Category archives: Advice

How to Store Basil
Advice, Herbs

How to Store Basil

How to Store Basil. I would say that the basil is the king of the kitchen, main ingredient of pesto and decoration on almost all dishes before being presented to the customer.

The aromatic plant par excellence on pizza. Too bad that in contact with heat it blackens immediately. Today we will see how to solve once and for all this problem that worries us every day in the kitchen.

How not to make basil black

There is actually a fantastic way to prevent basil from blackening so quickly. It is a very easy trick, I would call it ... The boiling water trick.

Basil quickly turns black for one simple reason: Its leaves contain enzymes that accelerate the oxidation of plant tissues, so let's see how to deactivate these enzymes.

The boiling water system

Just dip the freshly picked leaves in a saucepan of boiling water for a few seconds (4/5) then immediately in cold water. Doing so will disable the enzyme responsible for blackening the leaves and our beloved basil will remain green for a long time.

This solution is recommended for all those who freeze basil and then reuse it later. After having subjected the basil to heat treatment, remove the leaves and place them on a tray spaced apart. Once frozen, place them in a tightly closed plastic food bag.

Conclusions

During our "Professional practical courses”Which we regularly carry out in our pizza school, basil is the aromatic plant we use the most. You'll find all the information on our practical courses at this link.

If you don't have the time or resources to come to our pizza school, take a look at our fantastic "Online Pizza Chef Course". You download it on your PC or mobile phone and follow it from your home comfortably seated on the sofa. To learn more, please click here.

As you have certainly noticed, it is already possible to download my latest recipe book called: NOT ONLY PIZZA - What should have all the pizzerias in your menu. Get it here.

If you have two free minutes left, visit my youtube channel, hundreds of pizza video recipes are available. Subscribe to this link.

 

See you soon

Silvio Cicchi

 

Actuality, Advice, Dough

How To Store Pizza Dough To Have It Always Ready Available

How To Store Pizza Dough To Have It Always Ready Available. I state that these suggestions are suitable for those who often want to prepare pizza at home.

As you can imagine, the whole process of preparing a good pizza is long, often we do not have enough time and many times we give up. Better to go to a pizzeria and buy it ready.

How To Store Pizza Dough To Have It Always Ready Available

With this little tip, you will be able to prepare your own pizza at home in less than you say.

Just follow this little trick to have the dough always ready and available to prepare an excellent pizza at home.

How to store the dough

Once the dough has been prepared, divide it into balls 250 grams, this is the first operation to do.

If you plan to make pizza in the next two or three days, store the dough in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. The dough will keep perfectly for two or 3 days at a temperature of 2/3 degrees.

If you want to use the dough for a longer time than 3 days, we just have to freeze it. After forming the balls, spread a little oil on the surface, cover them with plastic wrap and leave them in the freezer.

How to reuse them

When you need it, take them out of the freezer at least 8/10 hours before. Just the time they need to defrost. The dough keeps quite well in the freezer.

As I clearly stated at the beginning of this article, these suggestions are suitable for those who often prepare pizza at home, certainly not for a pizzeria business. There are no pizzerias that freeze the dough before using it, or at least I hope.

Conclusions

If you are a pizza lover, sign up for one of our professional practical courses that we organize weekly in our pizza school. You will find more information about ours courses at this link.

For those who do not have the time or resources to come to our pizza school, I remember that here on our site there is a fantastic "Online Pizzaiolo Course" that you can follow from the comfort of your home, just download it on your mobile. All the information of course pizza maker Online Here.

Greetings

If you have not already done, it is already possible to download my latest recipe book called: NOT ONLY PIZZA - What should have all the pizzerias in your menu. More information at this link.

See you soon

Silvio Cicchi

 

 

The Rising Of Pizza When It's Cold
Advice, Yeast

How to make the dough leaven quickly

Updated the 29 April 2022

How to make the dough leaven quickly. With the arrival of the cold season, one of the biggest problems that haunt all those who have to do with bread-making seems to be that of leavening.

Let's make one thing clear. Leavening in summer is very different from leavening in the cold season. If you are among those who have problems with leavening in winter, this article is just the thing for you.

How to make the dough leaven quickly

Leavening is a very delicate phase of bread making. Without the right precautions, we risk compromising all our work.

