Hello, welcome to our series sharing Food Holidays: October 2021: National Pizza Month. Please keep this month a secret from David and Charlie because if they knew it was National Pizza Month this is all they would want to eat everyday and even though I like Pizza once in a while I don’t want it for the entire month of October. How about you. Would you want Pizza everyday for dinner?
National Pizza Month
Pizza is a awesome, and there’s really no such thing as bad Pizza, even the worst Pizza is still pretty good. We know Pizza has been around for an incredibly long time, the word itself going back as far as 997 AD in Southern Italy.
Pizza Month gives Pizza lovers an entire month to celebrate Pizza, and more than ample time (31 whole days!) to enjoy Pizza in all its varieties. Small, large, circle, square, and much more!
Let’s get started by learning about Pizza Month:
History of Pizza Month
The History of Pizza Month is of course, at least in part, attributed to the History of this delicious dish itself: Pizza. As mentioned above, the term goes back more than one thousand years to when the idea of Flatbread was created. This Pizza was derived from a version of what we now know as Focaccia Bread, a Roman flatbread commonly served with toppings.
From that time moving forward, there have been developments that slowly led to the comfort food that the world knows and loves as Pizza.
Now, this doesn’t mean that it was a straight line, mind you. Some say that Roman Soldiers created the first Pizza when they added Cheese and Olive Oil to Matzah Bread. One thing is known for certain, Pizza as we know it today came into being as a result of the discovery of the Tomato inAmericas, and its return to Europe in the 16th Century.
Where did the Pizza begin? Pizza as a Flatbread with a Tomato Sauce started in Naples and quickly became popular. Until the 1830’s it was almost exclusively sold from open-air stands and out of Pizza Cafes, a tradition that is largely followed even today.
This morphed into something closer to what we know today as “Pizza” sometime around the 18th or 19th Centuries in Naples, Italy.
No one was happy with the devastating effects of World War II, one of the positives was that Allied Troops who had been stationed in Italy brought the idea of Pizza back to their home Countries.
Here is a piece of trivia the source of the ‘Marinara’ Sauce is the traditional Tomato Sauce. Have you ever wondered why the Sauce is called Marinara? Because it was created by “La Marinara” the Mariner’s wife, to serve to her seafaring husband upon return from fishing the Bay of Naples.
Pizza Month was originally created as an American observance and celebrated for the first time in October 1984. It was created by Gerry Durnell, publisher of Pizza Today, a magazine dedicated to this delicious pie. For more than 30 years, this month has been a fitting tribute to this iconic dish.
Get ready to celebrate Pizza Month!
How to Celebrate Pizza Month
An entire month to celebrate Pizza? Well, that might be enough time to get started on some of these ideas:
Eat Pizza, Of Course!
We shouldn’t have to encourage you to go out and eat all the Pizza you can get your hands on this month. We’re not entirely certain that Pizza Month is for you. Who needs encouragement to celebrate this month?
Order in, or go out to a local Pizza joint and order a pitcher of Beer or Soft Drinks, or just enjoy eating Homemade Pizza in front of a movie. Whatever way you slice Pizza, Pizza Month is meant to be enjoyed for thirty-one whole delicious days!
Make Pizza at Home
Whether making Dough from scratch or picking up a premade refrigerated dough, making Pizza at home can be a fun activity for the whole family. Let every member of the family custom create their own Pizza then bake the Pizzas, and enjoy Pizza!
Try Out Different Pizza Toppings
If you’re wanting to truly honor the Pizza, then it’s time to try new toppings on your Pizza. Experience the full range of what the Pizza can be! Go out, try a new Pizza!
Consider these ideas for unique Pizza toppings:
- Chipotle Cajun Shrimp and Guacamole Pizza. Just the name is a mouthful, the flavor of this Pizza is very tasty. Cook Shrimp with Cajun and Creole Seasoning, spread Guacamole over Pizza Dough then add Shrimp and Cheese. Bake the Pizza and once its cooked have a slice or two.
- Thanksgiving Day Leftover Pizza. On Black Friday when everyone is sick of the leftovers from the previous day’s festivities, go ahead and pile those bits and pieces onto a prepared Crust and pop the Pizza in the oven. Used Mashed Sweet Potatoes as the “Sauce”. Spread out Turkey, Corn, Cranberry Sauce, and shredded Cheese on top of your Pizza. Cook then have a slice.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
