Pizza Is Life

[igor_kavinski]

Droste was tested to be exceptionally toxic (lead?) by Consumer Reports and it's thought to be due to contamination in shipment. I was hoping the company would look into it, don't know if that happened. Anyway, it hasn't stopped me from using it.

Lead was historically used for sweetening foods. Can you be sure that it's not the taste of lead that you have grown to like?

 

[Kaido]

Got some more KEVJES individual proofing tubs in the new orange color:

https://www.amazon.com/KEVJES-Stackable-Silicone-Proofing-Containers/dp/B0CD3M4YGG

The majority of my dough balls fit in these, so they work out great! For prep:

1. Portion & fill
2. Freeze in tub then remove and wrap in Press 'N Seal warp
3. Thaw in fridge overnight & then proof in tub

I've completed my store-bought frozen pizza research. I'm about halfway through my store-bought sauce project. Right now I'm working on sort of a universal pizza dough that can be frozen as:

1. Doughballs (convenience)
2. Par-baked crusts (decorate & bake)
3. Fully-cooked pies (reheat)

I currently cook for 7 people, so I'm always trying to find ways to make the job faster & easer and to save money. The Presto pizza appliance is pretty solid for the money & is very easy to use for everyone from the college kids to the elderly in my family to use, whether you're busy or have mobility issues.

A large pizza in my town is $24. The cheapest decent frozen pizza is $3 (Costco 4-pack for $12). I'm curious how cheap I can get these homemade pies down to! Currently aiming for a 12" size to maximize freezer space & use on the Presto. Tools in play:

* Food processor for the dough
* 10" cast-iron tortilla press for the initial flattening to save time and increase shape & thickness consistency
* Instant Pot for the sauce (all-day simmer taste in an hour!)

A really great super-convenient & inexpensive weekly meal is a frozen homemade pizza + airfryer wings! I'm very happy with my wings procedure:

• Black garlic sauce wings
• Cayenne-curry wings
• Curry-yogurt wings
• Frank's Hot Sauce & melted butter wings
• Garlic-parm wings
• Honey-garlic wings
• Mina Harissa wings
• Pickle-juice hot sauce wings
• Pickle-juice Sriracha wings
• Sesame-seed sweet chili wings
• Sweet chili wings

The next step is creating intergalactic-quality homemade frozen pizzas!!

 

[Kaido]

I've been working with honey a lot lately with really good results!

Sauce: (pressure-cooked)

Pressure Cooker Easy Pizza Sauce - Kitschen Cat

Pressure Cooker Easy Pizza Sauce is restaurant quality, flavored to the max, and the best sauce for a classic homemade pizza!

www.kitschencat.com

Pizza:

 

[bigboxes]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Pizza/comments/1naszbs/pep_and_pep

 

[Muse]

Lead was historically used for sweetening foods. Can you be sure that it's not the taste of lead that you have grown to like?

AI Overview



Yes, in 2023, a Consumer Reports study found that Droste Cacao Powder contained concerning levels of lead
. A single tablespoon of the cocoa powder was found to exceed Consumer Reports' limit for lead by 324%.

Here's a breakdown of the key findings from the study:

• Widespread issue: The study tested 48 chocolate products across various categories and found that all of them contained detectable amounts of lead and cadmium.
• Cocoa powders particularly affected: Among the products tested, cocoa powders were found to have higher levels of heavy metals. Droste Cacao Powder and Hershey's Cocoa were noted for their high lead content.
• How lead gets into chocolate: According to Consumer Reports, lead contamination typically occurs after the cocoa beans are harvested, often from dust and soil settling on the beans as they dry outdoors.
• Risk to vulnerable groups: Long-term exposure to lead can cause health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.
• Not all chocolate products were high: While some products contained high levels of heavy metals, the study did find safer options in each category. Milk chocolate bars, which have a lower percentage of cocoa solids, generally contain lower levels of heavy metals.

The National Confectioners Association responded to the report by stating that chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and that the presence of heavy metals occurs because they are naturally present in the environment.

