Coppa, Ricotta, and Arugula Pizza
Time: 10 minutes. Coppa, sometimes called capicola, is a delicious dry-cured meat made with pork neck or shoulder and eaten very thinly sliced. Feel free to switch out the coppa for your favorite type of cured meat.
Total: 10 minutes
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients
* 15 ounces ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)
* Our Best Pizza Dough
* About 5 oz. (18 slices) coppa
* About 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
* Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* About 5 cups (2 1/2 oz.) baby arugula
Preparation
1. Evenly spread 2 heaping spoonfuls (1/3 cup) ricotta cheese onto each half-grilled dough round, then top with several slices of coppa. Grill as directed in step 6.
2. In a bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, and a pinch each of salt and pepper; toss with arugula. About 1 minute before pizzas are done, evenly scatter a generous amount of dressed arugula onto pizzas and finish grilling, covered, for about 1 minute.
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving with crust.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
643 (45% from fat)
Protein:
22g
Fat:
32g (sat 9.7)
Carbohydrate:
67g
Fiber:
2.8g
Sodium:
980mg
Cholesterol:
49mg
Sunset, AUGUST 2009
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
calzone recipe
http://thenewcook.com/2008/09/the-best-calzone-recipe/
The Best Calzone Recipe
Date September 19, 2008
These really are the best calzones I’ve ever eaten. They have a pretty normal list of ingredients, but the combination of fresh bread, the mixture of cheese, and whatever delicious fillings you choose cannot be beaten.
For this recipe, you’ll need a batch of basic pizza dough, fully risen, two cups of ricotta cheese, one cup of chopped/grated mozzarella, one cup of grated Parmesan (good Parmesan really helps here), salt, pepper, and your choice of fillings. For my calzones, I used a chopped yellow onion, a red bell pepper, and one link of Mexican chorizo.
Begin by dividing your dough into two pieces on a floured surface, knead them for a few seconds, then form them into balls. You’ll want to let them rest like this, covered by a towel, for about 20 minutes. Also, strain your ricotta cheese to remove excess moisture – it keeps the inside of your calzone from getting soggy. Either let it drain in a fine mesh strainer, or lay a paper towel across the bottom of a colander and pour in the cheese, as I did. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Now, prepare your filling ingredients in whatever way you need to. For me, this meant sautéing the onion, pepper, and chorizo (removed from its casing). I think precooking these filling ingredients was a good idea, but if you are using a filling like prosciutto or pepperoni, you shouldn’t need to.
Stir together all three cheeses with the filling ingredients, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Once your dough has rested for about 20 minutes, you need to roll out each piece into an 8 – 10″ circle. The key is to getting them an even thickness across, which can be difficult, but you don’t want the filling to burst from the calzone while cooking. It helps to let the dough rest for a few minutes after you flatten it out the first time.
When you have your rounds ready, transfer them to a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, or onto a pizza peel if you have a baking stone in the oven. Add half the filling onto each round, trying to keep the filling on one half of each circle. Moisten the edges of the dough, then fold over the empty half to enclose the filling. Press the edges together.
Finally, just slide the calzones into the oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes. Serve with a side of pizza sauce if you want, but it’s not necessary for these.
calzone
Tips
* The cheese mixture is the key ingredient. The ricotta and mozzarella give it the right texture, and the Parmesan gives it a great flavor. It really helps to use a good Parmesan if you have it.
* The onion, red pepper and chorizo made excellent filling ingredients, but feel free to substitute based on your preferences.
* This recipe makes two huge calzones, which is enough to feed four people.
* The calzones are really good as leftovers too, so don’t hesitate to make the full recipe for two people.
* My cheese amounts were estimates – I just used one of the 15 oz (I think) tubs of ricotta, then about a cup of Mozzarella, and maybe a little less than a cup of Parmesan.
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
* One batch of pizza dough
* 2 cups ricotta cheese
* 1 cup chopped/grated Mozzarella
* 1 cup grated Parmesan
* Salt and pepper
* Your choice of filling ingredients: onion, pepper, choriza, ham, prosciutto, spinach, etc.
Recipe:
1. Knead your dough on a floured surface for a few seconds, divide it into two pieces, form them into balls, and let them rest for 20 minutes under a towel.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
3. Drain your ricotta in a fine mesh strainer (or paper towel lined colander) for 10 minutes.
4. Prepare the filling ingredients if pre-cooking is needed (i.e. saute the onion and pepper).
5. Mix the three cheeses and your filling ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Roll out your dough balls into 8 – 10″ circles with an even thickness. Letting them rest for a few minutes after first rolling them out will make it easier. Transfer the rounds to a piece of parchment paper.
7. Add half the filling to each piece of dough. Maneuver the filling onto half of the dough, moisten the edges of each round with water, then fold over the empty half of dough to enclose the filling. Press the edges closed.
