When I was in elementary school my classmates and I were asked to stand in front of the class, introduce ourselves, and tell everyone our favorite kind of pizza. Most of my classmates chose pepperoni, many picked cheese, and, one kid said olives. When it was my turn I looked to my peers and said, “Hi, my name is Susanna and my favorite pizza is Al Forno's Margherita pizza.”

This introduction is much better suited to the Culture community than to my eight year old classmates. For those of you who don't know, Al Forno is a world renowned restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island and it is the birth place of the grilled pizza. The margherita pizza is always on the menu and it never disappoints.

Manhattan local news site DNAinfo spotted this goat dining with a couple at Famous Famiglia's pizza parlor.

Correspondent Leslie Albrecht gathered customer's reactions:

“Get out of here. That’s insane,” said Ed Sullivan, 37, a construction worker from Long Island. “It’s not sanitary — well — I guess it depends on the goat."

Read the full story here.

Update:

The goat is apparently a minor Passaic, NJ celebrity named Cocoa, whose companion Cyrus Fakroddin occasionally takes her for a trip to the big city.

I didn't think I'd like this recipe by Jasmin over at 1finecookie.com until I read this:

If I don’t run away to join Menudo, I will join DMX and his Ruff Ryders: With DMX in and out of jail (and hospitals) so much, the Ryders need a new leader.

... 

So.. with all this business I had to come up with something quick. Behold, pizza in a jar. People are obsessed with things in jars. I can’t help but give the people what they want.

It's official:

After only six months of living here, I am now a Californian. The evidence? Whole-wheat peach pizza with goat cheese, sage and red onion. That's right, I said peaches. The Scientist (aka Minda "no sauce" Berbeco) whipped up another batch of dough last night, and suggested we use a few of the fruits we'd picked up at Davis CA's infamous farmer's market.

It sure was one of the prettiest pizzas we've ever made. The uncooked pie (pictured) was cute enough to hang over the couch. And when we pulled it out, the cheese and herbs melded perfectly with the sweet peaches and onions, furthering my conviction that everything goes with just about everything. Which, I suppose, is a very California attitude.

Digging around for my last blog post, I found this, but decided it stands alone. (scroll down for video)

I've been thinking about pizza lately. We don't give it a lot of coverage in the magazine, which is strange as it's one of the three great American cheese-foods. Along with grilled cheese and mac 'n whatever, it demonstrates a very simple formula: starch + salt + fat = dinner.

Because pizza is ubiquitous (especially as children's fare), everyone has their own opinion on what makes a good slice.  Preferences are typically formed early and harden into obstinacy during the college years, when exposure to out-of-state pizza combines with economic necessity to make students into connoisseurs. This is a good thing, in my opinion. Although everyone else is wrong, especially New Yorkers, it's our differences that create the rich tomato-and-cheese tapestry that is America.

10 February 2011
Podere Conti
Lunigiana, Italy

Perhaps the best meal I’ve ever had was at a roadside truck stop. In Italy. On Sunday. I can’t remember which exits it was between on the Autostrada, or even which number of Autostrada I was traveling on, but it doesn’t matter. Autogrill is at all of them, a fast-food convenience chain geared toward the casual traveler or the serious trucker, with a range of merchandise for either profile, or shades between.

26 January 2010
Filattiera, Italy

Saturday night is either date night or family night, across the globe, and is no exception at Antica Pieve, a roadside pizzeria in Filattiera. Since I have neither a family nor a date at this juncture, I thought I would circumvent the two and have pizza with Luca, the eldest of the Conti boys at the olive farm. I have recently been insured to drive, so why not take advantage of my newfound freedom and see what town has to offer on a bitterly cold yet hoppin’ Saturday night.

Last week the culture crew gathered for 3 days of brainstorming, eating, and...a new england classic...candlepin bowling!