The Art of the Pizza Box from Scott Wiener, Scott’s Pizza Tours

Scott Wiener of Scott’s Pizza Tours is not only all about showing pizza fans, the best New York Pizza (yes there are a lot of them!), but he also has a very unique hobby. He collects pizza boxes. Unusual pizza boxes. Pizza Boxes that are works of art. Scott was recently honored by The Guinness Book of World Records as having the largest Pizza box Collections in the world!

Mark Bello, Pizza A Casa and Scott Wiener, Scott's Pizza Tours

Mark Bello, Pizza A Casa and Scott Wiener, Scott’s Pizza Tours at Pizz Expo

I have personally taken his pizza tour and I was totally blown away by his knowledge and enthusiasm for all things pizza. He showed us the exact spot where Genaro Lombardi opned the first pizzeria in the United States. He had us sample some freshly made mozzarella at a hidden gem of a place in New York’s Little Italy. Then he took us to the current location of Lombardi’s to sample some amazing pizza cooked in a coal fired oven. The tour was informative, educational and tons of fun! The guy loves his job. He loves sharing his pizza knowledge.

You learn about pizza by just being on the street with him. He oozes pizza passion. He has traveled the world sampling the pizza and sharing his journey. He is a walking encyclopedia about pizza. And on top of everything else, Scott is a great person. He is a fun loving pizza advocate. He is someone I really enjoy hanging out with.

Scott talks about his latest book: The Art of the Pizza Box. Scott runs pizza tours in New York city and has an obsession with pizza. He loves all things pizza and is a true pizza activist!

You can see more of Scott at this You Tube Video.

Mark Bello, Scott Wiener and Albert Grande  Pizza Expo

Mark Bello, Scott Wiener and Albert Grande at Pizza Expo

You can check out Scott’s book, here: Viva la Pizza!: The Art of the Pizza Box

 

On Spiritual Pizza Making

In my car, I have a battered copy of The Magic Of Believing
by Claude Bristol I have read this book many times and I always seem to get something new out of it. If I know I need to wait in a line, such as at a bank or food shopping, I will take the book along to read. This seems to make the line move faster.

Simply put, The Magic of Believing states, the energy of the subconscious mind can help individuals achieve any goal. If you believe it, it will happen. This book contains countless examples of the hidden power of the subconscious mind and how it can influence our lives.

Bristol speaks about two people cooking an item using the same ingredients, and the same recipe. One item turns out to be a failure while the other is a successful culinary achievement.

The successful cook, saw the finished product in their mind’s eye. This successful cook, baked their heart and soul in to the finished dish. They created a spiritual link with the food.

Making pizza, is no different. You must put your spirit into each pizza you create. The great pizzaiolos such as Gennaro Lombardi (Lombardi’s), Frank Pepe (Pepe’s) and Salvatore Consiglio (Sally’s Apizza), knew this, and made pizza for the body as well as the soul. They were masters of Spiritual Pizza.

Spiritual pizza is made when you connect with your pizza on a higher level. You put a part of yourself into each pizza.

Make all of your pizza, Spiritual Pizza. Your pizza will taste better. Your pizza will be better.

Robert writes:

In your article on spiritual pizza making you say:” Spiritual pizza is made when you connect with your
pizza on a higher level. You put a part of yourself into each pizza.
Make all of your pizza, Spiritual Pizza. Your pizza will taste better. Your pizza will be better.”

That really hit home with me, you wouldn’t believe what I put into my pizza making and it really shows in
the pizza. If I’m making a pizza for company and really want it to be its best I will turn on the oven
light and keep looking in at it to make sure it is just right, my wife laughs at me but the pizza is
always great.

I’ve spent years now trying to perfect the crust, after all it’s the crust that makes the pizza, everything else
is just toppings, right?. A couple of very important things I have learned along the way.

If you are going to experiment away from a recipe,
WRITE DOWN THE CHANGES YOU MAKE! Otherwise who can
remember what they did the next time.

I’ve found that “Hotel and Restaurant” flour seems to provide the most “Pizzeria” taste and consistency I
believe it is the extra Gluten.

More yeast and sugar (or honey) in the mix than is
usually called for seems to work well for me as far as a nice light dough that tastes great.

