Pizza & Oyster Party with Tuttorosso Tomatoes
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Photography by Clay Williams
Article by Kevin Masse
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Growing up in a large Italian American family, pizza was a part of our everyday life. My great grandparents, Phillip and Theresa Rossi, were from Naples and upon arrival in New York, they started a family in Elmira, NY (where I was subsequently born, for those of you interested!). It was there that my grandmother spent her whole life.
Growing up, I remember whenever I would visit, she would make pizza for me. This was, however, not the cheese-laden type of pizza we’re used to, but pizza with nothing more than the best quality ingredients she could get. It always started with Tuttorosso Whole Tomatoes, crushed by hand, on top of fresh dough - her secret weapon. They had a delicious, delicate flavor that was consistent throughout the seasons. Then, the pizza was topped with no more than a sprinkling of good parmesan cheese, a few pieces of torn fresh mozzarella, and finished with olive oil and fresh basil. Whether in Elmira or wintering in Florida, there was sure to be pizza from my grandmother. A pie always on the counter, so you could tear a piece off and enjoy any time the craving hit.
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| Make this pizza tonight: Recipe Here |
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| My grandmother was very specific with her ingredients and she would always keep cans of Tuttorosso in her pantry & to this day, I can still picture that pantry in my mind, Tuttorosso labels and all - they gave her that little bit of Italy in New York. From the pizza she made daily, to the Sunday gravies we survived on, she always started with Tuttorosso. |
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| Fast forward 25 years, and my inner child jumped for joy when I learned that we’d be working with my grandmother’s beloved Tuttorosso tomatoes. I knew instantly, that for our community, showcasing the quality and taste of the tomatoes would need to be done through the lens of pizza - something that relies on very few, but high quality ingredients. Pizza Luca has been turning out pies for years now, out of their 1952 Chevy Pick Up, which they’ve converted into a mobile pizza truck, beehive oven and all. We asked them to come to FeedfeedBrooklyn and serve up the pizzas of my childhood using Tuttorosso Tomatoes, but with Brooklyn as the backdrop. Throughout the course of the night, the wonderful team at Pizza Luca turned out over 60 wood fired pies. Perfectly charred crust with just the right amount of chew, and oh so delicious Tuttorosso San Marzano Style Tomatoes. We knew we’d get that big bold tomato flavor because Tuttorosso uses a patented Steam Sealed Flavor-Loc to ensure that they taste just as ripe as the day they were picked. We paired our pizza with the perfect Pizza Parlor Salad. Crunchy lettuce, bright Tuttorosso Tomato Vinaigrette, pepperoncini, salumi & cheese, and oregano. Honestly, I wish this night would have lasted forever. |
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| Looking for your next party salad? Get the recipe here |
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| Top to bottom, clockwise: Feedfeed co-founders Dan & Julie Resnick enjoy some quality time with our community, guests enjoying some ice cold oysters, Sarah Suchoff enjoys a slice of pie & our community mingles. |
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| While I could eat my weight in pizza, we wanted our Tuttorosso party to exude that summer vibe, and what better way to do that than with fresh from the sea, briny oysters - shucked to order and served with Zesty Tuttorosso Cocktail Sauce (made by scratch in our Brooklyn kitchen!) What we loved about this recipe is that you got the zip from the horseradish with the perfect amount of acidity from the Tuttorosso tomatoes, which complemented the brininess of the Wellfleet Oysters, harvested in Wellfleet, MA! Oysters and cocktail sauce is a very east coast thing, so we kept our oysters exclusively from the east coast. Joined by Sam Keller of Oyster Party Brooklyn, we all got to learn a little bit about where the oysters came from, how they are shucked and more importantly, why they taste so delicious. |
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| Need the perfect Zesty Cocktail Sauce recipe for your next party? Get it here |
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| We enjoyed our oysters, dined on pizza and salad, and washed it down with a spicy Tuttorosso Tomato based Michalada, expertly crafted on site. Just the perfect summer chiller for the evening. |
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| The best summer refreshing drink we can find - get the recipe here! |
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| To finish the night, Pizza Luca made fresh to order mini cannoli, and fresh scooped Lemon Italian Ice. We may have been in Brooklyn, but it felt like we were on the coast of Southern Italy - just where my grandmother would want me to be - enjoying all that life has to offer. |
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| Top to Bottom, clockwise: Jill gets the perfect shot, Aaron looking to get the perfect table shot, Oysters + hotsauce & #feedfeed community cheers! |
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Watch a recap of the event below!
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