A Social Pizza Experiment

Pizza delivery has been pretty much the norm since the sixties when Tom Monaghan, the founder of Dominos Pizza, started bringing pizza pies right to the doorsteps of Americans.

Today, home pizza delivery is still an integral part of the pizza culture, and there are other areas of our modern culture where pizza delivery fits in just as well. The big screen is one of those places.

Pizza Delivery at the Movies

The Movie Industry’s Rising Star

Pizza delivery has been making a presence in the movie industry for years.

In the movie “Blue Streak”, Martin Lawrence dresses up as a pizza delivery guy to try and get into the office of the police commissioner. He’s got to be the most stylish (or not!) pizza delivery guy in history.

Kevin McAllister ordered pizza for his jaunt in a white stretch limo around New York City in “Home Alone 2″.

There are even movies that have a pizza delivery guy as the main character. The 1984 comedy, Delivery Boys and Spike Lee’s 1989, “Do the Right Thing” are two examples.

Beyond The Movies

There are pizza delivery guys in novels like Tom Wolfe’s “I Am Charlotte Simmons” and Neal Stephenson’s “Snow Crash”. Pizza delivery has even made its way in the mainstream television racket with the Australian comedy series, Pizza. Pizza even has its own month. October has been National Pizza Month since 1987.

Fat Pizza - Aussie TV Series

Pizza isn’t just a food anymore. It’s has been integrated into our society over time. It’s just a part of who we are. It doesn’t matter if you live in Melbourne, Paris or San Francisco, you’ll find pizza somewhere in today’s culture.

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009-2010

What do 9 teenagers, and a bunch of half eaten slices of pizza have in common? Well, nothing really except that the slices of pizza helped to capture the teenagers in a string of auto thefts.

Pizza Smashes Car Theft Ring

A Taste For Hondas And Pizza!

It’s true. As reported in the San Francisco Chronicles, the teenagers allegedly stole more than twenty Honda Accords in and around the Oakland, California, USA area. Seems they had a taste for Hondas and pizza.

The gang would steal a car, drive it around for a few days, all the while indulging themselves with pizza. When they’d had all the fun they wanted to have, they’d strip the car of all of its valuable parts, and then leave it abandoned. So how were these pizza loving bandits discovered?

Pizza Box Leads To Arrest

Pizza PoliceThe mystery was solved when investigators noticed that the pizza boxes had the name of the pizza joint on them, but none of them had the tags that come with them when you buy a pizza. They put two and two together, and deduced that the car-theft bandit must work at a pizza place. At this point in their investigation they had no idea they were looking for more than one suspect. Their hunch paid off.

A 17 year-old suspected car thief was working at the counter of the pizza establishment. The trail eventually led to the arrest of the other 8 pizza-munching bandits, all of whom were underage.

Not many people would look at a pizza as a device that helps solve crime, but here at Melbourne pizza delivery, we know that pizza makes anything possible!

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009-2010

Most of us take pizza delivery for granted, and why not? For decades pizzas have been showing up at our doorsteps.

We call for pizza takeaway, and within 30 minutes or so, there’s a knock at the door, and our pizza is delivered right to our homes, piping hot. It may even seem as if pizza delivery always existed, but it didn’t. So when was the worlds first pizza delivery, and who ordered it?

Worlds First Pizza Delivery

The Worlds First Pizza Delivery

It is speculated that the worlds first pizza delivery took place in 1889. Naples pizzeria owner, Raffaele Esposito, was believed to have delivered a pizza to the king and queen of Italy while they were visiting the city. It is said that the queen wanted to try this new style food called pizza pie, but couldn’t bring herself to actually visit a pizza establishment.

When American service men came home from overseas after World War II, they brought with them a palate for pizza, which was already quite popular in Europe. It wasn’t until after World War II, when the automobile started to become a more accessible commodity, that home pizza delivery started to come onto the scene.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Domino’s Pizza founder, Tom Monaghan, however, was the person most credited with the new age of pizza delivery.

“Delivery at the time was pretty minimal, so I decided to focus on that, and it was the best thing I’ve done. Nobody thought you could make money on delivery. Most places just delivered to get some volume before they could afford to cut out the delivery. But I thought I could do it,” said Monaghan in an interview with Fortune Magazine in the late sixties.

Although he was not responsible for the worlds first pizza delivery, Melbourne and the rest of the world continue to benefit from Tom Monaghan’s insight, determination, and perseverance.

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009-2010

There seems to be some debate as to the healthfulness of pizza. To some, pizza is an easy and convenient wholesome dinner, made even more so by the availability and ease of pizza delivery.

Is Pizza Healthy

To others, pizza is a fattening indulgence, nothing better than junk food. So what’s the real story? Is pizza healthy or simply sinful?

Pizza Is What You Make It

Perhaps you could have guessed that answer, but it’s really the truth. Pizza can and will be whatever you (or your favorite Melbourne pizza chef) make it. It has a lot to do with your pizza’s foundation, and everything to do with what you use for your pizza toppings.

