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Wood Fired Ovens: The American Backyard Slows Down
For this family-run business, authentic Italian pizza ovens are more than just outdoor kitchen design – they’re about improving the quality of family life.
Outdoor kitchens are a growing trend in the US, with outdoor wood-fired ovens gracing many homes, even those of the not-so-rich-and-famous. Sure, cooking with wood-fired ovens creates irresistible tastes and aromas, but Anna Carpenter of Los Angeles Ovenworks thinks there’s much more to it: “Wood-fired ovens are helping today's busy families to reclaim the ability to relax around the table and enjoy each other’s company.”
Born in Rome, Italy, Carpenter owned an olive farm in Tuscany for many years, and used many of the old communal and private wood fired ovens that are a staple of Italian cooking. “I cherished that lifestyle," says Carpenter. "When I moved to California, I missed the food, the home baked bread and pizza, and lingering at the table to enjoy a good meal with friends and family. I decided to import ovens and bring this important part of Italian life to the US."
Carpenter’s husband, Peter, who co-owns the company, is a talented gourmet cook who views himself as an unofficial ambassador to the world of “slow food.” It’s not unusual for him to travel around California to cook in customers' ovens and teach them the finer points of life with a wood-fired oven.
LA Ovenworks' ovens are imported from the beautiful island of Sardinia, where artisans shape them combining modern technology with the traditional wisdom handed down through centuries of dedication to good food. The brick oven of earlier times has been replaced by the refractory clay oven, which is modular and energy efficient, consuming less wood and heating up in a fraction of the time. Choosing a modular oven makes for quick and easy installation, and it can be shipped anywhere in the continental U.S.
"Our ovens are very high quality, and our manufacturer is a second generation family operation, employing local artisans to make the ovens. The ovens are made of refractory clay which is the best material to keep the heat inside the oven for a long time after firing. In fact the ovens will still be warm the next day," says Anna. For this reason, Los Angeles Ovenworks’ ovens are well suited to more than just pizza and bread. A recipe on their website explains how to make a traditional Tuscan bean dish that cooks overnight in a low-temperature oven to achieve a soft, creamy texture.
Anna and Peter are members of Slow Food International, an organization founded in Italy and dedicated to the enjoyment of good food as antithesis to the fast food movement. As Anna concludes: "A wood fired oven not only improves the quality and taste of the food, it also helps us to slow down and really enjoy the flavors."
The newly redesigned Los Angeles Ovenworks website contains dozens of photos of inspiring outdoor kitchen designs, Italian recipes, and many useful articles on choosing, installing and enjoying a wood-fired oven.
ABOUT LOS ANGELES OVENWORKS: Los Angeles Ovenworks is a small, family owned business importing fine wood burning ovens from Italy. Located in Southern California, Los Angeles Ovenworks ships throughout the continental U.S.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit http://www.losangelesovenworks.com, call (800) 516-5716 or email info@losangelesovenworks.com
