Making A Portrait Out Of Pizza

Making A Portrait Out Of Pizza
Silly as it may sound, you have to admit that as a child, playing with your food or better yet, making an art masterpiece out of it was very liberating. 

Now children (and adults), we’re not suggesting that you play with food because it’s obviously wrong on so many levels but let’s just say this is a 1-day guilt-free pass to go wild on decorating your pizza or pasta. Again, we’d like to emphasize, we strictly don’t condone playing with your food.

What you’ll need for this art class:

Olives, tomato puree, basil, mozzarella cheese, pepper, pepperoni and of course a canvas… we mean crust.

The trick is to imagine that you’re painting an actual portrait, only this time you’d want to eat the
portrait afterwards so please do not go all messy and Picasso on it.

Step 1
Use a brush to smother the tomato paste according to the features of your subject person.

Step 2
Set the eyes with olives.

Step 3
Use basil leaves to form the hair.

Step 4
Sprinkle mozzarella carefully to create the contours of your subject’s face.

Step 5
Use pepper to create freckles.

Step 6
What shall we do with the pepperoni? Good question. Line those slices all around your pizza creating a pepperoni perimeter (no artistic intention there, only because it’ll taste good).

Step 7
You get the picture. Now go crazy! We know you can do better than our 7 Step approach.
But in case you’re low on the creative juice, here are some cool examples to guide you…

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The Invention of Pizza

The Invention of Pizza

Surely Wikipedia has your answer to this question but chances are you will be bored within 2 minutes of reading about pizza’s long and tedious history. The history of pizza really is quite unclear up until today. If you ask 10 historians about its origin you are bound to get 10 different answers. Some argue pizza was born in Venice, some say it’s Rome.

Now we all remember pizza vividly from childhood experiences like a pizza outing after a game or a treat by our parents after acing an exam. Whatever the memory we can all agree that pizza was our comfort food as kids and it certainly carries nostalgia in our adulthood.

But the invention of pizza goes a long way back, way before our childhood memory.

Somewhere along the way, this happened…

• Before pizza took on its circular pie form, people in medieval times (we mean really medieval like 3rd Century B.C.) used it as a slab of bread to plate all sorts of toppings.
  
     

• Long, long, time ago, a genius of a chef named Raffaele Esposito became the father of modern pizza after presenting to Queen Margherita of Savoy what was then known as a peasant dish and she loved it. Thus, the name Pizza Margherita. To represent the colours of the Italian flag, he used a combination of tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil.
  
     

• Two centuries later, pizza rose to popularity in America by Gennaro Lombardi who opened the first pizzeria in North America (New York). Lombardo is now known as America's "Patriaca della Pizza."
  
  

The birth of VIVO in 20th century…

Once upon a time in a land far, far, far away (okay, maybe not that far away) lived a family of pizza makers known as the Horrigan family. It all started with the family’s secret pizza recipe of using traditional baking methods to make American pizza.  Their American pizzas shot to fame very quickly in town and from this humble beginning, VIVO was born.  Today, VIVO brings you pizzas using the latest baking technology that ensures perfection and consistency at all times.

And in closing, it’s only apt that we quote the late great Dean Martin as he sang, “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore.”

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Most Creative Pizza Delivery Boxes

Random as it may seem, pizza boxes can actually be a canvas for all sorts of creative execution.  Instead of just stamping one’s brand or logo on the cover flap, this space can be used to write a message – like a birthday greeting (pictured below), humorous reasons for late pizza delivery (pictured below) or even fun facts about pizza.

Not everyone likes birthday cake. Wouldn’t it be fun to blow out your candles on a birthday pizza?



The side panel of a pizza box showing (funny) reasons why the delivery arrived late



The new wave of advertising (nom nom nom)



A big man carrying his pizza – we’ll leave this (unusual) picture interpretation up to you



Why are you reading the stamp?



A game of dice. Why not?



Enjoy your pizzas on the sofa, in front of the television too much? Here’s a mess-free and comfortable way of eating – a pizza box converted into a mini table. 

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How is pasta made

Really, how is pasta made?

Ever wondered what this Italian staple food that comes in all shapes and sizes is made of? Regardless the colour, flavour or shape, pasta can be defined in two types: fresh (homemade) and dry.  The latter is what you buy off the supermarket and stores that’s packaged and segregated according to its shape, be it linguini, spaghetti, angel hair, macaroni, penne or others. Pasta making at factories is rather a rigid process, so let’s look into the fun and hands-on approach of making pasta at home. It really is simpler than you think.

