Do you have what it takes to throw a pizza into a 400°C oven, spin it three times without burning it, then setting it, with the end of a long pole, perfectly in the center of a plate? That was the test that Umbra students were set to yesterday at a local pizzeria. The students were participating in the Umbra Institute’s pizza workshop, one in a series that includes cheese, coffee, and bread. Where does pizza come from? Why is a Margherita called a Margherita, and what does it have to do with Italian nationalism? And how long does a pizza have to cook before it’s ready? That and other questions were answered last night, and some students even got the chance to roll out pizzas with master pizzaiolo (pizza maker) David. The workshop will repeat in two weeks (signups in Bartolo with Zach and Paul).

In the photo: Carla Cefalone holds up her creation. (Photo courtesy Linda Moore)