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The World’s Favorite Pizza Styles, from Neapolitan, Deep-Dish, Wood-Fired, Sicilian, Calzones and Focaccia to New York, New Haven, Detroit, and more, with Susie Heller & Steve Siegelman, photography by Sara Remington

I am Italian by marriage, and over the years we have gotten pretty serious about pizza, serious enough that my husband built a wood burning pizza oven in the back yard (see picture below.)

The first time I had homemade pizza was at my mother-in-law’s house on Long Island. Growing up in New York, I ate a lot of pizza from pizzerias.  It never even occurred to me that this was something you could make at home. Sure, we had English Muffin pizza and maybe some frozen French bread pizza, but real pizza? That we went out for or had delivered.

My mother-in-law made pizza that is now called “Grandma Pizza.” Baked in the oven in a half sheet pan, similar to Sicilian pizza except the crust isn’t prebaked and most unusual, at least for me, the mozzarella went on the bottom and the sauce went on top. It was awe inspiring and delicious. She was kind enough to share that recipe and many others – in fact, my husband taught me to cook using his mother’s recipes.

Backyard pizza oven all fired up

Fast forward many years, and pizza started going what some call gourmet, but really was back to its roots in Naples. The ubiquitous pizza chains are as popular as ever, but so are the Napoletana style pizzerias and lots of mom and pop shops. There are shows on the Food Network and other channels, pizza forums like Forno Bravo, pizza blogs like Worst Pizza here in south Florida.

That said, over the years we have tried lots of different recipes from a variety of sources and cookbooks. So when I heard about this Pizza Bible, I was intrigued, and when I got my hands on the book (thanks, Ten Speed Press!) I knew I found pizza nirvana.

For the beginner to the Professional Pizzaiolo, this book works for everyone. Every conceivable type of pizza is included, as the subtitle informs (I won’t be trying Chicago style pizza, which I consider to be more of a casserole than a pizza) with lots of gorgeous pictures and clear explanations and directions. Nothing is assumed, and this book is geared towards the home kitchen. There is a complete index and a list of online sources to find some of the more esoteric ingredients and equipment, but more commonly found alternatives are usually given.

We decided to try the Napoletana Dough and Sauce. There are instructions for making your own mozzarella cheese, but fresh cheese is very easy to find in my area so I didn’t feel the need to go that far. The dough was a three day affair; in fact, when I first got the book I wanted to try it right away but then realized it would take a bit of planning. All I can say is that it was worth it. It’s not difficult or even time consuming, it’s just that you need to make a poolish (starter) which needs 18 hours to grow, then make the dough, a quick affair using a stand mixer, and that needs refrigeration for 36 hours or more – thus, the planning. The dough was easy to manipulate, and that alone is worth the planning. If you’ve ever worked with store bought pizza dough or frankly, most recipes, the dough can be a bear, wanting to spring back to its original shape or tearing as it is stretched.

On the other hand, the Napoletana Sauce was super easy, basically made from San Marzano canned tomatoes pushed through a food mill and salted. For the first pizza I used the minimal amount of sauce suggested, but preferred a bit more than called for, an easy fix.

If you are using a wood fired oven, or wonder how that works, there are pictures and step by step instructions on building the fire and preparing the oven floor, along with directions on turning the pizza and so forth. This is excellent for the beginner or the curious.

Making pizza is not the easiest thing in the world, but it is worth it. The Napoletana Dough was perfect – the crust was crispy around the edges, chewy through the middle. You could pick up a slice and it held its shape without drooping and dropping sauce or cheese. It baked perfectly in a smidge over two minutes. I think we ate it about that fast, too!

I also made a calzone with ricotta, mozzarella and Romano cheese. Again, the dough was easy to work with. I didn’t overfill it, per instructions, and sealed it much like an empanada. It still popped open in one spot and lost a bit of filling, but it was delicious and pretty, too.

I like that he includes recipes like Two Cool Things to do with Leftover Dough – most useful, and an interesting meatball recipe. He explains why pepperoni is an American invention and how it differs from sausages made in Italy.

