AlwaysInvestigating: Mozzarella from Factory to Plate
Arthur Bovino — January 29, 2010
Franco Spatola uses his own fresh mozzarella on his pizzas at Da Franco in Queens.
You can find great mozzarella and great pizza in New York. But restaurants that make mozzarella from scratch to put on their pizza? That’s another story. When Franco Spatola offered a factory to plate demonstration in Queens, we couldn’t resist.
Mozzarella from Factory to Table >>
Featured Dish: Maialino’s Burrata
Arthur Bovino — January 20, 2010
Burrata at Maialino.
Today, Sam Sifton reviewed Maialino. We agree with much of what he said, including nods to the salumi, tripe and Chicken alla Diavola. Not mentioned, however, were some of the restaurant’s strong protein dishes like the Veal T-bone and Braised Lamb, as well as an excellent burrata appetizer. And, what dish could be more perfect to mention given it’s National Cheese Lovers Day?
Executive chef, Nick Anderer, said Maialino’s “legit, real-deal burrata,” is flown straight from Puglia. They get it through Lou DiPalo of DiPalo Selects, who Anderer said they use “almost as a purchaser.” Along with Marea’s Nova Scotia Lobster with Burrata, and the Burrata Pizza special at Kesté, Maialino’s is another incredible rendition worth seeking out.
“It’s a buffalo milk mozzarella casing,” said Chef Anderer, “the inside is buffalo cream with buffalo stracciata, torn shreds of buffalo milk cheese soaked in buffalo cream. When it’s cut open it’s like a buffalo milk stracciatella.”
There’s not much more to it. “We put it on a plate and we put some Marcelli olive oil on it.” Well, that’s not completely true, there’s a scattering of Maldon salt and fresh ground black pepper.
You will only find the burrata on Friday or Saturday, when it arrives. Any fan of this type of cheese won’t be disappointed. When cut, it oozes and spreads out to fill the gap. Each bite has a creamy tang accented with a light bitterness of olive oil. It’s the kind of dish that when it’s gone, the first thing you look for is bread to mop up the film on the bottom of the plate.
DishDoppelgängers: Farinella & Momofuku Milk Bar
The Gluttoness & The Hungry Goat — November 05, 2009
You know you’ve been caught looking at celebrity look-alike features in tabloids on the supermarket line or when surfing online. Well, we’re applying the concept to well-known dishes and others that resemble them. And why not, for those of us interested in food, Thomas Keller’s Oysters and Pearls dish is just as iconic as Jay Leno’s chin. As soon as a doppelgänger dish emerges, you better believe we’ll spot it.
We know, we know. doppelgängers are supposed to look alike. But this edition of DishDoppelgänger is switching things up a little, featuring two potato dishes with matching flavor profiles: Farinella’s (view) Panzerotto and Momofuku Milk Bar’s (view) Volcano.
AlwaysInvestigating: Fall Pies
The Gluttoness — October 07, 2009
When most people hear “Fall Pies” pumpkins and pecans probably come to mind. But with the rise of market-driven, Neapolitan-style pizzerias, you’d be easily forgiven for thinking about seasonal ingredients as toppings for pizzas. Here’s a look at some of the autumnal ingredients with which three of New York City’s well-known pizzerias are adorning their pies.
Keste’s Pizza Del Papa: Butternut Squash Cream, Smoked Mozzarella, Artichoke, and Red & Yellow Peppers ($16.00).
As the president of the American Chapter of the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, Keste’s (view) Roberto Caporuscio is very aware that a true D.O.C. pie must only contain fresh San Marzano tomatoes and mozzarella di bufala. But that doesn’t mean he sticks to convention with every pie. The Pizza Del Papa ($16.00) is topped with butternut squash cream, imported smoked mozzarella, artichoke, and both red and yellow peppers.
AlwaysInvestigating: More to a Mozzarella Sandwich than Meets the Eye
The Gluttoness — August 06, 2009
Ordering a cold cheese sandwich has never been a compelling option. Not grilled cheese sandwiches— those have a time and place (with tomato and bacon)— we’re talking sandwiches that recall Wonder Bread and Kraft Singles. But when a sandwich is assembled with divine mozzarella and freshly-baked bread the result can be sensational. Take Porchetta’s Mozzarella Cheese Sandwich, which opened our eyes to the genre’s potential. It won’t dethrone the Porchetta Sandwich as Porchetta’s best item, but it inspired us to find other good renditions.
