Recipe for almost Lou Malnotti's Pizza

Pizza is nearly the perfect food if you ask me. Especially Chicago style deep dish!

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Loo's Malnati's recipe - volume measurements « on: August 01, 2007, 03:51:37 PM »

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There's been some inquiries of late to convert my recipe to volume, so...

With some help from chiguy, who did the original breakdown for this recipe, I thought I'd repost it with the final modification that I made with the oil. This will make a 14" Lou Malnati's style pizza.

Flour 100% | 442g | 3 1/2 cups at about 125Gr per cup (approx.) cups for allpurpose
Water 45% | 198.9g | 7oz. (approx.)
Corn oil 19% | 81g | 6 Tablespoons (approx.) 1Tb=14g
Olive oil 4% | 17.5g | 1.25 Tablespoons (approx.) 1Tb=14g
ADY 0.75% | 3.3g | .85 teaspoon

I use King Arthur AP flour. To measure flour, you will need a 1 cup for dry measure and a 1/2 cup dry measuring cup and a spoon and a flat edge like a straight knife to level off the top of the cup measure. Use the spoon to fill the measuring cup so that the cup is light and airy. When the cup is slightly mounded, use the straight edge to draw across the top of the cup to level taking care not to compact the flour. Do this three times for the on cup and one time for the 1/2 cup.

I grease the pan (bottom only...not the sides, it seems to cause the dough to slide) with Crisco shortening.
A 14" gets exactly 1 lb. sliced mozz
I use Johnsonville Sweet Italian sausage.

I combine the yeast with 110* water in the mixer. After the yeast is fully dissolved I start adding the flour to my Kitchen Aid mixer until it starts getting pretty stiff then I start adding the oil and the rest of the flour. Once it's all combined I turn the mixer up to a mid speed (4-5) and let it knead for 45-60 seconds. I pull the dough out of the mixer bowl to add some oil to wipe around in the bowl for the rise. Back in goes the dough, swirl it around to coat with the little bit of oil and cover with a tea towel. In the oven it goes with the light on and a pan of hot water on the rack underneath it. I punch it down after two hours and let it come back up again for another hour or two (until doubled again). Then it goes into a ziplock bag in to the fridge overnight but I've found that 48 hrs produced the best flavor. Pull it out about an hour and a half before I want to make the pie. I slide it out of the bag and straight to the greased pan patting it out on the bottom as evenly as possible and then go around pinching it up the sides. That's it. Cheese it. Sauce it. Top it.


Lobster Boy notes:
You can substitute butter for the corn oil for a butter crust and adding an extra tablespoon of olive oil.
20-24 ounces of sauce per pie.
1+ pound of the best Mozzarella cheese sliced
Sliced and browned Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage is really good on this.


Bake at 475F on the middle rack until crust is golden (about 20-30 minutes depending on pizza size and total toppings).

Lobsterfest - the most wonderful time of the year

I heart Lobsterfest. Thank you Lent, and thank you generous Catholics who come out for seafood. And thank you Jesus for Catholics and seafood (among other things...).

Lobsterfest means busy store with big tickets. Lobsterfest means being on line from 4:30PM Friday until locking the doors on Sunday.

I hereby declare Ash Wednesday as a Lobsterland holy day. No you don't get it off of work, rather you get to go home with enough money to pay bills AND have a bit extra to get caught up.

Some people get excited for Christmas or birthdays, I get excited for Lobsterfest!


From Red Lobster's site:

This year we’re offering more exclusive lobster creations for a celebration everyone can enjoy. Come in today and treat yourself to new lobster exclusives like NEW! Lobster, Shrimp and Parmesan Scampi, featuring Maine lobster with Parmesan shrimp in a garlic butter sauce, or enjoy a favorite like our classic Lobster Lover’s Dream, featuring a succulent rock lobster tail and a sweet split Maine lobster tail.

Lobster, Shrimp and Parmesan Scampi: A garlic-rosemary-grilled Maine lobster tail and skewer of jumbo shrimp, with Parmesan shrimp in a garlic butter sauce. Served with crispy Parmesan red potatoes and fresh broccoli.

Lobster Lover's Dream: A succulent rock lobster tail and sweet split Maine lobster tail, roasted and served with shrimp, lobster and langostino linguini Alfredo.

Wood-Grilled Sirloin Surf and Turf: A succulent rock lobster tail and a peppercorn-rubbed center-cut sirloin, served with crispy Parmesan red potatoes and fresh broccoli.

Rock Lobster, Crab and Shrimp: A roasted rock lobster tail, steamed snow crab legs and savory garlic shrimp scampi.


And there are many other meals as well - come visit and gorge yourself with delicious seafood!

Valentine's Day Sucks

When you are wishing that someone special a happy Valentine's Day, don't make the mistake and abbreviate it. Especially not if you are wishing them a happy one.