Here is a list of chocolate products that were found to have lower levels of heavy metals in the Consumer Reports study:

• Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao
• Trader Joe's The Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate 85% Cacao
• Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
• Divine 85% Dark Chocolate
• Vivani Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
• Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate 86% Cacao
• Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
• Dove Promises Deeper Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
• Hershey's Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate

This list can help you make an informed choice if you are concerned about heavy metal levels in chocolate.

 

[Kaido]

AI Overview



Yes, in 2023, a Consumer Reports study found that Droste Cacao Powder contained concerning levels of lead
. A single tablespoon of the cocoa powder was found to exceed Consumer Reports' limit for lead by 324%.

Here's a breakdown of the key findings from the study:

• Widespread issue: The study tested 48 chocolate products across various categories and found that all of them contained detectable amounts of lead and cadmium.
• Cocoa powders particularly affected: Among the products tested, cocoa powders were found to have higher levels of heavy metals. Droste Cacao Powder and Hershey's Cocoa were noted for their high lead content.
• How lead gets into chocolate: According to Consumer Reports, lead contamination typically occurs after the cocoa beans are harvested, often from dust and soil settling on the beans as they dry outdoors.
• Risk to vulnerable groups: Long-term exposure to lead can cause health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children.
• Not all chocolate products were high: While some products contained high levels of heavy metals, the study did find safer options in each category. Milk chocolate bars, which have a lower percentage of cocoa solids, generally contain lower levels of heavy metals.

The National Confectioners Association responded to the report by stating that chocolate and cocoa are safe to eat and that the presence of heavy metals occurs because they are naturally present in the environment.

Here is a list of chocolate products that were found to have lower levels of heavy metals in the Consumer Reports study:

• Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate 72% Cacao
• Trader Joe's The Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate 85% Cacao
• Green & Black's Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
• Divine 85% Dark Chocolate
• Vivani Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
• Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate 86% Cacao
• Lindt Excellence Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
• Dove Promises Deeper Dark Chocolate 70% Cacao
• Hershey's Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate

This list can help you make an informed choice if you are concerned about heavy metal levels in chocolate.

Between how much chocolate I eat & plastic I ingest I am doomed

 

[JujuFish]

Between how much chocolate I eat & plastic I ingest I am doomed

I'll be right there with you. Love me some chocolate.

 

[Chaotic42]

Just put some cocoa powder in epoxy and mold it into a bar - skip the middle man.

 

[sdifox]

Between how much chocolate I eat & plastic I ingest I am doomed

Don't worry, the micro plastic in you will coat the lead, rendering it harmless.

 

[nakedfrog]

I hope Droste cocoa powder will be attainable going forward. Will look into getting more now, I'm down to maybe 10 ounces now. I have recently bought packages of 6 boxes off Amazon. I've tried many cocoas including expensive and none have come close to Droste for tastiness.

Droste was tested to be exceptionally toxic (lead?) by Consumer Reports and it's thought to be due to contamination in shipment. I was hoping the company would look into it, don't know if that happened. Anyway, it hasn't stopped me from using it.

Bay Laurel trees are common where I live so I can pick off them. My experience is that the dried leaves retain flavor for years, however. Yes, I remove them after cooking.

I grow coriander in the yard, local indy supermarket has it in bulk as well.

Cumin powder keeps very well, is my experience, however that bought recently from my local indy supermarket (bulk) lacked smell and taste and I threw it out last week. Figure buy some elsewhere or smell before I buy. I still have a little that I bought years ago that seems OK.

I opened a can of chili I'd had in the trunk of my car for maybe 15 years last night. Can was pretty rusted so I was worried. When I got the can opened I laughed. Fungus had infiltrated and it was dried out to boot. I tossed the can in my trash receptacle outside. Instead ate a can of baked beans that was also in the car trunk. That was just fine. I am going to do some shopping in a couple days.

...

Are there still more cans in your trunk, and can you estimate their ages? Perhaps got anything in a 2003 ravioli? I hear that was a very good year for Boyardee.