I’ll still keep using my mother-in-law’s pizza recipe when the oven in my kitchen is a better option – there’s something quite hellish about standing in front of a 900+ degree oven during a south Florida summer when it is a not-so-breezy 90+ degrees and 100% humidity outside. But I will be trying more recipes from this book. I have to try the Burratina di Margherita, which won the Gold Cup in the Pan Division of the International Tournament of Champions in Lecce, Italy – plus it’s made with burrata, which is the most heavenly cheese on earth. Here’s Tony’s description from page 129:

Burrata is mozzarella that’s formed into a pouch, filled with more mozzarella and cream, and then wrapped in leaves. As it sits, it comes together as a fresh, moist “super mozzarella” that’s insanely rich. In Lecce, they make huge burrata balls, and they treat them like sacred works of art.

In South Florida, I can get slightly smaller than tennis ball size burrata at Whole Foods or Trader Joes and it is a treat.

I’m also excited about the Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza, the Margherita Extra, made with wood oven charred cherry tomatoes instead of sauce, the Insalata AKA salad pizza, one of my faves, and so many more. This is an excellent cookbook, well laid out, easy to use, with recipes that work. Gift this to the pizza lover in your life and hope they invite you over!

1/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE PIZZA BIBLE by Tony Gemignani. Ten Speed Press (October 28, 2014). ISBN: 978-1607746058. 320p.

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Recipes from My Paris Home to Your Home Anywhere

I have had the pleasure of baking from this fabulous cookbook for the past few months, and it is one of the best baking cookbooks I’ve used. Don’t let the French factor scare you – these are not recipes of homemade puff pastry, because, as Dorie explains, the French buy those complicated confections at the bakery. These are the recipes that she had to pry out of her French friends, who all proclaimed that she wouldn’t want them because they are too simple. And many of them are very simple, a half dozen ingredients or less, sometimes without even measuring (gasp!)

At first glance, the recipes look very complicated because they are so long. But do not be fooled; Dorie has tested and re-tested these recipes and walks you through, step by step, pointing out the pitfalls and telltale signs of smell, sight and taste that make each recipe easy for even a beginning baker.

One of my favorites was the Vanilla-Bean Sablés, a delicate and delicious cookie. She offers recipes that can be made in advance yet are complete showstoppers, like the Marquise au Chocolat, a frozen chocolate mousse that can be stored in the freezer for up to a month. The Custardy Apple Squares were a big hit with the fruit lovers in my family, and a nice change from apple pie or apple cake that I usually make and super easy, made with ingredients I had on hand.

One of the more complicated recipes, running four pages long, is for a Gingerbread Bûche de Noël, a rolled log filled with praline cream and covered with a snowy frosting and made to look like an actual snow covered log that you might stumble across in the forest (but not in Florida!) I might attempt this during my upcoming holiday vacation. But that is the exception rather than the rule.

If you are not familiar with Dorie Greenspan, she has written many cookbooks, and is considered one of the foremost cookbook writers, especially in the baking world. She has worked with the icon herself, Julia Child, on Baking with Julia. She lives in New York, Connecticut and Paris, so comes by these recipes honestly, from her Parisian friends.

This is a beautiful book with tons of color illustrations, which I always find helpful. If you are looking for a new baking cookbook for yourself, or perhaps a gift for someone who yearns to bake but is afraid, or even your most experienced baking friend, look no further. Baking Chez Moi is a winner.

12/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BAKING CHEZ MOI by Dorie Greenspan. Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (October 28, 2014). ISBN 978-0547724249. 496p.

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Use What You’ve Got to Cook Something Great

If you’re not familiar, “Chopped” is a competition cooking show on the Food Network. The ground rules are deceptively simple; four chefs square off and have to prepare an appetizer, entree and dessert, using a basket of preselected and often bizarre ingredients, plus anything else available in the Chopped pantry of staples. They get 20 minutes to create an appetizer, then comes judgement from a rotating cast of preeminent chefs. The chef who prepares the least accomplished dish gets “chopped,” leaving the remaining chefs to compete. They get 30 minutes to prepare an entree, and so on. Whoever survives to the end wins $10,000.

In my opinion, this is one of the most entertaining yet difficult cooking competitions on TV. Creativity is a must, as is speed. Who hasn’t had the fun of sticking your head in the fridge and trying to figure out what’s for dinner? That was the inspiration for the show and this book.

