There is ample evidence on this blog that I love pizza. As a Chicago girl I can always go for a slice of deep dish from Lou Malnati’s but clearly this isn’t an option in LA. Well, not technically true. You can order the pizza online and have it shipped to you. Yes, in case you are wondering, I have done that in the past. Desperate times call for desperate measures people.

Normally what I do is just make my own pizza when I have a craving. I like to think that after months of making, let’s face it, pizza nearly weekly, I’ve become a bit of a pro. So obviously, when I had friends over for dinner on Friday night I made a pizza. It was a simple pie but turned out incredible!

Thus, I have decided that it is time to break down what needs to happen to make an unforgettable at home pizza. Here are the essential steps:

1. Good dough: This is the base for the whole pizza. Personally, I love the raw dough from Trader Joe’s when I am in a hurry. I have ambitions of one day making my own dough but in a pinch, Trader Joe’s is fantastic. When I’m alone I normally use wheat dough, but because I had friends coming over I sprung for herb dough which is probably my favorite of all the Trader Joe’s dough’s.
2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: To me, this is the second most essential ingredient after the dough! When I make pizza I always brush the pan and the pizza dough with EVO after I have spread it out on the pan. This makes the crust extra crispy.
3. Salt, Pepper, crushed red pepper: These are all toppings that I sometimes forget, but when I remember to add them it gives the pizza that little extra punch.
4. Lots and lots of cheese: Personally, I cannot imagine pizza without some type of cheese. Normally, I grate cheese off of a block of cheddar but on Friday I bought a bag of Quattro Fromagio from Traders and I wasn’t disappointed. Other types of cheese I like? Goat cheese! No matter what cheese you use, my number 1 rule is that you use a lot of it and let the cheese cook on the pizza until it is brown on top.
5. Fresh ingredients: Friday night we only used pepper and mushroom but the pizza was still great because of the foundation. As I have come to find… almost any topping is good as long as the quality is good!

The result?

Pretty tasty if you ask me!

Random Question: What pairs better with pizza for you, wine or beer? I love wine but I got a bit of a beer education yesterday and I think might say beer!