A Star is Born: The Making of "Prucola"

Watch a regular pizza get dressed up for deliciousness in Forza Pizza's first viral video: "The Making of Prucola".


 

Prucola can also be seen on the Le Pizze page with the rest of her friends.  Music by Yolanda be Cool - We No Speak Americano.  Rock it out!!!

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It Feels So Good to be Baaaack!

I haven't been home in a long time, and I haven't fired up the oven in an even longer time.  Work took me out of the country in the beginning of April making the last fire-up October 2009, which makes me sick.  Finally, I got a couple days off so I headed home to see my baby...and my fiance, family, and friends. 

My four days home filled up before I could even book my trip.  There was a lot going on, but I knew I had to make pizza.  The plan was to fire-up Sunday afternoon and I would try and make dough sometime Saturday morning.  Well, Friday ended being a long night out so I slept through dough-making time and right into a bunch of errands which forced me to wake up early on Sunday for a same-day batch.  This left the dough with only about 10 hours to rise.  Oh well, nothing was going to stop me from cooking.

Some of the menu highlights were:

My Favorite of the Night: Shaved Asparagus and Tomato

Maybe the Fan Favorite: Margherita with Arugula

A First-Timer: Mushroom and Escarole

Gia's Favorite: Rapini

There were others but unfortunately I don't have pictures of every pizza.  About 20 pizzas came out of the oven that night.  The dough actually turned out to be my favorite batch so far.  I was getting blisters and charring like never before and it wasn't too bready like some in the past.  As expected, it was a little flat and thin but it held up well and the pizzas were great.  I could only imagine how it would've came out with the proper rise time. 

All in all, it was a great day and an even better weekend.  While away, I fill up my notebook with different pizza ideas, topping combinations, and anything else pizza-related just to pass the time.  That helps, but nothing compares to homemaking a delicious meal and manning the oven.  It's indescribable.

To view the rest of the pics CLICK HERE!

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Chicago Mag Picks the City's Top 25

In the July issue of Chicago Magazine, Jeff Ruby published his Top 25 Pizzas in Chicago.  Lists like these are just marketing tools because everyone eats pizza and everyone wants to know if their favorite spot made the top ten.  It sparks arguments, gets people talking, and usually triggers a loudmouth New Yorker to say something like "Chicago pizza isn't pizza" or some other foolishness. 

I have yet to try six or seven of these places, but I have some issues with his list.  I'll save my opinions for another date.  The top five pizzas in Chicago, according to Jeff Ruby, are as follows:

1. Great Lake - Crimini Mushrooms and Dante Cheese

2. Piece - Plain with Artichoke Hearts

3. Castel Gandolfo - Margherita

4. Crust - Flammkuchen

5. Coalfire - Margherita

Jeff Ruby is a well-known pizza lover and the author of Everyone Loves Pizza.  Click Here for his complete list. 

 Do you have a favorite Chicago Pizza?  If so, leave it in the comments below and see if we can start some arguments of our own.

Leggo My Pizza

Come on in, Eggo, join the pizza craze.  Everyone is doing it!  My brother, Frankie, sent me this pic the other day.  I have yet to see them in stores, but I'll snag a box or two when I do.  What's next?  Pizza flavored cereal??

Pizzeria Profile: Mario's Pizza, The Bahamas

The long awaited and long overdue launch of Pizzeria Profiles is finally here.  At first the delay was because I was having a hard time choosing the first pizzeria, but then moving to The Bahamas and starting a new job really got in the way.  Sorry about that.  So, it's only fitting that the first Pizzeria Profile comes from my new Forza Pizza Headquarters.

Like I said in a previous blog, I want to leave my opinions out of this and let the pizza speak for itself.  Therefore, if you're ever on Grand Bahama Island and the following pictures look appealing to you, stop by Mario's Pizza for some pizza and a couple Sands. 

Mario's Pizza | RND Plaza | The Mall Drive| Freeport, Bahamas

Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza and a Cold Sands

Whole Pie

Mario's Booty Shot