The cookbook foregoes the bizarre ingredients, “fish heads and gummy worms,” and instead tries to help the home cook put together a quick dinner based on ingredients you might actually have. There are quick tips with many of the recipes, like this tip for “ultra-crisp chicken and potatoes” for the Greek-Spiced Wings and Potatoes with Yogurt Dipping Sauce; “preheat a roasting pan to jump-start the process.” Simple, effective and delicious. Or to wrap a stack of tortillas in a clean dish towel and steam for five minutes, or microwave for 1-2 minutes to help make them pliable for the Marinated Tilapia Tacos.

Some of my favorite sections in this book are the “Go-to Guides,” for  Cooking Grains, Getting Good Vegetables, Vinaigrettes & Salad Dressings, and Ten Fun Pan Sauces. Using a simple chart method, these few pages can help turn standard home fare into really delicious restaurant quality food. Sauces include Mustard Pickle, Sweet Vinegar Garlic, Mexican Beer, and so forth, with recommendations for coordinating proteins, i.e. Creamy Apple Dijon is recommended for chicken or pork. Vinaigrettes are broken down into a couple of simple steps and then flavors such as the Classic, Herb and Ginger-Sesame, for example.

I love that they offer up basic pantry ingredients to keep on hand, but stress that “you definitely don’t need every single thing on this list.” The book is divided into traditional sections with whimsical names like “Completely Fun Ways to Cook Vegetables,” “Fishing for Compliments” and “Chickens Gone Wild.” The recipes are clearly laid out and easy to follow.  I found this to be an inspirational and truly useful cookbook.

Oh, and try the Warm, Salted Caramel Banana Pudding – delicious!

9/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE CHOPPED COOKBOOK by Food Network Kitchens. Clarkson Potter; First Edition edition (April 8, 2014). ISBN 978-0770435004. 240p.

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The second cookbook from this professional ice cream maker is a must have for anyone who loves ice cream. This book builds on her first cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home, which included mostly recipes for ice cream and a small section on things like toppings and sauces.

Jeni’s basic ice cream recipe is bit different than any other I’ve ever tried, and best of all, it’s foolproof and freakin’ delicious! I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker that I bought at Costco several years ago, and that is the machine she tested her recipes with so perfection was in the making. In the new book, she used a newer model Cuisinart and the quanitities in some of the recipes are slightly different, but I didn’t have any problems using my old machine. I have a friend who uses a different brand altogether, (Breville, I think,) and these recipes worked beautifully for her as well, so I would venture a guess that any type of home ice cream maker should work here.

This new cookbook is more of a companion to the first. The basics are not here – vanilla, chocolate, strawberry ice creams are in the first book. There are lots of new flavors here like Sweet Cream Ice Cream; Extra-Strength Root Beer Ice Cream; Black Forest Cake Ice Cream; Graham Cracker Ice Cream; Hummingbird Cake Ice Cream; Mango Manchego Ice Cream; Dark Chocolate & Rye Whiskey Ice Cream (Steve, this one’s for you!)  Also included are other types of frozen desserts like Crème Sans Lait, a dairy & egg-free ice cream for vegans, Stone Fruit Sorbet; Fresh Ginger Frozen Yogurt; Middle West Eggnog Frozen Custard; Buttermilk Soft-Serve (yum!)

Then there are the desserts, and if you don’t want to make ice cream you can use store bought to create  incredible desserts like Macaroon Cake; Apple Rhubarb Bette; Pear & Blackberry Crisp With Almond Streusel; Sweet Empanadas; Cast-Iron Pancake and many more. Also included are sauces like Whiskey Caramel (delicious!) and Honey Spiked with Chilies, and Jeni’s famous “gravels,” crunchy toppings for sundaes, like Salty Graham Gravel and Everything Bagel Gravel. But I think it is the ice cream cakes that really put this book over the moon. Who can possibly resist Skunk as a Drunk Cake, “black and white and whiskey all over” or Cocoa Rococo, “four different chocolates kick up the luxe factor.”