What you’ll need for 1 pound of pasta:  

2 cups unbleached flour, 3 eggs, ½ teaspoon salt & a pasta machine.  

1. On a mound, gently stir in the egg mixture into the flour, using a fork then slowly mix with your fingers.
2. Bring the mixture together with your hands to form a ball. Add a little more egg mixture if dough is too dry.
3. Knead the pasta dough, pushing down and away with your palms until dough is smooth.
4. Separate and roll into 3 equal sections. Flatten one dough ball and slot it into the pasta machine on its widest setting (1). Continue to do this making the slot smaller each time.
5. Place your sheet of dough (in desired thickness) into the cutting blades. Immediately hang pasta strips on a rack for drying. Fresh pasta can be stored up to a week. 

If you don't have a pasta machine, a rolling pin will work just fine

Yellow is boring!

Surely the first time you heard of squid ink pasta, you frowned at the thought of eating those coal black strips. The truth is, adding that extra ingredient to your pasta dough will not significantly increase its flavour but you will, however, enjoy the colour it produces.

For orange pasta, use either pumpkin or tomato paste. For green pasta, try blended spinach or pesto. For purple pasta, add dragon fruit or blueberry.

So, why the many shapes and sizes?

It isn’t just a modern marketing gimmick. In fact, they serve a good purpose. The wider the surface of pasta, the more space for sauces to cling on. Even the shape of pasta decides its ability to be stuffed, layered or provides versatility in recipe creation.

Stay tuned for more pasta and pizza education!

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Talk Pasta and Pizza Like A Pro

There must’ve been a time in your life before that you heard or spoke specially formulated words and terms, suited only to a specific purpose of requesting a specific something.

For example, when you want a fried egg with its yolk soft and intact, you say:

“One sunny side up!” if you’re in a hotel or “Satu telur mata!” if you’re at your neighbourhood mamak stall.

Another example would be proclaiming the words “bottoms up!” when you intend to challenge or invite those around you to finish their drinks, usually with alcohol in it, in a fast manner. As if you didn’t know this already.

Then you have more negative examples, like how 2 simple words; “you’re” and “fired” can sum up the meaning of a whole sentence explaining that you or someone else, just lost their job.

Using phrases such as these would give others the idea that you “know what you’re doing”, and thus make you seem like a bit of a pro at what you’re talking about.

You could call this jargon, because it sort of is.

What about when it comes to ordering pastas and pizzas? Surely there must be some globally recognized words and terms or jargon that can leave you feeling like a pro after saying them? Well, here’s a short list of stuff that might; along with pointers on some “pro” words that are often mispronounced in the pasta and pizza world.

Al Dente           

This is an Italian term which is translated directly as “to the tooth”. It describes the ideal level of doneness for pastas and its balanced texture when chewed.

Parmesan

First of, do not call this “cheese powder”, because while it looks like it is, it’s just wrong to call it that. And it isn’t “par-may-son” or “par-mi-son”, it’s “par-muh-sjon”. If you didn’t get that, then go online and search up the pronunciation!

XVOO or EVOO

This stands for “Extra Virgin Olive Oil”, a much healthier oil used in preparation of various pasta dishes. You’ll find this 4-letter abbreviation in some menus and when you do, you’ll now know what they mean!

Tabasco Sauce

Many western food lovers will find that their meals aren’t complete without this famous sauce. Unfortunately, many pronounce it as “toh-bes-ko”, which is wrong; and it’s strange because it’s even spelt with a “ta”. So get it right and say “ta-bes-co”!

Baguette

This famous type of bread is one that you’ll find being used as garlic bread and accompanying your soup or pasta. But it isn’t pronounced “ba-gu-wet”. In fact it’s much easier – “ba-get”.

Capsicums

Green peppers, red peppers and bell peppers, they’re all basically the same thing. But it just sounds more sophisticated when called “capsicum”.

This is by no means a complete guide to talking like a pasta or pizza pro, but it just touches on a few things that popped into mind. Look out for a second edition of this topic, if and when it comes out! For now, why don’t you satisfy your weekday pasta craving by heading over to a VIVO near you? Here’s where you can locate one http://www.vivopizza.com/our-stores.html

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Pizza & Beverage Marriages

Like all kinds of food and beverage pairing, pizza too has its great companions apart from the classic pairing with drinks of a more...ahem... alcoholic nature. Here are some fun beverages to zest up a pizza session, some are DIY and some can be ordered at most pizza outlets!

