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“The pizzaiolo’s
life mixes a pinch of life, love and work.”
--Enzo Coccia
A day with Maestro Enzo Coccia
-by Frank Milward,
Wood Stone Corporate Chef
It's September 8th, 2004
and I am in Naples, Italy where I've flown halfway around the
globe for the World Pizza Festival. I work for
a little company called Wood Stone and though I'm an educator
I'm going back to school. Why?
Many people consider Napoletana
(Naples-style) pizza
to be the finest in the world.
Naples is famed as the
birthplace of pizza (see "History" sidebar) and today its
popularity is resurging in locations as diverse as Tokyo,
Seattle, New York and Mexico City.
In our
current oversaturated culinary landscape, the traditional
Naples-style pizza offers cooks and restaurant owners
a chance to create a real point of
difference.
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We've heard the buzz about
Napoletana
pizza
growing for some time. Like many other things handed down
from one generation to the next, this tradition
is up for interpretation.
Everyone seems to have an opinion. My goal
was to travel to Naples and bring
back to America the real,
everyday story of Napoletana Pizza. |
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Let me tell you a little
about what I do. Each day at the Wood Stone Test Kitchen I teach people how to cook in a stone-hearth
oven. It's a great
way to make a living. Over the past 8 years I've had the opportunity to share my skills and
insight about this ancient art with many, many people.
We've worked together both in the Wood Stone Test Kitchen, where
we see over 600 visitors a year, and at trade shows around the
world. We've cooked everything from California Style
Pizzas and thin Flatbreads, to deep dish Chicago-style pizzas,
to proteins like Filet Mignon, Braised Rabbit, Rack of Lamb and
Salmon Encroute.
The Big Day
Since my arrival in Naples a few days ago
I have spent
almost all of my time watching and
working with the world’s best Pizzaiolos.
These pizzaiolos are all
individually capable of producing Napoletana
pizzas that will leave you speechless and wanting more.
Teaching the rest
of the world how to
create Naples-style pizza from scratch, however, takes a patient,
unique and seriously committed person. Today,
thanks to my host Caputo Flour, I
will work with Enzo
Coccia. Many believe that he is the
premier
teacher of the proud art that is being a pizzaiolo.
Enzo has taught his trade to people from all over the world.
He is passionate about pizza and he takes
his responsibility to instill
the proper
Napoletana culinary tradition in all of his students
(including me!) very seriously.
By the end of the day I am humbled by the
simple precision of this sophisticated artisan.
His professional makeup falls somewhere between scientist and
magician. I harbor a sneaking suspicion he
just might know the real formula for turning base metals into
gold or water into wine. One thing is for sure--we have
produced two beautiful batches of dough that are ready for the
oven.
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A Byte
of
Pizza History |
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A modern pizza, that is, with
mozzarella di bufala and tomato was made in 1871
in Naples for Princess Margherita of Savoia by Raffaele
Esposito. This patriotic pizza, of basil, tomato and mozzarella,
in honor of the new tricolor Italian flag's red, green and
white, became the pizza alla Margherita. 1 |
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Sometime during the
day, a day in which Enzo has demonstrated patience many times, he
mentions “the Pizzaiolo’s life mixes a pinch of life, love and
work”. I can’t help but feel fortunate to work for Wood Stone
and to be here in Naples experiencing this moment. I feel
fortunate for meeting Enzo and his fellow
Pizzaiolos, the
artisans that live this special life.
Please enjoy the
recipes and procedures I learned in Naples
for
The Dough,
The Pizza,
The Oven. --Chef Frank and the
Team at Wood Stone
1Per
the Verace Pizza
Napoletana (VPN) Discipline and
Specifications Manual.
http://www.verapizzanapoletana.org/
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