Brother in law traveling to Italy

[thebadger]

My brother in law is going to Italy for business. I'm sure I can talk him into buying me some Caputo Flour (maybe just a 5 lb bag). Don't think he can probably carry too much more. Any certain brand (I'm assuming Caputo is the brand name) or is the Type 00 the critical part. Anything else I should ask for - maybe a small bottle of EVOO?

Let me know.

Thanks
Dick

[james]

Re: Brother in law traveling to Italy

You're gonna love this, but it's easier to get Caputo from FB in the states than it is to find it in Italy. It's only available through wholesalers there, who work in tiny business parks outside of the cities, don't speak a word of English, and just don't get why a homeowner would want to buy something from them. Too funny, but totally true.

Our friend Scott bought an FB oven for his rental house in Florence last year and no matter how hard we tried, we could never meet up with the local restaurant supplier.

Go for the EVOO!

James

[thebadger]

Re: Brother in law traveling to Italy

James,

As always thanks for the advice. Any brand of EVOO that you would recommned? I guess I want something to put on the pizza before and/or after cooking.

Is there any place else to get type 00 in the midwest? I definitely want to order it from FB but the shipping is like twice more than the actual flour... I'm still convicning my wife that the WFPO will pay for itself/send my 3 boys to college .

I enjoyed the thread on "tools" my bday is coming up and the "boss" knows I want the 5 piece kit .

Thanks
Dick

[james]

Re: Brother in law traveling to Italy

Here's an idea. Have him pick up however many bags of Barilla Tipo 00 he can fit. It's the national brand, and you should be able to find it in any supermarket -- it will be fun working with a typical Tipo 00 flour.

EVOO's also kind of tough. The supermarkets carry the big national brands, which tend to be pretty so-so. The price is pretty low, but it's hard to find something special. These are the bottlers who are catching all the flack for importing non-Italian olive oil (Spain, Turkey, Tunisia, etc.), blending, and saying "Bottled in Italy" on the label.

Go for something from a local company (to where you are), and look to see if it says 100% Italiano.

James

[thebadger]

Re: Brother in law traveling to Italy

James,

As always thanks!

Not sure if I've scored or not. We have unique "supermarket" in Cincinnati called Jungle Jims - one man start up - sort of like a kroger meets an amusement park - anyway they carry Pelligrino Type 00 in their Italian section. Not sure how much it is but it's local. I'll give this a try. Are you/anyone familiar with this brand?

Thanks
Dick

[james]

Re: Brother in law traveling to Italy

... they carry Pelligrino Type 00 in their Italian section. Not sure how much it is but it's local. I'll give this a try.

Hey Dick,

Sounds like a score to me. I will look up the brand -- but go for it! It will be an excellent experiment, and with a little luck it could be very good. Check and see if your dough is strong enough, or whether it doesn't get crunchy or have enough body. If that's the case, you can always add 25% good US bread flour to even it out.

Let us know how it goes.

One more thing. Make sure it isn't really, really old.
James