Entries tagged with 'Books'
Posted by Adam Kuban, August 6, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Earlier today on the burger site, I excerpted a definition the "hamburger" from The Devil's Food Dictionary, a wickedly witty little book coming out in early September. Naturally, I turned to the entries concerning pizza, as well. There are three: pizza, "pizza," and pizza cutter. I like what author Barry Foy writes about "pizza." (The quotation marks are his and are intentional.)
"Pizza": A baked pastry resembling Pizza, ubiquitous on college campuses. "Pizza" consists of 1) a flat, breadlike disk, dressed with 2) a "Sauce," usually the color of tomatoes, and 3) any number of "toppings" made of "Ingredients." The toppings are available either 1) in standard combinations or 2) A La Carte. Fans insist that many of these toppings have 1) "Texture," and even 2) "Flavor." The point may be moot, since it is common knowledge that the most effective flavor enhancer for "pizza" is some sort of recreational drug, which of course the eater must supply for himself.*
But the flavor issue shouldn't be allowed to divert attention from teh real sources of "pizza's" magic, namely 1) its excellent crush-resistant packaging, and 2) the fact that you can pay for it with coupons scattered all over the floor of your dorm lobby.**
*Except for one place at the corner of 43rd and Dexter in Seattle—ask for "triple cheese and extra Pineapple."
**Readers will be relieved to know that the number of people killed annually by eating "pizza" is fewer than those killed by the drivers delivering it.
The Devil's Food Dictionary, which sprang from an eponymous website, comes out September 2, 2008; suggested retail, $17.95; 268 pages.
Posted by Adam Kuban, July 16, 2008 at 8:00 AM
I took some art history courses in college. Did they prepare me for this?
Pizza Corpse is an exquisite framing of the artist's nostalgia, social and cultural associations; interest in the grotesque, hygiene and self-image, corporal perturbations, and any other greasy subject related to these concerns in and out of the box. All of the featured artists are Yale School of Art graduate students or recent graduates, who grinningly pulled the book's topic out of a hat. This strategy not only introduced a re-examination of Fluxus terms for the compilation, but it also served as a method to display contemporary alterations of Internet-accessible imagery. You will find this book to be a humorous browse or an earnest sit down; the responses in the book are as varied as the toppings on a pizza.
I'm not sure they did.
Pizza Corpse Book Launch
Where: Printed Matter, 195 Tenth Avenue, New York NY 10011 (b/n 21st and 22nd streets; map)
When: 5 to 7 p.m.; Thursday, July 17, 2008
More Info: http://printedmatter.org/news/news.cfm?article_id=329
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 27, 2005 at 3:00 PM
With a cover reminiscent of a retro pizza box and contents almost as tasty as the real thing, Everybody Loves Pizza, by Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby, has earned a place on the Slice Bookshelf.
Full disclosure: I know one of the authors. Mr. Ruby and I were in the same journalism program at university. Still, that didn't stop me from turning a critical eye on this book. In fact, my initial reaction when hearing about it was, "Oy! Another pizza book!? What more can be said?"
Fortunately, Penny and Jeff find plenty new to say, particularly with some interesting history and facts that, surprisingly, I haven't read elsewhere. Concerning one of Slice's favorite pizzaioli, Dom DeMarco, for example, the authors tell us that he ends each pizza-filled day by drinking a "$100 bottle of Amarone Valpolicella—he buys 1 bottle a day and 2 on Saturday because the liquor store is closed on Sunday." Who knew!? (More important, how does Dom get himself into work by 7 a.m. after drinking a bottle of fine wine post midnight?)
Continue reading »
Posted by seltzerboy, May 20, 2005 at 10:30 AM
Wednesday night, this site's editor in chief and I finally caught up with Jim Leff, who decided to stop by (well, near) our place of business for a little chat at Coliseum Books. Good thing it wasn't the other way around, because the much-admired food sleuth does his business seemingly in every corner of the tri-state area.
What a treat to talk turkey (well, not exactly) with Mr. Leff, whose populist spirit for a better way of eating infused the room with endless possibilities for elevating the way we eat. Mr. Leff, who wears a hound mask to protect his identity, may well be the city's most offbeat food critic, a moniker he would likely shun—and who could blame him. The mental muscle behind Chowhound.com, he is more than just another guy with a palate and a pen. Mr. Leff is a careful observer of the many nuances involved in cooking, and treats it more like an art form than the science fiction to which it is customarily relegated. He looks beyond atmosphere and other Zagat niceties in favor of restaurateurs who pour their souls into their frying pans, whether they cook in star-bestowed kitchens of distinction or turn out seemingly impossible delights in out-of the way greasy spoon diners. In this world, nothing trumps eating well.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, March 3, 2005 at 2:04 PM
Ed Levine continues his media blitzkrieg. The food writer and author of the recently released book Pizza: A Slice of Heaven appeared on Fresh Air with Terry Gross yesterday, talking about—what else?—pizza.
Click here to listen to the segment. (Windows Media or Real player required.) Mr. Levine discusses "pizza cognition theory" (how your first slice of pizza shapes your pizza world view from that moment forth), coal- and wood-fired ovens, and why you can't bake a stellar pizza at home, among other things pizzarific.
Slice will publish a review of Mr. Levine's book within the next few days. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, you can purchase the book from Amazon.com.
—Image from Radiosmith
Posted by Adam Kuban, October 18, 2004 at 10:12 AM
Last Friday I mentioned briefly that one of the guests at the Slice One-Year Anniversary, Joe S., won a book in the raffle drawing we had. That book was a copy of American Pie (right), by Peter Reinhart.
Slice received its copy of this book from GirlyNYC, proprietor of Hottpants, a blog about panties (see: There really is a blog for everything!). Ms. Girly thought American Pie would be right up our alley, and it was. (Many thanks to her!) We liked it so much that we knew it'd be the perfect door prize. *
American Pie is an account of baking instructor and cookbook author Peter Reinhart's search for the perfect pizza. His journey takes him to the motherland, Italy, to get at the dish's roots, before it leads him around the United States looking for the best pie in the land.
Continue reading »
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 24, 2004 at 7:56 AM
That's When I Reach for My Thermometer
Fire it up: Grimaldi's, whose oven is pictured above, is one of the few New York City pizzerias using coal as a fuel. Though some amazing pizzas have come from regular gas-fired ovens, a coal oven is capable of producing a crust like no other.
My dear pizza pupils, it's been a while since we've given you a reading assignment. Lucky for you, the required material on our syllabus does not require you to take a test, and it's actually fun to read—especially this particular selection.
Recently, while conducting web-assisted research on coal-oven pizza, we ran across an electronic version of a favorite Jeffrey Steingarten column, "Perfection Pizza," which appears in his book It Must Have Been Something I Ate. We've mentioned this essay in our "Bookshelf" section, and we're pleased to be able to link you to it. From beginning to end, this is a thoroughly entertaining and educational story about the storied coal ovens of New York City and one man's quest to reproduce their effects at home. Here's how the piece opens:
Continue reading »