For a perfect leavening our dough should be left at a temperature that can vary between 20 e i 28 degrees. Covered, always covered with the classic airtight lid or with a dry cloth.

Where to leave the dough for leavening

Grandma's trick. The grandmother let it rise in the unlit oven. He added a saucepan of boiling water and closed the oven door.

This stratagem is the most used by housewives, the pan of hot water heats the oven sufficiently creating a humid environment that will facilitate the leavening process.

Other useful tips

 As I described at the beginning, the hot season gives exceptional results compared to the cold season, for this another useful suggestion could be to leave your dough in the hottest room in the house.

But how does the baker? I don't know if you've ever been to a bakery or a pizzeria's workshop. The temperature you will find is very high, always around 30 degrees. It's always summer, if you notice, the baker or pizza chef always works short-sleeved.

Create a warm room

Be very careful not to create sudden changes in temperature, this would seriously compromise the leavening.

What kind of yeast do you use? As you well know, yeast also plays an important part in the leavening process. The mother yeast that is beautiful and good, sometimes it does not have the necessary strength to make the dough rise perfectly.

Always add a pinch of good old brewer's yeast, it can be very useful especially during the cold season.

Latest tips

On Amazon you can get some great leavening kits at reasonable prices. Here is one:

LEAVENING KIT

As I repeat in every article, if you are a lover of pizza and bread, you just have to sign up for one of our professional practical courses to become pizza chefs. You will find all the information about ours weekly courses at this link.

For the less fortunate who do not have the time or resources to come to our school, I remember that here on our site there is a fantastic “Online Pizzaiolo Course” available for everyone that you can follow from the comfort of your home. You will find it at this link.

Before saying goodbye, I remind you that it is already possible to download my latest recipe book called: NOT ONLY PIZZA - What should have all the pizzerias in your menu. You can find it here.

See you soon

Silvio Cicchi

 

Foods not to be kept in the refrigerator
Actuality, Advice

Foods not to be kept in the refrigerator

Foods not to be kept in the refrigerator. The refrigerator is certainly one of the most popular appliances in the world. You know that it is very important to keep the fresh foods we buy daily, both to preserve the taste, both to make sure they last longer.

Unfortunately, not all foods must be stored in fridge, because the taste of them may deteriorate. Here is a list of some foods that should not be kept in the refrigerator.

Foods not to be kept in the refrigerator

Pane: The low temperature of the fridge is the main cause of the deterioration of leavened products prepared with flour. Cold causes yeast inhibition so bread will tend to dry out quickly. The best way to store bread is to place it in a paper bag at room temperature, or as the grandmother did in a cloth bag.

Honey: Our sweet honey if kept in the refrigerator would tend to crystallize. The best place to store honey is away from any heat source, whenever possible in a dark place.

Foods not to be kept in the refrigerator
Foods not to be kept in the refrigerator

Foods where to store them

Some kind of fruit and vegetables: For some types of starchy vegetables the low temperature of the refrigerator is not really recommended. Let's take the example of potatoes that in the refrigerator would oxidize immediately and irreparably become rancid.

Even tomatoes like all red fruits should not be kept in the fridge, you know that molds and yeasts are comfortable in low temperatures, then they would take on the mold process.

Conclusion

These things, these suggestions are studied in depth during the "Professional Courses" to become pizza chefs that we carry out weekly in our pizza school. If you are interested in having more information about our courses, visit this link.

For the less fortunate who don't have the time or resources to come to our pizza school, we suggest our fantastic "Pizzaiolo Online Course" that you can download on your PC or mobile phone and follow from the comfort of your home. You can find it at this link.

Greetings

Before saying goodbye I wanted to remind you that it is already possible to download my latest recipe book which is called NOT ONLY PIZZA - What all pizzerias should have on their menu. You can find it at this link.

Here you will find information 300 pizza recipes prepared by the pizza chef students who attend our professional practical courses weekly. You can find them at this link.

If you still have them 5 free minutes, visit my youtube channel, you will find many video recipes of classic and light pizzas.

