Eating New York: Pizza

Arriving in a new city, at night, can be an unpleasant experience.

Body clocks askew, deprived of sleep and crippled with the sort of grumpiness that can only ever be the result of being folded into an economy class seat on a long haul flight can test the mettle of even the most Zen individual.

The tiniest frustrations can cause eruptions of Pompeii-esque proportions and anger threatens to be vented on those who neither expect nor deserve it. Total strangers usually.

Even if that wicked combination doesn’t result in explosion, hunger can prove a willing and fiery catalyst.

As such, it is a good idea to find sustenance at the earliest possible opportunity. Sustenance of a homely and hearty nature. Pizza with its winning combination of dough and cheese is an excellent option.



So it was that we found ourselves on 8th Avenue close to 46th Street munching on large slices of, what at the time, tasted like, the best pizza I’ve ever eaten.

There is a persistent rumour that New York pizza is so good because of the water. Indeed, I have heard stories of West Coast Italian restaurants having water shipped over from the city in a vain attempt to re-create the characteristic dough.

With good reason. Somehow managing to tread that fine line between cracker thin Neapolitan style pizza and the thick, claggy, doughy deep crust nastiness that characterises so many bastardized versions of this classic dish, New York pizza has a light base that holds up against its own weight.

The tomato sauce has a vague sweetness that cuts through the classic garlic/oregano flavour combination. And the cheese comes in an artery-furring layer of stringy decadence that sits heavily in the stomach in the best possible way.

A dream filled sleep came quickly.

Having made pizza before, I was looking forward to the task of attempting to make this particular slice of NYC in my own kitchen.

Not only was recreating the firm, chewy texture of the base going to present difficulties, the lack of an oven that goes beyond 250 degrees C was also going to prevent me from attaining those searing temperatures required to cook the pizza in only a few minutes.

Enter a new piece of kitchen kit:



Ah, masonry – the saviour of all aspiring Italian cooks. The theory being that the scorching hot stone cooks the pizza from below as well as drying out the base – essential if you don’t want to experience the frustrating phenomenon known as ‘cheesy floppy end’. If you’ll pardon the expression.

I acquired mine from a reclamation yard for a mere seven pounds, about a third of the price of a dedicated ‘pizza stone.’

I felt quite manly asking for ‘an unglazed quarry tile’ – a phrase I’d repeated to myself for at least ten minutes before feeling confident enough to utter it out loud to a tradesman.

‘What size?’ he asked. Uh oh, rumbled. Quick say something that sounds about right. How big is a pizza?

‘Erm, twelve by twelve, if you have any.’ Phew. Situation recovered.

‘The only thing we have is (insert unintelligible building phrase here). That going to be OK.’

‘Uh-huh,’ I replied, veneer of confidence diminishing by the nano-second.

‘What colour you after?’

Oh god, I don’t know. It’s not like I’m going to be paving any driveways with it. ‘Terracotta?’

‘Think you might be out of luck. I’ll show you what we got and see if they’re OK.’

I duly followed. ‘There you go, how’s that?’

‘Perfect,’ I said confidently, not anticipating the next question.

‘How many do you need?’

Shit. Rumbled. ‘Just one,’ I said, rather pathetically going on to explain that rather than being a skilled manual labourer, I was, in fact a fraud: an amateur chef keen to replicate the tasty morsels of pizza I’d eaten too many of on a recent fact-finding trip.

‘Oh you’re a chef? I used to be a chef. In fact my sister was the pastry chef at La Gavroche.’

Halle-freaking-lujah. No more words mumbled in a voice slightly deeper than my natural one – we had something in common. Enter a little bit of banter about food and off I went on my merry way, new toy in hand (or two – it was quite heavy).

The Dough

Step one done, it was time to tackle the dough. Here I am indebted to Jeff Varasano’s rather excellent (and comprehensive) website detailing his efforts to recreate that elusive NY slice.

Taking inspiration from this I bought some high gluten flour and started by making a poolish – a mini starter dough before making a full batch.

Add a teaspoon of dried yeast, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar to 70g of warm water (I used bottled) and stir in 70g of flour. Cover it with a tea towel and leave to bubble away over night.

The following morning add this to 500g of high-gluten flour and 300g of water (again, I used bottled). If you have the wrists, knead it enthusiastically for about 20 minutes or use a food mixer complete with dough hook attachment.



