Here at U|M we’ve long been fascinated by the idea that “Design is everything/Everything is design.” It’s our own handy mantra, a reminder that inspiring, elegant design isn’t just confined to what’s on the displays right in front of our noses. It’s all around us. We just need the eyes to see it.
Which leads us to this item on Eater. It’s an ingenious deconstruction of the Rosa Pizza, a beautiful pizzaiolo’s art by Chris Bianca at Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix (of all places.) The Rosa, as the article illustrates, is as carefully composed and lovingly crafted as any piece of great brand design. There are all kinds of savory details as Eater’s Hillary Dixler takes us through the entire pie, layer by layer, so we urge you to read the entire piece. But here are a few delectable bites:
1. The Crust…“Bianco uses a blend of local wheat flours from Central Milling in Utah…the “strong” protein-rich flour adds a nutty flavor to the crust. (He) uses local woods like pecan and red oak…which adds a “subtle” flavor to the pizza, but certainly not the kind of big, smoky flavors that cooking with something like mesquite might.”
3. The Onions…“Bianco shaves the onions into ribbons with a mandolin, his ultimate goal being to “show restraint” with the flavor…the onions are wilted and seasoned before ever going into the oven.”
5. The Pistachios…“Bianco preps the pistachios by quickly roasting them with a bit of salt. He then gives them “a bump” with a mortar and pestle, to create different textures with both broken and “dusty” pistachio bits.”
Hand-selected flour? Specially selected pecans? Onions shaved into ribbons? It all suggests a level craft, and a care for design of the final product, that can inspire us to be better coders, creatives and brand-builders. And more interesting and curious as human beings.