The Things We Carry In The Truck!!

It is amazing just how much equipment & other odds and ends we have collected and now carry in the truck where ever we go.  Some of it we couldn't work without but much of it is there 'just in case' we need it.

Obviously we carry a lot of redwood - 1 cubic metre of it when we are loaded!  We carry 100 litres of water for coffee in a unit fixed above the coffee machine.  2 large tresle tables for the front counter & 2 small.  One for grinder etc and one 'just in case'.  We recently purchased a 800cm stainless steel folding preparation table (which weights 28kg) which proved to be a real bonus when we catered at the Nisson Triathlon recently.  We bought it for big events such as the Hartwood Music Festival over Easter where we will need to employ staff to prepare and make pizzas during the festival.  We also have our folding washing up unit and the Coleman Hot Water On Demand unit which provides hot water for dishwashing. We carry 3 x 20 litre water containers - one to draw water from and two that capture grey water from the double bowl sink.  There are 2 further containers - one to capture grey water from the hand washing unit and the other for the dregs from the espresso machine!

We have large boxes of 8oz and 12oz coffee cups & coffee cup lids.  We have a small esky for the coffee beans that have been opened - the best way to store them!  We have a commercial coffee grinder which takes up a bit of room.  We have two other eskies - a large and medium one 'just in case'.  We use Techni-Ice eskies and they are great!!

We have a commercial food processor - mainly used if we are doing smoothies and iced coffee & chocolates in summer and soups in winter!

We have a large freezer mounted on the right inside of the truck.  When we are travelling we position our 2 outdoor tables on it as well as our two large rubbish bins.  Our 8 chairs are stacked in front of the freezer taking up a fair amount of room.

And then come a couple of large items.  Firstly our marquee.  400cm x 400cm x 800cm and weighing 80 kgs!!  We use to lift this in and out of the truck ourselves (actually I should say Mike did!!) but we gave this up as way too hard and bought a 100kg capacity hand wind goods lift/trolley which of course also needs to be stored in the truck.  (On occasion we also carry a smaller marquee!!)

We have our matting for the floor in the work area under the marquee.  It is amazing matting used by the armed forces in the desert to land helicopters on.  It prevents the sand from blowing everywhere.  It works a treat for us and is easily hosed clean.

We have a four level shelving system mounted next to the freezer going all the way to the back doors. On this unit we have 9 large plastic containers full of all sorts of things.  Paper bags for the pies.  Paper plates for whatever.  Napkins, straws, knives & forks (just in case). Carry trays for multiple coffee cups.
Sugar, stirers.  Small grocery items such as herbs & spices, sauces, tea bags, marshmallows, hot chocolate, anchovies, jalapenos, pineapple & olives.  Utensils.  Large electric frypan.  Salad slicer.  Mike's big apron that can withstand the high heat in front of the open fire & his special heat proof gloves which take up one container on their own! And then of course we have our cash register and our microwave!

And still to come - the bain maree, the pie warmer, a couple of hundred pizza boxes & 10 cartons of softdrink and water!!

No wonder we struggle up those steep inclines!!

What Makes Stronger Coffee - Dark or Light Beans?

Interestingly, it is the light beans that make the stronger coffee!!

I have learnt a lot about coffee, particularly how to make great espresso over the past 2 years.

I did take a Barista course early on but there is no doubt I have learnt more from pure experience and talking to other baristas or coffee gurus.

Did you know.......

• the best place to store coffee is in it's foil container in an esky.  Both heat & cold destroy the flavour.
• while bean quality is imperative, the most expensive bean is not necessarily the best.
• the judge of a good coffee is the crema it produces.  It needs to sit golden brown on top of the espresso
• how coarse your grind is will impact on the quality of the coffee.  The grind needs to be adjusted regularly as different atmospheric conditions even different bean quality will impact the grind. If the grind flows too quickly it is too coarse, too slow it is too fine.
• only sufficient grounds for the next 30 minutes of trade should be ground.
• you have less than 10 seconds to get the portafilter into the espresso machine and the pour commenced once the grounds have been added before the coffee is burnt
• immediately the coffee has poured the portafilter must be rinsed and dried and returned to its position.  Dirty portafilters also result in poor quality coffee
• for long black coffee the coffee must be poured on top of the hot water, not the other way around, otherwise the crema is impacted
• for a latte or cappuccino the steamed milk should be poured out of the side of the jug as this allows the froth to flow
• for a flat white you pour from the nozzle (if that is what it is called) as it holds most of the froth back

Come join us when you can for a great coffee!!

How To Host A Fun and Easy Pizza Party

A time-less, age-less option for effortless entertaining, pizza parties are synonymous with casual, lighthearted fun for all ages, the Pizza Truck has a number of suggestions and offerings to make your next party even easier!!

We've given mobile pizza a refined makeover with our purpose built wood-fired pizza truck sign written in red, white & green.   Our red and white checked linen and accessories provide character and atmosphere.

Party Option One:  Let Your Guests Create Their Own Favourite Pizza With Their Own Favourite Topping

We bring all of the ingredients necessary, and lay them out buffet style for your guests to pick and choose their own pizza sauce (traditional, satay, pesto, BBQ, Peri Peri to name a few), their own toppings (onion, capsicum, mushroom, olives, sun-dried tomato, roma tomatoes, anchovies, jalapenos, prosciutto, BBQ chicken, Ham, Salami, Pepperoni etc etc) and their own cheese (feta, mozzarella, goat's cheese, bocconcine, parmesan).    And then we do all the cooking and serving!!

Party Option Two:  Together We Choose A Menu But Also Let your Guests Add Their Own Additional Toppings

We prepare the agreed pizzas on site but also lay out additional ingredients buffet style and allow your guests to make their own special interpretation of our pizzas!

Party Option Three: Together We Choose A Menu And We Create Your Pizzas On Site and Serve Buffet Style

You can choose from our menu or request your own special recipe

Other Suggestions To Make Your Party Both Easy & Memorable

Serve breads & salads with olive oil and vinegar.  (We can also provide these if you wish)

Keep the drink menu simple by offering cold beer, a single red wine and a single white.

Have iced water on hand for your guests as well.

PS  If you would like to have a customised menu and or invitation to send to your guest list we can do these for you and email them to you to distribute!!

Visit www.thepizzatruck.com.au/page/catering.html for more information