What should emerge is a highly elastic, quite wet, dough that should be stretchy enough to read print through (the ‘windowpane’ test). This is due to the elasticity of the gluten.

Let it rest for 15 minutes then turn out onto a floured surface and knead into a large ball. Divide it into three or four smaller balls of equal size (depending on how big you want your pizzas and how thick you like your base) and place each one into a lightly oiled container with a loosely fitting lid.

These can be kept in the fridge for anything up to a week and will improve in flavour as time goes on.

The sauce

The fresh dampness of an uncooked tomato sauce on pizza is not something I like. As such this one is cooked for about 20 minutes before making its way onto the pizza.

Drain and sieve two tins of plum tomatoes and add them to a saucepan along with a little olive oil, two cloves of garlic (finely chopped), salt, pepper and a small handful of oregano. I also added a scant teaspoon of sugar to help develop the sweetness that seemed to be so characteristic of a genuine New York Slice.

Let it simmer away and then break up the tomatoes using a wooden spoon or hand held blender if you require a smoother finish.

To cook

Crank your oven up as high as it will go. Put the slab of tile onto the rack close to the top of the oven, remembering to leave room for a rising pizza crust.

It needs to heat up for at least half an hour although I’d leave it an hour before you even think of cooking on it.

In the mean time, start to work that little ball of elastic dough into something resembling a pizza base.



This is harder than it looks as it can frustratingly spring back into shape when you least expect it. Just keep going. Avoid the temptation to use a rolling pin and don’t forget to form a slightly thicker lip around the outside of the circle.

Once the oven – and stone – is hot enough spread a generous smear of tomato sauce over the base, add a few basil leaves and sprinkle over a disgusting amount of cheese (I used a mozzarella/cheddar/parmesan combination). A few turns of the pepper mill and it’s ready to go.

Hmmm. How does one get it from its current location to the screaming hot stone without a pizza paddle? Improvise, of course.



Just make sure your pizza isn’t too big to fit on a foil-covered spade (cue ten expletive filled minutes and a comment from the GF: 'Why not just make it smaller?')

In a regular oven the pizza should take no more than six or seven minutes. About twice as long as it would in a commercial furnace but, eh, whatchoo gonna do?

And neither should you care.

Because the final result is so good.



A solid base with firm, chewy texture. A slightly sweet, garlicky sauce. And a guilty slick of salty cheese. Exactly how an authentic slice should be.

And as proof? Well, here’s the money shot.



For more of the same, why not follow me on Twitter?

Crispy and creamy and crusty

I don't mind a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. You know, the kind with metallic tables and chairs with plastic seats that stick to the back of your legs in the summer. Where the ethnicity of the patrons gives a clear indication of the authenticity of the food. Where the floor is sticky but the ingredients are fresh and the waiter is nice not because he wants a good tip but because he's NICE.

There was a restaurant in St. Paul which my old group at Northwest, that hummus loving group, enjoyed going to. It was called Saigon, and was authentically Vietnamese, serving big, comforting bowls of pho. But I went there for the sandwiches. Sandwiches don't sound Vietnamese, but they have them as a result of French colonialism in South East Asia. They call them Banh Mi, which sounds more Vietnamese, and they're made like this.


Take a good baguette, or some kind of crusty French bread. Slather it with paté and mayo. Add some carrots (I made strips with a peeler) and sliced jalapeño peppers both pickled in rice vinegar. Top with some fresh cucumber slices. And make some peppery pork (recipe below) to slice up on the sandwich.

It wasn't a sandwich that sounded good to me the first time I was told I had to order it. The pho sounded good, lots of fat noodles and meat swimming in broth. But paté and mayo? Pickled vegetables? More pork on top? I was unsure.

But I've always been willing to try new foods. Not that I would eat dog or most insects, but in the realm of normal foods, I will try just about anything. Sometimes this leads to disgusting flavors I will never ever forget (e.g. gefilte fish, durian), but often it leads to amazing new flavor combinations. Wasabi blended in soy sauce. Candied ginger. Avocado white bean soup. Goat cheese with honey.

Why should these things not go together? Just because it hasn't become commonplace doesn't mean it can't be good. After all, the first time someone came up with a recipe for, say, lasagna, it may have gone like this:

Cook: Maybe I should mix up some meat and tomatoes and cheese.
Spouse: Why would you do that?
Cook: That's all I have left in the house. Oh and this flour that I can mix with water and egg to make dough. I'll just put the meat mixture between layers of dough.
Spouse: That sounds gross.
Cook: I'll put more cheese on top. Then it'll be good.
Spouse: You can't make me eat that.

