Nourishments—

Pie In My Eye

By Nancy K. Crevier

For people who grew up in the enclave of New York and New Haven all points in between, it is probably hard to imagine a world that does not include “pie.” But I was 12 years old before I ever had pizza.

Growing up in northern Minnesota, a meal of hamburger and french fries, steak and potatoes, or TV dinners were more likely to be found on my plate than a piece of dough topped with tomato sauce and cheese. Then my older sister’s friend introduced us to Chef Boyardee Pizza Kit.

The Chef’s kit included crust mix, a can of thick, smooth tomato sauce, a package of dried “Italian” herbs, and a packet of finely grated cheese. By simply stirring up the dry mix with warm water, waiting a few minutes and then spreading it out on a greased cookie sheet, we had a crust. Not being connoisseurs of pizza or sauce, we sloshed the entire contents of what in retrospect was a fairly great quantity of a sweet and thick sauce across the crust, and sprinkled on the herbs and cheese. Then our friend told us we could add other toppings. Out came the hamburger and we fried it up. Down the block we ran to the corner store get a bag of a cheese called “mozzarella.” (It was not orange, flat, and square as I thought all cheese was.)

We popped it in the oven and the result was… delicious. I had never had a puffy, doughy crust slathered with tangy, greasy additions like this, and the assault of flavor was the perfect storm of salt, sweet, and fat on my pre-adolescent taste buds.

It wasn’t long after, that I discovered our local café sold frozen pizzas to take home, and by the time I got my driver’s license, I knew that there were restaurants devoted to pizza in the next town over. And they were even more delicious than Chef Boyardee!

Imagine my surprise when I moved to Connecticut.

Here I found people who were staunch defenders of the Neopolitan-style, thin crust and an equal number of those who were proponents of the thicker, Sicilian-style crust. Every pizza parlor seemed to have its own recipe for sauce, but nearly every one adhered to brushing the pie with only a thin layer of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes — just enough to enhance the toppings. And my eyes popped to find out what could go on a pizza other than pepperoni, sausage, hamburger or cheese.

White pizza? Pizza Margherita? Pizza with clams?! 

I’ve calmed down over the years and made my peace with pizza, in all of its guises. A pie baked in a brick oven, crispy crust just mildly charred, with simple toppings is the pizza I have come to love, and while it has taken a rap as “junk” food, I know that with a little forethought and innovation, a homemade pizza can be a healthy meal with appeal to the whole family.

One hundred percent whole-wheat pizza crust is possible, but be prepared to give it an extra boost of yeast and lots of time to slowly rise. Otherwise, you can end up with a heavy and tough crust. I prefer to go half and half, white and whole wheat, for a tender crust with flavor and nutritional value. Even so, slow rising makes for a better crust.

Simpler is better, when it comes to sauce. Good quality canned tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped, with a little parsley and fresh garlic stirred in works for me. In summer, I have used fresh tomatoes — red, yellow, or green varieties like Green Zebra — chopped, marinated in olive oil with salt, garlic, and herbs. Drain the marinade off before spreading the tomatoes on the crust. (The reserved liquid is delicious for dunking good bread.)

Lightly steamed vegetables, such as zucchini and yellow squash, broccoli, spinach, or even green beans; roasted peppers; sautéed mushrooms; caramelized onions or thinly sliced raw, red onions; sautéed broccoli rabe; and paper thin slices of potato all make wonderful toppings. Be generous when adding them to the pizza. Sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese over it all.

Depending on your mood, top it with freshly grated or thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese; sprinkle on crumbled bleu cheese or Chevre goat cheese; or dab on ricotta cheese, for a cheesier pizza.

Grilled and sliced nectarines or peaches topped with blue cheese or brie make a pizza that is perfect for an appetizer course, or try honey-drizzled goat cheese over caramelized onions.

It goes without saying that meat-eaters can throw on anything from grilled chicken to thin circles of Canadian ham.

A preheated, hot oven and a pizza stone gives you the best outcome for a crisp, bubbly crust, and believe it or not, a grill can give you the super hot heat you want, if it is large enough to accommodate the pizza stone.  I’ve seen recipes calling for grilling the dough directly on the grill, as well as flipping it and then adding toppings. That seems a little dicey to me, unless you feel a great need to see the grill marks on your dough…

I’ve come a long way from Chef Boyardee pizza, but no matter how perfect the pizza I find, not a single slice ever truly compares to that first bite that awakened me to the world of pizza pie. It’s Amoré.