Author Topic: A PHILOSOPHY OF PIZZA NAPOLETANISMO! (Read 174699 times)

Pulcinella · « **Reply #1460 on:** April 28, 2012, 06:50:15 PM »

Omid my friend is going to Pizzeria Bruno Napoletano possibly tomorrow. He's bringing his camera

, a professional photographer. Will you work there tomorrow? He found these nice bruno pizza pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadshark/with/5312796042/ I'm sure he'll be in good hands.

Pizza Napoletana · « **Reply #1461 on:** April 28, 2012, 07:18:34 PM »

Quote from: Pulcinella on April 28, 2012, 06:50:15 PM

Omid my friend is going to Pizzeria Bruno Napoletano possibly tomorrow. He's bringing his camera , a professional photographer. Will you work there tomorrow? He found these nice bruno pizza pictures http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadshark/with/5312796042/ I'm sure he'll be in good hands.

Of course he, or anybody else, will be in good hands, although I burned my hand last night when a pizza, fresh out of the oven, accidentally landed on my left palm and wrist! My own fault. I should be working tomorrow at the pizzeria from 5:00 PM until closing. Good day!

Mangia Pizza · « **Reply #1462 on:** May 04, 2012, 04:49:07 PM »

I just ordered a forno piccolo in red from Forno Classico.

I spoke (in Italian) to Giuseppe (the owner), and he sounds like a true artist with a passion for making outstanding brick pizza ovens........

Now......all I have to is learn from you all how to make good pizza dough......

Arrivederci.......

toddster63 · « **Reply #1463 on:** May 04, 2012, 08:15:14 PM »

Quote from: Mangia Pizza on May 04, 2012, 04:49:07 PM

I just ordered a forno piccolo in red from Forno Classico.

I spoke (in Italian) to Giuseppe (the owner), and he sounds like a true artist with a passion for making outstanding brick pizza ovens........

Now......all I have to is learn from you all how to make good pizza dough......

Arrivederci.......

Congrats on your new oven, Mangia. That Piccolo in red is a hot little number, and seems very reasonably priced too. Very sexy little WFO with those red tiles!

Pizza Napoletana · « **Reply #1464 on:** May 05, 2012, 07:35:57 AM »

Quote from: Mangia Pizza on May 04, 2012, 04:49:07 PM

I just ordered a forno piccolo in red from Forno Classico.

I spoke (in Italian) to Giuseppe (the owner), and he sounds like a true artist with a passion for making outstanding brick pizza ovens........

Now......all I have to is learn from you all how to make good pizza dough......

Arrivederci.......

Dear Mangia, welcome to this wonderful forum, and congratulations on your Forno Piccolo Rosso. It is a delight to have an Italian member in this forum. Perhaps, you can help us!

In my opinion, learning how to make Neapolitan pizza is akin to learning a new language, meaning that when one learns a new language, one learns more than just grammar and vocabulary. One also inevitably learns about the history and culture of the people to whom the language belongs. For instance, if a person chooses to learn Hebrew, she or he will also inescapably learn about Judaism and its history. Likewise, based on my ongoing research, the Neapolitan pizza is not just an oral culinary tradition and art. The Neapolitan pizza, viewed from a phenomenological perspective, manifests itself as a historical/cultural ontogeny and ontology (a way of being). The Neapolitan pizza, in a very subtle manner, serves as a symbol or metaphor which deeply expresses a sentiment that is not even immediately or consciously grasped by average Neapolitans, yet they participate in it whether they know it or not! My point, which is foundational, is that understanding the Neapolitan history and culture can enhance one's understanding of the Neapolitan pizza tradition, although they may seem irrelevant at first glance. Naturally, the Neapolitan pizza would be nonexistent today without the underlying historical and cultural ontogeny which serves as the foundation for the culinary tradition that we immensely enjoy.