And yet lasagna is much loved. How do we get from there to here unless I try something new?

It turns out that I loved the sandwiches, and not just because they were $2 each. And not just because my expectations were low. I loved how the ingredients from different cultures worked together and complemented each other. There were fresh crispy vegetables and creamy spread and crusty bread. Crispy and creamy and crusty, all in one package. I always ordered two, ate 1 1/2 and took the last half home to enjoy later. I miss that restaurant in St. Paul but I've heard about a good place in Chicago with Banh Mi. Until I get there, I found I can make Banh Mi at home.

Black Pepper Pork Banh Mi Recipe

1 pound of pork chops, shoulder or loin. Sliced thinly

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 table spoons of fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

1-2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper. If you like the spice and flavor, add more!

2 tablespoons of finely chopped shallots or onion

1/4 cup vegetable or grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon of sesame seed oil

1. Mix all marinade ingredients (except for pork) in a plastic bag. Let all ingredients dissolve in oil, then add slices of pork. Allow everything to marinade for at least 1 hour.

2. Heat up frying pan, lay slices of pork, one layer at a time. When one side is cooked, flip to other side to finish cooking.

3. Assemble pork in your sandwich with condiments.

Back to the real world.

Vacation was amazing! The Outer Banks are so beautiful, I didn't want to leave! Last Wednesday we began the 13 hour trek there; arrived around 1:30pm on Thursday. We hit the beach with Sarah, Mike and the children. I have a lovely burn to prove all three days of laying out in the sun! We visited a light house, the sand duns of Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk where the Wright Brothers first flew, and on the way home David and I stopped in Williamsburg, VA.

We had a blast with Sarah, Mike and the kids! Of course I went camera happy with the kids. They are so cute and each of them have their own personalities which cracked me up all weekend! I am hoping to get my pictures up tomorrow night when we go over to David's parents (they have high-speed).

Now it's back to the daily grind of work. It was really hard to go back! Today was pretty decent though. I came home and mowed the grass, made granola and David's supper. He worked today so he didn't get home till about 8pm. The granola looks yummy, I can't wait to eat it!

As soon as I get my pictures up on flickr and facebook I will let you all know!

Ed Witt has moved to Washington

June 4

New Yorkers might remember Ed Witt as the creative chef at two short-lived restaurants, Varietal and Bloomingdale Road.
Well, he’s going to try his hand at cooking in a different city: He has moved to Washington, D.C., and he plans to open a place in Georgetown at the end of the summer called Morso. He says it will be small plate Mediterranean cuisine with a Turkish influence, and as an indication that he’s not kidding around, he’s about to leave for Turkey for three weeks of research.
This is particularly interesting to me because I’ve seen an uptick recently in cuisine of the Eastern Mediterranean. I think I’ll write a story about it.

Bongkar Gudang : Cinta Cinta kacangan di obral.

Hmmm. Kita bicara soal cinta. Gue bukan seoarang ahli dalam percintaan.Gue juga bukan orang yang doyan mengagung-agungkan cinta. Tapi gue tahu apa yang mesti dilakukan sama cinta. Bukaaaan mas bukan! Ini bukan cinta di film ada apa dengan cinta yang jatuh cinta sama si rangga. Ini juga bukan cinta biasa seperti yang dinyanyikan mas Afgan. Bukaaaan, bukan itu!Kita mulai darimana yaa?? HMMm.

Ada banyak pengalaman cinta. Hell yeah! Gimana kalau di mulai dari kisah cinta buta. Ya ya ya, gue selalu buta ketika jatuh cinta. Ada aja kebodohan yang gue sahabati saat jatuh cinta. Misalnya?? Misalnya jatuh cinta sama orang yang sama sekali enggak di kenal, enggak di msn, di fb, apalagi langsung, ketemupun belum. Namanya apa? GOBLOK! absolutely yesss. That's right babe. Apalagi kalau ternyata orang yang gue jatuhi cintahi bertampang biasa aja *enggak bisa di bilang ganteng, jauh dari Daniel radcliffe, dari Richard Kevin, dari Kevin Aprilio, dia kalah jongkok deh!* tapi gue heboooh cintah parah sama si antah berantah satu itu.