Valentine's day is truly a VD to servers. I don't mind it because the turnover rate is generally high with tons of two-tops I can make a boat load of cash from. But today is Sunday, and that will make for an epic train wreck of a day. Having Valentine's Day on a Sunday is like being kicked in the balls and then given a wedgie just to make sure you are really feeling the pain. Especially if you are working the lunch shift.

So honey, when I get home with a headache, hating people, smelling like a sweaty fish who showers in butter and cocktail sauce, know I still love you. But only you. Everyone else can piss off until at least my third scotch.

Media request for Red Lobster's Censorship Policy

I was contacted by someone in the media asking about the absurd Red Lobster censorship policy. Anyone out there have a copy of it they could scan and email me? Or I suppose you could type it up as well. If so send it to RLserver AT Gmail Dot Com. Thanks in advance.

Update: Thanks readers, below is the exact text in question out of the Employee Handbook:

Internet/Blogging Policy

Darden supports the free exchange of information and supports camaraderie among its employees. We also are extremely proud of our reputation of being “The Best in Full-Service Dining” and of the strong brand identities we have created. Consistent with our company’s overall employee code of conduct, Darden employees must always express themselves in a manner that is professional and respectful when engaging in social media. When internet blogging, chat room discussions, e-mail, text messages, or other forms of communication reveal confidential and/or proprietary information about the Company or include inappropriate discussions about co-workers, guests, or others, the employee may be violating the law and is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Please keep in mind that if you communicate regarding any aspect of the Company, you must include a disclaimer that the views you share are your own, and not necessarily the views of the Company. This applies to statements made during work and non-work hours and in any communication medium (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, My Space, e-mail, text messages, videos, etc.).

Darden Restaurants Crew Member Handbook February, 2010, Page 28.

I love the Onion!

Sometimes you just have to laugh!

The Onion.com cracks me up. We need more things like that in this world. From the Onion:

Red Lobster Introduces New Mechanical Jumbo Shrimp Ride


And don't miss:

Red Lobster Introduces New Jellyfish Sting-A-Roos (Audio)

And of course the ever popular:

Top Hat Full of Shrimp


Maybe they'll add that last one for Lobsterfest!?!

Gustapo at Red Lobster

Or perhaps a little Mother Russia - KGB is out to get us.

I've been asked now by a number of people whether I am aware of the below censorship attempt coming from Orlando. And yes, I'm aware of it. I'll address it at some point further than this, but thought I'd put it out there for discussion at this point. I don't think we get the option of not signing it. I'm sure they'll make an example out of someone to scare everyone else. That's the corporate mentality. Maybe it'll be me. If so, I won't hold back as I honestly am currently. Not sweating it one way or another. If Red Lobster wants to take me down, I'm the small fish, they can do so. But the funny thing is that Stalinist attempts at censorship often creates martyrs. Will I dive on the grenade if it comes to that - we'll just have to see, but the equation is decidedly balanced in my favor on this one. Just how much publicity do you think I could get if this gets ugly? I'm betting a lot. Does Darden want to roll that dice in this economy?


Below is a report from CNN (the typo's are not mine!):

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-402842

I'm an employee at Red Lobster, which is owned by Darden Restaurants.

We are being forced to sign an agreement that, for the most part, forbids us to blog, or if looked deeply into enough, even TALK about what goes on in the workplace. This "agreement" even reaches into our "off hours" lives.

I've attached a scanned version of the actual page that details the internet/blogging policy. What bothers me so much about this is the fact that the policy is SOOO vague that it could include anything. Vague policy IS the heart of censorship!

Here's an excerpt:

"When internet blogging, chat room discussions, E-MAIL, TEXT MESSAGES OR OTHER FORMS OF COMMUNICATION reveal confidential and/or proprietary information about the company or include inappropriate discussions abour co-workers, guests, or others, the employess may be violating the law and is sublect to disciplinary actions, up to and including termination of employment."

I'll leave it at that for now (read the entire policy if interested), but that little phrase is what makes this just seem wrong to me.

How can we even be hinted upon to control what we put in our emails or text messages? Who has access to this outside of us, the people writing and receiving them? Does the Patriot Act extend to Red Lobster?

Finally, what are these "other" forms of communication outside of the internet realm? Speech? Morse Code?

I'm not a lawyer, but something just doesn't smell right about this policy, I just can't put my finger on it.

I know it's wrong to slander someone or to give away company secrets (like what's the seven secret spices in the Colonol's chicken); but outside of that, we can say what we want. If I want to blog about how my boss sucks, I should be able to do so. Just so long as I don't say, "Mr. John Doe sucks because he's a loser and has no life.", I'm covered under the law.

So, am I wrong in these thoughts or am I just looking too deep into it? I don't think I am because this has become a BIG issue at my Red Lobster. And this is only one store in a small town, I'm sure it can't be going over well in the larger areas.

Censorship always starts small.