Pizza Today - April 2022 - 44

and ovens are as important as explanations
of the new pie at the phones. A
staff tasting is a great idea. They won't
sell it if they aren't motivated. Most
POS systems have front page marketing
pictures that can intentionally
lead a customer to your new creation.
Social media is another must. Boosting
a post on Facebook has a tremendous
reach, and rewarding customers
for following your page is also a great
tool.
Menu Venue
To introduce a new creative pizza
or slice, you will have to investigate
what other independents are doing.
Some of these are game changers like
visiting the Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.
From there the deep dive continues
into the demonstrations from pros in
the industry and competitions where
you can hear, see and steal ideas and
techniques from the best pizza makers
in the world. You can also keep your
eyes out for the new food trends that
come out faster each year. Here are a
few predictions for 2022.
Plant-based pizzas: Vegan cheese
and cauliflower crust has turned into
a " must have " in my pizzeria. Vegan
chicken, shrimp, fish and sausage
are predicted to be big this year as
lifestyles are changing, as people get
older.
Swice: Yes, this is the combination
of sweet and spicy sauces. This
may lean toward Asia like sweetened
gochujang for Korean fried chicken,
or spicy Latin flavors like chilies with
agave or maple. Boneless chicken and
swice-coated bacon are perfect pizza
toppings with ricotta, mozzarella and
even brie, but beware that some sweet
sauces like teriyaki and even miso
tends to burn in the oven.
Mushrooms: Wild mushrooms,
portobello, cremini, shiitake and porcini
are huge this year. In my pizzeria,
we introduced a " Super Mushroom "
pizza two years ago as a temporary
special. It's become so popular that
we cannot take it off the menu or my
44 / PIZZATODAY.COM / APRIL 2022
customers will hunt me down.
Nostalgic pizzas: People are
searching for comfort foods from their
childhood like pimento cheese, sausages,
cream cheese jalapeño poppers,
cheddar cheese, crispy Parmigiana
or Asiago chips, BBQ sauce, smoked
pork and even stadium mustard.
Vegetables: Broccoli and cauliflower
with cream, or vegan cream sauces,
are big now. Spinach and artichokes
paired with Parmigiano and ricotta,
Kimchi and pickled cucumber with
Hoisin sauces and pork belly are
popular. These are paired with sharp
cheeses like aged provolone or goat
cheese. Fennel, either thin sliced and
cured or roasted and paired with
Parmigiano or Romano, sausage and
cream is brilliant. Chickpea, Fava and
mung beans will be popular in 2022 as
well as sorghum and barley.
Fruit pizzas: Never underestimate
the power of sweet, savory and salt
with a textural crunch. Pears, apples,
apricot, mango and plums paired with
Stilton, feta, aged provolone or Gorgonzola
with bacon, Prosciutto, spicy
capicola, smoked pork or beef bacon
are king. Other after-oven toppers like
walnuts, almonds or pecans push these
pizzas into the " must have " category
on your menu.
Charcuterie: 2022 is predicted to
be a real sliced meat year. Finishing
off slices with Prosciutto di Parma,
capicola, and mortadella. House cured
and smoked meats like pork belly,
duck breast and even smoked chicken
are going to be big stars this year.
Oils: Finishing oils like chili,
basil, cilantro and roasted sesame oils
change a pizza from so-so to fabulous!
Gorgonzola Pear Pizza with
Prosciutto di Parma
This is an all-time favorite in my
pizzeria and exhibits what Italians
call the " Agrodolce " or sweet-andsour
flavor profile. Some people
cannot handle the strong flavor of
gorgonzola, so I temper this with
some shredded mozzarella. The
Bosc pear is my favorite because
it doesn't get too soft and is baked
without turning brown and mealy.
The added touch of maple syrup
and pecan creates a strong sweet
foil for the sour cheese and a
crunchy finish.
One proprietary 19-ounce dough
pushed out into a 14-ounce
dough ball
5 ounces shredded mozzarella
2 ounces of fresh baby spinach
5 ounces of good gorgonzola
cheese
2 Bosc (or similar) pears, (11-12
ounces)
4-6 slices of Prosciutto di Parma
2-3 tablespoons maple syrup
drizzle
One handful of pecan pieces
Pre-heat your oven to 500 F.
Place the fresh spinach on the
pizza dough followed by the mozzarella
and gorgonzola.
Using a mandolin, slice the pear
thinly to the thickness of a quarter
and shingle or place around the
pizza like fish scales. You can use
the non-round pieces in the middle
so as not to waste any, then cover
with the round pieces.
Bake in the oven for approximately
12 minutes or until the crust
is golden brown and the bottom is
crisp and the cheese has melted.
When the pizza is out of the
oven, there are two options for the
Prosciutto; either lay the slices flat
on top of the pizza where they will
" melt " and become transparent (or)
you may fold the meat like satin
and lay in long strips or bunched
like a rose.
Drizzle the maple syrup around
the pizza and sprinkle the pecan
pieces on.
JOHN GUTEKANST owns Avalanche
Pizza in Athens, Ohio.
http://www.PIZZATODAY.COM
Pizza Today - April 2022

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