Author Topic: aurelio's pizza.. (Read 55550 times)

BTB · « **Reply #140 on:** January 12, 2011, 03:37:17 PM »

Oh, and of course I couldn't leave without taking some home for the freezer. Yum, yum. BTW, I asked the male waitperson why there was so much yellow/orange in the cheese on the baked pizza and he said that is how all Mozzarella cheese bakes up. He obviously didn't know crap about anything and the mystery continues about the substantial yellow/orange color in the cheese on the cooked pizza. But . . . as usual . . . it was grrreat. Hope you've had some great pizza lately.

--BTB

mrmojo1 · « **Reply #141 on:** January 14, 2011, 01:21:41 AM »

Quote from: BTB on January 12, 2011, 03:35:32 PM

Mr. Mojo,

Not to tease you any, but on Monday of this week, I visited with my daughter in Ft. Myers, FL and had a great, great, great pizza -- a picture of which follows. I'm sure you'll recognize where it's from (save for the unusual circular sauce). I have just got to tell you, though, that it was super, super deeeeeeelicious. Wish I could have it everyday.

--BTB

that looks soooo awesome!!!! and i love the extra sauce!!! what do you think about the sauce?? look at that orange cheese!! why? it must be a scamorza thing? THANKS SO MUCH FOR POSTING PICS!! love it!

BTB · « **Reply #142 on:** January 14, 2011, 08:51:16 AM »

Their sauce, of course, is one of the chief components that makes their pizzas great. The closest I've ever come to it was with Pastene's tomato sauce with a little sugar and/or honey added to it with a bit of oregano. The Scamorza cheese is excellent, too, but pricey and hard to get. It definitely does not, however, bake up with an orange color at all. Unfortunately, that will remain a mystery for a while, I'm afraid. Maybe just sprinkle a few pieces of cheddar on top to get that effect.

But as I said before, while I love the Aurelio's pizzas that I've had in the last couple of years with the bits of orange coloring in the baked cheese, of all the dozens of times that I've eaten pizzas at Aurelio's flagship restaurant in Homewood, Illinois, I can never recall that orange coloring on their pizzas. Go figure. It was great without it, too.

But I now have some Aurelio's in the freezer as a result of my Ft. Myers visit earlier this week that will last me a couple of weeks. Well maybe just one week. Or maybe just a few days! And with all the extra pizzas that I ordered to take for the freezer, I ordered "extra sauce" on them, too.

BTW, as I remember Mr. Mojo, you get up to SW Michigan sometimes (where I spend a lot of time in the summers). Silver Beach Pizza in St. Joseph, Michigan is a clone of Aurelio's pizza and you ought to try it. Just a half hour drive from Coloma. See my report on it at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,8921.msg90421.html#msg90421 . And the photo below of the Silver Beach pizza that I had there looks identical to an Aurelio's pizza. It is just about as great, but you have to order extra sauce, too, as they do not put much sauce on at all.

--BTB

buzz · « **Reply #143 on:** January 14, 2011, 10:05:28 AM »

I agree about the Pastene--I posted about it a couple of years ago, combined with Stella mozzarella to replicate the tase of Aurelio's. I tried Scamaorza, but that's not it, IMO.

BTB · « **Reply #144 on:** January 14, 2011, 11:28:43 AM »

Quote from: buzz on January 14, 2011, 10:05:28 AM

I agree about the Pastene--I posted about it a couple of years ago, combined with Stella mozzarella to replicate the tase of Aurelio's. I tried Scamaorza, but that's not it, IMO.

Buzz, good to hear from you again. A large grocery chain down here in the Tampa Bay area called "Sweet Bay" (actually headquartered out of the state of Maine of all places) sells a lot of Pastene products here. If you'd like any, just PM me and I'll ship several cans to you using the new USPS "if it fits, it ships" shipping system. The last time that I was at the store, I saw that they had a new product (at least to me) in a similar can that said "Chunky Style." I haven't tried it yet, but suspect it may be as good for deep dish styles like the new Malnati's chunky style tomato products.

And what's weird for me (and my wife can attest to it) is that for 9/10ths of my life, I hate chunky tomato sauce products, but have recently come to love it, but only with deep dish pizzas. Go figure.

