So Long, London
Not a big Taylor Swift fan, but figured this one works
1. Ground Covered
Since packing everything up and starting this expedition, these are the places I’ve visited
Gainesville
Philly
NYC
Boston
London
Lisbon
2. What I’m Reading
During this year, I’m focusing on cultivating a beginner’s mindset, risk-taking, mental toughness, and making the best pizza, so most of what I’ll be reading falls into those categories. Here is my current bookshelf (physical, digital, and audio):
The Pizza Bible (gifted, thanks Kenny!)
3. Experiences
Pizza Lessons
Another focus of this year is pizza. It’s a journey I’ll share more about later. But, to really kick this off, I’ve enrolled in an intense pizza school in Naples, Italy, starting on June 3rd. To prepare, a few people have been kind enough to give me lessons
Gainesville—Strega Nona’s Oven's main pizzaiolo, Kenny, welcomed me into his kitchen and taught me how he makes his dough, portions it out, and where to get all the best ingredients in the US (pepperoni, cheese, etc.). It was an eye-opening experience into the entire subculture around pizza
NYC—Razza is known for great pizza, and Dan’s book Joy of Pizza helped to shape my own pizza journey, so I was lucky and humbled to spend several hours in their kitchen. Dan, Clint, and Jonah taught me how to make and roll dough. In fact, Jonah and I rolled 300+ pounds of dough into 550+ balls. What a day!
Here are a few pictures of the kitchen and woodfire ovens
Much Ado About Nothing - a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theater
This one was fun and also encouraged me to revisit Shakespeare, the legacy he created, and challenge my own perceptions
Based on my research and research by literary critic Paul Cantor, Shakespeare was a pretty good entrepreneur and was the first playwright to brand himself. He also negotiated to be paid royalties vs. a fixed fee for each piece of work and thus became the highest-paid playwright during his time
Maybe others knew this, but it was new to me to learn that Shakespeare was first an actor and then became a playwright, which deepened his ability to connect with an audience and write dramas he knew people would like
A lot like how I feel about Taylor Swift. I’m not a groupie, but I’m looking forward to learning more this summer at the Stratford Festival in Canada
Here are a few photos from the Globe Theater
Ice Cream Goat Cheese Salad
Apparently, this is a Lisbon specialty. I came across this at a food hall and was encouraged to try it by some locals
This one was a good lesson in assumptions. I had assumed this combination wouldn’t work, nor did I really want to consume that many calories, BUT dang, was I wrong. This salad works and I’d do it again!
4. Learnings
Letting go of perceptions to see things for what they are is hard
Making observations without passing judgment is similar and equally hard
Shakespeare was actually a really good entrepreneur and artist
It takes courage to be a beginner, but it’s easier when you’re a beginner at something you know you aren’t good at, are honest with others about it, and expectations are low
5. Questions I’m Contemplating
Does anyone have negative things to say about Shakespeare?
Why aren’t there more women in the pizza industry?
Why are gluten-free pizzas so stiff and more expensive?
How often does the fear of looking bad or a beginner hold us back?
Do consultants have feelings?
6. Where next?
This week I’m in France and next week in Germany
June, I’ll be in Italy and dedicated to learning the craft of pizza
After Europe, I’ll be heading back to North America
Stratford, ON
Grand Tetons, WY
Phoenix, AZ
Minneapolis, MN
7. Feedback?
Let me know your thoughts on some of the questions I’m contemplating and if you’d like to know more about what I’m reading
As always, feel free to drop me a personal note at jamesash.m@gmail.com with any thoughts or feedback
For this question: Why are gluten-free pizzas so stiff and more expensive?
Because gluten is the thing that makes pizza dough chewy and allows it to capture air bubbles during the yeast reaction, which makes it more light. Gluten is a protein that is formed by kneading wheat dough. Most pizza doughs are made with high-gluten wheat flour, so this is the texture we expect (and enjoy) with pizza. Gluten-free flours, by nature of them being gluten-free, don't have this protein. This is good for people who have intolerances to gluten, but it means that your pizza dough won't be able to form that chewy texture or get that stretchy rise that we get with wheat flours. The use of gluten-free flours is also why gluten-free pizzas are more expensive. These flours are often more expensive to produce or less readily available so they can catch a higher price. Plus, to get the different effects you need to make a dough, you can't usually just use a single source flour - you have to use a blend. More flours = more labor and more ingredients = more money, the price of which is passed down to producers and then the customer.
1. So glad it went well with Dan!!!
2. Goat cheese ice cream salad 😮😮
3. Career consultants don’t have feelings