Apa hubungan cintah itu berjalan mulus? Of course NO! menurut lo?? How can gitu. Kenal juga enggak. Ups, please don't ask what you want to ask. Enggak akan ada bocoran kalau gue tau dia itu sebenernya dari album foto temen gue. gue enggak akan kasih lo tahu kalau gue tahu dia dari album foto temen gue. Enggak akan gue kasih tau! lalu kenapa bisa jatuh cinta? Gue bukan dukun, mana gue tahu. yang jelas ini aneh bin ajaib.

Lanjut ke cerita berikutnya... Cinta yang mana lagi yang akan gue asah kebutekannya? Yang hmm.. Okay, gue tipe orang yang ganmpang suka dan gampang lupa. Kenapa bisa begitu, karena belum ada yang bisa beneran ngegaet hati gue *sombong, sok keren, sok cantik, hueeeks!*. Jadi yah kerjaan gue cuma bermain-main. Main-main yang serius. kalau dapet ya syukur kalau enggak yah mari memancing ikan di tambak lain. Jangan di buat pusing. Kisah berikutnya ya tentang cinta. Cinta asal-asalan. kenapa begitu? Karena begitu adanya. *Apesihloooee?*

Sebenernya gue juga enggak tahu dia kayak gimana, dan nomor hpnya berapa, hobbynya apa. Yang gue tahu cuma nama panggilan dia siapa, rumahnya dimana, nyokapnya siapa. Selebihnya? Silahkan mengaraaaang bebas. Serius deh emang kaya gitu. Hmmm gue baru ketemu sekitar dua kali. Pertama kali malu banget. (buat yang kenal gue pasti tahu, gue bukan orang yang pemalu, malu-malu anjing, yang ada memalukan!) Pertemuan kedua agak lebih mencair, lebih santai, dan cuma sedikit jaim. Dan di pertemuan kedua dia lebih okeee, lebih keren, lebih lah pokoknya. And gobloknya adalah, kejaiman gue yang sedikit itu membuat gue kehilangan kesempatan panjang. TOLOL. Waktu dia nanya fb gue apa, gue cuma bilang cari aja ketty, dan waktu dia nanya, kettynya tulisannya gimana, gue diam. Ketty cathy katie katty catie. Semua sama kan ketty juga. Jadi yah, gue nunggu dua minggu friend request dari dia yah percuma. Kalau gue emang niat, kalau ada kesempatan ketemu lagi, barulah pasang aksi. Tapi kapan yaa?

Cinta yang berikutnya tentang cinta facebook. Nah ini lagi sangat meracuni gue. Kenapaaa? Yah itu lah ke latahan orang-orang. I waste lots of time in facebook. Najis ah! Ngejual diri banget di facebook. Enggak dari masang update status yang menggelitik, sampe ngeadd orang-orang. It's a stupid thing. Dan gue enggak tahu kenap sedang sangat terobsesi dengan beberapa nama sekolah, yang mungkin enggak banyak orang-orang lingkungan gue yang tahu. *Iyalah anak barat, enggak begitu tahu daerah lain nihh* Suatu saat, sedang bosan gue di sekolah, gue ol f dari handphone, canggih lah kaman sekarang!

Di notification gue, ada beberapa confirm friend request. Gue lihat lah satu-satu. Ada yang lucu, ada yang keren, ada yang kharismatik, ada yang asik. Jatuh cintalah gue dengan hal kecil kaya gitu. Tapi cinta-cintaannya ini beda. Cuma suka aja ngelihatnya, atau buka-buka album fotonya. Cuma sekedar itu. ENggak sampe gimana-gimana. Gue mengakui salah satu kegilaan maha dahsyat gue itu. Ckckck.

Berikutnya cinta yang sempat membuat gue gila. Hmmm, ini cinta yang agak berat sih yaa. Enggak sekedar-sekedaran aja. Waktu gue kelas 1, ada senior gue yang tampangnya lumayan, orangnya pinter, dan seru diajak ngobrol. Gue suka banget sama dia. Tapi enggak bisa deket. Ada beberapa hal yang enggak bisa juga gue pahamin. Lalu enggak berapa lama sering berbincang-bincang, tiba-tiba dia ngilang dan memutus komunikasi sama gue sama sekali. Gue patah hati, kecewa, marah bukan main. (Kalau di pikir-pikir sekarang, gue dulu marahnya karena apa yaa? Enggak jelas banget.) Lama kayaknya hampir 9 bulan gue enggak bisa lupa dan lepas dari si dia. Enggak juga nemuin pengganti. tapi ternyata gue malah ngerasa konyol.

