TGE Recipes: Giant Pizza with Fil Calá of Future Shapes and Screaming
I sat down with Fil Calá of Screaming in the kitchen of his new apartment (the Big Donut) in San Francisco and we talked favorite bands, foodie things, and musicianship all while making their new favorite recipe: GIANT PIZZA. Keep your eyes peeled for Screaming’s forthcoming EP, so happy to be here.
Ingredients
- 1 ball of store bought pizza dough (16 oz.)
- Flour (1 cup)
- Shredded cheese of your choice (12 oz.)
- Olive oil (1 tbsp)
- Peeled tomatoes (1/2 can)
- Tomato paste (1/2 cup)
- Sliced mushrooms (1 cup)
- Pinch of seasonings (salt / pepper / oregano / basil / garlic powder)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425
- Roll out dough to desired pizza size over lightly floured surface. Throwing the pizza up in the air comically is also an option.
- Slather your dough up with that tablespoon of olive oil
- Mash up peeled tomatoes and add tomato paste to get the perfect blend of natural tomato flavors
- Drown that dough with your pizza sauce
- Add your shredded cheese, mushrooms and further conventional or unconventional pizza toppings if desired
- Pop in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until crust begins to brown slightly
- Carefully pull that baby out and enjoy!
So you said you were in some bands while you were in high school?
Yeah, I started making music in junior high, actually.
What were some of you favorite bands back then?
While in junior high I think everyone had a band that was like “Wow I didn’t know music could sound like this” so my stereotypical favorite band was The Strokes and every band in that scene like Interpol, Editors, and Arctic Monkeys. Then I finally joined a band! In that band I played drums then I played bass in this other band where I wrote a lot of songs about being trans before I knew what being trans was.
What instrument did you start off playing?
I guess like, the guitar. But at the time my friend Steven, who makes amazing music, needed a drummer and I learned them pretty quick. My mom was always really supportive of me playing music, so I would literally just sit in my room, where I only had a drum set and a bed, and play drums for like five hours. No joke, I would play until I would throw up.
That’s fucked up.
I was obsessed with The Locust. Like OBSESSED with The Locust. I had read that Gabe, the drummer, would play so intensely for so long that he would keep a bucket to throw up in just in case and I was like, “That’s so fucking sick, I need to do that” so I did! I was also obsessed with Brian Chase from Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
What do you think is easier, cooking or writing music?
I think that being a professional chef is harder than being a professional musician. Chefs seem to work long hours and it’s hot in the kitchen and all of the master chef’s are screaming at you.. I guess it depends on what kind of chef you are too.
What’s your favorite thing about cooking?
The eating, for sure. I love food so much. You know what they say about learning about cultures and about other people through food, it’s totally true. Also, it’s zen because you can get into a rhythm while making food, like dumplings or pasta.
If Screaming could be a dish, what would it be?
A dish? I think it’d be like when you’re at a buffet and whatever you feel like throwing on your plate finds its way on there. It’d be a Fresh Choice salad bar. Every set I play I test a lot of stuff out and I try anything. I try playing different songs and play whatever I feel. That’s how I go into buffets. My plate is drenched in reverb and full of everything available.. it’s not any one dish.