THAT'S HOT! HOME PIZZA OVENS, AN INDULGENT PLEASURE, GIVE YOU THE GOODS IN NO TIME FLAT.

Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor

A wood-fire oven in a home is quite a conversation piece. But open-hearth cooking with fire and stone is a 6,000-year-old concept.

Fixtures in many upscale restaurants and pizzerias, these ovens are now being built by consumers into backyard entertainment centers and kitchens in ever-increasing numbers.

They want the luxury of cooking authentic Italian pizzas and other specialties at home -- and now the ovens are a hot phenomenon.

``It's definitely a toy for people whose passion is cooking and eating,'' says Jeannine Perriseau, a Calabasas resident. She and her husband, Dirk, added one to their back yard five years ago after returning from a vacation in Italy.

`The best pizza'

``We loved the way different foods cooked in the ovens tasted in the restaurants, and my husband loves to build fires. People say it produces the best pizza they've had in their whole lives. If you can swing it, the cost is well worth it because it's a unique, indulgent pleasure.''

``People buy the ovens because fire is a big attraction psychologically,'' says Jean-Paul Yotnegparian, vice president of sales at EarthStone Ovens Inc. in Glendale. The company, started in 1987 by his father, Maurice, sells about 500 residential and 150 commercial units yearly.

``In California, more than 85 percent of our home oven units are installed outdoors,'' says Maurice Yotnegparian.

A wide price range

Although there are differences, residential ovens range anywhere from $1,900 to $15,000 each (and weigh from 310 to 2,500 pounds) with most in the $7,000 to $9,000 range. Then you'll have to add another $2,000 to $5,000 or more for installation.

``People who love to cook outside, entertain and have fun install these ovens,'' says Richard Peardon, owner of All Phase Construction in Canoga Park, which has installed more than two dozen preassembled EarthStone wood-fire ovens in outdoor home kitchens. The Woodland Hills resident has had one in his backyard for more than a decade. ``I've become an accomplished wood-fire cook. We use our oven at least twice a week in summer and once a week in winter. Everyone loves to come to dinner at our house.''

Ready in just a few minutes

The ovens really excel at cooking pizzas -- and the pizzas are ready to eat in two to four minutes. ``We never eat pizza out any more because you can't get pizza like this,'' adds Peardon.

Depending on the manufacturer, wood-fire ovens come in configurations that use wood only, wood and gas, or gas only.

Although Peardon has installed both wood and gas ovens, in a variety of outdoor kitchens, most of his clients opt for models using wood.

Augusto Bisani is the owner and founder of the 14-year-old Bravo Systems International Inc., in North Hollywood. He imports ovens from Rome.

``Gas is easier, and you have more control,'' he says, adding that it's more convenient for today's lifestyles even though it costs more. ``You can start the oven on the spur of the moment.''

About 90 percent of the ovens sold by Washington-based Wood Stone Corp. are gas-fired -- and it takes about three to four hours to heat them up, says Merrill Bevan, the company's international sales manager. He recommends seriously considering gas to avoid having to throw wood on the fire every half hour. ``If you did a blind taste test, you can't tell the difference between a gas-fired and a wood-fired oven, as there is no contact between wood or smoke and food.''

Preassembled or do-it-yourself

You can buy the ovens both preassembled or as a kit requiring assembly. Peardon is a firm believer in buying the ovens already assembled.

Wood Stone Corp., founded in 1990 in Bellingham, Wash., is the leading manufacturer of stone hearth ovens in North America and has built 6,000 ovens in the last 16 years, with customers ranging from California Pizza Kitchen and Palomino to Spago, Vert and Ameci's. ``This year, we anticipate selling 1,000 ovens worldwide, with about 100 of those being purchased by residential customers,'' adds Jana Logan, Wood Stone's manager of residential sales.

Although a wood-fire oven is a costly endeavor, it pays off in fun and enjoyment.

``The kids across the street grew up coming over here and eating pizza from Uncle Mike,'' says Michael Gerard, founder of the 3-year old Eagle Rock-based Wildwood Wood Fired Ovens & BBQs. ``I'm the go-to guy because everyone wants to be around it. Lots of people pull out all the stops to have this. And they are not excessively wealthy.''

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

THIN-CRUST PIZZA WITH ARUGULA AND PROSCIUTTO 

Cornmeal, as needed 

Flour, as needed

2 (13-ounce) packages fresh pizza dough (regular OR cornmeal from Trader Joe's)

Prepared pizza sauce OR marinara sauce

Dried oregano, to taste

1/2 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 pound shredded fontina cheese

1/2 pound shredded manchego OR similar cheese

1/4 pound (1 cup) grated Parmesan cheese 

12 slices prosciutto, about 6 ounces

4 handfuls fresh arugula leaves

Sprinkle 4 pizza peels with cornmeal and set aside.

