Chana Masala

Dealing With Dietary Requirements

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 can chickpeas in water (also called garbanzo beans) or 1 1/2 cups precooked + 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• juice from one lemon, (approx 2 tbsp )
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1 large bunch of spinach or two handfuls, rinsed

Preparation:

In a large skillet or frying pan, sautee onions and garlic in olive oil until soft, about 3-5 minutes.

Add chickpeas straight from the can, including all the water. Add spices and lemon juice, cover, and simmer about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more water if needed, until chickpeas are cooked and soft.

Reduce heat, add spinach and cover. Allow spinach to wilt for 2-4 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy your spicy Indian-style chickpeas with spinach!

If you enjoyed this, you can find a whole heap more vegetarian gluten and dairy-free recipes available to add to your collection.

As the weather gets warmer, I’m already looking forward to summer travels. Last summer I spent many a week on the road and after it was all done wrote a mega-blog regarding all I had learned along the way. This is the final post from the series, and I hope I’ve gotten you thinking about upcoming events for this year!

Don’t drink too much in the Mile High City. A trip to Denver in June proved that God has a twisted sense of humor: The Denver area is known as “the Napa Valley of beer,” but if you’re a visitor you’ll likely feel tipsy after a couple of samples, thanks to the high elevation. Still, I toured (and sampled at) some of the most successful breweries in Colorado, including New Belgium in Fort Collins, and the original Coors (now Miller-Coors) in Golden. New Belgium is noteworthy not only for its impressive growth and environmental friendliness (the brewery is run entirely on wind power) but its company ethic: Employees receive a bike and share ownership in the company after one year of employment. Smaller breweries and brewpubs also proved to churn out amazing beers on a smaller scale, like at Denver’s Great Divide Brewing Co. and Wynkoop Brewing Company (the largest brewpub in the country). High-altitude limitations aside, the Denver area is a treasure trove for beer lovers. Of course, I couldn’t leave Denver without trying some pizza, too, so I sampled the nicely seared pies (love that char!) at Marco’s Coal-Fired pizza in downtown Denver (see April 2010’s “pizza Press” for more on this pizzeria). I’ve said it before: Beer and pizza—perfect together!
Support your local microbrews. The four-day Oregon Brewers Festival is held annually in Portland, and I decided to attend this year in the name of fun and research. Despite its name, this event showcases beers from all over the United States, proving that pretty much any area of the country offers great craft brews—so why not seek out local beers for your menu or your own drinking pleasure? The amazing range of styles represented at the festival ran the gamut from dry-hopped IPAs to chocolate and espresso stouts to fruity wheat beers, and every type has its fans. (Also watch out for the sour-beer trend that seems to be picking up steam across the country.) Luckily, I was stationed across the street from the festival at the swank Hotel Fifty, so I was able to attend the festival on the less-busy weekdays and simply saunter home after the extensive tastings. In addition, the Portland area has the greatest concentration of breweries in the world, and Oregonians take great pride in their local beers; many residents even practice homebrewing. Accordingly, even after two days at the festival, I still found myself racing to convenience stores, brewpubs and restaurants to try as many local varieties as possible!
pizza, of course, was prominently featured at the festival, as Rogue Ales kept crowds fed with the popular beer-crust pizza. Elsewhere in Portland, I tried Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza at the high-end hotel eatery Nel Centro; after a quick ride to Seattle, I ate at Pegasus pizza and Pasta on Alki Beach, then the next day grabbed a couple of wide New York-style slices at Piecora’s in the Capitol Hill area—right before my “real” lunch! Forget Jell-O; in my life, there’s always room for pizza.
Have you visited any great pizzerias, cities or events lately—or are you planning to? Share your experiences; comment below!

Got beer? The Oregon Brewers Festival (www.oregonbrewfest.com/) takes place this year on July 22 to 25; Denver’s mammouth Great American Beer Festival (www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/) will happen on September 16 to 18. For a list of worldwide beer festivals, visit www.beerfestivals.org.

As the weather gets warmer, I’m already looking forward to summer travels. Last summer I spent many a week on the road and after it was all done wrote a mega-blog regarding all I had learned along the way. I will post these observations in parts over the next few days to get everyone thinking about upcoming events for this year!