Seleas dari itu, cinta pertama cinta monyet, cinta kebodohan gue. Serius ini super bodoh! Dulu, pertama kalinya gue serius kenalan sama kata sayang cinta dan suka sama lawan jenis itu keals 1 SMP. Dengan gaya dan pengetahuan masih mentok tingkat SD, gue jatuh cinta sama seorang senior yang amat sangat nian populernya. Keren deh penampilannya. Tapi enggak kelakuan dan otaknya. NOL besar. Untuk mewujudkan penasaran gue atas perasaan gue, gue nyari tahu nomor hp dia lewat guru gue, wali kelas gue, yang juga baik banget. Okay, dulu pas SMP gue akrab dengan hampir semua guru. Ckckck.

Dari situ mulailah, kebodohan itu terjadi. Sangat bodoh. Sekali lagi sangaaat bodoh dan memalukan. Dari suka sms dan nelfonin, dengan nama samaran, dan sekali lagi mental kacang. Cuma berani di telfon dan sms doang. Ckckck. Bertahan dengan nama samaran yang mengada-ada, mulai berbohong dan mengarang cerita. Hell yeah, dia sebenernya tahu gue. Ckckck. Ini adalah moment cinta-cintaan paling memalukan. Smape-sampe kalimat yang paling gue inget, ada beberapa :
1. "Hmm EH lo itu polisi ya?" dengan bodohnya enggak mengerti maksud kalimat itu gue jawab, ' ya enggaklah, bukan.'
2. "Mantan gue yang anak sekolah **** ngajakin balikan tapi guenya ga mau. Hehehe" enggak ngerti kok dia bisa cerita gini yaa?
3. Ini sms yang paling gue suka. "Mba mba mba gue udah bangun kali mba. hwhwhw"
Haaah dulu gue melakukan banyak hal untuk dapat informasi apapun sekecil apapun tentang dia. Sumpah ini kebodohan yang mesti di berantas. Gue rela pulang telat, cuma demi nunggu kelas dia kosong dan kesana sama temen gue, meriksain bangku dan meja dia. You know what? gue menemukan bon. Bon apa? Bon pembelian cream masker rambut. Hueeeeks. Cowok? Yah enggak heran sih rambut dia keren, sempet mau ikutan iklan gel rambut katanya.

Sekarang kita ganti subjek, jangan gue terus yang menginjak harga diri gue sendiri. Ada temen gue lagi jatuh cinta sama seseorang anak sekolah negeri selatan. Mereka deket, sering smsan, telfon-telfonan, tapi enggak pernah ketemu. mereka mesraaa banget. (Istilah gahulnya, HTSan). Enggak lama dia cerita kalau si cowok berubah. Bla bla bla. Cowoknya sempet ngejutekin,. nyuekin, enggak asik deh. terus temen gue itu nanya, "gimana ya supaya dia tahu persaan gue, gue sayang sama dia." i just answer, "say it to him." hokeeeh!. Temen gue nurut, dan dia bilang dia mau ngomong sama tuh cowok kalau di sayang dan itu terakhir kalinya, dia enggak mau berhubungan lagi. Gue di suruh bertanggung jawab dengan usul gue, dengan cara nyusunin kata untuk ngomong itu ke dia. dan katanya adalah ... jeng jeng jeng jeng...
"I fallin to you, i'm in love, and i love you. But it's not easy to make you here with me. And I don't know what do you feel. How do i know the truth if you didn't say so. Just let it away with the windblows. So, i think, it's enough for us, and let it away forever."

Kesimpulannya, seperti apapun rasa cinta itu, jangan pernah biarin cinta mengalahkan logika. Enggak mungkin kita bisa hidup bahagia kalau cuma berlandaskan cinta tanpa embel-embel lain. Itu adalah hukum kehidupan, semua saling melengkapi. Kelengkapan itu termasuk di dalamnya logika. So when you love some one, don't be crazy, just let it flow, and make it funny story to remember. ya ya ya. jangan berbodoh ria seperti gue. Karena gue enggak suka di tiru. ahahahaha. (ssst, kesimpulannya enggak ada dalam uraian.) Biar aja cinta itu menjalar, biar aja cinta itu berkoar, yang penting kita tetap belajar. Banyak hal bodoh yang membuat aku belajar. Dan cinta bukan lah segalanya. Cinta itu adalah unsur sentralis yang saling melengkapi. Enjoy your love.