New Pizza Recipes inspired by Osteria La Madia

whiteClamAndGarlicPizzaA few of us from the Wood Stone team enjoyed a great dinner at Osteria La Madia in Chicago last month which included many mouthwatering dishes out of the Wood Stone Mt Baker 6′ stone hearth oven such as Fire Roasted Suckling Pig and Fire Roasted Crispy Artichokes. It was the pizzas however, which really grabbed our attention.

We’ve all eaten our share of pizza, but agreed that the pies at La Madia all had just the right ingredient combinations and proportions as well as a great bake. I came home and replicated two of them to add to our Wood Stone Home Recipe Section. The classic White Clam and Garlic Pizza gets a twist with the addition of Pecorino, fresh thyme and Fresno chiles. I also made Carbonara Pizza with Home-Cured Pancetta and Cracked Egg inspired by their version with guanciale. Delicious!

Great Pizza Wines

winePizzaClassic wine pairings for pizza are usually fruity wines with high acidity to balance the natural acidity in tomato sauce and to help cut the fat in the melted cheese. Barbera, the varietal traditionally grown in the Piedmont region of Italy is a nearly perfect traditional pizza wine. Its low tannin structure is also key, as a highly tannic wine can combine with tomato to create an off-putting metallic taste. There are some fantastic Barberas being produced in the Shenandoah Valley in the Sierra foothills of California. The Shenandoah Vineyards ReZerve 2013 Barbera and the Helwig 2013 Barbera are great choices, AND they both just won Double Gold medals at the San Francisco International Wine Competition where I recently worked as a volunteer!

Sangiovese and Chianti are great for spicier meat pies as are fruity Syrahs made in the Rhone style with nice peppery flavors. It’s also fun to break from the red wine with pizza mold by trying a full-bodied white such as Grüner Veltliner.  I love the Grüner made by Zocker from the Edna Valley in California. It has nice acidity as well as a steely minerality; a great call on pizza night.

And don’t forget bubbles! Prosecco and other sparkling wines would be delicious paired with our new White Clam and Garlic Pizza as well as other white pies. My go-to Prosecco is from La Marca, and for good value domestic sparklers I always love Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs from Sonoma and Roederer Estate Brut from the Anderson Valley in California.

-Chef Ann

Super Bowl Worthy Pizzas

With the big game only days away, we wanted to share some of our favorite pizza recipes with you, whether you are cheering on the Broncos or the HAWKS. Here are some of our top picks:

 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza with Italian Sausage

While the thin-crusted West Coast, East Coast and Naples-style pies sometimes steal the limelight as guests watch them cook in 2-4 minutes in a Wood Stone Home oven, don’t underestimate the power of this classic from the Windy City to be a show stopper at your next party.  A slightly crunchy, biscuit-like crust bakes to perfection while allowing the cheese, sausage and sauce to meld together into yummy gooeyness. You’ll need knives and forks for this one.

Spicy Sausage and Mushroom Pie

We always roast mushrooms first before adding them to pizza. It only takes a few minutes and produces fungi with golden brown caramelization and concentrated flavor. Add sausage, cheese and sauce for a delicious and satisfying pie.

BBQ Chicken

Here’s a nod to our largest commercial customer, California Pizza Kitchen! Wood Stone’s relationship with CPK began in 1993 and we now have over 200 ovens in their stores worldwide. BBQ Chicken Pizza has long been one of their signature pies. This is our version.

Spicy Shrimp Pizza

The shrimp for this seafood pizza is already cooked, so we add cheese after the shrimp is arranged on the pizza to help balance the baking process. This protects the shrimp from becoming overcooked and tough, and ensures an evenly cooked pizza.


And if those don’t tickle your fancy, we have plenty of other Wood-Stone-Home-approved pizza recipes here. Also- we’d love to hear what you plan on cookin’ up for YOUR big game day party. Maybe you have a different pizza recipe you prefer? Wings? Dips? Please share it with us via the form below! 

p.s. Go Hawks!!

  

Pizza with Mission Figs, Prosciutto, and Balsamic Glaze

As winter begins, I’d like to reflect on one of my favorite foods that I will miss as the weather turns cold – fresh mission figs! In the Wood Stone style, I’ve been eating them on pizza, and this recipe features some of the best flavor pairings I’ve found for figs. Try it instead of figgy pudding for the holidays this year.

-Chef Travis

Fig Pizza

 

  • 1, 8 oz. wood stone dough ball
  • 2 black mission figs, cut into 6 wedges
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons goat cheese
  • 1 tablespoon grated pecorino
  • 2 ounces prosciutto or speck, torn into ribbons
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
  • Drizzle balsamic glaze

 

Toss fig wedges lightly with olive oil and roast in the saute zone of the oven, turning as needed until caramelized – approximately 3 minutes.

Flour the dough ball and stretch until approximately 10-11” in diameter. Brush the crust with olive oil, leaving the outer ½ inch dry. Top with pecorino, crumbled goat cheese, prosciutto ribbons, and roasted figs. Bake at approximately 550° F, turning once, until pizza crust is nicely colored on the top and bottom. Remove from oven and rest on a perforated surface for approximately 1 minute, until no longer steaming.  Top with rosemary and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

 

 

Host the Big Game!

Football Favorites from your Wood Stone Home Oven

It’s that time of year again to showcase your best bite-sized tasty treats! Gather friends and family around your Wood Stone Home oven to watch the next big game. What could be better than eating hearthside for the entire party?