 

See you soon

Silvio Cicchi

 

Diet Which Pizza To Choose
Actuality, Advice

Diet Which Pizza To Choose

Diet Which Pizza To Choose. Pizza is loved by everyone and frankly said it is very difficult to give it up. When you are a diet and you decide to go to a pizzeria, the choice of which pizza to order is always difficult.

Let's try to remedy this doubt that assails us every time we set foot in a restaurant, let's find out which pizza is best to order.

Diet Which Pizza To Choose
Diet Which Pizza To Choose

Diet Which Pizza To Choose

Let's start with the calories contained in a daisy. Approximately 280 calories for each 100 grams of dough. Considering that the ball of dough for a pizza weighs on average from 250 to 300 grams, we will have approx 800 calories for each margherita pizza.

Tips For Those On A Diet

The best thing to do when possible is to choose another type of dough when this is possible, maybe a wholemeal dough would greatly reduce the calories consumed.

Another useful solution could be to order a pizza with vegetables. The light version with vegetables contains between 600 and 700 calorie.

Choose a pizza without mozzarella.

A valid suggestion can come from a sensible choice, that of ordering a pizza without mozzarella.

For those who do not want to give up the healthy principles of the diet, all that remains is to order the Pizza marinara. Tomato, garlic, fresh basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Less than 600 calorie. You just can't do better than this, unless…

La Pizza Super Light

How about a nice focaccia? A fragrant focaccia with a little rocket and Parmesan cheese, or simply a focaccia with raw ham. We're talking less of 500 calorie.

On our site entirely dedicated to pizza, in the video recipes there are hundreds of pizza and focaccia recipes to be considered truly light. Below all the links to access it.

Useful links

Our school of pizza makers and practical courses

The calendar of upcoming courses

300 pizza recipes

Our "Online Pizza Chef Course"

My latest book to download

See you soon

Silvio Cicchi

 

 

Conservare L'Olio Extra Vergine di Oliva
Advice, Ingredients

Storing Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Storing Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Food storage in the kitchen is very important. When it is well done it is possible to preserve the taste and flavor of our dishes.

Extra virgin olive oil it is very important in the preparation of all dishes in the kitchen, therefore it is very important how it is stored so that it does not lose flavor, taste and aroma.

Storing Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This type of oil is absolutely natural, it is extracted with methods of pressing the olives without any addition of chemicals, it distinguishes itself from other oils for its flavor and aroma.

A good extra virgin olive oil must be fruity, if you bring your nose closer you should perceive olive odors, grass rubbed on the hands, almonds, artichokes, tomatoes, variable depending on the production area.

Store Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Storing Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Other prevailing tastes

Bitter and spicy, these flavors are perceived by tasting it and can vary depending on the phenolic component of the oil, antioxidants. They are the same antioxidants that protect our body from cardiovascular disease.

I recommend, be careful, because if the extra virgin olive oil is not perfectly preserved it would lose all its qualities.

Let's keep it right

Never store it in clear bottles, it is essential to protect it from direct sunlight, always use darkened bottles. Never use plastic bottles, it would reduce its duration.

Stainless steel containers are the best. Store it in a cool and dry place at a temperature of 15 degrees around.

Other precautions

Always plug your oil. The Parfums, aromatic substances are volatile, therefore they would be lost if you leave your container uncapped.

Last but not least is to always check the deadline.

Conclusions

In our school of pizza makers, olive oil is an integral part of our program. We always talk about it during our professional courses to become pizza chefs that we carry out regularly every week of the year. If you are interested in our practical courses, there all information at this link.

For those who do not have the time to come personally to our school to attend a practical course, I remember that here on our site there is a fantastic "Online Pizzaiolo Course" that you can follow from the comfort of your home. You will find all the information here.

You have already downloaded my latest book? It is called NOT ONLY PIZZA. A fantastic recipe book with more than 150 illustrations. You'll find all the information here.

Here you will find over 300 pizza recipes.

If you still have them 5 free minutes, visit my youtube channel.

 

See you soon

Silvio Cicchi

 

Advice, Ingredients

Store Garlic Properly

Store Garlic Properly. Food storage is very important, both cooked and raw. Poor food storage would lead to compromising proper storage.

L’Garlic it is used a lot in our kitchens, both raw on bruschetta and cooked together with food. It offers many benefits to our body, perfect for treating colds, influences and brings many other benefits.

