Peter’s Blog, July 11

Hi Everyone,

Lots of new recipe ideas from Brad continue to be featured on the Home Page — he’s currently on a huge Banh Mi Pizza kick so be sure to read his posts, below, for some very clever and tasty treats.

Also, a quick calendar note to let those of you in the Bay Area know that I’ll be coming through in a few weeks for the launch of my newest book,“The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking.”  My co-author, Denene Wallace, will also be on this tour and we’ll be teaching at Draeger’s (Black Hawk and also San Mateo), Sur la Table (Los Gatos and also Santa Rosa), Ramekins (Sonoma), and Relish (Healdsburg).  We’ll also be giving a short talk followed by a book signing at Omnivore Books on Saturday, August 18th at 3 PM.  In my next Peter’s Blog I’ll break down all the dates and post a proper calendar for August and September, so this is just a heads up.

Most importantly, I want to welcome our newest sponsor to Pizza Quest, DiNapoli Tomato Products. Of course, we’ve been touting our love affair with DiNapoli tomatoes for many months, both in our recipe postings and also in various videos, some of which are still to be posted. Many of you already know of the collaboration between Rob DiNapoli and Chris Bianco that has brought Bianco DiNapoli Tomatoes to a select few pizzerias across the country (I’m proud to say that Pure Pizza, the pizzeria that I helped start here in Charlotte, uses these phenomenal organically grown tomatoes exclusively on our pizzas). But they also have a number of other superb products that set the industry standard.  So, when I say we’re proud to have DiNapoli as a sponsor, I really mean proud.

Rob DiNapoli first wrote to me way back when we launched Pizza Quest just to wish us well and to tell me about his pending collaboration with my long time friend, Chris Bianco.  A few months later, when the first cans were filled, he sent me a sample, and also some to Brad, who went wild creating pizzas that are now in the Instructional section archives. When we visited and filmed at Pizzeria Basta in Boulder we saw a number of empty cans of the Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes and Chef Kelly Whitaker told us that he had recently made the switch (the next time we visited Kelly he had also switched his flour to Central Milling, which also later became one of our sponsors). You can see where this is heading; Pizza Quest is dedicated to the search for the perfect pizza and, as we like to say, the celebration of artisans and artisanship of all types.  We’ve been posting for eighteen months now about this ineffable concept, a level of quality that can’t be summed up by a few words, that has so many facets that every week we have to make another attempt to locate, define, and describe it.  It’s partly about the people and partly about the ingredients — and it’s mainly about when the people and the ingredients come together in a rare synergy that delivers a rarely experienced level of satisfaction and joy. That’s what’s been driving us and, I think, why so many of you keep returning to this site in order to let us share our journey with you (because, in reality, we’re all on the same journey — and you’re “on the bus” with us). One of the unanticipated benefits for us has been not only experiencing these amazing people and ingredients but having some of them actually join us as sponsors. Central Milling, The Fire Within, Forno Bravo Ovens, and now DiNapoli Tomato Products all exemplify what Pizza Quest is about and we’re honored and proud to have them all on our team — heck, as sponsors they help drive the bus and make it possible for us to stay on the quest, and for this we are very grateful.  When you have a chance, click through on the banner ad at the top of this page (it rotates in with our other sponsors) and read about DiNapoli and, if you have a few minutes, follow the prompts on their site and watch the video Rob DiNapoli has made that shows you the whole process of how he gets those amazing tomatoes from the earth to the cans.

We like being associated with companies that represent the highest expression of their segment of the food world and we’re glad that they like being associated with us, and by extension, with you, our readers. So thanks to all of you for supporting us and for supporting our sponsors.

Next week, a calendar of upcoming appearances and classes. Also, we’ve had good response to the recent FAQ series so if you have a question that you’d like to see answered in this Peter’s Blog section, please post the question in the “comments” below and we’ll try to address it. Till next week, may your bread always rise and may your pizzas all be perfect!