You'll be hearing from the staff at FOOD52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.
This week, we're giving away five Emile Henry pizza stones to celebrate one of our favorite foods. Read on, weigh in, and enter to win below!
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Pizza may be the most perfect food in the world. As New Yorkers, we're a little biased, but it's hard to argue with the happiness a simple, warm, gooey slice can bring. So this week, driven by hunger and an undying love for a good pie, we're asking:
How do you like your pizza?
Do you go for thin, blistered neapolitan pies or inches-thick Chicago deep dish? How do you feel about Merrill and Kristen's great pineapple debate? Tell us in the comments, and you could win a pizza stone of your own!Â
More: Try your hand at Jim Lahey's genius no-knead pizza dough.
Amanda: Neapolitan style -- thin, crisp, slightly salty dough. Margherita ftw!
Bryce: I love any kind of four-cheese pizza, artichoke pizza, or a spicy/sweet mix, like the ones Paulie Gee makes in Greenpoint, with hot honey.
Lauren: Deep dish Chicago-style with spinach and mushroom, preferably from Gino's East. And you only need one piece!
Kenzi: I love ricotta, so that's always a winner. Or a white pie. Should we go to Pizza Suprema for lunch?Â
Amanda Li: Second Amanda's pizza choice!
Christina: If I'm ordering in, then italian sausage. If I'm grilling it at home, then I get a little crazy -- I love feta, olives, and pickled onion with some fresh lemon and olive oil drizzled over the top. Greek pizza!
Ryan: I like pizza. Topping choices dictated by style:
NY slice: Mozz and sauce only.
Neapolitan: Light sauce, cured meat, blend of cheeses.
Homemade: Fresh mozz, sauce, fresh basil.
Marian: I categorize the way that Ryan does. Neapolitan usually preferred, chewy, blistered, and thin: margherita, or vegetables if I'm feeling crazy. NY-style slices are always cheese, happily eaten from any old place at any time of day (or night).
Jennifer: I'm with team Amanda & Amanda Li -- with olio piccante of course!
Brette: I dream about Roman pizza a taglio -- pizza rossa (with a thin layer of tomato sauce) or pizza bianca (with nothing on it). I had it every single day for lunch when I lived in Rome.Â
Merrill: All of these pizzas sound delicious! But if someone held a gun to my head, I'd probably go for a tangy New York slice with the perfect amount of droop -- "plain" all the way.
Michael: I have a childhood love for Cheese Board pizza in Berkeley, CA. It's a white pizza with a sour crust. There's only one type made per day, and it's always awesome.
Karl: I also think of pizza in different categories, but if forced to choose, I'd also go with wood-fired Neopolitan, eaten minutes after taking it out of the oven.Â
Maddy: +1 Neapolitan-style margherita made in a wood oven. The more blistered, the better!
William: Preferred toppings are pepperoni and garlic, or mushrooms and onion. Preferred style is wood-fired!
Lindsay: Yet another vote for the Neapolitan style margherita!
Stephanie: I lean towards a good blistery Neopolitan. I think my all-time favorite is anything with sausage, though. Too hard!
Kristen: I can't choose! Roman-style potato or fresh tomato pizza a taglio. Or neo-Neapolitan with mozz, broccoli rabe, fennel sausage, and chili flakes. Or straight-up pineapple (no ham!), slumber party-style.
Merrill: No HAM?? What is a pineapple pizza without ham, I ask you -- other than soggy and sweet?
Kristen: Sooo good, that's what. It's more tangy than sweet.
Merrill: Okay, I can be open-minded...
Kristen: Me too. A truce!
It's giveaway time! To celebrate our love for pizza -- and our love for making it at home -- we're giving away five Emile Henry pizza stones. Be sure to share your favorite type of pie in the comments before Monday, April 8 at 4 PM EST, and we'll pick five winners at random.
Â
Inspired to make your own pie?
Stretch your dough.
Make your Mozzarella.
Add some bacon.
