Book review: Rochester Haunts

I make no net income writing this blog, believe me (IRS, are you listening?). But I do get a perk or two, one of which is the occasional offer to review a book. As an avid reader, I find that hard to pass up, particularly if a book (1) sounds interesting and (2) has some relationship to this blog.
Rochester Haunts: A Ghost Hunter's Guide, from Schiffer Publishing, met both criteria. It's not pizza-related, but it has a Rochester connection, and it did intrigue me.
I'm no ghost hunter, or even ghost believer. (As I'm sure we'll hearing this summer, "I ain't afraid of no ghost!") But I do enjoy reading about local history, and allegedly haunted sites often involve historic sites and local landmarks. So this sounded interesting. And it was. It's a fun read, even if it doesn't quite have me believing in ghosts just yet.
According to the book blurb, author Dwayne Claud is "the director of Western New York Paranormal as well as a specialist in the field of Demonology." (I should probably mention here that Claud is not some kind of devil worshiper. He believes that God has called him to save people from demonic influences.)  Claud's website states that he grew up in Leicester, in Livingston County, so he's presumably got some familiarity with the Rochester area.
The book is divided into fifteen chapters, arranged thematically. For example, "'Rest' In Peace" covers local cemeteries, while "Praise the 'Spirit'" addresses local churches.
Many of the sites listed are no surprise, mostly because they're old, and because they've seen a lot of people come and go. In the case of cemeteries, I guess the people mostly come, don't go.
I don't start a lot of books by reading the index, but it makes a good starting point here. It covers the places and individuals mentioned in the book. Some I would have expected, like Mount Hope Cemetery and Frederick Douglass. Some I wouldn't necessarily have expected, but wasn't surprised to see, like the Main Street Armory, or what's left of the Rochester subway system. Some I'd never heard of at all, like the Stryker Road barn in Scottsville. Others were a complete surprise. The Greece Applebee's is haunted? Who knew?
Claud's approach varies from passing on rumors, of the "there are reports of ..." variety, to more detailed claims, many involving on-the-spot investigations by Western New York Paranormal.  He reaches few definitive conclusions, but it's fair to say he's not a skeptic.
Most readers of this book, though, are not going to be looking for somebody to punch holes in every ghost story that's ever come up around Rochester. And even as a skeptic myself, I liked reading about some local haunts, literally, that I will now see in a different light. Next time I visit the Reunion Inn on Culver Road, I may not attribute that sudden cold breeze to the air conditioner.

Book Review: The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book

Besides buying pizza on a regular basis, I occasionally bake it at home. Beyond that, I frequently bake in general. A week rarely goes by that I don't bake at least one loaf of bread.
Those breads often include some whole wheat flour that was ground in our home flour mill. I use home-milled flour on a regular basis. So I was happy to receive from publisher Robert Rose a review copy of The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book by Sue Becker.
Becker clearly believes in her subject. In the introduction, she describes whole grains as "a nearly perfect food." From there, she spends roughly the first half of the book ("All About Home-Ground Flours") covering a general description of the history and benefits of using home-ground flour, the basics of how to do so, as well as a rundown of the various grains that are available to the home baker. Becker offers particularly good advice on choosing and using a grain mill.
Part 2 covers recipes, which run the gamut from basic yeast-risen breads to quick breads, muffins, biscuits, cookies, and just about anything else made from flour. As is typical of books I've gotten from Robert Rose, the recipes are also complemented by two sections of full-page color photos.
The only thing I found wanting in the book was that it doesn't discuss how to create white flour at home. The author seems to assume that if you're grinding your own flour, you want to use whole-grain flour. That's probably true for most people, most of the time, but I'd like to try making my own white flour, which necessitates removing the bran. (I think it's a fairly simple process of sifting the flour, but I was hoping for some guidance.) The book's only suggestions are to use various combinations of whole-grain flours.
That aside, I'll be consulting this book when using my whole-wheat flour, and it may embolden me to try some other grains as well. (Kamut, anyone?) I'd recommend it for any home baker who wants to get into grinding and using home-ground flour, or who simply wants to incorporate more whole grains into his or her baked goods.

Macri's, Canandaigua

I happened to be in Canandaigua on a recent Saturday, so, ever on the hunt for new pizza places, I stopped into Macri's Deli & Cafe.
Macri's opened in 2013, but I just recently learned that they offer pizza, and I figured it was worth a stop. And indeed it was.
Macri's sits at a corner of a strip mall, along the same general stretch as the Canandaigua Wegmans. The exterior shares the look of the other retail establishments nearby, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Might be good, might be just another uninteresting, feels-like-a-chain place.
Inside, I found a large, high-ceilinged space, with tables near the windows, and a long food counter. I headed straight for the pizza counter.
Macri's offers "pizza al taglio," which initially meant nothing to me. Turns out, the Italian phrase just means, literally, pizza by the slice, or more specifically, by the cut. But apparently it implies more than that. According to Wikipedia, pizza al taglio is a variety of Italian pizza baked in large rectangular trays, and generally sold in rectangular or square slices by weight. The concept, and style, began in Rome, but has spread throughout Italy.
On my visit, there were three varieties available. The veggie pizza included mushrooms, which ruled it out, for me. The pepperoni looked good, but I zeroed in on the Margherita.
Technically, I guess this wasn't true pizza al taglio, because all Margherita slices are four dollars each, regardless of weight, although they were cut to generally the same size. But I had no complaints.
And technically, this wasn't a classic Margherita, which I associate with thin-crust, Neapolitan pizza. But labels aside, it was good. Really good.
My corner slice was thick - about an inch, at its thickest point - with a bottom that was golden brown, with a dark brown ring along the edge. It was crisp, with a faint hint of oil, as one would expect from a pan-baked pizza, but not overly oily at all.
The crust had a bready aroma and a tight crumb. Not just a base for the toppings, it had the flavor of freshly-baked bread. The well-formed edge was crunchy on the surface.
On top, the generous layer of sauce was proportionate to the thick crust. It had a rich, tomatoey flavor, with a hint of salt.
The shakes of grated Parmesan, though a bit nontraditional for a Margherita, added some welcome contrast to the slices of fresh mozzarella. The latter were just melted, not quite melt-in-your-mouth liquidy, but not rubbery either. The bits of torn basil were wilted just enough to maximize their flavor, and added an extra layer of complexity overall.
According to their menu, Macri's offers eight varieties of pizza al taglio, though obviously they're not all available, all the time. They've also recently added "New York Style Thin Crust Pizza," but for now that's only available by the pie, not by the slice. They also do paninis, subs, soups, salads, and breakfast items, as well as a wide variety of sweets. Wine and beer are available too, and there's a full coffee bar.
I was, frankly, quite impressed by this pizza. So much so, that I really couldn't find fault with it. Nice balance, good flavor, and well made. I can't see any reason not to give it an A. I intend to go back, to try the New York pizza, and some of the other pizza al taglio. I suggest you do the same.

Macri's Deli & Cafe, 699 S. Main St., Canandaigua

(585) 905-0866

Mon. - Thu. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Fri. 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sat. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sun. closed