Pizza Perfection

What's the difference between Chicago and New York pizza? What are the best pizza spices? Find the answers — and get some tips for making your perfect pizza.
Is pizza your favorite food? You're not alone. Americans eat 100 acres of pizza daily! (The favorite topping is pepperoni, and the least favorite is anchovies.)

This love affair with tomatoes, cheese, toppings and seasonings atop a baked dough isn't new, of course.

Pizza came to America via Italian immigrants in the 19th century but didn’t become popular until after World War ll. The craze first hit port cities such as New York and San Francisco, then moved to the Midwest. Today there are over 61,000 pizzerias from across the country.. In fact, pizza is more popular now in America than in Italy, where it’s served mostly as an appetizer. Americans have truly embraced this dish and made it their own.

Grilled vegetables and an array of spices nicely individualize this Very Veggie Pizza.

Pizza even has regional variations. Chicago-style pizza is a deep-dish style-- but also can refer to another Chicago style, "stuffed" pizza. Authentic Chicago-style pizza features a buttery crust, generous amounts of cheese and a chunky tomato sauce. A never-ending debate persists over who created the deep-dish Chicago pizza—but its place of origin is undisputed.

Chicago-style was created in 1943 at Pizzeria Uno, at the corner of Ohio Street and Wabash Avenue in Chicago, either by Ike Sewell (the former football player and founder of Uno) or Rudy Malnati (Ike’s chef). Americans had eaten pizza primarily as a snack. By enhancing some of Italy's authentic recipes with larger amounts of quality meats, a variety of fresh cheeses, vegetables and flavor-enhancing spices, a new American dish was born.

Starting with a dough made from cornmeal and olive oil, Chicago-style pizza is arranged in a thick layer in a deep round pan, turned up on the sides, and par-baked (before adding