Peking Duck Pizza Recipe

With great pizza, comes great responsibility

Holy shit it has been a long time since my last post. I have been putting this off due to reasons. Reasons like focusing harder at work, shifting my priorities in life to a more health-focused mindset, and recognizing patterns in my life that do nothing for me and breaking them. Definitely in a transitional phase where I am realizing what things I actually enjoy and receive value from. Life is a journey, and growth is a huge part of that journey. Something about cyclical phases and introspection, blah blah blah.

Anyway! Peking Duck Pizza. This is a pizza recipe that myself and my good friend Reid collaborated on to create, and have collectively made it together a total of three times. This is the first recipe I will post and definitely won't be the last. It is a decadent fusion style pizza (no fucking shit) which boasts a wealth of middle-upper class flavor. Don't eat this every day. You will go broke and/or die of respiratory failure, heart disease or some other disease I know nothing about.

ALSO: This isn't the only Peking duck pizza recipe on the internet, but it is ours. I am not claiming to have created Peking duck pizza. Just this recipe.

Recipe:

• Pizza Dough (Don't use the pre-cooked stuff unless you want it to suck)
• Hoisin Sauce
• Sesame Oil
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Peking Duck (I recommend getting it from here or if you're not in SD, some local dim-sum style/take out Chinese place should have it)
• Pickled Carrot & Daikon
• Green Onions
• Cilantro

Optional ingredients:

• Sesame oil and roasted garlic emulsion
• Crisped duck skin

This has been a hit every time we've made it, and especially the second time since we were at Burning Man, and everything, especially something like Peking Duck Pizza, tastes remarkably better when you are on the Playa at Black Rock City. We've made it on the grill and in the oven, both involve different processes. This is the process for making it in the oven.

Preparation:

Slice onions and chop cilantro. Preheat oven to 425F. 

Using a pizza pan or a baking sheet, complete the following steps:

Stretch the dough to the shape of your liking. If you're not capable of this, reconsider your adulthood. If you want to be a fuckin' showoff and make the dough yourself, use whatever recipe suits your preferences. If not, grab some from the grocery store. Trader Joe's, Von's, Ralph's, who gives a shit, it's dough.

Once the dough is prepared, coat crust lightly with sesame oil, and then hit it with the hoisin. Hoisin is a really powerful flavor, so be easy and try not to overdo it. Optional ingredient: emulsify the sesame oil with roasted garlic before coating, not a crucial ingredient, but YMMV.

Top with mozzarella, duck, sliced green onion, pickled carrot and daikon. Place in oven for approximately 12-15 min, and finish with fresh cilantro. Optional ingredient: crisped duck skin. Place the skins in a Pyrex dish and broil them for an indiscriminate amount of time. After the indiscriminate amount of time, and allowing the skin to cool, you can crumble the skin over the pizza during the last minute of cooking.

This is about what it should look like with both of the optional ingredients, though you can't really see the sesame oil roasted garlic emulsion underneath all that decadent ducky deliciousness. This one was made on the grill, and was the first one we made.

Look at all that duck... just look at it!

Until next time!

Live long and pizza,

Payam

"It's Pizza Time" - A Pizza Saison by Kevin Eastman & Kris Ketcham at Stone Liberty Station

Whoa... It's been a long time since I've posted something, but also a busy summer, so I guess that is apropos. Burning Man is right around the corner so that has occupied a good amount of my 'free' time. Free is in quotations because there is no such thing as a free lunch (Fuck you, Eoghan).

Alas, let's get down to brass tacks. This is an unusual review for me, as I am not of the cloth that reviews beer or even knows where to begin when describing the flavor profile of a beer without sounding like a pretentious, hipster FUCK - but I've been compelled to review this beer, this concoction of crazy, this tincture of tumultuousness, this potion of preposterousness! Is that how beer review people talk? I have no idea what I'm doing. *shrug*

Here we go! Let me first give you the backstory as to how I was introduced to this beverage. It was the 30th of July, I was at work, and I received this text message while on break:

Which, being the experienced salesperson that I am, I was a bit perturbed but as mentioned above, also intrigued. I know where these types of messages can lead to, as I've been around the block when it comes to Network Marketing/Multi-Level Marketing schemes. At this point, I am questioning everything. The following thoughts began to spiral through the train tracks of my consciousness:

What could he possibly have that I, in particular, would be 'very interested' in?
Is he trying to sell me something?
Is it Invigaron? Am I going to feel the power of the berries?
Am I being deported? I swear I was born in Sacramento.

