Christo's Cucina

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Hi All!!!

It's been a while - I've been working on other projects and just enjoying the oven and patio.

The oven has seen a lot of use and we are having zero issues with it. The cracks that formed during the first firings have not gotten worse and I'm happy with that.

I burned some pine and other wood in my oven and the front got a good coating of soot on it. I've gone back to hickory and oak only and that seems to keep the soot at bay.

Had a small pizza party on Saturday about 12 neighbors came over and we had a great time - it's funny how when we have a party or get together at the house - they all expect the oven to be running!

Still making dough the forno way - everyone loves it. I have taken some short cuts to forming the dough and use a rolling pin - I like the texture of hand forming the crust - but the production aspect of rolling makes me enjoy more time with my guests.

Off topic but here's a pic of my car- 1954 Triumph TR2 - two days after waking it up from a 30 year sleep - I spent 4 months and had disassembled most of it - painted, reassembled(most of it) by 11:30pm the night before the car show. The next morning we drove it for the first time out of the neighborhood on a 4 and a half hours to a car show in Dobson, NC the next morning. Since I had run out of time, the car had no working electrics other than a brake light. I hot-wired it every time we ran it somewhere and charged the battery at the hotel parking lot. Oh and somehow got a second place finish at the show - musta been the sympathy vote!

All the best - I'm going to try to spend more time here again - I love the build pics. You folks are really bringing the game up to a new level.

[dusty]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Happy belated birthday Christo!

dusty

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Happy Birthday Christo!
You are quite lucky to have your birthday in the mid of summer so you can use your beautiful patio and pizza oven. Sounds like you're having a great birthday. I hope others helped with all those pizzas or is making them part of the birthday fun ?

take care, Dino

[Wlodek]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Happy Birthday C - that's from the sunny South Lakes in the UK. For a change (and surprisingly) sunny indeed.

I was briefly puzzled by the note on irrigation lines too, my first thought was bread and steam.

We did pizza for anything from 4 to 16 - the latter requires either some careful planning and preparation, some cunning delegating (as in Tom Sawyer's fence painting), or both.

Talking about roofs - my single slope slate roof is probably slightly too flat, but there are no damp problems, even after serious near-horizontal downpours. And it is too windy here for leaves accumulating.

All the best once again,
W.

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

potted plants - but would be cool to have a mister built into the oven to add steam while baking bread or roasting.

and thanks!

Christo

[Tman1]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Oh, and happy birthday!

[Tman1]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Drip irrigation lines? Is that to do with the pizza or just the landscaping? My guess is landscaping, but i'd be very interested to know if its not. Looks great!!

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

It's my birthday! Thought I'd post an update on what's working and what's not with my oven.

Had my car club over for pizza. Went throuh a ton of dough - 10 Triumphs from a 1954 TR2 to a 73 TR6 - and a cool convertible Herald.

Cooking for 18 was challenging but I think the flared entry allowed for easier managment of multiple pizzas. I'm glad I went that route.

The oven continues to do well - no more additinal cracks. Heats up pretty consistently in 1 to 1 1/2 hours - moderate fire - no big scary ones.

My door blew up - got wet and froze - zillion pieces - keep those ceramic boards dry!

I am starting to see a little bit of soot on the front of the oven - I don't know if that's a new development or just accumulation over time - I think the latter - it seemed perfectly clean for so long. --- I am burning mostly oak instead of hickory - maybe that is part of it - the wood may be a bit wetter for all I know - hmm - makes sense - maybe the wood I got is not as well seasoned.

I wished I'd planned more room for pizza tool storage -

Flat roof with EPDM liner continues to do well - pain to blow the leaves and pine needles off of it. next time I'll do a pitched roof.

love having the sink outside and don't miss not having hot water.

I planned ahead for speaker wire and power - wished I'd also put in some drip irrigation lines - maybe a winter project.

Christo

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Hi all! the Oven is working well even in the snow. We need more snow oven pics!!!!

The Triumphs (both of them -- TR2 and TR4) now both run and are sitting quitely stacked on top of each other in the garage. I made a hydraulic lift so I can park one underneath the other.

We are having a Karaoke New years party. I know -- tired theme ---- but oh so much fun. Really looking forward to it. We will make Dave's crab stuff mushrooms in the oven and follow up with some simple pizza's to complete the appetizers.

Any other new favorite non pizza non bread things to cook in the oven? We did wine bottles a few years ago -- but we were quite toasted and had one scary fire going to melt them down.

Take care,

Christo

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Naw...I beg to differ. I think you North Caroliners party hardier than us west-coast dudes any day. Our store shelves have been depleted of San Marzanos because someone in NC keeps buying them all up for his pizza parties!

I was just looking over your project and yard too and am amazed at how nice it's turned out. Your oven and input helped me design my entry that I love so much and I imagine others too. A flared entry is now quite common on the forum thanks to you.

Working on and driving a Triumph sounds like fun. You get all great projects .
-Dino

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Thanks for all the kind words!!! I'm happy to help.

Been offline for a while - enjoying the pizza oven when it's not 100 degrees outside and putting a Toyota Supra transmision in my Triumph.

We've had some Dino-worthy parties out there this summer and are planning some open mic nights there this fall. The local dive we used to hang out and jam has closed.

I'll post some new pics, now that most all of the detail work is done. I'm also happy to say that after 100+ firings my oven dome is intact with no noticable increase in the cracking that appeard after the first firings.

On to getting set up for a crazy Halloween yard. Just finished my flying crank ghost last night!

Christo

[PizzaIdiot]

Re: Christo's Cucina

I've spent the last 3+ hours reading this thread (and watching the Packers lose to the Bears). I'm amazed by the oven and appreciate all of the details you provided. I've been doing a lot of reading while I put plans together for my WFO. You've answered a lot of questions that I have and many more that I hadn't thought of yet.
It's hard to imagine doing all that you have done. While it looks great, I hope my project doesn't expand in scope to what you have accomplished. LOL
Congratulations on your backyard masterpiece!
- Jeff
Easley, SC

[Billz]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Unbelievable! I started reading this thread late last night and finished just now. Amazing job. I am so glad that i saw this before I designed my layout. Mine will never be this grand but my head is spinning with ideas. Thanks so much for the time you spent creating this posting... Unbelievable!

[eprante]

Re: Christo's Cucina

Christo,
Your oven and patio have turned out beautifully. Now for years of enjoyment.
Eric

[christo]

Re: Christo's Cucina

I went out and took a few more pics.

My tool holder is a bird bath stand and will likely get stolen back when my wife wonders where it went..... It works well - I'm going to be looking for another or cast one from laForge Fondu and carve it before it cures fully.

The other views are from the oven and a a view back in the other direction. Things are growing like crazy. When my palm trees come back, I'll post some more.

Christo