Pizza: A Love Story

I have been a huge fan of pizza for as long as I can remember. I do not recall ever muttering the words “Oh man, pizza…again?!” For me, pizza is something to be enjoyed for every occasion, or no occasion at all! When I met Matt and he told me he loved pizza, I just assumed he loved it the way myself and many others claimed to love it. However, I was in for quite the surprise. His love for pizza is intense. He could carry on a 5 hour conversation about it. Shit, he even wrote a book about it! For the first time in my life, I really started to pay attention to every slice of pizza I consumed. I started examining the texture of the dough, the sweetness in the sauce, the way the cheese pulled with that first, glorious bite.

Pizza has turned into the 8th wonder of the world for me. There is an excitement that flows through me when Matt and I brainstorm about what pizza creations to explore or which new pizza restaurant we should review. I am sure that part of this excitement is me living vicariously through Matt’s experience. His passion for pizza is contagious and I find myself always wanting to learn more about it, from making my own pies at home to having a more critical palate when tasting pizza at a new restaurant.

It took me 37 years to realize that I never truly paid attention to the pizza I consumed. Sure, I could eat it all day, every day but I never took the time to explore all of the intricacies that go into the craft.

Dough. Sauce. Cheese. Toppings.

Simple.

Or so I thought…

It isn’t that simple though. There is an art to the craft of pizza creation and it requires an understanding of the process from start to finish. I am not going to get into the nitty gritty as Matt’s book does a fantastic job at diving into this topic. I will say that this process has been therapeutic for me and has also helped me understand how the dough should look, feel, smell. I find myself looking for the strands of gluten. Asking myself questions like “is it moist enough? Will it have a nice crumb?” I’m always searching my kitchen for new toppings I can use and I am constantly thinking about new pizzas to create with a goal of tasting something fun, new and (hopefully) wonderful. The dough is a tasty (and well thought out) little canvas for the pizza painting of your choice.

Looking back, I realize that I didn’t love pizza, I just enjoyed it. Love requires a level of respect and care that I admittedly didn’t have. I can say with certainty today that I truly do love pizza. I strive to improve my own skills in pizza creation and I look forward to seeing where this journey takes me.

The best part?

I get to share this love with my partner/best friend. Our combined admiration for this insanely awesome wonder food is poured into every pizza we create.