Pizza Czar: Recipes and Know-How from a World-Traveling Pizza Chef

by Anthony Falco, Evan Sung (Photographer), Molly Tavoletti (Photographer)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

To learn from Anthony Falco, formerly of Roberta's — the famous Brooklyn eatery — is to learn from a "Pizza Czar." Yes, that is how he is known and the title he has earned. What makes this pizza cookbook special is Falco's understanding of a wide variety of ingredients which he learned about and experimented with from his many travels around the world. A must-have for pizza lovers.

In his comprehensive first book, legendary Pizza Czar Anthony Falco teaches you everything you need to know to make pizza wherever you are, drawing from his singular experience opening pizzerias around the globe.

If there’s one thing the entire world can agree on, it’s pizza. It just might be the world’s favorite food. In every climate, in every region, in every kind of kitchen, there’s pizza to be had, infused with local flavor. In this definitive book, filled with hacks, tips, and secret techniques never before shared, International Pizza Consultant Anthony Falco brings the world of pizza to your kitchen, wherever you are.

After eight years at the famous Brooklyn restaurant Roberta’s, culminating with his position as Pizza Czar, Falco pivoted from the New York City food scene to the world, traveling to Brazil, Colombia, Kuwait, Panama, Canada, Japan, India, Thailand, and all across the United States. His mission? To discover the secrets and spread the gospel of making the world’s favorite food better. Now the planet’s leading expert pizza consultant, he can make great pizza 8,000 feet above sea level in Bogotá or in subtropical India, and he can certainly help you do it at home.

An exhaustive resource for absolutely any pizza cook, teaching mastery of the classics and tricks of the trade as well as completely unique takes on styles and recipes from around the globe, Pizza Czar is here to help you make world-class pizza from anywhere on the map.

Important Note: For a correction to the extra-virgin olive oil quantity in the recipe for Thin & Crispy Dough on page 57, and for instructions on using this book without a sourdough starter, see https://www.abramsbooks.com/errata/craft-errata-pizza-czar/

For corrections to the recipes for Thin & Crispy Dough on page 57 and Garlic, Caramelized Onion, Anchovy, and Breadcrumb Sicilian Pizza page 124, and for instructions on using this book without a sourdough starter, see https://www.abramsbooks.com/errata/craft-errata-pizza-czar/

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419747847
Publisher:	Abrams
Publication date:	05/18/2021
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	132,245
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Anthony Falco, former pizza czar of Roberta’s in Brooklyn, now works independently as an international pizza consultant. Since 2016, he has consulted in New York City, São Paulo, Chicago, Seattle, Charleston, Iowa, Bogotá, Panama, Toronto, Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Madrid, Calgary, Altoona, Bangalore, Taipei, Bangkok, Istanbul, and Ulaanbaatar. He has also worked extensively as an illustrator, creating hand-drawn designs for pizza brands and other small businesses. He resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with his wife and two sons.

What People are Saying About This

chef/owner Pizza Félix and Belmondo Miwi

“All the elements that have made Anthony Falco the greatest exponent of pizza are in this didactic and entertaining book. The passion and emotion he manages to convey in these pages are surprising. It will undoubtedly become a basic that any cooking lover or experienced chefs will want at home.”

Mark Iacono

“One of my most memorable pies was cooked by Anthony. His love and passion really show in the pies he puts out.”

Sarah Minnick

“Mr. Falco is a tremendous resource for all things pizza, and in this book he shares his vast knowledge for different styles, skills, and above all, his supreme enthusiasm and talent.”

Andrew W.K.

“The first time I bit into a slice of Anthony Falco’s pizza, I had a euphoric experience. I realized I had encountered the epitome of pizza perfection—this was the partiest that pizza could get. And then, I had another bite, and it happened all over again. I’ve never had a partier pizza in my life.”

Benny Novak of São Paulo’s Braz Elettrica

“I met Tony for the first time in 2015 in one of the most charming and glamorous places in the world, the Copacabana Palace hotel in Rio de Janeiro. We hit it off right away, after a few beers and an awesome Cacio e Pepe spaghetti. We had great talks about tattoos, food, music, and booze. It just felt like we had known each other for quite some time. In January 2017, Tony Cannoli (that’s what I call him while he calls me Benny the Butcher) was landing in São Paulo to kick off our partnership at Bráz Eléttrica Pizzeria. Today, in 2020, we have six stores and many more to come. Tony is a great guy, determined, reliable, earnest, smart, customer-driven, an excellent chef, creative, fast, straightforward and a very good friend. This book is phenomenal.”

Chris Bianco

“The pizza community is small and tight-knit for being such a massive global industry—a quilt of misfits, dreamers, and screamers learning things by burning things. Sharing the struggle makes everything easier to digest, both the knowledge and, of course, the pizza. When you hear a name like Anthony Falco, you might figure this dude knows something about pizza, and you would be correct in that saucy assumption. Pizza Czar contains a journey and a whole lot of pizza, and both of those things of yours will be well served by Anthony’s bird’s eye perspective.”

chef/owner Pizza Félix and Belmondo Miwi

“All the elements that have made Anthony Falco the greatest exponent of pizza are in this didactic and entertaining book. The passion and emotion he manages to convey in these pages are surprising. It will undoubtedly become a basic that any cooking lover or experienced chefs will want at home.”

