All About Pizza

The term pizza covers a lot of territory. If you want to learn all about pizzas, then you should have a bit of a background on pizzas: specifically the history of pizza, pizza origin, pizza facts, and even pizza trivia such as who invented pizza. The subject also delves into the different types and styles of pizzas. The varieties currently existing defy any attempts at enumeration. Thus, most people who attempt such a task stop at a broad categorization of pizza types according to certain attributes such as crust thickness, crust elasticity, crust baking and cooking procedures, toppings, etc. Aside from general, historical or trivial information, other things are of interest to the pizza lovers. For instance, homemade pizza enthusiasts would like to know certain tips and tricks for making pizza. This includes pizza making techniques, the best pizza crust recipes, pizza toppings, homemade pizza sauce, etc. Some other interesting topics will be frozen pizza dough and where best to attain them, what are the criteria for choosing the, what are the methods for preparing them, etc.

It must be obvious that this article is a mite ambitious for wishing to tackle something entitled "all about pizza." However, an attempt is definitely warranted, so here goes.

Some pizza facts and trivia

Accounts of pizza history always begin with the origin of pizza. This one might as well follow the same tack. We have to thank any civilization or race that baked flat bread on hot stones or stone ovens for pizza, for almost certainly, bread like the focaccia was the "mother of the pizza crust." However, the invention of the pizza is more properly attributed to the Neapolitans - the people of Naples, Italy who were baking and making pizza crust topped with tomatoes, oil, and Italian herbs, and spices. This rudimentary and traditional Italian pizza was common peasant fare in Naples. If you want an individual originator and inventor of pizzas, however, then you won't be wrong if you cite Rafaelle Esposito - a native of Naples; he modified the basic Neapolitan pizza recipe and came up with three variants that added mozzarella cheese to the rudimentary Italian pizza toppings.

Now, if you are looking for some topics for small conversation, then you must remember the following trivia. One note of caution, though; you shouldn't blurt these out just to anybody or you'll sound decidedly corny and geeky. Make sure you're talking to someone interested in pizzas before you use the following trivia as conversational gambits.

" Most people in the United States love pepperoni; the least liked toppings are anchovies.

" Pizza was called (and is still called) tomato pie and pizza pie in certain parts of the States.

" The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in New York.

" The pizza industry is worth more than 30 billion dollars in the United States alone and Americans consume around three billion units of pizza every year.

" New York pizza is traditionally plain. Supposedly, New York pizza is unique because of the acidity and hardness of the water in New York. New Yorkers therefore claim that only in New York can you make real New York Pizza.

(New Yorkers must admit, however, that if water is the unique characteristic of New York pizzas, one who uses water adjusted for hardness and acidity to reflect New York water conditions, adds all the usual New York pizza ingredients and toppings, follows all the procedures strictly but makes the pizza in New Jersey can conceivably make an authentic, New York style pizza. But such an assertion, some would say, is just plain cheek.)

Pizza types and pizza styles

The first step to a great homemade pizza is determining what type of pizza you wish to make. After all, different types of pizza have different attributes and thus call for different types of pizza base, pizza toppings and cooking techniques. Would you like to make an authentic Italian pizza, a New York style pizza, a California style pizza, or a Chicago style pizza?

Italian pizza is generally lean, although when you add cheese, its fat level generally rises in proportion. There are various kinds of Italian pizza, too. There are Neapolitan pizzas, of which there are two general types: the marinara and the Margherita. There are various combinations of these as well. Authentic Italian pizza, moreover, is supposedly baked on wood-fired or even coal-fired, stone ovens.

New York pizza, as abovementioned, is generally plain. The mainstay of New York pizza is mozzarella cheese - fresh mozzarella cheese to be precise. One can add garlic, different types of cheeses, anchovies, shrimp, etc but these are usually optional. The pizza dough recipe for traditional New York pizza, on the other hand, calls for high-gluten flour. The result is firm, usually thin, chewy pizza.

The California style pizza is generally known for gourmet flavors. You can say the California pizza has countless variations. The pizza crust, in this case, is light, crisp and generally well risen. The toppings can be out of this world - generally California pizza makers experiment a lot with all kinds of meat, sea food, breakfast dishes, and vegetable for the toppings.

The Chicago style pizza, on the other hand, is generally crusty and very filling. They are characterized by their raised edges; imagine a pre-baked apple pie crust where you can place the fillings on top. Chicago pizza is usually meaty (some variants come stuffed with cheeses and meat layers) and it is eaten with a knife and fork.

