For the Love of Pizza

Saturdays in our house means pizza. I am not just a pizza lover but also a pizza fanatic. I would request pizza as my last meal. Whenever I travel to a new city the first thing I look up is the best pizza place in that city to try. I am usually disappointed in what others have felt was great pizza.

This has led me to make my own pizza to try to get the perfect pizza. For my years of trial and error I want to share my recipe for the best pizza.

1) First buy frozen pizza dough balls at Sam’s Club. You have to go to the front where they make food and ask for a box of their frozen dough balls. Set one out overnight to thaw and rise. I find that I can make two thin pizzas from one and a half dough balls.

2) Buy the best extra sharp cheese and grate it. I like this better than mozzarella (for a special treat try smoked mozzarella cheese) that is too bland for me.

3) Roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Put the grated cheese on the dough first. This is to not have the crust get soggy.

4) I get the Dom Pepino pizza sauce at either Giant in small cans or the big can at Sam’s. The second choice for tomatoes is using the Cento peeled Italian tomatoes at Costco. Either puree the tomatoes or put them chopped up on top of the cheese. I put the sauce in a plastic freezer bag and snip one end to squeeze the sauce out in circles on the cheese the way Grottos pizza makers do.

5) Put your oven at the highest temperature (550 on my oven) you can get and always use a pizza stone. The only topping is crushed garlic and oregano.

My top pizzas in order of preference:

1) Grottos—Any one who has been to the Delaware Beaches knows how good this is. If you want to bring the cheese and sauce home with you one Grottos sells the sauce and cheese at Grottos at 22925 Sussex Highway Seaford, Delaware. Coming back from the beach on 404 turn left onto Rt 13 and go down about 4 or 5 miles.

2) Lombardi’s in New York- any pizza

3) Giordano’s in Chicago- Stuffed pizza where one piece fills you up

4) 2 Amys in DC- Margarita Extra

5) Pizza Paradiso in DC- Quattro Formaggi or the Bottarga

6) Bertucci’s- Best of the local pizza places—love the Margarita

Always go for the wood fired pizza anywhere.

I have never understood the love that Marylanders have for Ledos. Sauce is way to sweet. I do like the thin crust.

Anyone else have any favorites pizzas to list?