Benny Novak of São Paulo’s Braz Elettrica

“I met Tony for the first time in 2015 in one of the most charming and glamorous places in the world, the Copacabana Palace hotel in Rio de Janeiro. We hit it off right away, after a few beers and an awesome Cacio e Pepe spaghetti. We had great talks about tattoos, food, music, and booze. It just felt like we had known each other for quite some time. In January 2017, Tony Cannoli (that’s what I call him while he calls me Benny the Butcher) was landing in São Paulo to kick off our partnership at Bráz Eléttrica Pizzeria. Today, in 2020, we have six stores and many more to come. Tony is a great guy, determined, reliable, earnest, smart, customer-driven, an excellent chef, creative, fast, straightforward and a very good friend. This book is phenomenal.”

Anthony Mangieri

“Anthony Falco, a name that just sounds like it was meant for a pizza guy. From making pizza in Brooklyn to South America or Dubai, he's got a passport stamped like nobody else in the pizza world. Anthony has literally changed pizza around the planet. His passion and amore are a gift for all who get to taste his work.”

Joe Beddia

“Anthony isn’t a Czar, he’s a wizard of the highest power. He’s probably teaching pizza to some guy in Buenos Aires right now. Please take me with you.”

Editorial Reviews

Anthony isn’t a Czar, he’s a wizard of the highest power. He’s probably teaching pizza to some guy in Buenos Aires right now. Please take me with you.”—Joe Beddia, author of PIZZA CAMP, owner of Pizzeria Beddia, never been nominated for a James Beard award

“The pizza community is small and tight-knit for being such a massive global industry—a quilt of misfits, dreamers, and screamers learning things by burning things. Sharing the struggle makes everything easier to digest, both the knowledge and, of course, the pizza. When you hear a name like Anthony Falco, you might figure this dude knows something about pizza, and you would be correct in that saucy assumption. Pizza Czar contains a journey and a whole lot of pizza, and both of those things of yours will be well served by Anthony’s bird’s eye perspective.”—Chris Bianco, author of BIANCO and owner of Pizzeria Bianco

“Anthony Falco, a name that just sounds like it was meant for a pizza guy. From making pizza in Brooklyn to South America or Dubai, he's got a passport stamped like nobody else in the pizza world. Anthony has literally changed pizza around the planet. His passion and amore are a gift for all who get to taste his work.”—Anthony Mangieri, owner of Una Pizza Napoletana

“One of my most memorable pies was cooked by Anthony. His love and passion really show in the pies he puts out.”—Mark Iacono, chef-owner of Lucali

“The first time I bit into a slice of Anthony Falco’s pizza, I had a euphoric experience. I realized I had encountered the epitome of pizza perfection—this was the partiest that pizza could get. And then, I had another bite, and it happened all over again. I’ve never had a partier pizza in my life.”—Andrew W.K.

“I met Tony for the first time in 2015 in one of the most charming and glamorous places in the world, the Copacabana Palace hotel in Rio de Janeiro. We hit it off right away, after a few beers and an awesome Cacio e Pepe spaghetti. We had great talks about tattoos, food, music, and booze. It just felt like we had known each other for quite some time. In January 2017, Tony Cannoli (that’s what I call him while he calls me Benny the Butcher) was landing in São Paulo to kick off our partnership at Bráz Eléttrica Pizzeria. Today, in 2020, we have six stores and many more to come. Tony is a great guy, determined, reliable, earnest, smart, customer-driven, an excellent chef, creative, fast, straightforward and a very good friend. This book is phenomenal.”—Benny Novak of São Paulo’s Braz Elettrica

“Mr. Falco is a tremendous resource for all things pizza, and in this book he shares his vast knowledge for different styles, skills, and above all, his supreme enthusiasm and talent.”—Sarah Minnick, chef/owner of Lovely's Fifty-Fifty

“All the elements that have made Anthony Falco the greatest exponent of pizza are in this didactic and entertaining book. The passion and emotion he manages to convey in these pages are surprising. It will undoubtedly become a basic that any cooking lover or experienced chefs will want at home.”—Miwi, chef/owner Pizza Félix and Belmondo

From the Publisher

04/23/2021

International pizza consultant Falco shares what he learned while working at New York's famous Roberta's and helping restaurants worldwide develop unique pizzas. Intended for home cooks who aren't pizza purists, the book includes recipes for Neapolitan-style, pan pizza, and white pies, with a wide array of increasingly popular toppings (like toasted walnuts, lime pickled onions, or fingerling potatoes). Like Marc Vetri's Mastering Pizza, this collection exalts the crust and encourages natural leavening. But oddly, Falco buries natural fermentation information at the end of the book, even though the first dough recipe requires a starter—a baking term not found in the book's index or table of contents. Some of the graphics are unappetizing (like photos of partially eaten pizza, or drawings of skeletons and an anatomically incorrect cow). Though recipes are printed clearly, some of the interstitial text is harder to read, due to colored inks or psychedelic backgrounds. Falco's recipes include ingredient measurements as well as easily scalable baker's percentages, but some recipes yield as much as seven balls of dough, without any tips on freezing or alternative uses. VERDICT Not recommended. Readers might peruse this volume for topping ideas, but Michael Schwartz's Genuine Pizza is easier to use and more practical, with additional building block recipes. —Bonnie Poquette, Milwaukee

Library Journal