Go Midwest, young man. You wouldn’t think that experimental pizza toppings were de rigueur in the middle of the country—Indiana, to be precise—but I was pleasantly surprised at the alternative toppings I found at so many pizzerias in Indianapolis (for the full story on all of the pizzerias we visited, check out our November 2009 issue, where you’ll find our column “Slice of the City” on Indy). One pie we tried, the Mexican-inspired 7 Layer at Jockamo Upper Crust pizza, had bean dip instead of marinara and cheddar in place of mozzarella, and was served with a side of sour cream in lieu of traditional dipping sauce. Delicious! Indianapolis pizzerias show that you can—and should—think outside the box when it comes to toppings.
Though nothing is better (to me) than classic “plain” cheese pizza, I’d encourage every pizzeria to experiment with toppings. You can also work seasonally to try unique combinations: Stop by the farmer’s market and get inspired; put a pizza with these fresh ingredients on special. Promote the local angle—in these times, eating local isn’t some luxury reserved for granola-crunching hippies or elite socialites, but a practical and proven way to put money back into the local economy. You’ll support your local farmers, and customers will support you.
Practice the art of resilience. The annual Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans is, as you’d expect, one of the most entertaining events of the year (look for our write-up of the event, as well as a “Slice of the City” on New Orleans, in the March 2010 issue). The aroma of fresh mint and the unmistakable clatter of ice in shakers permeate the air as master mixologists focus on crafting fresh, culinary and classic cocktails (all of which are currently in vogue, but should never go out of style). I wasn’t sure how they’d top themselves after last year, but this event just keeps getting bigger and better. Sipping on handcrafted cocktails from dozens of the best mixologists in the world and rubbing elbows with true legends in the cocktail industry is only part of the fun—you also get to witness the beauty of the French Quarter and relax in some of the most distinctive locales in the city (for example, this year, events were held at the amazing Mardi Gras World and the Presbytere, with its exhibits of exquisite Mardi Gras costumes).
Besides, New Orleans can provide inspiration for all of us right now. You’d think a city that has been as battered as this one might lose hope, but residents here are amazingly resilient. We met with pizzeria owners who lost an entire location in Katrina, yet had the courage to rebuild on the same spot and now cater to local families in the area, who respond with amazing loyalty. This will to survive and thrive even among seemingly insurmountable challenges is one that we can all learn from. In the current economy, we could use a little more “nothing gets me down” swagger. As a business owner, you’re a leader in your community, so set a good example and have faith that the tides will turn.

Are the tides at your business already turning around postrecession? Leave a comment below or drop me a line at tracy@pmq.com.

Tales of the Cocktail (www.talesofthecocktail.com) takes place this year on July 21 to 25–after which you can hop aboard PMQ’s first summertime pizza Cruise (pizzacruise.com”>www.pizzacruise.com), which sails to Canada from New York on July 26 to 31.

As the weather gets warmer, I’m already looking forward to summer travels. Last summer I spent many a week on the road and after it was all done wrote a mega-blog regarding all I had learned along the way. I will post these observations in parts over the next few days to get everyone thinking about upcoming events for this year!

Recession? What recession? I refuse to let doom-and-gloom reports of economic woe deter me from summer traveling, especially when those trips can provide great learning experiences. After living out of a suitcase for what seemed like most of the summer, here’s what I’ve gathered:

