The Most Famous Food Around The World epsd (week 3&4)

Pizza

What is pizza?

Pizza is a dish made typically of flattened bread dough spread with a savory mixture usually including tomatoes and cheese and often other toppings and baked 

History of pizza

The further back we look in time, the more interesting details we can find about that surrounds pizza. Today this dish is one of the most popular foods on the entire Earth, but that fame and recognition came from the decades of work of many international pizza restaurant franchises which spread this dish to the all four corners of the world. 

Before these pizza chains were formed, this dish slowly rose in popularity in the United Stated, brought from the Europe by the Italian settlers which did not wanted to be parted from one of the most iconic meals of their country. And there, in the Mediterranean coastal city of Naples, the modern Pizza was created.

Although 19th century Italy is regarded as a home of modern pizza, it roots go all the way back to the ancient Roman, Greek and Persian empires. The records from those times depict various types of bread in round and flat shapes, with various toppings on top. Although many European civilizations continued to use meals created in this fashion even up to today(coca from Catalonia and Valencia, Greek Pita, Turkish Pide,Lepinja or Solmun in Balkans), the cooks from Italy became most interested in pizza. They produced various pizza products from the ancient times to the middle ages. In the preserved ruins of the Italian city of Pompei, archeologist found unmistakable signs of the network that supported pizza production – from the street stands to the restaurant kitchens were pizzas were made. Most important ingredient that elevated local Italian dish to the worldwide famous pizza was arrival of the tomato from the New World in 16th century. 

Although Italian nobility regarded tomato as a poor man’s food, the inventive recipes and designs of Italian pizza cooks from Naples soon managed to change their minds. As the popularity of the pizza grew, pizza makers started to expand their business. The first restaurant dedicated only for selling pizza was opened in Naples in 1830, and after that many more appeared across all Italy. The pizza from witch almost all designs are based was created in the 1889 by the hands of the famous Naples chef Raffaele Esposito who made three pizzas for the King and Queen of Italy. His design of pizza Margherita became gold standard for all future pizzas.

Type of Pizza:

1.      Neapolitan Pizza

Neapolitan - the original pizza. This delicious pie has a history that dates all the way back to 18th century Naples, Italy. During this time, the poorer citizens of this seaside city frequently purchased food that was cheap and could be eaten quickly. Luckily for them, Neapolitan pizza – a flatbread with tomatoes, cheese, oil, and garlic – was affordable and readily available through numerous street vendors.

2.      Chicago Pizza

Chicago pizza, also commonly referred to as deep-dish pizza, gets its name from the city it was invented in. During the early 1900’s, Italian immigrants in the windy city were searching for something similar to the Neapolitan pizza that they knew and loved. Instead of imitating the notoriously thin pie, Ike Sewell had something else in mind. He created a pizza with a thick crust that had raised edges, similar to a pie, and ingredients in reverse, with slices of mozzarella lining the dough followed by meat, vegetables, and then topped with a can of crushed tomatoes. This original creation led Sewell to create the now famous chain restaurant, Pizzeria Uno.

3.      New York Style Pizza

While New York-style pizza isn’t exactly the original, it’s become the most popular and widespread choice in the United States. Even though Neapolitan and New York pizzas share similarities, there are distinct differences. Some people will tell you that it’s the minerals in the Big Apple’s water used to make the dough that makes this pizza stand out. However, in order to make a proper New York-style pie, the crust still needs to be thin, like a Neapolitan, but thick enough to fold a slice in half lengthwise. This simplifies eating the pizza without utensils, which is a necessity in New York City's fast-paced setting.

4.      Sicilian Pizza

Sicilian pizza, also known as sfincione, may seem like a distant cousin of a Chicago-style pie, but the two have their differences. It's not even the same pizza that you'd get in Sicily. So what’s the deal with this complicated pizza? Well, no matter what country you get this square cut, thick crust pizza from, it should always have a spongier consistency than other pizzas. However, sfincione is typically topped with a tomato sauce, onions, herbs, anchovies, and then covered with bread crumbs. This version is typically served on holidays like Christmas and New Year’s Eve in Sicily. But in America, Sicilian pizza features a simple combination of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and is eaten all year round.

5.      Greek Pizza

Despite its name, Greek pizza has nothing to do with Greek toppings, nor was it invented in Greece. In fact, pizza isn’t even a common dish in the Mediterranean country, despite its close location to pizza’s birth place, Italy. Greek pizza was created by Greek immigrants who came to America and were introduced to Italian pizza. Instead of following the strict guidelines of New York or Chicago-style, Greek pizza has its own rules. While this style has a crust that is puffier and chewier than thin crust pizzas, it’s not quite as thick as a deep-dish or Sicilian crust. Greek pizza also typically uses a tangy tomato paste that has a strong oregano flavor and is topped with a blend of mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

6.      California Pizza

California pizza, or gourmet pizza, is known for its unusual ingredients. This pizza got its start back in the late 1970’s when Chef Ed LaDou began experimenting with pizza recipes in the classic Italian restaurant, Prego. By chance, he served one of his newest creations, mustard, ricotta, pate, and red pepper, to Wolfgang Puck. Impressed with LaDou’s innovative pie, Puck invited him to be a head pizza chef at his restaurant. It was here that LaDou came up with over 250 unique pizza recipes that eventually formed the menu of chain restaurant, California Pizza Kitchen.