Store Garlic Properly

This bulb has a very strong flavor, it takes very little to give the right aroma to dishes, many remove them halfway through cooking, because it often leaves a strong breath.

If after buying it we want to keep it in our kitchen in a perfect way, we will simply have to follow a few small tricks.

Store Garlic Properly
Store Garlic Properly

Let's see how it should be stored

Conservation is by no means a difficult process. Let's start from the beginning, that is, at the time of purchase. Make sure the bulb is hard, does not have any cloves that are already mushy and above all no shoots.

Once we get home we find the right place for storage. The perfect temperature is 10/12 degrees, this means that in winter we can comfortably leave it outside the balcony, perhaps in a paper bag that absorbs moisture, since humidity is the biggest enemy of these bulbs.

Away from the sunlight, to prevent the bulb from deteriorating.

Methods of preserving garlic.

With the arrival of the hot season, preserving garlic becomes more difficult, the heat is responsible for germination.

The only remedy to remedy this problem is the usual trick: Buy them a little at a time.

The fridge

Garlic should only be kept in the fridge once you have opened it. It is advisable to store it in a container to prevent the strong odor from spreading inside the refrigerator and contaminating other foods.

If you are among those who immediately separate the cloves from the bulb, know that in the refrigerator they last a maximum of one week.

Conclusions

Garlic is also widely used in pizzerias. If you are a pizza lover, sign up for one of our professional practical courses that we organize weekly in our pizza school. You will find all the information about ours courses at this link.

If you unfortunately do not have the time or resources to attend a practical course here at the school, I remind you that here on our site a fantastic "Online Pizza Chef Course" is available for everyone. You download it on your PC or mobile phone and follow it from the comfort of your home while sitting on the sofa. All the information During pizza online at this link.

You have already downloaded my latest recipe book which is called: NOT ONLY PIZZA? Do it immediately. You can find it here.

See you soon

Silvio Cicchi

 

 

How To Keep Perfect Lemons Always
Advice

How To Keep Perfect Lemons Always

How To Keep Perfect Lemons Always. After buying the lemons we are left with a great doubt. Where to store them? In the fridge? Leave them out of the fridge on the fruit basket? Or freeze them?

What to do to keep them always hard and juicy? Today we will see together how to keep these fantastic for a long time citrus fruits.

How To Keep Perfect Lemons Always.

By far the best solution would seem to be to keep them indoors at room temperature. I recommend, away from heat and if possible also away from sunlight. Simply put them in a basket, not on top of each other and they will remain perfect for a long time. Only after ten days will they begin to discolour or you may notice some mold formation, if they have not been perfectly preserved.

The fridge: Unfortunately, the refrigerator is not the ideal place for keeping lemons, they will soon become dehydrated. Only vacuum packed would they keep well in the fridge, or in a basin with water to prevent them from becoming dry. I suggest changing the water every two or three days.

How To Keep Perfect Lemons Always
How To Keep Perfect Lemons Always

Other methods of conservation

The freezer: Unfortunately if frozen, once thawed, the lemons become mushy. A friend of mine squeezes them and turns them into lemon juice cubes. One solution could be to cut them into wedges, put them in the freezer on a sheet of parchment paper, and, once frozen you can put them in food bags.

The best solution, as always, is to buy a few at a time.

Conclusion

In pizzeria lemons are used a lot, and speaking of pizzeria, I wanted to take advantage of the fact that we entered the pizzeria discourse, if you are a pizza lover, if you want to improve yourself with the preparation of pizza at home or in your business, you just have to sign up for one of our professional practical courses to become a professional pizza chef, and maybe look for work all over the world. You will find all the information about ours practical courses here.

For the less fortunate who do not have the time or resources to come to our pizza school, I remember that here on our site there is a fantastic "Online Pizzaiolo Course" available for everyone that you can download on your PC and follow comfortably seated from the sofa of your home. You will find all the information on online pizza chef course at this link.

You have already downloaded my latest recipe book? Is called: NOT ONLY PIZZA - What should have all the pizzerias in your menu. You can find it here.

Don't miss a visit to my Youtube channel with hundreds of video pizza recipes.

