3 July 2015: Shake Shack in Madison Square Park

3 Jul 2015 (Fri):

Eating out in New York City is an endeavour with countless options. I had wanted to eat something that is fairly affordable and yet will make my dining time in New York memorable enough. In order to narrow down to noteworthy options, I referred to Pocket Rough Guide: New York City written and researched by Martin Dunford, Stephen Keeling and Andrew Rosenberg.

One of the places that was recommended in the Eating Out options was Shake Shack for its price and outdoor seating setting. Coincidentally, the day before I had visited Shake Shack, one of my new-found friends at the hostel told me he had a meal at Shake Shack.

Shake Shack is very popular. It is in fact a phenomenon! At non-lunch hours, around 3 p.m., there was already a long queue at Shake Shack. I had waited more than half-an-hour before it was my turn to have my order taken. It took another 15 minutes at least to wait for my order to be ready.

Located in Madison Square Park, I love its outdoor setting and the surrounding landscaped park. I later found out that in 2004, a bid was won to open a permanent kiosk in the Madison Square Park. Shake Shack has the company of beautiful trees, a lovely fountain and flowers. In some ways, I think such a natural yet landscaped location makes eating burgers healthier and less sinful.

Shake Shack is known for its grilled burgers and frozen custard shakes. I ordered a single Shack Stack, a Concrete Single Shack Attack and French Fries. 

The Shack Stack is a cross between a Cheeseburger and a 'Shroom Burger with crisp-fried portabello mushroom. This delicious burger is topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce. Each Shack Stack costs USD$9.49. I particularly like the crisp-fried portabello mushroom that was sandwiched in the Shack Stack. The burger bun was fresh and has a soft yet just right texture. The cheese went just right with the rest of the burger. Overall, a tasty burger. No wonder people are willing to queue at Shake Shack for its grilled burgers.

Shack Stack.

The Concrete Single Shack Attack (single) is one of the options of frozen custard that is available at Shake Shack. The ingredients in this dense frozen custard ice cream blended at high speed with mix-ins include: chocolate custard, fudge sauce, chocolate truffle cookie dough and Mast Brothers Shake Shack dark chocolate chunks, topped with chocolate sprinkles. It tasted rich and creamy, and fresh! Shake Shack promises that the vanilla and chocolate recipes in its frozen custard items are spun fresh daily with milk from dairy farmers who pledge not to use artificial growth hormones. At USD$4.50, I think it is value-for-money.

Concrete Single Shack Attack.

Service was considered good given that the Shake Shack outlet in Madison Square Park had a long queue and did not charge service charge. There was a member of the staff who went around serving iced cold (water) and passing out menus to customers who were queuing in the line.

The weather was good on the day of my visit and there was enough shade provided by the trees. I would have to say that I enjoy eating outdoors at seated dining areas. Although Shake Shack is not unique to New York City, it was a unique experience eating delicious grilled burgers and drinking frozen custard right in a park. Furthermore, the Madison Square Park was where Shake Shack was first started.

My learning point: Eating is pleasurable not just because of the quality of the food. The environment also matters. A relaxing and pleasant environment enhances the dining experience.

***
Shake Shack

Madison Square Park

near Madison Ave and E 23rd Street

Subway: N, R, W to 23rd Street

Operating hours: Daily, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

https://www.shakeshack.com

3 July 2015: Absolute Bagels and Lox

Life offers pleasant surprises when we take the step out to explore what it has to offer. I was on my way to visit the Cathedral of St John The Divine that was about ten blocks away from the hostel that I was staying in. On the way there, I noticed a queue waiting to buy bagels.

I took a moment to figure out what had drawn people to queue for bagels outside the shop named Absolute Review. There were reviews that Absolute Bagels has the best bagels in Manhattan. I suppose the beeline was the testament.

I ordered a bagel with Lox Spread for USD$3.95. I learnt that Lox Spread is essentially cream cheese and lox (salmon cured in brine). The bagel has a chewy and satisfying texture and the Lox Spread tasted fresh and flavoursome. There was a generous spread of Lox Spread on the bagel. The bagel with Lox Spread was worth the queue. The best bagel that I ever had yet.

Learning point: Life offers pleasant surprises. It helps to keep ourselves opened to what are around us. We may find something that we will like!

