Pizza has been around for thousands of years. When did out of the ordinary and delicious gourmet pizza make its debut? What would the forefathers of pizza think of this culinary masterpiece?
Everyone knows that a standard pizza comes with pepperoni, cheese, ground beef, peppers, onions, anchovies and sausage. Today gourmet pizza is created with any kind of topping. They are topped with anything from broccoli to chocolate. There are gourmet pizzas for breakfast that can be topped with scrambled eggs, bacon and cheese. And, there are vegetarian gourmet pizzas that are topped with a medley of vegetables.
The gourmet pizza is relatively new and was created for the privileged. It has grown in popularity in nearly every household in the United States. Pizza parlors are popping up all across the country. A Sunday afternoon of football will be a definite hit with the gang if a gourmet pizza with all the toppings is served. A sure pleaser for chocolate lovers is a dessert pizza topped with marshmallows and chocolate.
Gourmet pizza was conceived with the belief that less is better. Only by using the finest quality ingredients and one or two toppings, can a pizza acquire the status of a gourmet pizza. Only the freshest and highest quality meats and freshest mozzarella can be used. The difference in a standard pizza and a gourmet pizza will be proven with each bite.
An ordinary consumer, with a little imagination, can create a gourmet pizza at home. A variety of pre-baked pizza shells are available in all types of food stores. With some imagination and experimentation, a home chef can make a mouth-watering work of art. Most food stores carry a line of pizza shells, cheeses and gourmet sauces. Cheeses other than Mozzarella can be used.
Gourmet pizza shops continue to grow, offering a variety of pizzas from different cultures. Every culture brings an innovative way to make the gourmet pizza. These tasty delights will bring dining pleasure for years to come.
19.1.09
Cottage Pie Recipe: English Cottage Pie
You don’t have to be English to enjoy this traditional cottage pie, but if you are English then you’ll probably keep this recipe among your favorites.
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make Meat Filling: In a large skillet, crumble the ground beef and saut้ over medium heat for 1 minute. Add in the onion and carrots; continue to saut้ until meat is brown (about 5 minutes). Stir in the flour, cinnamon, Italian seasoning and parsley.
In a small bowl, combine the beef broth and tomato paste; mix well. Add to beef mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Spoon beef mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.
Make Potato Topping: Put potatoes into a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender; drain.
Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add butter and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes over beef filling. Sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until top is brown and cheese is bubbly.
=> Cottage Pie Recipe: Moussaka Cottage Pie
A great cottage pie recipe featuring flavorable spices like garlic, cinnamon and cloves. Raisins make a delicious addition as well.
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 (24 oz.) package refrigerated mashed potatoes, warmed
1 large egg, beaten
Directions
In a 12-inch oven proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saut้ until tender (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, cinnamon and cloves; continue cooking for 1 minute.
Add meat, stirring occasionally to break it up; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and raisins. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Arrange the eggplant slices on a lipped cookie sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper. Broil eggplant on the upper oven rack, turning once with kitchen tongs, until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side).
Warm up mashed potatoes according to package directions.
Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees. Lay eggplant in a single layer over the meat mixture. Whisk the egg into the mashed potatoes; spread over eggplant. Bake on lower oven rack for 20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.
=> Cottage Pie Recipe: Creamed Cottage Cheese Pie
If you’ve never tried cottage cheese in a pie, you’ll be delighted with this creamy cheese flavored custard pie. It’s something a little different and definitely worth the effort.
1 (9-inch) pie shell
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, creamed
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 eggs
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Separate the eggs.
Press the cottage cheese through a sieve 2 times.
In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, butter, sugar, salt, flour, lemon zest, unbeaten egg yolks, raisins, walnuts and milk. Stir well.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into cheese mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until brown and firm.
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup milk
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Make Meat Filling: In a large skillet, crumble the ground beef and saut้ over medium heat for 1 minute. Add in the onion and carrots; continue to saut้ until meat is brown (about 5 minutes). Stir in the flour, cinnamon, Italian seasoning and parsley.