8. Bake the calzones on a cooking sheet or baking stone for 30 – 40 minutes.
Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.
The Best Calzone Recipe
Date September 19, 2008
These really are the best calzones I’ve ever eaten. They have a pretty normal list of ingredients, but the combination of fresh bread, the mixture of cheese, and whatever delicious fillings you choose cannot be beaten.
For this recipe, you’ll need a batch of basic pizza dough, fully risen, two cups of ricotta cheese, one cup of chopped/grated mozzarella, one cup of grated Parmesan (good Parmesan really helps here), salt, pepper, and your choice of fillings. For my calzones, I used a chopped yellow onion, a red bell pepper, and one link of Mexican chorizo.
Begin by dividing your dough into two pieces on a floured surface, knead them for a few seconds, then form them into balls. You’ll want to let them rest like this, covered by a towel, for about 20 minutes. Also, strain your ricotta cheese to remove excess moisture – it keeps the inside of your calzone from getting soggy. Either let it drain in a fine mesh strainer, or lay a paper towel across the bottom of a colander and pour in the cheese, as I did. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Now, prepare your filling ingredients in whatever way you need to. For me, this meant sautéing the onion, pepper, and chorizo (removed from its casing). I think precooking these filling ingredients was a good idea, but if you are using a filling like prosciutto or pepperoni, you shouldn’t need to.
Stir together all three cheeses with the filling ingredients, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Once your dough has rested for about 20 minutes, you need to roll out each piece into an 8 – 10″ circle. The key is to getting them an even thickness across, which can be difficult, but you don’t want the filling to burst from the calzone while cooking. It helps to let the dough rest for a few minutes after you flatten it out the first time.
When you have your rounds ready, transfer them to a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet, or onto a pizza peel if you have a baking stone in the oven. Add half the filling onto each round, trying to keep the filling on one half of each circle. Moisten the edges of the dough, then fold over the empty half to enclose the filling. Press the edges together.
Finally, just slide the calzones into the oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes. Serve with a side of pizza sauce if you want, but it’s not necessary for these.
calzone
Tips
* The cheese mixture is the key ingredient. The ricotta and mozzarella give it the right texture, and the Parmesan gives it a great flavor. It really helps to use a good Parmesan if you have it.
* The onion, red pepper and chorizo made excellent filling ingredients, but feel free to substitute based on your preferences.
* This recipe makes two huge calzones, which is enough to feed four people.
* The calzones are really good as leftovers too, so don’t hesitate to make the full recipe for two people.
* My cheese amounts were estimates – I just used one of the 15 oz (I think) tubs of ricotta, then about a cup of Mozzarella, and maybe a little less than a cup of Parmesan.
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
* One batch of pizza dough
* 2 cups ricotta cheese
* 1 cup chopped/grated Mozzarella
* 1 cup grated Parmesan
* Salt and pepper
* Your choice of filling ingredients: onion, pepper, choriza, ham, prosciutto, spinach, etc.
Recipe:
1. Knead your dough on a floured surface for a few seconds, divide it into two pieces, form them into balls, and let them rest for 20 minutes under a towel.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
3. Drain your ricotta in a fine mesh strainer (or paper towel lined colander) for 10 minutes.
4. Prepare the filling ingredients if pre-cooking is needed (i.e. saute the onion and pepper).
5. Mix the three cheeses and your filling ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Roll out your dough balls into 8 – 10″ circles with an even thickness. Letting them rest for a few minutes after first rolling them out will make it easier. Transfer the rounds to a piece of parchment paper.
7. Add half the filling to each piece of dough. Maneuver the filling onto half of the dough, moisten the edges of each round with water, then fold over the empty half of dough to enclose the filling. Press the edges closed.
8. Bake the calzones on a cooking sheet or baking stone for 30 – 40 minutes.
Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Papa John's clone
-from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:DDUrwOaZ20sJ:www.whatcanimakewithit.com/how-do-i-make-a-papa-johns-style-pizza-crust/+papa+john+cheese+do+they+use&cd=11&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
I second the post from Ann about working out the dough on cornmeal instead of flour. I used to work for Papa Johns and this was the way we did it; actually we did not roll it out with a pin but rather slapped it out by hand which takes some practice and is a bit messy but it works the dough out just right.
This is a direct source I work at papa johns. U must let the dough proof for until about three inches thick. That u most roll it it with a roller with studs on. That will give u the texture of the pizza. that u must slap the pizza for the desired thickness or length which ever one u prefer. I like my pizza nice golden thick crust. When making the crust u use all ur fingers except pointers and thumbs and press into the border of the dough about 1/4 inche for the thickness of the pizza crust: U MUST DO THIS BEFORE SLAPPING THE PIZZA. then flip then use ur middle fingers to bring the crust up a little the more curve on the pizza the better it is. Slapping procedures take the pizza between ur palms and slap it from one hand to the other over the other. bring ur hand back just alittle back not to much, or u will put a hole in the pizza. do this until desired thickness. I will be hard the first time u try this. It takes me a while to make the pizza. Spread the tomatto sauce to one inch from the border of the pizza, put ur toppings, then chesse it with the desired amount of cheese or no cheese at all . Use terris pizza recipe it is the correct papa johns recipe.