A down economy demands innovation. Okay, this one’s obvious, but it seemed especially pronounced this year at Chicago’s NRA Show in May. This year’s show and attendance was down markedly from last year’s—which, on the positive side, better allowed attendees to talk with exhibitors and get to know about products in which they were interested. However, Chicago’s annual show is a must-attend regardless of our economic state of affairs. Nowhere else will you see so many innovative products, witness burgeoning trends, attend such varied seminars…and ingest so many calories for no good reason other than the fact that the food is in front of you. We picked some of the most interesting products from the show floor, which is still formidable in size, and published the results in the September 2009 issue—check out our findings!
One trend that has persisted over the last few years is the effort to go green. You can spot this everywhere at the NRA Show, from in-house water purification (to eliminate bottled water) to recycled-material pizza boxes. In fact, Sam Facchini from Metro pizza, with whom we dined at the famous Pizzeria Due, and who is currently working on opening a new location in the Las Vegas area, told us that by making some green choices, he could actually borrow more from the SBA for his latest venture. Before you associate going green with added expense and hassle, make sure you research the business benefits of these practices.
Finally, one of my favorite parts of the NRA Show is the International Wine, Spirits & Beer event. I’m a beverage fanatic in general (I’ll never say no to soda or tea samples on the show floor), and this section is great for finding out what’s new in the alcoholic sector. Some of my favorites here were: Apple Pie Liqueur, which tastes just like the classic all-American comfort dessert, brainchild of a tavern owner in Wisconsin; Paris-based Vino Cacao, which makes delicious chocolate-flavored wines in Ivoire and Noir—i.e., white and red; and “the world’s first Acai spirit,” VeeV, which is amazingly mixable and manufactured by the only certified carbon-neutral sprits company in the world (back to that green trend again!).
Of course, no trip to Chicago would be complete without a slew of pizza, and we tried it all, from gourmet thin crust to old-school deep dish. For a list of the many Chicago-area pizzerias I visited with editor-in-chief Liz Barrett, see “pizza Press” in the September 2009 issue.

What’s your favorite Chicago-area pizzeria? Let me know by adding a comment below or emailing me at tracy@pmq.com!

For more information on the NRA Show, go to http://show.restaurant.org/NRA10/public/enter.aspx.

How will you celebrate the week? If you sell beer at your pizzeria, offer a discount on specialty brews or host a one-night beer tasting for a set price. Bundle up sample sizes of beers on tap to create beer flights. Sponsor a beer taste-test competition in which entrants have to guess what beer they’re drinking. pizza Club La Habra in La Habra, California, is planning a Sam Adams Beer Tasting Dinner a couple of weeks in advance, on April 30 (the cost is , with proceeds going to charity). On May 16, a restaurant in Chicago is matching food and beer pairings with artists who will interpret them to create original performances. And, if you don’t sell beer, why not just enjoy some yourself? Visit a local brewery or pick up an unfamiliar six-pack. Take a tip from the craft movement and get creative—these brewers, who are whipping up everything from smoked to super-hoppy styles, don’t shy away from going out on a limb, and we could all learn a bit from their chutzpah.

Tracy Morin
Managing Editor, PMQ pizza Magazine

Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 02:11 PM

Ever get tired of trying to think of a new menu item, the name for that new specialty pizza you concocted, or your latest marketing ploy? Get customers to do it for you!

Contests get people excited about your pizzeria. Depending on your market and how well you advertise the effort, your contest could generate significant response. Check out The Cheesecake Factory: A few months back, the company announced that it was seeking the next great cheesecake flavor (this open call created the first wave of attention). More than 10,000 people submitted recipes, and now it’s time for the public to vote for the best out of the top five finalists (second wave). When the winning recipe is picked, it’ll become a permanent fixture on The Cheesecake Factory’s menu, and a portion of proceeds from the sale of the new flavor will go toward a charity (third wave). How many website visits–and restaurant visits–do you think the company will reap from this promotion?

Desires Hotels is following suit with its latest promotion: The public can vote on the name of its newest hotel in Manhattan (Desires gave website visitors five choices). The prizes aren’t lavish–a couple of nights’ stay, an iPod or two–but this tactic is helping build the buzz on a not-yet-open business.

Chicken of the Sea is launching an Apprentice-style contest for anyone who can design a new billboard, product or viral campaign for the company.

If you decide to use this method for naming or creating a new menu item, designing advertising material or for any other reason, advertise the effort and give people enough time to respond. Contact the local newspaper; send the editors a press release about it (take it from an editor–we love when story ideas come our way). Have people vote on your website and in your store to drive traffic to both your online outlet and brick-and-mortar outpost. You supply the prizes, and they do all of the hard work!

Let me know if you have tried something like this in the past–or if you are planning on doing it in the future. Email me at tracy@pmq.com.

Tracy Morin
Managing Editor, PMQ pizza Magazine

Monday, May 5, 2008, 12:41 PM

Many in the pizza community were pleasantly surprised to see pizza as the first challenge on Hell’s Kitchen last week. And, while some don’t care for Gordon Ramsay (I happen to love him), they were willing to put their feelings aside to see how the competing chefs were challenged to put together a high-end pizza worthy of a high-ticket price tag and the approval of Ramsay. In Ramsay’s Maze restaurant in London, he charges more than 0 for his White Truffle pizza. The contestants were given 45 minutes and 130 ingredients to choose from in making their pies.

