LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 53 There are few foods more universally gratifying than well-made pizza. Chewy, crisp crust, rich toma- to sauce, fresh mozzarella, and a touch of first-press olive oil are all you need to prepare this intoxicating "street food" that has become the number one entrée in America. In 2021 alone, there were more than 75,000 pizzerias in the U.S., generating over 55 billion dollars in sales. Knowing that it all began at Lombardi's New York City storefront in 1905 is impressive. This was the first restaurant in the U.S. to focus exclusively on pizza, a food that had its roots as an unassuming food of the lower class in Naples, Italy. Originally a peasant food, pizza took on new status when Margherita Giovanna, queen of Italy in the late 1800s, ate a pizza at Pizzeria Brandi. The delicious food would forever carry her name. Pizza marinara, contrary to our association with the sauce by that name, was a product devoid of tomatoes. It was folded and sold to fishermen ("mariners") to nourish them on their trips to sea. (1) Pizza came to the U.S. along with the more than four million Italian immigrants who left the poverty of their homeland between 1880 and 1920 in search of oppor- tunity. With them came the traditions and the foods of their culture, and pizza was an important part of that. The crust ― the soul of pizza ― is made from simple ingredients: water, flour, salt, and a leavening agent, either a pre-fermented starter or commercial yeast. This has not changed since those early days ― around 1700, in Naples. Simple though they may be, there is both an exactness to selecting the right ingredients and an art to how they are combined. In his book The Elements of Pizza, Ken Forkish states, "The real soul of pizza is the pizza maker."(2) In Italy, the person who mixes, shapes, ferments, stretches, tops, and bakes these incredible pies is not referred to as a chef or a baker, but rather a pizzaiolo. A true pizzaiolo is passionate about its craft, commit- ted to the history and traditions that surround the product, and proud of the skill needed to properly work with the ingredients and formulas passed down through generations. To do it correctly, the flour must be "00" (double-ze- ro) -quality wheat that is passed through a roller mill more than twenty times until it is fine and silky enough to earn the "00" rating. The tomatoes should be canned San Marzano that come from the volcanic soil of a specific area of Italy with the DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) label solidifying their authen- ticity. For mozzarella, if used (many authentic Italian pizzas are prepared without that stringy cheese we've become accustomed to), it should be a low-moisture, whole-milk product or freshly stretched mozzarella. And the true pizzaiolo uses the finest first-press olive oil on top as a dressing before the pie slides into the oven. In the small shops from New York to San Francisco, the dough may be hand mixed using a pre-fermented starter or commercial yeast. The dough is either di- rect stretched and baked (without long fermentation) or "retarded" and proofed overnight in refrigeration, which allows it to pull more flavor from fermentation and develop the gluten strands that yield that chewy crust we all love. It is the respect for the dough and the patience it takes to let it be what it was meant to be that sep- arates good from great pizza. Unlike bread, it is as unique as the person who holds the title pizzaiolo. There is an ongoing battle amongst those who stretch the dough, a battle that points to the reality that each chooses to approach their craft as they wish. In Italy, there is respect for those who keep the prod- uct simple, as it was originally offered, without the fluff of the "gourmet" label some disdain. Unlike their Italian counterparts, Americans wel- come additional ingredients on their pie; from pro- sciutto, olives, and pepperoni to figs and pineapple, the attitude here is "bring it on!" In the United States, there is also a fight without a clear winner: Neapolitan versus deep dish, New York versus Chicago, and Bos- ton versus San Francisco. In all cases, it is the consumer who wins, viewing piz- za, hands down, as their go-to fun food of choice. In the U.S., the pizza maker has assumed the role of showman. Watching a seasoned veteran in chef's coat or white T-shirt pulling at the dough, spinning and flipping it until a perfect disk is achieved, quickly ladling on the sauce, tossing cheese over the dough, and ― with the grace of a glass blower – sliding it off a wooden peel into a 650 -900 -degree oven, making the audience drool as they inhale the aroma with great anticipation, which adds to the overall experience. Today, no matter where one travels in the U.S. ― be it major cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, Hous- ton, Buffalo, Portland, San Francisco, or Miami, or the smallest towns and villages in every state ― pizzerias are there, ready to welcome and test their interpre- tation of pizza on receptive diners. Such is the case in the Adirondacks. Have no doubt, there are ample opportunities to find your favorite pizza and most-admired pizzaiolo as Vecteez y.com photo

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