Frank Giaquinto came to visit my Pizza Stand, his family started selling pizza in 1899 in Harlem, NYC

I had the pleasure of meeting Frank Giaquinto 8/26/2014.  I had posted about Frank at Reply 98 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=14920.msg329381#msg329381 on the Evolution of the NY Style Pizza thread.  Frank told me that Mick (of Mick's All American Pub) told Frank that I had called and left a message that I would like to talk to him because of the letter Frank wrote to the Editor of PMQ Magazine.  

Frank told me he was looking forward to meeting me.  Frank also told me that PMQ Magazine is soon going to do an article on Frank's family and how long they have been making pizzas.  Frank told me so many things that I can not remember all he said.  Frank said he has a written up paper he will give me the next time I see him about about what his family has done in the world of making pizza.  Frank said he has regular business cards but did not bring any along today.  There is a lot of history in Frank's family in all they did since 1899 when he grandfather starting making pizzas in the Harlem.  

I did not start making pizzas when Frank arrived.  I made the first pizza and Frank made the next two pizzas.  Frank taught me how he opens dough two different ways.  Frank know other ways to open dough balls too.  Frank said he can bake pizzas in a wood-fired oven, a coal oven, or any other kind of oven.  

My pizzas sure looked different when Frank made the two pizzas.  

Frank asked me why I didn't come to Mick's Pub to meet him.  I said the PMQ letter said he only worked Tuesday's and I am tired when I am done working, and I really didn't know if he wanted to meet me.  Frank told me he makes pizzas at Mick's Pub on Saturday and Sunday nights too.  I said I come over Saturday night to try the pizzas at Mick's Pub.  Frank told me to ask form him when I arrive.

Frank really liked my dough, pizzas and sauce.  Frank said I make a great NY style pizza.  That sure made me happy to hear that.

Frank stayed over an hour today and said he will be back again to chat with me more, and would be glad to teach me anything I wanted to know.  He is also going to teach me how to toss and twirl.  Frank had to leave because his wife wanted him to do some other things before he went to make pizza later today.  Frank told me that at Mick's Pub they also put the cheese down first and do a spiral pattern with the sauce.    

I think Frank might be able to tell us a lot about the evolution of NY style pizza.   

A short video of Frank tossing one of my doughs this morning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V73HZx5JPZw

Norma

The many doughs baked into pizzas in Steve's WFO and my two beer doughs, made with Pizzeria flour

I had a great time at Steve’s beer brewer’s picnic yesterday and my experimental doughs did turn out okay when baked into pizzas, but I don’t know if I would try the same doughs again.


I guess I didn’t study enough about adding beer to dough. I didn’t realize that the dough would be drier, so I guess I should have either added more beer, or water, to the formulations I used. I could tell when opening the two beer doughballs that the dough did feel drier than a regular 60% hydration with Pizzeria flour, but the dough balls did open okay. The first beer dough pizza I made was with the Elysian Bete Blance beer. That pizza also had some chili oil that I had made with chili I purchased at the Asian store. I don’t know why the dough made with the V8 beer had a darker rim crust after baking.

Marco’s dough did work okay to when made into a round pizza. It was very light and had a good taste. I gave one dough ball to Steve to see if he wanted to try it in a pan. The other dough ball is still in my fridge and has a big bubble on top this morning.

Many of the people that attended the beer brewer’s picnic did make their own pizzas in Steve’s WFO and some brought their own dough. Others used Steve’s dough. Frank brought his crazy dough that he turned into really good pizzas. I liked Frank’s shirt that said flour child. Frank rolls out his dough, then hand stretches it and forms edges on it. I still don’t understand how Frank just cuts off a piece of dough from the big dough mass and it doesn’t give him any stretch-back. Some of his pizzas he par-baked, then added a lot of toppings. Steve’s one neighbor brought his Reinhart doughs and those pizzas were really good baked in Steve’s WFO. There were no rules on how anyone made the pizzas and it is fun to watch how everyone makes their pizzas. There were a lot of pizzas made that I didn’t get pictures of. Many people brought their own dressings for the pizzas. I really like the apple, walnut pizza.

There were many kinds of pizzas that came out of Steve’s WFO with many people making them. It become cool when the sun was starting to set.

It was a beautiful day to have a home brew brewers picnic and I got to try many different beers that I had never tasted before. Thanks Steve for inviting me! I ate way too much pizza and other foods.  I had so much fun watching everyone make their different styles of pizzas.  There were many different levels of pizza makers at the party.  Frank makes the dough for the Fridge Pizzeria in Lancaster, Pa and also makes the flatbread pizzas.

http://beerfridgelancaster.com/ and the Fridges Flatbread Pizzas http://beerfridgelancaster.com/pizza  Frank also homebrews many kinds of beer.

I think a WFO can bake almost any type of pizza well.  All the homebrews we drank were also very good.  
Norma

First set of pictures are of the beer dough made with Elysian Bete Blanche beer.  This beer dough did have chili oil added after the bake.  The chili oil was just made with chili's from the Asian store.  The chili oil was spicy, but not too hot.

Beer Dough Pizza from the homebrewed V8 beer Steve gave me.

Marco's 75% hydration dough pizza made with 50/50 Power Flour and Mondako Flour

Various other pizzas made and some of the various pizza makers.  Also other pictures of Steve's beer brewing club picnic and pizza party.