 

See you soon

Silvio Cicchi

 

What To Do With Leftover Pesto
Advice, Herbs

What To Do With Leftover Pesto

What To Do With Leftover Pesto. In a previous post we explained how to prepare the fantastic pesto. Every time we use it, it happens that a little is left over. If you are among those who throw it away because they don't know what to do with it, this article is made especially for you.

The best known recipe is certainly linguine al pesto. Excellent, delicious, but there are many other ways to reuse our pesto. If you have pesto left over during the preparation of your dishes, absolutely do not throw it away. I suggest some ways to reuse it.

What To Do With Leftover Pesto

Focaccia with pesto: I certainly didn't discover pesto on pizza. It has always existed. It is suitable both for dressing a margherita and simply for flavoring a simple focaccia. Seeing is believing.

Minestrone with pesto: Tell the truth, you had not thought of this solution!! Before serving your minestrone at the table, add a spoonful of pesto.

What To Do With Leftover Pesto
What To Do With Leftover Pesto

Other tips for not wasting leftover pesto

Onions and pesto omelette: An absolute delight. Brown the onions, then add the eggs and roll the omelette, taking care to turn it when it is time. Before serving at the table, add a spoonful of pesto, taking care to spread it all over the surface of the omelette.

Piadine with cheese and pesto: An exquisite solution! Heat the piadina, add a soft cheese, spreadable. Finally, season everything with a spoonful of pesto before serving it at the table.

Other valuable tips

Meat in a pan with pesto: The next time you prepare the slices of meat in a pan, or why not chicken or turkey, season with a spoonful of pesto. Your guests will thank you.

Bruschetta with pesto: Let's finish with today's tips. The next time you prepare bruschetta, serve some with pesto.

Conclusion

Do not forget that the pesto is left over, it can always be frozen for reuse next time. If you think my tips are useful, keep visiting my site.

You would like to become an expert pizza chef? Sign up for one of my "Professional practical courses" at my pizza school. If you want more information, follow this link.

If you don't have the resources to come here to our pizza school, I remind you that here on our site there is a "Fantastic Online Pizza Maker Course" that you can follow from the comfort of your home sofa. All information about the online course at this link.

I remind you that it is already possible to download my latest book which is called: NOT ONLY PIZZA - What should have all the pizzerias in your menu. You'll find it here.

See you soon

Silvio Cicchi

 

 

 

Come Sbucciare Velocemente L'Aglio Senza Sporcarsi
Advice

How to Peel Garlic Quickly Without Getting Dirty

How to Peel Garlic Quickly Without Getting Dirty. It is widely used in cooking around the world. Its therapeutic properties are well known: Improves bad breath, excellent for those suffering from insomnia, known to be a natural antibiotic. I'll stop here but if you want to know more, click this link.

It was once even used against vampires. Who does not like garlic bruschetta with a pinch of salt and extra virgin olive oil. So far so good, were it not for the fact that once peeled garlic leaves a persistent unpleasant odor on our hands.

How to Peel Garlic Quickly Without Getting Dirty

So what to do? There are many ways to overcome this problem, I want to suggest one that is certainly the simplest and fastest.

Take a glass container with a metal cap. Place a head of garlic in the container and close it tightly. Shake the jar vigorously until the bulb opens and the wedges fall apart. By continuing to shake vigorously you will notice the garlic cloves due to the rubbing, they will remain peeled.

How To Peel Garlic Quickly Without Getting Dirty
How to Peel Garlic Quickly Without Getting Dirty

It always works

If you don't have the classic glass container with a metal lid, any container with a lid where you can put the head of garlic, even plastic will do. You will get the same result.

We will finally have solved the problem of hands that stink of garlic.

Conclusions

If you want to know other simple tricks and solutions adopted by chefs, keep visiting my site.

Garlic is widely used in pizzerias, this is one of the tricks we learn during our professional practical courses that we hold in our pizza school. If you are interested in our courses and would like more information, follow this link.

If you have not already done, it is already possible to download my latest book which is called: NOT ONLY PIZZA - What should have all the pizzerias in your menu. You can find it at this link.

You would like to know more than 300 pizza recipes? Be found here.

Follow my youtube channel for the best video pizza recipes explained step by step, from the writing, to the ingredients, to cooking.

 

See you soon

Silvio Cicchi