***

Absolute Bagels

2788 Broadway, between 107th and 108th Streets

Subway: #1 to 110th St - Cathedral Parkway

Tel: (212) 932-2052

Operating hours: Daily, 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.

http://www.absolutebagels.com

3 Jul 2015: Plowshares Coffee Bloomingdale

3 Jul 2015: I received a recommendations to check out the Plowshares Coffee Bloomingdale cafe near the international hostel, HI New York, that I was staying in. I felt thankful for the recommendations. The espresso from the cafe tasted balanced and is a lovely treat for the day.

If you are near the area and want a cup of espresso, check this cafe out!

Plowshares Coffee Bloomingdale
2730 Broadway
New York
NY 10025
United States

2 Jul 2015: Dinner at Fluffy's Cafe

2 Jul 2015:

After a visit to The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), I looked around for places for dinner. One of the best thing about travelling during summer is that the days are relatively longer and I could take the opportunity to explore for longer duration each day.

I ordered a red and white quinoa. A tasty dinner! A simple meal to be thankful for.

Fluffy's Cafe
370 West 5th St
Corner 9th Ave

2 Jul 2015: abraço

2 Jul 2015 (Thu):

While visiting New York, I have made a point to visit the cafe Abraço which was on the list of Alon's Favourite Cafes in New York City. Alon Halevy is the author of the book The Infinite Emotions of Coffee.

It took me a while to find my way there. When I was there, I felt proud of myself that I have made my way there all by myself with the help of maps and the helpful directions of streets signs and from strangers.

I ordered a cup of cafe latte. The coffee tasted good! The cafe latte went well with the olive oil cake which was actually too sweet for me if I ate the cake on its own.

I had wanted to order the almond milk latte. However, there was no almond milk available that day.

This is a cosy cafe for a tasty cup of coffee. I had enjoyed the coffee there that I ordered myself a cup of espresso after the earlier treat to cafe latte and a cake. The beans for that particular day were made up of two-third of Brazilian beans from a specific farm. This I learnt from the barista.

Do not expect to have hotel quality service at this cafe yet this is a place for good cafe and standing up to have conversations with friends and the barista on duty.

abraço
86 East 7th St Manhattan
New York
http://www.abraconyc.com

Lincoln's Landing at Swampscott

Breakfast is the meal of the day that I consider important enough that I will make sure I will take. I could miss lunch and dinner but not breakfast. When I was visiting Nahant over one of the weekends in June 2016, I learnt about a place in the neighbourhood that served delicious breakfast. The omelettes from Lincoln's Landing are noteworthy to consider.

Here's sharing a few photos of my visits to Lincoln's Landing at Swampscott for anyone who is interested to look for a place for breakfast in the area. I like the cosy and homely interior decor at Lincoln's Landing. I felt I was enjoying breakfast in the comfort of my own neighbourhood even though I was actually miles away from home. 

I would say that based on the limited period of a few days when I was staying near Swampscott area, I easily vote Lincoln's Landing as the best place for breakfast for anyone staying near the Swampscott area! I had breakfast from Lincoln's Landing only once during my short stay in the neighbourhood yet my positive impression of the food there remains in my memory. 

Omelette with Veggie and Mozarella.
The tasty potatoes complimented the omelette.

The food from Lincoln's Landing is delicious.Even though I had breakfast earlier the day, I was happy to have my second serving of breakfast for the day at Lincoln's Landing. Lincoln's Landing opens at 7 a.m. each day. 

This is a place we could also consider to get take-away lunches from. On one of the mornings, I got a turkey sandwich from Lincoln's Landing for myself for lunch!

Lincoln's Landing

156 Humphrey Street

Swamscott

MA 01907

Tel: +1 781 593 5565

https://www.facebook.com/LincolnsLanding

25 June 2015: Fresh seafood dinner from Roy Moore Lobster Company

25 June 2015 (Thu):

During my visit to Rockport in June 2015, I had the pleasure to visit Roy Moore Lobster Company to get take-away dinner. I had wanted to make sure I would be ready for the 5.10 p.m. inbound train that will head to Swampscott. However, the relaxing dine-in area at Roy Moore Lobster Company where I was sitting at while waiting for my take-away dinner to be ready reminded me that there was a lot of Rockport that I needed more time to see.

The dine-in area.

One of the gentlemen at Roy Moore Lobster Company also reminded me to slow down to savour the beauty in life. So when my orders of a lobster roll and a cup of Clam Clowder was ready, I decided to spend a bit more time at Rockport to enjoy my dinner and scenic Rockport.