Hope you are continuing to enjoy your great pizzamaking. And I would like to set up a meeting with you next summer to experience a great non-greasy pizza at a Lou Malnati's, my treat, to convince you about their (general) non-greasy, greatness!. I'm going to try to convert you, yet. Regards, from one pizza lover to another.

--BTB

P.S. Do you ever recall the orange coloring in the baked cheese on the pizzas at Aurelio's in Homewood before? I don't.

buzz · « **Reply #145 on:** January 14, 2011, 01:41:24 PM »

Thanks--I appreciate it! I just found out that Pastene's are available a couple of towns over (I think!), so I can go and stock up! I found a brand called Cento All-In-One which are good.

If you're in the neighborhood (I'm in the suburbs!), give me a shout! (you'll never convert me to Lou's!--however, I won a gift card from them, so I will--in the spirit of fair play--give them another chance!).

I don't recall the orange coloring--out here, it looks like just a normal mozzarella pizza.

mrmojo1 · « **Reply #146 on:** January 14, 2011, 02:40:10 PM »

thanks a ton BTB!!! i tried the Chellino scamorza and youre right it didnt color that way......i am definitely going to order some pastenes!!! I havnt been to coloma now in 2 yrs because of work and other issues, but i told all my family(big aurelios fans) and friends about silver pizza because of your report and suggestion, they all love it!! i am dying to try it!!! the big friday night debate is dimaggios or silver beach now i guess! i am thinking about ordering some aurelios to be shipped. they are about 40 bucks a piece includling shipping. holy cow!!!! but such a treat!! thanks for all the pics and info!!!

-=terry

loowaters · « **Reply #147 on:** January 15, 2011, 04:40:41 PM »

Guys, here's some pics of pies from the original Aurelio's and while the cheese isn't too orange, it still has a bit of that coloring to it. http://www.chicagopizzaclub.com/search/label/Aurelios

Loo

vr6Dad · « **Reply #148 on:** January 15, 2011, 10:32:58 PM »

Today I made the crust according to the crust that BTB made on Page 3 of this thread. I used KAAP and used the amounts that BTB said and did not use Peter's formulations. (I will next time to ensure consistency in the recipe from now on). I liked the crust pretty well, but I think next time I will go with Loowaters' HRI style crust. I did two balls that ended up as a 12" and a 14." I par baked the crust for about 5-10 minutes prior to dressing. I have a gas convection oven and used perforated pans on the racks.

I also generalized the sauce thoughts from this entire topic. There is a store in Music City that carries a good selection of Pastene tomatoes. I used the Kitchen Ready ground tomatoes with No Salt Added because the seasoning I added to the sauce had some salt in it. I used the suggested 2T sugar (organic Domino brand), a little water, a dash of cinnamon, and Todd's Dirt for herbs with the 28oz can. I didn't puree, blend or emulsify the tomatoes. I just stirred the ingredients in with a spoon right before putting the sauce on the pies. I used all the sauce for both pizzas because we like it saucy.

My wife commented about the sweetness of the sauce, so I may back the sugar down some next time. She and a neighbor went for seconds, so they obviously liked it. I like the consistency of the Pastene tomatoes and will definitely buy them again.

I used the Sargento Artisan shredded mozz & provolone blend. The toppings were just pepperoni and ham, under the cheese. The whole 12" is gone, and about half the 14" is gone between me, my wife, our neighbor, and my 5 year old son.

I will tweak this pizza a little here and there for my and my family's taste. I've never had Aurelio's, so I don't have any idea about how close it is to theirs. IMHO pizza is to be enjoyed the way you like it.

Thanks to everyone who contributes to this forum and makes the rest of us dabblers better pizza makers. I wish I had a fraction of the time to devote to making better crust formulations, etc. I really like that scientific aspect of it, but being a BBQ pitmaster, I enjoy the artistry of it just as much.

vr6Dad · « **Reply #149 on:** January 15, 2011, 10:34:03 PM »

The above was the 14" and this one is the 12"

vr6Dad · « **Reply #150 on:** January 15, 2011, 10:35:06 PM »

This is a picture of the slices. It was sliced in rectangles, as the Chitown thin crusts should be.

