Weird Food Site of the Day---and it's Pizza!

[The empressof all]

Let us peruse and discuss the Top ten Crazy Asian Pizza Crusts. Frankly, I could probably do without the sweet potato mousse filled crust and although I'm not totally adverse to the idea of shrimp on my pizza I do draw the line with the Mayo...I just can't go there.

I do like the idea of the three crust pizza with layers of cheese in between each crust. I probably wouldn't choose Camembert. I'd most likely gravitate towards mozzarella, provolone and maybe a mild cheddar.

The cookie crust with shrimp and potato designed especially for women did spark some curiosity -though I'd probably hold the blueberry dipping sauce.

http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/02/crazy-weird-asian-pizza-crusts-japanese-korean-hong-kong.html

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Hooooooo - kaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy

I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi
I will not make up silly sushi




I don't understand the Asian food sensibility. I wish I did. But I don't. I really admire it. I enjoy eating it and making it. I am proud of what few Asian cooking techniques I managed to at least familiarize myself with. but my skills and knowledge are lacking. So I tend to read a lot and follow recipes much closer than for Western food.

[The empressof all]

2. I'm sure we in the West are equally guilty in our sensibilities.

I'm sure many of our sushi roll combos set some "traditional" sushi eaters teeth on edge. Some of these matters of taste are as close as a few hundred miles. When I went to school in Philadelphia in the 70's you couldn't find a decent Pizza (of the NY variety). The PA pizzas were all small with a thick and dougy crust, nothing like the Pizza I grew up with a mere 200 odd miles away. In my opinion the PA Pizzas were uneatable until I found clam Pizza. It was love at first bite and even though I would have preferred my clams on the traditional NY slice I became accustomed to the doughy, cheesy clam laden pie I could get in West Philly. Alas I haven't been back there in years. I don't know if the pizza has improved or if you can still get a Stromboli at Doc Watsons.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. I've never heard it called that ............

"Pennsylvania pizza." I will not be surprised to discover that someone has already composted "The Pennsylvania Pizza Polka." But, thick-crust pizzerias are just as common as thin-crust places. You just have to know where to look and make sure, when you're asking around, you tell them what you want.

I went to school in Philadelphia in the sixties, and there was a great place called Pagano's not far from where I lived at Penn. They made pies with a lovely thin crust, just the kind that I'd grown up with in NE PA. I don't think Pagano's had coal-fired ovens, like they did in my home town, but their pies were absolutely great. I lived on them.

I don't think they're there anymore, though. Last time I looked, and the site was no more.

I've experienced the thick crust pies everywhere, but they are not peculiar to PA - there was a place in Pittsburgh that made, believe it or not, a really good thick-crust pie - Aiello's, and, no, they're not related to the actor.

I've had pizza in Japan that was a sheet of rice paper with ketchup and soy cheese on top. I'll never make that mistake again.............

[The empressof all]

4. Pagano's was where I had my first clam Pizza

Pagano's did have the best pie around as I recall. You're right their pies weren't those small doughy blobs but still didn't rise to the level of Three Guys in Journal Square or even Pizzaland. I tended to eat more hogies and stromboli's in those days...But then again you must remember I'm a tuna hogie kind of gal so what do I know? :shrug: I was there in the 70's....and my memory's going..Do you remember Koch's deli? Now that was a sandwich!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

5. Koch's ............

In another million years, I wouldn't have remembered the name of that place.

It was spectacular! I used to get full just waiting for my sandwich - the guys were really generous, handing out slices of meats and cheeses while you stood there. A real joint. I always got the Drexel, because I was dating a boy from (what was then called) Drexel Institute of Technology. We went to Koch's a lot.

And, OHMYGOD! Look what I just found:

http://philadelphia.menupages.com/menuprocess?id=31761&link=e32ecb0ea1f0d8ed1eeb74428165a0cd8948d6146794d99981d74bace15cf25e77f62d59dea0fd6d605b18b3fe1ea73c

It's still there! And, honestly, the selections look like exactly what they were back in the sixties.

I would kill right now for a Drexel. The boy, no, we'll just leave him in Park City, where he's nice and married and safely tucked away.

You got that right about Pagano's clam pizza. I'd also kill for one of those right now. They were loaded with clams.

We were so young and we could eat so much. That's the only thing I miss about youth.

::::: sigh :::::::

[HappyCynic]

12. Sensibilities

I definitely agree about food "sensibilities". Each culture will tend to adapt "ethnic" food to match local tastes. Sometimes it can be really strange. The fast food places are generally really bad places to judge another culture's food sensibilities. The typical Chinese fast food fare consists of chow mein and fried rice, neither of which make up a significant portion of authentic Chinese food. Same with sushi - it's common in Japan but not a staple of their diet. It's no different here - most "Western" fast food places seem to be either burgers or fried chicken - which I doubt are standard, frequent meal items for most families.
This, of course, doesn't even delve into the strange foods each culture produces for local consumption. Like the sausage wrapped in chocolate chip pancake batter (similar to a corn dog but with a different batter coating). Think about trying to explain a chili dog to someone from another culture.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. My daughter in law is Asian and is learning to make some American

dishes since she moved here 3 years ago. We've had some very interesting dishes as she tends to combine ingredients she is familiar with into recipes that she has seen my daughter and me make. She put some golden raisins in a potato salad that were, surprisingly, quite good. Another time she cooked broccoli in a spaghetti sauce. It wasn't terrible, but not something that I want to repeat.

[Duer 157099]

7. Here's what's really weird

I was going to make a post about pizza with mayo, but I needed to try it first. I had this idea last night.

Let me preface it by saying that my all time favorite garlic-cheese bread goes like this:

mayo + shredded parmesan + chopped green onion + crushed garlic

Slathered over a long french bread half and baked in oven (not broiler, it needs the time from oven not just a quick melt) until bubbly and browned

It's the BEST ever. Really.

So I had some dough last night and made a basic margharita pizza, but then I thought: wait a minute... what if, instead of red sauce, I spread some mayo that has been mixed with the crushed garlic, and then top with the chopped green onion and shredded parm?

I was going to try that as soon as I replenished my green onion supply.

It may not be as weird as it sounds.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

8. It's gonna taste good,

because it's just like your garlic bread.

"Pizza" means pie, and you just came up with a version I've never heard of before..................

[Duer 157099]

9. Maybe.

I've been making this cheese bread for many years and have tried some variations and was surprised to find that I couldn't always predict the outcome. The bread seems to play an important role. The amount of the topping is critical - too little is not good and too much is also not good. And, as I mentioned, even the baking process is important, because the mayo needs to sufficiently melt into the bread. So there's the possibility that 1) it may not work at all without having substantial bread below the topping, or 2) it may not work with putting the mayo on uncooked dough, since i've only done it on bread

But, I *will* be trying it, hopefully this evening if I can make it to the store

[elleng]

11. For me, PIZZA = crust, RED SAUCE, + mozz!

Any Napoletanos here????

I'll settle for Parmesano + oregano.

:hi:

[The empressof all]

10. It reminds me of a topping a friend of mine does with fish

He's quite the fisher and loves his steel head. He opens the fish in half and slaters it with mayo, chopped onion, garlic, crushed red pepper. He's of Philippino heritage and said it's the way his mom made it. I don't know if it's a traditional recipe or just something his family did. I'm not a big fan of the gunk on top but his fish is always fresh and tasty.