The service at Roy Moore Lobster Company was friendly and I felt the folks there treated everyone who visited the restaurant like a part of their community. When I asked for their address, I was given a fridge magnet that looked like a name card. When I expressed curiosity about the lobsters, one of the gentlemen from Roy Moore Lobster Company gladly shared with me a quick introduction to the life-cycle of a lobster. He gladly took one of the lobsters to allow me to take a photograph as a keepsake.

Thoughtful service and delicious fresh seafood count! I will recommend visitors to Rockport to enjoy a meal from Roy Moore Lobster Company.

Roy Moore Lobster Company
39 Bearskin Neck
Rockport
MA 01966
USA

25 June 2015: Boston Pizza Kitchen

25 June 2015, Thu:

The time came for me to leave the Hostelling International Boston. Checking-out was a breeze. I could simply drop the access-card into the check-out box if I do not need special attention with checking-out.

My plan was to head for the place called Lynn after lunch. I thought it would be great idea for me to feed myself with lunch so I went to the Boston Pizza Kitchen that is within walking distance from the hostel.

The portion of the pizzas here are huge. I ordered a slice of Bostonian pizza which was topped with honey garlic glazed chicken breast cooked in soy sauce, crushed peppers, white vinegar, green onions, sesame seeds, mozzarella cheese and a touch of Romano (no sauce). It was my first time eating a Bostonian pizza! A taste of Boston that I recalled had a bit of pleasant acidity to it. It tasted good enough to make lunch a lovely treat.

After lunch, I was ready to head for the city of Lynn in Essex County, Massachusetts. Read more about Lynn here: http://www.cityoflynn.net/aboutlynn_history.shtml

Boston Kitchen Pizza

1 Stuart Street

Boston MA 02116 

http://www.bostonkitchenpizza.com

24 June 2015: Dinner at the Union Oyster House

The Union Oyster House which was established in 1826 is possibly a national historic landmark. In Boston, my impression is that it was necessary to eat seafood because Boston has a rich supply of seafood. Many reviews have indicate that the Union Oyster House is one of the best seafood restaurants in Boston. It has a Oyster Bar that looked interesting.

Ye Old Seafood Platter.

This restaurant attracts a lot of tourists. It serves both seafood and steaks. It claims the title of Boston's oldest brick house. The building is built in Georgian architecture and is a rare example of this kind of architectural style in the city of Boston. This restaurant dates from at least 1660 when it was owned by Boston's first town crier, William Courser. I liked the idea of visiting a historic landmark and enjoy good food in it. This is a restaurant whereby I was more fascinated with its history and then the delicious food complimented its interesting story through time. For this restaurant to survive the test of time, the food is pretty good!

A charm of the wooden floors and ceilings

I ordered a Ye Old Seafood Platter which was essentially everything fried. The seafood was fresh especially the clams. When it came to calamari, I would prefer the calamari from The Daily Catch at the North End. It was nevertheless a great pleasure to be enjoying seafood in possibly America's oldest restaurant in continuous service on the Freedom Trail!

I was told that an inexpensive way to enjoy a meal at the Union Oyster House is to visit it during lunch hours in the afternoon and order a cup of Oyster House Clam Chowder. I suppose the finest experiences in life can be made affordable.

Union Oyster House
41 Union Street
Tel: 617-222-2750
http://www.unionoysterhouse.com

22 June 2015: Dinner at Giacomo's

Giacomo's at the North End of Boston.

22 June 2015, I had one of the most lovely dinners while I was in Boston. Delicious food with the lovely company of a good friend, Emz, makes the dinner at the chosen Giacomo's restaurant one of the best dinners that I have had while I was in Boston.

If not for my friend's recommendations, I would surely have missed Giacomo's. It opens for business daily at around the late afternoon. The place has limited seats and it usually take the existing customers who were already seated about an hour to finish their meals. So when my friend said that there were times she had queued quite a long while to have a meal at Giacomo's, she was stating the facts. My friend and I arrived at Giacomo's slightly after 5 p.m. and to our pleasant surprise, we waited for less than 10 minutes before we were ushered our seats in this cosy and friendly restaurant.

Burrata cream filled fresh mozzarella ball over sliced tomatoes with basil and extra virgin oil.

The people at Giacomo's who were serving the customers seemed to have the gifts of engaging in conversations with customers and making us feel welcomed. One of the waiters was very thoughtful to help us place the napkins on our lap when he noticed we were to eat lobsters. He even passed up a device to break the shell of the lobsters when he noticed we needed some help with that.

