A Fun Fourth-of-July Fact from Zaw

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Rose

Did you know: that pizza and the United States are about the same age? No, really! In fact, if not for the discovery of the “New World,” pizza as we now know it may never have existed at all.

Why? Because the tomato plant is originally native to South America. When it was first imported to Italy in the 16th century, it was used only as a decoration because people thought it was poisonous. (Imagine: no Ruby Red sauce for your pizzas!) It didn’t take too long for tomatoes to make it into Mediterranean cuisine, though. And once they did, of course pizza wasn’t far behind. By the end of the 18th century, families among the poor in Naples were using tomatoes as a topping to make their affordable dietary staple, flatbread, tastier… thus, pizza was born!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, also at the end of the 18th century, 13 British colonies were signing a document declaring their independence as a country… The United States of America.

Happy Independence Day weekend, Zaw friends!

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“What’s Up With the Gluten-Free Crusts?”

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Rose

Recently, we’ve received a number of calls about the color shift of our gluten-free pizza crusts. The most frequently asked question seems to be, “Are you sure you didn’t send a whole wheat pizza by mistake?”

First off, we love that you’re calling us about this. We always like to hear feedback from our customers, but especially when it shows us that you do notice all the hard work that goes into making our pizzas pretty! We’ve chosen to take the extra steps to design aesthetically pleasing meals, and we’re aware that we’ve done so in the midst of a culture shaped largely by fast food and other edible items in wrappers. So many people don’t slow down enough to really look at their food or enjoy the work of art that something like dinner can become. Knowing that you care makes us feel great about what we do! So please, keep communicating!

To answer the actual question, though, here’s a surprising bit of news: nothing changed in the gluten-free crust recipe. The culprit responsible for the new color is flaxseed! Whereas our gluten-free crusts have previously been made with golden flax meal, we’ve been trying out a “regular” flax meal instead. Since it’s a darker color, you can now see the flax in the crust – that’s what produced the “multigrain” appearance making it look like whole wheat.

Never fear… Gluten-free at ‘Zaw is still gluten-free.

Gluten-free pizza crusts at 'Zaw

Switching from "golden" flax to "regular" flax gave our gluten-free crusts a whole new look!

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The Adventures of Jose and the Traveling Zaw Shirt

Posted on March 21, 2011 by koageld

Many of our employees come from diverse backgrounds, there is no “typical” Zaw artisan but they do have a lot in common; intellectually curious, uncommonly friendly and adventurous – they make Zaw shine.  One of our stellar employees, Jose Valencia from the Queen Anne store brought a taste of Zaw to his native Peru.

Jose originally moved to the Seattle-area five years ago from Lima, Peru. A former accountant, he sought change and independence in the U.S. Before landing at Zaw as the company’s first delivery driver, Jose worked an eclectic mix of jobs, including a research analyst and a mix of fast food restaurants.

Jose said he decided to take his Zaw shirt with him by chance on his trip to Peru, it was in my laundry pile and I thought, “Why not?’ he said. The next day, he was on a plane headed for Lima to see his parents and siblings. Jose’s homecoming was a Christmas surprise to his mother, who hadn’t seen him in the last five years. He woke her up at 3 a.m. by playing her favorite song on the guitar.

Jose and his wife, Alexandra, were excited to begin exploring his native Peru. Despite its cultural significance, Jose had never been to Machu Picchu.  They set out at 4 a.m. to explore the ruins of the Inca site. Jose said the fog and rain in the early morning gave the site a mystic feeling, he was stunned by its history and beauty.

“I started to cry,” he said. “It was too much for my eyes to take in.”

Jose and Alexandra reached a lookout point via a treacherous hike, while taking in the gorgeous view, Jose remembered his Zaw shirt and broke it out in a moment of picture-taking inspiration.

Although Machu Picchu was the highlight of the trip, Jose also attended the Fiesta de la Virgen de la Candelaria in Puno, Peru. The festival is a cultural weeklong celebration honoring the Virgen of Candelaria, the patron saint of Puno.  A mix of Catholic and native traditions culminate in a procession, which carries the statue of the Virgen around the city, and dancers in lavish costumes join the parade. The dancers, by group, pause in front of the cathedral to be blessed with holy water. Jose said he recommends the festival to anyone who wants to connect with a vibrant part of Peruvian culture.

A procession of dancers celebrate the patron saint of Puno.

Elaborate costumes are a visually striking part of the celebration.

Jose spent a total of two months in Peru and while he enjoyed seeing his family and friends in his native country, he says he truly feels at home in Seattle and at Zaw.