So, since you come from Italy, please share with us any knowledge you may have in respect to the Neapolitan history, culture, customs, conventions, myths and traditions in connection to the beloved pizza of Naples. Anything will be appreciated! And, although I am no authority on the Neapolitan pizza, I would be glad to help you in your pizza quest. This forum is like a potluck to which we contribute what we can. Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,
Omid

Mangia Pizza · « **Reply #1465 on:** May 07, 2012, 10:24:46 PM »

Ciao Omid, yes I am Italian, although not from Naples and crave the pizzas I used to eat in my childhood hometown.......

Unfortunately, I still have not found a decent pizzeria here in MA, maybe because I am too picky, maybe because I am too nostalgic, hence I would love to learn from you Omid and all other members of this forum what the process is to achieve a pizza at home that could compete with some of the pizzerias in Italy......... Is that too much to ask? I think not, from what I have seen and read so far I detect great potential in your collective knowledge..........

So please consider me a block of Marmo di Carrara ready to be sculpted into a Davide or a coachable student willing to learn the art of making Pizza Napoletana in America.......

Disclaimer: I am not trying to embark in a business venture, but solely to learn how to satisfy the primitive need of indulging in a great home made Pizza Napoletana.....

Thank you, Paolo

Mangia Pizza · « **Reply #1466 on:** May 15, 2012, 03:59:40 PM »

Kind of quite in here........ I hope it wasn't anything I said......

Anyway, I am arriving in San Diego on the evening of the 24th and I am hoping to visit Bruno's pizzeria before I fly out the next morning.

Omid, I am hoping you are there so I can meet you and taste your "capolavori".......

Cheers,

Paolo

Pizza Napoletana · « **Reply #1467 on:** May 16, 2012, 07:32:02 PM »

Quote from: Mangia Pizza on May 15, 2012, 03:59:40 PM

Kind of quite in here........ I hope it wasn't anything I said......

Anyway, I am arriving in San Diego on the evening of the 24th and I am hoping to visit Bruno's pizzeria before I fly out the next morning.

Omid, I am hoping you are there so I can meet you and taste your "capolavori".......

Cheers,

Paolo

Dear Paolo, please forgive my delay in responding to your post. I have been busy with my various affairs and miss interacting with the members here. I'd be delighted to meet you at Bruno on 24th of this month. On the day, I should be working at the pizzeria from 5:00 to 10:00 PM. Of course, I would be happy to meet you even before or after my specified work hours so we can freely socialize. I look forward to meeting you!

Regards,
Omid

Mangia Pizza · « **Reply #1468 on:** May 17, 2012, 08:46:36 AM »

Quote from: Pizza Napoletana on May 16, 2012, 07:32:02 PM

Dear Paolo, please forgive my delay in responding to your post. I have been busy with my various affairs and miss interacting with the members here. I'd be delighted to meet you at Bruno on 24th of this month. On the day, I should be working at the pizzeria from 5:00 to 10:00 PM. Of course, I would be happy to meet you even before or after my specified work hours so we can freely socialize. I look forward to meeting you!

Regards,
Omid

Omid,

it will my honor and pleasure to meet a Pizza Napoletana master like yourself. See you at Bruno's.......

Paolo

flyboy4ual · « **Reply #1469 on:** May 23, 2012, 01:39:28 PM »

Omid,

Glad you were able to meet my pilot friend Brian the other day. He can't stop raving about the pizza at Bruno's.

Scott D.

Pizza Napoletana · « **Reply #1470 on:** May 23, 2012, 03:25:45 PM »

Quote from: flyboy4ual on May 23, 2012, 01:39:28 PM

Omid,

Glad you were able to meet my pilot friend Brian the other day. He can't stop raving about the pizza at Bruno's.

Scott D.

Dear Scott, it was a pleasure to meet your friend, Mr. Brian, at the pizzeria. I am sorry that I was too busy to sit down and socialize with him. Please, give him my regards, and I hope to see you some day. Have a great day!

Regards,
Omid

Pizza Napoletana · « **Reply #1471 on:** May 23, 2012, 03:27:47 PM »

Quote from: Mangia Pizza on May 17, 2012, 08:46:36 AM

Omid,

it will my honor and pleasure to meet a Pizza Napoletana master like yourself. See you at Bruno's.......

