Just the Tip:

Clean Your Stones Before You Get 'Em Hot!

WHILE IT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR STUFF CLEAN, IT IS REALLY IMPORTANT WITH YOUR PIZZA STONE. If you don't clean it thoroughly, you end up just cooking off the remnants in the oven.  It can ruin the taste of your next pizza and also smoke up your house.

In my case, it smoked like a frickin' volcano.  And, as I live in Manhattan, there is not a lot of room for Etna to puff away.  I spent half the cook time on a chair "snoozing" the smoke alarm.  It's a good thing I feed my neighbors a lot 'cause they had to listen to the alarm (and me cursing myself) for the whole session.

Long and short of the tip: When you think your pizza stone is all clean, clean it again!


Do you have a tip for me?  Or a question, recipe or comment?  Let me know here or at themaniccheater@gmail.com.