Dust a large cutting board with flour. Divide each ball of pizza dough in half. Roll each of the 4 balls into thin rounds, about 11 to 12 inches each in diameter. Place each round on a peel.

Smear each round with pizza sauce; use restraint -- it should just be a smear. Sprinkle with oregano.

In a bowl, mix together all cheeses. Sprinkle pizzas with cheese mixture as desired. Each pizza will need about 2 to 3 handfuls of cheese.

Bake pizzas in a preheated 600- to 650-degree wood-fire oven about 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown, watching carefully and turning a couple of times. Remove from oven and while piping hot, top each pizza with 3 slices prosciutto. Sprinkle pizza with one handful of arugula leaves. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 pizzas

SAUSAGE, ONION AND MUSHROOM PIZZA: Remove casings from 4 sweet Italian sausages and snip into small pieces with kitchen scissors into a medium nonstick skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, turning to brown evenly, until fully cooked, about 7 minutes. Drain sausage pieces and blot with paper towels if desired. Set aside. Clean skillet and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add 1 medium onion, diced, salt to taste and a pinch of dried red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until onions are golden brown. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until onions are caramelized, about 15 minutes. Set aside. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over high heat until very hot. Add 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms and saute until mushrooms begin to brown. Add salt to taste and 2 tablespoons Marsala wine. Continue stirring until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are browned deeply. Set aside.

Prepare 4 pizza dough rounds as directed above with sauce and cheeses, but before baking, top cheeses with sausage pieces, onions and mushrooms. Bake pizzas in a preheated 600- to 650-degree wood-fire oven, about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Do not add prosciutto or arugula. Makes 4 pizzas.

NOTE: Pizzas can also be baked in a preheated 450-degree conventional oven for 10 to 11 minutes OR until golden brown.

Recipe from Jeannine Perriseau.

EASY PIZZA DOUGH FOR THIN-CRUST PIZZA

1 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 1/2 cups flour (King Arthur preferred)

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

Heat water in a Pyrex measuring cup in a microwave oven on high power 35 seconds, until warm. Stir in sugar and yeast and let foam, about 10 minutes. In large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Add olive oil to yeast mixture and stir. Pour liquid into flour and stir vigorously until dough forms. Turn dough out onto floured board and knead about 5 to 6 minutes. Let dough rise in a greased bowl about 1 to 2 hours. Punch down and stretch OR roll out into desired size pizza rounds.

Makes enough for 2 to 4 pizza dough rounds, depending on size and thickness desired.

Recipe from Jeannine Perriseau.

QUICK PIZZA SAUCE

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoons herbes de Provence 

Combine all ingredients together and blend well. Sauce may be used immediately, refrigerated up to 1 week OR stored in the freezer 3 months.

Makes about 3 1/2 cups

Recipe from EarthStone Ovens Inc.

FIG, PROSCIUTTO AND ARUGULA PIZZA

1/4 cup Quick Pizza Sauce (recipe left)

1 (10- to 12-inch) thin uncooked pizza crust

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

4 large figs

2 1/2 ounces fresh goat cheese

5 slices prosciutto

8 arugula leaves

Spread Quick Pizza Sauce over crust. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Cut each fig in 8 pieces and arrange over mozzarella. Cover pizza with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Dab small pieces of goat cheese over mozzarella. Bake pizza in a preheated 600- to 700-degree wood-fire oven about 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown, turning and checking often. Remove pizza and place on a serving plate; cover with prosciutto. Cut pizza into 8 slices. Top each slice with arugula.

Makes 8 slices

Recipe from EarthStone Ovens Inc.

SHRIMP PIZZA

1/4 cup prepared pesto sauce

8 ounces pizza dough stretched into an 11-inch pizza dough round with edges built up a little

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

10 medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

12 thinly sliced red onion rings

Spread pesto on pizza dough round. Top with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Slice shrimp in half lengthwise and arrange on pizza. Top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese and onion rings. Bake in a preheated 600- to 700-degree wood-fire oven 3 to 4 minutes, turning and checking often. Remove and let pizza rest 2 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.

Makes 1 pizza

Recipe from EarthStone Ovens Inc.

WOOD-FIRE ROASTED CHICKEN AND POTATOES

An organic or kosher chicken will yield best results. Use thin-skinned potatoes such as White Creamers or Red Bliss. If using Russet potatoes, be sure they are small, crisp and fresh.

3/4 cup kosher salt

Water

1 (3- to 5-pound) broiler chicken

Olive oil, as needed

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

2 pounds small potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed, cut into quarters OR halves

Salt and pepper to taste

In a deep mixing bowl, dissolve kosher salt in about 4 cups water. Add chicken to brine. Add just enough water to just cover chicken. Weigh down chicken to keep it submerged, if necessary. Soak chicken for 2 to 6 hours in refrigerator. The longer the chicken soaks, the more seasoned it will become.