Paolo

Dear Paolo, I look forward to meeting you tomorrow at Bruno's. Good day!

Regards,
Omid

Jbravo · « **Reply #1472 on:** May 30, 2012, 01:59:11 PM »

Pizza Napoletana, thank you for this thread - very interesting read and amazing pizzas.

scarboni · « **Reply #1473 on:** May 30, 2012, 02:04:54 PM »

As noted in a PM to Omid, this thread is probably one of the greatest reads for an aspiring Pizzaiolo.

scarboni · « **Reply #1474 on:** May 30, 2012, 02:15:46 PM »

Quote from: Giggliato on April 12, 2012, 04:58:26 PM

I have been told to use the minimal amount of flour necessary to transfer the topped pie to the peel in order to increase contact between the dough and the oven floor. Is that burnt flour left there on the oven floor between bakes? Doesn't this increase the cooking time of the pizza?

Also I would be very interested to see some pizza pictures made with the dough from your vacuum chambers.

A good trick for using less flour is to stretch the dough to 8in, top it and then bring it out to 12in right before you: a) transfer it to the peel & bring it to the oven b) are about to put it in the oven from the peel.

One of the keys here is to be able to stretch it out from underneath the cornichone so that you don't disturb the concentration of Air. Also, it's a good idea to lightly hand slap it back and forth to remove any excess flour from the bottom.

Chicago Bob · « **Reply #1475 on:** May 30, 2012, 02:28:12 PM »

Quote from: scarboni on May 30, 2012, 02:15:46 PM

A good trick for using less flour is to stretch the dough to 8in, top it and then bring it out to 12in right before you: a) transfer it to the peel & bring it to the oven b) are about to put it in the oven from the peel.

One of the keys here is to be able to stretch it out from underneath the cornichone so that you don't disturb the concentration of Air. Also, it's a good idea to lightly hand slap it back and forth to remove any excess flour from the bottom.

You see this tip performed a lot in videos of pizzerias in Italy

scarboni · « **Reply #1476 on:** May 30, 2012, 05:12:31 PM »

Quote from: Chicago Bob on May 30, 2012, 02:28:12 PM

You see this tip performed a lot in videos of pizzerias in Italy

Yea, I learned it from Giulio while working at Olio. The other technique that I found to be "mind blowing" is the actual opening of the dough in the flour (which is why a lot of Neapolitan places have towers of flour on their table). Giulio basically explained that by opening "in" the flour, you actually maintain the fermentation in the dough better than if you were trying to "move" the air on straight marble.

Cool stuff...makes me want to go down to Pizzeria Bruno and beg him to let me make a pizza. =P

scarboni · « **Reply #1477 on:** May 30, 2012, 05:14:55 PM »

Quote from: scarboni on May 30, 2012, 05:12:31 PM

makes me want to go down to Pizzeria Bruno and beg him to let me make a pizza. =P

Of course...I probably should mention that I already attempted to ask them to make a pizza when I went to eat there two fridays ago! (which resulted in them telling me that "the dough is harder to handle")....=o

Mangia Pizza · « **Reply #1478 on:** May 30, 2012, 10:55:00 PM »

Last Thursday I made it to Bruno's, here are the proofs......

Margherita pizza with bufala mozzarella and margherita pizza with bufala mozzarella and imported prosciutto.....

I met Omid, we spent quite sometime afterwards talking about pizza napoletana.

All I have to say is that Omid is a genius..... he knows so much about pizza, from the history to the techniques to the equipment to the methods etc.etc.etc. I was truly impressed, plus he really is a nice, down to earth person..... I wish him the best......

Oh, yes the pizzas were delicious too.....

Pulcinella · « **Reply #1479 on:** June 03, 2012, 05:54:26 PM »

Omid this is incredible. So much to know.. i look forward to your future articles

http://pizzanapoletanismo.com/2011/09/27/a-philosophy-of-pizza-napoletanismo/