Peter Reinhart, Baker, Author, Educator
Peter Reinhart is not only a legendary baker but also a master pizzaiolo. Peter claims he is able to recreate any pizza simply by tasting it. Peter is featured on Legends of Pizza, Volume 1 (along with Gary Bimonte, Pepe's
American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza (Review Appeared in Pizza News, January 2004) "Peter Reinhart starts his incredible adventure in
The first section of American Pie is the quest for pizza perfection. The subtitle should be my search for the perfect pizzaiolo (pizza master), as Peter meets with a host of pizzaiolos who share ideas and philosophy about pizza. According to this book, there is more to pizza, than just throwing together flour, yeast oil, tomato sauce, cheese along with other toppings! The fact of the matter is that you must bake part of your heart into each pizza, to reach brilliance! (Albert's sidebar: "I call this Spiritual Pizza! Pizza from the heart, pizza from the soul!")
The second half of the book allows Reinhart to do what he does best, bake. The recipes are all here and Reinhart makes them easy to replicate. He claims to have the ability to identify all of the ingredients and cooking methods of anything he eats. Further, he shares these secrets with the reader. With the numerous recipes, you will be able to reproduce some of the most famous pizzas in the world. He adds his take on Pepes (
I enjoyed the countless anecdotes throughout the book. For example while waiting in line at the legendary Sallys Apizza in New Haven, Connecticut, he stops into Nicks Apizza across the street to use the restroom. He is impressed with their pizza and makes a mental note to come back. Upon his return six months later, Nicks Apizza has gone out of business. The obvious conclusion is: simply making fantastic pizza may not be enough to sustain a business. American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza covers the gamut of all things pizza from coast to coast. A nod is given to Chicago Deep Dish along with recipes. New Age pizzas from the West Coast are also discussed. Reinhart actually uncovers the mystery of Wolfgang Pucks pizza and California Pizza Kitchens secrets. (Some Chefs were understandably, hesitant to be interviewed). He may have gone over the edge by reviewing sushi pizza, but it does fit in with the spirit of the book This book is for anyone who has ever sampled pizza as well as those who posses a passion for pizza. The journey alone will suffice for some pizza aficionados and is worth the price of admission. Add to that, Reinharts years of expertise in baking breads of all kinds, and you have a volume that is unmatched in scope. Buy it, read it and make your own perfect pizza!" You can actually hear Peter Reinhart discuss American Pie as well as all things pizza, Read Peter's Other Books: Sacramental Magic in a Small-Town Cafi Peter's Latest: Here is a video, where Peter discusses whole grain bread techniques. This was part of a series put on by Google... "Peter Reinhart visits Google's Mountain View, CA headquarters to discuss his book, "Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads." This event took place on July 24, 2008 as part of the Authors@Google series." Peter Reinhart's new book about Whole Grain Breads Legends of Pizza Volume 1 on CD Read The Legends of Pizza e-Book. |
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