“When I came back from Peru, there were new people working at the store, but they did not seem like strangers to me because I knew they were part of the Zaw family.”

Where will the Zaw shirt travel next?

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Break out the chocolate during the month of love

Posted on February 2, 2011 by koageld

Dark Decadence Molten Chocolate Cake from HotCakes

February is a hard month to be a Seattleite.

You leave the house for the office: it’s dark out.

You grab lunch with a friend: it’s raining.

You come home from the office: it’s dark out. Again.

Personally, hibernating always seemed like a viable option; but then you’d miss out on evenings filled with hot chocolate and a good book or the warmth and sensational smells of a Zaw pizza crisping up in the oven and the dark warmth emanating from a glass of deep red Montevina Barbera shared with your special someone.

This month, we’re doing our best to bring out the brightness in February, in the form of rich chocolate molten cake by Autumn Martin’s Hot Cakes. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, these gooey bake-at-home goodies are perfect for two and come in a cute oven-safe Mason jar.

Hot Cakes and Zaw Pizza share the same passion for local and organic ingredients. The dark chocolate cakes are made with organic chocolate from Theo Chocolate, organic eggs from Stiebr’s Farm and organic/Fair Trade cane sugar.

Martin’s decadent dessert creation is adored by Seattleites at area farmers’ markets and the winner of People’s Choice “Best Dessert” at the Northwest Chocolate Festival in 2010. The chocolaty treat is the perfect compliment to Zaw’s February seasonal pizza, The Anne of Green Apples; a divine combination of thinly sliced Washington Granny Smith apples, strips of rich brie, roasted garlic and pine nuts – all on our California extra virgin olive oil painted crust (made with Bob’s Red Mill flours.)

Do you have a favorite dessert/Seattle specialty you’d like to see at Zaw? Let us know in the comments below!

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Interview: A look at the local, natural allure of DRY Soda and its founder

Posted on December 22, 2010 by koageld

Sharelle Klaus admits she missed the bubbles of sweet champagne and the aroma of a glass of red wine during her pregnancies, by the fourth one she decided to take action. That’s when the creation of Dry Soda was born.

Although it started as little more than an inventive idea, a collection of garden herbs and a solid dash of experimentation in Sharelle’s kitchen, Dry Soda is a new culinary action hero on the forefront of carbonated beverages. Its low calories (about 55 per bottle, depending on the flavor), all natural ingredients and unique flavors present a new depth of flavor without the extreme amounts of sugar added in typical sodas.

The first four flavors were cooked up in Klaus’ kitchen but with the help of Chef Jason Wilson, owner of Crush restaurant in Seattle; the selection has expanded to include lavender, vanilla bean, blood orange, cucumber, lemongrass, juniper berry and rhubarb.

Klaus said her goal in creating the sodas was to offer an innovative, better for you soda to compliment food, instead of overwhelming it. She also appreciates the variety the sodas offer to an abstaining audience.

“After four pregnancies, you feel like you spend half your life not able to drink,” she said. “I was tired of feeling left out and without any flavorful [nonalcoholic] options to pair with my meal.”

Klaus said she loved the range of food pairings Dry Soda has to offer. Some of her favorites include a lavender soda with dark chocolate, lemongrass soda with Thai food and vanilla bean soda with Zaw’s Pig n’ Pear pizza, which brings out the rich flavors of gorgonzola, pear and prosciutto on a Dijon sauce.

Klaus said she thinks Zaw Pizza and Dry Soda are the perfect compliment to food and beverage pairings.

“Zaw does for pizza what Dry does for soda. It lets the flavors shine through with unique and fresh ingredients,” she said. “It appeals to the culinary senses without relying on artificial flavors.”

Make Sharelle Klaus’ favorite mocktail with Dry Soda:

Mother’s Day Mimosa:

Combine equal parts Lavender or Vanilla Bean soda with orange juice…viola!

Looking for something a little more adult? Try mixing the juniper berry soda with gin, yum!

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Pop open the bubbly: Beer and pizza pairings for every occasion

Posted on December 14, 2010 by koageld

A match made in heaven: pizza and beer

A guest lifts the stemmed glass to her nose, takes a deep inhale of the golden liquid and eyes the food offerings. The table spread is glamorous; a silver platter bearing delicate arugula, cherry tomatoes, basil and fresh-sliced prosciutto top a crispy, golden brown crust. The guest settles on an appetizer, a small plate of the Perfect Pear salad with gorgonzola cheese, Washington pears and a hint of lemony citrus to pair perfectly with her Amber Ale from Fish Tale, located a short drive away in Olympia, Wash.