Making A Healthy Pizza

Healthy Pizza Ingredients

Basically, pizza preparation follows no different dietary rules than any other health food. To make a healthy pizza, start with whole wheat dough (healthier than white breads and crusts) and your favorite tomato sauce, and then top that with a skim rather than whole-milk mozzarella or pizza cheese.

Pile on the low-fat toppings, mainly vegetables (try tomato, onion, pepper, mushroom, broccoli, or whatever you like best) and you have a quite healthy pizza this is low fat, low calorie and extremely yummy.

Making A Sinful Pizza

Sinful Pizza

On the other hand, if you care more for the flavor than the calorie count, go for the traditional white pizza dough, top it with the creamier and tastier whole milk mozzarella (extra cheese, please!) and pile it high with the meats of your choice…pepperoni, bacon, ham, hamburger, and sausage are among the world’s most popular.

If that makes you feel guilty (but hey what’s life without a few guilty pleasures?) you can take solace in the fact that even the “unhealthy” versions of pizza still have high nutritional value in some respects. Tomatoes are known for their antioxidant power and other health benefits, and carbohydrates, calcium, and protein are all important parts of a healthy diet, too!

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009-2010

Pizza-BoxThe green movement has officially broken the barriers of the pizza culture. The design firm, ECO Inc. has invented the Greenbox. It’s clever invention that makes it simple for you to have your Melbourne pizza and eat it with style.

Introducing The Greenbox

The Greenbox is a pizza box that is perforated on the lid. The perforations break the pizza box into four different sections that can be used as pizza plates.

You can also tear off a few of the triangular strips from the sides of the bottom section of the box, fold at the score, and you’ve got a handy-dandy half-sized pizza box for your leftover pizza slices!

Pizza Box Turns Into Pizza Plates

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Because parts of a pizza box get all greasy they aren’t necessarily considered to be recyclable. This usually only happens to the bottom of the box. The lid, being made out of corrugated cardboard, can usually be recycled, so you could argue that by using it for pizza plates makes it unsuitable for recycling. You could also argue that by not using real plates you save on water use.

Say Goodbye To Dirty Dishes

No matter which argument you stand behind, at the end of the day, if you call for pizza delivery here in Melbourne you’re going to get a pizza box. Chances are you’re going to use some form of disposable plates to eat it off of so you don’t have to worry about cleaning dishes.

After all, when someone orders out, it usually means they aren’t in the mood for cooking or cleaning up the mess associated with it. So why not use your pizza box for pizza plates? You’re paying for it anyway.

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009-2010

There aren’t too many people that would turn their nose up at a pizza. That’s because pizza can be prepared in a thousand different ways.

As such, pizza can take on a thousand different flavours; and almost all of those flavours are all in the toppings. Due to the diversity of pizza flavours, no matter what makes your taste buds dance, there is bound to be a pizza that’s right for just about everyone.

Pizza Topping Ingredients

The Flavour Is All In The Topping

The topping is what really makes a pizza so delicious. Let’s face it, cheese matters and so does sauce, but the real meat of a pizza, the thing that brings it to life, is the pizza topping. It’s the topping that has that magical ability to change the entire pizza flavour completely.

Toss on some anchovies and you’ve got a unique specific flavor. Exchange the anchovies for broccoli and the flavor changes instantly. Garlic awakens certain taste buds and crushed red pepper sets them on fire. This is what makes pizza such a universal food.

Pizza Topping IngredientsPizza is eaten all over the world, and each group of people tops it with their own special items. In Japan the favored topping is squid. In India, it’s curry. Brazilians like green peas, and Americans prefer pepperoni. Even the well-off people eat pizza, albeit with toppings most people in Melbourne wouldn’t dream of.

Escargot, fresh lobster marinated in aged cognac, truffles, you name it, pizza toppings can be anything from exuberant and lavish to basic and common, with each of them giving your taste buds their own special party.

At Melbourne Pizza Delivery, we are prepared to try any type of pizza flavour once. If you have a recipe for a great pizza, why not add it into the comments below so we can try it out!

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009

Have you ever stopped and thought about just how many different pizza toppings people put on a pizza pie? It’s really incredible if you stop and think about it.

The interesting thing about pizza toppings is that what is considered to be the most common toppings change from country to country.

Pizza Toppings

Favourite Pizza Toppings Around The World

For instance, the most favourite pizza topping of Americans is pepperoni. In Japan the most favorite topping is squid. In Brazil it’s green peas. Now that’s one way to make sure you eat your vegetables. Russian’s prefer something called mockba, which is a sort of fish medley.

In the Netherlands folks live a double dose of everything – double cheese, double onions and double beef, and in Melbourne the preferred pizza toppings are shrimp and pineapple.

The reality is that people will turn just about anything into a topping for pizza. People are constantly coming up with new pizza toppings. Check out some of these pizza toppings from around the world.

  • Broccoli
  • Pizza ToppingsPeanut Butter
  • Philly Cheese steak
  • Clams
  • Crickets
  • BBQ Chicken
  • Pickled Ginger
  • Minced Mutton
  • Eel
  • Coconut
  • Cheese

Ok, cheese is a pretty well-known topping, but did you know that mozzarella cheese accounts for approximately 30% of the total cheese output in the world? The bulk of that mozzarella winds up on the top of pizzas all over the world.