BTB · « **Reply #151 on:** January 16, 2011, 06:17:58 AM »

Quote from: vr6Dad on January 15, 2011, 10:32:58 PM

Today I made the crust according to the crust that BTB made on Page 3 of this thread.

Are you sure it was according to a crust that I made? I know I'm getting more forgetful as time goes on, but I don't remember attempting an Aurelio's clone and don't see any on page 3 of this thread.

I think the Pastene's products are excellent, too. FWIW, I sometimes tried a little amount of cinnamon in the sauce just to experiment a bit, but every time I did, my taste testers identified it immediately and expressed dislike with it in the sauce, so I ceased using it. Regarding the sugar, 2 Tbsps seems a bit much. Also experiment sometimes with a short squeeze of honey instead. Or even some brown sugar. Suggest being very light (I prefer "pinches") with additions of herbs and spices.

Nice pictures. Thanks for sharing.

--BTB

vr6Dad · « **Reply #152 on:** January 16, 2011, 09:11:36 AM »

Quote from: BTB on January 16, 2011, 06:17:58 AM

Are you sure it was according to a crust that I made? I know I'm getting more forgetful as time goes on, but I don't remember attempting an Aurelio's clone and don't see any on page 3 of this thread.
--BTB

You are correct. It was Buzz, started on Page 3 and linked to this topic on Page 4.

The dash of cinnamon seemed to work for me in the generic sauce, but was definitely too much here. The next batch of sauce will be sans cinnamon with maybe a half T of regular organic sugar and a half T of light brown sugar.

Thanks for the compliment on the pics.

BTB · « **Reply #153 on:** January 17, 2011, 08:18:33 AM »

I baked two of the freshly made pizzas that I got from Aurelio's last Monday and brought home for the freezer. We ate them at the end of the Bears victory over the Seahawks and the Jets victory over the Patriots. Good pizza, beer and good football games. What else can one ask for?

--BTB

TheGizzy · « **Reply #154 on:** April 17, 2011, 11:41:44 AM »

I hope it's alright that I'm bumping up an older thread.

I registered for this site just so I could comment on this topic, and because I intend to spend the next week pouring through the Chicago Style forums for more pizza making advice. LOL

Having grown up as a south sider, and now living in dearth-of-good-pizza-Michigan, I really can't believe it's taken me THIS LONG to try and find a way to duplicate some of my childhood favorites at home. Every time my husband and I pass through Chicago going anywhere west, we've got a list of stops - Aurelio's or Giordano's or Palermo's on 95th or Nancy's (depends on where we're passing LOL), Brown's Chicken, Patio Ribs... and a quick duck into Jewel to grab some italian beef and Vienna bread to take home. Unfortunately, we don't get to do that nearly as often as I'd like, and I swear - this state we live in now has zero concept of what real pizza should be. Home of Domino's & Little Cesar's, what can one really expect?

Last week, I made homemade pizza dough for the first time in my life. I'm 40, and a hell of a good cook according to my family & friends, but I was always too intimidated to try making my own crust. All in all, it turned out pretty good, though I'd say the recipe I used would be better utilized as a Nancy's deep dish clone than for a true thin crust. The sauce left a great deal to be desired as well, which got me thinking... why not try and mimic a sauce I know I love? That led me here...

Now that I'm not afraid to make the attempt, I'll be using this thread and the ones linked to from within it to try making my own Aurelio's mimic. I've already found that there's a store about 35 miles from me that sells the Pastene brand, so I'll duck down there this week and pick some up. I found one recipe which claims to be "Approximately Aurelio's" sauce - and it lists beer as one of the ingredients. This doesn't sound right to me... but I'm curious if anyone else has tried that variation with any success?

Also - I have an electric oven. I have two different possibilities for baking my pie... I have a stone, and I have a pizza pan WITH the little holes in it. Thoughts on which would be better? The one I did last week I rolled off onto the stone which I'd rubbed with olive oil and pre-heated while I was making the dough, and then assembled and baked - no pre-baking of the dough before adding toppings. Would that likely be a good method to continue with?

