Author Topic: Possibly my prettiest...with pics! (Read 26683 times)

abatardi · « **Reply #40 on:** February 06, 2007, 10:45:28 PM »

Made a couple 8" pies using this recipe for a superbowl party (the only pans I had...some very well seasoned old cake pans). Came out awesome but didn't get a chance to take pics.. I was pulling it out of the oven at about 3 and had to get over to a friend's house before kickoff! I already had a can of 6-in-1's (I love those tomatoes) and used grande part skim for the cheese and some store brand bulk mild italian sausage and hormel pepperoni as toppings. This was the first time I have ever made deep dish and everyone ate it up quick even though there was a boatload of other food. ;-) The only bad thing is the party host kept getting compliments on it and had to tell people she didn't make it...

Thanks again for the recipe!

- aba

loowaters · « **Reply #41 on:** February 07, 2007, 06:57:55 AM »

Congrats, it's always good to hear first timers succeed!

Loo

canadianbacon · « **Reply #42 on:** March 03, 2007, 10:59:10 PM »

ah so !

this is like the pan that Randy just bought about a month ago.

I need to find one of these, and soon.... a really beautiful pan !

Quote from: November on November 01, 2006, 05:24:34 PM

Unless he's using a pan with side walls taller than 2" and an irregularly large free-standing oven, I'd say he's using a 14" x 2" deep dish pan.

FLAVORMAN · « **Reply #43 on:** March 26, 2007, 04:26:17 PM »

LOO,

THIS IS THE FLAVORMAN...YOU HIT IT ALL RIGHT ON THE HEAD..OIL AND H20 RATIO WAS PERFECT...THANKS A MILLION FOR YOUR POSTS AND EMAIL...DO YOU WANT TO MOVE TO SOUTH FLORIDA AND OPEN UP A SMALL PARLOR..NO JOKE..PIZZA TURNED OUT GREAT AFTER 30 YEARS OF TRYING...
TRY SOME COCONUT OIL TO REPLACE THE CRISCO...THANKS AGAIN MARTY

loowaters · « **Reply #44 on:** March 26, 2007, 07:50:29 PM »

Thirty years of trying?! Well, it's good to hear it all turned out well for you, Flav. While I'd love to move to FLA, I'm going to have to remain here in Iowa for a while and just visit Siesta Key 3-4 times a year...thanks, though.

foodblogger · « **Reply #45 on:** April 15, 2007, 03:10:50 PM »

Holy crap loo! That looks like good pizza. Boooyah!

loowaters · « **Reply #46 on:** April 15, 2007, 05:01:15 PM »

Quote from: foodblogger on April 15, 2007, 03:10:50 PM

Holy crap loo! That looks like good pizza. Boooyah!

Thanks, foodblogger. BTW...WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

It was your Gino's East recipe that got me started on this whole thing. Have you done any tinkering or finetuning to that recipe?

Loo

foodblogger · « **Reply #47 on:** April 18, 2007, 04:40:52 PM »

I've been lurking but not posting. I haven't changed my Gino's recipe all that much but I am doing a few things a little differently from time to time. The next time I make it I will do an update post with pics etc. I had a deep dish accident once that made the crust texture a little unusual. I've occasionally repeated the accident intentionally and have really enjoyed the results.

In other news I heard that Gino's moved from that godaweful Planet Hollywood location. Someone may have posted about it and I just missed it. I heard a new chain moved into the building like Piezano's or something. A friend was there last weekend and said it was good. He said that Gino's moved back over by Northwestern and he thought it was in the same building. That can't be true because NW bulldozed the old building to make a parking lot. Doh! One of these times I need to get up there to confirm.

loowaters · « **Reply #48 on:** April 19, 2007, 09:22:18 AM »

Quote from: foodblogger on April 18, 2007, 04:40:52 PM

In other news I heard that Gino's moved from that godaweful Planet Hollywood location. Someone may have posted about it and I just missed it. I heard a new chain moved into the building like Piezano's or something. A friend was there last weekend and said it was good. He said that Gino's moved back over by Northwestern and he thought it was in the same building. That can't be true because NW bulldozed the old building to make a parking lot. Doh! One of these times I need to get up there to confirm.