The thing about pizza toppings is that there’s really no wrong topping. If you like a certain food, and you’ll eat it when it sits atop a pizza pie, then that’s a pizza topping. It’s a simple as that. At Melbourne Pizza Delivery, we will try anything on top of a pizza, there are no rules!

What’s your favourite topping?

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009

Some folks shy away from pizza because it can have a lot of salt and fat in it, but it’s not all bad. Melbourne pizza eaters will be happy to hear that there also some great health benefits of pizza.

Health Benefits Of Pizza Health Benefits Of Pizza

Nutrition research conducted in Europe studied the eating habits of people with cancer. It indicated that people who were eating pizza at least once a week were less likely to develop certain cancers such as mouth, esophageal, throat, and colon cancer.

“We knew that tomato sauce could offer protection against certain tumors, but we did not expect pizza as a complete meal also to offer such protective powers.” Nicola O’Connor, of Cancer Research UK, told BBC News Online; “This study is interesting and the results should probably be looked at in the context of what we already know about the Mediterranean diet and its association with a lower risk of certain types of cancer.”

It is theorized that Lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, helps a person to protect against developing cancer. This is great news for all those pizza connoisseurs out there.

Pizza In Moderation

Don’t feel like this news gives you free license to start eating pizza seven days a week. The classic Italian pizza was used in the research, but some pizzas are loaded with saturated fats and salts.

Why would the folks at Melbourne Pizza Delivery, who make their living delivering scrumptious pizza pies, say something that may dissuade people from eating pizza? Well, we care about your health just as much as you do.

We also know how delicious pizza is, and know that, like anything else, if eaten in moderation you can still enjoy pizza with your family and friends, and hopefully capitalise on some of the excellent health benefits of pizza as well.

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009

The thing about pizza is that no matter who you are, there is bound to be a pizza out there that suits your taste buds.

Whether it be one of the more famous pizzas, or one of your own creations, just about everyone will have a favourite that they just can’t get enough of!

Famous Name Pizzas

Pizzas come in all sort of flavors, they have different thicknesses, they are served both hot and cold, and they can be eaten with a red sauce or without. That’s why pizza is such a popular food here in Melbourne, and in fact all around the world… simply due to it’s diversity.

Famous Pizza Names

Through the years some pizzas, with signature ingredients, have had the honor of being given a name all their own that indicates specifically what their toppings are. Here are a few of the more famous pizza names

Pizza Margherita – Is a very simply constructed pizza that includes tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and a sparing of olive oil and basil. It’s very basic but bursting with flavor.

Pizza Marinara – Is the pizza for you if seafood and garlic is your thing. The pizza marinara is a basic pizza that simply swaps the basil for garlic. How much garlic? Well, that depends on how much you like garlic.

Pizza al Prosciutto – This pizza’s signature ingredient is finely chopped ham. It is prepared the same as the others, but sprinkled with ham instead of basil or garlic.

Pizza Prosciutto e Funghi – Builds on the Pizza al Prosciutto by including champignon mushrooms with the finely chopped ham.

L’Atomic – Can include a number of various toppings such as capers, mushrooms, or anchovies, but the ingredient that makes a L’Atomic Pizza a L’Atomic Pizza is crumpled red pepper. On yeah!

There are lots of other pizzas that have been given names. In fact, you could create your own pizza and give it your own exclusive name. Of course, if you order it through Melbourne Pizza Delivery you’ll probably have to explain what it is!

Let us know what your favourite pizza is in the comments below, you never know, it just may end up being one of the famous pizzas one day!

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009

Some people use metal pans for cooking their pizzas and others use a pizza stone. It’s a matter preference, but here’s a little background on the issue.

Stone Or No Stone

A pizza stone will make the crust of a pizza nice and crispy. The heat from your oven is distributed evenly across a pizza stone, and the porous nature of the stone plays a key role in removing a lot of the moisture from the pizza. This makes a crispy crust, which many people prefer. This porous quality of a pizza stone, however, means that you need to take special care of it.

Pizza Stone

Pizza Stone Care

It goes without saying that if the stone will absorb the moisture from your pizza, it will also absorb other things like soap. Because of this, you should never wash your pizza stone with soapy water. Use only cool water, and be sure your stone has cooled completely first. Here are some other tips on how to use and care for your pizza stone.

• Always place your stone in a cold oven. It needs to absorb the heat evenly. A pizza stone may shatter if placed into a hot oven when it’s cold.

• Your pizza stone needs to be preheated before using it.

• To safely remove it from the oven a wooden paddle is recommended as pot holders aren’t designed to handle something as hot as the stone.

• A heavy pizza stone doesn’t cook any better than a lighter one.

• Use a wooden paddle to place your pizza onto the preheated stone to avoid getting burned.

Caring For Your Pizza Stone…

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Pizza stones are a great choice for making pizza at home, or even for reheating your pizza. You just have to know how to use and care for your pizza stone. Hope this helps, and remember, if you should happen to mess it up, you can always call Melbourne pizza delivery!

Aussie Pizza Connoisseur
Melbourne Pizza Delivery © 2009

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