Citrus mint cooler  

1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups water
10 sprigs mint
32 fluid ounces ginger ale water

Just by looking at the recipe, one can imagine how refreshing this drink is. Whether you’re going for a cheesy pizza, spicy one or even seafood marinara, this thirst-quenching goodness works to cleanse your palate so you can enjoy the flavours of your pizza topping better. Of course this a DIY drink, alternatively if you’re eating out, try something along the lines of lemon and lime for the same pairing effect.

Lime Cola



This self-explanatory (recipe) drink works wonders with pizza as we are all accustomed to having a fizzy kick when gnawing on some chewy cheesy pizza. Probably the most logical explanation for this favourite pairing is its burp-inducing factor. Everyone loves a good burp while having some heavy pizza, wouldn’t you agree? Instead of the usual cola, try a squeeze of lemon for that added zest.

Pineapple Pleasure



1 tsp. Honey

1 tsp. Sugar
6oz
Pineapple juice
2oz
Mineral water
Crushed ice

While pineapple may not be everybody’s favourite, this fruit in its juice form is simply hard to resist. It’s always nice to serve up your own mocktails when entertaining guests, so why not try this dead simple recipe at home while you enjoy some piping hot pizza? The obvious match to this tropical mocktail would be Hawaiian pizza but nothing could possibly go wrong with this pairing.

Power Juices

Better yet, head on down to any of the Vivo outlets near you to feast on your favourite pizza and boost up your energy with some great power juices.

By the end of this read, you should feel like a pizza & beverage connoisseur... sort of.  

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Pizza Superlatives

Pizza Superlatives

Biggest, strangest, longest, craziest, smelliest, powerfulest, insanest, explosivest – ok so some of those superlatives don’t apply to pizzas and aren’t even grammatically correct, but who cares. What does matter is that we’re here to take a look at some pizzas around the world that are, well, more than your average pizza… much, much more. To us at least!

Largest

As you can see, the pizza in the image above is pretty darn huge.

This pizza of Godzilla proportions was made at Norwood Hypermarket, Norwood, South Africa on 8 December 1990 and weighs in at a ridiculous 12.19 tonnes. It is officially recognized as the largest pizza in the world, will probably be the world’s largest dust-collecting pizza as well.

Most Nonsensical

We found quite a number of pizzas that don’t make sense scattered around the internet but we picked this one because of its ridiculous $1000-price tag, which strangely wasn’t entered into any official book of records. This made-in-New York “pizza” is made with six varieties of caviar, chives, fresh lobster and creme fraiche. We doubt it even tastes like a pizza anymore.

Hottest / Spiciest

This is, as the small flame in the middle of the dish suggests, the world’s spiciest pizza and it’s available at some place called Crawleys. You’d probably expect the “spiciest pizza in the world” to look a bit, err, spicier, but don’t let this sober-looking one fool you. It’s called “Volcanica” and it’s made of red and green chillis, njuda sausage and extra spicy arrabiatta; it’s even served with a complimentary glass of milk for tongue-soothing purposes. “Side effects include a numb tongue and watering eyes”, they say.

Most Creatively Used

Apparently, a 10-year old kid in a school in Tennessee munched his slice of pizza into a shape of a gun and proceeded to wield it around like one. Creative, but slightly worrying we think. The school leaders there didn’t quite appreciate his creativity though and instead punished him by relegating the poor boy to the “silent table”, where he sat and ate alone. Poor boy.

Famous-est

If you guessed that tofu was the world’s most famous pizza topping, you’ve obviously been living under a rock for a while. In fact, you’ll probably already know that pepperoni stands, lies rather, as the world’s most famous pizza topping – 36% of all pizza orders have had them, with approximately 251,770,000 pounds of those sliced sausages consumed annually.

Hmmm… perhaps we should delve a bit into some superlative feats of our own sometime. For now, you can just come on over to Vivo Pizza for some of the most authentic American pizzas you’ll find around these areas!

Check out our own famous range of delicious Vivo Pizzas at www.vivopizza.com/pizzas.php 

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THE BEST PIZZA SIDEKICKS

THE BEST PIZZA SIDEKICKS

Kato, Robin, Doctor Watson, Mini-me, Samwise Gamgee, Mr. Spock, Chewbacca, and Garlic Bread… see the connection? Yes, they’re all sidekicks a.k.a. assistants, associates, or right hand men to one who has more authority.

Supporting roles they may be, but such sidekicks are often blessed with abilities that their head honchos lack and it isn’t rare that these sidekicks rescue their more illustrious partners from certain peril, more than once.

