Culture
Restaurateur Spotlight – Father and Daughter Duo Thrive at Giannina’s Pizza and Catering
May 30, 2019Born in Sicily, and raised on his grandparents’ farm and vineyard, Salvatore Cicciarella grew up surrounded by hard work, good food, and strong family ties. At 77, with over 50 years in pizzerias and restaurants, he still shares those values with his daughter, Giovanna (Gio), as they work side by side in their business, Giannina’s Pizza and Catering. Salvatore makes the dough daily and Gio is the pizzaiolo and owner.... Read More
Chefs Honored as 2018 Top 25 Culinary Educators and Mentors by BAKE Magazine
Dec 10, 2018While we have many contributors and wonderful chefs on our Chef’s Panel, Chef Leo Spizzirri and Peter Reinhart are have truly become a part of the Forno Family in a special way. We are so pleased and proud that BAKE Magazine has honored both of them in their annual “2018 Twentyfive” special edition – which recognizes top professional culinary educators and dedicator mentors in the United States. BAKE is a... Read More
2018 Summer Recipe Contest Voting and Round Two Entries
Sep 10, 2018The submission period of our 2018 Summer Recipe Contest has officially ended and it’s time to test some recipes and cast your vote. We are thrilled with all of the recipes that came in! They run the gamut from main dishes and appetizers to bread and dessert. There are samples of cuisine and ingredients from many places – North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Wood Fired... Read More
Eid Bread (aka Wooden Mold Bread)
Sep 06, 2018Thank you to home chef, Ahmad Zeabi, for sharing this special holiday bread recipe with us! In this recipe, we are traveling to the Middle East. Ahmad explains: In Horan (Daraa), in the far south of Syria, folks used to make this special bread in the Fitr and Adha Eids; the biggest annual celebrations in the local culture, hence the name. Families would customize their wooden molds. Originally, they looked at... Read More
Fire Roasted Spanish Figs
Sep 06, 2018This recipe from Chef John O’Neil uses Texas Blue Giant Figs and several delightful specialty cheeses. He writes: I love using Spanish cheeses for this dish because it feels and tastes like we are basking in the sun in Spain! The Mahon Mitica, Cordobes Mitica, and Tronchon all melt nicely, which makes them the perfect blend for slicing over the top of the figs. The Tronchon cheese is an aged cheese... Read More
Oktoberfest Wood Fired Pretzels
Sep 05, 2018Served with stone ground mustard or a dip of smooth cheese sauce, who doesn’t love old world, soft German pretzels! This recipe is perfect for Oktoberfest and the fall season! We received it courtesy of guest chef, Anthony LaRocco, of Anthony’s Rustic Crust. He and his wife Debbie, run a mobile wood fired pizza concessionaire in Florida. As with most baking, measuring by weight is more accurate and yields more consistent results... Read More
Kunefe
Aug 02, 2018Special thanks to our Community Contributor, Harout Ichlokmanian, for a delicious dish that can be made in a wood or gas fired oven. He tells us that, “This is an amazing middle eastern dessert that has been passed down for generations! I am Armenian, and most Armenians love to have Kunefe for special occasions.” Well, we invite you to stretch our horizons and try this dessert for yourself! It’s a cultural... Read More
Bella Comes to Villa Esperanza
Jul 03, 2018Villa Esperanza, or “Village of Hope,” is a residential girls school in Managua, Nicaragua built by Forward Edge International in 2008. It is currently home to 30 vulnerable or abused girls, ages 8 – 19. Many of the girls previously lived in and around La Chureca, the 70-acre residential and industrial Managua city dump, a place marked by extreme filth, poverty, contaminated air, drug abuse, and sex trafficking. The Villa... Read More
Art of Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo Honored by UNESCO
Jan 02, 2018The Art of Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo was honored in December 2017 as one of the newest traditions added to UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This award places the Italian wood fired, pizza-making style, and all of its associated traditions, up among the greatest cultural gifts to the world. The list was started in 2003 and serves to raise awareness of 429 elements of intangible heritage that deserve preservation for... Read More