2 1/2-3 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons fast rising yeast (or fast rise, 1 envelope)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)
2 tablespoons oil
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt; blend well.
Gradually add water and oil to mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. By hand, add 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
On floured surface, knead in 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover loosely with plastic and let rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.
Press out dough onto (2) 12-inch pizza pans. Prick randomly with a fork. Let rest again in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.
Brush crusts lightly with oil then prebake them in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes.
Top as desired, then bake again in 450 degree oven for 4-5 minutes, or until desired doneness.
-----------
from Papa Johns:
http://www.salinafyi.com/marketplace/businesses/papa-johns-pizza/features/
den beneath our impressive variety of Better Toppings is our all-natural tomato sauce. Our high-quality tomatoes are grown in the rich, fertile valleys of central California. They're vine-ripened and packed within an average of six short hours after harvesting. We never add water to our sauce. It's made with only all-natural ingredients and a special blend of herbs and spices. Processed using minimal time and temperature, our traditional sauce has that rich, just-picked tomato flavor you'll taste in every bite.
White Pizza:
A succulent blend of ricotta cheese sauce and garlic Parmesan sauce is topped with plenty of cheese crafted from 100% real mozzarella and special seasonings for a delightfully unique taste.
Cheese:
Signature Cheese
If you like cheese, you'll love our signature mozzarella cheese. It's exclusive to Papa John's and crafted from 100% mozzarella and high-quality milk by one of America's finest cheese producers. Mild and delicate, yet full-bodied in flavor, it's proof that cheese really does make everything better.
http://www.leprinofoods.com/
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=6758.5;wap2
Mozz ,Prov, and muenster cheese mix may get you close ;.
Dough:
Contains soybean oil
A better pizza begins from the bottom up. That's why the dough used for our hand-tossed, original crust is prepared with the finest ingredients, like high-protein flour and clear-filtered water. It's delivered to our restaurants fresh (never frozen), and it stays fresh until it's baked to perfection for you. And while it's staying fresh, it's also proofing slowly and naturally, maximizing the dough's flavor. The result is a light & fluffy, savory crust–perfect for dipping into our delicious Special Garlic Dipping Sauce!
Sauce:
No. Only a blend of vegetable and extra virgin olive oils.
A majority of our products contain biosynthesized and/or vegetable-derived enzymes. However, our pan crust and the cheese blend used on our Tuscan Six Cheese pizza contain animal-derived enzymes. Our pizza dough contains fungal or bacterial derivatives. Our garlic sauce contains lactic acid, which is not classified as an animal derivative because it has been fermented.
Our fresh vegetables—onions, green peppers and mushrooms, are not treated with any preservatives. Our canned vegetables—jalapenos and banana peppers, have less than 1/10 of 1% sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate; our pepperoncini peppers contain sodium metabisulfite and calcium chloride, which are used as preservatives.
-----------
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=24c476edb832d4acaa46bcb32eb25ed1&topic=6758.0;wap2
Pizza Dough: Unbleached enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, malted wheat barley flour, wheat starch, ascorbic acid, enzyme, niacin, iron as ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, sugar, soybean oil, salt, yeast [fungal or bacterial derivatives – NO animal derivatives]. No trans fat.
(Note: According to John Schnatter, the founder of Papa John's, the wheat is from Kansas)
Pizza Sauce: Vine-ripened fresh tomatoes, sunflower oil, sugar, salt, spices [oregano, black pepper, basil], garlic*, extra virgin olive oil and citric acid. *Dehydrated. No trans fat. See, also, http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,6633.0.html for an analysis and "clone" version of this sauce.
(Stanislaus Food Products)
Pizza Sauce Dipping Cup: Tomato sauce (tomato puree, sunflower oil, sugar, salt, garlic*, extra virgin olive oil, spices [oregano, black pepper, basil], citric acid), water, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate (as preservatives) *Dehydrated
Cheese: Part-skim mozzarella (pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, enzymes [chymax – NOT animal derived]), food starch [derived from corn], powdered cellulose (added to prevent caking), whey protein concentrate, sodium proprionate (added as a preservative) Contains milk
(Leprino Foods)
Pepperoni: Pork and beef, salt, spices [red pepper, black pepper, fennel, anise, garlic, oregano, rosemary], natural flavoring [mustard and spice extractives (anise, black pepper, fennel, garlic, oregano, red pepper)], dextrose, lactic acid starter culture, oleoresin of paprika, natural hickory smoke flavoring, sodium nitrate, BHA, BHT, citric acid
(Doskocil, a part of Food Service Company, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods: It is believed that the specific product is the one described at http://www.tyson.com/FoodService/Products/ViewProduct.aspx?productCode=4041&brandCode=282&catId=48)
Peter
EDIT: According to additional information received from Papa John's on 6/9/08, the flour used to make the PJ Dough is not bromated; also, the sauce used in the Pizza Sauce Dipping Cup is packaged by another vendor, who adds the preservatives.
