Really, it is. Think about it, we all LOVE a great slice of pizza (wouldn’t trust somebody that didn’t), but what’s a “great” slice of pizza to me, may be disgusting to my friend. Also, a lot can go wrong with an innocent little slice: too salty, too greasy, not enough grease, crust too thin, crust too thick, cheese rubbery, too little cheese, too much cheese, etc. Finally, what do you do when your idea of a delicious slice of pizza conflicts with the one you love?
What defines a really good pizza slice? To me it is always plain cheese, with not too much cheese, a good, fresh tasting tomato sauce, that is not too salty & a thin crust. The crust can be cracker thin or chewy, I like either. Then I ALWAYS add garlic, oregano, parmesan & red chili peppers. Why do I like this kind of pizza? Because it is what I grew up eating. Growing up, every friday was pizza night at our house. How I looked forward to it! My mom would call ahead to our favorite family owned pizza place and order 4 pies. This was before, thank god, the creation of 30 minute Domino’s delivery, remember, when you actually had to place an order & wait an hour to pick it up? But boy, was it worth it! Then, if I was lucky, I got to go with her to pick it up. I can still remember the smell of garlic, yeast & tomatoes as I walked through the door. My mom would pay and let me carry one of the boxes. Then my mom would drive home as I balanced hot pizza boxes on legs, telling her, “No, they aren’t burning me. I’m fine.” They were burning me, but I was determined to keep the boxes on my lap, so I could fondle those cardboard edges & take-in all that pizza aroma. We would get home and the entire family would attack! Couldn’t even set the boxes down before my sisters were digging in. We would eat it off paper plates 7 drink cans of Tab so my mom wouldn’t have dishes to do, while my parents ate theirs with a glass of red wine. To this day, when friday comes around, I crave pizza. So, that is why I like the type of pizza I do, but for the same reason my friend Lisa, who grew up in Chicago, wants pan or deep dish with tons of cheese.
Now, to complicate matters further, is when you marry someone who as a different pizza “style” than you. It means either you go to two different pizza places or one of you HAS to compromise. And believe me, the compromised is NEVER happy. There is always pizza resentment. I am from California. My husband is from NY, so automatically he is a pizza know it all & snob. He rarely is happy with any pizza we get, which is sad. He likes a slice like I do, almost the exact same way, but he has to have a chewy crust, not cracker thin. So, we go where he likes, then we go where I like, we take turns on the pizza ride like good little boys and girls, but believe me, when we get slices from his favorite, I feel cheated and the same goes for him. So, until we get to his beloved Johnny’s in NY he will simply have to “suffa.”
Yes, pizza can be complicated, but isn’t it worth it? Really, there is nothing like eating a great slice of pizza, sipping a big red zinfandel (moved on from Tab) and watching a really bad reality show. Aaaaah, all is right with the world! At least for a moment.
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