Delicious, delicious pizza.

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:17 am

So... No one can identify any differences bigger than differences between that which restaurants use for the same name item, yet... Arguing that I'm wrong saying they're closer to each other than two naans or two pizza crusts from different places.

Ugh.

And to add to the confusion, I have like three or four types of chai in my kitchen. Not just pizza crust and naan recipes that are identical.

-Crissa

CatharzGodfoot · Post by **CatharzGodfoot** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:32 am

Crissa, there are some fundamental differences. Not all chai has black pepper in it. Not all chai has cloves in it. Not all chai has ginger in it. Not all chai has anise in it. But all chai is a blend of spices and tea leaves. "Tea" is often just tea; sometimes you throw in an aromatic flavoring like bergamot or lavender.

Pizza dough and naan are less distinct, because pretty much every kind of bread ever has been used to make pizza. In its basic form, however, I contend that pizza dough is olive oil, salt, flour, yeast, and water. It's also usually flattened at the center with a raised crust at the edge.

Naan is usually a bit more complicated in the ingredients, but the most basic differences are that it's usually made with butter or ghee, and it usually has a uniform thickness.

Those two differences (texture and taste of the fat) are enough for a human being to distinguish the two.

Count Arioch the 28th · Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:43 am

I know it's partially my fault, but let's not derail this thread by bickering further. Let's just talk about pizza and its awesomeness.

There's a place near here called Sergio's that has some of the best greasy, floppy pizza I have ever had. Goes great with a nice cold brew.

koz · Post by **koz** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:53 am

Although due to my current diet, pizza is off the menu, I am a huge fan of this place. Try picking up the devils by clicking and holding down - you can actually throw them around!

Out of these pizzas, Gluttony is by far the best in my opinion. My personal dislike? Anchovies. Too damn strong.

Kaelik · Post by **Kaelik** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 5:00 am

Crissa wrote:So... No one can identify any differences bigger than differences between that which restaurants use for the same name item, yet... Arguing that I'm wrong saying they're closer to each other than two naans or two pizza crusts from different places.

Ugh.

And to add to the confusion, I have like three or four types of chai in my kitchen. Not just pizza crust and naan recipes that are identical.

-Crissa

I stopped reading this thread two posts in. Then I came back and said, "Fuck it, i'll see what's going on in page 2."

This has made my motherfucking day.

Bickering everywhere.

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 5:17 am

None of the pizzas I know of around here - aside from PIzza Hut - have a non-uniform crust.

Just, naan is basically a flatbread. Pizza is a flatbread. Yes, they're similar. But I went further and said the differences between naans was more than the difference between pizza crusts and naan. And I pointed out that the ratios of oil, flour, yeast, rising, and cooking were the same. If you make a good naan, you've made a good pizza crust. Ipsofacto whatever.

Sheesh. No one has complained except 'it's ghee or yogurt instead of olive oil!' - it's not like places like Pizza Hut actually use olive oil. They probably use milk derivative stabilized vegetable oil like every other mass production place in the US.

-Crissa

Maxus · Post by **Maxus** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 5:17 am

If no one minds a slight derail to more general food matters...

There's one condiment I can't stand. I'm open on most things, but I don't like mustard. If there's mustard on a sandwich, I can't taste anything else. I like being able to taste what's in the name of the dish.

One day knocking around downtown, I went to a decently upscale restaurant for lunch, and had grilled-cheese-and-chicken-and miscellaneous veggies.

But the amount of mustard on it meant I couldn't taste anything else.
Next time I go there, I'll tell them to ease up on it. And that their ice is made from tap water, which defeats the purpose of the spring water they advertise.

Artless · Post by **Artless** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:34 am

There's a place in Milwaukee called Pizza Shuttle with a White Vegetarian pizza that may happen to be my favorite pizza ever. Also, gyro meat and feta equals good stuff.

The Lunatic Fringe · Post by **The Lunatic Fringe** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:50 am

Artless wrote:Also, gyro meat and feta equals good stuff.

Gyros and tztaziki on a pizza can only make it more delicious.

Vnonymous · Post by **Vnonymous** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:51 am

Ground beef. Capsicum. Onion. Garlic.

Beautiful pizza.

Also, fuck pineapple, that fruit should never be on a pizza. Never.

RobbyPants · Post by **RobbyPants** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:26 am

Pepperoni is probably my favorite ingredient. I don't like mushrooms or pineapple, but I either like or will deal with most other toppings.

Other than that, there's a local chain near me that does a pretty good taco pizza.

Post by **fbmf** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:16 pm

[TGFBS]

Get over the whole naan/chai discussion and go back to talking about pizza in general. Now.

[/TGFBS]

Parthenon · Post by **Parthenon** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:28 pm

Weirdly I prefer cheap-ass pizza to more expensive pizza. Well, moderately expensive pizza.

So I'd rather have a £1 frozen pizza from Iceland than a chilled £4-5 pizza from Tescos or Sainsburys, and I even prefer some aspects of the £1 pizza to £10-15 pizzas from restaurants like Pizza Express or deliverys like Dominos.

Is it that I'm lower class scum who doesn't know what good food is, or are the mid-price pizzas not worth it?

CatharzGodfoot · Post by **CatharzGodfoot** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 4:44 pm

fbmf wrote:[TGFBS]

Get over the whole naan/chai discussion and go back to talking about pizza in general. Now.

[/TGFBS]

I suppose it's time to start a new argument.

