Pizza - America's Passion

It's amazing how a Neopolitan classic became America's, in fact, the world's passion. That's what pizza is. Everyone loves a slice of the expertly blended tomatoes, cheese and dough. Pizza lovers have even been known to get into serious fighting over what pizzeria makes the best one. Pizza is just more than a favorite comfort food - it's everyone's love.

How did pizza start? Ancient Romans ate a similar version covered with olive oil, herbs, various toppings, and honey (well these were the Romans after all who also had a passion for honey dipped mice. Ewwww!)The earlier form was even mentioned in Virgil's The Aeneid as well as in Cato's writings. The ruins of a pizzeria were found at Pompeii so pizza had to be well loved in in the ancient world.
With the introduction of tomatoes to southern Italy, pizza was reinvented. It was the hit of Renaissance Naples with pizzerias sprouting up throughout the city. Although it originally was a peasant food, royals and commoners alike were seduced by the delicious pie. The Queen of Naples,Maria Carolina even had a pizza oven built into her palazzo at Capodimonte. Another, Queen Margherita of Savoy, had one made after her whe she and her husband, King Umberto. visited Naples. The Margherita is the most famous , composed of basil, oil and fresh tomatoes on dough.It's also the most popular amongst modern day foodies.


Pizza was brought to America's big cities during the first wave of Southern Italian immigration in the 1880s. It was sold on the streets of Chicago and in pizzerias across Manhattan and the boroughs. It gained in popularity after the Second World War. Millions of GIs stationed in Rome and Naples developed a love of it and brought it back to America's heartland. Now pizza was everywhere.

What makes a good homemade pizza? As one who used to make it every week I'm going to have to say the crust. There's nothing like a very thin crust. A thick crust is too doughy and bready. It takes away from the sauce and mozzarella.The best way to make a thin crust is to roll it out with just a little bit of thickness in the middle and then out to wafer thin ends. As far as the sauce I prefer fresh sliced tomatoes from my garden altohugh I do relent and get the canned ones in winter. As for seasoning, again fresh garden picked basil is the best but if you have to use dried then use it but sparingly. Cheese should always be mozzarella but don't glop it on across the entire surface. Apply it in the Margherita fashion with small circles randomly placed. if you want to add extras like olives, sausage and even anchovies go easy. Too much topping and you'll mask the taste of the pizza.

Pizza really is the world's passion. it's not only the perfect comfort food but just perfect in every way.