One of the recipes for dough everyone seemed keen on involves making it in a bread machine. The forum software won't let me post a link since I'm new, but it was Buzz's "Awesome thin crust" thread.

Any thoughts on how I'd need to change that to make it without a bread machine?

I'm pretty excited about giving this a try... I really miss having truly GOOD pizza, made the way I like it. I'm really glad I found this thread, and this site. I look forward to learning more from everyone here!

AmsterdamPizza · « **Reply #155 on:** April 17, 2011, 12:41:29 PM »

Hello Gizzy,

I feel your pain. Don't get me wrong; I love Amsterdam. But I really do miss the pizza from back home.

I haven't ventured out into making Aurelio's dough clones yet, but I did try to approximate something like an Aurelio's sauce. You can find that here: pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,13449.msg133356.html#msg133356

Here's what I wrote:

Quote

Yields enough for 4 14 inch pizza's:
Two cans of crushed tomato/Cirio Pizzassimo
3/4 T fennel(either crushed or powdered via grinder)
1 1/2 tsp. dried Basil
1 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
2-3 tsp. honey
2 tsp Sugar
½ small can of tomato paste (!!not needed if using pre-made pizza sauce from can and the ingredients above!!)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Combine ingredients in sauce pan
2. Simmer for a couple of hours
3. RUN THROUGH SIEVE TO THICKEN (!!not needed if using pre-made pizza sauce from can and the ingredients above!!)

For my sausage, I use this:

Quote

The Sausage
Of course, I can't just go out and buy sausage, so I have to make it myself!

Per 250 grams of COARSE ground pork shoulder:
1/2 T Morton's Kosher Salt
½ T Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/2 cloves garlic, crushed in press (or some powdered equivalent)
1 t marjoram
1 to 1/2 t Sugar
1 t dried thyme
1 t dried basil
1 t onion powder
1 t ground coriander
1 T ground fennel
1/2 T fennel

If you are looking for a good crust, I seriously recommend you start by reading this thread: pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,8291.0.html

mrmojo1 · « **Reply #156 on:** May 05, 2011, 09:33:51 PM »

There was a strange observation I experienced yesterday while grilling corn on the cob, husks off, on the grill. grills on med high and i brush butter and i salt and pepper the exposed sides of the corn as i rotate them so they grill with the butter bubbling and turning brown. when i thought they were done, i had only cooked 2 ears, the smell of the butter and grilled corn smelled soooo much like an aurelios pizza i couldnt believe it. never smelled that smell except at aurelios or when i get them shipped and cook them here in boise. it smelled sweet and i coldnt tell if it was it the sauce smell or the cooked pizza smell that was reminding me of aurelios or both. do they use corn flour or fine corn meal in their crust? is corn flour sweet when cooked? ive never sensed a grainyness? is it the smell of the cooked crust with butter in it. is there butter and corn sugar(is there such a thing)? corn syrup in their sauce??? weird....if some one grills corn, please see if you can sense or smell this?? if you dont mind.....maybe im suffering aurelios withdrawls thanks...

Witt · « **Reply #157 on:** May 09, 2011, 05:38:33 PM »

In making thin crust pizzas at a bar I work at on Wednesday nights, I tried some cheddar (like a handful) on the top of a regular mozz pizza. After seeing the way the cheddar cooked up and the taste..I think there's a good chance that this is exactly what Aurelios does....sprinkle some cheddar on the top for a slightly different taste..

The sauce is sweet for sure. If someone can nail that part..that's the big one..

gaberosario · « **Reply #158 on:** May 09, 2011, 05:44:36 PM »

Anybody know how they make the HOUSE ITALIAN DRESSING?

papo08 · « **Reply #159 on:** June 12, 2011, 02:21:28 PM »

curious about all of your opinions on Mama & Me Pizzaria out of Homewood. I ran that restaurant in the 90s & 00s.

Im in the planning process of opening a pizza & beef joint in AZ. I have no intention of copying Aurelios or Mama & Me as I have spent the last couple years perfecting my own blends and digging up the right distributors.

I have used a few sources as inspiration tho. And they were of course the above mentioned two places and also sanfrantellos and arenellos out of Glenwood. They all have a lot to offer taste wise, and I think I can bring a bit of each to the table.