Although the scene is reminiscent of an upscale wine tasting, the delicate flavors of Zaw’s homemade pizzas and salads add a modernized twist to the sophisticated Seattle beer and food pairing scene. Beer and food tasting parties are springing up from East to West Coast with the help of local breweries, The Beer Sommelier and growing consumer interest.

There is no better way to dazzle the crowd with delicious food and beer with Zaw’s bake-at-home artisan pizza and salads. At Zaw, we use the freshest ingredients guaranteed to satisfy the most sophisticated palates with an emphasis on local and organic foods. When you order from Zaw (by phone, online at Zaw.com, or in-person from 3-9:30 p.m.) we roll out the dough of your choice, add our signature fresh and original ingredients and wrap your pizzas and salads and set aside your beer, wine or soda selections.

Puzzled about what pairs well with apricot and chicken (aka the Cowardly Apricot Pizza)? Our in-store and online menus make carefully selected beer and wine suggestions to help guide you through the complete tasting experience.

Because of its variety of flavors and bold taste, beer and food pairings can take menu pairing to new levels with flavors that wine simply cannot replicate. One distinct advantage is beer’s carbonation, which can lift up fatty flavors, such as the potent fats of cheeses, according to Beer Sommelier Matt Simpson.

The trick is to find beers that don’t overwhelm, but accentuate a menu, Simpson said.
Even for the beer drinking novice, pairing food with beer can be simple with a few flavor-pairing basics; use these tips to host the perfect beer and pizza pairing event:

- Complimentary Flavors: Look for dishes that match the flavor intensity of the beer. Start with a light beer, such as a German lager or Belgian ale, and pair it with light foods, such as a Cranny Goat salad or the Herb’s Garden flatbread. For more robust dishes, such as meats, pair with dark, robust beers.

In addition to flavor intensity look for undertones in the beer flavors. Sweet American beers often have citrus, floral and earthy notes, while dark pale ales and German dunkelweizens may contain chocolate, coffee and leather tones. Try to pair the notes with similar foods, for example, a sweet beer with apricot notes (such as Pyramid’s Apricot Ale) pairs nicely with the gorgonzola cheese and pear in the Perfect Pear salad.

-Contrasting Flavors: Too much zing in your Italian sausage or spice in the pepperoncini peppers of the Chicago Deli pizza? Sweet beers can help cut intense flavors. Try our Arugula Patch pizza with Pyramid’s Apricot Ale to contrast the salty, meaty flavors of the fresh-sliced prosciutto.

-Think local: Some things were meant to be, such as the spice of local sausage maker Isernio’s Italian sausage on the Savory Savary pizza combined with the rich, bold flavors of a Session Premium Lager. Or the sharp and bitter taste of a classic Washington IPA paired with the bold roasted garlic flavor of the Marg&Rita cut with the sweetness of cherry tomatoes. We at Zaw believe Northwest flavors are the perfect compliment to Northwest beers, which is why we stock a full selection of Northwest beer and wine at grocery store prices.

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Tis the season for holiday events at Zaw

Posted on December 2, 2010 by koageld

Tasty treats for the holidays are a few of our favorite things

Christmas music has been playing for weeks, snow-mageddon has already reared its icy, car-smashing head and it’s more impossible than usual to find parking downtown- the holiday season has arrived in Seattle!

At Zaw, the holiday season means sales and events galore. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with our new gingerbread man cookies (slanted to make an appearance at our Holiday Magic event) and a glass of merlot from Snoqualmie Winery.

We’ll be dishing up mini versions of our gingerbread cookies and giving out free $10 gift cards with the purchase of $50 in gift cards at the Queen Anne Holiday Magic event at the top of the hill this Friday.

This year’s Holiday Magic looks like a great opportunity to bring the kids and gear up for the holidays, merchants from Galer to McGraw St. will be handing out treats and deeply discounting services and products!  Santa will make an appearance at HomeStreet Bank, the Station 8 fire truck is coming to town and the John Hay Chorus will be singing their hearts out. For more information on the event and neighborhood discounts, visit the Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce http://web8232.nakea.net/calendar-of-events/449/.

In case you miss us on Queen Anne, stop by our Capitol Hill store on Dec. 11-12 for a free tiny gingerbread man cookie and our gift card sale (buy $50, get a $10 one free!) during the Pike/Pine Holiday Shopping Weekend.  A huge list of participating merchants can be found at http://www.babeland.com/sexinfo/features/pike_and_pine.

