Me and pizza
Dec. 31st, 2013 06:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
susandennisIn the South, in the 50's, we didn't have pizza. We had black eyed peas but we had them all year round and I didn't know they were a New Years thing. We had okra and like many many things it was deep fried and, so, delicious. But, I didn't even know what pizza was until I went to college.
My college was just outside Wheeling, WV. Most of the people at my college were from around there or from the Northeast. They had been fed pizza instead of pablum (which, it occurs to me, may, itself, be an ancient reference). Whenever we got to Wheeling, my friends made a beeline for DiCarlos. They sold pizza - great, wonderful pizza - by the slice. I feel in love. DiCarlos pizza is square. Their slices are square. I didn't know about round pizza pies or pizza pie wedges until I got out of college in the 70's.
My tongue was still in love with DiCarlos so I wasn't that enamored with any pizza that came in a wedge. I got over it but I've always had a weird pizza thing. There are many fine pizza's I do not like. I really don't like any grocery store frozen/fresh/whatever pizza. I've had fancy pizzzas that I liked ok, but didn't love. Most pizzas enjoyed in a bar with a beer are good. But, I don't hang out in beer joints much.
I've always meant to try PapaJohn'Murphy's. And there's one very near the pool. Today I decided was the day to finally try it. I got a way too big pepperoni. (The menu and the bored woman at the cash register only offered one size. While she was putting mine together, I saw a 'medium' option on the list on the wall. Next time.)
And it was good. Really good. Really really good. And it came on its own cooking 'pan'. I cooked it at 425 for 10 minutes and then took it off the pan and cooked it on the oven rack for another 9 minutes and then let it sit for a couple of minutes more. Really excellent. And I liked that it had its own pan to cook on, slice on and it was easy peasy to toss, not big and bulky like boxes.
Next time I will get the medium and I will have some green olives on hand and maybe some mushrooms. This could be a very nice habit.
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Edited later when![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hidefbear pointed out that I should check Papa John's politics. I did and won't be doing any business there. But turns out I didn't anyway. whew.
My college was just outside Wheeling, WV. Most of the people at my college were from around there or from the Northeast. They had been fed pizza instead of pablum (which, it occurs to me, may, itself, be an ancient reference). Whenever we got to Wheeling, my friends made a beeline for DiCarlos. They sold pizza - great, wonderful pizza - by the slice. I feel in love. DiCarlos pizza is square. Their slices are square. I didn't know about round pizza pies or pizza pie wedges until I got out of college in the 70's.
My tongue was still in love with DiCarlos so I wasn't that enamored with any pizza that came in a wedge. I got over it but I've always had a weird pizza thing. There are many fine pizza's I do not like. I really don't like any grocery store frozen/fresh/whatever pizza. I've had fancy pizzzas that I liked ok, but didn't love. Most pizzas enjoyed in a bar with a beer are good. But, I don't hang out in beer joints much.
I've always meant to try Papa
And it was good. Really good. Really really good. And it came on its own cooking 'pan'. I cooked it at 425 for 10 minutes and then took it off the pan and cooked it on the oven rack for another 9 minutes and then let it sit for a couple of minutes more. Really excellent. And I liked that it had its own pan to cook on, slice on and it was easy peasy to toss, not big and bulky like boxes.
Next time I will get the medium and I will have some green olives on hand and maybe some mushrooms. This could be a very nice habit.
---
Edited later when
hidefbear pointed out that I should check Papa John's politics. I did and won't be doing any business there. But turns out I didn't anyway. whew.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-01-01 04:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-01-01 04:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-01-01 04:34 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-01-01 06:07 am (UTC)I'm going to have to give Papa John's a try!
that's not true!
Date: 2014-01-01 10:28 am (UTC)Re: that's not true!
Date: 2014-01-01 03:47 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-01-03 03:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-01-03 04:15 pm (UTC)Papa Murphy's, on the other hand, is delicious. I had my second round of leftovers yesterday and they were nearly as good as the fresh!
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Date: 2014-01-02 05:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2014-01-02 05:07 pm (UTC)Wait! Ok, this is hilarious. I just popped over to Google to see where the closest Papa Murphy's was and... turns out... my pizza was Papa Murphy's and NOT Papa John's!!
We don't even have that many Papa John's here and none close to me.
BUT I also did a fast check on their politics and UGH!! Thank you for pointing me. I will 1. steer clear of them and 2. make sure I don't confuse the two and so drag poor Murphy's into the mud in the process.
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Date: 2014-01-02 05:15 pm (UTC)Heh.
My "trick" when it comes to PM pizzas is to have store-bought shredded cheese on hand. The stores tend to her chintzy about cheese, and adding a thin layer on top bake up a nice golden-brown coat.
PM pizzas are also great for get-togethers with folks. You can get a few small basic pizzas and then have fresh toppings at home which guests can then use to fashion their own. Everyone is happy -- well, except for the crank on the corner who's never happy about anything...
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As for Papa John's politics, I'm definitely not a fan of John Schnatter's stances on a few issues. Our local franchise, though, is a really positive force in our community. They give tours to groups of school kids and show them how pizza is made from fresh ingredients, they support community sports teams, and more. Meantime, the local franchise owner employs lots of people and pays them fairly. Am I thrilled that Mr. Schnatter pockets a quarter of a cent for every pizza sold here? No. But am I pleased with what happens with the rest of the money? Sure.
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Date: 2014-01-15 03:55 am (UTC)(no subject)