In a small bowl, combine the beef broth and tomato paste; mix well. Add to beef mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Spoon beef mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.
Make Potato Topping: Put potatoes into a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender; drain.
Mash the potatoes until smooth. Add butter and milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread potatoes over beef filling. Sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until top is brown and cheese is bubbly.
=> Cottage Pie Recipe: Moussaka Cottage Pie
A great cottage pie recipe featuring flavorable spices like garlic, cinnamon and cloves. Raisins make a delicious addition as well.
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup dark or golden raisins
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 (24 oz.) package refrigerated mashed potatoes, warmed
1 large egg, beaten
Directions
In a 12-inch oven proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saut้ until tender (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, cinnamon and cloves; continue cooking for 1 minute.
Add meat, stirring occasionally to break it up; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and raisins. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Arrange the eggplant slices on a lipped cookie sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper. Broil eggplant on the upper oven rack, turning once with kitchen tongs, until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side).
Warm up mashed potatoes according to package directions.
Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees. Lay eggplant in a single layer over the meat mixture. Whisk the egg into the mashed potatoes; spread over eggplant. Bake on lower oven rack for 20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.
=> Cottage Pie Recipe: Creamed Cottage Cheese Pie
If you’ve never tried cottage cheese in a pie, you’ll be delighted with this creamy cheese flavored custard pie. It’s something a little different and definitely worth the effort.
1 (9-inch) pie shell
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, creamed
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 eggs
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Separate the eggs.
Press the cottage cheese through a sieve 2 times.
In a bowl, combine the cottage cheese, butter, sugar, salt, flour, lemon zest, unbeaten egg yolks, raisins, walnuts and milk. Stir well.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into cheese mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until brown and firm.
10.1.09
Tips For Great Pizzas
A pizza made at home should be better than a commercial pizza. You get it fresh from the oven made with fresh ingredients and the combination of ingredients that you want, on a homemade crust, and with the care that is not possible commercially.
But there are tricks to the technique that will make that pizza truly wonderful.
• A great pizza must have a great crust. A soggy crust will never do. Instead of piling the goodies on the uncooked dough, partially bake it firs...
Keywords:
pizza, how to, crust great pizza, secrets, baking, bread, homemade, rise
Article Body:
A pizza made at home should be better than a commercial pizza. You get it fresh from the oven made with fresh ingredients and the combination of ingredients that you want, on a homemade crust, and with the care that is not possible commercially.
But there are tricks to the technique that will make that pizza truly wonderful.
• A great pizza must have a great crust. A soggy crust will never do. Instead of piling the goodies on the uncooked dough, partially bake it first. Usually about eight minutes will do. Then pull it out of the oven, put the toppings on, and finish baking.
• Don’t under bake the crust. The crust is done when the bottom is partially browned. Use a spatula or tongs to lift one edge and peek at the crust.
• Never use a light-colored pan for baking a pizza. It will reflect the heat and you will have a hard time baking the crust thoroughly.
• A baking stone will help bake the crust. Put the baking stone in the oven at least fifteen minutes ahead of the pizza. We like to bake our pizzas on a dark baking pan placed on top of the hot stone.
• Place the pizza low in the oven where radiant heat from the heating elements will help bake the crust.
• If you have trouble forming the pizza crust, the gluten may be the problem. Gluten gives the dough elasticity and a tight dough wants to spring back into shape. Partially shape the crust and then walk away for five to ten minutes. When you get back, the dough will have relaxed and you can finish the crust.
• A pizza crust of uniform thickness is a better crust. If you are not adept at spinning the crust, roll it to a uniform thickness of about 1/4 inch with a rolling pin. You can do that on a peel dusted with cornmeal or semolina flour so that the crust will slip off easily onto the stone or pan. If you don’t have a peel, a sheet of heavy cardboard or even a wooden cutting board will do. You can also form the crust in your pan. The lips on the pan will preclude a rolling pin, but you can purchase a little rolling pin meant for the task (and for rolling pasta) that will work within the rims. If all else fails, grab a small jar and use it as a rolling pin.
