The California Pizza Story

Everything changed when pies leapt onto the table.

Over the years I’ve acquired dozens of pots, pans and skillets. They range from the aluminum couscousiere I’ve been using for more than 50 years (its shape and weight make it the perfect pasta pot), to the sterling silver-lined copper pan I reach for every time I make risotto. I’ve got a well-seasoned wok that gets a lot of use, a couple of tajines, a few Dansk pots that belonged to my mother, and an ancient cast iron skillet I bought at Treasure Mart in Ann Arbor during my Sophomore year of college. And I have that multi-use Always pan that everyone (including me) was raving about last year (I like it less as time goes by).

But the pan that gets the most use in my kitchen is this Blanc Creatives hand-forged carbon steel skillet. It’s great for everything from pancakes to seared steak. Beautiful to look at, the pan snuggles easily into your hand and does not require a lot of care (the rule of thumb is do as little as possible). It’s happy inside your oven. And it comes with a lifetime guarantee.

If you’re looking for a gift that will last, this is it. This beautiful black pan is destined to be an heirloom: someday your friend’s descendants will be frying an egg while thinking that Grandma had very good taste.

It’s hard to remember a time when pizza was revolutionary, but in 1982 pizza and fine dining did not exactly go hand in hand. This was the year that changed.

I’m proud of this article; I’m not usually good at prophecy, but I certainly nailed it with the last line.

Wolf didn’t know what to put on the cover of the menu, so at the last minute he simply sketched out a drawing and used that. He was also in doubt as to what to put on the menu itself: he knew he was going to serve pizza, but he didn’t make up his mind about the rest of the dishes until the night before Spago opened.