Let the pizza rise! at least once but even better twice and at least an hour each time, then roll it out
at least half an hour before you put a topping on it of any sort and cover it with plastic wrap so it can
rise a bit before you squash it with toppings.
5. And finally, make sure you preheat the oven and get it as hot as you can for the amount of toppings you
have on it. More toppings, less temperature so it can have a chance to cook all the way through, raw dough
is nasty. the reason for the hot oven is that the dough does an initial rise just after it
is exposed to the heat and that makes for a much better crust I think than you get with lower temps.

Yipes, and I don’t even do this for a living! but if you look in my pantry and fridge and freezer you would swear I did.

Anyway yep, pizza is a spiritual experience for me and everyone that tastes it begs me to open a pizza
parlor.

Pizza on Earth and Good Will to All!
Robert Cotterill

My Response:

Thanks so very much for sharing your great advice, Robert.

I received many wonderful comments about Spiritual Pizza. I feel to do anything worthwhile, we must put our heart and soul into it. We will then connect with a higher spiritual power.

We must realize there is a greater power that we can connect with. Thanks everyone for your wonderful positive energy.

You should check out The Magic Of Believing
This is an incredible life changing book.

How Scott’s Pizza Tours Started

When you are with Scott Weiner you are in the presence of a dynamo. A dynamo of pizza history, pizza knowledge, and pizza passion.

The following video gives you a taste of the tour. From the minute the Pizza Tour starts you are in a whirl wind of energy and pure pizza stories.

The beginnning of the video shows Scott’s style as he discusses various pizzas you will be sampling on the tour. The video was recorded  at Lombardi’s in New York. Opened in 1905, Lombardi’s is the true birthplace of pizza in the United States.

The second part of the video is a one  on one interview with Scott as he explains how he got into the pizza tour business.

It was actually quite by accident. He started by taking friends of his on tours of New York. Soon this started to be quite a habit.

Here’s the video:

 

 

 Visit Scott’s Pizza Tours, here.

 

Scott's Pizza Tours

 

A Visit to Lombardi’s, Little Italy, New York

The oldest pizzeria in the Untied States continues

The tradition started by Gennaro Lombardi.

Excellent pizza created by master pizzioli.

The coal fired oven is a key ingredient to this amazing pizza. Thin crust Neapolitan pizza cooked to perfection.

Lombardi’s does not disappoint. The pizza is excellent.

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From The History of  Pizza from Pizza Therapy:

The first American pizzeria was opened in New York in 1905 by Gennaro Lombardi.  This restaurant ( Lombardi’s) is still in operation today. The pizza is baked in a coal burning oven with the same recipe Gennaro Lombardi brought from Naples in 1897.”

For more pizza adventures, get some Caputo flour:

 

Legends of Pizza Volume 3: The Lost Evelyn Sloman Interviews Part 3

The Legends of Pizza Volume 3 is a series of interviews done with master pizzaiolo, Evelyn Sloman. These interviews contain a wealth of knowledge, pizza history and pizza passion.

 Evelyn learned to make pizza while growing up in New York. The Tontonno’s and Lombardi’s operated legendary Pizzerias in New York and Evelyn was able to learn from these masters.

You will discover Evelyn’s insights and secrets about pizza including:

  • A review of the Lombardi Method
  • How the master used measurement for their pizza
  • The Artisan Bread movement and pizza
  • The importance of fermentation in pizza
  • How Evelyn learned to rule the dough
  • The one key ingredient for pizza
  • High gluten or not high gluten flour…
  • The use of flour in pizza
  • The best tomatoes to use for pizza
  • Why Evelyn’s recipe gets better and better

Thank you so much Evelyn for this incredible knowledge.

This episode of Legends of Pizza, Volume 3, is brought to you by the Pizza Therapy Pizza Book.

 Make pizza Be Happy,

albert

Listen Below:
Just Press the Play Button

History of Pizza in the U.S. with Scott from Pizza Therapy

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Scott Wiener of Scott's New York Pizza Tours

Scott Wiener of Scott’s New York Pizza Tours

Scott Wiener of Scott’s Tours explains where pizza was first made in the U.S.

Scott begins his tour from the exact spot of Lombardi’s Pizza on Spring Street. Scott shares all he knows about pizza on this tour.

And the guy knows a lot. He has done his homework. He explains that he researched the Ellis Island records of Gennaro Lombardi.

This video is part of the The Pizza Therapy East Coast Pizza Tour 2009.

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