You can also start by deciding on the flavor you want. Do you want to make a cheese pizza, a vegetarian pizza or a fruit pizza? Perhaps you want to make a low fat pizza, a low carb pizza, a healthy pizza? Sourdough pizza is also another variant.

Take your pick among your many options. Once you have decided, choosing the recipe would be much easier. If you have decided on an Italian pizza, for instance, then find your Italian pizza crust recipe, your Italian pizza sauce recipe and the overall Italian pizza recipe that will give you a list of toppings and pizza preparation procedures for making an authentic Italian pizza. For an easier time of it, you can opt to use Italian-style frozen pizza dough then just follow the Italian pizza recipe that you've found.

Some pizza making tips and techniques

Hand tossing will help you minimize the lumps in your pizza dough. However, this should be done only after sufficient pizza dough kneading. This process lets your pizza dough develop into the right kind of consistency - that which is suitable for stretching and hand tossing. Hand tossing, however, is not advisable for thick pizza crust varieties.

If you want a crisp and firm pizza that retains its structure even when the moist toppings are added, you can bake the pizza crust before you add the toppings and the pizza sauce. However, for thin pizza crusts, baking the crust after the toppings and sauce have been added is sufficient. For uniform baking and crisping of the crust, use a pizza stone or a pizza screen.

Finally, remember that the protein content of your flour will influence the end product. High-gluten flour will lead to a crisp but chewy crust. Gluten-free flour, however, may lead to very soft dough; additives may have to be used to give the pizza dough strength.

Quick pizza crust recipes and easy homemade pizza recipes of all kinds and style are easily available online. There are tips for baking and preparing frozen pizza dough, making your own pizza dough, preparing the ingredients for the best pizza crust recipe, etc. All you need to start making your very own pizza recipe is an internet connection, a good source of basic pizza recipe, great pizza equipment, your imagination, and lots of time and resources for experimentation.

by: Sean Lannin

Traditional Italian Food

Italian cuisine goes back a long way and it has taken many centuries for it to evolve though the earliest roots go all the way back to the fourth century BC. In addition, the Greeks, Romans, Turks and the Arabs have all had a great influence on Italian cuisine. So we see that traditional Italian food is rich in history and each region of Italy has added its own signature dish. Traditional Italian food and Italian food recipes have become staples the world over for their simple yet succulent dishes that combine robust sauces, cured meats and a variety of delectable cheeses to produce exquisite and filling dishes. From Tuscany and Lombardy to the islands of Sardinia and Sicily traditional Italian food is a flavourful expression of the rich history of the country.

For most non-Italians the Italian cuisine is restricted to the few dishes that have managed to gain world wide acclaim, namely spaghetti and pizza. People tend to assume that traditional Italian food is all pretty much alike and that there is no such variety in the Italian way of cooking. The truth however is quite the contrary as Italian cuisine in its entirety is extremely diverse, rich and varied.

The multiplicity of the recipes that you find for pasta is a great example of the extensiveness of Italian cuisine. If you ask ten different people in the same region about how to make some pasta sauce you would end up with ten different recipes. First courses like spaghetti, risotto or gnocchi are very popular as they are light and easy to prepare, and offer virtually unlimited recipes for the creative cook.

Pasta happens to be the most popular food item in Italy. Any pasta base can be accented with an unlimited number of additions including sausage, chicken, red and green peppers, mussels, clams and a wide variety of other meats and vegetables.

But Italian food doesn’t stop there. You will find antipasto (starters): Cold cuts and cheeses with fresh garden vegetables and special bread. The sweet smells of nature and sunny days of spring and summer. Superb salads, beautiful breads and sumptuous puddings, make up the rest of the gloriously fresh menus. Roast fillet of salmon wrapped in pancetta served with braised lentils, green beans & a mustard dressing; braised lamb shank served with sage potato puree in a rich tomato sauce;. Fillet of pork in a mushroom, leek, three mustard and white wine cream sauce; stuffed beef roll with Parma ham, spinach and mozzarella cheese cooked in a red wine beef stock and artichoke sauce. The list goes on. Of course there is always a vast selection of pizza and pasta specialties for every region.