I hadn't heard that so I did some Google-ing and found this at Hot Slice:

"Gino's East turns 40, opens second downtown Chicago restaurant
Chicago-based Gino's East of Chicago opened a second downtown restaurant at its original location on Superior Street just off Michigan Avenue last Friday. The pizzeria that is famous for its Chicago deep dish pizza serves its legendary pizzas and other traditional menu items at both its current location at 633 N. Wells St. and at the new "old" location at 162 E. Superior Street.
"It's very nostalgic to be going back to our roots and reopening where the legend began 40 years ago," said Jeffrey Himmel, president of Gino's East Restaurant Corp. "We're delighted to be adding a second location in downtown Chicago to better serve the Gold Coast community and the tourists who frequent Michigan Avenue."
Diners at the popular Italian eatery, which has been expanded to accommodate private, semi-private and large group functions and meetings, will enjoy the charm of the famed Gino's East graffiti-covered walls bearing more than a few generations' worth of memories, as well as the delicious Italian fare. An outdoor rooftop garden provides an alfresco dining experience.
The Superior Street restaurant is a joint venture between The Original Gino's East of Chicago and The Buona Companies of Berwyn, Illinois. Gino's East officials say the company will add award-winning original family recipe Buona Italian Beef to its menu. Buona, which, in Italian, means "good," was created in 1981 by the Buonavolanto family from a favorite recipe they brought to Chicago from Naples, Italy.
The Original Gino's East of Chicago opened in 1966 when two taxi drivers and a friend, frustrated with rush hour traffic, decided to open a pizzeria at 162 E. Superior Street, just off Michigan Avenue. Since then, with the reopening of the Gold Coast location, the restaurant that became an instant legend with local Chicagoans, national celebrities and visitors from around the world, has expanded to 11 locations."

El Pistolero · « **Reply #49 on:** August 16, 2008, 04:37:09 PM »

Quote from: loowaters on November 01, 2006, 05:55:45 PM

To answer the questions, pan size is 14" x 2". The pan is an American Metalcraft hardcoat anodized. The oven is a standard electric oven. I cook the pizza on my stone on the bottom rack of the oven.

I'm sorry for bumping this old (but amazing) thread, but just to clarify...you set the pizza pan right on top of the stone? I've always been afraid that doing this would cause the stone to crack.

loowaters · « **Reply #50 on:** August 16, 2008, 08:16:16 PM »

It hasn't done a thing to my stone but I've a pretty thick stone as well. However, if you don't want to do it, it's not completely necessary to place the pie on the stone. From my experiences, it's going to help if you have a rather reflective pan to have direct contact with that heat from the stone but if you have a dark pan and don't want to heat the oven for an hour in the middle of summer the pizza will come out just fine. I've been cooking DD in my American Metalcraft hard coat annodized pans without the stone on the middle rack of my oven at 500* lately.

El Pistolero · « **Reply #51 on:** August 16, 2008, 09:16:41 PM »

Well, I've got the same pan that you do, so I could try it in mid-oven, but my 7 year old is demanding her own personal thin crust, so I guess I'll just try the pan on the stone. If it breaks then SWMBO will just have one more thing to be mad about, and I'll know what to get her for Christmas.

PizzaHog · « **Reply #52 on:** May 26, 2009, 12:59:12 PM »

Well, finding myself with most of what I needed and just enough time to pull it off, I gave this a first try. Somewhere in all loo's and BTB's posts on these big boys, loo detailed a same day method and that is what I went with in a large cast iron skillet.
I'm glad I read as much as I did since this dough was definitely a different animal - someone posted somewhere it resembled a brain and it sure did. After the second rise though, all was right.
In the end the only issue was I overbaked it a bit. I forgot that I had cranked my oven's adjustment up 35 degrees to bake NY pies - Doh! Still came out really good and in fact, my father who has eaten every style I have made since joining this forum like it the best! I can't wait to try it again at the right temp.
I was surprised that the sausage I used, which is from a local Italian deli/butcher, was not so great on the pie. It is excellent on the BBQ and such, but seemed lacking flavor on the pie. Next time I will try the sausage on top and see if the browning is what I was missing.
This first one was just low fat mozz, prov, sausage and a bit of leftover peperoni, pecorino, and shaved garlic on top. Wasn't sure about veggies releasing moisture so left them off.
Thanks, loo, for sharing this great recipe
Hog

loowaters · « **Reply #53 on:** May 26, 2009, 04:03:52 PM »

Hog, NICE WORK!!!