Whether you’re catering for your family or for an entire crowd, these easily prepared recipes are sure to leave your guests wanting more. Try the Wood Stone Home Spiced Meatballs in Saffron Garlic Sauce, Classic Stuffed Mushrooms or Prosciutto Wrapped Dates filled with Feta and Mint (featured recipe below).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates filled with Feta and Mint

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. small pitted dates, about 32
  • 4 oz. feta cheese, cut into 32 small pieces
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • 3 oz. prosciutto, about 8 slices each cut into 4 pieces about 4-in. long        
  • Olive oil spray    

Preparation

Oven Temperature: 550–580 degrees
Flame Height: 5

Coat an aluminum sheet pan with olive oil spray.

Stuff each date with a piece of cheese and a small mint leaf. Wrap tightly with a strip of prosciutto. Line the dates on the prepared pan and spritz the tops with a bit more of the olive oil.

Cook in the center of the oven for about 2 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees and cook another 2 – 3 minutes more until prosciutto is evenly crisped.

Enjoy!

For additional tapas and hors d’oeuvres recipes or ideas, visit us online at woodstonehomearchive.com.

 

Wood Stone Corporation, based in Bellingham Washington, has been manufacturing stone hearth and specialty commercial cooking equipment for the foodservice industry since 1990.  Wood Stone equipment is featured in more than 10,000 commercial and residential installations in over 75 countries worldwide. For more information about Wood Stone Home products, please visit our website at: woodstonehomearchive.com or call 800.578.6836.

Prepare a FALL-bulous Backyard Dining Experience!

As the weather changes and colors begin to fade from bright greens and pinks to crimson, orange and gold and the aroma of pumpkin spice lattes fills the air, it’s time to prepare for the upcoming fall season. What better way to celebrate the change of season than by hosting a sendoff backyard dinner? Perhaps a Spiced Duck Breast with Roasted Figs or Cedar Plank Salmon accompanied with Oven Roasted Ratatouille and a glass of chilled Viognier or a bold Cabernet Sauvignon? 

The Wood Stone Home website offers a rich library of mouthwatering, crowd-approved recipes designed to help prepare the perfect menu for you and your guests. With the simplicity of operating a Wood Stone Home oven combined with the uniqueness of our stone hearth single-piece floor, catering for friends and family is a breeze. Bring the restaurant dining experience to your home and cook like the pros!

Not currently a Wood Stone Home oven owner? Visit our website for more information about available products, video tutorials, chef testimonials and more! Since 1990 when Wood Stone first entered the marketplace we have installed thousands of ovens worldwide. You can find Wood Stone ovens at California Pizza Kitchen, Romano’s, Macaroni Grill, Carrabba’s Italian Grill and other commercial foodservice operations near you. Call Wood Stone Home direct at 1-(800) 578-6836.

BBQ Chicken Pizza à la California Pizza Kitchen on the Road

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It’s BBQ season at kitchen showrooms and Wood Stone Home makes the rounds to many Cook-Off events with our mobile oven to do battle with many other manufacturers of fine outdoor kitchen equipment.

This year I decided to serve up BBQ Chicken Pizza as a nod to our largest commercial customer, California Pizza Kitchen. With over 200 oven installations world-wide, Wood Stone’s relationship with CPK goes back 20 years and interestingly, was the impetus for our first gas-fired oven. Wood Stone Home oven owners reap the benefits of this innovation today, with gas-fired ovens providing convenience, as well as serving areas where wood-only ovens are not allowed due to local regulations for air quality. For more of the story of the relationship of Wood Stone and CPK…

 

 

Spelt Pizza Dough

Spelt Pizza Dough

Spelt is an ancient species of wheat, and while related to modern wheat, it is often tolerated by people who have a wheat allergy, so this is a great recipe to have in your repertoire. This dough produces a delicious high-fiber crust which has a slightly sweet and distinctively nutty flavor.

Stay tuned to this blog as my next project is to develop a Gluten-Free Pizza Dough recipe! 

 ~Chef Ann

( It should be noted that spelt does contain gluten, so this should not be served to guests with celiac disease or gluten intolerance.)

 

 

S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pizza

A new Wood Stone customer recently sent us this note and the included photo looked so tasty we just had to share!

Ok…we’re really loving our pizza oven! Dinner was cooked in it 5 nights in a row (along with a nice lunch), and tonight I tested out a s’mores chocolate chip cookie dough pizza for a Girl Scout party. Delicious!!

I don’t think we’ll ever cook indoors again! Thank you Woodstone!  – Christina

To make this tasty dessert pizza yourself:

Begin with your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough.  While regular pizzas bake directly on the hearth, this cookie “pizza” is best baked on a round pizza pan or cookie sheet which has been coated with cooking spray. Press or roll the cookie dough into a circle about 1/4 inch thick.  If your oven has been up to pizza temperature for dinner already (560°-590° F), bake the cookie in the doorway with the Flame Height at 1.  If you are just heating it up for this recipe, you can bake it with an oven temperature of 400° F and cook more in the center of the oven.  Either way you’ll need to rotate the cookie 180° during baking to brown evenly.  When cookie is almost done, top with crumbled graham crackers, chopped chocolate bars and mini marshmallows.  Return to oven and bake until chocolate is melted and marshmallows are golden brown.  Enjoy!

Their first pizza!

 

New Wood Stone Home Oven owners just sent us this photo of the very first pizza being baked in their gorgeous new Bistro Home oven – the focal point of their recently completed BBQ area. How cute is this?…