Pizza Today_February 23 - 47

" The traditional competition is where you find the best
of the best, top-of-class, pizza bad asses. "
Drew Richards, Vice President, PizzaMaster and Certified Pizzaiolo
N
othing is more challenging
than competing in the
traditional pizza category in
the International Pizza Challenge in
Las Vegas. As a Pizza Expo competitor,
your culinary perspective and
craftsmanship is judged by chefs and
professionals by comparing your pizza
against hundreds of others made of the
same basic ingredients. Drew Richards
has led hundreds of contestants through
the baking process of the competition.
He says, " True masters of the craft
excel in this category because there is
nothing to hide behind. " Jeremy Galvin,
International Pizza Challenge Lead
Coordinator, says " The biggest mistake
competitors make in the Traditional
Category is overdoing their pizza. If you
look back, the typical winning pizzas are
super simple. " Domenico Crolla, Chef/
Owner of Oro in Glasgow, Scotland
,has won numerous competitions and
judged hundreds of pizzas. He says, " The
first thing about the traditional category
is that it is the traditional American
pizza. It is a difficult category to win. In
other competitions you can shine and
stand out with something original. But
in traditional, you are all using the same
ingredients, so it is down to your crust,
sauce and bake. "
Ruling Class
In the Las Vegas Pizza Challenge,
traditional does not mean mediocre.
Pizzas in this category must have that
" Something, " that wow factor. Be it
in the crust, the way it is cooked, the
quality, mix and melt of the cheese or
the freshness of the tomato sauce. Let us
delve into the rules first.
The Traditional Competition Rules:
1. Use your own dough.
2. Use your own cheese blend.
3. Must be a red sauce.
4. Must be 12-18 inches only.
5. No more than TWO of these
toppings: pepperoni, sausage,
bacon, ham, mushrooms, peppers,
tomatoes, onions and olives.
(Note: TWO kinds of the same
ingredient will be judged as
ONE topping. (Example: green
and red peppers.)
6. Only extra virgin olive oil is
allowed after the oven. No other
finishers are allowed including
cheese, herbs or sauces.
These rules seem very straightforward.
But every year people get disqualified
or scored low because they push the
rule limits. While competing, you must
know what you do not know. You do
not know the judges or how strict their
interpretation of your pizza will be.
After six years as Master of Ceremonies
for the Traditional Pizza Challenge
in Las Vegas, I have some secrets and
musings that I would like to share that
could mean victory or defeat. Here we
go...
Some judges may think that your
fabulous Duck Sausage is technically
not sausage.
That flourish of basil across the top of
your pizza will get it disqualified.
That spinach or cheese infused dough
may be seen as a topping.
That mushroom mousseline may not
be seen as appropriate by purist judges.
A plate presented with arugula,
watercress, and 20-dollar bills is a " no
no. "
That red sauce means tomatoes. Your
red pepper-kidney sauce may be too
much.
Your 12-cheese pile melting like a
snow drift on your crust may be too
much.
Your Prosciutto di Parma is ham,
which is allowed. But are the judges
from Italy? Japan? United States?
Poland? What is their interpretation of
" ham? "
Is your pepperoni top of the line with
natural casings causing a nice cup, or is
it a cheap flaccid pepperoni?
Does your pizza have a gum line?
Those anchovy-stuffed olives are
delicious and guaranteed to put your pie
in the disqualified category.
Will your slice stay straight and not
flop when the judges hold it by the
crust?
Behind the Curtains
Any sales manager will tell you
that the first step to success is
communication. The traditional
competition starts with a blind tasting,
meaning you will not see the judges.
Your only communication lifeline is a
written description on an index card.
Here are some more tips to get your foot
in the door.
Always send your pizza that is
headed behind the curtains with a short,
concisely written sales pitch.
If your handwriting is terrible, get
someone else to write this.
This pitch should be as informative as
possible.
Judges do not want to see sauce or
cheese companies' names used. They
may sponsor you, but naming them is
insignificant at best.
Good things the judges like to see
are house-made sauce, in-house made
charcuterie, preferments and artisan
flours and techniques. (BUT ONLY
if they follow the above-mentioned
rules.) Chris Tricarichi, Managing
Partner, Avalanche Pizza, and frequent
traditional pizza judge says: " Even
though many of the pizzas are made
with all the best ingredients, a lot of
them taste the same because they use
the same companies. To elevate your
traditional pizza, the quality, technique
and seamless execution of the crust will
make the pizza stand out. " Master of
Ceremonies, Theo Kalogeracos, adds
this: " Even in the traditional category,
you need to be innovative to stand out. "
Pizza Today_February 23

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pizza Today_February 23
