Sunday, February 9 marks a special day. In 1964 on February 9 the Beatles made their first appearance on live American television on the Ed Sullivan show. President William Henry Harrison was born that day. Super Bowl Sunday falls on February 9 this year.
Most importantly: it’s National Pizza Day.
Pizza is one of the most popular foods in America, and National Pizza Day is something to celebrate. The ‘Zza is also one of the most kid friendly foods, assembly is easy, and weekly homemade pizza is a tradition for many families, including mine. Some of my fondest memories of Friday night as a child, which unfortunately also included watching the Dukes of Hazzard in its prime time slot, was eating the delicious homemade pizza my Mom would make for the large brood of kids in my family.
We actually renamed this pizza “Beez Pizza” after the famed matriarchal Siamese cat in our house (who was also named Barry, and it’s unclear how she got the nickname “Beez” but that’s another story), because this same cat would often be found partaking in a slice she’d dragged to the floor.
We have kept the tradition going: for several years running my sister, who has kids about the age of mine, and I would meet at her house to make pizza and play board games in the winter. We tried a lot of different recipes by the whim of the slice, sautéing winter vegetables for one half, barbecue sauce for another section of pizza. This almost assuredly also involved me being badly beaten after eating pizza by my, at the time, 10-year-old daughter and niece in the game of Skippity.
Pizza recipes and ideas abound at the library. At last count, we have thousands of books devoted to cooking, with at least 51 adult books devoted to pizza. Within this wonderful sub-collection are tucked away several inspiring titles. Check out the “Joy of Pizza” by Dan Richer and“Pizzapedia” by Dan Bransfield. “Pizzapedia” is part graphic novel, part pizza history book, part recipe idea generator. The “Joy of Pizza” is coffee table inspiration; in it you can find a whole chapter about dough making, another about oven fired pizzas and the last third is devoted to recipes for some pretty boutique pies (Fennel pizza!).
My other favorite, “Pizza Night: Deliciously Doable Recipes for Pizza and Salad” is a new title by chef Alexandra Stafford that helped me understand that pizza isn’t just savory; some of the most delicious slabs are dessert pizzas, including her chocolate chip pizza recipe that puts run of the mill cookies to shame.
Below is our favorite super cheap and easy homemade pizza recipe, similar to the pizza we had as kids:
- Crust: Instant Crust mix, Shakespeare’s Pizza Dough or dough from Aldi. I also make my own dough sometimes, quick guide to that here.
- Toppings: Sautéed bell pepper and onions, tomatoes, we’ll even use spinach or carrot shavings. Most stores sell packets of pepperoni for 2 to 3 bucks. Grilled chicken is great as well for protein!
- Cheese: I’ll often use whatever is in my fridge on top of a base of Mozzarella.
- Sauce: can run the gamut from store bought marinara or pizza sauce, to salsa, to your own homemade sauce to barbecue sauce.
- Tip: Be sure to put some flour on the baking sheet so the dough doesn’t stick.
- Bake: at 450-475 degrees for about 15 minutes (this really depends on the oven as well).
Enjoy your pizza and another Chiefs win!