We hope you’re able to join us in our celebration of the holiday season!

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What’s in a Zaw gluten-free flour crust?

Posted on November 16, 2010 by koageld

Life with food allergies can become complicated fast. That’s why at Zaw we try to take special precautions to ensure eating our pizza isn’t one of those complications. If you’re a fan of Zaw you already know we cater to locavores, vegans, vegetarians and those with unique dietary considerations.

We are particularly proud of our efforts to provide a crust option that uses gluten-free flours. We worked on over 100 variations of flours until we landed on a mix that allowed us to keep true to our thin crust preference. The result is a unique and hearty thin crust with an emphasis on quality ingredients.

What’s a gluten? Gluten is a protein in wheat, rye and barley found mainly in foods, but also vitamins and medicines. More than two million Americans suffer from a gluten sensitivity according to The Archives of Internal Medicine.

Join us on a sneak peak at a day in the life of one of our crusts made with gluten-free flours:

We start in the central kitchen where all of our meats, vegetables and crusts are hand prepared by real people, specifically by our kitchen experts Dana Kulp and Anthony Spruill. We mix the ingredients for the gluten-free flour crusts, which include a combination of Bob’s Red Mill garbanzo bean, fava, brown rice, tapioca and amaranth flours with ground flax seeds, in a separate area of the kitchen using designated equipment and a separate mixer to ensure the surfaces they are crafted on are distinct from those regularly touched by other flours or ingredients. Then they are air-sealed and refrigerated until they are ready to jet off to our four nearby store locations.

Once they settle into a separate small refrigerator in their new home they chill until someone orders a pizza with a crust made from gluten-free flours. Then they are transferred onto a clean cardboard circle and ready for some sauce, cheese and delicious toppings.  We use separate brushes, spatulas and spoons to spread on the ingredients to minimize contamination.

Separate sauces are spread on the gluten-free flour crust

We also keep sauces separate from the regular pizza construction area at our Capitol Hill location and wash our hands before preparing a specialty pizza, but with all that we do to take precautions, we always want people to be fully aware that we do work in gluten environments. We really appreciate the importance of food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities and know how often terminology is misused in areas where cross contamination is possible.  We can’t guarantee zero contamination for those that require that level of separation; we simply do our best to minimize the chances.

Roasted Veg Head on gluten-free flour crust

Rose Tosti, supervisor of our Capitol Hill location, says she doesn’t mind making the extra effort for customers with gluten-sensitivities or food allergies. Rose has multiple food allergies and is sensitive to gluten.

“I’m happy to go out of my way because that is what I would want someone to do for me,” Rose said.

Several other employees in our Capitol Hill location also have food allergies, which Rose says helps to make them especially aware of taking precautions.

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Trick-or-Treating on Queen Anne

Posted on November 3, 2010 by koageld

We had a great time passing candy, coupons and capturing smiles during the annual Queen Anne Trick-or-Treat festivities! About 3,000 pieces of candy and 100 dog treats later we couldn’t wait to warm up in the toasty Zaw store on Queen Anne Avenue with a hot-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie. We can’t wait to do it again next year and we hope to see everyone again at the store!

Roses are red, babies are pink, that's pretty cute, don't you think?

A whole family of superheroes? That's incredible!

These ladies had pretty super costumes, go team mom and daughter!

This little cutie seemed unimpressed with the festivities.

Check out the onslaught of cute costumes

That is a pretty rockin' dinosaur costume, plus it looks pretty cozy.

The fluffy kids get treats too!

Mario checks out the costumed competition

Thomas the choo-choo train hones in on the bowl of candy

Princess Leia contemplated long and hard before settling on a box of strawberry Nerds. Good choice Leia.

We found a kindred spirit!

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Welcome to the Zaw-osphere!

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Phillipi

Welcome to the Zaw-osphere! We are excited to bring you a behind-the-scenes look at life in the artisan bake-at-home pizza world.

Prepare for special event announcements, mouth-watering pictures and true stories from both sides of the counter. But first, let’s get to know each other.

We’re all about delicious, fresh pizza with innovative flavor combinations that tastes good. And not just good the way late night enchiladas or hot dogs from a street meat cart taste at 2 a.m., but good as in delicious but better, because you won’t regret eating Zaw the morning after.

We strive to put a little bit of SOUL (Seasonal, Organic, Unique and Local) into every bite.  But most importantly, we’re convenient, friendly and you can’t beat the taste.

Send us your questions, stories, differences of opinion and suggestions. We can’t wait to get to know you!

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