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On Thursday 29th June, in a packed room at the Kesté Wall Street restaurant in New York’s glistening financial district, some of Italy’s best pizza makers defended on the city to share their knowledge as part of three days of events organised by LSDM-Le Strade della Mozzarella and sponsored by S.Pellegrino.
The event welcomed the likes of Gino Sorbillo and Rosario Ferraro - both classed as master pizzaioli from Naples, Italy - who joined pizza pros such as Giulio Adriani, Roberto Caporuscio and Jonathan Goldsmith from Chicago’s Spacca Napoli restaurant.
The masters of Italy’s scene presented ideas on the classic Neapolitan pizza. Which, according to the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana, must be made using 0 or 00 wheat flour, salt, water, natural yeast, San Marzano tomato and Mozzarella di bufala Campana.
FDL contributor Kirsten Alana was there and fortunate enough to sample the delicious offerings. Reminding us just how good it was...
“The smell emanating from the wood-fired ovens where pies were cooking would be enough to distract the most focused critic,” she said. “But we were there to worship technique and individual ingredients as much as the pizzas.”
While the classic traditions were firmly on display during the event, others in the lineup presented more modern takes on the original Neapolitan pizza. Giulio Adriani with a pizza topped with yellow tomatoes, honey, spicy pepperoni, ricotta and mozzarella. Jonathan Goldsmith with his classic crust topped with crème fraiche and mascarpone, dill, mozzarella, marinated shrimp and peppery arugula.
“The dough! It could be eaten on its own and indeed after trying it, one might want to. It’s classic Napolitano in texture and has that mandatory char from the wood-fired oven but there’s an upgraded quality to this flavor profile that’s fully unexpected given the night’s emphasis on tradition.”
Le Strade della Mozzarella brought together the new, classic, modern and old, all converging at the ingredient intersection of delicious street. Young chefs inspired by Neapolitan pizza were firmly on display either working within the States already, or, like Adriani, who will soon emigrate to the U.S from Rome to open his own pizzeria in Atlanta alongside Alison Hill, already planning to open there.
The final words from Alana?
“The ultimate lesson of the evening, in a city where food drives culture and where culture so often depends on cuisine – there is no matching the cult-like draw of these imported Italian ingredients used to create Neapolitan pizzas.”
Ahead of the #50TopPizza Awards in Naples on the 20th of July, find out this year's International winners!
