The US Pizza is sponsored by PMQ Pizza Magazine and several corporate sponsors. The US Pizza has a simple mission:
1. To promote the pizza industry.
2. To perfect and serve the great meal of the USA and the world.
3. To promote sportsmanship, camaraderie and goodwill among all pizza makers and acrobats.Trials are held multiple times throughout the year and at the Orlando And NYC PMQ Pizza Magazine shows. We do appearances on TV, internet, county fairs, Italian Heritage festivals, store openings, anything with pizza we are there!!!
Additionally we help pizza owners and operators to make better pizza, attract more consumers to their place and manage their business better to make better margins.
I also asked Steve what he had been up to Pizza-wise recently and here is what he shared with me:
This year I competed in NYC, Paris, Melbourne and I leave for China next week to teach pizza and the business in 6 cities. Many people like baseball in America, but everyone loves PIZZA. Pizza as John Lennon would say: is bigger than Jesus. We try to help make pizza operators aware of advancing technology, managing social media, new pizza trends, and we help them with the science and art of baking. The single most common mistake among pizza workers is stretching cold dough directly out of the refrigerator. This makes pizza dense and harder to digest. Just leaving the dough out 2 hours before baking will make a superior pizza with all the same ingredients.. I don’t change places’ recipes but just help with technical expertise and better techniques. That way they do not feel threatened in any way.
In 2009, Steve won the American Pizza Championship and the title of Americas Best Pizza Maker at the Orlando Pizza Show with his Black Truffle Pizza. You can see him winning the award in the video below:
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Here is a video of Steve showing how he puts together the Black Truffle Pizza:
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Through the power of email I was able to interview Steve and ask him a few questions that I think fans of pizza will find interesting:
Hidden Track: How did you get into pizza in the first place?
Steve Lieber: I started managing Bob’s Pizza in Deerfield Beach, Florida about 6 years ago. Then did Vic & Angelo’s Coal Oven, then Coal Mine Pizza, Then Racks Italian Kitchen, then Table 42 all in Florida!!! Also I have been eating pizza since age 2 in Brooklyn, NYC
HT: How did you become associated with the U.S. Pizza Team?
SL: I won the American Pizza Championship in 2009 at the Orlando Pizza show. I realized the team was a valuable brand and decided to join Steve and Linda Green from PMQ Pizza Magazine in running and managing the team.
HT: How long have you been working with pizza?
SL: I managed pizza for about 7 years but only started baking in December 2008 when I graduated from Tony Gemignani’s International School of Pizza in the Classic Italian course.
HT: What countries has pizza making taken you to so far?
SL: I have cooked in USA, France, Australia and now China this year!!
HT: Name your favorite pizzas (as in toppings)?
SL: All pizza is local. You like what you grew up on so I like the NY street slice, Sicilian corner slice, I like fresh Italian sausage seasoned with fennel seeds, fresh basil , sea salt and EVOO on pizza. Also I am known for grating fresh Reggiano Parmigiano on my pies when finished. I love pizza with shrimp, dessert pizza with nutella, also clam pizza no cheese.
HT: Who are the top pizzaiolos in the world nowadays and what countries are they from?
SL: There is no way to judge top pizza makers in the world but the current world champion is Giulio Andriani from Olio i Piu, next best are Tony Gemignani from Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, Roberto Caporuscio from Keste’, Chris Bianco from Pizza Bianco, Simon Best from Australia, but there are great pizza makers all over the planet. Everyone in NYC Dom De Marco, Totonno’s, Patsy’s, John’s of Bleeker St., Apizza Scholls in Portland, OR, Frank Pepe’s and Sally’s of New Haven, CT to name a few.
HT: Do you have a great pizza related story/anecdote to share?
SL: In Australia, I watched 2 days of the Australian championship which Simon Best and Massimo Miele won. On Saturday Simon was out of products, so we went to Prahan Market to get toppings, he was waiting for Massimo to bring dough. 1 hour before the finals, I offer Simon my dough, he wins with my dough and I am runner up for best in the world. Guess I finished 1 and 2.
HT: Where can we find you making your pizzas?
SL: I make pizza everywhere I go. Every Saturday night I am in TriBecca Allie in Sardis, MS on a wood fired oven. When I travel I make pizza everywhere they let me.
HT: Since we are a music blog. What music do listen to when you are in the pizza making mood? (5 favorite bands/songs).
SL: Pearl Jam- Better Man
The Police- Every Little Thing She Does
The Police- Bed’s Too Big Without You
Led Zeppelin- Been a Long Time
The Who- My Generation