Finally we should remember that Italy is the largest producer of wine in the world so naturally traditional Italian food is always accompanied with a bottle or two of vintage red or white wine. Because of Italy’s landscape scope that includes the mountainous Alps and the southern Mediterranean beaches a rich and vibrant selection of wines can be found to accompany any traditional Italian food dish.
by: Kath Ibbetson

Fuggetaboutit Bread Pizza Fresh Mozzarella

You won't find this recipe on the TV series "The Sopranos" mainly because the show is over; it certainly would have been nice to hear Tony Soprano order a "Fuggetaboutit Flat Bread." There's still hope though, the Showtime series "Brotherhood" is still going strong and being filmed in Providence, Rhode Island; maybe they'll add this title to a menu or better yet an appearance on our TV show. Well, fame or no fame, this recipe's unique taste and ease of preparation will have you saying "Fuggetaboutit" in no time!

Difficulty (Scale from 1-10):

Ingredients: (10 inch round) flat breadsPreparationLay each flat bread down and spread a tablespoon of olive oil over the surface of each, then sprinkle garlic powder (to taste).

Serves: 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

5 tablespoons of olive oil

2 pounds of fresh mozzarella

4 medium sized ripe/fresh tomatoes

garlic powder - to taste

salt - to taste

freshly cracked black pepper - to taste

3/4 cup fresh basil - roughly chopped

Slice fresh mozzarella thin, or into thin strips (depending on your preference); and evenly place on the tops of the flat breads. Lightly add salt and freshly cracked black pepper (to taste), then top with sliced tomato and use salt sparingly (to taste).

Sprinkle chopped basil over the top of each flat-bread. Next drizzle some olive oil over the tops of the layered flat breads.

Slice the layered pizza into 8 pieces, a pizza wheel or kitchen shears may work best.

Serve as an appetizer or a tasty snack!

Enjoy your fresh pizza!

All Cabbage Soup Recipes Are a Chance For Art in Cooking

All cabbage soup recipes can be tasty, not boring. Cabbages are packed with nutrition and they're cheap too. In some parts of the world cabbage is a staple of many people's diet. It is one of those foods that's associated with weight loss too. In fact, cabbage soup is a main part of a diet that's been popular for years.

The Cabbage Soup Diet sounds like it's just eating one thing. It's really more. The soup is just a filler. You can eat all the soup you want, but you eat other food too. For each of seven days you eat something different. You can lose about ten pounds in a week.

Now this isn't a long term eating plan. It's just a way to drop some pounds in a hurry. This is one of those cheap diets. There really isn't anything exotic or expensive in it. There are no supplements or special foods to buy. It's mostly foods you already have on hand. That's another reason cabbage soup is popular world wide. It's cheap.

Making soup of any kind is something of an art form. You can make it using what you have. So a recipe is just a starting point. Actually soup recipes just invite substitutions. That way your soup becomes unique. Here's a basic recipe that's used as part of the plan. Spice it up and add or subtract whatever you like.

The Original Cabbage Soup

1 head cabbage
6 spring onions
6 medium onions
6 carrots
5 stalks celery
2 bell peppers
3 large tomatoes

4 oz uncooked brown rice
salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Slice the vegetables into small pieces. Place in a large pot and add cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for ten minutes.

Cover and then simmer on low heat until the ingredients are soft. This should take about 15 minutes or so.

While the soup is simmering, cook the rice. Add rice to the soup when the soup is cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

This is cheap eating, but it should be tasty too. It's a staple of rural living people in many parts of the world, and those people are often eating better than the rich folks. All cabbage soup recipes are a place to start. The art to soups is combining ingredients so the dish becomes yours.

Roast Beef With Coffee Gravy

By Tami Glover

Yes I know what you are thinking, coffee gravy? Yuck! I will admit it is a different dish than what many are accustomed to seeing. However, if you love coffee then give this one a try. The gravy will have a coffee flavor as well a zing to the beef. Give it a try it has a very unique flavor and is different from the ordinary roast beef you have always tried. The first time I heard about it I was skeptical but I thought what the heck, I am up for something new. I was pleasantly surprised at the taste of the gravy but I also like gourmet coffee as well. Try something new with this recipe I think you may like it.
Roast Beef with Coffee Gravy - Makes 6 servings.

2 tablespoons butter

4 pounds chuck roast

1 tablespoon butter

Salt to taste

1 onion, chopped

6 cups brewed coffee

2 cups canned mushrooms

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the roast and sear on all sides until well browned; set aside. In the same saucepan, melt the remaining butter, add the salt and onions and saute for 5 minutes.

Return the meat to the saucepan and pour in the coffee and the mushrooms. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 hours, turning meat over halfway through cooking time.

To make gravy: Remove a cup of the coffee mixture from the saucepan, combine with the cornstarch, stirring until smooth, and return to the simmering pan. Mix well, remove from heat and serve.