Written by: Marian Bull
Popular on Food52
109 Comments
saltandserenity
April 21, 2013
The Margherita at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles, is hands down the best pizza I have ever eaten in my life! The crust is outstanding!
beejay45
April 12, 2013
Too late for the pizza stone...but...my favorite pizza growing up in San Francisco was from Pasquales, hand thrown, thin crust, nice puffy border, and just about any topping combo. But basically, unless it's factory-stamped out, I'm there. My favorite toppings for eat out are pepperoni and olives. At home, cook/grill it myself, it's whatever I have on hand. Kimchi and pineapple are actually pretty good together on a not too thin crust. ;)
janecf
April 9, 2013
I usually go for thin crust with anchovies, capers and black olives -- a little overdone but not burnt -- with arugula sprinkled over after baking. When I lived alone I often made small pizzas with mix and match toppings and took the leftovers to work for lunch. Have not yet figured out how to satisfy all family members' topping preferences at the same time and hot out of the oven. Maybe we will have to go back to small pies so we can bake two at a time. Any tips on how to keep a pizza stone from cracking? Mine seem to expire at about 1 year.
Anne P.
April 8, 2013
Love pizza...and love that red pizza stone! I want a lesson on wood fired pizza.
Sadassa_Ulna
April 8, 2013
When I make pizza at home the family favorite is margherita. But when I go to Nino's in Hatboro, Pennsylvania I must have a slice or two of tomato pie (Neopolitan style) with pools of olive oil and lots of minced garlic, reheated so the thin crust is crunchy on the bottom.
amysarah
April 8, 2013
All time favorite: classic Margherita - thin blistered crust, v. good sauce/fresh mozz/basil, light handed ratio of toppings/crust. But pizza-love is also about nostalgia, not necessarily 'the best': late night at a place called Conte's, as a student; a slice with fried eggplant from the long gone joint on my corner - major craving while carrying my son; smoked salmon pizza years ago in LA (Wolfgang Puck) ...yes, calling it 'pizza' would land me in the slammer in Rome, and blah blah. It was a celebration, by any name.
Annette T.
April 8, 2013
just as I became comfortable making a margherita with Jim Lahey's great crust we swithced to a glutten free diet so the perfect pie crust hunt continues
JustHappyCooking
April 7, 2013
Thin crust, with plenty of melted mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, garlic and basil. Delicious!,
k S.
April 7, 2013
Last Friday's build-your-own pizza party yielded a few great ones, but this was my favourite: sourdough thin crust, harissa pizza sauce, onions, garlic, mushrooms, sweet potato oven fries (different ,but delicious), and a mozzarella/parmesan blend.
cutthecarrot
April 7, 2013
If not margherita, roasted eggplant, olives, and provolone is wonderful, especially on the grill.
Marisa R.
April 7, 2013
I love grilled vegetables on my pizza
For me pineapple is too sweet on a pizza
For me pineapple is too sweet on a pizza
Jeffrey L.
April 7, 2013
My absolute favorite is my homemade Greek pizza. I start with a dough skin and put on a thin film of olive oil and some minced garlic. Add a heap of fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, feta cheese, a bit of whole milk mozzarella and a sprinkle of fresh basil.
Jeffrey L.
April 10, 2013
I've had some critics (family and friends) fall head over heels for this one, it truely is a great combination.
Patti L.
April 7, 2013
+Thin and crisp, fresh veggies in season, and good cheese, fontina, mozzarella and even a bit of parmesan. Topped with mescalin greens with olive oil and wine vinegar gives it a warm crunch, cool crisp bite that is awesome.
Queen O.
April 7, 2013
Cornmeal-roasted garlic thin crust with ratatouille, chèvre and sliced meatball
Gab.Foodie42
April 7, 2013
Most important thing about making pizza - scant toppings. If you overload the pizza, the toppings get boring and you can't enjoy the crust as well.
oasinstoryof
April 7, 2013
Ever since I discovered organic pizza dough in the deli section at the local grocery store, I have been all about making my own pizza. (At some point I will make my own dough.) I roll it out to fit a rectangular baking pan -- brings back pizza making memories from my childhood -- spread it with homemade marinara, fresh sliced garlic, some blend of cheese (whatever is handy or strikes my fancy -- mozzarella, cheddar, colby, provolone, parmesan, asiago, monterey jack -- thinly sliced red onion, baby bella mushrooms, zucchini and red bell pepper, and topped with a little more cheese to hold it all together. It's pretty AND tasty.
OdinMercer
April 7, 2013
While I agree that Ham and pineapple is a great pizza it definitely suffers from being too watery and can ruin a crust if you don't let it really drain out. I like pan searing the pineapple first which can help a bit. My favorite pie lately though is just sausage and mushrooms with a white garlic sauce.
