by intern Caitlin Ouano
Photo credit: intern Isabella Gerard
“Someone once asked if I had anything I could put in a cookbook. And I started thinking…and thinking…and I said…yeah! I do!” Ruth Gresser, owner of Pizzeria Paradiso’s three restaurants in Washington, DC, held a book signing event at the Georgetown location on Wednesday night.
Gresser is an original in DC, having been in the area for over twenty-two years. She founded Pizzeria Paradiso originally as a small restaurant off P Street in 1991 to wide acclaim from critics and customers alike. Pizzeria Paradiso was the first Neopolitan style pizzeria in Washington. She is now considered the matriarch of pizza in the area, having been featured in the Washington Post and the Washington Business Journal.
Gresser has just published Kitchen Workshop. The book is divided into a mere seven chapters dealing with pizza basics – Paradiso originals and finally specific ingredients that a chef can mix and match to create. Readers can be expert pizza makers in no time.
Maurisa Potts and Chef Gresser
Public relations coordinator Maurisa Potts organized the Georgetown event and many others to publicize the new book. Several of Gresser’s appetizers were served, including fresh prosciutto, mozzarella, bruschetta, and broccoli spread, all devoured in minutes. Then some popular and more interesting pizza dishes were served, all of which were far from the typical “tomato and cheese” pizza.
“Tomato and cheese is what we think of as pizza,” remarked Gresser as she talked about what makes her book so unique. “Hopefully this book generates some experimentation for people.”
Gresser’s restaurant is also unique in that it contains suggestions for certain beers to drink with her pizza dishes. Her director of operations, Matt McQuilkin, served as bartender at the restaurant event, having worked for Pizzeria Paradiso for eight years, first as a server and bartender then moving up through managerial positions. He offered several suggestions about which beer to combine with which dish.
Matt McQuilkin
“Craft beer has so many varieties,” says McQuilkin. “You’re tasting lots of stuff and it is so subtle. There are so many straightforward ingredients in pizza and there are so many tasting notes when you combine it with beer.” McQuilkin also acknowledges how Pizzeria Paradiso embraces that “Beer and pizza have always had a lovely marriage.”
Chef Gresser then began an activity in which all participants could make their own pizza with her direction. The ingredients and dough were set out cleanly and everyone wore gloves before beginning. At one point, she went to help sprinkle peppers and exclaimed, “Oh, I’m gonna just use my fingers is that okay?” to everyone’s laughter. Gresser gave specific instructions about layering the pizza with certain ingredients for the best combination.
Ruth helped Mike
and Kruti Ravaliya from ’The Daily Meal’ make pizza
“Everyone loves pizza. It’s fun food. It’s a complete meal. It’s peasant food: It can be rustic or refined. There is a huge scope of variation. I am very pleased with what has been produced and I hope you are too.” concluded Gresser.
Hollywood on the Potomac got an interview and a tasting:
