Weird pizza toppings

When I was young I worked in one of the first pizza restaurants in our small city and pineapple pizza was the second best seller (pepperoni was always top seller)

But they were much better than anything you get today because now they use ham which is rather bland ... we used Canadian back bacon which is a bit saltier , low fat , very tasty , and browns nice in the oven .

We also sliced the mozzarella (not easy to do) instead of shredding it (which easy to do) ... that way the complete pizza was covered in cheese and the very top layer would slightly brown over (golden brown) which adds tremendous flavor .... if you have ever picked the golden brown bits of cheese off the edge of your pizza you will notice how flavorful it is .... picture a very thin layer of that over the entire pizza .... indescribably good.

The very worst pizza was Anchovy and fortunately we only sold about one a month ..... from the moment you open the can the whole kitchen smells like rotten fish .... which is what "aged and fermented" anchovies actually are

But it gets worse .... once in the oven our customers would complain that we must have a backed up sewer because they could smell something awful.

And once in a while it got even worse .... right out of the oven the cheese was still bubbling and moving and if you served it immediately the women and girls would scream because the anchovies looked like minnows swimming in the pizza
 
Sluggo63 said:
Um... pizza literally means "pie."

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pizza#Etymology
Click to expand...

Wiktionary appears to be VERY wrong here. The OED directly contradicts it and Wiktionary makes little sense,.

Pizza according to the OED (and is quite believable) comes from the Italian word pizza, which comes from the Greek meaning flat bread (or the same origin as Pita).
Pie in Italian is not any variant on this. It is "torta" as Timbeck2 points out, the origin of this word is from the Latin meaning twisted.
 
Pie is some sort of filling on pastry. Pizza is a filling on bread. The biggest difference is leavening. Format is a bit different, unless you consider deep dish pizzas. I think my last pie is going to get binned. After I made it Mrs. Steingar fell ill, and then me. No one to eat it.
 
I don't get the controversy. It's an open face sandwich where everything including the bread is cooked at the same time.
 
Everskyward said:
Hmm, never had Mac&cheese with italian saugage. Might be good...
Click to expand...

When I was 19, which was over 40 years ago, I was living in Nacogdoches, Tx working at a Ford dealership. I had money problems, meaning I had none, and Mac&Cheese went on sale at the local Safeway. 15 boxes for a dollar.

I spent my last 5 bucks on Mac&Cheese. Yes, 75 boxes. I had Mac&Cheese for breakfast, lunch and supper for 2 months.

When that was gone, that was the last time I ever had Mac&Cheese, but with Italian sausage does sound good.
 
A Martin said:
When I was young I worked in one of the first pizza restaurants in our small city and pineapple pizza was the second best seller (pepperoni was always top seller)

But they were much better than anything you get today because now they use ham which is rather bland ... we used Canadian back bacon which is a bit saltier , low fat , very tasty , and browns nice in the oven .

We also sliced the mozzarella (not easy to do) instead of shredding it (which easy to do) ... that way the complete pizza was covered in cheese and the very top layer would slightly brown over (golden brown) which adds tremendous flavor .... if you have ever picked the golden brown bits of cheese off the edge of your pizza you will notice how flavorful it is .... picture a very thin layer of that over the entire pizza .... indescribably good.

The very worst pizza was Anchovy and fortunately we only sold about one a month ..... from the moment you open the can the whole kitchen smells like rotten fish .... which is what "aged and fermented" anchovies actually are

But it gets worse .... once in the oven our customers would complain that we must have a backed up sewer because they could smell something awful.

And once in a while it got even worse .... right out of the oven the cheese was still bubbling and moving and if you served it immediately the women and girls would scream because the anchovies looked like minnows swimming in the pizza
Click to expand...

The family pizza recipe calls for extra thick dough covered with sliced mozzarella, on top of which a mess of ground beef, mushroom stems and pizza sauce are placed, topped with pepperoni and parmesan. The cheese layer between the meat and the crust does well to preserve the crust, so the thing ends up being about an inch and a half thick when all is said and done.

I hear you on the Canadian bacon. Back in the day when I used to eat pizza with frequency, my go to was Canadian bacon with extra cheese. We had a local place that had a crust so thick that they would jab tubs of butter in to the edge of the crust so they would melt and you could dip the crust in them. Talk about a cardiac event.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
Some pastries use yeast to leaven:
http://chocolatewithgrace.com/basic-sweet-yeast-dough-recipe/
https://momsdish.com/recipe/361/perfect-yeast-pastry-dough
Click to expand...
From the first link:
A basic sweet yeast dough that can be used for just about any sweet bread your carb-loving heart desires. Its especially great for sweet rolls, dinner rolls, monkey bread and even homemade donuts.
Click to expand...
And from the second:
This ultimate guide will have you feeling like a Parisian pastry chef. From poppy seed buns to Russian Cream Cheese Vatrushka Buns, you can use it as the basis for some amazing treats.
Click to expand...

You might call these pastry, but I wouldn't. Developing leavening and the gluten to hold it changes the texture from pastry almost completely. You can make bread into anything (I've used it to as the crust in pies), but it's still bread in the Book of Steingar.
 
Sluggo63 said:
Um... pizza literally means "pie."

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pizza#Etymology

That's why most people where I'm from (NJ) don't say "pizza pie." It's redundant. You are either getting a "slice of pizza" or just getting "a pie" (or maybe "tomato pie" if there might be confusion). The default for "pie" in NJ is pizza. If you want some sort of filled fruit thing you have to specify "apple pie," "peach pie," etc. Otherwise if you just say "pie," you are talking about pizza.

http://www.cc.com/video-playlists/k...me-to-the-opposition-w--jordan-klepper/48vp8f
Click to expand...

I grew up in NYC and came to New Hampshire to go to college. First weekend go to a laundromat in a strip mall and while we are waiting we walk a couple of doors down to a pizza joint and I order a pie. Lady behind the counter looks at me like I have 2 heads and brings me a piece of spinach pie. In Norther New England most of the pizza joints are Greek owned. Good quality pizza hard to find.

One of the few things I miss about NYC living in NH
 
steingar said:
From the first link:
And from the second:

You might call these pastry, but I wouldn't. Developing leavening and the gluten to hold it changes the texture from pastry almost completely. You can make bread into anything (I've used it to as the crust in pies), but it's still bread in the Book of Steingar.
Click to expand...
How do you define pastry? We had only yeasts up until the mid to late 1600s, until someone figured out that hartshorn (ammonium carbonate) could be used as a sort of baking powder. It was best used for what we now term "cookies" because they are thin enough to allow the ammonia to escape.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
How do you define pastry?
Click to expand...
Fat, flour, and water and possibly flavorings, though I don't tend to roll that way. Most of the pastry dishes I make feature the filling, with the pastry supplying the container. Some pastries also have egg, though I really don't make those. What pastry supplies is texture, which is why it's so very tricky. What pastry doesn't ever have is gluten, it's supposed to be tender and/or flaky, or an admixture of both.
 
Everskyward said:
I thought anything made from wheat flour had gluten.
Click to expand...
Gluten is formed from two proteins, glutinin and gliadin. Gluten is formed when these two proteins combine in the presence of oxygen, that's the function of kneading or folding the dough. In the absence of kneading dough doesn't develop gluten and has a very different texture. One of the tricks in making good pastry is mixing it enough to get all the four hydrated but not so much that you form gluten. Can't be too dry or it won't hold together. Can't be too wet or it gets stogy. Mix it too much and it gets tough. Did I mention it's tricky?
 
steingar said:
Gluten is formed from two proteins, glutinin and gliadin. Gluten is formed when these two proteins combine in the presence of oxygen, that's the function of kneading or folding the dough. In the absence of kneading dough doesn't develop gluten and has a very different texture. One of the tricks in making good pastry is mixing it enough to get all the four hydrated but not so much that you form gluten. Can't be too dry or it won't hold together. Can't be too wet or it gets stogy. Mix it too much and it gets tough. Did I mention it's tricky?
Click to expand...
But many of the following foods are not kneaded. I've also never heard that people on gluten-free diets can eat wheat-flour based pastry. Or are they sensitive to the proteins you mention, and not gluten itself?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...eating/in-depth/gluten-free-diet/art-20048530

In general, avoid the following foods unless they're labeled as gluten-free or made with corn, rice, soy or other gluten-free grain:

  • Beer, ale, porter, stout (usually contain barley)
  • Breads
  • Bulgur wheat
  • Cakes and pies
  • Candies
  • Cereals
  • Communion wafers
  • Cookies and crackers
  • Croutons
  • French fries
  • Gravies
  • Imitation meat or seafood
  • Malt, malt flavoring and other malt products (barley)
  • Matzo
  • Pastas
  • Hot dogs and processed lunchmeats
  • Salad dressings
  • Sauces, including soy sauce (wheat)
  • Seasoned rice mixes
  • Seasoned snack foods, such as potato and tortilla chips
  • Self-basting poultry
  • Soups, bouillon or soup mixes
  • Vegetables in sauce
Click to expand...
 
steingar said:
Fat, flour, and water and possibly flavorings, though I don't tend to roll that way. Most of the pastry dishes I make feature the filling, with the pastry supplying the container. Some pastries also have egg, though I really don't make those. What pastry supplies is texture, which is why it's so very tricky. What pastry doesn't ever have is gluten, it's supposed to be tender and/or flaky, or an admixture of both.
Click to expand...
So, no leavening? I note the absence of yeast or chemical leavening.

If the definition is simply as a container for a filling, a leavened product can still work in that fashion.
 
GeorgeC said:
Been meaning to try pineapple and anchovy.

meta: tldw. Sent me down a rabbit hole, looking for software to download the automatically-generated transcripts so I can just read the thing.

Code: 
./youtube-dl --all-subs --skip-download "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hw42Xqpn2Y"

You're welcome.
Click to expand...
Thanks...but where do I paste that line of code?

Paul
 
Everskyward said:
But many of the following foods are not kneaded. I've also never heard that people on gluten-free diets can eat wheat-flour based pastry. Or are they sensitive to the proteins you mention, and not gluten itself?

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-...eating/in-depth/gluten-free-diet/art-20048530
Click to expand...
Gleadin is the culprit in most gluten problems, which is usually folks with Celiac disease. I am not convinced that others who claim gluten sensitivity are in any physiologically discomfited by it.
 
steingar said:
Gleadin is the culprit in most gluten problems, which is usually folks with Celiac disease. I am not convinced that others who claim gluten sensitivity are in any physiologically discomfited by it.
Click to expand...
I don't like the texture of gluten free baked goods. Seems like the 'glu' is necessary to hold everything together. Otherwise the items seem dry and crumbly. I wouldn't choose to eat them, but often in potlucks, if one person says they don't eat gluten, everyone tries to cater to them. Of course that's not a problem nowadays since no more potlucks.
 
Everskyward said:
I don't like the texture of gluten free baked goods. Seems like the 'glu' is necessary to hold everything together. Otherwise the items seem dry and crumbly. I wouldn't choose to eat them, but often in potlucks, if one person says they don't eat gluten, everyone tries to cater to them. Of course that's not a problem nowadays since no more potlucks.
Click to expand...
Meanwhile, when I make bagels, I add gluten to it. I love chewy bagels.
 
PaulMillner said:
Thanks...but where do I paste that line of code?

Paul
Click to expand...

You need the python language interpreter installed first, then this...

https://ytdl-org.github.io/youtube-dl/index.html

Then it’s a command-line program. Remember DOS? Something similar is still under the hood in Windows.

Hit the Windows key plus the R key simultaneously and type “cmd” and you’ll get a terminal window.

You’ll have to remember your DOS (like) commands to change directories and all that to get the download to go where you want, or provide full paths, or... you get the idea.

When I Googled that YouTube tool there was another page further down where someone wrote a graphical interface to drive the tool. I didn’t click or read how to install it, because I’m at the command line all day in every OS and honestly try never to use the rodent.

Rodents just waste time by making you target practice to get work done. :)
 
wsuffa said:
Meanwhile, when I make bagels, I add gluten to it. I love chewy bagels.
Click to expand...
You shouldn't need to, I don't. The secret to making good bagels is to poach them before baking. Lower pH is better, you can add bicarbonate (baking soda) though I do it the old fashioned way, with lye. Don't forget the barely malt, makes a big difference.
 
steingar said:
You shouldn't need to, I don't. The secret to making good bagels is to poach them before baking. Lower pH is better, you can add bicarbonate (baking soda) though I do it the old fashioned way, with lye. Don't forget the barely malt, makes a big difference.
Click to expand...
I use barley malt syrup and boil them before baking. (When I don't have the syrup, I do have barley malt powder to add instead).

Gluten brings regular AP flour up to and/or higher than bread flour in terms of gluten, making it more chewy. No lye here, a touch of baking soda.

To each their own - I find that some added gluten to the flour works wonders.
 
steingar said:
You shouldn't need to, I don't. The secret to making good bagels is to poach them before baking. Lower pH is better, you can add bicarbonate (baking soda) though I do it the old fashioned way, with lye. Don't forget the barely malt, makes a big difference.
Click to expand...
The other way. Higher pH with the compounds you mention. While I'm here, I suppose you got auto-corrected so that barley became barely. Dang computers.

I'm still curious about the definition of "pastry" I suspect it depends who you ask, as much as anything.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
The other way. Higher pH with the compounds you mention. While I'm here, I suppose you got auto-corrected so that barley became barely. Dang computers.

I'm still curious about the definition of "pastry" I suspect it depends who you ask, as much as anything.
Click to expand...
Yeah, autocorrect can get entertaining, and so can brain farts. Barley malt sweetener. Pricey, but it'll make your bagels. I thought my definition of pastry was pretty succinct. Flour, fat. liquid and seasoning. Possibly egg. Mixed minimally as not to develop gluten.
 
steingar said:
Yeah, autocorrect can get entertaining, and so can brain farts. Barley malt sweetener. Pricey, but it'll make your bagels. I thought my definition of pastry was pretty succinct. Flour, fat. liquid and seasoning. Possibly egg. Mixed minimally as not to develop gluten.
Click to expand...
I see. Some people include croissants as a pastry, which is leavened by yeast, hence my question.
 
The easiest definition is - is it sweet or used to contain something sweet? It's a pastry! Otherwise, it's just a crust or a bread product. :D
 
Thread turned out more interesting than I thought.

Have all sorts of ideas now for stuff I can’t eat! LOL.

I did do a super super thin crust a while back and only a couple of slices. Still paid for it with a big stupid sugar bump but not as bad as I thought it would be.

Mostly just a calorie bump.

Hmm. Pizza toppings on protein chips might be ok...
 
Cap'n Jack said:
I see. Some people include croissants as a pastry, which is leavened by yeast, hence my question.
Click to expand...
Croissants are bread, plain and simple. No one French things of them as pastry, they know better. I've made dessert pizzas in the past, a sweet bread crust with Nutella for the sauce and candies for the topping. Sweet and yummy, but still bread.
 
This thread really brings an old saying to mind:



"Who cares"???

Bread or Pastry?
Pizza or Pie?

I'll know what you are talking about regardless of whether you use the proper words and phrases.

Just don't serve me a bean pancake and tell me it is a hamburger.
 
Trust me, a discussion of Ginger and Mary Ann on POA will turn in to Ginger vs. Mary Ann.

(Ginger by the way. Everyone else is clamoring for Mary Ann.)
 
Sac Arrow said:
Trust me, a discussion of Ginger and Mary Ann on POA will turn in to Ginger vs. Mary Ann.

(Ginger by the way. Everyone else is clamoring for Mary Ann.)
Click to expand...
What, Ginger and Mary Ann together? Kinky....
 
denverpilot said:
M
Hmm. Pizza toppings on protein chips might be ok...
Click to expand...

For the record, tried it. Sugar free (proper) marinara type sauce and shredded mozzarella— just starting easy ya know — and it was much better than protein chips alone.

Not awful at all. The keto folk would like it.
 
denverpilot said:
Thread turned out more interesting than I thought.

Have all sorts of ideas now for stuff I can’t eat! LOL.

I did do a super super thin crust a while back and only a couple of slices. Still paid for it with a big stupid sugar bump but not as bad as I thought it would be.

Mostly just a calorie bump.

Hmm. Pizza toppings on protein chips might be ok...
Click to expand...

I am loving this thread too .... and for 50 years pizza remains one of my favorite foods

I normally prefer a thin , slightly crisp (not soggy) crust with lots of cheese and toppings ..... most modern "cheap pizzas" do the opposite and use a very thick crust as a stomach filler and minimum toppings.

However some restaurants , especially Greek or Italian will have a special secret recipe thick crust that even by itself is amazingly good .... nobody leaves any pizza crust edges on the plate afterwards.

========
Mostly I want to tell everybody my very fast and easy solution when you need a quick snack ......

~~ Buy a package of soft tortilla shells .... they are about 10" in diameter and only about $3.00 for a pak of 10 ... and they last forever in the fridge
~~ for sauce use a bit of spaghetti sauce ... slightly sweet if possible .... ketchup will also work in a pinch
~~Apply your favorite toppings (see below) and bake in a countertop toaster oven
~~I use the bottom element at first to slightly crisp the bottom (I dont use a pan or foil ) ... then switch to the top element to cook the rest
~~sometime cheese or topping will leak over the edges but I dont care , I let it burn on the element and sweep out the charcoal afterwards ... my wife dont care because she left me years ago.

I keep a good stock of sliced canned mushrooms , canned pineapple chunks , the unused portions I put in a ziplok bag and they store for a long time in the fridge. I dice up red and green peppers and they also store well in the fridge.

I tried slicing those dried pepperoni sticks but the taste was not very good so now I buy a good pepperoni or salami sausage and pre-slice a bunch into small ziplock bags and freeze them.

Like I said very fast to make and quick to bake .... faster than it took me to type this .... haaa
 
Way back in the day, on road trips with Dad, there was a place near Portland OR that did a smoked oyster pizza. Occasionally we would do it at home when Mom was away. Strangely, I don’t think I’ve had one in 30 years.
 
I am usually a pepperoni pizza purists...maybe occasion Hawaiian or chicken but that is about it...but a local shop has a pesto and shrimp pizza that is really damn good!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top