Pizza Toppings: Simple/Elaborate, Traditional/Unusual

[stagis]

Definition: All I'm doing is making pizza dough. flour/water/salt/yeast/oil. I'm going to roll it out, then do something with it. There will be 4-5 adults and 3-4 teens. I will NOT commit to topping the pizzas and having someone complain. They're going to build their own and then live with it.

I have no preferences except for an aversion to blandness. I'll avoid a sauce/cheese pizza like the plague. I don't care what anybody else wants. (Or I won't by the time the blender drinks are gone).

If you had a blob of dough sitting there ready to be rolled out and topped/stuffed/adorned, what would you do with it? The only side dish is going to be blenderdrinks...OK - the kids will have soda. Maybe a tossed salad if one of the wives feels dietarily virtuous.

[bilrus]

I have been doing thin sliced tomatoes, decent fresh mozzerella, olive oil brushed on the crust, red pepper flakes and good thin slices of hard salami. Pretty traditional, but also pretty good.

[hjshorter]

Here's our typical topping selection:

prosciutto

pitted olives

smoked or fresh mozzerella

caramelized onions

goat cheese

roasted peppers

fresh basil

thinly sliced tomato

sometimes arugula

and of course, anchovies

[KatieLoeb]

One of my favorite pizza combos is prosciutto, black olives, artichokes and sundried tomatoes. Yummy! Fresh tomatoes, spinach and sausage is also high on my list.

[bushey]

feta cheese w/oregano and mint, sauteed or roasted red peppers, black olives

light shmear of bbq sauce, diced cooked chicken, monterey jack, chopped cilantro

broccoli

[bilrus]

I forgot to add garlic - roasted and / or sliced very thin.

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

crack.

[Fat Guy]

I prefer crack on the side. It gets soggy when you put it on the pie.

One thought regarding sauce: we recently had a really nice "fra diavolo" pie at a pizza place in North Jersey -- like really far north, up near Mahwah. It was the same as the regular pizza being offered, but the sauce was enhanced by various spices, mostly red pepper I think.

In terms of cheese: I enjoy a combination of cheeses, especially in conjunction with mushrooms -- lots and lots of mushrooms. And that one works well with no sauce.

[hollywood]

How about a variation on pissaladiere?http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_13710,00.html

[col klink]

Cheese!

And sauce!

Nothing more thank you very much.

However, when other people want topping I usually go with one of the hippy specials like goat cheese, black olives, mushrooms, red onions and roasted garlic.

[Jason Perlow]

I prefer crack on the side. It gets soggy when you put it on the pie.

One thought regarding sauce: we recently had a really nice "fra diavolo" pie at a pizza place in North Jersey -- like really far north, up near Mahwah. It was the same as the regular pizza being offered, but the sauce was enhanced by various spices, mostly red pepper I think.

In terms of cheese: I enjoy a combination of cheeses, especially in conjunction with mushrooms -- lots and lots of mushrooms. And that one works well with no sauce.

Kinchley's Tavern, yes. Perhaps the best pizza place in Northern NJ.

[pixelchef]

I prefer crack on the side. It gets soggy when you put it on the pie.

Apparently the best preparation is to smoke it. Maybe Klink could smoke a batch of crack for us?

... moving on.

My favourite pizza is: good EVOO, sea salt, cracked pepper, proscuitto, spinach, figs.

[Lyle]

Roasted tomatoes and peppers with, er, cheese.

Oil, of course.

[TrishCT]

fresh mozzarella with escarole & beans

red sauce, fresh mozz, prosciutto, sweet peas, carmelized onions

broccoli rabe, sausage & peppers

[Bux]

A really great crust with great sauce and cheese can't be improved upon and will always be better than some second rate pizza with fabulous toppings. I once had a pretty fine pizza off the back of a truck with a wood burning oven in a market in Gascony. It has roasted red peppers and chorizos and went by the name of either "Gascon" or "Basque" pizza. The other night we had delivery out pizza and I sauteed some onions, ramps and pancetta to put on top. Delivery pizza can always be improved.

[Really Nice!]

I prefer crack on the side. It gets soggy when you put it on the pie...

Not if you have a pizza oven to keep the temperature up.

This is my oven. We have many pizza parties where I supply the ingredients of:

Anchovies

Artichokes

Bay Scallops

Bell Peppers

Capers

Caviar

Crème Fraîche

Feta Cheese

Garlic

Gorgonzola Cheese

Italian Sausage

Kalamoto Olives

Mozzarella Cheese (fresh)

Mushrooms

Onion

Parmesan Cheese

Pepperoni

Prosciutto

Provolone Cheese

Raw Eggs

Red Onion

Red Pepper Flakes

Shrimp

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Tomato Purée (for sauce)

I send this list in e-mail and anyone that feels something is missing from the list, they can bring it along.

[raspoutine]

bacon

Edited May 8, 2003 by raspoutine (log)

[=Mark]

A local place makes a pie with thin crust, a smear of marinara, sliced portabella mushrooms, pieces of fresh mozzerella and thin slices of red onion. When the pizza comes out of the oven they sprinkle a fine chiffonade of fresh basil and drizzle with olive oil.

One note, I also like Italian sausage (Hot if they'll do it), but it's got to be hunks of REAL Italian sausage. Too many places are using that fake rabbit pellet shit.

Another annoyance that will strike a joint from any future patronage is that obviously frozen pre diced onions and peppers.

[dave88]

I like pizza with a bit of fontina, fresh oregano, crushed pepper flakes, fresh garlic and a stream of aceite de oliva. I suppose this means a white pizza?

[awbrig]

Recently, I had an interesting pizza at Ned's Pizza in Milwaukee - The Hawaiian Pizza- with candian bacon and pineapple. Surprisingly, it was very good...

[pixelchef]

Was that the first time you've had "Hawaiian" pizza, bro?

[jackal10]

s c a t t e r e d o r e g an o

*******more cheese******

........raw egg........

--O----- Anchovies and Olives- --O-

000000 Buffalo Mozzarello 0000

gggggg Green Peppers, diced----

oooooo Onion rings oooooo

TTTTTTT Tomato sauce TTTTTT

_______Thin Crust____________

[elyse]

Damn, Mark, how'd you do that???

Myself, I'm a total bore. I love pepperoni

Edited May 9, 2003 by elyse (log)

[formerly grueldelux]

One word: pickle pizza.

[s'kat]

I'm fond of col klink's hippy special, but have also been known to make a combination of cheeses, spinach, 'shrooms, eggplant/zucchini and sometimes a banana pepper or two.

My husband, who prefers little more than cheese, red onion, and pepperoni, often will sneak in a couple slices of pepperoni into my pizza. And to be honest with you, it's usually the best slice.