Clockwise from top left: Porchetta’s Mozzarella Sandwich ($7), Sanpanino’s Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich ($6.50), Defonte’s Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich ($8.50) & Farinella’s Caprese Panini ($9.25)
Porchetta (restaurant page) Fresh Di Palo Mozzarella in a Sullivan Street ciabatta roll, lacquered with olive oil and topped with sun-dried tomatoes and caper-herb tapenade. It’s love at first bite.
Sanpanino (restaurant page) The owner, Leonardo Scarpone said this means “Saint of the Sandwich” in Italian and Sanpanino tries to set a divine example by making their own mozzarella. Firm rounds of cheese, plum tomatoes, fresh basil and olive oil are served on golden, fluffy focaccia (from Royal Crown, Staten Island) whose saltiness gently seasons each component. While the restaurant’s name also implies pressed sandwiches, “Lenny” recommends eating them cold to appreciate the ingredients.
Defonte’s of Brooklyn (restaurant page) Their surprisingly mild mozzarella is also made in-house, and it’s piled high with just a few tomato slices. The garlic bread is like an exceptionally crusty, double-wide French baguette garnished with burnt garlic bits and brushed with basil-flecked olive oil. The abundant mozzarella is well-matched with the hearty bread, which stands out but doesn’t undermine the authority of the cheese.
Farinella (restaurant page) Of this selection, Farinella’s Caprese Panini is king. The housemade focaccia is a standout in it’s own right— thin, crisp and salty. But it’s the oozing, slightly sour buffalo’s milk mozzarella that Alberto Polo Cretara imports from Naples, which is unparalleled by the other sandwiches. The creamy slices are amply dressed with fresh basil, lettuce and tomato, and milk drips like jus while you eat. A cheese sandwich has never been so satisfying.
Pie-by-Pie: Co.
The Gluttoness & The Hungry Goat — March 24, 2009
Obviously followers of the Pizza Bianca at Sullivan Street Bakery, Jim Lahey’s new pizzeria had the AlwaysHungryNY Council of Eaters eager to try our first pie. Due to the consistently long-lines, we waited until Co. opened for lunch in order to avoid the nighttime madness and slip in for a relaxing afternoon of pizza gluttony. With its modern, industrial aesthetic and boisterous crowd of young-and-old alike, the fun soundtrack set the tone as we were sandwiched between two couples (one of whom was incredibly upset over being charged $54 for 3 glasses of Chardonnay) at the long communal table that runs the length of the restaurant. The special of the day was a “Charcuterie Pie” featuring a sauerkraut base, topped with 3 types of sausage, parmesan, béchamel and spicy mustard. It is important to always note the specials, because when they are well-received, like the Stracciatella, they are added to the daily menu in place of an under-performing pie. Now, to the tasting…
1. Margherita, $13.00 (Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil)
Grade: B
It seemed mandatory to start off with the basic. The crust was airy, charred around the edges and the bottom, and doughy on the inside. The tomato was subtle and sweet. The sparse rounds of cheese were mild, but flavorful. Unfortunately, both combined to create a serious waterlog in the center of the pie. More salt would have brightened the whole experience.
AlwaysInvestigating: Pizza D.O.C.
Lina Mark — March 17, 2009
New Yorkers are passionate about the definition of true ‘New York Pizza,’ but it does not compare to the Neapolitans’ obsession with, and pride over, their beloved creation. In 1984, the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana (True Neapolitan Pizza Association) established strict guidelines for what is considered a true Neapolitan pie. In order to control the origins and protect its reputation, only the most authentic pizza is granted the status of D.O.C. (‘Denominazione di Origine Controllata,’ meaning, Controlled Denomination of Origin).
To be recognized as such, all ingredients must be fresh, and all natural, including San Marzano tomatoes, and Bufala Mozzarella or Fior di Latte (a mozzarella-like cheese made from cow’s milk rather than milk from water buffalo). The dough must be made with only “00” flour, water, yeast, and salt. The pizza can be no wider than 12 inches in diameter and it must be baked in a wood-burning oven at about 800 degrees for no longer than 90 seconds.
In an awesome example of “practice what your preach”, the American-chapter president of the Associazone Pizzaiouli Napoletana is taking perfect pizza-making into his own hands. March 23rd marks the prospective debut of Roberto Caporuscio’s Kesté on Bleecker Street. While Kesté‘s pies are hotly-anticipated, will they really be significantly better than any of Manhattan’s others D.O.C.-approved eateries? You’ve got a few weeks before the first pie is served, so in the meantime, check out these AlwaysHungryNY-approved pizza shops, that have the distinction of D.O.C.:
3. L’asso
6. Peasant
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