February 2009 Archives

There are few food-phenomena in the world that are at the same level of stardom as the pizza. Rectangular or round, stuffed-crust or crustless, meatless or meatful, deep-dish or thin crust, cheesy or cheeseless, "white" or "red", topping-ful or topping-less... No two pizzas are the same, and it's for this very reason that it's such a star: every culture can take it and adapt it to their own tastes....a "culinary chameleon" if you will. Here's some fun stuff about pizza (and I claim zero responsibility for any diet-breaking that might occur afterwards):

Most people attribute the inventors of pizza to the Italians, but in reality the Ancient Greeks might deserve that title. Ancient Greeks use to bake a flatbread and put some toppings on it, a sort of early version of what we know as pizza today. It started out as a sort of edible plate!

The origins of the name "pizza" are debated. Some say it comes from a latin word which meant something like the Italian verb "pizzicare", which means "to pinch" (as in pinching the dough).

A typical Roman style pizza has very thin crust, and no edge. A Neapolitan style pizza has a thinker crust with a pretty thick rim.

The simple mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil pizza you'll find everywhere here called a "Margherita" got it's name from Italy's Queen Margherita. A pizza-maker made this type especially for her and the King and she apparently loved it!

The world's first true pizzeria opened in 1830 in Naples and is called "Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba". It's still open today! The first pizzeria in America was opened in 1905 in New York city by Italian immigrant Gennaro Lombardi.

Nowadays pizza is considered to be one of the Top 3 foods most eaten by Americans. It's estimated that Americans eat the equivalent of 150 acres of pizza every day (that's about 400 slices every second!)

Something very pizza-like is described being eaten by Romans in Virgil's "Aeneid" (B.C.)

When tomatoes made their way to Italy in the 16th century they were thought to be poisonous. It took poor and hungry (and brave) Neapolitans to try them out on warm and flat bread before they knew better. It was the birth of pizza how we better know it today.

Some common types of pizza you'll find here are: Margherita: mozzarella, tomato, and basil. Capricciosa: mushrooms, prosciutto, artichoke hearts, olives and a boiled egg. Quattro Formaggi: mozzarella, parmisiano, gorgonzola, and ricotta. Diavola: tomato, mozzarella and spicey sausage. Napolitano: tomato, mozzarella, and anchoies (though if you're in Naples they call this pizza "romana"!) Other popular toppings you'll find, are zucchini, potato, and seafood (shrimp, salmon, tuna).

Calzones, a kind of cousin to pizza, are typically much smaller in Italy than what you might be used to, and are usually filled with a meat or veggies such as spinach.

Sant'Antonio Abate is said to be the patron saint of pizza-makers (in italian "pizzaioli") because he's also one of the patron saints of Naples, where pizza and pizza-making how we know it today originate.

Just after World War II is when Pizza started to become very popular, especially in America. This sparked the start of pizzeria chains like Pizza Hut. The first frozen pizza to be made at your own home was in 1957.

I think the only other list of a group's members longer than the current and former members of the Wu-Tang Clan is that of patron saints. In fact there's supposedly more than 10,000 Roman Catholic saints! Living in Italy, one can see the Roman Catholic influence in lots of things, especially in the art and architecture. So regardless of your religious views, you start to become curious who some of these characters are. So firstly, what is a saint? According to Roman Catholicism a saint is someone who has officially been recognized as such for having and/or demonstrating a high level of holiness and sanctity. Not necessarily the same as a "martyr" which nowadays means someone who died for their faith. So then what's a patron saint? Basically they're saints that have been named the advocate in heaven for something in particular: a city, country, trade, person, etc. So let's say for example you're about to take a trip somewhere and you're nervous about traveling...you might ask Saint Christopher, patron saint of travelers, to keep a close eye on you.

With so many saints, it's no surprise that there must be a patron saint of absolutely anything you can think of! Here's a fun little list of problems or situations and whose the patron saint that you would ask for a little help (not limited to Catholic patron saints, as many relgions have the same sort of thing):

Sailing on the open waters and see a ship approaching with the Jolly Roger waving high above? Might wanna say a little prayer to Saint Albinus of Angers, patron saint for protection from pirate attacks!

Suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder? Make a plee for help from Saint Ubald of Gubbio, once a bishop in Umbria...then wash hands for 15 minutes and walk an odd number of steps out of the bathroom.

Have a terrible headache in Naples? Saint Aspren (sound familiar?) will be all ears, being both the patron saint of Naples and headaches!

Find yourself in an Indian Jones-like situation, ie: thrown into a pit or train car of snakes? Give a shout to Abhai, patron saint of poisonous reptiles.

Planning a trip to Amsetrdam and are hoping the city will treat you well? Hopefully Saint Nichola of Myra will have time to here you, that is if he's not too busy making a list and checking it twice. Yup good ole' St. Nick is the patron saint of Amsterdam (among lots of other things including bakers and against robbers).

Dogs might especially want to know this one: Saint Agrippina, patron saint of thunderstorms.

Getting a bit of butterflies in your stomach before your next journey into outerspace? Joseph of Copertino, patron saint of astronauts, will be all ears.

Cab drivers (and drivers in general) should make some room with the dice hanging in the rear-view-mirror to put a little Francis of Rome figurine, patron saint of cabs, drivers, and oddly enough also widows and Roman housewives.

Visiting the zoo and have that menacing fear of animal attack? Or possibly afraid you'll oversleep and miss the penguins being fed? Either way, your man is Saint Vitus, patron saint of against animal attacks and oversleeping. (the animal bit because when thrown to the lions the lions didn't attack; the oversleeping bit due to the fact that during his execution he was boiled *ouch* with a rooster, a symbol of early rising).