I second the post from Ann about working out the dough on cornmeal instead of flour. I used to work for Papa Johns and this was the way we did it; actually we did not roll it out with a pin but rather slapped it out by hand which takes some practice and is a bit messy but it works the dough out just right.
This is a direct source I work at papa johns. U must let the dough proof for until about three inches thick. That u most roll it it with a roller with studs on. That will give u the texture of the pizza. that u must slap the pizza for the desired thickness or length which ever one u prefer. I like my pizza nice golden thick crust. When making the crust u use all ur fingers except pointers and thumbs and press into the border of the dough about 1/4 inche for the thickness of the pizza crust: U MUST DO THIS BEFORE SLAPPING THE PIZZA. then flip then use ur middle fingers to bring the crust up a little the more curve on the pizza the better it is. Slapping procedures take the pizza between ur palms and slap it from one hand to the other over the other. bring ur hand back just alittle back not to much, or u will put a hole in the pizza. do this until desired thickness. I will be hard the first time u try this. It takes me a while to make the pizza. Spread the tomatto sauce to one inch from the border of the pizza, put ur toppings, then chesse it with the desired amount of cheese or no cheese at all . Use terris pizza recipe it is the correct papa johns recipe.
2 1/2-3 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons fast rising yeast (or fast rise, 1 envelope)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water (120 to 130 degrees)
2 tablespoons oil
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt; blend well.
Gradually add water and oil to mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. By hand, add 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
On floured surface, knead in 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover loosely with plastic and let rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.
Press out dough onto (2) 12-inch pizza pans. Prick randomly with a fork. Let rest again in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.
Brush crusts lightly with oil then prebake them in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes.
Top as desired, then bake again in 450 degree oven for 4-5 minutes, or until desired doneness.
-----------
from Papa Johns:
http://www.salinafyi.com/marketplace/businesses/papa-johns-pizza/features/
den beneath our impressive variety of Better Toppings is our all-natural tomato sauce. Our high-quality tomatoes are grown in the rich, fertile valleys of central California. They're vine-ripened and packed within an average of six short hours after harvesting. We never add water to our sauce. It's made with only all-natural ingredients and a special blend of herbs and spices. Processed using minimal time and temperature, our traditional sauce has that rich, just-picked tomato flavor you'll taste in every bite.
White Pizza:
A succulent blend of ricotta cheese sauce and garlic Parmesan sauce is topped with plenty of cheese crafted from 100% real mozzarella and special seasonings for a delightfully unique taste.
Cheese:
Signature Cheese
If you like cheese, you'll love our signature mozzarella cheese. It's exclusive to Papa John's and crafted from 100% mozzarella and high-quality milk by one of America's finest cheese producers. Mild and delicate, yet full-bodied in flavor, it's proof that cheese really does make everything better.
http://www.leprinofoods.com/
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=6758.5;wap2
Mozz ,Prov, and muenster cheese mix may get you close ;.
Dough:
Contains soybean oil
A better pizza begins from the bottom up. That's why the dough used for our hand-tossed, original crust is prepared with the finest ingredients, like high-protein flour and clear-filtered water. It's delivered to our restaurants fresh (never frozen), and it stays fresh until it's baked to perfection for you. And while it's staying fresh, it's also proofing slowly and naturally, maximizing the dough's flavor. The result is a light & fluffy, savory crust–perfect for dipping into our delicious Special Garlic Dipping Sauce!
Sauce:
No. Only a blend of vegetable and extra virgin olive oils.
A majority of our products contain biosynthesized and/or vegetable-derived enzymes. However, our pan crust and the cheese blend used on our Tuscan Six Cheese pizza contain animal-derived enzymes. Our pizza dough contains fungal or bacterial derivatives. Our garlic sauce contains lactic acid, which is not classified as an animal derivative because it has been fermented.
Our fresh vegetables—onions, green peppers and mushrooms, are not treated with any preservatives. Our canned vegetables—jalapenos and banana peppers, have less than 1/10 of 1% sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate; our pepperoncini peppers contain sodium metabisulfite and calcium chloride, which are used as preservatives.
-----------
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=24c476edb832d4acaa46bcb32eb25ed1&topic=6758.0;wap2
Pizza Dough: Unbleached enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, malted wheat barley flour, wheat starch, ascorbic acid, enzyme, niacin, iron as ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, sugar, soybean oil, salt, yeast [fungal or bacterial derivatives – NO animal derivatives]. No trans fat.
