Bev weighs in on Mario Batali and Le Creuset - Page 3

sconnelly · 04-03-2007

cookware junkie: I have not noticed any problem with that dark interior. I haven't had them very long, though, so that haven't had a big workout yet. I will let you know if there is a problem. All I know for sure is, I love them!

Entropy · 05-10-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beverly

My next pizza cooking experiment is to perfect Neapolitan thin crust pizza, which traditionally is cooked in an 800 degree or hotter oven in only a couple minutes. A pizza stone in a home oven can’t do it.

I would be very surprised if Batali's method produces a pie even vaguely like my target, which is Wooster Square pizza as exemplified by Pepe's and Sally's in New Haven, or Totonno's in NYC. (I have never been to Italy so I don't know what Neapolitan pies are traditionally like.) Jeff Varasano, however, has perfected and documented a technique which very closely duplicates the Wooster Square style at home.

http://jvpizza.sliceny.com/

Many home ovens can easily reach the temperatures needed to cook a Neapolitan pie in three or four minutes. My old gas oven had only a lower element and didn't cycle to maintain the temperature; it adjusted the oven element flame size just like the top elements. When you set it to "broil" (most people don't understand that they can turn the knob past "550") it ran continuously, which is how a broiler is supposed to work. So after a few hours of preheating you could cook a pie in 4 minutes, and after more preheating you could burn the bottom of a pie before the top was cooked.

My new oven cycles even when set to broil, but fortunately it's cheap enough that simply bypassing the thermostat knob with a jumper wire makes it run continuously. It doesn't get anywhere near as hot as the old oven (which got hot enough that my eyeballs hurt when I opened the door) but it can still make satisfactory pies.

With many other ovens, you'll need to bypass the self-clean cycle "safety" interlocks, as described in Varasano's wonderfully thorough and detailed post on homemade pizza. Jeff, whom I've never met, but I could certainly justify a trip to Atlanta to sample his work, has gotten ALL the details right that *I* know about, and I've been making thin crust pizza pretty much every night for the better part of five years now. I haven't tried the sourdough/poolish method, but everything else is exactly on target; he's even solved problems like how to keep the stone cooler than the air in the oven above it.

There's NO reason to compromise on homemade pizza if you don't have to, and there's almost no chance you have to.

~ Kiran

canuckcook · 07-15-2007

I bought a Batali 6qt cast iron Dutch Oven last year at Winners (TJ Max) for $50.00 CDN it had a wee ding on the handle and that was all... they had a pile of them.. Since then I have used for every cooking event the requires a big pot and I love it!!! It deep fries like a charm too and I have total control over the temp... Lovely even heat, no hot spots and id washes up like a dream... I use my galss stove top cleaner to remove the heat marks on he bottom and it looks like new...

I have made Marios Ribs in Barolo over and over again and the pot look like I just brought it home....

It is heavy and big... the bottom is square and so there is a lot of material in the Pot... But I never move it empty anyway... It has tought me that you can make a killer stew, soup or braise on the stove top as they so often do in Italy...

I love my Batali Pot!!!!!!

Beverly · 07-15-2007

You made a great buy! I'm glad to hear it's everything you had hoped it would be.

ChefJune · 07-16-2007

Quote:

I have made Marios Ribs in Barolo over and over again and the pot look like I just brought it home....

OHBOY! Thanks for pointing me to that recipe! My mouth is absolutely watering.

Beverly · 07-16-2007

I was trying to ignore looking up the recipe, but after your comment June, I had to go find it. http://www.wnyc.org/arts/articles/47340 and someone who took pictures of their effort: http://www.thepauperedchef.com/2006/....html?8c7027a0

canuckcook · 07-17-2007

Actually, a barolo wine which can be expensive on this side of the Pond can be replaced with a Cabernet Sauvignon according to my wine-guy and it works... I also add two big (I mean huge) pinches of white sugar (so shoot me!) it just rounds out the flavour and is not actually sweet... I also cook it on low heat for 3 Hrs and I use Mario's suggestion of boneless ribs... I add roasted marrow bones to the stew... mmmmmmmmmmmmmm !!!!

canuckcook · 07-17-2007

June, ya gotta try'em they Rock and they are even better a few days later... I use no nmae (so shoot me ) Tomato sauce and doctor it with a bit o' the garlic and Oregano (greek) I also find this method and quantities great for Pork brisket bone-in and Chicken too... use Fennel and leeks as well it just is too delicious... it is what the Chinese whould call a master sauce!!!!

ChefJune · 07-18-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by canuckcook

Actually, a barolo wine which can be expensive on this side of the Pond can be replaced with a Cabernet Sauvignon according to my wine-guy and it works... I also add two big (I mean huge) pinches of white sugar (so shoot me!) it just rounds out the flavour and is not actually sweet... I also cook it on low heat for 3 Hrs and I use Mario's suggestion of boneless ribs... I add roasted marrow bones to the stew... mmmmmmmmmmmmmm !!!!

When a recipe calls for "Barolo," I generally seek out and sub a Nebbiolo (same grape) to cook with.

I prefer to cook short ribs on the bone, and sometimes remove the bones before serving, depending on who, when and where I'm serving them. Why spend more money for boneless short ribs and then spend BIG $$ for"marrow bones?"

canuckcook · 07-18-2007

Here is the Great White N. our boneless ribs are actually less $$ and our Co-op store practically give the marrow bones away... Most people here in this part of Canada think that it is uncivilized to eat such crude things as Marrow!!!!! To bad for them, and, lucky me!!!!2lb of boneless ribs go for about $7.15 CDN and a pack of 4 bones is about $1.99CDN... Whereas a bottle of Barolo and any specific Italian wine is going on close to $30.00CDN... I also find that the boneless ribs are less fatty and heavy tasting...

But then that's just me and if you and yours were coming for dinner I know how I would make them,, LOL

Multitasker · 08-23-2007

For those of you who have tried making the Pizza, are you using Mario's recipe? I found his recipe online here http://www.foodnetworkfans.com/forum...read.php?t=733 and it calls for white wine. What kind of wine do you use?

Old Bay · 09-15-2007

Mario was on the best ever Iron Chef America--Parmasiagino Reggiano!!! He won by a hair--great show , try and see a repeat--there's one at 6:00PM tonight.