Yvonica
April 7, 2013
Thin and buttery crust, crispy and chewy at the same time. I like getting adventurous with toppings like mash potatoes, steak, and corn.
brooklynsam
April 7, 2013
As a displaced New Yorker living in the Midwest, I can't embrace this thick crust, Chicago pizza. I need to be able to stop on any given avenue, grab a slice, fold it and eat it while walking to my next errand. What I wouldn't give for a New York slice...
Jean B.
April 7, 2013
My pizza preference has changed so over time. I used to be a pepperoni and green olive fan, but now as a vegetarian, I crave a mix of vegetables and a bit of great cheese. Cheese is probably the one ingredient that would make it impossible for me to seriously consider veganism. That said, in the interest of health, I will even eat pizza without the cheese for the sheer love of that crispy, crackly crust. And in the end, it is for me about the crust. Great pizza simply cannot exist without a great crust.
maddiegeegs
April 6, 2013
butternut squash sauce with broccolini and white beans and parm. or just tomato basil mozz.
Phillie F.
April 6, 2013
Thin crust, of course, topped with fresh tomato sauce, fresh basil and buffalo mozzarella (dried out somewhat on a tea towel) with a light dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano after it comes out of the oven. Thank you for Feed52!
kleahey
April 6, 2013
Thin crust, four cheese, white, with a ton of garlic and sometimes proscuitto or chorizo.
jackie0401
April 6, 2013
Very thin crust, crisp topped with fresh tomato sauce, soppressata (home made & cured by my godmother), fresh basil, light on the buffalo mozz.
Tbird4
April 6, 2013
Very fond memories as an F/A on layovers in Chicago enjoying thick crust pizza's!!
Emphatica
April 6, 2013
My favorite is the classic Margherita with a thin crust. I also think a good pizza should use the best of that seasons offerings.
meandertail
April 6, 2013
There is a broccoli rabe/potato/rosemary pizza on this site that is AMAZING.
Lucia F.
April 6, 2013
First off the crust has to be the Jim Lahey recipe.
Next Tomato, Parmesan cheese, a little mozz, oregano, basil and crushed red pepper.
Okay maybe some bacon....
Oh that time I put an egg on it was good to!
I guess pizza is the prefect vessel for what ever you happen to find in you fridge or pantry.
As long as the crust is nice and thin!
Next Tomato, Parmesan cheese, a little mozz, oregano, basil and crushed red pepper.
Okay maybe some bacon....
Oh that time I put an egg on it was good to!
I guess pizza is the prefect vessel for what ever you happen to find in you fridge or pantry.
As long as the crust is nice and thin!
Joe B.
April 6, 2013
just sauce and quality cheese, maybe some sort of cured meat, and definitely finished with basil. and cooked in a brick oven next to a wood fire. as for the dough, crispy crust with a soft center thats a little sweet and a little salty. heaven in a slice
SariS
April 6, 2013
Ooh, my favorite combination would have to be capers, kalamata olives, red chili flakes and Parmesan!
Jordan R.
April 6, 2013
I really love a good white pizza. Garlic, ricotta, some kind of stretchy cheese.
Heck, really I just like cheese. As long as the other toppings don't interfere, I'm happy.
Heck, really I just like cheese. As long as the other toppings don't interfere, I'm happy.
Victoria C.
April 5, 2013
Marcella's plainest - thin crust, tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil.
Fairmount_market
April 5, 2013
You can't get much better than Neapolitan style Margherita. But I'm also partial to a flavor I've had in Germany: white asparagus with cured ham.
mrslarkin
April 5, 2013
Thin crust, schmear of sauce, some mozz and a few flakes of crushed red pepper. Glass of wine. Heaven. What I made for dinner tonight.
boulangere
April 5, 2013
I still swoon when I think about the deep dish spinach & mushroom from Zachary's in Berkeley. At home, it's always thin crust. Most recently I made one with a thin layer of alfredo, another of red sauce, roasted garlic, clams, and fresh oregano. I can still taste it.
Sam1148
April 5, 2013
Thin crust is my favorite. 2-3 toppings is ideal. (Fresh basil to finish doesn't count as a topping to me).
fhp
April 5, 2013
CRACKERY spell check and that Napolitano is thicker and chewier. I love the Roman kind especially the salty Pizza Bianco with raw artichokes and shaved parmigiano, lemon and olive oil.
fhp
April 5, 2013
Hey! thats the guy selling the Pizza al Taglio at Roscioli. He wanted a Red Socks baseball cap and I brought him back one. That is one mean Margherita al Taglio that he serves. I am of the school that Roman Pizza is thin and a little crockery
fiveandspice
April 5, 2013
There is nothing like a good pizza margherita. I like a crust that's thin, but chewy, and that billows up into big pillows around the edge where there's no sauce. But, how come Sicilian pizza doesn't even get a mention here people?! Go up to Portland, ME, go to the back of Micucci's Italian Grocery and get a slab of Sicilian pizza. It's like eating a chewy bread cloud with just a spare amount of good toppings. One of my all time ultimate eating experiences - and it's equally stunningly perfect every time.
