| The pie is a ubiquitous symbol of both | | | | and sauce between, so-called "stuffed" |
| Italian cooking and Americana. Oven-baked, | | | | pizzas. The ingredients are "reversed" in a |
| thin-crust or deep-dish, round or square, it | | | | Chicago pizza, with cheese going in first, |
| is a common favorite throughout the United | | | | and then sauce on top. This particular form |
| States, with a wide number of regional | | | | of pizza was invented in 1943 at Uno's |
| variations. | | | | Pizzeria in the River North neighborhood of |
| | | | Chicago. |
| The most traditional pie is the pizza | | | | |
| Napolitano, or Neapolitan pizza. Made of | | | | The Midwest also plays host to the St. Louis |
| strong flour, the dough is often kneaded by | | | | style pizza. This thin-crust delicacy is made |
| hand and then rolled flat and thin without a | | | | using local provel cheese instead of |
| rolling pin. The pizza is cooked in an | | | | mozzarella, and is very crispy. Heavily |
| extremely hot wood-fired stone oven for only | | | | seasoned with oregano and other spices, with |
| sixty to ninety seconds, and is removed when | | | | a slightly sweet sauce, it is difficult to |
| it is soft and fragrant. Common varieties of | | | | fold because of the crust and is often cut |
| Neapolitan pizza include marinara, made with | | | | into squares, instead of served in slices. |
| tomato, olive oil, oregano, and garlic, and | | | | |
| marguerite, made with tomato, olive oil, | | | | A Hawaiian pizza is an American invention |
| fresh basil leaves, and mozzarella cheese. | | | | that has nothing to do with Hawaii save that |
| | | | one of the main ingredients is pineapple. The |
| New York was home to the first pizza parlor | | | | pineapple is put atop the pizza, along with |
| in the United States, opened in Little Italy | | | | Canadian bacon, giving a rather sweet taste |
| in 1905 by Gennaro Lombardi. It is not | | | | very different from pizzas closer to the |
| surprising, then, that New York-style pizza | | | | Italian original. Hawaiian pizza is very |
| dominates in the Northeastern part of the | | | | common in the Western United States. |
| country. It is thin-crusted, and made with a | | | | |
| thin layer of sauce and grated cheese. The | | | | In fact, a number of esoteric pizzas are |
| dough is hand-tossed, making the pie large | | | | common on the West coast, and "gourmet" pizza |
| and thin. As a result, it is served cut into | | | | is often referred to as "California-style" |
| slices, traditionally eight, which are often | | | | pizza. This is an example of fusion cuisine, |
| eaten folded in half. It can be served with | | | | and many of the pizzas go far beyond the |
| any number of toppings, including pepperoni, | | | | common tomato sauce and cheese. Thai pizza, |
| the most popular topping in the United | | | | for example, can include bean sprouts and |
| States, or as a "white pizza", which includes | | | | peanut sauce, while breakfast pizza, as the |
| no tomato sauce and is made with a variety of | | | | name implies, may be topped with bacon and |
| cheeses, such as mozzarella and ricotta. | | | | scrambled eggs. As a "gourmet" food, |
| | | | California pizzas are often individual sized, |
| Chicago is also home to a major variety of | | | | serving two people at most, and are not cut |
| pizza. The Chicago-style pizza is deep dish, | | | | in slices like other common types of pizza |
| meaning it is made in a pan with the crust | | | | pie. |
| formed up the sides, or even with two crusts | | | | |