A Guide to the Best of Southern California : FOOD : Pizza Stone--It Delivers

ONE OF THE frustrations of attempting to re-create restaurant recipes at home is that most of us just don’t have comparable equipment. No matter how hard we try, our flames don’t leap as high, and our blenders don’t puree as briskly. Now, however, homemade pizza crust as crisp as your local pizzeria’s is a distinct possibility, with pizza stones made of the same material, promossal, as that used in the decks of commercial pizza ovens. Cut to fit the home oven, these synthetic slabs quickly draw out moisture, ensuring an even, crisp crust for breads and pizza. The plain gray stones ($45) can withstand temperatures of up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit for years without suffering a crack.

Pizza stones are available at Caioti restaurant, 2100 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 650-1066.