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Bell peppers are pretty good on a pizza, especially if there's actual pepperoni with them.
Is the pizza alla diavola spicier than American pepperoni? Have you had both?
Nope, I have never had any pizza outside Italy. I can only say that the pizza alla diavola can be pretty spicy. In some cases I saw people complaining because their pizza was too spicy for them (probably because some pizza makers add a little bit of chilly pepper, or chilly pepper flavored oil, over it).
How many "Neapolitan" pizzerias are certified as authentic in the U.S.? 100 or so?
Please correct me if I'm wrong. I believe it is the person, aka pizzaiolo, that is certified, not the establishment. Possibly also the ingredients can be certified?
Nope, I have never had any pizza outside Italy. I can only say that the pizza alla diavola can be pretty spicy. In some cases I saw people complaining because their pizza was too spicy for them (probably because some pizza makers add a little bit of chilly pepper, or chilly pepper flavored oil, over it).
Thanks for the reply, it sounds interesting! Maybe too spicy for me too, unless I had a nice arugula or spinach salad with it to cool me down.
Almost any time someone tells me about the great new pizzeria in their town, I roll my eyes, knowing that there's a 90% chance it's another in the seemingly endless string of neapolitan pizza joints. Don't get me wrong; I appreciate the move to better ingredients, but I'm more impressed by masterful recipes. Neapolitan pizzerias remind me of the sort of farm-to-table restaurant that prides itsef on the sourcing of its ingredients, but trots out a series of uninspired mediocrities.
And don't get me started on the crust...why would I want to eat a pizza whose crust is simultaneously charred and soggy? WTF?
So... you don't rate neapolitan pizza very highly, so everyone who does is 'overrating' it?
Because they're wrong if they don't share your subjective preferences?
Neapolitan pizza IS pizza. Modern pizza originated in Naples, Italy, so what they made there is basic pizza. I don't know what you think of as "masterful recipes" but they are not true to the Italian original recipe for "pizza."
In fact, the European Union issued a "safeguard" to Neapolitan Pizza similar to our trademark designation. It's a "Traditional Speciality Guaranteed" dish. The designation was requested by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (the True Neapolitan Pizza Association) is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 with headquarters in Naples. It promotes and protects the "true Neapolitan pizza."
If you are getting something that's soggy or burned, or crust that doesn't taste good, that's just bad preparation. (Although please note that pizza cooked in a pizza oven with a wood fire in it will inevitably be charred in a few places and that is considered acceptable or even desirable.) That has nothing to do with it being "Neapolitan." Most pizza places will put whatever toppings you want on pizza dough, so just ask for what you want and make your own "masterful recipe."
This
I have had pizza in Naples (Sorrento but close enough). It's not soggy or burned. It's fresh local ingredients. You can't find a bad pizza on the coast around Naples.
By definition, Neapolitan pizza comes from a wood fired oven. It's regulated the way the French regulate how a baguette is made.
I kind of laugh at pizza being an American invention. Nope. Naples in the late-19th century. It made it to New York a couple of decades later.
The ‘‘pizzaiolo’ (pizza maker) should monitor the cooking by gently raising the edges of the pizza using a metal pizza peel. The pizza should be slightly rotated, changing the side that is directly facing the fire, taking care to ensure the pizza stays in the same area of the cooking surface and to ensure that the pizza does not burn due to exposure to a different temperature. It is important that the pizza is cooked in uniform manner across its entire circumference.
Quote:
The tomato should have lost all excess water, and should be dense and consistent; The mozzarella di Bufala DOP or the mozzarella STG should have melted on the surface of the pizza; The basil, garlic and the oregano will develop an intense aroma, and will appear brown, but not burned.
Burned and soggy do not meet the regulations. The United States is not in the EU so nobody is required to follow the regulations.
Almost any time someone tells me about the great new pizzeria in their town, I roll my eyes, knowing that there's a 90% chance it's another in the seemingly endless string of neapolitan pizza joints. Don't get me wrong; I appreciate the move to better ingredients, but I'm more impressed by masterful recipes. Neapolitan pizzerias remind me of the sort of farm-to-table restaurant that prides itsef on the sourcing of its ingredients, but trots out a series of uninspired mediocrities.
And don't get me started on the crust...why would I want to eat a pizza whose crust is simultaneously charred and soggy? WTF?
If you don't like it, don't eat it....HOWEVER ...Neapolitan Pizza is East Coast Pizza. It's NOT supposed to be charred or soggy.
It's supposed to have a relatively thin crust that is crisp when you bite into it, contrasted with a softer mildly "bready" top. with nicely melted cheese, and a tangy, herbaceous tomato sauce.
That's it. Want to add mushrooms or peppers or whatever floats your boat? Go ahead.
But, Neapolitan Pizza is not supposed to be burned, flabby or over loaded with cheese.
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