So he called me, and proceeded to hype up this event tonight that I "needed to be a part of," saying that "other like-minded people will be there," and that he has "asked around," and people have said that, I in particular, would be very interested in "this." Which again, made me think of all the times I was duped by my past 'friends' to attend some multi-level marketing event in some hotel's conference room. That was when I straight up asked him, "Dude, is this some kind of multi-level marketing thing?" To which he replied "No! Dude, I would never try to sell you something." Which is EXACTLY what someone who is trying to trick you into coming to a network marketing meeting would say! Naturally, my paranoia kicked in. I began calling our mutual friends, searching for some kind of clue, however the first few I reached out to seemed to not be in the know. Finally, after reaching out to Eoghan, one of the rare bastions of levelheadedness within my closer circle of friends, he finally put it into perspective for me. He said something along the lines of, "Austin isn't the kind of person who would try to do that to you, and that if he is doing this, it's probably something awesome and you should stop questioning it." My mind is at ease again.

Upon arrival to the address Austin furnished me, I realized I had been there before. It was a house where another friend had his going away party (we miss you Tony!). I see a familiar car in the driveway, and upon entering I am greeted by Austin, Reid and Ruben. First, they joke with me about it being a network marketing thing and that was precisely when I knew it wasn't. There was no projector screen. Nobody was wearing a suit. My paranoia dissolved. I ask about the thing, and Austin tells me it is on its way.

Around 9:30PM was when Tiffany, Austin's lovely girlfriend, arrived with a couple of growlers of beer from his place of work, Stone Liberty Station. After a few moments, they brought me this chalice of beer and asked me to drink it. I take a sip. Austin looks over at me and asks "What does that taste like to you? Anything familiar?" It had an aroma that was not something I could identify right away, and not one that would normally coincide with beer. Then Reid goes, "You can definitely smell the Oregano." And that was when it clicked - I was drinking a Pizza flavored beer. What kind of sorcery is this?

My attempt at a snobbish beer review:

Let's talk about the color, the deep, amber hue we are all familiar with when it comes to Stone Brewery. The oregano was the most prevalent of aromas, very powerful on the nose *adjusts monocle*. Hints of pineapple and jalapeno in the after taste *polishes stopwatch*. Other herby notes were felt on the exhale (is this even a thing?), and those were provided by basil, thyme, fennel and parsley *tips fedora*. Overall, it was an interesting experience to say the least.

It's Pizza Time

Not only was this the coolest possible thing that could have happened that night, but the way it happened was just as amazing. When I did some research and found out Kevin Eastman collaborated with Kris Ketcham of Stone Brewery to create this beer, it made perfect sense. Of course the guy who made TMNT happen had a hand in this - why WOULDN'T he?

I wish I was able to stay longer as Reid and his brother Dylan were preparing to make grilled pizza on the BBQ, but it was getting late and I work early so I scooted the short distance home and passed out.

My friends are awesome.

Until next time...


Live long and pizza,
Payam

So my friends are pretty keen to my socially acceptable, healthy obsession with pizza.

They've been killing it with Photoshopping me into ridiculous pizza content lately. I love it, my friends are all creative types, artists, music producers, performers, all local to San Diego and Southern California. Not only have they been Photoshopping me into pizza things, but they've been gifting me all these AWESOME pizza things as well! Can't help but feel the love. 