Hopefully, you’ve gotten the point by now that by sidekicks, we mean side dishes, which we feel deserve more credit than they’re given. They complete a main course, give it added flavour and basically makes the meal all the more satisfying.

And when it comes to pizzas, there’s more than just garlic bread to get the side job done. Here are some of our favourite pizza side dishes!

:: Garlic Bread

Unless you’re a Romanian vampire, you probably have eaten garlic bread at least once in your life. It is perhaps the most famous of all side dishes, although they do come in slightly varying forms depending on the chef – a square slice of bread, a baguette, a round loaf, with a sesame seed bun, a breadstick, and etc. It isn’t only a good side dish for pizzas, but for soups and actually, it’ll work well with almost anything… even on its own!

:: Mac ‘n Cheese

You might argue that Mac ‘n Cheese is more of a dish on its own, but some places do offer them as side dishes, and what amazing side dishes they are. Cheese lovers and pasta lovers alike will almost always find themselves succumbing to the temptations of this simple dish that oozes with cheese, is irresistibly creamy, and has an addictively chewy texture. You’re thinking about having some now aren’t you?

:: Onion Rings

Take a sliced “cross sectional” string of an onion, dip it in batter or breading, and deep-fry it. What do you get?  The world-famous dish known as onion rings. No one really knows where these tear-jerkingly tasty snacks come from (see what we did there?) but one thing’s for certain, they’re great with pizzas, and taste even better if you stuff a bit of cheese into them!

:: Calamari Rings

Few can resist the tantalizing charms of a properly prepared serving of calamari or “sotong rings” if you’re Malaysian. These delicacies add a terrific seafood accent to your slice of Pizza (considering it’s not a seafood pizza) and get even better with chilli sauce.

:: Chicken Wings

Barbecued, fried, broiled, roasted, grilled, or baked – you can cook chicken wings in any way you like, but even with a simple marinade, they’re always a great side dish. At Vivo Pizza, we bake ours or fry ‘em with paprika, and we also have mid-joint wings with barbecue sauce in our menu – both are must tries.  These are fantastic as ways of getting the appetite going before digging in into that 13” pizza and they’ll have no problems holding their own as a medium-weighted snack.

:: Chicken Tenderloin

If wings aren’t your thing and you prefer biting into a meatier, chunkier type of sidekick; perhaps a plate of chicken fingers or nuggets or even our very own crispy crumbed chicken tenderloin will do the trick. Always fried, always best served hot and always delicious; it’ll do more than you could ask it to as a sidekick!

Surprise, surprise; we’ve got 4 out of the 5 side dishes above in our menu! We also have some more interesting ones at well, breaded scallop for example, and it’s served up with a combination of fried fish fillet, calamari, onion rings and fries to create our very own “Ocean Discovery” platter.

but you’ll have to visit one of our outlets and find out about the rest J

More about Vivo’s Side Dishes here:

http://www.vivopizza.com/delicacies.php

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ABOUT VIVO

It all started with the secret recipe of the Horrigan family, who served the best American style pizza in town using the traditional method of baking.Today, we bring you pizzas using the latest baking techonology that ensures perfection at all times. At Vivo, we combine the 30 years of pizza making experience with the new generation pizza-making concept to achieve the exceptional Vivo experience!

Join our pizza and panini fans @ http://www.facebook.com/VivoAmericanPizza
or learn more about us @ http://www.vivopizza.com/

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NOODLES VERSUS PASTA!

NOODLES VERSUS PASTA!

In a Chinese restaurant around the corner, not so far away from where you are, a noodle maker perfects his art of making handmade noodles.

For years now, he has persevered to find the right thickness, the right texture and the right flavour for his strips of culinary brilliance. Just across the road from him, the chef of an Italian ristorante whistles to the tune of “That’s Amore”, while rhythmically sprinkling flour on strips of kneaded dough strewn across his wooden preparation board.

In a moment of sheer coincidence, the noodle and pasta masters look up through the glass windows of their restaurants and cast a taunting gaze at each other, and in their respective minds is a certainty that, while similar, their own versions of “noodles” will obliterate the other’s in a food war… however strange that may be.

But then you have to wonder, are Italian pasta and Chinese noodles all that different? We compare some of the more common ones found around here.

