Pizza Quest

Welcome back to Pizza Quest! We recently did a show that we called Bourbon 101 (June 11), and have done other shows that celebrate artisanship in subjects adjacent to our usual focus on pizza (olive oil, mezcal, tomatoes, and various types of cheeses). But, when Joe Salonia, co-host of HRN's podcast series, Cutting the Curd, offered to take me on a journey of his personal specialty cheese category, Swiss, it was impossible to resist. Joe is a national sales and marketing rep for Gourmino Cheese, makers of some of the finest Swiss-style cheeses in the world. To most Americans, the term "Swiss Cheese" is very confusing, so I asked Joe to take me by the hand and walk me through a tasting that would lift the veil and make me a semi-dangerous Swiss cheese expert. Taste along, if you'd like, and join us on a deep dive into the wonderful world of Swiss cheese!

Click here for the video versions of Pizza Quest.

If you count on HRN content, become a monthly sustaining donor at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Pizza Quest is Powered by Simplecast.

Peter's guests this week are Noel Brohner of Slow Rise Pizza, who has appeared on the show in the past, along with his colleague, molecular biologist James Gaffney. They have been working, along with a few other microbe geniuses, to create a powdered wild yeast sourdough starter that can be used just like instant yeast to make sourdough breads and pizza doughs without the need of keeping a starter in your fridge. How did they do it, when will it be available, and what are the implications of this breakthrough product for all of us? Tune in and find out in this week's episode of Pizza Quest.

Click here for the video versions of Pizza Quest.

If you count on HRN content, become a monthly sustaining donor at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Pizza Quest is Powered by Simplecast.

This episode features a conversation with Chef John Ash, who for the past 40 years has been known in Sonoma and Napa as the Godfather of Wine Country Cuisine. His restaurant, John Ash & Company, helped to define what became known as California Cuisine back in the 1980's and 1990's. John, along with chefs like Alice Waters, Jeremiah Tower, Joyce Goldstein, and Michael McCarty, changed the way people cooked and ate across the entire country. Chef Ash has also written a number of award winning books, including the 1996 IACP Cookbook of the Year, From the Earth to the Table, and has just published a beautiful new book called The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood.

On a personal note, John was the first important chef to serve Peter's bread in his famous restaurant, way back in 1988, which helped launch Brother Juniper's Bakery's successful run and paved the way for Peter's own writing career. He owes a deep debt of gratitude to John, not only for his early support and friendship, but for some of the most memorable meals Peter and his wife ever ate at John Ash & Company. You'll learn even more about this remarkable culinary influencer as he and I reconnect and reminisce in this very enjoyable conversation, here on Pizza Quest.

Click here for the video versions of Pizza Quest.

If you count on HRN content, become a monthly sustaining donor at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Pizza Quest is Powered by Simplecast.

Lloyd Pans has emerged as the leading supplier of pans for every style of pan pizza, and Paul Lackey is their Director of Operations. On this week's podcast, which was recorded at the Northeast Pizza and Pasta Expo in Atlantic City, Paul describes the manufacturing process that enables Lloyd Pans to respond to the ever-changing needs and trends in the pizza industry with durable but lightweight and affordable pans. As Peter notes, watching the sales charts of the various types and styles of pans is a great way to spot emerging trends across the country and to see what's the next big thing on the horizon. Join Peter and Paul in this enlightening conversation on this week's episode of Pizza Quest.

Click here for the video versions of Pizza Quest.

If you count on HRN content, become a monthly sustaining donor at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Pizza Quest is Powered by Simplecast.

Welcome back to Pizza Quest with Peter Reinhart. We wrap up our summer season of Golden Oldies with a special replay of our panel session at the Atlantic City Pizza and Pasta Expo Northeast, recorded October, 2022. The episode is entitled “Tinkering With Your Dough.” Peter and guest panelist and pizza master John Gutekanst of Avalanche Pizza in Athens, OH, field questions from an audience of over 100 professional and amateur pizza makers from across the nation. We expect you will find some questions of your own answered in this entertaining and informative session, and you will definitely learn some things about dough that you didn’t know before.

Next week we'll kick off the new Fall season of Pizza Quest with all new episodes, so stay tuned. Remember, it's more about the Quest than it is about the pizza, and the Quest never ends....

Click here for the video versions of Pizza Quest.

If you count on HRN content, become a monthly sustaining donor at heritageradionetwork.org/donate.

Pizza Quest is Powered by Simplecast.