If you were going to design a pizza after yourself, what would be on it and what would each of those ingredients represent?
Man, I love pizza. It’s a perfect meal. Carbs, veggies, protein, fat. There’s no bad time to eat it. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, 1am after leaving the bar. That was my favorite pizza. The greasy cheese slice on the way back to the dorms after a night of drinking with my friends. To this day I still get a slight craving for that particular pizza joint whenever I get a bit too tipsy.
But alas, I’ve written off most wheat products over the last few years. Unless I made it at home with a gluten free dough or premade crust, I wouldn’t eat pizza. The best pizza houses didn’t have the best gluten free alternatives or they were too expensive to order at any frequency. They’ve gotten a lot better now, though. Dominos actually has a really tasty gluten free crust and there are a bunch of local places that have amazing crusts without doubling the cost of the pizza.
It’s worth it to not have migraines every week, but sometimes I do miss a fluffy, cheese-filled crust. A pizza designed after myself would absolutely have a cheese-stuffed crust because I am fluffy and often full of cheese, despite my lack of tolerance for dairy. #YOLO
In the same vein, there would be at least 4 different kinds of cheese involved, because I am also often cheesy. Gotta have the classic mozzarella, of course, and some shredded cheddar (because what cheese is more American than cheddar?). Should get some gouda on there, as homage to my Dutch heritage. And some pepper jack, too, cause sometimes I can have a bit of a bite.
For the sauce, we go with a traditional tomato base, because you don’t mess with a good foundation. But it’s a jar of Ragu Classic because I’m cheap and too lazy to make my own sauce. I’m not Italian.
Ah but now we have to pick some toppings. I am not picky when it comes to pizza toppings as long as it’s not pepperoni. I don’t mind sliced pepperoni as a snack on its own or with crackers, but I just cannot abide it on my pizza. Never have. Typically, I lean towards a couple veggies, usually peppers and mushrooms, and maybe chicken or bacon if I want any meat. But if I’m to be the inspiration for this pizza, I must also justify these topping choices in some manner.
Mushrooms are hardy and they grow in dark places. Granted, my life hasn’t been nearly as tragic as some, but there were certainly some dark periods during which I grew. Peppers come in all kinds of shapes and sizes and flavors, just like my stories. They can also be sweet, mild, or spicy. Depending on the day, so can I.
The chicken is easy. I am a big chicken after all. I don’t like scary movies, and I’m still afraid of the dark sometimes. Chickens can also be fierce, though, especially to protect their chicks. (Learned that from experience, growing up on a farm. Do NOT fuck with mother hens.) I don’t have chicks, but I do have family that I would move heaven and earth for if anything ever threatened them.
As for the bacon, it’s delicious, and in the words of Eleanor Shellstrop of The Good Place, “I am a legit snack.” Ok maybe that’s a little over the top, I am no Kristin Bell, haha! But regardless, bacon makes everything better. I like to think I also make things better just by existing sometimes. If my presence or something I do or say makes just one person happy a day, then that’s a good day for me.
And just like that, I have a delicious pizza based on me. I’d eat it. What about you? What sorts of toppings would go on a pizza inspired by you?
Notes: Wow, I didn’t think I’d get a lot of words out of this one, but I made it work. This was kinda fun, too. Give it a shot yourself! Maybe dig deeper than I did. Like, what toppings would represent your dreams or your fears? Would you make it edible or just build it willy nilly with non-food things that represent you? That’s always an option with these sorts of prompts, too.
That’ll do it for this one. Have a great Wednesday!
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