(Note: According to John Schnatter, the founder of Papa John's, the wheat is from Kansas)
Pizza Sauce: Vine-ripened fresh tomatoes, sunflower oil, sugar, salt, spices [oregano, black pepper, basil], garlic*, extra virgin olive oil and citric acid. *Dehydrated. No trans fat. See, also, http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,6633.0.html for an analysis and "clone" version of this sauce.
(Stanislaus Food Products)
Pizza Sauce Dipping Cup: Tomato sauce (tomato puree, sunflower oil, sugar, salt, garlic*, extra virgin olive oil, spices [oregano, black pepper, basil], citric acid), water, sodium benzoate, and potassium sorbate (as preservatives) *Dehydrated
Cheese: Part-skim mozzarella (pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, enzymes [chymax – NOT animal derived]), food starch [derived from corn], powdered cellulose (added to prevent caking), whey protein concentrate, sodium proprionate (added as a preservative) Contains milk
(Leprino Foods)
Pepperoni: Pork and beef, salt, spices [red pepper, black pepper, fennel, anise, garlic, oregano, rosemary], natural flavoring [mustard and spice extractives (anise, black pepper, fennel, garlic, oregano, red pepper)], dextrose, lactic acid starter culture, oleoresin of paprika, natural hickory smoke flavoring, sodium nitrate, BHA, BHT, citric acid
(Doskocil, a part of Food Service Company, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods: It is believed that the specific product is the one described at http://www.tyson.com/FoodService/Products/ViewProduct.aspx?productCode=4041&brandCode=282&catId=48)
Peter
EDIT: According to additional information received from Papa John's on 6/9/08, the flour used to make the PJ Dough is not bromated; also, the sauce used in the Pizza Sauce Dipping Cup is packaged by another vendor, who adds the preservatives.
Pizza in China - Pizza Hut and Papa Johns
I had always been under the impression that the Chinese do not like dairy products, especially cheese. So imagine my surprise when I moved here 3 years ago to find out that you can get pizza everywhere, and the Chinese love it. Just another contradiction of many I've discovered while living in China. Now as I've mentioned before, it seems that every western restaurant has pizza on the menu. However, where did all this pizza loving start? If you don't know the answer to that, you haven't been in China very long; Pizza Hut or 必胜客 (Pronounced Bìshèngkè in Pinyin.) of course!
In America, independent pizza restaurants are everywhere as Italian food is the most popular ethnic food in America. However, like most things American, pizza in America looks nothing like pizza in Italy. And it's the American version of pizza that is so popular in China. But it's Pizza Hut that is the biggest chain in my home country. Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in the state of Kansas in America. Depending on where you live in America, there may be many sit down style Pizza Hut's, or like in my home state of Minnesota, mostly delivery and take out locations.
According to Yum Brand's website (the parent company of Pizza Hut and KFC), "Pizza Hut was the first restaurant chain to introduce pizza and Western-style casual dining to China in 1990, and the first to introduce pizza delivery to China in 2001". The first location was, and still is, in the Dongzhimen area of Beijing. There are now over 400 sit down style restaurants and 79 delivery only stores in Mainland China. Pizza Hut's menu in China has also recently undergone a large overhaul. Less emphasis is on the pizza now. For instance, you can't even order a classic American pepperoni pizza. You must order a cheese pizza and tell them you want to add pepperoni. (Not easy to do if you don't speak Chinese) The new menu features many different rice dishes, and more upscale food like fillet of beef and grilled lamb. It's an interesting move during an economic downturn.
In China, Pizza Hut offers three different kinds of crust; pan, edge (it's rectangular), and stuffed crust. (Crust edges stuffed with cheese or meat). A little different than in America where you can also get a thin style and hand tossed, which is a more traditional style of crust. So which is better? We'll get to that soon, but first let's look at Pizza Hut's newest chain competitor, Papa John's.
Started by John Schnatter (the man you see in the ads) and according to their U.S. website, the first store opened in Jeffersonville Indiana in 1984. (Though the U.K. site says 1985.) Papa John's is the 3rd largest Pizza chain in America with almost all locations being delivery and carry-out only. Only a few are full service sit down restaurants.
In China, Papa John's opened it's first store in Shanghai in October, 2003 and now has over 100 locations focused mainly in the eastern and southeastern part of China. All the locations are sit down style restaurants, Though many do offer delivery. The menu is not nearly as large as Pizza Hut's. There are some rice dishes and spaghetti dishes, but the emphasis here is on pizza. Xiamen currently has 1 location in the Crown Plaza and Paragon building, 1 block from the Minfa shopping mall. So far, the restaurant hasn't caught fire like Pizza Hut. You can go to the Pizza Hut at Minfa during dinner and most likely wait 15-30 minutes for a table, while at the same time go to Papa John's and be able to sit down right away.
