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"Asking for a friend" thread
- Thread starter Philpug
- Start date
I did a post-doc at Columbia. The NYC kids would take me to their favorite spots. You are right that you had to fold it over, but then we had to tip it to let the grease drain off the pizza before eating it. That never happened in Italy. The Italian pizza crust had more chewy that most American pizzas, and less or no sauce. Tons of favor though. I don't think pepperoni or Italian sausage as we know it exists in Italy, at least I didn't see it on their pizzas. Maybe things have changed in the last twenty years.
- Joined
- May 2, 2017
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Locals in NYC say Grimaldis in Brooklyn is tourist overated, but its some of the best pizza anywhere.
South of Boston we have barroom pizza - Linwood, Spa, Villa, Cod. Anyone worth their pie knows all well.
South of Boston we have barroom pizza - Linwood, Spa, Villa, Cod. Anyone worth their pie knows all well.
I went to Italy several times in my early teens, this would have been the late 60's. None of those times did we see any pizza, although I feel like we saw something similar but not pizza as I know it, in Naples. We traveled from Milan down to Naples. Only when I was slightly older ('71-'72) did it start to show up. I think, although I'm no authority, that pizza was maybe a sideline/minor player that migrated to the US, got big in the US, then migrated back to Italy. Probably I need to find a pizza history book. But we commented on the fact we hadn't seen any and as a kid pizza was very much on my list of desirable foods.
The other thing I recall is that the lasagne in every town was totally different depending on the region.
The other thing I recall is that the lasagne in every town was totally different depending on the region.
Pizza is a traditional Japanese food in my world. First ate it on the Giza in Tokyo as a very young kid in the mid 50's. Very much like KFC in that way.
By the mid-90's, the Italians I worked with near Bologna said that pizza had migrated throughout the peninsula and apparently adapted along the way to local ingredients, just like lasagna, although most shops had the original from Naples. The lasagna in that region was excellent and my favorite. I can make a passable version. But the real find was cappellacci di zucca with pork ragu, which is made with "pumpkin" not squash as translated by my co-workers.
I once took some cooking classes from a chef originally from Naples, or as she put it, “Napoli.” Most of that class was focused on the dough to make the crust, and usually in individual pizza sizes rather than the larger sizes typically here. Much simprer use of ingredients, for example, rosemary, olive oil and salt crystals. No pizza sauce per se, she did take a can of whole organic tomatoes and used a small Braun blender inserted into the can, then poured that over the crust. She sparingly used Italian Fontina, after the pizza is mostly baked, for the last minute or two of baking to melt the cheese.
It is much more like focaccia that American pizza.
OTOH, there is an Italian and Chinese restaurant near where I live, and among their pizzas are Kung Pau (with water chestnuts, celery and peanuts). Or General Tso’s pizza. It shouldn’t work, but it does.
It is much more like focaccia that American pizza.
OTOH, there is an Italian and Chinese restaurant near where I live, and among their pizzas are Kung Pau (with water chestnuts, celery and peanuts). Or General Tso’s pizza. It shouldn’t work, but it does.
Best pizza I ever had was in Rome. I was backpacking and followed the herd of business people on break at lunch time on a weekday. There was a deli style restaurant with squares of pizza precut. The locals put two squares together so the toppings faced toward each other like a sandwich. The crust was buttery goodness, closer to being a french baguette or croissant. The 'slices' were served slightly warm, not piping hot and were on butcher paper.
Mmmm
Mmmm
Thread Starter
TS
This Italy-pizza debate reminds me of this...
Does it really matter? Do we need a food origin thread? Do we???
Does it really matter? Do we need a food origin thread? Do we???
My wife has been making good home made pizza weekly during the covid pause. This includes home made crust and usually four or five toppings, with multiple types of cheese. Had some today. Pizzas are like Ski Areas, I never met one I didn't like, but some I like more than others.
This is ancient history, but my wife and I took a 25 day tour of Europe in May 1983 - before kids. We saw all kinds of great things, Rhine River cruise, Hofbrauhaus, Michelanglo's David, St. Peters Church, the Matterhorn, Zugspitz, Grindelwald, Eiffel tower, etc,
One of my memories as a goofy, young American tourist is that we ate pizza in Germany (in Mainz), Switzerland (in Zermatt), Italy (in Florence), and France (Paris). I liked the German pizza the best as it was solid all around and pretty close to what I liked in the US. The Swiss pizza was sort of thin crust and kind of skimpy. The Italian was memorably my least favorite pizza. It came from a cart out on the street and I was surprised to find that it was served at air temperature. The dough was chewy and the whole thing had an unpleasant oily, day-old taste. I can't remember the French pizza, but we had some other great food there and all around the continent. Again I liked the German cuisine the best because it featured a lot of meat and potatoes type stuff that I like.
This is ancient history, but my wife and I took a 25 day tour of Europe in May 1983 - before kids. We saw all kinds of great things, Rhine River cruise, Hofbrauhaus, Michelanglo's David, St. Peters Church, the Matterhorn, Zugspitz, Grindelwald, Eiffel tower, etc,
One of my memories as a goofy, young American tourist is that we ate pizza in Germany (in Mainz), Switzerland (in Zermatt), Italy (in Florence), and France (Paris). I liked the German pizza the best as it was solid all around and pretty close to what I liked in the US. The Swiss pizza was sort of thin crust and kind of skimpy. The Italian was memorably my least favorite pizza. It came from a cart out on the street and I was surprised to find that it was served at air temperature. The dough was chewy and the whole thing had an unpleasant oily, day-old taste. I can't remember the French pizza, but we had some other great food there and all around the continent. Again I liked the German cuisine the best because it featured a lot of meat and potatoes type stuff that I like.
Thread Starter
TS
I see you didn't say "Chicago" anywhere in that post.
A warm Krispy Kreme fresh off the line is amazing! At least at first. But in my experience the thrill decays exponentially, and never comes back. After the first couple dozen you never want another one.
Thread Starter
TS
Krispy Kreme is right up there with In and Out. IMHO, The fascination surpasses the reality, they are extremely overated. 
Does it really matter? Do we need a food origin thread? Do we???
I don't know.. Are you asking for a friend or for yourself?
Actually, French Fries (pommes frites) are from Belgium where they also speak French. Being a chemist, I'm already a nerd about many things, so why not food?This Italy-pizza debate reminds me of this...
Does it really matter? Do we need a food origin thread? Do we???
Krispy Kreme is right up there with In and Out. IMHO, The fascination surpasses the reality, they are extremely overated.
@Philpug Should we push the "REPORT" button when we see such heresy being spread?
You can, but I don't think it'll have much effect.
I agree that Krispy Kreme is very overrated. However, I strongly disagree that In and Out is overrated. I have eaten a lot of burgers in my day and consider myself a bit of a burger connoisseur. I have not found a better fast food burger in this country.