andrew's Reviews
Cookbook Reviews
American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza
By Peter Reinhart
Ten Speed Press - 2003
I love this book, though be warned - it's not exactly a regular cookbook. The first half is a bit of a travelogue and personal journey as Peter seeks out different types of pizza around the world, trying to capture some of the flavours of his youth and of the history of pizza. The second half consists of recipes which recreate the various pizzas he was impressed with in his travels.
I really liked this mix; it provides a context to his abiding interest in pizza and also provides a useful perspective - there's no one perfect pizza as there are so many different and good variations out there. Peter has excellent taste, and makes a great tour guide.
Peter's blog is at: http://peterreinhart.typepad.com/