# Great pizza combinations **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397 "2008-02-27T17:57:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/61 "2008-02-28T16:21:38Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] At least in Florida, good-quality canned plum or roma tomatoes are definitely better than any fresh tomatoes you can buy. [/QUOTE] This isn’t unusual at all. The tomatoes you find in the bin in the produce department are carefully bred to look bright, smooth, and shiny after sitting in the back of a truck for three days and two thousand miles. In other words, they’re bred to be _sold_, not to be eaten. Taste is an afterthought, way, way down on the priority list. There’s about a month at the height of summer when local, fresh tomatoes are available, and make a superior marinara. Otherwise, the other eleven months out of the year, canned is the way to go. Not only is there no reason to be embarrassed to use canned, it’s actually the smarter option. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/62 "2008-02-28T16:52:05Z")
Ok, here’s one for you. I’m not sure what part of Alabama you are from but I know you have a gulf coast, some swamps, wild hogs, and presumably palm trees. How about a Bama Bayou Pizza!? Smoked Wild Boar, Hearts of Palm (fresh, if you can get em.), maybe some onions and garlic, and… well… the sauce I’m kind of running up against a wall… but I’m thinking a variation on a Jerk sauce would have some nice spicy overtones that would work well with the savory boar and bland hearts of palm. Either that, or maybe a BBQ sauce would work well. I know it sounds a little gimmicky, but they are local foods to certain parts of your state, and using local foods as ingredients, and ultimately making something your own is what good food and food innovation is all about. The novelty factor is also a selling point and I’ll bet you’d be the goto place if it takes off. You’ll be the first and only, the standard, the original if you can come up with a tasty Bama pizza. When your competitors start making knockoffs you’ll know you got something. There is also the case of your state foods. Peaches, Blackberries, and Pecans are Alabama’s official foods. That sounds like a perfect fruit pizza to me… Simple to macerate the peaches and berries; put em on a pizza crust with a sweet, cream cheese schmear; top with pecans and brown sugar. For something a little more classic or nouvelle Italian, might I suggest a pizza with deepfried baby artichoke hearts cut in half, and layered alternately with thin slices of deepfried potato. Top with some chopped garlic, a good drizzle of EVOO, and a sprinkling of fresh grated Parmesan or Romano cheese just before you put it in the oven. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/63 "2008-02-28T17:16:48Z")
Ok, I just got a brilliant idea thanks to memories of my old 'Baman neighbor, Roscoe (RIP). Fried Green Tomato Pizza!! Cornmeal breaded, fried, green tomatoes and thick crispy slices of bacon atop a white (sausage) gravy sauce on a pizza crust. I’ll leave it up to you to make the catfish pizza. ---
**Author:** ![3waygeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e95f7d/32.png) [@3waygeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3waygeek)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/64 "2008-02-28T17:32:04Z")
[QUOTE=Omniscient] I’ll second the suggestion of a Taco Pizza. It’s pretty popular in the rural parts of the upper Mississippi Valley. [/QUOTE] That’s because it was invented by Joe Whitey of [Happy Joe’s](http://www.happyjoes.com) fame back in the early 70s, and the chain had outlets in lots of the smaller towns in eastern Iowa & western Illinois. Mom used to work about a block from the original HJ’s in Davenport, so she’d bring home pizza at least once a week. My favorite, then and now, was the Happy Joe’s special – Canadian bacon & sauerkraut. Every time I go back to Iowa, I get at least one. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/65 "2008-02-28T18:55:38Z")
[QUOTE=devilsknew] Ok, I just got a brilliant idea thanks to memories of my old 'Baman neighbor, Roscoe (RIP). Fried Green Tomato Pizza!! Cornmeal breaded, fried, green tomatoes and thick crispy slices of bacon atop a white (sausage) gravy sauce on a pizza crust. I’ll leave it up to you to make the catfish pizza. [/QUOTE] That would be SO AWESOME. Except I wouldn’t do the sausage gravy, it would overpower the tomatoes. You could drizzle some remoulade, though. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/66 "2008-02-28T19:37:41Z")
Here’s an idea: How about smoked salmon (dry-smoke) with dill and white sauce and parmesan? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/67 "2008-02-28T19:47:20Z")
I like to add some baby swiss cheese. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/68 "2008-02-28T19:57:24Z")
[QUOTE=Southern Yankee] Fried eggplant (sliced thin) and artichoke hearts is a great combination. [/QUOTE] I would throw some sliced green olives on this. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/69 "2008-02-28T20:14:39Z")
Buffalo chicken pizza. Crust, blue cheese dressing (or ranch, if you’re making it for me), cheese, and chicken strips coated in buffalo sauce. Top with a wee bit of oregano, and garlic as desired. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/70 "2008-02-28T20:54:18Z")
