PIZZA PROBLEM:  Leftover pizza or pizza reheated often loses something taste and texture wise, the cheese gets overcooked and tough when reheated in the oven but the crust gets soggy if cooked in the microwave.

Instead of those unsatisfactory reheating options, consider instead using a skillet to reheat it so it tastes as good as it does when eaten fresh at the pizzeria. Here’s how:

A BETTER WAY: HOW TO REHEAT LEFTOVER PIZZA SLICES

1. Put your pizza slice in a cast iron skillet (or non-stick skillet) on medium-low until the crust is crisp, generally about two minutes.
2. If the cheese and toppings are not reheated to your taste, add a couple of drops of water to the pan, turn the heat to low, and put a lid on the skillet for one minute.
3. Serve.

The crust stays crispy while the cheese and toppings finish off by steam cooking to soft, gooey perfection without becoming tough!

This trick is also useful for a takeout or a delivered pizza that you have enhanced with your own toppings at home, such as fresh herbs, veggies, or specialty pepperoni or prosciutto. It’s also useful when a pizza could use a slight reheating before serving for a perfectly crisp but not overly cooked slice!

How do you like your pizza? Tell us! 

Mastered the basics but ready to take it up a notch? Try some of these variations to switch up your bartending game

MOSCOW MULE RECIPE IDEAS

• KENTUCKY MULE: Instead of Vodka, use Bourbon. For a twist on this classic, grate in some fresh ginger. Pair Bourbon with peaches and basil, they taste great with the lime and ginger.
• Muddle basil or cilantro with mint at the base of the copper mug to have a less sweet, less tart, but still notable spice dimension
• TOO SWEET? Add ginger lemon bitters
• TOO SHARP? Add Elderflower or Simple Syrup to soften the tanginess of the ginger.
• Try Cucumber for a sharp but mellow taste that counteracts the ginger and lime without being too sweet
• Try Cantaloupe, plum and blackberries for a darker combination

Got a good Moscow Mule recipe? Tell us!

The Moscow Mule is a drink that is hard to botch but easy to do very well if the right ingredients and proper vessel are chosen. Up your own bartender game by learning a few tricks to upgrade the common Moscow Mule into your own signature drink.

CHOOSING INGREDIENTS: THE BASICS

A key ingredient to a Moscow Mule is ginger beer. Ginger adds the kick to the mule and is generally obtained from ginger beer or in a pinch, a quality brewed ginger ale. The ginger ale is sweeter, the ginger beer is tarter and for some, might need the addition of simple syrup. I also like to add a thin slice of fresh ginger as part of a garnish or muddled at the bottom of the drinking vessel, or if you prefer your drinks a bit sweeter, a ginger simple syrup can be used.

FRUITY INCLUSION OPTIONS

Lime and ginger are the core classics of the mule, and plenty of fruits taste great with both of them.

But lots of fruit combinations work: blackberries, lime, plum or pear and cantaloupe is a delicious alternative option, the cantaloupe and plum sweetly temper the ginger and the blackberries add a nice sweet but tart note. Or another option that goes surprisingly well with the ginger is lemon and fig!

USING A COPPER DRINKING VESSEL

While you can serve a Moscow Mule in just about any kind of glass, copper is preferable. I prefer the Kamojo Moscow Mules because the pure copper has a tarnish resistant coating, so they stay beautiful and shiny without having to polish them, making them easy to clean.

I also like the pretty hammered pure copper with its’ tarnish-resistant high-shine and the beautiful shape, it adds something to the overall visual appeal of the drink and looks so distinctive!

Copper does two things: it quickly makes cold ingredients colder, and bubbly ingredients bubblier. That’s why a copper vessel is a key to a good Moscow Mule, especially for a summertime drink.

Copper also enhances the flavor of some ingredients, enhancing the crisp, citrus and sour notes of go-to ingredients like ginger, lime, and cucumbers.

WHERE TO BUY THE ITEMS SEEN IN THIS POST

Kamojo Moscow Mule Copper Flutes Set at Amazon

Reed’s Original Ginger Brew at Jet