So who's got the better pizza? That's a hard question to answer really. Read on to find out why. All the pizza's I rated are based on a cheese and pepperoni pizza.
Pizza Hut offers a pan pizza while Papa John's does not. What exactly is pan pizza? It's pizza dough that has been raised within an oil soaked pan and cooled for a few hours afterwards. Pizza Hut's pan pizza is slightly greasy from the oil in the pan. It has a buttery flavored crust that is crunchy on the outside and a little doughy and fluffy on the inside. The difference between the American and Chinese version is that the Chinese version has much less sauce on it. There is also less cheese on the Chinese version. Overall though, I do enjoy Pizza Hut's Pan pizza. The overall taste is close to the American version. There is also an Edge pizza. Again, not offered by Papa John's. The Edge pizza is a rectangular size pizza that has toppings all the way to the edge of the pizza. There is no detailed thicker crust around the pizza. It has a slightly crisp crust with a flaky bottom. Like the pan, there is less sauce, but more cheese. I also like this pizza too. The last pizza offered I have yet to try. It is the stuffed crust pizza, and once again not offered by Papa John's. (See a trend here?) I don't like the idea of a pizza with the all around crust stuffed with anything. All the pizza's come in a regular or large size. (Though you can get a mini pan pizza for lunch)
Now on to Papa John's where you can get 9, 12, or 14 inch size pizza's. According to Papa John's, the pizza in China is almost exactly that as in the U.S. The only difference is the sauce is a little lighter with less salt. They offer the two style's of pizza's that you can get at an American Pizza Hut, but not a Chinese one. The first is thin crust. Available only in 12 or 14 inch size, not many places in Xiamen offer a pizza like this. It is a very thin and crunchy crust. There is more sauce and cheese than Pizza Hut's. However, it does tend to harden a little too much after about 10 minutes. I do like this pizza. The 12 inch is easy to eat for one person as there is much less crust to fill you up. Their second pizza is a traditional hand tossed pizza lIke most pizza's in Xiamen. I like this too. The big difference here is that the crust edge has a distinct large roundness to it. When making the pizza, the cook pushes down the dough and rolls up a large thicker crust on the end and works his hands all around the pizza this way. It does make for an easy pizza to eat with the hands while holding the end. You also can enjoy a more bread like taste when eating the crust ends of this pizza. The crust has a slightly crisp and nutty flavor to it with a light and fluffy inside. Again, like the thin crust, there is plenty of sauce and cheese on it. Unique to Papa John's pizza, is the side of garlic sauce you can dip the pizza into (or pour on the pizza) and 2 pepperoncini peppers, an Italian slightly spicy pepper.
Here is the breakdown in price for the pepperoni pizzas. Note that you must ask for pepperoni on a Pizza Hut cheese pizza. The price includes the 10 Yuan add on. Also, Pizza Hut does not list the size of their pizza's, only regular and large. They are a bit smaller than the standard 12 and 14 inch American size in my opinion, though I didn't have a ruler.
Pizza Hut Pan/Edge 11 inch- 66 Yuan. 13 inch- 86 Yuan
Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust 11 inch- 75 Yuan. 13 inch- 95 Yuan
Papa John's Hand Tossed 9 inch- 63 Yuan
Papa John's Thin Crust/Hand Tossed 12 inch- 87 Yuan. 14 inch- 107 Yuan
So clearly Pizza Hut is cheaper, while only a bit smaller in size. But is it better? It really depends on what kind of pizza you are in the mood for as both chains offer completely different styles of pizza. The only difference is that Papa John's adds more amounts of sauce, cheese, and pepperoni's to their pizza. There is one thing that sway's me to Papa John's though. It's the concept they brought over from America that no one else in China offers. (That I've found) The soda is 8 Yuan and comes with FREE RE-FILLS! For me that's enough!
Winner Papa John's
Till next time,
SOURCE: By Jay, American food critic in Xiamen
In America, independent pizza restaurants are everywhere as Italian food is the most popular ethnic food in America. However, like most things American, pizza in America looks nothing like pizza in Italy. And it's the American version of pizza that is so popular in China. But it's Pizza Hut that is the biggest chain in my home country. Pizza Hut was founded in 1958 in the state of Kansas in America. Depending on where you live in America, there may be many sit down style Pizza Hut's, or like in my home state of Minnesota, mostly delivery and take out locations.
According to Yum Brand's website (the parent company of Pizza Hut and KFC), "Pizza Hut was the first restaurant chain to introduce pizza and Western-style casual dining to China in 1990, and the first to introduce pizza delivery to China in 2001". The first location was, and still is, in the Dongzhimen area of Beijing. There are now over 400 sit down style restaurants and 79 delivery only stores in Mainland China. Pizza Hut's menu in China has also recently undergone a large overhaul. Less emphasis is on the pizza now. For instance, you can't even order a classic American pepperoni pizza. You must order a cheese pizza and tell them you want to add pepperoni. (Not easy to do if you don't speak Chinese) The new menu features many different rice dishes, and more upscale food like fillet of beef and grilled lamb. It's an interesting move during an economic downturn.
