The Wood-Fired Blog

Taleggio Chanterelle Pizza

Taleggio And Golden Chanterelle Pizza

Feb 21, 2015

Taleggio is one of my favorite cheeses. Hailing from the Lombardy region of Italy, it is rich, buttery and balanced with tart fruity and nutty flavors. It is sublime on any cheese plate but it quickly becomes ridiculously delicious when melted on pizza. Taleggio has a soft reddish-yellow washed rind that gives it a subtle salty finish and a wonderful off-white pale colored paste. If you have yet to dabble... Read More

Caesar Salad Pizza

Caesar Salad Pizza

Feb 06, 2015

Gotta give credit to my daughter and her affinity for Caesar salad for this recipe. Credit also goes to my son for grabbing the camera and documenting it for all to see. I would never claim credit for inviting such a combination but it certainly was a great reminder of a quick down and easy topping for a flavorful family favorite. Until next week, feast well. – Chef Bart Read More

Prosciutto and Concord Grape pizza

Oct 20, 2014

Last week a few friends came over for dinner, after indulging on a few traditional top pizzas, challenges began being thrown my way. Conversation and creativity was flowing. One in particular challenge was, “how could you make a peanut butter and jelly pizza be good?” My answer, and interpretations, was found in breaking down the flavors and textures, salty, sweet, creamy and crunchy. The bellow recipe is what came together.... Read More

seared beef tenderloin

Seared Beef Tenderloin With Black Sheep Cheese and Roasted Tomatoes

Jan 09, 2013

This is one of those dishes that isn’t really a dish at all – just a confluence of good ingredients that happened to be at hand, with the end result being something beautiful and delicious. You’ll never really be able to recreate this dish: My tomatoes were grown by a family friend, and my cheese came from a farm that anyone outside of Illinois isn’t going to have access to.... Read More

ricotta gnudi

Ricotta Gnudi With Roasted Cabbage and Marconi Peppers

Nov 05, 2012

  This recipe requires some patience and planning, because the gnudi take three days to make. Before you run for the hills, I should clarify: The gnudi take about 10 minutes to make – they’re really easy – but three days before they’re ready to use. So plan ahead, and your foresightedness will be rewarded. In case you’re asking yourself what in the world a gnudi is, a quick explanation... Read More

roasted mushrooms

Pizza With Roasted Mushrooms, Cherry Tomatoes, Red Onion and Basil

Aug 27, 2012

If some evil, freedom-hating pizza dictator locked me in a cage and told me I could only have one topping on my pizza for the rest of my life, I would probably go with mushrooms. So here’s a recipe for a simple, more “traditional” pizza sporting some flavors that play well together, while still highlighting my personal desert-island topping. You will notice that I roast my mushrooms before I put... Read More

pesto asparagus egg pizza

Pesto, Asparagus and Egg Pizza

Jul 16, 2012

I’ve been posting recipes here in the Forno Bravo cookbook for months, but oddly enough I have yet to tackle pizza, one of the cornerstone outputs of our wood-fired beauties. Perhaps it was a subconscious reticence to test my mettle against seasoned pros – like telling Mario Batali how to make pasta. But here we are: I’m posting a pizza recipe, and will be doing so for the next few... Read More

Wood-Fired Black Bean Enchiladas

Jul 09, 2012

I won’t lie – the ingredient list on this one is going to look intimidating. If you can’t handle it, just buy canned enchilada sauce. But I’m telling you, making your sauce from scratch is worth the effort. And once you’re hooked, you can start tweaking the recipe to make it your own by playing around with the types and ratios of dried chiles you use. Two quick notes about... Read More

Kohlrabi Gratin

Mar 26, 2012

Kohlrabi is a delicious vegetable that is woefully underused here in the United States. A member of the cabbage family, kohlrabi has a sweet, mild flavor that is hard to pin down, but if I had to try I’d say it’s like a cross between broccoli, rutabaga and potato. When I reread that description, it doesn’t sound very good, but please don’t let it scare you away. Give kohlrabi a... Read More

Archives

Have any questions?