Roasted Vegetable Pizza and 9 Interesting Facts on Pizza.

  Years ago, I visited a restaurant in Indianapolis, Indiana.  I believe it was an Italian place but I remember to enter, you walked in by the kitchen.  I ordered an eggplant parmesean pizza which was quite good but it was not what I was used to.  The crust was like a bread.  It was more of a cracker, very thin and crispy.  I was assured by the lady from Europe who came with us that this was a traditional Italian pizza.

I prefer a thinner crust.  The other day, I roasted some beets, carrots, and parsnips.  I had some for dinner but I didn't feel like eating them all at once so I saved a few back and used them on a pizza.  Remember I do not use exact measurements.  I cook by feel much of the time.

I made up a sourdough thin crust and let it rise in the pan while I chopped up the left over roasted vegetables into small pieces which I stirred up with some Italian spices.  I chopped up a couple Roma tomatoes.  When the dough was ready, I sprinkled the tomatoes and roasted veggies all over so it was well covered.  I topped with a mix of shredded cheese and Parmesan.  I baked it at 425 till done. 

I loved the way the flavor of the roasted vegetables came through the cheese.  It was great.  I tend to throw whatever I have around when I make a pizza.  I did one with left over spiced refried beans, tomatoes and cheese.  It was my vegetarian version of the taco pizza. 

Now for a few interesting facts on Pizza:

1. The term "pizza" first appeared in 997 AD when someone was supposed to pay the Bishop of Gaeta 12 pizza's ever Christmas.

2.  The most expensive pizza in the world costs $12,000 for an 8 inch pizza.  You are paying for the Chef, the wine expert, and a sous chef who come to your house to prepare it.

3.  The earliest pizza recorded comes from Greece, long before Italy or the United States.

4. The first commercial pizza originated in 18th century Italy and was a bread with no toppings.  It was sold to the poor.

5. Although pizza was sold in the United States it did not be popular until World War II when soldiers returned from fighting in Italy where they tasted the real thing.  They helped create a demand so became quite popular.

6.  Italy passed laws which stated exactly what ingredients could be used so it is designated an Italian Pizza.  Frozen pizzas do not meet the criteria.

7.  The first frozen pizzas appeared in 1957 by the Celentano Brothers.  At first it could only be found in grocery stores but over time, frozen pizza's were sold in gas stations, convenience stores and other places.

8.  The first american pizzeria opened in New York in 1895.

9. Although American prefer pepperoni on their pizza's, in India, they prefer tofu, pickled garlic, and minced mutton.  Americans consume about 2.51 million pounds of pepperoni every year.