This is a no-frills restaurant that offers a range of Italian dishes that is delicious and yet thoughtful in prices for the budget-conscious guests. While there is often a line spotted right outside Giacomo's, After enjoying a delicious dinner at Giacomo's, I can fully appreciate why my friend had said that the food at Giacomo's is worth queuing for! A number of the guests ordered take-away at Giacomo's.

Half Lobster, clams, mussels over linguine, served with giacomo on the left.
Fruiti Di Mari on the right.

For the appetizer, my friend and I ordered Burrata cream filled fresh mozzarella ball over sliced tomatoes with basil and extra virgin oil. It was Giacomo's Appetizer Special. A unique dish for me because it was my first time eating such an interesting dish. It was tasty too. For a price of USD$11, it was considered value-for-money given the taste of it and the fresh ingredients that were used.

We also ordered the Fruiti Di Mari. This is a pasta that is served with shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, calamari. We chose the scampi sauce to go along with this pasta dish. The scampi is essentially a garlic-based sauce. It went very well with the seafood and it was a pleasure to soak sour dough in the scampi sauce. This dish is simply delicious.

We also ordered a dish with half lobster, clams, mussels over linguine, served with giacomo. This is delicious and the giacomo sauce was very rich in texture and went well with the lobster. I realized that Boston is a place to enjoy seafood!

My lesson learnt: Trust our friend's recommendations especially if they are more familiar with a foreign place than we are. Thanks Emz!

Giacomo's.

Please take note that Giacomo's accepts cash only.

355 Hanover Street
Boston, MA 02113
USA
Tel: +1 617 523 9026

22 June 2015: The Daily Catch

The Daily Catch.

After a visit to Christ Church in the city of Boston, also known as the Old North Church, my friend and I were deciding on our plans for lunch.

Initially the plan was to walk our way back to Boston's Downtown. In general, many of the good eating places in the North End opens for businesses in the evenings. Then again, since we were in the North End, we looked about for a suitable venue for lunch and were quite prepared that if we did not succeed, the backup plan would be to walk to Boston's Downtown.

Fried Calamari. One of the best fried calamari I have yet.

Thanks to my friend, Emz, who was attentive to food reviews in Boston, we decided it would be a great idea to have our lunch at The Daily Catch.  Along the Hanover Street, there are a lot of well-established restaurants and cafes that serve delicious food. The Daily Catch was one of the restaurants in the North End of Boston that was on the recommended list of restaurants on Insight Guides, Step by Step: Boston, by Simon Richmond.

The Daily Catch is an eating place that specializes in Sicilian seafood and pasta. The seafood here are fresh and tasty. This place serves tasty calamari of a texture that seems just right - not too tough and not too soft. In a way, fried calamari seemed to be a niche that The Daily Catch has so nicely filled. It was no wonder that I had initially mistaken the name of this lovely eating place to be Calamari Cafe. I would say that the calamari dishes from The Daily Catch are delicious. One of our orders was the fried calamari. The squid was freshly prepared and when I chewed on the fried calamari, the taste of the seawater seemed to linger in my palate. 

Monkfish Marsalla.

We also ordered a Monkfish Marsalla. The sweetness in flavour of the Marsalla wine went very well with the pasta, mushroom and the monkfish. Lunch was memorable with the company of a good friend and delicious food. Many thanks to my friend for her recommendations. I could have missed The Daily Catch if not for her suggestions.

This is an eating place that I will recommend my friends who visit Boston. Please expect a queue as The Daily Catch is pretty popular with the locals as well as the tourists. I suppose happy people at The Daily Catch serves tasty food?

The Daily Catch.
A cosy and humble place that serves delicious food.

Please take note that only cash is accepted at The Daily Catch.

The Daily Catch

323 Hanover Street

Boston, MA 02113

Tel: +1 617 523 8567

http://thedailycatch.com

Gourmet Pizza To Go

Recently, I came across a take-away pizza outlet, Gourmet Pizza To Go, when I was at Ang Mo Kio MRT station. Coming across this pizza outlet reignited my desire to find delicious pizza in Singapore.

I greatly appreciate that at Gourmet Pizza To Go, I can simply order one slice of pizza to satisfy my occasional craving for delicious pizza. During such occasions of craving, it did not seem economical or efficient to gather a group of friends spontaneously to visit a pizza restaurant and share a family-size pizza together. It is also often not cost-effective and time-effective for me to make a pizza from the scratch to satisfy a momentary craving for pizza.