Greenstuff
April 5, 2013
I agree with Michael about the Cheese Board. Today's is Roma tomatoes, onions, mozzarella and feta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic olive oil, and cilantro. They will sell them half-baked, so you can finish it off on an Emile Henry pizza stone.
Bleu C.
April 5, 2013
I love deep dish Chicago pizza. Pequod's (or the original, Burt's) with it's caramelized cheese crust is my favorite!
meredithleigh
April 5, 2013
A good crispy crust - butternut squash and pancetta, topped with arugula is my favorite.
MMD
April 5, 2013
Made my first dough ever today...for pizza. can't wait to follow the NY Times directions...now if I only had the very best pan!
vevericka
April 5, 2013
I like a Margherita with something nice and green added like arugula or hearty spinach. And the more rustic the better.
Hgranger
April 5, 2013
Thin crust margarita. Maybe add truffle oil. Or gorgonzola and arugula. And truffle oil. Or something with a runny egg on top. Or chili oil. Mmmmm.
Nichol P.
April 5, 2013
This NYer absolutely loves a pan pie pizza with onions, green peppers, bacon, chicken, extra cheese, and a great sauce also garlic powder, parmigiana cheese, and red pepper flakes.
Amy W.
April 5, 2013
i love a brick oven, thick crust chicken Alfredo pizza so good! Highly recommended from Coco's in Nashville!
latkelet
April 5, 2013
Thin crust, fresh mozzarella, dab of sauce, crumbled sausage, broccoli rabe and potato slices.
Cimmy
April 5, 2013
Hand-tossed wheat dough like a local place here makes...tangy tomato sauce, cheese and pepperoni just this side of of burned.
CamillaMMann
April 5, 2013
Super thin crust with just a smear of fresh tomato sauce. Topped with fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (par-boiled) potatoes. Once it's baked, sprinkle with fresh rosemary and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Che buona!
calendargirl
April 5, 2013
Thin whole wheat crust with a combination of mozzarella and shredded sharp cheddar, topped with barely wilted spinach, almost any kind of wild mushrooms and shredded chicken.
Nidhi C.
April 5, 2013
Definitely thin-crust, slathered with chunky tomato sauce, topped with mozarella and garlic, sprinkled with fresh basil leaves and drizzled with olive oil - Simple, classic and maddeningly delicious! If I must have toppings, then I'd go with caramelized onions, arugula (or maybe spinach) and, if I'm in India, then Chicken Tikka! I'll take pineapple on a pizza only if there's something salty to balance it out!
summersavory
April 5, 2013
thin-crust, definitely; toppings are negotiable depending on the season. Some of my favorites are artichokes, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, and (of course) tomatoes/tomato sauce and cheese!
Marylouise S.
April 5, 2013
New York Style thin crust, just tomato and cheese. Best pizza I ever had (outside of Naples, Italy) was in London at a small Italian cafe. Pizza here in NW Pennsylvania is awful. We make our own because the local pizza is so poorly made.
Chris C.
April 5, 2013
thin crust with lots of garlic, mushroom, red peppers, onions and a ton of cheese!
creamcheese
April 5, 2013
New Haven style crust, with fried eggplants, garlic spinach, and caramelized onions on a tomato mozz base!
ReneKay
April 5, 2013
Thin crust, small amount of red sauce, carmelized onions, Moz or ricotta cheese.
Dolcearia
April 5, 2013
Neo-neopolitan from Peter Reinhart's American Pie, with homemade sauce, arugula dressed with lemon, oil and salt, mushrooms sauteed in anchovy oil, fresh mozarella and proscuitto. Making it now as matter of fact....
Cristina S.
April 5, 2013
Thin crust, New York-style, with mozzarella, tomato, basil, garlic, onions, and half pepperoni.
