| In association with |
 |
|
Learn to COOK - American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza
|
List Price: $27.95
Our Price: $18.45
Your Save: $ 9.50 ( 34% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
|
Average Customer Rating:  
|
|
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 641.8248
EAN: 9781580084222
ISBN: 1580084222
Label: Ten Speed Press
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 256
Publication Date: 2003-11
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Studio: Ten Speed Press
|
|
|
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews:
|
|
In the course of his extraordinary career as a baker, culinary instructor, and author, Peter Reinhart has dedicated himself to exploring the passions and techniques behind the great breads of the world. His most recent pursuit has been pizza—a seemingly simple food that has been hotly debated since Italian immigrants brought it to America more than a century ago. Allegiances run from the general (Chicago- versus New York–style, Neapolitan versus Sicilian) to the particular (Pepe’s versus Sally’s, Gino’s East versus Pizzeria Uno), and newfangled versions like sushi pizza are extending the frontier. In AMERICAN PIE, Reinhart follows the pizza trail from Italy to the States, capturing the stories behind the greatest artisanal pizzas of the Old World and the New. Beginning his journey in Genoa, Reinhart scours the Italian countryside in search of the fabled focaccia col formaggio di Recco. After a stop in Florence for pizza vesuvio, with its black truffles and molten cheese, Peter heads to Rome to sample the famed seven-foot-long pizza bianca, and then Naples for the archetypal pizza napoletana. Back in America, the hunt for authentic pizza begins in the unlikely locale of Phoenix, Arizona, where Chris Bianco of Pizzeria Bianco has convinced many that his pie is the best in the country. Sardinian pizza in Dallas; the pizza epicenter of New Haven; grilled pizza in Providence; the deep-dish pies of Chicago; Yugoslavian pogacha in Bellevue, Washington—these are just a few of the stops on Reinhart’s epic tour. Reinhart then returns to the kitchen, where he gives a master class on pizza-making techniques and provides his interpretations of the most memorable pizzas from his journey. His insatiable curiosity—and appetite—and gift for storytelling make this a must-have book for the avid cook, as well as a great read for the armchair pizzaiolo.
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: American Pie
Comment: I have definitely upped my game. Pay attention to the details.
I wish he would have spent more time with the different flours that can be used, proofing times, etc.
Otherwise, very well written.
Customer Rating:
Summary: the best pizza book out there
Comment: I've used this book off and on since it was first published five years ago, and it's by far the single best book i've ever seen on pizza. Given that the author is a professional [bread]baker, it is perhaps unsurprising that the dough recipes are the single best thing about the book. In addition to helpful dough lessons, the book provides recipes for no less than 13 different types of doughs, ranging from roman pizza dough to sourdough pizza dough [complete with instructions on making a sourdough starter from scratch] to prebaked doughs to store in your freezer for a quick weeknight pie. I've tried a LOT of other dough recipes, but I always come back to these, which are truly incredible. The resting of the dough overnight (and I've found, even longer) is they key to intensely flavorful, easy to work with crusts. Unlike many readers, I enjoyed the 'story' portion of this book, but it's really just the icing on the cake- the rest of the book is exceptional even if you never explore this section.
I have to admit that the 'recipe' part of the book is organized in such a way that an inexperienced cook or quick browser may find it a little hard to access the full depth of the book's content. There are a relatively modest number of full blown pizza instructions [e.g. white clam pizza, classic deep dish pizza], interspersed with oodles and oodles of topping recipes, head and end notes, variations, etc.. For example, in the 'toppings' chapter, Reinhart provides a recipe for basic basil pesto plus four variations [parsley, spinach, roasted pepper and sun-dried tomato]. These are all fabulous pizza toppings and you'll find suggestions on how to use them in the recipes and scattered elsewhere but, I believe, not a single one of the pestos is actually called for in any of his complete pizza recipes. If you are moderately comfortable striking out on your own (and this book certainly gives you ample tutorial-style instruction on some basic pizza techniques, e.g., grilled pizza, new york/new haven neo-neopolitan style pizzas, etc.), you will find no shortage of ideas here for branching out, nor any shortage of fascinating historical, culinary and travel notes. Most times when I've found some great new flavor combination elsewhere, I find that it is actually contained in this book, just buried in some note somewhere. To get the most out of of the book, you do have to spend some real time poring over the various sections and notes; it's definitely a book that really rewards intense scrutiny and multiple reads, which may be a little frustrating for readers who want to just open to a page and find the full instructions laid out right there. Still, those who just want some recipes for exceptional pizzas will certainly do well, they just won't get as much out of the book as it has to offer. As a bonus, there are also instructions for pizza-esque variations like piadinas, focaccia, carti di musica, and unususual greek 'prasopita.'
Customer Rating:
Summary: pizza bible
Comment: Boy, how to start? In my youth, I worked in a pizza parlor, and thought I knew how to make pizza. Wrong. This is THE book folks. The first half of the book is about the man's search for the greatest pizza, and the second half is how to do it. Reinhart was already one of the most famous bakers in the U.S. (and the world) but this time he has written the book that you must have if you are serious about pizza. I read the book, had doubts, but did exactly what he suggested. Lord, what a difference. People were actually yelling after the first bite. Now I need a better oven. The one I have only goes to 450 F., and hotter would be good. Just the same, my pizza is now not just better, but a LOT better. Money well spent.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Perfect pie!
Comment: If you want to make wonderful pizza at home, don't let the negative comments about this book put you off from ordering it as I did for too long. The editing oversights are insignificant when you consider what you get out of this book. And, seriously, how hard is it to use Google or Wikipedia to learn about instant yeast or high-gluten flour or focaccia?
My husband and I live in a pizza-challenged suburb of Atlanta. Thanks to this book, I have come as close as I believe possible to duplicating the wonderful thin-crusted pizza my husband and I enjoyed in Italy. Whatever type of crust you enjoy, however, you are sure to find the the way to reproduce it in this book.
If you skip Part 1, The Hunt, you will miss out on the adventure, and you may also miss the point of the photography. The black and white images taken with slow shutter speeds totally complement the nostalgic sentiment of the journey and may spark memories of your earliest pizza experiences. I believe the style of the photography was a deliberate choice as the photographer credited can produce exceptional images of this genre. marencaruso.com
The recipes I have tried have been great. My quibble is one that I have with many cook books. The instructions are complete and accurate, but they are not laid out as clearly as they could be. I recommend that you read each recipe completely before you begin to make sure you understand the total time required. My favorite surprise, at least I hadn't seen it mentioned earlier, is that the weight of flour is included. If you have a food scale, use it. It's much faster, more accurate, and less messy than measuring!
Buon appetito!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Additional praise for the road map to perfect pizza.
Comment: I won't say too much about the book since so many people have already described the book so well. I have successfully make about 12 pizzas since reading the book and studing the recipies. They are very straight forward even for some one with out a lot of baking experiance. Please check out my pizza photos that I added for your viewing pleasure.
The only thing that would have made my reading of the book even better would have been a map of Italy to show exactly where his travels took him during his research for the book. That extra detail would have really added to first section of the book for me (not being familar with Europe).
Other wise it was great.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
