"Mark Bello perfected the pizza, then built Pizza a Casa Pizza School, teaching pizza-crazed New Yorkers how to do it themselves. Last year The Village Voice declared Mark's pizza one of the three best in New York City. And it is sensational: a thin, crisp crust paved with the ideal balance of cheese and sauce, finished with fresh basil and a drizzle of top-grade olive oil. But you can't buy it. You have to make it. And this in a city with more than 1,800 pizzerias." — Regina Schrambling, Entrepreneur Magazine
Simply translated from Italian "pizza a casa” means "pizza at home". But it's so much more than that — it's a social happening that brings people closer together, united in the love of creating and sharing good food. At Pizza a Casa Pizza School, fostering this spirit of culinary camaraderie has been our mission since day one. Our school attracts pizza lovers from around the globe, all of them seeking the secrets of pizza-making perfection — no pizzeria oven requried. The proof is unbelieveable pizzas that our students create (and devour!) in our totally hands-on classroom, equipped entirely with home ovens. Our 10,000+ graduates agree, learning to make pizza the Pizza a Casa way is a fun, unique and totally unforgettable experience. It’s an experience that leads to a lifetime of incredible “pizza a casa” that will have friends and family amazed and the local pizzeria wondering where everyone has gone...
"Given that the city has of late been beset with a surplus of high-end pizzerias, it's easy to forget that the best pizzas don't necessarily require a wood-burning oven imported from Naples. And that's why the pies that Mark Bello teaches his students to make at Pizza a Casa Pizza School are such a revelation. Bello doesn't use fancy ingredients-think Fleischmann's yeast and AP flour-or a fancy oven (it's set at an attainable 500F), but the crusts that he conjures up are as crisp, chewy, and delicately charred as anything served at a restaurant. The toppings are applied with expert balance and minimal fuss, and the best part is that you can easily make it at home. Power to the people." — Rebecca Marx, The Village Voice
Mark Bello, founder of Pizza a Casa Pizza School, is a tour-de-force of creativity and energy, sharing his knowledge and love of pizza with unpretentious ease. Born in NYC and raised on the famous thin crust pizzas native to his NY and NJ upbringing, Mark’s passion for pizza was put to the test while earning his MFA in Sculpture from The School of The Art Institute of Chicago.
Far from home and in a land of deep-dish and dismal fast-food pizzas, he vowed to feed his need for the pizzas of his youth, so he took to his kitchen and endeavored to create a recipe for perfect pizza baked in a home oven. After a decade-plus of refinement, including a period of living, eating and cooking in Italy, Mark returned to his East Coast roots and established Pizza a Casa as a “nomadic” pizza educational company. For five years he taught at venues in NYC including the Astor Center, Whole Foods Culinary Center, Murray's Cheese and, most notably, his 5th floor walk-up in lower Manhattan. Many a weekend Mark's apartment morphed into a pop-up pizza school. Interest in Mark’s classes steadily increased through word-of-mouth, the press and online buzz. It became clear it was time to create a dedicated space to share the pizza-making magic full time.
In the spring of 2010, Mark and his wife Jenny opened Pizza a Casa Pizza School on New York City’s historic Lower East Side. Thousands of students later, and tens of thousands of pizzas made, the school is running seven days a week with public classes and private events.
Mark’s pizza and talent for sharing his expertise has been praised by the press with features in Food & Wine, Epicurious, Entrepreneur, Tasting Table, and as a repeat guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio. Mark has also had the distinction of being a presenter for the Chefs@Google series, and performing a sold-out solo event at The James Beard House. Mark was also recently named Pizza Expert in the Food & Wine Masters Series.
Now with the launch of Mark's innovative app DIY Pizza Pie, all the pizza-making magic is captured in a dynamic cookbook format that's a must-have for iPad packing pizza-makers everywhere. Viva la pizza!
“Mark— we are pleased to count you as a member of the Beard family. Thank you for a truly awesome workshop. You are a rock star!” - Izabela Wojcik, Director of House Programming, The James Beard Foundation
FALL 2013: Pizza a Casa Pizza School is pleased to announce its DIY Pizza Pie app for the iPad. DIY Pizza Pie is an 8-chapter dynamic cookbook, chock full of pizza-making wisdom presented in an innovative text/video and illustrated format. Download DIY Pizza Pie today and the power of the pizza is literally in your hands: http://bit.ly/diypizzapie
Pizza a Casa Pizza School 371 Grand Street, New York, New York 10002
website: www.pizzaschool.com
media and event inquiries: jenny@pizzaschool.com
