Aged a minimum of three months, feta is a brind curd cheese that’s renowned for its flavor and versatility. An all-star performer in Greek cuisine, the product crosses over nicely into the Italian realm. In fact, feta offers operators a variety...

For some folks, that layer of grease that drips down your arm as you eat a slice of pizza is welcomed. For others, it can be a major turn-off and a reason to go somewhere else for dinner. The challenge here is to create a healthier pizza by eliminati...

We all love the sweet melodious sound of our cash register’s “cha-ching” as we make another sale, and I want to help you make that happen more often. Selling desserts is one easy way to accomplish that goal.Collectively we’ve tried it all, fr...

My pizza dough gets too soft to hand toss after only two days in the cooler. What do I do? A: In reviewing your dough formula and management procedure, I see that your dough formula contains nearly 10 percent oil in addition to 60 percent water. This...

Cajun-inspired dishes add flair to traditional Italian menus Cajun-Creole cooking is hot (as in trend, but also because customers are taking to spicy-heat dishes like never before). So why not jump on the bandwagon and play along? I am sure your cust...

Dough Doctor Mix it Up The Dough Doctor explains mixing time, oven decisions By Tom Lehmann What will happen if I mix my dough less than the normal time? A: If you mix your dough in the 15- to 20-minute range, you probably won’t see much change...

Think breaded chicken, and the ubiquitous chicken tender may come to mind. Yet many pizzeria operators find that breaded chicken also fits nicely in entrées and salads — and even as specialty pizza toppers. At Casa Del-Dio Pizzeria and Italian Kit...

Last month, I discussed a few of the ins and outs of making great thin- and thick-crust pizzas. This month, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss some of the ways to manage thick-crust pizzas. The greatest management problem with deep-dish ste...

Good, old-fashioned hamburger has adorned pizza across America for decades now. Using ground beef is simple, but bear in mind that there are different levels of leanness to consider when purchasing the ingredient. The leaner you go, the more expensiv...

While there are many varieties of onions, the four types most commonly used in just about every restaurant are: yellow, Spanish, red and scallions (also know as green onions). When we get into fine-dining restaurants, however, the usage expands to in...

When Chris and Kate Saville opened The Flatz Company in Wyckoff, New Jersey, about a year ago, they knew they wanted to use fresh ingredients. They just didn’t know where to find them. “It took a lot of trial and error and calling people,...

Weighing ingredients is crucial — are you doing it?   Very early in my career I was referred to as a “pizza boy.” After about a year of learning the ropes, you earned the title of “pizza man” –– or washed out. The difference was a ...