Jeni is now selling her ready made ice cream at my local Fresh Market for $10/pint, but I haven’t tried it yet. I am having a lot of fun this summer with this cookbook and know I will for years to come.

7/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

JENI’S SPLENDED ICE CREAM DESSERTS by Jeni Britton Bauer. Artisan (May 20, 2014). ISBN 978-1579655921. 224p.

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Nothing quite says summer like breaking out the grill – and hot dogs are generally my grilled meal of choice. Simple or complex, I do love ‘em, which is why Russell Van Kraayenburg’s new cookbook, Haute Dogs, was a must have for me.

From classics like the Chicago Dog and the Coney Island Dog to more unique entries like the São Paolo Potato Dog and The Norwegian, this cookbook has every variety and combination you can imagine and some you’d probably never come up with on your own.

Best of all, Van Kraayenburg includes recipes for just about every component in each recipe: chilis, sauces, and other condiments as well as the dogs themselves and even homemade buns. There are also variations and shopping suggestions for some of the harder to find ingredients.

So far we’ve tried the cabbage, jalapeno, and cream cheese topped Seattle-Style, the Colombian Pineapple Dog (complete with homemade pineapple relish and Van Kraayenburg’s Salsa Golf), and the Coney Island Dog paired with the book’s tasty cole slaw.

While I likely won’t try my hand at making my own dogs, I do have plans to try many more of the recipes in this unique and so far excellent book.

6/14 Becky Lejeune

HAUTE DOGS by Russell Van Kraayenburg. Quirk Books (April 29, 2014). ISBN 978-1594746758. 168p.

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Recipes & Love from Our Tuscan Kitchen

This is a cookbook based on the Cooking Channel TV show, Extra Virgin, starring actress Debi Mazar (Entourage, Goodfellas, etc.) and her Italian husband, Gabriele Corcos. The show is about their life with their 2 young daughters and centers around food. I enjoy the show, they are very likeable, the kids are cute, and the food always looks good. And now they have a cookbook.

Gabriele is from Tuscany, and the family has traveled to Tuscany on their series, so the food reflects that heritage. Also included are comments from the pair, lots of pictures of the food and the family and of course, some really great recipes.

There is an entire chapter on risotto that begins with a page of instructions and tips, followed by a simple recipe for vegetable stock, which Gabriele prefers to chicken stock in making risotto. I also like his tip to save the rinds of Parmigiano-Reggiano, which he uses in preparing the risotto. He also prefers Carnaroli to Arborio rice. There are ingredients throughout the book that may be difficult to obtain outside of Italy or maybe New York City, although substitutes are usually given.

I also like that he takes familiar American food and re-interprets it to his native Tuscany. The Super Tuscan Burger is a good example, with Pecorino, provolone and avocado. He also does it with Fish Tacos by using semolina in the batter for the fish.

There’s another short chapter on pizza, with some unusual toppings like beef carpacio and a breakfast pizza with eggs and pancetta. The paninis are terrific, especially the Speck, Pecorino & Grilled Eggplant Sandwich and the Prosciutto & Taleggio Sandwich with Fig Preserves – one bite and you’ll never eat ham & cheese again.

There are pasta recipes, of course, and some basic Italian sauces like Bolognese and Besciamella, which are used to create a traditional Lasagne Alla Bolonese, which is nothing like your typical heavy American lasagna laden with ricotta and mozzarella. Four-Cheese Penne is an Italian mac & cheese, but the addition of some stinky cheeses like Gorgonzola and Taleggio really give it great flavor. Pasta Alla Gricia is penne or spaghetti with guanciale, pig jowl, which is usually available at Italian markets.

Soups include the ubiquitous minestrone, Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup, Lobster and Cannellini Bean Soup, an unusual, super healthy Cold Vegetable Soup with Mint and several more. There are meat and fish dishes too, like Florentine Osso Buco, Beef Stew with Polenta, Drunken Tuna (with red wine) and Livorno-Style Mixed Fish Stew.

Desserts look pretty good, there are mostly fruit based deserts and really nothing too chocolaty. I’m especially intrigued by the Chestnut Flour Cake and the Florentine Orange Cake. There is a gelato, Olive Oil Gelato with Cherry Compote, and a sorbet, a Coffee Granita and of course, Tiramisu.