Check out the shenanigans:

Made by Karate Xplosion (Check out his Art Page on Facebook)

Collaboration between Karate Xplosion and Cris Sloan (Check out his SoundCloud)

Receiving the Congressional Pizza of Honor from President Nixon - By Matt Boh (Check out his Art Page on Facebook)

Pieyum the Hutt - Made by Andrew Kroma Bellhop - (Check out his SoundCloud)

On a very important phone call. #pizza #businesstime #onesec

A photo posted by Payam Mousavinia (@pieslice) on Jun 16, 2015 at 10:34pm PDT

Fresh new cup courtesy of Amber! #pizza #space #cats #pizzaspacecats

A photo posted by Payam Mousavinia (@pieslice) on May 9, 2015 at 11:19am PDT

Fresh new business socks. #pizza #pizzasocks #freshies

A photo posted by Payam Mousavinia (@pieslice) on May 8, 2015 at 7:20pm PDT

So there you have it. My friends are insurmountably awesome.

Please check out all the Art and Music pages I listed in the accompanying captions to the photos! You might just hear something that tickles your earbuds or see something that jiggles your pupils.


As always, live long and pizza,
Payam

Pizza Fries - Taste of Chicago Wagon, San Diego, CA

There is nothing better than innovation. Sometimes innovation can be a very simple difference, and that difference always has the potential to be a game-changer. This was one of those times.

Today, a colleague tagged me in a comment on a post from Taste of Chicago Wagon's Facebook Page (Like Them!), and they just so happened to be the visiting food truck today at my place of work, Sequenom Laboratories (Like us!). Naturally, I was giddy with excitement, as the concept of Pizza Fries was new to me, and something that was brought to my attention fairly recently.

There was no question as to what I was going to order. So I walked right up to the guy at the order window and asked for the Pizza Fries. He initially told me that they are unable to make them due to their oven being down and explained to me the amount of demand they've had for this particular dish since they've begun offering it in May. I told him, jokingly, how upset I was (I wasn't actually joking) and he apologized profusely. "Good thing you are coming back next week," I said to him.

Then the man at the helm of the kitchen (Chef Rigo Vallejo) said something to the man at the window about being able to try an alternate method of making them - and after a brief exchange between them - Jason Leon, the owner of the truck, offered them to me to try on the house. My eyes lit up and I asked myself, "is this real life?" Yes it most certainly was. He advised that this is an experimental version since their oven was not operational.

Here is the finished product:

Pizza Fries in all their glory. 

It turned out pretty damn great, even for not being done in the oven. The sauce was dense with flavor and not watery in the slightest. The spice from the red chili pepper flakes was perfect, and the herby flavor from the oregano was prevalent but not overbearing. All in all, would pizza fry again. Good thing they are coming back next week. If you enjoy Chicago Style eats or just want to indulge in some Pizza Fry goodness, I suggest giving them a shot. I would never steer you wrong.


The Taste of Chicago Wagon on Facebook

Did you know that they cater too? Send inquiries here:

tasteofchicagowagon@gmail.com 

As always, live long and pizza,

Payam

Breakfast Pizza - Breakfast of Champions

I first learned about breakfast pizza upon moving back to San Diego, after spending almost two years living in Myrtle Beach, SC. It was around May 2013, I had just started working for Sequenom Laboratories, and my bankers hours schedule allowed me to grab a bite to eat before work. In the interest of being healthy, I usually visited establishments such as Whole Foods. Little did I know I would find pizza, let alone BREAKFAST pizza at Whole Foods. The interest of being healthy was vehemently overtaken by my undying love of pizza.

Egg & Asparagus Pizza at Whole Foods La Jolla/Torrey Pines

What is breakfast pizza? It's pizza, with breakfast like ingredients, including but not limited to: eggs, bacon, ham, breakfast sausage, varying cheeses, veggies found in omelettes and scrambles not typically on pizza such as avocado, etc. Of course not all at the same time, but on different occasions, the pies had been topped with those ingredients. Some were your standard, egg, bacon, and cheese, others were more experimental.

For example:

Enjoying a slice of breakfast at Whole Foods before work. #breakfast #pizza #breakfastpizza #wholefoods

A photo posted by Payam Mousavinia (@pieslice) on Aug 7, 2013 at 8:09am PDT

The Egg & Asparagus Pizza has so far, in my opinion, been the "Holy Grail" of breakfast pizzas. A sunny side up egg, over medium, with roasted garlic, and asparagus.  I will re-create this pizza at home one day, I'm still reeling from it. A balanced flavor profile of herby, cheesy, veggie goodness that was consistent throughout the whole gargantuan slice.