In China, Pizza Hut offers three different kinds of crust; pan, edge (it's rectangular), and stuffed crust. (Crust edges stuffed with cheese or meat). A little different than in America where you can also get a thin style and hand tossed, which is a more traditional style of crust. So which is better? We'll get to that soon, but first let's look at Pizza Hut's newest chain competitor, Papa John's.
Started by John Schnatter (the man you see in the ads) and according to their U.S. website, the first store opened in Jeffersonville Indiana in 1984. (Though the U.K. site says 1985.) Papa John's is the 3rd largest Pizza chain in America with almost all locations being delivery and carry-out only. Only a few are full service sit down restaurants.
In China, Papa John's opened it's first store in Shanghai in October, 2003 and now has over 100 locations focused mainly in the eastern and southeastern part of China. All the locations are sit down style restaurants, Though many do offer delivery. The menu is not nearly as large as Pizza Hut's. There are some rice dishes and spaghetti dishes, but the emphasis here is on pizza. Xiamen currently has 1 location in the Crown Plaza and Paragon building, 1 block from the Minfa shopping mall. So far, the restaurant hasn't caught fire like Pizza Hut. You can go to the Pizza Hut at Minfa during dinner and most likely wait 15-30 minutes for a table, while at the same time go to Papa John's and be able to sit down right away.
So who's got the better pizza? That's a hard question to answer really. Read on to find out why. All the pizza's I rated are based on a cheese and pepperoni pizza.
Pizza Hut offers a pan pizza while Papa John's does not. What exactly is pan pizza? It's pizza dough that has been raised within an oil soaked pan and cooled for a few hours afterwards. Pizza Hut's pan pizza is slightly greasy from the oil in the pan. It has a buttery flavored crust that is crunchy on the outside and a little doughy and fluffy on the inside. The difference between the American and Chinese version is that the Chinese version has much less sauce on it. There is also less cheese on the Chinese version. Overall though, I do enjoy Pizza Hut's Pan pizza. The overall taste is close to the American version. There is also an Edge pizza. Again, not offered by Papa John's. The Edge pizza is a rectangular size pizza that has toppings all the way to the edge of the pizza. There is no detailed thicker crust around the pizza. It has a slightly crisp crust with a flaky bottom. Like the pan, there is less sauce, but more cheese. I also like this pizza too. The last pizza offered I have yet to try. It is the stuffed crust pizza, and once again not offered by Papa John's. (See a trend here?) I don't like the idea of a pizza with the all around crust stuffed with anything. All the pizza's come in a regular or large size. (Though you can get a mini pan pizza for lunch)
Now on to Papa John's where you can get 9, 12, or 14 inch size pizza's. According to Papa John's, the pizza in China is almost exactly that as in the U.S. The only difference is the sauce is a little lighter with less salt. They offer the two style's of pizza's that you can get at an American Pizza Hut, but not a Chinese one. The first is thin crust. Available only in 12 or 14 inch size, not many places in Xiamen offer a pizza like this. It is a very thin and crunchy crust. There is more sauce and cheese than Pizza Hut's. However, it does tend to harden a little too much after about 10 minutes. I do like this pizza. The 12 inch is easy to eat for one person as there is much less crust to fill you up. Their second pizza is a traditional hand tossed pizza lIke most pizza's in Xiamen. I like this too. The big difference here is that the crust edge has a distinct large roundness to it. When making the pizza, the cook pushes down the dough and rolls up a large thicker crust on the end and works his hands all around the pizza this way. It does make for an easy pizza to eat with the hands while holding the end. You also can enjoy a more bread like taste when eating the crust ends of this pizza. The crust has a slightly crisp and nutty flavor to it with a light and fluffy inside. Again, like the thin crust, there is plenty of sauce and cheese on it. Unique to Papa John's pizza, is the side of garlic sauce you can dip the pizza into (or pour on the pizza) and 2 pepperoncini peppers, an Italian slightly spicy pepper.
Here is the breakdown in price for the pepperoni pizzas. Note that you must ask for pepperoni on a Pizza Hut cheese pizza. The price includes the 10 Yuan add on. Also, Pizza Hut does not list the size of their pizza's, only regular and large. They are a bit smaller than the standard 12 and 14 inch American size in my opinion, though I didn't have a ruler.
