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.

Jon F. on the state of Pizza in New Haven, Italy and beyond!

Jon F. has been around pizza his entire life. As a matter of fact member’s of his family owned an Italain Restaurant. It was not until he went away to college did his entire perspective of pizza change.  One of his friends took him to Pepe’s Pizza in New Haven and this event transformed his notion of pizza.

The first thing he noticed was the enourmous coal fired oven. “What manner of beast is this?” he wondered. As soon as he had his first taste of New Haven pizza, he realized, his total idea of pizza had changed, forever. He ended up going back again and again.

This taste of Pepe’s inspired him to go on a quest to discover incredible pizza. He started making his own pizza based on some of the pizza he tasted in his travels. He would eventually go to the West Coast of the United States and sample pizzas created by Brian Spangler of Apizza Scholls. He was drawn to Italy to find some of the best pizza that country had to offer.  This is his story a story of pizza discovery.

I’m pleased to present to you a wonderful pizza interview. Noted pizza expert Jon F. shares all of his secrets including:

• His take on what makes Pepe’s Pizza so special.
• Inside information about  Sally’s Apizza on Wooster Street 
• The real secret to Pepe’s Pizza and Sally’s Apizza
• Jon’s thoughts on Italian Pizza
• The difference between Italian pizza and American Pizza
• The Pizza of Portland
• Apizza Scholls
• Taste Bud
• The most important thing you can do when you cook your own pizza.
• more pizza tips and tricks.

Jon’s interview is informative, lively and interesting.

He is a pizza expert and he reveals many tips and tricks.

This interview is sponsored by The Pizza Therapy Pizza Book.