• If you don’t have time to make or buy your favorite sauce, a jar of spaghetti sauce will do. Homemade is better but a good commercial sauce is okay.
• Some people prefer tender crusts; we prefer chewy. For a tender crust, use all-purpose flour. Our favorite crusts are made with bread flour tempered just a bit with whole wheat, rye, or all-purpose flours.
• For a really great pizza crust, once the dough is kneaded, cover it and place it in the refrigerator over night. The next day, remove the dough and let it rise on the counter. Allow plenty of time for the dough to come to room temperature and rise. At lower temperatures, the yeast produces a complex yeasty flavor that is very good.
• Pizza dough that is just a bit on the wet side is easier to work with and makes a nicer crust.
• Toppings can be anything you want them to be. Measurements don’t count though less is usually better. Experiment with some of your favorite foods.
• Olive oil makes a much nicer pizza crust than vegetable oil.
• If you are having trouble cutting your pizza with a knife or pizza wheel, grab the kitchen shears.
But there are tricks to the technique that will make that pizza truly wonderful.
• A great pizza must have a great crust. A soggy crust will never do. Instead of piling the goodies on the uncooked dough, partially bake it firs...
Keywords:
pizza, how to, crust great pizza, secrets, baking, bread, homemade, rise
Article Body:
A pizza made at home should be better than a commercial pizza. You get it fresh from the oven made with fresh ingredients and the combination of ingredients that you want, on a homemade crust, and with the care that is not possible commercially.
But there are tricks to the technique that will make that pizza truly wonderful.
• A great pizza must have a great crust. A soggy crust will never do. Instead of piling the goodies on the uncooked dough, partially bake it first. Usually about eight minutes will do. Then pull it out of the oven, put the toppings on, and finish baking.
• Don’t under bake the crust. The crust is done when the bottom is partially browned. Use a spatula or tongs to lift one edge and peek at the crust.
• Never use a light-colored pan for baking a pizza. It will reflect the heat and you will have a hard time baking the crust thoroughly.
• A baking stone will help bake the crust. Put the baking stone in the oven at least fifteen minutes ahead of the pizza. We like to bake our pizzas on a dark baking pan placed on top of the hot stone.
• Place the pizza low in the oven where radiant heat from the heating elements will help bake the crust.
• If you have trouble forming the pizza crust, the gluten may be the problem. Gluten gives the dough elasticity and a tight dough wants to spring back into shape. Partially shape the crust and then walk away for five to ten minutes. When you get back, the dough will have relaxed and you can finish the crust.
• A pizza crust of uniform thickness is a better crust. If you are not adept at spinning the crust, roll it to a uniform thickness of about 1/4 inch with a rolling pin. You can do that on a peel dusted with cornmeal or semolina flour so that the crust will slip off easily onto the stone or pan. If you don’t have a peel, a sheet of heavy cardboard or even a wooden cutting board will do. You can also form the crust in your pan. The lips on the pan will preclude a rolling pin, but you can purchase a little rolling pin meant for the task (and for rolling pasta) that will work within the rims. If all else fails, grab a small jar and use it as a rolling pin.
• If you don’t have time to make or buy your favorite sauce, a jar of spaghetti sauce will do. Homemade is better but a good commercial sauce is okay.
• Some people prefer tender crusts; we prefer chewy. For a tender crust, use all-purpose flour. Our favorite crusts are made with bread flour tempered just a bit with whole wheat, rye, or all-purpose flours.
• For a really great pizza crust, once the dough is kneaded, cover it and place it in the refrigerator over night. The next day, remove the dough and let it rise on the counter. Allow plenty of time for the dough to come to room temperature and rise. At lower temperatures, the yeast produces a complex yeasty flavor that is very good.
• Pizza dough that is just a bit on the wet side is easier to work with and makes a nicer crust.
• Toppings can be anything you want them to be. Measurements don’t count though less is usually better. Experiment with some of your favorite foods.
