At Pizzeria da Gloria in The Hill neighborhood, passionate pizza chef Joe Kurowski cooks up wood-fired, American-style pies with Italian sensibilities that showcase the breadth of his experiences. The seasoned chef developed his affinity for the craft during a transformative family trip to Italy. After attending a pizza masterclass in Rome with pizza expert Gabriele Bonci, he continued to hone the craft while working at institutions including Fornino in New York City's Brooklyn, Pizzeria dal Presidente in Naples, Italy and Marta in NYC's Manhattan. Here, Kurowski shares three influential cookbooks from his culinary journey that will help home chefs fall in love with pizza-making, too.
Joe Kurowski's favorite pizza cookbooks
"The Joy of Pizza" by Dan Richer with Katie Parla (2021)
This book from Razza in Jersey City, [New Jersey], shares a diligent and methodical approach with lots of pictures to show you how to get your pizza just right. My favorite part is that he emphasizes setting intentions prior to making different recipes. This book is also great for anyone wanting to better understand the science behind pizza-making.
"Pizza Czar" by Anthony Falco (2021)
Falco was my former boss at the “pizza lifestyle brand” Rad Times Pizza in New York City. His book covers all the necessary basics, from equipment sourcing to ranch recipes, and how to make mozzarella from scratch. It has a few different types of pizza dough, including a Sicilian and one reminiscent of the golden days of Pizza Hut.
"Pizza" by Gabriele Bonci with Elisia Menduni (2013)
I took a cooking class with Bonci in 2014, and we made 38 pizzas over two days. His book has three simple dough recipes that are geared toward pan pizza but can be adapted to hearth baking. His toppings section is organized according to the four seasons, and he’s famously known for once having sold 1,000 different types of pizza in a year at his shop in Rome.
Pizzeria da Gloria, 2024 Marconi Ave., The Hill, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-833-3734, pizzeriadagloria.com
Mabel Suen
Mabel Suen is the St. Louis contributing editor for Feast.