That doesn't look overcooked at all, what characteristics make you think it was overcooked? You said you used lowfat mozz. How did that work out and how did it melt down? I don't recall any posts on using low fat mozz on deep dish and if anyone's tried it they haven't shared any thoughts on it.

Loo

PizzaHog · « **Reply #54 on:** May 26, 2009, 06:09:22 PM »

Thanks, loo, for the kind words and encouragement, and for this recipe!
The only real deep dish I ever had was in the basement at Uno's in downtown Chi-town to compare to, and I was blown away never having had any pizza like it before. My pie lacked just lacked some of that flaky, pastry like quality and was too dry, plus a bit too crunchy especially on the bottom crust which which was dark brown in areas. I don't think I missed by a mile, but having overbaked plenty of other stuff in my life, including biscuits, I'm pretty sure a few minutes less or the right temp would have made a diff. The cast iron pan may be involved too. We will see on the next one, hopefully after I pick up a proper pan.
The low fat mozz was an impulse purchase, on sale at the Italian deli for $1.99/lb. The deli had repackaged chunks from a big log and I had to ask if it was low fat or what. After she rummaged around some, I was told the original label included "part skim", so it was assumed it was low fat, but who knows. It melted great and a few cheesey strings stretched from the hot pie so I was happy. The brand is Galati and if they still have it on sale next trip I think I'll try it again.
Just finished the last of the left overs (enough for lunch and dinner) and will definately be baking up another one of these soon.
Hog

Randy · « **Reply #55 on:** May 26, 2009, 07:23:33 PM »

Looks like yo have been making them for awhile.

JConk007 · « **Reply #56 on:** May 26, 2009, 09:58:50 PM »

Super - Stuff - P Hog

Looks good to me!! Perfecto' I LOVE that deep dish taste after working with it quite a bit this winter.
John

mrmojo1 · « **Reply #57 on:** May 27, 2009, 12:09:50 AM »

Great job! and great pics!! something i can aspire to! looks delicious!! thank you!!

Fingerstyle · « **Reply #58 on:** May 27, 2009, 09:13:53 AM »

Gorgeous pie Loo! I'm going to try your recipe this weekend.
Thanks

loowaters · « **Reply #59 on:** May 27, 2009, 10:42:10 AM »

Quote from: PizzaHog on May 26, 2009, 06:09:22 PM

Thanks, loo, for the kind words and encouragement, and for this recipe!
The only real deep dish I ever had was in the basement at Uno's in downtown Chi-town to compare to, and I was blown away never having had any pizza like it before. My pie lacked just lacked some of that flaky, pastry like quality and was too dry, plus a bit too crunchy especially on the bottom crust which which was dark brown in areas. I don't think I missed by a mile, but having overbaked plenty of other stuff in my life, including biscuits, I'm pretty sure a few minutes less or the right temp would have made a diff. The cast iron pan may be involved too. We will see on the next one, hopefully after I pick up a proper pan.
The low fat mozz was an impulse purchase, on sale at the Italian deli for $1.99/lb. The deli had repackaged chunks from a big log and I had to ask if it was low fat or what. After she rummaged around some, I was told the original label included "part skim", so it was assumed it was low fat, but who knows. It melted great and a few cheesey strings stretched from the hot pie so I was happy. The brand is Galati and if they still have it on sale next trip I think I'll try it again.
Just finished the last of the left overs (enough for lunch and dinner) and will definately be baking up another one of these soon.
Hog

I knew that you'd come back with too dry and too crunchy but didn't want to ask if that was the case before hearing your take. I've been there with the overcook but you can't tell it's going to be turn out that way just by looking at it. This also comes back to cooking the pie on the stone, something that I used to always do but have gotten away from to just shorten up the time the oven is on. I've never overcooked the pie when using a stone but placing directly on the center rack of the oven I have had it turn out too dry and crumbly.

The cheese sounds like just low-moisture, part-skim mozz and not some type of low fat mozz. Nothing wrong with low-moisture, part-skim mozz, it's all I use. My experience with some pre-shredded low-fat mozz, that I bought accidentally, was that it definitely did not melt nicely. In fact, I think it just got warm, keeping that same shredded form. Nasty.

Loo