• Olive oil makes a much nicer pizza crust than vegetable oil.
• If you are having trouble cutting your pizza with a knife or pizza wheel, grab the kitchen shears.
1.1.09
The Evolution Of Pizza
Trying to trace the history of the first pizza is a surprisingly controversial subject. Some claim that this popular food is based on early unleavened breads served in the early centuries in Rome. Others trace a connection from modern pizza back to the pita breads of Greece.
It's fairly well established that the first pizza as we know it today was created by a man named Raffaele Esposito from Naples, Italy. Esposito's creation was designed to honor the visit of Queen Margherita to Naples in 1889, and he decorated it with the colors of the Italian flag, using white cheese, green basil, and red tomatoes (tomatoes, which had arrived from the west about 60 years earlier, were originally thought to be poisonous, but by Esposito's time they were already embraced by Italian cuisine).
As the years passed and the turn of the century came about, Italian immigrants brought this recipe with them to America. The first pizzeria was opened in America in 1905. It remained popular almost exclusively among immigrants until the end of World War II, when American soldiers returned to their home soil and brought back a love of the pizza they had discovered overseas. With that, the pizza boom in America began and this food became a mainstream meal instead of an underground Italian snack.
The concentration of Italian immigrants in New York in those olden days explains the fact that many people feel you must visit New York to get true pizzeria-style pizza. It's where the pizza got its American start, after all. And nobody who has experienced New York style pizza can disagree. New York is famous for its pizzerias, where a true slice of pizza consists of a thin, wide crust loaded with plenty of toppings and marinara and smothered in heady Italian seasonings. A side of garlic bread and some heady pastas and tortellinis usually round out the menu. Pizzerias in New York are not for the faint of heart.
In the early 1940s, the city of Chicago, IL took pizza in a different direction. It is believed that the first pizzeria in Chicago was Pizzeria Uno, opened in 1943 by Ike Sewell. Sewell's pizza creation was a new twist on the old New York standard. He created what is known today as deep-dish pizza, where the pizza is sunk low into a deeper pan, and the crust is allowed to rise in thick bubbles around the edges. People flocked to Sewell's pizzeria, and a whole new way of looking at this favorite food was born.
To this day you can find yourself in some pretty heated debates if you argue with a New Yorker or a Chicagoan about what constitutes authentic pizzeria-style pizza. But whatever crust style you choose, pizza is a unique food with a foggy past and a definite appeal that has lasted through many incarnations.
So you're lucky enough to find yourself in New York or Chicago, or any city for that matter that has a true pizzeria, complete with checked tablecloths and plenty of garlic on the menu, indulge yourself in an old tradition and order a slice. After all, its tradition.
It's fairly well established that the first pizza as we know it today was created by a man named Raffaele Esposito from Naples, Italy. Esposito's creation was designed to honor the visit of Queen Margherita to Naples in 1889, and he decorated it with the colors of the Italian flag, using white cheese, green basil, and red tomatoes (tomatoes, which had arrived from the west about 60 years earlier, were originally thought to be poisonous, but by Esposito's time they were already embraced by Italian cuisine).
As the years passed and the turn of the century came about, Italian immigrants brought this recipe with them to America. The first pizzeria was opened in America in 1905. It remained popular almost exclusively among immigrants until the end of World War II, when American soldiers returned to their home soil and brought back a love of the pizza they had discovered overseas. With that, the pizza boom in America began and this food became a mainstream meal instead of an underground Italian snack.
The concentration of Italian immigrants in New York in those olden days explains the fact that many people feel you must visit New York to get true pizzeria-style pizza. It's where the pizza got its American start, after all. And nobody who has experienced New York style pizza can disagree. New York is famous for its pizzerias, where a true slice of pizza consists of a thin, wide crust loaded with plenty of toppings and marinara and smothered in heady Italian seasonings. A side of garlic bread and some heady pastas and tortellinis usually round out the menu. Pizzerias in New York are not for the faint of heart.