RossG
April 5, 2013
If homemade, thin and crispy as possible. probably on a whole wheat dough as well. but if in Chicago or California I'd have to go deep-dish (Zachary's in California does a great deep-dish by the way)
spoon
April 5, 2013
neapolitan-style, tomato sauce, with dollops of mozzarella that droop over grilled eggplant slices.
darksideofthespoon
April 5, 2013
Thin blistery crust, no sauce - cheese instead, with garlic, chopped rosemary, and very thinly sliced potatoes. Lots of salt, pepper and hot chili flakes.
emilyt
April 5, 2013
tangy-sour crisp thin crust with a tangle of caramelized onions, dollops of ricotta, and shaved pecorino on top. with a glass of wine!
cookinginvictoria
April 5, 2013
I am definitely in the thin, crispy crust with some blistering camp. I like just a few simple toppings so the crust doesn't get soggy. At home we usually do homemade tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella or ricotta, a sprinkling of olives and maybe some mushrooms or Italian sausage or artisan salumi. In Victoria, the best pizza in town is at Pizzeria Prima Strada, which makes authentic Neopolitan pizza. I always get the special, which changes daily. I recently feasted on a white pizza there made with pancetta and thin slices of Meyer lemon. So good -- a slice of heaven!
magproctor
April 5, 2013
Neopolitan-style thin crust with garlic, a little mozzarella, rosemary, bacon, Kalamata olives (and olive oil) and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar. The vinegar gets all caramelized, it's delicious
AntoniaJames
April 5, 2013
Fried green tomatoes, Tarheel style, with a barely perceptible layer of hard Italian cheese and arugula, on thin, crispy multigrain crust made with wild yeast levain. When green tomatoes are not in season, first choice is Zachary's, whichever type (thin or thin) that my companions prefer -- after all, pizza is the quintessential shared food -- with whatever toppings appeal at that moment. ;o)
jbban
April 5, 2013
A nicely charred New Haven pizza, but not from the traditional places that leave them swimming in grease.
Devangi R.
April 5, 2013
I love thin crust brick oven pizza especially from our fav place Grimaldi's Hoboken. Ahh..looks like tonight is pizza night..for toppings we go simple onion, spinach , roasted red bell pepper and mozz..ofcourse a red pie..
Desert D.
April 5, 2013
Double mushroom pizza, but only with fresh mushrooms, never canned. At home I like to try unusual toppings, like butternut squash or pistachios.
louisez
April 5, 2013
pizza with a thin crust -- and topping made with fresh tomatoes, a good fresh mozzarella, parmigiano reggiano -- and fresh basil leaves to put on top (but only after the pizza comes out of the oven).
best in the summer -- when the tomatoes and basil come fresh from the garden.
as for the great pineapple debate: i'm in the no pineapple camp. i'm also in the no ham camp, so the question of whether you can or ought to have pineapple pizza without ham or ham pizza without pineapple (depending on your point of view) is moot for me.
best in the summer -- when the tomatoes and basil come fresh from the garden.
as for the great pineapple debate: i'm in the no pineapple camp. i'm also in the no ham camp, so the question of whether you can or ought to have pineapple pizza without ham or ham pizza without pineapple (depending on your point of view) is moot for me.
douglasgray
April 5, 2013
White Clam Pizza from New Haven came into my life late. Loaded with boulders of garlic, swimming in hot olive oil, the tender clams call to me. By Name ! It is a religious, transcendent experience. There IS a god and the food she/he serves in heaven is White Clam Pizza.
jujyfruit
April 5, 2013
I typically love a thin crust pizza with fresh herbs (basil or rosemary), mushrooms, and some funky cheese. BUT a nice, chewy crust loaded with toppings (including pineapple!) will always have a place in my heart.
thebunalsorises
April 5, 2013
When I was younger, I convinced myself I didn't like pizza. A combination of the smell of Pizza Hut slices from birthday parties and my own distate for the conventional, I managed to avoid eating it for nearly 16 years. These past four, however, I think I have made up for the lost time. The best pizza ever is homemade of course, with dollops of homemade ricotta and loads of wild mushrooms!
Marian B.
April 5, 2013
I'm so happy you've finally seen the light. Ricotta and wild mushrooms are two of my favorite things. And pizza makes three.
melomel
April 5, 2013
I love a thin crust pizza with just the right amount of sauce (my current favorite is my husband's roasted red pepper BBQ sauce) topped with chevre and anything else we pull out of the fridge (baking eggs on top is also a major win!)
See what other Food52 readers are saying.