| What a breakthrough! Let me tell you about it. I put | | | | something about the canned tomatoes he uses: |
| together a recipe for a pizza sauce some time ago | | | | "Always buy whole, peeled tomatoes and crush them |
| based upon various recipes I had researched on the | | | | yourself." |
| internet. It tasted really decent. It involved cooking | | | | I thought long and hard about this and figured that |
| down some tomato sauce with some spices and a | | | | Jeff probably knew what he was talking about! It all |
| wee bit of brown sugar added. As I was saying, it | | | | seemed to make sense. Now I definitely don't do |
| tasted really decent. However, I get pizza delivered | | | | everything the way Jeff does, but I have |
| once in awhile from a local pizzeria that does New | | | | implemented his strategy of crushing whole, peeled |
| York Style Pizza and I am always amazed at how | | | | tomatoes and, without pre-cooking them, applying |
| light and fresh the sauce tastes. I began to ponder | | | | them directly on the pizza before before putting it in |
| on this and wondered just what it is that I was | | | | the oven. The results have been phenomenal! I have |
| missing in my recipe. | | | | discovered what my pizza sauce was missing and |
| Since pizzerias are usually pretty secretive about their | | | | how to make my sauce taste as fresh and light as |
| recipes I decided not to bother trying to find out | | | | the wonderful New York style pizza that I get |
| what they did to get their pizza to taste so good. | | | | delivered. Here is my recipe: |
| Instead I went online and surfed for more sauce | | | | Ingredients: |
| recipes. Then I stumbled upon a site by Jeff | | | | 1 14.5 oz. can whole, peeled tomatoes (I like |
| Varasano, who "reverse-engineered" the pizza of | | | | Hunt's®.) |
| Patsy's Pizza in East Harlem, New York. Reverse | | | | 2 cloves garlic |
| engineering is, instead of engineering a product, taking | | | | 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves |
| an existing product and breaking it down to find out | | | | 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves |
| how it is made so you can replicate it. | | | | 1/4 tsp. salt |
| Jeff, the founder and CEO of a software company, | | | | 1/4 tsp. Lawry's® seasoned pepper (or ground |
| loved the product from Patsy's so much that he | | | | black pepper) |
| committed himself to finding out how he could | | | | 1/4 tsp. brown sugar |
| produce a pizza with the same qualities. After six | | | | 1/4 tsp. onion powder |
| years of research and experimentation, Jeff not only | | | | 1/8 tsp. McCormick® crushed red pepper |
| reached his goal, but he has generously shared the | | | | Instructions: |
| details of his work and many tips for putting | | | | Mince the garlic. In a bowl, blend the garlic, the |
| together an excellent pizza. You can read all about it | | | | tomatoes and all other ingredients and crush the |
| at: slice.seriouseats.com/jvpizza/ | | | | tomatoes by hand. Or, mince the garlic in a food |
| But getting back to the sauce. Jeff said something | | | | processor and add the tomatoes and all other |
| about pizza sauce that got my attention. He said, | | | | ingredients and process until tomatoes are crushed |
| "DON'T make a sauce. That is, don't pre-cook the | | | | (but not pureed). Spread evenly on pizza dough and |
| tomatoes. The tomatoes will cook on the pizza. If | | | | add your cheese, pepperoni, etc. This will make |
| you cook a sauce first, it will cook again on the pizza, | | | | enough sauce for two 12" pizzas. |
| turning it brown and yucky. No need to make a | | | | Copyright © 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights |
| sauce. Look at how overcooked many sauces are. | | | | reserved. |
| The best places don't do this." Jeff also said | | | | |