Pizza Pizza

By Suzanne Norquist

When the family gathers on the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, what do you feed them? Pizza? Or maybe you save that for Saturday when everyone is tired of turkey. I tried to hide the leftover turkey pieces on a homemade pizza one year, but my family saw right through it.

Pizza didn’t make an appearance in the United States until around 1900. Then, it didn’t become popular until after World War II when soldiers returned from Italy. Over time, several varieties grew popular.

Throughout history, various societies have placed toppings on flatbread, creating a sort of pizza. However, the kind we know today didn’t appear until the late 1700s and early 1800s in Naples. The tomato, which was native to Peru, didn’t reach Naples until about that time.

The basic pizza, called pizza marinara, was initially made by sailors’ wives (la marinara) for their husbands, hence the name.

Street vendors sold early varieties to the working poor in Naples. They were inexpensive and could be eaten on the go. Upper-class society turned its nose up at the dish.

Rumor has it that pizza Margherita was named for Queen Margherita of Italy in 1889. When she visited Naples, she grew bored with the typical food of the upper crust and decided to try some street fare. She requested an assortment from a pizzeria in the city and tried them. Her favorite was topped with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil. It had been called mozzarella pizza, but was renamed Margherita pizza.

These basic ones made their way to Italian communities in major cities in the United States. It’s unclear when the first pizzeria in New York City started. Records indicate it was around 1900. Italian names were often misspelled in directories, and pizza makers may have been simply listed as bakers.

After World War II, pizza took off in the United States. An article in the New York Times predicted that pizza could be as popular as hamburgers.

Giant, floppy slices of New York Pizza came into vogue in the 1940s. Customers who were short of cash could purchase a single slice instead of the whole pie. They could eat folded pieces on the go with one hand.

Not to be outdone, Chicago bakers created their own hearty, deep-dish variety, which was more like a pie. Ike Sewell and Richard Riccardo developed this in 1943 for Pizzeria Uno.

Saint Louis Pizza went the opposite direction, with crust so thin that it was almost a cracker. In 1945, famous tenor Amedeo Fiore opened a restaurant with his wife, which served this variety. Detroit Pizza was originally baked in a square auto parts pan in the 1940s, a nod to the automotive industry.

Greek Pizza was invented in 1955 by Costas Kitsatis in Connecticut. It had a light, spongy crust. It is typically heavier on sauce and includes more Greek toppings.

Hawaiian Pizza with pineapple and ham (or Canadian bacon) was created in Canada in 1962. Sam Panopoulos was inspired by Chinese dishes, which mixed sweet and savory flavors.

Of course, California needed its own version. In the 1970s, Ed LaDou selected unusual ingredients—mustard, ricotta, pate, and red pepper.

As a Colorado girl, I enjoyed Colorado Pizza at Beau Jo’s in Idaho Springs. Developed in 1973, this pie boasts an outside crust so thick that it needs to be eaten with honey at the end of the meal.

No matter which style is your favorite or what toppings you prefer, it’s probably better than my homemade, turkey pizza post-Thanksgiving.

Bon appetite. 

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Love In Bloom 4-in-one collection

“A Song for Rose” by Suzanne Norquist

Can a disillusioned tenor convince an aspiring soprano that there is more to music than fame?

“Holly & Ivy” by Mary Davis

At Christmastime, a young woman accompanies her impetuous younger sister on her trip across the country to be a mail-order bride and loses her heart to a gallant stranger.

“Periwinkle in the Park” by Kathleen E. Kovach

A female hiking guide, who is helping to commission a national park, runs into conflict with a mountain man is determined to keep the government off his land.

“A Beauty in a Tansy”

Two adjacent store owners are drawn to each other, but their older relatives provide obstacles to their ever becoming close.

Republished from Bouquet of Brides

Buy links: https://books2read.com/u/bOOx8K

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Bloom-Mary-Davis/dp/B0FPLFYCXR/

 

Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.