I've got to say that feta is one of the few things I don't understand on pizza. Once you cook it, it's just incredibly salty and slightly moldy tasting soggy mush.

Crissa · Post by **Crissa** » Tue Jun 15, 2010 5:44 pm

Feta shouldn't be soggy after cooking. Or moldy tasting before cooking. Though it can be pungent.

-Crissa

Count Arioch the 28th · Tue Jun 15, 2010 6:17 pm

CatharzGodfoot wrote: I suppose it's time to start a new argument.

I've got to say that feta is one of the few things I don't understand on pizza. Once you cook it, it's just incredibly salty and slightly moldy tasting soggy mush.

I like to throw Feta on top of stuff after it's been cooked on the rare occasions I use it. (I should make an effort to use more feta, it's good stuff.)

Parthenon wrote:Weirdly I prefer cheap-ass pizza to more expensive pizza. Well, moderately expensive pizza.

So I'd rather have a £1 frozen pizza from Iceland than a chilled £4-5 pizza from Tescos or Sainsburys, and I even prefer some aspects of the £1 pizza to £10-15 pizzas from restaurants like Pizza Express or deliverys like Dominos.

Is it that I'm lower class scum who doesn't know what good food is, or are the mid-price pizzas not worth it

The very best pizzas have been home-made for me. You control what goes in, the quality of what goes in, how long it cooks, any personal accents to make it yours, etc.

That being said, cheap frozen pizza is often times a decent second. I prefer Red Baron to Dominoes most days. (Although not pizza related, I really enjoy Dominoes wings. Although what they call "hot" I call "mild".)

Vnonymous wrote:Also, fuck pineapple, that fruit should never be on a pizza. Never.

I am on the fence about pineapple on pizza. It can be good, sometimes it can be awful. I make a Fruit Pizza dessert sometimes. You make a thin crust out of a giant sugar cookie (bit enough to cover a pizza pan), cook it for a few minutes, then top with whipped cream and whatever fruit you have on hand. (Sometimes I make a home made strawberry syrup to add some color to it). Very tasty, but again not technically a pizza, more like a giant-ass sugar cookie that you cut in slices.

Ganbare Gincun · Post by **Ganbare Gincun** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:40 am

Digorno pizza used to be pretty good, but it has an odd taste these days, like they used too many preservatives at the pizza factory. Tombstone is still decent enough, though. Don't really get the chance to eat too much pizza these days...

Count Arioch the 28th · Wed Jun 16, 2010 12:54 am

I always detected an odd metallic taste from Digiorno pizza.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:37 am

CA wrote:The very best pizzas have been home-made for me. You control what goes in, the quality of what goes in, how long it cooks, any personal accents to make it yours, etc.

Seconded.

CA wrote:That being said, cheap frozen pizza is often times a decent second. I prefer Red Baron to Dominoes most days. (Although not pizza related, I really enjoy Dominoes wings. Although what they call "hot" I call "mild".)

I have problems with cheap pizza - the cheaper it is, the crappier the ingredients, and it tastes gross. Over the last couple of years, as my consumption of prepared foods has dropped to almost zero, I've found that my sense of taste has changed, too. To the point where some of my favorite foods actually make me nauseous now. There are a lot of things I used to like that I won't even try (like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups) because I don't want my fond memories of them to be completely and utterly crushed.

In haste, I bought a frozen pizza a few months ago, but once I tried it, I thought it was disgusting and couldn't eat it. That sucked. So I stick to making my own.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 3:10 am

I make my own pizza when I have the chance, and prefer that a hell of a lot more than buying pizza from a restaurant, even when I'm feeling lazy and using premade dough or sauce (like last time).

As for restaurants, I eat Steve's Pizza most recently, because that's where the group I game with orders from. Otherwise, it's usually one of a couple small privately owned parlors around here that are, mercifully, open very late. But one of them is like half grease so I don't order there much anymore.

Count Arioch the 28th · Wed Jun 16, 2010 6:13 am

There's a smallish chain of restaurants in the area called Ciro's Pizza. It's got some pretty good pizza. Not great, but it's decent greasy pizzaria pizza, which is usually what I crave when I want restaurant pizza.

There's another place called Scotto's that serves chi-chi pizzas with eggplant and all sorts of weird stuff, but it works.

MGuy · Post by **MGuy** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 11:19 am

Ganbare Gincun wrote:Digorno pizza used to be pretty good, but it has an odd taste these days, like they used too many preservatives at the pizza factory. Tombstone is still decent enough, though. Don't really get the chance to eat too much pizza these days...

I agree, but when I can I still get the digorno. My favorite part of a pizza is the sauce. The sauce can make or break a pizza for me. When I order out to my favorite places I always ask for extra. Beyond that I like straight pepperoni. I avoid any other topping save for ham if I can.

Surgo · Post by **Surgo** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:03 pm

Lately I found the best pizza ever, and it is at Dartmouth.

It is the garlic knot pizza from Ramunto's. I don't know if that restaurant exists outside of Hanover.

Maj · Post by **Maj** » Wed Jun 16, 2010 2:08 pm

MGuy wrote:The sauce can make or break a pizza for me. When I order out to my favorite places I always ask for extra.

<nod>

I was very fond of Freschetta's "sauce stuffed" crusts. I thought that was brilliant.

Prak · Post by **Prak** » Thu Jun 17, 2010 1:39 am

I regularly stuff the crust of any pizza I make with cheese, last time I added meat, since I had more than enough.