I have tried several take-away pizza outlets in Singapore. The challenge for most of these take-away pizza outlets is in my opinion serving take-away pizzas that are fast to serve and to eat, while ensuring that the texture of the pizza crust is satisfaction.

At Gourmet Pizza To Go, the pizza crust is well-fired and has a chewy and crispy texture. Even though the outlet at Ang Mo Kio MRT station serves take-away pizzas, care is taken to use effective processes and innovatively designed ovens to rebake the pizzas upon order so that they are fast to serve and good to eat. It is easy to tell from the taste of the pizza crust that quality dough base has been used.

In addition, I appreciate that Gourmet Pizza To Go uses quality pizza sauces. I particularly like the pesto that is used as the pizza sauce for the Pesto Primavera pizza. It is considered quite a novelty to find pesto being used as pizza sauces for take-away pizzas in Singapore. The traditional tomato pizza sauce used by Gourmet Pizza To Go taste wholesome too. What kept me going back for more pizzas from Gourmet Pizza To Go is the fact that the toppings are generous. Furthermore more, quality ingredients are used for the toppings.

Please do not ask me which choice of flavour is the best. I am very biased in my choice of flavour. I will usually order from the Vege Special selections since I prefer not to take too much meat.

Currently, an Ala-carte Slice-to-go costs $6.50. I think this is a value-for-money price for a slice of delicious Italian-style pizza. In fact, I would prefer to enjoy a take-away pizza from Gourmet Pizza To Go than to go to one of the pizza restaurant chain to get a regular pan-pizza. For the price of $6.50, I get a more delicious and palate-satisfying pizza. I hope Gourmet Pizza To Go will continue to engage qualified team members to serve quality fresh bake Italian-style pizza.

Admittedly, at $6.50 per slice of pizza, I will not eat Gourmet Pizza To Go's pizza on a daily basis. Yet, it is a delicious treat on those occasions when I need a value-for-money solution to attend to my pizza cravings.

Maybe Gourmet Pizza To Go can consider a special monthly subscription card for their loyal customers so that for a fixed one-month subscription fee, the customer can get up a selected number of free Ala-carte Slice-to-go for a month and an attractive discount for all other purchases at Gourmet Pizza To Go?

9" pizza-to-go are also available from Gourmet Pizza To Go. This is a good size of pizza for a nuclear family to share.

Gourmet Pizza To Go also serves a special Al Taglio Pizza with up to five choices of flavours at $65 each. Each Al Taglio Pizza measures 40 cm by 60 cm. This will be a great option for parties.


Gourmet Pizza To Go
Delivery Hotline: 6-222-1666
http://www.gourmetpizzatogo.com.sg

Outlets: 
- Ang Mo Kio MRT Station #01-02,
- UE Biz Hub, 6 Changi Business Park Ave 1, #01-23, Singapore 486018,
- Blk 537 Bedok North Street 3, #01-559, Singapore 460537
- Kallang Wave, #01-43
Operation hours: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily

Laksania, for Hearty Food made with Love

I had a memorable birthday treat to a delicious meal at Laksania a day before my birthday thanks to one of my very kind and generous friends, Belinda. We had an enjoyable dinner at one of the Laksania outlets located at Bugis+ at 201 Victoria Street.

It was my very first time dining at Laksania. What makes Laksania special is that it serves an innovative menu of dishes that are based on the flavourful herb that is commonly known in Singapore as the laksa leaf. I took a quick glance at the menu. Other than serving variants of laksa from South East Asia, Laksania also serves fusion dishes like Laksa Lasagna and Laksa Burgers at Laksania.

My friend and I ordered a regular bowl of Kelantan Laksa, a regular plate of Laksa Goreng and a serving of Chicken Satay (3 pcs) to share.

Kelantan Laksa.

The Kelantan Laksa is served with thick rice noodles and generous amounts of mackerel fish meat. For $4.90 for a regular serving of it, I think it was pretty reasonable priced considering that it is being served in a restaurant setting. As I ate it, I could tell that the food was made with care and love. The Kelantan laksa is not spicy and has a taste that is mildly gingerly with the fragrance of laksa leaf. Home-made fresh chilli paste was served on the side to compliment the Kelantan Laksa. I later learnt that the spices and herbs used at Laksania are free from preservatives. I am willing to come back for more Kelantan Laksa at Laksania in the near future. It is an interesting and novel alternative to the more common Singapore Laksa that we can more easily find in our tropical home-town of Singapore. I thought the Kelantan Laksa was pretty yummy and could be upgraded as one of the "Must Try!" items in the menu. Check this out if you prefer a mild yet novel type of laksa.