Liz Barrett, editor-in-chief
PMQ’s pizza Magazine

Hell’s Kitchen season 4, episode 5

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Recent news out of Naples allege that some pizzerias in that city are using coffin wood to fuel their pizza ovens. This was reported in Il Giornale, a local Italian daily.

Police have been investigating reports that some of the smaller pizzerias may have used stolen coffin wood to keep their wood fired ovens going.

In recent years there has been a rash of grave robbers in the city of Naples. According to reports last year 50,000 flower pots were stolen.

As a pizza maker, I am in utter shock and disbelief. All of the pizzas made in Naples that are DOC certified are made to exact specifications.  For more information check out this resource: pizzanapoletana.org/”>Associazione Verace pizza Neapolitan .  Another pizza organization is: pizzanapoletana.org/”>Verace pizza Napoletana Americas

The idea that pizza made under such stringent conditions would get woods from coffins to me is outrageous.
I find it hard to believe that anyone would willingly violate the trust placed in these pizzerias to save a few dollars by using coffin wood.

I just don’t believe it. Certainly stranger things have happened… More on this story as it develops.

 You can read the rest of this story here.

pizza on Earth, and in Naples,

Albert Grande
pizzatherapy.com/”>The pizza Therapy pizza Promoter

You can discover  Peter Reinhart’s quest to Naples in search of the perfect pizza in his book, American Pie. Reinhart also goes to many other locations on his journey… Read all about it here.

All About pizza.
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Marty sent me the following article from the New York Times about pizza Vending Machines in Italy.

“Is Europe bringing back the automat? Claudio Torghele hopes so.

Over the last decade, Mr. Torghele, 56, an entrepreneur in this northern Italian city who first made money selling pasta in California, has developed a vending machine that cooks pizza. The machine does not just slip a frozen pizza into a microwave. It actually whips up flour, water, tomato sauce and fresh ingredients to produce a piping hot pizza in about three minutes…”

The article goes on to explain how through various testing different devices the developers of Let’s pizza were able to create a viable machine that will actually make pizzas…

You can read the entire article here.

According to the pizza.it/index-en.html”>Let’s pizza Website:

Let’s pizza is the only machine able to create pizza by kneading it on the spot and adding only fresh ingredients; water, flour, tomatoes, mozzarella and various toppings.
The aroma and the taste of an Italian pizza made with only the best Italian products at any time of the day or night in a practical takeaway cardboard box is ready for you.

And the company goes on to explain: “The pizza is untouched by human hands…”

Let’s pizza is innovative, yes. But not the first pizza vending machine…

 Lew Cennoti a pizzaiolo from Connecticut was light years ahead of his time. Lew is reported to have invented the first frozen pizza. He also invented the first pizza vending machine known as The Pie-O-Matic.

I wish I had met Lew Cenotti. He was from West Haven, Connecticut and made pizza from 1950′s-1978.

 His pizzeria “Lew’s Apizza” served legendary pizzas and incredible subs. I know I would have enjoyed our conversations. He was a dedicated father, husband and pizza professional. His wife, Louise, was known as “Mrs. Lew!”

“One of Lew’s many accomplishments in addition to the first frozen pizza, was the first pizza Vending Machine. The machine, which actually created pizza before your eyes, was featured at the World’s Fair. This machine made pizza which was a smaller version of the pizza served at “Lew’s Apizza“.

His son Stephen, who along with his two brothers (Lenny and Phil), lived upstairs from “Lew’s Apizza” reports:

“Every morning around 6:00 AM he would go downstairs and mix the dough, by hand, fresh everyday. He would also shape some of the dough into loaves of bread. Don’t take my word for it. Ask ANYBODY who lived in West Haven then…”

You can view more pictures and read all about the “Pie-O-Matic” pizza machine at this link:

Lew Cenotti’s Pie-O-Matic

Thanks Lew. You were an exrta-ordinary pizzaiolo!

 pizza in heaven,

albert grande
pizza.com/blog”>The pizza Promoter

 If you really want to get serious about making pizza and pasta, get the best pizza and pasta package ever assembled,  (Made in Italy), right here.

All About pizza.
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