Make A Pizza With Us And We’ll Guess Your Favorite Actor!
- by Brittany Brown
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Pizza is one of the most versatile foods out there. What else, with variations, could please the most picky eater, be the perfect date night meal, or be game day food. Today, we're going to build the best pizza ever.
Pizza is a traditional round dough that is cooked with red sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a variety of toppings, in a super hot wood-fired oven. "Pizza" can be seen as a term as early as the 10th century in central Italy. The pizza we know today originates from Naples, which is the third largest city in Italy.
Pizza was brought to the United States by Italian immigrants during the later half of the 19th century. Pizzerias started popping up during the early 20th century in New York City. Soldiers coming back from World War II got a taste of authentic Italian cuisine which aided in the growth of pizza.
Now, pizza is available everywhere from chains like Papa John's, Pizza Hut, and Domino's, to the freezer isle, and back from mom and pop Italian restaurants. Get a slice for lunch or a whole pie for the family dinner. There's a pizza for everyone.
Now here is the fun part. Create a pizza and we'll guess a favorite actor!
Who's the pizza for?
Who's the pizza for? It's time to make everyone's favorite round carb - Pizza! Pizza originates from Italy and is a combination of a, traditionally, wheat dough, red sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Seriously. What's not to love about pizza? Whether your pizza is just for yourself, or to share - it's time to get in the kitchen.
What's the vision?
Pizza vision may sound crazy (or totally awesome - imagine how happy you would be if all you saw was pizza) but we are talking about the feel of the pie. We all know Little Ceaser's pizza is a whole lot different than a wood fired pizza at an Italian restaurant.
Is the crust homemade or store bought?
With the help of modern food technology, it's super easy to make a pizza at home without needing to buy a pre-made frozen pie. There are crusts that you can fill with your favorite toppings that can be stored in your pantry. There's also pre-made dough or even mixes to make a pizza dough. Nothing beats homemade, though.
What's the crust like?
For people with a gluten allergy, it's never been a better time for wheat alternatives. Rice flour can be used to make a pizza dough, and cauliflower is all the rage now a days for gluten alternatives. A vegetable based crust is definitely going to be a bit healthier for you, but if you're not willing to sacrifice bread, we recommend a whole wheat crust.
How thick is the crust?
Your preference in thickness and consistency of the crust has a lot to do with where you are. On the East Coast, a thin and crispy crust is preferred, while in the Midwest, the crust is thicker and more doughy. Chicago, like New York, has its own signature pizza - the deep dish. This overwhelming amount of bread and cheese is more like a casserole than a traditional pizza, and a a knife and fork is recommended.
Is the crust stuffed?
What does too much of your daily value of carbs and cheese need? More carbs and cheese, duh. Stuffed crust pizzas seem to only exist in cooperate chains like Pizza Hut or Little Caesars, but there's no reason you can't stuff that crust at home. That's the great thing about pizza, at the end you essentially get a bread stick...but in this case, it could be considered a mozzarella stick.
Any crust toppings?
If you thought only the cheese portion of your pizza can have a topping, you have been sadly misled. Adding a topping to the crust of your pizza no longer makes it a piece of uneaten bread on your plate. The toppings can be from your pizza, but maybe make it a little different like sprinkling Parmesan and garlic salt.
Prime the pizza?
We're priming the surface of your pizza just like you would prime your face for makeup. Adding olive oil on your pizza shell before putting it in the oven adds flavor and depth. Plus it will help the crust portion brown nicely. Do it like the Italians and add some olive oil to prime your pizza...or don't.
Add sauce?
Sauce and pizza go hand and hand, however, the picky eaters of the world well tell you that sauce is the worst. Maybe they just haven't been blessed with having a delicious red vine tomato sauce that satisfies their taste buds. Think a homemade sauce made my a grandparent from Italy. You absolutely can't beat that.
Red or white sauce?
Even if you're a no sauce kind of person, we have to choose something to put underneath all of those toppings. A red sauce should have a nice acidity to enhance the flavor of the pizza. A white sauce is similar to that of an Alfredo sauce, and who doesn't like Alfredo?
Pick a mozzerella
Mozzarella cheese is famous for how mild and versatile it is. Of course it's great on pizza, but mozzarella can be used in a bunch of other kinds of recipes like sandwiches or casseroles. It also comes in many formats. You can get mozzarella cheese from personal cheese-stick size to a log. Definitely not snack size, but we wish it was.
Pick another cheese
What's a pizza without cheese? Vegan I guess, but you know what you clicked on. Pizza almost always has mozzarella, but let's mix some stuff up with adding more cheese. Mozzarella is very mild, as we mentioned, so maybe something with more of a kick like pepper jack or Havarti.
Add a third cheese?
Has your dream come true? An endless mound of cheese on your pizza? But maybe you've had enough cheese and you're ready to move on. No judgement, enough is enough, but that sounds like a problem not many of us pizza lovers would have.That's why we're here, we are all about the cheese.
Choose an unusual cheese
This cheese you can choose to add or not to this crazy pie, but we still need you to pick an unusual cheese. Maybe think about how it could incorporate onto the pizza...or maybe as a side. Is pizza with a side of cheese too much? Mind says yes, body says no.
Ham or sausage?
It's time to start picking our toppings. On a meat lovers pizza, there would be all kinds of animal products on that pie. Talk about a vegan nightmare. Don't worry, vegetarians, there's an opt out. We'll get to those great veggies later, but right now - it is all about the meats.