Definitely will pie again. If you've not had breakfast pizza yet, I recommend you try it one day. In San Diego County, Whole Foods does it, and so does The Haven in Kensington. I'm sure there are more, but these are the two that I know of off the top of my head.

Note: Not all Whole Foods do the same pizzas. The one in my blog post is at the La Jolla/Torrey Pines location, off of Nobel Drive.

And yes, I know what you're thinking, "Any pizza can be a breakfast pizza if you try hard enough."
You're wrong. That's just pizza for breakfast, not breakfast pizza. I'm an aficionado, not a slob.

Thanks for reading!

Live long and pizza,
Payam

So I just had grilled, marinated lamb on a Pizza...

..and it was pretty much amazing.

In the neighborhood of Clairemont, in my beautiful hometown of San Diego, CA, Aladdin Cafe brings delicious, mediterranean inspired recipes to the world of pizza.

The crust they use is more or less akin to the consistency of a naan, chewy, almost fluffy but not crispy. Which was different yet worked with the flavors of the ingredients. I was happy to learn of this place's existence, being my middle-eastern, pizza-obsessed self, via my (amazing) friend Laura, who demanded I try this but not without her. Of course I obliged, and tonight we enjoyed pizza alongside our mutual friend (and her awesome roommate/best friend forever, transcending space and time) Julie, at their lovely home in University Heights.

This pie was named "Jafar's Pizza" and the toppings, per Aladdin Cafe's website, included:

"Delicious Marinated Pieces of Lamb, Herbed Onions, Three color Peppers, fresh Tomatoes with our Tahini Sauce ."

I want to say that the lamb was finished with a dusting of sumac, but I could be wrong. Either way, it was everything I could ask for in a middle-eastern/mediterranean themed pizza, and you should definitely go there, if you value my expert opinion. We didn't hesitate with the Sriracha and I happened to bring a couple of 22s of Ballast Point's Tongue Buckler, an Imperial Red Ale. Needless to say, I was thoroughly impressed and will be going there in the future to try their other pizzas, and of course their more traditional dishes.

Check out their menu here:

http://aladdincafe.com/aladdin-mediterranean-restaurant-menu.php

Please find the time to visit this place, and definitely try Jafar's Pizza. Yeah, the dude may have been a jerk to Aladdin in the movie, he is certainly making up for it indefinitely with this pizza.

Until next time.

Live long and pizza,

Payam

I love Pizza, and These People Should be my Friends.

I am probably that one friend of yours. A little rough around the edges. Doesn't give you the attention you deserve and talks about themselves constantly. Then you have these people, these saints, these magnificent bastards who dedicate themselves to the one true constant in life.

Pizza.

http://distractify.com/matt-buco/too-obsessed-with-pizza/


Live long and pizza,
Payam

I didn't choose Pizza. Pizza chose me.

Hello friends, travelers, people of the Internet and beyond.

My name is Payam (Pie-yum), and I am the PizzAficionado. The goal of this blog is to spread my breadth of pizza knowledge upon the masses. I will occasionally review establishments serving pizza and pizza related dishes in San Diego County, where I reside, and while traveling to far and unknown lands. There will be pictures, poetry, videos and other content. I will try and keep things interesting instead of drab and hopefully even entertain some of you!

In my travels I have visited and enjoyed pizza in cities across the United States, including legendary pizza proprietors such as Chicago and New York City. I've also enjoyed pizza Internationally, though not in Italy (yet) but in places such as Iran, where pizza is very different, and parts of Western Europe and Mexico.

I've been inspired to create this blog due to the abundance of pizza and pizza related content brought to me by countless friends over the past two months. I have always had a deep appreciation for pizza, ever since I was a child living in Sacramento. My TMNT action figures sometimes came with tiny pizzas. Some even SHOT pizzas. I'd like to think this was the seed that was planted, 20something years ago, that has now blossomed into the beautiful loving relationship I have with pizza today.

So stay tuned, folks. The best is yet to come, and it will be in the form of pizza.

In crust we trust,
Payam