make perfect pizza dough
How do I make the perfect pizza dough?! Well there’s a question. There are pizza dough recipes galore out there, and one, from Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, that dictates exactly how to make the perfect pizza dough. For a 14-page breakdown , visit the association’s website to get the lowdown on the absorption, stability and [...] More
