Who wants Pizza?
A baked flat bread with any topping imaginable that transcends ages and cultures.
KITCHEN TALK
Carol
5/25/20232 min read
We will never know who was the first to have the idea of combining a flat bread with some toppings and roasting it, but the world is forever in their debt.
From Algeria to Zanzibar, you can pick up a pizza almost anywhere on this planet, and local connectivity knows no bounds.
Some local specialties:
Kernel corn and mayonnaise (Japan)
Banana curry (Sweden)
Pierogies (Canada)
Saltwater Crocodile (Australia)
Reindeer meat (Finland)
Haggis (Scotland)
Mango (Philippines)
Coconut and shrimp (Costa Rica)
Chicken Tandoori Pizza (India)
Green Peas (Brazil)
Pizza is accessible to anyone; all you need is some kind of a stable base layer, a 'sauce' flavour layer, some toppings and somewhere to bake it.
Your base doesn't have to be regular pizza dough. You could use dough from any type of bread, so if you ever wanted to try a rye or pumpernickel crust, go for it! People have made crusts using everything from cauliflower to hash browns. Never having tried it, I can't vouch for the crust stability or taste, but in the worst case, you end up with a pizza type casserole with a vegetable base.
For the sauce, it can be anything relatively liquid. Some Italian recipes use only olive oil. I've seen pizzas made using alfredo sauce, cheese sauce, salsa, salsa verde, barbecue sauce, and pesto, just to name a few. The only consideration would be that your sauce works with the rest of the toppings.
As for the toppings, that's really up to you. What tastes good to you and your friends/family? What do you have around the house? I've found that pizzas can be a great opportunity to use up leftovers. Nothing says that you can't turn that left over roast, half an onion, 1/2 cup of bbq sauce and part block of cheddar cheese into a delicious dinner. Just find a crust and you're set.
No oven? Not an issue. People bake pizzas in cast iron skillets on a stove top, in air fryers (small ones), on barbecues, pretty much anywhere you can provide consistent heat for the required time.
Next time you're having a game night, think about adding a pizza party to the mix. Every pizza crust is an opportunity for you to get together with friends or family and create something wonderful, to be shared *.
(*Wrong choices could result in a disaster, but at least you'll have a good story to laugh about later.)