In the early 1940s, the city of Chicago, IL took pizza in a different direction. It is believed that the first pizzeria in Chicago was Pizzeria Uno, opened in 1943 by Ike Sewell. Sewell's pizza creation was a new twist on the old New York standard. He created what is known today as deep-dish pizza, where the pizza is sunk low into a deeper pan, and the crust is allowed to rise in thick bubbles around the edges. People flocked to Sewell's pizzeria, and a whole new way of looking at this favorite food was born.
To this day you can find yourself in some pretty heated debates if you argue with a New Yorker or a Chicagoan about what constitutes authentic pizzeria-style pizza. But whatever crust style you choose, pizza is a unique food with a foggy past and a definite appeal that has lasted through many incarnations.
So you're lucky enough to find yourself in New York or Chicago, or any city for that matter that has a true pizzeria, complete with checked tablecloths and plenty of garlic on the menu, indulge yourself in an old tradition and order a slice. After all, its tradition.
30.12.08
Thrill Friends And Family With A "Make It Yourself" Pizza Party
If there is one thing kids love more than eating pizza, it's being able to make it themselves using all their favorite toppings. Creating a "make it yourself" pizza party is a great way to customize the meal while involving friends and family in a fun activity. Best of all, this crust recipe, which uses a surprise ingredient, is simple enough to make at home without making a mess of the kitchen.
The secret to this simple crust is the addition of potatoes. Idahoan brand flavored Mashed Potatoes were recently named the best-tasting instant mashed potato compared to major national competitors by the American Culinary ChefsBest.™ Incorporating these convenient, 100 percent authentic Idaho potatoes in the crust adds moisture and rich flavor to this homemade version of one of America's favorite foods.
The following recipe for Fresh Tomato and Zucchini Pizza uses fresh summer produce; however, when making pizza at home, each person can substitute his or her favorite toppings. With this versatile recipe, you can enjoy a delicious homemade meal that enables everyone to eat the pizza that they love.
Fresh Tomato
And Zucchini Pizza
Crust:
1/2 cup dry Idahoan Roasted Garlic flavored Mashed Potatoes
1 cup boiling water
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Topping:
3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced and patted dry
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and ground pepper to taste
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons fresh shredded basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
Combine dry Idahoan Roasted Garlic flavored Mashed Potatoes with boiling water in a bowl, using a fork to moisten all potatoes. Let stand for one minute. Add flour, olive oil and salt to potato mixture. With hands, knead mixture until dough forms a ball. Let rest 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400บ F. Press dough into 12-inch by 8-inch baking pan. Arrange zucchini slices and tomato slices over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake about 15 minutes. Top with mozzarella; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with basil.
Yield: 4 main-dish servings or 6 appetizer servings
The secret to this simple crust is the addition of potatoes. Idahoan brand flavored Mashed Potatoes were recently named the best-tasting instant mashed potato compared to major national competitors by the American Culinary ChefsBest.™ Incorporating these convenient, 100 percent authentic Idaho potatoes in the crust adds moisture and rich flavor to this homemade version of one of America's favorite foods.
The following recipe for Fresh Tomato and Zucchini Pizza uses fresh summer produce; however, when making pizza at home, each person can substitute his or her favorite toppings. With this versatile recipe, you can enjoy a delicious homemade meal that enables everyone to eat the pizza that they love.
Fresh Tomato
And Zucchini Pizza
Crust:
1/2 cup dry Idahoan Roasted Garlic flavored Mashed Potatoes
1 cup boiling water
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Topping:
3 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced and patted dry
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and ground pepper to taste
4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons fresh shredded basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
Combine dry Idahoan Roasted Garlic flavored Mashed Potatoes with boiling water in a bowl, using a fork to moisten all potatoes. Let stand for one minute. Add flour, olive oil and salt to potato mixture. With hands, knead mixture until dough forms a ball. Let rest 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400บ F. Press dough into 12-inch by 8-inch baking pan. Arrange zucchini slices and tomato slices over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake about 15 minutes. Top with mozzarella; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with basil.