Sausage or pepperoni?
Another debate about meat, this time the processed kind. Sausage is a ground beef that is traditionally constructed in a tube of animal intestines. Sausage can be made of any meat, and salt and flavoring is usually added. Pepperoni is usually just cured pork and beef. You can definitely find both on a meat lovers pizza.
BBQ chicken or shrimp?
These two meat toppings aren't too common, and you definitely won't find them in a traditional pizzeria, but they definitely exist. You'll find something like this at a trendy pizza restaurant, but you can do what ever you want at home! Is it chicken or is it fish, as Jessica Simpson once said.
Peppers or onions?
Peppers and onions are a classic combination in the food would - even on pizza! Maybe you only like one or the other though. What a shame. It's probably onions. Onions are just too much for people. Plus, who wants to cry when making a pizza? That's really the downside here.
Mushrooms or spinach?
Mushrooms might not be technically classified as a vegetable, but we treat them as one anyways. Mushrooms are a fungi, which are closer associated with mold and yeast than a bell pepper or onion. There are many kinds of mushrooms too, but the most common you will find on a pizza are button mushrooms.
Ham or pineapple?
Ham and pineapple pizza, or a Hawaiian pizza, is a controversial topic in the food world. Ham is the less argued about topping, it shows up on a lot of different kinds of pizza. However, it's the pineapple part of Hawaiian pizza that gets people fired up. Some say fruit in general does not belong on a pizza.
Sardines or bacon?
What does bacon and sardines have in common? Well, they are filled with salt! Bacon is a salt-cured meat that is typically made with pork belly or flank, and cut into strips. The best kind of bacon is crispy and not too greasy. Sardines that come in a can are preserved in oil and salt.
Olives or Broccoli?
Olives and broccoli basically have opposite textures, but people either love them or hate them. Olives on pizza are typically black olives that are sliced. The nice thing about putting broccoli on pizza is that the ends crisp up nicely in the oven for an added texture. Someone might even want both on their pizza.
Meatballs or salami?
Meatballs and pizza are Italian, but you're more likely to find a meatball in a giant bowl of spaghetti than on a pizza. Miracles do happen though. This sounds delicious. Pepperoni is similar to salami in the way that they're both processed meats. Pepperoni is actually a type of salami, but is specially made for pizzas.
Clams or crab meat?
Seafood and cheese have a long culinary history of avoiding each other. This is silly, think about lobster mac and cheese or fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp. Delicious! Don't let the culinary snobs force you from living your best life with clams and crab on your pizza. Heck, make a whole seafood pizza.
Ground beef or pulled pork?
Ground beef and pulled pork have their respected places. Put some ground beef in a taco or pound it together to make a burger. Pulled pork is slow roasted pig that does exactly what it says - pulls apart like a dream. Put some barbecue sauce on that meat and you're there!
How is the pizza being cooked?
Today, we have plenty of ways to heat up and cook things. We’ve come a long way since roasting food over an open fire. How you cook something will also affect its flavor and texture. Cooking a pizza in a microwave oven definitely won’t give you that beautiful taste of a wood fire oven.
Choose some oven mitts
When cooking, even with the microwave, it's always handy and safer to have a pair of oven mitts in the kitchen. This allows you to pick up items (pizza), put them in a hot oven, and take it out safely when ready. They definitely don't have to be boring though.
How long in the oven?
Some recipes are really specific when it comes to cooking time and temperature. However, pizza is one of those things that can be super flexible. As long as your dough cooks, cheese melts, and toppings cook - you're basically fine. It's all about preference. Take your best guess about how long your pizza should go in for.
Choose something to do during baking
Since we have some time before the pizza is ready, it's time to think of something to do. We're all about multitasking. Just don't get too involved, or leave the house, because otherwise, your pizza will suffer. No one wants to start a house fire with their favorite food. Just pick a task that is obtainable during cooking time.
How done is the ideal pizza?
We've talked about cooking time, and how long the pizza is in the oven for determines how cooked, or "done", it is. If you just need to melt and some cheese and heat up a pre-made crust - it won't be too long. If you want to caramelize the cheese and have a crispy crust, definitely keep it in longer.
How long to cool?
Anything out of the oven will be hot, but what is your tolerance waiting for? I mean just look at that beautiful pizza, it might be tempting just to dive right in. Who need to taste their food when you're that hungry. Definitely wait, there's no reason to scald your tongue, but we get it.
How is the pizza cut?
People are definitely passionate about how their pizza is cut. The wrong slice can be a bit of a turn off despite the cheesy goodness. Your traditional cut across the middle into 8 pieces guarantees a crust every time. Cutting into squares guarantees more people getting a slice...but it's a very small slice.
Parmesan or red pepper?
Once it's time to eat, there are a couple toppings that are still to be added. Optional of course, but it's hard to find a pizzeria without shakers of Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes. The Parmesan, well, who doesn't want more cheese, but the red pepper flakes might be too much for some people.
Choose a dipping sauce
If you haven't had enough sauce, now is your time to shine. Dipping sauces allowed additional flavors to your pizza experience. With multiple dips, each bite of pizza could be different. Extra cups of dip or sauce may cost extra...but it's always worth it the extra half a buck.
Pick something to watch
The pizza is cooled, cut, and plated so now it's time to be a proper millennial and choose something to watch while you enjoy your cheesy treat. Maybe it's time to binge watch a whole season of a tv show while eating a whole pizza. We don't judge. It's also okay to have a couple slices and watch a movie.
