American Recipes: Pizza
Italian immigrants have had a huge influence on the United States, and one place this is evident is in American recipes. Think of all the foods that the average American cooks, eats, and enjoys: pizza, spaghetti, tiramisu, pasta dishes, meatballs, Italian sausage, dishes made with Italian cheeses, and many other dishes.
Americans love pizza! What we think of as pizza began in Italy, where a crust was covered with tomato sauce or tomatoes. This was known as “Neapolitan pie.” Ironically, the part that most of us love the most about a pizza, the cheese, wasn’t included in Neapolitan pies until the end of the 1800s. the pizza was brought to America by immigrants, and it caught on rapidly in cities like New York and Chicago.
Americans have embraced pizza and have come up with some rather unique pizza recipes, including Hawaiian pizza, BBQ chicken pizza, cheeseburger pizza, and pulled pork pizza. Just about every city and town in the USA has a pizzeria or two, or scores. Supermarkets, even those in tiny hamlets, sell frozen and refrigerated pizzas. Pizza slices can even be purchased in convenience stores, at sporting events, and at fairs and festivals. Most public school lunchrooms across the United States serve pizza on a regular basis, too.