Yield: 4 main-dish servings or 6 appetizer servings
15.12.08
Where Do the Pizza Toppings Belong?
In the pizza industry, there has been many a conflict over how to make the best and most perfect pizza. Debates over the subject include what type of crust to use, the type of pizza sauce, type of toppings and even the type of cheese that makes the best pizza pie. From New York Style to Chicago Style to California Style, differences in technique are what make the Pizza World go around. Another one of those pizza arguments is where on the pizza the toppings should go. It is debatable that toppings under the sauce look better or worse than toppings above the sauce and cheese. There is even an issue over which one tastes better.
Chicago Style pizza is a recipe steeped in tradition. This deep-dish style pizza goes against the traditional grain of most of the other pizza recipes in the U.S. Instead of placing the toppings you choose on the top of the pizza sauce and cheeses, the sliced mozzarella cheese is placed in a layer on the crust, which is placed in the bottom of a deep-dish pizza pan. On top of the mozzarella cheese is placed the toppings of choice, such as Italian sausage, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms. The next layer is the sauce, which is the top layer. To many people who are not from Chicago or familiar with this style of pizza, this is something that is brand new. It may even seem backward to those who live elsewhere in the country and are used to another style of pizza. Many people say that Chicago Style is the best because it helps to keep the crust crispy because the sauce is on top, and not directly on the crust, making it soggy.
This other type of pizza places the sauce on the crust, shredded cheese layered above the sauce, and the toppings scattered above the cheese. This is what most people in the United States think of when they think of pizza. Many people don’t even know of a different way of making pizza. Some say Americans love the tradition of sauce directly on the crust.
While the theory of the "best" pizza is definitely up to the individual and personal preference, arguments over whose style is the "best" is an ongoing battle in the pizza universe. The argument will never be settled between the die-hards from their respective regions. But, the good news is, that the United States has become more and more open-minded when it comes to food. The real winners in this debate are the ones who eat a little bit of both types of pizza. The real winners realize that there is no best, only different. Every once in a while, treat your senses to something out of the ordinary. If you are used to Chicago Style and the toppings beneath the sauce, check out a new thing and have some New York Style or California Style pizza. The same goes for you New Yorkers and others. If you are always having the same old toppings-on-the-top pizza, go crazy and try some Chicago Style pizza. Open your palate up to the unique taste of something extraordinary.
Chicago Style pizza is a recipe steeped in tradition. This deep-dish style pizza goes against the traditional grain of most of the other pizza recipes in the U.S. Instead of placing the toppings you choose on the top of the pizza sauce and cheeses, the sliced mozzarella cheese is placed in a layer on the crust, which is placed in the bottom of a deep-dish pizza pan. On top of the mozzarella cheese is placed the toppings of choice, such as Italian sausage, onions, green peppers, and mushrooms. The next layer is the sauce, which is the top layer. To many people who are not from Chicago or familiar with this style of pizza, this is something that is brand new. It may even seem backward to those who live elsewhere in the country and are used to another style of pizza. Many people say that Chicago Style is the best because it helps to keep the crust crispy because the sauce is on top, and not directly on the crust, making it soggy.
This other type of pizza places the sauce on the crust, shredded cheese layered above the sauce, and the toppings scattered above the cheese. This is what most people in the United States think of when they think of pizza. Many people don’t even know of a different way of making pizza. Some say Americans love the tradition of sauce directly on the crust.
While the theory of the "best" pizza is definitely up to the individual and personal preference, arguments over whose style is the "best" is an ongoing battle in the pizza universe. The argument will never be settled between the die-hards from their respective regions. But, the good news is, that the United States has become more and more open-minded when it comes to food. The real winners in this debate are the ones who eat a little bit of both types of pizza. The real winners realize that there is no best, only different. Every once in a while, treat your senses to something out of the ordinary. If you are used to Chicago Style and the toppings beneath the sauce, check out a new thing and have some New York Style or California Style pizza. The same goes for you New Yorkers and others. If you are always having the same old toppings-on-the-top pizza, go crazy and try some Chicago Style pizza. Open your palate up to the unique taste of something extraordinary.
