what’s your Favorite pizza topping?
I am proud to report that, according to the National Day Calendar, National Pizza Week begins today and runs through next Saturday. I suspect that very few foods are more popular in the United States than pizza, and I also suspect that few foods (if any) are offered with a greater array of possible ingredients than pizza.
A variety of crusts are available, from thin crust to hand-tossed to deep-dish; one can also get crusts in various grains or stuffed with cheese. Sauce options include marinara, alfredo, pesto, barbecue, salsa, and a range of more esoteric selections. One can choose from a plethora of cheeses: mozzarella, Parmesan, brie, Swiss, provolone, Romano, Gruyere, bleu, feta, cheddar, etc. Pizzas are available in every form—from disgusting cheap frozen pizzas to ordinary take-out and dine-in pies to homemade efforts to artisan creations worthy of serious culinary consideration.
Toppings are a world in themselves. The list of options runs from anchovies to zucchini, and creativity is encouraged. How about a lamb and mint pizza? A bacon and egg pizza? A cream cheese and lox pizza? Theme pizzas like cheeseburger, BBQ, taco, Buffalo wing, seafood, and Philly cheesesteak are popular with many people. While most pizzas are savory, dessert pizzas are also common and often feature chocolate, candy, fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon, frosting, nuts, and marshmallows on top of a sweet crust.
For me, it’s hard to beat pork on a savory pizza. While a tasty crust, a tangy sauce, and gobs of melted cheese are a necessary foundation, I like pepperoni and/or crumbled Italian sausage atop my pizza. I like many other toppings as well, including sweet cooked onions, black olives, and mushrooms. I tend to be traditional in my tastes, but I’m up for almost any kind of pizza at least once. For years, my older son only ate Hawaiian pizzas, i.e., topped with pineapple and ham. While it’s not a bad change of pace, it's not my fave.
Most artisan pizzas de-emphasize the sauce and heavy cheese and feature simple but healthy ingredients like tomatoes, onions, olives, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, basil, oregano, parsley, olive oil, and mere crumbles of cheese. The star of the show with artisan pizzas is the crust, not the sauce or the cheese or the toppings, and that’s why having a proper brick oven is so critical for artisan pizza.
I have made my own pizza at home on a few occasions, but I must confess that I used prepared dough. Maybe I’ll get motivated to make some from scratch this year. I do have a stone for my oven. I also make a very good marinara sauce (even if I do say so myself), and I can personalize the cheese and the toppings for each individual diner. I don’t even charge extra for it.
So when it comes to pizza toppings, I’m basically in the pork camp. Give me a large pepperoni and I’ll happily munch away until I look like I’m pregnant. So how about you fine folks?
What’s your favorite pizza topping?
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
Nationwide: January 21, 2017
Find your march here and start a group effort to march together, it will be listed here in CUA.
Women’s March on America, inspired by the Women’s March on Washington, calls on all Americans across the political spectrum to hold marches on the same day, at the same times, in communities across the country.
Together, we will send a message to our leaders and the world that the United States of America stands for values of human decency, equal rights and freedom from discrimination.
Our vision is that on January 21, 2017, the day after the Inauguration, Americans will unite in towns, cities, and schools across the nation to march in solidarity with communities affected by hate, intolerance, and acts of violence.
Many of us will not be able to make it to the march in Washington, DC. But we can come together in our local communities to march for our shared values.
The New York City & New Jersey Kos groups are joining in on the already massive Women’s March on NYC on Saturday, January 21, 2017 and marching together with the Daily Kos banner, shown just above. They’ll likely meet afterward for food & drink, stay tuned for those details. NYC March details here.
RSVPS
1. joanbrooker and film students
2. kathny
3. belinda ridgewood
4. gchaucer2
5. ericlewis0
6. FreeBeer
7. grannycarol
8. kishik
9. adigal
MAYBEES:
sidnora
karma5230
Alastriona
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The SFKossacks are meeting to march together with our Daily Kos banner on Saturday, January 21, 2017, at 4 PM. There’s a chance we’ll meet for lunch before and definitely drinks afterward. Stay tuned for times and locations.
RSVPS
1. navajo
2. Meteor Blades
3. citisven
4. liberating spaces
5. Lorikeet
6. kimoconnor
7. dsb
8. sfpcnik
9. sfpcnik’s husband
10. boatsie
11. side pocket
MAYBEES:
Tara the Antisocial Social Worker
Mrs. side pocket
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RSVPS
1. Radiowalla
2. smileycreek
3. mimi2three
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. no way lack of brain
2. Elisa Batista & Eli
3.
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. Kascade Kat
2. jabberwoky
3. RevKatie
4. gizmo59
5. gizmo’s squeeze
6. BDA in VA
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. jck
2. maggiejean
3.
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. 714day
2. susans
3. gmats
4. Joe Bacon
5. Just Saying
6. bandchoirmom
7. murphy
8. otoelbc
9. Zack from the San Fernando Valley
10.Mereed3929
11.Mereed3929’s daughter
12.Mereed3929’s sister
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. GreyHawk
2. GreyHawk Wife
3. Ellid
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. randallt
2. Joieau
3. LamontCranston
4. Mrs. LamontCranston
MAYBEES :
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RSVPS
1. asterkitty
2. OregonOak and some students
3. Angela Marx
4.
MAYBEES :
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