{"id":14928,"date":"2023-04-21T17:08:45","date_gmt":"2023-04-21T17:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/21\/tools-of-the-trade-14-chef-approved-essentials-for-making-the-best-homemade-pizza-pasta\/"},"modified":"2023-04-21T17:08:45","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T17:08:45","slug":"tools-of-the-trade-14-chef-approved-essentials-for-making-the-best-homemade-pizza-pasta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/21\/tools-of-the-trade-14-chef-approved-essentials-for-making-the-best-homemade-pizza-pasta\/","title":{"rendered":"Tools of the Trade: 14 Chef-Approved Essentials for Making the Best Homemade Pizza & Pasta"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

This article is part of an interview series called Tools of the Trade, a column featuring expert-approved tips, tricks, and product recommendations. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

When Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow, co-chefs of San Francisco\u2019s Flour+Water Hospitality Group<\/a>, met, they immediately clicked. \u201cWe very much speak the same language around food,\u201d Thomas says. \u201cFrom the general philosophy to the ethos towards sourcing, all the way down to management style.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas was two years into Flour+Water<\/a>\u2014a restaurant focused on Neopolitan-style pizza and fresh, handmade pasta\u2014when Ryan joined the team in 2011. More than a decade later, the Flour+Water team has not only made a name for themselves in the Bay Area as a stand-alone restaurant, but they\u2019ve also expanded into a full-on hospitality group that includes Flour+Water, Penny Roma<\/a>, Flour+Water Pasta Shop<\/a>, and a partnership with cocktail bar, Trick Dog<\/a>. Soon, they will add Flour+Water Pizzeria<\/a> to the restaurant family.<\/p>\n

The pair describes themselves as coming from different directions of similar culinary backgrounds. \u201cWe were both kind of chasing fine dining and wanting that Michelin Star-exclusive experience, so we [individually] went to Europe for different stage opportunities<\/a>,\u201d Ryan explains. They shared the same goal of wanting to prioritize specific facets of the fine-dining experience\u2014sourcing, cooking techniques, honoring ingredients, and showing them in their best light\u2014without the exclusivity and stuffy environment that the highbrow dining scene often breeds. \u201cHaving a broad audience is something that the fine-dining world doesn’t get,\u201d Ryan continues. \u201cIt’s a very narrow, almost elitist audience that you’re cooking for. So, being able to source the same ingredients as those restaurants that do 40 to 60 [seats] a night, but in an environment like Flour+Water or Penny Roma, where we’re feeding a couple hundred people, that was really inspiring. It kind of changed my mentality of why I cook. It’s to feed people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>
\n

Photo by Krescent Carasso<\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each establishment within the restaurant group has its own focus, but is propelled by a shared mission: creating culinary experiences that reflect a commitment to quality, community impact, and transparency. \u201cReally at the center of [everything we do], our cause and purpose is around regenerative agriculture,\u201d Thomas explains.<\/p>\n

Regenerative agriculture, also known as carbon farming, works to restore soil biology by naturally pulling literal tons of carbon out of the atmosphere, bringing the soil back to life, and replenishing nutrients. Zero Foodprint<\/a>, which won the 2020 Humanitarian of the Year James Beard Foundation Award<\/a>, is an organization that allows businesses to get involved in carbon farming by adding a 1 percent charge to each purchase. The proceeds from that 1 percent are then used to work towards \u201cturning bad carbon into good carbon.\u201d Not only does each of the Flour+Water Group’s restaurants apply this 1 percent Zero-Foodprint charge to its orders, but the brand’s dried pasta is also one of the first consumer packaged goods (CPG) to do the same. (You can read more about just<\/em> how Zero Foodprint makes change happen here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by Zero Foodprint <\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thomas and Ryan’s focus on the environment exists on a macro, climate-based level, as well as a micro, restaurant-focused level. \u201cI want people to be inspired [when they come to work],\u201d Ryan says. \u201cHappy cooks make happy food. It tastes better, right?\u201d They work to support their employees, something that isn’t always a given in the restaurant industry<\/a>. Some ways they do this are via competitive compensation, medical benefits, a 401k option, and a DE&I task force. \u201c[It is important to us that we’re] making sure that the environments we’re all in are ones that people truly enjoy being in, whether they’re working or dining with us. Anyone that enters our restaurants is looked at as a human being, as an equal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n
\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re into the Flour+Water ethos or you’ve been wanting to try your hand at making a version of their pizza and pasta at home, Thomas and Ryan can help. Below you’ll find the 14 items they always have on hand, and recommend, for anyone wanting to recreate Flour+Water’s favorites in their own home.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by OXO<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. OXO Digital scale (for dough production & pizza dough portioning)<\/a>, $56<\/h3>\n

\u201cConsistency is one of the most important parts of the professional kitchen,\u201d says Thomas and Ryan. \u201cWhen measuring ingredients in volume, the true amount can differ depending on who is measuring and what they’re using to measure. By using a scale (especially when set in grams), we can remove variance, and therefore the opportunity for inconsistency. We use a kitchen scale to weigh out pizza and pasta dough ingredients along with a number of other kitchen tasks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by Liz Andrew<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Frieling Food mill (for preparing tomatoes for pizza & pasta sauce)<\/a>, $100<\/h3>\n

\u201cFor traditional Neapolitan pizza, the tomato sauce [we make] is simply canned tomatoes run through a food mill to create the right consistency before topping the dough,\u201d says the duo. \u201cWe also use a food mill for tomatoes used in pasta sauce and for processing cooked potatoes into gnocchi.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by Rocky Luten<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. GIR Ladle Set (for saving pasta water & applying pizza sauce)<\/a>, $24<\/h3>\n