 

[Muse]

Between how much chocolate I eat & plastic I ingest I am doomed

Remove the wrapper, sheesh...

Hit Costco today, they were selling a bag of Dubai Chocolate-pistachio treats, 15/bag, 16oz. total. Said something about being fruity, which didn't seem like a good idea. I don't think the expensive stuff does that, but what do I know. About $15. I figure they must be a cheap imitation of the good stuff but bought it anyway. WTH, I've never tasted any of it, so starting with the crap might not be so bad. They had other flavors too, but they weren't chocolaty.

 

[igor_kavinski]

Remove the wrapper, sheesh...

 

[Muse]

...

Are there still more cans in your trunk, and can you estimate their ages? Perhaps got anything in a 2003 ravioli? I hear that was a very good year for Boyardee.

What I have left is two 15oz cans of Cattle Drive Baked Beans. Also, a few quarts of a Moroccan pumpkin soup that I made from scratch and sterilized in a pressure canner. I'm a little worried about that. I have others that I've kept in the house.

Thing is, I kept food in the car because it's high risk for an earthquake here that could destroy my house in a minute. I removed the stuff from my car because I had the alarm removed and then a new one installed by Best Buy. Their instructions were to remove everything in the car.

 

[nakedfrog]

What I have left is two 15oz cans of Cattle Drive Baked Beans. Also, a few quarts of a Moroccan pumpkin soup that I made from scratch and sterilized in a pressure canner. I'm a little worried about that. I have others that I've kept in the house.

Thing is, I kept food in the car because it's high risk for an earthquake here that could destroy my house in a minute. I removed the stuff from my car because I had the alarm removed and then a new one installed by Best Buy. Their instructions were to remove everything in the car.

Fair enough, but I guess that should be a warning to you to rotate your trunk stock every so often

 

[Chaotic42]

So I'm curious, have any of you managed to get a proper New York style crust at home? Something the screaming, cursing Italians in the city would appreciate? Crust always seems to be an afterthought at most places, or they just load it down with garlic butter.

 

[igor_kavinski]

they just load it down with garlic butter.

YUMMMMMMMM!

 

[Chaotic42]

YUMMMMMMMM!

I'm not knocking garlic butter, but there's something to be said for a crust that is tasty on its own - like pancakes that don't *need* syrup.

 

[igor_kavinski]

I'm not knocking garlic butter, but there's something to be said for a crust that is tasty on its own - like pancakes that don't *need* syrup.

That's true but there's rarely that much dedication to making good food and getting it right isn't always the priority of places that charge good money. I've often gotten really great food from cheaper places and wondered why they aren't more well known.

 

[Muse]

Fair enough, but I guess that should be a warning to you to rotate your trunk stock every so often

Well, yeah. Particularly after the trunk seal failure I had around 7-8 years ago. Water was accumulating in the trunk well. Looking into it I discovered that the seal had deteriorated. I bought a new seal and installed it myself with recommended sealant. I think it's pretty OK now.

 

[Kaido]

Worth the 13 minutes:

 

[Kaido]

 

[JujuFish]

I've had pizza with that much pepperoni on it before. It was decidedly not good.

 

[bbhaag]

Friday night is pizza night at my house! WoooHooo!!!! I love pizza night!😍

First one goes on the grill. It has chicken and bacon for the toppings but instead of a traditional red sauce I used homemade ranch dressing. Pro tip DON'T use bottled ranch. Buy a seasoning packet and make your own. It tastes so much better.


Homemade pizza is amazing. These two turned out really good tonight. The top one is the BBQ chicken, bacon, and pineapple pizza. Instead of red sauce our homemade BBQ sauce was used. That's right @DigDog MOAR pineapple on pizza! It turned out amazing and was the favorite for sure.


Obligatory crust shot. It was a nice golden brown.

 

[DigDog]

*dies in Italian*

 

[igor_kavinski]

*dies in Italian*

It's ok. You can remove the pineapple pieces when bbhaag invites you for pizza.