Something we get from a local place for journal club “refreshments” if we’re lucky: alfredo sauce (with some kinda cheese?), diced fresh tomatoes, little bits of chicken and / or shrimp, and a touch of lemon juice just before eating. Yummy. JRB Edit: Maybe it’s not alfredo sauce. A white cream sauce with garlic and stuff, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/71 "2008-02-28T21:27:52Z")
[QUOTE=ForumBot] \*Fuck anchovies. I refuse to put them on pizza. In fact, if you request anchovies, I will call over the salad boy from whatever he is doing so that he may ruin my perfectly good pizza with your disgusting slime-thing, while I tightly shut my eyes and pretend everything’s OK. No anchovies. Ever. [/QUOTE] One of my college dorm-mates regularly got delivery pizza with pineapples, mushrooms, and anchovies. He called it his fish, fruit, and fungus special. He said the main reason he got it was so that nobody would try to bum slices. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2008, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/72 "2008-02-28T21:53:07Z")
Any of you want to help me with my crust? I’m looking for a thick, chewy crust with random bubbles. What I get is a thick, chewy crust with small uniform bubbles. [Shirley Corriher\*](http://www.amazon.com/Cookwise-Revealed-Shirley-O-Corriher/dp/0688102298/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204235327&sr=1-1) taught me one thing already: I was making too dry of a dough. My last one was very soft and sticky and it was an improvement. Now I think it’s a matter of kneading and rising refinements. \*Outstanding book - I’m buying a copy as soon as this one goes back to the library. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/73 "2008-02-29T03:20:58Z")
[QUOTE=SCSimmons] One of my college dorm-mates regularly got delivery pizza with pineapples, mushrooms, and anchovies. He called it his fish, fruit, and fungus special. He said the main reason he got it was so that nobody would try to bum slices. 😕 [/QUOTE] It would be safe from me. This isn’t exotic, but I lurves it anyway: Canadian bacon\* and tomato slices. It was billed as the ‘Iditarod’ for a while here in my local independent pizza shop, but they changed it to ‘Yukon.’ I suspect no one knew what Iditarod meant. \*Ham will do, but C.B. is better. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/74 "2008-02-29T14:45:02Z")
Lately we’ve been getting Hawaiian Chicken Barbeque from Papa John’s, which we really like, by the way - the key is that instead of sauce it’s barbeque sauce, but they’ve been really stingy with it lately! Which sucks. But it’s barbeque sauce (tomato based), mozarella, pineapple, bacon, and chicken. When it’s good it’s awesome. Not very gourmet, but a crowd pleaser. ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/75 "2008-02-29T14:56:02Z")
Two of the more popular that get requested when I cook in my brick oven at home: Very thinly cut skirt steak, onion caramelized in brown sugar, tomato sauce, mozzarella. Smoked chicken, cheddar, bbq sauce, onion, and bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/76 "2008-02-29T15:02:50Z")
In any recipe that calls for anchovies, I substitute capers. You get the saltiness without any of the rotten fish overtones. ---
**Author:** ![Grossbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba8739/32.png) [@Grossbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grossbottom)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/77 "2008-02-29T15:07:11Z")
I love a good ham & cheese thin crust: prosciutto, swiss, a little grilled onion and roasted garlic, forget the sauce or maybe a bit of strong mustard. Or try a wee bit of charcoal ravaged skirt steak, marinated onion, fresh cilantro and either mojo or chimichurri as a sauce. ---
**Author:** ![bat312](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c77e96/32.png) [@bat312](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bat312)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/78 "2008-02-29T15:23:34Z")
Canadian bacon, pepperoni, garlic and giardiniera. You need to strain the excess oil off the giardiniera. ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/79 "2008-02-29T17:46:27Z")
[QUOTE=ForumBot] Fuck anchovies. I refuse to put them on pizza. In fact, if you request anchovies, I will call over the salad boy from whatever he is doing so that he may ruin my perfectly good pizza with your disgusting slime-thing, while I tightly shut my eyes and pretend everything’s OK. No anchovies. Ever. [/QUOTE] Have you tried it? I thought it was a terrible idea until a good (italian) friend of the family insisted I try it. The reason I don’t get them everytime is because no one else will eat them either. If I order anchovies I’m pretty much destined to eat the whole pie myself. Also, all of those ingredients are rather strong and will give you breath so bad the Doublemint Twins will slap you. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397/80 "2008-03-01T04:04:42Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] That would be SO AWESOME. Except I wouldn’t do the sausage gravy, it would overpower the tomatoes. You could drizzle some remoulade, though. [/QUOTE] (Sausage) was for comparison only. I’m talking about a white gravy sauce…milk gravy, bechamel. I’m not saying that you couldn’t reinforce that bechemel with oh, say some parmesan, pepper, and or/asiago–as well as sausage. I am hesitant about the remoulade. But yes, I think you are right about the sausage… one wants to enphasize the tart, creamy, and smoky-salty with this pizza. The sausage is overkill. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-pizza-combinations/439397.md?page=5)