What's on your pizza?

[Jenise]

I never thought anything could budge me off of sausage+green bell pepper+red onion, but since moving to Bellingham I've got a new favorite combination: proscuitto, fresh rosemary and cracked black pepper, all atop a chunky tomato red sauce and some mozzarella. I modify it slightly by asking for extra tomato sauce and rosemary (I once got one that was too dry, and it seemed lifeless), but that's otherwise a standard combo and I adore it. I introduced friends who moved to town to the combination, and now it's their favorite too.

What's your favorite these days?

Pepperoni and mushroom. Sometimes hot peppers or black olives and just within the past few years, I've gotten to like anchovies (when I'm in the mood). That's when I go out for pizza. However, when I make it at home (been a while) I like pepperoni, fresh mushrooms, green bell peppers (sliced so they make big circles), Roma tomatoes sliced thin and onions. I've always preferred pepperoni to sausage.

Crushed San Marzano tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, mozzarella, and parmesan. Period.

Eggplant and Italian Sausage.

Pizza is my absolute favorite! I make it nearly every Saturday night, often with a whole wheat crust. (I don't ever have pizza elsewhere.)

Sweet red peppers sliced in rounds (like Howie), thinly sliced onions (don't care what color), thickly sliced mushrooms all sauteed together in olive oil just until they start to caramelize; green chile; Italian sausage; a mix of mozzarella and extra sharp cheddar (and lots of it!).

[Robin Garr]

I never thought anything could budge me off of sausage+green bell pepper+red onion

Interesting. That is <i>my</i> choice of meatful pizza toppings, but I have a professional reason, sort of: When I review a pizzeria I like to have a benchmark for comparison, and the combo of Italian sausage with peppers and onions - on a pizza or in a sandwich - is classic.

But I also love a traditional margherita (tomatoes, cheese and basil only) and my head is easily turned by a <i>Quattro Stagioni</i> (four "seasons" of mushrooms, prosciutto, artichokes and olives, preferably distributed with one topping on each quarter). Or a "white pie" with just melted ricotta and a little Pecorino Romano drizzled with olive oil. Or a white pie with spinach ... just don't get too California-creative, that's all I ask. Make mine traditional Italian, or US immigrant Italian anyway.

Crushed San Marzano tomatoes, pepper, garlic, basil, mozzarella, and parmesan on half for me; the other half the same and [sometimes] with green bell peppers and/or sweet sausage for Janet.

[James Roscoe]

Pepperoni and mushroom. Sometimes hot peppers or black olives and just within the past few years, I've gotten to like anchovies (when I'm in the mood). That's when I go out for pizza. However, when I make it at home (been a while) I like pepperoni, fresh mushrooms, green bell peppers (sliced so they make big circles), Roma tomatoes sliced thin and onions. I've always preferred pepperoni to sausage.

Howie, you are a man after my own heart. Pepperoni and mushroom is a great combo! I also love an "everything" pizza. Pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, onions, olives, and whatever else is handy.

Pesto with plenty of garlic, sliced tomatoes, and a some mozzarella.

Mike

I eat anything but an anchovy pizza. And I don't care for those bbq chicken pizzas and the like. Our most common pizza if we order one is pepperoni and pineapple (occ. Canadian bacon and pineapple). If I make the pizza, it has at least pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, sometimes black olives and always green chile (Jenise, you need to try your green chile on pizza).

Hey Mike (and Gary, if you're looking in), Jimmy and I will be making pizzas tomorrow during football, in case you happen to be coming out our way.

Well yesterday, we made two.
One, a traditional margherite, which remains my favorite.

The other had Italian sausage which had been pre-cooked, and crumbled.

My rule is simple - the more "stuff" on the pizza, the less likely I am to going to enjoy it.

[Robin Garr]

My rule is simple - the more "stuff" on the pizza, the less likely I am to going to enjoy it.