7.      Tomato Pie

Derived from Sicilian pizza, Italian tomato pie is a thick crust, square cut pizza that features focaccia-like dough and plenty of sweet and tangy tomato sauce. If you travel to Philadelphia to try a square of this delicious treat, it’ll most likely feature “gravy” - another name for tomato sauce - poured over a crispy and doughy crust. However, in other areas, tomato pie can feature cheese and other toppings with the sauce poured over top. But what makes tomato pie really stand out amongst other pizza options is the fact that it is commonly served and eaten at room temperature.

8.      Alternative Pizza Types

The different toppings and styles of pizza are endless. While traditional pizza toppings, like pepperoni and veggies, may initially draw customers into your business, unique pizzas, like cheeseburger and bacon cheese fry, will draw in even more curious and hungry customers. You can even explore different crust options like pretzel or stuffed.

Source : http://www.pizzafacts.net https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pizza https://www.webstaurantstore.com/article/101/types-of-pizza.html http://themewallpapers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Pizza-wallpaper.jpg 

Mac and Cheese

What is Mac and Cheese?

Mac and Cheese is one of the famous food around the world that made from cooked maccaroni (one of the types of pasta) mixed with grated cheese or cheese sauce most commonly ceddar cheese, then bake it.

History of Mac and Cheese

Since the Kraft Company put it in a box in 1937 every American kid grew up with macaroni and cheese. There can be no doubt that its ultimate origins are Italian, as one finds macaroni and cheese recipes from the late thirteenth century in southern Italy. The anonymous Liber de coquina, written in Latin by someone familiar with the Neapolitan court then under the sphere of Charles II of Anjou (1248-1309) has a recipe called de lasanis which we can call the first “macaroni and cheese” recipe. It was a macaroni, in this case, lasagne sheets made from fermented dough and cut into two-inch squares that were cooked in water and tossed with grated cheese, probably Parmesan. The author suggests using powdered spices and layering the sheets of lasagne, just like today, with the cheese if desired.

But the American macaroni and cheese has two main lines of ancestry claimed. In the first, it is thought that macaroni and cheese was a casserole that had its beginnings at a New England church supper. In southeastern Connecticut it was known long ago as macaroni pudding. In the second, and more famous story, and more than likely the original story, it is said that the classic American macaroni and cheese returned with Thomas Jefferson to Virginia after his sojourn in Italy. Jefferson had brought back a pasta machine from Italy. His daughter Mary Randolph became the hostess of his house after Jefferson’s wife died and she is credited with inventing the dish using macaroni and Parmesan cheese. Later, the Parmesan was replaced with cheddar cheese. Anyway, that's one story. It is more likely that Jefferson encountered the dish in Italy and brought back the recipe.

Type of Mac and Cheese

There's no type of Mac and Cheese. so I just gonna put some secrets for making your Mac and Cheese more delicious!

SECRET #1: CLASSIC CHEDDAR IS BETTER

Many recipes call for cheesy additions of gruyère, fontina, brie, gouda, and even blue cheese. But we wanted our ultimate recipe to deliver classic mac and cheese flavor—meaning we wanted it to taste like cheddar. We tried a few of these other cheeses in a blend with cheddar but the only one that still tasted iconic was this macaroni and cheese, which called for a combination of cheddar and parmesan. The parm brought a nuttiness that rounded out the cheddar flavor rather than distracting from it. We chose extra-sharp cheddar to stand out in our béchamel sauce (more on that below). Add we recommend you shred your own cheese. That bagged stuff at the grocery store usually has stabilizers, a drier texture, and less flavor than a hunk of cheddar does.

SECRET #2: ADD CREAM TO MAKE A SUPER-RICH SAUCE

The most crucial element of this casserole is the basic white sauce (aka béchamel), which serves as a creamy vehicle for all that cheese.

We tried making béchamel with milk, which was delicious but didn't have the luscious creaminess that we were looking for in our mac and cheese. So we took inspiration from Macaroni and Cheese with Garlic Bread Crumbs and tried a combination of milk and cream, which added the indulgent texture we were seeking. Another key for success we discovered: Be sure to whisk in the cheese in three stages, making sure it melts completely at each stage before adding more. You'll have the creamiest, cheesiest sauce possible in no time.

SECRET #3: ADD A DASH OF MUSTARD POWDER FOR A KICK

In many recipes, there's a special ingredient that might not be immediately detectable but boosts the other flavors in a dish. We tried a few spices like cayenne pepper and nutmeg, but were blown away by the addition of mustard powder used in this macaroni and cheese recipe. The mustard powder brings a subtle, horseradish-like heat that highlights the flavor of the cheddar in the best way possible.

SECRET #4: UPGRADE YOUR BREADCRUMB TOPPING WITH GARLIC AND PARM

Next, we tackled the great debate over traditional breadcrumbs vs. panko (Japanese breadcrumbs). With its light and airy texture and supreme crunch, panko won over our hearts. But we didn't stop there. We were inspired by Macaroni and Cheese with Garlic Bread Crumbs to cook the panko in butter with garlic until lightly toasted. This recipe for macaroni and cheese taught us to fold some Parmesan cheese into the breadcrumbs, which adds another layer of flavor to the crunchy topping.

Source: http://www.cliffordawright.com/caw/food/entries/display.php/topic_id/16/id/105/https://www.epicurious.com/recipes-menus/how-to-make-creamiest-dreamiest-cheesiest-mac-and-cheese-ever-article/amp http://www.recipetineats.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Baked-Mac-and-Cheese-9.jpg