Pizza Hut Pan/Edge 11 inch- 66 Yuan. 13 inch- 86 Yuan
Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust 11 inch- 75 Yuan. 13 inch- 95 Yuan
Papa John's Hand Tossed 9 inch- 63 Yuan
Papa John's Thin Crust/Hand Tossed 12 inch- 87 Yuan. 14 inch- 107 Yuan
So clearly Pizza Hut is cheaper, while only a bit smaller in size. But is it better? It really depends on what kind of pizza you are in the mood for as both chains offer completely different styles of pizza. The only difference is that Papa John's adds more amounts of sauce, cheese, and pepperoni's to their pizza. There is one thing that sway's me to Papa John's though. It's the concept they brought over from America that no one else in China offers. (That I've found) The soda is 8 Yuan and comes with FREE RE-FILLS! For me that's enough!
Winner Papa John's
Till next time,
SOURCE: By Jay, American food critic in Xiamen
Best Spaghetti Ever
egg yolks, 00 Flour, tbs of semolina flour
roll it to right thickness, cut into spaghetti strips
olive oil over med-hot fire, put in tomatoes, handful of salt, and crush tomatoes in pan. for 45 minutes
salted water boil and cook the pasta
put the tomato sauce in another pan, put pasta in the sauce. add a dollop of butter, add basil strips, and parmesan cheese, and voila, toss it off the heat, and finish!
-from America's Best "Comfort Food" (2010)
roll it to right thickness, cut into spaghetti strips
olive oil over med-hot fire, put in tomatoes, handful of salt, and crush tomatoes in pan. for 45 minutes
salted water boil and cook the pasta
put the tomato sauce in another pan, put pasta in the sauce. add a dollop of butter, add basil strips, and parmesan cheese, and voila, toss it off the heat, and finish!
-from America's Best "Comfort Food" (2010)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Hot and Sour Chinese Eggplant
Hot and Sour Chinese Eggplant
Ingredients
2 long Chinese eggplants, cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 green chile pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon chili oil, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
Place the eggplant cubes into a large bowl, and sprinkle with salt. Fill with enough water to cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse well, and drain on paper towels.
In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sugar, chile pepper, cornstarch and chili oil. Set the sauce aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant until it is tender and begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in the sauce, and cook and stir until the sauce is thick and the eggplant is evenly coated. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
2 long Chinese eggplants, cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 green chile pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon chili oil, or to taste
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
Place the eggplant cubes into a large bowl, and sprinkle with salt. Fill with enough water to cover, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse well, and drain on paper towels.
In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sugar, chile pepper, cornstarch and chili oil. Set the sauce aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant until it is tender and begins to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour in the sauce, and cook and stir until the sauce is thick and the eggplant is evenly coated. Serve immediately.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Sweet potato and Caramelized Onion White Pizza
White Pizza with Sweet Potato and Caramelized Onions
http://vegkitchen.com/recipes/pizzas.htm
Makes 6 slices
Here’s a delectably different kind of pizza.
* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced
* 3 to 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 1 portabella mushroom, stemmed and thinly sliced, optional
* 1 large sweet potato
* One 12.3-ounce package firm silken tofu
* 1 teaspoon salt
* One good-quality 12- to 14-ounce pizza crust
* Dried basil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute over medium-low heat until limp. Add the garlic and continue to saute until the onion is deep golden, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. If using the portabella, add after about 10 minutes, continuing to saute until it is softened and the onions golden, stirring occasionally.
While the onions are cooking, peel the sweet potato, then quarter it lengthwise. Slice it 1/4 inch thick. Place in a lightly oiled small baking pan in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just tender and lightly roasted, about 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes or so. Remove from the oven when done.
Puree the tofu with the salt in a food processor or with an immersion blender in its container.
Place the crust on a baking sheet or a pizza stone. Spread it evenly over the surface of the crust with a baking spatula. When the onion mixture is done, spread it evenly over the pureed tofu. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden.
Scatter the roasted sweet potato pieces over the surface of the pizza. Cut into 6 slices and serve.
http://vegkitchen.com/recipes/pizzas.htm
Makes 6 slices
Here’s a delectably different kind of pizza.
* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced
* 3 to 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
* 1 portabella mushroom, stemmed and thinly sliced, optional
* 1 large sweet potato
* One 12.3-ounce package firm silken tofu
* 1 teaspoon salt
* One good-quality 12- to 14-ounce pizza crust
* Dried basil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute over medium-low heat until limp. Add the garlic and continue to saute until the onion is deep golden, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. If using the portabella, add after about 10 minutes, continuing to saute until it is softened and the onions golden, stirring occasionally.
While the onions are cooking, peel the sweet potato, then quarter it lengthwise. Slice it 1/4 inch thick. Place in a lightly oiled small baking pan in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just tender and lightly roasted, about 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes or so. Remove from the oven when done.
Puree the tofu with the salt in a food processor or with an immersion blender in its container.
Place the crust on a baking sheet or a pizza stone. Spread it evenly over the surface of the crust with a baking spatula. When the onion mixture is done, spread it evenly over the pureed tofu. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden.
Scatter the roasted sweet potato pieces over the surface of the pizza. Cut into 6 slices and serve.
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