Thomas and Ryan\u2019s top pasta-making tip? \u201cSave your pasta water!\u201d They explain that a better plate of pasta almost always comes from \u201cusing a ladle of the pasta cooking water in your sauce to help season and add body.\u201d The Flour+Water team also uses a small ladle to add sauce to pizza dough before spreading it over the surface to coat.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by John BOOS <\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Large Walnut Cutting Board (for forming pasta & assembling pizza)<\/a>, $194+<\/h3>\n

\u201cGreat pasta is all about texture,\u201d they say. \u201cBy using a large wood cutting board as your work surface for forming pasta, you’re adding a small imprint of texture on each noodle. We also use the large surface for preparing pizza toppings and stretching out portioned pizza dough.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by Julia Gartland <\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. An Electric pasta roller<\/a>, $220<\/h3>\n

For Thomas and Ryan, \u201ca pasta roller is key to speeding up your fresh pasta production.\u201d The pair \u201cloves the craftsmanship of the Imperia La Rame 150 machine<\/a>,\u201d but since they’re hard to find in the U.S., they suggest opting for KitchenAid\u2019s electric version because it \u201chelps the beginner pasta maker thanks to its consistent rolling speed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by La Gondola<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

6. A Manual Pasta Cutter<\/a>, $81<\/del> $77<\/h3>\n

\u201cThese durable and stylish pasta cutters help make you look like a pro,\u201d the pair agrees. \u201cWhether cutting straight lines for short noodles or adding a fluted edge to your filled pasta, these hand-held cutter wheels allow you to cut your pasta with confidence and precision.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by Bernal Cutlery<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

7. A Cavarola Board<\/a>, $42<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re looking to level up your fresh pasta game, they recommend adding cavarola board to your kitchen. \u201cTry making some hand-formed noodles like cavatelli pressed over these artisanal cavarola boards,\u201d Ryan and Thomas say. \u201cThe pattern not only looks great but also adds to the exterior texture of your pasta.”<\/p>\n

Want something a little more budget-friendly? Try this Italian-made gnocchi stripper<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by Julia Gartland <\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

8. A Stainless Steel Stockpot<\/a>, $280<\/h3>\n

\u201cA big mistake that most people make when cooking pasta is not having enough water volume to keep the product at a rolling boil,\u201d they say. \u201cWe suggest four quarts of water in a 6-quart stock pot to make sure your pound of pasta stays moving during the entire cook time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by Flour + Water <\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

9. Flour + Water Foods Dried Pasta Four Pack<\/a>, $24<\/h3>\n

After years of perfecting the process of bronze-die-extruded pasta<\/a> in their restaurants, the co-chefs launched a dried pasta line that applies the techniques they love and obsess over. \u201cBronze-die pasta is essential for making a better bowl of spaghetti at home,\u201d the pair explains. \u201cDried pasta is formed by pressing the dough through an extruder that molds it into various shapes, and bronze dies impart an unbeatable texture to each noodle. The result is a textured pasta perfect for soaking up sauce.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by James Ransom <\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

10. Boska Ceramic Pizza Stone<\/a>, $30+<\/h3>\n

This stone is Ryan and Thomas\u2019s choice for \u201cturning any oven or grill into a pizza oven.\u201d How exactly does that work? \u201cThe stone holds heat and therefore sets the bottom of your pizza crust, giving you more structure and an even bake,\u201d they explain.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by MJ Kroeger<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

11. Ooni Pizza Cutter<\/a>, $25<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe prefer a wheel-style pizza cutter for at-home use,\u201d says Thomas and Ryan. \u201cThese wheels are great for almost any pizza style you’re trying to create in the home kitchen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by Rocky Luten<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

12. Bushwick Kitchen Spicy Honey Duo<\/a>, $28<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s all in the details. \u201cWant to really impress your dinner guests?,\u201d the duo asks. \u201cA little drizzle of spicy honey is the perfect finishing touch to a sausage or pepperoni pizza, but also works great with a four-cheese blend. Spicy, salty, sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by Breville <\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

13. The Smart Oven\u00ae Pizzaiolo<\/a>, $1000<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re wanting to go all-in on an appliance, Thomas and Ryan suggest this electric pizza oven by Breville. \u201c[It] does an amazing job of recreating the environment of a restaurant\u2019s wood-burning oven. The high heat mimics our 900-degree wood-fired oven at Flour+Water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n <\/svg>
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a>\n <\/div>

\n

Photo by Rocky Luten<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

14. Nordic Ware Stackable Cooling Rack<\/a>, $34<\/h3>\n

Unless you want to burn your mouth, you\u2019ll want to let your pizzas cool before digging in. \u201cWhen we pull a pizza out of the oven at the restaurants, we always let it set for a moment on a wire rack, which allows some of the moisture from the crust to escape before it has a chance to sog out the bottom crust,\u201d they say. \u201cWe love the Nordic Ware Stackable Cooling Rack because it allows us to cook multiple pies at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n


\nWhat are your favorite pizzas and plates of pasta to make at home? Let us know below!<\/em>
\n<\/center><\/p><\/div>\n


\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This article is part of an interview series called Tools of the Trade, a column featuring expert-approved tips, tricks, and product recommendations. Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to. When Thomas McNaughton and Ryan Pollnow, co-chefs of San Francisco\u2019s Flour+Water Hospitality Group, met, they immediately clicked. \u201cWe very […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14929,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-14928","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-food"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14928","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14928"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14928\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14929"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}