White Clam Pizza

My mother came over for dinner this Sunday afternoon and I decided to make pizza.  For the past few weeks, I have been itching to make a white clam pizza, made famous by Pepe's in New Haven, CT.  My uncle orders it all the time and I've had it once or twice, but not in years.  So, I decided to give it a go.

I made my standard dough (coming soon in a series of future posts).  Stretched thin on the peel.  Now for the topping...

I chopped a lot of fresh garlic and let it marinade in a bowl of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) for about an hour so that that the garlic flavor would infuse in the oil.  Then, I spread the garlic and oil combination on the crust.  I made a safe assumption that the oil would just absorb into the crust, so I purposely put more oil on the crust ... more than you think you need.  It was really swimming in oil at this point, but trust me, if you don't use this much oil the pie will turn out dry.  Then, I used Bumblebee canned minced clams in juice and drained it thoroughly.  I know I didn't use fresh clams!  So sue me.  Cover the pie with the clams, as much as you want.  I use a lot!  Finish with Parmesan cheese and some dried oregano.

I use a pizza stone in an electric oven at 550 deg (the highest mine will go).

Here is some before and after pictures ...

No joke. This is one of the best tasting pizzas I have ever eaten and a nice change to a standard tomato pie.  Try this one out and let me know what you think. Good luck.

 

What the heck is APIZZA??!!??

I've seen the term "Apizza" my entire life.  Mostly because my family is from Waterbury and you see it all through that area, down the Naugatuck Valley and into New Haven.  I always subconsciously wondered why the names of the pizza restaurants were called Apizza, rather than just pizza, but presumably like most people, I never really thought that much about it.

I did a little research on this.  Here's what I found on Wikipedia:

Use of the term "apizza" (pronounced ah-Beetz) is mostly confined to the Italian-American enclaves of southern Connecticut, and derives from Neapolitan dialect.  The dish is more widely known throughout the region as simply "New Haven-style pizza", as opposed to which remains the dominant style of pizza-making throughout the rest of the Northeast.

Pepe's in New Haven was the first.  As for the pronunciation of the word, I have personally never heard anybody call it "Ah-Beetz".  But, granted, I either may have never noticed it or maybe it's attributable to the fact that Connecticut Italians having a habit of dropping the final vowel of a word when they speak.  I do it all the time because, well, that's just how we talk down here.

I'll get more into the differences between New Haven pizza and New York pizza in a later post.  But, I am proud to report that we CT Italian own the word "apizza"!

A Review of Bohemian Pizza, Litchfield, CT

Bohemian Pizza and Ditto's Bar is a strange place.  There's no denying it.  It's a cross between a gourmet pizzeria and the Cantina from Mos Eisley Spaceport.  But, I am not reviewing the eclectic bar scene.  I'm here to talk about the pizza.

Bohemian is not your standard pizzeria.  It's much better than that.  But, don't expect to go in there and order a classic napolitana margherita.   You won't find anything resembling New York or New Haven style pizza.  What you will discover is an opportunity to explore flavor, which is what Bohemian is known for throughout Litchfield County.

Whether is be the sausage, roasted garlic, goat cheese or anchovies, Bohemian Pizza is a stroll through a flavorful, gourmet topping pizza experience.  Owner Jason McKenzie has mastered the art of combining high-quality ingredients, herbs and spices.  I've really never had a bad pie there.  It's consistently good.

The crust is typical of what you would expect from Litchfield County.  More of a tasty container for the toppings rather than I piece of freshly baked Italian bread.  However, very few pizzerias in Northwest Connecticut have truly mastered the art of the crust.  The tomato sauce packs a lot of flavor as well.  No bells and whistles, but just a tasty base for the toppings.

Bottom line ... try this place out.  Walk in, say hello to Greedo and Hammerhead at the bar and order one of Jason's specialty pies.  You'll be impressed and be coming back for more.

Hello Pizza World!

My first pizza post. 

Pizza is easy to make. Great pizza ... not so easy. A handful of variables need to fall perfectly into place in order to obtain a quality pizza. The elements of a great pizza are: crust, sauce, cheese, garnish and heat. Yes, of course you can put toppings on your pizza.  But, the test of a true pizza is the classic neapolitan margherita.  Crust, sauce, cheese and basil.  THAT'S IT!

We grew up on pizza. My extended Italian/Irish family all were raised in the Greater Waterbury, Connecticut area. Therefore, we were close to and heavily influenced by New Haven Style pizza. New Haven Style was said to be originated by Frank Pepe's Pizza on historic Wooster Street in New Haven. This style which I will go into in some detail, was then later reproduced at other classic New Haven establishments such as Sally's and Modern.