Did Someone Deliver?

So tonight it happened. I had my first taste of DiGiorno.

Yeah, yeah. Big deal. I know.

Regardless, after years of seeing the corny commercials - "It's not delivery. It's DiGiorno!" - I finally sampled the 'throw it in the oven and let it go' pizza.



(OK, I get it. It's not delivery. Now, please stop airing these commercials.)

After a long day of class, I walked into my apartment hungry and looking for a quick fix. And there it was. A freshly baked DiGiorno pizza on the stove top with green peppers, sausage, and onions. Naturally, I bargained with my roommate for a slice.

Good? sure. But, something was missing.

(meh.)

I think what was missing was the pizza's character. The great thing about pizza is that it is meant to be manipulated with human hands. The dough is stretched and tossed by a cook. Even if you are using an already prepared dough, the sauce, cheese, and toppings are determined by your own hands.

With DiGiorno, all of the fun of pizza was taken out of the equation. It was too uniform. Too stable.

(Manipulating the dough is not a part of DiGiorno.)

But, I guess I shouldn't really complain. I mean, I did successfully steal a slice from my roommate.

Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line

(Classic clip from the movie the Princess Bride.)

Sorry, but I have to disagree with Vizzini here - what? inconceivable - because a good Sicilian is by far my favorite type of pizza - fresh or cold.

What is a Sicilian anyway?
A Sicilian is a square pizza with a thick crust. Now, you might find yourself saying, "So, it's a square deep-dish pizza? Big deal."

Not at all.

A Sicilian is baked on a sheet, not a pan or a deep dish. Instead of coating the sheet with a layer of flour (to ensure the dough doesn't stick to the pan), you use oil (the type of oil honestly doesn't matter, but extra virgin olive oil is always good). Oil gives the crust a softer, more bread-like texture that is a nice change of pace from typical American pizza.

Now, I could give the step-by-step, but I think a real pizza chef would say it better.


(The extra layer of mozzarella on the bottom is not typical of a Sicilian pizza, but still very delicious.)

Ingredients
To make a Sicilian at home, you'll only need 5 ingredients:
grated mozzarella cheese
pizza sauce
pizza dough (so much easier to purchase the dough than wait for it to rise)
olive oil
oregano


The Result
What makes the Sicilian special is that is truly tastes nothing like typical American pizza. The dough is light and fluffy. The cheese is thick and more cohesive. Even if slightly burnt, the crust will not be completely dry because of the olive oil added to the dough.

Well, now my mouth is watering. I guess I need to run to Tops, get some ingredients, and make a Sicilian.

Everyone Loves Pizza

I spent much of this summer next to a pizza oven. As a delivery boy for a local pizza shop, I had to stand in a hot kitchen, trying to learn how to make our main product.

I almost had it, too. I learned how to make pizza sauce, how much cheese to use for a typical pizza, and how to make and roll a batch of dough. Of course, hoping to be smooth, I tried to throw the dough. I pulled out a roll on dough and started to stretch it out. Then, I tossed it in the air, hoping for the best. Simply put, it did not end very well.

My own stupidity aside, I learned how much fun making pizza can be. You can top a pizza with almost anything, combining varieties of taste. It can be eaten hot or even cold - some prefer it cold, like Devon Banks.



Simply put, pizza is universal.