Pizza is probably my favorite “fast food,” if you can even really put it in that category. This savory and delicious dish appears on most American family’s dinner table at least once a week — on Friday nights, for sure. I have to admit that this lady is a pizza traditionalist. What exactly do I mean by this? Serve me a pizza in its purest form — a thin crust topped with a tasty tomato sauce or freshly sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese and some basil. Yum! This, to me anyway, is the way this dish should be savored and enjoyed. No other toppings are needed. So, are you like me? Are you a pizza topping snob?
Over the last decade or so, we’ve all witnessed what I call the “pizza evolution.”
The pie crust has now become a blank canvas on to which any ingredient can be placed. And I mean anything! It’s the kitchen sink approach. Any and all ingredients are relevant to creating a pizza nowadays. And pizza joints have happily jumped on the band wagon, calling these creations “specialty” pies and charging a nice fee. Creating a pizza has turned into a free for all. Topping choices are endless and none seem to be taboo. Pineapple pizza, anyone? But doesn’t adding these other ingredients change the pizza into something else? Is it really a pizza anymore?
I can’t stand by and pretend that all pies are created equal, and that everything added on top of the crust is a good thing. But even my family has been affected by this evolution. My husband has joined the thousands of people who love eating buffalo chicken pizza, so I must be missing something, right?
What you decide to put on top of your pizza says a lot about you as a person and pizza eater.
Let’s start with…
Veggies on a Pizza
There are veggies that can add flavor to the pie, and those that certainly do not.
Mushrooms, sauteed spinach and caramelized onions can, in my opinion, add tremendous flavor to a pie without overpowering it. But other veggies should not even come near a pie crust. For example, zucchini and squash are delicious grilled or sauteed and served as a side dish. But cook these on a pizza crust and it just becomes a tasteless and watery mess.
And then there’s the “salad” pizza pie. I’ve seen this in too many pizza parlors and I don’t understand it. If you want a salad, order one on the side of your pizza. Placing romaine and iceberg lettuce on top of a crust should be outlawed.
Arugula is probably, in my opinion anyway, the only “salad green” that can hold its own on top of a pizza crust. It doesn’t wither and it offers a nice bite to the flavor of the pie.
Some arugula on a slice of pizza.
Now what about…
Meats on a Pizza
As with vegetables, some meats add flavor and texture to a pie, others detract from it.
Certain meat, mostly in the cured category, can add delicious flavor to pizza. Italian meats like pepperoni, prosciuitto and salami hold up well on a pie and are quite popular choices. But add something like steak or ground beef, I will just throw my hands up in disbelief. If you want a burger, head to the golden arches.
Then of course, we arrive at what has emerged as the new ultimate topping: Chicken.
Let’s face it, poultry alone really doesn’t add much to the pizza slice as is. So, of course, the pizza makers found a way to amp things up. Let’s add spicy chicken, ranch chicken and barbecue chicken.
Honestly, is this even a pizza anymore?
I know that I have strong opinions about this slice of food heaven. (Get the pun!) But to me, why mess up something that is so simple and so perfect. So fire up any wood fired pizza oven and give me a Neapolitan slice. I’m hungry!
Interested in more food for thought? Head over to my “Let’s Eat!” page by clicking here..https://followmyyellowbrickroad.com/?page_id=34