Modernist Pizza Podcast

Don't worry, we'll address the elephant in the room: why does Modernist Cuisine think Portland, Oregon, is the pizza capital of the United States? Francisco will make this abundantly clear. We'll also clarify California-style pizza, do a deep dive into Chicago's pizza allegiances, get our fricco on with Detroit's cheesy crust, and drive a 250-mile stretch of highway along the Mississippi river to visit seasonal pizza farms in Wisconsin. We'll also cross bridges and tunnels to find out why the best pizza in the tristate area may be from New Jersey? And how Mystic, Connecticut, a seaport town that came to fame in the late 1980s for a pizza-themed movie, now has a umami-packed pie of its own! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We survey the multitude of pizza making ovens around the world, why wood is the romantic choice for fuel source, how one pizzeria had to burn to the ground to reinvent themselves, what the first steps to building your own oven are, and how to take that portable pizza oven from the backyard to realizing your own brick and mortar — not to mention how pizza trucks are driving the pizza oven revolution. Oh, and pans. Because who doesn't love a pan pizza! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why is buffalo mozzarella considered a luxury cheese, and what makes it different from regular mozzarella, anyway? And why don't more people make mozzarella at home? We'll talk to the makers of DIY mozzarella kits, how Wisconsin brick cheese defined Detroit-style pizza, and how to make your own Franken-cheeses like St. Louis' Provel, as well as why vegans are nuts for imitation cheeses. Modernist Cuisine will teach you the tricks of infusing your mozzarella for extra flavor like you've never had before — even before you put on your pepperoni, pineapple, anchovies, and/or mayonnaise. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why is the humble plum tomato the gold standard for pizza sauce? According to the AVP, there are only three tomato varieties permitted to make real authentic Pizza Napoletana: San Marzano (the most famous/infamous), Piennolo (known for being preserved in bunches, hanging on a piece of twine), and finally, the Corbarino. We'll talk to growers of the two latter tomato types, and find out what sets their fruit apart. We'll also find out what happens when a California canning company joins forces with a wood-fire pizza legend, how northern Italian pesto Genovese became the go-to green sauce for many pies, and what sauces Modernist Cuisine constituted as pizza sauce. Spoiler alert: that can of soup you have in your pantry may comply. What's in your sauce? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dough is a living, breathing thing. It rises, it reacts to its environment: temperature, time … it's an extensible object that shapes the way we interact with pizza. But how malleable is it? People are pushing the boundaries of what constitutes crusts throughout the country, giving new parameters to how we think about grain builds, proofing, shaping, baking, and handling the process of pizza making in general. While there are unlimited options for pizza toppings, Nathan posits that what may set it apart the most, is its base. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What's the secret behind a perfectly charred Neapolitan pizza? Answer: the cornicione—that famed leopard-spotting that blisters around the edges. But is this a sign of superior pie, or just burnt dough? Whether you like a soft crust with a chew, or a nice crisp bite, it's merely a matter of the dough's four main ingredients: flour, water, salt, yeast . . . or is it something else? We'll find out more about the foundations of a perfect pizza — from Italy's prized 00 flour, to farms that grow ancient wheats specifically for pizza. But is flour as different as the homophones: palate and palette? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 1, we gave pizza a home. Now that we've let it into all of ours, let's see how pizza plays a role in personal histories — from that of pizza champions to those championing pizza for change. What we've learned so far is that pizza is indeed of Italian descent, but how did that change with the Italian-American hyphenate? Who are these nonnas behind grandma slices? And do you remember a time when pizza parlors were where we gathered, making them central to who we were as a people. There have always been different slices for different folks, and that's really the story here — that pizza can be the personification of who we are. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to the Modernist Pizza Podcast. This is episode 1: “The Myth of Margherita and the Transmutation of Pizza History”.Along with Nathan Myhrvold, founder of Modernist Cuisine, and its head chef Francisco Migoya, who together co-authored Modernist Pizza, a seventeen hundred page book about the art, history and science of pizza—we'll chew over the world's most popular food, with the people who have been part of its storied past, and are shaping its yet to be told future.Each slice of this series examines a different piece of pizza, from its origins to evolution, deep dives into flour, sauce, and cheese, as well as the proliferation of regional styles and its boundless global influence. From Naples to New York City, South America to Japan, pop-ups to frozen mail-order pies, listen in as we talk to experts, enthusiasts, and the pizza elite who have put this humble pizza pie on the map. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.