All in all, this is a lovely cookbook. I especially enjoy Debi & Gabriele’s voices throughout. Italian food aficionados will really appreciate this taste of Tuscany.

5/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

EXTRA VIRGIN by Gabriele Corcos & Debi Mazar. Clarkson Potter (May 6, 2014). ISBN 978-0385346054. 272p.

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I never thought of the glamorous Jackie Collins as someone who would actually cook, but who knew, she now has a cookbook named for her most popular character and based on some of the food that’s shown up in the books. Open the book to find the inside covers filled with pictures of Jackie and her celebrity pals, including her sister Joan Collins of Dynasty fame. But no worries, there are lots of food pictures inside the book too. Also sprinkled throughout are occasional notes about why the recipe was included, i.e. “English Roast Potatoes are a teenage Gino junior’s passion. He devours them…”

The first chapter is Cocktails, and the first thing I tried was a drink called The Jackie Collins, which was created by Wolfgang Puck. It includes some of my favorite flavors, raspberry and lemon, and was really delicious. This may be my new favorite drink.

Appetizers are next and include a few salads like a Caesar with white anchovies and terrific Beet and Avocado Salad with a honey balsamic vinaigrette. There are also several pizzas and mac & cheese (as an app? really?) Then comes the Pasta Appetizers, with such rich fare as Veal Saffron Cream Pasta Sauce, Fettucine with Crab and Cream, and Rigatoni with Lobster Champagne Cream. I can’t imagine Jackie Collins eating any of these.

Entrees are next and this is the most extensive chapter in the book, with about 35 recipes or so. When the weather turns cold again I’m definitely going to try Lucky’s Kick-Ass Chili with four kinds of chili peppers. The Pork Chops Milanese were delicious and easy, and I loved that they were served with an aurugla salad. I am also intrigued by the Bourbon-Marinated Flank Steak with Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice and soy sauce. There are some nice fish dishes, too, like Santangelo Salmon with red miso and sake butter, and a simple Sole with Parmesan Crust.

There is a chapter devoted to side dishes like The Best Mashed Potatoes Ever, which is a pretty standard recipe, but the Sweet Potatoes and Apricots is a bit more unusual – chopped dried apricots are soaked in bourbon and then added to a brown sugar enriched mashed sweet potato along with pecans. There is also a Thanksgiving “lifesaver”, Brussels Sprouts Moutarde, which is made entirely in the microwave, nothing I will be attempting; however, I can see the merit in the idea.

A short chapter with five sauces is next, including Blender Hollandaise Sauce and Lucky’s Best Besciamella Sauce and then we get to desserts, including Flourless Chocolate Cake, Moist Sugar Cake, and a Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberries, along with several other fruit desserts and a couple of sorbets.

It is a lovely cookbook and Jackie Collins’ fans should definitely add this to their bookshelves.

4/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE LUCKY SANTANGELO COOKBOOK by Jackie Collins. St. Martin’s Press (April 8, 2014). ISBN 978-1250014658. 176p.

CARMINE’S FAMILY-STYLE COOKBOOK: More Than 100 Classic Italian Dishes to Make at Home by Michael Ronis and Mary Goodbody

I finally got to eat at the original Carmine’s in NYC last summer and the food was fantastic. The menus are written on chalkboards hung on the walls, and the food is served family style, so you either go with a large group of very hungry people or bring home lots of leftovers. Either way you win.

The cookbook helps home cooks recreate a lot of the recipes from the restaurant, including the most delicious, garlicky Caesar Salad and the best Penne alla Vodka ever. But what makes this cookbook really standout are all the “basic recipes” that are included, like Carmine’s Marinara Sauce, Bolognese Sauce, Carmine’s Bread Crumbs, Peppers and Onions and lots more.

I have a Sicilian mother-in-law and all I can say is these recipes meet her high standards – and mine. If you want to cook southern Italian food, look no further than this incredible treasure trove of recipes.

10/11 Stacy Alesi

CARMINE’S FAMILY-STYLE COOKBOOK by Michael Ronis. St. Martin’s Press (October 14, 2008). ISBN 978-0312375362. 336p.