ROUND ONE = PAN MEIN vs FETTUCINE

Pan Mein is generally prepared in 2 styles – a thicker, wider, peeled version and a thinner, more consistent cut version; the latter shares the resemblance to the egg and flour-made Fettucine. Both Pan Mee and Fettuccine share significant similarities in terms of texture, size and presentation, although Pan Mee is served both dry and in soup, while Fettuccine is almost always served dry with a sauce.

More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fettuccine

ROUND TWO = YELLOW NOODLES VS SPAGHETTI

Perhaps one of the most commonly available Chinese noodles around is the wheat-made yellow mee, aptly called “mein”. In the world of Chinese noodles, these are generic as anything else. It looks, from almost every angle, like a yellower version of the equally common Spaghetti. Both are chewy, have rich texture and can be served with almost any type of sauce or method of preparation in their respective cuisine styles.

More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti

ROUND THREE = BEE HOON vs ANGEL HAIR PASTA

Bee Hoon or Mai Fun or Vermicelli as its known in English, is a thin, rice-made type of noodle that is equivalent to the Italian Angel Hair Pasta – a much thinner version of spaghetti that’s also known as “Capellini D’Angelo”. However, the commonalities between Bee Hoon and Angel Hair Pasta stop at its appearance, as both are used in contrasting types of preparations - Bee Hoon is often stir friend, served in soup or even in salads and Capellini is, almost always, served in a light accompanying sauce.

More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capellini

ROUND FOUR = WANTONS vs RAVIOLI

So it is arguable whether or not Wanton – a filling-wrapped, dumpling-like dish – is valid as a type of “noodle”. We’ll include it anyway considering that Ravioli is, in essence, a square-shaped Italian dumpling. Wantons and dumplings have contrasting contents – wanton with prawn or pork with vegetables; served fried or boiled in soup; and ravioli with cheese and meat fillings accompanied by a sauce. Different they may be, but they’re both really good to eat! Ignore the “other” meaning of “wanton” please.

More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravioli

Stay tuned, as we will bring you more about the relentless battle between NOODLES & PASTA.

To be continued… :)

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PIZZA MOMENTS IN HOLLYWOOD

You can’t question how famous Pizzas are around the world – everybody eats them, even fictional characters on TV!

From the 1970’s till today, pizzas have been around in films in both cameo and more leading roles, and are almost always a source of humour. Such is the light-heartedness of pizza.

Anyway, here’s a look back at some of pizza’s most memorable moments in film history!

:: Pizza in “Dog Day Afternoon”
During this 1975 classic starring Al Pacino and John Cazale, the 2 lead characters, who are in the midst of a bank heist, get held up and negotiate with the FBI to have pizza delivered to them. The pizza delivery guy drops in, delivers the goods, and is then paid with cash from the bank, much to his delight as he exits the building.

:: Pizza in “Saturday Night Fever”
Yet another classic from the 70’s, where the lead character played by John Travolta opens the movie with a scene of him sandwiching 2 slices of pizza together and eating them in big chunks as he does his infamous “strut” down the street.
Watch on YouTube: http://youtu.be/2-BuZJqlOlc?t=59s

:: Pizza in “Ninja Turtles”
Ahh… we all remember these fighting turtles from our childhood and it’s where the term “Cowabunga” became mainstream, thanks to the fun-loving, nunchuck-wielding Michelangelo. The orange headband-wearing turtle also had an insatiable appetite for Pizzas, which becomes a signature part of his character.
Watch on YouTube: http://youtu.be/rLJUGIh-Cnw?t=15s & http://youtu.be/GhjHTc3mc0U?t=5m50s

:: Pizza in “Dude, Where’s My Car”
In the 2000 science fiction comedy starring Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott, the 2 lead characters both have day jobs as pizza delivery guys that steal pizzas from work for their own eating pleasure. It sets the tone for their characters that go on to experience a SWEET adventure that sees them saving the world in the process.

:: Pizza in “Futurama”
The animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening (of The Simpsons) features a lead character called Phillip J Fry – a late 20th century New York City pizza delivery boy, who is cryogenically frozen for a thousand years.

:: Hollywood’s Ultimate Villain, Pizza the Hutt in “Spaceballs”
In this famous Mel Brooks movie, Pizza the Hutt is an evil half-man, half-pizza Mafioso and a parody of Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars. By the end of the film, a TV news segment reveals that he got locked in his limo and ate himself to death. What a way to go!
Watch on YouTube: http://youtu.be/r_CDCrsO604?t=1m43s

Of course, there are more examples, but we’re trying to keep this post short – that way, you’ll have more time for pizza. So come on over, grab your own Vivo pizza, and be a star… in a way.

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