And a fine rule that is!

crumbled fried sausage, ricotta, crushed tomato and I'm a happy guy

Restaurant ones - I only use Pizza Express, and only ever have
Napolitana - no cheese
-- tomato sauce with olives, capers, anchovies, chopped herbs
(Napolitana hasn't been on their menu now more than a year now but no problem getting it)

Home made

-- garlicy tomato sauce with chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, sliced mushroom (all pre-sauteed), olives, capers, anchovies
(it was going to be a 4 seasons but the family prefer all evenly spread)

Proscuitto and goat cheese with tomato sauce topped with fresh herbs (I could care less what herbs save lavender or some such). Anchovies, garlic, and onions is a fave of mine also, though my wife isn't too fond of it.

rwj

Margherita is our favorite. Sliced fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, EVOO & fresh basil w/ a crack of black bepper and sprinkle of Parm Reg at serving time.

Richard

Margherita with fresh arugula thrown on at the last minute and drizzled with some very good EVOO just before serving

I make pizza with home-made crust nearly every Friday night -- sort of a celebration for the end of the work week. Usually it is "Kitchen sink pizza" -- whatever I'm in the mood for and happen to have available. However, when fresh vine-ripened tomatoes are ripe in the garden, I will make a simpler tomato/herb/cheese pizza to take advantage of the summer bounty. Occasionally, I'll even get crazy and cook them on the grill outside.

First of all, I may be atypical (what else is new) in that I have always favoured vegetarian pizzas, even though I'm not a vegetarian in the strict sense. I have always detested pepperoni - :-p - which is why I never liked most franchise/takeout pizzas, simply because the plain-jane pepperoni and cheese pizza that is so ubiquitous never tasted any good to me.

There is a small pizza place that I order from that makes a whole host of non-traditional vegetarian pizzas - they must have 5 or 6 vegetarian ones alone, in addition to various other meat-laden ones. But they are always creative, and for this they have won my interest. My favourite is called "Spinacci" - it's a spinach, feta cheese and sundried tomato style sprinkled with various herbs.

I rarely make pizza at home anymore, since ordering a non-traditional pizza is quick and easy and all I have to do is pick a good wine to go along with it.

[Jenise]

Margherita with fresh arugula thrown on at the last minute and drizzled with some very good EVOO just before serving

LOVE THIS! Ordered one by accident in Italy once upon a time, and it changed my life. Had never considered putting my salad on my pizza before. I'm surprised I've never seen this done in any American restaurants.

Paul--I'm with you. Meat isn't neccessary at all and pepperoni just turns a pizza into a greaseball.

Robin--it IS a good benchmark combo, isn't it? How they slice the onions, the freshness of the bell peppers (I've encountered soggy frozen BP's) and the quality and quantity of the sausage tells you everything you need to know about a pizza place's view on quality. I now ask before I order if the sausage is fresh or those little turds they can now buy frozen in restaurant supply--if it's the latter, I switch to mushrooms.

All this pizza talk has got me wanting one. It's going on Friday night's menu!

Paul, you and I are polar opposites when it comes to our pizza. I am a pepperoni gal through and through. Sometimes I get sausage, too, and I like onion and green pepper, if they're not in big pieces. I have had it where you get hugh chuncks of pepper.

There are several place around here that make great pizza. A couple are small chains, and one uptown which is not. They make a great pepperoni pizza, and they also make a voodoo chicken pizza that is pretty tasty. The one you described with spinach and feta does sound good. I still think I'd miss the meat, though.

Interesting, Linda! Funny thing with me is that I enjoy hot peppers - they can be piled up high on my pizza and you won't hear complaints, though obviously I wouldn't be having wine with such a pizza. But I concur with Jenise's opinion, i.e. that pepperoni turns a pizza into a greaseball. That's just the way it comes across to me.

Now, having said that, I do like salami and other cured meats now and then ... just not on pizza!

I have two great pizza memories from my youth.

Diamond Pizza in Wethersfield, Connecticut, where I grew up, did a killer pizza topped with thin rings of green bell pepper. This, with pepperoni added, is how I usually cook pizza on those rare occasions when I make it myself.

My other fond memory is the meat special from Town Pizza in Auburn, Massachusetts, from 30 years ago. This was your total "garbage scow" pizza, with everything you can think of (except anchovies--I hate fish). I still lust after this pizza.

The usual one I order these days from the local sub shop (Christopher's, in Nashua, New Hampshire)? Bacon and pepperoni.

-Paul W.