Changing Pizza Trends
For years, pizza has been a favorite food of American culture. Pizza, holding its own against all time greats such as hamburgers and hotdogs, has become somewhat of a staple on the American menu and on its table. However, since its comeuppance in the category of favorite foods in the U.S., pizza has come a long way as far as what is termed as great toppings and what is termed as just plain weird. Some new trends in the way that pizza is made and topped have come to the forefront. Foods that are used for toppings today and are popular, in the 1960’s would have been turned away as ridiculous.
Over the past few decades, tastes have changed in America. While many pizza lovers prefer traditional pizza styles and toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms and olives, pizza connoisseurs that are new to the scene are fond of trying the non-traditional in order to find pizza topping greatness. Some newer toppings that are not so radical that the traditional pizza fan can not get past them are toppings such as chicken, ham and pineapple, and ground beef, to name a few. However, there have been toppings that have totally offended the sensibilities of that traditional pizza enthusiast.
One of the things that has completely affected the new wave of pizza traditions in this industry is the fact that the great people of the gourmet foods industry have begun to take a part in the pizza industry, helping to make it their own. Suddenly, pizza is no longer only for the superbowl party, or the kids’ birthday party, or a late night fix when the busy career woman comes home tired from work and doesn’t want to cook. It has become the object of attention for society’s elite in the gourmet foods circuit.
More and more these days, fine dining and gourmet restaurants are beginning to offer their unique take on the creation of pizza. The gourmet food industry brings flair to pizza by offering daring topping choices and letting creativity and taste come to the forefront. While some might say the toppings they choose are ridiculous, which some of the more daring topping ideas may be, some of the new trends in pizza are really beginning to take off with the more elite crowd. Some new toppings include seafood such as oysters and crayfish. Other new toppings that have been tried are game meats like venison and duck. Even wackier are toppings such as peanut butter and jelly and bacon and eggs.
While you won’t find most pizza lovers willing to try mashed potato pizza, many are stepping out on a limb and trying the new toppings the renovated pizza industry has to offer. Whatever your favorite toppings are, America is in agreement of one thing about pizza: it’s impossible to live without.
Over the past few decades, tastes have changed in America. While many pizza lovers prefer traditional pizza styles and toppings such as pepperoni, sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms and olives, pizza connoisseurs that are new to the scene are fond of trying the non-traditional in order to find pizza topping greatness. Some newer toppings that are not so radical that the traditional pizza fan can not get past them are toppings such as chicken, ham and pineapple, and ground beef, to name a few. However, there have been toppings that have totally offended the sensibilities of that traditional pizza enthusiast.
One of the things that has completely affected the new wave of pizza traditions in this industry is the fact that the great people of the gourmet foods industry have begun to take a part in the pizza industry, helping to make it their own. Suddenly, pizza is no longer only for the superbowl party, or the kids’ birthday party, or a late night fix when the busy career woman comes home tired from work and doesn’t want to cook. It has become the object of attention for society’s elite in the gourmet foods circuit.
More and more these days, fine dining and gourmet restaurants are beginning to offer their unique take on the creation of pizza. The gourmet food industry brings flair to pizza by offering daring topping choices and letting creativity and taste come to the forefront. While some might say the toppings they choose are ridiculous, which some of the more daring topping ideas may be, some of the new trends in pizza are really beginning to take off with the more elite crowd. Some new toppings include seafood such as oysters and crayfish. Other new toppings that have been tried are game meats like venison and duck. Even wackier are toppings such as peanut butter and jelly and bacon and eggs.
While you won’t find most pizza lovers willing to try mashed potato pizza, many are stepping out on a limb and trying the new toppings the renovated pizza industry has to offer. Whatever your favorite toppings are, America is in agreement of one thing about pizza: it’s impossible to live without.
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