In a wide, shallow large saucier pan or skillet, drizzle olive oil and tilt pan to cover bottom. Arrange onion quarters in center of pan to form a kind of pedestal for chicken. Arrange cut potatoes around onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove chicken from brine, pat dry with paper towels; discard brine. Place chicken, breast side up, on top of cut-up onions and potatoes.

Roast in wood-fired oven at 450 to 475 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes, until potatoes are crisp on the outside and creamy soft on the inside, and chicken is fully cooked and a rich golden brown.

Makes 4 servings

NOTE: Chicken can be roasted in a preheated 425-degree conventional oven about 40 to 45 minutes or until cooked through and potatoes are tender.

Recipe from Jeannine Perriseau.

RUSTIC PIZZA MARGHERITA

2 teaspoons semolina flour (for peel)

1 (14-inch) thin pizza dough crust

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large, ripe tomatoes OR 4 large, ripe plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/4 cup shredded OR chopped fresh basil leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper OR crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup torn or sliced fresh mozzarella OR fontina cheese (OR crumbled goat OR feta cheese)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle semolina flour evenly over a large wood pizza peel. Place pizza crust on top. Brush olive oil evenly over dough, top with tomatoes and basil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper or red pepper flakes. Top with both cheeses. Slide pizza from peel to hearth. Bake pizza in a preheated 500- to 700-degree wood-fire oven 2 to 6 minutes (depending on the temperature of the oven) OR until edges of crust are golden brown. Transfer pizza to pizza pan; cut into slices. Serve warm OR at room temperature.

Makes 1 (14-inch) pizza

Recipe from Wildwood Wood Fired Ovens & BBQs.

Consider these factors before you buy a wood-fire oven

Company -- Check out where and how the oven is made -- and the company's track record. Visit a showroom or factory, if feasible. Talk to some consumers who own a brand you're interested in. Check out the oven warranty.

Shape -- Do you prefer a dome or rectangular oven and interior? Which fits best into space allotted? If you opt for a dome, does it have a high or low ceiling?

Space -- How much space will the oven require? Do you have sufficient room? ``We had to cut our fence and rent a fork lift to unload the oven off a rented truck to get it into the yard,'' says Jeannine Perriseau.

Insulation -- How much insulation does the oven need? Preassembled oven insulation may vary in thickness -- and that affects how the oven holds and retains the heat. Some of the kits have little and require additional during installation.

Contractor -- Hire an experienced, licensed contractor to install the oven according to the company's recommended installation specs.

Price -- How much are you willing to spend? Do you want a kit that requires assembly or do you prefer a preassembled, ready-to-install oven, which is much more expensive but requires less additional work.

Weight -- Ask how much it weighs. Will the flooring be able to hold it?

Wood or gas -- What suits your lifestyle -- wood only, wood and gas or a gas-only oven?

Curing -- Is the oven sold precured or green? If it hasn't been precured, you'll have to cure it according to manufacturer's instructions with fires in it for a specified time for a certain number of days prior to using it, to dry the oven out.

Floor -- Is the cooking surface or oven floor one or several pieces? Also, is the dome a single or multipiece? Expert opinions vary in this area. Also, how thick is the flooring?

Temperature -- Where is the temperature inside the oven measured -- in the dome or the floor of the oven? What is the maximum heating temperature of the oven -- 700 degrees or 1,000 or more?

Size -- How many pizzas and what size will the oven hold and cook at once -- two, five, etc.? Don't skimp on size, recommends Perriseau.

UL listing -- Does the oven have UL listings for residential and commercial use with product approval safety-wise?

Models -- Check out the various models offered by companies -- and the bells and whistles offered with each. There are lots of choices.

-- N.H.

CAPTION(S):

9 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) FIRED UP!

Home pizza ovens inflame foodies' passions

(2 -- color) ``In California, more than 85 percent of our home oven units are installed outdoors,'' says Maurice Yotnegparian, making a pizza in the kitchen of EarthStone Ovens Inc., the Glendale company he started in 1987.

(3 -- color) SHRIMP PIZZA WITH PESTO

(4 -- 5 -- color) Pizza ovens come in a variety of styles, including an igloo-shaped wood-burning oven, below, from Wildwood Wood Fired Ovens & BBQs, and a copper-fronted oven, also a wood-burning model, used at EarthStone Ovens Inc. Owners say the ovens produce pizzas that are far superior to restaurant renditions.

(6 -- color) RUSTIC PIZZA MARGHERITA

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

(7 -- color) SAUSAGE, ONION AND MUSHROOM PIZZA

(8 -- 9 -- color) Calabasas resident Jeannine Perriseau displays a pizza made in her backyard wood-fire oven. She also roasts a whole chicken with great results. She and her husband bought one five years ago, after a vacation in Italy. ``We loved the way different foods cooked in the ovens tasted in the restaurants,'' she says.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer

Box:

Consider these factors before you buy a wood-fire oven (see text)