Laksa Goreng is one of the innovative dishes is served at Laksania. A plate of regular Laksa Goreng costs $4.90 excluding GST. My friend commented that it reminded her of the taste of Char Kway Teow. Then again, I beg to differ. This dish has a flavourful and distinctive laksa-leaf taste. In fact, it tasted like Singapore Laksa that is fried and served dried!

The menu suggested that the Chicken Satay is one of the "Must-Try!" dishes. It was priced at $4.20 for a serving of three pieces of satay. I was happy with it. I could not figure out yet what makes it so tasty. Could anyone care to enlighten please? Perhaps it was the way that the chicken meat was marinated with herbs which include the laksa leaf? The non-spicy yet flavoursome laksa cream sauce that was served on the side with the chicken satay made this dish completely delicious.

For our beverages, I ordered the hot lemon-grass tea ($3.00 per glass) while my friend ordered the iced lemon-grass tea ($3.50 per glass). Each sip of hot lemon-grass tea tasted heavenly. I learnt that the lemon-grass tea was freshly prepared using hand-pounded lemon-grass and pandan leaves. The hot lemon-grass tea is a hearty and healing beverage to consider when dining at Laksania.

In summary, I have enjoyed the dinner at Laksania that evening. I was left with the experience that Laksania is one of the places in Singapore to enjoy delicious and quality laksa in a restaurant setting. The food there is considered value-for-money.

Service was generally prompt and friendly. Although there was an occasion when the waiter brought a bill which was meant for another table to our table, he discovered the mistake promptly with our promptings, and gladly sent the bill to the right table subsequently.

Laksania offers a range of interesting food that could cater to people with specific dietary requirements. It is a halal-certified food establishment serving quality laksa and other dishes. For the vegans, Laksania serves the Vegetarian Laksa that is suitable for vegans.

I have a lot of respect for the team at Laksania who takes pride in serving hearty food made with love and service from the heart. What impressed me more is that Laksania is a social enterprise that aims to create opportunities to provide employment for people with disabilities and for people from marginalised groups. Employment enables the people to earn a living using their own efforts. I think employment also gives these people the sense of achievement and belongingness to the community.

The next time you are nearby a Laksania outlet and crave for laksa-leaf inspired dishes, consider the option of walking yourself into the outlet to enjoy the food. Your patronage will not only reward you with hearty food that is made with love and served with pride, it will support Laksania in fulfilling its social mission to help persons with disabilities to earn a living using their own efforts so that they can become financially self-reliant eventually. A win-win situation for all.

***
Laksania
http://www.laksania.com

Bugis+
201 Victoria Street
#04-04
Singapore 188067

JEM
50 Jurong Gateway Road
#03-09
Singapore 608549

Note:
Laksania is a halal-certified restaurant.
Other than dine-in, take-away is available for most of the food except the Laksa Hotpot.

***
Updates: Also read Catherine Ling's Laksania serves hope and fabulous laksa

Read: Theo and Co: The Search for the Perfect Pizza

Source: UWA Publishing.

Title: Theo and Co.: The Search for the Perfect Pizza
Author: Theo Kalogeracos
Publisher: UWA Publishing

This book is one that has set me drooling and thinking about how the various pizza toppings will blend with one another.

Last year, I took up a pizza-making class by Chef Theo Kalogeracos at ToTT. Subsequently, after the class, I have been making pizzas so as to keep practising the art of making pizzas. My pizza endeavours were perfectly supported with Theo Kalogeracos' book "Theo and Co.: The Search for the Perfect Pizza".

This book lends us a glimpse of the inspirations behind Chef Theo's love for bread, pastry and more. It also gave us a clue how he eventually became an award-winning world pizza champion. This book is also filled with interesting recipes. I have yet to experiment with the dessert pizzas. In the meantime, I shall focus on the savoury pizzas first.

A good book to consider for anyone who would like to search for the perfect pizza. The search has gotten me to pay more attention to raw ingredients whenever I visit the supermarkets. I would be thinking how to mix and match the ingredients together to make a perfect pizza.

Also see:
http://www.theoandco.net

Many thanks to Chef Theo for sharing his love for making good pizzas and his quest for the perfect pizza.